WorldWideScience

Sample records for internally contaminated persons

  1. Metabolism and toxicology of plutonium-239 - evaluation of the internal contamination of persons professionally exposed (1963)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Henry, Ph.

    1963-01-01

    After reviewing the main metabolic and toxicological properties of plutonium 239 as well as the professional norms now in force, the report considers the difficult problem of the evaluation of the internal contamination of persons professionally exposed. This evaluation is dependent on the practical organisation of the supervision involved: - systematic supervision by periodic analysis of urinary Pu and special supervision in the case of incidents by an examination adapted to each case. A simple interpretation of the systematic analyses, as well as the evaluation methods used in the main cases of occidental contamination are outlined. (author) [fr

  2. Evaluation of the risk of internal contamination of persons working in isotope laboratories

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Adamiak-Ziemba, J.; Doniec, J.; Kocznow, W.; Hawrynski, M.

    1985-01-01

    The investigation covered 484 workers. Altogether 1787 determinations have been made, in this--1648 internal contaminations and 139 contaminations of air, hand skin and working surfaces. The internal contaminations (22% of results) resulted mainly from deviation from radiological protection rules and were reduced through certain changes. Those were tritium contaminations (application of tritium radioluminiscence dyes) and 125--and 131-iodine radioisotopes (in nuclear medicine laboratories) the highest levels of which were 20 mSv and 0.25% ALI respectively. The results of /sup 238/Pu air contamination measurements have indicates that the dust arising during the production of smoke detectors (with /sup 238/PuO/sub 2/ sources) probably has no respirable fraction properties, which confines its absorption in lower segments of the respiratory tract. It has been demonstrated that in Poland there is no need of constructing a permanent central system of internal contamination control.

  3. Does modifying personal responsibility moderate the mental contamination effect?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kennedy, Tinisha S; Simonds, Laura M

    2017-12-01

    Mental contamination is the psychological sense of internal dirtiness that arises in the absence of physical contact with a perceived contaminant. Mental contamination can be evoked through imagining perpetrating a moral transgression. This study experimentally evoked mental contamination by asking men to imagine perpetrating a non-consensual kiss. It explored whether reducing sense of personal responsibility for the kiss moderated the mental contamination effect. Male students (N = 60) imagined giving either a consensual or non-consensual kiss. Personal responsibility for the kiss was manipulated in one of two non-consensual kiss conditions by way of the inclusion of social influence information. Feelings of mental contamination were assessed by self-report and through a behavioural index. Mental contamination was successfully induced in the two non-consensual kiss conditions. There was evidence to support the hypothesis that reducing personal responsibility might moderate specific components of mental contamination (shame, dirtiness and urge to cleanse). The effect of responsibility modification was evident in the self-report measures, but not in the behavioural index. The sample comprised male university students which limits generalizability of the findings. The behavioural assessment of mental contamination was limited to a proxy measure. Imagined moral violations are associated with increases in indices of mental contamination. Further research should investigate whether feelings of shame, dirtiness and urge to cleanse are particularly responsive to responsibility modifications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Metabolism and toxicology of plutonium-239 - evaluation of the internal contamination of persons professionally exposed (1963); Metabolisme et toxicologie du plutonium 239 - evaluation de la contamination interne des personnes professionnellement exposees (1963)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Henry, Ph [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Centre de Production de Plutonium, Marcoule (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

    1963-07-01

    After reviewing the main metabolic and toxicological properties of plutonium 239 as well as the professional norms now in force, the report considers the difficult problem of the evaluation of the internal contamination of persons professionally exposed. This evaluation is dependent on the practical organisation of the supervision involved: - systematic supervision by periodic analysis of urinary Pu and special supervision in the case of incidents by an examination adapted to each case. A simple interpretation of the systematic analyses, as well as the evaluation methods used in the main cases of occidental contamination are outlined. (author) [French] Apres avoir passe en revue les principales proprietes metaboliques et toxicologiques du plutonium 239, ainsi que les normes professionnelles actuellement en vigueur, le rapport aborde le probleme difficile de l'evaluation de la contamination interne des personnes professionnellement exposees. Cette evaluation est fonction de l'organisation pratique de la surveillance: - surveillance systematique par des analyses periodiques de Pu urinaire et surveillance speciale en cas d'incidents par des examens appropries a chaque cas. Une interpretation simple des analyses systematiques, ainsi que des methodes d'evaluation utilisables dans les principaux cas de contamination accidentelle sont exposees. (auteur)

  5. Development of a personalized dosimetric tool for radiation protection in case of internal contamination and targeted radiotherapy in nuclear medicine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chiavassa, S.

    2005-12-01

    Current internal dosimetric estimations are based on the M.I.R.D. formalism and used standard mathematical models. These standard models are often far from a given patient morphology and do not allow to perform patient-specific dosimetry. The aim of this study was to develop a personalized dosimetric tool, which takes into account real patient morphology, composition and densities. This tool, called O.E.D.I.P.E., a French acronym of Tool for the Evaluation of Personalized Internal Dose, is a user-friendly graphical interface. O.E.D.I.P.E. allows to create voxel-based patient-specific geometries and associates them with the M.C.N.P.X. Monte Carlo code. Radionuclide distribution and absorbed dose calculation can be performed at the organ and voxel scale. O.E.D.I.P.E. can be used in nuclear medicine for targeted radiotherapy and in radiation protection in case of internal contamination. (author)

  6. Internal contamination by tritium caused by radioluminescent paints

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Adamiak-Ziemba, J.; Doniec, J.

    1985-01-01

    The internal contamination investigations covered 23 persons using radioluminescence paints containing tritium, assembling devices painted with those paints, and those having no contact with active paints but working next to the painting room. Determined were concentrations of tritium excreted with urine, air contamination at workplaces, contamination of workplace areas and hand skin. At the time covered by the investigations, the mean annual equivalent doses for those using tritium paints were reduced from 14-20 mSv to about 5 mSv. In those working next to the painting room they were reduced from 5.8-15 to 0.23 mSv. The exposure of those assembling the devices does not exceed 1 mSv. It was demonstrated that the main cause of the tritium exposure level was air contamination in working rooms.

  7. Development of a personalized dosimetric tool for radiation protection in case of internal contamination and targeted radiotherapy in nuclear medicine; Developpement d'un outil dosimetrique personnalise pour la radioprotection en contamination interne et la radiotherapie vectorisee en medecine nucleaire

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chiavassa, S

    2005-12-15

    Current internal dosimetric estimations are based on the M.I.R.D. formalism and used standard mathematical models. These standard models are often far from a given patient morphology and do not allow to perform patient-specific dosimetry. The aim of this study was to develop a personalized dosimetric tool, which takes into account real patient morphology, composition and densities. This tool, called O.E.D.I.P.E., a French acronym of Tool for the Evaluation of Personalized Internal Dose, is a user-friendly graphical interface. O.E.D.I.P.E. allows to create voxel-based patient-specific geometries and associates them with the M.C.N.P.X. Monte Carlo code. Radionuclide distribution and absorbed dose calculation can be performed at the organ and voxel scale. O.E.D.I.P.E. can be used in nuclear medicine for targeted radiotherapy and in radiation protection in case of internal contamination. (author)

  8. Current approaches to the management of internally contaminated persons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Voelz, G.L.

    1979-01-01

    Appropriate treatment for internal depositions of some radionuclides can reduce the radiation doses by as much as factors of two to ten. While at first thought that may seem a relatively small therapeutic effect, it is a useful gain for the patient in reducing the dose and may be a significant help in preventing late effects from the radiation. The list of important available treatments include agents that reduce gastrointestinal absorption, blocking and diluting compounds, mobilizing agents, and chelating drugs. Wound irrigation or excision and lung lavage are mechanical techniques that can reduce radionuclide depositions. Successful treatment depends on early application of these drugs and techniques following exposure. This must be done usually on the basis of very limited exposure information, which emphasizes the need for preplanning the medical emergency program if internal radioactive contamination is possible. In most cases, the risks of treatment are well identified. Since the exposure risks are often poorly understood when the decision for treatment must be made, the omission of treatment can be more serious than proceeding with a low or no risk therapeutic regimen

  9. Nuclear explosion and internal contamination; Explosion nucleaire et contamination interne

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aeberhardt, A [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

    1956-07-01

    By the study of the conditions of internal contamination due to the radioactive mixture produced by a nuclear explosion, the parts played by the relative weights of the different elements and the mode of expression of the doses are considered. Only the knowledge of the weight composition of the contamination mixture and of its evolution as a function of time can provide the required basis for the study of its metabolism in the organism. The curves which give the composition of the fission product mixture - in number of nuclei - - as a function of time - have been established. These curves are applied to some practical examples, particularly relative to the nature of contamination, radiotoxicity of some elements and assessment of hazards. (author) [French] Etudiant les modalites de la contamination interne par les elements radioactifs apparus lors d'une explosion nucleaire, le role de la 'masse' et le mode d'expression des doses sont envisages. La connaissance de la composition en 'masse' du melange contaminant et de son evolution en fonction du temps peut seule apporter les bases necessaires a l'etude de son comportement dans l'organisme. Les courbes donnant la composition du melange de produits de fission - en nombre de noyaux - - en fonction du temps - ont ete etablies. Quelques applications pratiques, relatives en particulier a la nature de la contamination, a la radiotoxicite de certains elements et a l'evaluation de risque, sont envisagees a titre d'exemple. (auteur)

  10. Development of a personalized dosimetric tool for radiation protection in case of internal contamination and targeted radiotherapy in nuclear medicine; Developpement d'un outil dosimetrique personnalise pour la radioprotection en contamination interne et la radiotherapie vectorisee en medecine nucleaire

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chiavassa, S

    2005-12-15

    Current internal dosimetric estimations are based on the M.I.R.D. formalism and used standard mathematical models. These standard models are often far from a given patient morphology and do not allow to perform patient-specific dosimetry. The aim of this study was to develop a personalized dosimetric tool, which takes into account real patient morphology, composition and densities. This tool, called O.E.D.I.P.E., a French acronym of Tool for the Evaluation of Personalized Internal Dose, is a user-friendly graphical interface. O.E.D.I.P.E. allows to create voxel-based patient-specific geometries and associates them with the M.C.N.P.X. Monte Carlo code. Radionuclide distribution and absorbed dose calculation can be performed at the organ and voxel scale. O.E.D.I.P.E. can be used in nuclear medicine for targeted radiotherapy and in radiation protection in case of internal contamination. (author)

  11. Importance of initial management of persons internally contaminated with radionuclides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lincoln, T.A.

    1975-01-01

    The first one to three hours following a radiation accident during which internal contamination occurs provide the best and perhaps the only opportunity for preventing uptake of radionuclides. By using chemical manipulation in the GI tract or by hastening the material through the body, absorption can be reduced. Once absorbed, uptake in specific tissues can often be prevented by blocking agents, isotopic dilution or chelating agents. In order to supply prompt treatment, the medical department must have a well-defined action plan based on knowledge of the plant of laboratory operations, the radionuclides used, and medications required. (U.S.)

  12. Considerations of selection suggested for internal contamination monitoring in Cuba

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cruz S, R.; Lopez B, G.; Placeres V, C.; Arado L, J.; Jova S, L.

    1996-01-01

    A method for calculating effective risk of radionuclide intake and hypothetical annual dose that will receive a person who works with unsealed sources is proposed. Calculated committed dose equivalent and metabolic characteristic of radionuclides permit to select the type of monitoring 'in vivo' and/or 'in vitro'. The method was applied to 396 workers from 28 institutions, where 20 radionuclides in 124 different products for 266 applications are used. From this study 62% of the workers had to be monitored for internal contamination, meanly by 'in vitro' monitoring. In practices of Nuclear Medicine and other medical uses 75% of the workers had to be monitored. These results permitted to corroborate the criteria for internal contamination monitoring program carried out by Center for Hygiene and Radiation Protection and permitted to identify needs for control of radionuclides intakes. (authors).5 refs., 3 figs

  13. Ten years' experience in determining internal contamination among plutonium laboratory workers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deworm, J.; Fieuw, G.

    1976-01-01

    Glove boxes in plutonium laboratories are fitted with ''sniffers'' (air samplers), which evaluate atmospheric contamination. The results of the measurements over a ten-year period of operation are available, and cases of detection in this way of air contamination exceeding the maximum permissible concentrations are exceptional. During contamination aerodynamic particle diameters of 1 - 4 μm were measured. The concentration and characteristics of the aerosol have made it possible to ascertain the inhalable fraction and to estimate the pulmonary and systemic burden in workers. The workers exposed in the laboratories undergo a urine test each month. The results obtained show that there is little risk of internal contamination without the person concerned being aware of an abnormal situation. In the majority of cases it is possible to take proper precautions and to collect the data necessary for evaluating the body burden. Three cases of specific contamination are examined in detail: contamination by plutonium and americium from a non-identified source, detected by routine urine analysis; contamination by inhalation of plutonium; an injury to the left forefinger, accompanied by plutonium contamination. (author)

  14. Internal radioactive contamination treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tobajas, L. M.

    1998-01-01

    In a radiological emergency, the internal radioactive contamination becomes a therapeutic urgency and must be established as fast as possible. Just when a radioactive contamination accident occurs, it is difficult to know exactly the amount of radioactive materials absorbed and to estimate the dose received.. The decision to be taken after the incorporation of the radioactive material depends on the method and on the Radiological Protection Department collaboration. Any treatment achieving a reduction of the doses received or expected will be useful. The International Radiological Protection Commission doesn't recommend the use of the dose limit, to decide about the intervention necessity. However the LIA can be used as the reference point to establish the necessity and reach of the treatment. The object of the present work, is to introduce the general principles to carry out the internal people decontamination, under the last international recommendations. (Author) 4 refs

  15. Guidelines on the medical therapy of persons accidentally overexposed to ionizing radiations. Internal contamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Di Trano, J.L.; Perez, M.R.; Gisone, P.

    1999-01-01

    This work represent a guide for the treatment of accidental intakes of radionuclides. The different phases of radioactive contamination, the transfer and non-transfer of radioisotopes, the general principles in the treatment of internal contamination and the follow-up are determined. The in vivo monitoring and the evaluation of activity level are specified in this document. The applied treatment depends on the via of intake, that is: inhalation, ingestion, and through skin. The decontamination procedures that reduce the radionuclide transfer are specified. The different drugs, used to enhance radionuclides elimination, are enumerated in this work. Considerations about the iodine prophylaxis in radiologic als accidents are considered. (author)

  16. Management of internal contamination accidents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lipsztein, J.L.; Melo, D.R.

    1997-01-01

    This paper concerns with the techniques for intakes assessment which depend on the mode and level of intake, the type of energy of the radiation emitted, the biokinetic of the contaminant, and the sensitivity and availability of measurement facilities. In vivo and in vitro techniques are used to quantify internal contaminations

  17. Th biodistribution in internal contamination of animals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ciubotariu, M.; Danis, A.; Dumitrescu, G.; Cucu, M.

    1999-01-01

    Fissionable elements (U,Th) internal contamination have been studied using the fission track method as analysis method of the U and/or Th contaminant elements and Wistar-London breed rats as experiment animals. Different ways to obtain internal contaminations have been investigated: ingestion, inhalation, absorption by skin and through wounds. After the U internal contamination study was carried out, in this stage the Th internal contamination by ingestion is in progress. Using the identical aliquot parts of a solution calibrated in Th, corresponding to an Annual Limit Intake, three Wistar-London breed rats were contaminated. They were kept in normal life conditions and under permanent medical surveillance up to their sacrification. The animals were sacrificed at different time intervals after their contamination: 2 days, 7 days and 14 days, respectively. After the sacrification, their vital organs were sampled, weighed, calcined, re-weighed and finally analysed by track detection using the fission track micro-mappings technique. Also, their evacuations were sampled every 24 hours weighed, calcined and analysed in the same way as the vital organs. The Th fission track micro-mappings technique was used in the following conditions: - mica-muscovite as track detector pre-etched for fossil tracks 18 h in HF-40 per cent at room temperature; - the neutron irradiations were performed in the nuclear reactor VVR-S Bucharest at the neutron fluences of 3.10 15 - 2.10 16 fast neutrons/c m 2 ; - the visualization of the Th induced fission tracks were obtained by chemical etching in HF-40 per cent, 3 h at room temperature; - the Th track micro-mappings obtained in track detectors were studied by optical microscopy using a stereo microscope WILD M7S for ensemble study (X6-X31) and a binocular ZEISS JENA microscope for qualitative and quantitative studies (X150). The biological reference materials calibrated in Th were prepared in our laboratory using the calcined organs and the

  18. IDEAS international contamination database: a compilation of published internal contamination cases. A tool for the internal dosimetry community

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hurtgen, C.

    2007-01-01

    The aim of the IDEAS project was to develop General Guidelines for the Assessment of Internal Dose from Monitoring Data. The project was divided into 5 Work Packages for the major tasks. Work Package 1 entitled Collection of incorporation cases was devoted to the collection of data by means of bibliographic research (survey of the open literature), contacting and collecting data from specific organisations and using information from existing databases on incorporation cases. To ensure that the guidelines would be applicable to a wide range of practical situations, a database of cases of internal contamination including monitoring data suitable for dose assessment was compiled. The IDEAS Bibliography database and the IDEAS Internal Contamination database were prepared and some reference cases were selected for use in Work Package 3. The other Work packages of the IDEAS Project (WP-2 Preparation of evaluation software, WP-3 Evaluation of incorporation cases, WP-4 Development of the general guidelines and WP-5 Practical testing of general guidelines) have been described in detail elsewhere and can be found on the IDEAS website. A search for reference from the open literature, which contained information on cases of internal contamination from which intake and committed doses could be assessed, has been compiled into a database. The IDEAS Bibliography Database includes references to papers which might (but were not certain to) contain such information, or which included references to papers which contained such information. This database contains the usual bibliographical information: authors' name(s), year of publication, title of publication and the journal or report number. Up to now, a comprehensive Bibliography Database containing 563 references has been compiled. Not surprisingly more than half of the references are from Health Physics and Radiation Protection Dosimetry Journals.The next step was for the partners of the IDEAS project to obtain the references

  19. [Decorporation agents for internal radioactive contamination].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohmachi, Yasushi

    2015-01-01

    When radionuclides are accidentally ingested or inhaled, blood circulation or tissue/organ deposition of the radionuclides causes systemic or local radiation effects. In such cases, decorporation therapy is used to reduce the health risks due to their intake. Decorporation therapy includes reduction and/or inhibition of absorption from the gastrointestinal tract, isotopic dilution, and the use of diuretics, adsorbents, and chelating agents. For example, penicillamine is recommended as a chelating agent for copper contamination, and diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid is approved for the treatment of internal contamination with plutonium. During chelation therapy, the removal effect of the drugs should be monitored using a whole-body counter and/or bioassay. Some authorities, such as the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements and International Atomic Energy Agency, have reported recommended decorporation agents for each radionuclide. However, few drugs are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, and many are off-label-use agents. Because many decontamination agents are drugs that have been available for a long time and have limited efficacy, the development of new, higher-efficacy drugs has been carried out mainly in the USA and France. In this article, in addition to an outline of decorporation agents for internal radioactive contamination, an outline of our research on decorporation agents for actinide (uranium and plutonium) contamination and for radio-cesium contamination is also presented.

  20. Radiation injury caused by internal contamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petyrek, P.

    1988-01-01

    Basic data are given of radiation injury of the respiratory organs, digestive tract, hematogenous tissues and the thyroid due to internal contamination. Attention is drawn to the complexity of the problem and to the effect of the various factors affecting the picture and course of the radiation damage. The treatment is based on the assumption that fundamental is the damage of the stem cells of the critical organs. Discussed are also the basic clinical pictures that can occur due to internal contamination with activities causing radiation injury. (B.S.). 27 refs

  1. Domestic and personal determinants of the contamination of individuals by household radon daughters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stebbings, J.H.; Kardatzke, D.R.; Toohey, R.E.; Essling, M.E.; Pagnamenta, A.

    1986-01-01

    Radon daughters were counted by gamma spectroscopy from 180 adult residents of eastern Pennsylvania during the winter of 1983-84. Body radon daughter contamination is an index of relative individual respiratory exposures to radon daughters. These can be related to household radon levels, and to personal risk factors such as sex and tobacco smoking. Over 75% of this Pennsylvania population appeared to have environmentally enhanced radon daughter contamination; 59% had counting rates greater than 2 s.d. above background. House radon levels were the major determinants of radon daughters contamination in the 112 subjects for which both sets of measurements were available (p<.001). Both sex (<.02) and cigarette smoking (p<.005) were found to significantly modify that relationship, after nonlinear adjustment for travel times. Using a logarithmic model, for a given radon level body contamination by radon daughters in females was 2-3.5x higher than in males. Nonsmokers had 2-4x higher levels of contamination than smokers. For female nonsmokers relative to male smokers (which in general corresponds to the population of major concern relative to the population from which risk estimates have been derived), the excesses multiply. These results are for total contamination, both internal and external

  2. Internal and atmospheric contamination measurament by means of whole body counter performed up to 31.21.1986 by Bologna ENEA-PAS following the Chernobyl accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Melandri, C.; Castellani, C.M.; Calamosca, M.; Torroni, G.; Formignani, M.; De Zaiacomo, T.

    1987-01-01

    Internal contamination and atmospheric sampling data obtained at ENEA PAS-FIBI-AEROSOL Laboratory in Bologna (Italy), following the accident at the nuclear reactor in Chernobyl, are presented. Internal contamination data are related to persons coming from European countries (mainly the USSR) and Italy, measured in Bologna in the period May-Dicember 1986, while the atmospheric contamination samplings were performed in Bologna during the first decade of May. Descriptions of the measurement methods, data analysis and the evaluation of the committed dose equivalent due to both inhalation and ingestion of radioactive contaminants are given. The last chapter reports an estimation of the possible trend of internal contamination due to Cs-134 and Cs-137 up to 1991

  3. Contaminant Distribution Around Persons in Rooms Ventilated by Displacement Ventilation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brohus, Henrik; Nielsen, Peter V.

    An optimal design of the ventilation system needs a proper prediction of the velocity, temperature and contaminant distribution in the room. Traditionally this is done either by the use of simplified models or by a somewhat more comprehensive CFD-simulation. Common to both methods is usually...... the lack of consideration for the persons present in the room. This paper deals with some of the effects of persons present in a displacement ventilated room, especially the effect on the contaminant distribution....

  4. Evaluation of the internal contamination risk for isotope laboratory workers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adamiak-Ziemba, J.; Doniec, J.; Kocznow, W.; Hawrynski, M.

    1985-01-01

    The investigation covered 484 workers. Altogether 1787 determinations have been made, in this - 1648 internal contaminations and 139 contaminations of air, hand skin and working surfaces. The internal contaminations (22% of results) resulted mainly from deviation from radiological protection rules and were reduced by certain changes. Those were tritium contaminations (application of tritium radioluminescence dyes) and 125, 131 J. The highest levels of which were 20 mSv and 0.25% ALI respectively. The results of 238 Pu air contamination measurements indicates that the dust arising during the production of smoke detectors (with 238 PuO 2 sources) probably has no respirable fraction properties, what confines its absorption in lower parts of the respiratory tract. It has been demonstrated that in Poland is no need of a central system of permanent internal contamination control. (author)

  5. Contamination measurements on persons after a nuclear accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maushart, R.

    1992-01-01

    The purpose of contamination measurements after accidents is threefold: to detect and localize contaminations; to determine the level of contamination as a base for medical decisions; and to check the scope and efficiency of the decontamination measures. Persons involved in accidents should never measure their contamination themselves. The radiation protection personnel, whether it belongs to the medical team or to the disaster control squads, must be familiar with the measuring instruments and experienced in handling these instruments. A high priority has to be placed on training and constant practice. The monitors used must meet the special requirements of an emergency situation. This includes resistance against environmental factors - temperature, humidity, vibrations - as well as the simplicity of handling the instrument, and the clear presentation of the results. (author)

  6. Measurements of Cs 137 and Cs 134 internal contamination during 1987 by the Bologna Enea PAS whole body counter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Melandri, C.; Castellani, C.M.; Torroni, G.; Formignani, M.

    1988-01-01

    Internal contamination data obtained during 1987 at the ENEA PAS-FIBI- AEROSOL Laboratory in Bologna, following the accident at the nuclear reactor in Chernobyl, are presented. The data are referred to person living in the Bologna area, in other Italian regions and to individuals returned from abroad, mainly from Eastern Europe countries. Trend of Cs-137 and Cs-134 internal body burden in adult men resident in Bologna are given together with values of mean daily intake by ingestion and evaluation of the commited dose equivalents up to decembre 1987. Measurement campaigns, specifically projected in order to evaluate the men/women activity differences and the distribution of the internal contamination in various Italian regions, have been performed

  7. Nuclear explosion and internal contamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aeberhardt, A.

    1956-01-01

    By the study of the conditions of internal contamination due to the radioactive mixture produced by a nuclear explosion, the parts played by the relative weights of the different elements and the mode of expression of the doses are considered. Only the knowledge of the weight composition of the contamination mixture and of its evolution as a function of time can provide the required basis for the study of its metabolism in the organism. The curves which give the composition of the fission product mixture - in number of nuclei - - as a function of time - have been established. These curves are applied to some practical examples, particularly relative to the nature of contamination, radiotoxicity of some elements and assessment of hazards. (author) [fr

  8. Organization of internal contamination monitoring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Badreddine, A.

    1986-07-01

    The nuclear energy takes a big part in the world's energy production. The nuclear techniques are used in most fields of life. Nevertheless the use of radioactive materials may cause prejudice to human beings by radiation contamination. The International Commission on Radiological Protection gives the general rules and regulations to avoid this danger. In the publication No. 30, the ICRP gives a metabolic model for the respiratory system and values of Annual Limit of Intake. The ALI for inhalation supposes a standard AMAD (Activity Median Aerodynamic Diameter) of 1 um. We have measured the AMAD in a laboratory under different conditions of functioning in order to show its variation. Then we have analysed the effect of this variation on the internal contamination monitoring. Thus we have calculated the Effective Committed Dose (ECD), the ALI, then the Derived Investigation Level (DIL) for different values of AMAD for Whole-Body Counting (WBC)

  9. Radioactive surface contamination monitors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aoyama, Kei; Minagoshi, Atsushi; Hasegawa, Toru

    1994-01-01

    To reduce radiation exposure and prevent contamination from spreading, each nuclear power plant has established a radiation controlled area. People and articles out of the controlled area are checked for the surface contamination of radioactive materials with surface contamination monitors. Fuji Electric has repeatedly improved these monitors on the basis of user's needs. This paper outlines typical of a surface contamination monitor, a personal surface contamination monitor, an article surface contamination monitor and a laundry monitor, and the whole-body counter of an internal contamination monitor. (author)

  10. Twelve years of follow up of cases with old 241Am internal contamination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malátová, Irena; Vrba, Tomás; Becková, Vera; Pospísilová, Helena

    2010-10-01

    A group of workers internally contaminated with Am have been followed for about 12 years. The source of contamination was AmO2 powder used for production of AmBe neutron sources and other applications. The production of some radionuclide sources included chemical treatment of the original material, which transformed the americium into the nitrate, but mostly powder metallurgy was used for production of sources for smoke detectors. In vivo measurement of the workers was performed with two LEGe detectors placed near the head of the measured person. Calibration was performed with four different physical skull phantoms of different origin and a voxel phantom with Monte Carlo simulation, which was developed to fit the head sizes of individual persons. Samples of urine and feces were analyzed by means of radiochemical separation followed by alpha-spectrometry. Separation of 241Am from mineralized excreta was performed by combined anion exchange and extraction chromatographic techniques. As a tracer, 243Am was used. When the measured data (83 data on skeletal activity, activity in 389 bioassay samples) were compared with International Commission on Radiological Protection's and Leggett's biokinetic models of americium, it was found that in most cases, after more than 15 y since the intake, the excretion rate was lower (or skeletal activity higher) than predicted. On the other hand, the ratio of excreted activity in urine and feces agrees well with model predictions.

  11. Radiation contamination monitors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kato, Tsutomu; Iba, Hiroshi; Sato, Hiroshi

    1999-01-01

    To make sure of no contamination on people, used articles and working uniforms coming out of the radiation controlled area, nuclear power plants are equipped with radioactive contamination monitors. This paper outlines the basic specifications and advantages of our personnel surface contamination monitors to inspect whole-body surface contamination of people coming out, article surface contamination monitors to inspect the surface and inside contamination of used articles brought out, laundry monitors to inspect surface contamination of working uniforms used in the area before and after a wash, and whole-body counters to inspect and measure the internal contamination of a person out of the area. (author)

  12. Development of radionuclide parameter database on internal contamination in nuclear emergencies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Li; Xu Cuihua; Li Wenhong; Su Xu

    2010-01-01

    Objective: To develop a radionuclide parameter database on internal contamination in nuclear emergencies. Methods: By researching the radionuclides composition discharged from different nuclear emergencies, the radionuclide parameters were achieved on physical decay, absorption and metabolism in the body from ICRP publications and some other publications. The database on internal contamination for nuclear incidents was developed by using MS Visual Studio 2005 C and MS Access programming language. Results: The radionuclide parameter database on internal contamination in nuclear emergency was established. Conclusions: The database may be very convenient for searching radionuclides and radionuclide parameter data discharged from different nuclear emergencies, which would be helpful to the monitoring and assessment and assessment of internal contamination in nuclear emergencies. (authors)

  13. Distribution of contaminants in the occupied zone of a room with personalized and displacement ventilation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cermak, Radim; Melikov, Arsen Krikor; Forejt, L.

    2004-01-01

    A distribution of contaminants from floor covering, exhaled air and human bioeffluents was examined in a mock-up of a typical two-person office by means of tracer-gases. The distribution was studied with two types of air terminal device for personalized ventilation combined with displacement...... ventilation. The results document that the distribution of contaminants depends to a great extent on the type and operation of personalized ventilation, as well as on the type and location of contaminant sources....

  14. On the Th internal contamination of animals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ciubotariu, M.; Danis, A.; Dumitrescu, G.

    2000-01-01

    Fissionable elements (U,Th) internal contamination have been studied using the fission track method as analysis method of the U and/or Th contaminant elements and Wistar-London breed rats as experiment animals. In our previous studies on the Th internal contamination, we investigated the Th biodistribution and retention in all the vital organs of the contaminated rats. In this stage, we continued this study with the Th elimination investigation through urine and excrements. The identical aliquot parts of a solution calibrated in Th, corresponding to an Annual Limit Intake, three Wistar-London breed rats were contaminated. They were kept in normal life conditions and under permanent medical surveillance up to their sacrifice. The animals were sacrificed at different time intervals after their contamination: RAT 1 = 2 days, RAT 2 = 7 days and RAT 3 = 14 days, respectively. After the sacrifice, their vital organs were sampled, weighed, calcined, re-weighed and finally analysed by track detection using the fission track micro-mappings technique. The evacuations were sampled every 24 hours: urine, on the filter paper, and all excrements balls. The samples were weighed before and after calcination and analysed in the same way as the vital organs. The Th fission track micro-mappings technique was used in the following conditions: - mica-muscovite as track detector pre-etched for fossil tracks 18 h in HF-40 per cent at room temperature; - the neutron irradiations were performed in the nuclear reactor WWR-S Bucharest at the neutron fluences of 3·10 15 - 2·10 16 fast neutrons/cm 2 ; - the visualization of the Th induced fission tracks was obtained by chemical etching in HF-40 %, 3 h at room temperature; - the Th track micromappings obtained in track detectors were studied by optical microscopy using a stereo microscope WILD M7S for ensemble study (X6-X31) and a binocular Zeiss JENA microscope for qualitative and quantitative studies (X150). The investigation of the Th

  15. Scanning personnel for internal deposition of radioactive material with personnel contamination whole body friskers and portal monitors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lobdell, J.L.

