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The cross section of 85Rb(n,2n)84mRb and 85Rb(n,p)85mKr reactions were measured at neutron energy range 12–20 MeV using activation analysis followed by off-line γ-ray spectroscopic technique. The quasi mono-energetic neutrons were produced through 7Li(p,n)7Be reaction. The measurements were done relative to 27Al(n,α)24Na reference monitor reaction cross section. The detailed uncertainty propagation from the attributes present in measurements was performed using covariance analysis. The γ-ray self-attenuation and background low neutron energy corrections were performed in the measurement studies. Theoretical calculations were performed by TALYS-1.96 nuclear code. The comparison of measured values with the available data in EXFOR database and evaluated data from JENDL-5 and EAF-2010 shows the measured cross section values of 85Rb(n,p)85mKr reaction were slightly higher than the published values, evaluated data and theoretical data while for 85Rb(n,2n)84mRb, the measured values were consistent with the published data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent experimental investigations have demonstrated that a substantial amount of H−/D− ions can be formed by thermal desorption processes. Based on these new findings, new mini axial and coaxial-type neutron tubes have been developed for the production of high or low-energy neutrons via the d-d, d-10B, d-7Li or p-7Li nuclear reactions. By operating these mini neutron tubes with a high frequency AC high-voltage supply, short pulses of high intensity neutron beams can be generated. Multiple applications, such as carbon and well logging, neutron imaging, cancer therapy, medical isotope production, fission reactor start-up, fusion reactor material evaluation, homeland security and space exploration can be performed with the subcompact neutron generator system. It is shown that the performance of these new mini neutron tubes can exceed those of the conventional plasma-based neutron sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sleep loss impacts a broad range of brain and cognitive functions. However, how sleep deprivation affects risky decision‐making remains inconclusive. This study used functional MRI to examine the impact of one night of total sleep deprivation (TSD) on risky decision‐making behavior and the underlying brain responses in healthy adults. In this study, we analyzed data from N = 56 participants in a strictly controlled 5‐day and 4‐night in‐laboratory study using a modified Balloon Analogue Risk Task. Participants completed two scan sessions in counter‐balanced order, including one scan during rested wakefulness (RW) and another scan after one night of TSD. Results showed no differences in participants' risk‐taking propensity and risk‐induced activation between RW and TSD. However, participants showed significantly reduced neural activity in the anterior cingulate cortex and bilateral insula for loss outcomes, and in bilateral putamen for win outcomes during TSD compared with RW. Moreover, risk‐induced activation in the insula negatively correlated with participants' risk‐taking propensity during RW, while no such correlations were observed after TSD. These findings suggest that sleep loss may impact risky decision‐making by attenuating neural responses to decision outcomes and impairing brain‐behavior associations. Previous studies have suggested that sleep loss affects various neurobehavioral functions including decision‐making. However, the impact of sleep deprivation on risky decision‐making remains controversial. This study examined the impact of total sleep deprivation on risky decision‐making in the brain through a modified Balloon Analogue Risk Task. Results demonstrate that sleep loss may impact risky decision‐making by attenuating the brain's responses to the decision outcomes and impairing the relationship between brain and behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activation method of metallic foils is an important technique to measure the flux and energy of proton beams. In this paper, the method was used to measure the CSNS APEP proton flux at seven nominal proton energies ranging from 10 MeV to 70 MeV for beam spot sizes of the 20 mm × 20 mm and 50 mm × 50 mm. The reactions of natTi(p, x)48V, natNi(p, x)57Ni, natCu(p, x)58Co, and 27Al(p, x)24Na were employed to measure the proton beam flux with a range of 107-109 p/cm2/s. Furthermore, we also proposed a method using the activity ratio with a stacked-foil target to determine the energy spread of a Gaussian-like distribution for different nominal proton energies. The optimal combinations of Al, Cu, Ti, Ni, Mo, Fe, Nb, and In foils were adopted for the proton energies. The measured energy spreads for degraded beams of 30 MeV–70 MeV were found to be smaller than 10.00%.

