• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.502-522
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• 2022

Clay minerals are natural materials that show widespread applications in various branches of science, including environmental sciences, in particular the remediation of water contaminated with various water pollutants. Modified clays and minerals have attracted the attention of researchers in the recent past since the modified materials are seemingly more useful and efficient for removing emerging water contaminants. Therefore, modified engineered materials having multi-functionalities have received greater interest from researchers. The advanced clay-based materials are highly effective in the remediation of water contaminated with organic and inorganic contaminants, and these materials show enhanced selectivity towards the specific pollutants. The review inherently discusses various methods employed in the modification of clays and addresses the challenges in synthesizing the advanced engineered materials precursor to natural clay minerals. The changes in physical and chemical properties, as investigated by various characterization techniques before and after the modifications, are broadly explained. Further, the implications of these materials for the decontamination of waterbodies as contaminated with potential water pollutants are extensively discussed. Additionally, the insights involved in the removal of organic and inorganic pollutants are discussed in the review. Furthermore, the future perspectives and specific challenges in the scaling up of the treatment methods in technology development are included in this communication.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.415-426
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• 2022

Nickel substituted cobalt-zinc ferrite nanoparticles with composition Co_0.5Zn_0.5Ni_xFe_2-xO₄ (x = 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0) were synthesized using a wet chemical method named citrate precursor method. Various characterizations of the prepared nanoferrites were done using X-ray powder diffractometry (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV visible spectroscopy and Fourier transform spectroscopy technique (FT-IR). XRD confirmed the formation of cubic spinel structure of the samples with single phase having one characteristic peak at (311). The value of optical band gap (E_g) was found to decrease with Ni substitution and have values in the range 2.30eV to 1.69eV. A Fenton-type system was created by photocatalytic activity using source of visible light for removal of methylene blue dye. Observations revealed increase in the degradation of methylene blue dye with increasing nickel content in the samples. The degradation percentage was increased from 77.32% for x = 0.25 to 90.16% for x = 1.0 in one hour under the irradiation of visible light. Also, the degradation process was found to have pseudo first order kinetics model. Hence, it can be observed that synthesized nickel doped cobalt-zinc ferrites have good capability for water purification and its degradation efficiency enhanced with increase in nickel concentration.

• Clinical Pain
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.129-132
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• 2020

Fracture is uncommon cause of lymphedema. The mechanism of lymphedema progression is still unknown, but disruption of the lymphatic system during and after fracture might be involved. In contrast, breast cancer surgery is a common cause of lymphedema and is usually caused by the removal of axillary lymph nodes. Sentinel node biopsy (SNB) has been adopted in early breast cancer to reduce the risk of lymphedema. Thus, the incidence of lymphedema in SNB was lowered. However, less than 10% of SNB patients are still diagnosed with lymphedema, but it is known that it took years to diagnose. Recently, we encountered atypical lymphedema occurred after breast cancer surgery with SNB. Symptoms started earlier than usual and were more severe. Interestingly, she has a history of a proximal radial fracture on the same side of SNB. We thought there could be a relationship between the acceleration of breast cancer-related lymphedema and fracture.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.205-224
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• 2023

The emission of off-gas streams from used fuel recycling is a concern in nuclear energy usage as they contain radioactive compounds, such as, ³H, ¹⁴C, ⁸⁵Kr, ¹³¹I, and ¹²⁹I that can be harmful to human health and environment. Radioactive iodine, ¹²⁹I, is particularly troublesome as it has a half-life of more than 15 million years and is prone to accumulate in human thyroid glands. Organic iodides are hazardous even at very low concentrations, and hence the capture of ¹²⁹I is extremely important. Dynamic adsorption experiments were conducted to determine the efficiency of sodium mordenite, partially exchanged silver mordenite, and fully exchanged silver mordenite for the removal of methyl iodide present at parts per billion concentrations in a simulated off-gas stream. Kinetic analysis of the system was conducted incorporating the effects of diffusion and mass transfer. The possible reaction mechanism is postulated and the order of the reaction and the values of the rate constants were determined from the experimental data. Adsorbent characterization is performed to investigate the nature of the adsorbent before and after iodine loading. This paper will offer a comprehensive understanding of the methyl iodide behavior when in contact with the mordenites.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.8
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• pp.2835-2843
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• 2023

