Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yaxin Shi, Zhibin Guo, Qiang Fu, Xinyuan Shen, Zhongming Zhang, Wenjia Sun, Jinqiang Wang, Junliang Sun, Zizhu Zhang, Tong Liu, Zhen Gu, Zhibo Liu
Summary: Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a clinically approved radiotherapy that selectively deposits deadly particles within cancer cells, but its abscopal anti-tumour effect has been limited. In this study, a boron capsule was engineered to synergize BNCT with controlled immune adjuvants release, promoting a potent anti-tumour immune response. The study revealed that the nuclear reaction in the boron capsule enhances drug release and uncovered the mechanism of BNCT-induced heat on anti-tumour immunity. In preclinical cancer models, BNCT and controlled drug release led to significant regression of both primary and distant tumour grafts.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Laurens Bliek, Arthur Guijt, Rickard Karlsson, Sicco Verwer, Mathijs de Weerdt
Summary: The article highlights the lack of standardization in benchmarking surrogate algorithms on real-life, expensive, black-box objective functions. It introduces a new benchmark library called EXPObench, which provides a comprehensive comparison of six different surrogate algorithms on four expensive optimization problems from different real-life applications. The study reveals new insights on the importance of exploration, objective evaluation time, and the choice of model, and offers practical recommendations for selecting surrogate algorithms in different situations.
APPLIED SOFT COMPUTING
(2023)
Article
Biology
Yu Sanada, Takushi Takata, Hiroki Tanaka, Yoshinori Sakurai, Tsubasa Watanabe, Minoru Suzuki, Shin-ichiro Masunaga
Summary: The study revealed that hypoxia may reduce the effectiveness of boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) with BPA in murine squamous cell carcinoma cells, while disruption of Hif-1 alpha increased sensitivity to BNCT.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RADIATION BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wan-Bing Zhong, Jiang Chen, Yi-Chiao Teng, Yuan-Hao Liu
Summary: The Monte Carlo method is commonly used in boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) for dose calculation. We have developed COMPASS, a specific MC engine for BNCT dose calculation, which utilizes optimization algorithms and parallel computation to improve computational speed and efficiency compared to general-purpose MC codes.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Wellington Marcos Silva, Helio Ribeiro, Jose Jaime Taha-Tijerina
Summary: The work involved obtaining Cu-64 radioisotope from a nuclear research reactor and incorporating it into boron nitride nanotubes through a solvothermal process. Analysis using various techniques showed the formation of Cu-64 nanoparticles distributed within nanotubes. These Cu-64-BNNTs exhibited a pure photoemission peak characteristic of gamma radiation, making them ideal for PET scan image acquisition and cancer treatments, serving as excellent theranostic nanomaterials for diagnosis and therapy.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Sebastien Chabod, Julien Giraud, Marine Herve, Daniel Santos, Nadine Sauzet
Summary: This study proposes a method using topology optimization algorithm and advanced Monte-Carlo transport code to optimize neutron moderator design. Through the application of this method, the generated neutron moderators have compact structures and successfully limit the exposure of patient's healthy tissues to levels below recommended limits.
PHYSICS IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Shoji Imamichi, Lichao Chen, Tasuku Ito, Ying Tong, Takae Onodera, Yuka Sasaki, Satoshi Nakamura, PierLuigi Mauri, Yu Sanada, Hiroshi Igaki, Yasufumi Murakami, Minoru Suzuki, Jun Itami, Shinichiro Masunaga, Mitsuko Masutani
Summary: This study investigated whether high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) could serve as a potential biomarker for evaluating the therapeutic response during boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). The results showed that there was an increased release of extracellular HMGB1 in cancer cells 24 hours after BNCT irradiation, compared to gamma-ray irradiation. High levels of plasma HMGB1 were also detected in a xenograft mouse model at 3 days post-BNCT irradiation, even when the size of the tumor decreased. These findings suggest that HMGB1 could be a potential biomarker for evaluating the therapeutic efficacy of BNCT.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Chloe Sole, Andy Buffler, Tanya Hutton, Tom Leadbeater, Richard Babut, Vincent Gressier, Michael Petit
Summary: The application of CAEN DT5730 digitizer unit for fast neutron metrology is investigated. By comparing with an analog system, the suitability of the digital system for fast neutron measurements is demonstrated.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON NUCLEAR SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Nuclear Science & Technology
Mariko Segawa, Yosuke Toh, Tetsuya Kai, Atsushi Kimura, Shoji Nakamura
Summary: This study experimentally estimated the effects on sealed radioactive samples and found that shape effects should be corrected for obtaining accurate experimental results. It was revealed that energy-resolved neutron imaging can effectively improve analytical accuracy.
