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At least 127 records · Page 7

Comparison and calibration of dose delivered by 137 Cs and x-ray irradiators in mice

Objective. The Office of Radiological Security, U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration, is implementing a radiological risk reduction program which seeks to minimize or eliminate the use of high activity radiological sources, including 137 Cs, by replacing them with non-radioisotopic technologies, such as x-ray irradiators. The main goal of this paper is to evaluate the equivalence of the dose delivered by gamma- and x-ray irradiators in mice using experimental measurements and Monte Carlo simulations. We also propose a novel biophantom as an in situ dose calibration method. Approach. We irradiated mouse carcasses and 3D-printed mouse biophantoms in a 137 Cs irradiator (Mark I-68) and an x-ray irradiator (X-Rad320) at three voltages (160 kVp, 225 kVp and 320 kVp) and measured the delivered radiation dose. A Geant4-based Monte Carlo model was developed and validated to provide a comprehensive picture of gamma- and x-ray irradiation in mice. Main Results. Our Monte Carlo model predicts a uniform dose delivered in soft-tissue for all the explored irradiation programs and in agreement with the absolute dose measurements. Our Monte Carlo model shows an energy-dependent difference between dose in bone and in soft tissue that decreases as photon energy increases. Dose rate depends on irradiator and photon energy. We observed a deviation of the measured dose from the target value of up to –9% for the Mark I-68, and up to 35% for the X-Rad320. The dose measured in the 3D-printed phantoms are equivalent to that in the carcasses within 6% uncertainty. Significance. Our results suggest that 320 kVp irradiation is a good candidate to substitute 137 Cs irradiation barring a few caveats. There is a significant difference between measured and targeted doses for x-ray irradiation that suggests a strong need for in situ calibration, which can be achieved with 3D-printed mouse biophantoms. A dose correction is necessary for bone doses, which can be provided by a Monte Carlo calculation. Lastly, the biological implications of the differences in dose rates and dose per photon for the different irradiation methods should be carefully assessed for each small-animal irradiation experiment.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Distribution Substation Planning Toolkit (dsp-toolkit) v1.0

The Distribution Substation Planning Toolkit (DSP Toolkit) is a software suite designed to streamline the planning and optimization of distribution substations. This toolkit offers a comprehensive set of tools and APIs for data curation, short-term electric load forecasting, and weather-sensitive load adjustment, making it an essential resource for utility companies, engineers, and researchers. Features • Data Preprocessing and Curation: Efficiently manage and preprocess large datasets to ensure high-quality input for analysis. • Short-Term Load Forecasting: Utilize data-driven models to predict short-term electric loads accurately. • Weather-Sensitive Modeling: Automatically adjust load forecasts based on weather data to predict future peak demands more precisely. Uses The DSP Toolkit is ideal for planning and optimizing distribution substations, providing a user-friendly interface and comprehensive documentation. It is suitable for both novice and experienced users, facilitating efficient and accurate planning processes. Advantages • Efficiency: Automates complex planning tasks, reducing manual effort and minimizing errors. • Scalability: Handles large datasets and complex models, making it suitable for large-scale projects. • Community and Support: Open-source with active community contributions, ensuring continuous improvement and support. • Extensibility: Easily extendable with custom modules and plugins, allowing users to tailor the toolkit to their specific needs. The DSP Toolkit stands out by offering a robust, flexible, and user-friendly solution for distribution substation planning. Public Abstract

Li, Han [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LB↗

Report of the Sixth Regional Review Meeting of the Radiological Security Partnership.

The Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Regulatory Commission (AERC) and the United States Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) co-hosted the 6th Regional Review Meeting on Radiological Security involving representatives from over 20 countries, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), and the World Institute for Nuclear Security. The purpose of the event was to discuss the implementation of, and plans for, high-activity radioactive source security (RSS). The U.S. DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Office of Radiological Security (ORS) fully sponsored this review meeting. Participants were welcomed to Colombo, Sri Lanka, and the meeting was formally opened by Nirmali Karunarathna of the Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Regulator Council who emphasized the strong partnerships among the participants. The opening Ceremony and Lamp Lighting included dignitaries from the sponsoring countries. Robert Hilton, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Colombo, and Kristin Hirsch of the ORS gave other opening remarks that highlighted the social benefit from radiological sources in medicine, industry, and agriculture, while stressing the importance of addressing the risks associated with the malicious use of radiological sources. Emphasis was placed on the importance of partnerships among all the participants to help ensure the success of securing radiological materials throughout the world and the opportunity to share information and experiences. AERC was acknowledged with special thanks for hosting this event. A participant list is included as Attachment A, and the meeting agenda is provided as Attachment B. All presentations were made available to participants. The following sections summarize the meeting’s presentations, discussions, issues, suggestions, and recommendations.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗

