Investigation of the production of 152Tb and 155Tb terbium radioisotopes with europium targets

Актуальность исследования обусловлена необходимостью рассмотрения взаимосвязей радиоактивных и редкоземельных элементов с точки зрения их высокой индикаторной роли в комплексе компонентов природной среды на локальных территориях, характеризующихся различными природно-техногенными условиями и условиями районирования территории с учетом биогеохимических показателей. Цель: рассмотрение взаимосвязей радиоактивных и редкоземельных элементов в комплексе компонентов природной среды на территории Томской области, характеризующейся различными природно-техногенными обстановками. Методы: основной метод исследования – инструментальный нейтронно-активационный анализ, который осуществлялся на базе исследовательского ядерного реактора Национального исследовательского Томского политехнического университета. Определено содержание двух радиоактивных – тория и урана, а также семи редкоземельных (La, Ce, Sm, Eu, Tb, Yb, Lu) элементов. Результаты. Оценено содержание редкоземельных и радиоактивных элементов в четырех параллельно отобранных и изученных компонентах природной среды на территории Томской области: почва, солевые отложения природных пресных вод (накипь), волосы и кровь человека. Содержание изученных элементов максимально для почв и накипи и значительно ниже в биосубстратах человека. Волосы и кровь человека как живые ткани характеризуются резким цериевым минимумом. В крови выявлен иттербиевый максимум, вероятно, связанный с нахождением этого элемента в виде металлорганических комплексов. Исследованы соотношения химических элементов, которые можно использовать в качестве индикаторов природно-техногенных обстановок. Проведено районирование Томской области по междуречьям бассейна реки Обь по частоте встречаемости аномальных содержаний редкоземельных и радиоактивных элементов во всех изученных компонентах.

Blue, Green, or Radioisotope: Which Modality Is Best for Head and Neck Melanoma SLN Identification?

The BR2 reactor, put into operation in 1963 and refurbished in 1995–1997, is a 100 MW high‐flux ‘materials testing reactor’ which provides thermal neutron fluxes up to 1015 n/cm2 s. The production of radioisotopes, characterized by high specific activities, is carried out in dedicated in‐core devices within standard irradiation cycles of 3–4 weeks and in accordance with a ‘quality system’ that has been certified to the requirements of the ‘EN ISO 9001:2000’ in November 2003. Due to its operating flexibility, its reliability and its production capacity, the BR2 reactor is considered as a major facility for a routine supply of radioisotopes such as 99Mo (99mTc), 131I, 133Xe, 192Ir, 186Re, 153Sm, 169Er, 90Y, 32P, 188W (188Re), 203Hg, 82Br, 79Kr, 41Ar, 125I, 177Lu, 89Sr, 60Co, 169Yb, 147Nd, etc. It will continue to play this key role with the possibility of an extra operating cycle from 2006 and the realization of various ‘test’ irradiations to develop the production of new radioisotopes. Some irradiation devices allow the loading and unloading of irradiated targets during the operation of the reactor. Hot cells and storage facilities are available to prepare and organize the shipment of the irradiated targets to dedicated processing facilities. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Tracer methodology using radioisotopes in human nutrition and metabolism research has been very productive but its use has been the object of unjustified limitations because of modeling decisions without adequate consideration of new data. These limitations have encumbered research studies in the metabolism of micro- and macronutrients particularly where nutritional deficiencies are prevalent. Even though stable isotope methodologies in human research are very useful in specific applications they are expensive and are often fraught with serious pitfalls, when compared to studies for the same purposes using radioisotopes. We have been developing safe radioisotopic methods to study the absorption and metabolism of micronutrients, especially iron and zinc, that can be applied to populations in the developing world. These and other applications of radioisotopes should allow scientists to conduct research diminishing the dependence on stable isotopes and on facilities and laboratories existing only in selected sites in the industrial world, and thus should enhance productive local and collaborative research. All radioisotopic research must be subjected to strict safety criteria, based on scientific evidence of risk, but should not be hampered by exaggerated fears of unfounded risk. Examples on the use of radio and stable isotopes to study iron and zinc absorptions are given including the radiation exposure and risk calculations.

