Neutron resonance absorption imaging fully utilizing neutron energies from 1 eV to 100 keV

Tsuchikawa, Yusuke; Kai, Tetsuya; Parker, J.*; Matsumoto, Yoshihiro*; Shinohara, Takenao

Scientific Reports (Internet), 15, p.7687_1 - 7687_8, 2025/03

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-92174-7

A neutron resonance absorption imaging technique to visualize two-dimensional distributions with element discrimination has been developed at the Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility of the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex. We measured neutron transmission spectra from 1 eV to 100 keV while rotating a sample containing iron, zirconium, nickel, molybdenum, and aluminum rods. The distributions of hafnium (impurity of zirconium) and molybdenum were clearly obtained by a straightforward analysis using the most prominent resonances. Then an analysis using multiple resonances of each element simultaneously was performed finding that the accuracy of elemental identification was improved, and iron and nickel distributions became clearer. However, these analysis methods sometimes have difficulties in the case of overlapping materials since a resonance shape can be deteriorated by those of other materials. Such an example was demonstrated with the case of iron and nickel. To overcome the issue and aiming for further improvement, we proposed a method to fit the transmission spectrum in a wide range assuming the existence of possible elements, successfully visualizing both the distributions of the sample metals and those of hafnium and manganese (impurities of zirconium and iron). The newly introduced analysis technique will contribute to the establishment of a standard analytical procedure for general users of the facility.

Improved extraction efficiency of radioactive copper produced via accelerator neutrons method through phosphate buffer-enhanced column pre-treatment

Mikhail, M. A. G.*; Kin, Tadahiro*; Eto, Taisei*; Tsukada, Kazuaki

Scientific Reports (Internet), 14, p.27132_1 - 27132_10, 2024/11

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-76660-y

We have studied a straightforward and robust single-step cation exchange separation method to isolate medical copper radioisotopes Cu and Cu produced in the Zn(n, x) reaction with an accelerator neutrons technique. This study revealed the key role of a phosphate buffer pre-treatment of the cation exchange column in the separation process. It was found that incorporating the phosphate buffer into the column pre-treatment markedly enhances the retention of copper isotopes within the column throughout the separation procedure. This approach yields a high-purity radioactive copper sample with a high extraction efficiency of 94.4% of the initially produced copper, all within a relatively short experimental time frame of approximately 5 h for 100 g of starting material.

Comparison between carrier transport property and crystal quality of TlBr semiconductors

Watanabe, Kenichi*; Sugai, Yusuke*; Hasegawa, Sota*; Tanaka, Seishiro*; Hitomi, Keitaro*; Nogami, Mitsuhiro*; Shinohara, Takenao; Su, Y. H.; Parker, J. D.*; Kockelmann, W.*

Scientific Reports (Internet), 14, p.25224_1 - 25224_13, 2024/10

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-76005-9

Demonstration of shape analysis of neutron resonance transmission spectrum measured with a laser-driven neutron source

Koizumi, Mitsuo; Ito, Fumiaki*; Lee, J.; Hironaka, Kota; Takahashi, Tone; Suzuki, Satoshi*; Arikawa, Yasunobu*; Abe, Yuki*; Lan, Z.*; Wei, T.*; et al.

Scientific Reports (Internet), 14, p.21916_1 - 21916_9, 2024/09

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-72836-8

Cell-cycle dependence on the biological effects of boron neutron capture therapy and its modification by polyvinyl alcohol

Matsuya, Yusuke; Sato, Tatsuhiko; Kusumoto, Tamon*; Yachi, Yoshie*; Seino, Ryosuke*; Miwa, Misako*; Ishikawa, Masayori*; Matsuyama, Shigeo*; Fukunaga, Hisanori*

Scientific Reports (Internet), 14, p.16696_1 - 16696_14, 2024/07

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-67041-6

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a unique radiotherapy to selectively eradicate tumor cells using boron compounds (e.g., 4-borono-L-phenylalanine [BPA]) that are heterogeneously taken up at the cellular level. However, the impacts of tempo-spatial heterogenicity on cell killing remain unclear. With the technical combination of radiation track detector, cell cycle analysis, and biophysical simulations, we demonstrated the cell cycle-dependent heterogenicity of BPA uptake and following biological impacts of B(n, )Li reactions in HeLa cells expressing Fluorescent Ubiquitination-based Cell Cycle Indicators (FUCCI), as well as its modification effects of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). As a result, we revealed that the intracellular BPA concentration in the S/G2/M phase was higher than that in the G1/S phase and that PVA modified the cell cycle dependence. Further, these findings lead to the development of the first BPA-PVA-based model for predicting BNCT treatment effects. These outcomes may contribute to more precision of therapeutic efficacy, when BNCT is combined with PVA and/or cell cycle-specific anticancer agents.

