Re-evaluation of Radiation-Energy Transfer to an Extraction Solvent in a Minor-Actinide-Separation Process Based on Consideration of Radiation Permeability

ABSTRACT

Absorbed-dose estimation is essential for evaluation of the radiation tolerance of minor-actinide-separation processes. We propose a dose-evaluation method based on radiation permeability, with comparisons of heterogeneous structures seen in the solvent-extraction process, such as emulsions forming in the mixture of the organic and aqueous phases. A demonstration of radiation-energy-transfer simulation is performed with a focus on the minor-actinide-recovery process from high-level liquid waste with the aid of the Monte Carlo radiation-transport code PHITS. The simulation results indicate that the dose absorbed by the extraction solvent from alpha radiation depends upon the emulsion structure, and that from beta and gamma radiation depends upon the mixer-settler-apparatus size. Non-negligible contributions of well-permeable gamma rays were indicated in terms of the plant operation of the minor-actinide-separation process.     

Combustion synthesis of AlN doped with carbon and oxygen

Carbon-and-oxygen-doped AlN specimens were prepared by combustion synthesis using Al, graphite, and AlN. Graphite addition changed the product color from white to blue. By XRD, the lattice constant increased slightly with increasing carbon content. Blue AlN powder was synthesized with a molar ratio of the diluent AlN of 0.2-0.5 with a fixed graphite content of 0.05. At an AlN molar ratio exceeding 0.6, carbon was not successfully incorporated due to the lower reaction temperature. Calcination at 800°C in air removed residual graphite without changing the crystal structure or product color. Oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon analyses revealed that blue AlN powders contained 0.45-0.54 mass% carbon and 1.4-1.6 mass% oxygen, while the undoped AlN contained 0.021 mass% carbon and 0.94 mass% oxygen. The origin of the white-to-blue color change was investigated via reflection measurements. Blue AlN exhibits an absorption peak at 634 nm (1.96 eV). From first-principles electronic structure calculations, the C-doped AlN and carbon-and-oxygen-doped AlN with a 1:1 ratio could be classified as p-type, whereas the O-doped AlN and 1:3 carbon-and-oxygen-doped AlN were n-type. One reason for the absorption peak at 634 nm may be a transition from the conduction band to an upper unoccupied state. These results suggest the possible control of optical and electronic properties of AlN via carbon-and-oxygen doping.     

High-resolution long-array thermal ink jet printhead fabricated by anisotropic wet etching and deep Si RIE

This paper describes the fabrication and characterization of a thermal ink jet (TIJ) printhead suitable for high speed and high-quality printing. The printhead has been fabricated by dicing the bonded wafer, which consists of a bubble generating heater plate and a Si channel plate. The Si channel plate consists of an ink chamber and an ink inlet formed by KOH etching, and a nozzle formed by inductively couple plasma reactive ion etching (ICP RIE). The nozzle formed by RIE has squeezed structures, which contribute to high-energy efficiency of drop ejector and, therefore, successful ejection of small ink drop. The nozzle also has a dome-like structure called channel pit, which contributes to high jetting frequency and high-energy efficiency. These two wafers are directly bonded using electrostatic bonding of full-cured polyimide to Si. The adhesive-less bonding provided an ideal shaped small nozzle orifice. Use of the same material (Si substrate) in heater plate and channel plate enables the fabrication of high precision long printhead because no displacement and delamination occur, which are caused by the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the plates. With these technologies, we have fabricated a 1" long printhead with 832 nozzles having 800 dots per inch (dpi) resolution and a 4 pl. ink drop volume.     

Network information criterion-determining the number of hiddenunits for an artificial neural network model

The problem of model selection, or determination of the number of hidden units, can be approached statistically, by generalizing Akaike's information criterion (AIC) to be applicable to unfaithful (i.e., unrealizable) models with general loss criteria including regularization terms. The relation between the training error and the generalization error is studied in terms of the number of the training examples and the complexity of a network which reduces to the number of parameters in the ordinary statistical theory of AIC. This relation leads to a new network information criterion which is useful for selecting the optimal network model based on a given training set.     

Photocatalytic Property and Electronic Structure of Lanthanide-based Oxysulfides

Lanthanide-based oxysulfides and sulfide, LnTaO_3.5S_0.5, Ln₁₀OS₁₄ (Ln = La, Pr, Nd, Sm) and La₄In₅S₁₃, were successively synthesized by sulfurization in a flowing H₂S. The sulfurization decreased the band-gap energies from >4 eV to <3eV, because of the formation of occupied S3p orbitals on the top of valence band. In accordance with the small band gap, the H₂ evolution from a 0.01 M Na₂S and 0.01 M Na₂SO₃ solution system was observed under irradiation of light up to >500 nm. The rate of H₂ evolution under light irradiation of >500 nm increased in the order of Ni/LaTaO_3.5S_0.5 < Ru/La₁₀OS₁₄ < Pt/La₄In₅S₁₃.     