    1996-01-01

    The potential for using personnel contamination devices such as whole body friskers and portal monitors for internal contamination monitoring was evaluated. Internally deposited radioactive material is typically determined with whole body counting systems. Whole body counts have traditionally been performed on personnel when they report for work, on a periodic basis (i.e., annually), when an uptake is suspected, and on termination. These counts incur significant expense. The monitored personnel pass through whole body friskers and portal monitors daily. This investigation was performed to determine if the external contamination monitors could provide an alternative to the more Costly whole body counting. The ability to detect 1% of a DAC for critical radioisotopes was applied as a detection criteria for this investigation. The results of whole body counts were used to identify the typical internal contamination radionuclides. From this list, the radioisotopes that would be the most difficult to measure were identified. From this review, 60 Co and 131 I were determined to be the critical radionuclides. One percent of a DAC for each isotope was placed, one at a time, in a humanoid phantom. The phantom was placed in the whole body frisker and open-quotes countedclose quotes. The phantom was carried through the portal monitor at a speed equivalent to a person walking through the monitor. Frequency of detection was derived for both systems. Practical aspects of integrating this screening system with traditional internal dosimetry programs are discussed

  16. Natural uranium toxicology - evaluation of internal contamination in man; Toxicologie de l'uranium naturel - essai d'evaluation de la contamination interne chez l'homme

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chalabreysse, J [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Pierrelatte (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

    1968-07-01

    After reminding the physical and chemical properties of natural uranium which might affect its toxicology, a comprehensive investigation upon natural uranium metabolism and toxicity and after applying occupational exposure standards to this particular poison, it has been determined, from accident reports and human experience reported in the related literature, a series of formulae obtained by theoretical mathematical development giving principles for internal contamination monitoring and disclosure by determining uranium in the urine of occupationally exposed individuals. An assay is performed to determine individual internal contamination according to the various contamination cases. The outlined purposes, mainly practical, required some options and extrapolations. The proposed formula allows a preliminary approach and also to determine shortly a contamination extent or to discuss the systematical urinalysis results as compared with individual radio-toxicology monitoring professional standards. (author) [French] Apres le rappel des caracteristiques physiques et des proprietes chimiques de l'uranium naturel pouvant avoir une influence sur sa toxicologie, l'etude detaillee de son metabolisme et de sa toxicite, puis l'application des normes professionnelles d'exposition au cas particulier de ce toxique, il est etabli, a partir des comptes rendus d'accidents et de l'experimentation humaine rapportes dans la litterature, une serie de formules obtenues par developpement mathematique theorique qui posent les principes de la surveillance et de la mise en evidence de la contamination interne par la recherche et le dosage de l'uranium dans les urines d'individus professionnellement exposes. Un essai d'evaluation de la contamination interne individuelle suivant les differents cas de contamination est effectue. Le formulaire propose permet de faire une premiere approximation et d'apprecier rapidement l'importance d'une contamination ou bien d'interpreter les resultats d

  17. Natural uranium toxicology - evaluation of internal contamination in man

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chalabreysse, J.

    1968-01-01

    After reminding the physical and chemical properties of natural uranium which might affect its toxicology, a comprehensive investigation upon natural uranium metabolism and toxicity and after applying occupational exposure standards to this particular poison, it has been determined, from accident reports and human experience reported in the related literature, a series of formulae obtained by theoretical mathematical development giving principles for internal contamination monitoring and disclosure by determining uranium in the urine of occupationally exposed individuals. An assay is performed to determine individual internal contamination according to the various contamination cases. The outlined purposes, mainly practical, required some options and extrapolations. The proposed formula allows a preliminary approach and also to determine shortly a contamination extent or to discuss the systematical urinalysis results as compared with individual radio-toxicology monitoring professional standards. (author) [fr

  18. Use of gamma camera for measurement of the internal contamination with depleted uranium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spaic, R.; Markovic, S.; Pavlovic, S.; Pavlovic, R.; Ajdinovic, B.; Baskot, B.; Djurovic, B.

    2000-01-01

    Depleted uranium from radioactive wastes is used for manufacturing bullets used in Iraq, Republic of Serbia and Yugoslavia. These bullets are extremely dense and capable of penetrating heavily armored vehicles. Their medical importance lies in the fact that the bullets contain seventy percent depleted uranium which creates aerosolized particles less than five microns in diameter, small enough to be inhaled, after spontaneous bullet burn at impact. Nuclear medicine scientists must be aware of this and be prepared to measure internal contamination of persons exposed to this radioactive material. Whole body counters (WBC) represent appropriate equipment for this purpose but their availability in developing countries is not sufficient. Gamma camera is an alternative. The minimum detectable activity (MDA) of depleted uranium, iodine and technetium for gamma cameras was measured in this paper. Low energy X-ray 100 KeV with 20% windows are used for the depleted uranium detection. About 40% gamma emissions from depleted uranium fall within these limits. The activities measured (50-100 Bq) are about ten times higher then on WBC (5 Bq). This does not limit the use of gamma cameras for measurement of lung or whole body internal contamination with depleted uranium. (author)

  19. Principles governing medical first aid to workers exposed to internal contamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jammet, H.; Nenot, J.C.

    1976-01-01

    The growing use of radionuclides, whether at hospital, laboratory or nuclear facility level, increases the risk of internal contamination. Not only that, some particularly dangerous elements are being handled more and more frequently. Hence the importance of therapeutic concepts based on the general principles governing action to be taken in cases of internal contamination. These principles should be applicable without the nature of the contaminant having to be taken into account, and irrespective of whether it is transferable and of the route of entry, i.e. healthy skin, wound or bronchial tree. The basic principle is the concept of urgency: ''blind'' treatment should be applied merely on the supposition of internal contamination. It is desirable, moreover, that the first aid should be given at the site of the accident. Hence, the product used should be non-toxic under normal conditions of use and should be simple to apply, as, for example, the administration of an aerosol. It is not until later that the doctor should undertake treatment in the proper sense of the term, the emergency treatment having afforded him sufficient time to carry out the preliminary examination required to gain an exact idea of the internal contamination. (author)

  20. A case of internal contamination by 90Sr of a member of public

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malatova, I.; Cespirova, I.; Drabova, D.; Beckova, V.

    1998-01-01

    A case of internal contamination by 90 Sr of a member of the public is described. An unauthorised person entered a low-activity waste storage placed in an abandoned sand mine, a barrel with marker for radioactive substances was found and manipulated with a tin labelled as ISOMET Sr90. The radiation protection authority was informed after 6 days and found surface contamination on his belongings. Whole-body counting with an HPGe detector and excretion analysis were performed. He was measured by whole-body counter 16 times from November 1990 to August 1992, 9 samples of urine and 6 samples of faeces were collected. For the estimation of the dose, the software CINDY with the biokinetic models of ICRP 30 was used. Single and continuous intakes were assumed. Intake was estimated to be about 3 MBq and committed effective dose 84 mSv. (author)

  1. Internal dosimetry technical basis manual

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1990-01-01

    The internal dosimetry program at the Savannah River Site (SRS) consists of radiation protection programs and activities used to detect and evaluate intakes of radioactive material by radiation workers. Examples of such programs are: air monitoring; surface contamination monitoring; personal contamination surveys; radiobioassay; and dose assessment. The objectives of the internal dosimetry program are to demonstrate that the workplace is under control and that workers are not being exposed to radioactive material, and to detect and assess inadvertent intakes in the workplace. The Savannah River Site Internal Dosimetry Technical Basis Manual (TBM) is intended to provide a technical and philosophical discussion of the radiobioassay and dose assessment aspects of the internal dosimetry program. Detailed information on air, surface, and personal contamination surveillance programs is not given in this manual except for how these programs interface with routine and special bioassay programs

  2. Internal dosimetry technical basis manual

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1990-12-20

    The internal dosimetry program at the Savannah River Site (SRS) consists of radiation protection programs and activities used to detect and evaluate intakes of radioactive material by radiation workers. Examples of such programs are: air monitoring; surface contamination monitoring; personal contamination surveys; radiobioassay; and dose assessment. The objectives of the internal dosimetry program are to demonstrate that the workplace is under control and that workers are not being exposed to radioactive material, and to detect and assess inadvertent intakes in the workplace. The Savannah River Site Internal Dosimetry Technical Basis Manual (TBM) is intended to provide a technical and philosophical discussion of the radiobioassay and dose assessment aspects of the internal dosimetry program. Detailed information on air, surface, and personal contamination surveillance programs is not given in this manual except for how these programs interface with routine and special bioassay programs.

  3. Natural uranium toxicology - evaluation of internal contamination in man; Toxicologie de l'uranium naturel - essai d'evaluation de la contamination interne chez l'homme

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chalabreysse, J. [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Pierrelatte (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

    1968-07-01

    After reminding the physical and chemical properties of natural uranium which might affect its toxicology, a comprehensive investigation upon natural uranium metabolism and toxicity and after applying occupational exposure standards to this particular poison, it has been determined, from accident reports and human experience reported in the related literature, a series of formulae obtained by theoretical mathematical development giving principles for internal contamination monitoring and disclosure by determining uranium in the urine of occupationally exposed individuals. An assay is performed to determine individual internal contamination according to the various contamination cases. The outlined purposes, mainly practical, required some options and extrapolations. The proposed formula allows a preliminary approach and also to determine shortly a contamination extent or to discuss the systematical urinalysis results as compared with individual radio-toxicology monitoring professional standards. (author) [French] Apres le rappel des caracteristiques physiques et des proprietes chimiques de l'uranium naturel pouvant avoir une influence sur sa toxicologie, l'etude detaillee de son metabolisme et de sa toxicite, puis l'application des normes professionnelles d'exposition au cas particulier de ce toxique, il est etabli, a partir des comptes rendus d'accidents et de l'experimentation humaine rapportes dans la litterature, une serie de formules obtenues par developpement mathematique theorique qui posent les principes de la surveillance et de la mise en evidence de la contamination interne par la recherche et le dosage de l'uranium dans les urines d'individus professionnellement exposes. Un essai d'evaluation de la contamination interne individuelle suivant les differents cas de contamination est effectue. Le formulaire propose permet de faire une premiere approximation et d'apprecier rapidement l'importance d

  4. Behavioural Changes in Rats Internally Contaminated with Caesium-137

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramboiu, S.

    2001-01-01

    Full text: The effect of low doses of 137 Cs on the exercise performances, behavioural and learning processes in rats is analysed. The experiments were performed on albino male and female Wistar rats. The animals were divided as follows: two groups, M 1 and F 1 (males and females) internally contaminated with 490 Bq 137 Cs by milk ingestion during 34 days, groups M 2 and F 2 , internally contaminated with 283 Bq by ingestion of milk during 38 days and two control groups. The duration of forced swimming, the active avoidance reaction and the total latency time in the shuttle-box and the score of aggressive behaviour were analysed. The following results were obtained: (1) the duration of forced swimming decreased significantly in the contaminated groups as compared with controls. (2) The active avoidance reaction in the shuttle-box increased in female groups and decrease in male groups. (3) The total latency time of the same reaction was lower in animals internally contaminated with 137 Cs in the first day of learning. (4) The score of aggressive behavioural rise significantly, especially in female groups. The results can be explained by neurotoxic action of the caesium on several central neural areas including monoaminergic and endocrine mechanisms and sex dependence of caesium accumulation in the organism. (author)

  5. The International Legal Personality of the Individual

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kjeldgaard-Pedersen, Astrid

    This book scrutinizes the relationship between the concept of international legal personality as a theoretical construct and the position of the individual as a matter of positive international law. By testing four main theoretical conceptions of international legal personality against historical...... to transform during the second half of the twentieth century so as to include individuals as its subjects. Rather, the answer to the question of individual rights and obligations under international law is—and always was—solely contingent upon the interpretation of international legal norms. It follows......, of course, that the entities governed by a particular norm tell us nothing about the legal system to which that norm belongs. Instead, the distinction between international and national legal norms turns exclusively on the nature of their respective sources. Against the background of these insights...

  6. Remediation of contaminated areas. An overview of international guidance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hedemann Jensen, Per

    1999-05-01

    The work described in this report has been performed as a part of the RESTRAT Project FI4P-CT95-0021a (PL 950128) co-funded by the Nuclear Fission Safety Programme of the European Commission. The RESTRAT project has the overall objective of developing generic methodologies for ranking restoration techniques as a function of contamination and site characteristics. The project includes analyses of existing remediation methodologies and contaminated sites, and is structured in the following steps: characterisation of relevant contaminated sites; identification and characterisation of relevant restoration techniques; assessment of the radiological impact; development and application of a selection methodology for restoration options; formulation of generic conclusions and development of a manual. The project is intended to apply to situations in which sites with nuclear installations have been contaminated with radioactive materials as a result of the operation of these installations. The areas considered for remedial measures include contaminated land areas, rivers and sediments in rivers, lakes, and sea areas. Criteria for clean-up of contaminated land and criteria for protection of the public against chronic exposure are being developed by Advisory Groups and Task Groups within the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). This work has been reviewed and a status as of the beginning of 1998 is given. For illustrative purposes , the basic radiation protection principles of justification and optimisation have been applied to derive generic action levels for clean-up of residential areas contaminated with radioactive materials. These generic action levels are based upon cost-benefit analyses that include avertable doses and monetary costs of clean-up. (au)

  7. Remediation of contaminated areas. An overview of international guidance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hedemann Jensen, Per

    1999-05-01

    The work described in this report has been performed as a part of the RESTRAT Project FI4P-CT95-0021a (PL 950128) co-funded by the Nuclear Fission Safety Programme of the European Commission. The RESTRAT project has the overall objective of developing generic methodologies for ranking restoration techniques as a function of contamination and site characteristics. The project includes analyses of existing remediation methodologies and contaminated sites, and is structured in the following steps: characterisation of relevant contaminated sites; identification and characterisation of relevant restoration techniques; assessment of the radiological impact; development and application of a selection methodology for restoration options; formulation of generic conclusions and development of a manual. The project is intended to apply to situations in which sites with nuclear installations have been contaminated with radioactive materials as a result of the operation of these installations. The areas considered for remedial measures include contaminated land areas, rivers and sediments in rivers, lakes, and sea areas. Criteria for clean-up of contaminated land and criteria for protection of the public against chronic exposure are being developed by Advisory Groups and Task Groups within the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). This work has been reviewed and a status as of the beginning of 1998 is given. For illustrative purposes , the basic radiation protection principles of justification and optimisation have been applied to derive generic action levels for clean-up of residential areas contaminated with radioactive materials. These generic action levels are based upon cost-benefit analyses that include avertable doses and monetary costs of clean-up. (au) 3 tabs., 4 ills., 10 refs. (Internet)

  8. NORM and the Risk of Internal Contamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Syaifudin, Mukh; Iin Kurnia; Yanti Lusiyanti; Siti Nurhayati; Iwiq Indrawati

    2003-01-01

    The earth and its atmosphere contain various natural radioactive materials known as NORM (naturally occurring radioactive materials) as sources of external and internal radiation exposures to human. The main radionuclides of NORM are uranium and thorium chairs and their progenies. In this paper, it will be discussed briefly about effects of internal contamination these elements which could enter into the body through inhalation and ingestion as well as absorption on the skin. The distribution, excretion and decontamination methods of the radionuclide incorporated in the body are also discussed. (author)

  9. Implementation guide of internal contamination control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balter, Henia; Savio, Eduardo; Souto, Beatriz

    1994-01-01

    A review of current methods of contamination control for radioisotopes 131I, 125I and 99mTc, periodic control of personnel exposed to radiation.Maximum permissible body burden (Mpbb) for each radionuclide,radiotoxicity as danger of internal contamination directly related with Let, type of radiation,Ali values for various radionuclides and external irradiation as an opposed factor.Effective half life,examples, 99mTc in urine,iodine in thyroid caption, 99m Tc absorption by skin and mouth. Procedure of control and calculation by measurement of urine samples in a gamma spectrometer. Iodine thyroid caption by monitoring of thyroid with a solid NaI(TI)scintillator taking as background radiation the activity of upper leg muscle. Standard solutions are prepared to fill a thyroid phantoms.Results must not be higher than Mpbb of corresponding radionuclide.Bibliography

  10. The implication of decorporation therapy for contaminated persons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsuoka, Osamu

    1989-01-01

    The procedures of removal on internally deposited radionuclides from accidentally contaminated individual are divided for two different category such as 1) Physical procedure, and 2) Chemical procedure. Physical procedures include surgical excision and lung lavage. Both procedures are very effective for decorporation but are slight unsafe in procedure itself. Therefore, it is difficult to judge to apply these procedures under balance of risk and benefit. Chemical procedure include 1) Inhibition of intestinal absorption, such as production of insoluble compounds. 2) Capture of radionuclides in entero-hepatic circulation such as Cs-137 by Prussian Blue, 3) Blocking of deposition to target organs or competitive acceleration of excretion by excess administration of stable isotope or analogous element such as stable iodine for thyroid blocking and 4) Acceleration of excretion by chelating agent such as Pb by EDTA, Hg by BAL, Fe by DFOA. Chelation therapy is major procedure of most practical sense. For the removal of transuranic element, Ca-DTPA and Zn-DTPA (1g/day/person) are the most effective agents in conventional use and new developing agent such as TTHA, Puchel and LICAMS are still not in routine use. The advantage and disadvantage of each agent for decorporation therapy were reviewed. The future research trends expected were discussed related with current difficulties on the application of chelating therapy. (author)

  11. Assessment and treatment of external and internal radionuclide contamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-04-01

    The most serious problems arise from accidents involving radionuclide contamination. This was demonstrated by experience from the Chernobyl and Goiania accidents, where large groups of people were externally and internally contaminated and which demanded significant management efforts from the health and other authorities. It is important that radionuclide contamination be minimized, not only by preventive measures, but also by good medical management when an exposure has occurred. This is an updated Technical Document based upon the IAEA Safety Series No. 88 ''Medical Handling of Accidentally Exposed Individuals'' and IAEA-TECDOC-366 ''What the General Practitioner (MD) Should Know about Medical Handling of Overexposed Individuals''. 26 refs, 3 figs, 2 tabs

  12. Outbreaks of Acute Gastroenteritis Transmitted by Person-to-Person Contact, Environmental Contamination, and Unknown Modes of Transmission--United States, 2009-2013.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wikswo, Mary E; Kambhampati, Anita; Shioda, Kayoko; Walsh, Kelly A; Bowen, Anna; Hall, Aron J

    2015-12-11

    Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is a major cause of illness in the United States, with an estimated 179 million episodes annually. AGE outbreaks propagated through direct person-to-person contact, contaminated environmental surfaces, and unknown modes of transmission were not systematically captured at the national level before 2009 and thus were not well characterized. 2009-2013. The National Outbreak Reporting System (NORS) is a voluntary national reporting system that supports reporting of all waterborne and foodborne disease outbreaks and all AGE outbreaks resulting from transmission by contact with contaminated environmental sources, infected persons or animals, or unknown modes. Local, state, and territorial public health agencies within the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia (DC), five U.S. territories, and three Freely Associated States report outbreaks to CDC via NORS using a standard online data entry system. A total of 10,756 AGE outbreaks occurred during 2009-2013, for which the primary mode of transmission occurred through person-to-person contact, environmental contamination, and unknown modes of transmission. NORS received reports from public health agencies in 50 U.S. states, DC, and Puerto Rico. These outbreaks resulted in 356,532 reported illnesses, 5,394 hospitalizations, and 459 deaths. The median outbreak reporting rate for all sites in a given year increased from 2.7 outbreaks per million population in 2009 to 11.8 outbreaks in 2013. The etiology was unknown in 31% (N = 3,326) of outbreaks. Of the 7,430 outbreaks with a suspected or confirmed etiology reported, norovirus was the most common, reported in 6,223 (84%) of these outbreaks. Other reported suspected or confirmed etiologies included Shigella (n = 332) and Salmonella (n = 320). Outbreaks were more frequent during the winter, with 5,716 (53%) outbreaks occurring during December-February, and 70% of the 7,001 outbreaks with a reported setting of exposure occurred in long

  13. International Space Station External Contamination Environment for Space Science Utilization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soares, Carlos E.; Mikatarian, Ronald R.; Steagall, Courtney A.; Huang, Alvin Y.; Koontz, Steven; Worthy, Erica

    2014-01-01

    The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest and most complex on-orbit platform for space science utilization in low Earth orbit. Multiple sites for external payloads, with exposure to the associated natural and induced environments, are available to support a variety of space science utilization objectives. Contamination is one of the induced environments that can impact performance, mission success and science utilization on the vehicle. The ISS has been designed, built and integrated with strict contamination requirements to provide low levels of induced contamination on external payload assets. This paper addresses the ISS induced contamination environment at attached payload sites, both at the requirements level as well as measurements made on returned hardware, and contamination forecasting maps being generated to support external payload topology studies and science utilization.

  14. Internal contamination: what challenges for tomorrow? Proceedings of the Research and Health Section technical day

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berard, Philippe; Lecoix, Geraldine; Menetrier, Florence; Menetrier, Florence; Leiterer, Alexandra; Gremy, Olivier; Mougnard, Philippe; Gonin, Michele; Paquet, Francois; Davesne, Estelle; Bertho, Jean-Marc; Metivier, Henri; Abergel, Rebecca

    2015-10-01

    The Research and Health Section of the French Society of Radiation Protection (SFRP) organized a technical meeting on the radiation protection aspects of dismantlement, from the dismantling work to the risk, the measurement of body contamination, the potentially harmful health effects, the available medical treatments, the actual needs and the developments in progress. This document brings together the abstracts and the presentations (slides) of the different talks given at the meeting: 1 - Situation: what radionuclides, what situations? (Philippe BERARD, CEA); 2 - Dismantling workplace experience feedback with internal contamination hazard (Philippe MOUGNARD, AREVA); 3 - Experience feedback on internal exposure monitoring at power plants in France (Michele GONIN, EDF); 4 - Evolution of routine and intervention measurement methods (Geraldine LECOIX, CEA); 5 - Evolution of radiation dose calculation models (Francois PAQUET, IRSN); 6 - Taking uncertainties into account in internal contamination monitoring protocols (Estelle DAVESNE, IRSN); 7 - Radionuclides behaviour and effects in men (Florence MENETRIER, CEA); 8 - The plutonium case (Henri METIVIER, SFRP); 9 - Cesium-137 and internal contamination: status and perspectives (Jean-Marc BERTHO, IRSN); 10 - Iodine and thyroid (Florence MENETRIER, CEA); 11 - Actual treatments and research pathways (Alexandra LEITERER, CEA); 12 - Radionuclide contamination treatment: new developments in the US (Rebecca ABERGEL, Berkeley USA); 13 - Internal contaminations treatment: French recent effort for its improvement (Olivier GREMY, CEA)

  15. Internal Contamination by 131I in nuclear medicine department

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chahed, N.; Mtimet, S.; Hammami, H.; Mhiri, A.

    1998-01-01

    Therapeutic applications in nuclear medicine use high activities of 131 I in sodium iodine liquid from which is volatile at ambient temperature. Besides external exposure there is, for the nuclear medicine personnel, an internal exposure risk induced by 131 iodine inhalation. So we tried to assess this risk among the personnel in a nuclear medicine department. We used direct method for measuring 131 radioactivity in vivo by external counting. Gamma ray detector with a Nal ( TI ) probe positioned near the thyroid gland allows investigation of 131 radioactivity. We realised 34 measurements among the personnel, two times at an interval of one month. The results indicate that an 131 iodine internal contamination is found. Estimated thyroid activities were ranging from 35 to 132 Bq. The highest activities has been found in the thyroid of the technicians involved in the administration of 131 iodine therapy. Therefore this values are lower than norms. This study must lead to the implementation control of the 131 iodine internal contamination in order to optimise the personnel protection in nuclear medicine departments (author)

  16. Assessing interventions available to internally displaced persons in Abia state, Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Enwereji, Ee

    2009-03-01

    Internally displaced persons are faced with several problems, such as sexual violence, and deserve appropriate intervention, especially in view of the increasing prevalence of HIV/AIDS and other infections in Nigeria. This study attempts to assess interventions offered by governmental authorities and organizations to internally displaced persons and to identify gaps in services as well as to identify what needs to be strengthened. The author reviewed relevant published and unpublished documents and collected data by interviews with semi-structured questions. Twenty-five organizations and government and police departments and 55 internally displaced persons were interviewed. None of the organizations, including governmental institutions, provided social services or assistance in prevention of HIV/AIDS to internally displaced persons. The main services provided by 17 (68%) organizations to 43 (78.2%) of internally displaced persons were provision of food, clothing and money, but these were provided on an ad hoc basis. Only 3 organizations (12%) included spiritual counseling and resolution of communal conflicts in their services. The fact that most organizations, including the government, do not have services for internally displaced persons indicates lack of support for internally displaced persons. The government should be urged to include these people in most prevention services, including HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. This should help reduce the national prevalence of HIV/AIDS.

  17. Internal radioactive contamination in selected groups of CRNL employees

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Evans, D.W.S.

    1975-10-01

    This report details the development and execution of a 30 month program designed to characterize the magnitude and distribution of internal radioactive contaminaton amongst selected groups of employees at Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories, using a shadow shield whole-body counter. The results show that the levels of contamination in these employees are very low, and no contaminant was present in amounts exceeding 10% of the maximum permissible body burden, with the exception of a medically administered radionuclide (selenium-75). Details of the time course of some of the body burdens are also furnished. (author)

  18. The State of refugees and internally displaced persons in Nigeria: A ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    These persons who are in either situations refugees or internally displaced persons (IDPs) are vulnerable economically, socially, psychologically and politically. The national and international communities are confronted with the monumental task of ensuring protection for these groups of persons. The question has been ...

  19. Methodical approach to reconstruct individual internal doses for persons residing in areas of Belarus contaminated as a result of the Chernobyl accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Skryabin, Anatoly; Belsky, Yuri

    2008-01-01

    Full text: The studies on the risk to population of low-level exposure following the Chernobyl accident require the estimation of the individual doses. The most difficult aspect is the estimation of internal exposure (IAED int ). Level of individual internal exposure due to ingestion of long-lived caesium isotopes defines by individual 'food habits' (IFH) of the person. Non-standard methodical approach is suggested to evaluate internal doses taking into IFH: 1) IFH are generally conservative by food characteristic and steady in time; 2) IFH of the person determines his dose which can be calculated using data of personal interview and the special table of conformity establishing connection between IFH and corresponding percentile interval in a variation line of doses in given settlement; 3) IAED int (1986-2005) is calculated as the sum of annual doses of the individual for all period of exposure and in all settlements of residing. To develop the model, WBC measurements data (around 1.5 millions) collected in 1987-2005 for population of around 1000 Belarusian settlements were used. The input data for IAEA int calculation include consumption of dose-significant products, duration, and place of residence obtained by mean of individual questionnaire; WBC measurements data; table of conformity (IFH → IAED int ). (author)

  20. Bioassay of 210Po in human urine and internal contamination of man

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carvalho, F.P.; Oliveira, J.M.

    2009-01-01

    The deliberate poisoning of A. Litvinenko in London in late 2006 with 210 Po, attracted attention to the difficulties in identifying internal contamination with alpha emitting radionuclides and to the limited knowledge available on the cycling of many naturally occurring radioisotopes in the body and their baseline concentration values in humans. To cope with the emergency caused by the spread of high 210 Po activity, which contaminated several people and places in London, we were called upon to analyze urine samples in potentially contaminated people. A reference group of adult humans was also selected for determination of baseline 210 Po values to be used for comparative purposes. Concentrations of 210 Po in urine samples from three Portuguese citizens that have been at contaminated places, in London, ranged from 2.3 to 4.1 mBq x L -1 while in the reference group 210 Po concentrations ranged from 0.5 to 4.8 mBq x L -1 . Analytical quality of results was ensured through participation in an international inter laboratory comparison exercise on 210 Po determination in aqueous samples. Results indicated that people potentially exposed to 210 Po in London were not internally contaminated with the radionuclide used as a poisoning agent, and the levels of this radionuclide measured in the urine were similar to the naturally occurring levels in the reference group. Polonium levels in urine and in man are discussed in the light of 210 Po levels in the human diet. (author)

  1. Reliability and Concurrent Validity of the International Personality ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Reliability and Concurrent Validity of the International Personality item Pool (IPIP) Big-five Factor Markers in Nigeria. ... Nigerian Journal of Psychiatry ... Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the internal consistency and concurrent validity ...

  2. Internal contamination in nurses attending patients, that received therapeutic amounts of radioiodine-131

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Termorshuizen, W.; Gerritsen, A.J.M.

    1988-01-01

    The most frequent and often very successful used unsealed source in Nuclear Medicine and Radiotherapy is the radioiodine-131 for the treatment of thyroid carcinoma and hyperthyroidism. Always there is a great concern about the health physics of radioiodine and possible internal contamination involved in high level 131-I thyroid therapy cases, in particular to the thyroid as target and limiting organ. This report deals with 131-I air concentrations and internal contamination in nurses attending these patients under two different conditions. During the past three years a change took place from the old building, where we had an unventilated two-bed nursing room, to a new building were we have rooms with forced ventilation and air-conditioning (refreshment five times per hour). From both external exposure caused by radioiodine treated patients and internal contamination due to ingestion and inhalation of 131-I, we calculated the dose-equivalent to the thyroid and the effective dose-equivalent to our health care personnel

  3. External Contamination Control of Attached Payloads on the International Space Station

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soares, Carlos E.; Mikatarian, Ronald R.; Olsen, Randy L.; Huang, Alvin Y.; Steagall, Courtney A.; Schmidl, William D.; Wright, Bruce D.; Koontz, Steven

    2012-01-01

    The International Space Station (ISS) is an on-orbit platform for science utilization in low Earth orbit with multiple sites for external payloads with exposure to the natural and induced environments. Contamination is one of the induced environments that can impact performance, mission success and science utilization on the vehicle. This paper describes the external contamination control requirements and integration process for externally mounted payloads on the ISS. The external contamination control requirements are summarized and a description of the integration and verification process is detailed to guide payload developers in the certification process of attached payloads on the vehicle. A description of the required data certification deliverables covers the characterization of contamination sources. Such characterization includes identification, usage and operational data for each class of contamination source. Classes of external contamination sources covered are vacuum exposed materials, sources of leakage, vacuum venting and thrusters. ISS system level analyses are conducted by the ISS Space Environments Team to certify compliance with external contamination control requirements. This paper also addresses the ISS induced contamination environment at attached payload sites, both at the requirements level as well as measurements made on ISS.

  4. False indications of 95Zr-95Nb internal contamination due to contaminated sacred thread

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garg, S.P.; Singh, I.S.; Sharma, R.C.

    2000-01-01

    Whole body monitoring of a worker showed an apparent internal contamination with a considerable amount of 95 Zr- 95 Nb. Inhalation exposure was suspected to have taken place about a week earlier when he had last worked in the radioactive area. Unexpected fast clearance indicated by the third periodical weekly follow up monitoring was considered to be an abnormal behaviour. Investigations revealed an external contamination on a sacred thread, which the worker was putting on across his thorax and not removing it at the time of bath due to religious considerations. These studies have underscored that short term follow up measurements data should be critically scrutinized and a caution should be exercised in the interpretation such data particularly in case of such relatively short lived radionuclides. (author)

  5. Requirements for internal contamination monitoring units

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Werner, E.; Beyer, D.; Doerfel, H.; Erlenbach, H.; Fischbach, G.; Henrichs, K.; Keller, K.D.; Koenig, K.; Riedel, W.; Scheler, R.; Schieferdecker, H.

    1994-01-01

    For the evaluation of internal contamination by officially authorized monitoring units according to section 63 (6) of the German radiation protection ordinance, a directive will be prepared in order to define uniform requirements for the laboratories in charge of incorporation monitoring by appointment of the relevant authorities. These requirements refer to equipment, to performance of measurements, to interpretation of measured values, to quality control as well as to documentation and to delivery of results. The duties of such laboratories comprise measurements of radioactivity, evaluation of intakes of radionuclides and of the resulting internal radiation dose, but also transmission of results to the employer, to the central dose registry, and under certain circumstances to the authorities. Among the requirements to be met by the laboratory for incorporation control are a sufficient measuring efficiency, the implementation of in-house checks, and the participation in intercomparison programs. For the accomplishment of such duties the laboratory needs appropriate apparatus, rooms, facilities, and staffing. (orig.) [de

  6. Mental health of internally displaced persons in Jalozai camp, Pakistan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mujeeb, Arooj

    2015-11-01

    Internal displacement has been a distressing issue of Pakistan for last one decade. Few research works have been conducted on the psychological issues of internally displaced persons in Pakistan. The current research was aimed at determining the psychological effects of internal displacement, that is, psychological well-being, depression, anxiety and stress (internalizing problems) of the individuals who were displaced as a result of an armed conflict in Swat. A sample of 126 internally displaced persons was taken from Jalozai camp which included females (n = 65) and males (n = 61). Age of the sample ranged from 20 to 75 years with a mean of 47.5 years. Translated and adapted versions of Well-Being Affectometer-2 Scale and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale were used in the current research. Results of the study indicated differences between males and females, females being higher on internalizing problems and lower on psychological well-being, whereas family loss during displacement affected the results in the same way. Well-being, gender and family loss emerged as significant predictors of internalizing problems, and gender moderated the relationship between well-being and internalizing problems. Internal displacement may bring psychological issues for internally displaced persons, that is, their well-being may decrease and depression, anxiety and stress may increase during displacement. Limitations and implications of the study were discussed further. © The Author(s) 2015.