DNA damage response in a 2D-culture model by diffusing alpha-emitters radiation therapy (Alpha-DaRT)

Nojima, Hitomi*; Kaida, Atsushi*; Matsuya, Yusuke; Uo, Motohiro*; Yoshimura, Ryoichi*; Arazi, L.*; Miura, Masahiko*

Scientific Reports (Internet), 14, p.11468_1 - 11468_13, 2024/05

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-62071-6

Diffusing alpha-emitters radiation therapy (Alpha-DaRT) is a unique radiotherapy that uses seeds emitting alpha particles placed in solid tumors to kill cancer cells surrounding the seeds. Although the DNA damage response is an important cellular response that determines cell death after radiation; however, how DNA damage response occurs during Alpha-DaRT treatment has not yet been explored. In this study, we measured the spatiotemporal characteristics of the DNA damage response, including the number of DNA double-strand breaks and G2 arrest, during Alpha-DaRT treatment by cell experiments using HeLa cells expressing the Fucci cell cycle visualization system. As a result, we found a strong correlation between the number of alpha particles detected by solid-state track detector CR-39 and -H2AX staining, a marker for detecting DNA damage, and that the area of G2-arrested cells spread over a wider area up to 24 hours. In addition, time-lapse observations revealed that cell cycle dynamics change depending on the distance from the seed. The experimental model in this study revealed for the first time the spatiotemporal information of the DNA damage response around the seed during Alpha-DaRT treatment.

Development of a non-destructive depth-selective quantification method for sub-percent carbon contents in steel using negative muon lifetime analysis

Ninomiya, Kazuhiko*; Kubo, Kenya*; Inagaki, Makoto*; Yoshida, Go*; Chiu, I.-H.; Kudo, Takuto*; Asari, Shunsuke*; Sentoku, Sawako*; Takeshita, Soshi*; Shimomura, Koichiro*; et al.

Scientific Reports (Internet), 14, p.1797_1 - 1797_8, 2024/01

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52255-5

The amount of C in steel, which is critical in determining its properties, is strongly influenced by steel production technology. We propose a novel method of quantifying the bulk C content in steel non-destructively using muons. This revolutionary method may be used not only in the quality control of steel in production, but also in analyzing precious steel archaeological artifacts. A negatively charged muon forms an atomic system owing to its negative charge, and is finally absorbed into the nucleus or decays to an electron. The lifetimes of muons differ significantly, depending on whether they are trapped by Fe or C atoms, and identifying the elemental content at the muon stoppage position is possible via muon lifetime measurements. The relationship between the muon capture probabilities of C/Fe and the elemental content of C exhibits a good linearity, and the C content in the steel may be quantitatively determined via muon lifetime measurements. Furthermore, by controlling the incident energies of the muons, they may be stopped in each layer of a stacked sample consisting of three types of steel plates with thicknesses of 0.5 mm, and we successfully determined the C contents in the range 0.20 - 1.03 wt% depth-selectively, without sample destruction.

In situ neutron imaging of lithium-ion batteries during heating to thermal runaway

Nozaki, Hiroshi*; Kondo, Hiroki*; Shinohara, Takenao; Setoyama, Daigo*; Matsumoto, Yoshihiro*; Sasaki, Tsuyoshi*; Isegawa, Kazuhisa*; Hayashida, Hirotoshi*

Scientific Reports (Internet), 13, p.22082_1 - 22082_8, 2023/12

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-49399-1

Influence of the strain effect on magnetocrystalline anisotropy in CoFeMnSi Heusler alloys

Nabialek, A.*; Chumak, O. M.*; Aleshkevych, P.*; Domagala, J. Z.*; Pacewicz, A.*; Salski, B.*; Krupka, J.*; Seki, Takeshi*; Takanashi, Koki; Baczewski, L. T.*; et al.

Scientific Reports (Internet), 13, p.17016_1 - 170169, 2023/10

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-43979-x

X-ray free electron laser observation of ultrafast lattice behaviour under femtosecond laser-driven shock compression in iron

Sano, Tomokazu*; Matsuda, Tomoki*; Hirose, Akio*; Terai, Tomoyuki*; Kakeshita, Tomoyuki*; Inubushi, Yuichi*; Sato, Takahiro*; Yabashi, Makina*; Shobu, Takahisa; 22 of others*

Scientific Reports (Internet), 13, p.13796_1 - 13796_10, 2023/08

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-40283-6