Generation and validation of a shielding library based on ENDF/B-VI.8.

For various shielding and reactor pressure vessel dosimetry applications, a pseudo-problem-independent neutron-photon coupled MATXS-format library, based on the last release of ENDF/B-VI, has been generated as a part of the update program for KASHIL-E6, which was based on ENDF/B-VI.5. It has a VITAMIN-B6 neutron and photon energy group structures, i.e. 199 groups for the neutron and 42 groups for the photon. The neutron and photon weighting functions and the Legendre orders of scattering are the same as in KASHIL-E6. The library has been validated through some benchmarks: the PCA-REPLICA and NESDIP-2 experiments for the light-water reactor (LWR) pressure vessel facility benchmark, the Winfrith Iron 88 experiment for the validation of the iron data and the Winfrith Graphite experiment for the validation of the graphite data. These calculations were performed by the TRANSX/DANTSYS code system. In addition, the substitutions of the JENDL-3.3 and JEFF-3.0 data for Fe, Cr, Cu and Ni, which are very important nuclides for shielding analyses, were investigated to estimate the effects on the benchmark calculation results.

Hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects of Alnus japonica extracts on acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity in rats.

The stem bark of the Betulaceae plant Alnus japonica, which is indigenous to Korea, has been used as a popular folk medicine for hepatitis and cancer. In this study, the antioxidant activity of the crude extract and the hepatoprotective activities on acetaminophen (AAP)-induced toxicity in the rat liver were evaluated. We investigated the effect of the methanol (AJM) and solvent fracton of the stem bark of Alnus japonica (AJ) on AAP-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. In rat hepatocyte culture, pretreatment with AJM (50, 100, 150 and 200 microg/ml) significantly decreased the cytotoxicity of AAP in a dose-dependent manner. The pretreated with EtOAc and BuOH fraction led to an increase in free radical scavenging activity and a decrease in inhibition of lipid peroxidation, both superoxide dismutase and catalase prevent the hepatotoxicity by AAP in the treatment of A. japonica fraction. We conclude that AJ is an important antioxidant in AAP-induced live hepatotoxicity and that extract of AJM plays a hepatoprotective effects in the against AAP-induced cytotoxicity in cultured rat hepatocytes in vitro. Pending more evaluation for safety and efficacy, AJ can potentially be used in mitigating AAP-induced hepatotoxicity.