Search Results (2,440)

Heavy radioactive ion beams produced by in-flight techniques often involve long-lived excited states (isomers). This presents a challenge for reaction studies because none of the existing fragment separators worldwide can resolve isomers in-flight. Here, we propose a novel scheme to produce tagged cocktail beams or pure isomer beams using an ion storage ring. The mass resolving powers of storage rings enable us to identify and separate ions of the isomeric state from the corresponding ground state in a secondary beam. For short-lived isomers, the Rare-RI Ring (R3) facility at the RI Beam Factory (RIBF) will be available, while for long-lived isomers the Experimental Storage Ring (ESR) at the GSI/FAIR facility will be utilized. Isomers often have spins and deformations significantly different from the ground states. Studying isomer structures will provide unique insight into their specific interactions, opening a new frontier in reaction studies with radioactive ion beams in the coming years. Full article

Magnesium phosphate cement (MPC) is a type of rapid-hardening inorganic cementitious material, which has important application value in rapid road repair, solidification of hazardous and radioactive waste, and other fields. However, it suffers from excessively fast setting and hardening and a short working time retention, which severely restrict its engineering application. Therefore, the development of high-efficiency set retarders is of great significance for optimizing MPC performance, enhancing its construction workability, and expanding its application scope. In this study, the effect of sodium polyacrylate (PAAS) on the setting and hardening of magnesium potassium phosphate cement (MKPC) was investigated by testing the setting time and fluidity at a low water-to-solid ratio (W/S = 0.18). Through pH and electrical conductivity measurements, combined with XRD, TG/DTG, and FTIR characterizations, we elucidated the retarding mechanism of PAAS on MKPC using a high water-to-solid ratio (W/S = 10). The results indicate that the setting time of MKPC is positively correlated with the PAAS dosage, whereas the fluidity and compressive strength exhibited a negative correlation with the PAAS dosage. Additionally, PAAS reduces the total heat release and the heat release rate of MKPC. The addition of PAAS increased the pH of the suspension, thereby reducing the solubility of MgO, but did not inhibit the dissolution of KH₂PO₄  The carboxylate groups in PAAS chemically reacted with Mg²⁺ on the surface of MgO to form magnesium carboxylate complexes (Mg-PAA), which remained as precipitates in the MKPC suspension system, thus reducing the amount of available Mg²⁺ participating in the hydration reaction. Furthermore, PAAS had no effect on the final precipitate composition at the end of hydration, which was composed of MgKPO₄·6H₂O  and Mg₃(PO₄)₂·22H₂O  in all cases. Full article

Thyroid disorders are among the most common endocrine disorders worldwide and are classified as noncommunicable diseases. These disorders are associated with significant morbidity, impaired quality of life, and considerable socioeconomic burden. Like other noncommunicable diseases, thyroid disorders arise from complex interactions between genetic susceptibility and environmental factors, including diet and lifestyle. Despite growing interest in lifestyle-based approaches to noncommunicable disease prevention and management, thyroid disorders have received comparatively limited attention in this context. Graves’ disease, the most common cause of hyperthyroidism, is a relevant condition for exploring dietary interventions. Current treatment strategies—anti-thyroid drugs, radioactive iodine and thyroidectomy—have remained largely unchanged for decades. Long-term remission following drug therapy is achieved in no more than approximately 50% of patients, while all treatment modalities carry potential adverse effects. These limitations underscore the need for alternative or adjunctive therapeutic strategies. Iodine intake plays a central role in thyroid hormone synthesis. Indeed, observational studies have shown inverse associations between iodine intake and remission rates, as well as achievement of euthyroidism, medication requirements and thyroid autoantibody titers. These findings suggest that dietary iodine restriction may enhance treatment efficacy and reduce medication-related risks. Beyond its direct effects on thyroid hormone synthesis, iodine may influence Graves’ disease through indirect mechanisms involving the lipid profile and the gut–thyroid axis. Autoimmune thyroid diseases are associated with a dyslipidemic profile and with gut microbiota dysbiosis; the latter characterized by increased potentially pathogenic bacteria and reduced beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Full article

As a new class of green functional liquids, deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have attracted increasing attention as alternatives to conventional solvents, such as mineral acids, organic solvents and ionic liquids (ILs), in nuclear chemistry. Owing to their low cost, easy preparation, structural tunability, and adjustable physicochemical properties, DESs provide unique solvation and coordination environments that enable various applications. This review summarizes recent research advances in the application of DESs for the chemical processes of the nuclear fuel cycle. Particular emphasis is focused on dissolution, extraction and separation, electrochemical deposition and redox processes, radionuclide capture, decontamination and detection. This review highlights the fundamental advantages and current limitations of DES-based systems and outlines future trends. Full article

