The radioactive cesium, released from the normal operation or the accidental operation of nuclear facilities, should be regularly monitored for environmental regulatory compliance. The 135Cs/137Cs isotopic ratios, potentially useful for long-term tracking Cs transport in seawater, can be used as a tool of understanding how radionuclides are transported from different nuclear production source terms and distributed in the ocean. The ultra-high sensitive mass spectrometers (TIMS, SF-ICP-MS and TQ-ICP-MS) have been used to measure the 135Cs/137Cs isotopic ratios. However, the radiochemical separation of Cs from the seawater matrix is essential for the analysis of Cs using the mass spectrometers. An automated radiochemical procedure for the separation of Cs in seawater was developed for the analysis of 135Cs/137Cs isotopic ratios using a sequential column chromatography with AMPPAN and AG50Wx8 cation exchange resins. National Instrument’s LabVIEW is a graphical programming language and a powerful tool for the instrument control. A virtual instrument system for the automated separation of cesium isotopes was developed by the state machine of the fundamental design patterns in LabVIEW. In this study, the conceptual designs of an automated separation system of cesium isotopes, its virtual instrument system based on the LabVIEW state machine architectures and an automated radiochemical procedure were described for the purification of cesium isotopes at trace levels found in seawater discharged from the various nuclear facilities.

An evidence suggests that even low-dose irradiation can lead to progressive cognitive decline as well as memory deficits in both humans and experimental animals in part due to hippocampal dysfunction. To determine whether or not green tea (GT) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) could attenuate memory impairment as well as suppress hippocampal neurogenesis, passive avoidance and object recognition memory test as well as TUNEL assay and immunohistochemical detection with markers of neurogenesis (Ki-67 and doublecortin (DCX)) were performed using adult mice treated with relatively low-dose gamma irradiation (2.0 Gy). GT was administered intraperitonially at a dosage of 50 mg/kg of body weight at 36 and 12 hr pre-irradiation and at 30 minutes post-irradiation, or orally at a dosage of 250 mg/kg of body weight/day for 7 days before autopsy. EGCG (25 mg/kg of body weight) was administered intraperitonially at 36 and 12 hr pre-irradiation and at 30 minutes post-irradiation. In the passive avoidance and object recognition memory test, mice trained for 1 day after acute irradiation (2 Gy) showed significant memory deficits compared with sham controls. The number of TUNEL-positive apoptotic nuclei in the dentate gyrus increased by 12 h after irradiation. In addition, the numbers of Ki-67- and DCX-positive cells significantly decreased. GT treatment prior to irradiation attenuated memory defects, blocked apoptotic death, as well as reduced the number of DCX-positive cells. Therefore, GT may attenuate memory defects in adult mice exposed to a relatively low dose of radiation possibly by inhibiting the detrimental effects of irradiation on hippocampal neurogenesis.

Panax ginseng, also known as Korean ginseng, has long been used as a broad tonic in Oriental medicine to augment vitality, health, and longevity, particularly in older people. This study investigated the effects of Korean red ginseng (RG) on bone loss in ovariectomized (OVX) mice. C3H/HeN mice (10-weeks-old) were divided into sham and OVX groups. OVX mice were treated with vehicle, 17β-estradiol (E2), RG (oral administration, 250 mg/kg/day), or RG (intraperitoneal administration, 50 mg/kg/every other day) for 6 weeks. Serum E2 concentration and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity were measured. Tibiae were analyzed using microcomputed tomography. Biomechanical properties and osteoclast surface level were measured. There was no significant difference in the degree of grip strength, body weight, uterine weight, mechanical property, tibiae length, or tibiae weight between the OVX and RG-treated groups. Compared with the OVX group, the serum ALP level was significantly lower in the RG-treated groups. Serum E2 levels and osteoclast surface levels did not change between the OVX and RG-treated groups. RG could not preserve trabecular bone volume, trabecular bone number, trabecular separation, trabecular thickness, structure model index, or bone mineral density of the proximal tibiae metaphysic. In conclusion, there was no definite effect of RG on OVX-induced bone loss in C3H/HeN mice.