ANNALS OF NUCLEAR ENERGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Athanasios Stamatopoulos, Artem Matyskin, Paul Koehler, Aaron Couture, Brad DiGiovine, Veronika Mocko, Gencho Rusev, John Ullmann, Christian Vermeulen
Summary: The Los Alamos Neutron Science Center is developing a new technique and instrument called DICER to measure neutron capture cross sections for radionuclides. This instrument aims to provide crucial data on neutron capture cross sections for various applications, relying on the fabrication of radioactive samples.
JOURNAL OF RADIOANALYTICAL AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Timothy D. Malouff, Danushka S. Seneviratne, Daniel K. Ebner, William C. Stross, Mark R. Waddle, Daniel M. Trifiletti, Sunil Krishnan
Summary: Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is an emerging treatment modality that utilizes boron-10 to target tumors and has shown promising results in various cancer types in clinical studies.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Amirreza Mottafegh, Gwang-Noh Ahn, Dong-Pyo Kim
Summary: In this work, we propose a meta optimization (MO) approach for selecting the optimal surrogate model by evaluating the expected values obtained by the regressor used to build each surrogate model in real-time. This approach enables efficient optimization of reaction conditions in microflow-based organic synthesis.
Article
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Florian Hase, Matteo Aldeghi, Riley J. Hickman, Loic M. Roch, Melodie Christensen, Elena Liles, Jason E. Hein, Alan Aspuru-Guzik
Summary: Research challenges in various fields can often be addressed as optimization tasks, with recent growth in laboratory digitization and automation in chemistry and materials science sparking interest in optimization-guided autonomous discovery. However, identifying the most suitable experiment planning strategy for scientific discovery tasks is often unknown, and benchmarking optimization algorithms on synthetic low-dimensional functions may not accurately represent performance in higher-dimensional experimental tasks in these fields. The introduction of the software package Olympus aims to provide a framework for benchmarking optimization algorithms against realistic experiments, facilitating data sharing and standard evaluation of experiment planning strategies.
MACHINE LEARNING-SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
S. Q. Yan, X. Y. Li, K. Nishio, M. Lugaro, Z. H. Li, H. Makii, M. Pignatari, Y. B. Wang, R. Orlandi, K. Hirose, K. Tsukada, P. Mohr, G. S. Li, J. G. Wang, B. S. Gao, Y. L. Han, B. Guo, Y. J. Li, Y. P. Shen, T. K. Sato, Y. Ito, F. Suzaki, J. Su, Y. Y. Yang, J. S. Wang, J. B. Ma, P. Ma, Z. Bai, S. W. Xu, J. Ren, Q. W. Fan, S. Zeng, Z. Y. Han, W. Nan, W. K. Nan, C. Chen, G. Lian, Q. Hu, F. F. Duan, S. Y. Jin, X. D. Tang, W. P. Liu
Summary: In this study, the Fe-59(n,gamma)Fe-60 cross sections were experimentally determined using the surrogate ratio method for the first time, yielding values roughly 10%-20% higher than previous estimates. The analysis showed that uncertainties in stellar physics play a major role in the accurate evaluation of Fe-60 production, with uncertainties in the Fe-59(n,gamma)Fe-60 rate being at most 25%.
ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
T. X. Huang, X. H. Wu, P. W. Zhao
Summary: This article presents the first application of machine-learning and kernel ridge regression (KRR) in studying neutron-capture reactions' cross-sections. The KRR approach effectively reduces the relative errors between experimental data and theoretical predictions, achieving high accuracy in cross-section determination.
COMMUNICATIONS IN THEORETICAL PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Physics, Nuclear
F. Naqvi, S. Karampagia, A. Spyrou, S. N. Liddick, A. C. Dombos, D. L. Bleuel, B. A. Brown, L. Crespo Campo, A. Couture, B. Crider, T. Ginter, M. Guttormsen, A. C. Larsen, R. Lewis, P. Moller, S. Mosby, G. Perdikakis, C. Prokop, T. Renstrom, S. Siem
Summary: This paper reports the first beta-decay study of 74,75Cu isotopes using total absorption spectroscopy, providing insights into heavy element nucleosynthesis and the role of nuclei in the astrophysical r-process.
Article
Instruments & Instrumentation
L. Msebi, V. W. Ingeberg, P. Jones, J. F. Sharpey-Schafer, A. A. Avaa, T. D. Bucher, C. P. Brits, M. Chisapi, D. J. C. Kenfack, E. A. Lawrie, K. L. Malatji, B. Maqabuka, L. Makhathini, S. P. Noncolela, J. Ndayishimye, A. Netshiya, O. Shrinda, M. Wiedeking, B. R. Zikhali
Summary: This study evaluates the performance of LaBr3:Ce detectors when used in conjunction with a digital pulse processing module and electronic read-out module, through the use of radioactive sources and in-beam experiments.
NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH SECTION A-ACCELERATORS SPECTROMETERS DETECTORS AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT
(2022)
Article
International Relations
Andrew W. Reddie, Bethany L. Goldblum
Summary: This article introduces an experimental wargaming platform to quantify the effect of tailored nuclear capabilities on the nuclear threshold. The study finds that the presence of tailored nuclear capabilities increases the likelihood of conflict escalation, but this trend diminishes in the wargaming context.
JOURNAL OF PEACE RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Physics, Nuclear
D. Mucher, A. Spyrou, M. Wiedeking, M. Guttormsen, A. C. Larsen, F. Zeiser, C. Harris, A. L. Richard, M. K. Smith, A. Gorgen, S. N. Liddick, S. Siem, H. C. Berg, J. A. Clark, P. A. DeYoung, A. C. Dombos, B. Greaves, L. Hicks, R. Kelmar, S. Lyons, J. Owens-Fryar, A. Palmisano, D. Santiago-Gonzalez, G. Savard, W. W. Von Seeger
Summary: In this study, a new experimental method combining the shape method and the beta-Oslo technique is developed to measure the nuclear level density (NLD) of short-lived nuclei. The results show a fivefold increase in the NLD for the Kr-88 nucleus compared to theoretical values, with significant implications in astrophysics and other applications.
Article
Physics, Nuclear
A. Bahini, R. Neveling, P. von Neumann-Cosel, J. Carter, I. T. Usman, P. Adsley, N. Botha, J. W. Brummer, L. M. Donaldson, S. Jongile, T. C. Khumalo, M. B. Latif, K. C. W. Li, P. Z. Mabika, P. T. Molema, C. S. Moodley, S. D. Olorunfunmi, P. Papka, L. Pellegri, B. Rebeiro, E. Sideras-Haddad, F. D. Smit, S. Triambak, M. Wiedeking, J. J. van Zyl
Summary: An independent investigation of the isoscalar giant monopole (IS0) strength distributions in nuclei was performed using the 0 degrees facility at iThemba Laboratory for Accelerator Based Sciences (iThemba LABS), South Africa to understand differences observed in previous experiments. The results showed structural differences in the IS0 strength distributions of 90Zr and 208Pb, which may affect the determination of nuclear matter incompressibility based on the IS0 centroid energies of these two nuclei.