We devised a quantitative scoring function to assess the cumulative effects of somatic nonsynonymous single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) on protein-coding genes in patients with ovarian cancer (OvCa) and thyroid cancer (ThCa). The goal is to find novel candidate cancer-related genes for downstream bioinformatics analyses and wet-lab studies. With the Genomic Data Commons as primary data resource, SNV information was extracted from whole-exome sequencing data from patients with these cancers. A cumulative variant scoring function, Q(G), was developed to sum up the deleterious effects of the individual SNVs on gene G. While Q(G) can be computed using any popular functional effect analyzers such as FATHMM-XF, SIFT, PolyPhen, and CADD, we have also established an integrative scoring function iQ(G) that combines the deleterious assessments from different analyzers and demonstrated that iQ(G) is a more effective method for identifying likely cancer-related genes. Based on the iQ(G) rankings, the top three novel genes for OvCa are AHNAK2, UNC13A, and PCDHB4; and those for ThCa are PLEC, HECTD4, and CES1. Furthermore, the top 1% genes with highest iQ(G) scores for each cancer were submitted for KEGG pathway analysis. The results revealed that several genes of the CACNA1 family within the type II diabetes mellitus pathway are likely related to both OvCa and ThCa and suggested other molecular interactions that should be further studied in connection with OvCa prognosis and ThCa treatment. Full article

The detection of plastic explosives in vapor form is extremely challenging due to the very low volatility of their primary components, such as RDX and PETN. To overcome this limitation, volatile chemical markers like 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-dinitrobutane (DMNB) are added to explosive formulations to enable indirect vapor detection. This study presents a rapid method for detecting and quantifying DMNB vapors using a handheld ion mobility spectrometer (IMS) operating near ambient temperature, ammonia-doped and equipped with a non-radioactive corona discharge ionization source. The instrument, model LCD-3.2E (Smiths Detection Ltd.), is based on a twin drift–cell time-of-flight configuration and simultaneously records ion mobility spectra in both positive and negative modes. DMNB generated distinct product ion peaks in both modes, with reduced mobility values (K₀) of 1.42 cm²V⁻¹s⁻¹ (positive) and 1.37 cm²V⁻¹s⁻¹ (negative). The method demonstrated high sensitivity, with limits of detection calculated at 1.4 ppb_v (10.2 × 10⁻³ mg m⁻³) in positive mode and 3.1 ppb_v (22.7 × 10⁻³ mg m⁻³) in negative mode. The IMS system provided rapid responses within seconds and covered a quantifiable concentration range of 5–3000 ppb_v, with saturation estimated to appear above approximately 5 ppm_v (36.6 mg m⁻³). The simultaneous dual-polarity response of the DT IMS enhances both the selectivity and reliability of identification. These findings confirm the capability of portable IMSs for fast trace vapor detection in DMNB, supporting its application in field-based screening scenarios such as luggage inspection or container interrogation, where indirect detection of plastic explosives is required. Full article

Background: There is ongoing interest in limiting the extent of treatment for patients with low-risk differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) and in redesigning individualised follow-up strategies. This study assessed long-term outcomes in patients with excellent response to surgical treatment demonstrated by reaching unmeasurable stimulated thyroglobulin (sTG) levels before proceeding with radioactive iodine ablation. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients treated for DTC in a tertiary referral centre. Radioactive iodine ablation (RIA) was done after hormone withdrawal (before 2015) or after Thyrogen stimulation (in recent years). The biochemical assay for TG changed from a lower limit of detectability of 5 ng/mL to 0.2 ng/mL in 2012. Results: Of 331 patients operated on between 2001 and 2019, unmeasurable sTG was measured in 70 of 138 patients (51%) when using an assay with threshold of 5 ng/mL and in 38 of 193 patients (20%) based on the threshold of 0.2 ng/mL. Compared with patients whose sTG was >5 ng/mL, those with sTG <5 ng/mL (187 of 331 patients) were less likely to have T3–T4 tumours or positive lymph node disease (N1a–N1b) and had a lower MACIS score (5.73 ± 1.26 vs. 6.45 ± 1.69, p < 0.001) and much lower mortality with metastatic disease during follow-up for 100 ± 48 months (3/187 vs. 23/144 patients, p = 0.001). Conclusions: Patients with unmeasurable sTG have excellent prognosis, with very low incidence of adverse events. With the wide use of TG assay with a threshold of 0.2 ng/mL (or lower), this subgroup could have patient-initiated follow-up rather than embark on regular assessments. Full article