After an emergency shutdown of a lead-bismuth fast reactor, thermal stratification occurs in the upper Plenum, which negatively impacts the integrity of the reactor structure and the residual heat removal capacity of natural circulation flow. The research on thermal stratification of reactors has mainly been conducted using an experimental method, a system program, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). However, the equipment required for the experimental method is expensive, accuracy of the system program is unpredictable, and resources and time required for the CFD approach are extensive. To overcome the defects of thermal stratification analysis, a high-precision full-order thermal stratification model based on CFD technology is prepared in this study. Furthermore, a reduced-order model has been developed by combining proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) with Galerkin projection. A comparative analysis of thermal stratification with the proposed full-order model reveals that the reduced-order thermal stratification model can well simulate the temperature distribution in the upper plenum and rapidly elucidate the thermal stratification interface characteristics during the lead-bismuth fast reactor accident. Overall, this study provides an analytical tool for determining the thermal stratification mechanism and reducing thermal stratification.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.655-665
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• 2024

The objective of the present experimental study is to investigate the effect of inlet throttling on the thermohydraulic stability of a large scale water-based Reactor Cavity Cooling System (RCCS). The test was performed using the water-based Natural convection Shutdown heat removal Test Facility (NSTF) at Argonne, which represented a ½ axial scale and 12.5° sector slice of the full scale Framatome 625 MW_t SC-HTGR RCCS concept. A two-phase steady state was first established through direct condensate refill, followed by increased inlet throttling over 10 stages, corresponding to a loss coefficient K over the range of 0.05-653. With the inlet throttling gradually increased, the system experienced a unique transition process between stabilization and destabilization. Through a stability analysis, three instability mechanisms were identified in the present test, including a compound mechanism due to both natural circulation oscillations (NCOs) and density wave oscillations (DWOs), Type-II DWOs, and geysering.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.1035-1043
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• 2007

A leachate containing an elevated concentration of organic and inorganic compounds has the potential to contaminate adjacent soils and groundwater as well as downgradient areas of the watershed. Moreover high-strength ammonium concentrations in leachate can be toxic to aquatic ecological systems as well as consuming dissolved oxygen, due to ammonium oxidation, and thereby causing eutrophication of the watershed. In response to these concerns landfill stabilization and leachate treatment are required to reduce contaminant loading sand minimize effects on the environment. Compared with other treatment technologies, leachate recirculation technology is most effective for the pre-treatment of leachate and the acceleration of waste stabilization processes in a landfill. However, leachate recirculation that accelerates the decomposition of readily degradable organic matter might also be generating high-strength ammonium in the leachate. Since most landfill leachate having high concentrations of nitrogen also contain insufficient quantities of the organic carbon required for complete denitrification, we combined a shortcut biological nitrogen removal (SBNR) technology in order to solve the problem associated with the inability to denitrify the oxidized ammonium due to the lack of carbon sources. The accumulation of nitrite was successfully achieved at a 0.8 ratio of $NO_2^{-}-N/NO_x-N$ in an on-site reactor of the sequencing batch reactor (SBR) type that had operated for six hours in an aeration phase. The $NO_x$-N ratio in leachate produced following SBR treatment was reduced in the landfill and the denitrification mechanism is implied sulfur-based autotrophic denitrification and/or heterotrophic denitrification. The combined leachate recirculation with SBNR proved an effective technology for landfill stabilization and nitrogen removal in leachate.

• Proceedings of the Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute Conference
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• 1999.04a
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• pp.5-5
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• 1999

The Principal deficiency of the existing notion about the sintering-mixtures consists in the fact that almost no attention is focused on the Phenomenon of alloy formation during sintering, its connection with dimensional changes of powder bodies, and no correct ideas on the driving force for the sintering process in the stage of establishing chemical equilibrium in a system are available as well. Another disadvantage of the classical sintering theory is an erroneous conception on the dissolution mechanism of solid in liquid. The two-particle model widely used in the literature to describe the sintering phenomenon in solid state disregards the nature of the neighbouring surrounding particles, the presence of pores between them, and the rise of so called arch effect. In this presentation, new basic scientific principles of the driving forces for the sintering process of a two-component powder body, of a diffusion mechanism of the interaction between solid and liquid phases, of stresses and deformation arising in the diffusion zone have been developed. The major driving force for sintering the mixture from components capable of forming solid solutions and intermetallic compounds is attributed to the alloy formation rather than the reduction of the free surface area until the chemical equilibrium is achieved in a system. The lecture considers a multiparticle model of the mixed powder-body and the nature of its volume changes during solid-state and liquid-phase sintering. It explains the discovered S-and V-type concentration dependencies of the change in the compact volume during solid-state sintering. It is supposed in the literature that the dissolution of solid in liquid is realised due to the removal of atoms from the surface of the solid phase into the melt and then their diffusicn transfer from the solid-liquid interface into the bulk of liquid. It has been shown in our experimental studies that the mechanism of the interaction between two components, one of them being liquid, consist in diffusion of the solvent atoms from the liquid into the solid phase until the concentration of solid solutions or an intermetallic compound in the surface layer enables them to pass into the liquid by means of melting. The lecture discusses peculimities of liquid phase formation in systems with intermediate compounds and the role of the liquid phase in bringing about the exothermic effect. At the frist stage of liquid phase sintering the diffusion of atoms from the melt into the solid causes the powder body to grow. At the second stage the diminution of particles in size as a result of their dissolution in the liquid draws their centres closer to each other and makes the compact to shrink Analytical equations were derived to describe quantitatively the porosity and volume changes of compacts as a result of alloy formation during liquid phase sinteIing. Selection criteria for an additive, its concentration and the temperature regime of sintering to control the density the structure of sintered alloys are given.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2001

