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At least 19 records

Nuclear Data Sheets for A = 192

Experimental structure and decay data for all nuclei with mass A=192 (Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, Au, Hg, Tl, Pb, Bi, Po, At) have been evaluated. This evaluation, covering data received by 15 June 2012, supersedes the 1998 evaluation by C. M. Baglin (Nuclear Data Sheets84, 717 (1998), literature cutoff August 1998) and the subsequent inclusion in the ENSDF database of the new nuclide {sup 192}At (C. M. Baglin, literature cutoff 16 May 2006). It also incorporates the current evaluation of superdeformed-band information by B. Singh. Since the last publication, {sup 192}Ta, {sup 192}W and {sup 192}At have been observed, and an isomeric state has been identified in {sup 192}Re. The {epsilon} decay of {sup 192}Au has been studied using a multidetector array resulting in an extensively revised level scheme for {sup 192}Pt.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Eryptosis in lead-exposed workers

Eryptosis is a physiological phenomenon in which old and damaged erythrocytes are removed from circulation. Erythrocytes incubated with lead have exhibited major eryptosis. In the present work we found evidence of high levels of eryptosis in lead exposed workers possibly via oxidation. Blood samples were taken from 40 male workers exposed to lead (mean blood lead concentration 64.8 μg/dl) and non-exposed workers (4.2 μg/dl). The exposure to lead produced an intoxication characterized by 88.3% less δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (δALAD) activity in lead exposed workers with respect to non-lead exposed workers. An increment of oxidation in lead exposed workers was characterized by 2.4 times higher thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) concentration and 32.8% lower reduced/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) ratio. Oxidative stress in erythrocytes of lead exposed workers is expressed in 192% higher free calcium concentration [Ca{sup 2+}]{sub i} and 1.6 times higher μ-calpain activity with respect to non-lead exposed workers. The adenosine triphosphate (ATP) concentration was not significantly different between the two worker groups. No externalization of phosphatidylserine (PS) was found in non-lead exposed workers (< 0.1%), but lead exposed workers showed 2.82% externalization. Lead intoxication induces eryptosis possibly through a molecular pathway that includes oxidation, depletion of reduced glutathione (GSH), increment of [Ca{sup 2+}], μ-calpain activation and externalization of PS in erythrocytes. Identifying molecular signals that induce eryptosis in lead intoxication is necessary to understand its physiopathology and chronic complications. - Graphical abstract: Fig. 1. (A) Blood lead concentration (PbB) and (B) phosphatidylserine externalization on erythrocyte membranes of non-lead exposed (□) and lead exposed workers (■). Values are mean ± SD. *Significantly different (P < 0.001). - Highlights: • Erythrocytes of lead exposed workers showed higher PS externalization • Elevated eryptosis in lead intoxicated workers may be induced by higher oxidation • Lead intoxication induces eryptosis by depletion of GSH • Lead exposition induces eryptosis through an increment of erythrocyte [Cai{sup 2+}]{sub i}.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Modern status of photonuclear data

