National Nuclear Energy Research Articles

Optimization formula gastroretentive tablet of ranitidine HCl with floating system

The external acceptance dose of radiation worker inYogyakarta have been studied. This research was done in this three specific areas A,B,C, because of worker in this trihedral have hit high probability radiation exposure. Radiation exposure worker were taken from each worker who wears Thermoluminescent Dosimeteron period 1997-2006. Exposure result of radiation is done every year in Laboratory Safety, Health and Environment, Centre of Research and Development Safety Radiation, National Nuclear Energy Agency. This research aim is to know how much exposure dose of radiation accepted by worker radiation weather have been fulfilled or not the system limitation of dose which have been specified by International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and or Nuclear Energy Regulation Agency and also determine furthermore step to guarantee health and safety worker radiation worker. Radiation worker that chosen as sample of research are 45 workers that are radiation worker. Data collection which is used in this research using personnel radiation monitors. The result of this analysis indicate that distribution acceptance of annual dose personal of group interval 0-2 mSv, and acceptance of highest dose 6.09 mSv in the year 1998 from section A. Whole acceptance of dose of external personal at worker from third monitored area, still below the dose of limitation Nuclear Energy Regulation Agency which is recommended is 50 mSv/year and ICRP 1990 is 20 mSv/year. Key words: personal radiation exposure, radiation worker, radiation

Sorghum Breeding for Improved Drought Tolerance Using Induced Mutation with Gamma Irradiation

Sorghum has a great potential to be grown and cultivated in Indonesia due to its wide adaptability and high productivity. Since sorghum is not a native species of Indonesia, the genetic variability of this crop in Indonesia is low, thus, plant breeding program is required to support national sorghum development. The objectives of this study were to develop superior genotypes to improve sorghum production and quality for food, animal feed and bioethanol industry. Sorghum production is aimed at optimal use of unproductive or marginal land such as that of drought prone areas. Sorghum breeding through induced mutations was conducted at Center for the Application of Isotope and Radiation Technology, National Nuclear Energy Agency (BATAN). Durra variety was used as parental materials in the breeding program. Induced mutation was made by gamma irradiation on seed treatments. The optimal radiation dose was found to be between 300-500 Gy. Through selection processes and direct screening for drought tolerance in Gunung Kidul district, ten putative mutant lines had been selected. In dry season, the mutant lines B-68, B-72, B-95 and B-100 produced grain yields of 4.55, 4.50, 4.20 and 4.62 ton ha-1, respectively. These yields were signifi cantly higher than the original parent Durra (3.50 ton ha-1) and the control check varieties UPCA (2.68 ton ha-1) and Higari (3.75 ton ha-1). The mutant lines B-68, B-72, B-94, and B-100 were drought tolerant genotypes having a relatively higher drought index. These mutant lines were promising for further sorghum breeding and development in accordance with attempts of increasing land productivity of drought prone areas. Sorghum cultivation in such areas would promote land conservation and support sustainable agriculture development in the region. Keywords: drought tolerance, induced mutation, mutant lines, sorghum

Among Demons and Wizards: The Nuclear Energy Discourse in Sweden and the Re-Enchantment of the World

In 1956, the Swedish Parliament decided to invest in a national nuclear energy program. The decision rested on the conviction that it would be in the interest of the nation to use the assets of natural uranium, the advanced reactor technology, and the expertise on nuclear physics that the country had at its disposal. Since the decision concerned the largest investment ever in Swedish industrial politics, the scientists and engineers had to promise that it would lead to a prosperous future. In this article, the utopian discourse and the rhetoric that were developed to support the Swedish nuclear energy program are analyzed. An important conclusion is that the scientific, technological, political, economic, and moral discourse was not sufficient to create political and civil support. Instead, the scientists and engineers had to turn to the world of myths. Thereby, the conflicts between nuclear physics and magic, scientific objectivity and demons, and rationalistic belief in progress and irrational ideas of faith were dissolved. In Sweden, as in many other Western countries during the 1950s, the world was not disenchanted, but re-enchanted.

Combining discrete-time Markov processes and probabilistic fracture mechanics in RI-ISI risk estimates

Based on the research conducted in the Finnish SAFIR project, which is a national nuclear energy research program, discrete-time Markov processes and probabilistic fracture mechanics (PFM) methods are further developed and applied in this paper. The purpose of this work is to increase the accuracy of risk estimates used in RI-ISI, and to quantitatively evaluate the effects of different inspection strategies on risk. Piping failure probabilities are obtained by using PFM analyses. PFM has the advantage that its results are not affected by existing in-service inspection (ISI) activities at the nuclear power plants (NPPs), unlike failure probabilities assessed from existing failure data. The PFM results for crack growth are used to construct transition matrices used in a discrete-time Markov process. The application of Markov process allows the examination of effects of inspections on the failure probabilities. Finally, the developed method and results are showcased by applying them to a selected piping system in an existing Finnish NPP.

