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The associability of artificial intelligence (AI) as a dual-use technology for nuclear material production (NMP) within the academic and practitioner communities remains widely neglected, and so a widening opportunity for AI to aid in illicit and covert non-peaceful applications exists. To address this emerging gap, this paper investigates the evolving and applicable uses of AI and finds broad evidence of its use to optimize performance, promote innovation, reduce costs, and enhance safety associated with the development and production of nuclear material. AI's use in this arena will, thereby, facilitate broader accessibility of peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology, while at the same time cause concerns that said improvements can aid the illicit development of nuclear weapons. As such, this paper advocates for a three-dimensional solution to manage the evolving dual-use concern of AI that involves advancing states-centric monitoring and regulation, promoting intellectual exchange between the nonproliferation sector and the AI industry, and encouraging AI industrial contributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tōho SFX films (tokusatsu eiga), more popularly known as kaiju films, are a subgenre of Japanese films that flourished in the postwar era. Since many of the early films feature radioactive monsters, the genre is largely valued for reflecting the trauma and anxiety of nuclear bombs, testing, and effects of radiation in postwar society. Rather than focus on nuclear science, this study considers the continuation of scientific development from wartime to postwar by examining two neglected films that deal with the horrors of military science: Tōmei Ningen (Oda, 1954) and Densō Ningen (Fukuda, 1960). It argues that while the films reflect the social structures that saw the laundering of a more complicated scientific development that included wartime atrocities, they also offer instances of resistance to such prevailing ideologies. By moving away from a preoccupation with nuclear discourse and consequently from victimhood, this study aims to complicate the approach to Tōho SFX films as cultural responses to the trauma of the war experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay engages rhetorics of zeal, a common genre of contemporary discourse that merits further study. To focus on a representative example, we draw from multi-sited rhetorical fieldwork at nuclear science conferences and supplementary texts, examining the rhetoric of nuclear professionals' zealous advocacy of nuclear power as a response to climate change and energy poverty. A common set of arguments appears throughout our texts: jealousy or envy over renewable energy technologies; protectiveness over perceived unfair policy treatment; love or devotion for nuclear energy as a savior technology; and passion or zeal to share the story of nuclear support with others. To describe these and similar rhetorics, we theorize the nuclear zelus trope. Drawing from the mythological and etymological history of the term "zeal," zelus rhetorics are characterized by a general narrative of passionate advocacy. Through a series of rhetorical patterns that channel passion into a call to action, nuclear zelus names white savior and racialized tropes that position nuclear energy technology as a global savior and supporters of nuclear energy as driven by a sense of righteousness. The conclusion addresses implications for further understanding zeal as an important rhetorical frame across various contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the accurate estimation of neutron cross-section data, evaluation of nuclear data is mandatory to fulfill the need of nuclear science and technology. In this work, the evaluation of 232Th(n,2n)231Th, 241Am(n,2n)240Am, 100Mo(n,2n)99Mo, and 96Mo(n,p)96Nb reaction cross-section data is carried out using a novel method. This novel method of evaluation employs a cluster-based piecewise evaluation followed by a digital filter for merging the evaluated curves. The clusters in the experimental data and model data are identified using the probabilistic method of the Gaussian Mixture Model. The clustered experimental data are then regressed using the polynomial regression technique. The model data are generated using the Talys 1.9 code, and the model deficiency due to the complex random nature of nuclear reactions is also accounted here using chi-squared analysis. Evaluation in each cluster is then carried out independently using the popular Kalman filter technique. For obtaining a single smooth evaluated curve for the whole energy range, the popular smoothing digital filter, the Savitzky-Golay Filter, is employed for the first time in nuclear data evaluation. The proposed evaluated curves and existing evaluated curves of 232Th(n,2n)231Th, 241Am(n,2n)240Am, 100Mo(n,2n)99Mo, and 96Mo(n,p)96Nb reactions from nuclear data libraries such as ENDF/BVIII.0, JEFF-3.3, JENDL-4.0, CENDL-3.1, and TENDL 2021 are compared and found to be in good agreement. It is also found that generally, evaluation methods are data dependent, and so, a single evaluation method may not be applicable for all reactions of all nuclides. Since piecewise evaluation is cluster dependent, selecting the appropriate cluster makes this method robust for almost all reactions of all nuclides. Also, it is proven that this novel method of evaluation is a promising method demonstrating the potential of this approach for evaluation based on the chi-squared goodness-of-fit test with respect to