Oak Ridge National Laboratory Shutdown Dose Rate Code Suite

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) shutdown dose rate (SDDR) code suite calculates gamma dose rates at a location of interest due to activation of materials. The code suite is based on the rigorous two-step (R2S) method that involves two radiation transport calculations: (1) neutron radiation transport to determine neutron fluxes in the material for which activation calculations will be performed and (2) gamma radiation transport to determine dose rates at a location of interest, due to material activation. The ORNL SDDR code suite is used to determine an importance function that characterizes the neutron’s importance to the final SDDR when the Monte Carlo radiation transport method is used. This report demonstrates how the ORNL SDDR code suite is implemented through the following codes: Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) code Version 5-1.60, Oak Ridge Isotope Generator (ORIGEN), MSX suite of utilities, Neutron Activation Gamma Source Sampler (NAGSS), and Automated Variance Reduction Generator (ADVANTG). For this demonstration, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) SDDR benchmark problem is used and the dose rate result is compared to previously published work.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗

United States Nuclear Data Program Annual Report for FY2021

The US Nuclear Data Program (USNDP) Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) summarizes the work of USNDP for the period of October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2021, with respect to the Work Plan for FY21 that was prepared in 2019. The Work Plan and Final Report for USNDP are prepared for the DOE Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics. The support for the nuclear data activity from sources outside the nuclear data program is described in the staffing table and in Appendix A. This leverage amounts to about 3.24 FTE scientific, to be compared with 25.095 FTEs at USNDP units funded by the DOE Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics. Since it is often difficult to separate accomplishments funded by various sources, some of the work reported in the present report was accomplished with nuclear data program support leveraged by other funding.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Rapid, Approximate Multi-Axis Vibration Testing [Slides]

Sequential single-axis testing provides a poor approximation of service environments. Multi-axis vibration tests are not yet standard practice. How good do multi-axis tests need to be to replace single-axis testing in practice? Is the simplest possible multi-axis test close to single-axis testing in test quality? Can single-axis testing techniques provide a sufficient rapid approximation to a multi-axis test? How much can we improve multi-axis test quality by optimizing passive test fixture hardware instead of adding active excitation sources?

42 ENGINEERING↗

United States Nuclear Data Program Annual Report for FY 23

The US Nuclear Data Program (USNDP) Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) summarizes the work of USNDP for the period of October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023, with respect to the Work Plan for FY23 that was prepared in 2022. The Work Plan and Final Report for USNDP are prepared for the DOE Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics. The support for the nuclear data activity from sources outside the nuclear data program is described in the staffing table and in Appendix A. This leverage amounts to about 17.4 FTE scientific, to be compared with 23.8 FTEs at USNDP units funded by the DOE Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics. Since it is often difficult to separate accomplishments funded by various sources, some of the work reported in the present report was accomplished with nuclear data program support leveraged by other funding.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

United States Nuclear Data Program Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2024

The US Nuclear Data Program (USNDP) Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) summarizes the work of USNDP for the period of October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024, with respect to the Work Plan for FY24 that was prepared in 2022. The Work Plan and Final Report for USNDP are prepared for the DOE Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics. The support for the nuclear data activity from sources outside the nuclear data program is described in the staffing table and in Appendix A. This leverage amounts to about 14.8 FTE scientific, to be compared with 13.9 FTEs at USNDP units funded by the DOE Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics. Since it is often difficult to separate accomplishments funded by various sources, some of the work reported in the present report was accomplished with nuclear data program support leveraged by other funding.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Editorial: Advances in Ocean Bottom Seismology

Among the physical sciences, seismology is relatively young; with the continued advances in instrumental technologies and computer capacity, ours has to be one of the most rapidly evolving subject areas within the Earth Sciences writ large. Exploration of the Earth by way of seismic observation and modeling is expanding not only in the range of capabilities - from reservoir scale to whole-Earth sensing - but in recent decades seismology has resolutely marched from the Earth’s continents and sea shores into the oceans, which cover nearly 75% of the Earth and have until recently hindered our ability to more fully explore the planet.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Identification of Novel Genomic Associations and Gene Candidates for Grain Starch Content in Sorghum

Starch accumulated in the endosperm of cereal grains as reserve energy for germination serves as a staple in human and animal nutrition. Unraveling genetic control for starch metabolism is important for breeding grains with high starch content. In this study, we used a sorghum association panel with 389 individuals and 141,557 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to fit linear mixed models (LMM) for identifying genomic regions and potential candidate genes associated with starch content. Three associated genomic regions, one in chromosome (chr) 1 and two novel associations in chr-8, were identified using combination of LMM and Bayesian sparse LMM. All significant SNPs were located within protein coding genes, with SNPs ∼ 52 Mb of chr-8 encoding a Casperian strip membrane protein (CASP)-like protein (Sobic.008G111500) and a heat shock protein (HSP) 90 (Sobic.008G111600) that were highly expressed in reproductive tissues including within the embryo and endosperm. The HSP90 is a potential hub gene with gene network of 75 high-confidence first interactors that is enriched for five biochemical pathways including protein processing. The first interactors of HSP90 also showed high transcript abundance in reproductive tissues. The candidates of this study are likely involved in intricate metabolic pathways and represent candidate gene targets for source-sink activities and drought and heat stress tolerance during grain filling.