The shear behavior of large-scale weak intercalation shear zones (WISZs) often governs the stability of foundations, rock slopes, and underground structures. However, due to their wide distribution, undulating morphology, complex fabrics, and varying degrees of contact states, characterizing the shear behavior of natural and complex large-scale WISZs precisely is challenging. This study proposes an analytical method to address this issue, based on geological fieldwork and relevant experimental results. The analytical method utilizes the random field theory and Kriging interpolation technique to simplify the spatial uncertainties of the structural and fabric features for WISZs into the spatial correlation and variability of their mechanical parameters. The Kriging conditional random field of the friction angle of WISZs is embedded in the discrete element software 3DEC, enabling activation analysis of WISZ C2 in the underground caverns of the Baihetan hydropower station. The results indicate that the activation scope of WISZ C2 induced by the excavation of underground caverns is approximately 0.5–1 times the main powerhouse span, showing local activation. Furthermore, the overall safety factor of WISZ C2 follows a normal distribution with an average value of 3.697.

Submillimetre uraninite fragments are embedded in anthraxolite, oil-derived bitumen found in Permian rocks of the Vrchlabí formation (Czech Republic). The radiogenic system appears unaltered as indicated by the elemental and lead isotopic composition of uraninite. Low compositional variances in uraninite indicate protective properties of the bitumen envelope. The highly radiogenic composition of lead in uraninite allows dating by the SEM/EDX based chemical method, which confirms the Permian age of the mineralization. The studied association is considered to be a prospective natural analogue of long-term geological disposal of actinide-bearing bituminized radioactive waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar has a beneficial impact on agricultural prosperity, according to numerous studies, and the key dispute presently is how to maximize that impact. Biochar oxidation is well‐known as one of the accepted methods for increasing biochar efficiency. However, due to contradictory data presented in studies and because biochar is derived from diverse oxidation procedures, as well as, the lack of an analytical comparison between different methods, oxidation data sets require a thorough assessment that can be covered by meta‐analysis. In this study, the effects of the five most common oxidation methods in the literature, namely oxidation by acids, alkaline, metal oxides, physical, and natural oxidation, on the cation exchange capacity (CEC), micro‐pores (MP), specific surface area (SSA), and oxygen‐content functional groups (OFGs) of biochar, were meta‐analyzed. When pyrolysis conditions varied, the efficiency of various operations was also addressed. The most efficient method was acidic oxidation, which increased CEC, SSA, MP, and OFGs by 46%, 43%, 55%, and 72%, respectively. Additionally, increasing the pyrolysis temperature above 550°C is critical for lowering OFGs, which has an impact on biochar sorption characteristics. According to the findings, biochar oxidation (post‐pyrolysis) is important since it creates more oxide ions on the surface area than feedstock oxidation (pre‐pyrolysis). Due to their high inorganic nutrient content, crop residues such as rice husk, maize stalk, and rapeseed stem, which were classed in the intermediate group in this study, are promising feedstocks for synthesizing biochars with high SSA, MP, and CEC. Overall, when compared to other approaches, the acidic process significantly improves the surface properties of biochar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fast neutron activation analysis has been applied to bulk carbon detection. DT-neutron generator emitting 14.1 MeV neutrons was used as a neutron source. Prompt 4.44 MeV gammas from the inelastic neutron scattering on carbon were detected using a 30% HPGe semiconductor gamma spectrometer shielded from the primary neutron beam. The sensitivity of the experimental setup is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A protective covering is often required for neutron depth profiling (NDP) measurements of sensitive materials (e.g., Li-ion batteries). Addition of this layer can increase NDP profile energy broadening and depth assignment uncertainty. This study evaluates the magnitude of these effects when polyimide films of variable thicknesses are placed over Li-rich solids. Key results include a modeled increase in cold neutron beam attenuation with increased film thickness, a methodology for estimating profile energy broadening using a sigmoidal function, and, when using a thick layer, that the broadening will add uncertainity to the zero-depth position and depth scale assignment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A three-dimensional model of the NuScale Power Module™ is developed for the Serpent Monte-Carlo code. • Burn-up calculations are performed to obtain an equilibrium core. • Activation analysis of metallic components in the core region is performed. • Energy-equivalent volumes of long-lived intermediate-level decommissioning waste are calculated. • Technically, decommissioning waste from the NuScale Power Module™ would be suitable for the Swedish waste management system. Recently, several countries, including Sweden, have begun investigating the deployment of Small Modular Reactors. Licensing documentation for new reactors must include (preliminary) waste management and decommissioning plans. For light water reactors, the majority of the long-lived