  7. Internal radiation doses in 372 persons who were dispatched to Fukushima from April 2011 to March 2012

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Morita, Naoko; Kudo, Takashi [Nagasaki University, Atomic Disease Research Institute, Nagasaki (Japan); Miura, Miwa; Matsuda, Naoki [Nagasaki University, Center for Frontier Life Sciences, Nagasaki (Japan); Usa, Toshiro [Nagasaki University Hospital, International Hibakusha Medical Center, Nagasaki (Japan)

    2013-07-01

    The internal doses of 372 persons who were dispatched to the Fukushima prefecture at any time from April 2011 to March 2012 were examined using a whole body counter within 2 months after they left Fukushima. {sup 131}I was only detected in April while {sup 134}Cs and {sup 137}Cs were found up to November 2011. The maximum committed effective dose and thyroid equivalent dose were 22.4 μSv and 0.4 mSv, respectively, which were observed in April 2011 by the scenario of acute inhalation. The internal radioactivity was found in persons staying in almost all of the interior and the coastal regions regardless of the distance from the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant. Although there was no statistical significance, the detection rate of {sup 134}Cs and {sup 137}Cs appeared higher in subjects dispatched for relatively long-terms. Comparison of internal doses evaluated by the whole body counter and by prediction from environmental radioactivity indicates that the intake of radioactivity in March, April and possibly May 2011, would be mainly attributable to the inhalation of airborne radioactive particles, whereas in June and later months ingestion of contaminated food would be the major route of radioactive intake. These results suggest that the risk for internal exposure existed for approximately six months after the radiological accident in almost the entire area of Fukushima, however, adverse health consequences by the radiation dose due to internal exposure seem to be negligible. Furthermore, the present risk for internal exposure is quite low in the normal living situation. (author)

  8. Internal radiation doses in 372 persons who were dispatched to Fukushima from April 2011 to March 2012

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morita, Naoko; Kudo, Takashi; Miura, Miwa; Matsuda, Naoki; Usa, Toshiro

    2013-01-01

    The internal doses of 372 persons who were dispatched to the Fukushima prefecture at any time from April 2011 to March 2012 were examined using a whole body counter within 2 months after they left Fukushima. 131 I was only detected in April while 134 Cs and 137 Cs were found up to November 2011. The maximum committed effective dose and thyroid equivalent dose were 22.4 μSv and 0.4 mSv, respectively, which were observed in April 2011 by the scenario of acute inhalation. The internal radioactivity was found in persons staying in almost all of the interior and the coastal regions regardless of the distance from the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant. Although there was no statistical significance, the detection rate of 134 Cs and 137 Cs appeared higher in subjects dispatched for relatively long-terms. Comparison of internal doses evaluated by the whole body counter and by prediction from environmental radioactivity indicates that the intake of radioactivity in March, April and possibly May 2011, would be mainly attributable to the inhalation of airborne radioactive particles, whereas in June and later months ingestion of contaminated food would be the major route of radioactive intake. These results suggest that the risk for internal exposure existed for approximately six months after the radiological accident in almost the entire area of Fukushima, however, adverse health consequences by the radiation dose due to internal exposure seem to be negligible. Furthermore, the present risk for internal exposure is quite low in the normal living situation. (author)

  9. Detection system qualification for direct measurement of thyroid internal contamination by radioiodine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tiberi, V.; Battisti, P.; Gualdrini, G.

    1999-01-01

    The work deals with a detection system qualification for direct measurements of thyroid internal contamination by radioiodine. The isotopes 131 I and 125 I are the most frequently used in nuclear medicine. Because of their volatility they are very dangerous for thyroid contamination by inhalation. The system has been projected to be easily and fast used and above all transportable where the control is necessary. These characteristic make it able to realise supervision programs of internal contamination by radioiodine. In fact due the very high control frequencies (each 15 days for 131 I), these programs are usually very expensive and demanding when they are executed in external measurement laboratories. The following steps are described: devices presentation, calculation of energy and efficiency parameters, minimum detectable activity, time system reliability, best operative conditions in the measurements. At the end an application example of the system is reported [it

  10. International systems for harmonization and quality control by in vivo monitoring and quality control by in vivo monitoring of internal contamination

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Malatova, I [National Radiation Protection Inst., Prague (Czech Republic)

    1996-12-31

    After the Chernobyl accident, whole body counting for the monitoring of internal contamination of the population was widely used. In many cases, great discrepancy occurred between in vivo measured values and predicted ones from model calculations. This situation was very similar to the situation in environmental monitoring, however, by sample measurement, quality assurance and quality control of the measurement procedure is much easier than by whole body counting. In addition to it, unlike in environmental monitoring, use of semiconductor detectors by whole counting was rather limited in this time so there were few laboratories which were able to distinguish up to 20 radionuclides by which people from the vicinity of Chernobyl were internally contaminated. Therefore, effort was undertaken by many international organization to summarize current status of whole body counting and to estimate uncertainty and sensitivity of different devices. In this paper efforts to harmonize an interpretation of measured results is given. Whole body counting laboratory of the National Radiation Protection Institute (NRPI) in Prague participates in the above mentioned intercomparisons with good results and scientists from NRPI have participated in the preparation of 3 international recommendations concerning measurement of internal contamination (author).

  11. Development of the Discrimination Programs between the Internal and External Radioactive Contamination of Workers Using a Whole Body Counter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kong, T. Y.; Kim, H. G.; Lim, S. N.; Kim, H. J.; Jin, H. H.; Lee, S. G.; Park, S. C.

    2006-01-01

    A whole body counter (WBC) is used to identify and measure the radioactivity in the body of human beings in a nuclear power plant (NPP). In domestic NPPs, several whole body counters are in operation to monitor the internal radioactive contamination of workers. All workers take a whole body counting after radiation works if there is high possibility of radioactive contamination or the radioactivity is detected by portal monitoring. It is, however, found that the external contamination is occasionally estimated as the internal radioactive contamination. In this case, the worker is recommended to take showers for the decontamination of skin and take a whole body counting again. Although the detected radioactivity is reduced remarkably after several decontaminations, confirmed as the external contamination, it is determined finally as an internal contamination if the radioactivity is still detected in the body of worker. The amount of detected radioactivity can be much higher than that of the expected for this mistaken contamination since the radioisotopes attached to skin come to be close to the detectors of WBC. Finally, this makes not only the misjudgment of the external contamination as the internal contamination, but also the excessively conservative estimation of radioactive contamination. In this study, several experiments were carried out to set up the discrimination program between the internal and external radioactive contamination using the humanoid phantom and a whole body counter. After the analysis of experimental results, we found that the use of front and backside counts could be applied to the discrimination of the external contamination and the ratio of detected radioactivities between front and backside counts was more than about factor 2 for the external contamination

  12. Medical effects of internal contamination with uranium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duraković, A

    1999-03-01

    The purpose of this work is to present an outline of the metabolic pathways of uranium isotopes and compounds, medical consequences of uranium poisoning, and an evaluation of the therapeutic alternatives in uranium internal contamination. The chemical toxicity of uranium has been recognized for more than two centuries. Animal experiments and human studies are conclusive about metabolic adverse affects and nephro- toxicity of uranium compounds. Radiation toxicity of uranium isotopes has been recognized since the beginning of the nuclear era, with well documented evidence of reproductive and developmental toxicity, as well as mutagenic and carcinogenic consequences of uranium internal contamination. Natural uranium (238U), an alpha emitter with a half-life of 4.5x10(9) years, is one of the primordial substances of the universe. It is found in the earth's crust, combined with 235U and 234U, alpha, beta, and gamma emitters with respective half-lives of 7.1x10(8) and 2.5x10(5) years. A special emphasis of this paper concerns depleted uranium. The legacy of radioactive waste, environmental and health hazards in the nuclear industry, and, more recently, the military use of depleted uranium in the tactical battlefield necessitates further insight into the toxicology of depleted uranium. The present controversy over the radiological and chemical toxicity of depleted uranium used in the Gulf War warrants further experimental and clinical investigations of its effects on the biosphere and human organisms.

  13. Guidelines on the medical therapy of persons accidentally overexposed to ionizing radiations. External contamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perez, M.R.; Di Trano, J.L.; Gisone, P.

    1998-01-01

    The document represents a guide for the external decontamination of persons accidentally radio contaminated due to the use, production or transport of radioactive materials. The general conditions, from the medical point of view, to be kept in mind, in the event of accidental overexposures as decontamination treatment and the handling of samples are detailed throughout report. The external contamination without injury in skin or with wound its considered. The distribution of measures and responsibilities for the therapy of the irradiated patients with radioactive materials are enumerated. The preparations of decontaminate solutions are detailed in this work. Moreover, forms for the reception, physical evaluation of the patient and external contamination are presented. (author)

  14. Internal contamination during enmasse coolant channel replacement (EMCCR) operation at MAPS-2, Kalpakkam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rajaram, S.; Sreedevi, K.R.; Rajendran, V.; Parthasarathi, S.; Kannan, V.; Gurg, R.P.

    2003-01-01

    The operation of Enmasse Coolant Channel Replacement (EMCCR) of MAPS Unit-2, started in the month of March 2002. Since the whole operation was carried out inside the reactor building in the environment of high radiation level in air, it was necessary to whole body count all the personnel involved in the operation. These personnel were whole body monitored for internal contamination due to gamma emitting radionuclides. To measure the internal contamination of the personnel a shadow shield whole body counter having NaI (Tl) detector is used. To study the concentration of airborne radionuclides present during the EMCCR job air filter samples were collected and analysed using HPGe gamma Spectrometer. It was seen that nearly 95% of the total activity present in the air was due to activation products and the remaining 5% is due to fission products. About 2000 personnel (of which 97% contract personnel) involved in the EMCCR job were whole body monitored. Around 57% showed no internal contamination. In the remaining 43% of personnel activation products such as 65 Zn, 95 Zr/ 95 Nb, and 60 Co were observed. It is interesting to note that the radionuclides observed in the internal contamination were also observed in air filter samples collected from the work spot. The observation that all the personnel involved in the EMCCR job received dose less than the Derived Recording Level (DRL) of 0.6 mSv can be attributed to a clean and neat job carried out by the management and personnel involved. (author)

  15. Use of dual-head gamma camera in radionuclide internal contamination monitoring on radiation workers from a nuclear medicine department

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodriguez-Laguna, A.; Brandan, M.E.

    2008-01-01

    As a part of an internal dosimetry program that is performed at the Mexican National Institute of Cancerology - Nuclear Medicine Department, in the present work we suggest a procedure for the routinely monitoring of internal contamination on radiation workers and nuclear medicine staff. The procedure is based on the identification and quantification of contaminating radionuclides in human body by using a dual-head whole-body gamma camera. The results have shown that the procedures described in this study can be used to implement a method to quantify minimal accumulated activity in the main human organs to evaluate internal contamination with radionuclides. The high sensitivity of the uncollimated gamma camera is advantageous for the routinely detection and identification of small activities of internal contamination. But, the null spatial resolution makes impossible the definition of contaminated region of interest. Then, the use of collimators is necessary to the quantification of incorporated radionuclides activities in the main human organs and for the internal doses assessment. (author)

  16. A Study on the Method to Discriminate Between the Internal and External Radioactive Contamination Using Whole Body Counter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kong, T. Y.; Kim, H. G.; Yang, H. Y.; Kang, D. W.; Lim, S. N.; Kim, H. J.; Jin, H. H.; Lee, S. G.; Park, S. C.

    2006-01-01

    Whole Body Counter (WBC) is used to identify and measure the radioactivity in the body of human beings in a nuclear power plants (NPPs). In domestic NPPs, it is prescribed that all workers should take a whole body counting after radiation works if the possibilities of radioactive contamination exist or the radioactivity is detected by a portal monitoring. It is, however, found that the external skin contamination is occasionally estimated as the internal radioactive contamination. In this case, the worker assumed to be detected is recommended to take showers for the decontamination of skin and take a whole body counting again. Although the detected radioactivity is reduced remarkably after several decontaminations, confirmed as the external skin contamination, it is determined finally as an internal exposure if the radioactivity is still detected in the body of worker. The amount of detected radioactivity can be much higher than that of the expected for this mistaken contamination since the radioisotopes attached to skin come to be close to the detectors of WBC. Finally, this makes the misjudgment of the external skin contamination as well as the excessively conservative estimation of radioactive contamination. In this study, several experiments were carried out to discriminate between the internal and external radioactive contamination using the humanoid phantom and WBC. Preliminary experimental results indicated that the use of front and backside counts could be applied to the discrimination of the external skin contamination and the difference of detected radioactivities between front and backside counts was less than about factor 2 for the internal contamination

  17. Relationship between personality traits and perceived internalized stigma in bipolar patients and their treatment partners.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bassirnia, Anahita; Briggs, Jessica; Kopeykina, Irina; Mednick, Amy; Yaseen, Zimri; Galynker, Igor

    2015-12-15

    Internalized stigma of mental disorders has significant negative outcomes for patients with bipolar disorder and their families. The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between personality traits and internalized stigma of mental disorders in bipolar patients and their treatment partners. Five different questionnaires were utilized in this study: (1) Demographic data questionnaire, (2) Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III) for personality traits, (3) Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI) for stigma, (4) Self Report Manic Inventory (SRMI) for mania and (5) Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) for depression. The scores of personality traits were combined to create externalizing and internalizing personality trait scores. Results showed that patients with bipolar disorder and their treatment partners both experienced internalized stigma of mental health disorders. There was a significant positive correlation between internalized stigma and internalizing personality traits, but not externalizing traits. In a multi-variate regression analysis, internalizing personality trait score was found to be a significant predictor of internalized stigma. In conclusion, patients with bipolar disorder and their treatment partners perceive higher level of internalized stigma of mental disorders if they have internalizing personality traits. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Persistence and internalization of Salmonella on/in organic spinach sprout: exploring the contamination route

    Science.gov (United States)

    Purpose: The effects of contamination route, including seed and water, on the persistence and internalization of Salmonella in organic spinach cultivars- Lazio, Space, Emilia and Waitiki were studied. Methods: Seeds (1g) were contaminated with S. Newport using 10 ml of S. Newport-water suspension ov...

  19. Psychometric Properties of the International Personality Item Pool Big-Five Personality Questionnaire for the Greek population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ypofanti, Maria; Zisi, Vasiliki; Zourbanos, Nikolaos; Mouchtouri, Barbara; Tzanne, Pothiti; Theodorakis, Yannis; Lyrakos, Georgios

    2015-09-30

    Goldberg's International Personality Item Pool (IPIP) big-five personality factor markers currently lack validating evidence. The structure of the 50-item IPIP was examined in two different adult samples (total N=811), in each case justifying a 5-factor solution, with only minor discrepancies. Age differences were comparable to previous findings using other inventories. One sample (N=193) also completed additionally another personality measure (the TIPI Short Form). Conscientiousness, extraversion and emotional stability/neuroticism scales of the IPIP were highly correlated with those of the TIPI (r=0.62 to 0.65, P=0.01). Agreeableness and Intellect/Openness scales correlated less strongly (r=0.54 and 0.58 respectively, P=0.01). The IPIP scales have good internal consistency (a=0.88) and relate strongly to major dimensions of personality assessed by the two questionnaires.

  20. Present state of the monitoring for internal contamination at Tokai Research Establishment, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akaishi, J.; Fukuda, H.; Mizushita, S.

    1980-01-01

    Results are presented of internal contamination surveys carried out since 1969 at Tokai Research Establishment. Routine monitoring sometimes revealed significant internal contamination for tritium workers, but almost never for others. The number of subjects for special monitoring varied according to the activities. In 1965, the number of subjects for special monitoring was nearly 300, due to a reactor repair that year. In recent years, the number or special monitoring has been several tens or so. With regard to special monitoring, the workers with significant internal contamination were less than 50%. The internal dose (50 years) estimated for the majority of subjects was of mrem order. During the past 15 years, only several cases of exposure of rem order were found. The highest dose experienced was about 4 rems ( 131 I thyroid) (U.K.)

  1. A consideration on internal dose evaluation and intervention based on a surface contamination concept

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yasuda, H.

    1997-01-01

    Long-term radiation doses received by the inhabitants after the Chernobyl accident have been evaluated according to the surface contamination levels on the ground surface. The health effects have also been discussed by comparison between the surface-contaminated area and the uncontaminated control area. Selected protective measures were carried out in accordance with the contamination level of surface soil. These have been based on the 'surface contamination concept' which assumes that the radiation risk to inhabitants is proportional to the level of ground-surface contamination. The observations collected in regions around Chernobyl, however, show that the internal radiation doses to the inhabitants poorly correlate with the surface contamination level. This fact poses a question on the suitability of dose evaluations and interventions based on this concept

  2. Improvement of personalized Monte Carlo-aided direct internal contamination monitoring: optimization of calculation times and measurement methodology for the establishment of activity distribution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Farah, Jad

    2011-01-01

    To optimize the monitoring of female workers using in vivo spectrometry measurements, it is necessary to correct the typical calibration coefficients obtained with the Livermore male physical phantom. To do so, numerical calibrations based on the use of Monte Carlo simulations combined with anthropomorphic 3D phantoms were used. Such computational calibrations require on the one hand the development of representative female phantoms of different size and morphologies and on the other hand rapid and reliable Monte Carlo calculations. A library of female torso models was hence developed by fitting the weight of internal organs and breasts according to the body height and to relevant plastic surgery recommendations. This library was next used to realize a numerical calibration of the AREVA NC La Hague in vivo counting installation. Moreover, the morphology-induced counting efficiency variations with energy were put into equation and recommendations were given to correct the typical calibration coefficients for any monitored female worker as a function of body height and breast size. Meanwhile, variance reduction techniques and geometry simplification operations were considered to accelerate simulations. Furthermore, to determine the activity mapping in the case of complex contaminations, a method that combines Monte Carlo simulations with in vivo measurements was developed. This method consists of realizing several spectrometry measurements with different detector positioning. Next, the contribution of each contaminated organ to the count is assessed from Monte Carlo calculations. The in vivo measurements realized at LEDI, CIEMAT and KIT have demonstrated the effectiveness of the method and highlighted the valuable contribution of Monte Carlo simulations for a more detailed analysis of spectrometry measurements. Thus, a more precise estimate of the activity distribution is given in the case of an internal contamination. (author)

  3. Forced-air warming design: evaluation of intake filtration, internal microbial buildup, and airborne-contamination emissions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reed, Mike; Kimberger, Oliver; McGovern, Paul D; Albrecht, Mark C

    2013-08-01

    Forced-air warming devices are effective for the prevention of surgical hypothermia. However, these devices intake nonsterile floor-level air, and it is unknown whether they have adequate filtration measures to prevent the internal buildup or emission of microbial contaminants. We rated the intake filtration efficiency of a popular current-generation forced-air warming device (Bair Hugger model 750, Arizant Healthcare) using a monodisperse sodium chloride aerosol in the laboratory. We further sampled 23 forced-air warming devices (same model) in daily hospital use for internal microbial buildup and airborne-contamination emissions via swabbing and particle counting. Laboratory testing found the intake filter to be 63.8% efficient. Swabbing detected microorganisms within 100% of the forced-air warming blowers sampled, with isolates of coagulase-negative staphylococci, mold, and micrococci identified. Particle counting showed 96% of forced-air warming blowers to be emitting significant levels of internally generated airborne contaminants out of the hose end. These findings highlight the need for upgraded intake filtration, preferably high-efficiency particulate air filtration (99.97% efficient), on current-generation forced-air warming devices to reduce contamination buildup and emission risks.

  4. FOREIGN AFFAIRS: Internally Displaced Persons Lack Effective Protection

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    2001-01-01

    Internally displaced persons--those forced to flee their homes because of armed conflict and persecution but who remain within their own country are among the most at-risk, vulnerable populations in the world...

  5. Studies on the Th biodistribution in internal contamination by the fission track method using animals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ciubotariu, M.; Danis, A.; Dumitrescu, G.; Cucu, M.

    1998-01-01

    In our previous studies on the U internal contamination, qualitative and quantitative results were obtained by using the fission track methods. In order to obtain complete data on the fissionable element internal contamination using animals, we started a similar study using Th as contaminating element and Wistar London breed rats as laboratory animals. Different ways to obtain internal contaminations were investigated: ingestion, inhalation, absorption by skin and through wounds. In this stage, Wistar-London breed rats of the same sex, weight and age were internal contaminated by 1 ml Th solution ingestion for each rat corresponding to an Annual Limit Intake.The animals were kept in normal life conditions and under permanent medical surveillance up to their sacrifice. Also, their evacuations where sampled every 24 hours. They were sacrificed at different time intervals after their contamination: 2 days (RAT 1), 7 days (RAT 2) and 14 days (RAT 3). After sacrifice, their vital organs were sampled, weighed, calcined, reweighed and finally analysed by track detection using the fission track micromapping technique. This technique was used in the following conditions: - mica-muscovite as track detector pre-etched for fossil tracks 18 h in HF; - the neutron irradiations were performed in the nuclear reactor VVR-S Bucharest at the neutron fluences of 3x10 15 - 2x10 16 fast neutrons/cm 2 . In order to check whether there is any U contribution to the fission track densities obtained in track detectors, U existing in the rat body due to food and water, the neutron irradiations of the ensembles were performed with and without 1 mm Cd shielding; - the visualization of the Th induced fission tracks were obtained by chemical etching in HF, 3 h at room temperature; - the Th track micromappings obtained in track detectors were studied by optical microscopy using a stereomicroscope WILD M7S for ensemble study (X6-X31) and a binocular ZEISS JENA microscope for qualitative and

  6. Rapid monitoring of large groups of internally contaminated people following a radiation accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-05-01

    In the management of an emergency, it is necessary to assess the radiation exposures of people in the affected areas. An essential component in the programme is the monitoring of internal contamination. Existing fixed installations for the assessment of incorporated radionuclides may be of limited value in these circumstances because they may be inconveniently sited, oversensitive for the purpose, or inadequately equipped and staffed to cope with the large numbers referred to them. The IAEA considered it important to produce guidance on rapid monitoring of large groups of internally contaminated people. The purpose of this document is to provide Member States with an overview on techniques that can be applied during abnormal or accidental situations. Refs and figs

  7. Application of secondary ions mass spectrometry (SIMS) in studies of internal contamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amaral, Ademir; Galle, Pierre; Colas-Linhart, Nicole

    2000-01-01

    Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) permits the detection of stable and radioactive nuclides. Based on the ablation of specimens by ion bombardment this mass spectrometry method allows a rapid assessment of trace elements in biological samples. Its resolving mass power provides an efficient analytical method and, in particular, it makes possible accurate isotopic ratio determination. In this work, the application of SIMS has been investigated in studies of internal contamination. In vivo studies were carried out using duodenal tissue sections from rats contaminated with cerium. Tests were performed to localize this element as a result of the contamination. In this report, analytical procedures and the potential of SIMS in biological research are presented and discussed. (author)

  8. An Internal Dose Assessment Associated with Personal Food Intake

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Joeun; Jae, Moosung [Hanyang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Hwang, Wontae [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-10-15

    ICRP (International Commission on Radiological Protection), Therefore, had recommended the concept of 'Critical Group'. Recently the ICRP has recommended the use of 'Representative Person' on the new basic recommendation 103. On the other hand the U.S. NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) has adopted more conservative concept, 'Maximum Exposed Individuals (MEI)' of critical Group. The dose assessment in Korea is based on MEI. Although dose assessment based on MEI is easy to receive the permission of the regulatory authority, it is not efficient. Meanwhile, the internal dose by food consumption takes an important part. Therefore, in this study, the internal dose assessment was performed in accordance with ICRP's new recommendations. The internal dose assessment was performed in accordance with ICRP's new recommendations. It showed 13.2% decreased of the annual internal dose due to gaseous effluents by replacing MEI to the concept of representative person. Also, this calculation based on new ICRP's recommendation has to be extended to all areas of individual dose assessment. Then, more accurate and efficient values might be obtained for dose assessment.

  9. Logistics: DoD International Personal Property Shipment Rates

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    2002-01-01

    ... all or most of the cargo space available on U.S.-flag vessels and subsequently resold the space at an inflated price to selected freight forwarders that participated in the DoD International Personal Property Program...

  10. False indications of {sup 95}Zr-{sup 95}Nb internal contamination due to contaminated sacred thread

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Garg, S P; Singh, I S; Sharma, R C [Internal Dosimetry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, BARC Hospital, Mumbai (India)

    2000-05-01

    Whole body monitoring of a worker showed an apparent internal contamination with a considerable amount of {sup 95}Zr-{sup 95}Nb. Inhalation exposure was suspected to have taken place about a week earlier when he had last worked in the radioactive area. Unexpected fast clearance indicated by the third periodical weekly follow up monitoring was considered to be an abnormal behaviour. Investigations revealed an external contamination on a sacred thread, which the worker was putting on across his thorax and not removing it at the time of bath due to religious considerations. These studies have underscored that short term follow up measurements data should be critically scrutinized and a caution should be exercised in the interpretation such data particularly in case of such relatively short lived radionuclides. (author)

  11. DoReMi workshop on multidisciplinary approaches to evaluating cancer risks associated with low-dose internal contamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laurier, D.; Guseva Canu, I.; Bertho, J.M.; Blanchardon, E.; Rage, E.; Baatout, S.; Bouffler, S.; Cardis, E.; Gomolka, M.; Kreuzer, M.; Hall, J.; Kesminiene, A.

    2012-01-01

    A workshop dedicated to cancer risks associated with low-dose internal contamination was organised in March 2011, in Paris, in the framework of the DoReMi (Low Dose Research towards Multidisciplinary Integration) European Network of Excellence. The aim was to identify the best epidemiological studies that provide an opportunity to develop a multidisciplinary approach to improve the evaluation of the cancer risk associated with internal contamination. This workshop provided an opportunity for in-depth discussions between researchers working in different fields including (but not limited to) epidemiology, dosimetry, biology and toxicology. Discussions confirmed the importance of research on the health effects of internal contamination. Several existing epidemiological studies provide a real possibility to improve the quantification of cancer risk associated with internal emitters. Areas for future multidisciplinary collaborations were identified, that should allow feasibility studies to be carried out in the near future. The goal of this paper is to present an overview of the presentations and discussions that took place during this workshop. (authors)

  12. Personality traits and appearance-ideal internalization: Differential associations with body dissatisfaction and compulsive exercise.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Shelby J; Racine, Sarah E

    2017-12-01

    Thin-ideal internalization is a robust risk factor for body dissatisfaction and eating pathology. Conversely, athletic-ideal internalization is often unrelated to body dissatisfaction, but predicts compulsive exercise (i.e., rigid, rule-driven exercise that is continued despite adverse consequences). Distinct personality traits could relate to internalization of different appearance ideals, which may be associated with divergent eating disorder outcomes. Past research has shown that neuroticism is related to body dissatisfaction, whereas extraversion and conscientiousness have been associated with regular and problematic exercise. The current study examined associations among personality traits (i.e., neuroticism, extraversion, conscientiousness), appearance-ideal internalization (i.e., thin- and athletic-ideal), and eating disorder cognitions/behaviors (i.e., body dissatisfaction, compulsive exercise) among 531 college men and women. Moreover, we tested whether appearance-ideal internalization mediated the relationships between personality traits with body dissatisfaction and compulsive exercise. As expected, body dissatisfaction was positively related to neuroticism, and compulsive exercise was positively associated with extraversion. Thin-ideal internalization positively correlated with neuroticism, athletic-ideal internalization positively correlated with conscientiousness, and both thin- and athletic-ideal internalization were positively related to extraversion. After controlling for gender, body mass index, the other appearance-ideal internalization, and the remaining personality traits, the indirect effects of both neuroticism and extraversion on body dissatisfaction through thin-ideal internalization were significant. Extraversion and conscientiousness were indirectly related to compulsive exercise through athletic-ideal internalization, whereas the indirect effect of neuroticism was dependent on covariates. As such, personality traits may be related to

  13. Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs): a review on environmental contamination in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jin-Lin; Wong, Ming-Hung

    2013-09-01

    Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) which contain diverse organic groups, such as antibiotics, hormones, antimicrobial agents, synthetic musks, etc., have raised significant concerns in recently years for their persistent input and potential threat to ecological environment and human health. China is a large country with high production and consumption of PPCPs for its economic development and population growth in recent years. This may result in PPCP contamination in different environmental media of China. This review summarizes the current contamination status of different environment media, including sewage, surface water, sludge, sediments, soil, and wild animals, in China by PPCPs. The human body burden and adverse effects derived from PPCPs are also evaluated. Based on this review, it has been concluded that more contamination information of aquatic environment and wildlife as well as human body burden of PPCPs in different areas of China is urgent. Studies about their environmental behavior and control technologies need to be conducted, and acute and chronic toxicities of different PPCP groups should be investigated for assessing their potential ecological and health risks. © 2013.

  14. Statistical evaluation of internal contamination data in the man following the Chernobyl accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tarroni, G.; Battisti, P.; Melandri, C.; Castellani, C.M.; Formignani, M.

    1989-01-01

    The main implications of the general interest derived from the statistical analysis of the internal human contamination data obtained by ENEA-PAS with Whole Body Counter mesurements performed in Bologna in consequence of the Chernobyl accident are presented. In particular the trend with time of the individual body activity of members of a homogeneous group, the variability of individual contamination in ralation to the mean contamination, the statistical distribution of the data, the significance of mean values concerning small, homogeneous groups of subjects, the difference between subjects of different sex and its trend with time, are examined. Finally, the substantial independence of the individual committed dose equivalent evaluation due to the Chernobyl contamination on the Whole from the hypothesized values of the metabolic parameters is pointed out when the evaluation is performed on the basis of direct measurements with a Whole Body Counter

  15. Personality disorders and criminal law: an international perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sparr, Landy F

    2009-01-01

    At the International War Crimes Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), a detention camp guard, charged with acts of murder and torture, advanced a plea of diminished responsibility. Defense psychiatrists testified that he had a personality disorder that influenced his ability to control his behavior, but a prosecution expert testified that the guard did not meet Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) criteria. Thus, the unresolved question of how the law defines a mental disease or defect for purposes of mitigation or excuse was transposed to an international setting. It has been argued in a variety of jurisdictions and national legal systems that exculpatory mental disorders must be serious, and personality disorders should not qualify. In fact, it has been proposed that the volitional aspect of excuse defenses be eliminated, and definitions of mental disease or defect narrowed. Others have argued that such exclusions are too restrictive and arbitrary. This article examines the criminal defense at ICTY and traces its origin in national jurisdictions. Mental incapacity defenses based on personality disorders are more often used in The Netherlands, England, Germany and Belgium, but seldom in Canada and rarely in the United States and Sweden.

  16. Personal radiotoxicological (first aid) kit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gachalyi, Andras; Gyulai, Gabor

    2014-01-01

    In recent years, with the spread of nuclear industrial activities, and the widespread use of radioactive materials and products the possibility of radionuclide contamination of humans and animals has significantly increased. During nuclear tests or reactor accidents, a large amount of radioactive materials may enter the environment which can contaminate the living environment (air, water, vegetation, soil), for a long period. This contamination may enter living organisms by inhalation, intake and ingestion, causing severe biological damage. As an example the Chernobyl reactor accident can be mentioned, where there was no possibility for the decorporation of isotopes, as there were no products available such as the 'RADISTOP'. To achieve appropriate decorporating (and decontaminating) treatment which is effective, it is highly recommendable to use a personal Radiotoxicological First Aid Kit (PRK) within the shortest possible time after internal contamination. This unit provides effective treatment to decorporate the most common incorporated fission products. (author)

  17. Internal Contamination Program in hospital and biomedical research institutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tellez de Cepeda, M.; Macias, M.T.; Plaza, R.; Martinez Hidalgo, C.