Dosimetry and radiobiology at the new RA-3 reactor boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) facility: Application to the treatment of experimental oral cancer

The National Atomic Energy Commission of Argentina (CNEA) constructed a novel thermal neutron source for use in boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) applications at the RA-3 research reactor facility located in Buenos Aires. The aim of the present study was to perform a dosimetric characterization of the facility and undertake radiobiological studies of BNCT in an experimental model of oral cancer in the hamster cheek pouch. The free-field thermal flux was 7.1×10 9 n cm −2 s −1 and the fast neutron flux was 2.5×10 6 n cm −2 s −1, indicating a very well-thermalized neutron field with negligible fast neutron dose. For radiobiological studies it was necessary to shield the body of the hamster from the neutron flux while exposing the everted cheek pouch bearing the tumors. To that end we developed a lithium (enriched to 95% in 6Li) carbonate enclosure. Groups of tumor-bearing hamsters were submitted to BPA-BNCT, GB-10-BNCT, (GB-10+BPA)-BNCT or beam only treatments. Normal (non-cancerized) hamsters were treated similarly to evaluate normal tissue radiotoxicity. The total physical dose delivered to tumor with the BNCT treatments ranged from 6 to 8.5 Gy. Tumor control at 30 days ranged from 73% to 85%, with no normal tissue radiotoxicity. Significant but reversible mucositis in precancerous tissue surrounding tumors was associated to BPA-BNCT. The therapeutic success of different BNCT protocols in treating experimental oral cancer at this novel facility was unequivocally demonstrated.

Elements in hair of an exposed group

Hair analysis presents a lot of advantages compared to the analysis of biological fluids or tissues. Hair of employers from the National (Brazilian) Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN) was analyzed and compared with a control group. Samples were heated at 90°C with nitric acid, and diluted. Aliquot of these solutions was analyzed in ICP-MS. The concentration of U, Th, Pb and Zn were determined. Student t-test showed that there is no significant difference among the groups for all analyzed elements. The results demonstrated that men had more Pb than women. For Zn, the results showed that the levels are within the “normal” range, except for a woman that had her hair painted.

Inactivation of Bacillus anthracis by Gamma irradiation

The use of Bacillus anthracis as a biological weapon heighlightened awareness of the need for validated methods for the inactivation of B. anthracis spores. Ionizing radiation is capable of causing a variety of chemical changes and biological effects on bacteria which can be due both to direct interactions with critical cell components and to indirect actions on bacteria by molecular entities formed as a result of radiolysis of other molecules in the bacterial cell. This study determined the gamma irradiation dose for inactivating B. anthracis spores and its biological effects on the bacterial characteristics. Gamma irradiation was conducted at the IRKA irradiator at the National Nuclear Energy Agency, Jakarta and cobalt-60 was used as the source of ionizing radiation (capacity of ca. 134,044 Kci). Freeze dried culture of B. anthracis in glass ampoules was irradiated using variable doses of 30, 20 and 10 KGy. Viability, biochemical and protease enzyme characteristics of B. anthracis were evaluated before and after irradiation. The ability of B. anthracis to degrade gelatin, haemoglobin and bovine immunoglobulin G was also tested. The results showed that ionizing radiation was able to inactivate or kill 11,05 x 10 8 cfu B. anthracis by 95.37%, 99.58% and 99.99 at respective doses of 10, 20 and 30 KGy. Bacterial spores appear to be less susceptible to irradiation than the vegetative cells, because of their specific structure. The survive spores irradiated at 30kGy shows some biochemical characteristic changes. The survivors failed to degrade methyl -D-glucopyranoside and arbutine. The ability of B. anthracis protease to degrade gelatin, haemoglobin and bovine immunoglobulin G was not affected by irradiation. These findings showed that a gamma irradiation at 30 KGy effectively inactivates B. anthracis spores without changing the protease activities. Key words : Gamma Irradiation, B. anthracis Characters, Protease

Improved performances of 36 m small-angle neutron scattering spectrometer BATAN in Serpong Indonesia

SMARTer, a 36 m small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) spectrometer owned by the National Nuclear Energy Agency of Indonesia (BATAN) was installed at the Neutron Scattering Laboratory (NSL) in Serpong, Indonesia. Lots of works on replacing, upgrading and improving the control system, experimental methods, data collection and reduction in the last two years have been carried out to optimize the performance of SMARTer. Some standard samples such as silver behenate, monodisperse polystyrene nanoparticle, porous silica and block copolymer PS-PEP film were measured for the inter-laboratory comparison.

