Sample records for target irradiation program

  1. Recovery of uranium from an irradiated solid target after removal of molybdenum-99 produced from the irradiated target

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Reilly, Sean Douglas; May, Iain; Copping, Roy

    A process for minimizing waste and maximizing utilization of uranium involves recovering uranium from an irradiated solid target after separating the medical isotope product, molybdenum-99, produced from the irradiated target. The process includes irradiating a solid target comprising uranium to produce fission products comprising molybdenum-99, and thereafter dissolving the target and conditioning the solution to prepare an aqueous nitric acid solution containing irradiated uranium. The acidic solution is then contacted with a solid sorbent whereby molybdenum-99 remains adsorbed to the sorbent for subsequent recovery. The uranium passes through the sorbent. The concentrations of acid and uranium are then adjusted tomore » concentrations suitable for crystallization of uranyl nitrate hydrates. After inducing the crystallization, the uranyl nitrate hydrates are separated from a supernatant. The process results in the purification of uranyl nitrate hydrates from fission products and other contaminants. The uranium is therefore available for reuse, storage, or disposal.« less

  2. Final Report on MEGAPIE Target Irradiation and Post-Irradiation Examination

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yong, Dai

    2015-06-30

    Megawatt pilot experiment (MEGAPIE) was successfully performed in 2006. One of the important goals of MEGAPIE is to understand the behaviour of structural materials of the target components exposed to high fluxes of high-energy protons and spallation neutrons in flowing LBE (liquid lead-bismuth eutectic) environment by conducting post-irradiation examination (PIE). The PIE includes four major parts: non-destructive test, radiochemical analysis of production and distribution of radionuclides produced by spallation reaction in LBE, analysis of LBE corrosion effects on structural materials, T91 and SS 316L steels, and mechanical testing of the T91 and SS 316L steels irradiated in the lower partmore » of the target. The non-destructive test (NDT) including visual inspection and ultrasonic measurement was performed in the proton beam window area of the T91 calotte of the LBE container, the most intensively irradiated part of the MEGAPIE target. The visual inspection showed no visible failure and the ultrasonic measurement demonstrated no detectable change in thickness in the beam window area. Gamma mapping was also performed in the proton beam window area of the AlMg 3 safety-container. The gamma mapping results were used to evaluate the accumulated proton fluence distribution profile, the input data for determining irradiation parameters. Radiochemical analysis of radionuclides produced by spallation reaction in LBE is to improve the understanding of the production and distribution of radionuclides in the target. The results demonstrate that the radionuclides of noble metals, 207Bi, 194Hg/Au are rather homogeneously distributed within the target, while radionuclides of electropositive elements are found to be deposited on the steel-LBE interface. The corrosion effect of LBE on the structural components under intensive irradiation was investigated by metallography. The results show that no evident corrosion damages. However, unexpected deep cracks were found in the

  3. ATF Neutron Irradiation Program Irradiation Vehicle Design Concepts

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Geringer, J. W.; Katoh, Yutai; Howard, Richard H.

    The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) under the Civil Nuclear Energy Working Group (CNWG) is engaged in a cooperative research effort with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to explore issues related to nuclear energy, including research on accident-tolerant fuels and materials for use in light water reactors. This work develops a draft technical plan for a neutron irradiation program on the candidate accident-tolerant fuel cladding materials and elements using the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR). The research program requires the design of a detailed experiment, development of test vehicles, irradiation of test specimens, possible post irradiation examination and characterizationmore » of irradiated materials and the shipment of irradiated materials to Japan. This report discusses the conceptual design, the development and irradiation of the test vehicles.« less

  4. Computational Modeling of Ablation on an Irradiated Target

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mehmedagic, Igbal; Thangam, Siva

    2017-11-01

    Computational modeling of pulsed nanosecond laser interaction with an irradiated metallic target is presented. The model formulation involves ablation of the metallic target irradiated by pulsed high intensity laser at normal atmospheric conditions. Computational findings based on effective representation and prediction of the heat transfer, melting and vaporization of the targeting material as well as plume formation and expansion are presented along with its relevance for the development of protective shields. In this context, the available results for a representative irradiation from 1064 nm laser pulse is used to analyze various ablation mechanisms, variable thermo-physical and optical properties, plume expansion and surface geometry. Funded in part by U. S. Army ARDEC, Picatinny Arsenal, NJ.

  5. Separation of sodium-22 from irradiated targets

    DOEpatents

    Taylor, Wayne A.; Jamriska, David

    1996-01-01

    A process for selective separation of sodium-22 from an irradiated target including dissolving an irradiated target to form a first solution, contacting the first solution with hydrated antimony pentoxide to selectively separate sodium-22 from the first solution, separating the hydrated antimony pentoxide including the separated sodium-22 from the first solution, dissolving the hydrated antimony pentoxide including the separated sodium-22 in a mineral acid to form a second solution, and, separating the antimony from the sodium-22 in the second solution.

  6. Method for mounting laser fusion targets for irradiation

    DOEpatents

    Fries, R. Jay; Farnum, Eugene H.; McCall, Gene H.

    1977-07-26

    Methods for preparing laser fusion targets of the ball-and-disk type are disclosed. Such targets are suitable for irradiation with one or two laser beams to produce the requisite uniform compression of the fuel material.

  7. ATF Neutron Irradiation Program Technical Plan

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Geringer, J. W.; Katoh, Yutai

    The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) under the Civil Nuclear Energy Working Group (CNWG) is engaged in a cooperative research effort with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to explore issues related to nuclear energy, including research on accident-tolerant fuels and materials for use in light water reactors. This work develops a draft technical plan for a neutron irradiation program on the candidate accident-tolerant fuel cladding materials and elements using the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR). The research program requires the design of a detailed experiment, development of test vehicles, irradiation of test specimens, possible post-irradiation examination and characterization ofmore » irradiated materials and the shipment of irradiated materials to JAEA in Japan. This report discusses the technical plan of the experimental study.« less

  8. Determination of the accuracy for targeted irradiations of cellular substructures at SNAKE

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Siebenwirth, C.; Greubel, C.; Drexler, S. E.; Girst, S.; Reindl, J.; Walsh, D. W. M.; Dollinger, G.; Friedl, A. A.; Schmid, T. E.; Drexler, G. A.

    2015-04-01

    In the last 10 years the ion microbeam SNAKE, installed at the Munich 14 MV tandem accelerator, has been successfully used for radiobiological experiments by utilizing pattern irradiation without targeting single cells. Now for targeted irradiation of cellular substructures a precise irradiation device was added to the live cell irradiation setup at SNAKE. It combines a sub-micrometer single ion irradiation facility with a high resolution optical fluorescence microscope. Most systematic errors can be reduced or avoided by using the same light path in the microscope for beam spot verification as well as for and target recognition. In addition online observation of the induced cellular responses is possible. The optical microscope and the beam delivering system are controlled by an in-house developed software which integrates the open-source image analysis software, CellProfiler, for semi-automatic target recognition. In this work the targeting accuracy was determined by irradiation of a cross pattern with 55 MeV carbon ions on nucleoli in U2OS and HeLa cells stably expressing a GFP-tagged repair protein MDC1. For target recognition, nuclei were stained with Draq5 and nucleoli were stained with Syto80 or Syto83. The damage response was determined by live-cell imaging of MDC1-GFP accumulation directly after irradiation. No systematic displacement and a random distribution of about 0.7 μm (SD) in x-direction and 0.8 μm (SD) in y-direction were observed. An independent analysis after immunofluorescence staining of the DNA damage marker yH2AX yielded similar results. With this performance a target with a size similar to that of nucleoli (i.e. a diameter of about 3 μm) is hit with a probability of more than 80%, which enables the investigation of the radiation response of cellular subcompartments after targeted ion irradiation in the future.

  9. A target design for irradiation of NaI at high beam current.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Blue, J. W.; Sodd, V. J.

    1972-01-01

    A solution to the targetry problems encountered when the iodine nucleus is a target for cyclotron irradiation is given as a new target design. A target based on this design has been used in 30 microampere irradiations of 46 MeV alpha particles for one-half hour without significant damage. Such an irradiation produces 6 to 7 mCi of Cs-129, an isotope useful in nuclear medicine. This target should also be considered for cyclotron production of the radioisotopes Cs-127, I-123, and Xe-127.

  10. A target development program for beamhole spallation neutron sources in the megawatt range

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bauer, G.S.; Atchison, F.

    1995-10-01

    Spallation sources as an alternative to fission neutron sources have been operating successfully up to 160 kW of beam power. With the next generation of these facilities aiming at the medium power range between 0.5 and 5 MW, loads on the targets will be high enough to make present experience of little relevance. With the 0.6 MW continuous facility SINQ under construction, and a 5 MW pulsed facility (ESS) under study in Europe, a research and development program is about to be started which aimes at assessing the limits of stationary and moving solid targets and the feasibility and potentialmore » benefits of flowing liquid metal targets. Apart from theoretical work and examination of existing irradiated material, including used targets from ISIS, it is intended to take advantage of the SINQ solid rod target design to improve the relevant data base by building the target in such a way that individual rods can be equipped as irradiation capsules.« less

  11. Analytical dose modeling for preclinical proton irradiation of millimetric targets.

    PubMed

    Vanstalle, Marie; Constanzo, Julie; Karakaya, Yusuf; Finck, Christian; Rousseau, Marc; Brasse, David

    2018-01-01

    Due to the considerable development of proton radiotherapy, several proton platforms have emerged to irradiate small animals in order to study the biological effectiveness of proton radiation. A dedicated analytical treatment planning tool was developed in this study to accurately calculate the delivered dose given the specific constraints imposed by the small dimensions of the irradiated areas. The treatment planning system (TPS) developed in this study is based on an analytical formulation of the Bragg peak and uses experimental range values of protons. The method was validated after comparison with experimental data from the literature and then compared to Monte Carlo simulations conducted using Geant4. Three examples of treatment planning, performed with phantoms made of water targets and bone-slab insert, were generated with the analytical formulation and Geant4. Each treatment planning was evaluated using dose-volume histograms and gamma index maps. We demonstrate the value of the analytical function for mouse irradiation, which requires a targeting accuracy of 0.1 mm. Using the appropriate database, the analytical modeling limits the errors caused by misestimating the stopping power. For example, 99% of a 1-mm tumor irradiated with a 24-MeV beam receives the prescribed dose. The analytical dose deviations from the prescribed dose remain within the dose tolerances stated by report 62 of the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements for all tested configurations. In addition, the gamma index maps show that the highly constrained targeting accuracy of 0.1 mm for mouse irradiation leads to a significant disagreement between Geant4 and the reference. This simulated treatment planning is nevertheless compatible with a targeting accuracy exceeding 0.2 mm, corresponding to rat and rabbit irradiations. Good dose accuracy for millimetric tumors is achieved with the analytical calculation used in this work. These volume sizes are typical in mouse

  12. RESULTS OF THE CANADIAN PILOT SCALE POTATO IRRADIATION PROGRAM

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    None

    1963-04-01

    ABS>A potato irradiation program using a Mobile Cobalt-60 Irradiator was carried out in four provinces of Eastern Canada during the 1961-82 season in cooperation with twenty-six members of the potato industry. A total of 400 tons of potatoes was irradiated over a four months' period extending from October to February. Regular observations on both control and irradiated potatoes were conducted during storage by the Fruit and Vegetable Division of the Canada Department of Agriculture until final shipment to consumer markets or processing plants. The dose of 8,000 rads used in the program provided excellent control of sprouting in all storagesmore » regardless of variety, storage temperature, date of irradiation, method of storage or length of storage. When good material suitable for long term storage was irradiated and not mishandled during treatment, there was no effect on the rate of breakdown during storage. Irradiated potatoes were successfully processed into potato chips, instant mashed potato flakes, frozen french fries and pre-peeled fresh boilers. Irradiated potatoes were sold to Canadian consumers in the form of table stock and processed products. No complaints of any kind were received or reported regarding the acceptability of the irradiated potatoes. There was no unfavorable public reaction to the first irradiated food offered for sale in Canada. The results of the potato irradiation program have created a favorable climate for the future of potato irradiation in Canada. The operation of full scale irradiation facilities is envisaged within the next two years. (auth)« less

  13. Vacuum aperture isolator for retroreflection from laser-irradiated target

    DOEpatents

    Benjamin, Robert F.; Mitchell, Kenneth B.

    1980-01-01

    The disclosure is directed to a vacuum aperture isolator for retroreflection of a laser-irradiated target. Within a vacuum chamber are disposed a beam focusing element, a disc having an aperture and a recollimating element. The edge of the focused beam impinges on the edge of the aperture to produce a plasma which refracts any retroreflected light from the laser's target.

  14. Status of Post Irradiation Examination of FCAB and FCAT Irradiation Capsules

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Field, Kevin G.; Yamamoto, Yukinori; Howard, Richard H.

    A series of irradiation programs are ongoing to address the need for determining the radiation tolerance of FeCrAl alloys. These irradiation programs, deemed the FCAT and FCAB irradiation programs, use the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) to irradiate second generation wrought FeCrAl alloys and early-generation powder-metallurgy (PM) oxide dispersion-strengthened (ODS) FeCrAl alloys. Irradiations have been or are being performed at temperatures of 200°C, 330°C, and 550°C from doses of 1.8 dpa up to 16 dpa. Preliminary post-irradiation examination (PIE) on low dose (<2 dpa) irradiation capsules of tensile specimens has been performed. Analysis of co-irradiated SiC thermometry have shown reasonablemore » matching between the nominal irradiation temperatures and the target irradiation temperatures. Room temperature tensile tests have shown typical radiation-induced hardening and embrittlement at irradiations of 200°C and 330°C, but a propensity for softening when irradiated to 550°C for the wrought alloys. The PM-ODS FeCrAl specimens showed less hardening compared to the wrought alloys. Future PIE includes high temperature tensile tests on the low dose irradiation capsules as well as the determination of reference fracture toughness transition temperature, T o, in alloys irradiated to 7 dpa and higher.« less

  15. Heavy-Section Steel Irradiation Program

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rosseel, T.M.

    2000-04-01

    Maintaining the integrity of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) in a light-water-cooled nuclear power plant is crucial in preventing and controlling severe accidents that have the potential for major contamination release. Because the RPV is the only key safety-related component of the plant for which a redundant backup system does not exist, it is imperative to fully understand the degree of irradiation-induced degradation of the RPV's fracture resistance that occurs during service. For this reason, the Heavy-Section Steel Irradiation (HSSI) Program has been established.

  16. Target depth dependence of damage rate in metals by 150 MeV proton irradiation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yoshiie, T.; Ishi, Y.; Kuriyama, Y.; Mori, Y.; Sato, K.; Uesugi, T.; Xu, Q.

    2015-01-01

    A series of irradiation experiments with 150 MeV protons was performed. The relationship between target depth (or shield thickness) and displacement damage during proton irradiation was obtained by in situ electrical resistance measurements at 20 K. Positron annihilation lifetime measurements were also performed at room temperature after irradiation, as a function of the target thickness. The displacement damage was found to be high close to the beam incident surface area, and decreased with increasing target depth. The experimental results were compared with damage production calculated with an advanced Monte Carlo particle transport code system (PHITS).

  17. Systems and methods for processing irradiation targets through a nuclear reactor

    DOEpatents

    Dayal, Yogeshwar; Saito, Earl F.; Berger, John F.; Brittingham, Martin W.; Morales, Stephen K.; Hare, Jeffrey M.

    2016-05-03

    Apparatuses and methods produce radioisotopes in instrumentation tubes of operating commercial nuclear reactors. Irradiation targets may be inserted and removed from instrumentation tubes during operation and converted to radioisotopes otherwise unavailable during operation of commercial nuclear reactors. Example apparatuses may continuously insert, remove, and store irradiation targets to be converted to useable radioisotopes or other desired materials at several different origin and termination points accessible outside an access barrier such as a containment building, drywell wall, or other access restriction preventing access to instrumentation tubes during operation of the nuclear plant.

  18. Selection of specimen types for irradiation surveillance programs

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Varga, T.; Njo, D.H.

    1981-10-01

    Recent trends in coping with embrittlement problems in reactor pressure vessels (RPVs) show two main directions of development: (1) improvement of the vessel materials and (2) limitations of fluence over the design life of the RPV. For several reasons, however, adequate irradiation surveillance programs are still considered to be necessary in the future, despite possible improvements resulting from such research activities. Since the introduction of linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) and elastic-plastic fracture mechanics, (EPFM), irradiation surveillance programs show a trend towards direct measurement of fracture toughness, in addition to relying on the conventional nil-ductility transition temperature (NDTT) shift asmore » a relative measure of embrittlement. Some basic considerations concerning the selection of specimen types for irradiation surveillance programs and some technical aspects of currently used speciment types are discussed.« less

  19. Design study of a raster scanning system for moving target irradiation in heavy-ion radiotherapy.

    PubMed

    Furukawa, Takuji; Inaniwa, Taku; Sato, Shinji; Tomitani, Takehiro; Minohara, Shinichi; Noda, Koji; Kanai, Tatsuaki

    2007-03-01

    A project to construct a new treatment facility as an extension of the existing heavy-ion medical accelerator in chiba (HIMAC) facility has been initiated for further development of carbon-ion therapy. The greatest challenge of this project is to realize treatment of a moving target by scanning irradiation. For this purpose, we decided to combine the rescanning technique and the gated irradiation method. To determine how to avoid hot and/or cold spots by the relatively large number of rescannings within an acceptable irradiation time, we have studied the scanning strategy, scanning magnets and their control, and beam intensity dynamic control. We have designed a raster scanning system and carried out a simulation of irradiating moving targets. The result shows the possibility of practical realization of moving target irradiation with pencil beam scanning. We describe the present status of our design study of the raster scanning system for the HIMAC new treatment facility.

  20. Post Irradiation Examination Results of the NT-02 Graphite Fins NUMI Target

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ammigan, K.; Hurh, P.; Sidorov, V.

    2017-02-10

    The NT-02 neutrino target in the NuMI beamline at Fermilab is a 95 cm long target made up of segmented graphite fins. It is the longest running NuMI target, which operated with a 120 GeV proton beam with maximum power of 340 kW, and saw an integrated total proton on target of 6.1 1020. Over the last half of its life, gradual degradation of neutrino yield was observed until the target was replaced. The probable causes for the target performance degradation are attributed to radiation damage, possibly including cracking caused by reduction in thermal shock resistance, as well as potentialmore » localized oxidation in the heated region of the target. Understanding the long-termstructural response of target materials exposed to proton irradiation is critical as future proton accelerator sources are becoming increasingly more powerful. As a result, an autopsy of the target was carried out to facilitate post-irradiation examination of selected graphite fins. Advanced microstructural imaging and surface elemental analysis techniques were used to characterize the condition of the fins in an effort to identify degradation mechanisms, and the relevant findings are presented in this paper.« less

  1. Recovery of niobium from irradiated targets

    DOEpatents

    Phillips, Dennis R.; Jamriska, Sr., David J.; Hamilton, Virginia T.

    1994-01-01

    A process for selective separation of niobium from proton irradiated molybdenum targets is provided and includes dissolving the molybdenum target in a hydrogen peroxide solution to form a first ion-containing solution, contacting the first ion-containing solution with a cationic resin whereby ions selected form the group consisting of molybdenum, biobium, technetium, selenium, vanadium, arsenic, germanium, zirconium and rubidium remain in a second ion-containing solution while ions selected from the group consisting of rubidium, zinc, beryllium, cobalt, iron, manganese, chromium, strontium, yttrium and zirconium are selectively adsorbed by the cationic resin; adjusting the pH of the second ion-containing solution to within a range of from about 5.0 to about 6.0; contacting the pH adjusting second ion-containing solution with a dextran-based material for a time to selectively separate niobium from the solution and recovering the niobium from the dextran-based material.

  2. TECHNICAL SCOPE OF GAS-COOLED REACTOR FUEL ELEMENT IRRADIATION PROGRAM

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    None

    A set of 55 experiments hss been outiined to provide a minimum irradiation program for selection of UO/sub 2/, pellet geometry and fabricntion techniques, and canning technology. These experiments fall into three catagories: prototype: untts in which radial dimension and heat fluxes sre close to proposed design values, but irradiation times are long; reduced-size prototype for accelerated tests in which most variables will be studied; and miniaurized pellet irradiation to obtain high burnup for fission gas release studies. Reactor space has been found generally available and several installations are now examining their capabilities to participate in the program. A tentativemore » schedule has been drawn to illustrate the feasibility of the program. (auth)« less

  3. Fuels irradiation testing for the SP-100 program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Makenas, Bruce J.; Hales, Janell W.; Ward, Alva L.

    1991-01-01

    An SP-100 fuel pin irradiation testing program is well on the way to providing data for performance correlations and demonstrating the lifetime and safety of the fuel system of the compact lithium-cooled reactor. Key SP-100 fuel performance issues addressed are the need for low fuel swelling and low fission gas release to minimize cladding strain, and the need for barrier integrity to prevent fuel/cladding chemical interaction. This paper provides a description of the irradiation test program that addresses these key issues and summarizes recent results of posttest examinations including data obtained at 6 atom percent goal burnup.

  4. Using Targeting Outcomes of Programs as a Framework to Target Photographic Events in Nonformal Educational Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rockwell, S. Kay; Albrecht, Julie A.; Nugent, Gwen C.; Kunz, Gina M.

    2012-01-01

    Targeting Outcomes of Programs (TOP) is a seven-step hierarchical programming model in which the program development and performance sides are mirror images of each other. It served as a framework to identify a simple method for targeting photographic events in nonformal education programs, indicating why, when, and how photographs would be useful…

  5. Ductility recovery in structural materials for spallation targets by post-irradiation annealing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, J.; Jung, P.; Rödig, M.; Ullmaier, H.; Bauer, G. S.

    2005-08-01

    Low temperature irradiation embrittlement is one of the major criteria to determine the lifetime of spallation targets. Embrittlement is especially high at low service temperatures, e.g. 250 °C in liquid-mercury sources. It was the aim of the present study to investigate the effect of post-irradiation annealing on the mechanical properties of irradiated structural materials. The specimens used were obtained from spent target components of operating spallation facilities (Los Alamos Neutron Science Center, LANSCE, and the Spallation Neutron Source at Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory, ISIS). The investigated materials include a nickel-based alloy (IN718), an austenitic stainless steel (AISI 304L), a martensitic stainless steel (DIN 1.4926) and a refractory metal (Ta) which experienced 800 MeV proton irradiation to fluences of several 10 25 p/m 2. The specimens were annealed from 300 °C to 700 °C for 1 to 10 h, respectively, and their mechanical property changes were subsequently investigated at room temperature and 250 °C by tensile testing and fracture surface analysis conducted by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the ductility recovered to a large degree in 304L and DIN 1.4926 materials while their strength remained almost unchanged. Especially for DIN 1.4926, the ductility recovery is remarkable already at 400 °C. Together with its favorable thermo-mechanical properties, this makes martensitic steel a candidate for structural materials of spallation targets.

  6. Salivary gland sparing and improved target irradiation by conformal and intensity modulated irradiation of head and neck cancer.

    PubMed

    Eisbruch, Avraham; Ship, Jonathan A; Dawson, Laura A; Kim, Hyungjin M; Bradford, Carol R; Terrell, Jeffrey E; Chepeha, Douglas B; Teknos, Theodore N; Hogikyan, Norman D; Anzai, Yoshimi; Marsh, Lon H; Ten Haken, Randall K; Wolf, Gregory T

    2003-07-01

    The goals of this study were to facilitate sparing of the major salivary glands while adequately treating tumor targets in patients requiring comprehensive bilateral neck irradiation (RT), and to assess the potential for improved xerostomia. Since 1994 techniques of target irradiation and locoregional tumor control with conformal and intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) have been developed. In patients treated with these modalities, the salivary flow rates before and periodically after RT have been measured selectively from each major salivary gland and the residual flows correlated with glands' dose volume histograms (DVHs). In addition, subjective xerostomia questionnaires have been developed and validated. The pattern of locoregional recurrence has been examined from computed tomography (CT) scans at the time of recurrence, transferring the recurrence volumes to the planning CT scans, and regenerating the dose distributions at the recurrence sites. Treatment plans for target coverage and dose homogeneity using static, multisegmental IMRT were found to be significantly better than standard RT plans. In addition, significant parotid gland sparing was achieved in the conformal plans. The relationships among dose, irradiated volume, and the residual saliva flow rates from the parotid glands were characterized by dose and volume thresholds. A mean radiation dose of 26 Gy was found to be the threshold for preserved stimulated saliva flow. Xerostomia questionnaire scores suggested that xerostomia was significantly reduced in patients irradiated with bilateral neck, parotid-sparing RT, compared to patients with similar tumors treated with standard RT. Examination of locoregional tumor recurrence patterns revealed that the large majority of recurrences occurred inside targets, in areas that had been judged to be at high risk and that had received RT doses according to the perceived risk. Tangible gains in salivary gland sparing and target coverage are being

  7. Sensing device and method for measuring emission time delay during irradiation of targeted samples

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Danielson, J. D. Sheldon (Inventor)

    2000-01-01

    An apparatus for measuring emission time delay during irradiation of targeted samples by utilizing digital signal processing to determine the emission phase shift caused by the sample is disclosed. The apparatus includes a source of electromagnetic radiation adapted to irradiate a target sample. A mechanism generates first and second digital input signals of known frequencies with a known phase relationship, and a device then converts the first and second digital input signals to analog sinusoidal signals. An element is provided to direct the first input signal to the electromagnetic radiation source to modulate the source by the frequency thereof to irradiate the target sample and generate a target sample emission. A device detects the target sample emission and produces a corresponding first output signal having a phase shift relative to the phase of the first input signal, the phase shift being caused by the irradiation time delay in the sample. A member produces a known phase shift in the second input signal to create a second output signal. A mechanism is then provided for converting each of the first and second analog output signals to digital signals. A mixer receives the first and second digital output signals and compares the signal phase relationship therebetween to produce a signal indicative of the change in phase relationship between the first and second output signals caused by the target sample emission. Finally, a feedback arrangement alters the phase of the second input signal based on the mixer signal to ultimately place the first and second output signals in quadrature. Mechanisms for enhancing this phase comparison and adjustment technique are also disclosed.

  8. Preliminary Mark-18A (Mk-18A) Target Material Recovery Program Product Acceptance Criteria

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Robinson, Sharon M.; Patton, Bradley D.

    2016-09-01

    The Mk-18A Target Material Recovery Program (MTMRP) was established in 2015 to preserve the unique materials, e.g. 244Pu, in 65 previously irradiated Mk-18A targets for future use. This program utilizes existing capabilities at SRS and Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) to process targets, recover materials from them, and to package the recovered materials for shipping to ORNL. It also utilizes existing capabilities at ORNL to receive and store the recovered materials, and to provide any additional processing of the recovered materials or residuals required to prepare them for future beneficial use. The MTMRP is presently preparing for the processing ofmore » these valuable targets which is expected to begin in ~2019. As part of the preparations for operations, this report documents the preliminary acceptance criteria for the plutonium and heavy curium materials to be recovered from the Mk-18A targets at SRNL for transport and storage at ORNL. These acceptance criteria were developed based on preliminary concepts developed for processing, transporting, and storing the recovered Mk-18A materials. They will need to be refined as these concepts are developed in more detail.« less

  9. Thermal Convection on an Irradiated Target

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mehmedagic, Igbal; Thangam, Siva

    2016-11-01

    The present work involves the computational modeling of metallic targets subject to steady and high intensity heat flux. The ablation and associated fluid dynamics when metallic surfaces are exposed to high intensity laser fluence at normal atmospheric conditions is modelled. The incident energy from the laser is partly absorbed and partly reflected by the surface during ablation and subsequent vaporization of the melt. Computational findings based on effective representation and prediction of the heat transfer, melting and vaporization of the targeting material as well as plume formation and expansion are presented and discussed in the context of various ablation mechanisms, variable thermo-physical and optical properties, plume expansion and surface geometry. The energy distribution during the process between the bulk and vapor phase strongly depends on optical and thermodynamic properties of the irradiated material, radiation wavelength, and laser intensity. The relevance of the findings to various manufacturing processes as well as for the development of protective shields is discussed. Funded in part by U. S. Army ARDEC, Picatinny Arsenal, NJ.

  10. Target development for diversified irradiations at a medical cyclotron.

    PubMed

    Spellerberg, S; Scholten, B; Spahn, I; Bolten, W; Holzgreve, M; Coenen, H H; Qaim, S M

    2015-10-01

    The irradiation facility at an old medical cyclotron (Ep=17 MeV; Ed=10 MeV) was upgraded by extending the beam line and incorporation of solid state targetry. Tests performed to check the quality of the available beam are outlined. Results on nuclear data measurements and improvement of radiochemical separations are described. Using solid targets, with the proton beam falling at a slanting angle of 20°, a few radionuclides, e.g. (75)Se, (120)I, (124)I, etc. were produced with medium currents (up to 20 µA) in no-carrier-added form in quantities sufficient for local use. The extended irradiation facility has considerably enhanced the utility of the medical cyclotron. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. TUNABLE IRRADIATION TESTBED

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wootan, David W.; Casella, Andrew M.; Asner, David M.

    PNNL has developed and continues to develop innovative methods for characterizing irradiated materials from nuclear reactors and particle accelerators for various clients and collaborators around the world. The continued development of these methods, in addition to the ability to perform unique scientific investigations of the effects of radiation on materials could be greatly enhanced with easy access to irradiation facilities. A Tunable Irradiation Testbed with customized targets (a 30 MeV, 1mA cyclotron or similar coupled to a unique target system) is shown to provide a much more flexible and cost-effective source of irradiating particles than a test reactor or isotopicmore » source. The configuration investigated was a single shielded building with multiple beam lines from a small, flexible, high flux irradiation source. Potential applications investigated were the characterization of radiation damage to materials applicable to advanced reactors, fusion reactor, legacy waste, (via neutron spectra tailored to HTGR, molten salt, LWR, LMR, fusion environments); 252Cf replacement; characterization of radiation damage to materials of interest to High Energy Physics to enable the neutrino program; and research into production of short lived isotopes for potential medical and other applications.« less

  12. Experimental study on ablative stabilization of Rayleigh-Taylor instability of laser-irradiated targets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shigemori, Keisuke; Sakaiya, Tatsuhiko; Otani, Kazuto; Fujioka, Shinsuke; Nakai, Mitsuo; Azechi, Hiroshi; Shiraga, Hiroyuki; Tamari, Yohei; Okuno, Kazuki; Sunahara, Atsushi; Nagatomo, Hideo; Murakami, Masakatsu; Nishihara, Katsunobu; Izawa, Yasukazu

    2004-09-01

    Hydrodynamic instabilities are key issues of the physics of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) targets. Among the instabilities, Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instability is the most important because it gives the largest growth factor in the ICF targets. Perturbations on the laser irradiated surface grow exponentially, but the growth rate is reduced by ablation flow. The growth rate γ is written as Takabe-Betti formula: γ = [kg/(1+kL)]1/2-βkm/pa, where k is wave number of the perturbation, g is acceleration, L is density scale-length, β is a coefficient, m is mass ablation rate per unit surface, and ρa is density at the ablation front. We experimentally measured all the parameters in the formula for polystyrene (CH) targets. Experiments were done on the HIPER laser facility at Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University. We found that the β value in the formula is ~ 1.7, which is in good agreements with the theoretical prediction, whereas the β for certain perturbation wavelengths are larger than the prediction. This disagreement between the experiment and the theory is mainly due to the deformation of the cutoff surface, which is created by non-uniform ablation flow from the ablation surface. We also found that high-Z doped plastic targets have multiablation structure, which can reduce the RT growth rate. When a low-Z target with high-Z dopant is irradiated by laser, radiation due to the high-Z dopant creates secondary ablation front deep inside the target. Since, the secondary ablation front is ablated by x-rays, the mass ablation rate is larger than the laser-irradiated ablation surface, that is, further reduction of the RT growth is expected. We measured the RT growth rate of Br-doped polystyrene targets. The experimental results indicate that of the CHBr targets show significantly small growth rate, which is very good news for the design of the ICF targets.

  13. Pressure control of a proton beam-irradiated water target through an internal flow channel-induced thermosyphon.

    PubMed

    Hong, Bong Hwan; Jung, In Su

    2017-07-01

    A water target was designed to enhance cooling efficiency using a thermosyphon, which is a system that uses natural convection to induce heat exchange. Two water targets were fabricated: a square target without any flow channel and a target with a flow channel design to induce a thermosyphon mechanism. These two targets had the same internal volume of 8 ml. First, visualization experiments were performed to observe the internal flow by natural convection. Subsequently, an experiment was conducted to compare the cooling performance of both water targets by measuring the temperature and pressure. A 30-MeV proton beam with a beam current of 20 μA was used to irradiate both targets. Consequently, the target with an internal flow channel had a lower mean temperature and a 50% pressure drop compared to the target without a flow channel during proton beam irradiation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Parallel computation safety analysis irradiation targets fission product molybdenum in neutronic aspect using the successive over-relaxation algorithm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Susmikanti, Mike; Dewayatna, Winter; Sulistyo, Yos

    2014-09-01

    One of the research activities in support of commercial radioisotope production program is a safety research on target FPM (Fission Product Molybdenum) irradiation. FPM targets form a tube made of stainless steel which contains nuclear-grade high-enrichment uranium. The FPM irradiation tube is intended to obtain fission products. Fission materials such as Mo99 used widely the form of kits in the medical world. The neutronics problem is solved using first-order perturbation theory derived from the diffusion equation for four groups. In contrast, Mo isotopes have longer half-lives, about 3 days (66 hours), so the delivery of radioisotopes to consumer centers and storage is possible though still limited. The production of this isotope potentially gives significant economic value. The criticality and flux in multigroup diffusion model was calculated for various irradiation positions and uranium contents. This model involves complex computation, with large and sparse matrix system. Several parallel algorithms have been developed for the sparse and large matrix solution. In this paper, a successive over-relaxation (SOR) algorithm was implemented for the calculation of reactivity coefficients which can be done in parallel. Previous works performed reactivity calculations serially with Gauss-Seidel iteratives. The parallel method can be used to solve multigroup diffusion equation system and calculate the criticality and reactivity coefficients. In this research a computer code was developed to exploit parallel processing to perform reactivity calculations which were to be used in safety analysis. The parallel processing in the multicore computer system allows the calculation to be performed more quickly. This code was applied for the safety limits calculation of irradiated FPM targets containing highly enriched uranium. The results of calculations neutron show that for uranium contents of 1.7676 g and 6.1866 g (× 106 cm-1) in a tube, their delta reactivities are the still

  15. Deuteron irradiation of W and WO 3 for production of high specific activity 186Re: Challenges associated with thick target preparation

    DOE PAGES

    Balkin, Ethan R.; Gagnon, Katherine; Strong, Kevin T.; ...

    2016-06-28

    This investigation evaluated target fabrication and beam parameters for scale-up production of high specific activity 186Re using deuteron irradiation of enriched 186W via the 186W(d,2n) 186Re reaction. Thick W and WO 3 targets were prepared, characterized and evaluated in deuteron irradiations. Full-thickness targets, as determined using SRIM, were prepared by uniaxi-ally pressing powdered natural abundance W and WO 3, or 96.86% enriched 186W, into Al target supports. Alternatively, thick targets were prepared by pressing 186W between two layers of graphite powder or by placing pre-sintered (1105°C, 12 hours) natural abundance WO 3 pellets into an Al target support. Assessments ofmore » structural integrity were made on each target pre-pared. Prior to irradiation, material composition analyses were conducted using SEM, XRD, and Raman spectroscopy. With-in a minimum of 24 hours post irradiation, gamma-ray spectroscopy was performed on all targets to assess production yields and radionuclidic byproducts. Problems were encountered with the structural integrity of some pressed W and WO 3 pellets before and during irradiation, and target material characterization results could be correlated with the structural integrity of the pressed target pellets. Under the conditions studied, the findings suggest that all WO 3 targets prepared and studied were unacceptable. By contrast, 186W metal was found to be a viable target material for 186Re production. Lastly, thick targets prepared with powdered 186W pressed between layers of graphite provided a particularly robust target configuration.« less

  16. Deuteron irradiation of W and WO3 for production of high specific activity (186)Re: Challenges associated with thick target preparation.

    PubMed

    Balkin, Ethan R; Gagnon, Katherine; Strong, Kevin T; Smith, Bennett E; Dorman, Eric F; Emery, Robert C; Pauzauskie, Peter J; Fassbender, Michael E; Cutler, Cathy S; Ketring, Alan R; Jurisson, Silvia S; Wilbur, D Scott

    2016-09-01

    This investigation evaluated target fabrication and beam parameters for scale-up production of high specific activity (186)Re using deuteron irradiation of enriched (186)W via the (186)W(d,2n)(186)Re reaction. Thick W and WO3 targets were prepared, characterized and evaluated in deuteron irradiations. Full-thickness targets, as determined using SRIM, were prepared by uniaxially pressing powdered natural abundance W and WO3, or 96.86% enriched (186)W, into Al target supports. Alternatively, thick targets were prepared by pressing (186)W between two layers of graphite powder or by placing pre-sintered (1105°C, 12h) natural abundance WO3 pellets into an Al target support. Assessments of structural integrity were made on each target prepared. Prior to irradiation, material composition analyses were conducted using SEM, XRD, and Raman spectroscopy. Within a minimum of 24h post irradiation, gamma-ray spectroscopy was performed on all targets to assess production yields and radionuclidic byproducts. Problems were encountered with the structural integrity of some pressed W and WO3 pellets before and during irradiation, and target material characterization results could be correlated with the structural integrity of the pressed target pellets. Under the conditions studied, the findings suggest that all WO3 targets prepared and studied were unacceptable. By contrast, (186)W metal was found to be a viable target material for (186)Re production. Thick targets prepared with powdered (186)W pressed between layers of graphite provided a particularly robust target configuration. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Simulation of cosmic irradiation conditions in thick target arrangements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Theis, S.; Englert, P.; Reedy, R. C.; Arnold, J. R.

    1986-01-01

    One approach to simulate 2-pi irradiation conditions of planetary surfaces which has been widely applied in the past are bombardments of so called thick targets. A very large thick target was exposed recently to 2.1 GeV protons at the Bevatron-Bevalac in Berkeley. In a 100x100x180 cm steel-surrounded granodiorite target radioactive medium and high energy spallation products of the incident primary and of secondary particles were analyzed along the beam axis down to depths of 140 g/cm(2) in targets such as Cu, Ni, Co, Fe, T, Si, SiO2 and Al. Activities of these nuclides were exclusively determined via instrumental gamma-ray spectroscopy. Relative yields of neutron capture and spallation products induced in Co and Cu targets during the thick target bombardment are shown as a function of depth. The majority of the medium energy products such as Co-58 from Co targets exhibit a maximum at shallow depths of 40-60 g/cm(2) and then decrease exponentially. In a comparable 600 MeV proton bombarded thick target such a slight maximum for medium energy products was not observed. Rather, Co-58 activities in Co decreased steadily with the highest activity at the surface. The activities of the n-capture product Co-60 increase steadily starting at the surface. This indicates the rapidly growing flux of low energy neutrons within the target.

  18. Recovery of germanium-68 from irradiated targets

    DOEpatents

    Phillips, Dennis R.; Jamriska, Sr., David J.; Hamilton, Virginia T.

    1993-01-01

    A process for selective separation of germanium-68 from proton irradiated molybdenum targets is provided and includes dissolving the molybdenum target in a hydrogen peroxide solution to form a first ion-containing solution, contacting the first ion-containing solution with a cationic resin whereby ions selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, niobium, technetium, selenium, vanadium, arsenic, germanium, zirconium and rubidium remain in a second ion-containing solution while ions selected from the group consisting of rubidium, zinc, beryllium, cobalt, iron, manganese, chromium, strontium, yttrium and zirconium are selectively adsorbed by the first resin, adjusting the pH of the second ion-containing solution to within a range of from about 0.7 to about 3.0, adjusting the soluble metal halide concentration in the second ion-containing solution to a level adapted for subsequent separation of germanium, contacting the pH-adjusted, soluble metal halide-containing second ion-containing solution with a dextran-based material whereby germanium ions are separated by the dextran-based material, and recovering the germanium from the dextran-based material, preferably by distillation.

  19. Lithium target for accelerator based BNCT neutron source: Influence by the proton irradiation on lithium

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fujii, R.; Imahori, Y.; Nakakmura, M.; Takada, M.; Kamada, S.; Hamano, T.; Hoshi, M.; Sato, H.; Itami, J.; Abe, Y.; Fuse, M.

    2012-12-01

    The neutron source for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is in the transition stage from nuclear reactor to accelerator based neutron source. Generation of low energy neutron can be achieved by 7Li (p, n) 7Be reaction using accelerator based neutron source. Development of small-scale and safe neutron source is within reach. The melting point of lithium that is used for the target is low, and durability is questioned for an extended use at a high current proton beam. In order to test its durability, we have irradiated lithium with proton beam at the same level as the actual current density, and found no deterioration after 3 hours of continuous irradiation. As a result, it is suggested that lithium target can withstand proton irradiation at high current, confirming suitability as accelerator based neutron source for BNCT.

  20. Thin-film preparation by back-surface irradiation pulsed laser deposition using metal powder targets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kawasaki, Hiroharu; Ohshima, Tamiko; Yagyu, Yoshihito; Ihara, Takeshi; Yamauchi, Makiko; Suda, Yoshiaki

    2017-01-01

    Several kinds of functional thin films were deposited using a new thin-film preparation method named the back-surface irradiation pulsed laser deposition (BIPLD) method. In this BIPLD method, powder targets were used as the film source placed on a transparent target holder, and then a visible-wavelength pulsed laser was irradiated from the holder side to the substrate. Using this new method, titanium oxide and boron nitride thin films were deposited on the silicon substrate. Surface scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images suggest that all of the thin films were deposited on the substrate with some large droplets irrespective of the kind of target used. The deposition rate of the films prepared by using this method was calculated from film thickness and deposition time to be much lower than that of the films prepared by conventional PLD. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurement results suggest that rutile and anatase TiO2 crystal peaks were formed for the films prepared using the TiO2 rutile powder target. Crystal peaks of hexagonal boron nitride were observed for the films prepared using the boron nitride powder target. The crystallinity of the prepared films was changed by annealing after deposition.

  1. Particle therapy of moving targets—the strategies for tumour motion monitoring and moving targets irradiation

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    Particle therapy of moving targets is still a great challenge. The motion of organs situated in the thorax and abdomen strongly affects the precision of proton and carbon ion radiotherapy. The motion is responsible for not only the dislocation of the tumour but also the alterations in the internal density along the beam path, which influence the range of particle beams. Furthermore, in case of pencil beam scanning, there is an interference between the target movement and dynamic beam delivery. This review presents the strategies for tumour motion monitoring and moving target irradiation in the context of hadron therapy. Methods enabling the direct determination of tumour position (fluoroscopic imaging of implanted radio-opaque fiducial markers, electromagnetic detection of inserted transponders and ultrasonic tumour localization systems) are presented. Attention is also drawn to the techniques which use external surrogate motion for an indirect estimation of target displacement during irradiation. The role of respiratory-correlated CT [four-dimensional CT (4DCT)] in the determination of motion pattern prior to the particle treatment is also considered. An essential part of the article is the review of the main approaches to moving target irradiation in hadron therapy: gating, rescanning (repainting), gated rescanning and tumour tracking. The advantages, drawbacks and development trends of these methods are discussed. The new accelerators, called “cyclinacs”, are presented, because their application to particle therapy will allow making a breakthrough in the 4D spot scanning treatment of moving organs. PMID:27376637

  2. Positron annihilation lifetime measurements of austenitic stainless and ferritic/martensitic steels irradiated in the SINQ target irradiation program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sato, K.; Xu, Q.; Yoshiie, T.; Dai, Y.; Kikuchi, K.

    2012-12-01

    Titanium-doped austenitic stainless steel (JPCA) and reduced activated ferritic/martensitic steel (F82H) irradiated with high-energy protons and spallation neutrons were investigated by positron annihilation lifetime measurements. Subnanometer-sized (<˜0.8 nm) helium bubbles, which cannot be observed by transmission electron microscopy, were detected by positron annihilation lifetime measurements for the first time. For the F82H steel, the positron annihilation lifetime of the bubbles decreased with increasing irradiation dose and annealing temperature because the bubbles absorb additional He atoms. In the case of JPCA steel, the positron annihilation lifetime increased with increasing annealing temperature above 773 K, in which case the dissociation of complexes of vacancy clusters with He atoms and the growth of He bubbles was detected. He bubble size and density were also discussed.

  3. Heavy-section steel irradiation program. Semiannual progress report, October 1996--March 1997

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rosseel, T.M.

    1998-02-01

    Maintaining the integrity of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) in a light-water-cooled nuclear power plant is crucial in preventing and controlling severe accidents that have the potential for major contamination release. Because the RPV is the only key safety-related component of the plant for which a redundant backup system does not exist, it is imperative to fully understand the degree of irradiation-induced degradation of the RPV`s fracture resistance that occurs during service. For this reason, the Heavy-Section Steel Irradiation (HSSI) Program has been established. Its primary goal is to provide a thorough, quantitative assessment of the effects of neutron irradiationmore » on the material behavior and, in particular, the fracture toughness properties of typical pressure-vessel steels as they relate to light-water RPV integrity. Effects of specimen size; material chemistry; product form and microstructure; irradiation fluence, flux, temperature, and spectrum; and postirradiation annealing are being examined on a wide range of fracture properties. The HSSI Program is arranged into eight tasks: (1) program management, (2) irradiation effects in engineering materials, (3) annealing, (4) microstructural analysis of radiation effects, (5) in-service irradiated and aged material evaluations, (6) fracture toughness curve shift method, (7) special technical assistance, and (8) foreign research interactions. The work is performed by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.« less

  4. High energy irradiations simulating cosmic-ray-induced planetary gamma ray production. I - Fe target

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Metzger, A. E.; Parker, R. H.; Yellin, J.

    1986-01-01

    Two thick Fe targets were bombarded by a series of 6 GeV proton irradiations for the purpose of simulating the cosmic ray bombardment of planetary objects in space. Gamma ray energy spectra were obtained with a germanium solid state detector during the bombardment, and 46 of the gamma ray lines were ascribed to the Fe targets. A comparison between observed and predicted values showed good agreement for Fe lines from neutron inelastic scattering and spallation reactions, and less satisfactory agreement for neutron capture reactions, the latter attributed to the difference in composition between the Fe target and the mean lunar abundance used in the modeling. Through an analysis of the irradiation results together with continuum data obtained in lunar orbit, it was found that 100 hours of measurement with a current instrument should generate a spectrum containing approximately 20 lines due to Fe alone, with a 2-sigma sensitivity for detection of about 0.2 percent.

  5. Negative pressure and spallation in graphite targets under nano- and picosecond laser irradiation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Belikov, R S; Khishchenko, K V; Krasyuk, I K

    We present the results of experiments on the spallation phenomena in graphite targets under shock-wave nano- and picosecond irradiation, which have been performed on Kamerton-T (GPI, Moscow, Russia) and PHELIX (GSI, Darmstadt, Germany) laser facilities. In the range of the strain rates of 10{sup 6} – 10{sup 7} s{sup -1}, the data on the dynamic mechanical strength of the material at rapure (spallation) have been for the first time obtained. With a maximal strain rate of 1.4 × 10{sup 7} s{sup -1}, the spall strength of 2.1 GPa is obtained, which constitutes 64% of the theoretical ultimate tensile strength ofmore » graphite. The effect of spallation is observed not only on the rear side of the target, but also on its irradiated (front) surface. With the use of optical and scanning electron microscopes, the morphology of the front and rear surfaces of the targets is studied. By means of Raman scattering of light, the graphite structure both on the target front surface under laser exposure and on its rear side in the spall zone is investigated. A comparison of the dynamic strength of graphite and synthetic diamond is performed. (extreme light fields and their applications)« less

  6. Conformal and intensity modulated irradiation of head and neck cancer: the potential for improved target irradiation, salivary gland function, and quality of life.

    PubMed

    Eisbruch, A; Dawson, L A; Kim, H M; Bradford, C R; Terrell, J E; Chepeha, D B; Teknos, T N; Anzai, Y; Marsh, L H; Martel, M K; Ten Haken, R K; Wolf, G T; Ship, J A

    1999-01-01

    To develop techniques which facilitate sparing of the major salivary glands while adequately treating the targets in patients requiring comprehensive bilateral neck irradiation (RT). Conformal and static, multisegmental intensity modulated (IMRT) techniques have been developed. The salivary flow rates before and periodically after RT have been measured selectively from each major salivary gland and the residual flows correlated with glands' dose volume histograms. Subjective xerostomia questionnaires have been developed and validated. The pattern of local-regional recurrences has been examined using CT scans at the time of recurrence, transferring the recurrence volumes to the planning CT scans and regenerating the dose distributions at the recurrence sites. Target coverage and dose homogeneity in IMRT treatment plans were found to be significantly better than standard RT plans. Significant parotid gland sparing was achieved. The relationships among dose, irradiated volume and saliva flow rates from the parotid glands were characterized by dose and volume thresholds. A mean dose of 26 Gy was found to be the threshold for stimulated saliva. Subjective xerostomia was significantly reduced in patients irradiated with parotid sparing techniques, compared to patients with similar tumors treated with standard RT. The large majority of recurrences occurred inside high-risk targets. Tangible gains in salivary gland sparing and target coverage are being achieved and an improvement in some measures of quality of life is suggested by our findings. A mean parotid gland dose of < or = 26 Gy should be a planning objective if significant parotid function preservation is desired. The pattern of recurrence suggests that careful escalation of the dose to targets judged to be at highest risk may improve tumor control.

  7. A review of the Fermilab fixed-target program

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rameika, R.

    1994-12-01

    All eyes are now on the Fermilab collider program as the intense search for the top quark continues. Nevertheless, Fermilab`s long tradition of operating a strong, diverse physics program depends not only on collider physics but also on effective use of the facilities the Laboratory was founded on, the fixed-target beamlines. In this talk the author presents highlights of the Fermilab fixed-target program from its (not too distant) past, (soon to be) present, and (hopefully, not too distant) future program. The author concentrates on those experiments which are unique to the fixed-target program, in particular hadron structure measurements which usemore » the varied beams and targets available in this mode and the physics results from kaon, hyperon and high statistics charm experiments which are not easily accessible in high p{sub T} hadron collider detectors.« less

  8. Development of a Ne gas target for {sup 22}Na production by proton irradiation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mandal, Bidhan Ch., E-mail: mechbidhan@gmail.com; Pal, Gautam; Barua, Luna

    2016-03-15

    The article presents the design and development of a neon gas target for the production of {sup 22}Na using a proton beam from the room temperature cyclotron in Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Kolkata. The target design is made to handle a beam power of 85 W (17 MeV, 5 μA). The design is based on simulation using the computer code FLUKA for the beam dump and CFD-CFX for target cooling. The target has been successfully used for the production of {sup 22}Na in a 6 day long 17 MeV, 5 μA proton irradiation run.

  9. Multi-MW accelerator target material properties under proton irradiation at Brookhaven National Laboratory linear isotope producer

    DOE PAGES

    Simos, N.; Ludewig, H.; Kirk, H.; ...

    2018-05-29

    The effects of proton beams irradiating materials considered for targets in high-power accelerator experiments have been studied using the Brookhaven National Laboratory’s (BNL) 200 MeV proton linac. A wide array of materials and alloys covering a wide range of the atomic number (Z) are being scoped by the high-power accelerator community prompting the BNL studies to focus on materials representing each distinct range, i.e. low-Z, mid-Z and high-Z. The low range includes materials such as beryllium and graphite, the midrange alloys such as Ti-6Al-4V, gum metal and super-Invar and finally the high-Z range pure tungsten and tantalum. Of interest inmore » assessing proton irradiation effects are (a) changes in physiomechanical properties which are important in maintaining high-power target functionality, (b) identification of possible limits of proton flux or fluence above which certain materials cease to maintain integrity, (c) the role of material operating temperature in inducing or maintaining radiation damage reversal, and (d) phase stability and microstructural changes. The paper presents excerpt results deduced from macroscopic and microscopic post-irradiation evaluation (PIE) following several irradiation campaigns conducted at the BNL 200 MeV linac and specifically at the isotope producer beam-line/target station. The microscopic PIE relied on high energy x-ray diffraction at the BNL NSLS X17B1 and NSLS II XPD beam lines. The studies reveal the dramatic effects of irradiation on phase stability in several of the materials, changes in physical properties and ductility loss as well as thermally induced radiation damage reversal in graphite and alloys such as super-Invar.« less

  10. Multi-MW accelerator target material properties under proton irradiation at Brookhaven National Laboratory linear isotope producer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Simos, N.; Ludewig, H.; Kirk, H.; Dooryhee, E.; Ghose, S.; Zhong, Z.; Zhong, H.; Makimura, S.; Yoshimura, K.; Bennett, J. R. J.; Kotsinas, G.; Kotsina, Z.; McDonald, K. T.

    2018-05-01

    The effects of proton beams irradiating materials considered for targets in high-power accelerator experiments have been studied using the Brookhaven National Laboratory's (BNL) 200 MeV proton linac. A wide array of materials and alloys covering a wide range of the atomic number (Z) are being scoped by the high-power accelerator community prompting the BNL studies to focus on materials representing each distinct range, i.e. low-Z, mid-Z and high-Z. The low range includes materials such as beryllium and graphite, the midrange alloys such as Ti-6Al-4V, gum metal and super-Invar and finally the high-Z range pure tungsten and tantalum. Of interest in assessing proton irradiation effects are (a) changes in physiomechanical properties which are important in maintaining high-power target functionality, (b) identification of possible limits of proton flux or fluence above which certain materials cease to maintain integrity, (c) the role of material operating temperature in inducing or maintaining radiation damage reversal, and (d) phase stability and microstructural changes. The paper presents excerpt results deduced from macroscopic and microscopic post-irradiation evaluation (PIE) following several irradiation campaigns conducted at the BNL 200 MeV linac and specifically at the isotope producer beam-line/target station. The microscopic PIE relied on high energy x-ray diffraction at the BNL NSLS X17B1 and NSLS II XPD beam lines. The studies reveal the dramatic effects of irradiation on phase stability in several of the materials, changes in physical properties and ductility loss as well as thermally induced radiation damage reversal in graphite and alloys such as super-Invar.

  11. Multi-MW accelerator target material properties under proton irradiation at Brookhaven National Laboratory linear isotope producer

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Simos, N.; Ludewig, H.; Kirk, H.

    The effects of proton beams irradiating materials considered for targets in high-power accelerator experiments have been studied using the Brookhaven National Laboratory’s (BNL) 200 MeV proton linac. A wide array of materials and alloys covering a wide range of the atomic number (Z) are being scoped by the high-power accelerator community prompting the BNL studies to focus on materials representing each distinct range, i.e. low-Z, mid-Z and high-Z. The low range includes materials such as beryllium and graphite, the midrange alloys such as Ti-6Al-4V, gum metal and super-Invar and finally the high-Z range pure tungsten and tantalum. Of interest inmore » assessing proton irradiation effects are (a) changes in physiomechanical properties which are important in maintaining high-power target functionality, (b) identification of possible limits of proton flux or fluence above which certain materials cease to maintain integrity, (c) the role of material operating temperature in inducing or maintaining radiation damage reversal, and (d) phase stability and microstructural changes. The paper presents excerpt results deduced from macroscopic and microscopic post-irradiation evaluation (PIE) following several irradiation campaigns conducted at the BNL 200 MeV linac and specifically at the isotope producer beam-line/target station. The microscopic PIE relied on high energy x-ray diffraction at the BNL NSLS X17B1 and NSLS II XPD beam lines. The studies reveal the dramatic effects of irradiation on phase stability in several of the materials, changes in physical properties and ductility loss as well as thermally induced radiation damage reversal in graphite and alloys such as super-Invar.« less

  12. Sensing device and method for measuring emission time delay during irradiation of targeted samples utilizing variable phase tracking

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Danielson, J. D. Sheldon (Inventor)

    2006-01-01

    An apparatus for measuring emission time delay during irradiation of targeted samples by utilizing digital signal processing to determine the emission phase shift caused by the sample is disclosed. The apparatus includes a source of electromagnetic radiation adapted to irradiate a target sample. A mechanism generates first and second digital input signals of known frequencies with a known phase relationship, and a device then converts the first and second digital input signals to analog sinusoidal signals. An element is provided to direct the first input signal to the electromagnetic radiation source to modulate the source by the frequency thereof to irradiate the target sample and generate a target sample emission. A device detects the target sample emission and produces a corresponding first output signal having a phase shift relative to the phase of the first input signal, the phase shift being caused by the irradiation time delay in the sample. A member produces a known phase shift in the second input signal to create a second output signal. A mechanism is then provided for converting each of the first and second analog output signals to digital signals. A mixer receives the first and second digital output signals and compares the signal phase relationship therebetween to produce a signal indicative of the change in phase relationship between the first and second output signals caused by the target sample emission. Finally, a feedback arrangement alters the phase of the second input signal based on the mixer signal to ultimately place the first and second output signals in quadrature. Mechanisms for enhancing this phase comparison and adjustment technique are also disclosed.

  13. Heavy-section steel technology and irradiation programs-retrospective and prospective views

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nanstad, Randy K; Bass, Bennett Richard; Rosseel, Thomas M

    In 1965, the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), at the advice of the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS), initiated the process that resulted in the establishment of the Heavy Section Steel Technology (HSST) Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Dr. Spencer H. Bush of Battelle Northwest Laboratory, the man being honored by this symposium, representing the ACRS, was one of the Staff Advisors for the program and helped to guide its technical direction. In 1989, the Heavy-Section Steel Irradiation (HSSI) Program, formerly the HSST task on irradiation effects, was formed as a separate program, and this year the HSST/HSSImore » Programs, sponsored by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC), celebrate 40 years of continuous research oriented toward the safety of light-water nuclear reactor pressure vessels. This paper presents a summary of results from those programs with a view to future activities. The HSST Program was established in 1967 and initially included extensive investigations of heavy-section low-alloy steel plates, forgings, and welds, including metallurgical studies, mechanical properties, fracture toughness (quasi-static and dynamic), fatigue crack-growth, and crack arrest toughness. Also included were irradiation effects studies, thermal shock analyses, testing of thick-section tensile and fracture specimens, and non-destructive testing. In the subsequent decades, the HSST Program conducted extensive large-scale experiments with intermediate-size vessels (with varying size flaws) pressurized to failure, similar experiments under conditions of thermal shock and even pressurized thermal shock (PTS), wide-plate crack arrest tests, and biaxial tests with cruciform-shaped specimens. Extensive analytical and numerical studies accompanied these experiments, including the development of computer codes such as the recent Fracture Analysis of Vessels Oak Ridge (FAVOR) code currently being used for PTS evaluations. In the absence of

  14. Targeted Mentoring: Evaluation of a Program

    PubMed Central

    McAllister, Carolyn A.; Harold, Rena D.; Ahmedani, Brian K.; Cramer, Elizabeth P.

    2009-01-01

    Targeted mentoring refers to mentoring aimed at a particular population. This article presents the evaluation of a mentoring program for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in social work education. Forty-three mentors and protégés responded to a survey regarding their program experiences. The results highlight the need for targeted mentoring, although some disparities of experience for mentors and protégés in this program are apparent. In general, mentors felt positive about participating, giving back to the LGBT community, and were more satisfied with their experiences than were the protégés, who were looking for more specific types of instrumental and psychosocial support. PMID:20046917

  15. Low-Dose Irradiation Enhances Gene Targeting in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells.

    PubMed

    Hatada, Seigo; Subramanian, Aparna; Mandefro, Berhan; Ren, Songyang; Kim, Ho Won; Tang, Jie; Funari, Vincent; Baloh, Robert H; Sareen, Dhruv; Arumugaswami, Vaithilingaraja; Svendsen, Clive N

    2015-09-01

    Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are now being used for both disease modeling and cell therapy; however, efficient homologous recombination (HR) is often crucial to develop isogenic control or reporter lines. We showed that limited low-dose irradiation (LDI) using either γ-ray or x-ray exposure (0.4 Gy) significantly enhanced HR frequency, possibly through induction of DNA repair/recombination machinery including ataxia-telangiectasia mutated, histone H2A.X and RAD51 proteins. LDI could also increase HR efficiency by more than 30-fold when combined with the targeting tools zinc finger nucleases, transcription activator-like effector nucleases, and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats. Whole-exome sequencing confirmed that the LDI administered to hPSCs did not induce gross genomic alterations or affect cellular viability. Irradiated and targeted lines were karyotypically normal and made all differentiated lineages that continued to express green fluorescent protein targeted at the AAVS1 locus. This simple method allows higher throughput of new, targeted hPSC lines that are crucial to expand the use of disease modeling and to develop novel avenues of cell therapy. The simple and relevant technique described in this report uses a low level of radiation to increase desired gene modifications in human pluripotent stem cells by an order of magnitude. This higher efficiency permits greater throughput with reduced time and cost. The low level of radiation also greatly increased the recombination frequency when combined with developed engineered nucleases. Critically, the radiation did not lead to increases in DNA mutations or to reductions in overall cellular viability. This novel technique enables not only the rapid production of disease models using human stem cells but also the possibility of treating genetically based diseases by correcting patient-derived cells. ©AlphaMed Press.

  16. Study of Super- and Subsonic Ionization Fronts in Low-Density, Soft X-Ray-Irradiated Foam Targets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Willi, O.; Barringer, L.; Vickers, C.; Hoarty, D.

    2000-04-01

    The transition from super- to subsonic propagation of an ionization front has been studied in X-ray irradiated, low-density foam targets using soft X-ray imaging and point projection absorption spectroscopy. The foams were doped with chlorine and irradiated with an intense pulse of soft X-ray radiation with a temperature up to 120 eV produced by laser heating a burnthrough converter foil. The cylindrical foam targets were radiographed side-on allowing the change in the chlorine ionization and hence the front to be observed. From the absolute target transmission the density profile was obtained. Comparison of experimental absorption spectra with simulated ones allowed the temperature of the heated material to be inferred for the first time without reliance on detailed hydrodynamic simulations to interpret the data. The experimental observations were compared to radiation hydrodynamic simulations.

  17. Gamma Knife irradiation method based on dosimetric controls to target small areas in rat brains

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Constanzo, Julie; Paquette, Benoit; Charest, Gabriel

    2015-05-15

    Purpose: Targeted and whole-brain irradiation in humans can result in significant side effects causing decreased patient quality of life. To adequately investigate structural and functional alterations after stereotactic radiosurgery, preclinical studies are needed. The purpose of this work is to establish a robust standardized method of targeted irradiation on small regions of the rat brain. Methods: Euthanized male Fischer rats were imaged in a stereotactic bed, by computed tomography (CT), to estimate positioning variations relative to the bregma skull reference point. Using a rat brain atlas and the stereotactic bregma coordinates obtained from CT images, different regions of the brainmore » were delimited and a treatment plan was generated. A single isocenter treatment plan delivering ≥100 Gy in 100% of the target volume was produced by Leksell GammaPlan using the 4 mm diameter collimator of sectors 4, 5, 7, and 8 of the Gamma Knife unit. Impact of positioning deviations of the rat brain on dose deposition was simulated by GammaPlan and validated with dosimetric measurements. Results: The authors’ results showed that 90% of the target volume received 100 ± 8 Gy and the maximum of deposited dose was 125 ± 0.7 Gy, which corresponds to an excellent relative standard deviation of 0.6%. This dose deposition calculated with GammaPlan was validated with dosimetric films resulting in a dose-profile agreement within 5%, both in X- and Z-axes. Conclusions: The authors’ results demonstrate the feasibility of standardizing the irradiation procedure of a small volume in the rat brain using a Gamma Knife.« less

  18. Blood vessel damage correlated with irradiance for in vivo vascular targeted photodynamic therapy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Jinde; Tan, Zou; Niu, Xiangyu; Lin, Linsheng; Lin, Huiyun; Li, Buhong

    2016-10-01

    Vascular targeted photodynamic therapy (V-PDT) has been widely utilized for the prevention or treatment of vascular-related diseases, including age-related macular degeneration, port-wine stains and prostate cancer. In order to quantitative assessment the blood vessel damage during V-PDT, nude mice were implanted with Titanium dorsal skin window chambers for in vivo V-PDT studies. For treatments, various irradiances including 50, 75, 100 and 200 mW/cm2 provided by a 532 nm semiconductor laser were performed with the same total light dose of 30 J/cm2 after the mice were intravenously injection of Rose Bengal for 25 mg/Kg body weight. Laser speckle imaging and microscope were used to monitor blood flow dynamics and vessel constriction during and after V-PDT, respectively. The V-PDT induced vessel damages between different groups were compared. The results show that significant difference in blood vessel damage was found between the lower irradiances (50, 75 and 100 mW/cm2) and higher irradiance (200 mW/cm2), and the blood vessel damage induced by V-PDT is positively correlated with irradiance. This study implies that the optimization of irradiance is required for enhancing V-PDT therapeutic efficiency.

  19. Mono-energetic ions emission by nanosecond laser solid target irradiation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Muoio, A.; Tudisco, S.; Altana, C.; Lanzalone, G.; Mascali, D.; Cirrone, G. A. P.; Schillaci, F.; Trifirò, A.

    2016-09-01

    An experimental campaign aiming to investigate the acceleration mechanisms through laser-matter interaction in nanosecond domain has been carried out at the LENS (Laser Energy for Nuclear Science) laboratory of INFN-LNS, Catania. Pure Al targets were irradiated by 6 ns laser pulses at different pumping energies, up to 2 J. Advanced diagnostics tools were used to characterize the plasma plume and ion production. We show the preliminary results of this experimental campaign, and especially the ones showing the production of multicharged ions having very narrow energy spreads.

  20. Demonstration of a neonlike argon soft-x-ray laser with a picosecond-laser-irradiated gas puff target.

    PubMed

    Fiedorowicz, H; Bartnik, A; Dunn, J; Smith, R F; Hunter, J; Nilsen, J; Osterheld, A L; Shlyaptsev, V N

    2001-09-15

    We demonstrate a neonlike argon-ion x-ray laser, using a short-pulse laser-irradiated gas puff target. The gas puff target was formed by pulsed injection of gas from a high-pressure solenoid valve through a nozzle in the form of a narrow slit and irradiated with a combination of long, 600-ps and short, 6-ps high-power laser pulses with a total of 10 J of energy in a traveling-wave excitation scheme. Lasing was observed on the 3p (1)S(0)?3s (1)P(1) transition at 46.9 nm and the 3d (1)P(1)?3p (1)P(1) transition at 45.1 nm. A gain of 11 cm(-1) was measured on these transitions for targets up to 0.9 cm long.

  1. Targets of opportunity : community based alcohol programs

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1988-04-01

    Targets of Opportunity (TOP), were comprehensive community based programs addressing the drinking and driving concerns within a particular community. The program incorporated six elements: 1) General deterrence - public information,leducation and enf...

  2. Renaissance of the ~1 TeV Fixed-Target Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Adams, T.; Appel, J. A.; Arms, K. E.; Balantekin, A. B.; Conrad, J. M.; Cooper, P. S.; Djurcic, Z.; Dunwoodie, W.; Engelfried, J.; Fisher, P. H.; Gottschalk, E.; de Gouvea, A.; Heller, K.; Ignarra, C. M.; Karagiorgi, G.; Kwan, S.; Loinaz, W. A.; Meadows, B.; Moore, R.; Morfín, J. G.; Naples, D.; Nienaber, P.; Pate, S. F.; Papavassiliou, V.; Petrov, A. A.; Purohit, M. V.; Ray, H.; Russ, J.; Schwartz, A. J.; Seligman, W. G.; Shaevitz, M. H.; Schellman, H.; Spitz, J.; Syphers, M. J.; Tait, T. M. P.; Vannucci, F.

    This document describes the physics potential of a new fixed-target program based on a ~1 TeV proton source. Two proton sources are potentially available in the future: the existing Tevatron at Fermilab, which can provide 800 GeV protons for fixed-target physics, and a possible upgrade to the SPS at CERN, called SPS+, which would produce 1 TeV protons on target. In this paper we use an example Tevatron fixed-target program to illustrate the high discovery potential possible in the charm and neutrino sectors. We highlight examples which are either unique to the program or difficult to accomplish at other venues.

  3. Renaissance of the ~ 1-TeV Fixed-Target Program

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Adams, T.; /Florida State U.; Appel, J.A.

    2011-12-02

    This document describes the physics potential of a new fixed-target program based on a {approx}1 TeV proton source. Two proton sources are potentially available in the future: the existing Tevatron at Fermilab, which can provide 800 GeV protons for fixed-target physics, and a possible upgrade to the SPS at CERN, called SPS+, which would produce 1 TeV protons on target. In this paper we use an example Tevatron fixed-target program to illustrate the high discovery potential possible in the charm and neutrino sectors. We highlight examples which are either unique to the program or difficult to accomplish at other venues.

  4. Targetting and guidance program documentation. [a user's manual

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Harrold, E. F.; Neyhard, J. F.

    1974-01-01

    A FORTRAN computer program was developed which automatically targets two and three burn rendezvous missions and performs feedback guidance using the GUIDE algorithm. The program was designed to accept a large class of orbit specifications and to automatically choose a two or three burn mission depending upon the time alignment of the vehicle and target. The orbits may be specified as any combination of circular and elliptical orbits and may be coplanar or inclined, but must be aligned coaxially with their perigees in the same direction. The program accomplishes the required targeting by repeatedly converging successively more complex missions. It solves the coplanar impulsive version of the mission, then the finite burn coplanar mission, and finally, the full plane change mission. The GUIDE algorithm is exercised in a feedback guidance mode by taking the targeted solution and moving the vehicle state step by step ahead in time, adding acceleration and navigational errors, and reconverging from the perturbed states at fixed guidance update intervals. A program overview is presented, along with a user's guide which details input, output, and the various subroutines.

  5. Intravesical markers for delineation of target volume during external focal irradiation of bladder carcinomas.

    PubMed

    Hulshof, Maarten C C M; van Andel, George; Bel, Arjen; Gangel, Pieter; van de Kamer, Jeroen B

    2007-07-01

    A clip forceps was developed which can insert markers at the border of a bladder tumour through a rigid cystoscope. This technique proved to be simple and safe and is of help for delineation of the target volume during CT simulation for focal boost irradiation of bladder cancer.

  6. 76 FR 34953 - Funding Opportunity Title: Risk Management Education in Targeted States (Targeted States Program...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-15

    ... Corporation Funding Opportunity Title: Risk Management Education in Targeted States (Targeted States Program... Corporation (FCIC), operating through the Risk Management Agency (RMA), announces its intent to award... same time as funding availability for similar but separate program, the Risk Management Education and...

  7. Enhanced proton acceleration from an ultrathin target irradiated by laser pulses with plateau ASE.

    PubMed

    Wang, Dahui; Shou, Yinren; Wang, Pengjie; Liu, Jianbo; Li, Chengcai; Gong, Zheng; Hu, Ronghao; Ma, Wenjun; Yan, Xueqing

    2018-02-07

    We report a simulation study on proton acceleration driven by ultraintense laser pulses with normal contrast (10 7 -10 9 ) containing nanosecond plateau amplified spontaneous emission (ASE). It's found in hydrodynamic simulations that if the thickness of the targets lies in the range of hundreds nanometer matching the intensity and duration of ASE, the ablation pressure would push the whole target in the forward direction with speed exceeding the expansion velocity of plasma, resulting in a plasma density profile with a long extension at the target front and a sharp gradient at the target rear. When the main pulse irradiates the plasma, self-focusing happens at the target front, producing highly energetic electrons through direct laser acceleration(DLA) building the sheath field. The sharp plasma gradient at target rear ensures a strong sheath field. 2D particle-in-cell(PIC) simulations reveal that the proton energy can be enhanced by a factor of 2 compared to the case of using micrometer-thick targets.

  8. Computerized optimization of multiple isocentres in stereotactic convergent beam irradiation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Treuer, U.; Treuer, H.; Hoevels, M.; Müller, R. P.; Sturm, V.

    1998-01-01

    A method for the fully computerized determination and optimization of positions of target points and collimator sizes in convergent beam irradiation is presented. In conventional interactive trial and error methods, which are very time consuming, the treatment parameters are chosen according to the operator's experience and improved successively. This time is reduced significantly by the use of a computerized procedure. After the definition of target volume and organs at risk in the CT or MR scans, an initial configuration is created automatically. In the next step the target point positions and collimator diameters are optimized by the program. The aim of the optimization is to find a configuration for which a prescribed dose at the target surface is approximated as close as possible. At the same time dose peaks inside the target volume are minimized and organs at risk and tissue surrounding the target are spared. To enhance the speed of the optimization a fast method for approximate dose calculation in convergent beam irradiation is used. A possible application of the method for calculating the leaf positions when irradiating with a micromultileaf collimator is briefly discussed. The success of the procedure has been demonstrated for several clinical cases with up to six target points.