radioactive waste from their decommissioning consists of neutron-activated metallic components in the core region, the reactor internals and the reactor pressure vessel. Usually, this waste is planned to be disposed of in geological repositories, and the long-term safety after closure of Sweden's operating and planned repositories is mainly determined by their inventory of the long-lived radioisotopes C-14, Ni-59, and Ni-63. In this study, a three-dimensional model of NuScale's Power Module™, a light-water small modular reactor, was created using Serpent 2, a multi-purpose three-dimensional continuous-energy neutron and photon transport code. The model consists of the nuclear core and surrounding metallic components. Based on burn-up calculations, the neutron flux in the equilibrium core was obtained. From the neutron flux, the cumulative concentrations for a range of relevant short- and long-lived radioisotopes were calculated in the metallic structures in the core region after 60 years of operation. The average specific activity of the selected radionuclides in the different components of the NuScale Power Module was calculated and compared to the activities in existing or anticipated decommissioning waste from Swedish reactors to evaluate the suitability of the Power Module's decommissioning waste for the Swedish waste management system. This study indicates that a single NuScale Power Module™ could generate between 1.08 and 2.13 m3 metallic LL-ILW/ GW el -year, i.e., radiologically suitable for disposal in the planned Swedish geological repository for long-lived, intermediated-level radioactive waste. These energy-equivalent volumes are estimated to be somewhat larger than those anticipated for the three existing large Pressurized Water Reactors at the Ringhals site in Sweden. However, the large reactors give rise to additional 4.26 m3 of concrete LL-ILW/GW el -year to be disposed of in the aforementioned repository. In conclusion, if NuScale's Power Module™ were to be considered for deployment in Sweden, its decommissioning waste would technically be suitable for the current waste management system. Still, additional studies would be required to determine the optimal disposal route for components situated further away from the nuclear core. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work evaluated the validity of computer simulation codes by comparing the results of an inventory calculation for a89Zr target assembly with measured data obtained using a high-purity germanium detector. For the inventory calculation, the MCNP6 and FISAPCT-Ⅱ codes were used, and for the measurement, efficiency derived from the efficiency transfer method was used. The MCNP6's ENDF/B-Ⅶ library (TENDL-2017 library for 89Y) and the CEM03.03 physics model were employed to simulate proton reactions, while the ENDF/B-Ⅶ library alone was utilized for neutron reactions. To verify the efficiency obtained by the efficiency transfer method, the calculated activity of the reference sources was compared with the measured activity and confirmed to be within 11%. For the target assembly, the average calculated-to-measured activity (C/M) ratio was determined to be 0.7–2.0 (physics model) and 0.7–1.5 (data library with TENDL), thus confirming the validity of the computer simulation codes. The above results suggest that the methods presented in this study could be used to establish decommissioning plans for the cyclotron facility, including plans for waste disposal of cyclotron components such as target assemblies. • The activity of a cyclotron target assembly for 89Zr production was evaluated. • The results of Monte Carlo simulations and measurements with an HPGe detector showed good agreement. • The results confirm the validity of the computer simulation codes that can be used for various purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Speech enhancement (SE) is used in many applications, such as hearing devices, to improve speech intelligibility and quality. Convolutional neural network-based (CNN-based) SE algorithms in literature often employ generic convolutional filters that are not optimized for SE applications. This paper presents a CNN-based SE algorithm with an adaptive filter design (named ‘CNN-AFD’) using Gabor function and region-aware convolution. The proposed algorithm incorporates fixed Gabor functions into convolutional filters to model human auditory processing for improved denoising performance. The feature maps obtained from the Gabor-incorporated convolutional layers serve as learnable guided masks (tuned at backpropagation) for generating adaptive custom region-aware filters. The custom filters extract features from speech regions (i.e., ‘region-aware’) while maintaining translation-invariance. To reduce the high cost of inference of the CNN, skip convolution and activation analysis-wise pruning are explored. Employing skip convolution allowed the training time per epoch to be reduced by close to 40%. Pruning of neurons with high numbers of zero activations complements skip convolution and significantly reduces model parameters by more than 30%. The proposed CNN-AFD outperformed all four CNN-based SE baseline algorithms (i.e., a CNN-based SE employing generic filters, a CNN-based SE without region-aware convolution, a CNN-based SE trained with complex spectrograms and a CNN-based SE processing in the time-domain) with an average of 0.95, 1.82 and 0.82 in short-time objective intelligibility (STOI), perceptual evaluation of speech quality (PESQ) and logarithmic spectral distance (LSD) scores, respectively, when tasked to denoise speech contaminated with NOISEX-92 noises at −5, 0 and 5 dB signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs).