The reliability of experimental cross sections obtained for (γ, 1n), (γ, 2n), and (γ, 3n) partial photoneutron reactions using beams of quasimonoenergetic annihilation photons and bremsstrahlung is analyzed by employing data for a large number of medium-heavy and heavy nuclei, including those of {sup 63,65}Cu, {sup 80}Se, {sup 90,91,94}Zr, {sup 115}In, {sup 112−124}Sn, {sup 133}Cs, {sup 138}Ba, {sup 159}Tb, {sup 181}Ta, {sup 186−192}Os, {sup 197}Au, {sup 208}Pb, and {sup 209}Bi. The ratios of the cross sections of definite partial reactions to the cross section of the neutron-yield reaction, F{sub i} = σ(γ, in)/σ(γ, xn), are used as criteria of experimental-data reliability. By definition, positive values of these ratios should not exceed the upper limits of 1.00, 0.50, 0.33,... for i = 1, 2, 3,..., respectively. For many nuclei, unreliable values of the above ratios were found to correlate clearly in various photon-energy regions F{sub i} with physically forbidden negative values of cross sections of partial reactions. On this basis, one can conclude that correspondent experimental data are unreliable. Significant systematic uncertainties of the methods used to determine photoneutron multiplicity are shown to be the main reason for this. New partial-reaction cross sections that satisfy the above data-reliability criteria were evaluated within an experimental–theoretical method [σ{sup eval}(γ, in) = F{sub i}{sup theor} (γ, in) × σ{sup expt}(γ, xn)] by employing the ratios F{sub i}{sup theor} (γ, in) calculated on the basis of a combined photonuclear-reaction model. It was obtained that cross sections evaluated in this way deviate substantially from the results of many experiments performed via neutron-multiplicity sorting, but, at the same time, agree with the results of alternative activation experiments. Prospects of employing methods that would provide, without recourse to photoneutron-multiplicity sorting, reliable data on cross sections of partial photoneutron reactions are discussed.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Comparison of 3D dose distributions for HDR {sup 192}Ir brachytherapy sources with normoxic polymer gel dosimetry and treatment planning system

Radiation fluence changes caused by the dosimeter itself and poor spatial resolution may lead to lack of 3-dimensional (3D) information depending on the features of the dosimeter and quality assurance of dose distributions for high–dose rate (HDR) iridium-192 ({sup 192}Ir) brachytherapy sources is challenging and experimental dosimetry methods used for brachytherapy sources are limited. In this study, we investigated 3D dose distributions of {sup 192}Ir brachytherapy sources for irradiation with single and multiple dwell positions using a normoxic gel dosimeter and compared them with treatment planning system (TPS) calculations. For dose calibration purposes, 100-mL gel-containing vials were irradiated at predefined doses and then scanned in an magnetic resonance (MR) imaging unit. Gel phantoms prepared in 2 spherical glasses were irradiated with {sup 192}Ir for the calculated dwell positions, and MR scans of the phantoms were obtained. The images were analyzed with MATLAB software. Dose distributions and profiles derived with 1-mm resolution were compared with TPS calculations. Linearity was observed between the delivered dose and the reciprocal of the T2 relaxation time constant of the gel. The x-, y-, and z-axes were defined as the sagittal, coronal, and axial planes, respectively, the sagittal and axial planes were defined parallel to the long axis of the source while the coronal plane was defined horizontally to the long axis of the source. The differences between measured and calculated profile widths of 3-cm source length and point source for 70%, 50%, and 30% isodose lines were evaluated at 3 dose levels using 18 profiles of comparison. The calculations for 3-cm source length revealed a difference of > 3 mm in 1 coordinate at 50% profile width on the sagittal plane and 3 coordinates at 70% profile width and 2 coordinates at 50% and 30% profile widths on the axial plane. Calculations on the coronal plane for 3-cm source length showed > 3-mm difference in 1 coordinate at 50% and 70% and 2 coordinates at 30% profile widths. The point source measurements and calculations for 50% profile widths revealed a difference > 3 mm in 1 coordinate on the sagittal plane and 2 coordinates on the axial plane. The doses of 3 coordinates on the sagittal plane and 4 coordinates on the axial plane could not be evaluated in 30% profile width because of low doses. There was good agreement between the gel dosimetry and TPS results. Gel dosimetry provides dose distributions in all 3 planes at the same time, which enables us to define the dose distributions in any plane with high resolution. It can be used to obtain 3D dose distributions for HDR {sup 192}Ir brachytherapy sources and 3D dose verification of TPS.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗

Synthesis of nanostructured AlN by solid state reaction of Al and diaminomaleonitrile

