Benchmark experiment of large-angle scattering reaction cross section of iron at 14 MeV using two shadow bars – Comparison of experimental results with ENDF/B-VIII –

ABSTRACT

It is important to perform neutron transport simulations with accurate nuclear data in the neutronics design of a fusion reactor. However, absolute values of large-angle scattering cross sections vary among nuclear data libraries even for well-examined nuclide of iron. Benchmark experiments focusing on large-angle scattering cross sections were thus performed to confirm the correctness of nuclear data libraries. The series benchmark experiments were performed at a DT neutron source facility, OKTAVIAN of Osaka University, Japan, by the unique experimental system established by the authors’ group, which can extract only the contribution of large-angle scattering reactions. This system consists of two shadow bars, target plate (iron), and neutron detector (niobium). Two types of shadow bars were used and four irradiations were conducted for one experiment, so that contribution of room-return neutrons was effectively removed and only large-angle scattering neutrons were extracted from the measured four Nb reaction rates. The obtained experimental results were compared with calculations for five nuclear data libraries including JENDL-4.0, JEFF.-3.3, FENDL-3.1, ENDF/B- VII, and recently released ENDF/B-VIII. It was found from the comparison that ENDF/B-VIII showed the best result, though ENDF/B-VII showed overestimation and others are in large underestimation at 14 MeV.     

Ammonia production using iron nitride and water as hydrogen source under mild temperature and pressure

Ammonia generation was studied in the reaction between water and nitrogen-containing iron at 323 K and atmospheric pressure. Similar to metallic Fe, the interstitial compound Fe₃N reduced water through Fe oxidation to produce hydrogen gas, while the N combined with atomic hydrogen to produce ammonia as a byproduct. The addition of carbon dioxide to this system accelerated the reaction with concomitant consumption of carbon dioxide. The promoted ammonia production upon addition of carbon dioxide can be attributed to the generation of atomic hydrogen from the redox reaction of carbonic acid and Fe, as well as removal of used Fe from the reaction system through the formation of a soluble carbonato complex. When carbonate was added to the reaction system, the production rates of ammonia and hydrogen increased further. The results here confirmed that ammonia can be synthesized from iron nitride under mild conditions by utilizing carbon dioxide.     

Molecular Targeted Therapy for the Bone Loss Secondary to Pyogenic Spondylodiscitis Using Medications for Osteoporosis: A Literature Review

Pyogenic spondylodiscitis can cause severe osteolytic and destructive lesions in the spine. Elderly or immunocompromised individuals are particularly susceptible to infectious diseases; specifically, infections in the spine can impair the ability of the spine to support the trunk, causing patients to be bedridden, which can also severely affect the physical condition of patients. Although treatments for osteoporosis have been well studied, treatments for bone loss secondary to infection remain to be elucidated because they have pathological manifestations that are similar to but distinct from those of osteoporosis. Recently, we encountered a patient with severely osteolytic pyogenic spondylodiscitis who was treated with romosozumab and exhibited enhanced bone formation. Romosozumab stimulated canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling, causing robust bone formation and the inhibition of bone resorption, which exceeded the bone loss secondary to infection. Bone loss due to infections involves the suppression of osteoblastogenesis by osteoblast apoptosis, which is induced by the nuclear factor-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways, and osteoclastogenesis with the receptor activator of the nuclear factor-κB ligand-receptor combination and subsequent activation of the nuclear factor of activated T cells cytoplasmic 1 and c-Fos. In this study, we review and discuss the molecular mechanisms of bone loss secondary to infection and analyze the efficacy of the medications for osteoporosis, focusing on romosozumab, teriparatide, denosumab, and bisphosphonates, in treating this pathological condition.     

Systematic packaging design tools integrating functional and environmental consequences on product life cycle: Case studies on laundry detergent and milk

This study presents systematic packaging design tools integrating functional and environmental consequences on product life cycle. To design packaging for sustainability, the trade-offs between functional and environmental aspects of packaging throughout the product life cycle should be considered. However, it is difficult for packaging designers to understand the overall trade-offs because the extent of the design consequences on the entire life cycle of packaging and its contents is unclear. We developed two tools for packaging design: the Life Cycle Association Matrix (LCAM) and the Function Network Diagram (FND). The following three steps, based on literature reviews and interviews with industrial experts, were applied. Firstly, we listed the product functions and design variables related to the functions as the attributes allocated to the product life cycle. Secondly, the attributes were connected appropriately based on causal relationships. Lastly, we identified the factors to support decision making in the packaging design procedure. As a result, the LCAM depicts the design consequences on the life cycle, and the FND determines the stakeholders affected by the design consequences. Two case studies were demonstrated to analyze the trade-offs by using our tools. In the case studies, a liquid laundry detergent bottle and a milk carton were redesigned. The tools identified the design consequences and stakeholders affected by the redesign of the usability and protective function for the detergent and milk cases, respectively. The results showed the significance of understanding the design consequences on the product life cycle by integrating the functional and environmental aspects.     