An accurate characterization of the neutron fields at spallation sources is crucial for many applications based on neutron irradiations, such as radiation damage tests that need a precise dose estimate. In this work, we present the neutron flux measurements performed with the multi-foil activation technique in the ROTAX and ChipIr beamlines of the ISIS spallation source, characterized by moderated and unmoderated spectra, respectively. We selected many different activation reactions to cover a wide energy range, from thermal to very fast neutrons up to about 100 MeV. By applying a Bayesian unfolding algorithm, we demonstrate the effectiveness of this technique in measuring the neutron flux intensity and energy spectrum with precision and accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mass fractions of V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Br, Mo, Cd, W, Hg, and Pb in soil of the Czech dump-side were measured by instrumental neutron and photon activation analyses (INAA, IPAA) and a thermo-oxidation method. Two fractions from seventeen dumping soils and background samples were tested. The significant source of potential toxic elements as Cr, Co, Cd, and Hg was found. Their increased content contributes to a risk load for the inhabitants living in the observed area. The INAA and IPAA procedure has been verified by analysis of several standard reference materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Activation analysis was performed according to impurities in the reactor structure. • OPR-1000 was modeled with MCNP, and activation analysis through ORIGEN-S was performed using the calculated neutron flux. • It was calculated that Co increases the total specific activity the most in metal, and Li increases the most in concrete. Various kinds of radioactive wastes are expected to be generated resulting from the decommissioning of nuclear power plants. For the safe management of decommissioning wastes, the preliminary classification of radioactive wastes such as very low level, low level, intermediate level, and regulatory clearance has to be performed. In this regard, we intend to conduct an activation analysis and radioactive waste level estimation using a computational simulation code for the structure materials of an OPR-1000, a standard nuclear power plant in South Korea. In addition, the structure material that constitutes the reactor vessel, reactor vessel internals, and bio-shield concrete of the nuclear power plant contains small amounts of unintended impurities. The results of the activation analysis may vary depending on the presence of those impurities. In this study, a detail modeling of nuclear reactor and the activation analysis are carried out combined the MCNP code with the ORIGEN-S code. Based on this methodology, the sensitivity test is done for impurities of structure materials. From the result of the specific activity of activated structure material, the cobalt impurity is found to be the most important contributor in the level determination of radioactive wastes. However, the bio-shield concrete has the highest specific activity when Li impurity is contained. From this study, some impurities affect radioactive waste level, thus it is recommended to consider structure material impurities for decommissioning the nuclear power plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teucrium L. is a widely distributed genus often used for the treatment of digestive disorders and respiratory problems. The aim of the present study was to determine the chemical composition of essential oils and elemental content of the plant species Teucrium polium, Teucrium hircanicum, Teucrium botrys, Teucrium chamaedrys, Teucrium flavum, Teucrium orientale, and Teucrium scordium of Moldovan origin, as well as to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of their extracts. The composition of essential oils was determined using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), and neutron activation analysis (NAA) was used to assess the elemental composition of plants. Antimicrobial tests were performed in vitro on the Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Xanthomonas campestris, Erwinia amylovora, Erwinia carotovora, and Candida utilis strains using the double-dilution method. GC–MS allowed the identification of 59 components of the analyzed essential oils, and showed that the analyzed species belong to four different chemotypes. Using NAA, 18 major and minor elements, the contents of which fell within the value ranges reported for other medicinal herbs of this genus, were identified. The hydroalcoholic extracts from Teucrium spp. exhibited in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activity at 0.03–0.06% and 0.015–0.03%, respectively. The extracts from Teucrium spp. exhibited high antibacterial and antifungal activity, enabling their application for medical purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon in archaeological glass and pottery is determined in a simple and elegant way by deuteron activation based on C-12(d,n)N-13 nuclear reaction. The method is rapid, non-destructive and carbon result is obtained along with Na, Mg, Al and Cl in a single irradiation. In the wood-fired Roman furnaces, carbon entered the glass melt probably through fumes and/or alkali