    1992-01-01

    Program and the criteria for establishing such program to control the internal contamination from a point of view, not yet systematized and standardized in Hospital and Biomedical Research centers. The main purpose of this work is to review our own situation, to establish and systematize an operative program with variable means (instruments) and the use of external means if need. This program will be established taking into account the new recommendations of I.C.R.P. and the new criteria A.L.I. (author)

  18. Reduction of high levels of internal radio-contamination by dietary intervention in residents of areas affected by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant disaster: a case series.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masaharu Tsubokura

    Full Text Available Maintaining low levels of chronic internal contamination among residents in radiation-contaminated areas after a nuclear disaster is a great public health concern. However, the efficacy of reduction measures for individual internal contamination remains unknown. To reduce high levels of internal radiation exposure in a group of individuals exposed through environmental sources, we performed careful dietary intervention with identification of suspected contaminated foods, as part of mass voluntary radiation contamination screenings and counseling program in Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital and Hirata Central Hospital. From a total of 30,622 study participants, only 9 residents displayed internal cesium-137 (Cs-137 levels of more than 50 Bq/kg. The median level of internal Cs-137 contamination in these residents at the initial screening was 4,830 Bq/body (range: 2,130-15,918 Bq/body and 69.6 Bq/kg (range: 50.7-216.3 Bq/kg. All these residents with high levels of internal contamination consumed homegrown produce without radiation inspection, and often collected mushrooms in the wild or cultivated them on bed-logs in their homes. They were advised to consume distributed food mainly and to refrain from consuming potentially contaminated foods without radiation inspection and local produces under shipment restrictions such as mushrooms, mountain vegetables, and meat of wild life. A few months after the intervention, re-examination of Cs levels revealed remarkable reduction of internal contamination in all residents. Although the levels of internal radiation exposure appear to be minimal amongst most residents in Fukushima, a subset of the population, who unknowingly consumed highly contaminated foodstuffs, experienced high levels of internal contamination. There seem to be similarities in dietary preferences amongst residents with high internal contamination levels, and intervention based on pre- and post-test counseling and dietary advice from

  19. Guide for the putting int practice the control of internal contamination due to I-131 in hospitals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1988-01-01

    The generalized use of radioactive installations in different branches of the Economy and Medicine makes essential the existence of a radiological surveillance systems that guarantees that exposure are kept within the limits established. Nuclear medicine workers in hospitals that handle I-131 constitutes a professional group that can be internally contaminated the aim of this guide is to give the entity the general instructions and the necessary methodology to fulfill the control of the internal contamination by this radionuclide

  20. Performance of personalized ventilation combined with chilled ceiling in an office room: inhaled air quality and contaminant distribution

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lipczynska, Aleksandra; Kaczmarczyk, Jan; Melikov, Arsen Krikor

    2014-01-01

    people (exhaled air, bioeffluents) and building materials (wall painting). Personalized ventilation combined with chilled ceiling ensured highest air quality at the workstation under all conditions. Pollutant concentration in the occupied zone away from the workstations did not differ substantially...... between the tested systems. Chilled ceiling combined with personalized ventilation working as the only air supplying system may be optimal solution in many buildings.......In a simulated two persons’ office room inhaled air quality and contaminant distribution provided with personalized ventilation combined with chilled ceiling, mixing ventilation only, chilled ceiling with mixing ventilation and chilled ceiling with mixing and personalized ventilation was studied...

  1. Radiological risks in an operational environment; Risque radiologique en operation exterieure: prise en charge initiale d'un blesse irradie ou contamine

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Castagnet, X.; Lafferrerie, C. [Service Medical BCRM de Toulon, Escadrille des sous-marins nucleaires d' attaque, 83 - Toulon (France); Amabile, J.C.; Cazoulat, A.; Laroche, P. [Service de Protection radiologique des armees, 94 - Clamart (France)

    2010-10-15

    A radiological hazard (e. g. a detonating dirty bomb or accidental radionuclide dispersion) leading to a large number of contaminated or irradiated people needing immediate medical assistance is one of the main threats our troops deployed in an operational environment are facing. Immediate first aid anyway shall take precedence over decontamination but the unique nature of these injuries necessitates specific medical knowledge and training. A contaminated victim needs a rapid -clinical physical and biological- medical evaluation which will determine the amount of required medical support. A person with external contamination needs to be rapidly cleansed to limit spreading surface burns as well as limiting the possible contamination internally spreading into the body. A person with internal contamination requires rapid decontamination at the wound point and antidotes to internally cleanse the body. In France, the Military Health Service has developed a centre of expertise at the Percy military hospital near Paris which is geared up to deal with the victims of radiological attacks. It also has a mobile laboratory equipped with full radio toxicology equipment and body dosimeters to enable rapid and effective results when required. (authors)

  2. Foreign experience in determining the status of refugees and internally displaced persons

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. A. Popok

    2017-06-01

    The authors conclude that European countries actively integrate the provisions of the international law governing the legal status of refugees and internally displaced persons into their domestic law.

  3. Uranium: properties and biological effects after internal contamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Souidi, M.; Tissandie, E.; Racine, R.; Ben Soussan, H.; Rouas, C.; Grignard, E.; Dublineau, I.; Gourmelon, P.; Lestaevel, P.; Gueguen, Y.

    2009-01-01

    Uranium is a radionuclide present in the environment since the origin of the Earth. In addition to natural uranium, recent deposits from industrial or military activities are acknowledged. Uranium's toxicity is due to a combination of its chemical (heavy metal) and radiological properties (emission of ionizing radiations). Acute toxicity induces an important weight loss and signs of renal and cerebral impairment. Alterations of bone growth, modifications of the reproductive system and carcinogenic effects are also often seen. On the contrary, the biological effects of a chronic exposure to low doses are unwell known. However, results from different recent studies suggest that a chronic contamination with low levels of uranium induces subtle but significant levels. Indeed, an internal contamination of rats for several weeks leads to detection of uranium in many cerebral structures, in association with an alteration of short-term memory and an increase of anxiety level. Biological effects of uranium on the metabolisms of xenobiotics, steroid hormones and vitamin D were described in the liver, testis and kidneys. These recent scientific data suggest that uranium could participate to increase of health risks linked to environmental pollution. (authors)

  4. Guidelines on the medical therapy of persons accidentally overexposed to ionizing radiations. Internal contamination; Guia para el tratamiento de personas accidentalmente sobreexpuestas a las radiaciones ionizantes. Contaminacion interna

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Di Trano, J L; Perez, M R; Gisone, P

    1999-07-01

    This work represent a guide for the treatment of accidental intakes of radionuclides. The different phases of radioactive contamination, the transfer and non-transfer of radioisotopes, the general principles in the treatment of internal contamination and the follow-up are determined. The in vivo monitoring and the evaluation of activity level are specified in this document. The applied treatment depends on the via of intake, that is: inhalation, ingestion, and through skin. The decontamination procedures that reduce the radionuclide transfer are specified. The different drugs, used to enhance radionuclides elimination, are enumerated in this work. Considerations about the iodine prophylaxis in radiologic als accidents are considered. (author)

  5. Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons in Montenegro – A Durable Solution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dragana Radević

    2005-12-01

    Full Text Available For over a decade the issues of refugees and internally displaced persons in Montenegro have been very imminent. This paper reviews the current situation in Montenegro, in regard to the number and socio-economic status of refugees and internally displaced persons, with special emphasis on the Roma, internal displacees from Kosovo, who due to their low education level and the language barrier are seen as the most vulnerable population. In addition to concrete data on the living standards of the mentioned groups, special attention is given to the interrelationship between displacees on the one hand, and the domicile population and the local government, on the other. The paper presents the results of qualitative surveys carried out on representative sample of displacees and representatives of local communities, as well as among competent representatives of local governments. These results confirm that in everyday life people disregard politics and history and focus on issues of survival. Furthermore, the paper presents the solutions proposed by the Strategy for durable solutions of the issues of refugees and internally displaced persons in Montenegro, the implementation of which, within the next 1000 days, in the context of overall regional events and activities, predicts the closing of “refugee files” in Montenegro.

  6. Autonomy-connectedness and internalizing-externalizing personality psychopathology, among outpatients

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bachrach, N.; Bekker, M.H.J.; Croon, M.A.

    2013-01-01

    Objectives The aims of this research were to investigate gender differences in levels of autonomy-connectedness, Axis I Psychopathology, and higher order factors of internalizing and externalizing personality psychopathology and, second, to investigate the association between these variables. Design

  7. Present state of the monitoring for internal contamination at Tokai Research Establishment, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akaishi, J.; Fukuda, H.; Mizushita, S.

    1980-01-01

    At Tokai Research Establishment, JAERI, over one thousand people work in hot areas such as reactors, accelerators, chemical laboratories and waste treatment plants. The monitoring for internal contamination of this personnel is presented. Routine and special monitoring are carried out. The object of the former is to check for the presence of significant contamination, and that of the latter is to estimate body burden and committed dose equivalent, if necessary. Heavy shield and shadow shield whole body counters, a low energy lung counter and a wound monitor are used to detect the internal contamination due to γ or chi ray emitters, and bioassay technique is used for α or β emitters and uranium. The results of the monitoring until now are presented. (H.K.)

  8. Endogenous microbial contamination of melons (Cucumis melo) from international trade: an underestimated risk for the consumer?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esteban-Cuesta, Irene; Drees, Nathalie; Ulrich, Sebastian; Stauch, Peter; Sperner, Brigitte; Schwaiger, Karin; Gareis, Manfred; Gottschalk, Christoph

    2018-03-31

    Fruits and vegetables have increasingly been related to foodborne outbreaks. Besides surface contamination, a possible internalization of microorganisms into edible parts of plants during growth has already been observed. To examine an actual risk for the consumer, microbial contamination of the rind and pulp of 147 muskmelons from international trade was assessed using cultural and biochemical methods, polymerase chain reaction and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. One hundred percent of the rind samples [3.69-8.92 log colony forming units (CFU) g -1 ] and 89.8% of the pulp samples (maximum load 3.66 log CFU g -1 ) were microbiologically contaminated. Among the 432 pulp isolates, opportunistic and potentially pathogenic bacteria were identified, mainly Staphylococcus spp. (48.9%), Clostridium spp. (42.9%) and Enterobacteriaceae (27.9%). Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli and isolates of the Bacillus cereus group were found on the rind (1.4%, 0.7% and 42.9%, respectively) and in the pulp (0.7%, 1.4% and 4.7%). Clostridium perfringens was isolated from the rind of seven melons. The present study revealed a regularly occurring internal contamination of melons. Possible health risks for consumers because of an occurrence of microorganisms in melon pulp should be considered in future food safety assessments. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

  9. 4. International Symposium and Exhibition on Environmental Contamination in Central and Eastern Europe. Symposium Program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1998-01-01

    The Fourth International Symposium and Exhibition on Environmental Contamination in Central and Eastern Europe was part of an on-going series of symposia which focus on the environmental problems of Central and Eastern Europe. The presentations concerned radiological contamination, hazardous waste management, environmental monitoring, modeling and computer applications for environmental studies, site remediation. Many works presented human health effects of environmental pollution by heavy metals, radionuclides and other xenobiotics

  10. Body-surface contamination monitoring preparatory to monitoring for internal contamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schlueter, W.; Klucke, H.

    1980-01-01

    Measurements in the whole-body counter of the SAAS are routinely preceded by a thorough inspection of the patients for body-surface contamination to protect the sensitive counting equipment against becoming contaminated and to avoid a falsified indication of incorporated radionuclides. The measuring system employed for these examinations is described. (author)

  11. International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability: Disability Inclusive Development and International Development Cooperation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kozue Kay Nagata

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available The adoption of the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is a historical momentum for disabled persons and their associates, as well as ODA workers in the development cooperation field all over the world. For the last two decades, persons with disabilities, their associates and professionals working in this field have promoted their human rights, equality, nondiscrimination and full participation. This Convention is beyond the concept of non-discrimination, and it is very comprehensive in its structure, scope and coverage, promoting developmental activities too in order to realize disabled people’s socio-economic rights. Furthermore it calls for international and regional development cooperation. Prior to its adoption, in September 2000 at the Millennium Summit the Member States of the Untied Nations issued the Millennium Declaration, committing themselves to a series of development targets, most of which are to be achieved by 2015. Known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs, they represent a framework for achieving sustainable and "just" human development through broadening the benefits of development for all categories individuals, women and men, the poor and the rich, the disabled and the non-disabled. The very first goal of the MDG is the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger. Poverty is both a cause and consequence of disability. Poverty and disability reinforce one another. Thus, it is necessary to ensure that persons with disabilities be an integral part of efforts to achieve MDGs, particularly in the areas of poverty alleviation, primary education, gender, employment and international development cooperation. In the Asian and Pacific region, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP has proclaimed two decades of disabled persons 1993-2002, and 2003-2013 (to which Iran became a signatory in 1994, and promoted the inclusive, barrier-free and rights

  12. Internal dose assessment of 238U contaminated soils based on in-vitro gastrointestinal protocol

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perama, Yasmin Mohd Idris; Rashid, Nur Shahidah Abdul; Majid, Amran Ab.; Siong, Khoo Kok

    2017-01-01

    Human exposure to natural radioactive uranium has been a great interest as more industrial rapidly growing contributes to radiation risks. The aim of this case study was to determine the internal dose in humans incorporated with ingestion of 238U contaminated soils. A gastrointestinal analogue test was employed to simulate the human digestive tract. In-vitro approach via German DIN 19738 model was developed in order to estimate the internal exposure of 238U due to ingestion of different types of soils. Synthetic gastrointestinal fluids assay via in-vitro method were produced to determine the concentration of 238U in various soils using ICP-MS. Based on the results, concentration of 238U in BRIS, laterite, peat and alluvium soils were in ranged between (0.0061 ± 0.0057 - 0.0488 ± 0.0148) ppm and (0.0005 ± 0.0004 - 0.0046 ± 0.0007) ppm in gastric and gastrointestinal phase respectively. Types of soil compositions and pH medium were some of the factors that influence mobilization and solubility of 238U contaminanted soil into the digestive juices that resembles human gastrointestinal tract. For the purpose of internal dose assessment, the committed efective dose from 238U intake in soils ranged between 1.237 × 10-11 - 9.8993 × 10-11 Sv y-1 for gastric phase and 1.0184 × 10-12 - 9.3294 × 10-12 Sv y-1 for gastric-intestinal phase. The internal dose measurements from this study were much lower from the recommended values. Hence, ingestion of 238U contaminated soils would not be expected to pose major health risk to humans.

  13. Personal-organisational value conflicts and job satisfaction of internal construction stakeholders

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Babak Panahi

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper concerns the issue of value conflicts in construction organizations. This research was conducted in the Malaysian construction industry to fill the gap in the knowledge in areas of organizational behaviour in the construction industry in terms of the possible effects of conflicts on the job satisfaction of internal construction stakeholders. The conflicts considered are those rooted in differences between personal and organizational values. This research targeted professional project consultants identified as architects, engineers, and quantity surveyors as the internal construction stakeholders in Malaysia. The personal-organizational values and the level of job satisfaction of the stakeholders were assessed using a questionnaire survey. To achieve the research objective, comparative and hierarchical regression analyses were performed. The results generated by the analyses indicated a high level of value conflicts in the construction organizations which significantly and negatively affected job satisfaction of the internal stakeholders. Therefore this research, through investigating the potential effect of value conflicts on the stakeholders’ job satisfaction, reveals the importance of the interaction between personal and organizational values in construction organizations which contributes to the extant literature of organizational behaviour in construction.

  14. Personal and household hygiene, environmental contamination, and health in undergraduate residence halls in New York City, 2011.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miko, Benjamin A; Cohen, Bevin; Haxall, Katharine; Conway, Laurie; Kelly, Nicole; Stare, Dianne; Tropiano, Christina; Gilman, Allan; Seward, Samuel L; Larson, Elaine

    2013-01-01

    While several studies have documented the importance of hand washing in the university setting, the added role of environmental hygiene remains poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to characterize the personal and environmental hygiene habits of college students, define the determinants of hygiene in this population, and assess the relationship between reported hygiene behaviors, environmental contamination, and health status. 501 undergraduate students completed a previously validated survey assessing baseline demographics, hygiene habits, determinants of hygiene, and health status. Sixty survey respondents had microbiological samples taken from eight standardized surfaces in their dormitory environment. Bacterial contamination was assessed using standard quantitative bacterial culture techniques. Additional culturing for coagulase-positive Staphylococcus and coliforms was performed using selective agar. While the vast majority of study participants (n = 461, 92%) believed that hand washing was important for infection prevention, there was a large amount of variation in reported personal hygiene practices. More women than men reported consistent hand washing before preparing food (p = .002) and after using the toilet (p = .001). Environmental hygiene showed similar variability although 73.3% (n = 367) of subjects reported dormitory cleaning at least once per month. Contamination of certain surfaces was common, with at least one third of all bookshelves, desks, refrigerator handles, toilet handles, and bathroom door handles positive for >10 CFU of bacteria per 4 cm(2) area. Coagulase-positive Staphylococcus was detected in three participants' rooms (5%) and coliforms were present in six students' rooms (10%). Surface contamination with any bacteria did not vary by frequency of cleaning or frequency of illness (p>.05). Our results suggest that surface contamination, while prevalent, is unrelated to reported hygiene or health in the university setting

  15. Ceiling personalized ventilation combined with desk fans for reduced direct and indirect cross-contamination and efficient use of office space

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Habchi, Carine; Ghali, Kamel; Ghaddar, Nesreen; Chakroun, Walid; Alotaibi, Sorour

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Cross-infection occurs by direct inhalation and contact of contaminated surfaces. • Mixing ventilation performance is degraded at reduced distance between occupants. • Ceiling personalized ventilation reduces significantly cross-contamination. • The optimized system induces large energy savings compared to mixing ventilation. • The optimized system improves the occupation density from 12 to 8 m 2 per occupant. - Abstract: Crowded offices with short distances separating workers’ stations increase the probability of respiratory cross-infection via two different paths. One path is the contaminant transmission through air by direct inhalation and the other is through the body contact of contaminated surfaces and walls. Mixed ventilation principles used today reduces the probability of cross contamination by increasing the distance between the stations challenging the efficient use of the space or by supplying more fresh air in the space which is energy inefficient. In this work, new cooling and ventilation configuration is studied by modeling using computational fluid dynamics with consideration of space occupancy density while providing good indoor air quality. The configuration considers a ceiling personalized ventilation system equipped with desk fans. The ability of the computational fluid dynamics model in computing the thermal, velocity and concentration fields was validated by experiments and published data. The main objective of the performed experiments was to ensure that the developed computational fluid dynamics model can capture the effect of the desk fan flow rate on particle behavior. The studied system is found to provide acceptable indoor air quality at shorter distance between the occupants compared to the mixing system at considerable energy savings. By optimizing the design of the proposed personalized ventilation system, the occupancy density in an office is enhanced to 8 m 2 per occupant compared to 12 m 2 per occupant for

  16. Evaluation of the Relationship between Current Internal 137Cs Exposure in Residents and Soil Contamination West of Chernobyl in Northern Ukraine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kimura, Yuko; Okubo, Yuka; Hayashida, Naomi; Takahashi, Jumpei; Gutevich, Alexander; Chorniy, Sergiy; Kudo, Takashi; Takamura, Noboru

    2015-01-01

    After the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident, the residents living around the Chernobyl were revealed to have been internally exposed to 137Cs through the intake of contaminated local foods. To evaluate the current situation of internal 137Cs exposure and the relationship between the 137Cs soil contamination and internal exposure in residents, we investigated the 137Cs body burden in residents who were living in 10 selected cities from the northern part of the Zhitomir region, Ukraine, and collected soil samples from three family farms and wild forests of each city to measured 137Cs concentrations. The total number of study participants was 36,862, of which 68.9% of them were female. After 2010, the annual effective doses were less than 0.1 mSv in over 90% of the residents. The 137Cs body burden was significantly higher in autumn than other seasons (p Chernobyl accident, the internal exposure doses to residents living in contaminated areas of northern Ukraine is limited but still related to 137Cs soil contamination. Furthermore, the consumption of local foods is considered to be the cause of internal exposure.

  17. Sensitivity Analysis of Personal Exposure Assessment Using a Computer Simulated Person

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brohus, Henrik; Jensen, H. K.

    2009-01-01

    The paper considers uncertainties related to personal exposure assessment using a computer simulated person. CFD is used to simulate a uniform flow field around a human being to determine the personal exposure to a contaminant source. For various vertical locations of a point contaminant source...... three additional factors are varied, namely the velocity, details of the computer simulated person, and the CFD model of the wind channel. The personal exposure is found to be highly dependent on the relative source location. Variation in the range of two orders of magnitude is found. The exposure...

  18. The internally displaced persons in Ukraine: Lviv’s example

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. M. Bubniak

    2016-11-01

    As a result, the conclusions indicate that the internally displaced persons are gradually adopting in Lviv, as they got new social relations, gained new knowledge and skills, understood local social norms, realized that they are masters of their life and they are the only ones, who determine their future.

  19. REIDAC. A software package for retrospective dose assessment in internal contamination with radionuclides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kurihara, Osamu; Kanai, Katsuta; Takada, Chie; Takasaki, Koji; Ito, Kimio; Momose, Takumaro; Hato, Shinji; Ikeda, Hiroshi; Oeda, Mikihiro; Kurosawa, Naohiro; Fukutsu, Kumiko; Yamada, Yuji; Akashi, Makoto

    2007-01-01

    For cases of internal contamination with radionuclides, it is necessary to perform an internal dose assessment to facilitate radiation protection. For this purpose, the ICRP has supplied the dose coefficients and the retention and excretion rates for various radionuclides. However, these dosimetric quantities are calculated under typical conditions and are not necessarily detailed enough for dose assessment situations in which specific information on the incident or/and individual biokinetic characteristics could or should be taken into account retrospectively. This paper describes a newly developed PC-based software package called Retrospective Internal Dose Assessment Code (REIDAC) that meets the needs of retrospective dose assessment. REIDAC is made up of a series of calculation programs and a package of software. The former calculates the dosimetric quantities for any radionuclide being assessed and the latter provides a user with the graphical user interface (GUI) for executing the programs, editing parameter values and displaying results. The accuracy of REIDAC was verified by comparisons with dosimetric quantities given in the ICRP publications. This paper presents the basic structure of REIDAC and its calculation methods. Sensitivity analysis of the aerosol size for 239 Pu compounds and provisional calculations for wound contamination with 241 Am were performed as examples of the practical application of REIDAC. (author)

  20. Does a Student's Personality Influence Global Attentiveness and Internationalism in an International Business Course?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jiun-Shiu; Stevens, Jeffery; Cox, Susie S.; Tudor, Thomas R.

    2016-01-01

    Learning outcomes for international business (IB) courses are designed to do more than simply impart IB knowledge. However, past studies have had mixed results on the impact of learning in IB courses. This study examines whether a student's personality may affect learning outcomes. The results suggest that after completing an IB course, students…

  1. Development and internal structure investigation of the Dimensional Clinical Personality Inventory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lucas de Francisco Carvalho

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed to develop a dimensional instrument to assess personality disorders based on Millon's theoretical perspective and on DSM-IV-TR diagnoses criteria, and seek validity evidence based on internal structure and reliability indexes of the factors. In order to do that, a self-report test composed of 215 items, the Dimensional Clinical Personality Inventory (DCPI was developed and applied to 561 respondents aged between 18 and 90 years (M = 28,8; SD = 11.4, with 51.8% females. Exploratory factor analysis and verification of reliability were performed using Cronbach's alpha. Data provided validity evidence based on internal structure of the instrument according to the theory of Millon and DSM-IV-TR.

  2. Personal security a guide for international travelers

    CERN Document Server

    Spencer, Tanya

    2013-01-01

    Personal Security: A Guide for International Travelers provides the perfect mix of lessons-learned, tools, and recommendations from experts so that readers can personalize their own approach to managing travel risks. If followed, the information provided will allow readers to get out and experience the local culture while still traveling safely.-Bernie Sullivan, Director Global Security, Hanesbrands Inc....a must-have for any traveler. Having worked in South and Southeast Asia, I know the advice provided in the book holds the key to keeping safe, avoiding dangerous situations, and managing threats when they occur. The book's methodological framework, combined with the author's extensive experience and hands-on knowledge, provide very practical and useful advice.-Kathrine Alexandrowiz, Independent consultant at Kathalyst, former coordinator for the "Regional Risk Management Project for NGOs in Asia Pacific" (ECHO)... a go-to guide for all travelers irrespective of mission or purpose. An excellent piece of work...

  3. Whole-body counting installation for assessment of internal contamination in workers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oliveira, C.A.N.; Cunha, P.G.; Lipsztein, J.L.; Bertelli, L.N.; Fonseca, A.M.G.; Ramalho, A.T.

    1985-01-01

    A whole-body counting installation for assessment of internal contamination in workers has recently been added to the Bioassay Division of the Instituto de Radioprotecao e Dosimetria, Comissao Nacional de Energia Nuclear (IRD/CNEN). For the last two years the laboratory has been monitoring personnel involved in uranium mining and milling activities, monazite industry workers and nuclear medicine staff dealing with iodine-131 and technetium-99. Uptakes of radionuclides by the different organs and also dose equivalents are evaluated through the use of mathematical models. The IRD whole-body counter unit was specially designed to detect a variety of internally deposited radionuclides which emit photons in the energy range of 15 keV to 3 MeV. It consists of a monitoring room (2.5x2.5x2.5 m internal dimension), with 0.15 m thick steel walls, internally lined with 0.3 cm lead, 0.15 cm cadmium and 0.05 cm thick copper sheets. The facility is equipped with three different size NaI(T1) detectors and three 12.7 cm diameter phoswich detectors. (author)

  4. A case of internal contamination with plutonium oxide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Breuer, F.; Clemente, G.F.; Strambi, E.; Testa, C.

    1980-01-01

    A case is described of internal contamination caused by the accidental explosion of a glove box, whereby a technician was wounded in his right cheek and inhaled insoluble PuO 2 . Immediate washing of the wound with a DTPA solution and the performance of a small surgical toilet reduced the wound contamination a hundred times. Intravenous injection of DPTA was started and continued for nine days. The ''in vivo'' determination of plutonium and Am-241 lung content was performed immediately after the accident and several other times thereafter. Plutonium was determined periodically in urine and fecal samples for five months. The large Esub(f)/Esub(u) ratio and the steep slope of the Esub(f) curve in the first days indicated that the inhaled material was very insoluble and that the suspended powder particles were large. This conclusion was confirmed by the lung clearance ''in vivo'' during the first few days. The initial lung burden, calculated by the fecal excretion of plutonium in the first five days, was in very good agreement with the direct measurement of the lung content; the residual lung burden and the systemic burden were derived respectively U by the fecal and urinary excretion 100 days after the intake. The committed doses to lungs, bone, liver and kidneys were calculated and were found to be considerably lower than the maximum permissible levels. (H.K.)

  5. Personal values, subjective well-being and destination-loyalty intention of international students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jamaludin, N L; Sam, D L; Sandal, G M; Adam, A A

    2016-01-01

    What are the factors that predict international students' destination-loyalty intention? This is the main question this paper addresses, using an online survey among 396 (short-term, N = 182) and (long-term, N = 214) international students at a Norwegian university. Structural equation model-AMOS was conducted to examine relationships among personal values, subjective well-being and destination-loyalty intentions. The results showed that: (1) universalism was positively related to subjective well-being for short-term students; and (2) subjective well-being was positively related to destination-loyalty intention for all groups. We found that relatively stable and happy individuals might be important for ensuring destination-loyalty intentions. Results also indicated that personal values that emphasize justice and equity are also important for short-term international students' well-being.

  6. Higher Storage Temperature Causes Greater Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium Internal Penetration of Artificially Contaminated, Commercially Available, Washed Free Range Eggs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whiley, Alice; Fallowfield, Howard; Ross, Kirstin; McEvoy, Vanessa; Whiley, Harriet

    2016-07-01

    Foodborne salmonellosis is a major public health concern, with contaminated eggs identified as a significant source of infection. In Australia, the most prevalent cause of salmonellosis from eggs is Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium. This study explored the effect of temperature after 1, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days of storage on commercially available washed free range eggs, artificially contaminated with Salmonella Typhimurium on the external surface. At each time point, the external surface of the egg, the crushed eggshell, and the internal egg yolk and albumen were analyzed for Salmonella. After 28 days of storage, 25% of eggs stored at 4°C, 50% of eggs stored at 14°C, and 100% of eggs stored at 23 and 35°C were internally contaminated with Salmonella. After 1 day of storage, more than 50% of all eggs had Salmonella present in the crushed shell after the external surface had been disinfected with ethanol. This is the first study to demonstrate that refrigeration reduced the potential for Salmonella Typhimurium to penetrate the eggshell membrane and internally contaminate table eggs commercially available in Australia. It also suggests that the processes of cracking eggs may be a source of cross-contamination within the kitchen.

  7. Evaluation of surface contamination based on certifiably traceable, internationally accreditable measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Whitlock, G.D.

    1992-01-01

    National Accreditation and Measurement Service (NAMAS) adopted by the EUROMET agreement requires that the calibration of monitoring instruments be traceable internationally with the objective that radiation hazard assessment be improved. This objective is achieved for Tritium surface contamination by employing calibration sources and evaluation methods which comply with ISO standards including the measurement of activity removable by Volatilization as well as dust. Consideration should be given to organic binding of tritium in the skin with its implications in the event of litigation. (author)

  8. Relationship between Norm-internalization and Cooperation in N-person Prisoners' Dilemma Games

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsumoto, Mitsutaka

    In this paper, I discuss the problems of ``order in social situations'' using a computer simulation of iterated N-person prisoners' dilemma game. It has been claimed that, in the case of the 2-person prisoners' dilemma, repetition of games and the reciprocal use of the ``tit-for-tat'' strategy promote the possibility of cooperation. However, in cases of N-person prisoners' dilemma where N is greater than 2, the logic does not work effectively. The most essential problem is so called ``sanctioning problems''. In this paper, firstly, I discuss the ``sanctioning problems'' which were introduced by Axelrod and Keohane in 1986. Based on the model formalized by Axelrod, I propose a new model, in which I added a mechanism of players' payoff changes in the Axelrod's model. I call this mechanism norm-internalization and call our model ``norm-internalization game''. Second, by using the model, I investigated the relationship between agents' norm-internalization (payoff-alternation) and the possibilities of cooperation. The results of computer simulation indicated that unequal distribution of cooperating norm and uniform distribution of sanctioning norm are more effective in establishing cooperation. I discuss the mathematical features and the implications of the results on social science.

  9. 50 CFR 23.74 - How can I trade internationally in personal sport-hunted trophies?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... personal sport-hunted trophies? 23.74 Section 23.74 Wildlife and Fisheries UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE... trade internationally in personal sport-hunted trophies? (a) U.S. and foreign general provisions. Except as provided for personal and household effects in § 23.15, the import, export, or re-export of sport...

  10. Analysis of grease contamination influence on the internal radial clearance of ball bearings by thermographic inspection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mišković Žarko Z.

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available One of the most important factors influencing ball bearings service life is its internal radial clearance. However, this parameter is also very complex because it depends on applied radial load and ball bearings dimensions, surface finish and manufacturing materials. Thermal condition of ball bearings also significantly affects internal radial clearance. Despite many researches performed in order to find out relevant facts about different aspects of ball bearings thermal behaviour, only few of them are dealing with the real working conditions, where high concentration of solid contaminant particles is present. That’s why the main goal of research presented in this paper was to establish statistically significant correlation between ball bearings temperatures, their working time and concentration of contaminant particles in their grease. Because of especially difficult working conditions, the typical conveyor idlers bearings were selected as representative test samples and appropriate solid particles from open pit coal mines were used as artificial contaminants. Applied experimental methodology included thermographic inspection, as well as usage of custom designed test rig for ball bearings service life testing. Finally, by obtained experimental data processing in advanced software, statistically significant mathematical correlation between mentioned bearings characteristics was determined and applied in commonly used internal radial clearance equation. That is the most important contribution of performed research - the new equation and methodology for ball bearings internal clearance determination which could be used for eventual improvement of existing bearings service life equations. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. TR35029 i br. TR14033

  11. Application of the International Life Sciences Institute Key Events Dose-Response Framework to food contaminants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fenner-Crisp, Penelope A

    2012-12-01

    Contaminants are undesirable constituents in food. They may be formed during production of a processed food, present as a component in a source material, deliberately added to substitute for the proper substance, or the consequence of poor food-handling practices. Contaminants may be chemicals or pathogens. Chemicals generally degrade over time and become of less concern as a health threat. Pathogens have the ability to multiply, potentially resulting in an increased threat level. Formal structures have been lacking for systematically generating and evaluating hazard and exposure data for bioactive agents when problem situations arise. We need to know what the potential risk may be to determine whether intervention to reduce or eliminate contact with the contaminant is warranted. We need tools to aid us in assembling and assessing all available relevant information in an expeditious and scientifically sound manner. One such tool is the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) Key Events Dose-Response Framework (KEDRF). Developed as an extension of the WHO's International Program on Chemical Safety/ILSI mode of action/human relevance framework, it allows risk assessors to understand not only how a contaminant exerts its toxicity but also the dose response(s) for each key event and the ultimate outcome, including whether a threshold exists. This presentation will illustrate use of the KEDRF with case studies included in its development (chloroform and Listeriaonocytogenes) after its publication in the peer-reviewed scientific literature (chromium VI) and in a work in progress (3-monochloro-1, 2-propanediol).

  12. Air contamination measurements for the evaluation of internal dose to workers in nuclear medicine departments

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Massimi, B.; Bianchini, D.; Sarnelli, A.; D'Errico, V.; Marcocci, F.; Mezzenga, E.; Mostacci, D.

    2017-11-01

    Radionuclides handled in nuclear medicine departments are often characterized by high volatility and short half-life. It is generally difficult to monitor directly the intake of these short-lived radionuclides in hospital staff: this makes measuring air contamination of utmost interest. The aim of the present work is to provide a method for the evaluation of internal doses to workers in nuclear medicine, by means of an air activity sampling detector, to ensure that the limits prescribed by the relevant legislation are respected. A continuous air sampling system measures isotope concentration with a Nal(TI) detector. Energy efficiency of the system was assessed with GEANT4 and with known activities of 18F. Air is sampled in a number of areas of the nuclear medicine department of the IRST-IRCCS hospital (Meldola- Italy). To evaluate committed doses to hospital staff involved (doctors, technicians, nurses) different exposure situations (rooms, times, radionuclides etc) were considered. After estimating the intake, the committed effective dose has been evaluated, for the different radionuclides, using the dose coefficients mandated by the Italian legislation. Error propagation for the estimated intake and personal dose has been evaluated, starting from measurement statistics.