The solid state reaction of diaminomaleonitrile (DAMN) with aluminum via both mechanochemical and thermal treatment routes was studied by X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. During the milling process, the reaction starts with the deammoniation of the DAMN molecules, followed by the formation of nanostructured AlN powder as the main solid product after milling for 7 h. The reactivity of the mixed powder was also investigated during the conventional thermal treatment process using differential scanning calorimetry, derivative thermogravimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. The results reveal that DAMN starts to polymerize at 192 Degree-Sign C by the elimination of the amine groups. Furthermore, increasing the annealing temperature leads to the formation of a nitrogen-containing carbonaceous material with the structure similar to non-crystalline carbon. However, no evidence for the formation of AlN was observed in the annealed samples even at temperatures as high as the Al melting point. - Graphical abstract: AlN nanoparticles obtained after milling of Al and diaminomaleonitrile (DAMN) for 12 h. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Solid state reaction of diaminomaleonitrile (DAMN) with Al was studied via mechanochemical and thermal treatment routs. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nanocrystalline AlN was successfully synthesized by the mechanochemical process. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The C/N material was formed by polymerization of DAMN during the thermal treatment process. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer No reaction between DAMN and Al was detected during the thermal treatment method.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Sci—Fri AM: Mountain — 03: Current status of the NRC primary standard for {sup 192}Ir HDR brachytherapy sources

The Canadian primary standard for {sup 192}Ir HDR brachytherapy sources has been recently revised in a more accurate manner allowing for more realistic uncertainty estimation. Air-kerma strength S{sub k} is derived from measurements of the source's output using a graphite-walled spherical ionization chamber (2S) at several distances. Traceability to NRC primary standards for the {sup 192}Ir calibration coefficient N{sub k} is insured by estimating it as the inverse arithmetic mean of the inverse of the calibration coefficients for a {sup 137}Cs beam and the medium energy x-ray beam quality N250, both of which are traceable to NRC primary standards. The multiple-distance method is combined with a non-linear least squares fit to determine St, while at the same time removing the effects of room scatter and position offset. The previously used shadow-cone method for directly measuring the room scatter is found to be inadequate due to the increased scatter contribution from the lead cone itself, especially at short source-detector distances. Rather than including the reported 1% difference in source strength for {sup 192}Ir HDR sources of different construction into the total uncertainty, users are cautioned that the calibration coefficient provided by NRC is only valid for a microSelectron V2 model. A comprehensive uncertainty budged shows that the total one sigma uncertainty of the standard is actually 0.6% rather than the previously assumed 1.2%. NRC measured S{sub k} agrees within 0.03% of the manufacturer's value.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

The influence of intruder states in even-even Po isotopes

We study the role of intruder states and shape coexistence in the even-even {sup 190–206}Po isotopes, through an interacting boson model with configuration mixing calculation. We analyzed the results in the light of known systematics on various observable in the Pb region, paying special attention to the unperturbed energy systematics and quadrupole deformation. We find that shape coexistence in the Po isotopes behaves in very much the same way as in the Pt isotopes, i.e., it is somehow hidden, contrary to the situation in the Pb and the Hg isotopes.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Changes in the mean square charge radii and electromagnetic moments of neutron-deficient Bi isotopes

In-source laser spectroscopy experiments for neutron deficient bismuth isotopes at the 306.77 nm atomic transition were carried out at the IRIS (Investigation of Radioactive Isotopes on Synchrocyclotron) facility of Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute (PNPI). New data on isotope shifts and hyperfine structure for {sup 189–198,} {sup 211}Bi isotopes and isomers were obtained. The changes in the mean-square charge radii and the magnetic moment values were deduced. Marked deviation from the nearly spherical behavior for ground states of bismuth isotopes at N < 109 is demonstrated, in contrast to the lead and thallium isotopic chains. The big isomer shift between I = 1/2 (intruder) and I = 9/2 (normal) states for odd Bi isotopes (A = 193, 195, 197) was found.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Vibrational renormalisation of the electronic band gap in hexagonal and cubic ice