SMARTer for magnetic structure studies

SMARTer, a 36-meter small angle neutron scattering (SANS) spectrometer was installed at the Neutron Scattering Laboratory (NSL), National Nuclear Energy Agency of Indonesia — BATAN in Serpong, Indonesia and has performed the experiment for studying the magnetic structures of Cu(NiFe), CuCo and FeSiBNbCu metal alloys. The experiments were conducted at room temperature and up to 1 T (10 kOe) of external magnetic field. At zero fields, isotropic scattering identified as nuclear scattering is dominant. When a magnetic field is applied in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the neutron beam, the response of the magnetic scattering permits extraction of the field-induced re-arrangement of the magnetic moment. With increasing field the distortion is more pronounced and the magnetic scattering dominates the intensity and affects the peak position. Radial and angular averaging from experimental data are given to show the details of magnetic structures.

The impact of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) program on radiation and tissue banking in Uruguay: development of tissues quality control and quality management system in the National Multi-Tissue Bank of Uruguay

BNOT was created and regulated in 1977 and started its operation in 1978 according to the Decree No. 86/1977. By the Decree 248/005 is transformed in the National Institute of Donation and Transplantation of Cells, Tissues and Organs (Instituto Nacional de Donación y Trasplante de Células, Tejidos y Organos--INDT). The organisation has been operating within the State University Medical School and the Public Health Secretary and it is the governmental organisation responsible for the regulation, policy and management of donation and transplantation in Uruguay. By the Decree 160/2006 is responsible for human cells and tissues regulation too. The participation of the INDT in the IAEA program facilitated the introduction of the radiation sterilisation technique for the first time in the country. The radiation sterilisation of tissues processed by INDT (ex BNOT), was initially carried out in the 60 Cobalt Industrial Plant in the National Atomic Energy Commission of Argentina and now is carried out in INDT, using a Gamma Cell 220 Excel, which was provided by the IAEA through the national project URU/7/005. The results of the implementation of tissues, quality control and quality management system, are showed.

Specific features of injection hardening of cracked concrete structures and buildings with polyurethanes

The procedure of renovation of damaged concrete matrices by injecting flowing polyurethane compositions is described. It is shown that the process of filling of cracks is accompanied by the penetration of injected compositions into the weakened zones and impregnation of the surface layers of concrete. It is confirmed that the components of polyurethane compositions undergo chemical interaction with the OH-groups of cement stone and mineral fillers of concrete. It is demonstrated that the concrete–transition-layer–polyurethane joints formed as a result of the injection guarantee the required serviceability of concrete structures and buildings. The processes of destruction and failures of concrete and reinforced-concrete buildings and structures are accompanied by the formation and development of deep (often through) cracks in concrete matrices. The aim of the present work is to determine the technological and structural features of hardening and renovation of these objects by the injection filling of cracks and other defects in concrete with polyurethane compositions on the basis of the results of investigations and practical experience [1–8]. The advanced technologies of healing the cracks and defects aimed at the restoration of strength and serviceability of damaged concrete buildings and structures and developed at the Karpenko Physicomechanical Institute of the Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences and the “Tekhno-Resurs Engineering Center” State Enterprise of the Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences are now successfully applied at the plants of the “Energoatom of the Ukraine” National Nuclear Energy Company and Derzhbud of the Ukraine [1, 3, 7, 10]. The technological processes are based on the domestic technique of injection filling of defects in concrete matrices with flowing polyurethane compositions hardening at normal temperatures. In its scientific and engineering level, this technology is in no case inferior to the currently existing foreign achievements in this field [8, 9, 11, 12].

The impact of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) program on radiation and tissue banking in Indonesia