  9. Activity computer program for calculating ion irradiation activation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Palmer, Ben; Connolly, Brian; Read, Mark

    2017-07-01

    A computer program, Activity, was developed to predict the activity and gamma lines of materials irradiated with an ion beam. It uses the TENDL (Koning and Rochman, 2012) [1] proton reaction cross section database, the Stopping and Range of Ions in Matter (SRIM) (Biersack et al., 2010) code, a Nuclear Data Services (NDS) radioactive decay database (Sonzogni, 2006) [2] and an ENDF gamma decay database (Herman and Chadwick, 2006) [3]. An extended version of Bateman's equation is used to calculate the activity at time t, and this equation is solved analytically, with the option to also solve by numeric inverse Laplace Transform as a failsafe. The program outputs the expected activity and gamma lines of the activated material.

  10. Jump start: a targeted substance abuse prevention program.

    PubMed

    Harrington, N G; Donohew, L

    1997-10-01

    A substance abuse prevention and life skills program for economically disadvantaged, high sensation seeking African American teens was developed and tested in Cincinnati, Ohio. Formative research was conducted to determine program content and format. Over two implementations, 289 individuals in the target population were recruited as participants for the field test of the program. For the first implementation, participants were randomly selected from the city's summer youth employment program. For the second, a media campaign was designed to recruit participants. Process evaluation indicated that participants evaluated the program extremely positively. Outcome evaluation indicated that significant pretest differences between high and low sensation seekers were neutralized for liquor and marijuana in both years of the program and for attitude toward drugs in the first year of the program. These results suggest that sensation seeking is a useful message design and audience-targeting variable for substance abuse prevention program design. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.

  11. Isolation of tungsten and tantalum isotopes without supports from. cap alpha. -particle-irradiated hafnium targets

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gasita, S.M.; Iota, B.Z.; Malachkov, A.G.

    1985-11-01

    An extraction procedure has been developed for successive isolation of tungsten (/sup 178/W and /sup 181/W) and tantalum (/sup 179/Ta and /sup 182/Ta) isotopes without supports from ..cap alpha..particle-irradiated hafnium targets. The target, irradiated on a cyclotron, is dissolved in hydrofluoric acid. Tantalum isotopes are extracted with tributyl phosphate (TBP) from 1-5 M HF and are then reextracted with a 1:1 ammonia solution, and hydrofluoric acid is removed by heating. Tungsten isotopes are extracted with a chloroform solution or N-benzoyl-N-phenylhydroxylamine (BPHA) from 11-12 M H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ or ..cap alpha..-benzoin oxime from 4.5-5.5 M H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ and are thenmore » reextracted with a l:l ammonia solution. The yield of tungsten isotopes is not less than 95%, and the content of radioactive impurities of other isotopes is not more than 0.1%.« less

  12. A Mitochondria-Targeted Nitroxide/Hemigramicidin S Conjugate Protects Mouse Embryonic Cells Against Gamma Irradiation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jiang Jianfei; Belikova, Natalia A.; Center for Free Radical and Antioxidant Health, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

    2008-03-01

    Purpose: To evaluate the in vitro radioprotective effect of the mitochondria-targeted hemigramicidin S-conjugated 4-amino-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-piperidine-N-oxyl (hemi-GS-TEMPO) 5-125 in {gamma}-irradiated mouse embryonic cells and adenovirus-12 SV40 hybrid virus transformed human bronchial epithelial cells BEAS-2B and explore the mechanisms involved in its radioprotective effect. Methods and Materials: Cells were incubated with 5-125 before (10 minutes) or after (1 hour) {gamma}-irradiation. Superoxide generation was determined by using dihydroethidium assay, and lipid oxidation was quantitated by using a fluorescence high-performance liquid chromatography-based Amplex Red assay. Apoptosis was characterized by evaluating the accumulation of cytochrome c in the cytosol and externalization of phosphatidylserine on the cellmore » surface. Cell survival was measured by means of a clonogenic assay. Results: Treatment (before and after irradiation) of cells with 5-125 at low concentrations (5, 10, and 20 {mu}M) effectively suppressed {gamma}-irradiation-induced superoxide generation, cardiolipin oxidation, and delayed irradiation-induced apoptosis, evaluated by using cytochrome c release and phosphatidylserine externalization. Importantly, treatment with 5-125 increased the clonogenic survival rate of {gamma}-irradiated cells. In addition, 5-125 enhanced and prolonged {gamma}-irradiation-induced G{sub 2}/M phase arrest. Conclusions: Radioprotection/mitigation by hemi-GS-TEMPO likely is caused by its ability to act as an electron scavenger and prevent superoxide generation, attenuate cardiolipin oxidation in mitochondria, and hence prevent the release of proapoptotic factors from mitochondria. Other mechanisms, including cell-cycle arrest at the G{sub 2}/M phase, may contribute to the protection.« less

  13. Mechanisms of DNA Damage Response to Targeted Irradiation in Organotypic 3D Skin Cultures

    PubMed Central

    Acheva, Anna; Ghita, Mihaela; Patel, Gaurang; Prise, Kevin M.; Schettino, Giuseppe

    2014-01-01

    DNA damage (caused by direct cellular exposure and bystander signaling) and the complex pathways involved in its repair are critical events underpinning cellular and tissue response following radiation exposures. There are limited data addressing the dynamics of DNA damage induction and repair in the skin particularly in areas not directly exposed. Here we investigate the mechanisms regulating DNA damage, repair, intracellular signalling and their impact on premature differentiation and development of inflammatory-like response in the irradiated and surrounding areas of a 3D organotypic skin model. Following localized low-LET irradiation (225 kVp X-rays), low levels of 53BP1 foci were observed in the 3D model (3.8±0.28 foci/Gy/cell) with foci persisting and increasing in size up to 48 h post irradiation. In contrast, in cell monolayers 14.2±0.6 foci/Gy/cell and biphasic repair kinetics with repair completed before 24 h was observed. These differences are linked to differences in cellular status with variable level of p21 driving apoptotic signalling in 2D and accelerated differentiation in both the directly irradiated and bystander areas of the 3D model. The signalling pathways utilized by irradiated keratinocytes to induce DNA damage in non-exposed areas of the skin involved the NF-κB transcription factor and its downstream target COX-2. PMID:24505255

  14. Separation of protactinum, actinium, and other radionuclides from proton irradiated thorium target

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fassbender, Michael E.; Radchenko, Valery

    Protactinium, actinium, radium, radiolanthanides and other radionuclide fission products were separated and recovered from a proton-irradiated thorium target. The target was dissolved in concentrated HCl, which formed anionic complexes of protactinium but not with thorium, actinium, radium, or radiolanthanides. Protactinium was separated from soluble thorium by loading a concentrated HCl solution of the target onto a column of strongly basic anion exchanger resin and eluting with concentrated HCl. Actinium, radium and radiolanthanides elute with thorium. The protactinium that is retained on the column, along with other radionuclides, is eluted may subsequently treated to remove radionuclide impurities to afford a fractionmore » of substantially pure protactinium. The eluate with the soluble thorium, actinium, radium and radiolanthanides may be subjected to treatment with citric acid to form anionic thorium, loaded onto a cationic exchanger resin, and eluted. Actinium, radium and radiolanthanides that are retained can be subjected to extraction chromatography to separate the actinium from the radium and from the radio lanthanides.« less

  15. Margin estimation and disturbances of irradiation field in layer-stacking carbon-ion beams for respiratory moving targets.

    PubMed

    Tajiri, Shinya; Tashiro, Mutsumi; Mizukami, Tomohiro; Tsukishima, Chihiro; Torikoshi, Masami; Kanai, Tatsuaki

    2017-11-01

    Carbon-ion therapy by layer-stacking irradiation for static targets has been practised in clinical treatments. In order to apply this technique to a moving target, disturbances of carbon-ion dose distributions due to respiratory motion have been studied based on the measurement using a respiratory motion phantom, and the margin estimation given by the square root of the summation Internal margin2+Setup margin2 has been assessed. We assessed the volume in which the variation in the ratio of the dose for a target moving due to respiration relative to the dose for a static target was within 5%. The margins were insufficient for use with layer-stacking irradiation of a moving target, and an additional margin was required. The lateral movement of a target converts to the range variation, as the thickness of the range compensator changes with the movement of the target. Although the additional margin changes according to the shape of the ridge filter, dose uniformity of 5% can be achieved for a spherical target 93 mm in diameter when the upward range variation is limited to 5 mm and the additional margin of 2.5 mm is applied in case of our ridge filter. Dose uniformity in a clinical target largely depends on the shape of the mini-peak as well as on the bolus shape. We have shown the relationship between range variation and dose uniformity. In actual therapy, the upper limit of target movement should be considered by assessing the bolus shape. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japan Radiation Research Society and Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology.

  16. Pre-irradiation testing of actively cooled Be-Cu divertor modules

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Linke, J.; Duwe, R.; Kuehnlein, W.

    1995-09-01

    A set of neutron irradiation tests is prepared on different plasma facing materials (PFM) candidates and miniaturized components for ITER. Beside beryllium the irradiation program which will be performed in the High Flux Reactor (HFR) in Petten, includes different carbon fiber composites (CFQ) and tungsten alloys. The target values for the neutron irradiation will be 0.5 dpa at temperatures of 350{degrees}C and 700{degrees}C, resp.. The post irradiation examination (PIE) will cover a wide range of mechanical tests; in addition the degradation of thermal conductivity will be investigated. To determine the high heat flux (HHF) performance of actively cooled divertor modules,more » electron beam tests which simulate the expected heat loads during the operation of ITER, are scheduled in the hot cell electron beam facility JUDITH. These tests on a selection of different actively cooled beryllium-copper and CFC-copper divertor modules are performed before and after neutron irradiation; the pre-irradiation testing is an essential part of the program to quantify the zero-fluence high heat flux performance and to detect defects in the modules, in particular in the brazed joints.« less

  17. Blast-Wave Generation and Propagation in Rapidly Heated Laser-Irradiated Targets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ivancic, S. T.; Stillman, C. R.; Nilson, P. M.; Solodov, A. A.; Froula, D. H.

    2017-10-01

    Time-resolved extreme ultraviolet (XUV) spectroscopy was used to study the creation and propagation of a >100-Mbar blast wave in a target irradiated by an intense (>1018WWcm2 cm2) laser pulse. Blast waves provide a platform to generate immense pressures in the laboratory. A temporal double flash of XUV radiation was observed when viewing the rear side of the target, which is attributed to the emergence of a blast wave following rapid heating by a fast-electron beam generated from the laser pulse. The time-history of XUV emission in the photon energy range of 50 to 200 eV was recorded with an x-ray streak camera with 7-ps temporal resolution. The heating and expansion of the target was simulated with an electron transport code coupled to 1-D radiation-hydrodynamics simulations. The temporal delay between the two flashes measured in a systematic study of target thickness and composition was found to evolve in good agreement with a Sedov-Taylor blast-wave solution. This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration under Award Number DE-NA0001944 and Department of Energy Office of Science Award Number DE-SC-0012317.

  18. SU-F-T-669: Commissioning of An Electronic Brachytherapy System for Targeted Mouse Irradiation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Culberson, W; Micka, J; Carchman, E

    Purpose: The aim of this study was to commission the Xoft Axxent™ electronic brachytherapy (eBT) source and 10 mm diameter surface applicator with NIST traceability for targeted irradiations of mouse anal carcinomas. Methods: The Xoft Axxent™ electronic brachytherapy (eBT) and 10 mm diameter surface applicator was chosen by the collaborating physician as a radiation delivery mechanism for mouse anal carcinomas. The target dose was 2 Gy at a depth of 3 mm in tissue to be delivered in a single fraction. To implement an accurate and reliable irradiation plan, the system was commissioned by first determining the eBT source outputmore » and corresponding dose rate at a depth of 3 mm in tissue. This was determined through parallel-plate ion chamber measurements and published conversion factors. Well-type ionization chamber measurements were used to determine a transfer coefficient, which correlates the measured dose rate at 3 mm to the NIST-traceable quantity, air-kerma rate at 50 cm in air, for eBT sources. By correlating these two quantities, daily monitoring in the well chamber becomes an accurate and efficient quality assurance technique. Once the dose-rate was determined, a treatment recipe was developed and confirmed with chamber measurements to deliver the requested dose. Radiochromic film was used to verify the dose distribution across the field. Results: Dose rates at 3 mm depth in tissue were determined for two different Xoft Axxent™ sources and correlated with NIST-traceable well-type ionization chamber measurements. Unique transfer coefficients were determined for each source and the treatment recipe was validated by measurements. Film profiles showed a uniform dose distribution across the field. Conclusion: A Xoft Axxent™ eBT system was successfully commissioned for use in the irradiation of mouse rectal tumors. Dose rates in tissue were determined as well as other pertinent parameters to ensure accurate delivery of dose to the target region.« less

  19. Recovery of 131I from alkaline solution of n-irradiated tellurium target using a tiny Dowex-1 column.

    PubMed

    Chattopadhyay, Sankha; Saha Das, Sujata

    2010-10-01

    A simple and inexpensive ion-exchange chromatography method for the separation of medically useful no-carrier-added (nca) iodine radionuclides from bulk amounts of irradiated tellurium dioxide (TeO(2)) target was developed and tested using (131)I. The radiochemical separation was performed using a very small Dowex-1x8 ion-exchange column. The overall radiochemical yield for the complete separation of (131)I was 92+/-1.8 (standard deviation) % (n=8). The separated nca (131)I was of high, approximately 99%, radionuclidic and radiochemical purity and did not contain detectable amounts of the target material. This method may be adopted for the radiochemical separation of other different iodine radionuclides produced from tellurium matrices through cyclotron as well as reactor irradiation. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. 80 A/cm2 electron beams from metal targets irradiated by KrCl and XeCl excimer lasers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beloglazov, A.; Martino, M.; Nassisi, V.

    1996-05-01

    Due to the growing demand for high-current and long-duration electron-beam devices, laser electron sources were investigated in our laboratory. Experiments on electron-beam generation and propagation from aluminium and copper targets illuminated by XeCl (308 nm) and KrCl (222 nm) excimer lasers, were carried out under plasma ignition due to laser irradiation. This plasma supplied a spontaneous accelerating electric field of about 370 kV/m without an external accelerating voltage. By applying the modified one-dimensional Poisson equation, we computed the expected current and we also estimated the plasma concentration during the accelerating process. At 40 kV of accelerating voltage, an output current pulse of about 80 A/cm2 was detected from an Al target irradiated by the shorter wavelength laser.

  1. Targeted microbubbles with ultrasound irradiation and PD-1 inhibitor to increase antitumor activity in B-cell lymphoma.

    PubMed

    Zheng, Shiya; Song, Dan; Jin, Xiaoxiao; Zhang, Haijun; Aldarouish, Mohanad; Chen, Yan; Wang, Cailian

    2018-02-01

    Severe cardiac toxicity of doxorubicin and an immunosuppressive tumor micro-environment become main obstacles for the effective treatment of B-cell lymphoma. In this research, rituximab-conjugated and doxorubicin-loaded microbubbles (RDMs) were designed for exploring a combination approach of targeted microbubbles with ultrasound (US) irradiation and PD-1 inhibitor to overcome obstacles mentioned above. In vivo studies were performed on SU-DHL-4 cell-grafted mice and ex vivo studies were performed on CD20 + human SU-DHL-4 cells and human T cells. A greater therapeutic effect and higher expression of PD-L1 protein expression were obtained with RDMs with US irradiation in vivo. A significant inhibitory effect on SU-DHL-4 B-cell lymphoma cells was observed after treated by RDMs with US irradiation and PD-1 inhibitor ex vivo. Combination of RDMs with US irradiation and PD-1 inhibitor could be a promising therapeutic strategy for B-cell lymphoma.

  2. Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy for Craniospinal Irradiation: Target Volume Considerations, Dose Constraints, and Competing Risks

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Parker, William; Filion, Edith; Roberge, David

    2007-09-01

    Purpose: To report the results of an analysis of dose received to tissues and organs outside the target volume, in the setting of spinal axis irradiation for the treatment of medulloblastoma, using three treatment techniques. Methods and Materials: Treatment plans (total dose, 23.4 Gy) for a standard two-dimensional (2D) technique, a three-dimensional (3D) technique using a 3D imaging-based target volume, and an intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) technique, were compared for 3 patients in terms of dose-volume statistics for target coverage, as well as organ at risk (OAR) and overall tissue sparing. Results: Planning target volume coverage and dose homogeneity was superiormore » for the IMRT plans for V{sub 95%} (IMRT, 100%; 3D, 96%; 2D, 98%) and V{sub 107%} (IMRT, 3%; 3D, 38%; 2D, 37%). In terms of OAR sparing, the IMRT plan was better for all organs and whole-body contour when comparing V{sub 10Gy}, V{sub 15Gy}, and V{sub 20Gy}. The 3D plan was superior for V{sub 5Gy} and below. For the heart and liver in particular, the IMRT plans provided considerable sparing in terms of V{sub 10Gy} and above. In terms of the integral dose, the IMRT plans were superior for liver (IMRT, 21.9 J; 3D, 28.6 J; 2D, 38.6 J) and heart (IMRT, 9 J; 3D, 14.1J; 2D, 19.4 J), the 3D plan for the body contour (IMRT, 349 J; 3D, 337 J; 2D, 555 J). Conclusions: Intensity-modulated radiotherapy is a valid treatment option for spinal axis irradiation. We have shown that IMRT results in sparing of organs at risk without a significant increase in integral dose.« less

  3. Near monochromatic 20 Me V proton acceleration using fs laser irradiating Au foils in target normal sheath acceleration regime

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Torrisi, L., E-mail: Lorenzo.Torrisi@unime.it; Ceccio, G.; Cannavò, A.

    2016-04-15

    A 200 mJ laser pulse energy, 39 fs-pulse duration, 10 μm focal spot, p-polarized radiation has been employed to irradiate thin Au foils to produce proton acceleration in the forward direction. Gold foils were employed to produce high density relativistic electrons emission in the forward direction to generate a high electric field driving the ion acceleration. Measurements were performed by changing the focal position in respect of the target surface. Proton acceleration was monitored using fast SiC detectors in time-of-flight configuration. A high proton energy, up to about 20 Me V, with a narrow energy distribution, was obtained in particular conditions dependingmore » on the laser parameters, the irradiation conditions, and a target optimization.« less

  4. Mitochondria-Targeted Vitamin E Protects Skin from UVB-Irradiation.

    PubMed

    Kim, Won-Serk; Kim, Ikyon; Kim, Wang-Kyun; Choi, Ju-Yeon; Kim, Doo Yeong; Moon, Sung-Guk; Min, Hyung-Keun; Song, Min-Kyu; Sung, Jong-Hyuk

    2016-05-01

    Mitochondria-targeted vitamin E (MVE) is designed to accumulate within mitochondria and is applied to decrease mitochondrial oxidative damage. However, the protective effects of MVE in skin cells have not been identified. We investigated the protective effect of MVE against UVB in dermal fibroblasts and immortalized human keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT). In addition, we studied the wound-healing effect of MVE in animal models. We found that MVE increased the proliferation and survival of fibroblasts at low concentration (i.e., nM ranges). In addition, MVE increased collagen production and downregulated matrix metalloproteinase1. MVE also increased the proliferation and survival of HaCaT cells. UVB increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in fibroblasts and HaCaT cells, while MVE decreased ROS production at low concentration. In an animal experiment, MVE accelerated wound healing from laser-induced skin damage. These results collectively suggest that low dose MVE protects skin from UVB irradiation. Therefore, MVE can be developed as a cosmetic raw material.

  5. FGF1-gold nanoparticle conjugates targeting FGFR efficiently decrease cell viability upon NIR irradiation

    PubMed Central

    Szlachcic, Anna; Pala, Katarzyna; Zakrzewska, Malgorzata; Jakimowicz, Piotr; Wiedlocha, Antoni; Otlewski, Jacek

    2012-01-01

    Fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs) are overexpressed in a wide variety of tumors, such as breast, bladder, and prostate cancer, and therefore they are attractive targets for different types of anticancer therapies. In this study, we designed, constructed, and characterized FGFR-targeted gold nanoconjugates suitable for infrared-induced thermal ablation (localized heating leading to cancer cell death) based on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). We showed that a recombinant ligand of all FGFRs, human fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1), can be used as an agent targeting covalently bound AuNPs to cancer cells overexpressing FGFRs. To assure thermal stability, protease resistance, and prolonged half-life of the targeting protein, we employed highly stable FGF1 variant that retains the biological activities of the wild type FGF1. Novel FGF1 variant, AuNP conjugates are specifically internalized only by the cells expressing FGFRs, and they significantly reduce their viability after irradiation with near-infrared light (down to 40% of control cell viability), whereas the proliferation potential of cells lacking FGFRs is not affected. These results demonstrate the feasibility of FGF1-coated AuNPs for targeted cancer therapy. PMID:23226697

  6. Targets and methods for target preparation for radionuclide production

    DOEpatents

    Zhuikov, Boris L; Konyakhin, Nicolai A; Kokhanyuk, Vladimir M; Srivastava, Suresh C

    2012-10-16

    The invention relates to nuclear technology, and to irradiation targets and their preparation. One embodiment of the present invention includes a method for preparation of a target containing intermetallic composition of antimony Ti--Sb, Al--Sb, Cu--Sb, or Ni--Sb in order to produce radionuclides (e.g., tin-117 m) with a beam of accelerated particles. The intermetallic compounds of antimony can be welded by means of diffusion welding to a copper backing cooled during irradiation on the beam of accelerated particles. Another target can be encapsulated into a shell made of metallic niobium, stainless steel, nickel or titanium cooled outside by water during irradiation. Titanium shell can be plated outside by nickel to avoid interaction with the cooling water.

  7. Heavy-section steel irradiation program. Progress report, April 1996--September 1996

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Corwin, W.R.

    1997-09-01

    The Heavy-Section Steel Irradiation Program was established to quantitatively assess the effects of neutron irradiation on the material behavior of typical reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels. During this period, fracture mechanics testing of specimens of the irradiated low upper shelf (LUS) weld were completed and analyses performed. Heat treatment of five RPV plate materials was initiated to examine phosphorus segregation effects on the fracture toughness of the heat affected zone of welds. Initial results show that all five materials exhibited very large prior austenite grain sizes as a consequence of the initial heat treatment. Irradiated and annealed specimens of LUSmore » weld material were tested and analyzed. Four sets of Charpy V-notch (CVN) specimens were aged at various temperatures and tested to examine the reason for overrecovery of upper shelf energy that has been observed. Molecular dynamics cascade simulations were extended to 40 keV and have provided information representative of most of the fast neutron spectrum. Investigations of the correlation between microstructural changes and hardness changes in irradiated model alloys was also completed. Preliminary planning for test specimen machining for the Japan Power Development Reactor was completed. A database of Charpy impact and fracture toughness data for RPV materials that have been tested in the unirradiated and irradiated conditions is being assembled and analyzed. Weld metal appears to have similar CVN and fracture toughness transition temperature shifts, whereas the fracture toughness shifts are greater than CVN shifts for base metals. Draft subcontractor reports on precracked cylindrical tensile specimens were completed, reviewed, and are being revised. Testing on precracked CVN specimens, both quasi-static and dynamic, was evaluated. Additionally, testing of compact specimens was initiated as an experimental comparison of constraint limitations. 16 figs., 2 tabs.« less

  8. Proton acceleration measurements using fs laser irradiation of foils in the target normal sheath acceleration regime

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Batani, D.; Boutoux, G.; Burgy, F.; Jakubowska, K.; Ducret, J. E.

    2018-05-01

    We present experimental results obtained at the CELIA laboratory using the laser ECLIPSE to study proton acceleration from ultra-intense laser pulses. Several types of targets were irradiated with different laser conditions (focusing and prepulse level). Proton emission was characterized using time-of-flight detectors (SiC and diamond) and a Thomson parabola spectrometer. In all cases, the maximum energy of observed protons was of the order of 260 keV with a large energy spectrum. Such characteristics are typical of protons emitted following the target normal sheath acceleration mechanism for low-energy short-pulse lasers like ECLIPSE.

  9. Design and Demonstration of a Material-Plasma Exposure Target Station for Neutron Irradiated Samples

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rapp, Juergen; Aaron, A. M.; Bell, Gary L.

    2015-10-20

    Fusion energy is the most promising energy source for the future, and one of the most important problems to be solved progressing to a commercial fusion reactor is the identification of plasma-facing materials compatible with the extreme conditions in the fusion reactor environment. The development of plasma–material interaction (PMI) science and the technology of plasma-facing components are key elements in the development of the next step fusion device in the United States, the so-called Fusion Nuclear Science Facility (FNSF). All of these PMI issues and the uncertain impact of the 14-MeV neutron irradiation have been identified in numerous expert panelmore » reports to the fusion community. The 2007 Greenwald report classifies reactor plasma-facing materials (PFCs) and materials as the only Tier 1 issues, requiring a “. . . major extrapolation from the current state of knowledge, need for qualitative improvements and substantial development for both the short and long term.” The Greenwald report goes on to list 19 gaps in understanding and performance related to the plasma–material interface for the technology facilities needed for DEMO-oriented R&D and DEMO itself. Of the 15 major gaps, six (G7, G9, G10, G12, G13) can possibly be addressed with ORNL’s proposal of an advanced Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment. Establishing this mid-scale plasma materials test facility at ORNL is a key element in ORNL’s strategy to secure a leadership role for decades of fusion R&D. That is to say, our end goal is to bring the “signature facility” FNSF home to ORNL. This project is related to the pre-conceptual design of an innovative target station for a future Material–Plasma Exposure eXperiment (MPEX). The target station will be designed to expose candidate fusion reactor plasma-facing materials and components (PFMs and PFCs) to conditions anticipated in fusion reactors, where PFCs will be exposed to dense high-temperature hydrogen plasmas providing

  10. Laser ``M'egajoule'' cryogenic target program: from target fabrication to conformation of the deuterium-tritium ice layer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Collier, Rémy; Durut, Frédéric; Reneaume, Benoît; Chicane, Cédric; Théobald, Marc; Breton, Olivier; Martin, Michel; Fleury, Emmanuel; Vincent-Viry, Olivier; Bachelet, Franck; Jeannot, Laurent; Geoffray, Isabelle; Botrel, Ronan; Dauteuil, Christophe; Hermerel, Cyril; Choux, Alexandre; Bednarczyk, Sophie; Legaie, Olivier

    2008-11-01

    For the French inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments, cryogenic target assemblies (CTAs) for the LMJ program are manufactured and filled at CEA Valduc (Dijon) in the cryogenic targets filling station (IRCC). They will be moved at about 20 K into a transport cryostat for cryogenic targets and will be driven from CEA/Valduc to CEA/CESTA (Bordeaux). Cryogenic targets will then be transferred by several cryogenic grippers on the cryogenic target positioner before shots. The CTA has to meet severe specifications and involves a lot of challenging tasks for its manufacture. To fill CTAs by permeation with deuterium-tritium (DT), the IRCC need to meet strict thermal, mechanical and dimensional specifications. To obtain a good combustion yield, a very homogenous DT ice layer and very smooth roughness at 1.5 K below the DT triple point are also required. This paper deals with the up to date main issues in the different fields of the LMJ cryogenic target program.

  11. 800-MeV proton irradiation of thorium and depleted uranium targets

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Russell, G.J.; Brun, T.O.; Pitcher, E.J.

    As part of the Los Alamos Fertile-to-Fissile-Conversion (FERFICON) program in the late 1980`s, thick targets of the fertile materials thorium and depleted uranium were bombarded by 800-MeV protons to produce the fissile materials {sup 233}U and {sup 239}Pu, respectively. The amount of {sup 233}U made was determined by measuring the {sup 233}Pa activity, and the yield of {sup 239}Pu was deduced by measuring the activity of {sup 239}Np. For the thorium target, 4 spallation products and 34 fission products were also measured. For the depleted uranium target, 3 spallation products and 16 fission products were also measured. The number ofmore » fissions in each target was deduced from fission product mass-yield curves. In actuality, axial distributions of the products were measured, and the distributions were then integrated over the target volume to obtain the total number of products for each reaction.« less

  12. Targeted surveillance for postnatal hearing loss: a program evaluation.

    PubMed

    Beswick, Rachael; Driscoll, Carlie; Kei, Joseph; Glennon, Shirley

    2012-07-01

    The importance of monitoring hearing throughout early childhood cannot be understated. However, there is a lack of evidence available regarding the most effective method of monitoring hearing following the newborn screen. The goal of this study was to describe a targeted surveillance program using a risk factor registry to identify children with a postnatal hearing loss. All children who were born in Queensland, Australia between September 2004 and December 2009, received a bilateral 'pass' on newborn hearing screening, and had at least one risk factor, were referred for targeted surveillance and were included in this study. The cohort was assessed throughout early childhood in accordance with Queensland's diagnostic assessment protocols. During the study period, 7320 (2.8% of 261,328) children were referred for targeted surveillance, of which 56 were identified with a postnatal hearing loss (0.77%). Of these, half (50.0%) were identified with a mild hearing loss, and 64.3% were identified with a sensorineural hearing loss. In regards to risk factors, syndrome, craniofacial anomalies, and severe asphyxia had the highest yield of positive cases of postnatal hearing loss for children referred for targeted surveillance, whereas, low birth weight, bacterial meningitis, and professional concern had a particularly low yield. Limitations of the targeted surveillance program were noted and include: (1) a lost contact rate of 32.4%; (2) delays in first surveillance assessment; (3) a large number of children who required on-going monitoring; and (4) extensive diagnostic assessments were completed on children with normal hearing. Examination of the lost contact rate revealed indigenous children were more likely to be documented as lost contact. In addition, children with one risk factor only were significantly more likely to not attend a surveillance appointment. Positive cases of postnatal hearing loss were detected through the targeted surveillance program. However, the

  13. Communicating with nonindustrial private forest-land owners: Getting programs on target

    Treesearch

    Thomas W. Birch; Nancy A. Pywell; Nancy A. Pywell

    1986-01-01

    Nonindustrial private forest-land owners can be motivated 1, by programs directed to their needs and objectives. Seven target audiences in Pennsylvania were defined and outlets for information programs identified for each target I audience. The primary objectives of each group and the benefits they expect from owning forest land were considered in the preparation of...

  14. Preliminary investigations on the use of uranium silicide targets for fission Mo-99 production

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cols, H.; Cristini, P.; Marques, R.

    1997-08-01

    The National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) of Argentine Republic owns and operates an installation for production of molybdenum-99 from fission products since 1985, and, since 1991, covers the whole national demand of this nuclide, carrying out a program of weekly productions, achieving an average activity of 13 terabecquerel per week. At present they are finishing an enlargement of the production plant that will allow an increase in the volume of production to about one hundred of terabecquerel. Irradiation targets are uranium/aluminium alloy with 90% enriched uranium with aluminium cladding. In view of international trends held at present for replacing highmore » enrichment uranium (HEU) for enrichment values lower than 20 % (LEU), since 1990 the authors are in contact with the RERTR program, beginning with tests to adapt their separation process to new irradiation target conditions. Uranium silicide (U{sub 3}Si{sub 2}) was chosen as the testing material, because it has an uranium mass per volume unit, so that it allows to reduce enrichment to a value of 20%. CNEA has the technology for manufacturing miniplates of uranium silicide for their purposes. In this way, equivalent amounts of Molybdenum-99 could be obtained with no substantial changes in target parameters and irradiation conditions established for the current process with Al/U alloy. This paper shows results achieved on the use of this new target.« less

  15. Heavy-section steel irradiation program. Semiannual progress report, October 1995--March 1996

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Corwin, W.R.

    1997-04-01

    Maintaining the integrity of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) in a light-water-cooled nuclear power plant is crucial in preventing and controlling severe accidents which have the potential for major contamination release. The RPV is the only key safety-related component of the plant for which a duplicate or redundant backup system does not exist. It is therefore imperative to understand and be able to predict the capabilities and limitations of the integrity inherent in the RPV. In particular, it is vital to fully understand the degree of irradiation-induced degradation of the RPVs fracture resistance which occurs during service, since without thatmore » radiation damage, it is virtually impossible to postulate a realistic scenario that would result in RPV failure. For this reason, the Heavy-Section Steel Irradiation (HSSI) Program has been established with its primary goal to provide a thorough, quantitative assessment of the effects of neutron irradiation on the material behavior and, in particular, the fracture toughness properties of typical pressure-vessel steels as they relate to light-water RPV integrity. Effects of specimen size; material chemistry; product form and microstructure; irradiation fluence, flux, temperature, and spectrum; and postirradiation annealing are being examined on a wide range of fracture properties.« less

  16. Investigation on laser-plasma coupling in intense, ultrashort irradiation of a nanostructured silicon target

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cristoforetti, G.; Anzalone, A.; Baffigi, F.; Bussolino, G.; D'Arrigo, G.; Fulgentini, L.; Giulietti, A.; Koester, P.; Labate, L.; Tudisco, S.; Gizzi, L. A.

    2014-09-01

    One of the most interesting research fields in laser-matter interaction studies is the investigation of effects and mechanisms produced by nano- or micro-structured targets, mainly devoted to the enhancing of laser-target or laser-plasma coupling. In intense and ultra-intense laser interaction regimes, the observed enhancement of x-ray plasma emission and/or hot electron conversion efficiency is explained by a variety of mechanisms depending on the dimensions and shape of the structures irradiated. In the present work, the attention is mainly focused on the lowering of the plasma formation threshold which is induced by the larger absorptivity. Flat and nanostructured silicon targets were here irradiated with an ultrashort laser pulse, in the range 1 × 1017-2 × 1018 W µm2 cm-2. The effects of structures on laser-plasma coupling were investigated at different laser pulse polarizations, by utilizing x-ray yield and 3/2ω harmonics emission. While the measured enhancement of x-ray emission is negligible at intensities larger than 1018 W µm2 cm-2, due to the destruction of the structures by the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) pre-pulse, a dramatic enhancement, strongly dependent on pulse polarization, was observed at intensities lower than ˜3.5 × 1017 W µm2 cm-2. Relying on the three-halves harmonic emission and on the non-isotropic character of the x-ray yield, induced by the two-plasmon decay instability, the results are explained by the significant lowering of the plasma threshold produced by the nanostructures. In this view, the strong x-ray enhancement obtained by s-polarized pulses is produced by the interaction of the laser pulse with the preplasma, resulting from the interaction of the ASE pedestal with the nanostructures.

  17. Prevention-Related Research Targeting African American Alternative Education Program Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carswell, Steven B.; Hanlon, Thomas E.; Watts, Amy M.; O'Grady, Kevin E.

    2014-01-01

    This article reports on a program of research that examined the background, planning, implementation, and evaluation of an after-school preventive intervention program within an ongoing urban alternative education program targeting African American students referred to the school because of their problematic behavior in regular schools. The…

  18. Status summary of chemical processing development in plutonium-238 supply program

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Collins, Emory D.; Benker, Dennis; Wham, Robert M.

    This document summarizes the status of development of chemical processing in the Plutonium-238 Supply Program (PSP) near the end of Demonstration 1. The objective of the PSP is “to develop, demonstrate, and document a production process that meets program objectives and to prepare for its operation” (Frazier et al. 2016). Success in the effort includes establishing capability using the current infrastructure to produce Np targets for irradiation in Department of Energy research reactors, chemically processing the irradiated targets to separate and purify the produced Pu and transferring the PuO 2 product to Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) at an averagemore » rate of 1.5 kg/y.« less

  19. Analysis of the 148Gd and 154Dy Content in Proton-Irradiated Lead Targets.

    PubMed

    Talip, Z; Pfister, S; Dressler, R; David, J C; Vögele, A; Vontobel, P; Michel, R; Schumann, D

    2017-06-20

    This work presents the determination of the 148 Gd and 154 Dy content in Pb targets irradiated by 220-2600 MeV protons. It includes the chemical separation of lanthanides, followed by the preparation of proper samples, by molecular plating technique, for α-spectrometry measurements. The experimental cross section results were compared with theoretical predictions, calculated with the INCL++-ABLA07 code. The comparisons showed a satisfactory agreement for 148 Gd (less than within a factor two), while measured 154 Dy cross sections are higher than the theoretical values.

  20. RESULTS OF THE CANADIAN POTATO IRRADIATION PROGRAM

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hetherington, C.H.; MacQueen, K.F.

    1963-01-01

    Results of test irradiations of potatoes in Canada between October 1961 and March 1962 are reviewed. Completely effective sprout inhibition was obtained in all cases. Radiation treatment was observed to be more effective than other methods. A lower dosage level would probably be satisfactory on a commercial basis. There was no internal sprouting and irradiated potatoes remained firmer than controls. Some dry rot was present in both control and treated potatoes. Irradiated potatoes were found to be more resistant to light greening. The quality of chips, instant mashed potatoes, frozen French fries, and fresh boilers produced from irradiated potatoes wasmore » found to be good. Implications and plans for commercialization of the process are discussed. (H.M.G.)« less

  1. LIQUID TARGET

    DOEpatents

    Martin, M.D.; Salsig, W.W. Jr.

    1959-01-13

    A liquid handling apparatus is presented for a liquid material which is to be irradiated. The apparatus consists essentially of a reservoir for the liquid, a target element, a drain tank and a drain lock chamber. The target is in the form of a looped tube, the upper end of which is adapted to be disposed in a beam of atomic particles. The lower end of the target tube is in communication with the liquid in the reservoir and a means is provided to continuously circulate the liquid material to be irradiated through the target tube. Means to heat the reservoir tank is provided in the event that a metal is to be used as the target material. The apparatus is provided with suitable valves and shielding to provide maximum safety in operation.

  2. Avirulent Bacillus anthracis Strain with Molecular Assay Targets as Surrogate for Irradiation-Inactivated Virulent Spores.

    PubMed

    Plaut, Roger D; Staab, Andrea B; Munson, Mark A; Gebhardt, Joan S; Klimko, Christopher P; Quirk, Avery V; Cote, Christopher K; Buhr, Tony L; Rossmaier, Rebecca D; Bernhards, Robert C; Love, Courtney E; Berk, Kimberly L; Abshire, Teresa G; Rozak, David A; Beck, Linda C; Stibitz, Scott; Goodwin, Bruce G; Smith, Michael A; Sozhamannan, Shanmuga

    2018-04-01

    The revelation in May 2015 of the shipment of γ irradiation-inactivated wild-type Bacillus anthracis spore preparations containing a small number of live spores raised concern about the safety and security of these materials. The finding also raised doubts about the validity of the protocols and procedures used to prepare them. Such inactivated reference materials were used as positive controls in assays to detect suspected B. anthracis in samples because live agent cannot be shipped for use in field settings, in improvement of currently deployed detection methods or development of new methods, or for quality assurance and training activities. Hence, risk-mitigated B. anthracis strains are needed to fulfill these requirements. We constructed a genetically inactivated or attenuated strain containing relevant molecular assay targets and tested to compare assay performance using this strain to the historical data obtained using irradiation-inactivated virulent spores.

  3. Proton irradiation of beryllium deposits on different candidate materials to be used as a neutron production target for accelerator-based BNCT

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gagetti, Leonardo; Anzorena, Manuel Suarez; Bertolo, Alma; del Grosso, Mariela; Kreiner, Andrés J.

    2017-12-01

    Thin Be targets for neutron production through Be(d,n) are produced and characterized. We improved and characterized the substrate surface, specifically the roughness, in order to achieve homogeneous and stable deposits. Once well bonded deposits were obtained, some of them were irradiated with a 150 keV proton beam and with a 1.45 MeV deuteron beam. Both deposits, pristine and irradiated, were characterized by profilometry, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and electron probe microanalyzer.

  4. Comparing Universal and Targeted Pre-Kindergarten Programs. Research Brief

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dotterer, Aryn M.; Burchinal, Margaret; Bryant, Donna; Early, Diane; Pianta, Robert C.

    2012-01-01

    This study compared universal (available to all children) and targeted (offered only to children with specific risk factors) Pre-Kindergarten programs. Results showed that two aspects of structural quality (e.g., hours per day and teacher education) were higher in universal programs, but process quality (e.g., child interactions and feedback) was…

  5. 2016 Targeted AirShed Grant Program - Closed Announcement FY 2016

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Targeted Air Shed Grant Program proposal for FY 2016. The overall goal of the program is to reduce air pollution in the Nation’s areas with the highest levels of ozone and PM2.5 ambient air concentrations.

  6. Study of neutron spectra in a water bath from a Pb target irradiated by 250 MeV protons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Yan-Yan; Zhang, Xue-Ying; Ju, Yong-Qin; Ma, Fei; Zhang, Hong-Bin; Chen, Liang; Ge, Hong-Lin; Wan, Bo; Luo, Peng; Zhou, Bin; Zhang, Yan-Bin; Li, Jian-Yang; Xu, Jun-Kui; Wang, Song-Lin; Yang, Yong-Wei; Yang, Lei

    2015-04-01

    Spallation neutrons were produced by the irradiation of Pb with 250 MeV protons. The Pb target was surrounded by water which was used to slow down the emitted neutrons. The moderated neutrons in the water bath were measured by using the resonance detectors of Au, Mn and In with a cadmium (Cd) cover. According to the measured activities of the foils, the neutron flux at different resonance energies were deduced and the epithermal neutron spectra were proposed. Corresponding results calculated with the Monte Carlo code MCNPX were compared with the experimental data to check the validity of the code. The comparison showed that the simulation could give a good prediction for the neutron spectra above 50 eV, while the finite thickness of the foils greatly effected the experimental data in low energy. It was also found that the resonance detectors themselves had great impact on the simulated energy spectra. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation and Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (11305229, 11105186, 91226107, 91026009, XDA03030300)

  7. USE OF NEUTRON IRRADIATIONS IN THE BROOKHAVEN MUTATIONS PROGRAM

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Miksche, J.P.; Shapiro, S.

    1963-01-01

    Many plant species were irradiated with x rays, thermal and fast neutrons, andd gamma radiation during the past 10 yr of the cooperative mutations program and adjunct mutation breeding program. Four major concepts and/ or approaches related to the use of mutagenic agents in plant breeding that have evolved are discussed. It was concluded that outcrossing between treated and nontreated populations must be reckoned with, and consequently the two populations should be separated before a true measure of mutation induction can be ascertained; chromosome rearrangement studies are useful, with particular emphasis on inducing disease resistance; work concerned with tissue reorgandizationmore » and rearrangement as related to chimera production and basic understanding of tissue ontogeny, particularly with fruit crops andd horticultural crops is promising; and the effectiveness of responses of plant tissues to neutrons and other mutagenic agents is extremely variable and more basic work is needed before the full potentialities of mutation breeding as a tool in crop improvement can be appreciated. (auth)« less

  8. AGR-2: The first irradiation of French HTR fuel in Advanced Test Reactor

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    T. Lambert; B. Grover; P. Guillermier

    AGR-2, the second irradiation of the US program for qualification of the NGNP fuel, is open to international participation within the scope of the Generation IV International Forum. In this frame, it includes in its multi-capsule irradiation rig an irradiation of French HTR fuel manufactured in the CAPRI line (GAIA facility at CEA/Cadarache and AREVA/CERCA compacting line at Romans). The AGR-2 irradiation is designed to place our first fabrications of HTR particles under operating conditions that are representative of ANTARES project while keeping close to the test range of the German fuel as much as possible, which is the referencemore » in terms of irradiation behavior. A few batches of particles and 12 fuel compacts were produced and characterized in 2009 by CEA and CERCA. The fuel main characteristics are in conformity with our specifications and in compliance with INL requirements. The AGR-2 experiment is based on the design and devices used in the first experiment of the AGR program. The design makes it possible to monitor the irradiation conditions and in particular, the temperature, the power and the fission products released from fuel particles. The in pile equipment consists of a multi-capsule device designed to simultaneously irradiate six independent capsules with temperature control. The out-of-core part consists of the equipment for actively controlling temperature and measuring the fission products release on-line. The target conditions for the irradiation experiment were defined with the aim of comparing the results obtained under irradiation with German particles along with the objectives of reaching burn-up and fluence targets to validate the behavior of our fuel in a significant range (15% FIMA – 5 × 1025 n/m2 at 600 EFPD with centerline fuel temperature about 1100 degrees C). These conditions have to be representative of ANTARES project characteristics. These target conditions were compared with final results from neutron and thermal design

  9. Monoenergetic ion acceleration and Rayleigh-Taylor instability of the composite target irradiated by the laser pulse

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khudik, Vladimir; Yi, S. Austin; Shvets, Gennady

    2012-10-01

    Acceleration of ions in the two-specie composite target irradiated by a circularly polarized laser pulse is studied analytically and via particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. A self-consistent analytical model of the composite target is developed. In this model, target parameters are stationary in the center of mass of the system: heavy and light ions are completely separated from each other and form two layers, while electrons are bouncing in the potential well formed by the laser ponderomotive and electrostatic potentials. They are distributed in the direction of acceleration by the Boltzmann law and over velocities by the Maxwell-Juttner law. The laser pulse interacts directly only with electrons in a thin sheath layer, and these electrons transfer the laser pressure to the target ions. In the fluid approximation it is shown, the composite target is still susceptible to the Rayleigh-Taylor instability [1]. Using PIC simulations we found the growth rate of initially seeded perturbations as a function of their wavenumber for different composite target parameters and compare it with analytical results. Useful scaling laws between this rate and laser pulse pressure and target parameters are discussed.[4pt] [1] T.P. Yu, A. Pukhov, G. Shvets, M. Chen, T. H. Ratliff, S. A. Yi, and V. Khudik, Phys. Plasmas, 18, 043110 (2011).

  10. EFFECTS OF LASER RADIATION ON MATTER: Simulation of photon acceleration upon irradiation of a mylar target by femtosecond laser pulses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Andreev, Stepan N.; Rukhadze, Anri A.; Tarakanov, V. P.; Yakutov, B. P.

    2010-01-01

    Acceleration of protons is simulated by the particle-in-cell (PIC) method upon irradiation of mylar targets of different thicknesses by femtosecond plane-polarised pulsed laser radiation and at different angles of radiation incidence on the target. The comparison of the results of calculations with the experimental data obtained in recent experiments shows their good agreement. The optimal angle of incidence (458) at which the proton energy achieves its absolute maximum is obtained.

  11. Recent developments in the Sandia Laboratories' sewage sludge irradiation program

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sivinski, H.D.; Brandon, J.R.; Morris, M.E.

    1977-11-01

    Pathogen reduction studies have shown that a 1 Mrad treatment (or less at elevated temperatures) is very effective in eliminating pathogenic bacteria and viable parasite ova in liquid sludges. Heat is effective in reducing levels not only of pathogenic bacteria and Ascaris ova, but viruses as well. Ammonia has been shown to be virucidal to poliovirus and several other enteric viruses. Sludge processing costs are seen to be marginally competitive with heat treatment for liquid sludges and relatively economical for composted or dried sludges. Physical/chemical effects studies have shown that the effects of irradiation of sludges on dewatering properties aremore » not significant when compared to polymers, nor is the combined effect synergistic. Dried, irradiated undigested sludge has been shown to be of significant nutritional value when used as a feed supplement for sheep and cattle, as well as in agronomic uses. No significant harmful effects have been demonstrated in the feeding program thus far. Product enhancement studies are currently under way, including schemes for removing nitrogen from effluent streams for addition as ammonium salts to sludges.« less

  12. Targeted Research and Technology Within NASA's Living With a Star Program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Antiochos, Spiro; Baker, Kile; Bellaire, Paul; Blake, Bern; Crowley, Geoff; Eddy, Jack; Goodrich, Charles; Gopalswamy, Nat; Gosling, Jack; Hesse, Michael

    2004-01-01

    Targeted Research & Technology (TR&T) NASA's Living With a Star (LWS) initiative is a systematic, goal-oriented research program targeting those aspects of the Sun-Earth system that affect society. The Targeted Research and Technology (TR&T) component of LWS provides the theory, modeling, and data analysis necessary to enable an integrated, system-wide picture of Sun-Earth connection science with societal relevance. Recognizing the central and essential role that TR&T would have for the success of the LWS initiative, the LWS Science Architecture Team (SAT) recommended that a Science Definition Team (SDT), with the same status as a flight mission definition team, be formed to design and coordinate a TR&T program having prioritized goals and objectives that focused on practical societal benefits. This report details the SDT recommendations for the TR&T program.

  13. An Investigation into the Transportation of Irradiated Uranium/Aluminum Targets from a Foreign Nuclear Reactor to the Chalk River Laboratories Site in Ontario, Canada - 12249

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Clough, Malcolm; Jackson, Austin

    2012-07-01

    This investigation required the selection of a suitable cask and development of a device to hold and transport irradiated targets from a foreign nuclear reactor to the Chalk River Laboratories in Ontario, Canada. The main challenge was to design and validate a target holder to protect the irradiated HEU-Al target pencils during transit. Each of the targets was estimated to have an initial decay heat of 118 W prior to transit. As the targets have little thermal mass the potential for high temperature damage and possibly melting was high. Thus, the primary design objective was to conceive a target holdermore » to dissipate heat from the targets. Other design requirements included securing the targets during transportation and providing a simple means to load and unload the targets while submerged five metres under water. A unique target holder (patent pending) was designed and manufactured together with special purpose experimental apparatus including a representative cask. Aluminum dummy targets were fabricated to accept cartridge heaters, to simulate decay heat. Thermocouples were used to measure the temperature of the test targets and selected areas within the target holder and test cask. After obtaining test results, calculations were performed to compensate for differences between experimental and real life conditions. Taking compensation into consideration the maximum target temperature reached was 231 deg. C which was below the designated maximum of 250 deg. C. The design of the aluminum target holder also allowed generous clearance to insert and unload the targets. This clearance was designed to close up as the target holder is placed into the cavity of the transport cask. Springs served to retain and restrain the targets from movement during transportation as well as to facilitate conductive heat transfer. The target holder met the design requirements and as such provided data supporting the feasibility of transporting targets over a relatively long period

  14. Prior irradiation results in elevated programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) in T cells.

    PubMed

    Li, Deguan; Chen, Renxiang; Wang, Yi-Wen; Fornace, Albert J; Li, Heng-Hong

    2018-05-01

    In this study we addressed the question whether radiation-induced adverse effects on T cell activation are associated with alterations of T cell checkpoint receptors. Expression levels of checkpoint receptors on T cell subpopulations were analyzed at multiple post-radiation time points ranging from one to four weeks in mice receiving a single fraction of 1 or 4 Gy of γ-ray. T cell activation associated metabolic changes were assessed. Our results showed that prior irradiation resulted in significant elevated expression of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) in both CD4+ and CD8+ populations, at all three post-radiation time points. T cells with elevated PD-1 mostly were either central memory or naïve cells. In addition, the feedback induction of PD-1 expression in activated T cells declined after radiation. Taken together, the elevated PD-1 level observed at weeks after radiation exposure is connected to T cell dysfunction. Recent preclinical and clinical studies have showed that a combination of radiotherapy and T cell checkpoint blockade immunotherapy including targeting the programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1)/PD-1 axis may potentiate the antitumor response. Understanding the dynamic changes in PD-1 levels in T cells after radiation should help in the development of a more effective therapeutic strategy.

  15. Technical Note: Immunohistochemical evaluation of mouse brain irradiation targeting accuracy with 3D-printed immobilization device.

    PubMed

    Zarghami, Niloufar; Jensen, Michael D; Talluri, Srikanth; Foster, Paula J; Chambers, Ann F; Dick, Frederick A; Wong, Eugene

    2015-11-01

    Small animal immobilization devices facilitate positioning of animals for reproducible imaging and accurate focal radiation therapy. In this study, the authors demonstrate the use of three-dimensional (3D) printing technology to fabricate a custom-designed mouse head restraint. The authors evaluate the accuracy of this device for the purpose of mouse brain irradiation. A mouse head holder was designed for a microCT couch using cad software and printed in an acrylic based material. Ten mice received half-brain radiation while positioned in the 3D-printed head holder. Animal placement was achieved using on-board image guidance and computerized asymmetric collimators. To evaluate the precision of beam localization for half-brain irradiation, mice were sacrificed approximately 30 min after treatment and brain sections were stained for γ-H2AX, a marker for DNA breaks. The distance and angle of the γ-H2AX radiation beam border to longitudinal fissure were measured on histological samples. Animals were monitored for any possible trauma from the device. Visualization of the radiation beam on ex vivo brain sections with γ-H2AX immunohistochemical staining showed a sharp radiation field within the tissue. Measurements showed a mean irradiation targeting error of 0.14±0.09 mm (standard deviation). Rotation between the beam axis and mouse head was 1.2°±1.0° (standard deviation). The immobilization device was easily adjusted to accommodate different sizes of mice. No signs of trauma to the mice were observed from the use of tooth block and ear bars. The authors designed and built a novel 3D-printed mouse head holder with many desired features for accurate and reproducible radiation targeting. The 3D printing technology was found to be practical and economical for producing a small animal imaging and radiation restraint device and allows for customization for study specific needs.

  16. 10 CFR Appendix D to Part 73 - Physical Protection of Irradiated Reactor Fuel in Transit, Training Program Subject Schedule

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Physical Protection of Irradiated Reactor Fuel in Transit... Irradiated Reactor Fuel in Transit, Training Program Subject Schedule Pursuant to the provision of § 73.37 of... reactor fuel is required to assure that individuals used as shipment escorts have completed a training...

  17. 10 CFR Appendix D to Part 73 - Physical Protection of Irradiated Reactor Fuel in Transit, Training Program Subject Schedule

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Physical Protection of Irradiated Reactor Fuel in Transit... Irradiated Reactor Fuel in Transit, Training Program Subject Schedule Pursuant to the provision of § 73.37 of... reactor fuel is required to assure that individuals used as shipment escorts have completed a training...

  18. EXFILE: A program for compiling irradiation data on UN and UC fuel pins

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mayer, J. T.; Smith, R. L.; Weinstein, M. B.; Davison, H. W.

    1973-01-01

    A FORTRAN-4 computer program for handling fuel pin data is described. Its main features include standardized output, easy access for data manipulation, and tabulation of important material property data. An additional feature allows simplified preparation of input decks for a fuel swelling computer code (CYGRO-2). Data from over 300 high temperature nitride and carbide based fuel pin irradiations are listed.

  19. Irradiation of northwest agricultural products

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eakin, D. E.; Tingey, G. I.

    1985-02-01

    Irradiation of food for disinfestation and preservation is increasing in importance because of increasing restrictions on various chemical treatments. Irradiation treatment is of particular interest in the Northwest because of a growing supply of agricultural products and the need to develop new export markets. Several products have, or could potentially have, significant export markets if stringent insect ocntrol procedures are developed and followed. Due to the recognized potential benefits of irradiation, this program was conducted to evaluate the benefits of using irradiation on Northwest agricultural products. Commodities currently included in the program are cherries, apples, asparagus, spices, hay, and hides.

  20. Fracture toughness and Charpy impact properties of several RAFMS before and after irradiation in HFIR

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sokolov, M. A.; Tanigawa, H.; Odette, G. R.; Shiba, K.; Klueh, R. L.

    2007-08-01

    As part of the development of candidate reduced-activation ferritic steels for fusion applications, several steels, namely F82H, 9Cr-2WVTa steels and F82H weld metal, are being investigated in the joint DOE-JAEA collaboration program. Within this program, three capsules containing a variety of specimen designs were irradiated at two design temperatures in the ORNL High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR). Two capsules, RB-11J and RB-12J, were irradiated in the HFIR removable beryllium positions with europium oxide (Eu 2O 3) thermal neutron shields in place. Specimens were irradiated up to 5 dpa. Capsule JP25 was irradiated in the HFIR target position to 20 dpa. The design temperatures were 300 °C and 500 °C. Precracked third-sized V-notch Charpy (3.3 × 3.3 × 25.4 mm) and 0.18 T DC(T) specimens were tested to determine transition and ductile shelf fracture toughness before and after irradiation. The master curve methodology was applied to evaluate the fracture toughness transition temperature, T0. Irradiation induced shifts of T0 and reductions of JQ were compared with Charpy V-notch impact properties. Fracture toughness and Charpy shifts were also compared to hardening results.

  1. Developing, implementing, and evaluating a condom promotion program targeting sexually active adolescents.

    PubMed

    Alstead, M; Campsmith, M; Halley, C S; Hartfield, K; Goldbaum, G; Wood, R W

    1999-12-01

    This article describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Condom Campaign, a 1995 HIV prevention program promoting condom use among sexually active adolescents in three King County, Washington, urban communities. This program employed three main strategies: (a) mobilizing all levels of the target communities to support and guide program development and implementation; (b) creating and implementing a mass media campaign targeting sexually active teenagers that promoted correct condom use and favorable attitudes toward condoms; and (c) recruiting public agencies, community organizations, and businesses to distribute condoms from bins and vending machines. We evaluated the program through a series of cross-sectional interviews conducted in the three communities chosen for their elevated levels of adolescent sexual risk behavior. Overall, 73% of target youth reported exposure to the Condom Campaign; exposure did not differ by age, gender, race, or level of sexual experience. Levels of sexual activity remained stable throughout the media campaign.

  2. KEY RESULTS FROM IRRADIATION AND POST-IRRADIATION EXAMINATION OF AGR-1 UCO TRISO FUEL

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Demkowicz, Paul A.; Hunn, John D.; Petti, David A.

    The AGR-1 irradiation experiment was performed as the first test of tristructural isotropic (TRISO) fuel in the US Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification Program. The experiment consisted of 72 right cylinder fuel compacts containing approximately 3×105 coated fuel particles with uranium oxide/uranium carbide (UCO) fuel kernels. The fuel was irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor for a total of 620 effective full power days. Fuel burnup ranged from 11.3 to 19.6% fissions per initial metal atom and time average, volume average irradiation temperatures of the individual compacts ranged from 955 to 1136°C. This paper focuses on key resultsmore » from the irradiation and post-irradiation examination, which revealed a robust fuel with excellent performance characteristics under the conditions tested and have significantly improved the understanding of UCO coated particle fuel irradiation behavior within the US program. The fuel exhibited a very low incidence of TRISO coating failure during irradiation and post-irradiation safety testing at temperatures up to 1800°C. Advanced PIE methods have allowed particles with SiC coating failure to be isolated and meticulously examined, which has elucidated the specific causes of SiC failure in these specimens. The level of fission product release from the fuel during irradiation and post-irradiation safety testing has been studied in detail. Results indicated very low release of krypton and cesium through intact SiC and modest release of europium and strontium, while also confirming the potential for significant silver release through the coatings depending on irradiation conditions. Focused study of fission products within the coating layers of irradiated particles down to nanometer length scales has provided new insights into fission product transport through the coating layers and the role various fission products may have on coating integrity. The broader implications of these results and the application

  3. Aluminum Target Dissolution in Support of the Pu-238 Program

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    McFarlane, Joanna; Benker, Dennis; DePaoli, David W

    2014-09-01

    Selection of an aluminum alloy for target cladding affects post-irradiation target dissolution and separations. Recent tests with aluminum alloy 6061 yielded greater than expected precipitation in the caustic dissolution step, forming up to 10 wt.% solids of aluminum hydroxides and aluminosilicates. We present a study to maximize dissolution of aluminum metal alloy, along with silicon, magnesium, and copper impurities, through control of temperature, the rate of reagent addition, and incubation time. Aluminum phase transformations have been identified as a function of time and temperature, using X-ray diffraction. Solutions have been analyzed using wet chemical methods and X-ray fluorescence. These datamore » have been compared with published calculations of aluminum phase diagrams. Temperature logging during the transients has been investigated as a means to generate kinetic and mass transport data on the dissolution process. Approaches are given to enhance the dissolution of aluminum and aluminosilicate phases in caustic solution.« less

  4. 2015 Targeted AirShed Grant Program Grant - Closed Announcement FY 2015

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Targeted Air Shed Grant Program proposal for FY 2015. The overall goal of the program is to reduce air pollution in the Nation’s areas with the highest levels of ozone and PM2.5 ambient air concentrations.

  5. A computer program to determine the possible daily release window for sky target experiments

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Michaud, N. H.

    1973-01-01

    A computer program is presented which is designed to determine the daily release window for sky target experiments. Factors considered in the program include: (1) target illumination by the sun at release time and during the tracking period; (2) look angle elevation above local horizon from each tracking station to the target; (3) solar depression angle from the local horizon of each tracking station during the experimental period after target release; (4) lunar depression angle from the local horizon of each tracking station during the experimental period after target release; and (5) total sky background brightness as seen from each tracking station while viewing the target. Program output is produced in both graphic and data form. Output data can be plotted for a single calendar month or year. The numerical values used to generate the plots are furnished to permit a more detailed review of the computed daily release windows.

  6. Evaluating a Targeted Social Program When Placement Is Decentralized. Policy Research Working Papers No. 1945.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ravallion, Martin; Wodon, Quentin

    Assessment of welfare gains from a targeted social program can be seriously biased unless the endogeneity of program participation is addressed. Bias comes from two sources of placement endogeneity: the purposive targeting of geographic areas, and the targeting of individual recipients within selected areas. Partial decentralization of program…

  7. Proton irradiation of simple gas mixtures: Influence of irradiation parameters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sack, Norbert J.; Schuster, R.; Hofmann, A.

    1990-01-01

    In order to get information about the influence of irradiation parameters on radiolysis processes of astrophysical interest, methane gas targets were irradiated with 6.5 MeV protons at a pressure of 1 bar and room temperature. Yields of higher hydrocarbons like ethane or propane were found by analysis of irradiated gas samples using gas chromatography. The handling of the proton beam was of great experimental importance for determining the irradiation parameters. In a series of experiments current density of the proton beam and total absorbed energy were shown to have a large influence on the yields of produced hydrocarbons. Mechanistic interpretations of the results are given and conclusions are drawn with regard to the chemistry and the simulation of various astrophysical systems.

  8. Probing Needs Assessment Data in Depth to Target Programs More Effectively

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Skelly, JoAnne; Hill, George; Singletary, Loretta

    2014-01-01

    Extension professionals often assess community needs to determine programs and target audiences. Data can be collected through surveys, focus group and individual interviews, meta-analysis, systematic observation, and other methods. Knowledge gaps are identified, and programs are designed to resolve the deficiencies. However, do Extension…

  9. Progress of the RERTR program in 2001.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Travelli, A.

    2002-03-07

    This paper describes the 2001 progress achieved by the Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors (RERTR) Program in collaboration with its many international partners. Postirradiation examinations of microplates have continued to reveal excellent irradiation behavior of U-Mo dispersion fuels in a variety of compositions and irradiating conditions. Irradiation of two new batches of miniplates of greater sizes was completed in the ATR to investigate the swelling behavior of these fuels under prototypic conditions. These materials hold the promise of achieving the program goal of developing LEU research reactor fuels with uranium densities in the 8-9 g/cm{sup 3} range. Qualificationmore » of the U-Mo dispersion fuels has been delayed by a patent issue involving KAERI. Test fuel elements with uranium density of 6 g/cm{sup 3} are being fabricated by BWXT and are expected to begin undergoing irradiation in the HFR-Petten reactor around March 2003, with a goal of qualifying this fuel by mid-2005. U-Mo fuel with uranium density of 8-9 g/cm{sup 3} is expected to be qualified by mid-2007. Final irradiation tests of LEU {sup 99}Mo targets in the RAS-GAS reactor at BATAN, in Indonesia, had to be postponed because of the 9/11 attacks, but the results collected to date indicate that these targets will soon be ready for commercial production. Excellent cooperation is also in progress with the CNEA in Argentina, MDSN/AECL in Canada, and ANSTO in Australia. Irradiation testing of five WWR-M2 tube-type fuel assemblies fabricated by the NZChK and containing LEU UO{sub 2} dispersion fuel was successfully completed within the Russian RERTR program. A new LEU U-Mo pin-type fuel that could be used to convert most Russian-designed research reactors has been developed by VNIINM and is ready for testing. Four additional shipments containing 822 spent fuel assemblies from foreign research reactors were accepted by the U.S. by September 30, 2001. Altogether, 4,562 spent fuel

  10. Technical Note: Immunohistochemical evaluation of mouse brain irradiation targeting accuracy with 3D-printed immobilization device

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zarghami, Niloufar, E-mail: nzargham@uwo.ca; Jensen, Michael D.; Talluri, Srikanth

    Purpose: Small animal immobilization devices facilitate positioning of animals for reproducible imaging and accurate focal radiation therapy. In this study, the authors demonstrate the use of three-dimensional (3D) printing technology to fabricate a custom-designed mouse head restraint. The authors evaluate the accuracy of this device for the purpose of mouse brain irradiation. Methods: A mouse head holder was designed for a microCT couch using CAD software and printed in an acrylic based material. Ten mice received half-brain radiation while positioned in the 3D-printed head holder. Animal placement was achieved using on-board image guidance and computerized asymmetric collimators. To evaluate themore » precision of beam localization for half-brain irradiation, mice were sacrificed approximately 30 min after treatment and brain sections were stained for γ-H2AX, a marker for DNA breaks. The distance and angle of the γ-H2AX radiation beam border to longitudinal fissure were measured on histological samples. Animals were monitored for any possible trauma from the device. Results: Visualization of the radiation beam on ex vivo brain sections with γ-H2AX immunohistochemical staining showed a sharp radiation field within the tissue. Measurements showed a mean irradiation targeting error of 0.14 ± 0.09 mm (standard deviation). Rotation between the beam axis and mouse head was 1.2° ± 1.0° (standard deviation). The immobilization device was easily adjusted to accommodate different sizes of mice. No signs of trauma to the mice were observed from the use of tooth block and ear bars. Conclusions: The authors designed and built a novel 3D-printed mouse head holder with many desired features for accurate and reproducible radiation targeting. The 3D printing technology was found to be practical and economical for producing a small animal imaging and radiation restraint device and allows for customization for study specific needs.« less

  11. Programmed near-infrared light-responsive drug delivery system for combined magnetic tumor-targeting magnetic resonance imaging and chemo-phototherapy.

    PubMed

    Feng, Qianhua; Zhang, Yuanyuan; Zhang, Wanxia; Hao, Yongwei; Wang, Yongchao; Zhang, Hongling; Hou, Lin; Zhang, Zhenzhong

    2017-02-01

    In this study, an intelligent drug delivery system was developed by capping doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded hollow mesoporous CuS nanoparticles (HMCuS NPs) with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs). Under near infrared (NIR) light irradiation, the versatile HMCuS NPs could exploit the merits of both photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) simultaneously. Herein, the multifunctional IONPs as gatekeeper with the enhanced capping efficiency were supposed to realize "zero premature release" and minimize the adverse side effects during the drug delivery in vivo. More importantly, the hybrid metal nanoplatform (HMCuS/DOX@IONP-PEG) allowed several emerging exceptional characteristics. Our studies have substantiated the hybrid nanoparticles possessed an enhanced PTT effect due to coupled plasmonic resonances with an elevated heat-generating capacity. Notably, an effective removal of IONP-caps occurred after NIR-induced photo-hyperthermia via weakening of the coordination interactions between HMCuS-NH 2 and IONPs, which suggested the feasibility of sophisticated controlled on-demand drug release upon exposing to NIR stimulus with spatial/temporal resolution. Benefiting from the favorable magnetic tumor targeting efficacy, the in vitro and in vivo experiments indicated a remarkable anti-tumor therapeutic efficacy under NIR irradiation, resulting from the synergistic combination of chemo-phototherapy. In addition, T 2 -weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast performance of IONPs provided the identification of cancerous lesions. Based on these findings, the well-designed drug delivery system via integration of programmed functions will provide knowledge for advancing multimodality theranostic strategy. As we all know, a series of shortcomings of conventional chemotherapy such as limited stability, rapid clearing and non-specific tumor targeting ability remain a significant challenge to achieve successful clinical therapeutic efficiency in

  12. Targeted Research and Technology Within NASA's Living With a Star Program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hesse, Michael

    2003-01-01

    NASA's Living With a Star (LWS) initiative is a systematic, goal-oriented research program targeting those aspects of the Sun-Earth system that affect society. The Targeted Research and Technology (TR&T) component of LWS provides the theory, modeling, and data analysis necessary to enable an integrated, system-wide picture of Sun-Earth connection science with societal relevance. Recognizing the central and essential role that TR&T would have for the success of the LWS initiative, the LWS Science Architecture Team (SAT) recommended that a Science Definition Team (SDT), with the same status as a flight mission definition team, be formed to design and coordinate a TR&T program having prioritized goals and objectives that focused on practical societal benefits. This report details the SDT recommendations for the TR&T program.

  13. A review of programs that targeted environmental determinants of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.

    PubMed

    Johnston, Leah; Doyle, Joyce; Morgan, Bec; Atkinson-Briggs, Sharon; Firebrace, Bradley; Marika, Mayatili; Reilly, Rachel; Cargo, Margaret; Riley, Therese; Rowley, Kevin

    2013-08-09

    Effective interventions to improve population and individual health require environmental change as well as strategies that target individual behaviours and clinical factors. This is the basis of implementing an ecological approach to health programs and health promotion. For Aboriginal People and Torres Strait Islanders, colonisation has made the physical and social environment particularly detrimental for health. We conducted a literature review to identify Aboriginal health interventions that targeted environmental determinants of health, identifying 21 different health programs. Program activities that targeted environmental determinants of health included: Caring for Country; changes to food supply and/or policy; infrastructure for physical activity; housing construction and maintenance; anti-smoking policies; increased workforce capacity; continuous quality improvement of clinical systems; petrol substitution; and income management. Targets were categorised according to Miller's Living Systems Theory. Researchers using an Indigenous community based perspective more often identified interpersonal and community-level targets than were identified using a Western academic perspective. Although there are relatively few papers describing interventions that target environmental determinants of health, many of these addressed such determinants at multiple levels, consistent to some degree with an ecological approach. Interpretation of program targets sometimes differed between academic and community-based perspectives, and was limited by the type of data reported in the journal articles, highlighting the need for local Indigenous knowledge for accurate program evaluation. While an ecological approach to Indigenous health is increasingly evident in the health research literature, the design and evaluation of such programs requires a wide breadth of expertise, including local Indigenous knowledge.

  14. A Review of Programs That Targeted Environmental Determinants of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health

    PubMed Central

    Johnston, Leah; Doyle, Joyce; Morgan, Bec; Atkinson-Briggs, Sharon; Firebrace, Bradley; Marika, Mayatili; Reilly, Rachel; Cargo, Margaret; Riley, Therese; Rowley, Kevin

    2013-01-01

    Objective: Effective interventions to improve population and individual health require environmental change as well as strategies that target individual behaviours and clinical factors. This is the basis of implementing an ecological approach to health programs and health promotion. For Aboriginal People and Torres Strait Islanders, colonisation has made the physical and social environment particularly detrimental for health. Methods and Results: We conducted a literature review to identify Aboriginal health interventions that targeted environmental determinants of health, identifying 21 different health programs. Program activities that targeted environmental determinants of health included: Caring for Country; changes to food supply and/or policy; infrastructure for physical activity; housing construction and maintenance; anti-smoking policies; increased workforce capacity; continuous quality improvement of clinical systems; petrol substitution; and income management. Targets were categorised according to Miller’s Living Systems Theory. Researchers using an Indigenous community based perspective more often identified interpersonal and community-level targets than were identified using a Western academic perspective. Conclusions: Although there are relatively few papers describing interventions that target environmental determinants of health, many of these addressed such determinants at multiple levels, consistent to some degree with an ecological approach. Interpretation of program targets sometimes differed between academic and community-based perspectives, and was limited by the type of data reported in the journal articles, highlighting the need for local Indigenous knowledge for accurate program evaluation. Implications: While an ecological approach to Indigenous health is increasingly evident in the health research literature, the design and evaluation of such programs requires a wide breadth of expertise, including local Indigenous knowledge. PMID

  15. Aquatic Plant Control Research Program: Effects of Salinity and Irradiance Conditions on the Growth, Morphology and Chemical Composition of Submersed Aquatic Macrophytes

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-07-01

    L , AQUATIC PLANT CONTROL RESEARCH PROGRAM * * TECHNICAL REPORT A-90-5 EFFECTS OF SALINITY AND IRRADIANCE CONDITIONS ON THE GROWTH, MORPHOLOGY AND...UNIT ELEMENT NO. NO. NO. ACCESSION NO. 11. TITLE (Indude Security Classification) Effects of Salinity and Irradiance Conditions on the Growth...Dr. Robert W. Whalin. This report should be cited as follows: Twilley, Robert R., and Barko, John W. 1990. " Effects of Salinity and Irradiance

  16. Targeting Audiences and Content for Forest Fire Information Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carpenter, Edwin H.; And Others

    1986-01-01

    Discusses opinion survey results for the purpose of improving the capabilities of forest managers to effectively communicate new fire management objectives and plans. Includes recommendations based on the analysis concerning the appropriate audiences and content to target in the design of fire information programs. (ML)

  17. Effects of online cone-beam computed tomography with active breath control in determining planning target volume during accelerated partial breast irradiation.

