The nuclear fuel that melted during the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011 is still being cooled by water. In this process, contaminated water containing radioactive substances such as cesium and strontium is generated. The total amount of radioactive pollutants released by the natural environment due to the nuclear accident in Fukushima in 2011 is estimated to be 900 PBq, of which 10 to 37 PBq for cesium. Radioactive cesium (137Cs) is a potassium analog that exists in the water in the form of cations with similar daytime behavior and a small hydration radius and is recognized as a radioactive nuclide that has the greatest impact on the environment due to its long half-life (about 30 years), high solubility and diffusion coefficient, and gamma-ray emission. In this study, alginate beads were designed using Prussian blue, known as a material that selectively adsorbs cesium for removal and detection of cesium. To confirm the adsorption performance of the produced Prussian blue, immersion experiments were conducted using Cs standard solution, and MCNP simulations were performed by modeling 1L reservoir to conduct experiments using radioactive Cs in the future. An adsorption experiment was conducted with water containing standard cesium solution using alginate beads impregnated with Prussian blue. The adsorption experiment tested how much cesium of the same concentration was adsorbed over time. As a result, it was found that Prussian blue beads removed about 80% of cesium within 10-15 minutes. In addition, MCNP simulation was performed using a 1 L reservoir and a 3inch NaI detector to optimize the amount of Prussian blue. The results of comparing the efficiency according to the Prussian volume was shown. It showed that our designed system holds great promise for the cleanup and detection of radioactive cesium contaminated seawater around nuclear plants and/or after nuclear accidents. Thus, this work is expected to provide insights into the fundamental MCNP simulation based optimization of Prussian blue for cesium removal and this work based MCNP simulation will pave the way for various practical applications.

There are analytical methods used for measuring activity when light photons are emitted for scintillating-based analytical application. When this electron returns to the original stable state, it releases its energy in the form of light emission (visible light or ultraviolet light), and this phenomenon is called scintillation. Scintillator is a general term for substances that emit fluorescence when exposed to radiation such as gamma-rays. Radioactivity is all around us and is unavoidable because of the ubiquitous existence of background radiations emitted by different sources. The scintillator contributes to these sensing, and it is expected that the inspection accuracy and limit of detection will be improved and new inspection methods will be developed in the future. Moreover, scintillators are chemical or nanomaterial sensors that can be used to detect the presence of chemical species and elements or monitor physical parameters on the nanoscale. In this study, it includes finding use in scintillating-based analytical sensing applications. A chemical and nanomaterial based sensors are self-contained analytical tools that could provide information about the chemical compositions or elements of their environment, that is, a liquid or even gas condition. Herein, we present an insightful review of previously reported research in the development of high-performance gamma scintillators. The major performance-limiting factors of scintillation are summed up here. Moreover, the 2D material has been discussed in the context of these parameters. It will help in designing a prototype nanomaterial based scintillators for radiation detection of gamma-ray.

Radioactive contamination distribution in nuclear facilities is typically measured and analyzed using radiation sensors. Since generally used detection sensors have relatively high efficiency, it is difficult to apply them to a high radiation field. Therefore, shielding/collimators and small size detectors are typically used. Nevertheless, problems of pulse accumulation and dead time still remain. This can cause measurement errors and distort the energy spectrum. In this study, this problem was confirmed through experiments, and signal pile-up and dead time correction studies were performed. A detection system combining a GAGG sensor and SiPM with a size of 10 mm × 10 mm × 10 mm was used, and GAGG radiation characteristics were evaluated for each radiation dose (0.001~57 mSv/h). As a result, efficiency increased as the dose increased, but the energy spectrum tended to shift to the left. At a radiation dose intensity of 400 Ci (14.8 TBq), a collimator was additionally installed, but efficiency decreased and the spectrum was distorted. It was analyzed that signal loss occurred when more than 1 million particles were incident on the detector. In this high-radioactivity area, quantitative analysis is likely to be difficult due to spectral distortion, and this needs to be supplemented through a correction algorithm. In recent research cases, the development of correction algorithms using MCNP and AI is being actively carried out around the world, and more than 98% of the signals have been corrected and the spectrum has been restored. Nevertheless, the artificial intelligence (AI) results were based on only 2-3 overlapping pulse data and did not consider the effect of noise, so they did not solve realistic problems. Additional research is needed. In the future, we plan to conduct signal correction research using ≈10×10 mm small size detectors (GAGG, CZT etc.). Also, the performance evaluation of the measurement/analysis system is intended to be performed in an environment similar to the high radiation field of an actual nuclear facility.