In 1986, the National Nuclear Energy Agency (Batan) in Jakarta started the research and development for the setting up of a tissue bank (Batan Research Tissue Bank/BRTB) by preserving fresh amnion or fetal membranes by lyophilisation and then sterilising by gamma irradiation. During the period of 1990 and 2000, three more tissue banks were set up, i.e., Biomaterial Centre in Surabaya, Jamil Tissue Bank in Padang, and Sitanala Tissue Bank in Tangerang. In 1994, BRTB produced bone allografts. The banks established under the IAEA program concentrated its work on the production of amnion, bone and soft tissues allografts, as well as bone xenografts. These tissues (allografts and xenografts) were sterilised using gamma irradiation (about 90%) and the rest were sterilized by ETO and those products have been used in the treatment of patients at more than 50 hospitals in Indonesia. In 2004, those tissue banks produced 8,500 grafts and 5,000 of them were amnion grafts for eye treatment and wound dressing. All of those grafts were used for patients as well as for research. In 2006, the production increased to 9,000 grafts. Although the capacity of those banks can produce more grafts, we are facing problems on getting raw materials from suitable donors. To fulfill the demand of bone grafts we also produced bone xenografts. The impact of the IAEA program in tissue banking activities in Indonesia can be summarised as follows: to support the national program on importing substitutes for medical devices. The price of imported tissues are between US$ 50 and US$ 6,000 per graft. Local tissue bank can produce tissues with the same quality with the price for about 10–30% of the imported tissues.

Small angle neutron scattering experiments on solid electrolyte (AgI) x (AgPO3)1−x

Superionic conductor glasses have generated considerable technological interest in the applications such as batteries, fuel cell, sensors, etc. In AgPO3 glass doped by AgI, (AgI) x (AgPO3)1−x , small size of AgI clusters were formed and dispersed in the AgPO3 glass. The size of clusters in the sample depends on the AgI content and influences the electrical properties of the sample. To understand the microscopic structure, in particular the shape and size of the clusters, a series of small angle neutron scattering experiment on (AgI) x (AgPO3) x with x = 0.0, 0.5, and 0.7 were performed at the Neutron Scattering Laboratory–National Nuclear Energy Agency, Indonesia. By assuming the clusters are spherical, a radius of gyration R g of the clusters was determined from a Guinier plot. As there are different clusters sizes in the samples, a polydisperse model is also used to analyze the data. The results show that the average radius of clusters dispersed in (AgI) x (AgPO3)1−x samples with x = 0.0, 0.5, and 0.7 are around 236.2, 252.6, and 257.5 A, respectively.

Production of biomass of yeast cell R1 and R2 using sweet potato and cassava extract substrates in fermentor type air-lift scale 18 liters

Undari W, Susilowati A, Sugoro I. 2008. Production of biomass of yeast cell R1 and R2 using sweet potato and cassava extract substrates in fermentor type air-lift scale 18 liters. Biofarmasi 6: 8-15. Increasing production and quality of meat and milk can be done by attention to nutrition, reproduction and health and livestock management. This research was conducted with the following objectives: (i) to determine the difference of production of biomass of yeast cell R1 by using sweet potato and cassava extract substrates in fermentor type air-lift scales 18 liters with R2; (ii) to determine the difference of difference of production rate of biomass of yeast cell R1 by using sweet potato and cassava extract in fermentor type air-lift scales 18 liters and the consumption of glucose with R2; (iii) to determine the difference of yield x/s of yeast cell R1 by using sweet potato and cassava extract substrates in fermentor type air-lift scales 18 liters with R2; and (iv) to determine the difference of production efficiency of biomass of yeast cell R1 by using sweet potato and cassava extract substances in fermentor type air-lift scales 18 liters with R2. The research was conducted in July-September 2006 at the Nutrition, Reproduction and Wellness Laboratory of the Center for Applications of Isotope and Radiation Technology - National Nuclear Energy Agency (PATIR-BATAN), South Jakarta. Based on the results of research, it can be determined that the production of biomass of yeast cell R1 and R2 on sweet potato and cassava extract substrate were 0.65 g/L, 0.83g/L, 0.63 g/L and 0.88 g/L, respectively. In the production of biomass between yeast R1 and R2, there was no significant difference, either sweet potato or cassava extract. The production rate of biomass of yeast cell R1 and R2 and the consumption of glucose on sweet potato and cassava extract substrates were 0.04 g/L/day and 0.86 g/L/day, respectively; 0.06 g/L/day and 0.51 g/L/day, respectively; 0.05 g/L/day and 0.19 g/L/day, respectively; 0.08 g/L/day and 0.28 g/L/day, respectively. The rate of biomass production and the consumption of glucose between yeast R1 and R2 showed that there was no significant difference, both on sweet potato and cassava extract substrates. The yield x/s of yeast R1 and R2 on sweet potato and cassava extract substrates were 0.43 g/g, 0.61 g/g, 0.29 g/g and 0.31 g/g, respectively. The yield x/s between yeast R1 and R2 showed that there was no significant difference, both on sweet potato and cassava extract substrates. The production efficiency of biomass of yeast cell R1 and R2 on sweet potato and cassava extract substrates were 86.23%, 122.34%, 57.46% and 61.18%, respectively. The production efficiency of biomass between yeast R1 and R2 showed there was no significant difference, both on sweet potato and cassava extract substrates.