    PubMed

    Li, Y; Zhong, R; Wang, X; Ai, P; Henderson, F; Chen, N; Luo, F

    2017-04-01

    To test if active breath control during cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) could improve planning target volume during accelerated partial breast radiotherapy for breast cancer. Patients who were more than 40 years old, underwent breast-conserving dissection and planned for accelerated partial breast irradiation, and with postoperative staging limited to T1-2 N0 M0, or postoperative staging T2 lesion no larger than 3cm with a negative surgical margin greater than 2mm were enrolled. Patients with lobular carcinoma or extensive ductal carcinoma in situ were excluded. CBCT images were obtained pre-correction, post-correction and post-treatment. Set-up errors were recorded at left-right, anterior-posterior and superior-inferior directions. The differences between these CBCT images, as well as calculated radiation doses, were compared between patients with active breath control or free breathing. Forty patients were enrolled, among them 25 had active breath control. A total of 836 CBCT images were obtained for analysis. CBCT significantly reduced planning target volume. However, active breath control did not show significant benefit in decreasing planning target volume margin and the doses of organ-at-risk when compared to free breathing. CBCT, but not active breath control, could reduce planning target volume during accelerated partial breast irradiation. Copyright © 2017 Société française de radiothérapie oncologique (SFRO). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

  18. Programmed Cell Death-1/Programmed Death-ligand 1 Pathway: A New Target for Sepsis.

    PubMed

    Liu, Qiang; Li, Chun-Sheng

    2017-04-20

    Sepsis remains a leading cause of death in many Intensive Care Units worldwide. Immunosuppression has been a primary focus of sepsis research as a key pathophysiological mechanism. Given the important role of the negative costimulatory molecules programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in the occurrence of immunosuppression during sepsis, we reviewed literatures related to the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway to examine its potential as a new target for sepsis treatment. Studies of the association between PD-1/PD-L1 and sepsis published up to January 31, 2017, were obtained by searching the PubMed database. English language studies, including those based on animal models, clinical research, and reviews, with data related to PD-1/PD-L1 and sepsis, were evaluated. Immunomodulatory therapeutics could reverse the deactivation of immune cells caused by sepsis and restore immune cell activation and function. Blockade of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway could reduce the exhaustion of T-cells and enhance the proliferation and activation of T-cells. The anti-PD-1/PD-L1 pathway shows promise as a new target for sepsis treatment. This review provides a basis for clinical trials and future studies aimed at revaluating the efficacy and safety of this targeted approach.

  19. GTARG - The TOPEX/Poseidon ground track maintenance maneuver targeting program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shapiro, Bruce E.; Bhat, Ramachandra S.

    1993-01-01

    GTARG is a computer program used to design orbit maintenance maneuvers for the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite. These maneuvers ensure that the ground track is kept within +/-1 km with of an = 9.9 day exact repeat pattern. Maneuver parameters are determined using either of two targeting strategies: longitude targeting, which maximizes the time between maneuvers, and time targeting, in which maneuvers are targeted to occur at specific intervals. The GTARG algorithm propagates nonsingular mean elements, taking into account anticipated error sigma's in orbit determination, Delta v execution, drag prediction and Delta v quantization. A satellite unique drag model is used which incorporates an approximate mean orbital Jacchia-Roberts atmosphere and a variable mean area model. Maneuver Delta v magnitudes are targeted to precisely maintain either the unbiased ground track itself, or a comfortable (3 sigma) error envelope about the unbiased ground track.

  20. Substance abuse prevention program content: systematizing the classification of what programs target for change.

    PubMed

    Hansen, William B; Dusenbury, Linda; Bishop, Dana; Derzon, James H

    2007-06-01

    We conducted an analysis of programs listed on the National Registry of Effective Programs and Practices as of 2003. This analysis focused on programs that addressed substance abuse prevention from among those on the effective or model program lists and that had manuals. A total of 48 programs met these inclusion criteria. We coded program manuals for content that was covered based on how much time was devoted to changing targeted mediating variables. The value of this approach is that program content can be judged using an impartial standard that can be applied to a wide range of intervention approaches. On average, programs addressed eight of 23 possible content areas. Our analyses suggested there were seven distinguishable approaches that have been used in substance abuse prevention programs. These include (i) changing access within the environment, (ii) promoting the development of personal and social skills, (iii) promoting positive affiliation, (iv) addressing social influences, (v) providing social support and helping participants develop goals and alternatives, (vi) developing positive schools and (vii) enhancing motivation to avoid substance use. We propose that the field use such analyses as the basis of future theory development.

  1. Progress on the chemical separation of fission fragments from 236Np produced by proton irradiation of natural uranium target

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Larijani, C.; Jerome, S. M.; Lorusso, G.; Ivanov, P.; Russell, B.; Pearce, A. K.; Regan, P. H.

    2017-11-01

    The aim of the current work is to develop and validate a radiochemical separation scheme capable of separating both 236gNp and 236Pu from a uranium target of natural isotopic composition ( 1 g uranium) and 200 MBq of fission decay products. A target containing 1.2 g of UO2 was irradiated with a beam of 25 MeV protons with a typical beam current of 30 μA for 19 h in December 2013 at the University of Birmingham Cyclotron facility. Using literature values for the production cross-section for fusion of protons with uranium targets, we estimate that an upper limit of approximately 250 Bq of activity from the 236Np ground state was produced in this experiment. Using a radiochemical separation scheme, Np and Pu fractions were separated from the produced fission decay products, with analyses of the target-based final reaction products made using Inductively Couple Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and high-resolution α particle and γ-ray spectrometry.

  2. Multidimensional Targeting: Identifying Beneficiaries of Conditional Cash Transfer Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Azevedo, Viviane; Robles, Marcos

    2013-01-01

    Conditional cash transfer programs (CCTs) have two main objectives: reducing poverty and increasing the human capital of children. To reach these objectives, transfers are given to poor households conditioned on investments in their children's education, health, and nutrition. Targeting mechanisms used by CCTs have been generally successful in…

  3. GTARG - THE TOPEX/POSEIDON GROUND TRACK MAINTENANCE MANEUVER TARGETING PROGRAM

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shapiro, B. E.

    1994-01-01

    GTARG, The TOPEX/POSEIDON Ground Track Maintenance Maneuver Targeting Program, was developed to assist in the designing of orbit maintenance maneuvers for the TOPEX/POSEIDON satellite. These maneuvers ensure that the ground track is kept within 1 km of an approximately 9.9 day exact repeat pattern. Targeting strategies used by GTARG will either maximize the time between maneuvers (longitude targeting) or force control band exit to occur at specified intervals (time targeting). A runout mode allows for ground track propagation without targeting. The analytic mean-element propagation algorithm used in GTARG includes all perturbations that are known to cause significant variations in the satellite ground track. These include earth oblateness, luni-solar gravity, and drag, as well as the thrust due to impulsive maneuvers and unspecified along-track satellite fixed forces. Merson's extension of Grove's theory is used for the computation of the geopotential field. Kaula's disturbing function is used to attain the luni-solar gravitational perturbations. GTARG includes a satellite unique drag model which incorporates an approximate mean orbital Jacchia-Roberts atmosphere and a variable mean area model. Error models include uncertainties due to orbit determination, maneuver execution, drag unpredictability, as well as utilization of the knowledge of along-track satellite fixed forces. Maneuver Delta-v magnitudes are targeted to precisely maintain either the unbiased ground track itself, or a comfortable (3 sigma) error envelope about the unbiased ground track. GTARG is written in VAX-FORTRAN for DEC VAX Series computers running VMS. GTARG output is provided in two forms: an executive report summary which is in tabular form, and a plot file which is formatted as EZPLOT input namelists. Although the EZPLOT program and documentation are included with GTARG, EZPLOT requires PGPLOT, which was written by the California Institute of Technology Astronomy Department. (For non

  4. Consequences of electroplated targets on radiopharmaceutical preparations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Finn, R. D.; Tirelli, S.; Sheh, Y.; Knott, A.; Gelbard, A. S.; Larson, S. M.; Dahl, J. R.

    1991-05-01

    The staff of the cyclotron facility at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center is involved in a comprehensive radionuclide preparation program which culminates with the formulation of numerous requested short-lived, positron-emitting radiopharmaceutical agents for clinical investigation. Both the produced radionuclide as well as the final radiolabeled compound are subjected to stringent quality control standards including assays for radiochemical and chemical purity. The subtle chemical consequences resulting from the irradiation of a nickel-plated target for 13N production serve to emphasize some of these potential technical difficulties.

  5. Comparing host and target environments for distributed Ada programs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Paulk, Mark C.

    1986-01-01

    The Ada programming language provides a means of specifying logical concurrency by using multitasking. Extending the Ada multitasking concurrency mechanism into a physically concurrent distributed environment which imposes its own requirements can lead to incompatibilities. These problems are discussed. Using distributed Ada for a target system may be appropriate, but when using the Ada language in a host environment, a multiprocessing model may be more suitable than retargeting an Ada compiler for the distributed environment. The tradeoffs between multitasking on distributed targets and multiprocessing on distributed hosts are discussed. Comparisons of the multitasking and multiprocessing models indicate different areas of application.

  6. Investigations of ultrafast charge dynamics in laser-irradiated targets by a self probing technique employing laser driven protons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ahmed, H.; Kar, S.; Cantono, G.; Nersisyan, G.; Brauckmann, S.; Doria, D.; Gwynne, D.; Macchi, A.; Naughton, K.; Willi, O.; Lewis, C. L. S.; Borghesi, M.

    2016-09-01

    The divergent and broadband proton beams produced by the target normal sheath acceleration mechanism provide the unique opportunity to probe, in a point-projection imaging scheme, the dynamics of the transient electric and magnetic fields produced during laser-plasma interactions. Commonly such experimental setup entails two intense laser beams, where the interaction produced by one beam is probed with the protons produced by the second. We present here experimental studies of the ultra-fast charge dynamics along a wire connected to laser irradiated target carried out by employing a 'self' proton probing arrangement - i.e. by connecting the wire to the target generating the probe protons. The experimental data shows that an electromagnetic pulse carrying a significant amount of charge is launched along the wire, which travels as a unified pulse of 10s of ps duration with a velocity close to speed of light. The experimental capabilities and the analysis procedure of this specific type of proton probing technique are discussed.

  7. Economic Development Projects and Jobs: Lessons from the Targeted Jobs Demonstration Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Van Horn, Carl; And Others

    This guide, based on approaches for targeting jobs and business opportunities that were developed during the Targeted Jobs Demonstration Program (TJDP), contains strategies and techniques for ensuring that some of the benefits of economic development investments are directed to low-income individuals and small and minority businesses. Addressed in…

  8. On-Going International Research Program on Irradiated Concrete Conducted by DOE, EPRI and Japan Research Institutions. Roadmap, Achievements and Path Forward

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Le Pape, Yann; Rosseel, Thomas M.

    The Joint Department of Energy (DOE)-Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Program (Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) Program–Material Pathway–Concrete and Long-Term Operation (LTO) Program) and US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) research studies aim at understanding the most prominent degradation modes and their effects on the long-term operation of concrete structures to nuclear power generation. Based on the results of the Expanded Materials Degradation Analysis (EMDA), (NUREG/CR-7153, ORNL/TM-2011/545), irradiated concrete and alkali-silica reaction (ASR)-affected concrete structures are the two prioritized topics of on-going research. This report focuses specifically on the topic of irradiated concrete and summarizes the main accomplishments obtained by thismore » joint program, but also provides an overview of current relevant activities domestically and internationally. Possible paths forward are also suggested to help near-future orientation of this program.« less

  9. Web-based tailored lifestyle programs: exploration of the target group's interests and implications for practice.

    PubMed

    Verheijden, Marieke W; Jans, Marielle P; Hildebrandt, Vincent H

    2008-01-01

    An important challenge in Web-based health promotion is to increase the reach of the target audience by taking the target groups' desires into consideration. Data from 505 members of a Dutch Internet panel (representative for Dutch Internet users) were used to asses the target group's interests and needs. 28% participated in Web-based tailored lifestyle programs, 57% expressed an interest in such programs, and 15% expressed no interest. Interest in Web-based programs was predominantly caused by a general interest in lifestyle and online tests. Participation in Web-based tailored lifestyle programs should not take more than 17 minutes per occasion. 84% were interested in follow-up testing after the initial participation. Responders were particularly interested in physical activity and nutrition. Hardly anyone was willing to pay for participation. The results from this study support the use of Web-based tailored lifestyle programs in behavior change efforts.

  10. Particle induced nuclear reaction calculations of Boron target nuclei

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tel, Eyyup; Sahan, Muhittin; Sarpün, Ismail Hakki; Kavun, Yusuf; Gök, Ali Armagan; Poyraz, Meltem

    2017-09-01

    Boron is usable element in many areas such as health, industry and energy. Especially, Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is one of the medical applications. Boron target is irradiated with low energy thermal neutrons and at the end of reactions alpha particles occur. After this process recoiling lithium-7 nuclei is composed. In this study, charge particle induced nuclear reactions calculations of Boron target nuclei were investigated in the incident proton and alpha energy range of 5-50 MeV. The excitation functions for 10B target nuclei reactions have been calculated by using PCROSS Programming code. The semi-empirical calculations for (p,α) reactions have been done by using cross section formula with new coefficient obtained by Tel et al. The calculated results were compared with the experimental data from the literature.

  11. Targeting nursing homes under the Quality Improvement Organization program's 9th statement of work.

    PubMed

    Stevenson, David G; Mor, Vincent

    2009-09-01

    In the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) program's latest Statement of Work, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is targeting its nursing home activities toward facilities that perform poorly on two quality measures-pressure ulcers and restraint use. The designation of target facilities is a shift in strategy for CMS and a direct response to criticism that QIO program resources were not being targeted effectively to facilities or clinical areas that most needed improvement. Using administrative data, this article analyzes implications of using narrowly defined criteria to identify facilities that need improvement, particularly in light of considerable evidence showing that nursing home quality is multidimensional and may change over time. The analyses show that one in four facilities is targeted for improvement nationally but that approximately half of some states' facilities are targeted while other states have almost none targeted. The analyses also convey deeper limitations to using threshold values on individual measures to identify poorly performing homes. Target facilities can be among the top performers on a range of other quality measures, and their performance on targeted measures themselves may change over time. The implication of these features is that a very different group of facilities would have been chosen had the QIO program targeted other measures or examined performance at a different point in time. Ultimately, CMS has chosen a blunt instrument to identify poorly performing nursing homes, and supplemental strategies-such as soliciting input from state survey agencies and more closely aligning quality improvement and quality assurance efforts-should be considered to address potential limitations.

  12. Computational simulation of natUO2, 232ThO2 and U3O8-Al pills to estimate (p,fission) 99Mo yield in the modeled targets irradiated by CYCLONE30 accelerator.

    PubMed

    Jozvaziri, Atieh; Gholamzadeh, Zohreh; Yousefi, Kamran; Mirvakili, Seyed Mohammad; Alizadeh, Masoomeh; Aboudzadeh, Mohammadreza

    2017-03-01

    99 Mo is important for both therapy and imaging purposes. Accelerator and reactor-based procedures are applied to produce it. Newly proton-fission method has been taken in attention by some research centers. In the present work, computationally investigation of the 99 Mo yield in different fissionable targets irradiated by proton was aimed. The results showed UO 2 pill target could be efficiently used to produce 11.12Ci/g-U saturation yield of 99 Mo using 25MeV proton irradiation of the optimized-dimension target with 70µA current. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Consumer acceptance of irradiated poultry.

    PubMed

    Hashim, I B; Resurreccion, A V; McWatters, K H

    1995-08-01

    A simulated supermarket setting (SSS) test was conducted to determine whether consumers (n = 126) would purchase irradiated poultry products, and the effects of marketing strategies on consumer purchase of irradiated poultry products. Consumer preference for irradiated poultry was likewise determined using a home-use test. A slide program was the most effective educational strategy in changing consumers' purchase behavior. The number of participants who purchased irradiated boneless, skinless breasts and irradiated thighs after the educational program increased significantly from 59.5 and 61.9% to 83.3 and 85.7% for the breasts and thighs, respectively. Using a label or poster did not increase the number of participants who bought irradiated poultry products. About 84% of the participants consider it either "somewhat necessary" or "very necessary" to irradiate raw chicken and would like all chicken that was served in restaurants or fast food places to be irradiated. Fifty-eight percent of the participants would always buy irradiated chicken if available, and an additional 27% would buy it sometimes. About 44% of the participants were willing to pay the same price for irradiated chicken as for nonirradiated. About 42% of participants were willing to pay 5% or more than what they were currently paying for nonirradiated chicken. Seventy-three percent or more of consumers who participated in the home-use test (n = 74) gave the color, appearance, and aroma of the raw poultry products a minimum rating of 7 (= like moderately). After consumers participated in a home-use test, 84 and 88% selected irradiated thighs and breasts, respectively, over nonirradiated in a second SSS test.

  14. The Protein Micro-Crystallography Beamlines for Targeted Protein Research Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hirata, Kunio; Yamamoto, Masaki; Matsugaki, Naohiro; Wakatsuki, Soichi

    In order to collect proper diffraction data from outstanding micro-crystals, a brand-new data collection system should be designed to provide high signal-to noise ratio in diffraction images. SPring-8 and KEK-PF are currently developing two micro-beam beamlines for Targeted Proteins Research Program by MEXT of Japan. The program aims to reveal the structure and function of proteins that are difficult to solve but have great importance in both academic research and industrial application. At SPring-8, a new 1-micron beam beamline for protein micro-crystallography, RIKEN Targeted Proteins Beamline (BL32XU), is developed. At KEK-PF a new low energy micro-beam beamline, BL-1A, is dedicated for SAD micro-crystallography. The two beamlines will start operation in the end of 2010. The present status of the research and development for protein micro-crystallography will be presented.

  15. Evaluation of the Refugee Targeted Assistance Grants Program: Phase I, Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cichon, Donald; And Others

    This report presents findings of the first phase of an evaluation of the Targeted Assistance Program (TAP), A Federal program which funds services and projects that assist refugees in attaining economic self-sufficiency and reduced dependency upon public assistance. Following an executive summary and other materials, the report is divided into…

  16. Adolescent women as a key target population for community nutrition education programs in Indonesia.

    PubMed

    Savage, Amy; Februhartanty, Judhiastuty; Worsley, Anthony

    2017-05-01

    Adolescence is a critical life-stage that sets the foundation for health in adulthood. Adolescent women are a unique population and should be targeted as such for nutrition promotion activities. Using Indonesia as a case study, this qualitative study aimed to identify existing nutrition promotion programs aimed at adolescent girls, how best to target this population and effective recommendations to inform nutrition education program design for this important group. Semi-structured interviews and questionnaires were conducted with ten key informants working in public health in Indonesia. Interview transcripts were analysed and coded to identify key themes. No existing nutrition education programs targeting adolescent women in Indonesia were identified. Several strategies apply to nutrition programs for adolescent girls: 1) nutrition promotion messages that are relevant to the lifestyles and interests of adolescent women; 2) technology-based interventions show promise, however, they need to be appropriately targeted to sub-groups; 3) school remains an important setting; and 4) early marriage is an important issue affecting nutritional status and engagement of adolescent girls. The informants recommended that: 1) more research is needed about the underlying motivations for behaviour change among adolescent women and ways to effectively implement the identified engagement strategies; 2) adolescent girls should be included in program design to improve its suitability and uptake; and 3) government budget and policy support is crucial to success. Adolescent women are an important population group and more research is required to identify the optimal forms of engagement to improve nutrition programs for them.

  17. Process and targets for production of no-carrier-added radiotin

    DOEpatents

    Srivastava, Suresh C; Zhuikov, Boris Leonidovich; Ermolaev, Stanislav Victorovich; Konyakhin, Nikolay Alexandrovich; Kokhanyuk, Vladimir Mikhailovich; Khamyanov, Stepan Vladimirovich; Togaeva, Natalya Roaldovna

    2014-04-22

    One embodiment of the present invention includes a process for production and recovery of no-carrier-added radioactive tin (NCA radiotin). An antimony target can be irradiated with a beam of accelerated particles forming NCA radiotin, followed by separation of the NCA radiotin from the irradiated target. The target is metallic Sb in a hermetically sealed shell. The shell can be graphite, molybdenum, or stainless steel. The irradiated target can be removed from the shell by chemical or mechanical means, and dissolved in an acidic solution. Sb can be removed from the dissolved irradiated target by extraction. NCA radiotin can be separated from the remaining Sb and other impurities using chromatography on silica gel sorbent. NCA tin-117m can be obtained from this process. NCA tin-117m can be used for labeling organic compounds and biological objects to be applied in medicine for imaging and therapy of various diseases.

  18. Targeted Nanomaterials for Phototherapy

    PubMed Central

    Chitgupi, Upendra; Qin, Yiru; Lovell, Jonathan F.

    2017-01-01

    Phototherapies involve the irradiation of target tissues with light. To further enhance selectivity and potency, numerous molecularly targeted photosensitizers and photoactive nanoparticles have been developed. Active targeting typically involves harnessing the affinity between a ligand and a cell surface receptor for improved accumulation in the targeted tissue. Targeting ligands including peptides, proteins, aptamers and small molecules have been explored for phototherapy. In this review, recent examples of targeted nanomaterials used in phototherapy are summarized. PMID:29071178

  19. Portal imaging based definition of the planning target volume during pelvic irradiation for gynecological malignancies.

    PubMed

    Mock, U; Dieckmann, K; Wolff, U; Knocke, T H; Pötter, R

    1999-08-01

    Geometrical accuracy in patient positioning can vary substantially during external radiotherapy. This study estimated the set-up accuracy during pelvic irradiation for gynecological malignancies for determination of safety margins (planning target volume, PTV). Based on electronic portal imaging devices (EPID), 25 patients undergoing 4-field pelvic irradiation for gynecological malignancies were analyzed with regard to set-up accuracy during the treatment course. Regularly performed EPID images were used in order to systematically assess the systematic and random component of set-up displacements. Anatomical matching of verification and simulation images was followed by measuring corresponding distances between the central axis and anatomical features. Data analysis of set-up errors referred to the x-, y-,and z-axes. Additionally, cumulative frequencies were evaluated. A total of 50 simulation films and 313 verification images were analyzed. For the anterior-posterior (AP) beam direction mean deviations along the x- and z-axes were 1.5 mm and -1.9 mm, respectively. Moreover, random errors of 4.8 mm (x-axis) and 3.0 mm (z-axis) were determined. Concerning the latero-lateral treatment fields, the systematic errors along the two axes were calculated to 2.9 mm (y-axis) and -2.0 mm (z-axis) and random errors of 3.8 mm and 3.5 mm were found, respectively. The cumulative frequency of misalignments < or =5 mm showed values of 75% (AP fields) and 72% (latero-lateral fields). With regard to cumulative frequencies < or =10 mm quantification revealed values of 97% for both beam directions. During external pelvic irradiation therapy for gynecological malignancies, EPID images on a regular basis revealed acceptable set-up inaccuracies. Safety margins (PTV) of 1 cm appear to be sufficient, accounting for more than 95% of all deviations.

  20. Systems and methods for managing shared-path instrumentation and irradiation targets in a nuclear reactor

    DOEpatents

    Heinold, Mark R.; Berger, John F.; Loper, Milton H.; Runkle, Gary A.

    2015-12-29

    Systems and methods permit discriminate access to nuclear reactors. Systems provide penetration pathways to irradiation target loading and offloading systems, instrumentation systems, and other external systems at desired times, while limiting such access during undesired times. Systems use selection mechanisms that can be strategically positioned for space sharing to connect only desired systems to a reactor. Selection mechanisms include distinct paths, forks, diverters, turntables, and other types of selectors. Management methods with such systems permits use of the nuclear reactor and penetration pathways between different systems and functions, simultaneously and at only distinct desired times. Existing TIP drives and other known instrumentation and plant systems are useable with access management systems and methods, which can be used in any nuclear plant with access restrictions.

  1. An automated flow system incorporating in-line acid dissolution of bismuth metal from a cyclotron irradiated target assembly for use in the isolation of astatine-211

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    O’Hara, Matthew J.; Krzysko, Anthony J.; Niver, Cynthia M.

    Astatine-211 (211At) is a promising cyclotron-produced radionuclide being investigated for use in targeted alpha therapy of blood borne and metastatic cancers, as well as treatment of tumor remnants after surgical resections. The isolation of trace quantities of 211At, produced within several grams of a Bi metal cyclotron target, involves a complex, multi-step procedure: (1) Bi metal dissolution in strong HNO3, (2) distillation of the HNO3 to yield Bi salts containing 211At, (3) dissolution of the salts in strong HCl, (4) solvent extraction of 211At from bismuth salts with diisopropyl ether (DIPE), and (5) back-extraction of 211At from DIPE into NaOH,more » leading to a purified 211At product. Step (1) has been addressed first to begin the process of automating the onerous 211At isolation process. A computer-controlled Bi target dissolution system has been designed. The system performs in-line dissolution of Bi metal from the target assembly using an enclosed target dissolution block, routing the resulting solubilized 211At/Bi mixture to the subsequent process step. The primary parameters involved in Bi metal solubilization (HNO3 concentration and influent flow rate) were optimized prior to evaluation of the system performance on replicate cyclotron irradiated targets. The results indicate that the system performs reproducibly, having nearly quantitative release of 211At from irradiated targets, with cumulative 211At recoveries that follow a sigmoidal function. The predictable nature of the 211At release profile allows the user to tune the system to meet target processing requirements.« less

  2. Transiting Exoplanet Studies and Community Targets for JWST's Early Release Science Program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stevenson, Kevin B.; Lewis, Nikole K.; Bean, Jacob L.; Beichman, Charles A.; Fraine, Jonathan; Kilpatrick, Brian M.; Krick, J. E.; Lothringer, Joshua D.; Mandell, Avi M.; Valenti, Jeff A.; hide

    2016-01-01

    The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will likely revolutionize transiting exoplanet atmospheric science, due to a combination of its capability for continuous, long duration observations and its larger collecting area, spectral coverage, and spectral resolution compared to existing space-based facilities. However, it is unclear precisely how well JWST will perform and which of its myriad instruments and observing modes will be best suited for transiting exoplanet studies. In this article, we describe a prefatory JWST Early Release Science (ERS) Cycle 1 program that focuses on testing specific observing modes to quickly give the community the data and experience it needs to plan more efficient and successful transiting exoplanet characterization programs in later cycles. We propose a multi-pronged approach wherein one aspect of the program focuses on observing transits of a single target with all of the recommended observing modes to identify and understand potential systematics, compare transmission spectra at overlapping and neighboring wavelength regions, confirm throughputs, and determine overall performances. In our search for transiting exoplanets that are well suited to achieving these goals, we identify 12 objects (dubbed community targets'') that meet our defined criteria. Currently, the most favorable target is WASP-62b because of its large predicted signal size, relatively bright host star, and location in JWST's continuous viewing zone. Since most of the community targets do not have well-characterized atmospheres, we recommend initiating preparatory observing programs to determine the presence of obscuring clouds/hazes within their atmospheres. Measurable spectroscopic features are needed to establish the optimal resolution and wavelength regions for exoplanet characterization. Other initiatives from our proposed ERS program include testing the instrument brightness limits and performing phase-curve observations. The latter are a unique challenge

  3. Transiting Exoplanet Studies and Community Targets for JWST's Early Release Science Program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stevenson, Kevin B.; Lewis, Nikole K.; Bean, Jacob L.; Beichman, Charles; Fraine, Jonathan; Kilpatrick, Brian M.; Krick, J. E.; Lothringer, Joshua D.; Mandell, Avi M.; Valenti, Jeff A.; hide

    2016-01-01

    The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will likely revolutionize transiting exoplanet atmospheric science, due to a combination of its capability for continuous, long duration observations and its larger collecting area, spectral coverage, and spectral resolution compared to existing space-based facilities. However, it is unclear precisely how well JWST will perform and which of its myriad instruments and observing modes will be best suited for transiting exoplanet studies. In this article, we describe a prefatory JWST Early Release Science (ERS) Cycle1 program that focuses on testing specific observing modes to quickly give the community the data and experience it needs to plan more efficient and successful transiting exoplanet characterization programs in later cycles. We propose a multi-pronged approach wherein one aspect of the program focuses on observing transits of a single target with all of the recommended observing modes to identify and understand potential systematics, compare transmission spectra at overlapping and neighboring wavelength regions, confirm throughputs, and determine overall performances. In our search for transiting exoplanets that are well suited to achieving these goals, we identify 12 objects (dubbed community targets) that meet our defined criteria. Currently, the most favorable target is WASP-62b because of its large predicted signal size, relatively bright host star, and location in JWSTs continuous viewing zone. Since most of the community targets do not have well-characterized atmospheres, we recommend initiating preparatory observing programs to determine the presence of obscuring cloudshazes within their atmospheres. Measurable spectroscopic features are needed to establish the optimal resolution and wavelength regions for exoplanet characterization. Other initiatives from our proposed ERS program include testing the instrument brightness limits and performing phase-curve observations. The latter are a unique challenge compared

  4. Penalty dynamic programming algorithm for dim targets detection in sensor systems.

    PubMed

    Huang, Dayu; Xue, Anke; Guo, Yunfei

    2012-01-01

    In order to detect and track multiple maneuvering dim targets in sensor systems, an improved dynamic programming track-before-detect algorithm (DP-TBD) called penalty DP-TBD (PDP-TBD) is proposed. The performances of tracking techniques are used as a feedback to the detection part. The feedback is constructed by a penalty term in the merit function, and the penalty term is a function of the possible target state estimation, which can be obtained by the tracking methods. With this feedback, the algorithm combines traditional tracking techniques with DP-TBD and it can be applied to simultaneously detect and track maneuvering dim targets. Meanwhile, a reasonable constraint that a sensor measurement can originate from one target or clutter is proposed to minimize track separation. Thus, the algorithm can be used in the multi-target situation with unknown target numbers. The efficiency and advantages of PDP-TBD compared with two existing methods are demonstrated by several simulations.

  5. Penalty Dynamic Programming Algorithm for Dim Targets Detection in Sensor Systems

    PubMed Central

    Huang, Dayu; Xue, Anke; Guo, Yunfei

    2012-01-01

    In order to detect and track multiple maneuvering dim targets in sensor systems, an improved dynamic programming track-before-detect algorithm (DP-TBD) called penalty DP-TBD (PDP-TBD) is proposed. The performances of tracking techniques are used as a feedback to the detection part. The feedback is constructed by a penalty term in the merit function, and the penalty term is a function of the possible target state estimation, which can be obtained by the tracking methods. With this feedback, the algorithm combines traditional tracking techniques with DP-TBD and it can be applied to simultaneously detect and track maneuvering dim targets. Meanwhile, a reasonable constraint that a sensor measurement can originate from one target or clutter is proposed to minimize track separation. Thus, the algorithm can be used in the multi-target situation with unknown target numbers. The efficiency and advantages of PDP-TBD compared with two existing methods are demonstrated by several simulations. PMID:22666074

  6. Investigation of Damage with Cluster Ion Beam Irradiation Using HR-RBS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Seki, Toshio; Aoki, Takaaki; Matsuo, Jiro

    2008-11-03

    Cluster ion beam can process targets with shallow damage because of the very low irradiation energy per atom. However, it is needed to investigate the damage with cluster ion beam irradiation, because recent applications demand process targets with ultra low damage. The shallow damage can be investigated from depth profiles of specific species before and after ion irradiation. They can be measured with secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS). High resolution Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (HR-RBS) is a non destructive measurement method and depth profiles can be measured with nano-resolution. The cluster ion beam mixing of thinmore » Ni layer in carbon targets can be investigated with HR-RBS. The mixing depth with cluster ion irradiation at 10 keV was about 10 nm. The mixing depth with cluster ion irradiation at 1 keV and 5 keV were less than 1 nm and 5 nm, respectively. The number of displaced Ni atoms with cluster ion irradiation was very larger than that with monomer ion irradiation of same energy. This result shows that violent mixing occurs with single cluster impact.« less

  7. Systems and methods for retaining and removing irradiation targets in a nuclear reactor

    DOEpatents

    Runkle, Gary A.; Matsumoto, Jack T.; Dayal, Yogeshwar; Heinold, Mark R.

    2015-12-08

    A retainer is placed on a conduit to control movement of objects within the conduit in access-restricted areas. Retainers can prevent or allow movement in the conduit in a discriminatory fashion. A fork with variable-spacing between prongs can be a retainer and be extended or collapsed with respect to the conduit to change the size of the conduit. Different objects of different sizes may thus react to the fork differently, some passing and some being blocked. Retainers can be installed in inaccessible areas and allow selective movement in remote portions of conduit where users cannot directly interface, including below nuclear reactors. Position detectors can monitor the movement of objects through the conduit remotely as well, permitting engagement of a desired level of restriction and object movement. Retainers are useable in a variety of nuclear power plants and with irradiation target delivery, harvesting, driving, and other remote handling or robotic systems.

  8. Implementation of a Worksite Wellness Program Targeting Small Businesses

    PubMed Central

    Stinson, Kaylan E.; Metcalf, Dianne; Fang, Hai; Brockbank, Claire vS.; Jinnett, Kimberly; Reynolds, Stephen; Trotter, Margo; Witter, Roxana; Tenney, Liliana; Atherly, Adam; Goetzel, Ron Z.

    2015-01-01

    Objective: To assess small business adoption and need for a worksite wellness program in a longitudinal study of health risks, productivity, workers' compensation rates, and claims costs. Methods: Health risk assessment data from 6507 employees in 260 companies were examined. Employer and employee data are reported as frequencies, with means and standard deviations reported when applicable. Results: Of the 260 companies enrolled in the health risk management program, 71% continued more than 1 year, with 97% reporting that worker wellness improves worker safety. Of 6507 participating employees, 34.3% were overweight and 25.6% obese. Approximately one in five participants reported depression. Potentially modifiable conditions affecting 15% or more of enrollees include chronic fatigue, sleeping problems, headaches, arthritis, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertension. Conclusions: Small businesses are a suitable target for the introduction of health promotion programs. PMID:25563536

  9. S3 targets monitoring with an electron gun

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kallunkathariyil, J.; Stodel, Ch.; Marry, C.; Frémont, G.; Bastin, B.; Piot, J.; Clément, E.; Le Moal, S.; Morel, V.; Thomas, J.-C.; Kamalou, O.; Spitaëls, C.; Savajols, H.; Vostinar, M.; Pellemoine, F.; Mittig, W.

    2018-05-01

    The monitoring of targets under irradiation was investigated using a 20 keV electron beam. An integrated and automated electron beam deflection was developed allowing a monitoring over the whole surface of target materials. Thus, local defects could be identified on-line during an experiment performed at GANIL involving different materials irradiated with a focused krypton beam at 10.5 MeV/u. Performances of this target monitoring system are presented in this paper.

  10. Key results from irradiation and post-irradiation examination of AGR-1 UCO TRISO fuel

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Demkowicz, Paul A.; Hunn, John D.; Petti, David A.

    The AGR-1 irradiation experiment was performed as the first test of tristructural isotropic (TRISO) fuel in the US Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification Program. The experiment consisted of 72 right cylinder fuel compacts containing approximately 3 × 105 coated fuel particles with uranium oxide/uranium carbide (UCO) fuel kernels. The fuel was irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor for a total of 620 effective full power days. Fuel burnup ranged from 11.3 to 19.6% fissions per initial metal atom and time-average, volume-average irradiation temperatures of the individual compacts ranged from 955 to 1136 °C. This paper focuses on keymore » results from the irradiation and post-irradiation examination, which revealed a robust fuel with excellent performance characteristics under the conditions tested and have significantly improved the understanding of UCO coated particle fuel irradiation behavior. The fuel exhibited zero TRISO coating failures (failure of all three dense coating layers) during irradiation and post-irradiation safety testing at temperatures up to 1700 °C. Advanced PIE methods have allowed particles with SiC coating failure that were discovered to be present in a very-low population to be isolated and meticulously examined, which has elucidated the specific causes of SiC failure in these specimens. The level of fission product release from the fuel during irradiation and post-irradiation safety testing has been studied in detail. Results indicated very low release of krypton and cesium through intact SiC and modest release of europium and strontium, while also confirming the potential for significant silver release through the coatings depending on irradiation conditions. Focused study of fission products within the coating layers of irradiated particles down to nanometer length scales has provided new insights into fission product transport through the coating layers and the role various fission products may have on coating

  11. Key results from irradiation and post-irradiation examination of AGR-1 UCO TRISO fuel

    DOE PAGES

    Demkowicz, Paul A.; Hunn, John D.; Petti, David A.; ...

    2017-09-10

    The AGR-1 irradiation experiment was performed as the first test of tristructural isotropic (TRISO) fuel in the US Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification Program. The experiment consisted of 72 right cylinder fuel compacts containing approximately 3 × 105 coated fuel particles with uranium oxide/uranium carbide (UCO) fuel kernels. The fuel was irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor for a total of 620 effective full power days. Fuel burnup ranged from 11.3 to 19.6% fissions per initial metal atom and time-average, volume-average irradiation temperatures of the individual compacts ranged from 955 to 1136 °C. This paper focuses on keymore » results from the irradiation and post-irradiation examination, which revealed a robust fuel with excellent performance characteristics under the conditions tested and have significantly improved the understanding of UCO coated particle fuel irradiation behavior. The fuel exhibited zero TRISO coating failures (failure of all three dense coating layers) during irradiation and post-irradiation safety testing at temperatures up to 1700 °C. Advanced PIE methods have allowed particles with SiC coating failure that were discovered to be present in a very-low population to be isolated and meticulously examined, which has elucidated the specific causes of SiC failure in these specimens. The level of fission product release from the fuel during irradiation and post-irradiation safety testing has been studied in detail. Results indicated very low release of krypton and cesium through intact SiC and modest release of europium and strontium, while also confirming the potential for significant silver release through the coatings depending on irradiation conditions. Focused study of fission products within the coating layers of irradiated particles down to nanometer length scales has provided new insights into fission product transport through the coating layers and the role various fission products may have on coating

  12. Inter- and Intrafraction Target Motion in Highly Focused Single Vocal Cord Irradiation of T1a Larynx Cancer Patients

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kwa, Stefan L.S., E-mail: s.kwa@erasmusmc.nl; Al-Mamgani, Abrahim; Osman, Sarah O.S.

    2015-09-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to verify clinical target volume–planning target volume (CTV-PTV) margins in single vocal cord irradiation (SVCI) of T1a larynx tumors and characterize inter- and intrafraction target motion. Methods and Materials: For 42 patients, a single vocal cord was irradiated using intensity modulated radiation therapy at a total dose of 58.1 Gy (16 fractions × 3.63 Gy). A daily cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan was performed to online correct the setup of the thyroid cartilage after patient positioning with in-room lasers (interfraction motion correction). To monitor intrafraction motion, CBCT scans were also acquired just after patient repositioning and aftermore » dose delivery. A mixed online-offline setup correction protocol (“O2 protocol”) was designed to compensate for both inter- and intrafraction motion. Results: Observed interfraction, systematic (Σ), and random (σ) setup errors in left-right (LR), craniocaudal (CC), and anteroposterior (AP) directions were 0.9, 2.0, and 1.1 mm and 1.0, 1.6, and 1.0 mm, respectively. After correction of these errors, the following intrafraction movements derived from the CBCT acquired after dose delivery were: Σ = 0.4, 1.3, and 0.7 mm, and σ = 0.8, 1.4, and 0.8 mm. More than half of the patients showed a systematic non-zero intrafraction shift in target position, (ie, the mean intrafraction displacement over the treatment fractions was statistically significantly different from zero; P<.05). With the applied CTV-PTV margins (for most patients 3, 5, and 3 mm in LR, CC, and AP directions, respectively), the minimum CTV dose, estimated from the target displacements observed in the last CBCT, was at least 94% of the prescribed dose for all patients and more than 98% for most patients (37 of 42). The proposed O2 protocol could effectively reduce the systematic intrafraction errors observed after dose delivery to almost zero (Σ = 0.1, 0.2, 0.2 mm). Conclusions

  13. Status and progress of the RERTR program in the year 2000.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Travelli, A.

    2000-09-28

    This paper describes the progress achieved by the Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors (RERTR) Program in collaboration with its many international partners during the year 2000 and discusses the main activities planned for the year 2001. The past year was characterized by important accomplishments and events for the RERTR program. Four additional shipments containing 503 spent fuel assemblies from foreign research reactors were accepted by the U.S. Altogether, 3,740 spent fuel assemblies from foreign research reactors have been received by the U.S. under the acceptance policy. Postirradiation examinations of three batches of microplates have continued to reveal excellentmore » irradiation behavior of U-MO dispersion fuels in a variety of compositions and irradiating conditions. h-radiation of two new batches of miniplates of greater sizes is in progress in the ATR to investigate me swelling behavior of these fuels under prototypic conditions. These materials hold the promise of achieving the program goal of developing LEU research reactor fuels with uranium densities in the 8-9 g /cm{sup 3} range. Qualification of the U-MO dispersion fuels is proceeding on schedule. Test fuel elements with 6 gU/cm{sup 3} are being fabricated by BWXT and are scheduled to begin undergoing irradiation in the HFR-Petten in the spring of 2001, with a goal of qualifying this fuel by the end of 2003. U-Mo with 8-9 gU/cm{sup 3} is planned to be qualified by the end of 2005. Joint LEU conversion feasibility studies were completed for HFR-Petten and for SAFARI-1. Significant improvements were made in the design of LEU metal-foil annular targets that would allow efficient production of fission {sup 99}Mo. Irradiations in the RAS-GAS reactor showed that these targets can formed from aluminum tubes, and that the yield and purity of their product from the acidic process were at least as good as those from the HEU Cintichem targets. Progress was made on irradiation testing of LEU

  14. Development of Water Target for Radioisotope Production

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tripp, Nathan

    2011-10-01

    Ongoing studies of plant physiology at TUNL require a supply of nitrogen-13 for use as a radiotracer. Production of nitrogen-13 using a water target and a proton beam follows the nuclear reaction 16-O(p,a)13-N. Unfortunately the irradiation of trace amounts of oxygen-18 within a natural water target produces fluorine-18 by the reaction 18-O(p, n)18-F. The presence of this second radioisotope reduces the efficacy of nitrogen-13 as a radiotracer. Designing a natural water target for nitrogen-13 production at TUNL required the design of several new systems to address the problems inherent in nitrogen-13 production. A heat exchanger cools the target water after irradiation within the target cell. The resulting improved thermal regulation of the target water prevents the system from overheating and minimizes the effect of the cavitations occurring within the target. Alumina pellets within a scrubbing unit remove the fluorine-18 contamination from the irradiated water. The modular design of the water target apparatus makes the system highly adaptable, allowing for easy reuse and adaptation of the different components into future projects. The newly designed and constructed water target should meet the current and future needs of TUNL researchers in the production of nitrogen-13. This TUNL REU project was funded in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) NSF-PHY-08-51813.

  15. Phytosanitary irradiation - Development and application

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hallman, Guy J.; Loaharanu, Paisan

    2016-12-01

    Phytosanitary irradiation, the use of ionizing radiation to disinfest traded agricultural commodities of regulated pests, is a growing use of food irradiation that has great continued potential for increase in commercial application. In 2015 approximately 25,000 t of fresh fruits and vegetables were irradiated globally for phytosanitary purposes. Phytosanitary irradiation has resulted in a paradigm shift in phytosanitation in that the final burden of proof of efficacy of the treatment has shifted from no live pests upon inspection at a port of entry (as for all previous phytosanitary treatments) to total dependence on certification that the treatment for target pests is based on adequate science and is commercially conducted and protected from post-treatment infestation. In this regard phytosanitary irradiation is managed more like a hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) approach more consistent with food safety than phytosanitation. Thus, phytosanitary irradiation offers a more complete and rigorous methodology for safeguarding than other phytosanitary measures. The role of different organizations in achieving commercial application of phytosanitary irradiation is discussed as well as future issues and applications, including new generic doses.

  16. PIE preparation of the MEGAPIE target

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wohlmuther, Michael; Wagner, Werner

    2012-12-01

    The MEGAPIE target, after successfully operating for 4 months at a beam power of 0.77 MW, is now being prepared for post irradiation examination PIE. The lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) target was irradiated from August until December 2006, and in this period received a beam charge of 2.8 A h of 575 MeV protons. After that, the target was stored in the target storage facility of PSI, waiting for its post irradiation examination. In the meantime several campaigns of tests have been conducted by PSI and ZWILAG, the interim storage facility of Swiss nuclear power plants. In these tests the feasibility of the conditioning of the target and the extraction of sample material for the PIE has been proven. After transport to the hot cell facility at ZWILAG in June 2009, the dismantling of the MEGAPIE target started. It finally was cut into 21 pieces. Ten of these pieces will be shipped to the Hot Laboratory of PSI ('PSI hotlab') to extract samples from the structural materials as well as from the LBE. Currently it is foreseen that the sample extraction will start in the first half of 2011. The remaining parts of the MEGAPIE target were conditioned as radioactive waste. The present paper will mainly focus on the dismantling and first visual inspection of the MEGAPIE target. In addition an outlook on the PIE phase of MEGAPIE is given.

  17. Community Targets for JWST's Early Release Science Program: Evaluation of Transiting Exoplanet WASP-63b.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kilpatrick, Brian; Cubillos, Patricio; Bruno, Giovanni; Lewis, Nikole K.; Stevenson, Kevin B.; Wakeford, Hannah; Blecic, Jasmina; Burrows, Adam Seth; Deming, Drake; Heng, Kevin; Line, Michael R.; Madhusudhan, Nikku; Morley, Caroline; Waldmann, Ingo P.; Transiting Exoplanet Early Release Science Community

    2017-06-01

    We present observations of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) ``A Preparatory Program to Identify the Single Best Transiting Exoplanet for JWST Early Release Science" for WASP-63b, one of the community targets proposed for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Early Release Science (ERS) program. A large collaboration of transiting exoplanet scientists identified a set of ``community targets" which meet a certain set of criteria for ecliptic latitude, period, host star brightness, well constrained orbital parameters, and strength of spectroscopic features. WASP-63b was one of the targets identified as a potential candidate for the ERS program. It is presented as an inflated planet with a large signal. It will be accessible to JWST approximately six months after the planned start of Cycle 1/ERS in April 2019 making it an ideal candidate should there be any delays in the JWST timetable. Here, we observe WASP-63b to evaluate its suitability as the best target to test the capabilities of JWST. Ideally, a clear atmosphere will be best suited for bench marking the instruments ability to detect spectroscopic features. We can use the strength of the water absorption feature at 1.4 μm as a way to determine the presence of obscuring clouds/hazes. The results of atmospheric retrieval are presented along with a discussion on the suitability of WASP-63b as the best target to be observed during the ERS Program.

  18. Treatment Optimization Using Computed Tomography-Delineated Targets Should be Used for Supraclavicular Irradiation for Breast Cancer

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Liengsawangwong, Raweewan; Yu, T.-K.; Sun, T.-L.

    2007-11-01

    Background: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the use of optimized CT treatment planning offered better coverage of axillary level III (LIII)/supraclavicular (SC) targets than the empirically derived dose prescription that are commonly used. Materials/Methods: Thirty-two consecutive breast cancer patients who underwent CT treatment planning of a SC field were evaluated. Each patient was categorized according to body mass index (BMI) classes: normal, overweight, or obese. The SC and LIII nodal beds were contoured, and four treatment plans for each patient were generated. Three of the plans used empiric dose prescriptions, and these were compared with amore » CT-optimized plan. Each plan was evaluated by two criteria: whether 98% of target volume receive >90% of prescribed dose and whether < 5% of the irradiated volume received 105% of prescribed dose. Results: The mean depth of SC and LIII were 3.2 cm (range, 1.4-6.7 cm) and 3.1 (range, 1.7-5.8 cm). The depth of these targets varied according across BMI classes (p = 0.01). Among the four sets of plans, the CT-optimized plans were the most successful at achieving both of the dosimetry objectives for every BMI class (normal BMI, p = .003; overweight BMI, p < .0001; obese BMI, p < .001). Conclusions: Across all BMI classes, routine radiation prescriptions did not optimally cover intended targets for every patient. Optimized CT-based treatment planning generated the most successful plans; therefore, we recommend the use of routine CT simulation and treatment planning of SC fields in breast cancer.« less

  19. Laser Irradiated Foam Targets: Absorption and Radiative Properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Salvadori, Martina; Luigi Andreoli, Pier; Cipriani, Mattia; Consoli, Fabrizio; Cristofari, Giuseppe; De Angelis, Riccardo; di Giorgio, Giorgio; Giulietti, Danilo; Ingenito, Francesco; Gus'kov, Sergey Yu.; Rupasov, Alexander A.

    2018-01-01

    An experimental campaign to characterize the laser radiation absorption of foam targets and the subsequent emission of radiation from the produced plasma was carried out in the ABC facility of the ENEA Research Center in Frascati (Rome). Different targets have been used: plastic in solid or foam state and aluminum targets. The activated different diagnostics allowed to evaluate the plasma temperature, the density distribution, the fast particle spectrum and the yield of the X-Ray radiation emitted by the plasma for the different targets. These results confirm the foam homogenization action on laser-plasma interaction, mainly attributable to the volume absorption of the laser radiation propagating in such structured materials. These results were compared with simulation absorption models of the laser propagating into a foam target.

  20. Risk maps for targeting exotic plant pest detection programs in the United States

    Treesearch

    R.D. Magarey; D.M. Borchert; J.S. Engle; M Garcia-Colunga; Frank H. Koch; et al

    2011-01-01

    In the United States, pest risk maps are used by the Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey for spatial and temporal targeting of exotic plant pest detection programs. Methods are described to create standardized host distribution, climate and pathway risk maps for the top nationally ranked exotic pest targets. Two examples are provided to illustrate the risk mapping...

  1. Application of a Dynamic Programming Algorithm for Weapon Target Assignment

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-02-01

    25] A . Turan , “Techniques for the Allocation of Resources Under Uncertainty,” Middle Eastern Technical University, Ankara, Turkey, 2012. [26] K...UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED Application of a Dynamic Programming Algorithm for Weapon Target Assignment Lloyd Hammond Weapons and...optimisation techniques to support the decision making process. This report documents the methodology used to identify, develop and assess a

  2. Stationary Temperature Distribution in a Rotating Ring-Shaped Target

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kazarinov, N. Yu.; Gulbekyan, G. G.; Kazacha, V. I.

    2018-05-01

    For a rotating ring-shaped target irradiated by a heavy-ion beam, a differential equation for computing the stationary distribution of the temperature averaged over the cross section is derived. The ion-beam diameter is assumed to be equal to the ring width. Solving this equation allows one to obtain the stationary temperature distribution along the ring-shaped target depending on the ion-beam, target, and cooling-gas parameters. Predictions are obtained for the rotating target to be installed at the DC-280 cyclotron. For an existing rotating target irradiated by an ion beam, our predictions are compared with the measured temperature distribution.

  3. Online compensation for target motion with scanned particle beams: simulation environment.

    PubMed

    Li, Qiang; Groezinger, Sven Oliver; Haberer, Thomas; Rietzel, Eike; Kraft, Gerhard

    2004-07-21

    Target motion is one of the major limitations of each high precision radiation therapy. Using advanced active beam delivery techniques, such as the magnetic raster scanning system for particle irradiation, the interplay between time-dependent beam and target position heavily distorts the applied dose distribution. This paper presents a simulation environment in which the time-dependent effect of target motion on heavy-ion irradiation can be calculated with dynamically scanned ion beams. In an extension of the existing treatment planning software for ion irradiation of static targets (TRiP) at GSI, the expected dose distribution is calculated as the sum of several sub-distributions for single target motion states. To investigate active compensation for target motion by adapting the position of the therapeutic beam during irradiation, the planned beam positions can be altered during the calculation. Applying realistic parameters to the planned motion-compensation methods at GSI, the effect of target motion on the expected dose uniformity can be simulated for different target configurations and motion conditions. For the dynamic dose calculation, experimentally measured profiles of the beam extraction in time were used. Initial simulations show the feasibility and consistency of an active motion compensation with the magnetic scanning system and reveal some strategies to improve the dose homogeneity inside the moving target. The simulation environment presented here provides an effective means for evaluating the dose distribution for a moving target volume with and without motion compensation. It contributes a substantial basis for the experimental research on the irradiation of moving target volumes with scanned ion beams at GSI which will be presented in upcoming papers.

  4. Schedule and status of irradiation experiments

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rowcliffe, A.F.; Grossbeck, M.L.; Robertson, J.P.

    1998-09-01

    The current status of reactor irradiation experiments is presented in tables summarizing the experimental objectives, conditions, and schedule. Currently, the program has one irradiation experiment in reactor and five experiments in the design or construction stages. Postirradiation examination and testing is in progress on ten experiments.

  5. High e+/e– ratio dense pair creation with 10 21W.cm –2 laser irradiating solid targets

    DOE PAGES

    Liang, E.; Clarke, T.; Henderson, A.; ...

    2015-09-14

    In this study, we report results of new pair creation experiments using ~100 Joule pulses of the Texas Petawatt Laser to irradiate solid gold and platinum targets, with intensities up to ~1.9 × 10 21 W.cm –2 and pulse durations as short as ~130 fs. Positron to electron (e+/e–) ratios >15% were observed for many thick disk and rod targets, with the highest e+/e– ratio reaching ~50% for a Pt rod. The inferred pair yield was ~ few ×10 10 with emerging pair density reaching ~10 15/cm 3 so that the pair skin depth becomes < pair jet transverse size.more » These results represent major milestones towards the goal of creating a significant quantity of dense pair-dominated plasmas with e+/e– approaching 100% and pair skin depth << pair plasma size, which will have wide-ranging applications to astrophysics and fundamental physics.« less

  6. Research and development on materials for the SPES target

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Corradetti, Stefano; Andrighetto, Alberto; Manzolaro, Mattia; Scarpa, Daniele; Vasquez, Jesus; Rossignoli, Massimo; Monetti, Alberto; Calderolla, Michele; Prete, Gianfranco

    2014-03-01

    The SPES project at INFN-LNL (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare - Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro) is focused on the production of radioactive ion beams. The core of the SPES facility is constituted by the target, which will be irradiated with a 40 MeV, 200 µA proton beam in order to produce radioactive species. In order to efficiently produce and release isotopes, the material constituting the target should be able to work under extreme conditions (high vacuum and temperatures up to 2000 °C). Both neutron-rich and proton-rich isotopes will be produced; in the first case, carbon dispersed uranium carbide (UCx) will be used as a target, whereas to produce p-rich isotopes, several types of targets will have to be irradiated. The synthesis and characterization of different types of material will be reported. Moreover, the results of irradiation and isotopes release tests on different uranium carbide target prototypes will be discussed.

  7. High-flux low-divergence positron beam generation from ultra-intense laser irradiated a tapered hollow target

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Liu, Jian-Xun; College of Electronic Engineering, Wuhan 430019; Ma, Yan-Yun, E-mail: yanyunma@126.com

    By using two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, we demonstrate high-flux dense positrons generation by irradiating an ultra-intense laser pulse onto a tapered hollow target. By using a laser with an intensity of 4 × 10{sup 23 }W/cm{sup 2}, it is shown that the Breit-Wheeler process dominates the positron production during the laser-target interaction and a positron beam with a total number >10{sup 15} is obtained, which is increased by five orders of magnitude than in the previous work at the same laser intensity. Due to the focusing effect of the transverse electric fields formed in the hollow cone wall, the divergence angle of the positronmore » beam effectively decreases to ∼15° with an effective temperature of ∼674 MeV. When the laser intensity is doubled, both the positron flux (>10{sup 16}) and temperature (963 MeV) increase, while the divergence angle gets smaller (∼13°). The obtained high-flux low-divergence positron beam may have diverse applications in science, medicine, and engineering.« less

  8. A systematic review of evaluated suicide prevention programs targeting indigenous youth.

    PubMed

    Harlow, Alyssa F; Bohanna, India; Clough, Alan

    2014-01-01

    Indigenous young people have significantly higher suicide rates than their non-indigenous counterparts. There is a need for culturally appropriate and effective suicide prevention programs for this demographic. This review assesses suicide prevention programs that have been evaluated for indigenous youth in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States. The databases MEDLINE and PsycINFO were searched for publications on suicide prevention programs targeting indigenous youth that include reports on evaluations and outcomes. Program content, indigenous involvement, evaluation design, program implementation, and outcomes were assessed for each article. The search yielded 229 articles; 90 abstracts were assessed, and 11 articles describing nine programs were reviewed. Two Australian programs and seven American programs were included. Programs were culturally tailored, flexible, and incorporated multiple-levels of prevention. No randomized controlled trials were found, and many programs employed ad hoc evaluations, poor program description, and no process evaluation. Despite culturally appropriate content, the results of the review indicate that more controlled study designs using planned evaluations and valid outcome measures are needed in research on indigenous youth suicide prevention. Such changes may positively influence the future of research on indigenous youth suicide prevention as the outcomes and efficacy will be more reliable.

  9. Accelerator target

    DOEpatents

    Schlyer, D.J.; Ferrieri, R.A.; Koehler, C.

    1999-06-29

    A target includes a body having a depression in a front side for holding a sample for irradiation by a particle beam to produce a radioisotope. Cooling fins are disposed on a backside of the body opposite the depression. A foil is joined to the body front side to cover the depression and sample therein. A perforate grid is joined to the body atop the foil for supporting the foil and for transmitting the particle beam therethrough. A coolant is circulated over the fins to cool the body during the particle beam irradiation of the sample in the depression. 5 figs.

  10. Accelerator target

    DOEpatents

    Schlyer, David J.; Ferrieri, Richard A.; Koehler, Conrad

    1999-01-01

    A target includes a body having a depression in a front side for holding a sample for irradiation by a particle beam to produce a radioisotope. Cooling fins are disposed on a backside of the body opposite the depression. A foil is joined to the body front side to cover the depression and sample therein. A perforate grid is joined to the body atop the foil for supporting the foil and for transmitting the particle beam therethrough. A coolant is circulated over the fins to cool the body during the particle beam irradiation of the sample in the depression.

  11. Production of medical isotopes from a thorium target irradiated by light charged particles up to 70 MeV

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Duchemin, C.; Guertin, A.; Haddad, F.; Michel, N.; Métivier, V.

    2015-02-01

    The irradiation of a thorium target by light charged particles (protons and deuterons) leads to the production of several isotopes of medical interest. Direct nuclear reaction allows the production of Protactinium-230 which decays to Uranium-230 the mother nucleus of Thorium-226, a promising isotope for alpha radionuclide therapy. The fission of Thorium-232 produces fragments of interest like Molybdenum-99, Iodine-131 and Cadmium-115g. We focus our study on the production of these isotopes, performing new cross section measurements and calculating production yields. Our new sets of data are compared with the literature and the last version of the TALYS code.

  12. Production of medical isotopes from a thorium target irradiated by light charged particles up to 70 MeV.

    PubMed

    Duchemin, C; Guertin, A; Haddad, F; Michel, N; Métivier, V

    2015-02-07

    The irradiation of a thorium target by light charged particles (protons and deuterons) leads to the production of several isotopes of medical interest. Direct nuclear reaction allows the production of Protactinium-230 which decays to Uranium-230 the mother nucleus of Thorium-226, a promising isotope for alpha radionuclide therapy. The fission of Thorium-232 produces fragments of interest like Molybdenum-99, Iodine-131 and Cadmium-115g. We focus our study on the production of these isotopes, performing new cross section measurements and calculating production yields. Our new sets of data are compared with the literature and the last version of the TALYS code.

  13. Scaling up towards international targets for AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria: contribution of global fund-supported programs in 2011-2015.

    PubMed

    Katz, Itamar; Komatsu, Ryuichi; Low-Beer, Daniel; Atun, Rifat

    2011-02-23

    The paper projects the contribution to 2011-2015 international targets of three major pandemics by programs in 140 countries funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the largest external financier of tuberculosis and malaria programs and a major external funder of HIV programs in low and middle income countries. Estimates, using past trends, for the period 2011-2015 of the number of persons receiving antiretroviral (ARV) treatment, tuberculosis case detection using the internationally approved DOTS strategy, and insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) to be delivered by programs in low and middle income countries supported by the Global Fund compared to international targets established by UNAIDS, Stop TB Partnership, Roll Back Malaria Partnership and the World Health Organisation. Global Fund-supported programs are projected to provide ARV treatment to 5.5-5.8 million people, providing 30%-31% of the 2015 international target. Investments in tuberculosis and malaria control will enable reaching in 2015 60%-63% of the international target for tuberculosis case detection and 30%-35% of the ITN distribution target in sub-Saharan Africa. Global Fund investments will substantially contribute to the achievement by 2015 of international targets for HIV, TB and malaria. However, additional large scale international and domestic financing is needed if these targets are to be reached by 2015.

  14. Transiting Exoplanet Studies and Community Targets for JWST's Early Release Science Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stevenson, Kevin B.; Lewis, Nikole K.; Bean, Jacob L.; Beichman, Charles; Fraine, Jonathan; Kilpatrick, Brian M.; Krick, J. E.; Lothringer, Joshua D.; Mandell, Avi M.; Valenti, Jeff A.; Agol, Eric; Angerhausen, Daniel; Barstow, Joanna K.; Birkmann, Stephan M.; Burrows, Adam; Charbonneau, David; Cowan, Nicolas B.; Crouzet, Nicolas; Cubillos, Patricio E.; Curry, S. M.; Dalba, Paul A.; de Wit, Julien; Deming, Drake; Désert, Jean-Michel; Doyon, René; Dragomir, Diana; Ehrenreich, David; Fortney, Jonathan J.; García Muñoz, Antonio; Gibson, Neale P.; Gizis, John E.; Greene, Thomas P.; Harrington, Joseph; Heng, Kevin; Kataria, Tiffany; Kempton, Eliza M.-R.; Knutson, Heather; Kreidberg, Laura; Lafrenière, David; Lagage, Pierre-Olivier; Line, Michael R.; Lopez-Morales, Mercedes; Madhusudhan, Nikku; Morley, Caroline V.; Rocchetto, Marco; Schlawin, Everett; Shkolnik, Evgenya L.; Shporer, Avi; Sing, David K.; Todorov, Kamen O.; Tucker, Gregory S.; Wakeford, Hannah R.

    2016-09-01

    The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will likely revolutionize transiting exoplanet atmospheric science, due to a combination of its capability for continuous, long duration observations and its larger collecting area, spectral coverage, and spectral resolution compared to existing space-based facilities. However, it is unclear precisely how well JWST will perform and which of its myriad instruments and observing modes will be best suited for transiting exoplanet studies. In this article, we describe a prefatory JWST Early Release Science (ERS) Cycle 1 program that focuses on testing specific observing modes to quickly give the community the data and experience it needs to plan more efficient and successful transiting exoplanet characterization programs in later cycles. We propose a multi-pronged approach wherein one aspect of the program focuses on observing transits of a single target with all of the recommended observing modes to identify and understand potential systematics, compare transmission spectra at overlapping and neighboring wavelength regions, confirm throughputs, and determine overall performances. In our search for transiting exoplanets that are well suited to achieving these goals, we identify 12 objects (dubbed “community targets”) that meet our defined criteria. Currently, the most favorable target is WASP-62b because of its large predicted signal size, relatively bright host star, and location in JWST's continuous viewing zone. Since most of the community targets do not have well-characterized atmospheres, we recommend initiating preparatory observing programs to determine the presence of obscuring clouds/hazes within their atmospheres. Measurable spectroscopic features are needed to establish the optimal resolution and wavelength regions for exoplanet characterization. Other initiatives from our proposed ERS program include testing the instrument brightness limits and performing phase-curve observations. The latter are a unique challenge

  15. Pulsed-Laser Irradiation Space Weathering Of A Carbonaceous Chondrite

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thompson, M. S.; Keller, L. P.; Christoffersen, R.; Loeffler, M. J.; Morris, R. V.; Graff, T. G.; Rahman, Z.

    2017-01-01

    Grains on the surfaces of airless bodies experience irradiation from solar energetic particles and melting, vaporization and recondensation processes associated with micrometeorite impacts. Collectively, these processes are known as space weathering and they affect the spectral properties, composition, and microstructure of material on the surfaces of airless bodies, e.g. Recent efforts have focused on space weathering of carbonaceous materials which will be critical for interpreting results from the OSIRIS-REx and Hayabusa2 missions targeting primitive, organic-rich asteroids. In addition to returned sample analyses, space weathering processes are quantified through laboratory experiments. For example, the short-duration thermal pulse from hypervelocity micrometeorite impacts have been simulated using pulsed-laser irradiation of target material e.g. Recent work however, has shown that pulsed-laser irradiation has variable effects on the spectral properties and microstructure of carbonaceous chondrite samples. Here we investigate the spectral characteristics of pulsed-laser irradiated CM2 carbonaceous chondrite, Murchison, including the vaporized component. We also report the chemical and structural characteristics of specific mineral phases within the meteorite as a result of pulsed-laser irradiation.

  16. Co-targeting deoxyribonucleic acid-dependent protein kinase and poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase-1 promotes accelerated senescence of irradiated cancer cells.

    PubMed

    Azad, Arun; Bukczynska, Patricia; Jackson, Susan; Haupt, Ygal; Haput, Ygal; Cullinane, Carleen; McArthur, Grant A; Solomon, Benjamin

    2014-02-01

    To examine the effects of combined blockade of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) and poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) on accelerated senescence in irradiated H460 and A549 non-small cell lung cancer cells. The effects of KU5788 and AG014699 (inhibitors of DNA-PK and PARP-1, respectively) on clonogenic survival, DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), apoptosis, mitotic catastrophe, and accelerated senescence in irradiated cells were examined in vitro. For in vivo experiments, H460 xenografts established in athymic nude mice were treated with BEZ235 (a DNA-PK, ATM, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor) and AG014699 to determine effects on proliferation, DNA DSBs, and accelerated senescence after radiation. Compared with either inhibitor alone, combination treatment with KU57788 and AG014699 reduced postradiation clonogenic survival and significantly increased persistence of Gamma-H2AX (γH2AX) foci in irradiated H460 and A549 cells. Notably, these effects coincided with the induction of accelerated senescence in irradiated cells as reflected by positive β-galactosidase staining, G2-M cell-cycle arrest, enlarged and flattened cellular morphology, increased p21 expression, and senescence-associated cytokine secretion. In irradiated H460 xenografts, concurrent therapy with BEZ235 and AG014699 resulted in sustained Gamma-H2AX (γH2AX) staining and prominent β-galactosidase activity. Combined DNA-PK and PARP-1 blockade increased tumor cell radiosensitivity and enhanced the prosenescent properties of ionizing radiation in vitro and in vivo. These data provide a rationale for further preclinical and clinical testing of this therapeutic combination. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  17. Policies and Programs to Facilitate Access to Targeted Cancer Therapies in Thailand

    PubMed Central

    Sruamsiri, Rosarin; Ross-Degnan, Dennis; Lu, Christine Y.; Chaiyakunapruk, Nathorn; Wagner, Anita K.

    2015-01-01

    Background Increasing access to clinically beneficial targeted cancer medicines is a challenge in every country due to their high cost. We describe the interplay of innovative policies and programs involving multiple stakeholders to facilitate access to these medicines in Thailand, as well as the utilization of selected targeted therapies over time. Methods We selected two medicines on the 2013 Thai national list of essential medicines (NLEM) [letrozole and imatinib] and three unlisted medicines for the same indications [trastuzumab, nilotinib and dasatinib]. We created timelines of access policies and programs for these products based on scientific and grey literature. Using IMS Health sales data, we described the trajectories of sales volumes of the study medicines between January 2001 and December 2012. We compared estimated average numbers of patients treated before and after the implementation of policies and programs for each product. Results Different stakeholders implemented multiple interventions to increase access to the study medicines for different patient populations. During 2007–2009, the Thai Government created a special NLEM category with different coverage requirements for payers and issued compulsory licenses; payers negotiated prices with manufacturers and engaged in pooled procurement; pharmaceutical companies expanded patient assistance programs and lowered prices in different ways. Compared to before the interventions, estimated numbers of patients treated with each medicine increased significantly afterwards: for letrozole from 645 (95% CI 366–923) to 3683 (95% CI 2,748–4,618); for imatinib from 103 (95% CI 72–174) to 350 (95% CI 307–398); and for trastuzumab from 68 (95% CI 45–118) to 412 (95% CI 344–563). Conclusions Government, payers, and manufacturers implemented multi-pronged approaches to facilitate access to targeted cancer therapies for the Thai population, which differed by medicine. Routine monitoring is needed to

  18. Population targeting amid complex mental health programming: Are California's Full Service Partnerships reaching underserved children?

    PubMed

    Cordell, Katharan D; Snowden, Lonnie R

    2017-01-01

    California's Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) created Full Service Partnership programs (FSPs) targeting socially and economically vulnerable children with mental illness who are underserved by counties' public mental health treatment system. To determine whether FSPs reach a distinctive group of children, this study compares indicators of FSP-targeted underservice for FSP entrants (n = 15,598) versus everyone treated in the counties' public mental health systems (n = 282,178) and for FSP entrants versus entrants in the most intensive Medicaid delivered program in California, Therapeutic Behavioral Services (TBS, n = 11,993). Results identify that, despite first encountering mental health services systems at earlier ages, FSP clients had fewer months of treatment and were less likely to have been treated in the prior 6 months, except for crisis care, as compared to all other children served, after considering clinical severity and indicators of service need. FSP entrants also had more substance abuse and trauma-related problems. Although less seriously ill than TBS served children, FSP served children were significantly underserved. The results indicate that, amid overlapping policies and programs, carving out and reaching a distinctly underserved population can be achieved in practice, and that specialized programs, such as the FSP program, which target underserved children, have the potential to augment a system's ability to reach the underserved. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  19. Irradiated KHYG-1 retains cytotoxicity: potential for adoptive immunotherapy with a natural killer cell line.

    PubMed

    Suck, G; Branch, D R; Keating, A

    2006-05-01

    To evaluate gamma-irradiation on KHYG-1, a highly cytotoxic natural killer (NK) cell line and potential candidate for cancer immunotherapy. The NK cell line KHYG-1 was irradiated at 1 gray (Gy) to 50 Gy with gamma-irradiation, and evaluated for cell proliferation, cell survival, and cytotoxicity against tumor targets. We showed that a dose of at least 10 Gy was sufficient to inhibit proliferation of KHYG-1 within the first day but not its cytolytic activity. While 50 Gy had an apoptotic effect in the first hours after irradiation, the killing of K562 and HL60 targets was not different from non-irradiated cells but was reduced for the Ph + myeloid leukemia lines, EM-2 and EM-3. gamma-irradiation (at least 10 Gy) of KHYG-1 inhibits cell proliferation but does not diminish its enhanced cytolytic activity against several tumor targets. This study suggests that KHYG-1 may be a feasible immunotherapeutic agent in the treatment of cancers.

