• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제40권7호
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• pp.551-560
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• 2008

Radiation has stochastic aspects in its generation, its choice of interaction mode during traveling in media, and its impact on living bodies. In certain circumstances, like in high dose environments resulting from low-LET radiation, the variance in its impact on a target volume is negligible. On the contrary, in low dose environments, especially when they are attributed to high-LET radiation, the impact on the target carries with it a large variance. This variation is more significant for smaller target volumes. Microdosimetric techniques, which have been developed to estimate the distribution of radiation energy deposited to cellular and subcellular-sized targets, contrast with macrodosimetric techniques which count only the average value. Since cells and DNA compounds are the critical targets in human bodies, microdosimetry, or dose estimation by microscopic approach, helps one better analyze the biological effects of radiation on the human body. By utilizing microbeam systems designed for individual cell irradiation, scientists have discovered that human cells exhibit radiosensitive reactions without being hit themselves (bystander effect). During the past 10 or more years, a new therapeutic protocol using discontinuous multiple micro-slit beams has been investigated for its clinical application. It has been suggested that the beneficial bystander effect is the essence of this protocol.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.233-241
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• 2021

A series of three bench-scale experiments was performed to investigate the conversion of sodium metal to sodium chloride via reactions with non-metal and metal chlorides. Specifically, batches of molten sodium metal were separately contacted with ammonium chloride and ferrous chloride to form sodium chloride in both cases along with iron in the latter case. Additional ferrous chloride was added to two of the three batches to form low melting point consolidated mixtures of sodium chloride and ferrous chloride, whereas consolidation of a sodium-chloride product was performed in a separate batch. Samples of the products were characterized via X-ray diffraction to identify attendant compounds. The reaction of sodium metal with metered ammonium chloride particulate feeds proceeded without reaction excursions and produced pure colorless sodium chloride. The reaction of sodium metal with ferrous chloride yielded occasional reaction excursions as evidenced by temperature spikes and fuming ferrous chloride, producing a dark salt-metal mixture. This investigation into a method for controlled conversion of sodium metal to sodium chloride is particularly applicable to sodium containing elevated levels of radioactivity-including bond sodium from nuclear fuels-in remote-handled inert-atmosphere environments.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권1호
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• pp.262-268
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• 2022

This paper introduces a novel concept of the pulsed neutron facility (PNF) for maximizing the production of the thermal neutrons and its application to medical use based on prompt gamma neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) using Monte Carlo simulations. The PNF consists of a compact D-T neutron generator, a graphite pile, and a detection system using Cadmium telluride (CdTe) detector arrays. The configuration of fuel pins in the graphite monolith and the design and materials for the moderating layer were studied to optimize the thermal neutron yields. Biological samples - normal and cancerous breast tissues - including chlorine, a trace element, were used to investigate the sensitivity of the characteristic γ-rays by neutron-trace material interactions and the detector responses of multiple particles. Around 90 % of neutrons emitted from a deuterium-tritium (D-T) neutron generator thermalized as they passed through the graphite stockpile. The thermal neutrons captured the chlorines in the samples, then the characteristic γ-rays with specific energy levels of 6.12, 7.80 and 8.58 MeV were emitted. Since the concentration of chlorine in the cancerous tissue is twice that in the normal tissue, the count ratio of the characteristic g-rays of the cancerous tissue over the normal tissue is approximately 2.

• 한국원자력학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국원자력학회 1998년도 춘계학술발표회논문집(1)
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• pp.149-154
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• 1998

