SURVEILLANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL DOSE RATE WITH THE COVARIANCE MATRIX

The objective of this study is the operational verification of an environmental dose rate monitoring network composed by several sensors. The verification of the study has been tested on the CIEMAT's Radiological Network, establishing a records quality assurance of the detectors using the covariance matrix and the eigenvalues. The technique has revealed an underlying records malfunction, which have not been appreciated by applying conventional surveillance. In this sense, the malfunction has economic and security consequences, which can be minimized with an alternative methodology, which guarantees the radiological protection of a local area according to the Regulatory Agency.

USING THE HERMITE POLYNOMIALS IN RADIOLOGICAL MONITORING NETWORKS

The most interesting events in Radiological Monitoring Network correspond to higher values of H*(10). The higher doses cause skewness in the probability density function (PDF) of the records, which there are not Gaussian anymore. Within this work the probability of having a dose >2 standard deviations is proposed as surveillance of higher doses. Such probability is estimated by using the Hermite polynomials for reconstructing the PDF. The result is that the probability is ~6 ± 1%, much >2.5% corresponding to Gaussian PDFs, which may be of interest in the design of alarm level for higher doses.

ADVANCED SURVEILLANCE OF ENVIROMENTAL RADIATION IN AUTOMATIC NETWORKS

The objective of this study is the verification of the operation of a radiation monitoring network conformed by several sensors. The malfunction of a surveillance network has security and economic consequences, which derive from its maintenance and could be avoided with an early detection. The proposed method is based on a kind of multivariate distance, and the verification for the methodology has been tested at CIEMAT's local radiological early warning network.

The Influence of Radon (Gas and Progeny) and Weather Conditions on Ambient Dose Equivalent Rate

The purpose of this study is to identify the influence of radon (gas and progeny) on the ambient dose equivalent rate measured at the reference station ESMERALDA, where continuous measurements of the ambient dose equivalent rate (every 10 min) combined with activity concentration measurements of radon gas and radon progeny as well as meteorological parameters have been collected. This study has been performed using a correlation study based on a principal components analysis and the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient.

Combined therapy versus usual care for the treatment of depression in oncologic patients: a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

To compare narrative therapy (NT) plus escitalopram versus escitalopram plus usual care on quality of life and depressive symptomatology of depressed patients with oncologic disease.

METHODS

A total of 72 subjects (mean age 54.6 years), predominantly female with non-metastatic breast, lung and colon cancer and depressive disorder (DSM-IV-TR) were randomized to receive treatment with NT plus escitalopram (n=39) or escitalopram (10-20 mg QD) plus usual care (n=33). Main endpoints were improvement in dimensions of quality of life measured by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C-30 and reduction of depressive symptoms using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale at weeks 12 and 24.

RESULTS

The combined therapy group showed significantly greater improvement in all the functioning dimensions (p<0.01), pain scale (p=0.02), global health (p=0.02), and global quality of life (p=0.007) at weeks 12 and 24. There were no statistically significant differences in depressive symptomatology between the groups. From week 12 to week 24 study retention was higher in the combined treatment group (p=0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Brief NT in combination with escitalopram was superior to usual care and escitalopram in improving functioning dimensions of quality life.

Floods from tailings dam failures

This paper compiles the available information on historic tailings dam failures with the purpose to establish simple correlations between tailings ponds geometric parameters (e.g., dam height, tailings volume) and the hydraulic characteristics of floods resulting from released tailings. Following the collapse of a mining waste dam, only a part of tailings and polluted water stored at the dam is released, and this outflow volume is difficult to estimate prior the incident. In this study, tailings' volume stored at the time of failure was shown to have a good correlation (r2=0.86) with the tailings outflow volume, and the volume of spilled tailings was correlated with its run-out distance (r2=0.57). An envelope curve was drawn encompassing the majority of data points indicating the potential maximum downstream distance affected by a tailings' spill. The application of the described regression equations for prediction purposes needs to be treated with caution and with support of on-site measurement and observations. However, they may provide a universal baseline approximation on tailing outflow characteristics (even if detailed dam information is unavailable), which is of a great importance for risk analysis purposes.

Functionalisation of glass with iron oxide nanoparticles produced by laser pyrolysis

In the present work, a new process for depositing nanoparticle layers onto glass has been developed by using one of the most interesting nanoparticle generation technologies at the moment, which is based on the pyrolysis induced by laser of vapours combined with CVD of the particles onto glass. Nanoparticles prepared by this method were deposited into a hot silica substrate obtaining new nanocomposites with unique properties. The coated glasses present new specific functionalities such as colour, and interesting magnetic and optical properties. Control of the thickness and the iron oxide phase, either magnetic or not, has been achieved by adjusting the experimental conditions. Thus, thickness is controlled by the glass and the precursor temperature, while the iron phase is controlled by the precursor temperature and the nature and the flow of the carrier gas. This process is inexpensive, adaptable to current glass production technologies and takes place at atmospheric pressure.