  13. Emergency preparedness and internal contamination monitoring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rahola, T.; Suomela, M.

    2000-01-01

    After the radiation accidents in Chernobyl, Ukraina in 1986 and in Goiania, Brasil in 1987, much resource have been spent on improving emergency preparedness. Especially regarding transfer of information using the most recent techniques and establishment of 24 hour emergency service of radiation safety experts the development has been fast. The very first measures in a possible emergency situation have been trained nationally and internationally. Less attention has been paid to measures in a somewhat later phase. To be able to react fast enough in an emergency situation it is essential to have well documented plans, written instructions and suitable measurement equipment ready for use. Equally important is that there is trained staff prepared to do measurements without delay. In the first phase of a nuclear accident radioactive iodine is of primary concern regarding internal contamination. After the Chernobyl accident the number of childhood thyroidea cancer clearly exceeded the expected number. Reliable direct measurements of I-131 in the thyroidea in Ukraina, Russia and Belarussia were done only to a limited number of children. Many uncertainties are involved in the data used for dose estimation. Later the body burdens of radiocesium or other radionuclides might be of most importance. Normal whole-body counting instruments can be used if only small groups need to be measured. For large groups of people in an emergency situation faster methods are needed. Different types of monitors installed at places where radiation workers are controlled for internal contamination as well as gamma cameras at hospitals can be used. Rapid field measurements of the whole-body and especially of the thyroid can been done with less sophisticated instruments. In the acute phase of a nuclear accident such measurements should be done without delay. Instruments and staff trained to use them should be available and plans for which groups of people to measure prepared. The detection level

  14. 76 FR 76601 - International Day of Persons With Disabilities, 2011

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-12-08

    ... securing fundamental human rights for all persons with disabilities around the world. On International Day... make at home and abroad, and we remember that disability rights are universal rights to be recognized... around the world, my Administration is putting disability rights at the heart of our Nation's foreign...

  15. Radioactive contamination in monitors received for calibration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dias, Paulo S.; Santos, Gilvan C. dos; Brunelo, Maria Antonieta G.; Paula, Tiago C. de; Pires, Marina A.; Borges, Jose C.

    2013-01-01

    The Calibration Laboratory - LABCAL, from the Research Center for Metrology and Testing - METROBRAS, MRA Comercio de Instrumentos Eletronicos Ltda., began activities in October 2008 and, in August 2009, decided to establish a procedure for monitoring tests, external and internal, of all packages received from customers, containing instruments for calibration. The aim was to investigate possible contamination radioactive on these instruments. On July 2011, this procedure was extended to packagings of personal thermoluminescent dosemeters - TLD, received by the newly created Laboratory Laboratorio de Dosimetria Pessoal - LDP . In the monitoring procedure were used monitors with external probe, type pancake, MRA brand, models GP - 500 and MIR 7028. During the 37 months in which this investigation was conducted, were detected 42 cases of radioactive contamination, with the following characteristics: 1) just one case was personal dosimeter, TLD type; 2) just one case was not from a packing from nuclear medicine service - was from a mining company; 3) contamination occurred on packs and instruments, located and/or widespread; 4) contamination values ranged from slightly above the level of background radiation to about a thousand fold. Although METROBRAS has facilities for decontamination, in most cases, especially those of higher contamination, the procedure followed was to store the contaminated material in a room used for storage of radioactive sources. Periodically, each package and/or instrument was monitored, being released when the radiation level matched the background radiation. Every contamination detected, the client and/or owner of the instrument was informed. The Brazilian National Energy Commission - CNEN, was informed, during your public consultation for reviewing the standard for nuclear medicine services, held in mid-2012, having received from METROBRAS the statistical data available at the time. The high frequency of contamination detected and the high

  16. Depleted uranium internal contamination of US soldiers deployed in Samawah, Iraq during operation Iraqi freedom

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Asaf Durakovic; Isaac Zimmerman; Axel Gerdes

    2004-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the concentration and precise isotopic composition and ratios of four uranium isotopes ( 234 U, 235 U, 236 U, and 238 U) in the urine of United States soldiers deployed in Samawah, Iraq during the second Gulf War. Methods: Seven active duty US soldiers deployed as military police unit 442 presenting with non-specific symptoms of intractable headaches, excessive fatigue, intermittent fevers, musculoskeletal pains, respiratory impairment, affect changes, urinary tract symptoms, and neurological alterations were clinically evaluated. Each soldier signed a consent form to participate in our study. The collection of 24-hour urine samples of each subject was performed under controlled conditions. The urine samples were personally carried to the laboratory of the Institute of Geochemistry, JW Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany. Each sample was analyzed in duplicate by multicollector inductively coupled plasma ionization mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS). Control samples consisting of an internal urine standard were also analyzed by the same procedure. The analytical methodology included pre-concentration of the urine samples using evaporation, oxidation of organic matter, uranium purification by ion-exchange chromatography, and analysis by mass spectrometry. The final analysis of the specimens was performed by using a double-focusing Thermo Finnigan Neptune multicollector ICP-MS equipped with retarding potential quadrupole lens and a secondary electron multiplier for ion counting. Results: The mean concentration of total uranium was 3.6±1.3 ng/L. The average 238 U/ 235 U ratio was 146.2±10.2. The ratio of 238 U/ 235 U, being considered as the single most important parameter in determining the quantitative state of depletion of the natural uranium ratio, demonstrates a significant internal contamination with depleted uranium in four soldiers. The 234 U/ 238 U ratio was 6.5 x 10 -5 ±5.7 x 10 -6 . The 236 U/ 238 U ratio was

  17. Human Factors Risk Analyses of a Doffing Protocol for Ebola-Level Personal Protective Equipment: Mapping Errors to Contamination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mumma, Joel M; Durso, Francis T; Ferguson, Ashley N; Gipson, Christina L; Casanova, Lisa; Erukunuakpor, Kimberly; Kraft, Colleen S; Walsh, Victoria L; Zimring, Craig; DuBose, Jennifer; Jacob, Jesse T

    2018-03-05

    Doffing protocols for personal protective equipment (PPE) are critical for keeping healthcare workers (HCWs) safe during care of patients with Ebola virus disease. We assessed the relationship between errors and self-contamination during doffing. Eleven HCWs experienced with doffing Ebola-level PPE participated in simulations in which HCWs donned PPE marked with surrogate viruses (ɸ6 and MS2), completed a clinical task, and were assessed for contamination after doffing. Simulations were video recorded, and a failure modes and effects analysis and fault tree analyses were performed to identify errors during doffing, quantify their risk (risk index), and predict contamination data. Fifty-one types of errors were identified, many having the potential to spread contamination. Hand hygiene and removing the powered air purifying respirator (PAPR) hood had the highest total risk indexes (111 and 70, respectively) and number of types of errors (9 and 13, respectively). ɸ6 was detected on 10% of scrubs and the fault tree predicted a 10.4% contamination rate, likely occurring when the PAPR hood inadvertently contacted scrubs during removal. MS2 was detected on 10% of hands, 20% of scrubs, and 70% of inner gloves and the predicted rates were 7.3%, 19.4%, 73.4%, respectively. Fault trees for MS2 and ɸ6 contamination suggested similar pathways. Ebola-level PPE can both protect and put HCWs at risk for self-contamination throughout the doffing process, even among experienced HCWs doffing with a trained observer. Human factors methodologies can identify error-prone steps, delineate the relationship between errors and self-contamination, and suggest remediation strategies.

  18. Remediation of contaminated areas. An overview of international guidance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Per Hedemann

    1999-01-01

    techniques as a function of contamination and site characteristics. The project includes analyses of existing remediation methodologies and contaminated sites, and is structured in the following steps:-characterisation of relevant contaminated sites -identification and characterisation of relevant...... contaminated with radioactive materials as a result of the operation of these installations. The areasconsidered for remedial measures include contaminated land areas, rivers and sediments in rivers, lakes, and sea areas. Criteria for clean-up of contaminated land and criteria for protection of the public...

  19. Space station contamination control study: Internal combustion, phase 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruggeri, Robert T.

    1987-01-01

    Contamination inside Space Station modules was studied to determine the best methods of controlling contamination. The work was conducted in five tasks that identified existing contamination control requirements, analyzed contamination levels, developed outgassing specification for materials, wrote a contamination control plan, and evaluated current materials of offgassing tests used by NASA. It is concluded that current contamination control methods can be made to function on the Space Station for up to 1000 days, but that current methods are deficient for periods longer than about 1000 days.

  20. The Right to Education for Internally Displaced Persons in Nigeria ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A distinctive challenge facing internally displaced persons (IDPs) are structural conditions that deny them access to the right to education. The main aim of the study is to investigate the role of open and distance learning in providing access and educational opportunities to the IDPs. The research methodology for this study ...

  1. Trace Contaminant Control During the International Space Station's On-Orbit Assembly and Outfitting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perry, J. L.

    2017-01-01

    analysis. During the International Space Station's (ISS's) on-orbit assembly and outfitting, a series of engineering analyses were conducted to evaluate how effective the passive TCC methods were relative to providing adequate operational margin for the active TCC equipment's capabilities aboard the ISS. These analyses were based on habitable module and cargo vehicle offgassing test results. The offgassing test for a fully assembled module or cargo vehicle is an important preflight spacecraft evaluation method that has been used successfully during all crewed spacecraft programs to provide insight into how effectively the passive contamination control methods limit the equipment offgassing component of the overall trace contaminant generation load. The progression of TCC assessments beginning in 1998 with the ISS's first habitable element launch and continuing through the final pressurized element's arrival in 2010 are presented. Early cargo vehicle flight assessments between 2008 and 2011 are also presented as well as a discussion on predictive methods for assessing cargo via a purely analytical technique. The technical approach for TCC employed during this 13-year period successfully maintained the cabin atmospheric quality within specified parameters during the technically challenging ISS assembly and outfitting stages. The following narrative provides details on the important role of spacecraft offgassing testing, trace contaminant performance requirements, and flight rules for achieving the ultimate result-a cabin environment that enables people to live and work safely in space.

  2. Hand and foot contamination monitor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jakati, R.K.; Kaptral, R.S.; Ananthkrishnan, T.S.; Pansare, M.G.

    1989-01-01

    In order to make quick measurements of beta and gamma contaminations on hands and feet of personnel working in radioactive environments, hand and foot contamination monitors are widely used. This paper describes such a monitor system designed with Intel 8085 based microcomputer. The monitoring and warning system is designed to perform measurement of activity spread over surface of hands and soles of shoes or feet. Even though the system has many features to aid testing and maintainance operation, it is easy to use for unskilled persons. In order to check the contamination, the person stands on platform and inserts both his hands into detector assemblies thereby actuating the sensing switches. After a preset interval, annunciation of clean or contaminated status is declared by the system. (author)

  3. Limited internal radiation exposure associated with resettlements to a radiation-contaminated homeland after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masaharu Tsubokura

    Full Text Available Resettlement to their radiation-contaminated hometown could be an option for people displaced at the time of a nuclear disaster; however, little information is available on the safety implications of these resettlement programs. Kawauchi village, located 12-30 km southwest of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, was one of the 11 municipalities where mandatory evacuation was ordered by the central government. This village was also the first municipality to organize the return of the villagers. To assess the validity of the Kawauchi villagers' resettlement program, the levels of internal Cesium (Cs exposures were comparatively measured in returnees, commuters, and non-returnees among the Kawauchi villagers using a whole body counter. Of 149 individuals, 5 villagers had traceable levels of Cs exposure; the median detected level was 333 Bq/body (range, 309-1050 Bq/kg, and 5.3 Bq/kg (range, 5.1-18.2 Bq/kg. Median annual effective doses of villagers with traceable Cs were 1.1 x 10(-2 mSv/y (range, 1.0 x 10(-2-4.1 x 10(-2 mSv/y. Although returnees had higher chances of consuming locally produced vegetables, Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test showed that their level of internal radiation exposure was not significantly higher than that in the other 2 groups (p=0.643. The present findings in Kawauchi village imply that it is possible to maintain internal radiation exposure at very low levels even in a highly radiation-contaminated region at the time of a nuclear disaster. Moreover, the risks for internal radiation exposure could be limited with a strict food control intervention after resettlement to the radiation-contaminated village. It is crucial to establish an adequate number of radio-contaminated testing sites within the village, to provide immediate test result feedback to the villagers, and to provide education regarding the importance of re-testing in reducing the risk of high internal radiation exposure.

  4. Treatment of plutonium contaminations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lafuma, J.

    1983-01-01

    Three kinds of plutonium contaminations were considered: skin contamination; contaminated wounds; contamination by inhalation. The treatment of these contaminations was studied for insoluble (oxide and metal forms) and soluble plutonium (complexes). The use of DTPA and therapeutic problems encountered with stable plutonium complexes were analyzed. The new possibilities of internal decontamination using Puchel and LICAM were evaluated [fr

  5. An Assessment of the International Space Station's Trace Contaminant Control Subassembly Process Economics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perry J. L.; Cole, H. E.; El-Lessy, H. N.

    2005-01-01

    The International Space Station (ISS) Environmental Control and Life Support System includes equipment speci.cally designed to actively remove trace chemical contamination from the cabin atmosphere. In the U.S. on-orbit segment, this function is provided by the trace contaminant control subassembly (TCCS) located in the atmosphere revitalization subsystem rack housed in the laboratory module, Destiny. The TCCS employs expendable adsorbent beds to accomplish its function leading to a potentially signi.cant life cycle cost over the life of the ISS. Because maintaining the TCCSs proper can be logistically intensive, its performance in .ight has been studied in detail to determine where savings may be achieved. Details of these studies and recommendations for improving the TCCS s process economics without compromising its performance or crew health and safety are presented and discussed.

  6. Internal contamination assessment, with regard to 90Sr, 134Cs, and 137Cs nuclei during nuclear accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ayad, M.; Hanna, K.M.

    2000-01-01

    In case of nuclear reactor accident leading to the release of some radioactive isotopes in the plume, the sedimentation of its constituents on the ground causes surface contamination which consequently can be observed in the form of an internal contamination in the living biosphere. The migration of the radio nuclei from the soil to the plant root, stem, and the other edible parts is considered the main source for the contaminated foodstuffs used by the general public. In this work we have calculated the total accumulative internal dose for 9 0Sr, 1 34Cs, and 1 37Cs radio contaminants with regard to different public age groups (infant, child, and adult) due to an unexpected nuclear accident. In our calculations we have applied the protective measure inequality for the chosen standard group of foodstuffs, with respect to each age group of the public as well as the three indicated above radio nuclei. Our results indicated that the values of the calculated protective measures with regard to 9 0Sr, 1 37Cs, and 1 34Cs radio nuclei are increasing respectively for all age groups. In addition, we found that the ratio of the total protection measure values of all radio nuclei for different age groups still less than one which requires no intervention level procedures

  7. Personal Exposure in Displacement Ventilated Rooms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brohus, Henrik; Nielsen, Peter Vilhelm

    1996-01-01

    in the lower part of the room close to the occupant. A personal exposure model for displacement ventilated rooms is proposed. The model takes the influence of gradients and the human thermal boundary layer into account. Two new quantities describing the interaction between a person and the ventilation......Personal exposure in a displacement ventilated room is examined. The stratified flow and the considerable concentration gradients necessitate an improvement of the widely used fully mixing compartmental approach. The exposure of a seated and a standing person in proportion to the stratification...... contaminant sources, this entrainment improves the indoor air quality. Measurements of exposure due to a passive contaminant source show a significant dependence on the flow field as well as on the contaminant source location. Poor system performance is found in the case of a passive contaminant released...

  8. Investigation of internal contamination by tritium in A-1 nuclear power plant personnel in 1974

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ondris, D.; Herchl, M.; Homolova, E.

    1977-01-01

    The results are presented of the 1974 personnel monitoring of the Bohunice A-1 nuclear power plant staff for internal contamination with tritium. Totally, 650 urine samples taken from 103 workers were analyzed using the recommended ICRP procedure. In routine examinations, the highest dose equivalent value of tritium incorporated within two weeks did not exceed 10 mrem, i.e., the maximum annual dose equivalent did not exceed 260 mrem. 8.5 μCi tritium per 1 litre urine was considered to be an alarm value. In a selected group of 21 high-risk persons analyses were conducted before and after each operation associated with tritium hazards. The limit dose was set to 5.8 μCi.l -1 , i.e., the tritium concentration equivalent to 10% of the maximum permissible annual intake. In 18 workers where tritium risk was of a more serious nature the biological half-life was followed up, with the average biological half-life being 8.5 days, with 5 days for the minimum and 12 days for the maximum values. The results show that in 1974 the tritium burden did not exceed 1/10 of the maximum permissible dose for any of the A-1 nuclear power plant workers. (L.O.)

  9. Personal values, subjective well-being and destination-loyalty intention of international students

    OpenAIRE

    Jamaludin, N. L.; Sam, D. L.; Sandal, G. M.; Adam, A. A.

    2016-01-01

    What are the factors that predict international students? destination-loyalty intention? This is the main question this paper addresses, using an online survey among 396 (short-term, N?=?182) and (long-term, N?=?214) international students at a Norwegian university. Structural equation model-AMOS was conducted to examine relationships among personal values, subjective well-being and destination-loyalty intentions. The results showed that: (1) universalism was positively related to subjective ...

  10. Assessment of internal and external exposure to ionizing radiation in laboratories of nuclear medicine and radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adamiak-Ziemba, J.; Doniec, J.; Kocznow, W.; Hawrynski, M.

    1985-01-01

    The investigations with determination of radioisotopes in urine led to detection of contamination with 99m Tc and radioactive iodine. The measurements and dosimetry of external radiation demonstrated that workers in laboratories of radioisotope diagnosis received a mean annual equivalent doses amounted less than 5% of the permissible dose for persons with occupational exposure. It was also established that external exposure was mainly responsible for this. The data about the levels of internal exposure in laboratories of nuclear medicine and radiotherapy demonstrated that introduction of a permanent central system of control of internal contamination of workers would be useless since the observation of the already accepted principles of radiological protection is sufficient for avoiding contamination. (author)

  11. Understanding Personal Learning Environment Perspectives of Thai International Tourism and Hospitality Higher Education Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanyong, Siriwan; Sharafuddin, Mohamed Ali

    2016-01-01

    This paper is part of a periodic research conducted in developing a personal learning environment for Thailand's higher education students with English as medium of instruction. The objective of the first phase in this research was to understand the personal learning environment perspectives of Thai International tourism and hospitality higher…

  12. Impact of an international workplace learning placement on personal and professional development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davies, Kerryn; Curtin, Michael; Robson, Kristy

    2017-04-01

    Workplace learning (WPL) placements are a mandatory part of occupational therapy courses. There is some evidence that suggests WPL placements in international settings are beneficial for students' learning, and personal and professional development. The aim of this study was to explore the impact an international WPL placement in Vietnam had on the perceived personal and professional development of a group of Australian occupational therapy graduates. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to explore the perceptions of how participation in the Charles Sturt University School of Community Health's Vietnam placement influenced the personal and professional development of occupational therapy graduates. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine graduates who participated in the Vietnam placement when they were final year occupational therapy students. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and individually analysed to identify key themes. Two major themes emerged from the analysis: becoming resourceful, resilient and confident, and becoming respectful of difference. The participants indicated that participation in the Vietnam placement had a positive impact on their personal and professional development. Participants indicated that the Vietnam placement enabled them to develop their resourcefulness, resilience, reasoning skills, cultural competence, confidence and independence, beyond what they felt would have achieved on a domestic placement. For these reason these participants found the placement a beneficial and worthwhile experience. © 2016 Occupational Therapy Australia.

  13. Internal contamination of nurses as a result of the therapeutic use of iodine-131

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Termorshuizen, W; Gerritsen, A J.M.

    1988-02-01

    The internal contamination of nurses with sodium iodide-131 is studied in two different housing situations. Before moving, the therapy unit was an unventilated double room with a lock. In the new building, the unit consists of three single rooms and one double room with a lock and air conditioning. Also the concentration of iodine-131 in the air is measured. 2 figs.; 1 table.

  14. Effects of Surfactant Contamination on the Next Generation Gas Trap for the ISS Internal Thermal Control System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leimkuehler, Thomas O.; Lukens, Clark; Reeves, Daniel R.; Holt, James M.

    2004-01-01

    The current dual-membrane gas trap is designed to remove non-condensed gas bubbles from the Internal Thermal Control System (ITCS) coolant on board the International Space Station (ISS). To date it has successfully served its purpose of preventing gas bubbles from causing depriming, overspeed, and shutdown of the ITCS pump. However, contamination in the ITCS coolant has adversely affected the gas venting rate and lifetime of the gas trap, warranting a development effort for a next-generation gas trap. Previous testing has shown that a hydrophobic-only design is capable of performing even better than the current dual-membrane design for both steady-state gas removal and gas slug removal in clean deionized water. This paper presents results of testing to evaluate the effects of surfactant contamination on the steady-state performance of the hydrophobic-only design.

  15. Dare to Dream: Personal Values, Life Goals, and International Students in New Zealand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Kaili C; Zhang, Abraham

    2017-10-01

    It has been well identified and supported in the literature that values and life goals are associated with one's general well-being. However, there have been few studies on values and life goals among international students in New Zealand. This study addressed this lack of research by focusing on the life goals and personal values among international students in three tertiary institutes in New Zealand. Based on the literature review, the hypothesis of this study is that international students' intrinsic life goals are positively correlated with their spiritual values. In contrast, extrinsic goals did not have similar effects. The Aspirations Index, which was used to assess life goals, and the Schwartz' value survey, which measured the students' personal values, were both distributed to the participants. Follow-up interviews with 24 of the participants were also conducted. Findings revealed that spiritual values were positively correlated with intrinsic goals and that extrinsic goals did not have similar effects. As the research findings showed that spiritual values were positively correlated with intrinsic goals, helping international students to find meaning and purpose in life may promote their well-being, and the learning and growth of international students can be improved by incorporating spiritual values and cultural aspects in college education. The authors also argue that a holistic approach to college education for international students is needed.

  16. Reference sources for the calibration of surface contamination monitors - Beta-emitters (maximum beta energy greater than MeV) and alpha-emitters (International Standard Publication ISO 8769:1988)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stefanik, J.

    2001-01-01

    This International Standard specifies the characteristics of reference sources of radioactive surface contamination, traceable to national measurement standards, for the calibration of surface contamination monitors. This International Standard relates to alpha-emitters and to beta-emitters of maximum beta energy greater than 0,15 MeV. It does not describe the procedures involved in the use of these reference sources for the calibration of surface contamination monitors. Such procedures are specified in IEC Publication 325 and other documents. This International Standard specifies reference radiations for the calibration of surface contamination monitors which take the form of adequately characterized large area sources specified, without exception, in terms of activity and surface emission rate, the evaluation of these quantities being traceable to national standards

  17. Removal of trace organic chemical contaminants by a membrane bioreactor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trinh, T; van den Akker, B; Stuetz, R M; Coleman, H M; Le-Clech, P; Khan, S J

    2012-01-01

    Emerging wastewater treatment processes such as membrane bioreactors (MBRs) have attracted a significant amount of interest internationally due to their ability to produce high quality effluent suitable for water recycling. It is therefore important that their efficiency in removing hazardous trace organic contaminants be assessed. Accordingly, this study investigated the removal of trace organic chemical contaminants through a full-scale, package MBR in New South Wales, Australia. This study was unique in the context of MBR research because it characterised the removal of 48 trace organic chemical contaminants, which included steroidal hormones, xenoestrogens, pesticides, caffeine, pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). Results showed that the removal of most trace organic chemical contaminants through the MBR was high (above 90%). However, amitriptyline, carbamazepine, diazepam, diclofenac, fluoxetine, gemfibrozil, omeprazole, sulphamethoxazole and trimethoprim were only partially removed through the MBR with the removal efficiencies of 24-68%. These are potential indicators for assessing MBR performance as these chemicals are usually sensitive to changes in the treatment systems. The trace organic chemical contaminants detected in the MBR permeate were 1 to 6 orders of magnitude lower than guideline values reported in the Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling. The outcomes of this study enhanced our understanding of the levels and removal of trace organic contaminants by MBRs.

  18. Response of monitors of surface contamination to internal exposition control from 131I in the 'nuclear medicine services'

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Puerta, Nancy; Rojo, Ana M.; Villella, Adrian; Gossio, Sebastian; Parada, Ines Gomez; Acosta, Norma; Arenas, German

    2013-01-01

    The IAEA, in its publication RS-G-1.2, proposes individual control of workers occupationally exposed with risk of internal exposure when the potential exposure provided by incorporation leads to a value of annual committed effective dose equal to or greater than 1 mSv. Because the radionuclide 131 I is the most important to control internal exposure in Nuclear Medicine Services, it is evaluated if the surface contamination monitors, commonly used in nuclear medicine centers of Argentina, would implement individual control of internal exposure to 131 I. Selected detectors were calibrated with a dummy neck and thyroid with calibrated sources of 131 I and 133 Ba reference. For each detector is was estimated the detection efficiency for 131 I and its detection limit. Each instrument was evaluated for the lowest effective dose possible to detect compromised by individual routine monitoring with different measurement intervals . We analyzed the response of each team for determining conditions that may be effective for the control of internal exposure of 131 I. Finally , we conclude that the daily individual monitoring surface contamination detectors available in the Nuclear Medicine Services is feasible to implement and ensures detection of significant additions of 131 I

  19. The Interactional Effects of the Internal and External University Environment, and the Influence of Personal Values, on Satisfaction among International Postgraduate Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arambewela, Rodney; Hall, John

    2013-01-01

    The article investigates the interactional effects of internal and external university learning environments, and the influence of personal values, in the satisfaction formation process of international postgraduate students from Asia. Past research on student satisfaction has been narrowly focused on certain aspects of the university internal…

  20. Proceedings with participation of foreign persons in international procedural law of Russia and Kazakhstan

    OpenAIRE

    Natalia Erpyleva

    2013-01-01

    This article is dedicated to one of the most interesting aspects of International Procedural Law – litigation with participation of foreign persons. Author focused on a comparative analysis of Russian and Kazakh legislation concerning the regulation of international procedural relations. Article includes two paragraphs: the first one considers international jurisdiction of Russian arbitrazh courts and Kazakh economic courts on commercial matters; the second one examines the recognition and en...

  1. Emergency preparedness in Finland with special emphasis on internal contamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rahola, Tua; Suomela, Matti

    1999-01-01

    Rapid development in the field of emergency preparedness has taken place during recent years. The very first measures in a possible emergency situation have been trained nationally and internationally. Less attention has been paid to measures in a later phase. To be able to react fast enough in an emergency situation it is essential to have well documented plans, written instructions and suitable measurement equipment ready for use. In the first phase of a nuclear accident iodine is of primary concern. The Finnish radiation protection authority - STUK has already some instruments calibrated for thyroidea measurements in field conditions outside the laboratory. In a Nordic project experts on internal contamination measurements will be trained to make rapid measurements with relatively simple instruments on large groups of people. The general public knows that it is possible to do direct measurements on people and will not accept prognoses based only on external radiation and foodstuff measurements. In the future it will be necessary to do also direct measurements on people for reassurance of the general public even if such measurement would not be necessary from a strict radiation protection point of view. (au)

  2. The overview of the status and prospective of internally displaced persons on the territory of the former Yugoslavia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rakić Danilo

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper the overview of the status and the prospective for the future of internally displaced persons in Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Macedonia is done. The Group 484 is an NGO, which have been supporting refugees since 1995 and internally displaced persons from Kosovo since 1999.

  3. International human rights for mentally ill persons: the Ontario experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zuckerberg, Joaquin

    2007-01-01

    This article is part of a working project which assesses Ontario's mental health legislation and practice vis-à-vis international human rights standards. The paper focuses on procedural safeguards provided by the major international human rights instruments in the field of mental health law such as the UN Principles for the Protection of Persons with Mental Illness (MI Principles) and the European Convention on Human Rights as interpreted by the European Human Rights Court. In analysing Ontario's compliance with international standards, the paper will explore some problems arising from the implementation of the legislation with which the author is familiar with from his experience as counsel for the Consent and Capacity Board. The paper aims to generate discussion for potential reforms in domestic legal systems and to provide a methodology to be used as a tool to assess similar mental health legislation in other local contexts.

  4. Review of chemical and radiotoxicological properties of polonium for internal contamination purposes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ansoborlo, Eric; Berard, Philippe; Den Auwer, Christophe; Leggett, Rich; Menetrier, Florence; Younes, Ali; Montavon, Gilles; Moisy, Philippe

    2012-08-20

    The discovery of polonium (Po) was first published in July, 1898 by P. Curie and M. Curie. It was the first element to be discovered by the radiochemical method. Polonium can be considered as a famous but neglected element: only a few studies of polonium chemistry have been published, mostly between 1950 and 1990. The recent (2006) event in which (210)Po evidently was used as a poison to kill A. Litvinenko has raised new interest in polonium. 2011 being the 100th anniversary of the Marie Curie Nobel Prize in Chemistry, the aim of this review is to look at the several aspects of polonium linked to its chemical properties and its radiotoxicity, including (i) its radiochemistry and interaction with matter; (ii) its main sources and uses; (iii) its physicochemical properties; (iv) its main analytical methods; (v) its background exposure risk in water, food, and other environmental media; (vi) its biokinetics and distribution following inhalation, ingestion, and wound contamination; (vii) its dosimetry; and (viii) treatments available (decorporation) in case of internal contamination.

  5. The impact of international placements on nurses' personal and professional lives: literature review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Button, Lori; Green, Barbara; Tengnah, Cassam; Johansson, Inez; Baker, Christine

    2005-05-01

    This paper presents a critical review of research literature on the impact of international placements on the lives and practice of nurses. Health care institutions are progressively more aware of the need to respond to diverse patient populations and cultivate leaders to enrich the nursing profession, both locally and globally. One response has been to establish international exchange programmes for nursing students to give them experience of different cultures and health care systems. A search of the literature from 1980 to 2003 using electronic databases was undertaken using the databases CINAHL, ERIC, British Nursing Index, Web of Science, the BIDS Social Science Citation Index and Medline. The keywords used were 'international exchange experience', 'international studies', 'international education', 'international placement(s)', 'exchange programme(s)', combined with 'nurses/nursing', combined with 'evaluation', 'practice', 'education' and/or 'policy'. The papers retrieved used both qualitative and quantitative approaches and were scrutinized for recurring themes. Nurses reported significant changes in their personal development, perspectives on nursing practice and critical appraisal of health care systems. They also indicated an increased appreciation and sensitivity towards cultural issues and cross-cultural care. Moreover, differences in placement programmes, such as duration, preparation and debriefing were found to have affected the reported overall international placement experience. However, the primary effects of international placements were identified as personal development and transcultural adaptation. Students should be exposed to a variety of nursing experiences within the host country. This would give them a broad spectrum for comparisons between cultures, nursing practice and health care delivery in those cultures. Therefore, educational institutions are strongly encouraged to provide opportunities for students to participate in nursing care

  6. IDACstar: A MCNP Application to Perform Realistic Dose Estimations from Internal or External Contamination of Radiopharmaceuticals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ören, Ünal; Hiller, Mauritius; Andersson, M

    2017-04-28

    A Monte Carlo-based stand-alone program, IDACstar (Internal Dose Assessment by Computer), was developed, dedicated to perform radiation dose calculations using complex voxel simulations. To test the program, two irradiation situations were simulated, one hypothetical contamination case with 600 MBq of 99mTc and one extravasation case involving 370 MBq of 18F-FDG. The effective dose was estimated to be 0.042 mSv for the contamination case and 4.5 mSv for the extravasation case. IDACstar has demonstrated that dosimetry results from contamination or extravasation cases can be acquired with great ease. An effective tool for radiation protection applications is provided with IDACstar allowing physicists at nuclear medicine departments to easily quantify the radiation risk of stochastic effects when a radiation accident has occurred. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  7. The development of personality extremity from childhood to adolescence: relations to internalizing and externalizing problems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van den Akker, Alithe L; Prinzie, Peter; Deković, Maja; De Haan, Amaranta D; Asscher, Jessica J; Widiger, Thomas

    2013-12-01

    This study investigated the development of personality extremity (deviation of an average midpoint of all 5 personality dimensions together) across childhood and adolescence, as well as relations between personality extremity and adjustment problems. For 598 children (mean age at Time 1 = 7.5 years), mothers and fathers reported the Big Five personality dimensions 4 times across 8 years. Children's vector length in a 5-dimensional configuration of the Big Five dimensions represented personality extremity. Mothers, fathers, and teachers reported children's internalizing and externalizing problems at the 1st and final measurement. In a cohort-sequential design, we modeled personality extremity in children and adolescents from ages 6 to 17 years. Growth mixture modeling revealed a similar solution for both mother and father reports: a large group with relatively short vectors that were stable over time (mother reports: 80.3%; father reports: 84.7%) and 2 smaller groups with relatively long vectors (i.e., extreme personality configuration). One group started out relatively extreme and decreased over time (mother reports: 13.2%; father reports: 10.4%), whereas the other group started out only slightly higher than the short vector group but increased across time (mother reports: 6.5%; father reports: 4.9%). Children who belonged to the increasingly extreme class experienced more internalizing and externalizing problems in late adolescence, controlling for previous levels of adjustment problems and the Big Five personality dimensions. Personality extremity may be important to consider when identifying children at risk for adjustment problems. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

  8. Investigation of internal radionuclide contamination from the analysis of nasal swabs and facial swipes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raymond Ko; Baki Sadi; Chunsheng Li; Chad Shew; Sharman Perera; Ed Waller; Kristine Mattson; Kathy Nielsen; David Kelly

    2014-01-01

    Nasal swabs and facial swipes have been used to screen potential internal radioactive contamination for decades. However, the ratio between the lung intake and the activity on a swab or a swipe varies according to the nature of the contaminant involved and the exposure conditions such as particle sizes of the contaminant and the humidity in the air. This paper reports the experimental results using stable La 2 O 3 as an analog for actinide oxides, focusing on the most important parameters such as humidity, plume velocity, and facial condition at a fixed room temperature of 23 ± 2 deg C. The results showed that the effects of humidity, plume velocity, and facial condition vary more on orofacial swipe/lung deposition ratios compared to nasal swab/lung deposition ratios. The amounts on nasal swabs tended to show smaller change with respect to parameters such as plume velocity, humidity, and skin moisture. The amounts on orofacial swipes varied by a factor of 10-15 among the samples collected across all parameters. Such variability would be expected to be even greater in a real-world scenario with a larger range of physiological and environmental conditions. (author)

  9. Radiological interference from personal articles in occupational radiation monitoring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krishnakumar, P.; Jayan, M.P; Pawar, V.J; Patil, S.L; Selvamani, N.; Vedram; Sureshkumar, M.K.; Chinnaesakki, S.