Principled analytic classifier for positive-unlabeled learning via weighted integral probability metric

Machine Learning - We consider the problem of learning a binary classifier from only positive and unlabeled observations (called PU learning). Recent studies in PU learning have shown superior...     

A cathode readout gas sampling calorimeter with conductive plastic tubes

We constructed and tested a prototype gas sampling electromagnetic calorimeter of the Pb-proportional tube sandwich type. The calorimeter uses conductive plastic tubes and cathode pad readout with a tower structure which resulted in reasonable energy and spatial resolutions for electrons in the momentum range 0.5–4.0 GeV/c; $\text{σ}{}_{\mathrm{E}}\text{E =}\text{21\%}\text{(E(}\text{GeV}\text{)}\text{)}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}\text{, σ}{}_{\mathrm{x}}\text{= 6}\text{mm}\text{(at 3 GeV}$/c). This paper describes the test and the performance studied under various conditions.     

[110]-surface strained-SOI CMOS devices

We have newly developed [110]-surface strained-silicon-on-insulator (SOI) n- and p-MOSFETs on [110]-surface relaxed-SiGe-on-insulator substrates with the Ge content of 25%, fabricated by applying the Ge condensation technique to SiGe layers grown on [110]-surface SOI wafers. We have demonstrated that the electron and the hole mobility enhancement of [110]-surface strained-SOI devices amounts to 23% and 50%, respectively, against the mobilities of [110]-surface unstrained MOSFETs. As a result, the electron and the hole mobility ratios of [110]-surface strained-SOI MOSFETs to the universal mobility of (100)-surface bulk-MOSFETs increase up to 81% and 203%, respectively. Therefore, the current drive imbalance between n- and p-MOS can be reduced. Moreover, both the electron and the hole mobilities of the [110]-surface strained-SOIs strongly depend on the drain current flow direction, which is qualitatively explained by the anisotropic effective mass characteristics of the carriers on a [110]-surface Si. As a result, the [110]-surface strained-SOI technology with optimization of the current flow directions of n- and p-MOS is promising for realizing higher speed scaled CMOS.     

Improved direct bonding method of Nd:YVO4 and YVO4 laser crystals

We succeeded in the fabrication of bonded laser crystals composed of a neodymium-doped YVO₄ laser crystal (Nd:YVO₄) and its host crystals YVO₄ by a newly developed dry etching technique using an argon ion beam. The optical distortion caused by the bonded interface of size 5 mm × 6 mm was estimated to be 0.05λ at 633 nm. From the comparison of laser performance pumped by a laser diode, the bonded crystals could increase the laser output power by nearly twice that of the non-bonded crystals with the same degree of polarization of 99.2%. To analyze the mechanism of the enhanced reduction of the thermal load in the bonded crystals, numerical simulations with a finite-element method were also performed.     

Moisture migration in idealized bilayer systems: relationships among water-associated properties, structure, and texture

The effects of composition and thermal treatment on the water sorption and diffusional properties of idealized protein gels arranged in bilayer configurations were determined; these water binding/migration properties were related to the mechanical characteristics of the gels. Samples were prepared from whey protein concentrate (WPC), they consisted of water:WPC ratios of 1.5 to 5.67, and were thermally set for 20–60 min. Moisture migration rates from samples interfaced with filters were determined, as were moisture sorption capacities of samples immersed in water. The physical properties of the gels were assessed by uniaxial compression and microscopy. Results showed that gel strength and consequent extent of protein interaction—as affected by thermal treatment—controlled the ability of the gel structure to absorb water. Sorption was exponentially correlated with gel modulus and linearly correlated with a function of protein content, heating time, and immersion time. Rates of diffusion from interfaced gels were dependent solely on water content. It was concluded that the degree of protein interaction, whether influenced by concentration or thermal treatment, affected network extensibility and thus the capacity of the gels to act as receptors of moisture. Results have implications for the functionality of shelf-stable sandwiches and other multicomponent foods.