Background: Currently the standard techniques for sentinel node (SLN) detection in breast cancer are radioisotope (RI) and blue dye, but both methods present some drawbacks. Indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence has been recently proposed as an alternative technique. However, the equipment to detect ICG fluorescence is not widely accessible, limiting the potential and the diffusion of this encouraging technique. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility, accuracy and healthcare costs of a novel approach for SLN biopsy by a video-assisted ICG-guided technique. Methods: A prospective study was performed enrolling 335 breast cancer patients: SLN was detected with RI in 194 cases, with ICG in 70 cases, and with ICG plus RI in 71 cases. ICG fluorescence was detected using a laparoscope with a near-infrared filter, and a video-assisted SLN biopsy was performed by approaching the camera in the axillary cavity. Detection rates were compared between ICG and RI. Healthcare costs were analyzed considering surgery and hospitalization times, stratified by type of surgery. Results: In ICG + RI group, ICG detected 90.9% of metastatic SLNs, while RI and ICG + RI detected 100% of them. Detection rate was 100% with ICG + RI, 95.1% with RI and 92.7% with ICG. More SLNs per patient were identified with ICG and ICG + RI compared to RI (<0.0001). Healthcare costs were equivalent among the 3 groups. ICG (n = 70)RI (n = 194)ICG + RI (n = 71)p value (ICG vs. RI)p value (RI vs ICG + RI)p value (ICG vs ICG + RI)Number of identified sentinel nodes8019582 Patients with 1 SLN61 (87.1%)193 (99.5%)61 (85.9%)<0.001<0.0011Patients with >1 SLN9 (12.9%)1 (0.5%)10 (14.1%) Missing of metastatic SLN Yes1 (1.4%)0 (0.0%)0 (0.0%)0.2710.49No69 (98.6%)194 (100.0%)71 (100.0%) SLN status Negative/ITC63 (77.8%)149 (76.4%)71 (86.6%)0.340.170.23Micrometastasis5 (6.2%)22 (11.3%)5 (6.1%) Macrometastasis13 (16.0%)24 (12.3%)6 (7.3%) Mastectomy + SLN biopsy + Axillary dissection Operative times (min)113.3 (±30.1)139 (±32.3)123.3 (±25.2)0.250.460.68Hospitalization (days)4.7 (±1.2)6.7 (±1.7)5.7 (±1.5)0.090.380.42Total cost per patient4,145.2€ (±787.9€)5,723€ (±1,099.9€)5,005.2€ (±966.3€)0.040.330.29Mastectomy + SLN biopsy Operative times (min)119.4 (±33.9)89.3 (±32.1)103.8 (±18.5)0.050.250.27Hospitalization (days)4.6 (±1.2)4.6 (±0.7)3.9 (±1.4)10.120.3Total cost per patient4,123.3€ (±794.9€)4,053.6€ (±494.6€)3,731.4€ (±896.5€)0.790.280.37Lumpectomy + SLN biopsy + Axillary dissection Operative times (min)96.9 (±28.9)111.5 (±31.8)92 (±10.4)0.260.190.73Hospitalization (days)4 (±1.5)4.7 (±1.6)4 (±2)0.280.391Total cost per patient3,589.9€ (±971.1€)4,268€ (±1,037.2€)3,714.6€ (±1,269.9€)0.110.300.85Lumpectomy + SLN biopsy Operative times (min)70.9 (±32.3)67.4 (±17.9)66.8 (±20.4)0.340.840.43Hospitalization (days)2.2 (±0.9)2.2 (±0.6)2.1 (±0.4)10.260.46Total cost per patient2,271.9€ (±611.4€)2,383.1€ (±399.4€)2,338.6€ (±289.1€)0.140.450.47 Conclusions: Video-assisted ICG fluorescence-guided SLN biopsy is a feasible technique with comparable efficacy compared to RI. Combining ICG and RI resulted in a significantly higher detection rate and identification of more SLNs per patients, providing a more accurate staging of the axilla. Citation Format: Sorrentino L, Mazzucchelli S, Truffi M, Pietropaolo G, Sartani A, Foschi D, Corsi F. Indocyanine green fluorescence-guided video-assisted sentinel node biopsy: A prospective comparative study and cost-analysis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PD2-02.

The present study deals with modeling of ion-isotopic exchange reaction kinetics by application of radioactive tracer isotopes 82Br and 131I. The bro mide and iodide ion-isotopic exchange reactions was carried out by using weak base anion exchange resins Indion-A GR and Duolite A-638. It was observed that for both the resins, reaction rate decreases with rise in temperature and increases with increase in ionic concentration. The study was extended further for characterizat ion of these resins based on their performance under d ifferent operational parameters. It was observed that the percentage/amount of ions exchanged and distribution coefficient values calculated fo r Duolite A-638 was higher than Indion-A GR resins under identical operational parameters, indicat ing superior performance of Duolite A-638 over Indion-AG R resins. Radio isotopes find applications in several fields of which ind ustrial app licati ons consti tut e a majo r po rt io n with respect to the quantum of activ ity used and the economic benefits accrued. Industrial applicat ions of radioisotopes can be main ly categorized into two. The first one being the use of rad iati on fro m sealed sources of rad ioi sotopes or fro m elec tron beam accelerator s for in dustrial pr o cessing, n on- destructive testing. The second major group of applications is the use of radiotracers in inventory control, study of process parameters, trouble shooting in industrial systems, flo w measurements , leakage stud ies etc. The economic benefits that may be derived fro m the use of the radioisotope technology are great, a fact that is recognized by the governm ents of developing countries. Though radioisotopes have been applied to the solution of problems in industry for over 50 years, research and development of the techno logy cont inues unabated . There are t wo main reasons for the continu ing interest. Firstly, it is industry driven . Because o f th eir un ique p ropert ies , radi oact ive isotopes can be used to obtain information about plants and processes that cannot be obtained in any other way. Often, the info rmat ion is obtained with the p lant on-stream and