  20. Does Information Improve the Health Behavior of Adults Targeted by a Conditional Transfer Program?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Avitabile, Ciro

    2012-01-01

    We use data from the evaluation sample of Mexico's Food Assistance Program (PAL) to study whether including the attendance at health and nutrition classes among the requirements for receiving a transfer affects the health behavior of adults living in localities targeted by the program. The experimental trial has four different treatment types,…

  1. The RERTR Program : a status report.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Travelli, A.

    1998-10-19

    conditions. A major milestone was accomplished in the development of a process to produce molybdenum-99 from fission targets utilizing LEU instead of HEU. Targets containing LEU metal foils were irradiated in the RAS-GAS reactor at BATAN, Indonesia, and molybdenum-99 was successfully extracted through the ensuing process. These are exciting times for the program and for all those involved in it, and last year's successes augur well for the future. However, as in the past, the success of the RERTR program will depend on the international friendship and cooperation that have always been its trademark.« less

  2. School Programs Targeting Stress Management in Children and Adolescents: A Meta-Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kraag, Gerda; Zeegers, Maurice P.; Kok, Gerjo; Hosman, Clemens; Abu-Saad, Huda Huijer

    2006-01-01

    Introduction: This meta-analysis evaluates the effect of school programs targeting stress management or coping skills in school children. Methods: Articles were selected through a systematic literature search. Only randomized controlled trials or quasi-experimental studies were included. The standardized mean differences (SMDs) between baseline…

  3. AGC-2 Graphite Pre-irradiation Data Package

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    David Swank; Joseph Lord; David Rohrbaugh

    2010-08-01

    The NGNP Graphite R&D program is currently establishing the safe operating envelope of graphite core components for a Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) design. The program is generating quantitative data necessary for predicting the behavior and operating performance of the new nuclear graphite grades. To determine the in-service behavior of the graphite for pebble bed and prismatic designs, the Advanced Graphite Creep (AGC) experiment is underway. This experiment is examining the properties and behavior of nuclear grade graphite over a large spectrum of temperatures, neutron fluences and compressive loads. Each experiment consists of over 400 graphite specimens that are characterizedmore » prior to irradiation and following irradiation. Six experiments are planned with the first, AGC-1, currently being irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) and pre-irradiation characterization of the second, AGC-2, completed. This data package establishes the readiness of 512 specimens for assembly into the AGC-2 capsule.« less

  4. AGR-1 Compact 1-3-1 Post-Irradiation Examination Results

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Demkowicz, Paul Andrew

    The Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) Fuel Development and Qualification Program was established to perform the requisite research and development on tristructural isotropic (TRISO) coated particle fuel to support deployment of a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR). The work continues as part of the Advanced Reactor Technologies (ART) TRISO Fuel program. The overarching program goal is to provide a baseline fuel qualification data set to support licensing and operation of an HTGR. To achieve these goals, the program includes the elements of fuel fabrication, irradiation, post-irradiation examination (PIE) and safety testing, fuel performance modeling, and fission product transport (INL 2015). A seriesmore » of fuel irradiation experiments is being planned and conducted in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). These experiments will provide data on fuel performance under irradiation, support fuel process development, qualify the fuel for normal operating conditions, provide irradiated fuel for safety testing, and support the development of fuel performance and fission product transport models. The first of these irradiation tests, designated AGR-1, began in the ATR in December 2006 and ended in November 2009. This experiment was conducted primarily to act as a shakedown test of the multicapsule test train design and provide early data on fuel performance for use in fuel fabrication process development. It also provided samples for post-irradiation safety testing, where fission product retention of the fuel at high temperatures will be experimentally measured. The capsule design and details of the AGR-1 experiment have been presented previously (Grover, Petti, and Maki 2010, Maki 2009).« less

  5. AGR-1 Compact 5-3-1 Post-Irradiation Examination Results

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Demkowicz, Paul; Harp, Jason; Winston, Phil

    The Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) Fuel Development and Qualification Program was established to perform the requisite research and development on tristructural isotropic (TRISO) coated particle fuel to support deployment of a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR). The work continues as part of the Advanced Reactor Technologies (ART) TRISO Fuel program. The overarching program goal is to provide a baseline fuel qualification data set to support licensing and operation of an HTGR. To achieve these goals, the program includes the elements of fuel fabrication, irradiation, post-irradiation examination (PIE) and safety testing, fuel performance, and fission product transport (INL 2015). A series ofmore » fuel irradiation experiments is being planned and conducted in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). These experiments will provide data on fuel performance under irradiation, support fuel process development, qualify the fuel for normal operating conditions, provide irradiated fuel for safety testing, and support the development of fuel performance and fission product transport models. The first of these irradiation tests, designated AGR-1, began in the ATR in December 2006 and ended in November 2009. This experiment was conducted primarily to act as a shakedown test of the multicapsule test train design and provide early data on fuel performance for use in fuel fabrication process development. It also provided samples for post-irradiation safety testing, where fission product retention of the fuel at high temperatures will be experimentally measured. The capsule design and details of the AGR-1 experiment have been presented previously.« less

  6. Observation of ionization shifts in K-shell emission from short-pulse laser irradiated micro-dot targets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Neumayer, Paul; Kritcher, Andrea; Landen, Otto; Lee, Haeja; Offerman, Dustin; Shipton, Eric; Glenzer, Siegfried

    2006-10-01

    X-ray Thomson scattering using short pulse laser generated intense line radiation has a great potential as a time-resolved temperature and density diagnostic for high-energy density states of matter. We present recent results characterizing Chlorine K-alpha and K-beta line emission obtained by irradiating Saran foil with 50 Terawatt laser pulses from the Callisto laser (Jupiter Laser Facility, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory). Spectra from front and rear side emission are recorded simultaneously with high resolution HOPG spectrometers employing imaging plate detectors. Conversion efficiencies of laser pulse energy into x-ray line emission of several 10-5 are achieved and are maintained throughout up to 7 J of laser energy, thus constituting a short pulsed narrow band x-ray source of more than 10^11 photons. When the target size is reduced to 50 micrometer (``micro-dot'') a significant blue-shift of up to 5 eV is clearly observed. This can be attributed to higher ionization states of the target atoms indicating achievement of a high-temperature solid density state. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract No. W-7405-ENG-48 and LDRD 05-ERI-003.

  7. 14 MeV Neutron Irradiation Effect on Superconducting Magnet Materials for Fusion Device

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nishimura, A.; Hishinuma, Y.; Seo, K.; Tanaka, T.; Muroga, T.; Nishijima, S.; Katagiri, K.; Takeuchi, T.; Shindo, Y.; Ochiai, K.; Nishitani, T.; Okuno, K.

    2006-03-01

    As a large-scale plasma experimental device is planned and designed, the importance of investigations on irradiation effect of 14 MeV neutron increases and an experimental database is desired to be piled up. Recently, intense streaming of fast neutron from ports are reported and degradation of superconducting magnet performance is anticipated. To investigate the pure neutron effect on superconducting magnet materials, a cryogenic target system was newly developed and installed at Fusion Neutronics Source in Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. Although production rate of 14 MeV neutron is not large, only 14 MeV neutron can be supplied to irradiation test without gamma ray. Copper wires, superconducting wires, glass fiber reinforced composites are irradiated and the irradiation effects are characterized. At the same time, sensors for measuring temperature and magnetic field are irradiated and their performance was investigated after irradiation. This paper presents outline of the cryogenic target system and some irradiation test results.

  8. FY-15 Progress Report on Cleanup of irradiated SHINE Target Solutions Containing 140g-U/L Uranyl Sulfate

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bennett, Megan E.; Bowers, Delbert L.; Vandegrift, George F.

    2015-09-01

    During FY 2012 and 2013, a process was developed to convert the SHINE Target Solution (STS) of irradiated uranyl sulfate (140 g U/L) to uranyl nitrate. This process is necessary so that the uranium solution can be processed by the UREX (Uranium Extraction) separation process, which will remove impurities from the uranium so that it can be recycled. The uranyl sulfate solution must contain <0.02 M SO 4 2- so that the uranium will be extractable into the UREXsolvent. In addition, it is desired that the barium content be below 0.0007 M, as this is the limit in the Resourcemore » Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).« less

  9. Commissioning a Rotating Target Wheel Assembly for Heavy Element Studies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fields, L. D.; Bennett, M. E.; Mayorov, D. A.; Folden, C. M.

    2013-10-01

    The heaviest elements are produced artificially by fusing nuclei of light elements within an accelerator to form heavier nuclei. The most direct method to increase the production rate of nuclei is to increase the beam intensity, necessitating the use of a rotating target to minimize damage to the target by deposited heat. Such a target wheel was constructed for heavy element research at Texas A&M University, Cyclotron Institute, consisting of a wheel with three banana-shaped target cutouts. The target is designed to rotate at 1700 rpm, and a fiber optic cable provides a signal to trigger beam pulsing in order to avoid irradiating the spokes between target segments. Following minor mechanical modifications and construction of a dedicated electrical panel, the rotating target assembly was commissioned for a beam experiment. A 15 MeV/u beam of 20Ne was delivered from the K500 cyclotron and detected by a ruggedized silicon detector. The beam pulsing response time was characterized as a function of the rational frequency of the target wheel. Preliminary analysis suggests that the K500 is capable of pulsing at rates of up to 250 Hz, which is sufficient for planned future experiments. Funded by DOE and NSF-REU Program.

  10. Scale-up of high specific activity 186gRe production using graphite-encased thick 186W targets and demonstration of an efficient target recycling process

    DOE PAGES

    Balkin, Ethan R.; Gagnon, Katherine; Dorman, Eric; ...

    2017-08-18

    Production of high specific activity 186gRe is of interest for development of theranostic radiopharmaceuticals. Previous studies have shown that high specific activity 186gRe can be obtained by cyclotron irradiation of enriched 186W via the 186W(d,2n) 186gRe reaction, but most irradiations were conducted at low beam currents and for short durations. In this paper, enriched 186W metal targets were irradiated at high incident deuteron beam currents to demonstrate production rates and contaminants produced when using thick targets. Full-stopping thick targets, as determined using SRIM, were prepared by uniaxial pressing of powdered natural abundance W metal or 96.86% enriched 186W metal encasedmore » between two layers of graphite flakes for target material stabilization. An assessment of structural integrity was made on each target preparation. To assess the performance of graphite-encased thick 186W metal targets, along with the impact of encasing on the separation chemistry, targets were first irradiated using a 22 MeV deuteron beam for 10 min at 10, 20, and 27 μA, with an estimated nominal deuteron energy of 18.7 MeV on the 186W target material (after energy degradation correction from top graphite layer). Gamma-ray spectrometry was performed post EOB on all targets to assess production yields and radionuclidic byproducts. The investigation also evaluated a method to recover and recycle enriched target material from a column isolation procedure. Material composition analyses of target materials, pass-through/wash solutions and recycling process isolates were conducted with SEM, FTIR, XRD, EDS and ICP-MS spectrometry. Finally, to demonstrate scaled-up production, a graphite-encased 186W target made from recycled 186W was irradiated for ~2 h with 18.7 MeV deuterons at a beam current of 27 μA to provide 0.90 GBq (24.3 mCi) of 186gRe, decay-corrected to the end of bombardment. ICP-MS analysis of the isolated 186gRe solution provided data that indicated the

  11. Scale-up of high specific activity 186gRe production using graphite-encased thick 186W targets and demonstration of an efficient target recycling process

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Balkin, Ethan R.; Gagnon, Katherine; Dorman, Eric

    Production of high specific activity 186gRe is of interest for development of theranostic radiopharmaceuticals. Previous studies have shown that high specific activity 186gRe can be obtained by cyclotron irradiation of enriched 186W via the 186W(d,2n) 186gRe reaction, but most irradiations were conducted at low beam currents and for short durations. In this paper, enriched 186W metal targets were irradiated at high incident deuteron beam currents to demonstrate production rates and contaminants produced when using thick targets. Full-stopping thick targets, as determined using SRIM, were prepared by uniaxial pressing of powdered natural abundance W metal or 96.86% enriched 186W metal encasedmore » between two layers of graphite flakes for target material stabilization. An assessment of structural integrity was made on each target preparation. To assess the performance of graphite-encased thick 186W metal targets, along with the impact of encasing on the separation chemistry, targets were first irradiated using a 22 MeV deuteron beam for 10 min at 10, 20, and 27 μA, with an estimated nominal deuteron energy of 18.7 MeV on the 186W target material (after energy degradation correction from top graphite layer). Gamma-ray spectrometry was performed post EOB on all targets to assess production yields and radionuclidic byproducts. The investigation also evaluated a method to recover and recycle enriched target material from a column isolation procedure. Material composition analyses of target materials, pass-through/wash solutions and recycling process isolates were conducted with SEM, FTIR, XRD, EDS and ICP-MS spectrometry. Finally, to demonstrate scaled-up production, a graphite-encased 186W target made from recycled 186W was irradiated for ~2 h with 18.7 MeV deuterons at a beam current of 27 μA to provide 0.90 GBq (24.3 mCi) of 186gRe, decay-corrected to the end of bombardment. ICP-MS analysis of the isolated 186gRe solution provided data that indicated the

  12. [Target volume margins for lung cancer: internal target volume/clinical target volume].

    PubMed

    Jouin, A; Pourel, N

    2013-10-01

    The aim of this study was to carry out a review of margins that should be used for the delineation of target volumes in lung cancer, with a focus on margins from gross tumour volume (GTV) to clinical target volume (CTV) and internal target volume (ITV) delineation. Our review was based on a PubMed literature search with, as a cornerstone, the 2010 European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) recommandations by De Ruysscher et al. The keywords used for the search were: radiotherapy, lung cancer, clinical target volume, internal target volume. The relevant information was categorized under the following headings: gross tumour volume definition (GTV), CTV-GTV margin (first tumoural CTV then nodal CTV definition), in field versus elective nodal irradiation, metabolic imaging role through the input of the PET scanner for tumour target volume and limitations of PET-CT imaging for nodal target volume definition, postoperative radiotherapy target volume definition, delineation of target volumes after induction chemotherapy; then the internal target volume is specified as well as tumoural mobility for lung cancer and respiratory gating techniques. Finally, a chapter is dedicated to planning target volume definition and another to small cell lung cancer. For each heading, the most relevant and recent clinical trials and publications are mentioned. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier SAS.

  13. Gamma-irradiated β-glucan modulates signaling molecular targets of hepatocellular carcinoma in rats.

    PubMed

    Elsonbaty, Sawsan M; Zahran, Walid E; Moawed, Fatma Sm

    2017-08-01

    β-glucans are one of the most abundant forms of polysaccharides known as biological response modifiers which influence host's biological response and stimulate immune system. Accordingly, this study was initiated to evaluate irradiated β-glucan as a modulator for cellular signaling growth factors involved in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma in rats. Hepatocellular carcinoma was induced with 20 mg diethylnitrosamine/kg BW. Rats received daily by gastric gavage 65 mg irradiated β-glucan/kg BW. It was found that treatment of rats with diethylnitrosamine induced hepatic injury and caused significant increase in liver injury markers with a concomitant significant increase in both hepatic oxidative and inflammatory indices: alpha-fetoprotein, interferon gamma, and interleukin 6 in comparison with normal and irradiated β-glucan-treated groups. Western immunoblotting showed a significant increase in the signaling growth factors: extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and phosphoinositide 3-kinase proteins in a diethylnitrosamine-treated group while both preventive and therapeutic irradiated β-glucan treatments recorded significant improvement versus diethylnitrosamine group via the modulation of growth factors that encounters hepatic toxicity. The transcript levels of vascular endothelial growth factor A and inducible nitric oxide synthase genes were significantly higher in the diethylnitrosamine-treated group in comparison with controls. Preventive and therapeutic treatments with irradiated β-glucan demonstrated that the transcript level of these genes was significantly decreased which demonstrates the protective effect of β-glucan. Histological investigations revealed that diethylnitrosamine treatment affects the hepatic architecture throughout the significant severe appearance of inflammatory cell infiltration in the portal area and congestion in the portal vein in association with severe degeneration and dysplasia in hepatocytes all over hepatic

  14. Impact of the national targeted Hepatitis A immunisation program in Australia: 2000-2014.

    PubMed

    Thompson, Craig; Dey, Aditi; Fearnley, Emily; Polkinghorne, Benjamin; Beard, Frank

    2017-01-03

    In November 2005, hepatitis A vaccine was funded under the Australian National Immunisation Program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) children aged 12-24months in the targeted jurisdictions of Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. We reviewed the epidemiology of hepatitis A from 2000 to 2014 using data from the Australian National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System, the National Hospital Morbidity Database, and Australian Bureau of Statistics causes-of-death data. The impact of the national hepatitis A immunisation program was assessed by comparison of pre-vaccine (2000-2005) and post-vaccine time periods (2006-2014), by age group, Indigenous status and jurisdiction using incidence rate ratios (IRR) per 100,000 population and 95% confidence intervals (CI). The national pre-vaccine notification rate in Indigenous people was four times higher than the non-Indigenous rate, and declined from 8.41 per 100,000 (95% CI 5.03-11.79) pre-vaccine to 0.85 per 100,000 (95% CI 0.00-1.99) post-vaccine, becoming similar to the non-Indigenous rate. Notification and hospitalisation rates in Indigenous children aged <5years from targeted jurisdictions declined in the post-vaccine period when compared to the pre-vaccine period (notifications: IRR=0.07; 95% CI 0.04-0.13; hospitalisations: IRR=0.04; 95% CI 0.01-0.16). As did notification rates in Indigenous people aged 5-19 (IRR=0.08; 95% CI 0.05-0.13) and 20-49years (IRR=0.06; 95% CI 0.02-0.15) in targeted jurisdictions. For non-Indigenous people from targeted jurisdictions, notification rates decreased significantly in children aged <5years (IRR 0.47; 95% CI 0.31-0.71), and significantly more overall (IRR=0.43; 95% CI 0.39-0.47) compared to non-Indigenous people from non-targeted jurisdictions (IRR=0.60; 95% CI 0.56-0.64). The national hepatitis A immunisation program has had a significant impact in the targeted population with relatively modest vaccine coverage, with

  15. Shock-induced perturbation evolution in planar laser targets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aglitskiy, Y.; Karasik, M.; Velikovich, A. L.; Serlin, V.; Weaver, J. L.; Kessler, T. J.; Schmitt, A. J.; Obenschain, S. P.; Metzler, N.; Oh, J.

    2013-10-01

    Experimental studies of hydrodynamic perturbation evolution triggered by a laser-driven shock wave in a planar target done on the KrF Nike laser facility are reported. The targets were made of solid plastic and/or plastic foam with single mode sinusoidal perturbation on the front or back surface or plastic/foam interface. Two specific cases are discussed. When a planar solid plastic target rippled at the front side is irradiated with a 350 ps long laser pulse, ablative Richtmyer-Meshkov (RM) oscillation of its areal mass modulation amplitude is detected while the laser is on, followed by observed strong oscillations of the areal mass in the unsupported shock flow after the laser pulse ends. When the target is rippled at the rear side, the nature of the perturbation evolution after the shock breakout is determined by the strength of the laser-driven shock wave. At pressure below 1 Mbar shock interaction with rear-surface ripples produces planar collimated jets manifesting the development of a classical RM instability in a weakly compressible shocked fluid. At shock pressure ~ 8 Mbar sufficient for vaporizing the shocked target material we observed instead the strong areal mass oscillations characteristic of a rippled centered rarefaction wave. Work supported by US DOE, Defense Programs.

  16. MEASUREMENTS OF NEUTRON SPECTRA IN 0.8-GEV AND 1.6-GEV PROTON-IRRADIATED<2 OF 2>NA THICK TARGETS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Titarenko, Y. E.; Batyaev, V. F.; Zhivun, V. M.

    2001-01-01

    Measurements of neutron spectra in W, and Na targets irradiated by 0.8 GeV and 1.6 GeV protons are presented. Measurements were made by the TOF techniques using the proton beam from ITEP U-10 synchrotron. Neutrons were detected with BICRON-511 liquid scintillator-based detectors. The neutron detection efficiency was calculated via the SCINFUL and CECIL codes. The W results are compared with the similar data obtained elsewhere. The measured neutron spectra are compared with the LAHET and CEM2k code simulations results. Attempt is made to explain some observed disagreements between experiments and simulations. The presented results are of interest both in termsmore » of nuclear data buildup and as a benchmark of the up-to-date predictive power of the simulation codes used in designing the hybrid accelerator-driven system (ADS) facilities with sodium-cooled tungsten targets.« less

  17. Nonimaging solar concentrator with uniform irradiance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Winston, Roland; O'Gallagher, Joseph J.; Gee, Randy C.

    2004-09-01

    We report results of a study our group has undertaken under NREL/DOE auspices to design a solar concentrator with uniform irradiance on a planar target. This attribute is especially important for photovoltaic concentrators.

  18. Adaptive bi-level programming for optimal gene knockouts for targeted overproduction under phenotypic constraints

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Optimization procedures to identify gene knockouts for targeted biochemical overproduction have been widely in use in modern metabolic engineering. Flux balance analysis (FBA) framework has provided conceptual simplifications for genome-scale dynamic analysis at steady states. Based on FBA, many current optimization methods for targeted bio-productions have been developed under the maximum cell growth assumption. The optimization problem to derive gene knockout strategies recently has been formulated as a bi-level programming problem in OptKnock for maximum targeted bio-productions with maximum growth rates. However, it has been shown that knockout mutants in fact reach the steady states with the minimization of metabolic adjustment (MOMA) from the corresponding wild-type strains instead of having maximal growth rates after genetic or metabolic intervention. In this work, we propose a new bi-level computational framework--MOMAKnock--which can derive robust knockout strategies under the MOMA flux distribution approximation. Methods In this new bi-level optimization framework, we aim to maximize the production of targeted chemicals by identifying candidate knockout genes or reactions under phenotypic constraints approximated by the MOMA assumption. Hence, the targeted chemical production is the primary objective of MOMAKnock while the MOMA assumption is formulated as the inner problem of constraining the knockout metabolic flux to be as close as possible to the steady-state phenotypes of wide-type strains. As this new inner problem becomes a quadratic programming problem, a novel adaptive piecewise linearization algorithm is developed in this paper to obtain the exact optimal solution to this new bi-level integer quadratic programming problem for MOMAKnock. Results Our new MOMAKnock model and the adaptive piecewise linearization solution algorithm are tested with a small E. coli core metabolic network and a large-scale iAF1260 E. coli metabolic network

  19. Adaptive bi-level programming for optimal gene knockouts for targeted overproduction under phenotypic constraints.

    PubMed

    Ren, Shaogang; Zeng, Bo; Qian, Xiaoning

    2013-01-01

    Optimization procedures to identify gene knockouts for targeted biochemical overproduction have been widely in use in modern metabolic engineering. Flux balance analysis (FBA) framework has provided conceptual simplifications for genome-scale dynamic analysis at steady states. Based on FBA, many current optimization methods for targeted bio-productions have been developed under the maximum cell growth assumption. The optimization problem to derive gene knockout strategies recently has been formulated as a bi-level programming problem in OptKnock for maximum targeted bio-productions with maximum growth rates. However, it has been shown that knockout mutants in fact reach the steady states with the minimization of metabolic adjustment (MOMA) from the corresponding wild-type strains instead of having maximal growth rates after genetic or metabolic intervention. In this work, we propose a new bi-level computational framework--MOMAKnock--which can derive robust knockout strategies under the MOMA flux distribution approximation. In this new bi-level optimization framework, we aim to maximize the production of targeted chemicals by identifying candidate knockout genes or reactions under phenotypic constraints approximated by the MOMA assumption. Hence, the targeted chemical production is the primary objective of MOMAKnock while the MOMA assumption is formulated as the inner problem of constraining the knockout metabolic flux to be as close as possible to the steady-state phenotypes of wide-type strains. As this new inner problem becomes a quadratic programming problem, a novel adaptive piecewise linearization algorithm is developed in this paper to obtain the exact optimal solution to this new bi-level integer quadratic programming problem for MOMAKnock. Our new MOMAKnock model and the adaptive piecewise linearization solution algorithm are tested with a small E. coli core metabolic network and a large-scale iAF1260 E. coli metabolic network. The derived knockout

  20. SRNL Development of Recovery Processes for Mark-18A Heavy Actinide Targets

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Allender, Jeffrey S.; Bridges, Nicholas J.; Loftin, Bradley M.

    2015-07-14

    Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) are developing plans for the recovery of rare and unique isotopes contained within heavy-actinide target assemblies, specifically the Mark-18A. Mark-18A assemblies were irradiated in Savannah River Site (SRS) reactors in the 1970s under extremely high neutron-flux conditions and produced, virtually, the world's supply of plutonium-244, an isotope of key importance to high-precision actinide measurement and other scientific and nonproliferation uses; and curium highly enriched in heavy isotopes (e.g., curium-246 and curium-248). In 2015 and 2016, SRNL is pursuing tasks that would reduce program risk and budget requirements, including furthermore » characterization of unprocessed targets; engineering studies for the use of the SRNL Shielded Cells Facility (SCF) for recovery; and development of onsite and offsite shipping methods including a replacement for the heavy (70 ton) cask previously used for onsite transfer of irradiated items at SRS. A status update is provided for the characterization, including modeling using the Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code (MCNP); direct non-destructive assay measurements; and cask design.« less

  1. Re-programming tumour cell metabolism to treat cancer: no lone target for lonidamine.

    PubMed

    Bhutia, Yangzom D; Babu, Ellappan; Ganapathy, Vadivel

    2016-06-01

    Tumour cell metabolism is very different from normal cell metabolism; cancer cells re-programme the metabolic pathways that occur in normal cells in such a manner that it optimizes their proliferation, growth and survival. Although this metabolic re-programming obviously operates to the advantage of the tumour, it also offers unique opportunities for effective cancer therapy. Molecules that target the tumour cell-specific metabolic pathways have potential as novel anti-cancer drugs. Lonidamine belongs to this group of molecules and is already in use in some countries for cancer treatment. It has been known for a long time that lonidamine interferes with energy production in tumour cells by inhibiting hexokinase II (HKII), a glycolytic enzyme. However, subsequent studies have uncovered additional pharmacological targets for the drug, which include the electron transport chain and the mitochondrial permeability transition pore, thus expanding the pharmacological effects of the drug on tumour cell metabolism. A study by Nancolas et al. in a recent issue of the Biochemical Journal identifies two additional new targets for lonidamine: the pyruvate transporter in the mitochondria and the H(+)-coupled monocarboxylate transporters in the plasma membrane (PM). It is thus becoming increasingly apparent that the anti-cancer effects of lonidamine do not occur through a single target; the drug works at multiple sites. Irrespective of the molecular targets, what lonidamine does in the end is to undo what the tumour cells have done in terms of re-programming cellular metabolism and mitochondrial function. © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

  2. NSUF Irradiated Materials Library

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cole, James Irvin

    The Nuclear Science User Facilities has been in the process of establishing an innovative Irradiated Materials Library concept for maximizing the value of previous and on-going materials and nuclear fuels irradiation test campaigns, including utilization of real-world components retrieved from current and decommissioned reactors. When the ATR national scientific user facility was established in 2007 one of the goals of the program was to establish a library of irradiated samples for users to access and conduct research through competitively reviewed proposal process. As part of the initial effort, staff at the user facility identified legacy materials from previous programs thatmore » are still being stored in laboratories and hot-cell facilities at the INL. In addition other materials of interest were identified that are being stored outside the INL that the current owners have volunteered to enter into the library. Finally, over the course of the last several years, the ATR NSUF has irradiated more than 3500 specimens as part of NSUF competitively awarded research projects. The Logistics of managing this large inventory of highly radioactive poses unique challenges. This document will describe materials in the library, outline the policy for accessing these materials and put forth a strategy for making new additions to the library as well as establishing guidelines for minimum pedigree needed to be included in the library to limit the amount of material stored indefinitely without identified value.« less

  3. Improving environmental and social targeting through adaptive management in Mexico's payments for hydrological services program.

    PubMed

    Sims, Katharine R E; Alix-Garcia, Jennifer M; Shapiro-Garza, Elizabeth; Fine, Leah R; Radeloff, Volker C; Aronson, Glen; Castillo, Selene; Ramirez-Reyes, Carlos; Yañez-Pagans, Patricia

    2014-10-01

    Natural resource managers are often expected to achieve both environmental protection and economic development even when there are fundamental trade-offs between these goals. Adaptive management provides a theoretical structure for program administrators to balance social priorities in the presence of trade-offs and to improve conservation targeting. We used the case of Mexico's federal Payments for Hydrological Services program (PSAH) to illustrate the importance of adaptive management for improving program targeting. We documented adaptive elements of PSAH and corresponding changes in program eligibility and selection criteria. To evaluate whether these changes resulted in enrollment of lands of high environmental and social priority, we compared the environmental and social characteristics of the areas enrolled in the program with the characteristics of all forested areas in Mexico, all areas eligible for the program, and all areas submitted for application to the program. The program successfully enrolled areas of both high ecological and social priority, and over time, adaptive changes in the program's criteria for eligibility and selection led to increased enrollment of land scoring high on both dimensions. Three factors facilitated adaptive management in Mexico and are likely to be generally important for conservation managers: a supportive political environment, including financial backing and encouragement to experiment from the federal government; availability of relatively good social and environmental data; and active participation in the review process by stakeholders and outside evaluators. © 2014 Society for Conservation Biology.

  4. Consumer acceptance of irradiated food: theory and reality

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bruhn, Christine M.

    1998-06-01

    For years most consumers have expressed less concern about food irradiation than other food processing technologies. Attitude studies have demonstrated that when given science-based information, from 60% to 90% of consumers prefer the advantages irradiation processing provides. When information is accompanied by samples, acceptance may increase to 99%. Information on irradiation should include product benefits, safety and wholesomeness, address environmental safety issues, and include endorsements by recognized health authorities. Educational and marketing programs should now be directed toward retailers and processors. Given the opportunity, consumers will buy high quality, safety-enhanced irradiated food.

  5. The NOAA Integrated Surface Irradiance Study (ISIS)-A New Surface Radiation Monitoring Program.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hicks, B. B.; Deluisi, J. J.; Matt, D. R.

    1996-12-01

    This paper describes a new radiation monitoring program, the Integrated Surface Irradiance Study (ISIS), that builds upon and takes over from earlier NOAA networks monitoring components of solar radiation [both the visible component (SOLRAD) and the shortwave component that causes sunburn, UV-B] across the continental United States. ISIS is implemented in two levels. Level 1 addresses incoming radiation only, and level 2 addresses the surface radiation balance. Level 2 also constitutes the SURFRAD (Surface Radiation) program of the NOAA Office of Global Programs, specifically intended to provide radiation data to support large-scale hydrologic studies that will be conducted under the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment. Eventually, it is planned for level 2 sites to monitor all components of the surface energy balance. Both levels of ISIS will eventually measure both visible and UV radiation components. At present, there are nine sites that are considered to be at ISIS level 1 standard and an additional four level 2 SURFRAD sites. A 10th level 1 site will be in operation soon. Plans call for an increase in the number of sites of both kinds, up to about 15 ISIS sites, of which 6 will be at the SURFRAD level. Data are available via FTP at ftp.atdd.noaa.govlpublisis or at http://www.srrb.noaa.gov (level 2).

  6. SPICE-NIRS Microbeam: a focused vertical system for proton irradiation of a single cell for radiobiological research

    PubMed Central

    Konishi, Teruaki; Oikawa, Masakazu; Suya, Noriyoshi; Ishikawa, Takahiro; Maeda, Takeshi; Kobayashi, Alisa; Shiomi, Naoko; Kodama, Kumiko; Hamano, Tsuyoshi; Homma-Takeda, Shino; Isono, Mayu; Hieda, Kotaro; Uchihori, Yukio; Shirakawa, Yoshiyuki

    2013-01-01

    The Single Particle Irradiation system to Cell (SPICE) facility at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS) is a focused vertical microbeam system designed to irradiate the nuclei of adhesive mammalian cells with a defined number of 3.4 MeV protons. The approximately 2-μm diameter proton beam is focused with a magnetic quadrupole triplet lens and traverses the cells contained in dishes from bottom to top. All procedures for irradiation, such as cell image capturing, cell recognition and position calculation, are automated. The most distinctive characteristic of the system is its stability and high throughput; i.e. 3000 cells in a 5 mm × 5 mm area in a single dish can be routinely irradiated by the 2-μm beam within 15 min (the maximum irradiation speed is 400 cells/min). The number of protons can be set as low as one, at a precision measured by CR-39 detectors to be 99.0%. A variety of targeting modes such as fractional population targeting mode, multi-position targeting mode for nucleus irradiation and cytoplasm targeting mode are available. As an example of multi-position targeting irradiation of mammalian cells, five fluorescent spots in a cell nucleus were demonstrated using the γ-H2AX immune-staining technique. The SPICE performance modes described in this paper are in routine use. SPICE is a joint-use research facility of NIRS and its beam times are distributed for collaborative research. PMID:23287773

  7. Contexts, Mechanisms, and Outcomes That Matter in Dutch Community-Based Physical Activity Programs Targeting Socially Vulnerable Groups.

    PubMed

    Herens, Marion; Wagemakers, Annemarie; Vaandrager, Lenneke; van Ophem, Johan; Koelen, Maria

    2017-09-01

    This article presents a practitioner-based approach to identify key combinations of contextual factors (C) and mechanisms (M) that trigger outcomes (O) in Dutch community-based health-enhancing physical activity (CBHEPA) programs targeting socially vulnerable groups. Data were collected in six programs using semi-structured interviews and focus groups using a timeline technique. Sessions were recorded, anonymized, and transcribed. A realist synthesis protocol was used for data-driven and thematic analysis of CMO configurations. CMO configurations related to community outreach, program sustainability, intersectoral collaboration, and enhancing participants' active lifestyles. We have refined the CBHEPA program theory by showing that actors' passion for, and past experiences with, physical activity programs trigger outcomes, alongside their commitment to socially vulnerable target groups. Project discontinuity, limited access to resources, and a trainer's stand-alone position were negative configurations. The authors conclude that local governance structures appear often to lack adaptive capacity to accommodate multilevel processes to sustain programs.

  8. Preventing the Onset of Child Sexual Abuse by Targeting Young Adolescents With Universal Prevention Programming

    PubMed Central

    Letourneau, Elizabeth J.; Schaeffer, Cindy M.; Bradshaw, Catherine P.; Feder, Kenneth A.

    2017-01-01

    Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a serious public health problem that increases risk for physical and mental health problems across the life course. Young adolescents are responsible for a substantial portion of CSA offending, yet to our knowledge, no validated prevention programs that target CSA perpetration by youth exist. Most existing efforts to address CSA rely on reactive criminal justice policies or programs that teach children to protect themselves; neither approach is well validated. Given the high rates of desistance from sexual offending following a youth’s first CSA-related adjudication, it seems plausible that many youth could be prevented from engaging in their first offense. The goal of this article is to examine how school-based universal prevention programs might be used to prevent CSA perpetrated by adolescents. We review the literature on risk and protective factors for CSA perpetration and identify several promising factors to target in an intervention. We also summarize the literature on programs that have been effective at preventing adolescent dating violence and other serious problem behaviors. Finally, we describe a new CSA prevention program under development and early evaluation and make recommendations for program design characteristics, including unambiguous messaging, parental involvement, multisession dosage, skills practice, and bystander considerations. PMID:28413921

  9. Development of a PET cyclotron based irradiation setup for proton radiobiology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghithan, Sharif; Crespo, Paulo; do Carmo, S. J. C.; Ferreira Marques, Rui; Fraga, F. A. F.; Simões, Hugo; Alves, Francisco; Rachinhas, P. J. B. M.

    2015-02-01

    An out-of-yoke irradiation setup using the proton beam from a cyclotron that ordinary produces radioisotopes for positron emission tomography (PET) has been developed, characterized, calibrated and validated. The current from a 20 μm thick aluminum transmission foil is readout by home-made transimpedance electronics, providing online dose information. The main monitoring variables, delivered in real-time, include beam current, integrated charge and dose rate. Hence the dose and integrated current delivered at a given instant to an experimental setup can be computer-controlled with a shutter. In this work, we report on experimental results and Geant4 simulations of a setup which exploits for the first time the 18 MeV proton beam from a PET cyclotron to irradiate a selected region of a target using the developed irradiation system. By using this system, we are able to deliver a homogeneous beam on targets with 18 mm diameter, allowing to achieve the controlled irradiation of cell cultures located in biological multi-well dishes of 16 mm diameter. We found that the magnetic field applied inside the cyclotron plays a major role for achieving the referred to homogeneity. The quasi-Gaussian curve obtained by scanning the magnet current and measuring the corresponding dose rate must be measured before any irradiation procedure, with the shutter closed. At the optimum magnet current, which corresponds to the center of the Gaussian, a homogenous dose is observed over the whole target area. Making use of a rotating disk with a slit of 0.5 mm at a radius of 150 mm, we could measure dose rates on target ranging from 500 mGy/s down to 5 mGy/s. For validating the developed irradiation setup, several Gafchromic® EBT2 films were exposed to different values of dose. The absolute dose in the irradiated films were assessed in the 2D film dosimetry system of the Department of Radiotherapy of Coimbra University Hospital Center with a precision better than 2%. In the future, we plan

  10. On the empirical determination of positron trapping coefficient at nano-scale helium bubbles in steels irradiated in spallation target

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Krsjak, Vladimir; Kuriplach, Jan; Vieh, Christiane; Peng, Lei; Dai, Yong

    2018-06-01

    In the present work, the specific positron trapping rate of small helium bubbles was empirically derived from positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies of Fe9Cr martensitic steels. Both techniques are well known to be sensitive to nanometer-sized helium-filled cavities induced during irradiation in a mixed proton-neutron spectrum of spallation target. Complementary TEM and PALS studies show that positrons are being trapped to these defects at a rate of 1.2 ± 0.8 × 10-14 m3s-1. This suggests that helium bubbles in ferritic/martensitic steels are attractive traps for positrons comparable to mono-vacancies and quantitative analysis of the bubbles by PALS technique is plausible.

  11. INTERACTION OF LASER RADIATION WITH MATTER AND OTHER LASER APPLICATIONS: Changes in the emission properties of metal targets during pulse-periodic laser irradiation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Konov, Vitalii I.; Pimenov, S. M.; Prokhorov, A. M.; Chapliev, N. I.

    1988-02-01

    A scanning electron microscope was used with a pulse-periodic CO2 laser to discover the laws governing the correlation of the modified microrelief of metal surfaces, subjected to the action of multiple laser pulses, with the emission of charged particles and the luminescence of the irradiated zone. It was established that the influence of sorption and laser-induced desorption on the emission signals may be manifested differently depending on the regime of current generation in the "target-vacuum chamber" circuit.

  12. Development of activity pencil beam algorithm using measured distribution data of positron emitter nuclei generated by proton irradiation of targets containing (12)C, (16)O, and (40)Ca nuclei in preparation of clinical application.

    PubMed

    Miyatake, Aya; Nishio, Teiji; Ogino, Takashi

    2011-10-01

    The purpose of this study is to develop a new calculation algorithm that is satisfactory in terms of the requirements for both accuracy and calculation time for a simulation of imaging of the proton-irradiated volume in a patient body in clinical proton therapy. The activity pencil beam algorithm (APB algorithm), which is a new technique to apply the pencil beam algorithm generally used for proton dose calculations in proton therapy to the calculation of activity distributions, was developed as a calculation algorithm of the activity distributions formed by positron emitter nuclei generated from target nuclear fragment reactions. In the APB algorithm, activity distributions are calculated using an activity pencil beam kernel. In addition, the activity pencil beam kernel is constructed using measured activity distributions in the depth direction and calculations in the lateral direction. (12)C, (16)O, and (40)Ca nuclei were determined as the major target nuclei that constitute a human body that are of relevance for calculation of activity distributions. In this study, "virtual positron emitter nuclei" was defined as the integral yield of various positron emitter nuclei generated from each target nucleus by target nuclear fragment reactions with irradiated proton beam. Compounds, namely, polyethylene, water (including some gelatin) and calcium oxide, which contain plenty of the target nuclei, were irradiated using a proton beam. In addition, depth activity distributions of virtual positron emitter nuclei generated in each compound from target nuclear fragment reactions were measured using a beam ON-LINE PET system mounted a rotating gantry port (BOLPs-RGp). The measured activity distributions depend on depth or, in other words, energy. The irradiated proton beam energies were 138, 179, and 223 MeV, and measurement time was about 5 h until the measured activity reached the background level. Furthermore, the activity pencil beam data were made using the activity pencil

  13. Present status of the liquid lithium target facility in the international fusion materials irradiation facility (IFMIF)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nakamura, Hiroo; Riccardi, B.; Loginov, N.; Ara, K.; Burgazzi, L.; Cevolani, S.; Dell'Orco, G.; Fazio, C.; Giusti, D.; Horiike, H.; Ida, M.; Ise, H.; Kakui, H.; Matsui, H.; Micciche, G.; Muroga, T.; Nakamura, Hideo; Shimizu, K.; Sugimoto, M.; Suzuki, A.; Takeuchi, H.; Tanaka, S.; Yoneoka, T.

    2004-08-01

    During the three year key element technology phase of the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) project, completed at the end of 2002, key technologies have been validated. In this paper, these results are summarized. A water jet experiment simulating Li flow validated stable flow up to 20 m/s with a double reducer nozzle. In addition, a small Li loop experiment validated stable Li flow up to 14 m/s. To control the nitrogen content in Li below 10 wppm will require surface area of a V-Ti alloy getter of 135 m 2. Conceptual designs of diagnostics have been carried out. Moreover, the concept of a remote handling system to replace the back wall based on `cut and reweld' and `bayonet' options has been established. Analysis by FMEA showed safe operation of the target system. Recent activities in the transition phase, started in 2003, and plan for the next phase are also described.

  14. Development of a MeV proton beam irradiation system.

    PubMed

    Park, Bum-Sik; Cho, Yong-Sub; Hong, In-Seok

    2008-02-01

    A proton beam irradiation system for the application of the MeV class proton beam, such as an implantation for a power semiconductor device and a smart-cut technology for a semiconductor production process, has been developed. This system consists of a negative ion source, an Einzel lens for a low energy beam transport, accelerating tubes, a gas stripper, a Cockroft-Walton high voltage power supply with 1 MV, a vacuum pumping system, and a high pressure insulating gas system. The negative hydrogen ion source is based on TRIUMF's design. Following the tandem accelerator, a pair of magnets is installed for raster scanning of the MeV proton beam to obtain a uniform irradiation pattern on the target. The system is 7 m long from the ion source to the target and is optimized for the proton beam irradiation. The details of the system development will be described.

  15. Development and dosimetry of a small animal lung irradiation platform

    PubMed Central

    McGurk, Ross; Hadley, Caroline; Jackson, Isabel L.; Vujaskovic, Zeljko

    2015-01-01

    Advances in large scale screening of medical counter measures for radiation-induced normal tissue toxicity are currently hampered by animal irradiation paradigms that are both inefficient and highly variable among institutions. Here, we introduce a novel high-throughput small animal irradiation platform for use in orthovoltage small animal irradiators. We used radiochromic film and metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor detectors to examine several parameters, including 2D field uniformity, dose rate consistency, and shielding transmission. We posit that this setup will improve efficiency of drug screens by allowing for simultaneous, targeted irradiation of multiple animals, improving efficiency within a single institution. Additionally, we suggest that measurement of the described parameters in all centers conducting counter measure studies will improve the translatability of findings among institutions. We also investigated the use of tissue equivalent phantoms in performing dosimetry measurements for small animal irradiation experiments. Though these phantoms are commonly used in dosimetry, we recorded a significant difference in both the entrance and target tissue dose rates between euthanized rats and mice with implanted detectors and the corresponding phantom measurement. This suggests that measurements using these phantoms may not provide accurate dosimetry for in vivo experiments. Based on these measurements, we propose that this small animal irradiation platform can increase the capacity of animal studies by allowing for more efficient animal irradiation. We also suggest that researchers fully characterize the parameters of whatever radiation setup is in use in order to facilitate better comparison among institutions. PMID:23091878

  16. Modification of surface oxide layers of titanium targets for increasing lifetime of neutron tubes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zakharov, A. M., E-mail: zam@plasma.mephi.ru; Dvoichenkova, O. A.; Evsin, A. E.

    The peculiarities of interaction of hydrogen ions with a titanium target and its surface oxide layer were studied. Two ways of modification of the surface oxide layers of titanium targets for increasing the lifetime of neutron tubes were proposed: (1) deposition of an yttrium oxide barrier layer on the target surface; (2) implementation of neutron tube work regime in which the target is irradiated with ions with energies lower than 1000 eV between high-energy ion irradiation pulses.

  17. IRRADIATION-CAPSULE STUDY OF URANIUM MONOCARBIDE

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Price, R.B.; Stahl, D.; Stang, J.H.

    1960-03-01

    Small cylindrical specimens of enriched UC were irradiated to evaluate usefulness as a high-temperature fuel for stationary power reactors. Detailed thermal and nuclear analyses were made to arrive at an appropriate capsule design on the basis of target specimen center-line temperature ( approximately 1500 deg F), specimen surface temperature (1100 deg F), specimen composition (U--5 wt.% C), and acapsule o.d. of 1.125 in. Temperature data from thermocouples inside the capsule indicated that five of the six capsules irradiated operated at close to the design conditions. Irradiation periods for individual capsules were varied to give burnups ranging from 1,000 to 20,000more » Mwd/t of U. Preliminary evidence indicates that this range of burnups was achieved. By using temperature and heat-flux data from the actual irradiations to estimate effective in-pile specimen thermal conductivities, it was found that the conductivity did not appear to vary during the exposures. (auth)« less

  18. X-ray irradiation of yeast cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Masini, Alessandra; Batani, Dimitri; Previdi, Fabio; Conti, Aldo; Pisani, Francesca; Botto, Cesare; Bortolotto, Fulvia; Torsiello, Flavia; Turcu, I. C. Edmond; Allott, Ric M.; Lisi, Nicola; Milani, Marziale; Costato, Michele; Pozzi, Achille; Koenig, Michel

    1997-10-01

    Saccharomyces Cerevisiae yeast cells were irradiated using the soft X-ray laser-plasma source at Rutherford Laboratory. The aim was to produce a selective damage of enzyme metabolic activity at the wall and membrane level (responsible for fermentation) without interfering with respiration (taking place in mitochondria) and with nuclear and DNA activity. The source was calibrated by PIN diodes and X-ray spectrometers. Teflon stripes were chosen as targets for the UV laser, emitting X-rays at about 0.9 keV, characterized by a very large decay exponent in biological matter. X-ray doses to the different cell compartments were calculated following a Lambert-Bouguet-Beer law. After irradiation, the selective damage to metabolic activity at the membrane level was measured by monitoring CO2 production with pressure silicon detectors. Preliminary results gave evidence of pressure reduction for irradiated samples and non-linear response to doses. Also metabolic oscillations were evidenced in cell suspensions and it was shown that X-ray irradiation changed the oscillation frequency.

  19. Targeted outreach hepatitis B vaccination program in high-risk adults: The fundamental challenge of the last mile.

    PubMed

    Mangen, M-J J; Stibbe, H; Urbanus, A; Siedenburg, E C; Waldhober, Q; de Wit, G A; van Steenbergen, J E

    2017-05-31

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the on-going decentralised targeted hepatitis B vaccination program for behavioural high-risk groups operated by regional public health services in the Netherlands since 1-November-2002. Target groups for free vaccination are men having sex with men (MSM), commercial sex workers (CSW) and hard drug users (HDU). Heterosexuals with a high partner change rate (HRP) were included until 1-November-2007. Based on participant, vaccination and serology data collected up to 31-December-2012, the number of participants and program costs were estimated. Observed anti-HBc prevalence was used to estimate the probability of susceptible individuals per risk-group to become infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) in their remaining life. We distinguished two time-periods: 2002-2006 and 2007-2012, representing different recruitment strategies and target groups. Correcting for observed vaccination compliance, the number of future HBV-infections avoided was estimated per risk-group. By combining these numbers with estimates of life-years lost, quality-of-life losses and healthcare costs of HBV-infections - as obtained from a Markov model-, the benefit of the program was estimated for each risk-group separately. The overall incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of the program was €30,400/QALY gained, with effects and costs discounted at 1.5% and 4%, respectively. The program was more cost-effective in the first period (€24,200/QALY) than in the second period (€42,400/QALY). In particular, the cost-effectiveness for MSM decreased from €20,700/QALY to €47,700/QALY. This decentralised targeted HBV-vaccination program is a cost-effective intervention in certain unvaccinated high-risk adults. Saturation within the risk-groups, participation of individuals with less risky behaviour, and increased recruitment investments in the second period made the program less cost-effective over time. The project should therefore

  20. [Programmed necrosis mediated by receptor-interacting protein 3: a new target for liver disease research].

    PubMed

    Zhang, J; Jing, Y; Li, Y N; Zhou, L; Wang, B M

    2016-09-20

    Hepatocyte death mainly includes apoptosis and necrosis and is a critical process in the pathophysiological mechanism of liver injury caused by various reasons. Recent studies have shown that key regulatory molecules in the inhibition of apoptosis such as caspase cannot be used as targets for inhibiting disease progression in clinical practice. In recent years, programmed necrosis mediated by receptor-interacting protein 3(RIP3)becomes a new hot research topic. It not only plays an important role in inducing inflammatory response, but also is closely regulated by intracellular signal factors, and it is a type of active cell death which can be interfered with. Compared with apoptosis, programmed necrosis is accompanied by the release of various inflammatory factors, which significantly affects local immune microenvironment. RIP3-mediated programmed necrosis has been taken seriously in many diseases. Although its mechanism of action in liver disease remains unclear, the results of recent studies confirmed its important role in the development of liver disease. This article reviews the research advances in the role of RIP3-mediated programmed necrosis signaling pathway in liver disease of various causes and investigates the possibility of RIP3-mediated programmed necrosis as a new target in the treatment of liver disease.

  1. Programming Native CRISPR Arrays for the Generation of Targeted Immunity.

    PubMed

    Hynes, Alexander P; Labrie, Simon J; Moineau, Sylvain

    2016-05-03

    The adaptive immune system of prokaryotes, called CRISPR-Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated genes), results in specific cleavage of invading nucleic acid sequences recognized by the cell's "memory" of past encounters. Here, we exploited the properties of native CRISPR-Cas systems to program the natural "memorization" process, efficiently generating immunity not only to a bacteriophage or plasmid but to any specifically chosen DNA sequence. CRISPR-Cas systems have entered the public consciousness as genome editing tools due to their readily programmable nature. In industrial settings, natural CRISPR-Cas immunity is already exploited to generate strains resistant to potentially disruptive viruses. However, the natural process by which bacteria acquire new target specificities (adaptation) is difficult to study and manipulate. The target against which immunity is conferred is selected stochastically. By biasing the immunization process, we offer a means to generate customized immunity, as well as provide a new tool to study adaptation. Copyright © 2016 Hynes et al.

  2. Nonimaging solar concentrator with near-uniform irradiance for photovoltaic arrays

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    O'Gallagher, Joseph J.; Winston, Roland; Gee, Randy

    2001-11-01

    We report results of a study our group has undertaken to design a solar concentrator with uniform irradiance on a planar target. This attribute is especially important for photovoltaic concentrators. We find that a variety of optical mixers, some incorporating a moderate level of concentration, can be quite effective in achieving near uniform irradiance.

  3. Dose controlled low energy electron irradiator for biomolecular films

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kumar, S. V. K., E-mail: svkk@tifr.res.in; Tare, Satej T.; Upalekar, Yogesh V.

    2016-03-15

    We have developed a multi target, Low Energy Electron (LEE), precise dose controlled irradiator for biomolecular films. Up to seven samples can be irradiated one after another at any preset electron energy and dose under UHV conditions without venting the chamber. In addition, one more sample goes through all the steps except irradiation, which can be used as control for comparison with the irradiated samples. All the samples are protected against stray electron irradiation by biasing them at −20 V during the entire period, except during irradiation. Ethernet based communication electronics hardware, LEE beam control electronics and computer interface weremore » developed in house. The user Graphical User Interface to control the irradiation and dose measurement was developed using National Instruments Lab Windows CVI. The working and reliability of the dose controlled irradiator has been fully tested over the electron energy range of 0.5 to 500 eV by studying LEE induced single strand breaks to ΦX174 RF1 dsDNA.« less

  4. Laboratory simulation of irradiation-induced dielectric breakdown in spacecraft charging

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yadlowsky, E. J.; Churchill, R. J.; Hazelton, R. C.

    1980-01-01

    The discharging of dielectric samples irradiated by a beam of monoenergetic electrons is investigated. The development of a model, or models, which describe the discharge phenomena occuring on the irradiated dielectric targets is discussed. The electrical discharge characteristics of irradiated dielectric samples are discussed and the electrical discharge paths along dielectric surfaces and within the dielectric material are determined. The origin and destination of the surface emitted particles is examined and the charge and energy balance in the system is evaluated.

  5. Integration of optical imaging with a small animal irradiator

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Weersink, Robert A., E-mail: robert.weersink@rmp.uhn.on.ca; Ansell, Steve; Wang, An

    Purpose: The authors describe the integration of optical imaging with a targeted small animal irradiator device, focusing on design, instrumentation, 2D to 3D image registration, 2D targeting, and the accuracy of recovering and mapping the optical signal to a 3D surface generated from the cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging. The integration of optical imaging will improve targeting of the radiation treatment and offer longitudinal tracking of tumor response of small animal models treated using the system. Methods: The existing image-guided small animal irradiator consists of a variable kilovolt (peak) x-ray tube mounted opposite an aSi flat panel detector, both mountedmore » on a c-arm gantry. The tube is used for both CBCT imaging and targeted irradiation. The optical component employs a CCD camera perpendicular to the x-ray treatment/imaging axis with a computer controlled filter for spectral decomposition. Multiple optical images can be acquired at any angle as the gantry rotates. The optical to CBCT registration, which uses a standard pinhole camera model, was modeled and tested using phantoms with markers visible in both optical and CBCT images. Optically guided 2D targeting in the anterior/posterior direction was tested on an anthropomorphic mouse phantom with embedded light sources. The accuracy of the mapping of optical signal to the CBCT surface was tested using the same mouse phantom. A surface mesh of the phantom was generated based on the CBCT image and optical intensities projected onto the surface. The measured surface intensity was compared to calculated surface for a point source at the actual source position. The point-source position was also optimized to provide the closest match between measured and calculated intensities, and the distance between the optimized and actual source positions was then calculated. This process was repeated for multiple wavelengths and sources. Results: The optical to CBCT registration error was 0.8 mm. Two

  6. TU-H-CAMPUS-TeP2-02: FLASH Irradiation Improves the Therapeutic Index Following GI Tract Irradiation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Schueler, E; Trovati, S; King, G

    Purpose: To investigate and characterize the radiobiological effectiveness of very high dose rate radiotherapy (FLASH) compared to conventional irradiation in an in vivo model. Methods: The gastrointestinal (GI) tract of C57BL/6 mice were irradiated with doses ranging between 10 and 18 Gy using a custom stereotactic jig. A Varian Clinac 21EX was modified to allow dose rates ranging from 0.05 to 240 Gy/s at the position of the mirror. With the gantry at 180 degrees, the jig holding the individual animals was placed above the mirror to take advantage of the reduced source to target distance. Mice were irradiated withmore » 20MeV electrons. Following irradiation, the mice were monitored twice daily for morbidity and daily for weight changes. Results: Mice irradiated with FLASH irradiation had lower weight loss compared to the mice receiving conventional irradiation. Following FLASH irradiation, a maximum weight loss of ∼20% was observed at day 6 with subsequent recovery, while following conventional irradiation, higher weight losses was observed with fewer instances of recovery. Concerning survival, all mice in the conventionally irradiated groups had a 100% mortality in the range of 15.5–18 Gy, while the mice irradiated with FLASH irradiation had a 100% survival in the same range. Conclusion: These results have demonstrated proof of principle that FLASH irradiations have a dramatic impact on the overall survival of mice following GI tract irradiations. If the increase in the therapeutic window can be validated and understood, this would revolutionize the field of radiation oncology and lead to increased cure rates with reduced side effects following treatment, resulting in increased quality of life for cancer survivors. Funding: DoD, Award#:W81XWH-14-1-0014, Weston Havens Foundation, Bio-X (Stanford University), the Office of the Dean of the Medical School, the Office of the Provost (Stanford University), and the Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation; BL and PM

  7. Irradiation for quarantine control of the invasive light brown apple moth, Epiphyas

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The effects of irradiation on egg, larval, and pupal development, and adult reproduction in light brown apple moth, Epiphyas postvittana (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), were examined. Eggs, neonates, early instars, late instars, early pupae and late pupae were irradiated at target doses of 60, ...

  8. Design choices made by target users for a pay-for-performance program in primary care: an action research approach.

    PubMed

    Kirschner, Kirsten; Braspenning, Jozé; Jacobs, J E Annelies; Grol, Richard

    2012-03-27

    International interest in pay-for-performance (P4P) initiatives to improve quality of health care is growing. Current programs vary in the methods of performance measurement, appraisal and reimbursement. One may assume that involvement of health care professionals in the goal setting and methods of quality measurement and subsequent payment schemes may enhance their commitment to and motivation for P4P programs and therefore the impact of these programs. We developed a P4P program in which the target users were involved in decisions about the P4P methods. For the development of the P4P program a framework was used which distinguished three main components: performance measurement, appraisal and reimbursement. Based on this framework design choices were discussed in two panels of target users using an adapted Delphi procedure. The target users were 65 general practices and two health insurance companies in the South of the Netherlands. Performance measurement was linked to the Dutch accreditation program based on three domains (clinical care, practice management and patient experience). The general practice was chosen as unit of assessment. Relative standards were set at the 25th percentile of group performance. The incentive for clinical care was set twice as high as the one for practice management and patient experience. Quality scores were to be calculated separately for all three domains, and for both the quality level and the improvement of performance. The incentive for quality level was set thrice as high as the one for the improvement of performance. For reimbursement, quality scores were divided into seven levels. A practice with a quality score in the lowest group was not supposed to receive a bonus. The additional payment grew proportionally for each extra group. The bonus aimed at was on average 5% to 10% of the practice income. Designing a P4P program for primary care with involvement of the target users gave us an insight into their motives, which can

  9. Projected Improvements in Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation Using a Novel Breast Stereotactic Radiotherapy Device: A Dosimetric Analysis.

    PubMed

    Snider, James W; Mutaf, Yildirim; Nichols, Elizabeth; Hall, Andrea; Vadnais, Patrick; Regine, William F; Feigenberg, Steven J

    2017-01-01

    Accelerated partial breast irradiation has caused higher than expected rates of poor cosmesis. At our institution, a novel breast stereotactic radiotherapy device has demonstrated dosimetric distributions similar to those in brachytherapy. This study analyzed comparative dose distributions achieved with the device and intensity-modulated radiation therapy accelerated partial breast irradiation. Nine patients underwent computed tomography simulation in the prone position using device-specific immobilization on an institutional review board-approved protocol. Accelerated partial breast irradiation target volumes (planning target volume_10mm) were created per the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project B-39 protocol. Additional breast stereotactic radiotherapy volumes using smaller margins (planning target volume_3mm) were created based on improved immobilization. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy and breast stereotactic radiotherapy accelerated partial breast irradiation plans were separately generated for appropriate volumes. Plans were evaluated based on established dosimetric surrogates of poor cosmetic outcomes. Wilcoxon rank sum tests were utilized to contrast volumes of critical structures receiving a percentage of total dose ( Vx). The breast stereotactic radiotherapy device consistently reduced dose to all normal structures with equivalent target coverage. The ipsilateral breast V20-100 was significantly reduced ( P < .05) using planning target volume_10mm, with substantial further reductions when targeting planning target volume_3mm. Doses to the chest wall, ipsilateral lung, and breast skin were also significantly lessened. The breast stereotactic radiotherapy device's uniform dosimetric improvements over intensity-modulated accelerated partial breast irradiation in this series indicate a potential to improve outcomes. Clinical trials investigating this benefit have begun accrual.

  10. Status of Wrought FeCrAl-UO 2 Capsules Irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Field, Kevin G.; Harp, J.; Core, G.

    2017-07-01

    Candidate cladding materials for accident tolerant fuel applications require extensive testing and validation prior to commercial deployment within the nuclear power industry. One class of cladding materials, FeCrAl alloys, is currently undergoing such effort. Within these activities is a series of irradiation programs within the Advanced Test Reactor. These programs are developed to aid in commercial maturation and understand the fundamental mechanisms controlling the cladding performance during normal operation of a typical light water reactor. Three different irradiation programs are on-going; one designed as a simple proof-of-principle concept, the other to evaluate the susceptibility of FeCrAl to fuel-cladding chemical interaction,more » and the last to fully simulate the conditions of a pressurized water reactor experimentally. To date, nondestructive post-irradiation examination has been completed on the rodlet deemed FCA-L3 from the simple proof-of-concept irradiation program. Initial results show possible breach of the rodlet under irradiation but further studies are needed to conclusively determine whether breach has occurred and the underlying reasons for such a possible failure. Further work includes characterizing additional rodlets following irradiation.« less

  11. A target for production of radioxenons

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Blue, J. W.; Leonard, R.; Jha, S.; Sodd, V. J.; Vincent, J. S.

    1976-01-01

    A liquid cesium target has been developed which allows the production and separate identification of the neutron deficient isotopes of xenon. The present report describes irradiations utilizing 34 to 41 MeV protons to produce millicurie quantities of Xe-127 and Xe-129m. At higher energies, however, the target could be used without modification to produce xenon isotopes as light as 119.

  12. Comparison of Irradiation and Wolbachia Based Approaches for Sterile-Male Strategies Targeting Aedes albopictus

    PubMed Central

    Atyame, Célestine M.; Labbé, Pierrick; Lebon, Cyrille; Weill, Mylène; Moretti, Riccardo; Marini, Francesca; Gouagna, Louis Clément; Calvitti, Maurizio; Tortosa, Pablo

    2016-01-01

    The global expansion of Aedes albopictus together with the absence of vaccines for most of the arboviruses transmitted by this mosquito has stimulated the development of sterile-male strategies aiming at controlling disease transmission through the suppression of natural vector populations. In this context, two environmentally friendly control strategies, namely the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) and the Wolbachia-based Incompatible Insect Technique (IIT) are currently being developed in several laboratories worldwide. So far however, there is a lack of comparative assessment of these strategies under the same controlled conditions. Here, we compared the mating capacities, i.e. insemination capacity, sterilization capacity and mating competitiveness of irradiated (35 Gy) and incompatible Ae. albopictus males at different ages and ratios under laboratory controlled conditions. Our data show that there was no significant difference in insemination capacity of irradiated and incompatible males, both male types showing lower capacities than untreated males at 1 day but recovering full capacity within 5 days following emergence. Regarding mating competitiveness trials, a global observed trend is that incompatible males tend to induce a lower hatching rate than irradiated males in cage controlled confrontations. More specifically, incompatible males were found more competitive than irradiated males in 5:1 ratio regardless of age, while irradiated males were only found more competitive than incompatible males in the 1:1 ratio at 10 days old. Overall, under the tested conditions, IIT seemed to be slightly more effective than SIT. However, considering that a single strategy will likely not be adapted to all environments, our data stimulates the need for comparative assessments of distinct strategies in up-scaled conditions in order to identify the most suitable and safe sterilizing technology to be implemented in a specific environmental setting and to identify the

  13. A Preliminary Controlled Comparison of Programs Designed to Reduce Risk of Eating Disorders Targeting Perfectionism and Media Literacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilksch, Simon M.; Durbridge, Mitchell R.; Wade, Tracey D.

    2008-01-01

    The study aims to find out whether programs targeting perfectionism and media literacy are more effective than control classes in reducing eating disorder risk factors. Finding reveals that perfectionism programs are well suited to individuals of mid- to late adolescent age and shows the importune of making prevention programs developmentally…

  14. Metallography studies and hardness measurements on ferritic/martensitic steels irradiated in STIP

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, H.; Long, B.; Dai, Y.

    2008-06-01

    In this work metallography investigations and microhardness measurements have been performed on 15 ferritic/martensitic (FM) steels and 6 weld metals irradiated in the SINQ Target Irradiation Program (STIP). The results demonstrate that all the steels have quite similar martensite lath structures. However, the sizes of the prior austenite grain (PAG) of these steels are quite different and vary from 10 to 86 μm. The microstructure in the fusion zones (FZ) of electron-beam welds (EBWs) of 5 steels (T91, EM10, MANET-II, F82H and Optifer-IX) is similar in respect to the martensite lath structure and PAG size. The FZ of the inert-gas-tungsten weld (TIGW) of the T91 steel shows a duplex structure of large ferrite gains and martensite laths. The microhardness measurements indicate that the normalized and tempered FM steels have rather close hardness values. The unusual high hardness values of the EBW and TIGW of the T91 steel were detected, which suggests that these materials are without proper tempering or post-welding heat treatment.

  15. Proton irradiated graphite grades for a long baseline neutrino facility experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Simos, N.; Nocera, P.; Zhong, Z.; Zwaska, R.; Mokhov, N.; Misek, J.; Ammigan, K.; Hurh, P.; Kotsina, Z.

    2017-07-01

    In search of a low-Z pion production target for the Long Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) of the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) four graphite grades were irradiated with protons in the energy range of 140-180 MeV, to peak fluence of ˜6.1 ×1020 p /cm2 and irradiation temperatures between 120 - 200 °C . The test array included POCO ZXF-5Q, Toyo-Tanso IG 430, Carbone-Lorraine 2020 and SGL R7650 grades of graphite. Irradiation was performed at the Brookhaven Linear Isotope Producer. Postirradiation analyses were performed with the objective of (a) comparing their response under the postulated irradiation conditions to guide a graphite grade selection for use as a pion target and (b) understanding changes in physical and mechanical properties as well as microstructure that occurred as a result of the achieved fluence and in particular at this low-temperature regime where pion graphite targets are expected to operate. A further goal of the postirradiation evaluation was to establish a proton-neutron correlation damage on graphite that will allow for the use of a wealth of available neutron-based damage data in proton-based studies and applications. Macroscopic postirradiation analyses as well as energy dispersive x-ray diffraction of 200 KeV x rays at the NSLS synchrotron of Brookhaven National Laboratory were employed. The macroscopic analyses revealed differences in the physical and strength properties of the four grades with behavior however under proton irradiation that qualitatively agrees with that reported for graphite under neutrons for the same low temperature regime and in particular the increase of thermal expansion, strength and Young's modulus. The proton fluence level of ˜1020 cm-2 where strength reaches a maximum before it begins to decrease at higher fluences has been identified and it agrees with neutron-induced changes. X-ray diffraction analyses of the proton irradiated graphite revealed for the first time the similarity in

  16. Proton irradiated graphite grades for a long baseline neutrino facility experiment

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Simos, N.; Nocera, P.; Zhong, Z.

    In search of a low-Z pion production target for the Long Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) of the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) four graphite grades were irradiated with protons in the energy range of 140–180 MeV, to peak fluence of ~6.1×10 20 p/cm 2 and irradiation temperatures between 120–200 °C. The test array included POCO ZXF-5Q, Toyo-Tanso IG 430, Carbone-Lorraine 2020 and SGL R7650 grades of graphite. Irradiation was performed at the Brookhaven Linear Isotope Producer. Postirradiation analyses were performed with the objective of (a) comparing their response under the postulated irradiation conditions to guide a graphite grade selection for use asmore » a pion target and (b) understanding changes in physical and mechanical properties as well as microstructure that occurred as a result of the achieved fluence and in particular at this low-temperature regime where pion graphite targets are expected to operate. A further goal of the postirradiation evaluation was to establish a proton-neutron correlation damage on graphite that will allow for the use of a wealth of available neutron-based damage data in proton-based studies and applications. Macroscopic postirradiation analyses as well as energy dispersive x-ray diffraction of 200 KeV x rays at the NSLS synchrotron of Brookhaven National Laboratory were employed. The macroscopic analyses revealed differences in the physical and strength properties of the four grades with behavior however under proton irradiation that qualitatively agrees with that reported for graphite under neutrons for the same low temperature regime and in particular the increase of thermal expansion, strength and Young’s modulus. The proton fluence level of ~10 20 cm -2 where strength reaches a maximum before it begins to decrease at higher fluences has been identified and it agrees with neutron-induced changes. X-ray diffraction analyses of the proton irradiated graphite revealed for the first time the

  17. Proton irradiated graphite grades for a long baseline neutrino facility experiment

    DOE PAGES

    Simos, N.; Nocera, P.; Zhong, Z.; ...

    2017-07-24

    In search of a low-Z pion production target for the Long Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) of the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) four graphite grades were irradiated with protons in the energy range of 140–180 MeV, to peak fluence of ~6.1×10 20 p/cm 2 and irradiation temperatures between 120–200 °C. The test array included POCO ZXF-5Q, Toyo-Tanso IG 430, Carbone-Lorraine 2020 and SGL R7650 grades of graphite. Irradiation was performed at the Brookhaven Linear Isotope Producer. Postirradiation analyses were performed with the objective of (a) comparing their response under the postulated irradiation conditions to guide a graphite grade selection for use asmore » a pion target and (b) understanding changes in physical and mechanical properties as well as microstructure that occurred as a result of the achieved fluence and in particular at this low-temperature regime where pion graphite targets are expected to operate. A further goal of the postirradiation evaluation was to establish a proton-neutron correlation damage on graphite that will allow for the use of a wealth of available neutron-based damage data in proton-based studies and applications. Macroscopic postirradiation analyses as well as energy dispersive x-ray diffraction of 200 KeV x rays at the NSLS synchrotron of Brookhaven National Laboratory were employed. The macroscopic analyses revealed differences in the physical and strength properties of the four grades with behavior however under proton irradiation that qualitatively agrees with that reported for graphite under neutrons for the same low temperature regime and in particular the increase of thermal expansion, strength and Young’s modulus. The proton fluence level of ~10 20 cm -2 where strength reaches a maximum before it begins to decrease at higher fluences has been identified and it agrees with neutron-induced changes. X-ray diffraction analyses of the proton irradiated graphite revealed for the first time the

  18. Magnetic Resonance Lymphography-Guided Selective High-Dose Lymph Node Irradiation in Prostate Cancer

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Meijer, Hanneke J.M., E-mail: H.Meijer@rther.umcn.nl; Debats, Oscar A.; Kunze-Busch, Martina

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: To demonstrate the feasibility of magnetic resonance lymphography (MRL) -guided delineation of a boost volume and an elective target volume for pelvic lymph node irradiation in patients with prostate cancer. The feasibility of irradiating these volumes with a high-dose boost to the MRL-positive lymph nodes in conjunction with irradiation of the prostate using intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) was also investigated. Methods and Materials: In 4 prostate cancer patients with a high risk of lymph node involvement but no enlarged lymph nodes on CT and/or MRI, MRL detected pathological lymph nodes in the pelvis. These lymph nodes were identified and delineatedmore » on a radiotherapy planning CT to create a boost volume. Based on the location of the MRL-positive lymph nodes, the standard elective pelvic target volume was individualized. An IMRT plan with a simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) was created with dose prescriptions of 42 Gy to the pelvic target volume, a boost to 60 Gy to the MRL-positive lymph nodes, and 72 Gy to the prostate. Results: All MRL-positive lymph nodes could be identified on the planning CT. This information could be used to delineate a boost volume and to individualize the pelvic target volume for elective irradiation. IMRT planning delivered highly acceptable radiotherapy plans with regard to the prescribed dose levels and the dose to the organs at risk (OARs). Conclusion: MRL can be used to select patients with limited lymph node involvement for pelvic radiotherapy. MRL-guided delineation of a boost volume and an elective pelvic target volume for selective high-dose lymph node irradiation with IMRT is feasible. Whether this approach will result in improved outcome for these patients needs to be investigated in further clinical studies.« less

  19. Obesity coverage gap: Consumers perceive low coverage for obesity treatments even when workplace wellness programs target BMI.

    PubMed

    Wilson, Elizabeth Ruth; Kyle, Theodore K; Nadglowski, Joseph F; Stanford, Fatima Cody

    2017-02-01

    Evidence-based obesity treatments, such as bariatric surgery, are not considered essential health benefits under the Affordable Care Act. Employer-sponsored wellness programs with incentives based on biometric outcomes are allowed and often used despite mixed evidence regarding their effectiveness. This study examines consumers' perceptions of their coverage for obesity treatments and exposure to workplace wellness programs. A total of 7,378 participants completed an online survey during 2015-2016. Respondents answered questions regarding their health coverage for seven medical services and exposure to employer wellness programs that target weight or body mass index (BMI). Using χ 2 tests, associations between perceptions of exposure to employer wellness programs and coverage for medical services were examined. Differences between survey years were also assessed. Most respondents reported they did not have health coverage for obesity treatments, but more of the respondents with employer wellness programs reported having coverage. Neither the perception of coverage for obesity treatments nor exposure to wellness programs increased between 2015 and 2016. Even when consumers have exposure to employer wellness programs that target BMI, their health insurance often excludes obesity treatments. Given the clinical and cost-effectiveness of such treatments, reducing that coverage gap may mitigate obesity's individual- and population-level effects. © 2017 The Obesity Society.

  20. Influence of lateral target size on hot electron production and electromagnetic pulse emission from laser-irradiated metallic targets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Zi-Yu; Li, Jian-Feng; Yu, Yong; Wang, Jia-Xiang; Li, Xiao-Ya; Peng, Qi-Xian; Zhu, Wen-Jun

    2012-11-01

    The influences of lateral target size on hot electron production and electromagnetic pulse emission from laser interaction with metallic targets have been investigated. Particle-in-cell simulations at high laser intensities show that the yield of hot electrons tends to increase with lateral target size, because the larger surface area reduces the electrostatic field on the target, owing to its expansion along the target surface. At lower laser intensities and longer time scales, experimental data characterizing electromagnetic pulse emission as a function of lateral target size also show target-size effects. Charge separation and a larger target tending to have a lower target potential have both been observed. The increase in radiation strength and downshift in radiation frequency with increasing lateral target size can be interpreted using a simple model of the electrical capacity of the target.

  1. Laser treatment of cutaneous lesions with image-guided fine spot-scanning irradiation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nitta, Isami; Zhao, Xuefeng; Kanno, Akihiro; Kan, Yasushi; Yoshimasa, Takezawa; Maruyama, Tomohiro; Maeda, Yoshitaka

    2007-11-01

    We propose a new laser irradiation method for the treatment of cutaneous lesions in plastic surgery. In general, lasers with a spot size of 1 to 10 mm are used in irradiation on diseased skin. Although the target absorbs more light energy according to the theory of selective photothermolysis, the surrounding tissue, however, is still somewhat damaged. In proposed method, an f-theta lens, which is assembled by a shrink fitter, focuses the irradiation laser beam to a very fine spot with the size of 125 μm. Guided by the captured object-image, such laser beam is conducted by a pair of galvanometer-driven mirrors to irradiate only the desired tissue target without thermal damage to surrounding tissue. Moreover, an optical coherence tomography, whose probe is capable of wide field of view, can be used to provide the guidance information for the best treatment. The usefulness of the developed laser therapy apparatus was demonstrated by performing an experiment on the removal of tattoo pigment.