COVID-19와 같은 전염병 감염 시나리오 전반에 걸쳐 펩타이드 기반 치료법을 발견하고 설계하는 개발 시대의 추세는 보다 효율적이고 저렴한 치료 환경으로 발전할 수 있습니다. 결과적으로, 그들의 단백질 분해 약화는 천연 펩타이드 약물의 단점 중 하나입니다. 펩티도미메틱스는 이 단점을 해결하는 데 도움이 될 수 있습니다. 이 리뷰에서 펩타이드 및 펩타이드 기반 약물 발견은 숙주 안지 오텐신 전환 효소-2(ACE2) 수용체 및 바이러스 스파이크 (S)단백질의 연관성을 포함하는 중증 코로나바이러스 폐색전 증후군(SARS-CoV-2)의 주요 진입 기전 중 하나를 표적으로 요약했습니다. 또한, 펩타이드 기반의 새로운 치료법을 통해 COVID-19에 대해 연구된 단백질, 펩타이드 및 기타 가능한 조치의 이점을 다룹니다. 그리고 펩타이드 기반 약물 치료 환경의 개요는 진화적 관점, 구조적 특성, 작동 한계값 및 치료 영역에 대한 설명으로 구성된다

스탠다드국화 신품종을 육성하기 위하여 충남농업기술원 화훼연구소에서 2009년에 황색의 모본 ‘Summer Yellow’와 부본 ‘ST07-09-02’계통을 인공 교배하였다. 2010년에 종자를 파종하였고, 이중 내병성이 강하고 기호성이 우수한 개체를 선발하여 ‘ST10-047-01’로 계통명을 부여하였다. 2011년부터 2013년까지 주년 생산성을 위해 촉성 및 자연, 억제재배 특성을 각각 검정하였으며, 2013년 ‘Geumhwa’로 명명하고 품종등록 출원하였다. ‘Geumhwa’의 생육 및 개화특성은 국내에서 많이 재배되고 있는 황색 스탠다드국화인 ‘Summer Yellow’를 대조 품종으로 하여 조사하였다. ‘Geumhwa’ 품종은 자연개화기가 10월 6일로 ‘Summer Yellow’의 10월 25일에 비해 빨랐다. ‘Geumhwa’는 초장이 86.3cm로 ‘Summer Yellow’의 93.8cm보다 작았고, 곁가지 제거수는 8.1개로 ‘Summer Yellow’의 16.6개보다 적었다. ‘Geumhwa’의 꽃직경은 13.6cm로 ‘Summer Yellow’의 13.5cm와 비슷하였으며, 꽃잎수는 ‘Geumhwa’가 263.6개로 ‘Summer Yellow’의 295.3개보다 적었다. 재배상 유의사항은 ‘Geumhwa’는 중간종이므로 초기생육이 왕성하도록 비배 관리를 하고 생육기간 중 지베렐린 1,000mg･L-1를 2회 처리하여 신장력을 높이도록 한다. 또한 설상화수가 적은 편이므로 재전조를 실시하여 설상화수를 늘린다면 황색의 연중 조기개화가 가능한 고품질 신품종 스탠다드 절화국화로써 소비자 기호 충족 및 농가소득 창출에 기여할 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.

우라늄 토양 및 콘크리트 폐기물의 동전기 제염 후 방사성폐기물의 시멘트 고화특성을 분석하기 위하여, 시멘트 고화 유동성 시험을 수행하고 시멘트 고화 시료를 제작하였다. 시멘트 고화시료에 대하여 압축강도, pH, 전기전도도, 방사선조사 효과 및 부피증가를 분석하였다. 방사성폐기물의 시멘트 고화의 작업 적정도는 175~190% 정도였다. 시멘트 고화시료의 방사선 조사 후 압축강도는 방사선 조사 전 압축강도 보다 약 15% 감소하였으나, 한국원자력환경공단 인수기준 (34 kgf·cm-2)을 만족하였다. 동전기 제염 후 방사성폐기물의 시멘트 고화 시료에 대한 SEM-EDS 분석결과, 알루미늄상은 시멘트와 잘 결합 한 형상을 나타낸 반면, 칼슘상은 시멘트와 분리된 형상을 나타내었다. 방사성폐기물의 시멘트 고화 부피는 시멘트에 대한 폐기물의 배합과 수분량에 따라 다르게 나타났다. 방사성폐기물의 시멘트 고화 부피(C-2.0-60)는 약 30% 증가였으며 동전기 제염 후 생성된 방사성폐기물의 영구처분은 적절하다고 판단되었다.

Shrimps infected with WSSV (White Spot Syndrome Virus) generally exhibit white spots in their inner space of carapaces as an acute clinical sign. In an effort to identify the correlation between this acute clinical sign and the condition, the index factors (RNA/DNA concentration and ratio, trypsin activity) were analyzed. A total 580 farmed Fenneropenaeus chinensis and 130 Lithopenaeus vannamei were collected from western and southern fifteen outdoor ponds in Korea. The status of the white spot pathology was divided into four stages (stage 0, stage I, stage II, and stage III), in accordance with the clinical signs as to the size and area of white spots. A significant decrease in RNA concentration and RNA/DNA ratio for multi-infected fleshy prawn (WSSV and vibrio sp.) occurred during the stage III (the whole carapace is covered with a white spot). In particular, RNA/DNA ratio was significantly lower as 1.47±0.04 than other groups. A similar trend was also found in the single infection (WSSV), but the decrease was less than the multi-infection. In the species comparison, both species were vulnerable to the multi-infection, but L. vannamei was more sensitive than F. chinensis (ANOVA, p<0.05): A significant decrease in RNA concentration and RNA/DNA ratio was first found in stage II for the former species, while it was found in stage III for the latter species. Trypsin activity was also showed a similar tendency with nucleic acid variation. Multi-infected shrimp showed drastically decrease of trypsin activity. According to the results, clinical signs of the white spot under carapace have an only physiological effect on shrimp if they covered entirely with white spots.