Rare earth elements (REEs), located in the IIIB group of the periodic table, can be detected in very small quantities by sensitive detection techniques. REE labeling technologies utilize fluorescent labeling, magnetic labeling, atomic fluorescence labeling, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) labeling and radiolabeling. Widely used immunoassays related to REE-labeled technologies include time-resolved fluorescence immunofluorescence assay (TRFIA), inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP–MS)-based immunoassays, mass spectrometry flow-through (CyTOF), and upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs). REE-labeled immunoassays have been widely used in various fields, such as biological analysis, biomarker detection and analysis of food detection techniques, as these assays can use low quantities of biological tissue, exhibit stability, can label materials, lack radioactivity and show multidetection capability. To provide researchers with a deeper understanding of the immunoassay technique used to label rare earth elements, this paper reviews its labeling principle, detection technology, and application. Full article

The fracture behavior of Beishan granite is a critical scientific basis for evaluating and ensuring the long-term safety of geological repositories for high-level radioactive waste under extreme thermal–mechanical conditions. With increasing emphasis on climate-resilient infrastructure, understanding the mechanical response of deep geological materials under cyclic loading and simulating long-term environmental conditions are essential for sustainable engineering management. Previous studies have predominantly concentrated on the fracture characteristics under static loading tests, with limited research conducted on the characteristic parameters of acoustic emission (AE) during cyclic loading and the morphology of fractures post-failure. Contributing to the field of resilient infrastructure, this paper presents static and cyclic loading tests using MTS815 equipment on Beishan deep granite (CCNBD type). To determine the rock fracture toughness of mode I and fracture roughness, static loading and cyclic loading tests were conducted using MTS815 equipment with Beishan deep granite (CCNBD type) as the subject of study. AE and 3D laser scanning were employed to acquire the characteristic parameters of acoustic emission (AE) during loading and the morphology of fracture surfaces after failure in the specimens. The results revealed that CCNBD specimens demonstrated pronounced brittle tensile failure under static and cyclic loading conditions. The rock fracture toughness obtained in static tests was 1.180 MPa·m^1/2, whereas under cyclic loading, it was 1.153 MPa·m^1/2. In comparison to static loading, cyclic loading led to a greater accumulation of microcracks inside the specimens, resulting in a 9.8% increase in the length of the fracture process zone. A 57.5% increase in section roughness (fractal dimension) was observed after the failure of the specimen in comparison to static loading. Full article

The sodium–galactose cotransporter from Vibrio parahaemolyticus (vSGLT) was first cloned and functionally characterized by the laboratory of Ernest M. Wright in 2000, establishing a one-to-one Na⁺:sugar coupling stoichiometry and pioneering a bacterial model for human SGLTs. Here, we revisit vSGLT using solid-supported membrane electrophysiology on the Nanion SURFE²R N1, providing a modern, non-radioactive kinetic analysis of Na⁺-coupled sugar transport. Rapid transient currents were observed upon substrate application to proteoliposomes containing purified vSGLT. D-galactose elicited the largest Na⁺-dependent responses, followed by D-glucose and D-fucose, while no transport was observed in K⁺-based solutions. Apparent kinetic parameters recapitulate the overall trends observed in the original radiolabeled uptake assays, with K_m(Na⁺) ≈ 18 mM and K_m(gal) ≈ 9.8 mM. These findings validate the SURFE²R N1 SSM system as a quantitative, label-free method for Na⁺ symport characterization and demonstrate that vSGLT retains its canonical substrate selectivity and stoichiometry. Full article

This review summarizes recent experimental progress in the structure and correlations of light neutron-rich nuclei. We first highlight achievements based on quasi-free scattering reactions in inverse kinematics at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory (RIBF), including investigations of the single-particle composition of halo systems—for example, revealing the minimal s-wave component in the “weak-halo” nucleus ¹⁷B—and the mapping of universal, surface-localized dineutron correlations in Borromean nuclei such as ¹¹Li, ¹⁴Be and ¹⁷B. We then discuss recent advances in the study of multineutron correlations and cluster states, addressing both experimental challenges and major breakthroughs. These include the observation of a candidate $4n$ resonance, the absence of a resonant state in the $3n$ system, the characterization of direct two-neutron decay in ¹⁶Be, and evidence for a condensate-like $\alpha +{}^{2}n+{}^{2}n$ cluster structure in the ${}^8\mathrm{He}\left(0_2^{+}\right)$ state. Finally, we discuss prospects for extending such investigations to heavier halo candidates and more complex multineutron systems, and outline the development of next-generation neutron detector arrays that will drive future progress in this field. Full article