Electron-phonon coupling in hexagonal and cubic water ice is studied using first-principles quantum mechanical methods. We consider 29 distinct hexagonal and cubic ice proton-orderings with up to 192 molecules in the simulation cell to account for proton-disorder. We find quantum zero-point vibrational corrections to the minimum electronic band gaps ranging from −1.5 to −1.7 eV, which leads to improved agreement between calculated and experimental band gaps. Anharmonic nuclear vibrations play a negligible role in determining the gaps. Deuterated ice has a smaller band-gap correction at zero-temperature of −1.2 to −1.4 eV. Vibrations reduce the differences between the electronic band gaps of different proton-orderings from around 0.17 eV to less than 0.05 eV, so that the electronic band gaps of hexagonal and cubic ice are almost independent of the proton-ordering when quantum nuclear vibrations are taken into account. The comparatively small reduction in the band gap over the temperature range 0 − 240 K of around 0.1 eV does not depend on the proton ordering, or whether the ice is protiated or deuterated, or hexagonal, or cubic. We explain this in terms of the atomistic origin of the strong electron-phonon coupling in ice.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Effect of the Micelle Opening in Self-assembled Amphiphilic Block Co-polymer Films on the Infiltration of Inorganic Precursors

Infiltration of the polymer templates with inorganic precursors using the selective vapor-phase infiltration approach, or sequential infiltration synthesis (SIS), allows the design of materials with advanced properties. Swelling of the block co-polymer (BCP) templates enables the additional control of the structure, porosity, and thickness of the composite or inorganic materials. Here, we use the highly precise quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) technique to investigate quantitatively the effect of the micelle opening by swelling and inorganic precursor infiltrating on the evolution of porosity in amphiphilic BCPs. We show that swelling of the polystyrene-block-poly-4-vinyl pyridine (PS-b-P4VP) BCP in ethanol at 75 °C occurs rapidly and results in a stable polymer structure in 30 min. By using an alumina model system, we found that swelling enables access to all available polar domains of the PS-b-P4VP film leading to an increase in the SIS-infiltrated alumina mass as compared to the nonswelled BCP layer. Our results demonstrate that swelling of the 110 nm thick BCP template results in the formation of 192 nm thick alumina films with 2 times larger alumina mass and 4 times larger effective pore volume than in case of the nonswelled sample. In the case of the thicker polymer template, the difference due to swelling becomes even more substantial because the fraction of accessible polymer is increased much more than in thin films. Our findings provide important insights into the mechanism of the infiltration of the inorganic precursors into swelled and nonswelled, spin-coated BCP templates enabling the design of highly porous thick ceramic films by SIS.

She, Yunlong↗

Predicting spring phenology in deciduous broadleaf forests: NEON phenology forecasting community challenge

Accurate models are important to predict how global climate change will continue to alter plant phenology and near-term ecological forecasts can be used to iteratively improve models and evaluate predictions that are made a priori. The Ecological Forecasting Initiative's National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) Forecasting Challenge, is an open challenge to the community to forecast daily greenness values, measured through digital images collected by the PhenoCam Network at NEON sites before the data are collected. For the first round of the challenge, which is presented here, we forecasted canopy greenness throughout the spring at eight deciduous broadleaf sites to investigate when, where, and for what model type phenology forecast skill is highest. A total of 192,536 predictions were submitted, representing eighteen models, including a persistence and a day of year mean null models. We found that overall forecast skill was highest when forecasting earlier in the greenup curve compared to the end, for shorter lead times, for sites that greened up earlier, and when submitting forecasts during times other than near budburst. The models based on day of year historical mean had the highest predictive skill across the challenge period. In this first round of the challenge, by synthesizing across forecasts, we started to elucidate what factors affect the predictive skill of near-term phenology forecasts.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

SU-G-201-11: Exploring the Upper Limits of Dose Sculpting Capacity of the Novel Direction Modulated Brachytherapy (DMBT) Tandem Applicator

