• Clean Technology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.251-256
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• 2020

The biocompatibility and plasmonic properties of Au nanoparticles make them useful for photothermal therapy, drug delivery, imaging, and many other fields. This study demonstrated a novel, facile, economic, and green synthetic method to produce gold nanoparticles. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with spherical and triangular shapes were effectively synthesized using only Schisandra chenesis fruit extract as the capping and reducing agent. The shape of the AuNPs could be engineered simply by adjusting the molar concentration of HAuCl4 in the reaction mixture. The as-synthesized AuNPs were characterized using UV-VIS spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA). This study revealed that by using the HAuCl4 concentration in the AuNP synthesis, the shape and size of the AuNPs could be controlled by the concentration of HAuCl4 and Schisandra chinensis fruit extract as a surfactant. The as-synthesized AuNPs samples had sufficient colloidal stability without noticeable aggregation and showed the predominant growth of the (111) plane of face-centered cubic gold during the crystal growth. The catalytic efficiency of the AuNPs synthesized using Schisandra chenesis fruit extract was examined by monitoring the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol using Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis spectroscopy). The synthesized AuNPs showed good catalytic activity to reduce 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol, revealing their practical usefulness.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.18-22
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• 2022

The effect of electron beam (EB) irradiation on superconducting properties and microstructures of MgB₂ bulk superconductors were investigated. At E-beam doses of 1×10¹⁶ e/cm² and 1×10¹⁷ e/cm², the effect of irradiation on a superconducting transition temperature (T_c) of MgB₂ was weak. As a dose increases to 5×10¹⁷ e/cm², T_c decreases by 0.5 K. The critical current density (J_c) measured at 4.2 K and 20 K, and 0 T - 5 T increases slightly as exposure time increases. X-ray diffraction for the irradiation surface of MgB₂ shows that the diffraction intensity of (hkl) peaks decreases proportionally as the exposure time increases. This indicates that the crystallinity of MgB₂ was degraded by irradiation. TEM investigation for the irradiated sample showed distorted lattice structure, which is consistent with the XRD results. The J_c increase and T_c reduction of MgB₂ by irradiation are believed to be caused by the lattice distortion.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.657-665
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• 2021

The present work aimed to explore green approach via aqueous leaves extract of Murraya koenigii (ALEMk) for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPsMk) in single step. The synthesis process was visualized with a color change and monitored by employing UV/Visible spectroscopy and a clear peak attained at 420 nm confirming the synthesis of AgNPsMk. The possible functional groups present in the extract which participated in the synthesis of AgNPsMk were identified with the help of FTIR spectroscopy. Further characterization using TEM images revealed the spherical shape of AgNPsMk with average particle size of 20 nm displaying well dispersion throughout the solution. Pronounced antioxidant activities of AgNPsMk at increased concentrations observed which evidencing strong radical scavenging ability. Moreover, AgNPsMk exhibited strong antibacterial behavior when tested against bacterial strains of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. Moving ahead, in vitro cytotoxicity work revealed potent cell viability loss appearing in AU565 and HeLa cancer cell lines on exposure to AgNPsMk at increased concentration. Finally, in vivo assessment carried out inside male Wistar rats indicated non toxic effect on examined liver tissues besides biochemical analysis including bilirubin, alkaline phosphtase (ALP) and serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) which found within the normal range when compared with control. The prior research work profoundly apprises the potential of green synthesized AgNPsMk to play a significant role in biomedical applications and formulations.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.991-996
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• 2022

Microstructures of monolithic high purity SiC and SiC with sintering additives after neutron irradiation to a fluence of 2.0-2.5 × 10²⁴ n/m² (E > 0.1 MeV) at 333-363 K and after post-irradiation annealing up to 1673 K were observed using a transmission electron microscopy. Results showed that no black spot defects or dislocation loops in SiC grains were found after the neutron irradiation for all of the specimens owing to the moderate fluence at low irradiation temperature. Thus, it is confirmed that these specimens were swelled mostly by the formation of point defects. Black spots and small dislocation loops were discovered only after the annealing process in PureBeta-SiC and CVD-SiC, where the swelling almost diminished. Anomalous-shaped YAG grains were found in SiC ceramics containing sintering additives. These grains contained dense black spots defects and might lose crystallinity after the neutron irradiation, while these defects may annihilate by recrystallization during annealing up to 1673 K. Amorphous grain boundary phase was also presented in this ceramic, and a large part of it was crystallized through post-irradiation annealing and could affect their recovery behavior.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.109-118
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• 2021

In the periodic surveillance material test for the spacer component of fuel channel assembly in CANDU, a microstructural characterization analysis is required in addition to the mechanical property evaluation test. In this study, detailed microstructure analysis and simple mechanical property evaluation of archive spacer parts were conducted to indirectly support the surveillance test and assist in the study of spacer material degradation. We investigated the microstructural characteristics of the spacer garter spring coil through comparative analysis with the plate material. The main microstructure characteristics of the garter spring coil X-750 are represented by the fine grain size distribution, the ordering phase distribution developed inside the matrix, the high dislocation density inside the grains, and the arrangement of coarse carbides. In addition, the yield strength of the garter spring coil X-750 was indirectly evaluated to be approximately 1 GPa. We also established an analytical method to elucidate the microstructural evolution of the radioactive spacer garter spring coil X-750 based on Canadian research experiences. Finally, we confirmed the measurement technique for helium bubble formation through TEM examination on the helium implanted X-750 material.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.8
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• pp.2742-2746
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• 2023

