The homogeneity of radioactive spent ion exchange resins (IERs) distribution inside waste form is one of the important characteristics for acceptance of waste forms in long-term storage because heterogenous immobilization can lead to the poor structural stability of waste form. In this study, the homogeneity of metakaolin-based geopolymer waste form containing simulant IERs was evaluated using a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and statistical approach. The cation-anion mixed IERs (IRN150) were used to prepare the simulant spent IERs contaminated by non-radioactive Cs, Fe, Cr, Mn, Ni, Co, and Sr (0.44, 8.03, 6.22, 4.21, 4.66, 0.48, and 0.90 mg/g-dried IER, respectively). The K2SiO3 solution to metakaolin ratio was kept constant at 1.2 and spent IERs loading was 5wt%. For the synthesis of homogeneous geopolymer waste form, spent IERs were mixed with K2SiO3 solution and metakaolin first, and then the fresh mixture slurry was poured into plastic molds (diameter: 2.9 cm and height: 6.0 cm). The heterogeneous geopolymer waste form was also fabricated by stacking two kinds of mixtures (8wt% IERs loading in bottom and 2wt% in top) in one mold. Geopolymers were cured for 7d (1d at room temperature and 6d at 60°C). The hardened geopolymers were cut into top, middle, and bottom parts. The LIBS spectra and intensities for Cs were obtained from the top and bottom of each part. Cs was selected for target nuclide because of its good sensitivity for measurement. Shapiro-Wilk test was performed to determine the normality of LIBS data, and it revealed that data from the homogeneous sample is normal distribution (p-value = 0.9246, if p-value is higher than 0.05, it is considered as normal distribution). However, data from the heterogeneous sample showed abnormal distribution (p-value = 7.765×10-8). The coefficient of variation (CoV) was also calculated to examine the dispersion of data. It was 31.3% and 51.8% from homogeneous and heterogeneous samples, respectively. These results suggest that LIBS analysis and statistical approaches can be used to evaluate the homogeneity of waste forms for the acceptance criterion in repositories.

A geological repository system consists of a disposal canister with packed spent fuel, buffer material, backfill material, and intact rock. Among these, the bentonite buffer is one of the most important components to assure the safe disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW). As the bentonite buffer is installed as a block type, it is important to fabricate homogeneously. Generally, floating die method and cold isostatic press (CIP) method are used to fabricate bentonite blocks. In this paper, two bentonite blocks were produced using float die method at first, and CIP method was additionally applied to just one block. After that, several samples were cored from two blocks. The dry density and water content of several samples produced from two blocks were measured.

In this study, the homogeneity and stability of standard samples for proficiency testing in indoor air quality within the country (formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, p-xylene, styrene, TVOC) were evaluated. The procedures and statistical analysis methods applied in ISO/IEC 13528 (2009) and KS A ISO Guide 35 (2005) were applied as evaluation methods. The homogeneity evaluation was a statistical analysis of repeated measurements of each of the 11 ports and between the 11 ports concentration data. As a result, the coefficient of variation (CV) was within the range of 1.9%~5.9%. The difference between the ports was found to be insignificant and met the statistical standard specified in KS Q ISO 13528. The stability evaluation was assessed by the change in concentration over the long-term stability of the standard samples stored for 90 days. The coefficient of variation (CV), which was within the range of 2.6%~9.0%, exhibited changes in the concentration of the long-term stored standard samples. However, the results satisfy the statistical standard specified in KS A ISO Guide 35. Overall, there is no significant difference between the homogeneity of the standard samples by the port and the stability of the long-term stored samples. Therefore, it is considered to be an appropriate method to supply standard samples in an indoor air quality proficiency test.

This paper explores central Asia's contextualization mission strategy focused on national approach to culture of homogeneity and heterogeneity. This article attempts Central Asian society's common character and differences from the historic origin and each people's cultural diversity in Central Asia. Central Asia and the entire region contextualization of this article suggesting strategies to derive basically the most basic issues of the specification that can be raised. This article explores examining particularly Central Asia’s historical-cultural common homogeneity and individuality. Chapter II examines Central Asia's history-culture and mission : mission strategy of common homogeneity. Chapter III reviews Central Asia’s mission strategy after independence : factor elements of commonality and individuality. Chapter IV analyzes Contextualization mission strategy focused on national origin and mutual confrontation. As Uzbekistan and Tajikistan develop a stronger sense of their own independence, each country is establishing a new concept of view in explaining their national origin of its own history, which is then inserted into the state ideology. Moreover, because the historical paths of the two states overlap, they interpret the same historical events, from a nationalist perspective, in diametrically opposite ways. Contemporary Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are the territories with the strongest historical links in Central Asia. Since the acquisition of independence they have been marked by similar features of state and nation building.The aim of this article is to present a general overview of the contextualization mission strategy in Central Asia in examining common character and heterogeneous features of the Central people's surroundings after independence and the different aspects of a nation's most basic historical, traditional, understanding including national origin and political system. In exploring Central Asia's mission strategy. it need to be conducted study not only common aspects and heterogeneous nature in Central Asia to identify the distinctive aspects of the Central Asia mission strategy. This article's specification of mission strategy lies in the individual culture and ethnic-based access to a variety of strategies to be drawn to emphasize that what was done. Central Asia is a mission target area.