  2. Important factors for cell-membrane permeabilization by gold nanoparticles activated by nanosecond-laser irradiation

    PubMed Central

    Yao, Cuiping; Rudnitzki, Florian; Hüttmann, Gereon; Zhang, Zhenxi; Rahmanzadeh, Ramtin

    2017-01-01

    Purpose Pulsed-laser irradiation of light-absorbing gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) attached to cells transiently increases cell membrane permeability for targeted molecule delivery. Here, we targeted EGFR on the ovarian carcinoma cell line OVCAR-3 with AuNPs. In order to optimize membrane permeability and to demonstrate molecule delivery into adherent OVCAR-3 cells, we systematically investigated different experimental conditions. Materials and methods AuNPs (30 nm) were functionalized by conjugation of the antibody cetuximab against EGFR. Selective binding of the particles was demonstrated by silver staining, multiphoton imaging, and fluorescence-lifetime imaging. After laser irradiation, membrane permeability of OVCAR-3 cells was studied under different conditions of AuNP concentration, cell-incubation medium, and cell–AuNP incubation time. Membrane permeability and cell viability were evaluated by flow cytometry, measuring propidium iodide and fluorescein isothiocyanate–dextran uptake. Results Adherently growing OVCAR-3 cells can be effectively targeted with EGFR-AuNP. Laser irradiation led to successful permeabilization, and 150 kDa dextran was successfully delivered into cells with about 70% efficiency. Conclusion Antibody-targeted and laser-irradiated AuNPs can be used to deliver molecules into adherent cells. Efficacy depends not only on laser parameters but also on AuNP:cell ratio, cell-incubation medium, and cell–AuNP incubation time. PMID:28848345

  3. Effect of spatial nonuniformity of heating on compression and burning of a thermonuclear target under direct multibeam irradiation by a megajoule laser pulse

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bel’kov, S. A.; Bondarenko, S. V.; Vergunova, G. A.

    Direct-drive fusion targets are considered at present as an alternative to targets of indirect compression at a laser energy level of about 2 MJ. In this approach, the symmetry of compression and ignition of thermonuclear fuel play the major role. We report on the results of theoretical investigation of compression and burning of spherical direct-drive targets in the conditions of spatial nonuniformity of heating associated with a shift of the target from the beam center of focusing and possible laser radiation energy disbalance in the beams. The investigation involves numerous calculations based on a complex of 1D and 2D codesmore » RAPID, SEND (for determining the target illumination and the dynamics of absorption), DIANA, and NUT (1D and multidimensional hydrodynamics of compression and burning of targets). The target under investigation had the form of a two-layer shell (ablator made of inertial material CH and DT ice) filled with DT gas. We have determined the range of admissible variation of compression and combustion parameters of the target depending on the variation of the spatial nonuniformity of its heating by a multibeam laser system. It has been shown that low-mode (long-wavelength) perturbations deteriorate the characteristics of the central region due to less effective conversion of the kinetic energy of the target shell into the internal energy of the center. Local initiation of burning is also observed in off-center regions of the target in the case of substantial asymmetry of irradiation. In this case, burning is not spread over the entire volume of the DT fuel as a rule, which considerably reduces the thermonuclear yield as compared to that in the case of spherical symmetry and central ignition.« less

  4. Innovative real-time and non-destructive method of beam profile measurement under large beam current irradiation for BNCT

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Takada, M.; Kamada, S.; Suda, M.; Fujii, R.; Nakamura, M.; Hoshi, M.; Sato, H.; Endo, S.; Hamano, T.; Arai, S.; Higashimata, A.

    2012-10-01

    We developed a real-time and non-destructive method of beam profile measurement on a target under large beam current irradiation, and without any complex radiation detectors or electrical circuits. We measured the beam profiles on a target by observing the target temperature using an infrared-radiation thermometer camera. The target temperatures were increased and decreased quickly by starting and stopping the beam irradiation within 1 s in response speed. Our method could trace beam movements rapidly. The beam size and position were calibrated by measuring O-ring heat on the target. Our method has the potential to measure beam profiles at beam current over 1 mA for proton and deuteron with the energy around 3 MeV and allows accelerator operators to adjust the beam location during beam irradiation experiments without decreasing the beam current.

  5. A Practical Irradiance Model for Bifacial PV Modules: Preprint

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Marion, Bill; MacAlpine, Sara; Deline, Chris

    2017-06-15

    A model, suitable for a row or multiple rows of photovoltaic (PV) modules, is presented for estimating the backside irradiance for bifacial PV modules. The model, which includes the effects of shading by the PV rows, is based on the use of configuration factors (CFs) to determine the fraction of a source of irradiance that is received by the backside of the PV module. Backside irradiances are modeled along the sloped height of the PV module, but assumed not to vary along the length of the PV row. The backside irradiances are corrected for angle-of-incidence losses and may be addedmore » to the front side irradiance to determine the total irradiance resource for the PV cell. Model results are compared with the measured backside irradiances for NREL and Sandia PV systems, and with results when using the RADIANCE ray tracing program.« less

  6. Prevention of Targeted School Violence by Responding to Students' Psychosocial Crises: The NETWASS Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leuschner, Vincenz; Fiedler, Nora; Schultze, Martin; Ahlig, Nadine; Göbel, Kristin; Sommer, Friederike; Scholl, Johanna; Cornell, Dewey; Scheithauer, Herbert

    2017-01-01

    The standardized, indicated school-based prevention program "Networks Against School Shootings" combines a threat assessment approach with a general model of prevention of emergency situations in schools through early intervention in student psychosocial crises and training teachers to recognize warning signs of targeted school violence.…

  7. Involving Communities in the Targeting of Cash Transfer Programs for Vulnerable Children: Opportunities and Challenges☆

    PubMed Central

    Robertson, Laura; Mushati, Phyllis; Skovdal, Morten; Eaton, Jeffrey W.; Makoni, Jeremiah C.; Crea, Tom; Mavise, Gideon; Dumba, Lovemore; Schumacher, Christina; Sherr, Lorraine; Nyamukapa, Constance; Gregson, Simon

    2014-01-01

    Summary We used baseline data, collected in July–September 2009, from a randomized controlled trial of a cash transfer program for vulnerable children in eastern Zimbabwe to investigate the effectiveness, coverage, and efficiency of census- and community-based targeting methods for reaching vulnerable children. Focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with beneficiaries and other stakeholders were used to explore community perspectives on targeting. Community members reported that their participation improved ownership and reduced conflict and jealousy. However, all the methods failed to target a large proportion of vulnerable children and there was poor agreement between the community- and census-based methods. PMID:24748713

  8. Address substrates as promising targets for laser histochemical surgery as a nontraditional line in medicine

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Piruzyan, L. A.; Mikhailovskiy, Ye. M.; Piruzyan, A. L.

    1999-12-01

    The priority concept of the laser histochemical surgery as a potentially novel line in medicine is presented. The histochemical stains, selectively coloring some targets (address substrates), that are cells or their biochemical ingredients, sensitize them to the laser irradiation. Such sensitization to laser irradiation by staining turns the colored targets into targets for the laser beam. The action of the irradiation onto its specific targets beats out of the cell its ingredients which participate in a pathology process. In particular, the beating of a stained ferment out of the general stage of biochemical processes characteristic for the pathology interrupts their currence. The laser beam, when beating out its stained targets without any damage of the unstained tissues, acts like a scalpel that cuts off affected tissues not brushing healthy ones. A scheme for testing stains as sensitizers of the `address substrates' to the laser irradiation is presented. As the criterion of the stain sensitization the fact was chosen of absence or weakness of pathomorphologic and biochemical signs of the disease in an experimental model of the pathology irradiated with laser after a stain use, while the pathology signs are present in a control sample. The basis is done for study of the histochemical stains as potential means for the laser histochemical surgery of disseminated sclerosis, mucopolysaccharidosis, hypercholesterolemia, myocardial infarction, cardiosclerosis, caries and parodontosis.

  9. Proton irradiation of [18O]O2: production of [18F]F2 and [18F]F2 + [18F] OF2.

    PubMed

    Bishop, A; Satyamurthy, N; Bida, G; Hendry, G; Phelps, M; Barrio, J R

    1996-04-01

    The production of 18F electrophilic reagents via the 18O(p,n)18F reaction has been investigated in small-volume target bodies made of aluminum, copper, gold-plated copper and nickel, having straight or conical bore shapes. Three irradiation protocols-single-step, two-step and modified two-step-were used for the recovery of the 18F activity. The single-step irradiation protocol was tested in all the target bodies. Based on the single-step performance, aluminum targets were utilized extensively in the investigation of the two-step and modified two-step irradiation protocols. With an 11-MeV cyclotron and using the two-step irradiation protocol, > 1Ci [18F]F2 was recovered reproducibly from an aluminum target body. Probable radical mechanisms for the formation of OF2 and FONO2 (fluorine nitrate) in the single-step and modified two-step targets are proposed based on the amount of ozone generated and the nitrogen impurity present in the target gases, respectively.

  10. Solar Irradiance Data Products at the LASP Interactive Solar IRradiance Datacenter (LISIRD)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lindholm, D. M.; Ware DeWolfe, A.; Wilson, A.; Pankratz, C. K.; Snow, M. A.; Woods, T. N.

    2011-12-01

    The Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) has developed the LASP Interactive Solar IRradiance Datacenter (LISIRD, http://lasp.colorado.edu/lisird/) web site to provide access to a comprehensive set of solar irradiance measurements and related datasets. Current data holdings include products from NASA missions SORCE, UARS, SME, and TIMED-SEE. The data provided covers a wavelength range from soft X-ray (XUV) at 0.1 nm up to the near infrared (NIR) at 2400 nm, as well as Total Solar Irradiance (TSI). Other datasets include solar indices, spectral and flare models, solar images, and more. The LISIRD web site features updated plotting, browsing, and download capabilities enabled by dygraphs, JavaScript, and Ajax calls to the LASP Time Series Server (LaTiS). In addition to the web browser interface, most of the LISIRD datasets can be accessed via the LaTiS web service interface that supports the OPeNDAP standard. OPeNDAP clients and other programming APIs are available for making requests that subset, aggregate, or filter data on the server before it is transported to the user. This poster provides an overview of the LISIRD system, summarizes the datasets currently available, and provides details on how to access solar irradiance data products through LISIRD's interfaces.

  11. Low-enriched uranium high-density target project. Compendium report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Vandegrift, George; Brown, M. Alex; Jerden, James L.

    2016-09-01

    At present, most 99Mo is produced in research, test, or isotope production reactors by irradiation of highly enriched uranium targets. To achieve the denser form of uranium needed for switching from high to low enriched uranium (LEU), targets in the form of a metal foil (~125-150 µm thick) are being developed. The LEU High Density Target Project successfully demonstrated several iterations of an LEU-fission-based Mo-99 technology that has the potential to provide the world’s supply of Mo-99, should major producers choose to utilize the technology. Over 50 annular high density targets have been successfully tested, and the assembly and disassemblymore » of targets have been improved and optimized. Two target front-end processes (acidic and electrochemical) have been scaled up and demonstrated to allow for the high-density target technology to mate up to the existing producer technology for target processing. In the event that a new target processing line is started, the chemical processing of the targets is greatly simplified. Extensive modeling and safety analysis has been conducted, and the target has been qualified to be inserted into the High Flux Isotope Reactor, which is considered above and beyond the requirements for the typical use of this target due to high fluence and irradiation duration.« less

  12. Programmed activation of cancer cell apoptosis: A tumor-targeted phototherapeutic topoisomerase I inhibitor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shin, Weon Sup; Han, Jiyou; Kumar, Rajesh; Lee, Gyung Gyu; Sessler, Jonathan L.; Kim, Jong-Hoon; Kim, Jong Seung

    2016-07-01

    We report here a tumor-targeting masked phototherapeutic agent 1 (PT-1). This system contains SN-38—a prodrug of the topoisomerase I inhibitor irinotecan. Topoisomerase I is a vital enzyme that controls DNA topology during replication, transcription, and recombination. An elevated level of topoisomerase I is found in many carcinomas, making it an attractive target for the development of effective anticancer drugs. In addition, PT-1 contains both a photo-triggered moiety (nitrovanillin) and a cancer targeting unit (biotin). Upon light activation in cancer cells, PT-1 interferes with DNA re-ligation, diminishes the expression of topoisomerase I, and enhances the expression of inter alia mitochondrial apoptotic genes, death receptors, and caspase enzymes, inducing DNA damage and eventually leading to apoptosis. In vitro and in vivo studies showed significant inhibition of cancer growth and the hybrid system PT-1 thus shows promise as a programmed photo-therapeutic (“phototheranostic”).

  13. Experimental benchmark for an improved simulation of absolute soft-x-ray emission from polystyrene targets irradiated with the Nike laser.

    PubMed

    Weaver, J L; Busquet, M; Colombant, D G; Mostovych, A N; Feldman, U; Klapisch, M; Seely, J F; Brown, C; Holland, G

    2005-02-04

    Absolutely calibrated, time-resolved spectral intensity measurements of soft-x-ray emission (hnu approximately 0.1-1.0 keV) from laser-irradiated polystyrene targets are compared to radiation-hydrodynamic simulations that include our new postprocessor, Virtual Spectro. This new capability allows a unified, detailed treatment of atomic physics and radiative transfer in nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium conditions for simple spectra from low-Z materials as well as complex spectra from high-Z materials. The excellent agreement (within a factor of approximately 1.5) demonstrates the powerful predictive capability of the codes for the complex conditions in the ablating plasma. A comparison to data with high spectral resolution (E/deltaE approximately 1000) emphasizes the importance of including radiation coupling in the quantitative simulation of emission spectra.

  14. Comparison of irradiation behaviour of HTR graphite grades

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Heijna, M. C. R.; de Groot, S.; Vreeling, J. A.

    2017-08-01

    The INNOGRAPH irradiations were executed in the High Flux Reactor (HFR) in Petten by NRG supported by the European Framework programs HTR-M, RAPHAEL, and ARCHER to generate data on the irradiation behaviour of graphite grades for High Temperature Reactor (HTR) application available at that time. Samples of the graphite grades NBG-10, NBG-17, NBG-18, NBG-20, NBG-25, PCEA, PPEA, PCIB, and IG-110 have been irradiated at 750 °C and 950 °C. The inherent scatter induced by the probabilistic material behaviour of graphite requires uncertainty and scatter induced by test conditions and post-irradiation examination to be minimized. The INNOGRAPH irradiations supplied an adequate number of irradiated samples to enable accurate determination of material properties and their evolution under irradiation. This allows comparison of different graphite grades and a qualitative assessment of their appropriateness for HTR applications, as a basis of selection, design and core component lifetime. The results indicate that coarse grained graphite grades exhibit more favourable behaviour for application in HTRs due to their low dimensional anisotropy and fracture propagation resilience.

  15. Production of isotopes and isomers with irradiation of Z = 47–50 targets by 23-MeV bremsstrahlung

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Karamian, S. A., E-mail: karamian@nrmail.jinr.ru; Carroll, J. J.; Aksenov, N. V.

    2015-09-15

    The irradiations of Ag to Sn targets by bremsstrahlung generated with 23-MeV electron beams are performed at the MT-25 microtron. Gamma spectra of the induced activities have been measured and the yields of all detected radionuclides and isomers are carefully measured and analyzed. A regular dependence of yields versus changed reaction threshold is confirmed. Many isomers are detected and the suppression of the production probability is observed with growing product spin. Special peculiarities for the isomer-to-ground state ratios were deduced for the {sup 106m}Ag, {sup 108m}Ag, {sup 113m}In, {sup 115m}In, and {sup 123m}Sn isomers. The production of such nuclides asmore » {sup 108m}Ag, {sup 115m}In, {sup 117g}In, and {sup 113m}Cd is of interest for applications, especially when economic methods are available.« less

  16. Evaluating Intervention Programs Targeting Parents to Manage Childhood Overweight and Obesity: A Systematic Review Using the RE-AIM Framework.

    PubMed

    Jang, Myoungock; Chao, Ariana; Whittemore, Robin

    2015-01-01

    Intervention programs targeting parents to manage childhood overweight and obesity have emerged based on parents influence on the health behaviors of their children. The purpose of this review was to systematically evaluate intervention programs targeting parents to manage childhood overweight and obesity using the Reach, Efficacy, Adopt, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. There was a moderate risk of bias across all studies. The overall proportion of studies (n=7) reporting on each dimension of the RE-AIM framework ranged from 78.6% (reach) to 23.8% (maintenance). The majority of intervention programs demonstrated improvement in child BMI. However intervention programs did not reach families of diverse race/ethnicity, were provided by highly trained professionals, and demonstrated high attrition, thus limiting generalizability. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Prevalence-Based Targets Underestimate Home Dialysis Program Activity and Requirements for Growth.

    PubMed

    Bevilacqua, Micheli U; Er, Lee; Copland, Michael A; Singh, R Suneet; Jamal, Abeed; Dunne, Órla Marie; Brumby, Catherine; Levin, Adeera

    2018-01-01

    Many renal programs have targets to increase home dialysis prevalence. Data from a large Canadian home dialysis program were analyzed to determine if home dialysis prevalence accurately reflects program activity and whether prevalence-based assessments adequately reflect the work required for program growth. Data from home dialysis programs in British Columbia, Canada, were analyzed from 2005 to 2015. Prevalence data were compared to dialysis activity data including intakes and exits to describe program turnover. Using current attrition rates, recruitment rates needed to increase home dialysis prevalence proportions were identified. We analyzed 7,746 patient-years of peritoneal dialysis (PD) and 1,362 patient-years of home hemodialysis (HHD). The proportion of patients on home dialysis increased by 3.34% over the ten years examined, while the number of prevalent home dialysis patients increased 2.65% per year and the number of patients receiving home dialysis at any time in the year increased 4.04% per year. For every 1 patient net home dialysis growth, 13.6 new patients were recruited. Patient turnover included higher rates of transplantation in home dialysis than facility-based HD. Overall, the proportion dialyzing at home increased from 29.3 to 32.6%. There is high patient turnover in home dialysis such that program prevalence is an incomplete marker of total program activity. This turnover includes high rates of transplantation, which is a desirable interaction that affects home dialysis prevalence. The shortcomings of this commonly used metric are important for renal programs to consider, and better understanding of the activities that support home dialysis and the complex trajectories that home dialysis patients follow is needed. Copyright © 2018 International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis.

  18. Levels of 2-dodecylcyclobutanone in ground beef patties irradiated by low-energy X-ray and gamma rays.

    PubMed

    Hijaz, Faraj M; Smith, J Scott

    2010-01-01

    Food irradiation improves food safety and maintains food quality by controlling microorganisms and extending shelf life. However, acceptance and commercial adoption of food irradiation is still low. Consumer groups such as Public Citizen and the Food and Water Watch have opposed irradiation because of the formation of 2-alkylcyclobutanones (2-ACBs) in irradiated, lipid-containing foods. The objectives of this study were to measure and to compare the level of 2-dodecylcyclobutanone (2-DCB) in ground beef irradiated by low-energy X-rays and gamma rays. Beef patties were irradiated by low-energy X-rays and gamma rays (Cs-137) at 3 targeted absorbed doses of 1.5, 3.0, and 5.0 kGy. The samples were extracted with n-hexane using a Soxhlet apparatus, and the 2-DCB concentration was determined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The 2-DCB concentration increased linearly (P < 0.05) with irradiation dose for gamma-ray and low-energy X-ray irradiated patties. There was no significant difference in 2-DCB concentration between gamma-ray and low-energy X-ray irradiated patties (P > 0.05) at all targeted doses. © 2010 Institute of Food Technologists®

  19. Leptin induction following irradiation is a conserved feature in mammalian epithelial cells and tissues.

    PubMed

    Licursi, Valerio; Cestelli Guidi, Mariangela; Del Vecchio, Giorgia; Mannironi, Cecilia; Presutti, Carlo; Amendola, Roberto; Negri, Rodolfo

    2017-09-01

    Leptin (LEP) is a peptide hormone with multiple physiological functions. Besides its systemic actions, it has important peripheral roles such as a mitogen action on keratinocytes following skin lesions. We previously showed that LEP mRNA is significantly induced in response to neutron irradiation in mouse skin and that the protein increases in the irradiated epidermis and in the related subcutaneous adipose tissue. In this work, we investigated the post-transcriptional regulation of LEP by miRNAs and the conservation of LEP's role in radiation response in human cells. We used microarray analysis and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to analyze modulation of miRNAs potentially targeting LEP in mouse skin following irradiation and bioinformatic analysis of transcriptome of irradiated human cell lines and cancer tissues from radiotherapy-treated patients to evaluate LEP expression. We show that a network of miRNAs potentially targeting LEP mRNA is modulated in irradiated mouse skin and that LEP itself is significantly modulated by irradiation in human epithelial cell lines and in breast cancer tissues from radiotherapy-treated patients. These results confirm and extend the previous evidence that LEP has a general and important role in the response of mammalian cells to irradiation.

  20. Can involved-field irradiation replace elective nodal irradiation in chemoradiotherapy for esophageal cancer? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Wang, Xiaoyue; Miao, Chuanwang; Chen, Zhen; Li, Wanhu; Yuan, Shuanghu; Yu, Jinming; Hu, Xudong

    2017-01-01

    Chemoradiotherapy is the most common treatment for inoperable esophageal cancer. However, there is no consensus on the delineation of the clinical target volume. Elective nodal irradiation (ENI) is recommended for inoperable esophageal cancer. A few studies have reported a decrease in the incidence of radiation-related toxicity of involved-field irradiation (IFI) for esophageal cancer. A systematic review and pooled analysis were performed to determine whether IFI in definitive chemoradiotherapy was more beneficial than ENI for esophageal cancer. The results showed no significant differences in the overall survival and local control rates between the IFI and ENI arms. Meanwhile, the incidences of esophageal and lung toxicities were significantly decreased in the IFI arm. These results suggest that IFI is a feasible treatment option for locally advanced esophageal cancer, especially to minimize irradiation-related toxicity.

  1. Postharvest irradiation treatment for quarantine control of the invasive Lobesia botrana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The effects of irradiation on egg, larval, and pupal development in European grapevine moth, Lobesia botrana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), were examined. Eggs, neonates, third instars, fifth instars, and early and late stage pupae were irradiated at target doses of 50, 100, 150, or 200 Gy or left untr...

  2. Electronic and atomic kinetics in solids irradiated with free-electron lasers or swift-heavy ions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Medvedev, N.; Volkov, A. E.; Ziaja, B.

    2015-12-01

    In this brief review we discuss the transient processes in solids under irradiation with femtosecond X-ray free-electron-laser (FEL) pulses and swift-heavy ions (SHI). Both kinds of irradiation produce highly excited electrons in a target on extremely short timescales. Transfer of the excess electronic energy into the lattice may lead to observable target modifications such as phase transitions and damage formation. Transient kinetics of material excitation and relaxation under FEL or SHI irradiation are comparatively discussed. The same origin for the electronic and atomic relaxation in both cases is demonstrated. Differences in these kinetics introduced by the geometrical effects (μm-size of a laser spot vs nm-size of an ion track) and initial irradiation (photoabsorption vs an ion impact) are analyzed. The basic mechanisms of electron transport and electron-lattice coupling are addressed. Appropriate models and their limitations are presented. Possibilities of thermal and nonthermal melting of materials under FEL and SHI irradiation are discussed.

  3. A new three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) technique for large breast and/or high body mass index patients: evaluation of a novel fields assessment aimed to reduce extra-target-tissue irradiation.

    PubMed

    Gerardina, Stimato; Edy, Ippolito; Sonia, Silipigni; Cristina, Di Venanzio; Carla Germana, Rinaldi; Diego, Gaudino; Michele, Fiore; Lucio, Trodella; Maria, D'Angelillo Rolando; Sara, Ramella

    2016-09-01

    To develop an alternative three-dimensional treatment plan with standardized fields class solution for whole-breast radiotherapy in patients with large/pendulous breast and/or high body mass index (BMI). Two treatment plans [tangential fields and standardized five-fields technique (S5F)] for a total dose of 50 Gy/25 fractions were generated for patients with large breasts [planning target volume (PTV) >1000 cm(3) and/or BMI >25 kg m(-2)], supine positioned. S5F plans consist of two wedged tangential beams, anteroposterior: 20° for the right breast and 340° for the left breast, and posteroanterior: 181° for the right breast and 179° for the left breast. A field in field in medial-lateral beam and additional fields were added to reduce hot spot areas and extra-target-tissue irradiation and to improve dose distribution. The percentage of PTV receiving 95% of the prescribed dose (PTV V95%), percentage of PTV receiving 105% of the prescribed dose (PTV V105%), maximal dose to PTV (PTV Dmax), homogeneity index (HI) and conformity index were recorded. V10%, V20%, V105% and V107% of a "proper" normal tissue structure (body-PTV healthy tissue) were recorded. Statistical analyses were performed using SYSTAT v.12.0 (SPSS, Chicago, IL). In 38 patients included, S5F improved HI (8.4 vs 10.1; p ≤ 0.001) and significantly reduced PTV Dmax and PTV V105%. The extra-target-tissue irradiation was significantly reduced using S5F for V105% (cm(3)) and V107% (cm(3)) with a very high difference in tissue irradiation (46.6 vs 3.0 cm(3), p ≤ 0.001 for V105% and 12.2 vs 0.0 cm(3), p ≤ 0.001 for V107% for tangential field and S5F plans, respectively). Only a slight increase in low-dose extra-target-tissue irradiation (V10%) was observed (2.2719 vs 1.8261 cm(3), p = 0.002). The S5F technique in patients with large breast or high BMI increases HI and decreases hot spots in extra-target-tissues and can therefore be easily implemented in breast cancer

  4. Three-dimensional intrafractional internal target motions in accelerated partial breast irradiation using three-dimensional conformal external beam radiotherapy.

    PubMed

    Hirata, Kimiko; Yoshimura, Michio; Mukumoto, Nobutaka; Nakamura, Mitsuhiro; Inoue, Minoru; Sasaki, Makoto; Fujimoto, Takahiro; Yano, Shinsuke; Nakata, Manabu; Mizowaki, Takashi; Hiraoka, Masahiro

    2017-07-01

    We evaluated three-dimensional intrafractional target motion, divided into respiratory-induced motion and baseline drift, in accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI). Paired fluoroscopic images were acquired simultaneously using orthogonal kV X-ray imaging systems at pre- and post-treatment for 23 patients who underwent APBI with external beam radiotherapy. The internal target motion was calculated from the surgical clips placed around the tumour cavity. The peak-to-peak respiratory-induced motions ranged from 0.6 to 1.5mm in all directions. A systematic baseline drift of 1.5mm towards the posterior direction and a random baseline drift of 0.3mm in the lateral-medial and cranial-caudal directions were observed. The baseline for an outer tumour cavity drifted towards the lateral and posterior directions, and that for an upper tumour cavity drifted towards the cranial direction. Moderate correlations were observed between the posterior baseline drift and the patients' physical characteristics. The posterior margin for intrafractional uncertainties was larger than 5mm in patients with greater fat thickness due to the baseline drift. The magnitude of the intrafractional motion was not uniform according to the direction, patients' physical characteristics, or tumour cavity location due to the baseline drift. Therefore, the intrafractional systematic movement should be properly managed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Post-irradiation examinations of THERMHET composite fuels for transmutation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Noirot, J.; Desgranges, L.; Chauvin, N.; Georgenthum, V.

    2003-07-01

    The thermal behaviour of composite targets dedicated to minor actinide transmutation was studied using THERMHET (thermal behaviour of heterogeneous fuel) irradiation in the SILOE reactor. Three inert matrix fuel designs were tested (macro-mass, jingle and microdispersion) all with a MgAl 2O 4 spinel inert matrix and around 40% weight of UO 2 to simulate minor actinide inclusions. The post-irradiation examinations led to a new interpretation of the temperature measurement by thermocouples located in the central hole of the pellets. A major change in the micro-dispersed structure was detected. The examinations enabled us to understand the behaviour of the spinel during the different stages of irradiation. They revealed an amorphisation at low temperature and then a nano re-crystallisation at high temperature of the spinel in the micro-dispersed case. These results, together with those obtained in the MATINA irradiation of an equivalent structure, show the importance of the irradiation temperature on spinel behaviour.

  6. HST PanCET Program: A Cloudy Atmosphere for the Promising JWST Target WASP-101b

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wakeford, H. R.; Mandell, A.; Stevenson, K. B.

    We present results from the first observations of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Panchromatic Comparative Exoplanet Treasury program for WASP-101b, a highly inflated hot Jupiter and one of the community targets proposed for the James Webb Space Telescope ( JWST ) Early Release Science (ERS) program. From a single HST Wide Field Camera 3 observation, we find that the near-infrared transmission spectrum of WASP-101b contains no significant H{sub 2}O absorption features and we rule out a clear atmosphere at 13 σ . Therefore, WASP-101b is not an optimum target for a JWST ERS program aimed at observing strong molecular transmissionmore » features. We compare WASP-101b to the well-studied and nearly identical hot Jupiter WASP-31b. These twin planets show similar temperature–pressure profiles and atmospheric features in the near-infrared. We suggest exoplanets in the same parameter space as WASP-101b and WASP-31b will also exhibit cloudy transmission spectral features. For future HST exoplanet studies, our analysis also suggests that a lower count limit needs to be exceeded per pixel on the detector in order to avoid unwanted instrumental systematics.« less

  7. Identification of irradiated refrigerated poultry with the DNA comet assay

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Villavicencio, A. L. C. H.; Araújo, M. M.; Marin-Huachaca, N. S.; Mancini-Filho, J.; Delincée, H.

    2004-09-01

    Food irradiation could make a significant contribution to the reduction of food-borne diseases caused by harmful bacteria such as Salmonella and parasites. In fact these organisms cause an increasing number of diseases and eventually deaths all over the world, also in industrialized countries. Radiation processing has the advantage that in addition to eliminating pathogens, thereby enhancing food safety, it also extends shelf life through destruction of spoilage organisms. The DNA molecule because of its big size is an easy target for ionizing radiation, therefore, changes in DNA offer potential to be used as a detection method for the irradiation treatment. In our study, poultry has been irradiated and changes in DNA analyzed by the Comet Assay. Samples were packed in plastic bags and irradiated. Doses were 0, 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5kGy. Immediately after irradiation the samples were returned to the refrigerator (4°C). Samples were analyzed 1 and 10 days after irradiation. This method proved to be an inexpensive and rapid screening technique for qualitative detection of irradiation treatment.

  8. Therapeutic targeting of epithelial plasticity programs – Focus on the epithelial-mesenchymal transition

    PubMed Central

    Malek, Reem; Wang, Hailun; Taparra, Kekoa; Tran, Phuoc T.

    2017-01-01

    Mounting data points to epithelial plasticity programs such as the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) as clinically relevant therapeutic targets for the treatment of malignant tumors. In addition to the widely realized role of EMT in increasing cancer cell invasiveness during cancer metastasis, the EMT has also been implicated in allowing cancer cells to avoid tumor suppressor pathways during early tumorigenesis. In addition, data linking EMT to innate and acquired treatment resistance further points towards the desire to develop pharmacological therapies to target epithelial plasticity in cancer. In this review we organized our discussion on pathways and agents that can be used to target the EMT in cancer into three groups: (1) extracellular inducers of EMT; (2) the transcription factors that orchestrate the EMT transcriptome; and, (3) the downstream effectors of EMT. We highlight only briefly specific canonical pathways known to be involved in EMT such as the signal transduction pathways TGFβ, EFGR and Axl-Gas6. We emphasize in more detail pathways that are we believe are emerging novel pathways and therapeutic targets such as epigenetic therapies, glycosylation pathways and immunotherapy. The heterogeneity of tumors and the dynamic nature of epithelial plasticity in cancer cells make it likely that targeting only one EMT related process will be unsuccessful or only transiently successful. We suggest with greater understanding of epithelial plasticity regulation such as with the EMT, a more systematic targeting of multiple EMT regulatory networks will be the best path forward to improve cancer outcomes. PMID:28214899

  9. The RaDIATE High-Energy Proton Materials Irradiation Experiment at the Brookhaven Linac Isotope Producer Facility

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ammigan, Kavin; et al.

    The RaDIATE collaboration (Radiation Damage In Accelerator Target Environments) was founded in 2012 to bring together the high-energy accelerator target and nuclear materials communities to address the challenging issue of radiation damage effects in beam-intercepting materials. Success of current and future high intensity accelerator target facilities requires a fundamental understanding of these effects including measurement of materials property data. Toward this goal, the RaDIATE collaboration organized and carried out a materials irradiation run at the Brookhaven Linac Isotope Producer facility (BLIP). The experiment utilized a 181 MeV proton beam to irradiate several capsules, each containing many candidate material samples formore » various accelerator components. Materials included various grades/alloys of beryllium, graphite, silicon, iridium, titanium, TZM, CuCrZr, and aluminum. Attainable peak damage from an 8-week irradiation run ranges from 0.03 DPA (Be) to 7 DPA (Ir). Helium production is expected to range from 5 appm/DPA (Ir) to 3,000 appm/DPA (Be). The motivation, experimental parameters, as well as the post-irradiation examination plans of this experiment are described.« less

  10. Image-guided total marrow and total lymphatic irradiation using helical tomotherapy

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Schultheiss, Timothy E.; Wong, Jeffrey; Liu, An

    2007-03-15

    Purpose: To develop a treatment technique to spare normal tissue and allow dose escalation in total body irradiation (TBI). We have developed intensity-modulated radiotherapy techniques for the total marrow irradiation (TMI), total lymphatic irradiation, or total bone marrow plus lymphatic irradiation using helical tomotherapy. Methods and Materials: For TBI, we typically use 12 Gy in 10 fractions delivered at an extended source-to-surface distance (SSD). Using helical tomotherapy, it is possible to deliver equally effective doses to the bone marrow and lymphatics while sparing normal organs to a significant degree. In the TMI patients, whole body skeletal bone, including the ribsmore » and sternum, comprise the treatment target. In the total lymphatic irradiation, the target is expanded to include the spleen and major lymph node areas. Sanctuary sites for disease (brain and testes) are included when clinically indicated. Spared organs include the lungs, esophagus, parotid glands, eyes, oral cavity, liver, kidneys, stomach, small and large intestine, bladder, and ovaries. Results: With TBI, all normal organs received the TBI dose; with TMI, total lymphatic irradiation, and total bone marrow plus lymphatic irradiation, the visceral organs are spared. For the first 6 patients treated with TMI, the median dose to organs at risk averaged 51% lower than would be achieved with TBI. By putting greater weight on the avoidance of specific organs, greater sparing was possible. Conclusion: Sparing of normal tissues and dose escalation is possible using helical tomotherapy. Late effects such as radiation pneumonitis, veno-occlusive disease, cataracts, neurocognitive effects, and the development of second tumors should be diminished in severity and frequency according to the dose reduction realized for the organs at risk.« less

  11. The impact of a conditional cash transfer program on the utilization of non-targeted services: Evidence from Afghanistan.

    PubMed

    Witvorapong, Nopphol; Foshanji, Abo Ismael

    2016-03-01

    While existing research suggests that health-related conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs have positive impacts on the utilization of CCT-targeted health services, little is known as to whether they also influence the utilization of non-targeted health services-defined as general health services for which program participants are not financially motivated. Based on a sample of 6649 households in a CCT program that took place in May 2009-June 2011 in Afghanistan, we evaluate the impact of the receipt of CCTs on the utilization of non-targeted health services both by women, who were direct beneficiaries of the program, and by members of their households. We estimate the outcomes of interest through four probit models, accounting for potential endogeneity of the CCT receipt and dealing with lack of credible exclusion restrictions in different ways. In comparison with the control group, the receipt of CCTs is found to be associated with an increase in the probability of utilizing non-targeted services among household members across regression models. The results are mixed, with regard to the utilization by women, suggesting that there exist non-economic barriers to health care, unique to women, that are not captured by the data. The results confirm the importance of accounting for direct as well as indirect effects in policy evaluation and suggest that future studies investigate more deeply the role of community health workers in removing non-economic barriers for Afghan women and the possibility of introducing an incentive structure to motivate them to contribute more actively to population health in Afghanistan. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Can involved-field irradiation replace elective nodal irradiation in chemoradiotherapy for esophageal cancer? A systematic review and meta-analysis

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Xiaoyue; Miao, Chuanwang; Chen, Zhen; Li, Wanhu; Yuan, Shuanghu; Yu, Jinming; Hu, Xudong

    2017-01-01

    Chemoradiotherapy is the most common treatment for inoperable esophageal cancer. However, there is no consensus on the delineation of the clinical target volume. Elective nodal irradiation (ENI) is recommended for inoperable esophageal cancer. A few studies have reported a decrease in the incidence of radiation-related toxicity of involved-field irradiation (IFI) for esophageal cancer. A systematic review and pooled analysis were performed to determine whether IFI in definitive chemoradiotherapy was more beneficial than ENI for esophageal cancer. The results showed no significant differences in the overall survival and local control rates between the IFI and ENI arms. Meanwhile, the incidences of esophageal and lung toxicities were significantly decreased in the IFI arm. These results suggest that IFI is a feasible treatment option for locally advanced esophageal cancer, especially to minimize irradiation-related toxicity. PMID:28442917

  13. A I-V analysis of irradiated Gallium Arsenide solar cells

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Heulenberg, A.; Maurer, R. H.; Kinnison, J. D.

    1991-01-01

    A computer program was used to analyze the illuminated I-V characteristics of four sets of gallium arsenide (GaAs) solar cells irradiated with 1-MeV electrons and 10-MeV protons. It was concluded that junction regions (J sub r) dominate nearly all GaAs cells tested, except for irradiated Mitsubishi cells, which appear to have a different doping profile. Irradiation maintains or increases the dominance by J sub r. Proton irradiation increases J sub r more than does electron irradiation. The U.S. cells were optimized for beginning of life (BOL) and the Japanese for end of life (EOL). I-V analysis indicates ways of improving both the BOL and EOL performance of GaAs solar cells.

  14. [Alterations of glial fibrillary acidic protein in rat brain after gamma knife irradiation].

    PubMed

    Ma, Z M; Jiang, B; Ma, J R

    2001-08-28

    To study glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunoreactivity in different time and water content of the rat brain treated with gamma knife radiotherapy and to understand the alteration course of the brain lesion after a single high dose radiosurgical treatment. In the brains of the normal rats were irradiated by gamma knife with 160 Gy-high dose. The irradiated rats were then killed on the 1st day, 7th day, 14th day, and 28th day after radiotherapy, respectively. The positive cells of GFAP in brain tissue were detected by immunostaining; the water content of the brain tissue was measured by microgravimetry. The histological study of the irradiated brain tissue was performed with H.E. and examined under light microscope. The numbers of GFAP-positive astrocytes began to increase on the 1st day after gamma knife irradiation. It was enlarged markedly in the number and size of GFAP-stained astrocytes over the irradiated areas. Up to the 28th day, circumscribed necrosis foci (4 mm in diameter) was seen in the central area of the target. In the brain tissue around the necrosis, GFAP-positive astrocytes significantly increased (P < 0.01, compared with the control group). The swelling of cells in irradiated region was observed on the 1st day; after irradiation endothelial cells degenerated and red blood cells escaped from blood vessel on the 7th day; leakage of Evans blue dye was observed in the target region on the 14th day. There was a significant decrease of specific gravity in the irradiated brain tissue the 14th and 28th day after irradiation. The results suggest that GFAP can be used as a marker for the radiation-induced brain injury. The brain edema and disruption of brain-blood barrier can be occurred during the acute stage after irradiation.

  15. Production of sodium-22 from proton irradiated aluminum

    DOEpatents

    Taylor, Wayne A.; Heaton, Richard C.; Jamriska, David J.

    1996-01-01

    A process for selective separation of sodium-22 from a proton irradiated minum target including dissolving a proton irradiated aluminum target in hydrochloric acid to form a first solution including aluminum ions and sodium ions, separating a portion of the aluminum ions from the first solution by crystallization of an aluminum salt, contacting the remaining first solution with an anion exchange resin whereby ions selected from the group consisting of iron and copper are selectively absorbed by the anion exchange resin while aluminum ions and sodium ions remain in solution, contacting the solution with an cation exchange resin whereby aluminum ions and sodium ions are adsorbed by the cation exchange resin, and, contacting the cation exchange resin with an acid solution capable of selectively separating the adsorbed sodium ions from the cation exchange resin while aluminum ions remain adsorbed on the cation exchange resin is disclosed.

  16. Laser irradiation effects on the surface, structural and mechanical properties of Al-Cu alloy 2024

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yousaf, Daniel; Bashir, Shazia; Akram, Mahreen; kalsoom, Umm-i.-; Ali, Nisar

    2014-02-01

    Laser irradiation effects on surface, structural and mechanical properties of Al-Cu-Mg alloy (Al-Cu alloy 2024) have been investigated. The specimens were irradiated for various fluences ranging from 3.8 to 5.5 J/cm2 using an Excimer (KrF) laser (248 nm, 18 ns, 30 Hz) under vacuum environment. The surface and structural modifications of the irradiated targets have been investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffractometer (XRD), respectively. SEM analysis reveals the formation of micro-sized craters along the growth of periodic surface structures (ripples) at their peripheries. The size of the craters initially increases and then decreases by increasing the laser fluence. XRD analysis shows an anomalous trend in the peak intensity and crystallite size of the specimen irradiated for various fluences. A universal tensile testing machine and Vickers microhardness tester were employed in order to investigate the mechanical properties of the irradiated targets. The changes in yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and microhardness were found to be anomalous with increasing laser fluences. The changes in the surface and structural properties of Al-Cu alloy 2024 after laser irradiation have been associated with the changes in mechanical properties.

  17. A forced-convection gas target for the production of [11C]CH4.

    PubMed

    Uittenbosch, T; Buckley, K; Ruth, T; Martinez, D M; Hoehr, C

    2018-06-15

    A forced-convection gas target for the production of [ 11 C]CH 4 on a 13 MeV cyclotron was constructed and tested. A small fan was incorporated into the back of the target, which mixes the target gas during irradiation. The effect of the forced convection alone on the target operation and the [ 11 C]CH 4 yield was measured. Forced convection improved the target yield by up to 16 ± 4%. In addition, improvement in heat transfer of up to 70% was observed to be a function of fan speed. Operating with forced convection allowed delivery of 21% higher beam currents while still staying in the acceptable pressure rise during irradiation, providing a 25 ± 7% greater yield. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Liver irradiation causes distal bystander effects in the rat brain and affects animal behaviour.

    PubMed

    Kovalchuk, Anna; Mychasiuk, Richelle; Muhammad, Arif; Hossain, Shakhawat; Ilnytskyy, Slava; Ghose, Abhijit; Kirkby, Charles; Ghasroddashti, Esmaeel; Kovalchuk, Olga; Kolb, Bryan

    2016-01-26

    Radiation therapy can not only produce effects on targeted organs, but can also influence shielded bystander organs, such as the brain in targeted liver irradiation. The brain is sensitive to radiation exposure, and irradiation causes significant neuro-cognitive deficits, including deficits in attention, concentration, memory, and executive and visuospatial functions. The mechanisms of their occurrence are not understood, although they may be related to the bystander effects.We analyzed the induction, mechanisms, and behavioural repercussions of bystander effects in the brain upon liver irradiation in a well-established rat model.Here, we show for the first time that bystander effects occur in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus regions upon liver irradiation, where they manifest as altered gene expression and somewhat increased levels of γH2AX. We also report that bystander effects in the brain are associated with neuroanatomical and behavioural changes, and are more pronounced in females than in males.

  19. Liver irradiation causes distal bystander effects in the rat brain and affects animal behaviour

    PubMed Central

    Kovalchuk, Anna; Mychasiuk, Richelle; Muhammad, Arif; Hossain, Shakhawat; Ilnytskyy, Slava; Ghose, Abhijit; Kirkby, Charles; Ghasroddashti, Esmaeel; Kovalchuk, Olga; Kolb, Bryan

    2016-01-01

    Radiation therapy can not only produce effects on targeted organs, but can also influence shielded bystander organs, such as the brain in targeted liver irradiation. The brain is sensitive to radiation exposure, and irradiation causes significant neuro-cognitive deficits, including deficits in attention, concentration, memory, and executive and visuospatial functions. The mechanisms of their occurrence are not understood, although they may be related to the bystander effects. We analyzed the induction, mechanisms, and behavioural repercussions of bystander effects in the brain upon liver irradiation in a well-established rat model. Here, we show for the first time that bystander effects occur in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus regions upon liver irradiation, where they manifest as altered gene expression and somewhat increased levels of γH2AX. We also report that bystander effects in the brain are associated with neuroanatomical and behavioural changes, and are more pronounced in females than in males. PMID:26678032

  20. The role of repair in the survival of mammalian cells from heavy ion irradiation - Approximation to the ideal case of target theory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lett, J. T.; Cox, A. B.; Story, M. D.

    1989-01-01

    Experiments are discussed in which the cell-cycle dependency of the repair deficiency of the S/S variant of the L5178Y murine leukemic lymphoblast was examined by treatment with the heavy ions, Ne-20, Si-28, Ar-40, Fe-56, and Nb-93. Evidence from those studies provide support for the notion that as the linear energy transfer of the incident radiation increases the ability of the S/S cell to repair radiation damage decreases until it is eliminated around 500 keV/micron. In the region of the latter linear energy transfer value, the behavior of the S/S cell approximates the ideal case of target theory where post-irradiation metabolism does not influence cell survival.

  1. Neutronics performance and activation calculation of dense tungsten granular target for China-ADS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Yaling; Li, Jianyang; Zhang, Xunchao; Cai, Hanjie; Yan, Xuesong; Yu, Lin; Fu, Fen; Lin, Ping; Gao, Xiaofei; Zhang, Zhilei; Zhang, Yanshi; Yang, Lei

    2017-11-01

    Spallation target, which constitutes the physical and functional interface between the high power accelerator and the subcritical core, is one of the most important components in Accelerator Driven Subcritical System (ADS). In this paper, we investigated the neutronics performance, the radiation damage and the activation of dense tungsten granular flow spallation target by using the Monte Carlo programs GMT and FLUKA at the proton energy of 250 MeV with a beam current of 10 mA . First, the leaking neutron yield, leaking neutron energy spectrum and laterally leaking neutron distribution at several time nodes and with different target parameters are explored. After that, the displacement per atom (DPA) and the helium/hydrogen production for tungsten grains and structural materials with stainless steel 316L are estimated. Finally, the radioactivity, residual dose rate and afterheat of granular target are presented. Results indicate that granule diameter below 1 cm and the beam profile diameter have negligible impact on neutronics performance, while the target diameter and volume fraction of grain have notable influence. The maximum DPA for target vessel (beam tube) is about 1.0 (1.6) DPA/year in bare target, and increased to 2.6 (2.8) DPA/year in fission environment. Average DPA for tungsten grains is relatively low. The decline rate of radioactivity and afterheat with cooling time grows with the decrease of the irradiation time.

  2. Design and Status of RERTR Irradiation Tests in the Advanced Test Reactor

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Daniel M. Wachs; Richard G. Ambrosek; Gray Chang

    2006-10-01

    Irradiation testing of U-Mo based fuels is the central component of the Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors (RERTR) program fuel qualification plan. Several RERTR tests have recently been completed or are planned for irradiation in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) located at the Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho Falls, ID. Four mini-plate experiments in various stages of completion are described in detail, including the irradiation test design, objectives, and irradiation conditions. Observations made during and after the in-reactor RERTR-7A experiment breach are summarized. The irradiation experiment design and planned irradiation conditions for full-size plate test are described. Progressmore » toward element testing will be reviewed.« less

  3. Image irradiance distribution in the 3MI wide field of view polarimeter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gabrieli, Riccardo; Bartoli, Alessandro; Maiorano, Michele; Bruno, Umberto; Olivieri, Monica; Calamai, Luciano; Manolis, Ilias; Labate, Demetrio

    2015-09-01

    The Multi-Viewing, Multi-Channel, Multi-Polarisation Imager (3MI) is an imaging radiometer for the ESA/Eumetsat MeteOp-SG programme. Based on the heritage of the POLDER/PARASOL instrument, 3MI is designed to collect global observations of the top-of-atmosphere polarised bi-directional reflectance distribution function in 12 spectral bands, by observing the same target from multiple views using a pushbroom scanning concept. The demanding challenge of the 3MI optical design is represented by the polarisation and image irradiance fall-off (throughput uniformity) requirements. In a generic optical system, the image irradiance fall-off is a function of: target radiance distribution and polarisation, entrance pupil size and optical transmittance variations across the field of view (FOV), distortion and vignetting. In most applications these aspects can be considered as independent; however, when high image irradiance uniformity is required, they have to be considered as linked together. This is particularly true in case of a wide FOV polarimeter as 3MI is. In order to properly account for these aspects, an irradiance fall-off analytical model has been developed in the frame of 3MI Optics Pre-Development (OPD), whose aim is to mitigate any technological risks associated with the 3MI instrument development. It is shown how it is possible to control the image irradiance distribution acting on optical design parameters (e.g. distortion and entrance pupil size variation with FOV). Moreover, the impact of polarisation performances on irradiance fall-off is discussed.

  4. Damage evaluation of proton irradiated titanium deuteride thin films to be used as neutron production targets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suarez Anzorena, Manuel; Bertolo, Alma A.; Gagetti, Leonardo; Gaviola, Pedro A.; del Grosso, Mariela F.; Kreiner, Andrés J.

    2018-06-01

    Titanium deuteride thin films have been manufactured under different conditions specified by deuterium gas pressure, substrate temperature and time. The films were characterized by different techniques to evaluate the deuterium content and the homogeneity of such films. Samples with different concentrations of deuterium, including non deuterated samples, were irradiated with a 150 keV proton beam. Both deposits, pristine and irradiated, were characterized by optical profilometry and scanning electron microscopy.

  5. A new three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) technique for large breast and/or high body mass index patients: evaluation of a novel fields assessment aimed to reduce extra–target-tissue irradiation

    PubMed Central

    Stimato, Gerardina; Ippolito, Edy; Silipigni, Sonia; Venanzio, Cristina Di; Gaudino, Diego; Fiore, Michele; Trodella, Lucio; D'Angelillo, Rolando Maria; Ramella, Sara

    2016-01-01

    Objective: To develop an alternative three-dimensional treatment plan with standardized fields class solution for whole-breast radiotherapy in patients with large/pendulous breast and/or high body mass index (BMI). Methods: Two treatment plans [tangential fields and standardized five-fields technique (S5F)] for a total dose of 50 Gy/25 fractions were generated for patients with large breasts [planning target volume (PTV) >1000 cm3 and/or BMI >25 kg m−2], supine positioned. S5F plans consist of two wedged tangential beams, anteroposterior: 20° for the right breast and 340° for the left breast, and posteroanterior: 181° for the right breast and 179° for the left breast. A field in field in medial–lateral beam and additional fields were added to reduce hot spot areas and extra–target-tissue irradiation and to improve dose distribution. The percentage of PTV receiving 95% of the prescribed dose (PTV V95%), percentage of PTV receiving 105% of the prescribed dose (PTV V105%), maximal dose to PTV (PTV Dmax), homogeneity index (HI) and conformity index were recorded. V10%, V20%, V105% and V107% of a “proper” normal tissue structure (body-PTV healthy tissue) were recorded. Statistical analyses were performed using SYSTAT v.12.0 (SPSS, Chicago, IL). Results: In 38 patients included, S5F improved HI (8.4 vs 10.1; p ≤ 0.001) and significantly reduced PTV Dmax and PTV V105%. The extra–target-tissue irradiation was significantly reduced using S5F for V105% (cm3) and V107% (cm3) with a very high difference in tissue irradiation (46.6 vs 3.0 cm3, p ≤ 0.001 for V105% and 12.2 vs 0.0 cm3, p ≤ 0.001 for V107% for tangential field and S5F plans, respectively). Only a slight increase in low-dose extra–target-tissue irradiation (V10%) was observed (2.2719 vs 1.8261 cm3, p = 0.002). Conclusion: The S5F technique in patients with large breast or high BMI increases HI and decreases hot spots in extra-target-tissues and can therefore be

  6. A Program for Iron Economy during Deficiency Targets Specific Fe Proteins.

    PubMed

    Hantzis, Laura J; Kroh, Gretchen E; Jahn, Courtney E; Cantrell, Michael; Peers, Graham; Pilon, Marinus; Ravet, Karl

    2018-01-01

    Iron (Fe) is an essential element for plants, utilized in nearly every cellular process. Because the adjustment of uptake under Fe limitation cannot satisfy all demands, plants need to acclimate their physiology and biochemistry, especially in their chloroplasts, which have a high demand for Fe. To investigate if a program exists for the utilization of Fe under deficiency, we analyzed how hydroponically grown Arabidopsis ( Arabidopsis thaliana ) adjusts its physiology and Fe protein composition in vegetative photosynthetic tissue during Fe deficiency. Fe deficiency first affected photosynthetic electron transport with concomitant reductions in carbon assimilation and biomass production when effects on respiration were not yet significant. Photosynthetic electron transport function and protein levels of Fe-dependent enzymes were fully recovered upon Fe resupply, indicating that the Fe depletion stress did not cause irreversible secondary damage. At the protein level, ferredoxin, the cytochrome- b 6 f complex, and Fe-containing enzymes of the plastid sulfur assimilation pathway were major targets of Fe deficiency, whereas other Fe-dependent functions were relatively less affected. In coordination, SufA and SufB, two proteins of the plastid Fe-sulfur cofactor assembly pathway, were also diminished early by Fe depletion. Iron depletion reduced mRNA levels for the majority of the affected proteins, indicating that loss of enzyme was not just due to lack of Fe cofactors. SufB and ferredoxin were early targets of transcript down-regulation. The data reveal a hierarchy for Fe utilization in photosynthetic tissue and indicate that a program is in place to acclimate to impending Fe deficiency. © 2018 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

  7. Association Between Hospital Penalty Status Under the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program and Readmission Rates for Target and Non-Target Conditions

    PubMed Central

    Desai, Nihar R.; Ross, Joseph S.; Kwon, Ji Young; Herrin, Jeph; Dharmarajan, Kumar; Bernheim, Susannah M.; Krumholz, Harlan M.; Horwitz, Leora I.

    2017-01-01

    Importance Readmission rates declined after announcement of the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP), which penalizes hospitals for excess readmissions for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), heart failure (HF), and pneumonia. Objective To compare trends in readmission rates for target and non-target conditions, stratified by hospital penalty status. Design, Setting, Participants Retrospective cohort study of 48,137,102 hospitalizations of 20,351,161 Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries over 64 years discharged between January 1, 2008 and June 30, 2015 from 3,497 hospitals. Difference interrupted time series models were used to compare trends in readmission rates by condition and penalty status. Exposure Hospital penalty status or target condition under the HRRP. Outcome 30-day risk adjusted, all-cause unplanned readmission rates for target and non-target conditions. Results In January 2008, the mean readmission rates for AMI, HF, pneumonia and non-target conditions were 21.9%, 27.5%, 20.1%, and 18.4% respectively at hospitals later subject to financial penalties (n=2,189) and 18.7%, 24.2%, 17.4%, and 15.7% at hospitals not subject to penalties (n=1,283). Between January 2008 and March 2010, prior to HRRP announcement, readmission rates were stable across hospitals (except AMI at non-penalty hospitals). Following announcement of HRRP (March 2010), readmission rates for both target and non-target conditions declined significantly faster for patients at hospitals later subject to financial penalties compared with those at non-penalized hospitals (AMI, additional decrease of −1.24 (95% CI, −1.84, −0.65) percentage points per year relative to non-penalty discharges; HF, −1.25 (−1.64, −0.65); pneumonia, −1.37 (−0.95, −1.80); non-target, −0.27 (−0.38, −0.17); p<0.001 for all). For penalty hospitals, readmission rates for target conditions declined significantly faster compared with non-target conditions (AMI: additional decline of −0

  8. A simple and rapid technique for radiochemical separation of iodine radionuclides from irradiated tellurium using an activated charcoal column.

    PubMed

    Chattopadhyay, Sankha; Saha Das, Sujata

    2009-10-01

    A simple and inexpensive method for the separation of medically useful no-carrier-added (nca) iodine radionuclides from bulk amounts of irradiated tellurium dioxide (TeO(2)) target was developed. The beta(-) emitting (131)I radionuclide, produced by the decay of (131)Te through the (nat)Te(n, gamma)(131)Te nuclear reaction, was used for standardization of the radiochemical separation procedure. The radiochemical separation was performed by precipitation followed by column (activated charcoal) chromatography. Quantitative post-irradiation recovery of the TeO(2) target material (98-99%), in a form suitable for reuse in future irradiations, was achieved. The overall radiochemical yield for the complete separation of (131)I was 75-85% (n=8). The separated nca (131)I was of high, approximately 99%, radionuclidic and radiochemical purities and did not contain detectable amounts of the target material. This method can be adopted for the radiochemical separation of other different iodine radionuclides produced from tellurium matrices through cyclotron as well as reactor irradiation.

  9. Assembly and Delivery of Rabbit Capsules for Irradiation of Silicon Carbide Cladding Tube Specimens in the High Flux Isotope Reactor

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Koyanagi, Takaaki; Petrie, Christian M.

    Neutron irradiation of silicon carbide (SiC)-based fuel cladding under a high radial heat flux presents a critical challenge for SiC cladding concepts in light water reactors (LWRs). Fission heating in the fuel provides a high heat flux through the cladding, which, combined with the degraded thermal conductivity of SiC under irradiation, results in a large temperature gradient through the thickness of the cladding. The strong temperature dependence of swelling in SiC creates a complex stress profile in SiCbased cladding tubes as a result of differential swelling. The Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF) Program within the US Department of Energy Officemore » of Nuclear Energy is supporting research efforts to improve the scientific understanding of the effects of irradiation on SiC cladding tubes. Ultimately, the results of this project will provide experimental validation of multi-physics models for SiC-based fuel cladding during LWR operation. The first objective of this project is to irradiate tube specimens using a previously developed design that allows for irradiation testing of miniature SiC tube specimens subjected to a high radial heat flux. The previous “rabbit” capsule design uses the gamma heating in the core of the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) to drive a high heat flux through the cladding tube specimens. A compressible aluminum foil allows for a constant thermal contact conductance between the cladding tubes and the rabbit housing despite swelling of the SiC tubes. To allow separation of the effects of irradiation from those due to differential swelling under a high heat flux, a new design was developed under the NSUF program. This design allows for irradiation of similar SiC cladding tube specimens without a high radial heat flux. This report briefly describes the irradiation experiment design concepts, summarizes the irradiation test matrix, and reports on the successful delivery of six rabbit capsules to the HFIR. Rabbits of both low

  10. The accomplishments of lithium target and test facility validation activities in the IFMIF/EVEDA phase

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arbeiter, Frederik; Baluc, Nadine; Favuzza, Paolo; Gröschel, Friedrich; Heidinger, Roland; Ibarra, Angel; Knaster, Juan; Kanemura, Takuji; Kondo, Hiroo; Massaut, Vincent; Saverio Nitti, Francesco; Miccichè, Gioacchino; O'hira, Shigeru; Rapisarda, David; Sugimoto, Masayoshi; Wakai, Eiichi; Yokomine, Takehiko

    2018-01-01

    As part of the engineering validation and engineering design activities (EVEDA) phase for the international fusion materials irradiation facility IFMIF, major elements of a lithium target facility and the test facility were designed, prototyped and validated. For the lithium target facility, the EVEDA lithium test loop was built at JAEA and used to test the stability (waves and long term) of the lithium flow in the target, work out the startup procedures, and test lithium purification and analysis. It was confirmed by experiments in the Lifus 6 plant at ENEA that lithium corrosion on ferritic martensitic steels is acceptably low. Furthermore, complex remote handling procedures for the remote maintenance of the target in the test cell environment were successfully practiced. For the test facility, two variants of a high flux test module were prototyped and tested in helium loops, demonstrating their good capabilities of maintaining the material specimens at the desired temperature with a low temperature spread. Irradiation tests were performed for heated specimen capsules and irradiation instrumentation in the BR2 reactor at SCK-CEN. The small specimen test technique, essential for obtaining material test results with limited irradiation volume, was advanced by evaluating specimen shape and test technique influences.

  11. Sterility and Sexual Competitiveness of Tapachula-7 Anastrepha ludens Males Irradiated at Different Doses.

    PubMed

    Orozco-Dávila, Dina; Adriano-Anaya, Maria de Lourdes; Quintero-Fong, Luis; Salvador-Figueroa, Miguel

    2015-01-01

    A genetic sexing strain of Anastrepha ludens (Loew), Tapachula-7, was developed by the Mexican Program Against Fruit Flies to produce and release only males in programs where the sterile insect technique (SIT) is applied. Currently, breeding are found at a massive scale, and it is necessary to determine the optimum irradiation dose that releases sterile males with minimum damage to their sexual competitiveness. Under laboratory and field conditions, we evaluated the effects of gamma irradiation at doses of 0, 20, 40, 60 and 80 Gy on the sexual competitiveness of males, the induction of sterility in wild females and offspring survivorship. The results of the study indicate that irradiation doses have a significant effect on the sexual behavior of males. A reduction of mating capacity was inversely proportional to the irradiation dose of males. It is estimated that a dose of 60 Gy can induce more than 99% sterility in wild females. In all treatments, the degree of offspring fertility was correlated with the irradiation dose of the parents. In conclusion, the results of the study indicate that a dose of 60 Gy can be applied in sterile insect technique release programs. The application of this dose in the new genetic sexing strain of A. ludens is discussed.

  12. Sterility and Sexual Competitiveness of Tapachula-7 Anastrepha ludens Males Irradiated at Different Doses

    PubMed Central

    Orozco-Dávila, Dina; Adriano-Anaya, Maria de Lourdes; Quintero-Fong, Luis; Salvador-Figueroa, Miguel

    2015-01-01

    A genetic sexing strain of Anastrepha ludens (Loew), Tapachula-7, was developed by the Mexican Program Against Fruit Flies to produce and release only males in programs where the sterile insect technique (SIT) is applied. Currently, breeding are found at a massive scale, and it is necessary to determine the optimum irradiation dose that releases sterile males with minimum damage to their sexual competitiveness. Under laboratory and field conditions, we evaluated the effects of gamma irradiation at doses of 0, 20, 40, 60 and 80 Gy on the sexual competitiveness of males, the induction of sterility in wild females and offspring survivorship. The results of the study indicate that irradiation doses have a significant effect on the sexual behavior of males. A reduction of mating capacity was inversely proportional to the irradiation dose of males. It is estimated that a dose of 60 Gy can induce more than 99% sterility in wild females. In all treatments, the degree of offspring fertility was correlated with the irradiation dose of the parents. In conclusion, the results of the study indicate that a dose of 60 Gy can be applied in sterile insect technique release programs. The application of this dose in the new genetic sexing strain of A. ludens is discussed. PMID:26274926

  13. BWRVIP-140NP: BWR Vessel and Internals Project Fracture Toughness and Crack Growth Program on Irradiated Austenitic Stainless Steel

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gilman, J

    2005-03-15

    To prepare for this project, EPRI and BWRVIP conducted a workshop at Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida during February 19-21, 2003 (EPRI report 1007822). Attendees were invited to exchange relevant information on the effects of irradiation on austenitic materials in light water reactors and to produce recommendations for further work. EPRI reviewed the data, recommendations, and conclusions derived from the workshop and developed prioritized test matrices defining new data needs. Proposals were solicited, and selected proposals are the basis for the program described in this report. Results The planned test matrix for fracture toughness testing includes 21 tests on 5 materials.

  14. Absorption spectra measurements of the x-ray radiation heated SiO2 aerogel plasma in 'dog-bone' targets irradiated by high power laser pulses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Y.; Dong, Q.-L.; Wang, S.-J.; Li, Y.-T.; Zhang, J.; Wei, H.-G.; Shi, J.-R.; Zhao, G.; Zhang, J.-Y.; Wen, T.-S.; Zhang, W.-H.; Hu, X.; Liu, S.-Y.; Ding, Y.-K.; Zhang, L.; Tang, Y.-J.; Zhang, B.-H.; Zheng, Z.-J.; Nishimura, H.; Fujioka, S.; Takabe, H.

    2008-05-01

    We studied the opacity effect of the SiO2 aerogel plasma heated by x-ray radiation produced by high power laser pulses irradiating the inner surface of golden 'dog-bone' targets. The PET crystal spectrometer was used to measure the absorption spectra of the plasmas in the range from 6.4 Å to 7.4 Å, among which the line emissions involving the K shell of Si ions from He-like to neutral atom were located. The experimental results were analyzed with Detailed-Level-Accounting method. As the plasma temperature increased, the characteristic lines of highly ionized ions gradually dominated the absorption spectrum.

  15. Tritium target manufacturing for use in accelerators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bach, P.; Monnin, C.; Van Rompay, M.; Ballanger, A.

    2001-07-01

    As a neutron tube manufacturer, SODERN is now in charge of manufacturing tritium targets for accelerators, in cooperation with CEA/DAM/DTMN in Valduc. Specific deuterium and tritium targets are manufactured on request, according to the requirements of the users, starting from titanium target on copper substrate, and going to more sophisticated devices. A wide range of possible uses is covered, including thin targets for neutron calibration, thick targets with controlled loading of deuterium and tritium, rotating targets for higher lifetimes, or large size rotating targets for accelerators used in boron neutron therapy. Activity of targets lies in the 1 to 1000 Curie, diameter of targets being up to 30 cm. Special targets are also considered, including surface layer targets for lowering tritium desorption under irradiation, or those made from different kinds of occluders such as titanium, zirconium, erbium, scandium, with different substrates. It is then possible to optimize either neutron output, or lifetime and stability, or thermal behavior.

  16. Program Interruptions and Short-Stay Transfers Represent Potential Targets for Inpatient Rehabilitation Care-Improvement Efforts.

    PubMed

    Middleton, Addie; Graham, James E; Krishnan, Shilpa; Ottenbacher, Kenneth J

    2016-11-01

    The objective of this work was to present comprehensive descriptive summaries of program interruptions and short-stay transfers among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries receiving inpatient rehabilitation after stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Retrospective cohort study of Medicare beneficiaries with any of the 3 conditions of interest who were admitted to inpatient rehabilitation directly from an acute hospital between July 1, 2012, and November 15, 2013. In the final sample (stroke, n = 71 769; TBI, n = 7109; SCI, n = 659), program interruption rates were 0.9% (stroke), 0.8% (TBI), and 1.4% (SCI). Short-stay transfer rates were 22.3% (stroke), 21.8% (TBI), and 31.6% (SCI); 14.7% of short-stay transfers and 12.3% of interruptions resulting in a return to acute care were identified as potentially preventable among those with stroke; 10.2% of transfers and 11.7% of interruptions among those with TBI, and 3.8% of transfers and 11.1% of interruptions among those with SCI. Broad health care policies aimed at improving quality and reducing costs are currently being implemented. Reducing program interruptions and short-stay transfers during inpatient rehabilitative care represents a potential target for care-improvement efforts. Future research focused on identifying modifiable risk factors for potentially undesirable outcomes will allow for targeted preventative interventions.

  17. Program interruptions and short-stay transfers represent potential targets for inpatient rehabilitation care-improvement efforts

    PubMed Central

    Middleton, Addie; Graham, James E.; Krishnan, Shilpa; Ottenbacher, Kenneth J.

    2016-01-01

    Objective To present comprehensive descriptive summaries of program interruptions and short-stay transfers among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries receiving inpatient rehabilitation following stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Design Retrospective cohort study of Medicare beneficiaries with any of the three conditions of interest who were admitted to inpatient rehabilitation directly from an acute hospital between July 1, 2012 and November 15, 2013. Results In the final sample (stroke: n=71 769; TBI: n=7109; SCI: n=659), program interruption rates were 0.9% (stroke), 0.8% (TBI), and 1.4% (SCI). Short-stay transfer rates were 22.3% (stroke), 21.8% (TBI), and 31.6% (SCI). 14.7% of short-stay transfers and 12.3% of interruptions resulting in a return to acute care were identified as potentially preventable among those with stroke, 10.2% of transfers and 11.7% of interruptions among those with TBI, and 3.8% of transfers and 11.1% of interruptions among those with SCI. Conclusions Broad healthcare policies aimed at improving quality and reducing costs are currently being implemented. Reducing program interruptions and short-stay transfers during inpatient rehabilitative care represents a potential target for care-improvement efforts. Future research focused on identifying modifiable risk factors for potentially undesirable outcomes will allow for targeted preventative interventions. PMID:27631389

  18. WE-EF-BRA-07: High Performance Preclinical Irradiation Through Optimized Dual Focal Spot Dose Painting and Online Virtual Isocenter Radiation Field Targeting

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Stewart, J; Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, CA; Lindsay, P

    Purpose: Advances in radiotherapy practice facilitated by collimation systems to shape radiation fields and image guidance to target these conformal beams have motivated proposals for more complex dose patterns to improve the therapeutic ratio. Recent progress in small animal radiotherapy platforms has provided the foundation to validate the efficacy of such interventions, but robustly delivering heterogeneous dose distributions at the scale and accuracy demanded by preclinical studies remains challenging. This work proposes a dual focal spot optimization method to paint spatially heterogeneous dose regions and an online virtual isocenter targeting method to accurately target the dose distributions. Methods: Two-dimensional dosemore » kernels were empirically measured for the 1 mm diameter circular collimator with radiochromic film in a solid water phantom for the small and large x-ray focal spots on the X-RAD 225Cx microirradiator. These kernels were used in an optimization framework which determined a set of animal stage positions, beam-on times, and focal spot settings to optimally deliver a given desired dose distribution. An online method was developed which defined a virtual treatment isocenter based on a single image projection of the collimated radiation field. The method was demonstrated by optimization of a 6 mm circular 2 Gy target adjoining a 4 mm semicircular avoidance region. Results: The dual focal spot technique improved the optimized dose distribution with the proportion of avoidance region receiving more than 0.5 Gy reduced by 40% compared to the large focal spot technique. Targeting tests performed by irradiating ball bearing targets on radiochromic film pieced revealed the online targeting method improved the three-dimensional accuracy from 0.48 mm to 0.15 mm. Conclusion: The dual focal spot optimization and online virtual isocenter targeting framework is a robust option for delivering dose at the preclinical level and provides a new

  19. Assessing risks to non-target species during poison baiting programs for feral cats.

    PubMed

    Buckmaster, Tony; Dickman, Christopher R; Johnston, Michael J

    2014-01-01

    Poison baiting is used frequently to reduce the impacts of pest species of mammals on agricultural and biodiversity interests. However, baiting may not be appropriate if non-target species are at risk of poisoning. Here we use a desktop decision tree approach to assess the risks to non-target vertebrate species in Australia that arise from using poison baits developed to control feral house cats (Felis catus). These baits are presented in the form of sausages with toxicant implanted in the bait medium within an acid-soluble polymer capsule (hard shell delivery vehicle, or HSDV) that disintegrates after ingestion. Using criteria based on body size, diet and feeding behaviour, we assessed 221 of Australia's 3,769 native vertebrate species as likely to consume cat-baits, with 47 of these likely to ingest implanted HSDVs too. Carnivorous marsupials were judged most likely to consume both the baits and HSDVs, with some large-bodied and ground-active birds and reptiles also consuming them. If criteria were relaxed, a further 269 species were assessed as possibly able to consume baits and 343 as possibly able to consume HSDVs; most of these consumers were birds. One threatened species, the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) was judged as definitely able to consume baits with implanted HSDVs, whereas five threatened species of birds and 21 species of threatened mammals were rated as possible consumers. Amphibia were not considered to be at risk. We conclude that most species of native Australian vertebrates would not consume surface-laid baits during feral cat control programs, and that significantly fewer would be exposed to poisoning if HSDVs were employed. However, risks to susceptible species should be quantified in field or pen trials prior to the implementation of a control program, and minimized further by applying baits at times and in places where non-target species have little access.

  20. Assessing Risks to Non-Target Species during Poison Baiting Programs for Feral Cats

    PubMed Central

    Buckmaster, Tony; Dickman, Christopher R.; Johnston, Michael J.

