• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.45 no.7
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• pp.921-928
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• 2013

A future nuclear energy system is being developed at Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), the system involves a Sodium Fast Reactor (SFR) linked with the pyro-process. The pyro-process produces a source material to fabricate a SFR fuel rod. Therefore, an isotopic fissile content assay is very important for fuel rod safety and SFR economics. A new technology for an analysis of isotopic fissile content has been proposed using a lead slowing down spectrometer (LSDS). The new technology has several features for a fissile analysis from spent fuel: direct isotopic fissile assay, no background interference, and no requirement from burnup history information. Several calculations were done on the designed spectrometer geometry: detection sensitivity, neutron energy spectrum analysis, neutron fission characteristics, self shielding analysis, and neutron production mechanism. The spectrum was well organized even at low neutron energy and the threshold fission chamber was a proper choice to get prompt fast fission neutrons. The characteristic fission signature was obtained in slowing down neutron energy from each fissile isotope. Another application of LSDS is for an optimum design of the spent fuel storage, maximization of the burnup credit and provision of the burnup code correction factor. Additionally, an isotopic fissile content assay will contribute to an increase in transparency and credibility for the utilization of spent fuel nuclear material, as internationally demanded.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.11
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• pp.3983-3995
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• 2023

In fast reactors, restructuring of the fuel micro-structure driven by high temperature and high temperature gradient can cause the formation of columnar grains. The non-spheroidal shape and the non-uniform temperature field in such columnar grains implies that standard models for fission gas diffusion can not be applied. To tackle this issue, we present a reduced order model for the fission gas diffusion process which is applicable in different geometries and with non-uniform temperature fields, maintaining a computational requirement in line with its application in fuel performance codes. This innovative application of reduced order models as meso-scale tools within fuel performance codes represents a first-of-a-kind achievement that can be extended beyond fission gas behaviour.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.280-285
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• 1983

Effects of fission neutron spectra in the reactor calculations have been analysed through applications of several cases of spectra in the criticality calculations of fast critical assemblies. They were the application of Maxwellian or Watt-Cranberg type formulae, of region dependent spectrum, of composition dependent spectrum, of fission transfer matrix, and the effects due to the selection of nuclear temperature in Maxwellian formula.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.1211-1218
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• 2017

Monte Carlo neutron transport codes generally use the method of successive generations to converge the fission source distribution to-and then maintain it at-the fundamental mode. Recently, a phenomenon called "clustering" has been noted, which produces fission distributions that are very far from the fundamental mode. In this study, a mathematical model of clustering in Monte Carlo has been developed. The model draws on previous work for continuous-time birth-death processes, as well as methods from the field of population genetics.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.477-484
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• 2020

The control rod drive mechanism needs to be debugged after reactor fresh fuel loading. It is of great importance to monitor the subcriticality of this process accurately. A modified method was applied to the subcriticality monitoring process, in which only a single control rod cluster was fully withdrawn from the core. In order to correct the error in the results obtained by Neutron Source Multiplication Method, which is based on one point reactor model, Monte Carlo neutron transport code was employed to calculate the fission neutron distribution, the iterated fission probability and the neutron flux in the neutron detector. This article analyzed the effect of a coarse mesh and a fine mesh to tally fission neutron distributions, the iterated fission probability distributions and to calculate correction factors. The subcriticality before and after modification is compared with the subcriticality calculated by MCNP code. The modified results turn out to be closer to calculation. It's feasible to implement the modified NSM method in large local reactivity addition process using Monte Carlo code based on 3D model.

• BMB Reports
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.11-22
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• 2008

Apoptosis (programmed cell death) is a cellular self-destruction mechanism that is essential for a variety of biological events, such as developmental sculpturing, tissue homeostasis, and the removal of unwanted cells. Mitochondria play a crucial role in regulating cell death. $Ca^{2+}$ has long been recognized as a participant in apoptotic pathways. Mitochondria are known to modulate and synchronize $Ca^{2+}$ signaling. Massive accumulation of $Ca^{2+}$ in the mitochondria leads to apoptosis. The $Ca^{2+}$ dynamics of ER and mitochondria appear to be modulated by the Bcl-2 family proteins, key factors involved in apoptosis. The number and morphology of mitochondria are precisely controlled through mitochondrial fusion and fission process by numerous mitochondria-shaping proteins. Mitochondrial fission accompanies apoptotic cell death and appears to be important for progression of the apoptotic pathway. Here, we highlight and discuss the role of mitochondrial calcium handling and mitochondrial fusion and fission machinery in apoptosis.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.413-415
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• 1999

Our previous report demonstrated that the rhp51$^＋$, a recA and RAD51 homolog of the fission yeast, encodes three transcripts of 1.9, 1.6 and 1.3 kb which have at least six polyadenylation sites. The 3'-end of the gene alone can direct the formation of multiple, discrete 3'ends of the transcripts. To identify the regulatory element required for the 3'-end formation of -rhp51$^＋$ deletion mapping analysis was performed. Northern blot analysis revealed that the 254-bp DNA fragment including 4 distinct poly (A) sites downstream from the Hindlll site, is crucial for normal 3'-end formation. Deletion of the 3'-terminal AU rich region caused appearance of read-through RNA, leading to enhancement of survival rate of the rhp51 deletion mutant in response to DNA damaging agent, methylmethane sulfonate (MMS). The results imply that the rhp51$^＋$ system may be useful for molecular analysis of the 3'-end formation of RNA in the fission yeast.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.113-115
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• 1965

In previous paper, the determination procedure of fission products mainly consists of many steps which are usually derived from classical analysis schemes. In the present paper a simple and more rapid method of the determination of fission products by means of a smaller amount of reagent than that correspond to the stoichiometric ratio of element to be determined is investigated. The yield of Ba-140 in fission products is determined by this method.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1997.10a
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• pp.70-75
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• 1997

A CASMO/ORIGEN coupling utility program was developed to predict the composition of all the fission products in spent PWR fuels. The coupling program reads the CASMO output file, modifies the ORIGEN cross section library and reconstructs the ORIGEN input file at each depletion step. In ORIGEN, the burnup equation is solved for actinides and fission products based on the fission reaction rates and depletion flux of CASMO. A sample calculation has been performed using a 14$\times$14 PWR fuel assembly and the results are given in this paper.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.87-94
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• 2008

In order to investigate a nitriding process of spent oxide fuel and the subsequent change in thermal properties after nitriding, simulated spent fuel powder was converted into a nitride pellet with simulated fission product elements through a carbothermic reduction process. Nitriding rate of simulated spent fuel was decreased with increasing of the amount of fission products. Contents of Ba and Sr in simulated spent fuel were decreased after the carbothermic reduction process. The thermal conductivity of the nitride pellet was decreased by an addition of fission product element but was higher than that of the oxide fuel containing fission product elements.