    2016-01-01

    This paper discusses the presence of radioactivity in some personal articles worn on sacred thread and the related difficulties faced by health physicists during occupational radiation monitoring in nuclear facilities. In an incident, the portal monitor installed at the exit gate of a nuclear facility indicated contamination on self of a radiation worker while passing through it. The worker was therefore, subjected to thorough check for external contamination by the plant health physicist, using a pan-cake contamination monitor. All the clothing of the person was also checked for contamination. On further detailed examination, a dark brownish personal article hanging on a sacred thread from his neck was found to be the source of contamination. This presentation aims at giving information to the health physics community on the possibility of such interferences during personal monitoring in nuclear facilities

  10. Impact of personal goals on the internal medicine R4 subspecialty match: a Q methodology study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daniels, Vijay J; Kassam, Narmin

    2013-12-21

    There has been a decline in interest in general internal medicine that has resulted in a discrepancy between internal medicine residents' choice in the R4 subspecialty match and societal need. Few studies have focused on the relative importance of personal goals and their impact on residents' choice. The purpose of this study was to assess if internal medicine residents can be grouped based on their personal goals and how each group prioritizes these goals compared to each other. A secondary objective was to explore whether we could predict a resident's desired subspecialty choice based on their constellation of personal goals. We used Q methodology to examine how postgraduate year 1-3 internal medicine residents could be grouped based on their rankings of 36 statements (derived from our previous qualitative study). Using each groups' defining and distinguishing statements, we predicted their subspecialties of interest. We also collected the residents' first choice in the subspecialty match and used a kappa test to compare our predicted subspecialty group to the residents' self-reported first choice. Fifty-nine internal medicine residents at the University of Alberta participated between 2009 and 2010 with 46 Q sorts suitable for analysis. The residents loaded onto four factors (groups) based on how they ranked statements. Our prediction of each groups' desired subspecialties with their defining and/or distinguishing statements are as follows: group 1 - general internal medicine (variety in practice); group 2 - gastroenterology, nephrology, and respirology (higher income); group 3 - cardiology and critical care (procedural, willing to entertain longer training); group 4 - rest of subspecialties (non-procedural, focused practice, and valuing more time for personal life). There was moderate agreement (kappa = 0.57) between our predicted desired subspecialty group and residents' self-reported first choice (p internal medicine subspecialty. The key goals that define

  11. Rule-following as an Anticipatory Act: Interaction in Second Person and an Internal Measurement Model of Dialogue

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takahashi, Tatsuji; Gunji, Yukio-Pegio

    2008-10-01

    We pursue anticipation in second person or normative anticipation. As the first step, we make the three concepts second person, internal measurement and asynchroneity clearer by introducing the velocity of logic νl and the velocity of communication νc, in the context of social communication. After proving anticipatory nature of rule-following or language use in general via Kripke's "rule-following paradox," we present a mathematical model expressing the internality essential to second person, taking advantage of equivalences and differences in the formal language theory. As a consequence, we show some advantages of negatively considered concepts and arguments by concretizing them into an elementary and explicit formal model. The time development of the model shows a self-organizing property which never results if we adopt a third person stance.

  12. Personal Exposure to Contaminant Sources in Ventilated Rooms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brohus, Henrik

    Three different tools for personal exposure assessment are presented. They are all able to consider the local influence of persons in ventilated rooms where concentration gradients prevail: A Breathing Thermal Manikin, a Computer Simulated Person, and a Trained Sensory Panel. The tools are applied...

  13. Optimisation of internal contamination monitoring programme by integration of uncertainties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Davesne, E.; Casanova, P.; Chojnacki, E.; Paquet, F.; Blanchardon, E.

    2011-01-01

    Potential internal contamination of workers is monitored by periodic bioassay measurements interpreted in terms of intake and committed effective dose by the use of biokinetic and dosimetric models. After a prospective evaluation of exposure at a workplace, a suitable monitoring programme can be defined by choosing adequate measurement techniques and frequency. In this study, the sensitivity of a programme is evaluated by the minimum intake and dose, which may be detected with a given level of confidence by taking into account uncertainties on exposure conditions and measurements. This is made for programme optimisation, which is performed by comparing the sensitivities of different alternative programmes. These methods were applied at the AREVA NC reprocessing plant and support the current monitoring programme as the best compromise between the cost of the measurements and the sensitivity of the programme. (authors)

  14. Risk of internal contamination of workers employed in radioisotope laboratories in Poland

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Adamiak-Ziemba, J.; Domanski, T.; Doniec, J.

    1981-01-01

    It was established that in Poland 247 radioisotope laboratories use open radiation sources. These laboratories have not yet been covered by the internal system of control of inner contamination. The number of workers having contact with radioisotopes amounts to 1987. Frequently this is work in contact with several radioisotopes (from 1 to 17). Most workers are exposed to tritium (over 500 workers), /sup 14/C (over 500), /sup 125/I and /sup 131/I, /sup 32/P, /sup 51/Cr, 99mTc (over 100), isotopes belonging to radiotoxicity groups 2, 3 and 4. In the radiotoxicity group 1 the most workers were exposed to /sup 226/Ra (52).

  15. Impact of airflow interaction on inhaled air quality and transport of contaminants in rooms with personalized and total volume ventilation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Melikov, Arsen Krikor; Cermak, Radim; Kovar, O.

    2003-01-01

    The impact of airflow interaction on inhaled air quality and transport of contaminants between occupants was studied in regard to pollution from floor covering, human bioeffluents and exhaled air, with combinations of two personalized ventilation systems (PV) with mixing and displacement...... quality with personalized and mixing ventilation was higher or at least similar compared to mixing ventilation alone. In the case of PV combined with displacement ventilation, the interaction caused mixing of the room air, an increase in the transport of bioeffluents and exhaled air between occupants and...... ventilation. In total, 80 L/s of clean air supplied at 20°C was distributed between the ventilation systems at different combinations of personalized airflow rate. Two breathing thermal manikins were used to simulate occupants in a full-scale test room. Regardless of the airflow interaction, the inhaled air...

  16. The Hamburg polonium-210 case. Monitoring of internal contaminations in a malevolent act

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dalheimer, A.; Koenig, K.; Nosske, D.; Schaefer, I.

    2009-01-01

    The dead of Alexander Litvinenko in London in the late 2006 was linked with the visit of Dimitri Kovtun. So an investigation was started by the Hamburg Police. As the presence of polonium-210 was uncertain, the action was supported by the Federal Defense against Nuclear Hazards (NGA) of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS). Radiation measurements in some flats in Hamburg confirmed the suspicion of polonium-210 contaminations. As incorporations by ingestion or inhalation could not generally be excluded, the Coordinating Office on Incorporation Monitoring of the BfS (Leitstelle Inkorporationsueberwachung des BfS) was requested to clarify this issue. The BfS office then coordinated the required bioassay analyses of urine samples carried out at four officially appointed in-vitro laboratories for incorporation monitoring. The group of people to be examined included the members of the family involved living in the contaminated flats, the emergency forces, as well as potentially exposed members of the public. The calculation of the internal dose was based on standard assumptions and also conducted by the BfS. The internal radiation doses proved to be within the range of radiation doses due to natural exposures. Retrospectively it should be stressed that the collaboration and cooperation of all institutions involved in the operation in Hamburg was extremely good despite their differing organisational structures. As a result of the incident in Hamburg various middle and long-term measures have been taken since then by the BfS Coordinating Office on Incorporation Monitoring. (orig.)

  17. Big Five Personality Traits and Eating Attitudes in Intensively Training Dancers: The Mediating Role of Internalized Thinness Norms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stéphanie Scoffier-Mériaux, Charlène Falzon, Peter Lewton-Brain, Edith Filaire, Fabienne d’Arripe-Longueville

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Dancers are at high risk of developing disordered eating attitudes, notably because of internalized thinness norms. Although the big five personality traits have been shown to be associated with eating attitudes in daily life, in dancers where eating issues and thinness norms internalization could be salient little is known about these associations and the role of the internalization of thinness norms in this relationship. The main objectives of this study were thus to examine the relationships between the personality traits defined in the big five model and the self-regulation of eating attitudes, and to assess the role of internalized thinness norms in this association. The study included 180 intensively training dancers with an average age of 15.6 years (SD = 2.8. Dancers completed questionnaires measuring the big five personality traits, internalization of thinness norms and self-regulation of eating attitudes in sport. Bootstrapped mediation analyses showed that neuroticism was negatively associated with self-regulation of eating attitudes, both directly and indirectly through the mediating role of internalized thinness norms. This study suggested that: (a neuroticism is a vulnerability factor for self-regulation of eating attitudes in dancers, as already evidenced in the general population, and (b the internalization of thinness norms is a pathway through which neuroticism affects self-regulation of eating attitudes. The big five model is therefore partially related to the internalization of thinness norms and eating attitudes in dancers.

  18. The Influence of the Concept of International Legal Personality on the Drafting of the PCIJ Statute

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kjeldgaard-Pedersen, Astrid

    2014-01-01

    In 1920, when the Advisory Committee of Jurists was appointed by the Council of the League of Nations to be responsible for the development of a Permanent Court of International Justice (PCIJ), it was conventional wisdom among scholars that only states could possess international legal personality...

  19. Lake fish as the main contributor of internal dose to lakeshore residents in the Chernobyl contaminated area

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Travnikova, I.G.; Bazjukin, A.N.; Bruk, G.Ja.; Shutov, V.N.; Balonov, M.I.; Skuterud, L.; Mehli, H.; Strand, P.

    2004-01-01

    Two field expeditions in 1996 studied 137 Cs intake patterns and its content in the bodies of adult residents from the village Kozhany in the Bryansk region, Russia, located on the shore of a drainless peat lake in an area subjected to significant radioactive contamination after the 1986 Chernobyl accident. The 137 Cs contents in lake water and fish were two orders of magnitude greater than in local rivers and flow-through lakes, 10 years after Chernobyl radioactive contamination, and remain stable. The 137 Cs content in lake fish and a mixture of forest mushrooms was between approximately 10-20 kBq/kg, which exceeded the temporary Russian permissible levels for these products by a factor of 20-40. Consumption of lake fish gave the main contribution to internal doses (40-50%) for Kozhany village inhabitants Simple countermeasures, such as Prussian blue doses for dairy cows and pre-boiling mushrooms and fish before cooking, halved the 137 Cs internal dose to inhabitants, even 10 years after the radioactive fallout

  20. Maternal and Child Health of Internally Displaced Persons in Ukraine: A Qualitative Study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nidzvetska, S.; Rodriguez-Llanes, J.M.; Aujoulat, I.; Cuesta, J. Gil; Tappis, H.; Loenhout, J.A.F. van; Guha-Sapir, D.

    2017-01-01

    Due to the conflict that started in spring 2014 in Eastern Ukraine, a total of 1.75 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) fled the area and have been registered in government-controlled areas of the country. This paper explores perceived health, barriers to access to healthcare, caring

  1. Measurement Invariance and the Five-Factor Model of Personality: Asian International and Euro American Cultural Groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rollock, David; Lui, P Priscilla

    2016-10-01

    This study examined measurement invariance of the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), assessing the five-factor model (FFM) of personality among Euro American (N = 290) and Asian international (N = 301) students (47.8% women, Mage = 19.69 years). The full 60-item NEO-FFI data fit the expected five-factor structure for both groups using exploratory structural equation modeling, and achieved configural invariance. Only 37 items significantly loaded onto the FFM-theorized factors for both groups and demonstrated metric invariance. Threshold invariance was not supported with this reduced item set. Groups differed the most in the item-factor relationships for Extraversion and Agreeableness, as well as in response styles. Asian internationals were more likely to use midpoint responses than Euro Americans. While the FFM can characterize broad nomothetic patterns of personality traits, metric invariance with only the subset of NEO-FFI items identified limits direct group comparisons of correlation coefficients among personality domains and with other constructs, and of mean differences on personality domains. © The Author(s) 2015.

  2. The right to vote of persons with disabilities and, specially, of persons with mental and intellectual disabilities in public international law. Its reception in Spain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Víctor Carlos Pascual Planchuelo

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available This study describes the different international treaties and instruments, at universal and regional levels, that protect –directly or indirectly- the right to political participation and the right to vote of all persons with all kind of disabilities. Specifically, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006 brings a change in the framework on disability, by proclaiming their right to political participation, and recognizing their legal capacity in equal conditions to the rest of the people. The consequence of this analysis is that Spain must guarantee the right to vote of all persons with disabilities regardless the type of disability (physical, intellectual, mental o sensory, being necessary the adaptation of its domestic laws to international engagements and obligations; therefore, the Spanish authorities are obliged to remove or reform of the article 3 of Electoral General Organic Law.

  3. Threat and Guilt Aspects of Internalized Antilesbian and Gay Prejudice: An Application of Personal Construct Theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moradi, Bonnie; van den Berg, Jacob J.; Epting, Franz R.

    2009-01-01

    Building on G. A. Kelly's (1991a, 1991b) personal construct theory, this study introduced concepts of threat and guilt as different manifestations of internalized antilesbian and gay prejudice. Results with 102 lesbian and gay participants indicated that internalized threat and guilt each accounted for unique variance in global internalized…

  4. THE MANIFESTATION OF THE EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK’S LEGAL PERSONALITY AT NATIONAL, EUROPEAN AND INTERNATIONAL LEVEL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MONICA ŞAGUNA

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available The European Central Bank is one of the world’ s most important central banks, responsible for the monetary policy covering the 17 member States of the Eurozone. Established by the European Union in 1998, it was given the exclusive right to authorize the issue of banknotes within the European Union. The European Central Bank has legal personality under public international law. As article 282, paragraph 3 of the Treaty on functioning of the European Union and article 9, paragraph 1 of the Statute of the European System of Central Banks and of the European Central Bank states, the European Central Bank and the National Central Banks enjoy their own legal personality. The European Central Bank, given its important role in the economic integration, is the single institution of the European Union which has legal personality. This is a premise for it to fulfill its objectives. In this framework, the purpose of my paper is to analyze the effects of the European Central Bank’s legal personality from a complete perspective: at national, European and international level. Therefore the objectives of my study are: an introspection in the concept of legal personality, the identification of the reason why it was entrusted to a single institution of the European Union and a detailed analyze of the effects of the European Central Bank’ s legal personality.

  5. Long-term assessment of contaminated articles from the Chernobyl reactor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alkhomashi, N; Monged, M H E

    2015-06-01

    The Chernobyl accident caused a release of radioactive materials from the reactor into the environment. This event contaminated people, their surroundings and their personal property, especially in the zone around the reactor. Among the affected individuals were British students who were studying in Minsk and Kiev at the time of the Chernobyl accident. These students were exposed to external and internal radiation, and the individuals' articles of clothing were contaminated. The primary objective of this study was to analyze a sample of this contaminated clothing 20 years after the accident using three different detectors, namely, a BP4/4C scintillation detector, a Min-Con Geiger-Müller tube detector and a high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector. The clothing articles were initially assessed and found not to be significantly contaminated. However, there were several hot spots of contamination in various regions of the articles. The net count rates for these hot spots were in the range of 10.00 ± 3.16 c/s to 41.00 ± 6.40 c/s when the BP4/4C scintillation detector was used. The HPGe detector was used to identify the radionuclides present in the clothing, and the results indicated that the only active radionuclide was (137)Cs because of this isotope's long half-life. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. An association between urinary cadmium and urinary stone disease in persons living in cadmium-contaminated villages in northwestern Thailand: A population study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Swaddiwudhipong, Witaya; Mahasakpan, Pranee; Limpatanachote, Pisit; Krintratun, Somyot

    2011-01-01

    Excessive urinary calcium excretion is the major risk of urinary stone formation. Very few population studies have been performed to determine the relationship between environmental cadmium exposure and urinary stone disease. This population-based study examined an association between urinary cadmium excretion, a good biomarker of long-term cadmium exposure, and prevalence of urinary stones in persons aged 15 years and older, who lived in the 12 cadmium-contaminated villages in the Mae Sot District, Tak Province, northwestern Thailand. A total of 6748 persons were interviewed and screened for urinary cadmium and urinary stone disease in 2009. To test a correlation between urinary excretion of cadmium and calcium, we measured urinary calcium content in 1492 persons, who lived in 3 villages randomly selected from the 12 contaminated villages. The rate of urinary stones significantly increased from 4.3% among persons in the lowest quartile of urinary cadmium to 11.3% in the highest quartile. An increase in stone prevalence with increasing urinary cadmium levels was similarly observed in both genders. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed a positive association between urinary cadmium levels and stone prevalence, after adjusting for other co-variables. The urinary calcium excretion significantly increased with increasing urinary cadmium levels in both genders, after adjusting for other co-variables. Elevated calciuria induced by cadmium might increase the risk of urinary stone formation in this environmentally exposed population. - Research highlights: → Excessive calciuria is the major risk of urinary stone formation. → We examine cadmium-exposed persons for urinary cadmium, calcium, and stones. → The rate of urinary stones increases with increasing urinary cadmium. → Urinary calcium excretion increases with increasing urinary cadmium. → Elevated calciuria induced by cadmium may increase the risk of urinary stones.

  7. Mental contamination: The effects of religiosity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bilekli, Ilgun; Inozu, Mujgan

    2018-03-01

    Mental contamination, which occurs in the absence of contact with a contaminant, has a moral element. Previous studies evoked feelings of mental contamination via listening to a scenario, which described a non-consensual kiss. Since mental contamination has a moral element, we tested the effects of the level of religiosity on feelings of mental contamination and related variables in an experimental design. Female undergraduates of high religiosity (n = 48) and low religiosity (n = 44) were randomly assigned to listen to one of two audio recordings involving a consensual or non-consensual kiss from a man described as moral. Mental contamination feelings were evoked successfully in both groups. Effects of scenario condition and religiosity level were seen in mental contamination and related negative feelings. Participants who imagined a non-consensual kiss reported greatest feelings of mental contamination, and internal and external negative feelings. More importantly, high religiosity resulted in greater feelings of mental contamination, internal negative feelings, as well as urges to wash and actual washing behaviors. The current study was conducted on non-clinical Muslim females. This limits the generalization of the findings to the wider population. Mental contamination and related feelings can be seen in different forms at different levels of religiosity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Core Self-Evaluations as Personal Factors in the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Model: An Application in Persons with Spinal Cord Injury

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yaghmanian, Rana; Smedema, Susan Miller; Thompson, Kerry

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate Chan, Gelman, Ditchman, Kim, and Chiu's (2009) revised World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) model using core self-evaluations (CSE) to account for Personal Factors in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). Method: One hundred eighty-seven adults with SCI were…

  9. Recommendations for determining the surface contamination of the skin and estimating radiation exposure of the skin after contamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1989-01-01

    The recommendations are applicable to the determination of surface contaminations of the skin and to the estimation of the expected radiation exposure of the skin of contaminated persons. According to the present recommendations, the radiation exposure can only be estimated for the intact and healthy skin

  10. Substantiation of the permissible radioactive contamination of working clothes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shcherbakov, V.L.; Korostin, A.S.

    1977-01-01

    A permissible level of working clothes contamination was determined on the base of the main migration routes of radioactive contaminants: permeation directly through the clothes into subclothes space on skin surface, emission into the air with amount of contaminants subsequently got by the organism of a working person through inhalation as well as transfer in the process of contacting of contaminated working clothes and surfaces of premises equipment, working person hands with amount of contaminants posteriorly got by the organism by alimentary or inhalation ways. Using the experimental and literature data available the permissible levels of working clothes contamination for the mentioned migration routes of radioactive materials have been calculated. According to the data obtained the permissible levels of working clothes contamination must not exceed 4 alpha-part/(cm 2 xmin) for contamination with high-tonic isotopes, 20 alpha-part./(cm 2 xmin) with other alpha-detine isotopes, 1000 beta-part./(cm 2 xmin) with beta-active ones. The permissible level of contamination of additional materials of the individual protection in the case of their contamination with high-tonic alpha-actine isotopes must not exceed 50 alpha-part./(cm 2 xmin), 200 alpha-part./(cm 2 xmin) for contamination th other alpha-active isotopes and 400 beta-part./(cm 2 xmin) with beta-active isotopes

  11. Big Five Personality Traits and Eating Attitudes in Intensively Training Dancers: The Mediating Role of Internalized Thinness Norms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scoffier-Mériaux, Stéphanie; Falzon, Charlène; Lewton-Brain, Peter; Filaire, Edith; d'Arripe-Longueville, Fabienne

    2015-09-01

    Dancers are at high risk of developing disordered eating attitudes, notably because of internalized thinness norms. Although the big five personality traits have been shown to be associated with eating attitudes in daily life, in dancers where eating issues and thinness norms internalization could be salient little is known about these associations and the role of the internalization of thinness norms in this relationship. The main objectives of this study were thus to examine the relationships between the personality traits defined in the big five model and the self-regulation of eating attitudes, and to assess the role of internalized thinness norms in this association. The study included 180 intensively training dancers with an average age of 15.6 years (SD = 2.8). Dancers completed questionnaires measuring the big five personality traits, internalization of thinness norms and self-regulation of eating attitudes in sport. Bootstrapped mediation analyses showed that neuroticism was negatively associated with self-regulation of eating attitudes, both directly and indirectly through the mediating role of internalized thinness norms. This study suggested that: (a) neuroticism is a vulnerability factor for self-regulation of eating attitudes in dancers, as already evidenced in the general population, and (b) the internalization of thinness norms is a pathway through which neuroticism affects self-regulation of eating attitudes. The big five model is therefore partially related to the internalization of thinness norms and eating attitudes in dancers. Key pointsThe big five model relates to the internalization of thinness norms and eating attitudes in dancers.Neuroticism is negatively related to the self-regulation of eating attitudes.The internalization of thinness norms is correlated to the relationship between neuroticism and self-regulation of eating attitudes.

  12. Development of an expert system for the taking into account of uncertainties in the monitoring of internal contaminations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Davesne, E.; Blanchardon, E.; Casanova, P.; Chojnacki, E.; Paquet, F.

    2010-01-01

    Internal contaminations may result from professional exposure and they can be monitored by anthropo-radiometric and radio-toxicological measurements which are interpreted in terms of embedded activity and effective dose by means of biokinetic and dosimetric models. In spite of standards, some uncertainties in the dosimetric interpretation of radio-toxicological measurements may remain. The authors report the development of a software (OPSCI code) which takes into account uncertainties related to the worker internal dosimetry, the calculation of the minimum detectable dose related to an exposure, and the development of a data monitoring programme

  13. The risk of internal contamination of workers employed in radioisotope laboratories in Poland

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adamiak-Ziemba, J.; Domanski, T.; Doniec, J.

    1981-01-01

    It was established that in Poland 247 radioisotope laboratories use open radiation sources. These laboratories have not yet been covered by the internal system of control of inner contamination. The number of workers having contact with radioisotopes amounts to 1987. Frequently this is work in contact with several radioisotopes (from 1 to 17). Most workers are exposed to tritium (over 500 workers), 14 C (over 500), 125 I and 131 I, 32 P, 51 Cr, 99mTc (over 100), isotopes belonging to radiotoxicity groups 2, 3 and 4. In the radiotoxicity group 1 the most workers were exposed to 226 Ra (52). (author)

  14. Report on international round table conference 'Accidental radiation contamination of food of animal origin'. Vol. I

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1986-07-01

    The World Association of Veterinary Food Hygienists (WAVFH) held an international round table conference in Stockholm, Sweden, January 26-29, 1987. The topic of the conference was 'Accidental Radiation Contamination of Food of Animal Origin'. The agenda was divided into three major topic areas: 1. Ecological Science; 2. Veterinary Science - Live Animals; and 3. Veterinary Science - Food of Animal Origin. Experts and delegates from member countries presented papers, participated in discussions and workshops and produced a multidisciplinary report covering the topic areas. The recent accidental release of radioactive substances into the environment from the Chernobyl accident, demonstrated the need for veterinary, ecological, physical and medical sciences to be prepared to respond to an incident in order to protect the environment, food chain, other agricultural assets and humans from the adverse effects of radionuclides. Several presentations suggested that even with the best technologies, national and regional commitment, and relatively unrestricted resource levels, nuclear incidents can cross international boundaries and can contaminate the environment to the extent that the integrity of various food and water supplies can be at risk. Speakers and subsequent discussers tended to concentrate on the issues associated with lessening future environmental impacts if similar types of incidents should occur again.

  15. Report on international round table conference 'Accidental radiation contamination of food of animal origin'. Vol. I

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1986-01-01

    The World Association of Veterinary Food Hygienists (WAVFH) held an international round table conference in Stockholm, Sweden, January 26-29, 1987. The topic of the conference was 'Accidental Radiation Contamination of Food of Animal Origin'. The agenda was divided into three major topic areas: 1. Ecological Science; 2. Veterinary Science - Live Animals; and 3. Veterinary Science - Food of Animal Origin. Experts and delegates from member countries presented papers, participated in discussions and workshops and produced a multidisciplinary report covering the topic areas. The recent accidental release of radioactive substances into the environment from the Chernobyl accident, demonstrated the need for veterinary, ecological, physical and medical sciences to be prepared to respond to an incident in order to protect the environment, food chain, other agricultural assets and humans from the adverse effects of radionuclides. Several presentations suggested that even with the best technologies, national and regional commitment, and relatively unrestricted resource levels, nuclear incidents can cross international boundaries and can contaminate the environment to the extent that the integrity of various food and water supplies can be at risk. Speakers and subsequent discussers tended to concentrate on the issues associated with lessening future environmental impacts if similar types of incidents should occur again

  16. Airborne radioactive contamination following aerosol ventilation studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mackie, A.; Hart, G.C.; Ibbett, D.A.; Whitehead, R.J.S.

    1994-01-01

    Lung aerosol ventilation studies may be accompanied by airborne contamination, with subsequent surface contamination. Airborne contamination has been measured prior to, during and following 59 consecutive 99 Tc m -diethylenetriamine pentaacetate (DTPA) aerosol studies using a personal air sampler. Airborne contamination ranging between 0 and 20 330 kBq m -3 has been measured. Airborne contamination increases with degree of patient breathing difficulty. The effective dose equivalent (EDE) to staff from ingested activity has been calculated to be 0.3 μSv per study. This figure is supported by data from gamma camera images of a contaminated staff member. However, surface contamination measurements reveal that 60% of studies exceed maximum permissible contamination limits for the hands; 16% of studies exceed limits for controlled area surfaces. (author)

  17. Social phobia among long-term internally displaced persons: An epidemiological study of adults in two internally displaced person settlements in Sudan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salah, Tarig Taha Mohamed; Ayazi, Touraj; Lien, Lars; Eide, Arne; Hauff, Edvard

    2015-09-01

    Despite the high worldwide prevalence and association with other mental disorders and disability, only few studies are available on social phobia in low-income countries. This study aims to assess the prevalence, socio-demographic correlates and comorbidity of social phobia and its association with disability among long-term internally displaced persons (IDPs) in one urban and one rural area in Central Sudan. This cross-sectional study was implemented in two IDP areas in Central Sudan. Data were collected during face-to-face interviews using structured questionnaires to assess socio-demographic factors and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) to determine psychiatric diagnoses. A total of 1,876 adults were enrolled from both study areas. The overall lifetime prevalence of social phobia was 14.2%, with higher rates among IDPs in the rural area and among those who were less educated. Social phobia was associated with other mental disorders in both study areas. Disability and prolonged displacement increased the risk of having social phobia in the rural area. Further work needs to be done to improve our understanding and to establish proper interventions in dealing with social phobia, other common mental disorders and disability among long-term IDPs in these impoverished areas. © The Author(s) 2014.

  18. THE INFLUENCE OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS ON THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF REGIONS IN UKRAINE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Inna Arakelova

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available In terms of the issues aggravation concerning internally displaced persons and the disproportions in the social and economic development of regions as a result of the antiterrorist operation in Ukraine, an analysis of social and economic transformations in regional development under the migration processes influence and the search for their overcoming mechanisms becomes relevant. The purpose of the article is to analyse the impact of internally displaced persons flows on the social and economic development of regions in order to improve the regional development mechanisms in Ukraine. The research methodology includes a set of scientific research methods that provide a systematic approach to investigating the impact of internally displaced persons on the social and economic development of Ukrainian regions, theoretical approaches to state regulation of internal migration flows in conditions of decentralization of power and reform of public administration in the country. In the course of investigations, the following methods are used: statistical analysis and synthesis while determining the indicators of the IDPs burden on the regional social and economic systems of Ukraine; analysis while studying the main problems of internally displaced persons and their directions; logical synthesis and synthesis while drawing conclusions. The information base for the study consists of the legislative acts of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, statistical and reporting information of the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, development of the UN Agency for Refugees, the UN ReliefWeb Specialized Service for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Inter-Agency Standing Committee, PROMAN, NGO “Labor and Health Social Initiatives”, Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, research results of domestic and foreign scientists. Results. The article deals with the issues of effective reforming of regional development

  19. Absorption and backscatter of internal conversion electrons in the measurements of surface contamination of 137Cs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yunoki, A.; Kawada, Y.; Yamada, T.; Unno, Y.; Sato, Y.; Hino, Y.

    2013-01-01

    We measured 4π and 2π counting efficiencies for internal conversion electrons (ICEs), gross β-particles and also β-rays alone with various source conditions regarding absorber and backing foil thickness using e-X coincidence technique. Dominant differences regarding the penetration, attenuation and backscattering properties among ICEs and β-rays were revealed. Although the abundance of internal conversion electrons of 137 Cs- 137 Ba is only 9.35%, 60% of gross counts may be attributed to ICEs in worse source conditions. This information will be useful for radionuclide metrology and for surface contamination monitoring. - Highlights: • Counting efficiencies for internal conversion electrons from 137 Cs were measured, and compared with those for β-rays. • Electron-X coincidence technique was employed. • A thin NaI(Tl) scintillation detector was used for X-ray detection. • Backscattering fractions of electrons and beta particles were studied by similar experiments

  20. Millon's Contributions to the International Society for the Study of Personality Disorders (ISSPD)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Simonsen, Erik; Kongerslev, Mickey

    2015-01-01

    In this article we highlight the pivotal role of Dr. Theodore Millon in the founding of the International Society for the Study of Personality Disorders (ISSPD). This historical outline of Millon's contribution to the ISSPD also contains previously unpublished transcripts of his talks at ISSPD...... congresses based on transcripts from the first author's audio recordings throughout the years....