A subcritical reactor driven by a linear proton accelerator has been considered as a nuclear waste incinerator at Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute(KAERI). Since the multiplication factor of a subcritical reactor is less than unity, to compensate exponentially decreasing fission neutrons from spallation reactions are essentially required for operating the reactor in its steady state. furthermore, the profile of accelerator beam currents is very important in controlling a subcritical reactor, because the reactor power varies in accordance of the profile of external neutrons. We have developed a code system to find numerical solutions of reactor kinetics equations, which are the simplest dynamic model for controlling reactors. In a due course of our previous numerical study of point kinetics equations for critical reactors, however, we learned that the same code system can be used in studying dynamic behavior of the subcritical reactor. Our major motivation of this paper is to investigate responses of subcritical reactors for small changes in thermal hydraulic parameters. Building a thermal hydraulic model for the subcritical reactor dynamics, we performed numerical simulations for dynamic responses of the reactor based on point kinetics equations with a source term. Linearizing a set of coupled differential equations for reactor responses, we focus our research interest on dynamic responses of the reactor to variations of the thermal hydraulic parameters in transient phases.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• 제5권4호
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• pp.120-123
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• 2014

The interference of water vapor on the chemical ionization (CI) of hydroxyl radicals (OH) by sulfur hexafluoride ion ($SF_6{^-}$) was investigated using a flow tube system coupled to a high-pressure CI mass spectrometer. Water vapor, which is required to study heterogeneous reactions of OH under real tropospheric conditions, transforms the reagent ion $SF_6{^-}$ into $SF_4O^-$ and $F^-(HF)_n$, resulting in a substantial loss in CI sensitivity. Therefore, under humid conditions, peaks corresponding to OH are drastically diminished, while those corresponding to OH-water complex ions ($[OH(H_2O)_n]^-$) are enhanced. $[OH(H_2O)_3]^-$ was observed as the major OH species. The obsercation of $[OH(H_2O)_n]^-$ by isolating humid conditions to the CI region and preliminary ab initio calculations suggested that $[OH(H_2O)_n]^-$ ions were produced from reactions between OH ions ($OH^-$) and water molecules. An additional helium buffer flow introduced into the CI region reduced loss of the reagent ion and resulted in a partial recovery of OH peak intensities under humid conditions.

• 한방안이비인후피부과학회지
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.231-241
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• 2001

Mahwang-Shin-Gung-San has been found inhibiting the mast cell-mediated anaphylactic reaction. This report describes an inhibitory effect of Mahwang-Shin-Gung-San (MSGS) on the immediate-type cutaneous allergic reactions. MSGS has concentration -dependently inhibited the ear swelling response induced by compound 48/80 in mouse by intradermal injection. The mast cells in mouse ear tissue undergone ear-swelling response by compound 48/80 were stained by alcian blue/nuclear fast red. MSGS significantly inhibited the compound 48/80-induced degranulation from mast cells in ear tissue. MSGS concentration-dependently inhibited the histamine release from the rat peritoneal mast cells (RPMC) by compound 48/80. We also studied the effect of MSGS on mast cell-dependent passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) activated by dinitrophenyl IgE antibody. MSGS showed potent inhibition of PCA by oral administration. These results indicate that MSGS inhibits immediate-type allergic reactions by inhibition of mast cell degranulation in vivo and in vitro.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• 제51권3호
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• pp.187-194
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• 2018

Background: Death domain-associated protein (DAXX), originally identified as a pro-apoptotic protein, is now understood to be either a pro-apoptotic or an anti-apoptotic factor with a chromatin remodeler, depending on the cell type and context. This study evaluated DAXX expression and its clinical implications in squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. Methods: Paraffin-embedded tissues from 60 cases of esophageal squamous carcinoma were analyzed immunohistochemically. An immune reaction with more than 10% of tumor cells was interpreted as positive. Positive reactions were sorted into 2 groups: reactions in 11%-50% of tumor cells and reactions in more than 51% of tumor cells, and the correlations between expression and survival and clinical prognosticators were analyzed. Results: Forty-three of the 60 cases (71.7%) showed strong nuclear DAXX expression, among which 19 cases showed a positive reaction (31.7%) in 11%-50% of tumor cells, and 24 cases (40.0%) showed a positive reaction in more than 51% of tumor cells. A negative reaction was found in 17 cases (28.3%). These patterns of immunostaining were significantly associated with the N stage (p=0.005) and American Joint Committee on Cancer stage (p=0.001), but overall survival showed no significant difference. There were no correlations of DAXX expression with age, gender, or T stage. However, in stage IIB (p=0.046) and stage IV (p=0.014) disease, DAXX expression was significantly correlated with survival. Conclusion: This investigation found upregulation of DAXX in esophageal cancer, with a 71.7% expression rate. DAXX immunostaining could be used in clinical practice to predict aggressive tumors with lymph node metastasis in advanced-stage disease, especially in stages IIB and IV.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.107-113
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• 2010