Versatile stable isotope technique for the measurement of amino acids and keto acids: Comparison with radioactive isotope and its use in measuring in vivo disposal rates

In this paper, the effect of radiation hazards on the environment while using the non-destructive radiography method was investigated. The research was carried out by measuring the radiation amounts at 0.5 and 2 m distance from the exposure container with radioactive iridium-192 isotope used for tests with the radiography method. The tests were carried out in different positions in relation to the protective bunkers used in the company STSI Ltd. (Zagreb, Croatia) to reduce the radiation emission of the used radioactive isotope. The effectiveness of the protective bunkers in terms of reducing radiation in the environment is determined. In addition to examining the effects and hazards of radiation, the procedure for proper disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste generated by the non-destructive radiography method is described. Research has shown that the storage of exposure containers with radioactive iridium-192 isotope in the large protective bunker and the mini-bunker contributes to the improvement of environmental and personnel protection. The disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste after testing with the non-destructive radiography method has also proven to be of enormous importance for environmental protection.

Medical isotope production analyses in Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology (KIPT) neutron source facility were performed to include the details of the irradiation cassette and the self-shielding effect. An updated detailed model of the facility was used for the analyses. The facility consists of an accelerator-driven system (ADS), which has a subcritical assembly using low-enriched uranium fuel elements with a beryllium-graphite reflector. The beryllium assemblies of the reflector have the same outer geometry as the fuel elements, which permits loading the subcritical assembly with different number of fuel elements without impacting the reflector performance. The subcritical assembly is driven by an external neutron source generated from the interaction of 100-kW electron beam with a tungsten target. The facility construction was completed at the end of 2015, and it is planned to start the operation during the year of 2016. It is the first ADS in the world, which has a coolant system for removing the generated fission power. Argonne National Laboratory has developed the design concept and performed extensive design analyses for the facility including its utilization for the production of different radioactive medical isotopes. 99Mo is the parent isotope of 99mTc, which is the most commonly used medicalmore » radioactive isotope. Detailed analyses were performed to define the optimal sample irradiation location and the generated activity, for several radioactive medical isotopes, as a function of the irradiation time.« less

We extended a simple oral method for estimating fractional calcium absorption determined by double isotopic methods using radioactive or stable isotope across wide age of adult women. Fractional calcium absorption can be estimated by using either a radioactive or stable oral isotope across the entire age spectrum of adult women. A method for estimating fractional calcium absorption using a single serum collection following a single oral radioactive isotopic tracer has been validated against a classical double isotopic tracer ratio method in adults. Our goal was to extend this simplified method to include use of stable isotopes and a broad age range. We used our database of 56 observations from 26 white adult women aged 19-67 years receiving either radioactive or stable isotopes. Reference values for fractional calcium absorption were determined from 24-h double isotopic ratios in serum and urine and from full kinetic modeling. Equations for estimating fractional calcium absorption were developed from isotopic enrichment in serum and urine from an oral tracer and measures of body size using the multiple linear regression analysis. Equations using a 4- to 6-h sample following an oral dose of either a stable or radioactive isotope corrected for body size were highly correlated with the reference values for fractional calcium absorption across different aged populations (r > 0.8, p < 0.001). Fractional calcium absorption can be estimated by a single oral tracer method using either radioactive or stable calcium isotopes across the entire age spectrum in healthy white adult women.

The presence of short-lived ($\sim$\,Myr) radioactive isotopes in meteoritic inclusions at the time of their formation represents a unique opportunity to study the circumstances that led to the formation of the Solar System. To interpret these observations we need to calculate the evolution of radioactive-to-stable isotopic ratios in the Galaxy. We present an extension of the open-source galactic chemical evolution codes NuPyCEE and JINAPyCEE that enables to track the decay of radioactive isotopes in the interstellar medium. We show how the evolution of isotopic ratio depends on the star formation history and efficiency, star-to-gas mass ratio, and galactic outflows. Given the uncertainties in the observations used to calibrate our model, our predictions for isotopic ratios at the time of formation of the Sun are uncertain by a factor of 3.6. At that time, to recover the actual radioactive-to-stable isotopic ratios predicted by our model, one can multiply the steady-state solution (see Equation~1) by $2.3^{+3.4}_{-0.7}$. However, in the cases where the radioactive isotope has a half-life longer than $\sim$\,200\,Myr, or the target radioactive or stable isotopes have mass- and/or metallicity-depended production rates, or they originate from different sources with different delay-time distributions, or the reference isotope is radioactive, our codes should be used for more accurate solutions. Our preliminary calculations confirm the dichotomy between radioactive nuclei in the early Solar System with $r$- and $s$-process origin, and that $^{55}$Mn and $^{60}$Fe can be explained by galactic chemical evolution, while $^{26}$Al cannot.