Aging time dependence of catastrophic optical damage (COD) failureof a 0.98-μm GaInAs-GaInP strained quantum-well laser

In this paper, we studied the aging time dependence of the catastrophic optical damage (COD) failure of an Al-free uncoated 0.98-μm GaInAs-GaInP strained quantum-well laser with an injection current as a parameter. Based on the stress-strength model, we first investigated experimentally the dependence of the critical power level (CPL) at which COD would take place upon the aging time. Then applying a statistical treatment to this result, we found for the first time that CPL data at each aging time could be considered to distribute according to the Weibull statistics, and the decrease rate of the CPL with the aging time depended very strongly on the injection current. Finally, using the relationship between the decrease rate of the CPL with the aging time and the current, we predicted roughly the time of a COD failure occurrence for both large and small current cases. As a result, we clarified that for our Al-free uncoated 0.98-μm laser, a COD failure became a fatal problem in the case of a large-current (high-power) operation     

DNA damage induced by m-phenylenediamine and its derivative in the presence of copper ion

We have previously reported that long-term priming of human polymorphonuclear neutrophilic granulocytes (PMN) with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) increased the fMLP-stimulated calcium influx. We now show that also after short-term incubation with IFN-gamma, PMN calcium metabolism is modulated. Single adherent cells in three different calcium-containing buffers (high, normal, and low [Ca2+]) were stimulated with the bacterial peptide fMLP or the Ca-ATPase inhibitor thapsigargin (Tg) after about 5 min preincubation with IFN-gamma. The results of this protocol indicated that IFN-gamma increases both calcium influx and calcium sequestration. Store dependent Ca2+ influx, directly measured on readdition of calcium to Tg-treated cells incubated in EGTA buffer, was significantly enhanced in IFN-gamma-treated cells. This effect of IFN-gamma was enhanced by the tyrosine kinase inhibitor herbimycin A. Strikingly, in low extracellular calcium concentrations, IFN-gamma induced calcium transients in 20%-60% of the cells. The proportion of PMN responding with Ca2+ transients increased with decreasing extracellular calcium concentration. Average lagtime from addition of IFN-gamma to a response that could be measured was 7.3 sec, and average increase in [Ca2+] above the basal level was 790 nM. These IFN-gamma-induced transients could not be depressed by herbimycin A. Thus, IFN-gamma can increase capacitative calcium influx, induce calcium transients, and possibly affect calcium sequestration in human PMN.     

25 Gbit/s selector module using 0.2 mu m GaAs MESFET technology

A high-speed selector module has been developed. It is constructed from a selector IC mounted in a ceramic package, a power supply unit, phase shifters, and coaxial cables. The IC was designed using LSCFL and fabricated with 0.2 mu m gate length GaAs MESFETs. The selector module operated above 25 Gbit/s. It is expected to be applied to high-speed IC measurements.<>     

Stabilization of bioethanol recovery with silicone rubber‐coated ethanol‐permselective silicalite membranes by controlling the pH of acidic feed solution

In order to produce highly concentrated bioethanol by pervaporation using an ethanol‐permselective silicalite membrane, techniques to suppress adsorption of succinic acid, which is a chief by‐product of ethanol fermentation and causes the deterioration in pervaporation performance, onto the silicalite crystals was investigated. The amount adsorbed increased as the pH of the aqueous succinic acid solution decreased. The pervaporation performance also decreased with decreasing pH when the ternary mixtures of ethanol/water/succinic acid were separated. Using silicalite membranes individually coated with two types of silicone rubber, pervaporation performance was significantly improved in the pH range of 5 to 7, when compared with that of non‐coated silicalite membranes in ternary mixtures of ethanol/water/succinic acid. Moreover, when using a silicalite membrane double‐coated with the two types of silicone rubber, pervaporation performance was stabilized at lower pH values. In the separation of bioethanol by pervaporation using the double‐coated silicalite membrane, removal of accumulated substances having an ultraviolet absorption maximum at approximately 260 nm from the fermentation broth proved to be vital for efficient pervaporation. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

A Composite Index of Compliance for Chronic In‐Center Hemodialysis Patients

We developed a composite compliance index as the sum of the compliance scores for interdialytic weight gain (IDWG), pre‐dialysis serum potassium and phosphorus concentrations (each scored from zero to 3, with 3 indicating the poorest compliance), and skipping hemodialysis sessions (scored from zero to 9, with 9 indicating the poorest compliance). We used this composite score to prospectively evaluate compliance in 25 prevalent hemodialysis patients over a period of 1 year. We then followed these patients for another 3.5 years. The patients studied were divided into two groups: group A (poor compliance) consisted of 9 subjects with composite score ≥ 9 (13.2 ± 3.2); group B (better compliance) consisted of 16 subjects with composite score < 9 (4.7 ± 1.8). Age, duration of hemodialysis, and frequency of diabetes mellitus did not differ between the groups. Group A contained higher fractions of subjects with history of alcoholism (66.7% vs 12.5%, p = 0.010), other substance addiction (44.4% vs 0%, p = 0.010), and severe psychosocial problems (88.9% vs 18.8%, p = 0.002). Mean survival from the beginning of observation, estimated by actuarial life‐table survival analysis, was 1.19 years in group A and 2.60 years in group B (p = 0.0265). A composite compliance index incorporating domains indicating adherence to diet, medications, and dialysis schedule identified other behavioral problems in poorly compliant patients. Hemodialysis patients characterized by this composite index as poorly compliant had shortened survival.