본 연구에서는 pH 변화에 따른 카올리나이트-휴믹산, 카올리나이트-아메리슘 및 휴믹산-아메리슘 등의 이성분계 흡착반응을 조사하였다. 카올리나이트의 물리화학적 특성을 조사한 후, 휴믹산농도, 이온강도 및 pH 변화에 따른 카올리나이트에 휴믹산의 흡착실험을 하였다. pH 및 HA 농도가 증가함에 따라 KA에 대한 HA의 흡착율이 감소하였으나, 이온강도가 증가함에 따라 HA의 흡착율이 증가하였다. 또한 pH 변화에 따른 카올리나이트와 아메리슘과 흡착반응 및 아메리슘과 휴믹산과의 흡착반응도 연구하였다. 산성 및 중성영역에서는 Am이 HA에 쉽게 흡착되었으나, 염기성 영역에서는 정전기적 반발력으로 HA에 대한 Am 흡착이 감소되었다. 본 연구 결과는 수환경에서 휴믹산에 의한 아메리슘 흡착거동 특성을 이해하는데 활용이 가능하다.

• 한국재료학회지
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• 제17권7호
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• pp.366-370
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• 2007

Silicon nitride ($Si_3N_4$) ceramics have been considered for various components of nuclear power plants such as the mechanical seal of a reactor coolant pump (RCP), the guide roller for a control rod drive mechanism (CRDM), and a seal support, etc. Corrosion behavior of $Si_3N_4$ ceramics in a high-temperature and high-pressure water must be elucidated before they can be considered as components for nuclear power plants. In this study, the corrosion behaviors of $Si_3N_4$ ceramics containing MgO and $Al_2O_3$ as sintering aids were investigated at a hydrothermal condition ($300^{\circ}C$, 9.0 MPa) in pure water and 35 ppm LiOH solution. The corrosion reactions were controlled by a diffusion of the reactive species and/or products through the corroded layer. The grain-boundary phase was preferentially corroded in pure water whereas the $Si_3N_4$ grain seemed to be corroded at a similar rate to the grain-boundary phase in LiOH solution. Flexural strengths of the $Si_3N_4$ ceramics were significantly degraded due to the corrosion reaction. Results of this study imply that a variation of the sintering aids and/or a control (e.g., crystallization) of the grain-boundary phase are necessary to increase the corrosion resistance of $Si_3N_4$ ceramics in a high-temperature water.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제45권1호
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• pp.81-88
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• 2013

Neutron spectrum analyses of spallation neutrons are conducted in the accelerator-driven system (ADS) facility at the Kyoto University Critical Assembly (KUCA). High-energy protons (100 MeV) obtained from the fixed field alternating gradient accelerator are injected onto a tungsten target, whereby the spallation neutrons are generated. For neutronic characteristics of spallation neutrons, the reaction rates and the continuous energy distribution of spallation neutrons are measured by the foil activation method and by an organic liquid scintillator, respectively. Numerical calculations are executed by MCNPX with JENDL/HE-2007 and ENDF/B-VI libraries to evaluate the reaction rates of activation foils (bismuth and indium) set at the target and the continuous energy distribution of spallation neutrons set in front of the target. For the reaction rates by the foil activation method, the C/E values between the experiments and the calculations are found around a relative difference of 10%, except for some reactions. For continuous energy distribution by the organic liquid scintillator, the spallation neutrons are observed up to 45 MeV. From these results, the neutron spectrum information on the spallation neutrons generated at the target are attained successfully in injecting 100 MeV protons onto the tungsten target.