Purpose: To explore and quantify the upper limits in dose sculpting capacity of the novel direction modulated brachytherapy (DMBT) tandem applicator compared with conventional tandem design for {sup 192}Ir-based HDR planning. Methods: The proposed DMBT tandem applicator is designed for image-guided adaptive brachytherapy (IGABT), especially MRI, of cervical cancer. It has 6 peripheral holes of 1.3-mm width, grooved along a 5.4-mm diameter nonmagnetic tungsten alloy rod of density 18.0 g/cc, capable of generating directional dose profiles – leading to enhanced dose sculpting capacity through inverse planning. The external dimensions are identical to that of conventional tandem design to ensure clinical compatibility. To explore the expansive dose sculpting capacity, we constructed a hypothetical circular target with 20-mm radius and positioned the DMBT and conventional tandems at the center. We then incrementally shifted the positions laterally away from the center of up to 15 mm, at 1-mm steps. The in-house coded gradient projection-based inverse planning system was then used to generate inverse optimized plans ensuring identical V100=100% coverage. Conformity index (CI) was calculated for all plans. Results: Overall, the DMBT tandem generates more conformal dose distributions than conventional tandem for all lateral positional shifts of 0-15 mm (CI=0.91–0.52 and 0.99–0.34, respectively), with an exception at the central position due to the ideal circular dose distribution, generated by the {sup 192}Ir, fitting tightly around the circular target (CI = 0.91 and 0.99, respectively). The DMBT tandem is able to generate dose conformity of CI>0.8 at up to 6-mm positional shift while the conventional tandem violates this past 2-mm shift. Also, the CI ratio (=DMBT/conv.) increases rapidly until about 8 mm and then stabilizes beyond. Conclusion: A substantial enhancement in the dose sculpting capacity has been demonstrated for the novel DMBT tandem applicator. While further studies are warranted, the concept is promising for potential clinical translation.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

HDR {sup 192}Ir source speed measurements using a high speed video camera

Purpose: The dose delivered with a HDR {sup 192}Ir afterloader can be separated into a dwell component, and a transit component resulting from the source movement. The transit component is directly dependent on the source speed profile and it is the goal of this study to measure accurate source speed profiles. Methods: A high speed video camera was used to record the movement of a {sup 192}Ir source (Nucletron, an Elekta company, Stockholm, Sweden) for interdwell distances of 0.25–5 cm with dwell times of 0.1, 1, and 2 s. Transit dose distributions were calculated using a Monte Carlo code simulating the source movement. Results: The source stops at each dwell position oscillating around the desired position for a duration up to (0.026 ± 0.005) s. The source speed profile shows variations between 0 and 81 cm/s with average speed of ∼33 cm/s for most of the interdwell distances. The source stops for up to (0.005 ± 0.001) s at nonprogrammed positions in between two programmed dwell positions. The dwell time correction applied by the manufacturer compensates the transit dose between the dwell positions leading to a maximum overdose of 41 mGy for the considered cases and assuming an air-kerma strength of 48 000 U. The transit dose component is not uniformly distributed leading to over and underdoses, which is within 1.4% for commonly prescribed doses (3–10 Gy). Conclusions: The source maintains its speed even for the short interdwell distances. Dose variations due to the transit dose component are much lower than the prescribed treatment doses for brachytherapy, although transit dose component should be evaluated individually for clinical cases.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

Enhancing Short-Range Weather Forecasts through Temporal Variation Encoding: A Multiperiod Embedding Approach

Machine learning (ML) techniques have emerged as promising approaches to improve regional weather forecast accuracy and reliability through data-driven methods. We propose a novel ML-based weather forecasting model, the Multiperiod Embed Net (MPENet). A key distinguishing feature of MPENet is its explicit utilization of the inherent cyclic nature in weather dynamics, unlike the autoregressive strategies commonly used in other ML weather forecasting approaches. Critical cyclic structures are identified via Fourier analyses of dynamic time series. Cyclicity in the convolutional representation is achieved by transforming one-dimensional time series of meteorological variables into two-dimensional tensors based on identified periods. This approach enables the model to leverage intrinsic weather patterns, enhancing regional forecast performance. To demonstrate the effectiveness of MPENet, we conduct a comparative analysis with Nvidia’s FourCastNet. Both models are trained on High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) data from 2015 to 2022, over a 192 km × 192 km region in Tennessee. The comparisons are performed locally at two specific locations known to have different weather dynamics due to orographic effects: Crossville, on the relatively flat Cumberland Plateau with fewer topographic airflow disruptions, and Oak Ridge, in the ridge-and-valley region, where airflow is heavily influenced by surrounding valleys and mountains. Our results indicate that FourCastNet achieves strong accuracy at very short lead times, while MPENet maintains competitive skill and shows advantages in capturing temporal evolution over longer periods. Cross-correlation analyses of MPENet and FourCastNet predictions with the HRRR data suggest that encoding critical cyclicity into the network architecture leads to improvements in the forecasting skill.