    2014-01-01

    Poison baiting is used frequently to reduce the impacts of pest species of mammals on agricultural and biodiversity interests. However, baiting may not be appropriate if non-target species are at risk of poisoning. Here we use a desktop decision tree approach to assess the risks to non-target vertebrate species in Australia that arise from using poison baits developed to control feral house cats (Felis catus). These baits are presented in the form of sausages with toxicant implanted in the bait medium within an acid-soluble polymer capsule (hard shell delivery vehicle, or HSDV) that disintegrates after ingestion. Using criteria based on body size, diet and feeding behaviour, we assessed 221 of Australia's 3,769 native vertebrate species as likely to consume cat-baits, with 47 of these likely to ingest implanted HSDVs too. Carnivorous marsupials were judged most likely to consume both the baits and HSDVs, with some large-bodied and ground-active birds and reptiles also consuming them. If criteria were relaxed, a further 269 species were assessed as possibly able to consume baits and 343 as possibly able to consume HSDVs; most of these consumers were birds. One threatened species, the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) was judged as definitely able to consume baits with implanted HSDVs, whereas five threatened species of birds and 21 species of threatened mammals were rated as possible consumers. Amphibia were not considered to be at risk. We conclude that most species of native Australian vertebrates would not consume surface-laid baits during feral cat control programs, and that significantly fewer would be exposed to poisoning if HSDVs were employed. However, risks to susceptible species should be quantified in field or pen trials prior to the implementation of a control program, and minimized further by applying baits at times and in places where non-target species have little access. PMID:25229348

  1. Programmed death-1 & its ligands: promising targets for cancer immunotherapy.

    PubMed

    Shrimali, Rajeev K; Janik, John E; Abu-Eid, Rasha; Mkrtichyan, Mikayel; Khleif, Samir N

    2015-01-01

    Novel strategies for cancer treatment involving blockade of immune inhibitors have shown significant progress toward understanding the molecular mechanism of tumor immune evasion. The preclinical findings and clinical responses associated with programmed death-1 (PD-1) and PD-ligand pathway blockade seem promising, making these targets highly sought for cancer immunotherapy. In fact, the anti-PD-1 antibodies, pembrolizumab and nivolumab, were recently approved by the US FDA for the treatment of unresectable and metastatic melanoma resistant to anticytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 antibody (ipilimumab) and BRAF inhibitor. Here, we discuss strategies of combining PD-1/PD-ligand interaction inhibitors with other immune checkpoint modulators and standard-of-care therapy to break immune tolerance and induce a potent antitumor activity, which is currently a research area of key scientific pursuit.

  2. Parenting programs during adolescence: Outcomes from universal and targeted interventions offered in real-world settings.

    PubMed

    Alfredsson, Elin K; Thorvaldsson, Valgeir; Axberg, Ulf; Broberg, Anders G

    2018-04-26

    The aim of this naturalistic study was to explore short and long-term outcomes of five different group-based parenting programs offered to parents of 10 to 17-year-olds. Three hundred and fifteen parents (277 mothers and 38 fathers) who had enrolled in a parenting program (universal: Active Parenting, COPE; Connect; targeted: COMET; Leadership training for parents of teenagers [LFT]) answered questionnaires at three measurement waves (baseline, post-measurement, and one-year follow-up). The questions concerned parenting style, parental mental health, family climate and adolescent mental health. Results revealed small to moderate changes in almost all outcome variables and in all parenting programs. Overall, parents in COMET reported the largest short and long-term changes. No substantial differences in change were seen between the other programs. The results support the general effectiveness of parenting programs for parents of adolescents. © 2018 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. Perspective of Muon Production Target at J-PARC MLF MUSE

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Makimura, Shunsuke; Matoba, Shiro; Kawamura, Naritoshi; Matsuzawa, Yukihiro; Tabe, Masato; Aoyagi, Hiroyuki; Kondo, Hiroto; Kobayashi, Yasuo; Fujimori, Hiroshi; Ikedo, Yutaka; Kadono, Ryosuke; Koda, Akihiro; Kojima, Kenji M.; Miyake, Yasuhiro; Nakamura, Jumpei G.; Oishi, Yu; Okabe, Hirotaka; Shimomura, Koichiro; Strasser, Patrick

    A pulsed muon beam with unprecedented intensity will be generated by a 3-GeV 333-microA proton beam on a muon target made of 20-mm thick isotropic graphite at J-PARC MLF MUSE (Muon Science Establishment). The first muon beam was successfully generated on September 26th, 2008. Gradually upgrading the beam intensity, continuous 300-kW proton beam has been operated by a fixed target method without replacements till June of 2014. However, the lifetime of the fixed target was anticipated to be less than 1 year by the proton-irradiation damage of the graphite through 1-MW beam operation. To extend the lifetime, a muon rotating target, in which the radiation damage is distributed to a wider area, was installed in September of 2014, and continuous and stable operation has been successfully performed. Because the muon target becomes highly radioactive by the proton irradiation, the maintenance is conducted by remote handling in the Hot cell. In September of 2015, a scraper No. 1 to collimate the proton beam scattered by the target was replaced for further high-power beam operation. Recently, new developments on monitoring and maintenance of the muon target for higher power operation are in progress. In this article, perspective of muon production target at J-PARC MLF MUSE will be described.

  4. COS FUV Target Acquisition Monitor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Penton, Steven V.

    2017-08-01

    Starting in Cycle 25, the COS Target Acquisition (TA) monitor has been divided into two pieces, NUV (15389) and FUV (15386). This program is the FUV portion and is designed specifically for FUV LP4. FUV LP4 uses NUM_POS > 1 PEAKXDs for cross-dispersion TA. All previous LPs used NUM_POS=1 PEAKXDs. The NUM_POS=1 PEAKXDs required the routine monitoring of the grating-dependent WCA-to-PSA offsets. The NUM_POS >1 PEAKXDs do not use these flight software (FSW) patchable constants as they use the LTAPKD FSW macro used in ACQ/PEAKD, but re-purposed for use in the cross-dispersion (XD).This program uses the HST standard star WD1657+343. This target was used previously in the COS TA Monitor programs, 13124 (C20), 13526 (C21), 13972 (C22), 14440 (C23) & 14857 (C24). In these programs, this target was used to co-align the PSA/MIRRORB and BOA/MIRRORA ACQ/IMAGE modes. We re-use this target here as it is safe with PSA/MIRRORA and visible almost year-round.Note that when presented to the mission office, the target 206W3 was listed as the target for this program. This target was a backup target in previous TA monitor programs and was the faintest of the 3 targets in the program. Switching to the next brighter target (WD1657+343) allows all the goals of this program to be accomplished in just 2 orbits. Also, as this target has been used for every generation of this program, the FUV monitoring can be bootstrapped to previous programs, if needed. See the observing description for more details.The LTAIMAGE that started the second orbit of Visit 26 had the TDF down and the shutter closed. This caused the ACQ/IMAGE to miscenter the target by about 1.3". Visit 90 was added as a partial repeat from HOPR 89665. This visit is as close to a repeat of the 2nd orbit of Visi t 25 as possible. Due to time lost doing a full acq instead of a RE-ACQ, the following changes were made:1) Changed Visit number to 902) Schedulability set to 90%3) Before date set to Feb-19-2018, but the earlier the better

  5. Be Positive Be Healthe: Development and Implementation of a Targeted e-Health Weight Loss Program for Young Women.

    PubMed

    Hutchesson, Melinda J; Morgan, Philip J; Callister, Robin; Pranata, Ilung; Skinner, Geoff; Collins, Clare E

    2016-06-01

    Greater numbers of women are entering young adulthood overweight, but traditional weight loss programs do not appeal to them. This article describes the development and evaluation of an e-health weight loss intervention for young women (18-30 years of age). Young women's preferences for a targeted weight loss program were investigated via a cross-sectional online survey. A 3-month targeted weight loss program for young women was developed based on the formative research. A single-arm pre-post study was conducted to evaluate the acceptability of the intervention (process evaluation survey and objective usage data) and to estimate the treatments' effects on weight-related outcomes from baseline to 3 months. Online survey respondents (n = 274) indicated preferences for various technologies (Web site, online quizzes with e-mail feedback and goal setting, an online discussion forum, smartphone application, e-mail newsletters, and text messages). Eighteen (mean ± standard deviation [SD] age, 22.8 ± 3.2 years; body mass index, 27.3 ± 1.6 kg/m(2)) women entered the pre-post study. Mean satisfaction was 3.4 ± 1.0 (maximum of 5), and 66.7% of participants completed the study. Significant reductions in mean ± SD weight (-1.5 ± 2.4 kg; p = 0.02) and waist circumference (-0.7 ± 1.4 cm; p = 0.04) were observed. Due to lower than anticipated participant satisfaction, modifications to the program content and modes of delivery are required to ensure a higher proportion of young women complete and actively engage with the program. The positive effects of treatment on weight-related outcomes supports further refinement and evaluation of targeted, e-health weight loss interventions for young women.

  6. Proton irradiation effects on beryllium - A macroscopic assessment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Simos, Nikolaos; Elbakhshwan, Mohamed; Zhong, Zhong; Camino, Fernando

    2016-10-01

    Beryllium, due to its excellent neutron multiplication and moderation properties, in conjunction with its good thermal properties, is under consideration for use as plasma facing material in fusion reactors and as a very effective neutron reflector in fission reactors. While it is characterized by unique combination of structural, chemical, atomic number, and neutron absorption cross section it suffers, however, from irradiation generated transmutation gases such as helium and tritium which exhibit low solubility leading to supersaturation of the Be matrix and tend to precipitate into bubbles that coalesce and induce swelling and embrittlement thus degrading the metal and limiting its lifetime. Utilization of beryllium as a pion production low-Z target in high power proton accelerators has been sought both for its low Z and good thermal properties in an effort to mitigate thermos-mechanical shock that is expected to be induced under the multi-MW power demand. To assess irradiation-induced changes in the thermal and mechanical properties of Beryllium, a study focusing on proton irradiation damage effects has been undertaken using 200 MeV protons from the Brookhaven National Laboratory Linac and followed by a multi-faceted post-irradiation analysis that included the thermal and volumetric stability of irradiated beryllium, the stress-strain behavior and its ductility loss as a function of proton fluence and the effects of proton irradiation on the microstructure using synchrotron X-ray diffraction. The mimicking of high temperature irradiation of Beryllium via high temperature annealing schemes has been conducted as part of the post-irradiation study. This paper focuses on the thermal stability and mechanical property changes of the proton irradiated beryllium and presents results of the macroscopic property changes of Beryllium deduced from thermal and mechanical tests.

  7. Effects of weak electromagnetic irradiation on various types of behavior in the mealworm Tenebrio molitor.

    PubMed

    Sheiman, I M; Kreshchenko, N D

    2010-10-01

    The effects of weak electromagnetic irradiation on simple forms of behavior were studied using adult Tenebrio molitor mealworms. The beetles' motor behavior was studied in conditions of different motivations, i.e., positive (food) and negative (avoidance of light), in otherwise identical experimental conditions. The beetles had to navigate a defined space to reach their target - potato or cover from light. Experiments consisted of one trial per day for five days. Target attainment time was measured in groups of beetles. Behavior in both cases developed as follows: an initial orientation reaction appeared and was followed by adaptation to the apparatus. Exposure to weak electromagnetic irradiation led to increases in the response time at the initial stages of the experiments. The effects of irradiation were seasonal in nature and differed in the two types of behavior.

  8. Results of thermal test of metallic molybdenum disk target and fast-acting valve testing

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Virgo, M.; Chemerisov, S.; Gromov, R.

    2016-12-01

    This report describes the irradiation conditions for thermal testing of helium-cooled metallic disk targets that was conducted on March 9, 2016, at the Argonne National Laboratory electron linac. The four disks in this irradiation were pressed and sintered by Oak Ridge National Laboratory from molybdenum metal powder. Two of those disks were instrumented with thermocouples. Also reported are results of testing a fast-acting-valve system, which was designed to protect the accelerator in case of a target-window failure.

  9. Targets for production of the medical radioisotopes with alpha and proton or deuteron beams

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stolarz, Anna; Kowalska, J. A.; Jastrzebski, J.; Choiński, J.; Sitarz, M.; Szkliniarz, K.; Trzcińska, A.; Zipper, W.

    2018-05-01

    The research quantities of some medical radioisotopes were produced in reactions induced by 32 MeV internal alpha beam (211At, Sc isotopes), 16 MeV and 28 MeV proton beams (Sc isotopes) and 8 MeV deuteron beam (Sc isotopes). The frame-less targets used for irradiation with internal alpha beam were prepared from elemental (Bi for 211At) and compound (CaCO3 for Sc radioisotopes) materials. The CaCO3 powder targets were also used for production of Sc radioisotopes with proton or deuteron external beams. Methods developed for preparation of the targets suitable for the irradiating beam type are described in this work.

  10. Thoughts on the Theory of Irradiated Giant Planets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Burrows, Adam; Sudarsky, David; Hubeny, Ivan

    2004-06-01

    We have derived physical diagnostics that can inform the direct detection and remote sensing programs of extrasolar giant planets (EGPs) now being planned or proposed. Stellar irradiation of the planet's atmosphere and the effects of water and ammonia clouds are incorporated in a consistent fashion. Whether an EGP is at wide or close-in separations from its parent star, direct detection will soon be possible and will yield centrally important physical and chemical constraints. Our theory of irradiated EGPs is being developed to meet this challenge.

  11. Laser irradiation effects on thin aluminum plates subjected to surface flow

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jiang, Houman; Zhao, Guomin; Chen, Minsun; Peng, Xin

    2016-10-01

    The irradiation effects of LD laser on thin aluminum alloy plates are studied in experiments characterized by relatively large laser spot and the presence of 0.3Ma surface airflow. A high speed profilometer is used to record the profile change along a vertical line in the rear surface of the target, and the history of the displacement along the direction of thickness of the central point at the rear surface is obtained. The results are compared with those without airflow and those by C. D. Boley. We think that it is the temperature rise difference along the direction of thickness instead of the pressure difference caused by the airflow that makes the thin target bulge into the incoming beam, no matter whether the airflow is blown or not, and that only when the thin aluminum target is heated thus softened enough by the laser irradiation, can the aerodynamic force by the surface airflow cause non-ignorable localized plastic deformation and result a burn-through without melting in the target. However, though the target isn't softened enough in terms of the pressure difference, it might have experienced notable deformation as it is heated from room temperature to several hundred degree centigrade.

  12. The mechanism of untargeted mutagenesis in UV-irradiated yeast.

    PubMed

    Lawrence, C W; Christensen, R B

    1982-01-01

    The SOS error-prone repair hypothesis proposes that untargeted and targeted mutations in E. coli both result from the inhibition of polymerase functions that normally maintain fidelity, and that this is a necessary precondition for translesion synthesis. Using mating experiments with excision deficient strains of Bakers' yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we find that up to 40% of cycl-91 revertants induced by UV are untargeted, showing that a reduction in fidelity is also found in irradiated cells of this organism. We are, however, unable to detect the induction or activation of any diffusible factor capable of inhibiting fidelity, and therefore suggest that untargeted and targeted mutations are the consequence of largely different processes. We propose that these observations are best explained in terms of a limited fidelity model. Untargeted mutations are thought to result from the limited capacity of processes which normally maintain fidelity, which are active during replication on both irradiated and unirradiated templates. Even moderate UV fluences saturate this capacity, leading to competition for the limited resource. Targeted mutations are believed to result from the limited, though far from negligible, capacity of lesions like pyrimidine dimers to form Watson-Crick base pairs.

  13. Prediction methodologies for target scene generation in the aerothermal targets analysis program (ATAP)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hudson, Douglas J.; Torres, Manuel; Dougherty, Catherine; Rajendran, Natesan; Thompson, Rhoe A.

    2003-09-01

    The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Aerothermal Targets Analysis Program (ATAP) is a user-friendly, engineering-level computational tool that features integrated aerodynamics, six-degree-of-freedom (6-DoF) trajectory/motion, convective and radiative heat transfer, and thermal/material response to provide an optimal blend of accuracy and speed for design and analysis applications. ATAP is sponsored by the Kinetic Kill Vehicle Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulator (KHILS) facility at Eglin AFB, where it is used with the CHAMP (Composite Hardbody and Missile Plume) technique for rapid infrared (IR) signature and imagery predictions. ATAP capabilities include an integrated 1-D conduction model for up to 5 in-depth material layers (with options for gaps/voids with radiative heat transfer), fin modeling, several surface ablation modeling options, a materials library with over 250 materials, options for user-defined materials, selectable/definable atmosphere and earth models, multiple trajectory options, and an array of aerodynamic prediction methods. All major code modeling features have been validated with ground-test data from wind tunnels, shock tubes, and ballistics ranges, and flight-test data for both U.S. and foreign strategic and theater systems. Numerous applications include the design and analysis of interceptors, booster and shroud configurations, window environments, tactical missiles, and reentry vehicles.

  14. Comparison between the Strength Levels of Baseline Nuclear-Grade Graphite and Graphite Irradiated in AGC-2

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Carroll, Mark Christopher

    2015-07-01

    This report details the initial comparison of mechanical strength properties between the cylindrical nuclear-grade graphite specimens irradiated in the second Advanced Graphite Creep (AGC-2) experiment with the established baseline, or unirradiated, mechanical properties compiled in the Baseline Graphite Characterization program. The overall comparative analysis will describe the development of an appropriate test protocol for irradiated specimens, the execution of the mechanical tests on the AGC-2 sample population, and will further discuss the data in terms of developing an accurate irradiated property distribution in the limited amount of irradiated data by leveraging the considerably larger property datasets being captured in themore » Baseline Graphite Characterization program. Integrating information on the inherent variability in nuclear-grade graphite with more complete datasets is one of the goals of the VHTR Graphite Materials program. Between “sister” specimens, or specimens with the same geometry machined from the same sub-block of graphite from which the irradiated AGC specimens were extracted, and the Baseline datasets, a comprehensive body of data will exist that can provide both a direct and indirect indication of the full irradiated property distributions that can be expected of irradiated nuclear-grade graphite while in service in a VHTR system. While the most critical data will remain the actual irradiated property measurements, expansion of this data into accurate distributions based on the inherent variability in graphite properties will be a crucial step in qualifying graphite for nuclear use as a structural material in a VHTR environment.« less

  15. Radiographic findings after treatment with balloon brachytherapy accelerated partial breast irradiation.

    PubMed

    Ibrahim, Nafisa B; Anandan, Srividya; Hartman, Audrey L; McSweeney, Michelle; Chun, Jeanette; McKee, Andrea; Yang, Rebecca; Kim, Cathleen

    2015-01-01

    The use of accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) following breast-conserving surgery is rapidly gaining popularity as an alternative to whole-breast irradiation (WBI) in selected patients with early-stage breast cancer. Although data on the long-term effectiveness and safety of APBI accelerated partial breast irradiation are still being gathered, the shorter treatment course and narrowed radiation target of APBI accelerated partial breast irradiation provide an attractive alternative for carefully selected patients. These patients include those with relatively small tumors (≤3 cm), negative or close margins, and negative sentinel lymph nodes. Possible long-term complications include telangiectasia and the development of a palpable mass at the lumpectomy site. Mammographic findings in patients who have undergone APBI accelerated partial breast irradiation are distinct from those in patients who have undergone conventional WBI whole-breast irradiation . The most common post-APBI accelerated partial breast irradiation radiographic findings include formation of seromas at the lumpectomy site, focal parenchymal changes such as increased trabeculation and parenchymal distortion, fat necrosis, and skin changes such as thickening or retraction. Given the continued evolution of breast cancer treatment, it is important that radiologists have a comprehensive understanding of APBI accelerated partial breast irradiation in terms of rationale, patient selection criteria, common postprocedural radiographic findings (and how they differ from post-WBI whole-breast irradiation findings), and advantages and potential complications. RSNA, 2015

  16. AGC-2 Specimen Post Irradiation Data Package Report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Windes, William Enoch; Swank, W. David; Rohrbaugh, David T.

    This report documents results of the post-irradiation examination material property testing of the creep, control, and piggyback specimens from the irradiation creep capsule Advanced Graphite Creep (AGC)-2 are reported. This is the second of a series of six irradiation test trains planned as part of the AGC experiment to fully characterize the neutron irradiation effects and radiation creep behavior of current nuclear graphite grades. The AGC-2 capsule was irradiated in the Idaho National Laboratory Advanced Test Reactor at a nominal temperature of 600°C and to a peak dose of 5 dpa (displacements per atom). One-half of the creep specimens weremore » subjected to mechanical stresses (an applied stress of either 13.8, 17.2, or 20.7 MPa) to induce irradiation creep. All post-irradiation testing and measurement results are reported with the exception of the irradiation mechanical strength testing, which is the last destructive testing stage of the irradiation testing program. Material property tests were conducted on specimens from 15 nuclear graphite grades using a similar loading configuration as the first AGC capsule (AGC-1) to provide easy comparison between the two capsules. However, AGC-2 contained an increased number of specimens (i.e., 487 total specimens irradiated) and replaced specimens of the minor grade 2020 with the newer grade 2114. The data reported include specimen dimensions for both stressed and unstressed specimens to establish the irradiation creep rates, mass and volume data necessary to derive density, elastic constants (Young’s modulus, shear modulus, and Poisson’s ratio) from ultrasonic time-of-flight velocity measurements, Young’s modulus from the fundamental frequency of vibration, electrical resistivity, and thermal diffusivity and thermal expansion data from 100–500°C. No data outliers were determined after all measurements were completed. A brief statistical analysis was performed on the irradiated data and a limited comparison

  17. Monochromatic x-ray radiography of laser-driven spherical targets using high-energy, picoseconds LFEX laser

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sawada, Hiroshi; Fujioka, S.; Lee, S.; Arikawa, Y.; Shigemori, K.; Nagatomo, H.; Nishimura, H.; Sunahara, A.; Theobald, W.; Perez, F.; Patel, P. K.; Beg, F. N.

    2015-11-01

    Formation of a high density fusion fuel is essential in both conventional and advanced Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) schemes for the self-sustaining fusion process. In cone-guided Fast Ignition (FI), a metal cone is attached to a spherical target to maintain the path for the injection of an intense short-pulse ignition laser from blow-off plasma created when nanoseconds compression lasers drive the target. We have measured a temporal evolution of a compressed deuterated carbon (CD) sphere using 4.5 keV K-alpha radiography with the Kilo-Joule, picosecond LFEX laser at the Institute of Laser Engineering. A 200 μm CD sphere attached to the tip of a Au cone was directly driven by 9 Gekko XII beams with 300 J/beam in a 1.3 ns Gaussian pulse. The LFEX laser irradiated on a Ti foil to generate 4.51 Ti K-alpha x-ray. By varying the delay between the compression and backlighter lasers, the measured radiograph images show an increase of the areal density of the imploded target. The detail of the quantitative analyses to infer the areal density and comparisons to hydrodynamics simulations will be presented. This work was performed with the support and under the auspices of the NIFS Collaboration Research program (NIFS13KUGK072). H.S. was supported by the UNR's International Activities Grant program.

  18. Quantitative evaluation of potential irradiation geometries for carbon-ion beam grid therapy.

    PubMed

    Tsubouchi, Toshiro; Henry, Thomas; Ureba, Ana; Valdman, Alexander; Bassler, Niels; Siegbahn, Albert

    2018-03-01

    Radiotherapy using grids containing cm-wide beam elements has been carried out sporadically for more than a century. During the past two decades, preclinical research on radiotherapy with grids containing small beam elements, 25 μm-0.7 mm wide, has been performed. Grid therapy with larger beam elements is technically easier to implement, but the normal tissue tolerance to the treatment is decreasing. In this work, a new approach in grid therapy, based on irradiations with grids containing narrow carbon-ion beam elements was evaluated dosimetrically. The aim formulated for the suggested treatment was to obtain a uniform target dose combined with well-defined grids in the irradiated normal tissue. The gain, obtained by crossfiring the carbon-ion beam grids over a simulated target volume, was quantitatively evaluated. The dose distributions produced by narrow rectangular carbon-ion beams in a water phantom were simulated with the PHITS Monte Carlo code. The beam-element height was set to 2.0 cm in the simulations, while the widths varied from 0.5 to 10.0 mm. A spread-out Bragg peak (SOBP) was then created for each beam element in the grid, to cover the target volume with dose in the depth direction. The dose distributions produced by the beam-grid irradiations were thereafter constructed by adding the dose profiles simulated for single beam elements. The variation of the valley-to-peak dose ratio (VPDR) with depth in water was thereafter evaluated. The separation of the beam elements inside the grids were determined for different irradiation geometries with a selection criterion. The simulated carbon-ion beams remained narrow down to the depths of the Bragg peaks. With the formulated selection criterion, a beam-element separation which was close to the beam-element width was found optimal for grids containing 3.0-mm-wide beam elements, while a separation which was considerably larger than the beam-element width was found advantageous for grids containing 0.5-mm

  19. Modeling pressure rise in gas targets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jahangiri, P.; Lapi, S. E.; Publicover, J.; Buckley, K.; Martinez, D. M.; Ruth, T. J.; Hoehr, C.

    2017-05-01

    The purpose of this work is to introduce a universal mathematical model to explain a gas target behaviour at steady-state time scale. To obtain our final goal, an analytical model is proposed to study the pressure rise in the targets used to produce medical isotopes on low-energy cyclotrons. The model is developed based on the assumption that during irradiation the system reaches steady-state. The model is verified by various experiments performed at different beam currents, gas type, and initial pressures at 13 MeV cyclotron at TRIUMF. Excellent agreement is achieved.

  20. Transgenerational effects of proton beam irradiation on Caenorhabditis elegans germline apoptosis.

    PubMed

    Min, Hyemin; Sung, Minhee; Son, Miseol; Kawasaki, Ichiro; Shim, Yhong-Hee

    2017-08-26

    When treating cancer using radiation therapy, it is critical to increase patient survival rates and to reduce side effects. In this respect, proton beam radiation treatment performs better than other radiation treatments because of its high target specificity. However, complications still remain after proton beam radiation treatment. Among them, the risk to progeny after irradiation of their parents is a major concern. In this study, we analyzed the transgenerational effects of proton beam irradiation using the model organism Caenorhabditis. elegans. We found that germline apoptosis increased after proton beam irradiation and its effects were sustained transgenerationally. Moreover, we identified that a germline-specific histone methyltransferase component, SET-2, has a critical role in transmitting the transgenerational effect on germline apoptosis to the next generation after proton beam irradiation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. LWRS ATR Irradiation Testing Readiness Status

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kristine Barrett

    2012-09-01

    The Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) Program was established by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) to develop technologies and other solutions that can improve the reliability, sustain the safety, and extend the life of the current reactors. The LWRS Program is divided into four R&D Pathways: (1) Materials Aging and Degradation; (2) Advanced Light Water Reactor Nuclear Fuels; (3) Advanced Instrumentation, Information and Control Systems; and (4) Risk-Informed Safety Margin Characterization. This report describes an irradiation testing readiness analysis in preparation of LWRS experiments for irradiation testing at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Advanced Testmore » Reactor (ATR) under Pathway (2). The focus of the Advanced LWR Nuclear Fuels Pathway is to improve the scientific knowledge basis for understanding and predicting fundamental performance of advanced nuclear fuel and cladding in nuclear power plants during both nominal and off-nominal conditions. This information will be applied in the design and development of high-performance, high burn-up fuels with improved safety, cladding integrity, and improved nuclear fuel cycle economics« less

  2. Does Targeting Higher Health Risk Employees or Increasing Intervention Intensity Yield Savings in a Workplace Wellness Program?

    PubMed

    Kapinos, Kandice A; Caloyeras, John P; Liu, Hangsheng; Mattke, Soeren

    2015-12-01

    This article aims to test whether a workplace wellness program reduces health care cost for higher risk employees or employees with greater participation. The program effect on costs was estimated using a generalized linear model with a log-link function using a difference-in-difference framework with a propensity score matched sample of employees using claims and program data from a large US firm from 2003 to 2011. The program targeting higher risk employees did not yield cost savings. Employees participating in five or more sessions aimed at encouraging more healthful living had about $20 lower per member per month costs relative to matched comparisons (P = 0.002). Our results add to the growing evidence base that workplace wellness programs aimed at primary prevention do not reduce health care cost, with the exception of those employees who choose to participate more actively.

  3. Production of Y-86 and other radiometals for research purposes using a solution target system.

    PubMed

    Oehlke, Elisabeth; Hoehr, Cornelia; Hou, Xinchi; Hanemaayer, Victoire; Zeisler, Stefan; Adam, Michael J; Ruth, Thomas J; Celler, Anna; Buckley, Ken; Benard, Francois; Schaffer, Paul

    2015-11-01

    Diagnostic radiometals are typically obtained from cyclotrons by irradiating solid targets or from radioisotope generators. These methods have the advantage of high production yields, but require additional solid target handling infrastructure that is not readily available to many cyclotron facilities. Herein, we provide an overview of our results regarding the production of various positron-emitting radiometals using a liquid target system installed on a 13 MeV cyclotron at TRIUMF. Details about the production, purification and quality control of (89)Zr, (68)Ga and for the first time (86)Y are discussed. Aqueous solutions containing 1.35-1.65 g/mL of natural-abundance zinc nitrate, yttrium nitrate, and strontium nitrate were irradiated on a 13 MeV cyclotron using a standard liquid target. Different target body and foil materials were investigated for corrosion. Production yields were calculated using theoretical cross-sections from the EMPIRE code and compared with experimental results. The radioisotopes were extracted from irradiated target material using solid phase extraction methods adapted from previously reported methods, and used for radiolabelling experiments. We demonstrated production quantities that are sufficient for chemical and biological studies for three separate radiometals, (89)Zr (Asat = 360 MBq/μA and yield = 3.17 MBq/μA), (86)Y (Asat = 31 MBq/μA and yield = 1.44 MBq/μA), and (68)Ga (Asat = 141 MBq/μA and yield = 64 MBq/μA) from one hour long irradiations on a typical medical cyclotron. (68)Ga yields were sufficient for potential clinical applications. In order to avoid corrosion of the target body and target foil, nitrate solutions were chosen as well as niobium as target-body material. An automatic loading system enabled up to three production runs per day. The separation efficiency ranged from 82 to 99%. Subsequently, (68)Ga and (86)Y were successfully used to radiolabel DOTA-based chelators while deferoxamine was used to coordinate

  4. Flyer Target Acceleration and Energy Transfer at its Collision with Massive Targets

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Borodziuk, S.; Kasperczuk, A.; Pisarczyk, T.

    2006-01-15

    Numerical modelling was aimed at simulation of successive events resulting from interaction of laser beam-single and double targets. It was performed by means of the 2D Lagrangian hydrodynamics code ATLANT-HE. This code is based on one-fluid and two-temperature model of plasma with electron and ion heat conductivity considerations. The code has an advanced treatment of laser light propagation and absorption. This numerical modelling corresponds to the experiment, which was carried out with the use of the PALS facility. Two types of planar solid targets, i.e. single massive Al slabs and double targets consisting of 6 {mu}m thick Al foil andmore » Al slab were applied. The targets were irradiated by the iodine laser pulses of two wavelengths: 1.315 and 0.438 {mu}m. A pulse duration of 0.4 ns and a focal spot diameter of 250 {mu}m at a laser energy of 130 J were used. The numerical modelling allowed us to obtain a more detailed description of shock wave propagation and crater formation.« less

  5. Pulsed TEA CO2 Laser Irradiation of Titanium in Nitrogen and Carbon Dioxide Gases

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ciganovic, J.; Matavulj, P.; Trtica, M.; Stasic, J.; Savovic, J.; Zivkovic, S.; Momcilovic, M.

    2017-12-01

    Surface changes created by interaction of transversely excited atmospheric carbon dioxide (TEA CO2) laser with titanium target/implant in nitrogen and carbon dioxide gas were studied. TEA CO2 laser operated at 10.6 μm, pulse length of 100 ns and fluence of ˜17 J/cm2 which was sufficient for inducing surface modifications. Induced changes depend on the gas used. In both gases the grain structure was produced (central irradiated zone) but its forms were diverse, (N2: irregular shape; CO2: hill-like forms). Hydrodynamic features at peripheral zone, like resolidified droplets, were recorded only in CO2 gas. Elemental analysis of the titanium target surface indicated that under a nitrogen atmosphere surface nitridation occurred. In addition, irradiation in both gases was followed by appearance of plasma in front of the target. The existence of plasma indicates relatively high temperatures created above the target surface offering a sterilizing effect.

  6. Manpower Targets and Educational Investments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ritzen, Jo M.

    1976-01-01

    Discusses the use of quadratic programming to calculate the optimal distribution of educational investments required to closely approach manpower targets when financial resources are insufficient to meet manpower targets completely. Demonstrates use of the quadratic programming approach by applying it to the training of supervisory technicians in…

  7. Commercial scale irradiation for insect disinfestation preserves peach quality

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McDonald, Heather; McCulloch, Mary; Caporaso, Fred; Winborne, Ian; Oubichon, Michon; Rakovski, Cyril; Prakash, Anuradha

    2012-06-01

    Irradiation is approved as a generic quarantine treatment by the US Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Due to the effectiveness of irradiation in controlling insects on commodities, there is a growing need to understand the effects of low dose irradiation on fruit quality. The goal of this study was to determine the sensitivity of peaches (Prunus persica) to irradiation, and secondly, to determine the effect of commercial scale treatment on shelf-life, overall quality and consumer liking. Six varieties of peaches were irradiated in small batches at 0.29, 0.49, 0.69 and 0.90 kGy to observe the sensitivity of peaches at different dose levels. Changes in quality were evaluated by 8 trained panelists using descriptive analysis. Sensory characteristics (color, smoothness, aroma, touch firmness, mouth firmness, graininess, overall flavor and off-flavor) were evaluated at 2-4 day intervals and untreated samples served as control. To simulate commercial treatment, peaches were irradiated in pallet quantities at a target dose level of 0.4 kGy. The average absorbed dose was 0.66 kGy with an average dose uniformity ratio of 1.57. Commercially treated peaches were evaluated by 40-80 untrained consumers for acceptability routinely throughout the shelf life. Titratable acidity, Brix, texture and weight loss were also monitored for both commercial and small scale irradiated peaches. There was no dose effect on TA, Brix and weight loss due to irradiation. Peaches irradiated at 0.69 and 0.90 kGy were darker in flesh color, more juicy and less firm as determined by the trained panel and analytical pressure tests. Commercial scale irradiation did not adversely affect shelf life but was seen to enhance ripening. This, however, was perceived as a positive change by consumers. Overall, consumers rated the acceptability of irradiated peaches higher than untreated peaches. Statistical analysis was performed using linear mixed models to find determinates

  8. A new method for reconstruction of solar irradiance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Privalsky, Victor

    2018-07-01

    The purpose of this research is to show how time series should be reconstructed using an example with the data on total solar irradiation (TSI) of the Earth and on sunspot numbers (SSN) since 1749. The traditional approach through regression equation(s) is designed for time-invariant vectors of random variables and is not applicable to time series, which present random functions of time. The autoregressive reconstruction (ARR) method suggested here requires fitting a multivariate stochastic difference equation to the target/proxy time series. The reconstruction is done through the scalar equation for the target time series with the white noise term excluded. The time series approach is shown to provide a better reconstruction of TSI than the correlation/regression method. A reconstruction criterion is introduced which allows one to define in advance the achievable level of success in the reconstruction. The conclusion is that time series, including the total solar irradiance, cannot be reconstructed properly if the data are not treated as sample records of random processes and analyzed in both time and frequency domains.

  9. Upgrade of Irradiation Test Capability of the Experimental Fast Reactor Joyo

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sekine, Takashi; Aoyama, Takafumi; Suzuki, Soju; Yamashita, Yoshioki

    2003-06-01

    The JOYO MK-II core was operated from 1983 to 2000 as fast neutron irradiation bed. In order to meet various requirements for irradiation tests for development of FBRs, the JOYO upgrading project named MK-III program was initiated. The irradiation capability in the MK-III core will be about four times larger than that of the MK-II core. Advanced irradiation test subassemblies such as capsule type subassembly and on-line instrumentation rig are planned. As an innovative reactor safety system, the irradiation test of Self-Actuated Shutdown System (SASS) will be conducted. In order to improve the accuracy of neutron fluence, the core management code system was upgraded, and the Monte Carlo code and Helium Accumulation Fluence Monitor (HAFM) were applied. The MK-III core is planned to achieve initial criticality in July 2003.

  10. SeedVicious: Analysis of microRNA target and near-target sites.

    PubMed

    Marco, Antonio

    2018-01-01

    Here I describe seedVicious, a versatile microRNA target site prediction software that can be easily fitted into annotation pipelines and run over custom datasets. SeedVicious finds microRNA canonical sites plus other, less efficient, target sites. Among other novel features, seedVicious can compute evolutionary gains/losses of target sites using maximum parsimony, and also detect near-target sites, which have one nucleotide different from a canonical site. Near-target sites are important to study population variation in microRNA regulation. Some analyses suggest that near-target sites may also be functional sites, although there is no conclusive evidence for that, and they may actually be target alleles segregating in a population. SeedVicious does not aim to outperform but to complement existing microRNA prediction tools. For instance, the precision of TargetScan is almost doubled (from 11% to ~20%) when we filter predictions by the distance between target sites using this program. Interestingly, two adjacent canonical target sites are more likely to be present in bona fide target transcripts than pairs of target sites at slightly longer distances. The software is written in Perl and runs on 64-bit Unix computers (Linux and MacOS X). Users with no computing experience can also run the program in a dedicated web-server by uploading custom data, or browse pre-computed predictions. SeedVicious and its associated web-server and database (SeedBank) are distributed under the GPL/GNU license.

  11. Induction of Non-Targeted Stress Responses in Mammary Tissues by Heavy Ions

    PubMed Central

    Chai, Yunfei; Lam, Roy K. K.; Hamada, Nobuyuki; Kakinuma, Shizuko; Uchihori, Yukio; Yu, Peter K. N.; Hei, Tom K.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose Side effects related to radiation exposures are based primarily on the assumption that the detrimental effects of radiation occur in directly irradiated cells. However, several studies have reported over the years of radiation-induced non-targeted/ abscopal effects in vivo that challenge this paradigm. There is evidence that Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) plays an important role in modulating non-targeted effects, including DNA damages in vitro and mutagenesis in vivo. While most reports on radiation-induced non-targeted response utilize x-rays, there is little information available for heavy ions. Methods and Materials Adult female transgenic gpt delta mice were exposed to an equitoxic dose of either carbon or argon particles using the Heavy Ion Medical Accelerator in Chiba (HIMAC) at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS) in Japan. The mice were stratified into 4 groups of 5 animals each: Control; animals irradiated under full shielding (Sham-irradiated); animals receiving whole body irradiation (WBIR); and animals receiving partial body irradiation (PBIR) to the lower abdomen with a 1 x 1 cm2 field. The doses used in the carbon ion group (4.5 Gy) and in argon particle group (1.5 Gy) have a relative biological effectiveness equivalent to a 5 Gy dose of x-rays. 24 hours after irradiation, breast tissues in and out of the irradiated field were harvested for analysis. Induction of COX2, 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), phosphorylated histone H2AX (γ-H2AX), and apoptosis-related cysteine protease-3 (Caspase-3) antibodies were examined in the four categories of breast tissues using immunohistochemical techniques. Analysis was performed by measuring the intensity of more than 20 individual microscopic fields and comparing the relative fold difference. Results In the carbon ion group, the relative fold increase in COX2 expression was 1.01 in sham-irradiated group (p > 0.05), 3.07 in PBIR (p < 0.05) and 2.50 in WBIR (p < 0.05), respectively, when

  12. Induction of Non-Targeted Stress Responses in Mammary Tissues by Heavy Ions.

    PubMed

    Wang, Tony J C; Wu, Cheng-Chia; Chai, Yunfei; Lam, Roy K K; Hamada, Nobuyuki; Kakinuma, Shizuko; Uchihori, Yukio; Yu, Peter K N; Hei, Tom K

    2015-01-01

    Side effects related to radiation exposures are based primarily on the assumption that the detrimental effects of radiation occur in directly irradiated cells. However, several studies have reported over the years of radiation-induced non-targeted/ abscopal effects in vivo that challenge this paradigm. There is evidence that Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) plays an important role in modulating non-targeted effects, including DNA damages in vitro and mutagenesis in vivo. While most reports on radiation-induced non-targeted response utilize x-rays, there is little information available for heavy ions. Adult female transgenic gpt delta mice were exposed to an equitoxic dose of either carbon or argon particles using the Heavy Ion Medical Accelerator in Chiba (HIMAC) at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS) in Japan. The mice were stratified into 4 groups of 5 animals each: Control; animals irradiated under full shielding (Sham-irradiated); animals receiving whole body irradiation (WBIR); and animals receiving partial body irradiation (PBIR) to the lower abdomen with a 1 x 1 cm2 field. The doses used in the carbon ion group (4.5 Gy) and in argon particle group (1.5 Gy) have a relative biological effectiveness equivalent to a 5 Gy dose of x-rays. 24 hours after irradiation, breast tissues in and out of the irradiated field were harvested for analysis. Induction of COX2, 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), phosphorylated histone H2AX (γ-H2AX), and apoptosis-related cysteine protease-3 (Caspase-3) antibodies were examined in the four categories of breast tissues using immunohistochemical techniques. Analysis was performed by measuring the intensity of more than 20 individual microscopic fields and comparing the relative fold difference. In the carbon ion group, the relative fold increase in COX2 expression was 1.01 in sham-irradiated group (p > 0.05), 3.07 in PBIR (p < 0.05) and 2.50 in WBIR (p < 0.05), respectively, when compared with controls. The relative fold

  13. Irradiation of rainbow trout at early life stages results in trans-generational effects including the induction of a bystander effect in non-irradiated fish

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Smith, Richard W., E-mail: rich.wilson.smith@gmail.com; Department of Medical Physics and Applied Radiation Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario; Seymour, Colin B.

    The bystander effect, a non-targeted effect (NTE) of radiation, which describes the response by non-irradiated organisms to signals emitted by irradiated organisms, has been documented in a number of fish species. However transgenerational effects of radiation (including NTE) have yet to be studied in fish. Therefore rainbow trout, which were irradiated as eggs at 48 h after fertilisation, eyed eggs, yolk sac larvae or first feeders, were bred to generate a F1 generation and these F1 fish were bred to generate a F2 generation. F1 and F2 fish were swam with non-irradiated bystander fish. Media from explants of F1 eyedmore » eggs, F1 one year old fish gill and F1 two year old fish gill and spleen samples, and F2 two year old gill and spleen samples, as well as from bystander eggs/fish, was used to treat a reporter cell line, which was then assayed for changes in cellular survival/growth. The results were complex and dependent on irradiation history, age (in the case of the F1 generation), and were tissue specific. For example, irradiation of one parent often resulted in effects not seen with irradiation of both parents. This suggests that, unlike mammals, in certain circumstances maternal and paternal irradiation may be equally important. This study also showed that trout can induce a bystander effect 2 generations after irradiation, which further emphasises the importance of the bystander effect in aquatic radiobiology. Given the complex community structure in aquatic ecosystems, these results may have significant implications for environmental radiological protection. - Highlights: • We evaluated the transgenerational effect of early life irradiation in rainbow trout. • Trout irradiated as eggs, yolk sac larvae or first feeders were crossed. • A transgenerational effect was evident in two generations after irradiation. • F1 and F2 generation fish induced a bystander effect in non-irradiated fish. • The precise effects were tissue specific and dependent

  14. Electron transport estimated from electron spectra using electron spectrometer in LFEX laser target experiments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ozaki, T.; Hata, M.; Matsuo, K.; Kojima, S.; Arikawa, Y.; Fujioka, S.; Sakagami, H.; Sunahara, A.; Nagatomo, H.; Johzaki, T.; Yogo, A.; Morace, A.; Zhang, Z.; Shiraga, H.; Sakata, S.; Nagai, T.; Abe, Y.; Lee, S.; Nakai, M.; Nishimura, H.; Azechi, H.; FIREX Group; GXII-LFEX Group

    2016-05-01

    Hot electrons which are generated from targets irradiated by a high-intense laser are measured by two electron spectrometers (ESMs). However, total electron energy observed by the ESM is only less than 1%. Hot electrons are confined by self-fields due to the huge current. When an external magnetic field of several hundred Tesla is applied during the laser irradiation on targets, the ESM signals always increase. In the simulation, the same result can be obtained. The reason is that the Alfvén limit can be mitigated due to the external longitudinal magnetic field.

  15. Supine craniospinal irradiation in pediatric patients by proton pencil beam scanning.

    PubMed

    Farace, Paolo; Bizzocchi, Nicola; Righetto, Roberto; Fellin, Francesco; Fracchiolla, Francesco; Lorentini, Stefano; Widesott, Lamberto; Algranati, Carlo; Rombi, Barbara; Vennarini, Sabina; Amichetti, Maurizio; Schwarz, Marco

    2017-04-01

    Proton therapy is the emerging treatment modality for craniospinal irradiation (CSI) in pediatric patients. Herein, special methods adopted for CSI at proton Therapy Center of Trento by pencil beam scanning (PBS) are comprehensively described. Twelve pediatric patients were treated by proton PBS using two/three isocenters. Special methods refer to: (i) patient positioning in supine position on immobilization devices crossed by the beams; (ii) planning field-junctions via the ancillary-beam technique; (iii) achieving lens-sparing by three-beams whole-brain-irradiation; (iv) applying a movable-snout and beam-splitting technique to reduce the lateral penumbra. Patient-specific quality assurance (QA) program was performed using two-dimensional ion chamber array and γ-analysis. Daily kilovoltage alignment was performed. PBS allowed to obtain optimal target coverage (mean D98%>98%) with reduced dose to organs-at-risk. Lens sparing was obtained (mean D1∼730cGyE). Reducing lateral penumbra decreased the dose to the kidneys (mean Dmean<600cGyE). After kilovoltage alignment, potential dose deviations in the upper and lower junctions were small (average 0.8% and 1.2% respectively). Due to imperfect modeling of range shifter, QA showed better agreements between measurements and calculations at depths >4cm (mean γ>95%) than at depths<4cm. The reported methods allowed to effectively perform proton PBS CSI. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. AGR-2 Irradiation Test Final As-Run Report, Rev 2

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Collin, Blaise P.

    2014-08-01

    This document presents the as-run analysis of the AGR-2 irradiation experiment. AGR-2 is the second of the planned irradiations for the Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) Fuel Development and Qualification Program. Funding for this program is provided by the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) Technical Development Office (TDO) program. The objectives of the AGR-2 experiment are to: (a) Irradiate UCO (uranium oxycarbide) and UO 2 (uranium dioxide) fuel produced in a large coater. Fuel attributes are based on results obtained from the AGR-1 test and other project activities. (b) Provide irradiated fuel samplesmore » for post-irradiation experiment (PIE) and safety testing. (c) Support the development of an understanding of the relationship between fuel fabrication processes, fuel product properties, and irradiation performance. The primary objective of the test was to irradiate both UCO and UO 2 TRISO (tri-structural isotropic) fuel produced from prototypic scale equipment to obtain normal operation and accident condition fuel performance data. The UCO compacts were subjected to a range of burnups and temperatures typical of anticipated prismatic reactor service conditions in three capsules. The test train also includes compacts containing UO 2 particles produced independently by the United States, South Africa, and France in three separate capsules. The range of burnups and temperatures in these capsules were typical of anticipated pebble bed reactor service conditions. The results discussed in this report pertain only to U.S. produced fuel. In order to achieve the test objectives, the AGR-2 experiment was irradiated in the B-12 position of the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) for a total irradiation duration of 559.2 effective full power days (EFPD). Irradiation began on June 22, 2010, and ended on October 16, 2013, spanning 12 ATR power cycles and approximately three and a half calendar years. The

  17. New Irradiation Method with Indocyanine Green-Loaded Nanospheres for Inactivating Periodontal Pathogens

    PubMed Central

    Sasaki, Yasuyuki; Hayashi, Jun-ichiro; Fujimura, Takeki; Iwamura, Yuki; Yamamoto, Genta; Nishida, Eisaku; Ohno, Tasuku; Okada, Kosuke; Yamamoto, Hiromitsu; Kikuchi, Takeshi; Mitani, Akio; Fukuda, Mitsuo

    2017-01-01

    Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) has been proposed as an adjunctive strategy for periodontitis treatments. However, use of aPDT for periodontal treatment is complicated by the difficulty in accessing morphologically complex lesions such as furcation involvement, which the irradiation beam (which is targeted parallel to the tooth axis into the periodontal pocket) cannot access directly. The aim of this study was to validate a modified aPDT method that photosensitizes indocyanine green-loaded nanospheres through the gingivae from outside the pocket using a diode laser. To establish this trans-gingival irradiation method, we built an in vitro aPDT model using a substitution for gingivae. Irradiation conditions and the cooling method were optimized before the bactericidal effects on Porphyromonas gingivalis were investigated. The permeable energy through the gingival model at irradiation conditions of 2 W output power in a 50% duty cycle was comparable with the transmitted energy of conventional irradiation. Intermittent irradiation with air cooling limited the temperature increase in the gingival model to 2.75 °C. The aPDT group showed significant bactericidal effects, with reductions in colony-forming units of 99.99% after 5 min of irradiation. This effect of aPDT against a periodontal pathogen demonstrates the validity of trans-gingival irradiation for periodontal treatment. PMID:28098777

  18. New Irradiation Method with Indocyanine Green-Loaded Nanospheres for Inactivating Periodontal Pathogens.

    PubMed

    Sasaki, Yasuyuki; Hayashi, Jun-Ichiro; Fujimura, Takeki; Iwamura, Yuki; Yamamoto, Genta; Nishida, Eisaku; Ohno, Tasuku; Okada, Kosuke; Yamamoto, Hiromitsu; Kikuchi, Takeshi; Mitani, Akio; Fukuda, Mitsuo

    2017-01-13

    Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) has been proposed as an adjunctive strategy for periodontitis treatments. However, use of aPDT for periodontal treatment is complicated by the difficulty in accessing morphologically complex lesions such as furcation involvement, which the irradiation beam (which is targeted parallel to the tooth axis into the periodontal pocket) cannot access directly. The aim of this study was to validate a modified aPDT method that photosensitizes indocyanine green-loaded nanospheres through the gingivae from outside the pocket using a diode laser. To establish this trans-gingival irradiation method, we built an in vitro aPDT model using a substitution for gingivae. Irradiation conditions and the cooling method were optimized before the bactericidal effects on Porphyromonas gingivalis were investigated. The permeable energy through the gingival model at irradiation conditions of 2 W output power in a 50% duty cycle was comparable with the transmitted energy of conventional irradiation. Intermittent irradiation with air cooling limited the temperature increase in the gingival model to 2.75 °C. The aPDT group showed significant bactericidal effects, with reductions in colony-forming units of 99.99% after 5 min of irradiation. This effect of aPDT against a periodontal pathogen demonstrates the validity of trans-gingival irradiation for periodontal treatment.

  19. Apparatus, Method and Program Storage Device for Determining High-Energy Neutron/Ion Transport to a Target of Interest

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wilson, John W. (Inventor); Tripathi, Ram K. (Inventor); Cucinotta, Francis A. (Inventor); Badavi, Francis F. (Inventor)

    2012-01-01

    An apparatus, method and program storage device for determining high-energy neutron/ion transport to a target of interest. Boundaries are defined for calculation of a high-energy neutron/ion transport to a target of interest; the high-energy neutron/ion transport to the target of interest is calculated using numerical procedures selected to reduce local truncation error by including higher order terms and to allow absolute control of propagated error by ensuring truncation error is third order in step size, and using scaling procedures for flux coupling terms modified to improve computed results by adding a scaling factor to terms describing production of j-particles from collisions of k-particles; and the calculated high-energy neutron/ion transport is provided to modeling modules to control an effective radiation dose at the target of interest.

  20. Decommissioning and PIE of the MEGAPIE spallation target

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Latge, C.; Henry, J.; Wohlmuther, M.

    2013-07-01

    A key experiment in the Accelerated Driven Systems roadmap, the MEGAwatt PIlot Experiment (MEGAPIE) (1 MW) was initiated in 1999 in order to design and build a liquid lead-bismuth spallation target, then to operate it into the Swiss spallation neutron facility SINQ at Paul Scherrer Institute. The target has been designed, manufactured, and tested during integral tests, before irradiation carried out end of 2006. During irradiation, neutron and thermo hydraulic measurements were performed allowing deep interpretation of the experiment and validation of the models used during design phase. The decommissioning, Post Irradiation Examinations and waste management phases were defined properly.more » The phases dedicated to cutting, sampling, cleaning, waste management, samples preparation and shipping to various laboratories were performed by PSI teams: all these phases constitute a huge work, which allows now to perform post-irradiation examination (PIE) of structural material, irradiated in relevant conditions. Preliminary results are presented in the paper, they concern chemical characterization. The following radio-nuclides have been identified by γ-spectrometry: {sup 60}Co, {sup 101}Rh, {sup 102}Rh, {sup 108m}Ag, {sup 110m}Ag, {sup 133}Ba, {sup 172}Hf/Lu, {sup 173}Lu, {sup 194}Hg/Au, {sup 195}Au, {sup 207}Bi. For some of these nuclides the activities can be easily evaluated from γ-spectrometry results ({sup 207}Bi, {sup 194}Hg/Au), while other nuclides can only be determined after chemical separations ({sup 108m}Ag, {sup 110m}Ag, {sup 195}Au, {sup 129}I, {sup 36}Cl and α-emitting {sup 208-210}Po). The concentration of {sup 129}I is lower than expected. The chemical analysis already performed on spallation and corrosion products in the lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) are very relevant for further applications of LBE as a spallation media and more generally as a coolant.« less

  1. Scientific opportunities at SARAF with a liquid lithium jet target neutron source

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Silverman, Ido; Arenshtam, Alex; Berkovits, Dan; Eliyahu, Ilan; Gavish, Inbal; Grin, Asher; Halfon, Shlomi; Hass, Michael; Hirsh, T. Y.; Kaizer, Boaz; Kijel, Daniel; Kreisel, Arik; Mardor, Israel; Mishnayot, Yonatan; Palchan, Tala; Perry, Amichay; Paul, Michael; Ron, Guy; Shimel, Guy; Shor, Asher; Tamim, Noam; Tessler, Moshe; Vaintraub, Sergey; Weissman, Leo

    2018-05-01

    SARAF (Soreq Applied Research Accelerator Facility) is based on a 5 mA, 40 MeV, proton/deuteron accelerator. Phase-I, operational since 2010, provides proton and deuteron beams up to 4 and 5 MeV, respectively, for basic and applied research activities. The high power Liquid-Lithium jet Target (LiLiT), with 1.912 MeV proton beam, provides high flux quasi-Maxwellian neutrons at kT 30 keV (about 2 × 1010 n/s/cm2/mA on the irradiated sample, about 1 cm from the target), enabling studies of s-process reactions relevant to nucleo-synthesis of the heavy elements in giant AGB stars. With higher energy proton beams and with deuterons, LiLiT can provide higher fluxes of high energy neutrons up to 20 MeV. The experimental program with SARAF phase-I will be enhanced shortly with a new target room complex which is under construction. Finally, SARAF phase-II, planned to start operation at 2023, will enable full capabilities with proton/ deuteron beams at 5 mA and 40 MeV. Liquid lithium targets will then be used to produce neutron sources with intensities of 1015 n/s, which after thermalization will provide thermal neutron (25 meV) fluxes of about 1012 n/s/cm2 at the entrance to neutron beam lines to diffraction and radiography stations.

  2. Irradiation of rainbow trout at early life stages results in trans-generational effects including the induction of a bystander effect in non-irradiated fish.

    PubMed

    Smith, Richard W; Seymour, Colin B; Moccia, Richard D; Mothersill, Carmel E

    2016-02-01

    The bystander effect, a non-targeted effect (NTE) of radiation, which describes the response by non-irradiated organisms to signals emitted by irradiated organisms, has been documented in a number of fish species. However transgenerational effects of radiation (including NTE) have yet to be studied in fish. Therefore rainbow trout, which were irradiated as eggs at 48h after fertilisation, eyed eggs, yolk sac larvae or first feeders, were bred to generate a F1 generation and these F1 fish were bred to generate a F2 generation. F1 and F2 fish were swam with non-irradiated bystander fish. Media from explants of F1 eyed eggs, F1 one year old fish gill and F1 two year old fish gill and spleen samples, and F2 two year old gill and spleen samples, as well as from bystander eggs/fish, was used to treat a reporter cell line, which was then assayed for changes in cellular survival/growth. The results were complex and dependent on irradiation history, age (in the case of the F1 generation), and were tissue specific. For example, irradiation of one parent often resulted in effects not seen with irradiation of both parents. This suggests that, unlike mammals, in certain circumstances maternal and paternal irradiation may be equally important. This study also showed that trout can induce a bystander effect 2 generations after irradiation, which further emphasises the importance of the bystander effect in aquatic radiobiology. Given the complex community structure in aquatic ecosystems, these results may have significant implications for environmental radiological protection. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Coherent synchrotron emission in transmission with double foil target

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, X. R.; Qiao, B.; Chang, H. X.; Zhang, Y. X.; Zhang, H.; Zhong, C. L.; Zhou, C. T.; Zhu, S. P.; He, X. T.

    2018-04-01

    Generation of intense single attosecond pulses from coherent synchrotron emission (CSE), in the transmitted direction of the laser-irradiated double foil targets, has been investigated theoretically and numerically. Unlike conventional CSE in the single foil target case, here the dense electron nanobunch is formed in the vacuum gap between two foils, which is composed of the electrons blown out from the first ultrathin foil. Owing to the existence of the vacuum gap, the electron nanobunch can be accelerated to more energy. In addition, more laser energy can penetrate through the nanobunch and get reflected from the second foil. These reflected lasers and electron nanobunches interact with each other and results in enhanced CSE and consequently, the generation of intense attosecond pulses. Particle-in-cell simulations show that a single attosecond pulse with duration of 18 {as}, photon energy > 0.16 {keV} and peak intensity of 1.7× {10}20 {{W}}/{cm}}2 can be obtained from the double-foil targets irradiated by a laser at intensity of 7.7× {10}21 {{W}}/{cm}}2.

  4. Proton irradiation effects on beryllium – A macroscopic assessment

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Simos, Nikolaos; Elbakhshwan, Mohamed; Zhong, Zhong

    Beryllium, due to its excellent neutron multiplication and moderation properties, in conjunction with its good thermal properties, is under consideration for use as plasma facing material in fusion reactors and as a very effective neutron reflector in fission reactors. While it is characterized by unique combination of structural, chemical, atomic number, and neutron absorption cross section it suffers, however, from irradiation generated transmutation gases such as helium and tritium which exhibit low solubility leading to supersaturation of the Be matrix and tend to precipitate into bubbles that coalesce and induce swelling and embrittlement thus degrading the metal and limiting itsmore » lifetime. Utilization of beryllium as a pion production low-Z target in high power proton accelerators has been sought both for its low Z and good thermal properties in an effort to mitigate thermos-mechanical shock that is expected to be induced under the multi-MW power demand. To assess irradiation-induced changes in the thermal and mechanical properties of Beryllium, a study focusing on proton irradiation damage effects has been undertaken using 200 MeV protons from the Brookhaven National Laboratory Linac and followed by a multi-faceted post-irradiation analysis that included the thermal and volumetric stability of irradiated beryllium, the stress-strain behavior and its ductility loss as a function of proton fluence and the effects of proton irradiation on the microstructure using synchrotron X-ray diffraction. The mimicking of high temperature irradiation of Beryllium via high temperature annealing schemes has been conducted as part of the post-irradiation study. This study focuses on the thermal stability and mechanical property changes of the proton irradiated beryllium and presents results of the macroscopic property changes of Beryllium deduced from thermal and mechanical tests.« less

  5. Proton irradiation effects on beryllium – A macroscopic assessment

    DOE PAGES

    Simos, Nikolaos; Elbakhshwan, Mohamed; Zhong, Zhong; ...

    2016-07-01

    Beryllium, due to its excellent neutron multiplication and moderation properties, in conjunction with its good thermal properties, is under consideration for use as plasma facing material in fusion reactors and as a very effective neutron reflector in fission reactors. While it is characterized by unique combination of structural, chemical, atomic number, and neutron absorption cross section it suffers, however, from irradiation generated transmutation gases such as helium and tritium which exhibit low solubility leading to supersaturation of the Be matrix and tend to precipitate into bubbles that coalesce and induce swelling and embrittlement thus degrading the metal and limiting itsmore » lifetime. Utilization of beryllium as a pion production low-Z target in high power proton accelerators has been sought both for its low Z and good thermal properties in an effort to mitigate thermos-mechanical shock that is expected to be induced under the multi-MW power demand. To assess irradiation-induced changes in the thermal and mechanical properties of Beryllium, a study focusing on proton irradiation damage effects has been undertaken using 200 MeV protons from the Brookhaven National Laboratory Linac and followed by a multi-faceted post-irradiation analysis that included the thermal and volumetric stability of irradiated beryllium, the stress-strain behavior and its ductility loss as a function of proton fluence and the effects of proton irradiation on the microstructure using synchrotron X-ray diffraction. The mimicking of high temperature irradiation of Beryllium via high temperature annealing schemes has been conducted as part of the post-irradiation study. This study focuses on the thermal stability and mechanical property changes of the proton irradiated beryllium and presents results of the macroscopic property changes of Beryllium deduced from thermal and mechanical tests.« less

  6. Theoretical modeling of yields for proton-induced reactions on natural and enriched molybdenum targets.

    PubMed

    Celler, A; Hou, X; Bénard, F; Ruth, T

    2011-09-07

    Recent acute shortage of medical radioisotopes prompted investigations into alternative methods of production and the use of a cyclotron and ¹⁰⁰Mo(p,2n)(99m)Tc reaction has been considered. In this context, the production yields of (99m)Tc and various other radioactive and stable isotopes which will be created in the process have to be investigated, as these may affect the diagnostic outcome and radiation dosimetry in human studies. Reaction conditions (beam and target characteristics, and irradiation and cooling times) need to be optimized in order to maximize the amount of (99m)Tc and minimize impurities. Although ultimately careful experimental verification of these conditions must be performed, theoretical calculations can provide the initial guidance allowing for extensive investigations at little cost. We report the results of theoretically determined reaction yields for (99m)Tc and other radioactive isotopes created when natural and enriched molybdenum targets are irradiated by protons. The cross-section calculations were performed using a computer program EMPIRE for the proton energy range 6-30 MeV. A computer graphical user interface for automatic calculation of production yields taking into account various reaction channels leading to the same final product has been created. The proposed approach allows us to theoretically estimate the amount of (99m)Tc and its ratio relative to (99g)Tc and other radioisotopes which must be considered reaction contaminants, potentially contributing to additional patient dose in diagnostic studies.

  7. Targeted Employment Subsidies: Issues of Structure and Design.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bishop, John; Haveman, Robert

    Effects of variations in the structure of targeted employment subsidy programs on the attainment of program objectives are explored in this paper. First, the objectives that underlie targeted subsidy programs are outlined in relation to individual program characteristics and the economics of such programs are discussed. Then the wide range of…

  8. Absolute, SI-traceable lunar irradiance tie-points for the USGS Lunar Model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brown, Steven W.; Eplee, Robert E.; Xiong, Xiaoxiong J.

    2017-10-01

    The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has developed an empirical model, known as the Robotic Lunar Observatory (ROLO) Model, that predicts the reflectance of the Moon for any Sun-sensor-Moon configuration over the spectral range from 350 nm to 2500 nm. The lunar irradiance can be predicted from the modeled lunar reflectance using a spectrum of the incident solar irradiance. While extremely successful as a relative exo-atmospheric calibration target, the ROLO Model is not SI-traceable and has estimated uncertainties too large for the Moon to be used as an absolute celestial calibration target. In this work, two recent absolute, low uncertainty, SI-traceable top-of-the-atmosphere (TOA) lunar irradiances, measured over the spectral range from 380 nm to 1040 nm, at lunar phase angles of 6.6° and 16.9° , are used as tie-points to the output of the ROLO Model. Combined with empirically derived phase and libration corrections to the output of the ROLO Model and uncertainty estimates in those corrections, the measurements enable development of a corrected TOA lunar irradiance model and its uncertainty budget for phase angles between +/-80° and libration angles from 7° to 51° . The uncertainties in the empirically corrected output from the ROLO model are approximately 1 % from 440 nm to 865 nm and increase to almost 3 % at 412 nm. The dominant components in the uncertainty budget are the uncertainty in the absolute TOA lunar irradiance and the uncertainty in the fit to the phase correction from the output of the ROLO model.

  9. High-flux neutron source based on a liquid-lithium target

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Halfon, S.; Feinberg, G.; Paul, M.; Arenshtam, A.; Berkovits, D.; Kijel, D.; Nagler, A.; Eliyahu, I.; Silverman, I.

    2013-04-01

    A prototype compact Liquid Lithium Target (LiLiT), able to constitute an accelerator-based intense neutron source, was built. The neutron source is intended for nuclear astrophysical research, boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) in hospitals and material studies for fusion reactors. The LiLiT setup is presently being commissioned at Soreq Nuclear research Center (SNRC). The lithium target will produce neutrons through the 7Li(p,n)7Be reaction and it will overcome the major problem of removing the thermal power generated by a high-intensity proton beam, necessary for intense neutron flux for the above applications. The liquid-lithium loop of LiLiT is designed to generate a stable lithium jet at high velocity on a concave supporting wall with free surface toward the incident proton beam (up to 10 kW). During off-line tests, liquid lithium was flown through the loop and generated a stable jet at velocity higher than 5 m/s on the concave supporting wall. The target is now under extensive test program using a high-power electron-gun. Up to 2 kW electron beam was applied on the lithium flow at velocity of 4 m/s without any flow instabilities or excessive evaporation. High-intensity proton beam irradiation will take place at SARAF (Soreq Applied Research Accelerator Facility) superconducting linear accelerator currently in commissioning at SNRC.

  10. Efficacy Trial of a Selective Prevention Program Targeting Both Eating Disorder Symptoms and Unhealthy Weight Gain among Female College Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stice, Eric; Rohde, Paul; Shaw, Heather; Marti, C. Nathan

    2012-01-01

    Objective: Evaluate a selective prevention program targeting both eating disorder symptoms and unhealthy weight gain in young women. Method: Female college students at high-risk for these outcomes by virtue of body image concerns (N = 398; M age = 18.4 years, SD = 0.6) were randomized to the Healthy Weight group-based 4-hr prevention program,…

  11. Fast targeted gene transfection and optogenetic modification of single neurons using femtosecond laser irradiation

    PubMed Central

    Antkowiak, Maciej; Torres-Mapa, Maria Leilani; Witts, Emily C.; Miles, Gareth B.; Dholakia, Kishan; Gunn-Moore, Frank J.

    2013-01-01

    A prevailing problem in neuroscience is the fast and targeted delivery of DNA into selected neurons. The development of an appropriate methodology would enable the transfection of multiple genes into the same cell or different genes into different neighboring cells as well as rapid cell selective functionalization of neurons. Here, we show that optimized femtosecond optical transfection fulfills these requirements. We also demonstrate successful optical transfection of channelrhodopsin-2 in single selected neurons. We extend the functionality of this technique for wider uptake by neuroscientists by using fast three-dimensional laser beam steering enabling an image-guided “point-and-transfect” user-friendly transfection of selected cells. A sub-second transfection timescale per cell makes this method more rapid by at least two orders of magnitude when compared to alternative single-cell transfection techniques. This novel technology provides the ability to carry out large-scale cell selective genetic studies on neuronal ensembles and perform rapid genetic programming of neural circuits. PMID:24257461

  12. Fast targeted gene transfection and optogenetic modification of single neurons using femtosecond laser irradiation.

    PubMed

    Antkowiak, Maciej; Torres-Mapa, Maria Leilani; Witts, Emily C; Miles, Gareth B; Dholakia, Kishan; Gunn-Moore, Frank J

    2013-11-21

    A prevailing problem in neuroscience is the fast and targeted delivery of DNA into selected neurons. The development of an appropriate methodology would enable the transfection of multiple genes into the same cell or different genes into different neighboring cells as well as rapid cell selective functionalization of neurons. Here, we show that optimized femtosecond optical transfection fulfills these requirements. We also demonstrate successful optical transfection of channelrhodopsin-2 in single selected neurons. We extend the functionality of this technique for wider uptake by neuroscientists by using fast three-dimensional laser beam steering enabling an image-guided "point-and-transfect" user-friendly transfection of selected cells. A sub-second transfection timescale per cell makes this method more rapid by at least two orders of magnitude when compared to alternative single-cell transfection techniques. This novel technology provides the ability to carry out large-scale cell selective genetic studies on neuronal ensembles and perform rapid genetic programming of neural circuits.

  13. High-power liquid-lithium jet target for neutron production

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Halfon, S.; Feinberg, G.; Racah Institute of Physics, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904

    2013-12-15

    A compact liquid-lithium target (LiLiT) was built and tested with a high-power electron gun at the Soreq Nuclear Research Center. The lithium target, to be bombarded by the high-intensity proton beam of the Soreq Applied Research Accelerator Facility (SARAF), will constitute an intense source of neutrons produced by the {sup 7}Li(p,n){sup 7}Be reaction for nuclear astrophysics research and as a pilot setup for accelerator-based Boron Neutron Capture Therapy. The liquid-lithium jet target acts both as neutron-producing target and beam dump by removing the beam thermal power (>5 kW, >1 MW/cm{sup 3}) with fast transport. The target was designed based onmore » a thermal model, accompanied by a detailed calculation of the {sup 7}Li(p,n) neutron yield, energy distribution, and angular distribution. Liquid lithium is circulated through the target loop at ∼200 °C and generates a stable 1.5 mm-thick film flowing at a velocity up to 7 m/s onto a concave supporting wall. Electron beam irradiation demonstrated that the liquid-lithium target can dissipate electron power areal densities of >4 kW/cm{sup 2} and volume power density of ∼2 MW/cm{sup 3} at a lithium flow of ∼4 m/s while maintaining stable temperature and vacuum conditions. The LiLiT setup is presently in online commissioning stage for high-intensity proton beam irradiation (1.91–2.5 MeV, 1–2 mA) at SARAF.« less

  14. Analysis of food irradiation education for elementary, middle, and high school students for three years in South Korea

    PubMed Central

    Choi, Yoonseok; Kim, Jaerok

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES The current South Korean government policy on food irradiation technology should be reformed based on an in-depth investigation of the communications aspect, because the issue is no longer of a technological nature, given the proven safety and efficacy of the processes. SUBJECTS/METHODS The target population of the education program consisted of elementary, middle, and high school students attending 310 schools in South Korea (2013: 63 schools, 2014: 104 schools, 2015: 143 schools). Data subjected to analysis were 13,327 pre-education and 12,641 post-education questionnaires received from 7,582 elementary, 2,671 middle, and 3,249 high school students who participated in the education program from May 2012 to April 2015 (n = 12,831), after the exclusion of inadequately filled-in questionnaires. RESULTS Analysis of the three-year educational effect trend was conducted by comparing levels of variables before and after food radiation education. The analysis yielded the finding that the post-education levels were significantly higher for all variables. That is, for interest in education, perception (necessity, safety, subjective knowledge, and information acquisition), objective knowledge, and attitude, with the sole exception of objective knowledge in 2013. CONCLUSIONS Given that post-education levels of perception, knowledge, and attitude concerning irradiated foods increased considerably compared to pre-education levels, behavior change should be induced by providing continuous education to enhance, these primary variables. PMID:27087909

  15. Analysis of food irradiation education for elementary, middle, and high school students for three years in South Korea.

    PubMed

    Choi, Yoonseok; Kim, Jaerok; Han, Eunok

    2016-04-01

    The current South Korean government policy on food irradiation technology should be reformed based on an in-depth investigation of the communications aspect, because the issue is no longer of a technological nature, given the proven safety and efficacy of the processes. The target population of the education program consisted of elementary, middle, and high school students attending 310 schools in South Korea (2013: 63 schools, 2014: 104 schools, 2015: 143 schools). Data subjected to analysis were 13,327 pre-education and 12,641 post-education questionnaires received from 7,582 elementary, 2,671 middle, and 3,249 high school students who participated in the education program from May 2012 to April 2015 (n = 12,831), after the exclusion of inadequately filled-in questionnaires. Analysis of the three-year educational effect trend was conducted by comparing levels of variables before and after food radiation education. The analysis yielded the finding that the post-education levels were significantly higher for all variables. That is, for interest in education, perception (necessity, safety, subjective knowledge, and information acquisition), objective knowledge, and attitude, with the sole exception of objective knowledge in 2013. Given that post-education levels of perception, knowledge, and attitude concerning irradiated foods increased considerably compared to pre-education levels, behavior change should be induced by providing continuous education to enhance, these primary variables.

  16. Melatonin Ameliorates The Production of COX-2, iNOS, and The Formation of 8-OHdG in Non-Targeted Lung Tissue after Pelvic Irradiation.

    PubMed

    Fardid, Reza; Salajegheh, Ashkan; Mosleh-Shirazi, Mohammad Amin; Sharifzadeh, Sedigheh; Okhovat, Mohammad Ali; Najafi, Masoud; Rezaeyan, Abolhasan; Abaszadeh, Akbar

    2017-01-01

    In this study, we evaluated the bystander effect of radiation on the regulation of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in lung tissues of Sprague-Dawley rats with and without pre-administration of melatonin. A 2×2 cm 2 area of the pelvis of male Sprague-Dawley rats with and without pre-administration of melatonin (100 mg/kg) by oral and intraperitoneal injection was irradiated with a 3 Gy dose of 1.25 MeV γ-rays. Alterations in the levels of COX-2, iNOS, and 8-OHdG in the out-of-field lung areas of the animals were detected by enzyme immunoassay. The bystander effect significantly increased COX-2, iNOS, and 8-OHdG levels in non-targeted lung tissues (P<0.05). Melatonin ameliorated the bystander effect of radiation and significantly reduced the level of all examined biomarkers (P<0.05). The results indicated that the ameliorating effect of a pre-intraperitoneal (IP) injection of melatonin was noticeably greater compared to oral pre-administration. Our findings revealed that the bystander effect of radiation could induce oxidative DNA damage and increase the levels of imperative COX-2 and iNOS in non-targeted lung tissues. Interestingly, melatonin could modulate the indirect destructive effect of radiation and reduce DNA damage in non-targeted cells.