  1. Computational dosimetry and risk assessment of radioinduced cancer: studies in mammary glands radiotherapy, radiopharmaceuticals and internal contamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mendes, Bruno Melo

    2017-01-01

    The use of Ionizing radiation (IR) in medicine has increased considerably. The benefits generated by diagnostic and therapy techniques with IR are proven. Nevertheless, the risks arising from these uses should not be underestimated. Justification, a basic radiation protection, states that the benefits from exposures must outweigh detriment. The cancer induction is one of the detriment components. Thus, the study of the benefit/detriment ratio should take into account cancer incidence and mortality estimations resulting from a given diagnosis or therapy radiological technique. The risk of cancer induction depends on the absorbed doses in the irradiated organs and tissues. Thus, IR dosimetry is essential to evaluate the benefit/detriment ratio. The present work aims to perform computational dosimetric evaluations and estimations of cancer induction risk after ionizing radiation exposure. The investigated situations cover nuclear medicine, radiological contamination and radiotherapy fields. Computational dosimetry, with MCNPx Monte Carlo Code, was used as a tool to calculate the absorbed dose in the interest organs of the voxelized human models. The simulations were also used to obtain calibration factors and optimization of in vivo monitoring systems for internal contamination dosimetry. A breast radiotherapy (RT) standard protocol was simulated using the MCNPx code. The calculation of the radiation-induced cancer risk was adapted from the BEIR VII methodology for the Brazilian population. The absorbed doses used in the risk calculations were obtained through computational simulations of different exposure scenarios. During this work, two new computational phantoms, DM B RA and VW, were generated from tomographic images. Additional twelve voxelized phantoms, including the reference phantoms, RCP A M and RCP A F, and the child, baby, and fetus models were adapted to run on MCNP. Internal Dosimetry Protocols (IDP) for radiopharmaceuticals and for internal contamination

  2. New method of measurement IN VIVO Combination internal whole body with high-resolution germanium detectors. Rapid response in cross-contamination v; Nuevo metodo de medida in vivo de la combinacion interna en cuerpo entero con detectores de germanio de alta resolucion. respuesta rapida en contaminaciones cruzadas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Navarro Amaro, J. F.; Perez Lopez, B.; Lopez Ponte, M. A.; Navarro Bravo, T.

    2013-07-01

    This test method is a substantial improvement on the current capacities of the Personal Internal Dosimetry Service CIEMAT, as it will in a very short time make accurate measurements in vivo, excellent resolution and low background radiation environment in geometry whole body. The method will complement the existing laboratory [3] and may be used in emergencies or radiological accident in which the complexity of measuring spectra (cross contamination, multipicos interference) require a higher spectral resolution. (Author)

  3. THE EFFECT OF PERSON-ORGANIZATION FIT ON JOB STRESSANDCONFLICT: AN APPLICATION ON EMPLOYEES OF BUSINESSESINDALAMAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehmet ULUTAŞ

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Person-organization fit, which is generally described as a degree of compatibilityor similarity between the person’s values and theorganization’s values, is one ofthe base factors required for an organization’s success. Organizations shouldaccomplish person-organization fit in their organizations by using employeeselection and hiring process which is congruence-based in cultural values or byapplying socialization tactics. We proposed findinga correlation in this studybetween person-organization fit and job stress andconflict. In this context, wehave reached some findings about person-organization fit and its outcomes byconducting a survey on employees of Dalaman International Airport. The findingsshowed us there is a statistically negative correlation between person-organization fit and job stress and conflict.

  4. Optimization of internal contamination monitoring programmes by studying uncertainties linked to dosimetric assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Davesne, Estelle

    2010-01-01

    To optimise the protection of workers against ionizing radiations, the International Commission on Radiological Protection recommends the use of dose constraint and limits. To verify the compliance of the means of protection with these values when a risk of internal contamination exists, monitoring programmes formed of periodic bioassay measurements are performed. However, uncertainty in the dose evaluation arises from the variability of the activity measurement and from the incomplete knowledge of the exposure conditions. This uncertainty was taken into account by means of classical, Bayesian and possibilist statistics. The developed methodology was applied to the evaluation of the potential exposure during nuclear fuel preparation or mining; and to the analysis of the monitoring programme of workers purifying plutonium in AREVA NC La Hague reprocessing plant. From the measurement decision threshold, the minimum dose detectable (MDD) by the programme with a given confidence level can be calculated through the software OPSCI. It is shown to be a useful support in the optimisation of monitoring programmes when seeking a compromise between their sensitivity and their costs. (author)

  5. Possibility of semiconductor counters application for internal contamination measurement of whole human body

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cunic, O.; Orlic, M.; Bek-Uzarov, Dj.; Pavlovic, S.; Pavlovic, R.

    1997-01-01

    The possibility of high resolution semiconductor counters application in 'Vinca' Whole Body Counter for direct beta-gamma internal contamination measurement are discussed, assuming the following relevant characteristics: efficiency, resolution and counter price. A comparison with appropriate characteristics of NaI(Tl) crystal used in 'Vinca' WBC is treated. It is evident that the scintillation counters have the higher detection efficiency, but HPGe counters having much better resolution and recently lowest prices are also acceptable to join the existing NaI(Tl) counters with the HPGe counters in the same time, allow better spectral analyses of the human body activity and additionally more precise estimation of the equivalent doses rate which is generally a essential problem in WBC measurements. (author)

  6. Characterizing pharmaceutical, personal care product, and hormone contamination in a karst aquifer of southwestern Illinois, USA, using water quality and stream flow parameters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dodgen, L K; Kelly, W R; Panno, S V; Taylor, S J; Armstrong, D L; Wiles, K N; Zhang, Y; Zheng, W

    2017-02-01

    Karst aquifers are drinking water sources for 25% of the global population. However, the unique geology of karst areas facilitates rapid transfer of surficial chemicals to groundwater, potentially contaminating drinking water. Contamination of karst aquifers by nitrate, chloride, and bacteria have been previously observed, but little knowledge is available on the presence of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), such as pharmaceuticals. Over a 17-month period, 58 water samples were collected from 13 sites in the Salem Plateau, a karst region in southwestern Illinois, United States. Water was analyzed for 12 pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs), 7 natural and synthetic hormones, and 49 typical water quality parameters (e.g., nutrients and bacteria). Hormones were detected in only 23% of samples, with concentrations of 2.2-9.1ng/L. In contrast, PPCPs were quantified in 89% of groundwater samples. The two most commonly detected PPCPs were the antimicrobial triclocarban, in 81% of samples, and the cardiovascular drug gemfibrozil, in 57%. Analytical results were combined with data of local stream flow, weather, and land use to 1) characterize the extent of aquifer contamination by CECs, 2) cluster sites with similar PPCP contamination profiles, and 3) develop models to describe PPCP contamination. Median detection in karst groundwater was 3 PPCPs at a summed concentration of 4.6ng/L. Sites clustered into 3 subsets with unique contamination models. PPCP contamination in Cluster I sites was related to stream height, manganese, boron, and heterotrophic bacteria. Cluster II sites were characterized by groundwater temperature, specific conductivity, sodium, and calcium. Cluster III sites were characterized by dissolved oxygen and barium. Across all sites, no single or small set of water quality factors was significantly predictive of PPCP contamination, although gemfibrozil concentrations were strongly related to the sum of PPCPs in karst groundwater

  7. Assessment of beta-emitter radionuclides in biological samples using liquid scintillation counting. Application to the study of internal doses in molecular and cellular biology techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sierra, I.; Delgado, A.; Navarro, T.; Macias, M. T.

    2007-01-01

    The radioisotopic techniques used in Molecular and Cellular Biology involve external and internal irradiation risk. It is necessary to control the possible internal contamination associated to the development of these techniques. The internal contamination risk can be due to physical and chemical properties of the labelled compounds, aerosols generated during the performance technique. The aim of this work was to estimate the possible intake of specific beta emitters during the technique development and to propose the required criterions to perform Individual Monitoring. The most representative radioisotopic techniques were selected attending their potential risk of internal contamination. Techniques were analysed applying IAEA methodology according to the used activity in each technique. It was necessary to identify the worker groups that would require individual monitoring on the base of their specific risk. Different measurement procedures were applied to study the possible intake in group risk and more than 160 persons were measured by in vitro bioassay. (Author) 96 refs

  8. Requirements for internal contamination monitoring units; Anforderungen an Inkorporationsmessstellen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Werner, E. [GSF, Inst. fuer Biophysikalische Strahlenforschung, Frankfurt am Main (Germany); Beyer, D. [Forschungszentrum Juelich, Abt. ASS (Germany); Doerfel, H. [Hauptabteilung Sicherheit, Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe (Germany); Erlenbach, H. [Zentralstelle fuer Sicherheitstechnik NRW, Duesseldorf (Germany); Fischbach, G. [Siemens Brennelementewerk, Hanau (Germany); Henrichs, K. [Siemens AG, Muenchen (Germany); Keller, K.D. [Radiologische Universitaetsklinik, Tuebingen (Germany); Koenig, K. [Bundesamt fuer Strahlenschutz, ISH, Neuherberg (Germany); Riedel, W. [Freie Univ. Berlin, Klinikum Steglitz (Germany); Scheler, R. [Bundesamt fuer Strahlenschutz, FB Strahlenschutz, Berlin (Germany); Schieferdecker, H. [Hauptabteilung Sicherheit, Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe (Germany)

    1994-12-31

    For the evaluation of internal contamination by officially authorized monitoring units according to section 63 (6) of the German radiation protection ordinance, a directive will be prepared in order to define uniform requirements for the laboratories in charge of incorporation monitoring by appointment of the relevant authorities. These requirements refer to equipment, to performance of measurements, to interpretation of measured values, to quality control as well as to documentation and to delivery of results. The duties of such laboratories comprise measurements of radioactivity, evaluation of intakes of radionuclides and of the resulting internal radiation dose, but also transmission of results to the employer, to the central dose registry, and under certain circumstances to the authorities. Among the requirements to be met by the laboratory for incorporation control are a sufficient measuring efficiency, the implementation of in-house checks, and the participation in intercomparison programs. For the accomplishment of such duties the laboratory needs appropriate apparatus, rooms, facilities, and staffing. (orig.) [Deutsch] Zur Ermittlung der Koerperdosen nach Paragraph 63 StrlSchV sind fuer die gemaess Abs. 6 von der zustaendigen Behoerde zu bestimmenden Messstellen in einer Richtlinie einheitliche Anforderungen festzulegen. Diese beziehen sich auf deren Ausstattung, die Durchfuehrung der Messungen, Auswertungen und Qualitaetskontrollen sowie die Aufzeichnung und Uebermittlung der Ergebnisse. Die Aufgaben der Messstellen umfassen die Messungen der Radioaktivitaet im Koerper bzw. in Koerperausscheidungen, die Ermittlung der Zufuhr an Radionukliden sowie der daraus resultierenden Koerperdosis und die Weiterleitung der Ergebnisse an den Auftraggeber, an das zentrale Dosisregister und in bestimmten Faellen an die Behoerde. Zu den von einer Messstelle zu erfuellenden Anforderungen gehoeren eine ausreichende Messeffektivitaet, die Durchfuehrung von Eigenkontrollen

  9. CFD Simulations of Contaminant Transport between two Breathing Persons

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjørn, Erik; Nielsen, Peter V.

    Experiments have shown that exhalation from one person is able to penetrate the breathing zone of another person at a distance. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is used to investigate the dependency of the personal exposure on some physical parameters, namely: Pulmonary ventilation rate......, convective heat output, exhalation temperature, and crosssectional exhalation area. Full-scale experimental results are used to calibrate/validate the CFD model....

  10. Pilot-scale UV/H2O2 study for emerging organic contaminants decomposition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chu, Xiaona; Xiao, Yan; Hu, Jiangyong; Quek, Elaine; Xie, Rongjin; Pang, Thomas; Xing, Yongjie

    2016-03-01

    Human behaviors including consumption of drugs and use of personal care products, climate change, increased international travel, and the advent of water reclamation for direct potable use have led to the introduction of significant amounts of emerging organic contaminants into the aqueous environment. In addition, the lower detection limits associated with improved scientific methods of chemical analysis have resulted in a recent increase in documented incidences of these contaminants which previously were not routinely monitored in water. Such contaminants may cause known or suspected adverse ecological and/or human health effects at very low concentrations. Conventional drinking water treatment processes may not effectively remove these organic contaminants. Advanced oxidation process (AOP) is a promising treatment process for the removal of most of these emerging organic contaminants, and has been accepted worldwide as a suitable treatment process. In this study, different groups of emerging contaminants were studied for decomposition efficiency using pilot-scale UV/H2O2 oxidation setup, including EDCs, PPCPs, taste and odor (T&O), and perfluorinated compounds. Results found that MP UV/H2O2 AOP was efficient in removing all the selected contaminants except perfluorinated compounds. Study of the kinetics of the process showed that both light absorption and quantum yield of each compound affected the decomposition performance. Analysis of water quality parameters of the treated water indicated that the outcome of both UV photolysis and UV/H2O2 processes can be affected by changes in the feed water quality.

  11. Program of individual monitoring of the internal contamination and their implementation in the Republic the Cuba

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lopez Bejerano, Gladys M.; Capote Ferrera, Eduardo; Fernandez Gomez, Isis M.; Acosta Rodriguez, Nancy; Carrazana Gonzalez, Jorge A.; Cruz Suarez, Rodolfo

    2008-01-01

    Full text: In different Cuban institutions linked fundamentally to the medical practice of nuclear medicine and the investigations, it is worked with sources open of ionizing radiations, that which makes indispensable the existence of a system of radiological surveillance that includes the control radiological individual of the received doses as a result of the occupational, such exhibition that is guaranteed that the exhibition of the Hard-working Exposed Occupationally, stay inside the recommended limits, in the International Basic Norms of Protection against the Ionizing radiations and safe-deposit of the Sources of Radiation (NBIS) and in turn adopted in the Norma Cuban. From the year 1986 in the Center of Protection and Hygiene of the Radiations is carried out in way centralized this control; but with the inconvenience of not being able to carry out the same one to workers from the domestic interior when not being feasible the transfer of these toward its headquarters, reason why the doses were ignored received in an important number of these. In and of itself the Laboratory of Internal Contamination of this institution in these years has developed managed works to define firstly, for each institution, the program of monitoring of the internal contamination of its workers using for it the methodology recommended by the OIEA where the potential doses are evaluated that for incorporation these they receive and whose results suggested the introduction of a program of individual monitoring as behavior to continue in most of the institutions. In correspondence with it was designed and established a program that included the study of feasibility of the existent equipment in the institutions to carry out the monitoring of the internal contamination using technical of measuring in vivo and in vitro, as it corresponds, their calibration, the establishment of procedures that respond to the requirements of a System of Quality for the Norma ISO/IEC 17025 and

  12. Occurrence of pharmaceutical contaminants and screening of treatment alternatives for southeastern Louisiana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boyd, G R; Grimm, D A

    2001-12-01

    Recent studies conducted in Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Brazil, Canada, the United States, and elsewhere indicate that low-level concentrations of pharmaceuticals and personal-care products (PPCPs) and their metabolites may be widespread contaminants in our aquatic environment. The persistence of pharmaceutical contaminants has been attributed to (1) human consumption of drugs and subsequent discharges from sewage treatment plants, and (2) veterinary use of drugs and nonpoint discharges from agricultural runoff. Contamination of water resources by these compounds, particularly endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), is emerging as an international environmental concern. The long-term effects of continuous, low-level exposure to PPCPs is not well understood. Preliminary data for raw water samples collected from the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, are summarized. Three PPCP compounds (clofibric acid, naproxen, and estrone) were analyzed using solid-phase extraction, derivatization, and GC/MS. Batch experiments also were conducted to determine equilibrium capacity of activated carbon for clofibric acid. Preliminary results indicate the occurrence of the selected PPCP contaminants in raw water samples at or near method-detection limits. For batch equilibrium experiments, preliminary results indicate that activated carbon potentially can be used to remove clofibric acid from water. More research is needed to develop rapid and reliable methods for PPCP analysis and to determine the effectiveness of treatment processes for removal of PPCP contaminants in water.

  13. Spatial distribution and internal metal concentrations of terrestrial arthropods in a moderately contaminated lowland floodplain along the Rhine River

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schipper, Aafke M. [Department of Environmental Science, Institute for Wetland and Water Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen (Netherlands)], E-mail: a.schipper@science.ru.nl; Wijnhoven, Sander [Centre for Sustainable Management of Resources, Institute for Science, Innovation and Society, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen (Netherlands); Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Centre for Estuarine and Marine Ecology, Monitor Taskforce, P.O. Box 140, 4400 AC Yerseke (Netherlands); Leuven, Rob S.E.W.; Ragas, Ad M.J.; Jan Hendriks, A. [Department of Environmental Science, Institute for Wetland and Water Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen (Netherlands)

    2008-01-15

    Soil metal concentrations, inundation characteristics and abundances of 14 arthropod taxa were investigated in a moderately contaminated lowland floodplain along the Rhine River and compared to the hinterland. Internal metal concentrations were determined for the orders of Coleoptera (beetles) and Araneida (spiders) and were related to soil concentrations. The floodplain was characterized by larger arthropod abundance than the hinterland, in spite of recurrent inundations and higher soil metal concentrations. Most arthropod taxa showed increasing abundance with decreasing distance to the river channel and increasing average inundation duration. For Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn, significant relations were found between arthropod concentrations and concentrations in soil. Significant relations were few but positive, indicating that increasing soil concentrations result in increasing body burdens in arthropods. For arthropod-eating vertebrates, these results might imply that larger prey availability in the floodplain coincides with higher metal concentrations in prey, possibly leading to increased exposure to metal contamination. - Recurrent floodplain inundations affect terrestrial arthropod numbers and metal contamination levels.

  14. Spatial distribution and internal metal concentrations of terrestrial arthropods in a moderately contaminated lowland floodplain along the Rhine River

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schipper, Aafke M.; Wijnhoven, Sander; Leuven, Rob S.E.W.; Ragas, Ad M.J.; Jan Hendriks, A.

    2008-01-01

    Soil metal concentrations, inundation characteristics and abundances of 14 arthropod taxa were investigated in a moderately contaminated lowland floodplain along the Rhine River and compared to the hinterland. Internal metal concentrations were determined for the orders of Coleoptera (beetles) and Araneida (spiders) and were related to soil concentrations. The floodplain was characterized by larger arthropod abundance than the hinterland, in spite of recurrent inundations and higher soil metal concentrations. Most arthropod taxa showed increasing abundance with decreasing distance to the river channel and increasing average inundation duration. For Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn, significant relations were found between arthropod concentrations and concentrations in soil. Significant relations were few but positive, indicating that increasing soil concentrations result in increasing body burdens in arthropods. For arthropod-eating vertebrates, these results might imply that larger prey availability in the floodplain coincides with higher metal concentrations in prey, possibly leading to increased exposure to metal contamination. - Recurrent floodplain inundations affect terrestrial arthropod numbers and metal contamination levels

  15. Survey of Current Best Practices for Diving in Contaminated Water

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Steigleman, W

    2002-01-01

    .... Navy divers operating in contaminated water. This survey attempted to identify the current best practices and equipment for diving in contaminated water, including personal protective equipment as well as hazard identification, diver training...

  16. Internal and external radiation exposures of Fukushima residents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hayano, Ryugo

    2014-01-01

    The soil at Fukushima prefecture and its outskirts was heavily contaminated with radioactive materials from the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, and the residents suffered risk from internal and external radiation exposure. At first, the average dose of internal radiation exposure was estimated to be several mSv based upon the results of Chernobyl nuclear disaster. But the result of massive measurements using whole body counters shows that the average quantity of internal radioactive cesium is less than that at the Cold Water period. In the meantime, someone shows exposure dose much higher than the average. The distribution of these abnormal doses is called 'Long Tail'. One must pay attention to the long tail at the assessment of the internal radiation exposure by Fukushima nuclear disaster. The main origin of the long tail is related to frequency eating of special food. It is thus important to find persons situated in the long tail and give them guidance on the meals. (J.P.N.)

  17. Antenatal Exposure of Persons from Belarus Following the Chernobyl Accidents: Neuropsychiatric Aspects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Igumnov, S.; Drozdovitch, V.

    2004-01-01

    Ten years follow-up investigation of intellectual development of 250 persons from Belarus exposed in utero following the Chernobyl accident has been conducted. Exposed cohort was compared with a control group of 250 persons in the same age from non and slightly contaminated regions. For each study subject, individual antenatal doses were reconstructed for the following pathways of exposure: (1) internal doses to thyroid gland arising from the intake of ''131 I via inhalation or ingestion; and (2) external doses from radionuclides deposited on the ground. Neuropsychiatry and psychological examinations were performed among persons of both groups at the age 6-7 years, 10-12 years, and 15-16 years. At the age of 6-7 years the persons in the exposed group had a mean full-scale intelligent quotient (IQ) lower than the control group. At the age of 10-12 and 15-16 years there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups. Positive dynamics of intellectual development in persons of both groups has been observed up to age of 15-16 years. No statiscally significant correlation was found in exposed group between individual thyroid dose as well as individual antenatal external dose and IQ at the different ages. In both groups we notice a positive moderate correlation between IQ of persons and the educational level of their parents. We conclude that probably a significant role in the genesis of borderline intellectual functioning and emotional disorders in the exposed group of persons was played by unfavorable factors such as a low educational level of parents, the break of micro social contacts and adaptation difficulties, which appear following the evacuation and relocation from the contaminated areas. (Author) 10 refs-

  18. Paediatric International Nursing Study: using person-centred key performance indicators to benchmark children's services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCance, Tanya; Wilson, Val; Kornman, Kelly

    2016-07-01

    The aim of the Paediatric International Nursing Study was to explore the utility of key performance indicators in developing person-centred practice across a range of services provided to sick children. The objective addressed in this paper was evaluating the use of these indicators to benchmark services internationally. This study builds on primary research, which produced indicators that were considered novel both in terms of their positive orientation and use in generating data that privileges the patient voice. This study extends this research through wider testing on an international platform within paediatrics. The overall methodological approach was a realistic evaluation used to evaluate the implementation of the key performance indicators, which combined an integrated development and evaluation methodology. The study involved children's wards/hospitals in Australia (six sites across three states) and Europe (seven sites across four countries). Qualitative and quantitative methods were used during the implementation process, however, this paper reports the quantitative data only, which used survey, observations and documentary review. The findings demonstrate the quality of care being delivered to children and their families across different international sites. The benchmarking does, however, highlight some differences between paediatric and general hospitals, and between the different key performance indicators across all the sites. The findings support the use of the key performance indicators as a novel method to benchmark services internationally. Whilst the data collected across 20 paediatric sites suggest services are more similar than different, benchmarking illuminates variations that encourage a critical dialogue about what works and why. The transferability of the key performance indicators and measurement framework across different settings has significant implications for practice. The findings offer an approach to benchmarking and celebrating

  19. Internalizing and externalizing personality and subjective effects in a sample of adolescent cannabis users.

    Science.gov (United States)

    García-Sánchez, Sara; Matalí, Josep Lluís; Martín-Fernández, María; Pardo, Marta; Lleras, Maria; Castellano-Tejedor, Carmina; Haro, Josep Maria

    2016-10-06

    Cannabis is the illicit substance most widely used by adolescents. Certain personality traits such as impulsivity and sensation seeking, and the subjective effects experienced after substance use (e.g. euphoria or relaxation) have been identified as some of the main etiological factors of consumption. This study aims to categorize a sample of adolescent cannabis users based on their most dominant personality traits (internalizing and externalizing profile). Then, to make a comparison of both profiles considering a set of variables related to consumption, clinical severity and subjective effects experienced. From a cross-sectional design, 173 adolescents (104 men and 69 women) aged 13 to 18 asking for treatment for cannabis use disorder in an Addictive Behavior Unit (UCAD) from the hospital were recruited. For the assessment, an ad hoc protocol was employed to register consumption, the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI) and the Addiction Research Center Inventory (ARCI) 49-item short form were also administered. Factor analysis suggested a two-profile solution: Introverted, Inhibited, Doleful, Dramatizing (-), Egotistic (-), Self-demeaning and Borderline tendency scales composed the internalizing profile, and Submissive (-), Unruly, Forceful, Conforming (-) and Oppositional scales composed the externalizing profile. The comparative analysis showed that the internalizing profile has higher levels of clinical severity and more subjective effects reported than the externalizing profile. These results suggest the need to design specific intervention strategies for each profile.

  20. Multi-Canister overpack internal HEPA filters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    SMITH, K.E.

    1998-01-01

    The rationale for locating a filter assembly inside each Multi-Canister Overpack (MCO) rather than include the filter in the Cold Vacuum Drying (CVD) process piping system was to eliminate the potential for contamination to the operators, processing equipment, and the MCO. The internal HEPA filters provide essential protection to facility workers from alpha contamination, both external skin contamination and potential internal depositions. Filters installed in the CVD process piping cannot mitigate potential contamination when breaking the process piping connections. Experience with K-Basin material has shown that even an extremely small release can result in personnel contamination and costly schedule disruptions to perform equipment and facility decontamination. Incorporating the filter function internal to the MCO rather than external is consistent with ALARA requirements of 10 CFR 835. Based on the above, the SNF Project position is to retain the internal HEPA filters in the MCO design

  1. Guidelines on the medical therapy of persons accidentally overexposed to ionizing radiations. External contamination; Guia para el tratamiento de personas accidentalmente sobreexpuestas a las radiaciones ionizantes. Contaminacion externa

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Perez, M R; Di Trano, J L; Gisone, P

    1998-07-01

    The document represents a guide for the external decontamination of persons accidentally radio contaminated due to the use, production or transport of radioactive materials. The general conditions, from the medical point of view, to be kept in mind, in the event of accidental overexposures as decontamination treatment and the handling of samples are detailed throughout report. The external contamination without injury in skin or with wound its considered. The distribution of measures and responsibilities for the therapy of the irradiated patients with radioactive materials are enumerated. The preparations of decontaminate solutions are detailed in this work. Moreover, forms for the reception, physical evaluation of the patient and external contamination are presented. (author)

  2. Internal contamination with leech in a turkey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahmoud Bahmani

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Leech enters to mouth and nose through water. Nose and nasopharynx mucosa are the most preferred places for leech attachment with epistaxis and respiratory distress symptoms. But the leeches may rarely stick deeper to trachea or esophagus which could cause hematemesis, hemoptysis and severe respiratory distress. Leech infestation can cause gastrointestinal, respiratory and genital bleeding in rare cases. Various animals such as ruminants, single-toed and carnivores, are easily infected with leeches. In May 2014, a 2-year-old turkey infected with leeches through the contaminated drinking water was referred to a veterinarian with respiratory distress symptoms, anxiety, bleeding from the mouth in Maze-Abdali Village located at 17 km from Dehloran City of Ilam Province in the west of Iran. After physical observations, a moving dark green particle was seen. Limnatis nilotica were detected after separation from the oral cavity of turkey. Respiratory distress and oral cavity bleeding should be regarded in the areas where spring and flooded water were infested with leeches. Untreated and contaminated waters consumption should be prohibited.

  3. Internalizing and externalizing personality subtypes predict differences in functioning and outcomes among veterans in residential substance use disorder treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blonigen, Daniel M; Bui, Leena; Britt, Jessica Y; Thomas, Katherine M; Timko, Christine

    2016-10-01

    There is a long history of using personality to subtype patients in treatment for substance use disorders (SUD). However, no one has validated a typology of SUD patients using a structural model of normal-range personality, particularly indicating whether subtypes differ on treatment processes and outcomes. We developed a personality-based typology among 196 military veterans enrolled in residential SUD treatment at a Veterans Affairs medical center. Patients were assessed at treatment entry, 1 month into treatment, and at discharge from treatment. Personality was assessed using the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire-Brief Form at treatment entry. Latent profile analyses identified a 3-group solution consisting of low pathology, internalizing, and externalizing groups. The internalizing group scored lowest on measures of functioning at treatment entry, whereas the externalizing group scored more poorly on treatment processes and outcomes over the course of their residential stay (e.g., more stressful relationships with other residents, lower program alliance). These findings support a clinically meaningful typology of SUD patients based on a 3-factor model of personality and can serve as a guide for future efforts aimed at developing targeted interventions that can address the individual differences of patients in this population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  4. Internal Consistency, Retest Reliability, and their Implications For Personality Scale Validity

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCrae, Robert R.; Kurtz, John E.; Yamagata, Shinji; Terracciano, Antonio

    2010-01-01

    We examined data (N = 34,108) on the differential reliability and validity of facet scales from the NEO Inventories. We evaluated the extent to which (a) psychometric properties of facet scales are generalizable across ages, cultures, and methods of measurement; and (b) validity criteria are associated with different forms of reliability. Composite estimates of facet scale stability, heritability, and cross-observer validity were broadly generalizable. Two estimates of retest reliability were independent predictors of the three validity criteria; none of three estimates of internal consistency was. Available evidence suggests the same pattern of results for other personality inventories. Internal consistency of scales can be useful as a check on data quality, but appears to be of limited utility for evaluating the potential validity of developed scales, and it should not be used as a substitute for retest reliability. Further research on the nature and determinants of retest reliability is needed. PMID:20435807

  5. Environmental contamination, product contamination and workers exposure using a robotic system for antineoplastic drug preparation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sessink, Paul J M; Leclercq, Gisèle M; Wouters, Dominique-Marie; Halbardier, Loïc; Hammad, Chaïma; Kassoul, Nassima

    2015-04-01

    Environmental contamination, product contamination and technicians exposure were measured following preparation of iv bags with cyclophosphamide using the robotic system CytoCare. Wipe samples were taken inside CytoCare, in the clean room environment, from vials, and prepared iv bags including ports and analysed for contamination with cyclophosphamide. Contamination with cyclophosphamide was also measured in environmental air and on the technicians hands and gloves used for handling the drugs. Exposure of the technicians to cyclophosphamide was measured by analysis of cyclophosphamide in urine. Contamination with cyclophosphamide was mainly observed inside CytoCare, before preparation, after preparation and after daily routine cleaning. Contamination outside CytoCare was incidentally found. All vials with reconstituted cyclophosphamide entering CytoCare were contaminated on the outside but vials with powdered cyclophosphamide were not contaminated on the outside. Contaminated bags entering CytoCare were also contaminated after preparation but non-contaminated bags were not contaminated after preparation. Cyclophosphamide was detected on the ports of all prepared bags. Almost all outer pairs of gloves used for preparation and daily routine cleaning were contaminated with cyclophosphamide. Cyclophosphamide was not found on the inner pairs of gloves and on the hands of the technicians. Cyclophosphamide was not detected in the stationary and personal air samples and in the urine samples of the technicians. CytoCare enables the preparation of cyclophosphamide with low levels of environmental contamination and product contamination and no measurable exposure of the technicians. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

  6. Surface contamination technology in decommissioning of nuclear fuel cycle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishiguro, Hideharu

    2012-01-01

    Surface contamination measurement is the most basic technology in radiation control of the nuclear and radiation facilities. Loose surface contamination causes internal exposure through airborne contamination. Surface contamination measurement is recently more important in the waste management such as confirmation of decontamination factor, contamination survey of carried-out materials from radioactive control area, and application of clearance level. This report describes the base of surface contamination standards, meaning of contamination in decommissioning, relationship between clearance level and surface contamination, and current technology of surface contamination measurement. (author)

  7. Radioactive contamination in monitors received for calibration; Contaminacao em monitores de radiacao recebidos para calibracao

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dias, Paulo S.; Santos, Gilvan C. dos; Brunelo, Maria Antonieta G.; Paula, Tiago C. de; Pires, Marina A.; Borges, Jose C. [MRA Comercio de Instrumentos Eletronicos Ltda., Jardinopolis, SP (Brazil). Centro de Ensaios e Pesquisas em Metrologia (METROBRAS)

    2013-10-01

    The Calibration Laboratory - LABCAL, from the Research Center for Metrology and Testing - METROBRAS, MRA Comercio de Instrumentos Eletronicos Ltda., began activities in October 2008 and, in August 2009, decided to establish a procedure for monitoring tests, external and internal, of all packages received from customers, containing instruments for calibration. The aim was to investigate possible contamination radioactive on these instruments. On July 2011, this procedure was extended to packagings of personal thermoluminescent dosemeters - TLD, received by the newly created Laboratory Laboratorio de Dosimetria Pessoal - LDP . In the monitoring procedure were used monitors with external probe, type pancake, MRA brand, models GP - 500 and MIR 7028. During the 37 months in which this investigation was conducted, were detected 42 cases of radioactive contamination, with the following characteristics: 1) just one case was personal dosimeter, TLD type; 2) just one case was not from a packing from nuclear medicine service - was from a mining company; 3) contamination occurred on packs and instruments, located and/or widespread; 4) contamination values ranged from slightly above the level of background radiation to about a thousand fold. Although METROBRAS has facilities for decontamination, in most cases, especially those of higher contamination, the procedure followed was to store the contaminated material in a room used for storage of radioactive sources. Periodically, each package and/or instrument was monitored, being released when the radiation level matched the background radiation. Every contamination detected, the client and/or owner of the instrument was informed. The Brazilian National Energy Commission - CNEN, was informed, during your public consultation for reviewing the standard for nuclear medicine services, held in mid-2012, having received from METROBRAS the statistical data available at the time. The high frequency of contamination detected and the high

  8. Relationships between Personal Traits, Emotional Intelligence, Internal Marketing, Service Management, and Customer Orientation in Korean Outpatient Department Nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Bogyun; Lee, Jia

    2016-03-01

    Current increase and complexity of medical tests and surgical procedures at outpatient department (OPD) require OPD nurses to have customer orientation focusing on various customers' interests and needs. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors associated with customer orientation in nurses working at OPD of hospitals. The study used a descriptive correlational design with cross-sectional survey. The study settings were four general hospitals in Seoul and its metropolitan area. Data were collected from 138 OPD nurses from general hospitals. Study variables were personal traits, emotional intelligence, internal marketing, service management and customer orientation. Factors associated with customer orientation were identified as conscientiousness from personal traits (β = .37, p marketing from environmental characteristics (β = .21, p = .001). Hospital administrators should support OPD nurses to cultivate sincere and sociable personal traits and emotional intelligence, and to consider employees as internal customers to improve patient-oriented services and satisfaction. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  9. The internal/external issue what is an outer object? Another person as object and as separate other in object relations models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zachrisson, Anders

    2013-01-01

    The question of what we mean by the term outer object has its roots in the epistemological foundation of psychoanalysis. From the very beginning, Freud's view was Kantian, and psychoanalysis has kept that stance, as it seems. The author reviews the internal/external issue in Freud's thinking and in the central object relations theories (Klein, Winnicott, and Bion). On this background he proposes a simple model to differentiate the concept of object along one central dimension: internal object, external object, and actual person. The main arguments are: (1) there is no direct, unmediated perception of the actual person--the experience of the other is always affected by the perceiver's subjectivity; (2) in intense transference reactions and projections, the perception of the person is dominated by the qualities of an inner object--and the other person "becomes" an external object for the perceiver; (3) when this distortion is less dominating, the other person to a higher degree remains a separate other--a person in his or her own right. Clinical material illustrates these phenomena, and a graphical picture of the model is presented. Finally with the model as background, the author comments on a selection of phenomena and concepts such as unobjectionable transference, "the third position," mourning and loneliness. The way that the internal colours and distorts the external is of course a central preoccupation of psychoanalysis generally. (Spillius et al., 2011, p. 326)

  10. Contamination limits for real and personal property. Progress report, January--June 1976

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Healy, J.W.; Wenzel, W.J.