Artificial intelligence↗

Sampling strategies for subsampled segmented EPI PRF thermometry in MR guided high intensity focused ultrasound

Purpose: To investigate k-space subsampling strategies to achieve fast, large field-of-view (FOV) temperature monitoring using segmented echo planar imaging (EPI) proton resonance frequency shift thermometry for MR guided high intensity focused ultrasound (MRgHIFU) applications. Methods: Five different k-space sampling approaches were investigated, varying sample spacing (equally vs nonequally spaced within the echo train), sampling density (variable sampling density in zero, one, and two dimensions), and utilizing sequential or centric sampling. Three of the schemes utilized sequential sampling with the sampling density varied in zero, one, and two dimensions, to investigate sampling the k-space center more frequently. Two of the schemes utilized centric sampling to acquire the k-space center with a longer echo time for improved phase measurements, and vary the sampling density in zero and two dimensions, respectively. Phantom experiments and a theoretical point spread function analysis were performed to investigate their performance. Variable density sampling in zero and two dimensions was also implemented in a non-EPI GRE pulse sequence for comparison. All subsampled data were reconstructed with a previously described temporally constrained reconstruction (TCR) algorithm. Results: The accuracy of each sampling strategy in measuring the temperature rise in the HIFU focal spot was measured in terms of the root-mean-square-error (RMSE) compared to fully sampled “truth.” For the schemes utilizing sequential sampling, the accuracy was found to improve with the dimensionality of the variable density sampling, giving values of 0.65 °C, 0.49 °C, and 0.35 °C for density variation in zero, one, and two dimensions, respectively. The schemes utilizing centric sampling were found to underestimate the temperature rise, with RMSE values of 1.05 °C and 1.31 °C, for variable density sampling in zero and two dimensions, respectively. Similar subsampling schemes with variable density sampling implemented in zero and two dimensions in a non-EPI GRE pulse sequence both resulted in accurate temperature measurements (RMSE of 0.70 °C and 0.63 °C, respectively). With sequential sampling in the described EPI implementation, temperature monitoring over a 192 × 144 × 135 mm{sup 3} FOV with a temporal resolution of 3.6 s was achieved, while keeping the RMSE compared to fully sampled “truth” below 0.35 °C. Conclusions: When segmented EPI readouts are used in conjunction with k-space subsampling for MR thermometry applications, sampling schemes with sequential sampling, with or without variable density sampling, obtain accurate phase and temperature measurements when using a TCR reconstruction algorithm. Improved temperature measurement accuracy can be achieved with variable density sampling. Centric sampling leads to phase bias, resulting in temperature underestimations.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Rechargeable Zinc Alkaline Anodes for Long-Cycle Energy Storage