Reported tailings dam failures. A review of the European incidents in the worldwide context

A detailed search and re-evaluation of the known historical cases of tailings dam failure was carried out. A corpus of 147 cases of worldwide tailings dam disasters, from which 26 located in Europe, was compiled in a database. This contains six sections, including dam location, its physical and constructive characteristics, actual and putative failure cause, sludge hydrodynamics, socio-economical consequences and environmental impacts. Europe ranks in second place in reported accidents (18%), more than one third of them in dams 10-20 m high. In Europe, the most common cause of failure is related to unusual rain, whereas there is a lack of occurrences associated with seismic liquefaction, which is the second cause of tailings dam breakage elsewhere in the world. Moreover, over 90% of incidents occurred in active mines, and only 10% refer to abandoned ponds. The results reached by this preliminary analysis show an urgent need for EU regulations regarding technical standards of tailings disposal.

Neuropeptide Y increases 4-aminopyridine-sensitive transient outward potassium current in rat ventricular myocytes

1. The modulation of 4-aminopyridine sensitive transient outward potassium current (4-AP I(to)) by neuropeptide Y (NPY) (100 nM) in rat ventricular myocytes was examined using the whole cell voltage-clamp technique. 2. Continuous exposure to NPY (100 nM) for 3 - 6 h significantly increased 4-AP I(to) density. The stimulation of 4-AP I(to) density by NPY was concentration-dependent (EC(50)=10 nM). 3. In the presence of BIBP 3226, an NPY receptor antagonist that binds selectively to NPY Y1-receptors, the effect of NPY on 4-AP I(to) density was maintained. However, in the presence of BIIE 0246, a highly selective non-peptide NPY Y2-receptor antagonist, NPY was unable to increase 4-AP I(to) density. 4. The effect of NPY on 4-AP I(to) density was prevented by pretreatment with 500 ng ml(-1) pertussis toxin (PTX) and by the specific protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor, calphostin C (100 nM). 5. Thus, short term exposure to NPY induces an increase of 4-AP I(to) density in rat ventricular myocytes mediated by Y2-receptors and involving the action of PKC via a PTX-sensitive signalling cascade.

Occurrence, overexpression and partial purification of the protein (majastridin) corresponding to the URF6 gene of the Rhodobacter blasticus atp operon

Antibodies were produced against two antigenic peptides of a protein, which was named majastridin, corresponding to the URF6 gene of the Rhodobacter blasticus atp operon [Tybulewicz, V. L. J., Falk, G. & Walker, J. E. (1984) J. Mol. Biol. 179, 185-214]. A protein band of the expected size is labelled by immunoblotting in Western blots containing the cytosolic fractions from Rb. blasticus and Paracoccus denitrificans but not from Escherichia coli or Rhodospirillum rubrum. Although the protein is present during the entire life cycle of a Rb. blasticus culture, it is most abundant early during the stationary phase. Plasmid constructs of the URF6 gene for overexpression in E. coli were made. These constructs were designed to obtain proteins both with and without His-tagging. In both cases, a protein product was visible in induced cells. The His-tagged protein was purified to 85% on a Ni column and, further, to at least 95% by anion-exchange chromatography. By N-terminal sequencing of the His-tagged protein, its identity was confirmed.

Paleohydrology of Late Pleistocene Superflooding, Altay Mountains, Siberia

Cataclysmic flooding is a geomorphological process of planetary significance. Landforms of flood origin resulted from late Pleistocene ice-dammed lake failures in the Altay Mountains of south-central Siberia. Peak paleoflows, which exceeded 18 x 10(6) cubic meters per second, are comparable to the largest known terrestrial discharges of freshwater and show a hydrological scaling relation to floods generated by catastrophic dam failures. These seem to have been Earth's greatest floods, based on a variety of reconstructed paleohydraulic parameters.

Electron microscopic study of platelet agglutination induced by thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura plasma containing 37-KDa platelet agglutinating protein

It has been demonstrated that plasma from a patient with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) and 37-KDa platelet-agglutinating protein (PAP p37) purified from the same plasma caused the agglutination of platelets from normal subjects as well as from the same patient after recovery without the requirement of extracellular Ca++ and fibrinogen. Experiments were designed to study the morphologic changes of platelets as a result of agglutination and the distribution of platelet receptors for PAP p37 under transmission electron microscope. Following incubation with TTP plasma or PAP p37 with stirring, platelets showed shape change, pseudopod formation, variable degrees of degranulation, dilatation of open canalicular systems and formation of agglutinates composed of a few to several hundred platelets. After platelets were incubated with TTP plasma or PAP p37 they were washed and further incubated with rabbit anti-PAP p37 serum without stirring followed by immuno-staining. Abundant electron dense reaction products were bound directly and randomly to the outer surface of the membrane of solitary platelets. When the reaction mixture was stirred, electron dense particles were also present between the platelet membranes in the agglutinates. No staining was observed in control experiments using normal plasma or non-immune rabbit serum. These results indicate that the TTP plasma containing PAP p37 causes agglutination, shape change, and variable degrees degranulation in platelets and that PAP p37 binds randomly to the outer surface of platelet membrane.