plant-ash flux. Carbon is found in the range of 1300 to 4400 (µg/g) in glass. The theoretical detection limit of 5 µg/g is difficult to achieve because of higher carbon blank from the environment/atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A linear fast neutron beam chopper has been deployed at a prompt gamma activation analysis instrument, enabling in-beam activation analysis of short-lived (T1/2 > ~ 10 ms) neutron capture products without the need for sample transfer. This article describes the design and operation of the chopper system and measurement results from test samples containing Se-77 (T1/2 =17.36 s) and Yb-175m (T1/2 =0.0682 s). The chopper timing was optimized for a specific isotope in each measurement, demonstrating an advantage of the programmable system. The linear response of the total gated counts in the decay phase to the incremented Se and Yb masses demonstrates the suitability of the system for quantitative analysis. Theoretical calculations based on the experimental parameters were in good agreement with the observed results. An example that illustrates the separation of overlapping energy peaks by the use of time-stamped list mode data acquisition is shown in a sample containing Yb-175m and Dy-165 (T1/2 =75.4 s). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activation analysis of impurities was performed on a test specimen of the reference low-activation vanadium alloy NIFS-HEAT-2 (V-4Cr-4Ti) which has been irradiated in Japan Materials Testing Reactor (JMTR) ~16 years before. Since the radioactive nuclides from V, Cr and Ti are produced with short half-lives, intense peaks of 60Co (T1/2 = 5.27 years) were dominant in the measured gamma-ray energy spectra and peaks of 94Nb (2.03 × 104 years) were also observed. The concentrations were evaluated to be 0.41 wppm and 0.71 wppm respectively from comparison with results of radioactivity calculation using the FISPACT-2005 code. In the analysis, detection of 108mAg (418 years), which would have a considerable influence on the material recycling after the usage in a fusion reactor, was intense motivation. Although the peaks of 108mAg has not been detected, the concentration of Ag was estimated to be

Teucrium L. is a widely distributed genus often used for the treatment of digestive disorders and respiratory problems. The aim of the present study was to determine the chemical composition of essential oils and elemental content of the plant species Teucrium polium, Teucrium hircanicum, Teucrium botrys, Teucrium chamaedrys, Teucrium flavum, Teucrium orientale, and Teucrium scordium of Moldovan origin, as well as to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of their extracts. The composition of essential oils was determined using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), and neutron activation analysis (NAA) was used to assess the elemental composition of plants. Antimicrobial tests were performed in vitro on the Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Xanthomonas campestris, Erwinia amylovora, Erwinia carotovora, and Candida utilis strains using the double-dilution method. GC–MS allowed the identification of 59 components of the analyzed essential oils, and showed that the analyzed species belong to four different chemotypes. Using NAA, 18 major and minor elements, the contents of which fell within the value ranges reported for other medicinal herbs of this genus, were identified. The hydroalcoholic extracts from Teucrium spp. exhibited in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activity at 0.03–0.06% and 0.015–0.03%, respectively. The extracts from Teucrium spp. exhibited high antibacterial and antifungal activity, enabling their application for medical purposes.

Instrumental neutron activation analysis may need to correct for matrix interferences caused by fast neutron induced threshold reactions. The very low Al mass fraction in bovine liver Standard Reference Material (SRM) has eluded certification due to such complications. Cold neutron beam irradiation absent fast neutrons provides a possible alternative, which has been applied for the first time to determine Al in bovine liver SRM 1577c. The Al mass fraction was determined to be (0.80 ± 0.15) mg/kg using the traditional single peak-fitting method, and (0.78 ± 0.23) mg/kg using a new physics model-based spectral fitting method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nuclear fusion waste generated by the activation of the constitutent components of the Korean fusion DEMOnstration reactor (K-DEMO) is assessed after the end of life (EOL). Based on the results, an attempt is made to classify the radioactive waste (RW) according to the Korean regulations on RW classification and self-disposal standards. One hundred years after EOL, most (∼90%) of the reduced activation ferritic/martensitic steel structures in the tritium-breeding blanket can be classified as intermediate-level waste (ILW). One-third of the total weight of borated stainless steel inside the shielding blanket can also be classified as ILW 100 years after EOL. The remaining components of the K-DEMO are assessed as low-level waste. Based on this study, fusion waste disposal strategies will be planned in parallel with the advance of the K-DEMO design to minimize the fraction of ILW.