Zinc alkaline anodes command significant share of consumer battery markets and are a key technology for the emerging grid-scale battery market. Improved understanding of this electrode is required for long-cycle deployments at kWh and MWh scale due to strict requirements on performance, cost, and safety. For this article, we give a modern literature survey of zinc alkaline anodes with levelized performance metrics and also present an experimental assessment of leading formulations. Long-cycle materials characterization, performance metrics, and failure analysis are reported for over 25 unique anode formulations with up to 1500 cycles and ~1.5 years of shelf life per test. Statistical repeatability of these measurements is made for a baseline design (fewest additives) via 15 duplicates. Baseline design capacity density is 38 mAh per mL of anode volume, and lifetime throughput is 72 Ah per mL of anode volume. We then report identical measurements for anodes with improved material properties via additives and other perturbations, some of which achieve capacity density over 192 mAh per mL of anode volume and lifetime throughput of 190 Ah per mL of anode volume. Novel in operando X-ray microscopy of a cycling zinc paste anode reveals the formation of a nanoscale zinc material that cycles electrochemically and replaces the original anode structure over long-cycle life. Ex situ elemental mapping and other materials characterization suggest that the key physical processes are hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), growth of zinc oxide nanoscale material, concentration deficits of OH – and ZnOH 4 2– , and electrodeposition of Zn growths outside and through separator membranes.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Greenhouse gas emissions from different municipal solid waste management scenarios in China: Based on carbon and energy flow analysis

Highlights: • Carbon and energy flow analysis were applied to high organic MSW treatment. • Incineration presented the best GHG reduction potential. • Biological treatment led to no significant GHG reduction. - Abstract: Waste management is a major source of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and many opportunities exist to reduce these emissions. To identify the GHG emissions from waste management in China, the characteristics of MSW and the current and future treatment management strategies, five typical management scenarios were modeled by EaseTech software following the principles of life cycle inventory and analyzed based on the carbon and energy flows. Due to the high organic fraction (50–70%) and moisture content (>50%) of Chinese municipal solid waste (MSW), the net GHG emissions in waste management had a significant difference from the developed countries. It was found that the poor landfill gas (LFG) collection efficiency and low carbon storage resulted landfilling with flaring and landfilling with biogas recovery scenarios were the largest GHG emissions (192 and 117 kgCO{sub 2}-Eq/t, respectively). In contrast, incineration had the best energy recovery rate (19%), and, by grid emissions substitution, led to a substantial decrease in net GHG emissions (−124 kgCO{sub 2}-Eq/t). Due to the high energy consumption in operation, the unavoidable leakage of CH{sub 4} and N{sub 2}O in treatment, and the further release of CH{sub 4} in disposing of the digested residue or composted product, the scenarios with biological treatment of the organic fractions after sorting, such as composting or anaerobic digestion (AD), did not lead to the outstanding GHG reductions (emissions of 32 and −36 kgCO{sub 2}-Eq/t, respectively) as expected.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Transcriptome-wide association analysis identifies candidate susceptibility genes for prostate-specific antigen levels in men without prostate cancer

Deciphering the genetic basis of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels may improve their utility for prostate cancer (PCa) screening. Using genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics from 95,768 PCa-free men, we conducted a transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) to examine impacts of genetically predicted gene expression on PSA. Analyses identified 41 statistically significant (p < 0.05/12,192 = 4.10 × 10 –6 ) associations in whole blood and 39 statistically significant (p < 0.05/13,844 = 3.61 × 10 –6 ) associations in prostate tissue, with 18 genes associated in both tissues. Cross-tissue analyses identified 155 statistically significantly (p < 0.05/22,249 = 2.25 × 10 –6 ) genes. Out of 173 unique PSA-associated genes across analyses, we replicated 151 (87.3%) in a TWAS of 209,318 PCa-free individuals from the Million Veteran Program. Based on conditional analyses, we found 20 genes (11 single tissue, nine cross-tissue) that were associated with PSA levels in the discovery TWAS that were not attributable to a lead variant from a GWAS. Ten of these 20 genes replicated, and two of the replicated genes had colocalization probability of >0.5: CCNA2 and HIST1H2BN. Six of the 20 identified genes are not known to impact PCa risk. Fine-mapping based on whole blood and prostate tissue revealed five protein-coding genes with evidence of causal relationships with PSA levels. Of these five genes, four exhibited evidence of colocalization and one was conditionally independent of previous GWAS findings. These results yield hypotheses that should be further explored to improve understanding of genetic factors underlying PSA levels.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