standard evaluated library ENDF/BVIII.0 and experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the overarching goals in nuclear science is to understand how the nuclear chart emerges from the underlying fundamental interactions. The description of the structure of nuclei from first principles, using ab initio methods for the solution of the many-nucleon problem with inputs from chiral effective field theory, has advanced dramatically over the past two decades. We present an overview over the available ab initio tools with a specific emphasis on electromagnetic observables, such as multipole moments and transition strengths. These observables still pose a challenge for ab initio theory and are one of the most exciting domains to exploit synergies with modern experiments. Precise experimental data are vital for the validation of the theory predictions and the refinement of ab initio methods. We discuss some of the past and future experimental efforts highlighting these synergies. This article is part of the theme issue 'The liminal position of Nuclear Physics: from hadrons to neutron stars'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This perspective outlines recent developments in the field of NMR spectroscopy, enabling new opportunities for in situ studies on bulk and confined clathrate hydrates. These hydrates are crystalline ice-like materials, built up from hydrogen-bonded water molecules, forming cages occluding non-polar gaseous guest molecules, including CH4, CO2 and even H2 and He gas. In nature, they are found in low-temperature and high-pressure conditions. Synthetic confined versions hold immense potential for energy storage and transportation, as well as for carbon capture and storage. Using previous studies, this report highlights static and magic angle spinning NMR hardware and strategies enabling the study of clathrate hydrate formation in situ, in bulk and in nano-confinement. The information obtained from such studies includes phase identification, dynamics, gas exchange processes, mechanistic studies and the molecular-level elucidation of the interactions between water, guest molecules and confining interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between January 2017 and September 2018, ACT Health conducted a study on the predominant sources of airborne fine particulate matter pollution across the Canberra region. The goal was to gain better understanding of particulate composition, insight into local emission sources, and to establish a baseline of the existing pollution inventory (for future assessments of effects from changes in air quality policies). Fine particulate matter samples were collected on PTFE filters at two locations in Canberra, in the north (Belconnen) and south (Tuggeranong), respectively. The sample’s chemical composition was determined by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) in Sydney, using accelerator-based ion-beam analysis. Resulting data was then used in a receptor model to statistically identify the predominant sources and look at both spatial and seasonal variations thereof. The main particulate pollution sources in Canberra were found to be wood smoke, secondary sulfates, traffic, soil dust, and salt. Overall, wood smoke constitutes the largest air pollution factor exhibiting the strongest seasonal pattern, while both traffic and secondary aerosols are constantly present over time. These three factors account for almost 90% of Canberra’s pollution inventory. Out of the remaining sources, soil dust represents the larger portion especially during the warmer months, while a marginal amount of salt, mainly calcium chloride, was found to be present all year round. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a paper on experimental studies performed in the 1940s at the University of Notre Dame accelerator laboratory to investigate radiation effects on materials and also to probe the efficiency of atmospheric cooling of the fireball created by a nuclear fission device. This was a critical question to be addressed during the early phases in the development of the Manhattan project, which was again raised in the film Oppenheimer, posing the question whether "a bomb can set the atmosphere on fire." This paper brings forth the formerly classified reaction studies performed at Notre Dame's Nuclear Science Laboratory to answer this question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study delves into the thermal dynamics induced by an electron beam sourced from the CIRCE III accelerator, focusing on a lead target previously employed at the National Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology (CNSTN) in Tunisia for neutron and photon production. Leveraging FLUKA software, we simulate the intricate interplay between electrons and the target surface, analyzing variations in deposited energy across different target thicknesses. Beyond elucidating the electron-target interaction, our investigation extends to predicting crucial parameters such as the maximum operational threshold and surface temperature distribution of the target. To achieve this, a computational model harnessing the finite volume method is employed, offering insights into the thermal response dynamics and paving the way for optimized operational protocols and target design refinements. Through this comprehensive analysis, we aim to advance the understanding of thermal phenomena in electron-target interactions, thereby bolstering the efficiency and safety of particle accelerator operations in diverse scientific applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we