genomics↗

Analysis of the Feasibility of UAS-Based EMI Sensing for Underground Utilities Detection and Mapping

This paper investigates the feasibility of using a linear current sensing (LCS) technique integrated on an unmanned aerial system (UAS) for detecting and mapping underground infrastructure rapidly and cost-effectively. The LCS technique is based on data from a wide band of electromagnetic induction frequencies (50 kHz to 2 MHz) using a vector magnetic field gradiometer. This technique takes advantage of a slowly decaying secondary magnetic field in order to achieve greater standoff detection distance ($\frac{1}{R^2}$ vs. $\frac{1}{R^6}$ for compact metallic targets during EMI sensing, where R is the distance from a target to the sensor). These secondary magnetic fields are produced by the excite current on long conductors, allowing detection at a distance of 10 meters or more. The system operates between tens of kHz to a few MHz and uses either an active EMI source or existing EM fields to excite this linear current on a long metallic subsurface target. Once excited, these linear currents produce a secondary magnetic field that is detected with an above ground triaxial magnetic field gradiometer. By moving and tracking its geolocation, the system outputs rich datasets sufficient to support high-fidelity forward and inverse EMI models for estimating the depth and orientation of deep underground long linear metallic infrastructure. The system’s hardware and its integration to a UAS system are outlined, along with the formulation of LCS theory, and numerical and experimental data are presented. The results illustrate that the LCS technique offers large standoff detection, is adaptable to UAS, and could be used effectively for detecting deep underground infrastructure such as wires and pipes.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Fermi Large Area Telescope Fourth Source Catalog

We present the fourth Fermi Large Area Telescope catalog (4FGL) of γ-ray sources. Based on the first eight years of science data from the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope mission in the energy range from 50 MeV to 1 TeV, it is the deepest yet in this energy range. Relative to the 3FGL catalog, the 4FGL catalog has twice as much exposure as well as a number of analysis improvements, including an updated model for the Galactic diffuse γ-ray emission, and two sets of light curves (one-year and two-month intervals). The 4FGL catalog includes 5064 sources above 4σ significance, for which we provide localization and spectral properties. Seventy-five sources are modeled explicitly as spatially extended, and overall, 358 sources are considered as identified based on angular extent, periodicity, or correlated variability observed at other wavelengths. For 1336 sources, we have not found plausible counterparts at other wavelengths. More than 3130 of the identified or associated sources are active galaxies of the blazar class, and 239 are pulsars.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Production and characterization of extracellular cellulases from a native strain of Trichoderma harzianum using wheat straw from the Mexicali valley as the carbon source. Producción y caracterización de celulasas Extracelulares a partir de cepa nativa de Trichoderma harzianum usando como fuente de Carbono paja de trigo del valle de Mexicali

The purpose of this study was to produce cellulase enzyme from a native strain Trichoderma harzianum, isolated from crop soil. Cellulase production was carried out by two different methods of fermentation, submerging and solid state fermentation. Mandels mineral medium was used as a source of nitrogen and ammonium sulfate. Dry and ground wheat straw was used in fermentation as a carbon source. Cellulase activity was determined using the 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) method. The results showed that wheat straw has the potential to be used as a substrate in the production of cellulases. Trichoderma harzianum showed enzymatic activity of 0.125 FPU / ml (filter paper units) and 1. 35 U / ml CMC (carboxymethyl cellulose units) by solid state fermentation (FSS) after 96 hours of fermentation. The optimum pH for the two substrates was determined by testing with citrate buffers (pH 4 to 6), phosphates (pH 6 to 7) and tris-HCL (pH 8 to 9). To determine the optimum temperature the range of 30 ° C to 80 ° C was investigated. Storage tests were performed every seven days over a period of 6 weeks. The optimum activity pH on paper and CMC was found to be 6. The optimum activity temperature is 70 ° C for PF and 80 ° C for CMC. El propósito de este estudio fue producir enzima celulasa a partir de una cepa nativa Trichoderma harzianum, aislada de suelo de cultivo. La producción de celulasa se realizó por dos métodos diferentes de fermentación, sumergida y fermentación en estado sólido. Se utilizó medio mineral Mandels y como fuentes de nitrógeno urea y sulfato de amonio. Se utilizó paja de trigo seca y molida en las fermentaciones como fuente de carbono. La actividad de la celulasa se determinó por medición de azúcares reductores al papel filtro y a la carboximetilcelulosa usando el método del ácido 3,5- dinitrosalicílico (DNS). Los resultados mostraron que la paja de trigo tiene el potencial para usarse como sustrato en la producción de celulasas. Trichoderma harzianum mostró actividad enzimática de 0.125 FPU/ml (unidades de papel filtro) y 1.35 U/ml a la CMC (unidades de carboximetilcelulosa) por fermentación en estado sólido (FSS) después de 96 horas de fermentación. El pH óptimo para los dos sustratos se determinó realizando pruebas con buffers de citratos (pH 4 a 6), de fosfatos (pH 6 a 7) y tris- HCL (pH 8 a 9). Para la determinación de la temperatura óptima se manejó el rango de 30°C a 80°C. Las pruebas de almacenamiento se realizaron cada siete días en un periodo de 6 semanas. Se encontró que el pH óptimo de actividad en papel y CMC es de 6. La temperatura óptima de actividad es de 70°C para PF y de 80°C para CMC.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Measurement of D-T Neutron Source Flux by SelfNeutron Activation Analysis with a LaBr3 Detector