  17. Submission of FeCrAl Feedstock for Support of AFC ATR-2 Irradiations

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Field, Kevin G.; Barrett, Kristine E.; Sun, Zhiqian

    The Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) is currently being used to test accident tolerant fuel (ATF) forms destined for commercial nuclear power plant deployment. One irradiation program using the ATR for ATF concepts, Accident Tolerant Fuel-2 (ATF-2), is a water loop irradiation test using miniaturized fuel pins as test articles. This complicated testing configuration requires a series of pre-test experiments and verification including a flowing loop autoclave test and a sensor qualification test (SQT) prior to full test train deployment within the ATR. In support of the ATF-2 irradiation program, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has supplied two different Generation IImore » FeCrAl alloys in rod stock form to Idaho National Laboratory (INL). These rods will be machined into dummy pins for deployment in the autoclave test and SQT. Post-test analysis of the dummy pins will provide initial insight into the performance of Generation II FeCrAl alloys in the ATF-2 irradiation experiment as well as within a commercial nuclear reactor.« less

  18. Ion-irradiation-induced densification of zirconia sol-gel thin films

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Levine, T.E.; Giannelis, E.P.; Kodali, P.

    1994-02-01

    We have investigated the densification behavior of sol-gel zirconia films resulting from ion irradiation. Three sets of films were implanted with neon, krypton, or xenon. The ion energies were chosen to yield approximately constant energy loss through the film and the doses were chosen to yield similar nuclear energy deposition. Ion irradiation of the sol-gel films resulted in carbon and hydrogen loss as indicated by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and forward recoil energy spectroscopy. Although the densification was hypothesized to result from target atom displacement, the observed densification exhibits a stronger dependence on electronic energy deposition.

  19. Performance degradation of ferrofluidic feedthroughs in a mixed irradiation field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Simos, Nikolaos; Fernandes, S.; Mittig, Wolfgang; Pellemoine, Frederique; Avilov, M.; Kostin, M.; Mausner, L.; Ronningen, R.; Schein, M.; Bollen, G.

    2017-01-01

    Ferrofluidic feedthrough (FF) rotary seals containing either NdFeB or SmCo-type permanent magnets have been considered for use in the target and beam dump systems of the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). To evaluate their performance under irradiation three FF seals were irradiated in a mixed field consisting of fast neutrons, protons and γ-rays to an average absorbed dose of 0.2, 2.0, and 20.0 MGy at the Brookhaven Linac Isotope Producer facility (BLIP). The radiation types and energy profiles mimic those expected at the FRIB facility. Degradation of the operational performance of these devices due to irradiation is expected to be the result of the de-magnetization of the permanent magnets contained within the seal and the changes in the ferrofluid properties. Post-irradiation performance was evaluated by determining the ferrofluidic seal vacuum tightness and torque under static and dynamic conditions. The study revealed that the ferrofluidic feedthrough seal irradiated to a dose of 0.2 MGy maintained its vacuum tightness under both static and rotational condition while the one irradiated to a dose of 2.0 MGy exhibited signs of ferrofluid damage but no overall performance loss. At 20 MGy dose the effects of irradiation on the ferrofluid properties (viscosity and particle agglomeration) were shown to be severe. Furthermore, limited de-magnetization of the annular shaped Nd2Fe14B and Sm2Co17 magnets located within the irradiated FFs was observed for doses of 0.2 MGy and 20 MGy respectively.

  20. Tuning in to Kids: an effectiveness trial of a parenting program targeting emotion socialization of preschoolers.

    PubMed

    Wilson, Katherine R; Havighurst, Sophie S; Harley, Ann E

    2012-02-01

    This article reports on an effectiveness trial of the Tuning in to Kids (TIK) parenting program. TIK aims to improve emotion socialization practices in parents of preschool children; it is a universal prevention program that teaches parents the skills of emotion coaching and also targets parents' own emotion awareness and regulation. The present study followed a 2 × 2 (Treatment Condition × Time) design. One hundred twenty-eight parents of children ages 4.0-5.11 years were recruited from preschools and randomized into intervention and waitlist conditions. Parents in the intervention condition (n = 62) attended a six-session group parenting program delivered by community practitioners who followed intervention fidelity protocols. Parents and preschool teachers completed questionnaires twice during the preschool year: at preintervention and at follow-up (approximately 7 months later). Parents reported on their emotion socialization beliefs and practices, other parenting practices, and on child behavior. Teachers reported on child behavior (Social Competence and Anger-Aggression). Data were analyzed using multilevel modeling. At follow-up, compared to the control group, intervention parents were significantly less emotionally dismissive in their beliefs, less dismissive and more coaching in their practices in response to children's negative emotions, and more positively involved. Although there were improvements in both conditions over time for parent-reported child behavior and teacher-reported social competence, compared to the waitlist group, intervention parents reported a significantly greater reduction in number of behavior problems. This trial demonstrates the potential for community agencies and practitioners in real-world settings to deliver a new parenting program that targets emotional communication in parent-child relationships.

  1. AsthmaWise - a field of dreams? The results of an online education program targeting older adults with asthma.

    PubMed

    Burns, Pippa; Jones, Sandra C; Iverson, Don; Caputi, Peter

    2013-09-01

    The aim of this study was to establish the feasibility and acceptability of an online asthma self-management program developed for older Australians with asthma. AsthmaWise, an internet education self-management program, was piloted for a 3-month period at the beginning of 2012. Participants were recruited using both online and offline strategies and were required to complete surveys, both pre- and post-intervention, in a repeated measures design. Matched data were collected from 51 participants; the results showed AsthmaWise to be a feasible and acceptable method of delivering asthma education to the target population. Self-reported measures showed an increase in participants' asthma knowledge, asthma control and quality of life. Results from the Perceived Health Web Site Usability Questionnaire (PHWSUQ) showed improvements between usability testing and implementation. The need for asthma self-management education will continue to increase as the population ages and a greater number of older adults are living with asthma. This small pilot study indicates that an online asthma self-management education program can result in improved outcome measures in a target group not normally considered technologically literate.

  2. Complete Report on the Development of Welding Parameters for Irradiated Materials

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Frederick, Greg; Sutton, Benjamin J.; Tatman, Jonathan K.

    The advanced welding facility at the Radiochemical Engineering Development Center of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which was conceived to enable research and development of weld repair techniques for nuclear power plant life extension, is now operational. The development of the facility and its advanced welding capabilities, along with the model materials for initial welding trials, were funded jointly by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program, the Electric Power Research Institute, Long Term Operations Program and the Welding and Repair Technology Center, with additional support from Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Welding of irradiatedmore » materials was initiated on November 17, 2017, which marked a significant step in the development of the facility and the beginning of extensive welding research and development campaigns on irradiated materials that will eventually produce validated techniques and guidelines for weld repair activities carried out to extend the operational lifetimes of nuclear power plants beyond 60 years. This report summarizes the final steps that were required to complete weld process development, initial irradiated materials welding activities, near-term plans for irradiated materials welding, and plans for post-weld analyses that will be carried out to assess the ability of the advanced welding processes to make repairs on irradiated materials.« less

  3. Propagation velocities of laser-produced plasmas from copper wire targets and water droplets

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Song, Kyo-Dong; Alexander, Dennis R.

    1994-01-01

    Experiments were performed to determine the plasma propagation velocities resulting from KrF laser irradiation of copper wire target (75 microns diameter) and water droplets (75 microns diameter) at irradiance levels ranging from 25 to 150 GW/sq cm. Plasma propagation velocities were measured using a streak camera system oriented orthogonally to the high-energy laser propagation axis. Plasma velocities were studied as a function of position in the focused beam. Results show that both the shape of the plasma formation and material removal from the copper wire are different and depend on whether the targets are focused or slightly defocused (approximately = 0.5 mm movement in the beam axis). Plasma formation and its position relative to the target is an important factor in determining the practical focal point during high-energy laser interaction with materials. At irradiance of 100 GW/sq cm, the air plasma has two weak-velocity components which propagate toward and away from the incident laser while a strong-velocity component propagates away from the laser beam as a detonation wave. Comparison of the measured breakdown velocities (in the range of 2.22-2.27 x 10(exp 5) m/s) for air and the value calculated by the nonlinear breakdown wave theory at irradiance of 100 GW/sq cm showed a quantitative agreement within approximately 50% while the linear theory and Gaussian pulse theory failed. The detonation wave velocities of plasma generated from water droplets and copper wire targets for different focused cases were measured and analyzed theoretically. The propagation velocities of laser-induced plasma liquid droplets obtained by previous research are compared with current work.

  4. Chemical isolation of .sup.82 Sr from proton-irradiated Mo targets

    DOEpatents

    Grant, Patrick M.; Kahn, Milton; O'Brien, Jr., Harold A.

    1976-01-01

    Spallation reactions are induced in Mo targets with 200-800 MeV protons to produce microcurie to millicurie amounts of a variety of radionuclides. A six-step radiochemical procedure, incorporating precipitation, solvent extractions, and ion exchange techniques, has been developed for the separation and purification of Sr radioactivities from other spallation products and the bulk target material. Radiostrontium can be quantitatively recovered in a sufficiently decontaminated state for use in biomedical generator development.

  5. Cytoplasmic Irradiation Induces Metabolic Shift in Human Small Airway Epithelial Cells via Activation of Pim-1 Kinase.

    PubMed

    Wu, Jinhua; Zhang, Qin; Wuu, Yen-Ruh; Zou, Sirui; Hei, Tom K

    2017-04-01

    The unique cellular and molecular consequences of cytoplasmic damage caused by ionizing radiation were studied using a precision microbeam irradiator. Our results indicated that targeted cytoplasmic irradiation induced metabolic shift from an oxidative to glycolytic phenotype in human small airway epithelial cells (SAE). At 24 h postirradiation, there was an increase in the mRNA expression level of key glycolytic enzymes as well as lactate secretion in SAE cells. Using RNA-sequencing analysis to compare genes that were responsive to cytoplasmic versus nuclear irradiation, we found a glycolysis related gene, Pim-1, was significantly upregulated only in cytoplasmic irradiated SAE cells. Inhibition of Pim-1 activity using the selective pharmaceutic inhibitor Smi-4a significantly reduced the level of lactate production and glucose uptake after cytoplasmic irradiation. In addition, Pim-1 also inhibited AMPK activity, which is a well-characterized negative regulator of glycolysis. Distinct from the glycolysis induced by cytoplasmic irradiation, targeted nuclear irradiation also induced a transient and minimal increase in glycolysis that correlated with increased expression of Hif-1α. In an effort to explore the underline mechanism, we found that inhibition of mitochondria fission using the cell-permeable inhibitor mdivi-1 suppressed the induction of Pim-1, thus confirming Pim-1 upregulation as a downstream effect of mitochondrial dysfunction. Our data show and, for the first time, that cytoplasmic irradiation mediate expression level of Pim-1, which lead to glycolytic shift in SAE cells. Additionally, since glycolysis is frequently linked to cancer cell metabolism, our findings further suggest a role of cytoplasmic damage in promoting neoplastic changes.

  6. Cytoplasmic Irradiation Induces Metabolic Shift in Human Small Airway Epithelial Cells via Activation of Pim-1 Kinase

    PubMed Central

    Wu, Jinhua; Zhang, Qin; Wuu, Yen-Ruh; Zou, Sirui; Hei, Tom K.

    2017-01-01

    The unique cellular and molecular consequences of cytoplasmic damage caused by ionizing radiation were studied using a precision microbeam irradiator. Our results indicated that targeted cytoplasmic irradiation induced metabolic shift from an oxidative to glycolytic phenotype in human small airway epithelial cells (SAE). At 24 h postirradiation, there was an increase in the mRNA expression level of key glycolytic enzymes as well as lactate secretion in SAE cells. Using RNA-sequencing analysis to compare genes that were responsive to cytoplasmic versus nuclear irradiation, we found a glycolysis related gene, Pim-1, was significantly upregulated only in cytoplasmic irradiated SAE cells. Inhibition of Pim-1 activity using the selective pharmaceutic inhibitor Smi-4a significantly reduced the level of lactate production and glucose uptake after cytoplasmic irradiation. In addition, Pim-1 also inhibited AMPK activity, which is a well-characterized negative regulator of glycolysis. Distinct from the glycolysis induced by cytoplasmic irradiation, targeted nuclear irradiation also induced a transient and minimal increase in glycolysis that correlated with increased expression of Hif-1α. In an effort to explore the underline mechanism, we found that inhibition of mitochondria fission using the cell-permeable inhibitor mdivi-1 suppressed the induction of Pim-1, thus confirming Pim-1 upregulation as a downstream effect of mitochondrial dysfunction. Our data show and, for the first time, that cytoplasmic irradiation mediate expression level of Pim-1, which lead to glycolytic shift in SAE cells. Additionally, since glycolysis is frequently linked to cancer cell metabolism, our findings further suggest a role of cytoplasmic damage in promoting neoplastic changes. PMID:28170315

  7. Thermal effects in tissues induced by interstitial irradiation of near infrared laser with a cylindrical diffuser

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Le, Kelvin; Johsi, Chet; Figueroa, Daniel; Goddard, Jessica; Li, Xiaosong; Towner, Rheal A.; Saunders, Debra; Smith, Nataliya; Liu, Hong; Hode, Tomas; Nordquist, Robert E.; Chen, Wei R.

    2011-03-01

    Laser immunotherapy (LIT), using non-invasive laser irradiation, has resulted in promising outcomes in the treatment of late-stage cancer patients. However, the tissue absorption of laser light limits the clinical applications of LIT in patients with dark skin, or with deep tumors. The present study is designed to investigate the thermal effects of interstitial irradiation using an 805-nm laser with a cylindrical diffuser, in order to overcome the limitations of the non-invasive mode of treatment. Cow liver and rat tumors were irradiated using interstitial fiber. The temperature increase was monitored by thermocouples that were inserted into the tissue at different sites around the cylinder fiber. Three-dimensional temperature distribution in target tissues during and after interstitial laser irradiation was also determined by Proton Resonance Frequency. The preliminary results showed that the output power of laser and the optical parameters of the target tissue determined the light distribution in the tissue. The temperature distributions varied in the tissue according to the locations relative to the active tip of the cylindrical diffuser. The temperature increase is strongly related to the laser power and irradiation time. Our results using thermocouples and optical sensors indicated that the PRF method is reliable and accurate for temperature determination. Although the inhomogeneous biological tissues could result in temperature fluctuation, the temperature trend still can be reliable enough for the guidance of interstitial irradiation. While this study provides temperature profiles in tumor tissue during interstitial irradiation, the biological effects of the irradiation remain unclear. Future studies will be needed, particularly in combination with the application of immunostimulant for inducing tumor-specific immune responses in the treatment of metastatic tumors.

  8. Chemical state of fission products in irradiated uranium carbide fuel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arai, Yasuo; Iwai, Takashi; Ohmichi, Toshihiko

    1987-12-01

    The chemical state of fission products in irradiated uranium carbide fuel has been estimated by equilibrium calculation using the SOLGASMIX-PV program. Solid state fission products are distributed to the fuel matrix, ternary compounds, carbides of fission products and intermetallic compounds among the condensed phases appearing in the irradiated uranium carbide fuel. The chemical forms are influenced by burnup as well as stoichiometry of the fuel. The results of the present study almost agree with the experimental ones reported for burnup simulated carbides.

  9. Assisting People with Multiple Disabilities by Improving Their Computer Pointing Efficiency with an Automatic Target Acquisition Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shih, Ching-Hsiang; Shih, Ching-Tien; Peng, Chin-Ling

    2011-01-01

    This study evaluated whether two people with multiple disabilities would be able to improve their pointing performance through an Automatic Target Acquisition Program (ATAP) and a newly developed mouse driver (i.e. a new mouse driver replaces standard mouse driver, and is able to monitor mouse movement and intercept click action). Initially, both…

  10. A novel facility for 3D micro-irradiation of living cells in a controlled environment by MeV ions.

    PubMed

    Mäckel, V; Meissl, W; Ikeda, T; Clever, M; Meissl, E; Kobayashi, T; Kojima, T M; Imamoto, N; Ogiwara, K; Yamazaki, Y

    2014-01-01

    We present a novel facility for micro-irradiation of living targets with ions from a 1.7 MV tandem accelerator. We show results using 1 MeV protons and 2 MeV He(2+). In contrast to common micro-irradiation facilities, which use electromagnetic or electrostatic focusing and specially designed vacuum windows, we employ a tapered glass capillary with a thin end window, made from polystyrene with a thickness of 1-2 μm, for ion focusing and extraction. The capillary is connected to a beamline tilted vertically by 45°, which allows for easy immersion of the extracted ions into liquid environment within a standard cell culture dish. An inverted microscope is used for simultaneously observing the samples as well as the capillary tip, while a stage-top incubator provides an appropriate environment for the samples. Furthermore, our setup allows to target volumes in cells within a μm(3) resolution, while monitoring the target in real time during and after irradiation.

  11. [Incorrect programming of a target controlled infusion pump. Case SENSAR of the trimester].

    PubMed

    2014-10-01

    We report the case of a patient who underwent surgical aortic valve replacement. During general anaesthesia maintenance, the patient received a remifentanyl infusion via a target controlled infusion (TCI) system. The infusion pump that was prepared to deliver the infusion showed malfunction at the beginning of the surgery, so it was quickly replaced with a second pump. After a few minutes into the surgery, the patient presented with hypotension refractory to treatment. The remifentanyl syringe also emptied faster than expected. On reviewing the TCI pump, it was found that it was erroneously programmed for propofol instead of remifentanyl, thus the patient had received a very high dose of remifentanyl that was probably the cause of the haemodynamic disturbances. The incident was an error in equipment use, facilitated by hurry, lack of checking of the equipment prior to its use, and the complex and unclear design of the devices' screens. After analysis of this incident, all TCI pumps were reviewed, and all the programs for infrequently used drugs were deleted. Furthermore, 2 pumps were selected for exclusive use in the cardiac surgery theatre, one with propofol-only programming, and the other with remifentanyl-only programming, both clearly marked and situated in fixed places in that theatre. Copyright © 2014 Sociedad Española de Anestesiología, Reanimación y Terapéutica del Dolor. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

  12. Predicting neutron damage using TEM with in situ ion irradiation and computer modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kirk, Marquis A.; Li, Meimei; Xu, Donghua; Wirth, Brian D.

    2018-01-01

    We have constructed a computer model of irradiation defect production closely coordinated with TEM and in situ ion irradiation of Molybdenum at 80 °C over a range of dose, dose rate and foil thickness. We have reexamined our previous ion irradiation data to assign appropriate error and uncertainty based on more recent work. The spatially dependent cascade cluster dynamics model is updated with recent Molecular Dynamics results for cascades in Mo. After a careful assignment of both ion and neutron irradiation dose values in dpa, TEM data are compared for both ion and neutron irradiated Mo from the same source material. Using the computer model of defect formation and evolution based on the in situ ion irradiation of thin foils, the defect microstructure, consisting of densities and sizes of dislocation loops, is predicted for neutron irradiation of bulk material at 80 °C and compared with experiment. Reasonable agreement between model prediction and experimental data demonstrates a promising direction in understanding and predicting neutron damage using a closely coordinated program of in situ ion irradiation experiment and computer simulation.

  13. Ultrasonic Transducer Irradiation Test Results

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Daw, Joshua; Palmer, Joe; Ramuhalli, Pradeep

    2015-02-01

    Ultrasonic technologies offer the potential for high-accuracy and -resolution in-pile measurement of a range of parameters, including geometry changes, temperature, crack initiation and growth, gas pressure and composition, and microstructural changes. Many Department of Energy-Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) programs are exploring the use of ultrasonic technologies to provide enhanced sensors for in-pile instrumentation during irradiation testing. For example, the ability of small diameter ultrasonic thermometers (UTs) to provide a temperature profile in candidate metallic and oxide fuel would provide much needed data for validating new fuel performance models. Other ongoing efforts include an ultrasonic technique to detect morphology changesmore » (such as crack initiation and growth) and acoustic techniques to evaluate fission gas composition and pressure. These efforts are limited by the lack of identified ultrasonic transducer materials capable of long term performance under irradiation test conditions. For this reason, the Pennsylvania State University (PSU) was awarded an ATR NSUF project to evaluate the performance of promising magnetostrictive and piezoelectric transducers in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Research Reactor (MITR) up to a fast fluence of at least 10 21 n/cm 2. The goal of this research is to characterize and demonstrate magnetostrictive and piezoelectric transducer operation during irradiation, enabling the development of novel radiation-tolerant ultrasonic sensors for use in Material Testing Reactors (MTRs). As such, this test is an instrumented lead test and real-time transducer performance data is collected along with temperature and neutron and gamma flux data. The current work bridges the gap between proven out-of-pile ultrasonic techniques and in-pile deployment of ultrasonic sensors by acquiring the data necessary to demonstrate the performance of ultrasonic transducers. To date, one piezoelectric transducer and two

  14. Targeting students, teachers and parents in a wellness-based prevention program in schools.

    PubMed

    Russell-Mayhew, Shelly; Arthur, Nancy; Ewashen, Carol

    2007-01-01

    This study examines the effectiveness of a wellness-based prevention program on elementary and junior high students' body image, personal attitudes, and eating behaviors. Group differences in measures of student attitudes and eating behaviors are examined to determine the effect of targeting different participant combinations (students, parents, and teachers) in 10 groups. For elementary schools, student participants consisted of control (no intervention) (n = 36), student only (n = 81), student/parent (n = 124), student/parent/teacher (n = 103), and parent/teacher (n = 149). For junior high schools, student participants consisted of control (n = 143), student only (n=215), student/parent (n=65), student/parent/teacher (n = 14), and parent/teacher (n = 177). Overall, complete data was available for 1,095 students, 114 parents and 92 teachers. Results indicate that self-concept and eating attitudes and behaviors were positively affected by participation in the program. For example, in elementary schools posttest scores on the behavior subscale of the self-concept measure are significantly higher for the student/parent/teacher group than for the control group. Results indicate that a one-time wellness-based eating disorder prevention program with students, which have in the past shown to be minimally effective, may be more effective in changing attitudes and behaviors when teachers and parents are involved.

  15. The total and spectral solar irradiance and its possible variations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thekaekara, M. P.

    1975-01-01

    The present status of knowledge of the total and spectral irradiance of the sun is briefly reviewed. Currently accepted values of the solar constant and the extraterrestrial solar spectral irradiance are presented along with a discussion of how they were derived. Data on the variability of the solar constant are shown to be conflicting and inconclusive. Some of the alleged sun-weather relationships are cited in support of the need of knowing more precisely the variations in total and spectral solar irradiance. An overview of a solar monitoring program is discussed, with special emphasis on the Solar Energy Monitor in Space experiment which was proposed for several spacecraft missions. It is a combination of a solar constant detector and a prism monochromator. The determination of absolute values and the possible variations of the total and spectral solar irradiance, from measurements outside of the atmosphere is discussed.

  16. AGR-1 Irradiation Test Final As-Run Report, Rev. 3

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Collin, Blaise P.

    2015-01-01

    This document presents the as-run analysis of the AGR-1 irradiation experiment. AGR-1 is the first of eight planned irradiations for the Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) Fuel Development and Qualification Program. Funding for this program is provided by the US Department of Energy (DOE) as part of the Next-Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) project. The objectives of the AGR-1 experiment are: 1. To gain experience with multi-capsule test train design, fabrication, and operation with the intent to reduce the probability of capsule or test train failure in subsequent irradiation tests. 2. To irradiate fuel produced in conjunction with the AGR fuel processmore » development effort. 3. To provide data that will support the development of an understanding of the relationship between fuel fabrication processes, fuel product properties, and irradiation performance. In order to achieve the test objectives, the AGR-1 experiment was irradiated in the B-10 position of the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) for a total duration of 620 effective full power days of irradiation. Irradiation began on December 24, 2006 and ended on November 6, 2009 spanning 13 ATR cycles and approximately three calendar years. The test contained six independently controlled and monitored capsules. Each capsule contained 12 compacts of a single type, or variant, of the AGR coated fuel. No fuel particles failed during the AGR-1 irradiation. Final burnup values on a per compact basis ranged from 11.5 to 19.6 %FIMA, while fast fluence values ranged from 2.21 to 4.39 x 10 25 n/m 2 (E >0.18 MeV). We’ll say something here about temperatures once thermal recalc is done. Thermocouples performed well, failing at a lower rate than expected. At the end of the irradiation, nine of the originally-planned 19 TCs were considered functional. Fission product release-to-birth (R/B) ratios were quite low. In most capsules, R/B values at the end of the irradiation were at or below 10 -7 with

  17. In-reactor performance of LWR-type tritium target rods

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lanning, D.D.; Paxton, M.M.; Crumbaugh, L.

    Pacific Northwest Laboratory has conducted several 1-yr irradiation tests of light water reactor-type tritium target rods. These tests have been sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of New Production Reactors. The first test, designated water capsule-1 (WC-1), was conducted in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory from November 1989 to December 1990. The test vehicle contained a single 4-ft target rod within a pressurized water capsule. The capsule maintained the rod at pressurized water reactor (PWR)-type water temperature and pressure conditions. Posttest nondestructive examinations of the WC-1 rod involved visual examinations, dimensional checks,more » gamma scanning, and neutron radiography. The results indicate that the rod maintained the integrity of its pressure seal and was otherwise unaltered both mechanically and dimensionally by its irradiation and posttest handling.« less

  18. Temperature distribution in target tumor tissue and photothermal tissue destruction during laser immunotherapy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Doughty, Austin; Hasanjee, Aamr; Pettitt, Alex; Silk, Kegan; Liu, Hong; Chen, Wei R.; Zhou, Feifan

    2016-03-01

    Laser Immunotherapy is a novel cancer treatment modality that has seen much success in treating many different types of cancer, both in animal studies and in clinical trials. The treatment consists of the synergistic interaction between photothermal laser irradiation and the local injection of an immunoadjuvant. As a result of the therapy, the host immune system launches a systemic antitumor response. The photothermal effect induced by the laser irradiation has multiple effects at different temperature elevations which are all required for optimal response. Therefore, determining the temperature distribution in the target tumor during the laser irradiation in laser immunotherapy is crucial to facilitate the treatment of cancers. To investigate the temperature distribution in the target tumor, female Wistar Furth rats were injected with metastatic mammary tumor cells and, upon sufficient tumor growth, underwent laser irradiation and were monitored using thermocouples connected to locally-inserted needle probes and infrared thermography. From the study, we determined that the maximum central tumor temperature was higher for tumors of less volume. Additionally, we determined that the temperature near the edge of the tumor as measured with a thermocouple had a strong correlation with the maximum temperature value in the infrared camera measurement.

  19. Assessing infrared intensity using the evaporation rate of liquid hydrogen inside a cryogenic integrating sphere for laser fusion targets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Iwano, K.; Iwamoto, A.; Asahina, T.; Yamanoi, K.; Arikawa, Y.; Nagatomo, H.; Nakai, M.; Norimatsu, T.; Azechi, H.

    2017-07-01

    Infrared (IR) heating processes have been studied to form a deuterium layer in an inertial confinement fusion target. To understand the relationship between the IR intensity and the fuel layering time constant, we have developed a new method to assess the IR intensity during irradiation. In our method, a glass flask acting as a dummy target is filled with liquid hydrogen (LH2) and is then irradiated with 2-μm light. The IR intensity is subsequently calculated from the time constant of the LH2 evaporation rate. Although LH2 evaporation is also caused by the heat inflow from the surroundings and by the background heat, the evaporation rate due to IR heating can be accurately determined by acquiring the time constant with and without irradiation. The experimentally measured IR intensity is 0.66 mW/cm2, which agrees well with a value estimated by considering the IR photon energy balance. Our results suggest that the present method can be used to measure the IR intensity inside a cryogenic system during IR irradiation of laser fusion targets.

  20. Assessing infrared intensity using the evaporation rate of liquid hydrogen inside a cryogenic integrating sphere for laser fusion targets.

    PubMed

    Iwano, K; Iwamoto, A; Asahina, T; Yamanoi, K; Arikawa, Y; Nagatomo, H; Nakai, M; Norimatsu, T; Azechi, H

    2017-07-01

    Infrared (IR) heating processes have been studied to form a deuterium layer in an inertial confinement fusion target. To understand the relationship between the IR intensity and the fuel layering time constant, we have developed a new method to assess the IR intensity during irradiation. In our method, a glass flask acting as a dummy target is filled with liquid hydrogen (LH 2 ) and is then irradiated with 2-μm light. The IR intensity is subsequently calculated from the time constant of the LH 2 evaporation rate. Although LH 2 evaporation is also caused by the heat inflow from the surroundings and by the background heat, the evaporation rate due to IR heating can be accurately determined by acquiring the time constant with and without irradiation. The experimentally measured IR intensity is 0.66 mW/cm 2 , which agrees well with a value estimated by considering the IR photon energy balance. Our results suggest that the present method can be used to measure the IR intensity inside a cryogenic system during IR irradiation of laser fusion targets.

  1. Status of FeCrAl ODS Irradiations in the High Flux Isotope Reactor

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Field, Kevin G.; Howard, Richard H.

    2016-08-19

    FeCrAl oxide-dispersion strengthened (ODS) alloys are an attractive sub-set alloy class of the more global FeCrAl material class for nuclear applications due to their high-temperature steam oxidation resistance and hypothesized enhanced radiation tolerance. A need currently exists to determine the radiation tolerance of these newly developed alloys. To address this need, a preliminary study was conducted using the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) to irradiate an early generation FeCrAl ODS alloy, 125YF. Preliminary post-irradiation examination (PIE) on these irradiated specimens have shown good radiation tolerance at elevated temperatures (≥330°C) but possible radiation-induced hardening and embrittlement at irradiations of 200°C tomore » a damage level of 1.9 displacement per atom (dpa). Building on this experience, a new series of irradiations are currently being conceptualized. This irradiation series called the FCAD irradiation program will irradiate the latest generation FeCrAl ODS and FeCr ODS alloys to significantly higher doses. These experiments will provide the necessary information to determine the mechanical performance of irradiated FeCrAl ODS alloys at light water reactor and fast reactor conditions.« less

  2. Optical measurements and analytical modeling of magnetic field generated in a dieletric target

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yafeng, BAI; Shiyi, ZHOU; Yushan, ZENG; Yihan, LIANG; Rong, QI; Wentao, LI; Ye, TIAN; Xiaoya, LI; Jiansheng, LIU

    2018-01-01

    Polarization rotation of a probe pulse by the target is observed with the Faraday rotation method in the interaction of an intense laser pulse with a solid target. The rotation of the polarization plane of the probe pulse may result from a combined action of fused silica and diffused electrons. After the irradiation of the main pulse, the rotation angle changed significantly and lasted ∼2 ps. These phenomena may imply a persistent magnetic field inside the target. An analytical model is developed to explain the experimental observation. The model indicates that a strong toroidal magnetic field is induced by an energetic electron beam. Meanwhile, an ionization channel is observed in the shadowgraph and extends at the speed of light after the irradiation of the main beam. The formation of this ionization channel is complex, and a simple explanation is given.

  3. Irradiation effect on deuterium behaviour in low-dose HFIR neutron-irradiated tungsten

    DOE PAGES

    Shimada, Masashi; Cao, G.; Otsuka, T.; ...

    2014-12-01

    Tungsten samples were irradiated by neutrons in the High Flux Isotope Reactor, Oak Ridge National Laboratory at reactor coolant temperatures of 50-70°C to low displacement damage of 0.025 and 0.3 dpa under the framework of the US-Japan TITAN program (2007-2013). After cooling down, the HFIR neutron-irradiated tungsten samples were exposed to deuterium plasmas in the Tritium Plasma Experiment, Idaho National Laboratory at 100, 200 and 500 °C twice at the ion fluence of 5×10²⁵ m⁻² to reach a total ion fluence of 1×10²⁶ m⁻² in order to investigate the near surface deuterium retention and saturation via nuclear reaction analysis. Finalmore » thermal desorption spectroscopy was performed to elucidate irradiation effect on total deuterium retention. Nuclear reaction analysis results showed that the maximum near surface (<5 µm depth) deuterium concentration increased from 0.5 at % D/W in 0.025 dpa samples to 0.8 at. % D/W in 0.3 dpa samples. The large discrepancy between the total retention via thermal desorption spectroscopy and the near surface retention via nuclear reaction analysis indicated the deuterium was migrated and trapped in bulk (at least 50 µm depth for 0.025 dpa and 35 µm depth for 0.025 dpa) at 500 °C case even in the relatively low ion fluence of 10²⁶ m⁻².« less

  4. Linear accelerator: a reproducible, efficacious and cost effective alternative for blood irradiation.

    PubMed

    Shastry, Shamee; Ramya, B; Ninan, Jefy; Srinidhi, G C; Bhat, Sudha S; Fernandes, Donald J

    2013-12-01

    The dedicated devices for blood irradiation are available only at a few centers in developing countries thus the irradiation remains a service with limited availability due to prohibitive cost. To implement a blood irradiation program at our center using linear accelerator. The study is performed detailing the specific operational and quality assurance measures employed in providing a blood component-irradiation service at tertiary care hospital. X-rays generated from linear accelerator were used to irradiate the blood components. To facilitate and standardize the blood component irradiation, a blood irradiator box was designed and fabricated in acrylic. Using Elekta Precise Linear Accelerator, a dose of 25 Gy was delivered at the centre of the irradiation box. Standardization was done using five units of blood obtained from healthy voluntary blood donors. Each unit was divided to two parts. One aliquot was subjected to irradiation. Biochemical and hematological parameters were analyzed on various days of storage. Cost incurred was analyzed. Progressive increase in plasma hemoglobin, potassium and lactate dehydrogenase was noted in the irradiated units but all the parameters were within the acceptable range indicating the suitability of the product for transfusion. The irradiation process was completed in less than 30 min. Validation of the radiation dose done using TLD showed less than ± 3% variation. This study shows that that the blood component irradiation is within the scope of most of the hospitals in developing countries even in the absence of dedicated blood irradiators at affordable cost. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Magnetic resonance thermometry for monitoring photothermal effects of interstitial laser irradiation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Goddard, Jessica; Jose, Jessnie; Figueroa, Daniel; Le, Kelvin; Liu, Hong; Nordquist, Robert E.; Hode, Tomas; Chen, Wei R.

    2012-03-01

    Selective photothermal interaction using dye-assisted non-invasive laser irradiation has limitations when treating deeper tumors or when the overlying skin is heavily pigmented. We developed an interstitial laser irradiation method to induce the desired photothermal effects. An 805-nm near-infrared laser with a cylindrical diffuser was used to treat rat mammary tumors by placing the active tip of the fiber inside the target tumors. Three different power settings (1.0 to 1.5 watts) were applied to treat animal tumors with an irradiation duration of 10 minutes. The temperature distributions of the treated tumors were measured by a 7.1-Tesla magnetic resonance imager using proton resonance frequency (PRF) method. Three-dimensional temperature profiles were reconstructed and assessed using PRF. This is the first time a 7.1-Tesla magnetic resonance imager has been used to monitor interstitial laser irradiation via PRF. This study provides a basic understanding of the photothermal interaction needed to control the thermal damage inside tumor using interstitial laser irradiation. It also shows that PRF can be used effectively in monitoring photothermal interaction. Our long-term goal is to develop a PRF-guided laser therapy for cancer treatment.

  6. Reduction of time-averaged irradiation speckle nonuniformity in laser-driven plasmas due to target ablation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Epstein, R.

    1997-09-01

    In inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments, irradiation uniformity is improved by passing laser beams through distributed phase plates (DPPs), which produce focused intensity profiles with well-controlled, reproducible envelopes modulated by fine random speckle. [C. B. Burckhardt, Appl. Opt. {bold 9}, 695 (1970); Y. Kato and K. Mima, Appl. Phys. B {bold 29}, 186 (1982); Y. Kato {ital et al.}, Phys. Rev. Lett. {bold 53}, 1057 (1984); Laboratory for Laser Energetics LLE Review 33, NTIS Document No. DOE/DP/40200-65, 1987 (unpublished), p. 1; Laboratory for Laser Energetics LLE Review 63, NTIS Document No. DOE/SF/19460-91, 1995 (unpublished), p. 1.] A uniformly ablating plasmamore » atmosphere acts to reduce the contribution of the speckle to the time-averaged irradiation nonuniformity by causing the intensity distribution to move relative to the absorption layer of the plasma. This occurs most directly as the absorption layer in the plasma moves with the ablation-driven flow, but it is shown that the effect of the accumulating ablated plasma on the phase of the laser light also makes a quantitatively significant contribution. Analytical results are obtained using the paraxial approximation applied to the beam propagation, and a simple statistical model is assumed for the properties of DPPs. The reduction in the time-averaged spatial spectrum of the speckle due to these effects is shown to be quantitatively significant within time intervals characteristic of atmospheric hydrodynamics under typical ICF irradiation intensities. {copyright} {ital 1997 American Institute of Physics.}« less

  7. Production of no-carrier-added 64Cu from zinc metal irradiated under boron shielding.

    PubMed

    Zinn, K R; Chaudhuri, T R; Cheng, T P; Morris, J S; Meyer, W A

    1994-02-01

    Positron emission tomography offers advantages for radioimmunodiagnosis of cancer but requires radionuclides of appropriate half-life that have high specific activity and high radio-purity. This work was designed to develop a viable method to produce and purify 64Cu, which has high specific activity, for positron emission tomography. 64Cu was produced at the University of Missouri Research Reactor by the nuclear reaction, 64Zn(n,p)64Cu. Highly pure zinc metal (99.9999%) was irradiated in a specially designed boron nitrite lined container, which minimized thermal neutron reactions during irradiation. A new two-step procedure was developed to chemically separate the no-carrier-added 64Cu from the zinc metal target. 64Cu recovery for 24 runs averaged 0.393 (+/- 0.007) mCi per milligram of zinc irradiated. The boron-lined irradiation container reduced unwanted zinc radionuclides 14.3-fold. Zinc radionuclides and non-radioactive zinc were separated successfully from the 64Cu. The new separation technique was fast (2 hours total time) and highly efficient for removing the zinc. The zinc separation factor for this technique averaged 8.5 x 10(-8), indicating less than 0.0000085% of the zinc remained after separation. Thus far, the highest 64Cu specific activity at end of irradiation was 683 Ci/mg Cu, with an average of 512 Ci/mg Cu for the last six analyzed runs. The boron-lined irradiation container has sufficient capacity for 75-fold larger-sized zinc targets (up to 45 g). The new separation technique was excellent for separating 64Cu, which appears to be a radionuclide with great potential for positron emission tomography.

  8. Target Salt 2025: A Global Overview of National Programs to Encourage the Food Industry to Reduce Salt in Foods

    PubMed Central

    Webster, Jacqui; Trieu, Kathy; Dunford, Elizabeth; Hawkes, Corinna

    2014-01-01

    Reducing population salt intake has been identified as a priority intervention to reduce non-communicable diseases. Member States of the World Health Organization have agreed to a global target of a 30% reduction in salt intake by 2025. In countries where most salt consumed is from processed foods, programs to engage the food industry to reduce salt in products are being developed. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of national initiatives to encourage the food industry to reduce salt. A systematic review of the literature was supplemented by key informant questionnaires to inform categorization of the initiatives. Fifty nine food industry salt reduction programs were identified. Thirty eight countries had targets for salt levels in foods and nine countries had introduced legislation for some products. South Africa and Argentina have both introduced legislation limiting salt levels across a broad range of foods. Seventeen countries reported reductions in salt levels in foods—the majority in bread. While these trends represent progress, many countries have yet to initiate work in this area, others are at early stages of implementation and further monitoring is required to assess progress towards achieving the global target. PMID:25195640

  9. Target salt 2025: a global overview of national programs to encourage the food industry to reduce salt in foods.

    PubMed

    Webster, Jacqui; Trieu, Kathy; Dunford, Elizabeth; Hawkes, Corinna

    2014-08-21

    Reducing population salt intake has been identified as a priority intervention to reduce non-communicable diseases. Member States of the World Health Organization have agreed to a global target of a 30% reduction in salt intake by 2025. In countries where most salt consumed is from processed foods, programs to engage the food industry to reduce salt in products are being developed. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of national initiatives to encourage the food industry to reduce salt. A systematic review of the literature was supplemented by key informant questionnaires to inform categorization of the initiatives. Fifty nine food industry salt reduction programs were identified. Thirty eight countries had targets for salt levels in foods and nine countries had introduced legislation for some products. South Africa and Argentina have both introduced legislation limiting salt levels across a broad range of foods. Seventeen countries reported reductions in salt levels in foods-the majority in bread. While these trends represent progress, many countries have yet to initiate work in this area, others are at early stages of implementation and further monitoring is required to assess progress towards achieving the global target.

  10. Large Scale Accelerator Production of 225Ac: Effective Cross sections for 78-192 MeV Protons Incident on 232Th Targets

    DOE PAGES

    Griswold, Justin R; Medvedev, Dmitri G.; Engle, Jonathan W.; ...

    2016-09-28

    Actinium-225 and 213Bi have been used successfully in targeted alpha therapy (TAT) in preclinical and clinical research. This paper is a continuation of research activities aiming to expand the availability of 225Ac. The high energy proton spallation reaction on natural thorium metal target has been utilized to produce millicurie quantities of 225Ac. The results of sixteen irradiation experiments of Th metal at beam energies between 78 and 200 MeV are summarized in this work. Irradiations have been conducted at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), while target dissolution and processing was carried out at Oak Ridgemore » National Laboratory (ORNL). Excitation functions for actinium and thorium isotopes as well as for some of the fission products are presented. The cross sections for production of 225Ac range from 3.6 to 16.7 mb in the incident proton energy range of 78 to 192 MeV. Based on these data, production of Curie quantities of 225Ac is possible by irradiating a 5.0 g cm -2232Th target for 10 days in either BNL or LANL proton irradiation facilities.« less

  11. Large scale accelerator production of 225Ac: Effective cross sections for 78-192MeV protons incident on 232Th targets.

    PubMed

    Griswold, J R; Medvedev, D G; Engle, J W; Copping, R; Fitzsimmons, J M; Radchenko, V; Cooley, J C; Fassbender, M E; Denton, D L; Murphy, K E; Owens, A C; Birnbaum, E R; John, K D; Nortier, F M; Stracener, D W; Heilbronn, L H; Mausner, L F; Mirzadeh, S

    2016-12-01

    Actinium-225 and 213 Bi have been used successfully in targeted alpha therapy (TAT) in preclinical and clinical research. This paper is a continuation of research activities aiming to expand the availability of 225 Ac. The high-energy proton spallation reaction on natural thorium metal targets has been utilized to produce millicurie quantities of 225 Ac. The results of sixteen irradiation experiments of thorium metal at beam energies between 78 and 192MeV are summarized in this work. Irradiations have been conducted at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), while target dissolution and processing was carried out at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Excitation functions for actinium and thorium isotopes, as well as for some of the fission products, are presented. The cross sections for production of 225 Ac range from 3.6 to 16.7mb in the incident proton energy range of 78-192MeV. Based on these data, production of curie quantities of 225 Ac is possible by irradiating a 5.0gcm -2 232 Th target for 10 days in either BNL or LANL proton irradiation facilities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Early life programming as a target for prevention of child and adolescent mental disorders

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    This paper concerns future policy development and programs of research for the prevention of mental disorders based on research emerging from fetal and early life programming. The current review offers an overview of findings on pregnancy exposures such as maternal mental health, lifestyle factors, and potential teratogenic and neurotoxic exposures on child outcomes. Outcomes of interest are common child and adolescent mental disorders including hyperactive, behavioral and emotional disorders. This literature suggests that the preconception and perinatal periods offer important opportunities for the prevention of deleterious fetal exposures. As such, the perinatal period is a critical period where future mental health prevention efforts should be focused and prevention models developed. Interventions grounded in evidence-based recommendations for the perinatal period could take the form of public health, universal and more targeted interventions. If successful, such interventions are likely to have lifelong effects on (mental) health. PMID:24559477

  13. Characterization of Irradiated and Non-Irradiated Rubber from Automotive Scrap Tires

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Souza, Clécia Moura; Silva, Leonardo G.

    The aim of this work was to characterize the samples of irradiated and non-irradiated rubber from automotive scrap tires. Rubber samples from scrap tires were irradiated at irradiation doses of 200, 400 and 600kGy in an electron beam accelerator. Subsequently, both the irradiated and non-irradiated samples were characterized by thermogravimetry (TG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), tensile strength mechanical test, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrophotometry.

  14. Assessing Coverage of Population-Based and Targeted Fortification Programs with the Use of the Fortification Assessment Coverage Toolkit (FACT): Background, Toolkit Development, and Supplement Overview.

    PubMed

    Friesen, Valerie M; Aaron, Grant J; Myatt, Mark; Neufeld, Lynnette M

    2017-05-01

    Food fortification is a widely used approach to increase micronutrient intake in the diet. High coverage is essential for achieving impact. Data on coverage is limited in many countries, and tools to assess coverage of fortification programs have not been standardized. In 2013, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition developed the Fortification Assessment Coverage Toolkit (FACT) to carry out coverage assessments in both population-based (i.e., staple foods and/or condiments) and targeted (e.g., infant and young child) fortification programs. The toolkit was designed to generate evidence on program coverage and the use of fortified foods to provide timely and programmatically relevant information for decision making. This supplement presents results from FACT surveys that assessed the coverage of population-based and targeted food fortification programs across 14 countries. It then discusses the policy and program implications of the findings for the potential for impact and program improvement.

  15. High Burnup Effects Program

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Barner, J.O.; Cunningham, M.E.; Freshley, M.D.

    1990-04-01

    This is the final report of the High Burnup Effects Program (HBEP). It has been prepared to present a summary, with conclusions, of the HBEP. The HBEP was an international, group-sponsored research program managed by Battelle, Pacific Northwest Laboratories (BNW). The principal objective of the HBEP was to obtain well-characterized data related to fission gas release (FGR) for light water reactor (LWR) fuel irradiated to high burnup levels. The HBEP was organized into three tasks as follows: Task 1 -- high burnup effects evaluations; Task 2 -- fission gas sampling; and Task 3 -- parameter effects study. During the coursemore » of the HBEP, a program that extended over 10 years, 82 fuel rods from a variety of sources were characterized, irradiated, and then examined in detail after irradiation. The study of fission gas release at high burnup levels was the principal objective of the program and it may be concluded that no significant enhancement of fission gas release at high burnup levels was observed for the examined rods. The rim effect, an as yet unquantified contributor to athermal fission gas release, was concluded to be the one truly high-burnup effect. Though burnup enhancement of fission gas release was observed to be low, a full understanding of the rim region and rim effect has not yet emerged and this may be a potential area of further research. 25 refs., 23 figs., 4 tabs.« less

  16. Performance degradation of ferrofluidic feedthroughs in a mixed irradiation field

    DOE PAGES

    Simos, Nikolaos; Fernandes, S.; Mittig, Wolfgang; ...

    2016-10-06

    We present ferrofluidic feedthrough (FF) rotary seals containing either NdFeB or SmCo-type permanent magnets that have been considered for use in the target and beam dump systems of the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). To evaluate their performance under irradiation three FF seals were irradiated in a mixed field consisting of fast neutrons, protons and γ-rays to an average absorbed dose of 0.2, 2.0, and 20.0 MGy at the Brookhaven Linac Isotope Producer facility (BLIP). The radiation types and energy profiles mimic those expected at the FRIB facility. Degradation of the operational performance of these devices due to irradiationmore » is expected to be the result of the de-magnetization of the permanent magnets contained within the seal and the changes in the ferrofluid properties. Post-irradiation performance was evaluated by determining the ferrofluidic seal vacuum tightness and torque under static and dynamic conditions. The study revealed that the ferrofluidic feedthrough seal irradiated to a dose of 0.2 MGy maintained its vacuum tightness under both static and rotational condition while the one irradiated to a dose of 2.0 MGy exhibited signs of ferrofluid damage but no overall performance loss. Lastly, at 20 MGy dose the effects of irradiation on the ferrofluid properties (viscosity and particle agglomeration) were shown to be severe. Furthermore, limited de-magnetization of the annular shaped Nd 2Fe 14B and Sm 2Co 17 magnets located within the irradiated FFs was observed for doses of 0.2 MGy and 20 MGy respectively.« less

  17. Calculations of high-power production target and beamdump for the GSI future Super-FRS for a fast extraction scheme at the FAIR Facility

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tahir, N. A.; Weick, H.; Iwase, H.; Geissel, H.; Hoffmann, D. H. H.; Kindler, B.; Lommel, B.; Radon, T.; Münzenberg, G.; Shutov, A.; Sümmerer, K.; Winkler, M.

    2005-06-01

    A superconducting fragment separator (Super-FRS) is being designed for the production and separation of radioactive isotopes at the future FAIR (Facility for Antiprotons and Ion Research) facility at Darmstadt. This paper discusses various aspects and requirements for the high-power production target that will be used in the Super-FRS experiments. The production target must survive over an extended period of time as it will be used during the course of many experiments. The specific power deposited by the high intensity beam that will be generated at the future FAIR facility will be high enough to destroy the target in most of the cases as a result of a single shot from the new heavy ion synchrotrons SIS100/300. By using an appropriate beam intensity and focal spot parameters, the target would survive after being irradiated once. However, the heat should be dissipated efficiently before the same target area is irradiated again. We have considered a wheel shaped solid carbon target that rotates around its axis so that different areas of the target are irradiated successively. This allows for cooling of the beam heated region by thermal conduction before the same part of the target is irradiated a second time. Another attractive option is to use a liquid jet target at the Super-FRS. First calculations of a possible liquid lithium target are also presented in this paper. One of the advantages of using lithium as a target is that it will survive even if one uses a smaller focal spot, which has half the area of that used for a solid carbon target. This will significantly improve the isotope resolution. A similar problem associated with these experiments will be safe deposition of the beam energy in a beamdump after its interaction with the production target. We also present calculations to study the suitability of a proposed beamdump.

  18. [Accuracy of Modulation Transfer Function for Target Size and Field of View in a Circular Edge Strategy Using the CT Image Measurement Program].

    PubMed

    Fukunaga, Masaaki; Onishi, Hideo; Matsutomo, Norikazu; Yamamoto, Hiroyuki

    2016-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of target diameter and display-field of view (D-FOV) in modulation transfer function (MTF) by circular edge strategy using the computed tomography (CT) image measurement program "CTmeasure". We calculated the MTF (MTF(edge)) using the circular edge strategy applied to cylindrical phantom (200 mmφ) that inserted with cylinders have 10, 20, 30, and 40 mm diameters. The phantom images were reconstructed using filtered back projection method varied with D-FOV (240, 320, 400, and 500 mm). The study compared both MTF(edge) and MTF(wire) at MTF50% and MTF(10%) for target diameter and D-FOV, respectively. The MTF(edge) by the different of target diameter indicated in rough compatibility. However, MTF(edge) of D-FOV diameters (320, 400, and 500 mm) decreased in the high frequency range. The circular edge strategy for MTF depended on the D-FOV, however, it was little dependent on target diameter using the CT image measurement program "CTmeasure".

  19. Targeted Ovarian Cancer Education for Hispanic Women: A Pilot Program in Arizona.

    PubMed

    Schlumbrecht, Matthew; Yarian, Ranay; Salmon, Kristine; Niven, Christine; Singh, Diljeet

    2016-06-01

    In disadvantaged populations, including Hispanics, there is a deficit in understanding of cancer risk factors, symptoms, prevention, and treatment. The objective of this study was to assess ovarian cancer knowledge in a population of Hispanic women in Arizona, identify deficiencies, and to evaluate the utility of an educational program developed specifically for this community's needs. A de novo questionnaire about ovarian cancer was distributed to Hispanic women enrolled in family literacy programs at Mesa Public Schools. Following this assessment, a video educational program was developed, with emphasis on areas of greatest knowledge deficits, and post-intervention assessment administered. Chi square, Wilcoxon rank sum, and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for analysis. 167 questionnaires were completed in the pretest group and 102 in the post-intervention group. Between groups, there were no differences in age (p = 0.49), education (p = 0.68), or annual income (p = 0.26). In the pretest group, 45 % of questions were answered correctly versus 84 % in the post-test group (p < 0.01). 24.2 % of the initial respondents correctly identified ovarian cancer symptoms versus 85.6 of post-test respondents (p < 0.01). With the program, there was an increase in the number of correct post-test responses for each question and symptom (p < 0.01), except those about hereditary risk of ovarian cancer (p = 0.62) and pelvic anatomy (p = 0.16). Following identification of an ovarian cancer knowledge deficit in this cohort of Hispanic women, an educational tool targeting specific deficiencies successfully increased cancer knowledge and awareness of symptoms. Similar efforts in this and other minority populations should be continued.

  20. Public Education and Targeted Outreach to Underserved Women Through the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program

    PubMed Central

    Levano, Whitney; Miller, Jacqueline W.; Leonard, Banning; Bellick, Linda; Crane, Barbara E.; Kennedy, Stephenie K.; Haslage, Natalie M.; Hammond, Whitney; Tharpe, Felicia S.

    2015-01-01

    The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) was established to provide low-income, uninsured, and underinsured women access to cancer screening and diagnostic services with the goal of increasing the early detection and prevention of breast and cervical cancer. Although this is a valuable resource for women who might not have the means to get screened otherwise, providing services at no cost, by itself, does not guarantee uptake of screening services. Public education and targeted outreach facilitate the critical link between public service programs and the communities they serve. The purpose of public education and outreach in the NBCCEDP is to increase the number of women who use breast and cervical cancer screening services by raising awareness, providing education, addressing barriers, and motivating women to complete screening exams and follow-up. Effective strategies focus on helping to remove structural, physical, interpersonal, financial, and cultural barriers; educate women about the importance of screening and inform women about the services available to them. This article provides an overview of the importance of public education and targeted outreach activities for cancer screening through community-based programs including examples from NBCCEDP grantees that highlight successes, challenges, and solutions, encountered when conducting these types of interventions. PMID:25099902

  1. pH-Sensitive Reversible Programmed Targeting Strategy by the Self-Assembly/Disassembly of Gold Nanoparticles.

    PubMed

    Ma, Jinlong; Hu, Zhenpeng; Wang, Wei; Wang, Xinyu; Wu, Qiang; Yuan, Zhi

    2017-05-24

    A reversible programmed targeting strategy could achieve high tumor accumulation due to its long blood circulation time and high cellular internalization. Here, targeting ligand-modified poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-ligand), dibutylamines (Bu), and pyrrolidinamines (Py) were introduced on the surface of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) for reversible shielding/deshielding of the targeting ligands by pH-responsive self-assembly. Hydrophobic interaction and steric repulsion are the main driving forces for the self-assembly/disassembly of Au NPs. The precise self-assembly (pH ≥ 7.2) and disassembly (pH ≤ 6.8) of Au NPs with different ligands could be achieved by fine-tuning the modifying molar ratio of Bu and Py (R m ), which followed the formula R m = 1/(-0.0013X 2 + 0.0323X + 1), in which X is the logarithm of the partition coefficient of the targeting ligand. The assembled/disassembled behavior of Au NPs at pH 7.2 and 6.8 was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and cellular uptake studies showed that the ligands could be buried inside the assembly and exposed when disassembled. More importantly, this process was reversible, which provides the possibility of prolonging blood circulation by shielding ligands associated with the NPs that were effused from tumor tissue.

  2. PIE on Safety-Tested Loose Particles from Irradiated Compact 4-4-2

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hunn, John D.; Gerczak, Tyler J.; Morris, Robert Noel

    2016-04-01

    Post-irradiation examination (PIE) is being performed in support of tristructural isotropic (TRISO) coated particle fuel development and qualification for High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors (HTGRs). This work is sponsored by the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) through the Advanced Reactor Technologies (ART) Office under the Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification (AGR) Program. The AGR-1 experiment was the first in a series of TRISO fuel irradiation tests initiated in 2006. The AGR-1 TRISO particles and fuel compacts were fabricated at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in 2006 using laboratory-scale equipment and irradiated for 3 years in themore » Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to demonstrate and evaluate fuel performance under HTGR irradiation conditions. Post-irradiation examination was performed at INL and ORNL to study how the fuel behaved during irradiation, and to test fuel performance during exposure to elevated temperatures at or above temperatures that could occur during a depressurized conduction cooldown event. This report summarizes safety testing and post-safety testing PIE conducted at ORNL on loose particles extracted from irradiated AGR-1 Compact 4-4-2.« less

  3. Seedling root targets

    Treesearch

    Diane L. Haase

    2011-01-01

    Roots are critical to seedling performance after outplanting. Although root quality is not as quick and simple to measure as shoot quality, target root characteristics should be included in any seedling quality assessment program. This paper provides a brief review of root characteristics most commonly targeted for operational seedling production. These are: root mass...

  4. Cannabinoid CB2 receptor as a new phototherapy target for the inhibition of tumor growth.

    PubMed

    Jia, Ningyang; Zhang, Shaojuan; Shao, Pin; Bagia, Christina; Janjic, Jelena M; Ding, Ying; Bai, Mingfeng

    2014-06-02

    The success of targeted cancer therapy largely relies upon the selection of target and the development of efficient therapeutic agents that specifically bind to the target. In the current study, we chose a cannabinoid CB2 receptor (CB2R) as a new target and used a CB2R-targeted photosensitizer, IR700DX-mbc94, for phototherapy treatment. IR700DX-mbc94 was prepared by conjugating a photosensitizer, IR700DX, to mbc94, whose binding specificity to CB2R has been previously demonstrated. We found that phototherapy treatment using IR700DX-mbc94 greatly inhibited the growth of CB2R positive tumors but not CB2R negative tumors. In addition, phototherapy treatment with nontargeted IR700DX did not show significant therapeutic effect. Similarly, treatment with IR700DX-mbc94 without light irradiation or light irradiation without the photosensitizer showed no tumor-inhibitory effect. Taken together, IR700DX-mbc94 is a promising phototherapy agent with high target-specificity. Moreover, CB2R appears to have great potential as a phototherapeutic target for cancer treatment.

  5. Low- and high-dose laser irradiation effects on cell migration and destruction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Layton, Elivia; Gallagher, Kyra A.; Zukerman, Sara; Stevens, Brianna; Zhou, Feifan; Liu, Hong; Chen, Wei R.

    2018-02-01

    Metastases are the cause of more than 90 percent of cancer-related deaths. Current treatment methods, including chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, fail to target the metastases effectively. One potential treatment for metastatic cancer is laser immunotherapy (LIT). LIT combines the use of a photothermal laser with an immunoadjuvant, Glycated Chitosan (GC). GC combined with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) has proven to be a viable alternative to traditional cancer treatment methods, when under irradiation of laser with appropriate wavelength. In this study, the effects of low dose and high dose laser irradiation on metastatic pancreatic cancer cell migration were observed. It was found that low dose irradiation increased the migration rate, but the high dose irradiation significantly decreased the migration rate of the cancer cells. When using LIT, the goal is to kill tumor cells and to prompt the correct immune response. If the tumor were irradiated with a low dose, it would promote metastasis. If the dose of irradiation were too high, it would destroy the entire tumor and the immune response would not recognize the tumor. Therefore, the laser dose plays an important role in LIT, particularly when using SWNT as light absorbing agent. Our results from this study will delineate the optimal laser irradiation dose for destroying tumor cells and at the same time preserve and release tumor antigens as a precursor of antitumor immune response.

  6. Energy Density in Aligned Nanowire Arrays Irradiated with Relativistic Intensities: Path to Terabar Pressure Plasmas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rocca, J.; Bargsten, C.; Hollinger, R.; Shylaptsev, V.; Wang, S.; Rockwood, A.; Wang, Y.; Keiss, D.; Capeluto, M.; Kaymak, V.; Pukhov, A.; Tommasini, R.; London, R.; Park, J.

    2016-10-01

    Ultra-high-energy-density (UHED) plasmas, characterized by energy densities >1 x 108 J cm-3 and pressures greater than a gigabar are encountered in the center of stars and in inertial confinement fusion capsules driven by the world's largest lasers. Similar conditions can be obtained with compact, ultra-high contrast, femtosecond lasers focused to relativistic intensities onto aligned nanowire array targets. Here we report the measurement of the key physical process in determining the energy density deposited in high aspect ratio nanowire array plasmas: the energy penetration. By monitoring the x-ray emission from buried Co tracer segments in Ni nanowire arrays irradiated at an intensity of 4 x 1019 W cm-2, we demonstrate energy penetration depths of several μm, leading to UHED plasmas of that size. Relativistic 3D particle-in-cell-simulations validated by these measurements predict that irradiation of nanostructures at increased intensity will lead to a virtually unexplored extreme UHED plasma regime characterized by energy densities in excess of 8 x 1010 J cm-3, equivalent to a pressure of 0.35 Tbar. This work was supported by the Fusion Energy Program, Office of Science of the U.S Department of Energy, and by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.

  7. High-flux neutron source based on a liquid-lithium target

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Halfon, S.; Feinberg, G.; Paul, M.

    2013-04-19

    A prototype compact Liquid Lithium Target (LiLiT), able to constitute an accelerator-based intense neutron source, was built. The neutron source is intended for nuclear astrophysical research, boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) in hospitals and material studies for fusion reactors. The LiLiT setup is presently being commissioned at Soreq Nuclear research Center (SNRC). The lithium target will produce neutrons through the {sup 7}Li(p,n){sup 7}Be reaction and it will overcome the major problem of removing the thermal power generated by a high-intensity proton beam, necessary for intense neutron flux for the above applications. The liquid-lithium loop of LiLiT is designed to generatemore » a stable lithium jet at high velocity on a concave supporting wall with free surface toward the incident proton beam (up to 10 kW). During off-line tests, liquid lithium was flown through the loop and generated a stable jet at velocity higher than 5 m/s on the concave supporting wall. The target is now under extensive test program using a high-power electron-gun. Up to 2 kW electron beam was applied on the lithium flow at velocity of 4 m/s without any flow instabilities or excessive evaporation. High-intensity proton beam irradiation will take place at SARAF (Soreq Applied Research Accelerator Facility) superconducting linear accelerator currently in commissioning at SNRC.« less

  8. Measurement of activation of rhodopsine with heavy ions irradiation in the ALTEA program: a possible mechanism responsible for light flash perceptions in space

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Narici, Livio; Rinaldi, Adele; Sannita, Walter, , Prof; Paci, Maurizio; Brunetti, Valentina; de Martino, Angelo; Picozza, Piergiorgio

    Since late 60s astronauts in space have reported seeing flashes of light, more frequently when dark adapted. Experiments have been performed to characterize these phenomena, and to suggest possible mechanisms. High Z ions have been shown to be the most likely cause of these perceptions: when ionizing radiation hits the eye there is a high probability of a light flash perception. However the mechanisms behind this phenomenon are not fully understood yet. We show that one of these mechanisms is the activation of the rhodopsin (bleaching) by heavy ions. Rhodopsin is at the start of the photo-electronic cascade in the process of vision. It is one of the best molecular transducer to convert a visible photon into an electric signal. In this work we show that rhodopsine can also be activated by irradiation with 12C nuclei. In the frame of ALTEA program, aimed at studying the effects of cosmic radiation on brain functions, an investigation on the interaction between heavy ions and rhodopsin has been performed. Intact Rod Outer Segment (ROS) containing rhodopsin were isolated from bovine retina. Suspended rods were irradiated with 12C (200 MeV/n, well below the Cherenkov threshold) at GSI (Darmstadt FRG) with doses ranging from few mrem to several rem. Spectrophotometric measurements investigated the presence of non activated and activated rhodopsin. The functionality of the purified rods were checked by previous light irradiation and subsequent regeneration by the addition of external 11-cis-retinal, to confirm the reversibility of the process in vitro. We can show effective and reversible bleaching also following irradiation, thus proving that the rhodopsin was not damaged by radiation. Works are in progress to model this interaction. Latest analysis results and considerations about the underlying mechanism will be presented.

  9. Rapid differentiation between gamma-irradiated and non irradiated potato tubers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jona, Roberto; Fronda, Anna

    The use of gamma irradiation as commercial method for the preservation of fruits and vegetables calls for methods of differentiation between irradiated and non-irradiated foodstuffs. In a previous research, the polysaccharidic content of cell walls of irradiated tissue has been investigated, but it required rather long time to reach the result. A method devised to ascertain the vitality of cells has been applied to distinguish irradiated from non-irradiated potato tubers. 500 mg of tissue excised from tubers have been infiltrated with tetrazolium chloride 0.6% in phosphate buffer, pH 7.4. After 15 hrs of incubation at 30°C the treated tissues have been extracted with 95% ethanol whose O.D. has been measured at 530 mμ wavelength. The colour intensity of the alcohol allowed a very clearcut recognition of the irradiated tubers.

  10. A Model for Microcontroller Functionality Upset Induced by External Pulsed Electromagnetic Irradiation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-11-21

    AFRL-RD-PS- AFRL-RD-PS- TN-2016-0003 TN-2016-0003 A Model for Microcontroller Functionality Upset Induced by External Pulsed Electromagnetic ...External Pulsed Electromagnetic Irradiation 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER FA9451-15-C-0004 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6 . AUTHOR(S) David...microcontroller (µC) subjected to external irradiation by a narrowband electromagnetic (EM) pulse. In our model, the state of a µC is completely specified by

  11. [Doses to organs at risk in conformational radiotherapy and stereotaxic irradiation: The heart].

    PubMed

    Vandendorpe, B; Servagi Vernat, S; Ramiandrisoa, F; Bazire, L; Kirova, Y M

    2017-10-01

    Radiation therapy of breast cancer, Hodgkin lymphoma, lung cancer and others thoracic irradiations induce an ionizing radiation dose to the heart. Irradiation of the heart, associated with patient cardiovascular risk and cancer treatment-induced cardiotoxicity, increase cardiovascular mortality. The long survival after breast or Hodgkin lymphoma irradiation requires watching carefully late treatment toxicity. The over-risk of cardiac events is related to the dose received by the heart and the irradiated cardiac volume. The limitation of cardiac irradiation should be a priority in the planning of thoracic irradiations. Practices have to be modified, using modern techniques to approach of the primary objective of radiotherapy which is to optimize the dose to the target volume, sparing healthy tissues, in this case the heart. We have reviewed the literature on cardiac toxicity induced by conformational tridimensional radiation therapy, intensity-modulated radiation therapy or stereotactic body radiation therapy, in order to evaluate the possibilities to limit cardiotoxicity. Finally, we summarise the recommendations on dose constraints to the heart and coronary arteries. Copyright © 2017 Société française de radiothérapie oncologique (SFRO). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

  12. Evaluation of Functional Marrow Irradiation Based on Skeletal Marrow Composition Obtained Using Dual-Energy Computed Tomography

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Magome, Taiki; Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Department of Radiology, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo

    Purpose: To develop an imaging method to characterize and map marrow composition in the entire skeletal system, and to simulate differential targeted marrow irradiation based on marrow composition. Methods and Materials: Whole-body dual energy computed tomography (DECT) images of cadavers and leukemia patients were acquired, segmented to separate bone marrow components, namely, bone, red marrow (RM), and yellow marrow (YM). DECT-derived marrow fat fraction was validated using histology of lumbar vertebrae obtained from cadavers. The fractions of RM (RMF = RM/total marrow) and YMF were calculated in each skeletal region to assess the correlation of marrow composition with sites and ages. Treatmentmore » planning was simulated to target irradiation differentially at a higher dose (18 Gy) to either RM or YM and a lower dose (12 Gy) to the rest of the skeleton. Results: A significant correlation between fat fractions obtained from DECT and cadaver histology samples was observed (r=0.861, P<.0001, Pearson). The RMF decreased in the head, neck, and chest was significantly inversely correlated with age but did not show any significant age-related changes in the abdomen and pelvis regions. Conformity of radiation to targets (RM, YM) was significantly dependent on skeletal sites. The radiation exposure was significantly reduced (P<.05, t test) to organs at risk (OARs) in RM and YM irradiation compared with standard total marrow irradiation (TMI). Conclusions: Whole-body DECT offers a new imaging technique to visualize and measure skeletal-wide marrow composition. The DECT-based treatment planning offers volumetric and site-specific precise radiation dosimetry of RM and YM, which varies with aging. Our proposed method could be used as a functional compartment of TMI for further targeted radiation to specific bone marrow environment, dose escalation, reduction of doses to OARs, or a combination of these factors.« less

  13. Universal school-based substance abuse prevention programs: Modeling targeted mediators and outcomes for adolescent cigarette, alcohol and marijuana use.

    PubMed

    Stephens, Peggy C; Sloboda, Zili; Stephens, Richard C; Teasdale, Brent; Grey, Scott F; Hawthorne, Richard D; Williams, Joseph

    2009-06-01

    We examined the relationships among targeted constructs of social influences and competence enhancement prevention curricula and cigarette, alcohol and marijuana use outcomes in a diverse sample of high school students. We tested the causal relationships of normative beliefs, perceptions of harm, attitudes toward use of these substances and refusal, communication, and decision-making skills predicting the self-reported use of each substance. In addition, we modeled the meditation of these constructs through the intentions to use each substance and tested the moderating effects of the skills variables on the relationships between intentions to use and self-reported use of each of these substances. Logistic regression path models were constructed for each of the drug use outcomes. Models were run using the Mplus 5.0 statistical application using the complex sample function to control for the sampling design of students nested within schools; full information maximum likelihood estimates (FIML) were utilized to address missing data. Relationships among targeted constructs and outcomes differed for each of the drugs with communication skills having a potentially iatrogenic effect on alcohol use. Program targets were mediated through the intentions to use these substances. Finally, we found evidence of a moderating effect of decision-making skills on perceptions of harm and attitudes toward use, depending upon the outcome. Prevention curricula may need to target specific drugs. In addition to normative beliefs, perceptions of harm, and refusal and decision-making skills, programs should directly target constructs proximal to behavioral outcomes such as attitudes and intentions. Finally, more research on the effects of communication skills on adolescent substance use should be examined.

  14. Survival After Ventricular Fibrillation Cardiac Arrest in the Sao Paulo Metropolitan Subway System: First Successful Targeted Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Program in Latin America.

    PubMed

    Gianotto-Oliveira, Renan; Gonzalez, Maria Margarita; Vianna, Caio Brito; Monteiro Alves, Maurício; Timerman, Sergio; Kalil Filho, Roberto; Kern, Karl B

    2015-10-09

    Targeted automated external defibrillator (AED) programs have improved survival rates among patients who have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in US airports, as well as European and Japanese railways. The Sao Paulo (Brazil) Metro subway carries 4.5 million people per day. A targeted AED program was begun in the Sao Paulo Metro with the objective to improve survival from cardiac arrest. A prospective, longitudinal, observational study of all cardiac arrests in the Sao Paulo Metro was performed from September 2006 through November 2012. This study focused on cardiac arrest by ventricular arrhythmias, and the primary endpoint was survival to hospital discharge with minimal neurological impairment. A total of 62 patients had an initial cardiac rhythm of ventricular fibrillation. Because no data on cardiac arrest treatment or outcomes existed before beginning this project, the first 16 months of the implementation was used as the initial experience and compared with the subsequent 5 years of full operation. Return of spontaneous circulation was not different between the initial 16 months and the subsequent 5 years (6 of 8 [75%] vs. 39 of 54 [72%]; P=0.88). However, survival to discharge was significantly different once the full program was instituted (0 of 8 vs. 23 of 54 [43%]; P=0.001). Implementation of a targeted AED program in the Sao Paulo Metro subway system saved lives. A short interval between arrest and defibrillation was key for good long-term, neurologically intact survival. These results support strategic expansion of targeted AED programs in other large Latin American cities. © 2015 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.

  15. Radiation-Induced Epigenetic Alterations after Low and High LET Irradiations

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Aypar, Umut; Morgan, William F.; Baulch, Janet E.