delved into the intriguing realm of nuclear physics by investigating fusion reactions initiated by 7 0 Zn projectiles colliding with various stable isotopes of thorium nuclei, including 2 2 7 − 2 3 2 , 2 3 4 Th. Our primary objective was the synthesis of the superheavy element Z = 1 2 0. To achieve this, we employed an advanced statistical model to evaluate the evaporation residue cross-sections. Remarkably, we observed that the fusion reaction between 7 0 Zn and 2 3 1 Th exhibited the highest evaporation residue cross-sections, reaching a peak value. Furthermore, the 3n channel within this fusion reaction yielded substantially larger evaporation cross-sections, with a notable value of 0.89 picobarns. The predicted cross-sections fall within the measurable range, making them highly valuable for experimental endeavors aimed at synthesizing the superheavy element Z = 1 2 0. This research not only contributes to our understanding of nuclear reactions but also holds promise for expanding our knowledge of the heaviest elements in the periodic table, potentially opening new frontiers in nuclear science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This investigation elucidates the significance of radiation emergency medicine (REM) within South Korea, while addressing the multifaceted challenges linked to the education of medical personnel in the field of radiation emergency responses. The efficacy of REM training initiatives has undergone scrupulous evaluation through a variety of techniques, including, but not limited to, the application of the DISASTER Paradigm and engagement in simulation-based training exercises. Materials and Methods: The present research is structured to evaluate the incremental utility of REM training programs by applying the Difference-in-Difference (DID) estimation using OLS regression methodologies. Simultaneously, it aims to suggest potential improvements to existing training modules. Central to the methodology is the estimation of the DID model via the 'sm.ols' function in the Python programming environment. In the equation 'outcome ~ T_d + P_t + T_d * P_t', 'outcome' denotes the dependent variable under review, 'T_d' signifies the treatment dummy variable, and 'P_t' represents the period dummy variable. The interaction term 'T_d * P_t' elucidates the average effect of the treatment post-intervention, taking into account the temporal trend. Results: The conclusions drawn from this scholarly investigation have manifested negative net utilities across the three pivotal DISASTER Paradigm indicators (T, E, and R). Through the adept implementation of a Python-infused computational methodology, this study has yielded results characterized by precision and veracity. These insights furnish empirical evidence, indicating that the intervention in question may not have yielded an enhancement in the net utility for the designated target cohort. Conclusion: This scholarly inquiry underscores the efficacy and meticulous precision of OLS-DiD estimations executed via a Python-centric computational approach. The empirical findings emanating from this research serve to fortify a robust foundation for the strategic navigation of unique challenges within the intersecting realms of nuclear science and medical studies, with particular emphasis on advancing the field of radiation emergency medicine (REM) education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real-time detection of X/gamma radiation dose rates holds particular significance in nuclear science research. In this study, we developed a portable X/gamma-ray survey meter for large-scale distributed real-time monitoring of ambient dose equivalent rates in the surrounding environment. This innovative device uses a silicon photomultiplier coupled with a CsI(Tl) scintillator and can connect to an Internet of Things network. Additionally, it facilitates a wide spectrum of dose rate measurements by modifying the frequency of a pulse-frequency modulation-type DC-DC power supply mode. The energy response of the survey meter, which is improved through Geant4 simulations and a multi-comparator design, ranges from 48 keV to 1.3 MeV, encompassing various common protection level applications. It effectively measures gamma radiation dose rates ranging between 0.1 p. Svh-1 and 100 mSvh-1 for 60Co. Temperature compensation of the detector was achieved through a series of experiments. The meter exhibits a deviation of -25 % to +25 % at temperatures between -40 °C and +40 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Production processes become more and more complex in terms of engineering implementation. During the operation of equipment for nuclear power plants or research reactor facilities, it is advisable to consider big data volumes, their change dynamics and deviations from the normal state. The IRT-T reactor facility at the School of Nuclear Science and Technology in National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, is used for machine learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precise integral measurement of fast neutron-induced fission product yields for various actinides is of high interest for applied nuclear science. The goal of this effort is to improve uncertainties in fission product yield values of 239Pu. Fission was induced in a pure 239Pu (> 99 %) target using the Godiva IV critical assembly in burst mode. The irradiated sample was transferred to a high-resolution γ -ray detector within 45 minutes. γ -ray list mode data was collected from 45 minutes to 1 week after the irradiation. γ -ray spectroscopy was performed to analyze