Conclusions: • Decay of 78Br produced from the 79Br(n,2n) reaction in LaBr3 is present in the spectrum plotted in the time domain. • The neutron production rate reconstructed from preliminary LaBr3 estimate is smaller than the generator output. • Generator characterization may become more routine if a simple and robust method is made available for applications. Ongoing work: • Implementing bootstrapping to improve error estimates. • Examining threshold and edge effects of LaBr3

SMITH, MURRY↗

Multi-channel optical detection system and method for multi-chamber assays

A multi-channel optical detection system includes a base unit adapted to receive a multi-chamber assay cartridge having a plurality of reaction chambers loaded with a sample and an optical detection reagent, and an optical detection unit having a multi-channel optical block having a plurality of detection channels each with an associated light source, and an optic sensor. The optical detection unit is connectable to the base unit so that interrogation ports of the detection channels are optically aligned with optically transparent windows of the reaction chambers of a loaded cartridge, so that upon initialization, light sources are activated to interrogate reaction products in the reaction chambers and detect the optical responses therefrom.

Dugan, Lawrence C.↗

Multiwavelength study of OT 081: broadband modelling of a transitional blazar

ABSTRACT OT 081 is a well-known, luminous blazar that is remarkably variable in many energy bands. We present the first broadband study of the source, which includes very high energy (VHE, $E\gt $ 100 GeV) $\gamma$-ray data taken by the MAGIC (Major Atmospheric Gamma-ray Imaging Cherenkov telescopes) and H.E.S.S. (High Energy Stereoscopic System) imaging Cherenkov telescopes. The discovery of VHE $\gamma$-ray emission happened during a high state of $\gamma$-ray activity in July 2016, observed by many instruments from radio to VHE $\gamma$-rays. We identify four states of activity of the source, one of which includes VHE $\gamma$-ray emission. Variability in the VHE domain is found on daily time-scales. The intrinsic VHE spectrum can be described by a power law with index $3.27\pm 0.44_{\rm stat}\pm 0.15_{\rm sys}$ (MAGIC) and $3.39\pm 0.58_{\rm stat}\pm 0.64_{\rm sys}$ (H.E.S.S.) in the energy range of 55–300 and 120–500 GeV, respectively. The broadband emission cannot be successfully reproduced by a simple one-zone synchrotron self-Compton model. Instead, an additional external Compton component is required. We test a lepto-hadronic model that reproduces the data set well and a proton-synchrotron-dominated model that requires an extreme proton luminosity. Emission models that are able to successfully represent the data place the emitting region well outside of the broad-line region to a location at which the radiative environment is dominated by the infrared thermal radiation field of the dusty torus. In the scenario described by this flaring activity, the source appears to be a flat spectrum radio quasar (FSRQ), in contrast with past categorizations. This suggests that the source can be considered to be a transitional blazar, intermediate between BL Lac and FSRQ objects.

Abe, H.↗

Point Source Likelihood Framework (psl) v1.0

PSL is a software framework for localizing radiation point sources in a 3D environment using a freely moving radiation detector system. The framework assumes a single point source of radiation is in the environment and uses known detector positions and orientations along with their radiation measurements to find the most likely location of the point source. This approach to the problem enables analyses that improve upon the capability of a standard Maximum Likelihood Expectation Maximization (MLEM) approach, such as setting a source detection threshold, finding a likelihood interval for the position of the source, finding a likelihood interval for the activity (intensity) of the source, determining whether more than one point source may be present, and generating a map of Minimum Detectable Activity (MDA) for a given source type. Applications include radiological and nuclear security, consequence management, decontamination and decommissioning of nuclear facilities, and radiological emergency response.

Joshi, Tenzing↗