ANSTO Publications Online

Welcome to the ANSTO Institutional Repository known as APO.

The APO database has been migrated to version 7.5. The functionality has changed, but the content remains the same.

ANSTO Publications Online is a digital repository for publications authored by ANSTO staff since 2007. The Repository also contains ANSTO Publications, such as Reports and Promotional Material. ANSTO publications prior to 2007 continue to be added progressively as they are in identified in the library. ANSTO authors can be identified under a single point of entry within the database. The citation is as it appears on the item, even with incorrect spelling, which is marked by (sic) or with additional notes in the description field.

If items are only held in hardcopy in the ANSTO Library collection notes are being added to the item to identify the Dewey Call number: as DDC followed by the number.

APO will be integrated with the Research Information System which is currently being implemented at ANSTO. The flow on effect will be permission to publish, which should allow pre-prints and post prints to be added where content is locked behind a paywall. To determine which version can be added to APO authors should check Sherpa Romeo. ANSTO research is increasingly being published in open access due mainly to the Council of Australian University Librarians read and publish agreements, and some direct publisher agreements with our organisation. In addition, open access items are also facilitated through collaboration and open access agreements with overseas authors such as Plan S.

ANSTO authors are encouraged to use a CC-BY licence when publishing open access. Statistics have been returned to the database and are now visible to users to show item usage and where this usage is coming from.

 