Golden hamsters show the reproductive activity that is determined by the photoperiod (length of light per day). Photoperiod is an environmental factor that is predictable through an entire year. The hamsters are sexually active in summer during which day length exceeds night time. The critical length is at least 12.5 hours of light in a day where reproductive function is maintained. The information of photoperiod is mediated by the pineal gland because removal of pineal gland blocks the influence of photoperiod on reproductive activity. The hamsters without pineal gland maintain sexual activity and promote it in a situation that suppresses gonadal activity. The pineal gland secretes melatonin that reflects the photoperiod. The appropriate administrations of melatonin into both pineal intact and pinealectomized hamsters lead to a gonadal reression. The results suggest that melatonin constitutes a part of control mechanism whereby environmental information is transduced to neuroendocrine signal respensible for the functional integrity of the reproductive system. Despite of the intense studies, the action site of melatonin is on the whole unknown. It is mainly due to the lack of acute efffct of melatonin on the secretion of reproductive hormones. However, sexually regressed animals display the low levelsof gonadotropins and the augmentation of the hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) content, implying that the antigonadotropic effects either by photoperiod and/or by the treatment of melatonin are mediated by the GnRH neuronal system. The action mechanism by which melatonin exerts its effect on GnRH neuron needs to be investigated. Recent cloning of melatonin receptor will contribute to examine various and putative potencies of melatonin via its anatomical identification and the action mechanism of melatonin on target tissues at the molecular level.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.39-46
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• 2000

Objective: A number of studies to improve in vitro culture conditions have been tried over past ten years by using co-culture system with helper somatic cells. However, the mechanism of coculture is poorly understood. This study was designed to understand the mechanism for the mode of actual action of co-culture using co-culture system of ICR strain's 1-cell embryos with human oviduct epithelial cells by examining the effect of conditioned medium and contactless coculture using a cell culture insert on the embryo development and by measuring the level of superoxide anion from conditioned medium after co-culture. Methods: ICR strain's zygote embryos were cultured in medium alone (control), coculture, conditioned medium, or contactless coculture system for 6 days. Conditioned media (CM) were prepared as following 5 groups. All CM were collected after culturing oviduct cells for 2 days. CM-1 was stored at $-20^{\circ}C$ until use, and CM-2 was prepared just before use as a culture medium. CM-3 was cocultured with embryos and retrieved just before use. CM-4 and CM-5 were derives from the microfilteration of CM-2 and CM-3, respectively, using Microcon-10 (10 kDa molecular weight cut-off). The percentage of the embryos developed to hatched blastocyst stage and the level of superoxide anion in supernatant from medium alone culture (control), coculture, and contactless coculture were measured. Results: The rates of embryo development to the hatched blastocyst stage were significantly higher in coculture (43%) than in control (0%) (p<0.05). The CM-1 group had no embryo development since 2-cell embryonic stage, whereas the CM-2, CM-3, CM-4 and CM-5 groups had the improved development to 4 or 8 cell embryo stage, but the similar rate of development to hatched blastocyst compared to control. The effect of coculture on embryo development was disappeared in the contactless coculture group. The level of superoxide anion was significantly reduced in coculture group compared to control. Conclusion: It is concluded that the present coculture system overcomes the 2-cell block in vitro and improves the embryo development. This beneficial effect may be due to the direct cell-cell contact between embryo and helper cells or the removal of deleterious components from medium rather than the embryotrophic factors.