    Epigenetics, including DNA methylation and microRNA (miRNA) expression, could be the missing link in understanding the delayed, non-targeted effects of radiation including radiationinduced genomic instability (RIGI). This study tests the hypothesis that irradiation induces epigenetic aberrations, which could eventually lead to RIGI, and that the epigenetic aberrations induced by low linear energy transfer (LET) irradiation are different than those induced by high LET irradiations. GM10115 cells were irradiated with low LET x-rays and high LET iron (Fe) ions and evaluated for DNA damage, cell survival and chromosomal instability. The cells were also evaluated for specific locus methylation of nuclear factor-kappamore » B (NFκB), tumor suppressor in lung cancer 1 (TSLC1) and cadherin 1 (CDH1) gene promoter regions, long interspersed nuclear element 1 (LINE-1) and Alu repeat element methylation, CpG and non-CpG global methylation and miRNA expression levels. Irradiated cells showed increased micronucleus induction and cell killing immediately following exposure, but were chromosomally stable at delayed times post-irradiation. At this same delayed time, alterations in repeat element and global DNA methylation and miRNA expression were observed. Analyses of DNA methylation predominantly showed hypomethylation, however hypermethylation was also observed. MiRNA shown to be altered in expression level after x-ray irradiation are involved in chromatin remodeling and DNA methylation. Different and higher incidence of epigenetic changes were observed after exposure to low LET x-rays than high LET Fe ions even though Fe ions elicited more chromosomal damage and cell killing. This study also shows that the irradiated cells acquire epigenetic changes even though they are chromosomally stable suggesting that epigenetic aberrations may arise in the cell without initiating RIGI.« less

  16. Effects of X-ray irradiation on different stages of Sesamia nonagrioides Lefebvre (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and DNA damage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Avan Aksoy, Hatice; Yazıcı, Nizamettin; Erel, Yakup

    2017-01-01

    The corn stalk borer, Sesamia nonagrioides Lefebvre (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is an important corn pest in the Mediterranean countries. In this study, we investigated the influence of X-ray irradiation on different developmental stages, reproduction and DNA damage to the insect. Eggs (0-24 h old), larvae (5th instar), pupae (5 days after pupation) and adults (24 h after emergence) were irradiated with X-ray irradiation at target doses of 0 (control), 50, 100, 150 and 200 Gy. Eggs irradiated at all doses did not hatch. When 5th instar were irradiated pupation and adult emergence significantly decreased. Fecundity of adults from irradiated pupae was inhibited and no eggs were laid. Moreover, adult longevity decreased after irradiation compared to control. Larvae, pupae, and adults of S. nonagrioides were studied using the single-cell gel electrophoresis (DNA comet) directly after irradiation. X-ray irradiated larvae, pupae, and adults showed typical DNA fragmentation in a dose-dependent manner compared with cells from non-irradiated groups. The amount of DNA damage increased as doses increased and possibly could be used to estimate dose applied in commercial phytosanitary irradiation treatments. Furthermore, irradiation would be an effective phytosanitary treatment for shipped commodities at risk infestation with S. nonagrioides.

  17. Neutron radiography of irradiated nuclear fuel at Idaho National Laboratory

    DOE PAGES

    Craft, Aaron E.; Wachs, Daniel M.; Okuniewski, Maria A.; ...

    2015-09-10

    Neutron radiography of irradiated nuclear fuel provides more comprehensive information about the internal condition of irradiated nuclear fuel than any other non-destructive technique to date. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has multiple nuclear fuels research and development programs that routinely evaluate irradiated fuels using neutron radiography. The Neutron Radiography reactor (NRAD) sits beneath a shielded hot cell facility where neutron radiography and other evaluation techniques are performed on these highly radioactive objects. The NRAD currently uses the foil-film transfer technique for imaging fuel that is time consuming but provides high spatial resolution. This study describes the NRAD and hot cell facilities,more » the current neutron radiography capabilities available at INL, planned upgrades to the neutron imaging systems, and new facilities being brought online at INL related to neutron imaging.« less

  18. Cost effectiveness of a targeted age-based West Nile virus vaccination program.

    PubMed

    Shankar, Manjunath B; Staples, J Erin; Meltzer, Martin I; Fischer, Marc

    2017-05-25

    West Nile virus (WNV) is the leading cause of domestically-acquired arboviral disease in the United States. Several WNV vaccines are in various stages of development. We estimate the cost-effectiveness of WNV vaccination programs targeting groups at increased risk for severe WNV disease. We used a mathematical model to estimate costs and health outcomes of vaccination with WNV vaccine compared to no vaccination among seven cohorts, spaced at 10year intervals from ages 10 to 70years, each followed until 90-years-old. U.S. surveillance data were used to estimate WNV neuroinvasive disease incidence. Data for WNV seroprevalence, acute and long-term care costs of WNV disease patients, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and vaccine characteristics were obtained from published reports. We assumed vaccine efficacy to either last lifelong or for 10years with booster doses given every 10years. There was a statistically significant difference in cost-effectiveness ratios across cohorts in both models and all outcomes assessed (Kruskal-Wallis test p<0.0001). The 60-year-cohort had a mean cost per neuroinvasive disease case prevented of $664,000 and disability averted of $1,421,000 in lifelong model and $882,000 and $1,887,000, respectively in 10-year immunity model; these costs were statistically significantly lower than costs for other cohorts (p<0.0001). Vaccinating 70-year-olds had the lowest cost per death averted in both models at around $4.7 million (95%CI $2-$8 million). Cost per disease case averted was lowest among 40- and 50-year-old cohorts and cost per QALY saved lowest among 60-year cohorts in lifelong immunity model. The models were most sensitive to disease incidence, vaccine cost, and proportion of persons developing disease among infected. Age-based WNV vaccination program targeting those at higher risk for severe disease is more cost-effective than universal vaccination. Annual variation in WNV disease incidence, QALY weights, and vaccine costs impact the

  19. Effects of gamma irradiation on different stages of mealybug Dysmicoccus neobrevipes (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    The, Doan Thi; Khanh, Nguyen Thuy; Lang, Vo Thi Kim; Van Chung, Cao; An, Tran Thi Thien; Thi, Nguyen Hoang Hanh

    2012-01-01

    Utilization of phytosanitary irradiation as a potential treatment to disinfest agricultural commodities in trade has expanded rapidly in the recent years. Cobalt-60 gamma ray target doses of 100, 150, 200 and 250 Gy were used to irradiate immatures and adults of Dysmicoccus neobrevipes (Beardsley) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) infesting dragon fruits to find the most tolerant stage and the most optimal dose range for quarantine treatment. In general, irradiation affected significantly all life stages of D. neobrevipes mortality and adult reproduction. The pattern of tolerance to irradiation in D. neobrevipes was 1st instars<2nd instars<3rd instarsirradiation, predicted doses for 100% mortality of each different development stage in the above mentioned pattern were 224.6, 241.3, 330.9 and 581.5 Gy, respectively. No survived female adult produced offspring at 200 and 250 Gy. Dose range between 200 and 250 Gy could be efficient to prevent the reproduction of this mealybug.

  20. A secretome analysis reveals that PPARα is upregulated by fractionated-dose γ-irradiation in three-dimensional keratinocyte cultures

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lee, Jeeyong; Kim, Hyun-Ji; Yi, Jae Youn, E-mail: yjy_71@kcch.re.kr

    Studies have shown that γ-irradiation induces various biological responses, including oxidative stress and apoptosis, as well as cellular repair and immune system responses. However, most such studies have been performed using traditional two-dimensional cell culture systems, which are limited in their ability to faithfully represent in vivo conditions. A three-dimensional (3D) environment composed of properly interconnected and differentiated cells that allow communication and cooperation among cells via secreted molecules would be expected to more accurately reflect cellular responses. Here, we investigated γ-irradiation–induced changes in the secretome of 3D-cultured keratinocytes. An analysis of keratinocyte secretome profiles following fractionated-dose γ-irradiation revealed changes inmore » genes involved in cell adhesion, angiogenesis, and the immune system. Notably, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα) was upregulated in response to fractionated-dose γ-irradiation. This upregulation was associated with an increase in the transcription of known PPARα target genes in secretome, including angiopoietin-like protein 4, dermokine and kallikrein-related peptide 12, which were differentially regulated by fractionated-dose γ-irradiation. Collectively, our data imply a mechanism linking γ-irradiation and secretome changes, and suggest that these changes could play a significant role in the coordinated cellular responses to harmful ionizing radiation, such as those associated with radiation therapy. This extension of our understanding of γ-irradiation-induced secretome changes has the potential to improve radiation therapy strategies. - Highlights: • γ-irradiation induced changes of cell adhesion, angiogenesis, and immune system in secretome of 3D-cultured keratinocytes. • Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα) was upregulated in response to fractionated-dose γ-irradiation. • The known PPARα target genes were

  1. Finite-horizon differential games for missile-target interception system using adaptive dynamic programming with input constraints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Jingliang; Liu, Chunsheng

    2018-01-01

    In this paper, the problem of intercepting a manoeuvring target within a fixed final time is posed in a non-linear constrained zero-sum differential game framework. The Nash equilibrium solution is found by solving the finite-horizon constrained differential game problem via adaptive dynamic programming technique. Besides, a suitable non-quadratic functional is utilised to encode the control constraints into a differential game problem. The single critic network with constant weights and time-varying activation functions is constructed to approximate the solution of associated time-varying Hamilton-Jacobi-Isaacs equation online. To properly satisfy the terminal constraint, an additional error term is incorporated in a novel weight-updating law such that the terminal constraint error is also minimised over time. By utilising Lyapunov's direct method, the closed-loop differential game system and the estimation weight error of the critic network are proved to be uniformly ultimately bounded. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated by using a simple non-linear system and a non-linear missile-target interception system, assuming first-order dynamics for the interceptor and target.

  2. Localized CT-Guided Irradiation Inhibits Neurogenesis in Specific Regions of the Adult Mouse Brain

    PubMed Central

    Ford, E. C.; Achanta, P.; Purger, D.; Armour, M.; Reyes, J.; Fong, J.; Kleinberg, L.; Redmond, K.; Wong, J.; Jang, M. H.; Jun, H.; Song, H-J.; Quinones-Hinojosa, A.

    2011-01-01

    Radiation is used in the study of neurogenesis in the adult mouse both as a model for patients undergoing radiation therapy for CNS malignancies and as a tool to interrupt neurogenesis. We describe the use of a dedicated CT-guided precision device to irradiate specific sub-regions of the adult mouse brain. Improved CT visualization was accomplished with intrathecal injection of iodinated contrast agent, which enhances the lateral ventricles. T2-weighted MRI images were also used for target localization. Visualization of delivered beams (10 Gy) in tissue was accomplished with immunohistochemical staining for the protein γ-H2AX, a marker of DNA double-strand breaks. γ-H2AX stains showed that the lateral ventricle wall could be targeted with an accuracy of 0.19 mm (n = 10). In the hippocampus, γ-H2AX staining showed that the dentate gyrus can be irradiated unilaterally with a localized arc treatment. This resulted in a significant decrease of proliferative neural progenitor cells as measured by Ki-67 staining (P < 0.001) while leaving the contralateral side intact. Two months after localized irradiation, neurogenesis was significantly inhibited in the irradiated region as seen with EdU/NeuN double labeling (P < 0.001). Localized radiation in the rodent brain is a promising new tool for the study of neurogenesis. PMID:21449714

  3. Manipulating the mitochondria activity in human hepatic cell line Huh7 by low-power laser irradiation

    PubMed Central

    Lynnyk, Anna; Lunova, Mariia; Jirsa, Milan; Egorova, Daria; Kulikov, Andrei; Kubinová, Šárka; Lunov, Oleg; Dejneka, Alexandr

    2018-01-01

    Low-power laser irradiation of red light has been recognized as a promising tool across a vast variety of biomedical applications. However, deep understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind laser-induced cellular effects remains a significant challenge. Here, we investigated mechanisms involved in the death process in human hepatic cell line Huh7 at a laser irradiation. We decoupled distinct cell death pathways targeted by laser irradiations of different powers. Our data demonstrate that high dose laser irradiation exhibited the highest levels of total reactive oxygen species production, leading to cyclophilin D-related necrosis via the mitochondrial permeability transition. On the contrary, low dose laser irradiation resulted in the nuclear accumulation of superoxide and apoptosis execution. Our findings offer a novel insight into laser-induced cellular responses, and reveal distinct cell death pathways triggered by laser irradiation. The observed link between mitochondria depolarization and triggering ROS could be a fundamental phenomenon in laser-induced cellular responses. PMID:29541521

  4. Advanced Post-Irradiation Examination Capabilities Alternatives Analysis Report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jeff Bryan; Bill Landman; Porter Hill

    2012-12-01

    An alternatives analysis was performed for the Advanced Post-Irradiation Capabilities (APIEC) project in accordance with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order DOE O 413.3B, “Program and Project Management for the Acquisition of Capital Assets”. The Alternatives Analysis considered six major alternatives: ? No Action ? Modify Existing DOE Facilities – capabilities distributed among multiple locations ? Modify Existing DOE Facilities – capabilities consolidated at a few locations ? Construct New Facility ? Commercial Partnership ? International Partnerships Based on the alternatives analysis documented herein, it is recommended to DOE that the advanced post-irradiation examination capabilities be provided by amore » new facility constructed at the Materials and Fuels Complex at the Idaho National Laboratory.« less

  5. A Partnership Training Program: Studying Targeted Drug Delivery Using Nanoparticles in Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-10-01

    time-resolved synchrotron SAXS and WAXS study. J Cryst Growth 2012;344:51–8. Hurst SJ, Lytton-Jean AKR , Mirkin CA. Maximizing DNA loading on a range of...TITLE: A Partnership Training Program: Studying Targeted Drug Delivery Using Nanoparticles in Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy PRINCIPAL...notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it

  6. Computer program for the IBM personal computer which searches for approximate matches to short oligonucleotide sequences in long target DNA sequences.

    PubMed Central

    Myers, E W; Mount, D W

    1986-01-01

    We describe a program which may be used to find approximate matches to a short predefined DNA sequence in a larger target DNA sequence. The program predicts the usefulness of specific DNA probes and sequencing primers and finds nearly identical sequences that might represent the same regulatory signal. The program is written in the C programming language and will run on virtually any computer system with a C compiler, such as the IBM/PC and other computers running under the MS/DOS and UNIX operating systems. The program has been integrated into an existing software package for the IBM personal computer (see article by Mount and Conrad, this volume). Some examples of its use are given. PMID:3753785

  7. Lightweight Target Generates Bright, Energetic X-Rays

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hazi, A

    Radiography with x rays is a long-established method to see inside objects, from human limbs to weapon parts. Livermore scientists have a continuing need for powerful x rays for such applications as backlighting, or illuminating, inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments and imaging still or exploding materials for the nation's Stockpile Stewardship Program. X-radiography is one of the prime diagnostics for ICF experiments because it captures the fine detail needed to determine what happens to nearly microscopic targets when they are compressed by laser light. For example, Livermore scientists participating in the National Ignition Facility's (NIF's) 18-month-long Early Light experimental campaign,more » which ended in 2004, used x rays to examine hydrodynamic instabilities in jets of plasma. In these experiments, one laser beam irradiated a solid target of titanium, causing it to form a high-temperature plasma that generated x rays of about 4.65 kiloelectronvolts (keV). These x rays backlit a jet of plasma formed when two other laser beams hit a plastic ablator and sent a shock to an aluminum washer. Livermore physicist Kevin Fournier of the Physics and Advanced Technologies Directorate leads a team that is working to increase the efficiency of converting laser energy into x rays so the resulting images provide more information about the object being illuminated. The main characteristics of x-ray sources are energy and brightness. ''As experimental targets get larger and as compression of the targets increases, the backlighter sources must be brighter and more energetic'', says Fournier. The more energetic the x rays, the further they penetrate an object. The brighter the source--that is, the more photons it has--the clearer the image. historically, researchers have used solid targets such as thin metal foils to generate x rays. however, when photon energies are greater than a few kiloelectronvolts, the conversion efficiency of solid targets is only a

  8. Determination of initial fuel state and number of reactor shutdowns in archived low-burnup uranium targets

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Byerly, Benjamin; Tandon, Lav; Hayes-Sterbenz, Anna

    This article presents a method for destructive analysis of irradiated uranium (U) targets, with a focus on collection and measurement of long-lived (t 1/2 > ~10 years) and stable fission product isotopes of ruthenium and cesium. Long-lived and stable isotopes of these elements can provide information on reactor conditions (e.g. flux, irradiation time, cooling time) in old samples (> 5–10 years) whose short-lived fission products have decayed away. The separation and analytical procedures were tested on archived U reactor targets at Los Alamos National Laboratory as part of an effort to evaluate reactor models at low-burnup.

  9. Determination of initial fuel state and number of reactor shutdowns in archived low-burnup uranium targets

    DOE PAGES

    Byerly, Benjamin; Tandon, Lav; Hayes-Sterbenz, Anna; ...

    2015-10-26

    This article presents a method for destructive analysis of irradiated uranium (U) targets, with a focus on collection and measurement of long-lived (t 1/2 > ~10 years) and stable fission product isotopes of ruthenium and cesium. Long-lived and stable isotopes of these elements can provide information on reactor conditions (e.g. flux, irradiation time, cooling time) in old samples (> 5–10 years) whose short-lived fission products have decayed away. The separation and analytical procedures were tested on archived U reactor targets at Los Alamos National Laboratory as part of an effort to evaluate reactor models at low-burnup.

  10. Reduction of the IgE-binding ability and maintenance of immunogenicity of gamma-irradiated Dermatophagoides farinae

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Ju-Woon; Seo, Ji-Hyun; Kim, Jae-Hun; Lee, Soo-Young; Park, Joong-Won; Byun, Myung-Woo

    2007-11-01

    House dust mites, Dermatophagoides farinae (DF) and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, are major allergens in the most common indoor allergen and are important risk factor for asthma. The modified antigen has been studied to treat allergic disorder. This study was carried out to measure possibility of modified allergen using gamma irradiation to treat allergy such as asthma. DF solutions (2 mg/ml) as target allergen were irradiated with Co-60 at 50 and 100 kGy. Conformational alternation of irradiated DF was observed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Levels of anti-irradiated DF mouse IgGs (sub-isotypes) against intact DF were measured similar to that of anti-intact DF IgGs. The binding abilities of house dust mite-allergic patients' IgE were reduced depending on radiation dose, and irradiation could inhibit the binding ability of patients' IgE more than 40%. This study has shown that the binding ability of IgE was reduced by conformational alteration by irradiation and the irradiated DF had epitopes capable to induce immunogeniciy.

  11. Methods for chemical recovery of non-carrier-added radioactive tin from irradiated intermetallic Ti-Sb targets

    DOEpatents

    Lapshina, Elena V [Troitsk, RU; Zhuikov, Boris L [Troitsk, RU; Srivastava, Suresh C [Setauket, NY; Ermolaev, Stanislav V [Obninsk, RU; Togaeva, Natalia R [Obninsk, RU

    2012-01-17

    The invention provides a method of chemical recovery of no-carrier-added radioactive tin (NCA radiotin) from intermetallide TiSb irradiated with accelerated charged particles. An irradiated sample of TiSb can be dissolved in acidic solutions. Antimony can be removed from the solution by extraction with dibutyl ether. Titanium in the form of peroxide can be separated from tin using chromatography on strong anion-exchange resin. In another embodiment NCA radiotin can be separated from iodide solution containing titanium by extraction with benzene, toluene or chloroform. NCA radiotin can be finally purified from the remaining antimony and other impurities using chromatography on silica gel. NCA tin-117m can be obtained from this process. NCA tin-117m can be used for labeling organic compounds and biological objects to be applied in medicine for imaging and therapy of various diseases.

  12. Salidroside suppresses solar ultraviolet-induced skin inflammation by targeting cyclooxygenase-2.

    PubMed

    Wu, Dan; Yuan, Ping; Ke, Changshu; Xiong, Hua; Chen, Jingwen; Guo, Jinguang; Lu, Mingmin; Ding, Yanyan; Fan, Xiaoming; Duan, Qiuhong; Shi, Fei; Zhu, Feng

    2016-05-03

    Solar ultraviolet (SUV) irradiation causes skin disorders such as inflammation, photoaging, and carcinogenesis. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) plays a key role in SUV-induced skin inflammation, and targeting COX-2 may be a strategy to prevent skin disorders. In this study, we found that the expression of COX-2, phosphorylation of p38 or JNKs were increased in human solar dermatitis tissues and SUV-irradiated human skin keratinocyte HaCaT cells and mouse epidermal JB6 Cl41 cells. Knocking down COX-2 inhibited the production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), the phosphorylation of p38 or JNKs in SUV-irradiated cells, which indicated that COX-2 is not only the key enzyme for PGs synthesis, but also an upstream regulator of p38 or JNKs after SUV irradiation. The virtual ligand screening assay was used to search for natural drugs in the Chinese Medicine Database, and indicated that salidroside might be a COX-2 inhibitor. Molecule modeling indicated that salidroside can directly bind with COX-2, which was proved by in vitro pull-down binding assay. Ex vivo studies showed that salidroside has no toxicity to cells, and inhibits the production of PGE2, phosphorylation of p38 or JNKs, and secretion of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) caused by SUV irradiation. In vivo studies demonstrated that salidroside attenuates the skin inflammation induced by SUV. In brief, our data provided the evidences for the protective role of salidroside against SUV-induced inflammation by targeting COX-2, and salidroside might be a promising drug for the treatment of SUV-induced skin inflammation.

  13. FFTF-cycle 10 program and future plan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kohyama, Akira

    1988-04-01

    Brief outlines are provided of the FFTF cycle 10 program and future plans in consideration. The primary objective of the Japan-US collaboration program is to enable predictions of material behavior in MFRs to be made from data obtained in other irradiation environments. Major program goals are outlined.

  14. Blue light-irradiated human keloid fibroblasts: an in vitro study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Magni, Giada; Rossi, Francesca; Tatini, Francesca; Pini, Roberto; Coppi, Elisabetta; Cherchi, Federica; Fusco, Irene; Pugliese, Anna Maria; Pedata, Felicita; Fraccalvieri, Marco; Gasperini, Stefano; Pavone, Francesco S.; Tripodi, Cristina; Alfieri, Domenico; Targetti, Lorenzo

    2018-02-01

    Blue LED light irradiation is currently under investigation because of its effect in wound healing improvement. In this context, several mechanisms of action are likely to occur at the same time, consistently with the presence of different light absorbers within the skin. In our previous studies we observed the wound healing in superficial abrasions in an in vivo murine model. The results evidenced that both inflammatory infiltrate and myofibroblasts activity increase after irradiation. In this study we focused on evaluating the consequences of light absorption in fibroblasts from human cells culture: they play a key role in wound healing, both in physiological conditions and in pathological ones, such as keloid scarring. In particular we used keloids fibroblasts as a new target in order to investigate a possible metabolic or cellular mechanism correlation. Human keloid tissues were excised during standard surgery and immediately underwent primary cell culture extraction. Fibroblasts were allowed to grow in the appropriate conditions and then exposed to blue light. A metabolic colorimetric test (WST-8) was then performed. The tests evidenced an effect in mitochondrial activity, which could be modulated by the duration of the treatment. Electrophysiology pointed out a different behavior of irradiated fibroblasts. In conclusion, the Blue LED light affects the metabolic activity of fibroblasts and thus the cellular proliferation rate. No specific effect was found on keloid fibroblasts, thus indicating a very basic intracellular component, such as cytochromes, being the target of the treatment.

  15. Shuttle on-orbit rendezvous targeting: Circular orbits

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bentley, E. L.

    1972-01-01

    The strategy and logic used in a space shuttle on-orbit rendezvous targeting program are described. The program generates ascent targeting conditions for boost to insertion into an intermediate parking orbit, and generates on-orbit targeting and timeline bases for each maneuver to effect rendezvous with a space station. Time of launch is determined so as to eliminate any plane change, and all work was performed for a near-circular space station orbit.

  16. Opto-mechanical system design of test system for near-infrared and visible target

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Chunyan; Zhu, Guodong; Wang, Yuchao

    2014-12-01

    Guidance precision is the key indexes of the guided weapon shooting. The factors of guidance precision including: information processing precision, control system accuracy, laser irradiation accuracy and so on. The laser irradiation precision is an important factor. This paper aimed at the demand of the precision test of laser irradiator,and developed the laser precision test system. The system consists of modified cassegrain system, the wide range CCD camera, tracking turntable and industrial PC, and makes visible light and near infrared target imaging at the same time with a Near IR camera. Through the analysis of the design results, when it exposures the target of 1000 meters that the system measurement precision is43mm, fully meet the needs of the laser precision test.

  17. Oxidative decomposition of aromatic hydrocarbons by electron beam irradiation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Han, Do-Hung; Stuchinskaya, Tatiana; Won, Yang-Soo; Park, Wan-Sik; Lim, Jae-Kyong

    2003-05-01

    Decomposition of aromatic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) under electron beam irradiation was studied in order to examine the kinetics of the process, to characterize the reaction product distribution and to develop a process of waste gas control technology. Toluene, ethylbenzene, o-, m-, p-xylenes and chlorobenzene were used as target materials. The experiments were carried out at doses ranging from 0.5 to 10 kGy, using a flow reactor utilized under electron beam irradiation. Maximum degrees of decomposition carried out at 10 kGy in air environment were 55-65% for “non-chlorinated” aromatic VOC and 85% for chlorobenzene. It was found that a combination of aromatic pollutants with chlorobenzene would considerably increase the degradation value up to nearly 50% compared to the same compounds in the absence of chlorine groups. Based on our experimental observation, the degradation mechanism of the aromatic compounds combined with chloro-compound suggests that a chlorine radical, formed from EB irradiation, induces a chain reaction, resulting in an accelerating oxidative destruction of aromatic VOCs.

  18. Feasibility study Part I - Thermal hydraulic analysis of LEU target for {sup 99}Mo production in Tajoura reactor

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bsebsu, F.M.; Abotweirat, F.; Elwaer, S.

    2008-07-15

    The Renewable Energies and Water Desalination Research Center (REWDRC), Libya, will implement the technology for {sup 99}Mo isotope production using LEU foil target, to obtain new revenue streams for the Tajoura nuclear research reactor and desiring to serve the Libyan hospitals by providing the medical radioisotopes. Design information is presented for LEU target with irradiation device and irradiation Beryllium (Be) unit in the Tajoura reactor core. Calculated results for the reactor core with LEU target at different level of power are presented for steady state and several reactivity induced accident situations. This paper will present the steady state thermal hydraulicmore » design and transient analysis of Tajoura reactor was loaded with LEU foil target for {sup 99}Mo production. The results of these calculations show that the reactor with LEU target during the several cases of transient are in safe and no problems will occur. (author)« less

  19. Cost-benefit analysis for biological control programs that target insects pests of eucalypts in urban landscapes of California

    Treesearch

    T.D. Paine; J.G. Millar; L.M. Hanks; J. Gould; Q. Wang; K. Daane; D.L. Dahlsten; E.G. McPherson

    2015-01-01

    As well as being planted for wind breaks, landscape trees, and fuel wood, eucalypts are also widely used as urban street trees in California. They now are besieged by exotic insect herbivores of four different feeding guilds. The objective of the current analysis was to determine the return on investment from biological control programs that have targeted these pests....

  20. Precision Modeling Of Targets Using The VALUE Computer Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hoffman, George A.; Patton, Ronald; Akerman, Alexander

    1989-08-01

    The 1976-vintage LASERX computer code has been augmented to produce realistic electro-optical images of targets. Capabilities lacking in LASERX but recently incorporated into its VALUE successor include: •Shadows cast onto the ground •Shadows cast onto parts of the target •See-through transparencies (e.g.,canopies) •Apparent images due both to atmospheric scattering and turbulence •Surfaces characterized by multiple bi-directional reflectance functions VALUE provides not only realistic target modeling by its precise and comprehensive representation of all target attributes, but additionally VALUE is very user friendly. Specifically, setup of runs is accomplished by screen prompting menus in a sequence of queries that is logical to the user. VALUE also incorporates the Optical Encounter (OPEC) software developed by Tricor Systems,Inc., Elgin, IL.

  1. Development, Production and Validation of the NOAA Solar Irradiance Climate Data Record

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coddington, O.; Lean, J.; Pilewskie, P.; Snow, M. A.; Lindholm, D. M.

    2015-12-01

    A new climate data record of Total Solar Irradiance (TSI) and Solar Spectral Irradiance (SSI), including source code and supporting documentation is now publicly available as part of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Climate Data Record (CDR) Program. Daily and monthly averaged values of TSI and SSI, with associated time and wavelength dependent uncertainties, are estimated from 1882 to the present with yearly averaged values since 1610, updated quarterly for the foreseeable future. The new Solar Irradiance Climate Data Record, jointly developed by the University of Colorado at Boulder's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) and the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), is constructed from solar irradiance models that determine the changes from quiet Sun conditions when bright faculae and dark sunspots are present on the solar disk. The magnitudes of the irradiance changes that these features produce are determined from linear regression of the proxy Mg II index and sunspot area indices against the approximately decade-long solar irradiance measurements made by instruments on the SOlar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) spacecraft. We describe the model formulation, uncertainty estimates, operational implementation and validation approach. Future efforts to improve the uncertainty estimates of the Solar Irradiance CDR arising from model assumptions, and augmentation of the solar irradiance reconstructions with direct measurements from the Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor (TSIS: launch date, July 2017) are also discussed.

  2. The deuterium depth profile in neutron-irradiated tungsten exposed to plasma

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shimada, Masashi; Cao, G.; Hatano, Y.; Oda, T.; Oya, Y.; Hara, M.; Calderoni, P.

    2011-12-01

    Tungsten samples (99.99% purity from A.L.M.T. Corp., 6 mm in diameter, 0.2 mm in thickness) were irradiated by high-flux neutrons at 50 °C to 0.025 dpa in the High Flux Isotope Reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Subsequently, the neutron-irradiated tungsten samples were exposed to high-flux deuterium plasmas (ion flux: 1021-1022 m-2 s-1, ion fluence: 1025-1026 m-2) in the Tritium Plasma Experiment at Idaho National Laboratory. This paper reports the results of deuterium depth profiling in neutron-irradiated tungsten exposed to plasmas at 100, 200 and 500 °C via nuclear reaction analysis (NRA). The NRA measurements show that a significant amount of deuterium (>0.1 at.% D/W) remains trapped in the bulk material (up to 5 μm) at 500 °C. Tritium Migration Analysis Program simulation results using the NRA profiles indicate that different trapping mechanisms exist for neutron-irradiated and unirradiated tungsten.

  3. Irradiation performance of PFBR MOX fuel after 112 GWd/t burn-up

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Venkiteswaran, C. N.; Jayaraj, V. V.; Ojha, B. K.; Anandaraj, V.; Padalakshmi, M.; Vinodkumar, S.; Karthik, V.; Vijaykumar, Ran; Vijayaraghavan, A.; Divakar, R.; Johny, T.; Joseph, Jojo; Thirunavakkarasu, S.; Saravanan, T.; Philip, John; Rao, B. P. C.; Kasiviswanathan, K. V.; Jayakumar, T.

    2014-06-01

    The 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) which is in advanced stage of construction at Kalpakkam, India, will use mixed oxide (MOX) fuel with a target burnup of 100 GWd/t. The fuel pellet is of annular design to enable operation at a peak linear power of 450 W/cm with the requirement of minimum duration of pre-conditioning. The performance of the MOX fuel and the D9 clad and wrapper material was assessed through Post Irradiation Examinations (PIE) after test irradiation of 37 fuel pin subassembly in Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) to a burn-up of 112 GWd/t. Fission product distribution, swelling and fuel-clad gap evolution, central hole diameter variation, restructuring, fission gas release and clad wastage due to fuel-clad chemical interaction were evaluated through non-destructive and destructive examinations. The examinations have indicated that the MOX fuel can safely attain the desired target burn-up in PFBR.

  4. Evaluating the Effects of Gamma-Irradiation for Decontamination of Medicinal Cannabis

    PubMed Central

    Hazekamp, Arno

    2016-01-01

    In several countries with a National medicinal cannabis program, pharmaceutical regulations specify that herbal cannabis products must adhere to strict safety standards regarding microbial contamination. Treatment by gamma irradiation currently seems the only method available to meet these requirements. We evaluated the effects of irradiation treatment of four different cannabis varieties covering different chemical compositions. Samples were compared before and after standard gamma-irradiation treatment by performing quantitative UPLC analysis of major cannabinoids, as well as qualitative GC analysis of full cannabinoid and terpene profiles. In addition, water content and microscopic appearance of the cannabis flowers was evaluated. This study found that treatment did not cause changes in the content of THC and CBD, generally considered as the most important therapeutically active components of medicinal cannabis. Likewise, the water content and the microscopic structure of the dried cannabis flowers were not altered by standard irradiation protocol in the cannabis varieties studied. The effect of gamma-irradiation was limited to a reduction of some terpenes present in the cannabis, but keeping the terpene profile qualitatively the same. Based on the results presented in this report, gamma irradiation of herbal cannabis remains the recommended method of decontamination, at least until other more generally accepted methods have been developed and validated. PMID:27199751

  5. Evaluating the Effects of Gamma-Irradiation for Decontamination of Medicinal Cannabis.

    PubMed

    Hazekamp, Arno

    2016-01-01

    In several countries with a National medicinal cannabis program, pharmaceutical regulations specify that herbal cannabis products must adhere to strict safety standards regarding microbial contamination. Treatment by gamma irradiation currently seems the only method available to meet these requirements. We evaluated the effects of irradiation treatment of four different cannabis varieties covering different chemical compositions. Samples were compared before and after standard gamma-irradiation treatment by performing quantitative UPLC analysis of major cannabinoids, as well as qualitative GC analysis of full cannabinoid and terpene profiles. In addition, water content and microscopic appearance of the cannabis flowers was evaluated. This study found that treatment did not cause changes in the content of THC and CBD, generally considered as the most important therapeutically active components of medicinal cannabis. Likewise, the water content and the microscopic structure of the dried cannabis flowers were not altered by standard irradiation protocol in the cannabis varieties studied. The effect of gamma-irradiation was limited to a reduction of some terpenes present in the cannabis, but keeping the terpene profile qualitatively the same. Based on the results presented in this report, gamma irradiation of herbal cannabis remains the recommended method of decontamination, at least until other more generally accepted methods have been developed and validated.

  6. Using education on irradiated foods to change behavior of Korean elementary, middle, and high school students

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Jaerok; Choi, Yoonseok

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Educational interventions targeted food selection perception, knowledge, attitude, and behavior. Education regarding irradiated food was intended to change food selection behavior specific to it. SUBJECTS AND METHODS There were 43 elementary students (35.0%), 45 middle school students (36.6%), and 35 high school students (28.5%). The first step was research design. Educational targets were selected and informed consent was obtained in step two. An initial survey was conducted as step three. Step four was a 45 minute-long theoretical educational intervention. Step five concluded with a survey and experiment on food selection behavior. RESULTS As a result of conducting a 45 minute-long education on the principles, actual state of usage, and pros and cons of irradiated food for elementary, middle, and high-school students in Korea, perception, knowledge, attitude, and behavior regarding the irradiated food was significantly higher after the education than before the education (P < 0.000). CONCLUSIONS The behavior of irradiated food selection shows high correlation with all variables of perception, knowledge, and attitude, and it is necessary to provide information of each level of change in perception, knowledge, and attitude in order to derive proper behavior change, which is the ultimate goal of the education. PMID:25324942

  7. Spot-welding solid targets for high current cyclotron irradiation

    PubMed Central

    Ellison, Paul A.; Valdovinos, Hector F.; Graves, Stephen A.; Barnhart, Todd E.; Nickles, Robert J.

    2016-01-01

    Zirconium-89 finds broad application for use in positron emission tomography. Its cyclotron production has been limited by the heat transfer from yttrium targets at high beam currents. A spot welding technique allows a three-fold increase in beam current, without affecting 89Zr quality. An yttrium foil, welded to a jet-cooled tantalum support base accommodates a 50 μA proton beam degraded to 14 MeV. The resulting activity yield of 48 ± 4 MBq/(μA·hr) now extends the outreach of 89Zr for a broader distribution. PMID:27771445

  8. Reevaluation of induced radioactivity in 10MeV electron-irradiated pepper for public acceptance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Furuta, M.; Katayama, T.; Ito, N.; Mizohata, A.; Toratani, H.; Takeda, A.

    In order to examine whether or not radioactivity could be produced in black pepper and white pepper with 10MeV electrons, the sample was irradiated with 10MeV electrons from a linear accelerator and its radioactivity was measured by gamma-ray spectrometry and beta-ray counting. The patterns of gamma-ray spectra showed that there was no difference between the irradiated and the non-irradiated samples, suggesting that the induced radioactivity in the irradiated sample was below the detection limit of its induced radioactivity. For further estimation, elemental composition was analyzed and photonuclear reactions which could produce radioactivity in the sample were investigated based on the data already published. Some photonuclear target nuclides in the list were spiked to the sample, being checked in the same way. Although short lived photonuclear products were observed, these radioactivities were found to decrease below the detection limit in a week. It is concluded that the induced radioactivity in the 10MeV electron-irradiated pepper and hence, its biological effect is far smaller than the natural radioactivity arising from 40K contained in the non-irradiated sample.

  9. Co-doped sodium chloride crystals exposed to different irradiation temperature

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ortiz-Morales, A.; Cruz-Zaragoza, E.; Furetta, C.

    2013-07-03

    Monocrystals of NaCl:XCl{sub 2}:MnCl{sub 2}(X = Ca,Cd) at four different concentrations have been analyzed. The crystals were exposed to different irradiation temperature, such as at room temperature (RT), solid water (SW), dry ice (DI) and liquid nitrogen (LN). The samples were irradiated with photon from {sup 60}Co irradiators. The co-doped sodium chloride crystals show a complex structure of glow curves that can be related to different distribution of traps. The linearity response was analyzed with the F(D) index. The F(D) value was less than unity indicating a sub-linear response was obtained from the TL response on the function of themore » dose. The glow curves were deconvoluted by using the CGCD program based on the first, second and general order kinetics.« less

  10. Measurements to predict the time of target replacement of a helical tomotherapy.

    PubMed

    Kampfer, Severin; Schell, Stefan; Duma, Marciana N; Wilkens, Jan J; Kneschaurek, Peter

    2011-11-15

    Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) requires more beam-on time than normal open field treatment. Consequently, the machines wear out and need more spare parts. A helical tomotherapy treatment unit needs a periodical tungsten target replacement, which is a time consuming event. To be able to predict the next replacement would be quite valuable. We observed unexpected variations towards the end of the target lifetime in the performed pretreatment measurements for patient plan verification. Thus, we retrospectively analyze the measurements of our quality assurance program. The time dependence of the quotient of two simultaneous dose measurements at different depths within a phantom for a fixed open field irradiation is evaluated. We also assess the time-dependent changes of an IMRT plan measurement and of a relative depth dose curve measurement. Additionally, we performed a Monte Carlo simulation with Geant4 to understand the physical reasons for the measured values. Our measurements show that the dose at a specified depth compared to the dose in shallower regions of the phantom declines towards the end of the target lifetime. This reproducible effect can be due to the lowering of the mean energy of the X-ray spectrum. These results are supported by the measurements of the IMRT plan, as well as the study of the relative depth dose curve. Furthermore, the simulation is consistent with these findings since it provides a possible explanation for the reduction of the mean energy for thinner targets. It could be due to the lowering of low energy photon self-absorption in a worn out and therefore thinner target. We state a threshold value for our measurement at which a target replacement should be initiated. Measurements to observe a change in the energy are good predictors of the need for a target replacement. However, since all results support the softening of the spectrum hypothesis, all depth-dependent setups are viable for analyzing the deterioration of the

  11. Understanding the Irradiation Behavior of Zirconium Carbide

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Motta, Arthur; Sridharan, Kumar; Morgan, Dane

    2013-10-11

    -induced microstructures mapped spatially and temporally, microstructural evolution during post-irradiation annealing, and atomistic modeling of defect formation and transport energetics will provide new, critical understanding about property changes in ZrC. The behavior of materials under irradiation is determined by the balance between damage production, defect clustering, and lattice response. In order to predict those effects at high temperatures so targeted testing can be expanded and extrapolated beyond the known database, it is necessary to determine the defect energetics and mobilities as these control damage accumulation and annealing. In particular, low-temperature irradiations are invaluable for determining the regions of defect mobility. Computer simulation techniques are particularly useful for identifying basic defect properties, especially if closely coupled with a well-constructed and complete experimental database. The close coupling of calculation and experiment in this project will provide mutual benchmarking and allow us to glean a deeper understanding of the irradiation response of ZrC, which can then be applied to the prediction of its behavior in reactor conditions.« less

  12. Ahead of the game protocol: a multi-component, community sport-based program targeting prevention, promotion and early intervention for mental health among adolescent males.

    PubMed

    Vella, Stewart A; Swann, Christian; Batterham, Marijka; Boydell, Katherine M; Eckermann, Simon; Fogarty, Andrea; Hurley, Diarmuid; Liddle, Sarah K; Lonsdale, Chris; Miller, Andrew; Noetel, Michael; Okely, Anthony D; Sanders, Taren; Telenta, Joanne; Deane, Frank P

    2018-03-21

    There is a recognised need for targeted community-wide mental health strategies and interventions aimed specifically at prevention and early intervention in promoting mental health. Young males are a high need group who hold particularly negative attitudes towards mental health services, and these views are detrimental for early intervention and help-seeking. Organised sports provide a promising context to deliver community-wide mental health strategies and interventions to adolescent males. The aim of the Ahead of the Game program is to test the effectiveness of a multi-component, community-sport based program targeting prevention, promotion and early intervention for mental health among adolescent males. The Ahead of the Game program will be implemented within a sample drawn from community sporting clubs and evaluated using a sample drawn from a matched control community. Four programs are proposed, including two targeting adolescents, one for parents, and one for sports coaches. One adolescent program aims to increase mental health literacy, intentions to seek and/or provide help for mental health, and to decrease stigmatising attitudes. The second adolescent program aims to increase resilience. The goal of the parent program is to increase parental mental health literacy and confidence to provide help. The coach program is intended to increase coaches' supportive behaviours (e.g., autonomy supportive behaviours), and in turn facilitate high-quality motivation and wellbeing among adolescents. Programs will be complemented by a messaging campaign aimed at adolescents to enhance mental health literacy. The effects of the program on adolescent males' psychological distress and wellbeing will also be explored. Organised sports represent a potentially engaging avenue to promote mental health and prevent the onset of mental health problems among adolescent males. The community-based design, with samples drawn from an intervention and a matched control community

  13. Beneficial Effects of X-Irradiation on Recovery of lesioned Mammalian Central Nervous Tissue

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kalderon, Nurit; Alfieri, Alan A.; Fuks, Zvi

    1990-12-01

    We examined the potential of x-irradiation, at clinical dose levels, to manipulate the cellular constituents and thereby change the consequences of transection injury to adult mammalian central nervous tissue (rat olfactory bulb). Irradiation resulted in reduction or elimination of reactive astrocytes at the site of incision provided that it was delivered within a defined time window postinjury. Under conditions optimal for the elimination of gliosis (15-18 days postinjury), irradiation of severed olfactory bulbs averted some of the degenerative consequences of lesion. We observed that irradiation was accompanied by prevention of tissue degeneration around the site of lesion, structural healing with maintenance of the typical cell lamination, and rescue of some axotomized mitral cells (principal bulb neurons). Thus radiation resulted in partial preservation of normal tissue morphology. It is postulated that intrusive cell populations are generated in response to injury and reactive astrocytes are one such group. Our results suggest that selective elimination of these cells by irradiation enabled some of the regenerative processes that are necessary for full recovery to maintain their courses. The cellular targets of these cells, their modes of intervention in recovery, and the potential role of irradiation as a therapeutic modality for injured central nervous system are discussed.

  14. Modernization of existing VVER-1000 surveillance programs

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kochkin, V.; Erak, D.; Makhotin, D.

    2011-07-01

    According to generally accepted world practice, evaluation of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) material behavior during operation is carried out using tests of surveillance specimens. The main objective of the surveillance program consists in insurance of safe RPV operation during the design lifetime and lifetime-extension period. At present, the approaches of pressure vessels residual life validation based on the test results of their surveillance specimens have been developed and introduced in Russia and are under consideration in other countries where vodo-vodyanoi energetichesky reactors- (VVER-) 1000 are in operation. In this case, it is necessary to ensure leading irradiation of surveillancemore » specimens (as compared to the pressure vessel wall) and to provide uniformly irradiated specimen groups for mechanical testing. Standard surveillance program of VVER-1000 has several significant shortcomings and does not meet these requirements. Taking into account program of lifetime extension of VVER-1000 operating in Russia, it is necessary to carry out upgrading of the VVER-1000 surveillance program. This paper studies the conditions of a surveillance specimen's irradiation and upgrading of existing sets to provide monitoring and prognosis of RPV material properties for extension of the reactor's lifetime up to 60 years or more. (authors)« less

  15. Tissue irradiator

    DOEpatents

    Hungate, F.P.; Riemath, W.F.; Bunnell, L.R.

    1975-12-16

    A tissue irradiator is provided for the in-vivo irradiation of body tissue. The irradiator comprises a radiation source material contained and completely encapsulated within vitreous carbon. An embodiment for use as an in- vivo blood irradiator comprises a cylindrical body having an axial bore therethrough. A radioisotope is contained within a first portion of vitreous carbon cylindrically surrounding the axial bore, and a containment portion of vitreous carbon surrounds the radioisotope containing portion, the two portions of vitreous carbon being integrally formed as a single unit. Connecting means are provided at each end of the cylindrical body to permit connections to blood- carrying vessels and to provide for passage of blood through the bore. In a preferred embodiment, the radioisotope is thulium-170 which is present in the irradiator in the form of thulium oxide. A method of producing the preferred blood irradiator is also provided, whereby nonradioactive thulium-169 is dispersed within a polyfurfuryl alcohol resin which is carbonized and fired to form the integral vitreous carbon body and the device is activated by neutron bombardment of the thulium-169 to produce the beta-emitting thulium-170.

  16. Role of isolated and clustered DNA damage and the post-irradiating repair process in the effects of heavy ion beam irradiation.

    PubMed

    Tokuyama, Yuka; Furusawa, Yoshiya; Ide, Hiroshi; Yasui, Akira; Terato, Hiroaki

    2015-05-01

    Clustered DNA damage is a specific type of DNA damage induced by ionizing radiation. Any type of ionizing radiation traverses the target DNA molecule as a beam, inducing damage along its track. Our previous study showed that clustered DNA damage yields decreased with increased linear energy transfer (LET), leading us to investigate the importance of clustered DNA damage in the biological effects of heavy ion beam radiation. In this study, we analyzed the yield of clustered base damage (comprising multiple base lesions) in cultured cells irradiated with various heavy ion beams, and investigated isolated base damage and the repair process in post-irradiation cultured cells. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were irradiated by carbon, silicon, argon and iron ion beams with LETs of 13, 55, 90 and 200 keV µm(-1), respectively. Agarose gel electrophoresis of the cells with enzymatic treatments indicated that clustered base damage yields decreased as the LET increased. The aldehyde reactive probe procedure showed that isolated base damage yields in the irradiated cells followed the same pattern. To analyze the cellular base damage process, clustered DNA damage repair was investigated using DNA repair mutant cells. DNA double-strand breaks accumulated in CHO mutant cells lacking Xrcc1 after irradiation, and the cell viability decreased. On the other hand, mouse embryonic fibroblast (Mef) cells lacking both Nth1 and Ogg1 became more resistant than the wild type Mef. Thus, clustered base damage seems to be involved in the expression of heavy ion beam biological effects via the repair process. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japan Radiation Research Society and Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology.

  17. [Fixation of patients during irradiation of the neurocranium and visceral cranium].

    PubMed

    Bohndorf, W; Richter, E

    1983-12-01

    Only few patients are able to exactly maintain during the irradiation a given position of the head without fixation. However, every movement of the head leads to a dose decrease up to 50% within the target volume. Today, fixation and reproducible field adjustment are the conditions of curative radiotherapy. The Würzburg model is presented.

  18. Implementation of irradiation of pork for trichina control

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Engel, R.E.; Post, A.R.; Post, R.C.

    1988-07-01

    This article describes the attempts to develop adequate regulatory framework for the use of ionizing radiations in the preservation of food. To be successful, a uniform set of guidelines are needed for the selection, calibration, and application of dosimetry systems; clearance of packaging materials; labeling information; and consumer education programs are essential. The primary regulatory agency that food processors must satisfy is the US FDA. In 1985, in response to an industry petition, the FDA amended its food additive regulations to permit the use of gamma radiation sources to irradiate fresh, non-heat processed pork cuts or carcasses to control Trichinellaspiralis.more » The regulation permits irradiation of only fresh pork within a dose range of 0.3 to 1 kGy.« less

  19. Gold Nanoparticles and Microwave Irradiation Inhibit Beta-Amyloid Amyloidogenesis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Araya, Eyleen; Olmedo, Ivonne; Bastus, Neus G.; Guerrero, Simón; Puntes, Víctor F.; Giralt, Ernest; Kogan, Marcelo J.

    2008-11-01

    Peptide-Gold nanoparticles selectively attached to β-amyloid protein (Aβ) amyloidogenic aggregates were irradiated with microwave. This treatment produces dramatic effects on the Aβ aggregates, inhibiting both the amyloidogenesis and the restoration of the amyloidogenic potential. This novel approach offers a new strategy to inhibit, locally and remotely, the amyloidogenic process, which could have application in Alzheimer’s disease therapy. We have studied the irradiation effect on the amyloidogenic process in the presence of conjugates peptide-nanoparticle by transmission electronic microscopy observations and by Thioflavine T assays to quantify the amount of fibrils in suspension. The amyloidogenic aggregates rather than the amyloid fibrils seem to be better targets for the treatment of the disease. Our results could contribute to the development of a new therapeutic strategy to inhibit the amyloidogenic process in Alzheimer’s disease.

  20. Experimental studies of irradiated and hydrogen implantation damaged reactor steels

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Slugeň, Vladimír; Pecko, Stanislav; Sojak, Stanislav

    2016-01-01

    Radiation degradation of nuclear materials can be experimentally simulated via ion implantation. In our case, German reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels were studied by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS). This unique non-destructive method can be effectively applied for the evaluation of microstructural changes and for the analysis of degradation of reactor steels due to neutron irradiation and proton implantation. Studied specimens of German reactor pressure vessel steels are originally from CARINA/CARISMA program. Eight specimens were measured in as-received state and two specimens were irradiated by neutrons in German experimental reactor VAK (Versuchsatomkraftwerk Kahl) in the 1980s. One of the specimens which was in as-received and neutron irradiated condition was also used for simulation of neutron damage by hydrogen nuclei implantation. Defects with the size of about 1-2 vacancies with relatively small contribution (with intensity on the level of 20-40 %) were observed in "as-received" steels. A significant increase in the size of the induced defects due to neutron damage was observed in the irradiated specimens resulting in 2-3 vacancies. The size and intensity of defects reached a similar level as in the specimens irradiated in the nuclear reactor due to the implantation of hydrogen ions with energies of 100 keV (up to the depth <500 nm).

  1. Diagnosis of energy transport in iron buried layer targets using an extreme ultraviolet laser

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shahzad, M.; Culfa, O.; Rossall, A. K.

    2015-02-15

    We demonstrate the use of extreme ultra-violet (EUV) laboratory lasers in probing energy transport in laser irradiated solid targets. EUV transmission through targets containing a thin layer of iron (50 nm) encased in plastic (CH) after irradiation by a short pulse (35 fs) laser focussed to irradiances 3 × 10{sup 16} Wcm{sup −2} is measured. Heating of the iron layer gives rise to a rapid decrease in EUV opacity and an increase in the transmission of the 13.9 nm laser radiation as the iron ionizes to Fe{sup 5+} and above where the ion ionisation energy is greater than the EUV probe photon energy (89 eV).more » A one dimensional hydrodynamic fluid code HYADES has been used to simulate the temporal variation in EUV transmission (wavelength 13.9 nm) using IMP opacity values for the iron layer and the simulated transmissions are compared to measured transmission values. When a deliberate pre-pulse is used to preform an expanding plastic plasma, it is found that radiation is important in the heating of the iron layer while for pre-pulse free irradiation, radiation transport is not significant.« less

  2. Unilateral Opening of Rat Blood-Brain Barrier Assisted by Diagnostic Ultrasound Targeted Microbubbles Destruction.

    PubMed

    Xu, Yali; Cui, Hai; Zhu, Qiong; Hua, Xing; Xia, Hongmei; Tan, Kaibin; Gao, Yunhua; Zhao, Jing; Liu, Zheng

    2016-01-01

    Objective. Blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a key obstacle that prevents the medication from blood to the brain. Microbubble-enhanced cavitation by focused ultrasound can open the BBB and proves to be valuable in the brain drug delivery. The study aimed to explore the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of unilateral opening of BBB using diagnostic ultrasound targeted microbubbles destruction in rats. Methods. A transtemporal bone irradiation of diagnostic ultrasound and intravenous injection of lipid-coated microbubbles were performed at unilateral hemisphere. Pathological changes were monitored. Evans Blue extravasation grades, extraction from brain tissue, and fluorescence optical density were quantified. Lanthanum nitrate was traced by transmission electron microscopy. Results. After diagnostic ultrasound mediated microbubbles destruction, Evans Blue extravasation and fluorescence integrated optical density were significantly higher in the irradiated hemisphere than the contralateral side (all p < 0.01). Erythrocytes extravasations were demonstrated in the ultrasound-exposed hemisphere (4 ± 1, grade 2) while being invisible in the control side. Lanthanum nitrate tracers leaked through interendothelial cleft and spread to the nerve fiber existed in the irradiation side. Conclusions. Transtemporal bone irradiation under DUS mediated microbubble destruction provides us with a more accessible, safer, and higher selective BBB opening approach in rats, which is advantageous in brain targeted drugs delivery.

  3. Multispectral infrared target detection: phenomenology and modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cederquist, Jack N.; Rogne, Timothy J.; Schwartz, Craig R.

    1993-10-01

    Many targets of interest provide only very small signature differences from the clutter background. The ability to detect these small difference targets should be improved by using data which is diverse in space, time, wavelength or some other observable. Target materials often differ from background materials in the variation of their reflectance or emittance with wavelength. A multispectral sensor is therefore considered as a means to improve detection of small signal targets. If this sensor operates in the thermal infrared, it will not need solar illumination and will be useful at night as well as during the day. An understanding of the phenomenology of the spectral properties of materials and an ability to model and simulate target and clutter signatures is needed to understand potential target detection performance from multispectral infrared sensor data. Spectral variations in material emittance are due to vibrational energy transitions in molecular bonds. The spectral emittances of many materials of interest have been measured. Examples are vegetation, soil, construction and road materials, and paints. A multispectral infrared signature model has been developed which includes target and background temperature and emissivity, sky, sun, cloud and background irradiance, multiple reflection effects, path radiance, and atmospheric attenuation. This model can be used to predict multispectral infrared signatures for small signal targets.

  4. The natural aging of austenitic stainless steels irradiated with fast neutrons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rofman, O. V.; Maksimkin, O. P.; Tsay, K. V.; Koyanbayev, Ye. T.; Short, M. P.

    2018-02-01

    Much of today's research in nuclear materials relies heavily on archived, historical specimens, as neutron irradiation facilities become ever more scarce. These materials are subject to many processes of stress- and irradiation-induced microstructural evolution, including those during and after irradiation. The latter of these, referring to specimens "naturally aged" in ambient laboratory conditions, receives far less attention. The long and slow set of rare defect migration and interaction events during natural aging can significantly change material properties over decadal timescales. This paper presents the results of natural aging carried out over 15 years on austenitic stainless steels from a BN-350 fast breeder reactor, each with its own irradiation, stress state, and natural aging history. Natural aging is shown to significantly reduce hardness in these steels by 10-25% and partially alleviate stress-induced hardening over this timescale, showing that materials evolve back towards equilibrium even at such a low temperature. The results in this study have significant implications to any nuclear materials research program which uses historical specimens from previous irradiations, challenging the commonly held assumption that materials "on the shelf" do not evolve.

  5. Measurement and simulation of the cross sections for nuclide production in {sup nat}W and {sup 181}Ta targets irradiated with 0.04- to 2.6-GeV protons

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Titarenko, Yu. E., E-mail: Yury.Titarenko@itep.ru; Batyaev, V. F.; Titarenko, A. Yu.

    The cross sections for nuclide production in thin {sup nat}Wand {sup 181}Ta targets irradiated by 0.04-2.6-GeV protons have been measured by direct {gamma} spectrometry using two {gamma} spectrometers with the resolutions of 1.8 and 1.7 keV in the {sup 60}Co 1332-keV {gamma} line. As a result, 1895 yields of radioactive residual product nuclei have been obtained. The {sup 27}Al(p, x){sup 22}Na reaction has been used as a monitor reaction. The experimental data have been compared with the MCNPX (BERTINI, ISABEL), CEM03.02, INCL4.2, INCL4.5, PHITS, and CASCADE07 calculations.

  6. Measurement and simulation of the cross sections for nuclide production in {sup 56}Fe and {sup nat}Cr targets irradiated with 0.04- to 2.6-GeV protons

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Titarenko, Yu. E., E-mail: Yury.Titarenko@itep.ru; Batyaev, V. F.; Titarenko, A. Yu.

    The cross sections for nuclide production in thin {sup 56}Fe and {sup nat}Cr targets irradiated by 0.04-2.6-GeV protons are measured by direct {gamma} spectrometry using two {gamma} spectrometers with the resolutions of 1.8 and 1.7 keV for the {sup 60}Co 1332-keV {gamma} line. As a result, 649 yields of radioactive residual product nuclei have been obtained. The {sup 27}Al(p, x){sup 22}Na reaction has been used as a monitor reaction. The experimental data are compared with the MCNPX (BERTINI, ISABEL), CEM03.02, INCL4.2, INCL4.5, PHITS, and CASCADE07 calculations.

  7. Generation of shock waves and formation of craters in a solid material irradiated by a short laser pulse

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gus'kov, Sergei Yu; Borodziuk, S; Kasperczuk, A

    2004-11-30

    The results of investigations are presented which are concerned with laser radiation absorption in a target, the plasma state of its ablated material, the energy transfer to the solid target material, the characteristics of the shock wave and craters on the target surface. The investigation involved irradiation of a planar target by a subnanosecond plasma-producing laser pulse. The experiments were carried out with massive aluminium targets using the PALS iodine laser, whose pulse duration (0.4 ns) was much shorter than the shock wave attenuation and on-target crater formation times (50-200 ns). The investigations were conducted for a laser radiation energymore » of 100 J at two wavelengths of 0.438 and 1.315 {mu}m. For a given pulse energy, the irradiation intensity was varied in a broad range (10{sup 13}-10{sup 16} W cm{sup -2}) by varying the radius of the laser beam. The efficiency of laser radiation-to-shock energy transfer was determined as a function of the intensity and wavelength of laser radiation; also determined were the characteristics of the plasma plume and the shock wave propagating in the solid target, including the experimental conditions under which two-dimensional effects are highly significant. (invited paper)« less

  8. Predicting oligonucleotide affinity to nucleic acid targets.

    PubMed Central

    Mathews, D H; Burkard, M E; Freier, S M; Wyatt, J R; Turner, D H

    1999-01-01

    A computer program, OligoWalk, is reported that predicts the equilibrium affinity of complementary DNA or RNA oligonucleotides to an RNA target. This program considers the predicted stability of the oligonucleotide-target helix and the competition with predicted secondary structure of both the target and the oligonucleotide. Both unimolecular and bimolecular oligonucleotide self structure are considered with a user-defined concentration. The application of OligoWalk is illustrated with three comparisons to experimental results drawn from the literature. PMID:10580474

  9. Photocatalytic dye degradation with copper-titanium dioxide nanocomposites under sunlight and visible light irradiation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qayyum Khan, Abdul; Yuan, Shuai; Niu, Sheng; Liu, Fengjiang; Feng, Guang; Jiang, Mengci; Zeng, Heping

    2018-01-01

    Photocatalytic methalyne blue dye degradation was carried out with copper (Cu)-titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanocomposites under sunlight and visible light irradiation. The Cu-TiO2 nanocomposites were fabricated via femtosecond laser ablation of pressed targets in water. The current method provides a facile route for Cu-TiO2 nanocomposites preparation, which is free from impurities on the catalysts surface. The Cu-TiO2 nanocomposites (with Cu content of 5 wt%) have shown 3 folds faster dye degradation kinetics compared with TiO2 nanoparticles under sunlight irradiation. While under visible light irradiation, the same nanocomposites exhibited 2.6 folds faster kinetics compared with TiO2 nanoparticles. The faster light harvesting efficiency of the catalysts is attributed to more hydroxyl radical generation.

  10. Pools of programmed death-ligand within the oral cavity tumor microenvironment: Variable alteration by targeted therapies.

    PubMed

    Shah, Sujay; Caruso, Andria; Cash, Harrison; Waes, Carter Van; Allen, Clint T

    2016-08-01

    Enhanced understanding of programmed death-ligand (PD-L) expression in oral cancer is important for establishing rational combinations of emerging immune checkpoint and molecular targeted therapies. We assessed PD-L and interferon (IFN) expression in immunogenic murine oral cancer-1 (MOC1) and poorly immunogenic MOC2 cell models after treatment with mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and MEK1/2 small molecule inhibitors in vitro and in vivo. PD-L1 but not PD-L2 is expressed on MOC1 and 2 cells and is type I and II IFN-dependent. PD-L1 is differentially expressed on cancer and endothelial cells and infiltrating myeloid-derived suppressor cells, macrophages, and regulatory T cells (Tregs) in highly and poorly immunogenic tumors. PD-L1 expression is variably altered after treatment with inhibitors in vivo, with an imperfect relationship to alterations in IFN levels in the tumor microenvironment. PD-L1 expressed on cancer and infiltrating immune cells is variably altered by targeted therapies and may, in part, reflect changes in tumor IFN. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38:1176-1186, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  11. A low-energy x-ray irradiator for electrophysiological studies.

    PubMed

    Schauer, D A; Zeman, G H; Pellmar, T C

    1989-01-01

    A 50 kVp molybdenum target/filter x-ray tube has been installed inside a lead-shielded Faraday cage. High-dose rates of up to 1.54 Gy min-1 (17.4 keV weighted average photons) have been used to conduct local in vitro irradiations of the hippocampal region of guinea pig brains. Electrophysiological recordings of subtle changes in neuronal activity indicate this system is suitable for this application.

  12. Characteristics of W-26% Re Target Material(LCC-0103)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sunwoo, A.

    2003-10-07

    The W-26 wt-% Re alloy was selected as a Stanford Linear Collider (SLC) target material for its exceptional physics properties and for the high strength and good ductility at the anticipated target operating temperatures, above the DBTT. After several years of operation, the target failed catastrophically. A detailed microstructural and mechanical characterization of the non-irradiated disk indicates that the material has been PM processed, nonuniformly mechanically worked and stress relieved. As a result, the ductility of the material varies through the thickness of the disk, making it difficult to determine the DBTT. The results of tensile and fatigue properties aremore » reported with the corresponding fractography of the fracture surfaces.« less

  13. Thermal-stress analysis of IFMIF target back-wall made of reduced-activation ferritic steel and austenitic stainless steel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ida, Mizuho; Chida, Teruo; Furuya, Kazuyuki; Wakai, Eiichi; Nakamura, Hiroo; Sugimoto, Masayoshi

    2009-04-01

    For long time operation of a liquid lithium target of the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility, annual replacement of a back-wall, a part of the flow channel, is planned, since the target suffers neutron damage of more than 50 dpa/fpy. Considering irradiation/activation conditions, remote weld on stainless steel 316L between a back-wall and a target assembly was employed. Furthermore, dissimilar weld between the 316L and a reduced-activation ferritic/martensitic steel F82H in the back-wall was employed. The objective of this study is to clarify structures and materials of the back-wall with acceptable thermal-stress under nuclear heating. Thermal-stress analysis was done using a code ABAQUS and data of the nuclear heating. As a result, thermal-stress in the back-wall is acceptable level, if thickness of the stress-mitigation part is more than 5 mm. With results of the analysis, necessity of material data for F82H and 316L under conditions of irradiation tests and mechanical tests are clarified.

  14. Spot-welding solid targets for high current cyclotron irradiation.

    PubMed

    Ellison, Paul A; Valdovinos, Hector F; Graves, Stephen A; Barnhart, Todd E; Nickles, Robert J

    2016-12-01

    Zirconium-89 finds broad application for use in positron emission tomography. Its cyclotron production has been limited by the heat transfer from yttrium targets at high beam currents. A spot welding technique allows a three-fold increase in beam current, without affecting 89 Zr quality. An yttrium foil, welded to a jet-cooled tantalum support base accommodates a 50µA proton beam degraded to 14MeV. The resulting activity yield of 48±4 MBq/(μA∙hr) now extends the outreach of 89 Zr for a broader distribution. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Experimental model of transthoracic, vascular-targeted, photodynamically induced myocardial infarction.

    PubMed

    Chrastina, Adrian; Pokreisz, Peter; Schnitzer, Jan E

    2014-01-15

    We describe a novel model of myocardial infarction (MI) in rats induced by percutaneous transthoracic low-energy laser-targeted photodynamic irradiation. The procedure does not require thoracotomy and represents a minimally invasive alternative to existing surgical models. Target cardiac area to be photodynamically irradiated was triangulated from the thoracic X-ray scans. The acute phase of MI was histopathologically characterized by the presence of extensive vascular occlusion, hemorrhage, loss of transversal striations, neutrophilic infiltration, and necrotic changes of cardiomyocytes. Consequently, damaged myocardium was replaced with fibrovascular and granulation tissue. The fibrotic scar in the infarcted area was detected by computer tomography imaging. Cardiac troponin I (cTnI), a specific marker of myocardial injury, was significantly elevated at 6 h (41 ± 6 ng/ml, n = 4, P < 0.05 vs. baseline) and returned to baseline after 72 h. Triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining revealed transmural anterolateral infarcts targeting 25 ± 3% of the left ventricle at day 1 with a decrease to 20 ± 3% at day 40 (n = 6 for each group, P < 0.01 vs. day 1). Electrocardiography (ECG) showed significant ST-segment elevation in the acute phase with subsequent development of a pathological Q wave and premature ventricular contractions in the chronic phase of MI. Vectorcardiogram analysis of spatiotemporal electrical signal transduction revealed changes in inscription direction, QRS loop morphology, and redistribution in quadrant areas. The photodynamically induced MI in n = 51 rats was associated with 12% total mortality. Histological findings, ECG abnormalities, and elevated cTnI levels confirmed the photosensitizer-dependent induction of MI after laser irradiation. This novel rodent model of MI might provide a platform to evaluate new diagnostic or therapeutic interventions.

  16. Nitric oxide-mediated bystander signal transduction induced by heavy-ion microbeam irradiation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tomita, Masanori; Matsumoto, Hideki; Funayama, Tomoo; Yokota, Yuichiro; Otsuka, Kensuke; Maeda, Munetoshi; Kobayashi, Yasuhiko

    2015-07-01

    In general, a radiation-induced bystander response is known to be a cellular response induced in non-irradiated cells after receiving bystander signaling factors released from directly irradiated cells within a cell population. Bystander responses induced by high-linear energy transfer (LET) heavy ions at low fluence are an important health problem for astronauts in space. Bystander responses are mediated via physical cell-cell contact, such as gap-junction intercellular communication (GJIC) and/or diffusive factors released into the medium in cell culture conditions. Nitric oxide (NO) is a well-known major initiator/mediator of intercellular signaling within culture medium during bystander responses. In this study, we investigated the NO-mediated bystander signal transduction induced by high-LET argon (Ar)-ion microbeam irradiation of normal human fibroblasts. Foci formation by DNA double-strand break repair proteins was induced in non-irradiated cells, which were co-cultured with those irradiated by high-LET Ar-ion microbeams in the same culture plate. Foci formation was suppressed significantly by pretreatment with an NO scavenger. Furthermore, NO-mediated reproductive cell death was also induced in bystander cells. Phosphorylation of NF-κB and Akt were induced during NO-mediated bystander signaling in the irradiated and bystander cells. However, the activation of these proteins depended on the incubation time after irradiation. The accumulation of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), a downstream target of NO and NF-κB, was observed in the bystander cells 6 h after irradiation but not in the directly irradiated cells. Our findings suggest that Akt- and NF-κB-dependent signaling pathways involving COX-2 play important roles in NO-mediated high-LET heavy-ion-induced bystander responses. In addition, COX-2 may be used as a molecular marker of high-LET heavy-ion-induced bystander cells to distinguish them from directly irradiated cells, although this may depend on the time

  17. The RERTR Program status and progress

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Travelli, A.

    1995-12-01

    The progress of the Reduced Enrichment Research and Test Reactor (RERTR) Program is described. The major events, findings, and activities of 1995 are reviewed after a brief summary of the results which the RERTR Program had achieved by the end of 1994. The revelation that Iraq was on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon at the time of the Gulf War, and that it was planning to do so by extracting HEU from the fuel of its research reactors, has given new impetus and urgency to the RERTR commitment of eliminating HEU use in research and test reactors worldwide.more » Development of advanced LEU research reactor fuels is scheduled to begin in October 1995. The Russian RERTR program, which aims to develop and demonstrate within the next five years the technical means needed to convert Russian-supplied research reactors to LEU fuels, is now in operation. A Statement of Intent was signed by high US and Chinese officials, endorsing cooperative activities between the RERTR program and Chinese laboratories involved in similar activities. Joint studies of LEU technical feasibility were completed for the SAFARI-I reactor in South Africa and for the ANS reactor in the US. A new study has been initiated for the FRM-II reactor in Germany. Significant progress was made on several aspects of producing {sup 99}Mo from fission targets utilizing LEU instead of HEU. A cooperation agreements is in place with the Indonesian BATAN. The first prototypical irradiation of an LEU metal-foil target for {sup 99}Mo production was accomplished in Indonesia. The TR-2 reactor, in Turkey, began conversion. SAPHIR, in Switzerland, was shut down. LEU fuel fabrication has begun for the conversion of two more US reactors. Twelve foreign reactors and nine domestic reactors have been fully converted. Approximately 60 % of the work required to eliminate the use of HEU in US-supplied research reactors has been accomplished.« less

  18. Age Targeting of Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision Programs Using the Decision Makers' Program Planning Toolkit (DMPPT) 2.0.

    PubMed

    Kripke, Katharine; Opuni, Marjorie; Schnure, Melissa; Sgaier, Sema; Castor, Delivette; Reed, Jason; Njeuhmeli, Emmanuel; Stover, John

    2016-01-01

    Despite considerable efforts to scale up voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) for HIV prevention in priority countries over the last five years, implementation has faced important challenges. Seeking to enhance the effect of VMMC programs for greatest and most immediate impact, the U. S. President's Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) supported the development and application of a model to inform national planning in five countries from 2013-2014. The Decision Makers' Program Planning Toolkit (DMPPT) 2.0 is a simple compartmental model designed to analyze the effects of client age and geography on program impact and cost. The DMPPT 2.0 model was applied in Malawi, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, and Uganda to assess the impact and cost of scaling up age-targeted VMMC coverage. The lowest number of VMMCs per HIV infection averted would be produced by circumcising males ages 20-34 in Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda and males ages 15-34 in Swaziland. The most immediate impact on HIV incidence would be generated by circumcising males ages 20-34 in Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda and males ages 20-29 in Swaziland. The greatest reductions in HIV incidence over a 15-year period would be achieved by strategies focused on males ages 10-19 in Uganda, 15-24 in Malawi and South Africa, 10-24 in Tanzania, and 15-29 in Swaziland. In all countries, the lowest cost per HIV infection averted would be achieved by circumcising males ages 15-34, although in Uganda this cost is the same as that attained by circumcising 15- to 49-year-olds. The efficiency, immediacy of impact, magnitude of impact, and cost-effectiveness of VMMC scale-up are not uniform; there is important variation by age group of the males circumcised and countries should plan accordingly.

  19. Neutron Exposure Parameters for the Dosimetry Capsule in the Heavy-Section Steel Irradiation Program Tenth Irradiation Series

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    C.A. Baldwin; F.B.K. Kam; I. Remec

    1998-10-01

    This report describes the computational methodology for the least-squares adjustment of the dosimetry data from the HSSI 10.OD dosimetry capsule with neutronics calculations. It presents exposure rates at each dosimetry location for the neutron fluence greater than 1.0 MeV, fluence greater than 0.1 MeV, and displacements per atom. Exposure parameter distributions are also described in terms of three- dimensional fitting functions. When fitting functions are used it is suggested that an uncertainty of 6% (1 o) should be associated with the exposure rate values. The specific activity of each dosimeter at the end of irradiation is listed in the Appendix.

  20. RRR for NNN-a rapid research response for the Neglected Tropical Disease NGDO Network: a novel framework to challenges faced by the global programs targeting neglected tropical diseases.

    PubMed

    Toledo, Chelsea E; Jacobson, Julie; Wainwright, Emily C; Ottesen, Eric A; Lammie, Patrick J

    2016-03-01

    While global programs targeting the control or elimination of five of the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs)-lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis, schistosomiasis and trachoma-are well underway, they still face many operational challenges. Because of the urgency of 2020 program targets, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the U.S. Agency for International Development devised a novel rapid research response (RRR) framework to engage national programs, researchers, implementers and WHO in a Coalition for Operational Research on NTDs. After 2 years, this effort has succeeded as an important basis for the research response to programmatic challenges facing NTD programs. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.