A neutron generation system was developed to induce fissile fission in a lead slowing down spectrometer (LSDS) system. The source neutron is one of the key factors for LSDS system work. The LSDS was developed to quantify the isotopic contents of fissile materials in spent nuclear fuel and recycled fuel. The source neutron is produced at a multilayered target by the (e,γ)(γ,n) reaction and slowed down at the lead medium. Activation analysis of the target materials is necessary to estimate the lifetime, durability, and safety of the target system. The CINDER90 code was used for the activation analysis, and it can involve three-dimensional geometry, position dependent neutron flux, and multigroup cross-section libraries. Several sensitivity calculations for a metal target with different geometries, materials, and coolants were done to achieve a high neutron generation rate and a low activation characteristic. Based on the results of the activation analysis, tantalum was chosen as a target material due to its better activation characteristics, and helium gas was suggested as a coolant. In addition, activation in a lead medium was performed. After a distance of 55 cm from the lead surface to the neutron incidence, the neutron intensity dramatically decreased; this result indicates very low activation.

• Women without urinary incontinence and those with stress urinary incontinence showed specific differences in power spectra shifts of pelvic floor muscles while running. • Women showed differences in pre- and post-initial contact activation behavior of pelvic floor muscles. • The study found muscular preparation and adaptation a few milliseconds before initial contact during running. High-impact activities are often related to urine leakage in women, so deeper insight into continence mechanisms of pelvic floor muscles (PFMs) while running is needed. Therefore, simultaneous information about the intensity of PFM muscle activity and fibre recruitment behavior at each time point of the gait cycle can help in understanding PFM activity patterns. We aimed to analyse spectral changes of the pre- and post-initial contact phase during running at 3 different speeds and to compare women with stress urinary continence (SUI) to those without SUI by using a wavelet approach. PFM electromyography (EMG) was recorded during 7, 11 and 15 km/h treadmill running and analysed with Morse wavelets. The relative distribution of power was extracted during 6 time intervals of 30 ms, from 30 ms before to 150 ms after initial contact. We included 28 women without SUI (mean [SD] age 38.9 [10.3] years) and 21 with SUI (mean age 46.1 [9.9] years). The groups did not differ in power spectra for each time interval. However, we found significantly less EMG intensity in the lower frequency bands but more intensity in the higher frequency bands in the pre-initial contact phase than at post-initial contact. Morse wavelets could be used to extract differences between pre- and post-initial contact activation behavior of PFMs during different running speeds as well as spectral changes toward high or low frequencies. This information sheds light on specific differences in involuntary reflexive activation patterns while running. Muscular preparation and adaptation a few milliseconds before initial contact could be helpful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Na, Mg, Al and Cl in Roman glasses and pottery were analyzed by PIGE with 2.5 MeV protons and 2.0 MeV deuteron activation analysis. Both methods are simple and rapid. For Na, Mg and Al in glasses, the detection limits with PIGE and deuteron activation are: 40, 800, 300 (µg/g) and 120, 110, 100 (µg/g), respectively. PIGE is not suitable for trace analysis of chlorine. The detection limit of Cl is 500 µg/g for 2 MeV deuteron activation. PIGE is a sensitive method for Na analysis. At low concentrations of Mg and Al, deuteron activation with its higher sensitivity and improved photopeak-to-background ratios, gives more precise and accurate results than PIGE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cross sections have been estimated for the Nuclear reactions 92Mo(n,a)89Zr and 97Mo(n,p)97Nb produced in Purnima neutron generator at neutron energy of 13.52±0.0045 MeV using activation analysis and off-line ? -ray spectrometric techniques. 27Al(n,a)24Na has been used as a monitor reaction. The covariance analysis for these cross sections has been carried out by taking into consideration of partial uncertainties of different attributes and correlations between the attributes. The cross section values of the present study have been compared with EXFOR, ENDF data of various libraries and theoretical data of TALYS-1.8 code. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The manuscript reviews several selected applications of Activation Analysis that differ from classical laboratory measurements by the fact that they do not require sampling of the analysed object and/or measurements under analytical laboratory conditions. One of great advantages of the Activation Analysis lies in its versatility that allows it to be applied under conditions not available for other analytical techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]