the time dependent γ -ray yields using an automated peak search algorithm to identify isotopes by their decay γ -ray energy and half-life. The initial activity for each isotope identified was used to calculate their fission product yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer incidence and mortality is increasing rapidly worldwide, with a higher cancer burden observed in the Asia-Pacific region than in other regions. To date, evidence-based modelling of radiotherapy demand has been based on stage data from high-income countries (HIC) that do not account for the later stage at presentation seen in many low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We aimed to estimate the current and projected demand and supply in megavoltage radiotherapy machines in the Asia-Pacific region, using a national income-group adjusted model. Novel LMIC radiotherapy demand and outcome models were created by adjusting previously developed models that used HIC cancer staging data. These models were applied to the cancer case mix (ie, the incidence of each different cancer) in each LMIC in the Asia-Pacific region to estimate the current and projected optimal radiotherapy utilisation rate (ie, the proportion of cancer cases that would require radiotherapy on the basis of guideline recommendations), and to estimate the number of megavoltage machines needed in each country to meet this demand. Information on the number of megavoltage machines available in each country was retrieved from the Directory of Radiotherapy Centres. Gaps were determined by comparing the projected number of megavoltage machines needed with the number of machines available in each region. Megavoltage machine numbers, local control, and overall survival benefits were compared with previous data from 2012 and projected data for 2040. 57 countries within the Asia-Pacific region were included in the analysis with 9·48 million new cases of cancer in 2020, an increase of 2·66 million from 2012. Local control was 7·42% and overall survival was 3·05%. Across the Asia-Pacific overall, the current optimal radiotherapy utilisation rate is 49·10%, which means that 4·66 million people will need radiotherapy in 2020, an increase of 1·38 million (42%) from 2012. The number of megavoltage machines increased by 1261 (31%) between 2012 and 2020, but the demand for these machines increased by 3584 (42%). The Asia-Pacific region only has 43·9% of the megavoltage machines needed to meet demand, ranging from 9·9–40·5% in LMICs compared with 67·9% in HICs. 12 000 additional megavoltage machines will be needed to meet the projected demand for 2040. The difference between supply and demand with regard to megavoltage machine availability has continued to widen in LMICs over the past decade and is projected to worsen by 2040. The data from this study can be used to provide evidence for the need to incorporate radiotherapy in national cancer control plans and to inform governments and policy makers within the Asia-Pacific region regarding the urgent need for investment in this sector. The Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology for Asia and the Pacific (RCA) Regional Office (RCARP03). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In alignment with the United Nations' sustainable development goals (SDG s), nuclear science and technology (NST) significantly contributes to nine out of seventeen SDG s. As an integral component of nuclear human resource development (HRD), it is imperative to introduce young students to NST through effective STEAM or STEM methodologies. However, Thailand's progress in NST literacy and public awareness has been suboptimal, despite over five decades of nuclear HRD initiatives. While various nuclear-related organizations have undertaken numerous activities, their lack of coordination and comprehensiveness poses challenges for sustainable development. To address this, concerted efforts must involve collaboration with schoolteachers to integrate NST into the national science curriculum and syllabus. This entails a review and revision process aimed at incorporating more hands-on experiments to ignite students' curiosity and enthusiasm for NST. Through strategic planning and implementation, Thai students will develop a deeper familiarity with NST, thereby enhancing their overall NST literacy and contributing to the nation's sustainable development goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The post-war European integration process faced a new geographical challenge in connection with the establishment of Euratom's Centre Commune de Recherche (Joint Research Centre; CCR/JRC) in the late 1950s and early 1960s. This article outlines the early history of this first effort of "European land-making" by discussing the political, institutional, and anthropic significance of such a particular settlement in relation to the discourse on European identity. After lengthy negotiations within Euratom, it was decided to establish the CCR's headquarters and main research facilities in the Italian region of Lombardy, in the Ispra municipality. More precisely, an already existing Italian nuclear research centre that was still under construction at Ispra in the late 1950s was transferred to Euratom. The article elaborates on the tensions and controversies that resulted in the context of this siting decision, and on the problems and challenges that the Euratom scientists and engineers experienced as "nuclear settlers in a European land." The article combines documents from the Historical Archives of the European Union and the recollections of former officers and scientists who were active at the research centre. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents neutron irradiation and post-irradiation examination (PIE) capabilities available to the nuclear materials research community through the US Department of Energy’s Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF). The pressing need to deploy advanced nuclear reactors to combat climate change requires qualification of new fuels and materials. Among advanced manufacturing processes, powder metallurgy with hot isostatic pressing (PM-HIP) is nearest to becoming qualified for nuclear applications. This article provides examples from a recent irradiation and PIE program on a series of structural alloys fabricated by PMHIP to illustrate how NSUF capabilities can be used to generate qualification data. The neutron irradiation experiments are described, and a sampling of results from tensile testing, nanoindentation, transmission electron microscopy, and atom probe tomography are presented, showing the favorable performance of PMHIP alloys compared to their cast or forged counterparts under irradiation. This article provides a perspective on leveraging NSUF for future nuclear fuels and materials testing and qualification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precise measurements of nuclear beta decays provide a unique insight into the Standard Model due to their connection to the electroweak interaction. These decays help constrain the unitarity or non-unitarity of the Cabibbo–Kobayashi–Maskawa (CKM) quark mixing matrix, and can uniquely probe the existence of exotic scalar or tensor currents. Of these decays, superallowed mixed mirror transitions have been the least well-studied, in part due to the absence of data on their Fermi to Gamow-Teller mixing ratios (ρ). At the Nuclear Science Laboratory (NSL) at the University of Notre Dame, the Superallowed Transition Beta-Neutrino Decay Ion Coincidence Trap (St. Benedict) is being constructed to determine the ρ for various mirror decays via a measurement of the beta–neutrino angular correlation parameter ( a β ν ) to a relative precision of 0.5%. In this work, we present an overview of the St. Benedict facility and the impact it will have on various Beyond the Standard Model studies, including an expanded sensitivity study of ρ for various mirror nuclei accessible to the facility. A feasibility evaluation is also presented that indicates the measurement goals for many mirror nuclei, which are currently attainable in a week of radioactive beam delivery at the NSL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the feasibility of combining high-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy with the simulation capabilities of the Nucleonica Nuclear Science Portal with the aim to determine the properties of Cf sources. In this contribution, we present the results for a 20-month-old and a 49-year-old Cf source. In particular, the question arises whether the neutron emission rate can be determined using gamma-ray spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of national, institutional, and subject repositories of grey literature has increased dramatically over recent years. The Directory of Open Access Repositories (OpenDOAR) currently lists 5848 repositories, a 75% increase over the last five years. Most of these repositories hold grey literature of one type or another. The degree of development of these repositories is mixed, some are of questionable quality while others are exemplars, so it is useful to define what constitutes a well-developed repository. A well-developed repository can be seen as one that meets the needs of end users, as well as the interests of authors and sponsoring organizations. Characteristics, such as timeliness, openness, user-friendliness, accuracy, and completeness, are proposed as those which meet user and institutional needs and define the degree of development for a given repository. Timeliness refers to the speed at which materials in the scope of the repository are made available to the public. Openness is the degree to which material is accessible as well as shareable. User-friendliness is a subjective quality but is defined by the ease of use of the repository's user interface. Accuracy can be measured in many ways - the verisimilitude of metadata, the suitability of indexes and search results, the percentage of dead links to external resources such as full text, and other measures. Finally, completeness describes how well a repository encompasses its scope. The International Nuclear Information System (INIS) has been in operation since 1970 as a repository for grey and traditional literature in all areas of nuclear science and technology. It existed before the wide adoption of information management principles, and invented methods and workflows to fulfil its mission. Therefore, there are gaps between the ideal repository, embodied in the outlined characteristics, and the repository as it currently stands. These gaps are identified and solutions, as well as a plan for implementation, are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The detailed study of radioactive nuclei has resulted in opportunities for addressing many open questions in low-energy nuclear physics. For over three decades, the TwinSol separator at the University of Notre Dame has produced high-quality in-flight radioactive beams at low-energy for light isotopes that have been used in experiments aimed at nuclear structure, astrophysics, and fundamental symmetries studies. We have recently upgraded the TwinSol separator by adding additional