Article
Physics, Particles & Fields
E. J. Callaghan, B. L. Goldblum, J. A. Brown, T. A. Laplace, J. J. Manfredi, M. Yeh, G. D. Orebi Gann
Summary: This study presents the first measurement of the proton light yield of a water-based liquid scintillator (WbLS) and a pure LAB + 2 g/L 2,5-diphenyloxazole (PPO) mixture (LABPPO). The proton light yields were measured using a double time-of-flight method and a pulsed neutron beam. The results show that the proton light yield of WbLS is approximately 3.8% lower than that of LABPPO, which itself exhibits a relative proton light yield 15-20% higher than previous measurements of a similar sample.
EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL C
(2023)
Article
Operations Research & Management Science
Joshua Letchford, Laura Epifanovskaya, Kiran Lakkaraju, Mika Armenta, Andrew Reddie, Bethany L. Goldblum, Jon Whetzel, Jason Reinhardt, Vamshi Balanaga, Andrew Chen, Nathan Fabian, Sheryl Hingorani, Roshni Iyer, Roshan Krishnan, Sarah Laderman, Manseok Lee, Janani Mohan, Michael Nacht, Soravis Prakkamaku, Matthew Sumner, Jake Tibbetts, Allie Valdez, Charlie Zhang
Summary: Wargames are a valuable tool in military and strategic research, but traditional approaches may lack rigorous data collection. Experimental wargaming, such as the SIGNAL game, combines experimental design principles to explore fundamental research questions about human behavior in conflict scenarios. SIGNAL has been played hundreds of times by thousands of players, creating a substantial database for academic purposes.
MILITARY OPERATIONS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Physics, Nuclear
V. W. Ingeberg, P. Jones, L. Msebi, S. Siem, M. Wiedeking, A. A. Avaa, M. V. Chisapi, E. A. Lawrie, K. L. Malatji, L. Makhathini, S. P. Noncolela, O. Shirinda
Summary: This study investigates the nuclear level density (NLD) and gamma-ray strength function (gamma SF) of 63Ni using the Oslo method. The results are compared with previous measurements and neutron resonance spacing. The study finds a strong low-energy enhancement in the gamma SF, which can be explained by M1 strength based on large-scale shell model calculations. Additionally, systematic changes in the strength below 5 MeV are observed with increasing mass in various Ni isotopes.
Article
Physics, Nuclear
M. Markova, A. C. Larsen, P. Von Neumann-Cosel, S. Bassauer, A. Goergen, M. Guttormsen, F. L. Bello Garrote, H. C. Berg, M. M. Bjoroen, T. K. Eriksen, D. Gjestvang, J. Isaak, M. Mbabane, W. Paulsen, L. G. Pedersen, N. I. J. Pettersen, A. Richter, E. Sahin, P. Scholz, S. Siem, G. M. Tveten, V. M. Valsdottir, M. Wiedeking
Summary: In this study, nuclear level densities (NLDs) and gamma-ray strength functions (GSFs) of 120,124Sn were extracted using the Oslo method. The functional forms of the GSFs and NLDs were further constrained using the Shape method. The experimental results show good agreement with previous measurements for other isotopes.
Article
Physics, Nuclear
M. Guttormsen, K. O. Ay, M. Ozgur, E. Algin, A. C. Larsen, F. L. Bello Garrote, H. C. Berg, L. Crespo Campo, T. Dahl-Jacobsen, F. W. Furmyr, D. Gjestvang, A. Gorgen, T. W. Hagen, V. W. Ingeberg, B. Kheswa, I. K. B. Kullmann, M. Klintefjord, M. Markova, J. E. Midtbo, V Modamio, W. Paulsen, L. G. Pedersen, T. Renstrom, E. Sahin, S. Siem, G. M. Tveten, M. Wiedeking
Summary: The experimental gamma-ray strength functions of Nd-142, Nd-144-151 have been studied, and the results indicate a unique set of gamma SFs for an isotopic chain with increasing nuclear deformation. The study reveals the evolution of low-energy enhancement, scissors mode, and pygmy dipole resonance with nuclear deformation and mass number.