This research demonstrates two methods of quantifying ion yield efficiency using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. The mass spectrometer is used as a means of separation where individual decay mass-chains are isolated (i.e., implanted) onto a conductive substrate. Quantifying the ion yield of this recovery process is crucial to understanding the abundance of the separated isotope present in the unseparated starting sample. The first method measured the accumulated charge directly incident on the conductive substrate in real-time while the second method performed a full chemical analysis of the substrate after dissolution. Our previous results demonstrated and compared these quantification methods with a multi-element standard of stable isotopes. This research expands on previous results and utilizes the stable mass ion yield to quantify trace amounts of the (radioactive) isotope of interest present in the sample. The mass-separated radioactive isotopes were fission products produced from thermal neutron irradiation of a highly enriched 235U foil. Five peak-yield mass chains were targeted. The results indicate good correlation between the two methods of measuring the ion yield and imply that coupling this method with traditional radiometric counting can result in an accurate means of quantifying radioactive isotopes. The final results we report here are within 1-sigma of the published cumulative fission yields.

The development of science and technology is currently experiencing rapid progress, starting in the fields of energy, oil, non-destructive testing, health, agriculture, and other fields. The use of radioactive substances in the health sector is used for radiotherapy, nuclear medicine, and radiodiagnostics. The use of excess nuclear and radioactive substances can endanger living things and the environment. Monitoring and supervision of the use of these elements are very needed in order to avoid their utilization for non-peaceful purposes, such as terrorism. Nowadays, terrorist attacks in Indonesia began to evolve from the use of conventional explosives to the use of chemical, biological, radioactive, and nuclear materials. The data shows that during the period 2011-2019, there have been six attempted terror attacks using chemical, biological, radioactive, and nuclear elements. This paper examines the role of ministries/agencies in anticipating the use of nuclear and radioactive substances for terrorism. Based on the results of the library study, there are several ministries/agencies that have protocols for handling terrorism attacks that use chemical, biological, radioactive, and nuclear elements, but they are still sectoral. Therefore, it can be concluded that the integration of the regulations/protocols in handling terrorist attacks by using nuclear and radioactive elements are needed in order to increase the monitoring and supervision of the handling of radioactive waste. In addition, it is necessary to add the RPM tools to prevent the misuse of radioactive substances and nuclear materials by irresponsible parties.

Radon Gas-Hazardous Element for Human Life Really Found in the Environment

In this research, we investigated the observed spectra of the hot peculiar star HD25354 with an effective temperature Teff = 12,800 K, identified the lines of radioactive chemical elements, including the elements with short decay time, and estimated the abundances of these elements. We tried to confirm or reject the existence of promethium lines and lines of other radioactive elements which were detected in previous investigations of this star and explain the physical mechanisms which are responsible for the synthesis of these elements in the stellar atmosphere. We used two high-dispersion spectra of HD25354 observed with the 2 m telescope of Terskol observatory with resolving power near R = 60,000, and a signal to noise ratio near 200. The spectrum of the star from the archive of the 1.93 m telescope of Haute-Provence observatory was also used. The observations were compared with synthetic spectra and the abundance of promethium was found using the best four lines of this element in the observed spectra: logN(Pm) = 5.84 ± 0.16 in the scale logN(H) = 12. It is comparable to the abundances of stable lanthanides in the atmosphere of this star. The abundance of thorium derived from two lines of double-ionized thorium is logN(Th) = 3.59 ± 0.15. The upper limits for technetium, radium, actinium, uranium, and americium abundances are found to be equal to 4.0, 3.0, 1.25, 3.5, and 4.0, respectively. Maybe the existence of promethium lines and lines of other unstable chemical elements in the spectra of HD25354, as well as the other stars of our Galaxy, Magellanic Clouds, and Fornax dwarf galaxy, can be explained by contamination of its atmosphere by the products of kilonova outburst and by symmetric decay of chemical elements with long decay times located at the island of stability (atomic numbers Z = 110–128) of transfermium elements. Maybe the decay of superheavy elements of the island of stability can be one of the reasons for the enhanced abundances of rare earth lanthanides in different types of stars.