This work investigates the potential of wollastonite-based brushite cement (WBC) for the stabilization and solidification of radioactive waste contaminated by ⁹⁰Sr. This phosphate binder was formed by the reaction of wollastonite (CaSiO₃) with a phosphoric acid solution containing borax and metallic cations (Al³⁺, Zn²⁺). Two cement pastes were investigated: a commercial binder (WBC-C) and an optimized formulation (WBC-O), produced using a zinc-free mixing solution with a higher aluminum content than that of WBC-C. Mineralogical characterizations using XRD, TGA, XRF, SEM-EDX, and Raman spectroscopy showed that both materials mainly contained amorphous hydrated silica and calcium aluminophosphate, along with crystalline brushite, residual wollastonite, and quartz. The stability of WBC-C under γ-irradiation was evaluated up to a dose of 1 MGy. The only observable effect was water radiolysis, leading to dihydrogen production at yields comparable to Portland cement matrices and geopolymers. Strontium leaching, assessed using the ANSI/ANS-16.1-2003 (R2008) procedure, followed a two-stage release mechanism combining surface wash-off and diffusion. The apparent diffusion coefficient D_a of Sr in WBC-C was markedly lower than typical values reported for Portland cement matrices. WBC-O exhibited enhanced Sr retention, possibly due to its higher aluminum content, which refines mesopores and reduces diffusion pathways accessible to Sr. WBC binders therefore appear to be promising candidates for strontium immobilization. Full article

This paper describes a new methodology implemented in the ESTE decision support system for evaluating the source term resulting from a nuclear weapon detonation. The methodology is based on a model of a stabilized radioactive mushroom cloud, parameterized as the source term for a Lagrangian particle dispersion model. It includes radionuclide composition, spatial distribution of aerosol and gaseous particles, and particle size distribution. This method is designed for rapid assessment of radiological impacts primarily at medium- and long-range distances, for example, in neighboring countries. The parametrization has been calibrated and adjusted using data from historical nuclear tests, and its performance is evaluated in terms of impacted area, range, and spatial overlap of fallout regions. A comparison is presented between ESTE calculations and field measurements obtained after the British nuclear tests conducted in the 1950s at the Maralinga Range (Australia), using historical ERA5 meteorological reanalyses from ECMWF. Full article

The short half-life of positron emission tomography (PET) radioisotopes makes transport time a critical factor in medical logistics. While drones have demonstrated advantages in short-range medical deliveries, the feasibility and benefits of long-distance drone transport remain largely unexplored. In a comparative simulation-based modelling framework, this study explores whether long-range drone transport (117–376 km) can improve delivery performance of fluorodeoxyglucose-18 ([¹⁸F]FDG) PET isotopes compared with two existing ground-only routes (146 km and 348 km) and two combined car–airplane routes (532 km and 546 km). Simulated transport times, radioactive decay losses, and economic implications were estimated using drone speeds of 150, 200, and 250 km/h. Hourly weather data from 2023–2024 were incorporated to model flight feasibility and weather-related no-fly conditions. Time savings were translated into preserved radioactive activity and analyzed together with break-even transport costs. A drone speed of 150 km/h provided limited benefit, whereas speeds of 200–250 km/h preserved activity corresponding to a reduction from the current total use of 118 GBq to 72 and 65 GBq, respectively. Weather constraints reduced feasible winter flights by up to 30%. Estimated break-even drone costs ranged from EUR 3–18/km and increased to EUR 14–20/km when accounting for preserved isotopes, corresponding to annual economic gains of EUR 1.0–1.7 million. These results suggest that long-range drone transport could reduce isotope losses and improve diagnostic capacity, although feasibility depends on drone costs, weather resilience, and integration into clinical logistics systems. Full article

Present and future rare isotope accelerator facilities provide new opportunities to explore the structure of unstable nuclei. We report the measurements of the elastic scattering angular distributions of ²¹Na and ²²Na on the doubly magic ⁴⁰Ca above the Coulomb barrier energies, using high-purity post-accelerated ISOL beams from Beijing Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (BRIF). Angular distributions were measured with a silicon detector telescope array, and relative cross sections were determined with a CaF₂ target on Au backing. The data were well reproduced by optical model calculations with Woods–Saxon and USNP potentials, the latter giving better agreement. These results confirm the stable operation and performance of the BRIF ISOL production and post-acceleration system, demonstrate its capability to provide radioactive beams of useful intensity and purity for future investigations of reaction dynamics and astrophysically relevant processes involving proton-rich nuclei, and simultaneously extend proton-rich elastic scattering studies to heavier systems. Full article