The pear psylla, Cacopsylla pyricola Foerster (Homoptera: Psyllidae), is a serious insect pest of commercial pear crops. The species, which resides on pear trees throughout its life cycle, is rapidly spreading in some regions of the world. Given the life cycle, it is unclear how such a rapid spread has been facilitated. Presently, the population genetic structure of the species including genetic diversity and gene flow was studied to understand the nature of dispersal and field ecology of the species. Pear psylla was collected from several pear orchards in Korea. The 658-bp region of mitochondrial COI gene and the 716-bp long complete internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA were sequenced. Unlikely other previously studied insect pests, the COI-based genetic diversity of the pear psylla was extremely low (maximum sequence divergence of 0.15%). This finding allowed us to conclude that the species may have been introduced in Korea relatively recently, possibly with the phenomenon of genetic bottlenecks. ITS2 sequence-based analyses of phylogeny, population differentiation, gene flow, and hierarchical population structure all concordantly suggested that the pear psylla populations in Korea are neither genetically isolated nor hampered for gene flow. These genetic data are concordant with the dispersal of an overwintering winterform morph outside the non-pear habitat in the fall and the possibility of subsequently longer distant dispersal.

An infiltration technique using W-Cu composite powder has been developed to enhance microstructural uniformity of W-Cu pseudo-alloy. W-Cu composite powder, manufactured by reduction from WO3 and CuO powder mixtures, were blended with W powder and then cold iso-statically pressed into a cylindrical bar under 150 MPa. The pressed samples were pre-sintered at 1300 oC for 1 hour under hydrogen to make a skeleton structure. This skeleton structure was more homogeneous than that formed by using W and Cu powder mixtures. The skeleton structures were infiltrated with Cu under hydrogen atmosphere. The infiltrated W-Cu pseudo-alloy showed homogeneous microstructure without Cu rich region.

The microstructures of Ni-containing P/M steels produced by admixed powders or diffusion alloyed powders are usually heterogeneous. To improve the microstructure homogeneity, the effects of Mo and Cr additions in the prealloyed powder form were examined. The results showed that the microstructural homogeneity was improved and superior mechanical properties were achieved with increases in the alloy content, particularly for the Cr. Such a beneficial effect was attained due to the reduction of the repelling effect between Ni and C, as was demonstrated through thermodynamic analysis using the Thermo-Calc software.

Homogeneous microstructures of the PM compacts are difficult to attain when mixed elemental powders are used. This study examined the microstructures of pressed-and-sintered and MIM products that contain Ni and Mo.Ni-rich areas, which were lean in carbon and were soft and were found easily in regular specimens. Gaps or cracks near the Ni-rich or Mo-rich areas were also frequently observed. This problem worsened when Ni and Mo particles were large and were irregular in shape. By using ball milling treatment and ferroalloy powders, the microstructure homogeneity and mechanical properties were improved. The addition of 0.5wt%Cr further improved the distribution of Ni because Cr reduced the repulsion effect between nickel and carbon. With the elimination of Ni-rich areas, more bainites and martensites were formed and mechanical properties were significantly improved.

We analyze the extinction law towards several B1V stars-members of our Galaxy, searching for possible discrepancies from the galactic average extinction curve. Our photometric data allow to build extinction curves in a very broad range: from extreme UV till infrared. Two-colour diagrams, based on the collected photometric data from the ANS UV satellite, published UBV measurements and on the infrared 2MASS data of the selected stars, are constructed. Slopes of the fitted straight lines are used to build the average extinction curve and to search for discrepant objects. The selected stars have also been observed spectroscopically from the Terskol and ESO Observatories; these spectra allow to check their Sp/L's. The spectra of only about 30% of the initially selected objects resemble closely that of HD144470, considered as the standard of B1 V type. Other spectra either show some emission features or belong clearly to another spectral types. They are not used to build the extinction curve. Two-colour diagrams, constructed for the selected B1 V stars, showing no emission stellar features, prove that the interstellar extinction law is homogeneous in the Galaxy. Both the shape of the curve and the total-to-selective extinction ratio do not differ from the galactic average and the canonical value(3.1) respectively. The circumstellar emissions usually cause some discrepancies from the average interstellar extinction law; the discrepancies observed in the extraterrestrial ultraviolet, usually follow some misclassifications.