A comparison between a TESQ accelerator and a reactor as a neutron sources for BNCT

In this work, the performance of an accelerator-based neutron source design has been compared with that of a modern fluoride-filtered reactor-based epithermal beam having near-optimal quality for treatment of deep seated tumors in relation to its applicability for BNCT. The accelerator is a Tandem-Electrostatic-Quadrupole (TESQ) accelerator which is a design under development at the National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) in Buenos Aires, Argentina based on the 7Li(p,n)7Be reaction, relatively close to its energy threshold. The reactor is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reactor upgraded with a Fission Converter Beam (MIT-FCB) and improved with an 8mm thick 6Li filter. The comparison has been done by means of data reported on the MIT-FCB+6Li filter performance and MCNP simulations on our TESQ design considering the neutron fluxes provided by the two sources and the doses delivered in a human phantom by both devices. The results show a deeper advantage depth (AD) for the TESQ which turns out to be a promising alternative to a reactor-based BNCT treatment.

ARCHAEOMETRY AT THE ARGENTINE NATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION: CHARACTERIZATION OF ARGENTINE NORTHWESTERN POTTERY

This paper provides a description of the Nuclear Analytical Techniques Group of the Argentine National Atomic Energy Commission, at the Ezeiza Atomic Center. In 1963, this laboratory performed the first application of neutron activation analysis in Argentina and currently employs the technique to analyse a variety of matrices, including archaeological ceramics. The group has collaborated on different research projects since the 1980s, when the first characterization of archaeological ceramics was performed. A brief history of the laboratory and the results from the analysis of potsherds and raw materials from northwestern Argentina are presented below.

LOW TEMPERATURE IN-SITU STRESS MEASUREMENT OF W/Cu COMPOSITE BY NEUTRON DIFFRACTION

The internal stresses in the continuous tungsten-fiber reinforced copper-matrix composite were examined by the Neutron stress measurement method. The Neutron diffraction apparatus ND1, which is abbreviated from the Neutron Diffraction system No.1 designed and manufactured by the National Nuclear Energy Agency in Indonesia (Badan Tenage Nuklir Nasional, BATAN), was used in the present study. The most common 3-axes measurement method with Hooke's equation was used to measure stresses in the both of tungsten-fiber and copper-matrix. The tungsten-fiber became the situation of heavy 110 priority orientation. The other hand, copper-matrix became the large crystal grain. Thermal stress alterations caused form low temperature cycling was measured by in-situ stress measurement method making use of a cryostat system. The thermal residual stresses of tungsten-fiber and copper-matrix in longitudinal direction were compressive and tensile state respectively. Results of in-situ thermal stress measurement were agreed with a calculated result of simple elastic theory qualitatively.

Institutional results of the Argentine Graduate Programme in Radiochemistry

The evolution of radiochemistry at the National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) in Argentina is analyzed. The antecedents of the establishment, in 1998, of the Master Programme in Radiochemistry, jointly organized by CNEA and the Buenos Aires Regional Faculty of the National Technological University are revised, and the structure of the Programme is described. On the basis of the thesis works, the initial trends are discussed. Finally, the institutional results of the Programme are described.

Accreditation experience of radioisotope metrology laboratory of Argentina

This work presents the experience developed by the Radioisotope Metrology Laboratory (LMR), of the Argentine National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA), as result of the accreditation process of the Quality System by ISO 17025 Standard. Considering the LMR as a calibration laboratory, services of secondary activity determinations and calibration of activimeters used in Nuclear Medicine were accredited. A peer review of the ( α / β ) - γ coincidence system was also carried out. This work shows in detail the structure of the quality system, the results of the accrediting audit and gives the number of non-conformities detected and of observations made which have all been resolved.

Political storms, financial uncertainties, and dreams of “big science:” The construction of a heavy ion accelerator in Argentina

ABSTRACT Experimental nuclear physics in Argentina entered the era of so-called “big science” with a project to build a 20 MeV tandem-type accelerator for heavy ions. Promoted by the group of nuclear physicists of Argentina's National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA), the TANDAR (TANDem ARgentino) project was presented to CNEA's Navy authorities during a democratic period of complete turmoil and a deep economic crisis. Most of its construction took place during eight years of brutal military dictatorship (1976–1983), leading to its inauguration in the first years of a new democratic government (1986). This article narrates how the project was envisioned, planned, and executed, and discusses the distortion of the usual meaning of “big science” when applied to a “peripheral” context.