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Now showing 1 - 5 of 5

Recent Submissions

Item
Multiple isotope tracers reveal the sources of water sustaining ecologically and culturally significant springs, and their vulnerability to mining development
(Elsevier, 2024-12) Campbell, AG; Cartwright, I; Cendón, DI; Currell, MJ
The development of Australia’s largest approved coal mine in the Galilee Basin of northeast Australia will dramatically alter the region’s water resources. The Carmichael Coal Mine is located within eight kilometres of the Doongmabulla Springs Complex, which support endemic flora and fauna and hold crucial cultural significance to the Wangan and Jagalingou Traditional Owners. Uncertainties regarding the source(s) of water to the springs have so far prevented a clear understanding of how mining will affect their long-term health and hydrology. Environmental tracers (including 3H, 14C, 36Cl, 2H, 18O, 13C and 87Sr/86Sr) from 8 springs and 15 surrounding water bores, indicate that multiple sources of water, with vastly different residence times, sustain the Doongmabulla springs. R36Cl (79.1–80.8 x10-15), a14C (47.2–91.1 pMC) and the presence of 3H (up to 0.28 TU) suggest that relatively young water recharged during the Holocene and Late Pleistocene sustains three eastern springs close to the Carmichael mine. Significant R36Cl decay (to between 19.46 x10-15 and 56.94 x10-15) indicates that much older water from the Early-Mid Pleistocene (residence time > 500 ka) sustains springs in the west of the complex, alongside intermediate-aged water fractions (a14C 0.99–––95.73 pMC) and minor modern components (3H up to 0.518 TU). Regional groundwater flow in the Clematis Sandstone (sampled R36Cl values: 22.92 x10-15 ––109.9 x10-15) is likely the predominant source of very old water in the western springs, although contribution from deeper aquifers (e.g., Dunda Beds or Permian coal measures) cannot be ruled out. Aquifer geometry and hydraulic gradients suggest local-scale flow paths in the Clematis Sandstone and Dunda Beds are the likely source of Holocene water that is critical to the eastern springs. The revised understanding of the sources of groundwater implies that both the western and eastern springs are more vulnerable to mining impacts than has been previously assumed. Protection of ecologically and culturally significant springs worldwide from drawdown associated with resource extraction requires robust methods to characterise their water sources and this study presents a multi-isotope tracer approach that may be widely applicable. © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ).
Item
Radon-222 related influence on ambient gamma dose
(Elsevier, 2018-09) Melintescu, A; Chambers, SD; Crawford, J; Williams, AG; Zorila, B; Galeriu, D
Ambient gamma dose, radon, and rainfall have been monitored in southern Bucharest, Romania, from 2010 to 2016. The seasonal cycle of background ambient gamma dose peaked between July and October (100–105 nSv h−1), with minimum values in February (75–80 nSv h−1), the time of maximum snow cover. Based on 10 m a.g.l. radon concentrations, the ambient gamma dose increased by around 1 nSv h−1 for every 5 Bq m−3 increase in radon. Radon variability attributable to diurnal changes in atmospheric mixing contributed less than 15 nSv h−1 to the overall variability in ambient gamma dose, a factor of 4 more than synoptic timescale changes in air mass fetch. By contrast, precipitation-related enhancements of the ambient gamma dose were 15–80 nSv h−1. To facilitate routine analysis, and account in part for occasional equipment failure, an automated method for identifying precipitation spikes in the ambient gamma dose was developed. Lastly, a simple model for predicting rainfall-related enhancement of the ambient gamma dose is tested against rainfall observations from events of contrasting duration and intensity. Results are also compared with those from previously published models of simple and complex formulation. Generally, the model performed very well. When simulations underestimated observations the absolute difference was typically less than the natural variability in ambient gamma dose arising from atmospheric mixing influences. Consequently, combined use of the automated event detection method and the simple model of this study could enable the ambient gamma dose “attention limit” (which indicates a potential radiological emergency) to be reduced from 200 to 400% above background to 25–50%. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd.
Item
Mechanically robust nitrogen-rich plasma polymers: biofunctional interfaces for surface engineering of biomedical implants
(Elsevier, 2021-12) Sharifahmadian, O; Zhai, C; Hung, J; Shineh, G; Stewart, CAC; Fadzil, AA; Ionescu, M; Gan, Y; Wise, SG; Akhavan, B
Surface bio-functionalization through covalent attachment of bioactive molecules is a promising approach to facilitate rapid bone-implant integration. Radical-rich plasma polymer interlayers are highly attractive as platforms that enable covalent biofunctionalization in a single-step, reagent-free manner. However, fabrication of mechanically robust plasma polymer films, particularly for biomedical devices that operate in corrosive body fluids, is not trivial. Here we show a facile approach to tune the robustness of ion-assisted plasma polymer (IPP) films via simply varying the nitrogen atomic concentration incorporated into their structure. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data indicated that the total sp3/sp2 ratio of carbon atoms decreases in the films with increasing nitrogen atomic concentration. Electron recoil detection analysis data provided evidence that the hydrogen content decreases as the nitrogen atomic concentration increases. Nano-indentation and nano-scratch tests, together with long-term stability studies in simulated body fluid, showed a strong correlation between the nitrogen atomic concentration and the robustness and stability of the films. We confirmed the potential of the optimized, nitrogen-rich IPP film to regulate osseointegration by covalent attachment of fibronectin followed by quantifying primary osteoblast attachment and proliferation. The IPP films developed here hold great potential as robust interfaces for biomimetic surface engineering of implantable biomedical devices, in particular bone implants. © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Item
Austenite formation kinetics from multicomponent cementite-ferrite aggregates
(Elsevier, 2020-09-01) Wu, YX; Wang, LY; Sun, WW; Styles, MJ; Studer, AJ; Bréchet, Y; Arlazarov, A; Hutchinson, CR
Metastable austenite strongly influences the mechanical properties of many advanced high strength steels (AHSS) and its formation kinetics during intercritical annealing strongly depend on the initial microstructure. In this contribution, we have performed detailed kinetic studies of austenite formation from cementite-ferrite aggregate in a range of Fe-C-Mn and Fe-C-Mn-Si/Al alloys via in situ neutron powder diffraction. Depending on the relative contribution of cementite dissolution in respect to migrating interface of austenite/ferrite, the incomplete dissolution of enveloped cementite limited by slow diffusion in austenite could result in austenite plateauing below equilibrium, while fast dissolution of matrix cementite could result in austenite plateau above equilibrium. Both contributions need to be considered and modelled to describe the austenite formation kinetics. © 2020 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Acta Materialia Inc.
Item
Synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of [ 18 F]PBR316: a novel PET ligand targeting the translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO) with low binding sensitivity to human single nucleotide polymorphism rs6971
(Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), 2021-04-01) Mattner, F; Katsifis, A; Bourdier, T; Loc'h, C; Berghofer, PJ; Fookes, CJR; Hung, TT; Jackson, TW; Henderson, D; Pham, TQ; Lee, BJ; Shepherd, R; Greguric, ID; Wyatt, NA; Le, T; Poon, J; Power, C; Fulham, MJ
Radiopharmaceuticals that target the translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO) have been investigated with positron emission tomography (PET) to study neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration and cancer. We have developed the novel, achiral, 2-phenylimidazo[1,2-a]pyridine, PBR316 that targets the translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO) that addresses some of the limitations inherent in current TSPO ligands; namely specificity in binding, blood brain barrier permeability, metabolism and insensitivity to TSPO binding in subjects as a result of rs6971 polymorphism. PBR316 has high nanomolar affinity (4.7–6.0 nM) for the TSPO, >5000 nM for the central benzodiazepine receptor (CBR) and low sensitivity to rs6971 polymorphism with a low affinity binders (LABs) to high affinity binders (HABs) ratio of 1.5. [18F]PBR316 was prepared in 20 ± 5% radiochemical yield, >99% radiochemical purity and a molar activity of 160–400 GBq μmol−1. Biodistribution in rats showed high uptake of [18F]PBR316 in organs known to express TSPO such as heart (3.9%) and adrenal glands (7.5% ID per g) at 1 h. [18F]PBR316 entered the brain and accumulated in TSPO-expressing regions with an olfactory bulb to brain ratio of 3 at 15 min and 7 at 4 h. Radioactivity was blocked by PK11195 and Ro 5-4864 but not Flumazenil. Metabolite analysis showed that radioactivity in adrenal glands and the brain was predominantly due to the intact radiotracer. PET–CT studies in mouse-bearing prostate tumour xenografts indicated biodistribution similar to rats with radioactivity in the tumour increasing with time. [18F]PBR316 shows in vitro binding that is insensitive to human polymorphism and has specific and selective in vivo binding to the TSPO. [18F]PBR316 is suitable for further biological and clinical studies. © Royal Society of Chemistry 2025.