elements: a dipole magnet, and a third solenoid. This new TriSol separator will improve the quality and purity of future radioactive beams. This improvement will enable the use of heavier beams and address beam contamination that has hindered past experiments. The current status of TriSol and its science program will be presented along with the role the TriSol program plays in the current landscape of nuclear physics user facilities. The TriSol program includes plans for studies of 11C(p , p)11C reaction for investigating the nature of the first stars, 14O(α , p)17F and its influence on reaction networks in X-ray bursts, the measurement of fusion reactions on Ne isotopes important for pycnonuclear reactions, precision half-life measurements for fundamental symmetries studies, and the use of TriSol as a magnetic spectrometer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The detection of heavy (A > 127), long-lived trace radionuclides using accelerator mass spectrometry requires accelerator systems with high mass resolution and detectors with high efficiency, timing and energy resolution, and resistance to degradation. At the University of Notre Dame's Nuclear Science Laboratory, a two-anode gas ionization detector, similar to others employed at ETH Zurich, Vienna, and the Australia National University, has been built to be used with a time-of-flight system. This new detector is more robust than the existing Si detector, with two high resolution Δ E segments. This work describes the detector design and modifications to the time-of-flight system, summarizes the observed performance, and provides comparisons to a Geant4 model. The energy resolution (9% for 44 MeV 238U beams) was found to be better than the existing Si detector and its larger acceptance contributed a factor of five improvement (from 4% to 20%) in transmission through the detection system for uranium beams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers the Soviet Union's successful efforts to employ more women specialists in nuclear science and technology, from the Bolshevik revolution in 1917 and the Soviet atomic bomb project to the Cold War and the present. Despite their contributions to building a Cold War military machine, women rarely reached the pinnacle of the scientific enterprise due to persistent views about their lesser capabilities as specialists. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, in a vastly changed social, political, and cultural climate, the claimed socialist equality of women gave way to more traditional views of their status in Russian society. For the nuclear enterprise, this change emerged in activities that had disappeared under communism such as the annual "Miss Atom" beauty pageant, a striking departure from Soviet attempts to involve women equally in science and technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Materiae Compositae Sinica is the property of Acta Materiea Compositae Sinica Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Yıldırım Beyazıt Law Review (YBLR) is the property of Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University Law School and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The SCK CEN Academy for Nuclear Science and Technology functions as the umbrella structure coordinating the education and training activities of the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN). One of the main activities of the SCK CEN Academy is to provide customised training to professionals working in the nuclear industry, healthcare, research or governmental institutions. The courses and practical sessions are usually given in a face-to-face (FTF) format. This has drastically changed in the last 2 y because of the COVID-19 pandemic when it was necessary to switch course delivery from FTF to an online format. Feedback was collected from trainees and trainers in different training courses in radiation protection provided in FTF and online format. The analysis of this feedback allows training providers to make better-informed decisions on the best-suited training format depending on the content, target audience and the duration of the learning activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of the AP-1000 design and of its precursor the AP-600 started in the aftermath of the Chernobyl event (1986) when the need came from the scientific and technological community for a resilient system against deliberate threats by humans. The "passive system" design concept became relevant. The first AP-1000 entered into operation around 3 decades after that event. This paper discusses the issue of how much the progress in nuclear science and technology since the end of the 1980s has affected the AP-1000 design. Five interconnected areas are identified: (1) reliability of passive systems, (2) scaling and uncertainty, (3) coupling between three-dimensional neutron physics and thermal hydraulics, (4) consideration of large-break loss-of-coolant accidents, and (5) simulation of instrumentation and control systems. All these areas are relevant for the AP-1000 and standard pressurized water reactors; however, the areas (1) and (2) have specific applicability for the AP-1000 and constitute the main concerns of this paper. The conclusion from qualitative investigation is that the safety demonstration of the AP-1000 did not take full benefit from progress in these areas, namely, inadequacies characterize the scaling database and the processes for determining the reliability of thermal-hydraulic passive systems did not receive proper attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]