The corrosion behavior of copper immersed in dilute oxychloride solution (100 mM) was studied through surface investigation and in-situ monitoring of open-circuit potential. The copper corrosion was initiated with copper dissolution into a form of CuCl^-₂, resulting in mass decrease within the first 40 h of immersion. This was followed by a hydrolysis reaction initiated by the CuCl^-₂ at the copper surface, after which oxide products were formed and deposited on the surface, resulting in a mass increase. The formation of nucleation sites for copper oxide and its lateral extension during the corrosion process were examined using focused ion beam (FIB)-scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The presence of metastable compounds such as atacamite (CuCl₂·3Cu(OH)₂) on the corroded copper surface was revealed by X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM)-energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) analysis.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.12
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• pp.4722-4730
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• 2022

This paper introduces a new point depletion-based source term calculation code named BESNA (Bateman Equation Solver for Nuclear Applications), which is aimed to estimate nuclide inventories and source terms from spent nuclear fuels. The BESNA code employs a new modified CE/CM (Constant Extrapolation - Constant Midpoint) predictor-corrector scheme in depletion calculations for improving computational efficiency. In this modified CE/CM scheme, the decay components leading to the large norm of the depletion matrix are excluded in the corrector, and hence the corrector calculation involves only the reaction components, which can be efficiently solved with the Talyor Expansion Method (TEM). The numerical test shows that the new scheme substantially reduces computing time without loss of accuracy in comparison with the conventional scheme using CRAM (Chebyshev Rational Approximation Method), especially when the substep calculations are applied. The depletion calculation and source term estimation capability of BESNA are verified and validated through several problems, where results from BESNA are compared with those calculated by other codes as well as measured data. The analysis results show the computational efficiency of the new modified scheme and the reliability of BESNA in both isotopic predictions and source term estimations.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.333-341
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• 2006

PVP-protected Ag, Pd and $Pt_{50}-Ru_{50}$ colloids were prepared independently by using ${\gamma}$-irradiation and electron beam (EB) at ambient temperature. UV-visible spectra of these colloids show the characteristic bands of surface resonance and give evidence for the formation of nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) experiments were used to know the morphology of nanoparticles prepared by ${\gamma}$-irradiation and EB. The size of Ag, Pd, and $Pt_{50}-Ru_{50}$ nanoparticles prepared by ${\gamma}$-irradiation was ca. 13, 2-3, 15 nm, respectively. While, the size of Ag, Pd, and $Pt_{50}-Ru_{50}$ nanoparticles prepared by EB was ca. 10, 6, and 1-3 nm, respectively. Cyclic voltamograms (CV) were recorded for the Au electrodes immobilized with these nanoparticles. CVs indicated the modifications in the surface as a result of immobilization.

• BMB Reports
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• v.56 no.7
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• pp.392-397
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• 2023

In this study, recombinant Fc-fused Prostate acid phosphatase (PAP) proteins were produced in transgenic plants. PAP was fused to immunoglobulin (Ig) A and M Fc domain (PAP-IgA Fc and PAP-IgM Fc), which were tagged to the ER retention sequence KDEL to generate PAP-IgA FcK and PAP-IgM FcK. Agrobacterium-mediated transformation was performed to produce transgenic tobacco plants expressing four recombinant proteins. Genomic PCR and RT-PCR analyses confirmed the transgene insertion and mRNA transcription of PAP-IgA Fc, PAP-IgM Fc, PAP-IgA FcK, and PAP-IgM FcK in tobacco plant leaves. Western blot confirmed the expression of PAP-IgA Fc, PAP-IgM Fc, PAP-IgA FcK, and PAP-IgM FcK proteins. SEC-HPLC and Bio-TEM analyses were performed to confirm the size and shape of the plant-derived recombinant PAP-Fc fusion proteins. In mice experiments, the plant-derived IgA and IgM Fc fused proteins induced production of total IgGs including IgG1 against PAP. This result suggests that IgA and IgM Fc fusion can be applied to produce recombinant PAP proteins as a prostate cancer vaccine in plant expression system.

• Iberoamérica
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.39-70
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• 2009

Este estudo tem por objetivo analisar, do ponto de vista da alquimia, O Alquimia, considerado uma das obras mais representativas do escritor brasileiro Paulo Coelho. Para tanto, começamos a observar as características da alquimia à qual o próprio autor disse que dedicava 11 anos para estudá-la por volta da década de 1970 quando o mundo estava sofrendo grandes mudanças sociais. Desta observação, entendemos que, sendo uma projeção do 'inconsciente' conforme diz C. G. Jung, a essência da alquimia consiste resumidamente nos seguintes conceitos: união de elementos opostos, transformação e salvação. A partir daí, tentamos estudar como esses coneitos estão diluídos na estrutura de O Alquimia e como a experiência do Paulo Coelho com a alquimia interioriza-se no mundo literário dele. E entendemos que os conceitos simbólicos da alquimia e as mensagens que a experiência do escritor com a alquimia configura em suas obras literárias compartilham a quase mesma dimensão semântica. Percebemos também que em alguns aspectos as idéias do escritor consolidadas em torno da sua pesquisa da alquimia vão às vezes além dos conceitos genéricos da alquimia, atingindo assim uma dimensão bastante peculiar e fundamental para compreender melhor o seu universo literário: para ele que se declara católico, Deus não é católico nem islâmico, nem budista, nem hinduista. Por exemplo, ele diz que Deus é um só e é que o Seu nome varia dependendo da religião, porque cada religião precisa escolher um nome para chamá-lo.