RAVEN has been developed in a highly modular and pluggable way in order to enable easy integration of different programming languages (i.e., C++, Python) and, as already mentioned, coupling with any system code.

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____________________________________________________________Progress on a hypertextbook on the theory of computing is presented. The hypertextbook is a novel teaching and learning resource built around web technologies that incorporates text, sound, pictures, illustrations, slide shows, video clips, and-most importantly-active learning models of the key concepts of the theory of computing into an integrated resource. Active learning models currently exist for finite state automata, regular expressions, regular grammars, the pumping lemma for regular languages, context-free grammars, LL (1) parsing, and program execution. The seamless interweaving of these components into a browser-ready whole will help realize the goal of integrating visualization aids into theory courses.

This document is the user manual for the Simulation Environment for Radiotherapy Applications (SERA) software program developed for boron-neutron capture therapy (BNCT) patient treatment planning by researchers at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) and students and faculty at Montana State University (MSU) Computer Science Department. This manual corresponds to the final release of the program, Version 1C0, developed to run under the RedHat Linux Operating System (version 7.2 or newer) or the Solaris™ Operating System (version 2.6 or newer). SERA is a suite of command line or interactively launched software modules, including graphical, geometric reconstruction, and execution interface modules for developing BNCT treatment plans. The program allows the user to develop geometric models of the patient as derived from Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) images, perform dose computation for these geometric models, and display the computed doses on overlays of the original images as three dimensional representations. This manual provides a guide to the practical use of SERA, but is not an exhaustive treatment of each feature of the code. iv IN MEMORIAMFloyd J. Wheeler passed away before the final version of the software and manual were completed. Floyd was a leader and innovator in the development of computational methods for neutron transport in tissue, a widely respected member of the international Neutron Capture Therapy community, a great teacher and mentor, a dedicated and loving father, and one of the most decent, forthright, and helpful people anyone could hope to meet. His absence impoverishes us all. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSAs with many large endeavors such as this, there is a supporting cast of thousands lurking behind the scenes who are not only unrewarded but, worse, unrecognized. In many of these cases, these same people may and do make contributions more significant than do the authors appearing on that work. This effort is no exception. With regard to this effort, there is one such person that stands above all others, authors included, and that person is Merle Griebenow. Merle instituted the boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) program at Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), and perhaps revived it in many other quarters. Merle, like Professor Hatanaka before him, was regarded as a heretic by many of his peers, except by those who really know him. We might say that being regarded as a heretic is perhaps really an honor, since, from the historic perspective, it's probably heresy, not necessity, that is the mother of invention.Merle has an incredible capacity to observe and learn and then trust and support the people he recruits. For that, we are most grateful.

The existing fleet of nuclear power plants is in the process of extending its lifetime and increasing the power generated from these plants via power uprates. In order to evaluate the impact of these factors on the safety of the plant, the Risk Informed Safety Margin Characterization (RISMC) project aims to provide insight to decision makers through a series of simulations of the plant dynamics for different initial conditions (e.g., probabilistic analysis and uncertainty quantification). This report focuses, in particular, on the application of a RISMC detailed demonstration case study for an emergent issue using the RAVEN and RELAP-7 tools. This case study looks at the impact of a couple of challenges to a hypothetical pressurized water reactor, including: (1) a power uprate, (2) a potential loss of off-site power followed by the possible loss of all diesel generators (i.e., a station blackout event), (3) and earthquake induces station-blackout, and (4) a potential earthquake induced tsunami flood. The analysis is performed by using a set of codes: a thermal-hydraulic code (RELAP-7), a flooding simulation tool (NEUTRINO) and a stochastic analysis tool (RAVEN)-these are currently under development at the Idaho National Laboratory. We created the input models for the flooding analysis code and for the mechanistic thermal hydraulics code that represent system dynamics under station blackout conditions. Using RAVEN, we were able to perform multiple RELAP-7 simulation runs by changing specific parts of the model in order to reflect specific aspects of different scenarios, including both the failure and recovery of critical components. We employed traditional statistical tools such as Monte-Carlo sampling and more advanced machine-learning based algorithms to perform uncertainty quantification in order to understand changes in system performance and limitations as a consequence of power uprate. Qualitative and quantitative results obtained gave a detailed picture of the issues associated with power uprate for a station blackout accident scenario. We were able to quantify how the timing of safety-related events is impacted by a higher reactor core power. These types of insights can provide useful material for the decision makers to perform risk-informed safety margins management.

The aim of this project is to extend accurate and patient-specific treatment planning to new treatment modalities, such as molecular targeted radiation therapy, incorporating previously crafted and proven Monte Carlo and deterministic computation methods. A flexible software environment is being created that allows planning radiation treatment for these new modalities and combining different forms of radiation treatment with consideration of biological effects. The system uses common input interfaces, medical image sets for definition of patient geometry and dose reporting protocols. Previously, the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), Montana State University (MSU) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) had accrued experience in the development and application of Monte Carlo based, three-dimensional, computational dosimetry and treatment planning tools for radiotherapy in several specialized areas. In particular, INEEL and MSU have developed computational dosimetry systems for neutron radiotherapy and neutron capture therapy, while LLNL has developed the PEREGRINE computational system for external beam photon-electron therapy. Building on that experience, the INEEL and MSU are developing the MINERVA (modality inclusive environment for radiotherapeutic variable analysis) software system as a general framework for computational dosimetry and treatment planning for a variety of emerging forms of radiotherapy. In collaboration with this development, LLNL has extended its PEREGRINE code to accommodate internal sources for molecular targeted radiotherapy (MTR), and has interfaced it with the plugin architecture of MINERVA. Results from the extended PEREGRINE code have been compared to published data from other codes, and found to be in general agreement (EGS4-2%, MCNP-10%) (Descalle et al 2003 Cancer Biother. Radiopharm. 18 71-9). The code is currently being benchmarked against experimental data. The interpatient variability of the drug pharmacokinetics in MTR can only be properly accounted for by image-based, patient-specific treatment planning, as has been common in external beam radiation therapy for many years. MINERVA offers 3D Monte Carlo-based MTR treatment planning as its first integrated operational capability. The new MINERVA system will ultimately incorporate capabilities for a comprehensive list of radiation therapies. In progress are modules for external beam photon-electron therapy and boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). Brachytherapy and proton therapy are planned. Through the open application programming interface (API), other groups can add their own modules and share them with the community.

In this paper we evaluate the impact of a power uprate on a pressurized water reactor (PWR) for a tsunami-induced flooding test case. This analysis is performed using the RISMC toolkit: the RELAP-7 and RAVEN codes. RELAP-7 is the new generation of system analysis codes that is responsible for simulating the thermal-hydraulic dynamics of PWR and boiling water reactor systems. RAVEN has two capabilities: to act as a controller of the RELAP-7 simulation (e.g., component/system activation) and to perform statistical analyses. In our case, the simulation of the flooding is performed by using an advanced smooth particle hydrodynamics code called NEUTRINO. The obtained results allow the user to investigate and quantify the impact of timing and sequencing of events on system safety. In addition, the impact of power uprate is determined in terms of both core damage probability and safety margins.