Article
Physics, Nuclear
C. G. Wang, R. Han, C. Xu, H. Hua, R. A. Bark, S. Q. Zhang, S. Y. Wang, T. M. Shneidman, S. G. Zhou, J. Meng, S. M. Wyngaardt, A. C. Dai, F. R. Xu, X. Q. Li, Z. H. Li, Y. L. Ye, D. X. Jiang, C. G. Li, C. Y. Niu, Z. Q. Chen, H. Y. Wu, D. W. Luo, S. Wang, D. P. Sun, C. Liu, Z. Q. Li, N. B. Zhang, R. J. Guo, P. Jones, E. A. Lawrie, J. J. Lawrie, J. F. Sharpey-Schafer, M. Wiedeking, S. N. T. Majola, T. D. Bucher, T. Dinoko, B. Maqabuka, L. Makhathini, L. Mdletshe, O. Shirinda, K. Sowazi
Summary: The spectroscopy of Ge-71 was investigated and the first experimental evidence of an octupole rotational band in Ge isotopes was found, suggesting enhanced octupole correlation around N = 40 in the A approximate to 70 region.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Thibault A. Laplace, Bethany L. Goldblu, Joshua A. Brown, Glenn LeBlanc, Tianyue Li, Juan J. Manfredi, Erik Brubaker
Summary: This study evaluates the light yield data of protons and carbon ions in organic scintillators using ionization quenching models. The results show that the existing models can reasonably describe the light yield of protons within a specific energy range, but additional research is needed for carbon ions. This study is important for accurately modeling scintillator-based neutron detection systems.
MATERIALS ADVANCES
(2022)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Karolina Kolos, Vladimir Sobes, Ramona Vogt, Catherine E. Romano, Michael S. Smith, Lee A. Bernstein, David A. Brown, Mary T. Burkey, Yaron Danon, Mohamed A. Elsawi, Bethany L. Goldblum, Lawrence H. Heilbronn, Susan L. Hogle, Jesson Hutchinson, Ben Loer, Elizabeth A. McCutchan, Matthew R. Mumpower, Ellen M. O'Brien, Catherine Percher, Patrick N. Peplowski, Jennifer J. Ressler, Nicolas Schunck, Nicholas W. Thompson, Andrew S. Voyles, William Wieselquist, Michael Zerkle
Summary: Accurate nuclear data is crucial for advances in various fields, and outdated or incomplete data can hinder progress and compromise safety. Collaboration across organizations and international borders is essential in addressing the shared needs for nuclear data.
PHYSICAL REVIEW RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Physics, Nuclear
C. S. Reingold, A. Simon, R. O. Hughes, J. T. Harke, K. A. Chipps, S. Burcher, D. T. Blankstien, J. A. Cizewski, N. Cooper, M. Hall, S. Ota, B. Schroeder, S. Upadhyayula
Summary: When a highly excited nucleus in a high-spin state cannot conserve angular momentum through neutron emission, it undergoes de-excitation via gamma-ray emission instead. The spin inhibition phenomenon provides insights into the compound nucleus structure and the distribution of spin states in compound nuclear reactions.
Article
Physics, Nuclear
K. C. W. Li, P. Adsley, R. Neveling, P. Papka, F. D. Smit, E. Nikolskii, J. W. Brummer, L. M. Donaldson, M. Freer, M. N. Harakeh, F. Nemulodi, L. Pellegri, V Pesudo, M. Wiedeking, E. Z. Buthelezi, V Chudoba, S. Fortsch, P. Jones, M. Kamil, J. P. Mira, G. G. O'Neill, E. Sideras-Haddad, B. Singh, S. Siem, G. F. Steyn, J. A. Swartz, I. T. Usman, J. J. van Zyl
Summary: This study confirms the existence of additional monopole strength at around 9 MeV in C-12, which cannot be explained by existing models. The results suggest the presence of a new breathing-mode excitation in the Hoyle state.