    1976-09-01

    Progress is reported on the plutonium in soils limit and on the surface contamination study. The report on the soils limit is being typed in draft form for review at other ERDA facilities. A model for surface contamination was derived and programmed but parametric studies have not yet been done

  11. Radiological assessment of radioactive contamination on private clothing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schartmann, F.; Thierfeldt, S.

    2003-01-01

    In the very rare, cases where private clothing of persons working in a nuclear installation are inadvertently contaminated and this contamination is not detected when leaving the facility, there may be radiological consequences for this person as well as for members of his or her family. The VGB (Technische Vereinigung der Grosskraftwerksbetreiber) in Germany has investigated in detail the spread of contamination in nuclear power plants. Part of this evaluation programme was a radiological analysis which has been carried out by Brenk Systemplanung GmbH (Aachen/Germany). The radiological analysis started with the definition of the source term. It is highly unlikely that activities of more than 5 kBq 60 Co could leave a plant undetected on the body or the clothes. Nevertheless activities up to 50 kBq and different nuclide vectors were regarded. It has been found that 60 Co is the most important contaminant. The radiological analysis focusses on two types of contamination: particles and surface contamination. The pathways by which such a contamination can lead to an exposure by external irradiation or by ingestion depend on the type of contamination and are analysed in detail. For example, a particle could be retained in pockets or other parts of clothing and may lead to prolonged external irradiation until the piece of clothing is washed. The analysis is performed on the basis of conservative to realistic assumptions. In conclusion, the analysis has shown that especially particle contamination needs to be focussed on. However, by the advanced detection equipment in German plants doses which may pose a health hazard can safely be excluded. (authors)

  12. Radioactive contamination of natural and artificial materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kovalchuk, E.L.; Pomansky, A.A.; Smolnikov, A.A.; Temmoev, A.H.

    1980-01-01

    The gamma radiation of different materials was measured in an underground low-background chamber with extraordinary background characteristics. The excellent background conditions of the measurements enabled investigators to see the alpha-particle peaks of the internal radioactive contamination of NaI(Tl) detectors, which were especially made for these measurements. The sensitivity limit of the installation was determined by the internal contamination of the NaI(Tl) detectors alone. Any radiation background, except for three substances, tungsten, copper, and brass, could be registered

  13. Performance evaluation of a novel personalized ventilation-personalized exhaust system for airborne infection control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, J; Sekhar, S C; Cheong, K W D; Raphael, B

    2015-04-01

    In the context of airborne infection control, it is critical that the ventilation system is able to extract the contaminated exhaled air within the shortest possible time. To minimize the spread of contaminated air exhaled by occupants efficiently, a novel personalized ventilation (PV)-personalized exhaust (PE) system has been developed, which aims to exhaust the exhaled air as much as possible from around the infected person (IP). The PV-PE system was studied experimentally for a particular healthcare setting based on a typical consultation room geometry and four different medical consultation positions of an IP and a healthy person (HP). Experiments using two types of tracer gases were conducted to evaluate two types of PE: Top-PE and Shoulder-PE under two different background ventilation systems: Mixing Ventilation and Displacement Ventilation. Personalized exposure effectiveness, intake fraction (iF) and exposure reduction (ε) were used as indices to evaluate the PV-PE system. The results show that the combined PV-PE system for the HP achieves the lowest intake fraction; and the use of PE system for the IP alone shows much better performance than using PV system for the HP alone. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. Update Dosimetry Service internal staff Tecnatom; Actualizacion del servicio de dosimetria personal interna de TECNATOM

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bravo, B.; Marchena, P.; Alonso, A.; Navarro, E.; Serrano, E.

    2010-07-01

    The beginning of decommissioning of nuclear facilities and other industrial national context conditions have been a very significant increase in the need for such services, which have been almost overwhelmed by the demand. To provide a solution to this situation, Tecnatom decided to run as a new internal dosimetry service indirect measures to complement its renowned capabilities of direct measures. To perform this task, Tecnatom has signed a collaboration agreement with the Laboratory of Radiochemistry of Geocisa, all with the objective of characterizing contamination by alpha emitters or beta different analytical techniques.

  15. EM International. Volume 1

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1993-07-01

    It is the intent of EM International to describe the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management`s (EM`s) various roles and responsibilities within the international community. Cooperative agreements and programs, descriptions of projects and technologies, and synopses of visits to international sites are all highlighted in this semiannual journal. Focus on EM programs in this issue is on international collaboration in vitrification projects. Technology highlights covers: in situ sealing for contaminated sites; and remote sensors for toxic pollutants. Section on profiles of countries includes: Arctic contamination by the former Soviet Union, and EM activities with Germany--cooperative arrangements.

  16. A review of international coverage and pricing strategies for personalized medicine and orphan drugs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Degtiar, Irina

    2017-12-01

    Personalized medicine and orphan drugs share many characteristics-both target small patient populations, have uncertainties regarding efficacy and safety at payer submission, and frequently have high prices. Given personalized medicine's rising importance, this review summarizes international coverage and pricing strategies for personalized medicine and orphan drugs as well as their impact on therapy development incentives, payer budgets, and therapy access and utilization. PubMed, Health Policy Reference Center, EconLit, Google Scholar, and references were searched through February 2017 for articles presenting primary data. Sixty-nine articles summarizing 42 countries' strategies were included. Therapy evaluation criteria varied between countries, as did patient cost-share. Payers primarily valued clinical effectiveness; cost was only considered by some. These differences result in inequities in orphan drug access, particularly in smaller and lower-income countries. The uncertain reimbursement process hinders diagnostic testing. Payer surveys identified lack of comparative effectiveness evidence as a chief complaint, while manufacturers sought more clarity on payer evidence requirements. Despite lack of strong evidence, orphan drugs largely receive positive coverage decisions, while personalized medicine diagnostics do not. As more personalized medicine and orphan drugs enter the market, registries can provide better quality evidence on their efficacy and safety. Payers need systematic assessment strategies that are communicated with more transparency. Further studies are necessary to compare the implications of different payer approaches. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. The Debate around the Need for an International Convention on the Rights of Older Persons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doron, Israel; Apter, Itai

    2010-01-01

    In recent years, there has been a growing interest and debate around the question, whether there is a need for an international convention on the rights of older persons. The debate around this question is far from simple or consensual. Although there are strong voices in favor, there are also strong arguments against. Moreover, the mere fact that…

  18. Exposure Due to Interacting Air flows Between Two Persons

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjørn, Erik; Nielsen, Peter V.

    The contaminant concentration inhaled by an occupant (ie. the personal exposure) is usually less than the return concentration in displacement ventilated rooms. Two main questions are investigated: 1) Does the exhalation from one person penetrate the breathing zone of another person placed nearby...

  19. Methods for reducing internal collective doses due to contamination of agricultural lands

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prister, B.S.; Novikova, N.K.; Tkachenko, N.V.; Nagovisyna, L.I.; Berezhnaya, T.I.; Semenyuk, N.D.; Rudoj, V.M.

    1990-01-01

    Radioactive contamination of agricultural lands in 30 km vicinity of Chernobyl NPP asw well as agricultural products involved in food chains is considered. Attention is paid to population collective doses due to intake of contaminated food. It is shown that target optimization of agricultural production structure in territories where food contamination does not result in increase of population dose limit lies in achievement of minimal inclusion of radionuclides in human diet

  20. Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and artificial sweeteners (ASs) in surface and ground waters and their application as indication of wastewater contamination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yuan-Yuan; Zhao, Jian-Liang; Liu, You-Sheng; Liu, Wang-Rong; Zhang, Qian-Qian; Yao, Li; Hu, Li-Xin; Zhang, Jin-Na; Jiang, Yu-Xia; Ying, Guang-Guo

    2018-03-01

    We systematically investigated the occurrence and distribution of 93 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and 5 artificial sweeteners (ASs) in surface water and groundwater of Dongjiang River basin in south China. In surface water, 52 compounds were detected with median concentrations ranging from 0.06ng/L to 504ng/L, while in groundwater, 33 compounds were detected with concentrations up to 4580ng/L for acesulfame. PPCPs and ASs were widely detected in the surface water and groundwater samples, which indicated contamination by domestic wastewater in the surface water and groundwater of Dongjiang River basin. Temporal and spatial variations of the detected chemicals were observed in surface water. Acesulfame, sucralose and cyclamate can be used as wastewater indicators to imply contamination in groundwater caused by domestic wastewater due to their hydrophilicity, anthropogenic sources and ubiquity in groundwater. Moreover, the detection of the readily degradable ASs, cyclamate, was a strong indication of untreated wastewater in groundwater. Sucralose was found to be a suitable wastewater indicator to reflect domestic wastewater contamination in surface water and groundwater qualitatively and quantitatively, and it can be used to evaluate wastewater burden in surface water and groundwater of Dongjiang River basin. The wastewater burden data from this survey implied serious contamination in surface water and groundwater by domestic wastewater at Shima River, a tributary of the Dongjiang River. The findings from this study suggest that the selected labile and conservative chemicals can be used as indication of wastewater contamination for aquatic environments qualitatively and quantitatively. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Decontamination of radioactively contaminated surfaces - Method for testing and assessing the ease of decontamination (International Standard Publication ISO 8690:1988)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stefanik, J.

    2001-01-01

    The specifications laid down in this International Standard apply to the testing of surfaces which may become contaminated by radioactive materials. Decontaminability data obtained using this test method are not applicable to technical systems where layers of contaminating materials are formed as a result of long-term application of higher temperatures and pressures (for example primary circuits of nuclear reactors). The purpose of the test is to assess the ease of decontamination of surfaces under laboratory conditions. In practical applications, it may be important to consider other qualities, such as chemical, mechanical and radiation resistance and long-term stability in the selection of the materials to be used. It should be recognized that further decontamination tests under simulated service conditions may be needed

  2. General dosimetry model for internal contamination with radioisotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nino, L.

    1989-01-01

    Radiation dose by inner contamination with radioisotopes is not measured directly but evaluated by the application of mathematical models of fixation and elimination, taken into account biological activity of each organ with respect to the incorporated material. Models proposed by ICRP for the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts (30) seems that they should not be applied independently because of the evident correlation between them. In this paper both models are integrated in a more general one with neither modification nor limitation of the starting models. It has been applied to some patients in the Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia, who received some I-131 dose via oral and results are quite similar to dose experimentally obtained via urine spectrograms. Based on this results the method was formalized and applied to professional exposed personnel of the medical staff at the same Institute; due to high doses found in some of the urine samples, probable I-131 air contamination could be supposed

  3. Emerging Water Contaminants: Technical, Legal and Policy Challenges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deeb, R. A.; Kresic, N.; Laugier, M. C.; Kavanaugh, M. C.

    2002-12-01

    Approximately 120 new chemicals are created each year due to ever-improving industry and technology markets. Releases of new contaminants into the environment can occur during production, use and disposal of these chemicals thereby leading to potential contamination of water supply sources. Very few emerging contaminants are regulated. In addition, knowledge gaps regarding emerging contaminants include lack health effects, occurrence (either because these compounds are not measured or because concentrations are below detection limits of readily available analytical techniques) and fate and transport in the environment especially with regards to mobility and persistence. The sources of these compounds are numerous. One source is treated wastewater, which is re-injected into groundwater aquifers for indirect potable reuse purposes. Emerging compounds of concern can be classified in various classes. This presentation will focus on contaminants, which have emerged in the last 10 years including pharmaceuticals (antibiotics/drugs), personal care products (polycyclic musks), pesticides/herbicides, industrial solvents (1,4-dioxane), gasoline additives (MTBE), disinfection byproducts such as NDMA (N-nitrosodimethylamine), and inorganic compounds such as perchlorate and arsenic. This presentation will present technical, legal and legislative challenges posed by the presence of these contaminants in water. Background information including chemical's history of use, sources in the environments, nationwide occurrence, physical and chemical properties, behavior in the environment and technologies for removal from soil and water will be presented. In addition, case studies on MTBE, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, 1,4-dioxane, arsenic and NDMA will be discussed.

  4. Environmental contaminants of emerging concern in seafood – European database on contaminant levels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vandermeersch, Griet; Lourenço, Helena Maria; Alvarez-Muñoz, Diana; Cunha, Sara; Diogène, Jorge; Cano-Sancho, German; Sloth, Jens J.; Kwadijk, Christiaan; Barcelo, Damia; Allegaert, Wim; Bekaert, Karen; Fernandes, José Oliveira; Marques, Antonio

    2015-01-01

    Marine pollution gives rise to concern not only about the environment itself but also about the impact on food safety and consequently on public health. European authorities and consumers have therefore become increasingly worried about the transfer of contaminants from the marine environment to seafood. So-called “contaminants of emerging concern” are chemical substances for which no maximum levels have been laid down in EU legislation, or substances for which maximum levels have been provided but which require revision. Adequate information on their presence in seafood is often lacking and thus potential risks cannot be excluded. Assessment of food safety issues related to these contaminants has thus become urgent and imperative. A database ( (www.ecsafeseafooddbase.eu)), containing available information on the levels of contaminants of emerging concern in seafood and providing the most recent data to scientists and regulatory authorities, was developed. The present paper reviews a selection of contaminants of emerging concern in seafood including toxic elements, endocrine disruptors, brominated flame retardants, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and derivatives, microplastics and marine toxins. Current status on the knowledge of human exposure, toxicity and legislation are briefly presented and the outcome from scientific publications reporting on the levels of these compounds in seafood is presented and discussed. - Highlights: • Development of a European database regarding contaminants of emerging concern. • Current status on knowledge of human exposure, toxicity and legislation. • Review on the occurrence of contaminants of emerging concern in seafood.

  5. Environmental contaminants of emerging concern in seafood – European database on contaminant levels

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vandermeersch, Griet, E-mail: griet.vandermeersch@ilvo.vlaanderen.be [Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Animal Sciences Unit – Fisheries, Ankerstraat 1, 8400 Oostende (Belgium); Lourenço, Helena Maria [Division of Aquaculture and Upgrading (DivAV), Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), Lisboa (Portugal); Alvarez-Muñoz, Diana [Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Girona (Spain); Cunha, Sara [LAQV-REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Bromatology and Hydrology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto (Portugal); Diogène, Jorge [Institute of Research and Technology in Food and Agriculture (IRTA), Sant Carles de la Ràpita (Spain); Cano-Sancho, German [Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, Rovirai Virgili University (URV), Reus (Spain); Sloth, Jens J. [National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark (DTU Food), Søborg (Denmark); Kwadijk, Christiaan [Institute for Marine Resources and Ecosystem Studies (IMARES), Wageningen University and Research Center, Ijmuiden (Netherlands); Barcelo, Damia [Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Girona (Spain); Water and Soil Quality Research Group, Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, Barcelona (Spain); Allegaert, Wim; Bekaert, Karen [Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Animal Sciences Unit – Fisheries, Ankerstraat 1, 8400 Oostende (Belgium); Fernandes, José Oliveira [LAQV-REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Bromatology and Hydrology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto (Portugal); Marques, Antonio [Division of Aquaculture and Upgrading (DivAV), Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), Lisboa (Portugal); and others

    2015-11-15

    Marine pollution gives rise to concern not only about the environment itself but also about the impact on food safety and consequently on public health. European authorities and consumers have therefore become increasingly worried about the transfer of contaminants from the marine environment to seafood. So-called “contaminants of emerging concern” are chemical substances for which no maximum levels have been laid down in EU legislation, or substances for which maximum levels have been provided but which require revision. Adequate information on their presence in seafood is often lacking and thus potential risks cannot be excluded. Assessment of food safety issues related to these contaminants has thus become urgent and imperative. A database ( (www.ecsafeseafooddbase.eu)), containing available information on the levels of contaminants of emerging concern in seafood and providing the most recent data to scientists and regulatory authorities, was developed. The present paper reviews a selection of contaminants of emerging concern in seafood including toxic elements, endocrine disruptors, brominated flame retardants, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and derivatives, microplastics and marine toxins. Current status on the knowledge of human exposure, toxicity and legislation are briefly presented and the outcome from scientific publications reporting on the levels of these compounds in seafood is presented and discussed. - Highlights: • Development of a European database regarding contaminants of emerging concern. • Current status on knowledge of human exposure, toxicity and legislation. • Review on the occurrence of contaminants of emerging concern in seafood.

  6. Features of the application of five-factor personality questionnaire in the activities of psychologists of the bodies of internal affairs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Petrov V.E.

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available The article is devoted to the study opportunities five-factor personality questionnaire as diagnostic tools for the study of the personality of employees of internal Affairs bodies in different categories. Subject of research – the practice of application of this methodology in the activities of the departmental psychologists. The research urgency is caused by necessity of scientific verification of the questionnaire for the decision of tasks of internal Affairs bodies. The study was conducted by psychological testing and expert evaluation. As the mathematical tools used descriptive statistics (frequency analysis and grouping, criterion *2 and student's t-test. The novelty of this study is to clarify the regulatory indicators questionnaire for categories such as "employee of ATS" (generalized image, "employee commandant's offices", "police", "policeman-driver". Study allows you to expand the scope of the questionnaire (the study of the personality of employees, demonstrating certain types of deviant behavior; individualization of forms and methods of psychological preparation and assistance; prediction of behavior in extreme conditions and professional and personal development.

  7. Contamination limits for real and personal property. Progress report, January--June 1975

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wenzel, W.J.; Healy, J.W.

    1975-10-01

    Data for the movement of various contaminants ( 89 Sr, 131 I, 32 P) from several different laboratory surface materials and textiles were examined and the fractional amount removed per unit time fitted to an arbitrary scale of level of action. Both the nature of the contaminant and the nature of the surface appear to affect the fractional removal although data are not available to define the dependence in any detail

  8. Radioactive contamination in metal recycling industry - an environmental issue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Agarwal, S.P.

    2012-01-01

    Metal recycling has become an important industrial activity worldwide; it is seen as being socially and environmentally beneficial because it conserves natural ore resources and saves energy. However, there have been several accidents over the past decades involving orphan radioactive sources or other radioactive material that were inadvertently collected as metal scrap that was destined for recycling. The consequences of these accidents have been serious with regard to the protection of people and the environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation as well as from an economic point of view. India produces and exports steel products to various countries. In the recent years there were rejection and return of steel products as they were found to be contaminated with trace quantities of radioactive materials. During investigation of incidents of radioactive contamination in steel products exported from India, it was observed that steel products are contaminated with low level radioactivity. Though radioactivity level in steel products is found to be too low to pose any significant hazards to the handling personnel or to the users or the public at large, its presence is undesirable and need to be probed as to how it has entered in the steel products. Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) has investigated the incidents of such nature in the recent past and it is gathered that the steel products are made out of steel produced in a foundry where metal scrap containing radioactive material has been used. In this talk, incidents of radioactive contamination, its roots cause, and its radiological impact on person, property and environment, lessons learnt, remedial measures and international concerns will be discussed

  9. Abstracts of the 7. international conference on contaminants in freezing ground

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2010-01-01

    This conference presented recent scientific innovations and technologies designed to aid in the responsible management, remediation, and prevention of soil and groundwater contamination in regions with permafrost and seasonal frost. The effects of contaminants and pollutants on marine and terrestrial ecosystems were reviewed. Emerging issues related to Arctic ownership and the impacts of climate change were also discussed. Sessions included bioremediation; plants in cold climates; interception barriers and landfills; the Arctic development and sustainability; risk and toxicity in cold climates; contaminants from mining and oil and gas operations in cold climates; remediation and monitoring; and theoretical aspects. A technical poster session was also included. The conference featured 55 presentations, of which 10 have been catalogued separately for inclusion in this database. tabs., figs.

  10. Environmental contaminants of emerging concern in seafood--European database on contaminant levels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vandermeersch, Griet; Lourenço, Helena Maria; Alvarez-Muñoz, Diana; Cunha, Sara; Diogène, Jorge; Cano-Sancho, German; Sloth, Jens J; Kwadijk, Christiaan; Barcelo, Damia; Allegaert, Wim; Bekaert, Karen; Fernandes, José Oliveira; Marques, Antonio; Robbens, Johan

    2015-11-01

    Marine pollution gives rise to concern not only about the environment itself but also about the impact on food safety and consequently on public health. European authorities and consumers have therefore become increasingly worried about the transfer of contaminants from the marine environment to seafood. So-called "contaminants of emerging concern" are chemical substances for which no maximum levels have been laid down in EU legislation, or substances for which maximum levels have been provided but which require revision. Adequate information on their presence in seafood is often lacking and thus potential risks cannot be excluded. Assessment of food safety issues related to these contaminants has thus become urgent and imperative. A database (www.ecsafeseafooddbase.eu), containing available information on the levels of contaminants of emerging concern in seafood and providing the most recent data to scientists and regulatory authorities, was developed. The present paper reviews a selection of contaminants of emerging concern in seafood including toxic elements, endocrine disruptors, brominated flame retardants, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and derivatives, microplastics and marine toxins. Current status on the knowledge of human exposure, toxicity and legislation are briefly presented and the outcome from scientific publications reporting on the levels of these compounds in seafood is presented and discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. ICD-11 and DSM-5 personality trait domains capture categorical personality disorders: Finding a common ground.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bach, Bo; Sellbom, Martin; Skjernov, Mathias; Simonsen, Erik

    2018-05-01

    The five personality disorder trait domains in the proposed International Classification of Diseases, 11th edition and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition are comparable in terms of Negative Affectivity, Detachment, Antagonism/Dissociality and Disinhibition. However, the International Classification of Diseases, 11th edition model includes a separate domain of Anankastia, whereas the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition model includes an additional domain of Psychoticism. This study examined associations of International Classification of Diseases, 11th edition and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition trait domains, simultaneously, with categorical personality disorders. Psychiatric outpatients ( N = 226) were administered the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Personality Disorders Interview and the Personality Inventory for DSM-5. International Classification of Diseases, 11th edition and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition trait domain scores were obtained using pertinent scoring algorithms for the Personality Inventory for DSM-5. Associations between categorical personality disorders and trait domains were examined using correlation and multiple regression analyses. Both the International Classification of Diseases, 11th edition and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition domain models showed relevant continuity with categorical personality disorders and captured a substantial amount of their information. As expected, the International Classification of Diseases, 11th edition model was superior in capturing obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, whereas the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition model was superior in capturing schizotypal personality disorder. These preliminary findings suggest that little information is 'lost' in a transition to trait domain

  12. Development of international criteria for the cleanup of contaminated areas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hedemann-Jensen, P.; Barraclough, I.; Meck, R.; Gnugnoli, G.; Stegnar, P.

    1999-01-01

    IAEA TECDOC-987, Application of radiation protection principles to the cleanup of contaminated areas, provides a coherent framework and consistent guidance needed for approaches to cleanup that encompass the entire range of contamination situations. A major goal of cleanup is usually to re-establish that the environment can acceptably support habitation and use. Difficult situations include chronic exposures due to radioactivity associated with the discovery of contamination from a previously discontinued practice and post-accident situations. and post-accident situations. The concepts of justification, optimization, and limitation can be applied to cleanup from 'trivial' to 'intolerable' situations by taking into account not only radiological risk, but the entire range of social values including the ability of the society to feed and shelter itself and to sustain a productive economy. TECDOC-987 proposes six ranges, or bands, of doses that correspond to trivial, acceptable, tolerable - clean-up unlikely (unless constrained), tolerable - clean-up likely, unacceptable, and intolerable risks. Remedial actions may vary from 'none' to elaborate decontamination or restricted or prohibited use. (author)

  13. 50 CFR 23.44 - What are the requirements to travel internationally with my personally owned live wildlife?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false What are the requirements to travel internationally with my personally owned live wildlife? 23.44 Section 23.44 Wildlife and Fisheries UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (CONTINUED) TAKING, POSSESSION, TRANSPORTATION...

  14. International recommendations[General radiation protection background to protective measures against foodstuffs contaminated with radioactive substances

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lindell, Bo [Swedish National Institute of Radiation Protection (Sweden)

    1986-07-01

    Full text: This short presentation will indicate the general radiation protection background to protective measures against foodstuffs contaminated with radioactive substances. A number of international organizations are involved in various aspects of radiation protection, for example, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the World Health Organization (WHO). Two international organizations, however, provide the basic background. These are the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR). UNSCEAR provides the scientific information on radiation levels and effects. It consists of 21 member countries, with truly international coverage. It issues reports to the UN General Assembly, including comprehensive scientific annexes. Its latest comprehensive report was issued in 1982, the next is expected to be published in 1988. That report will include an assessment of the radiological consequences of the Chernobyl accident. The ICRP is a non-governmental organization. It has issued recommendations on radiation protection since 1928. The postulated biological basis for radiation protection recommendations involves two types of biological effects. The so-called non-stochastic effects, mainly due to cell death, appear only when the radiation doses exceed a certain threshold value. These effects, therefore, can only appear after high accidental exposures. After the Chernobyl accident, they only affected about 200 individuals involved in fire extinction and rescue work at the damaged nuclear power plant. Stochastic effects, with some simplification, may be seen as the result of initial changes in the genetic code of some surviving cells. If these cells are germ cells, this may lead to hereditary harm. If they are somatic cells, the result could be cancer

  15. The role of sex and autonomy-connectedness in internalizing and externalizing personality pathology, coping and axis-I pathology: among psychiatric and healthy elderly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bachrach, Nathan; Croon, Marcel; Bekker, Marrie

    2017-06-01

    In the current study we investigated the relationship of sex and autonomy-connectedness with internalizing and externalizing personality disorder symptoms (PDS), coping and axis-I pathology in older age. A path model was tested which was based on neo-analytical object relation, attachment- and primary-personality theory, among 100 clinical and 106 non-clinical elderly. In line with our model, autonomy-connectedness (self-awareness and capacity of managing new situations) was strongly associated to internalizing PDS in both groups. In both groups, neither sex nor autonomy-connectedness predicted externalizing PDS. Sex, internalizing as well as externalizing PDS and reactive defensive coping were associated to axis-I psychopathology. We conclude that sex and autonomy-connectedness were, similarly as in adult populations, associated to internalizing PDS and axis-I pathology. Treatment of elderly with internalizing PDS and axis-I psychopathology should therefore focus on enhancing autonomy-connectedness.

  16. Resident Advisor General Intelligence, Emotional Intelligence, Personality Dimensions, and Internal Belief Characteristics as Predictors of Rated Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Max B.; Stemler, Steven

    2008-01-01

    Resident Advisors (RAs) have a significant hand in helping students adjust and thrive in college life. Given the importance of selecting high-performing RAs, this study sought to examine how well various measures of intelligence (e.g., general, emotional) in addition to personality and additional "internal belief" characteristics predict…

  17. International mussel watch

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Farrington, J.W.; Tripp, B.W.

    1993-01-01

    Deliberate and inadvertent discharges of chemical contaminants of environmental concern to the world's coastal ocean will continue for the foreseeable future, as human population increases and human habitation intensifies in the coastal zone worldwide. The goal of the International Mussel Watch Project is to provide an assessment of the status and trends of chemical contaminants in the world's coastal waters. These data are critical for protecting both the health of people who consume seafood and the health of coastal ecosystems. The International Mussel Watch Project is a global-scale monitoring program based on the concept of a sentinel organism capable of detecting trends in concentrations of several important marine contaminants. These included chlorinated pesticides, fossil-fuel hydrocarbons, and radionuclides from the nuclear fuel cycle and nuclear weapons testing fallout. Since the 1970's, scientists of several countries have been using common bivalve organisms, such as the blue mussels and oysters, to monitor chemical contaminants in coastal waters. Bivalve mollusks are good monitors for several reasons that include their ability to bioconcentrate the chemical contaminants of interest and their sedentary nature, which makes them representative of a specific place

  18. Geotechnical properties of crude oil contaminated sand

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Puri, V.K.; Das, B.M.; Cook, E.E.; Shin, E.C.

    1994-01-01

    Contamination of soil due to an oil spill influences its subsequent engineering behavior. An investigation was conducted to study the effect of crude oil contamination on compaction characteristics, shear strength, one-dimensional compression, and coefficient of permeability. Water permeability was also determined by using commercial grade motor oils as contaminants. The test results indicate that the compaction characteristics are influenced by oil contamination. The angle of internal friction of sand (based on total stress condition) decreases due to presence of oil within the pore spaces in sand. One dimensional compression characteristics of sand are significantly influenced by oil contamination resulting in a decrease in the value of constrained modulus with increase in the degree of oil contamination compared to the case of dry sand. Water permeability was observed to be a function of the initial viscosity and the degree of saturation due to the contaminating oil

  19. Comparative study of internal contamination of different radiators in skeleton on induction of mutagenic effect in bone marrow cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu Shoupeng; Wang Liuyi; Yang Weidong

    1990-10-01

    The purpose of the present study was to ascertain comparative retention of 134 Cs or 147 Pm in skeleton on induction of chromosome aberrations and PCE's micronucleus formation in bone marrow cells. Results indicated that after iv signal nuclide 134 Cs, through 7 weeks observation, the retention data in skeleton could be well described by an exponential expression. Experiments indicated that the retention value and the absorption dose of 147 Pm in skeleton were significantly higher in comparison with 134 Cs. Both internal contamination of 134 Cs or 147 Pm could induce chromosome aberrations and PCE's micronucleus formation in bone marrow cells. Among the type of chromosome aberrations of bone marrow cells induced by 134 Cs or 147 Pm included gap, chromatid breakage, chromosome breakage and translocation. Moreover, the chromosome aberration rates were elevated when the intake of radioactivity of 134 Cs or 147 Pm were enlarged. At the same time, chromosome fragment of bone marrow cells also induced by 134 Cs or 147 Pm only through high radioactive contamination. Studies showed that chromosome translocation was appeared only through high radioactivity of 147 Pm contamination. By comparing with 1 '4 7 Pm, however, the induction of chromosome aberrations and PCE's micronucleus formation rates on bone marrow cells induced by 134 Cs was quite low

  20. Oral immunisation of laying hens with the live vaccine strains of TAD Salmonella vac E and TAD Salmonella vac T reduces internal egg contamination with Salmonella Enteritidis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gantois, Inne; Ducatelle, Richard; Timbermont, Leen; Boyen, Filip; Bohez, Lotte; Haesebrouck, Freddy; Pasmans, Frank; van Immerseel, Filip

    2006-09-11

    Eggs are a major source of human infections with Salmonella. Therefore controlling egg contamination in laying hen flocks is one of the main targets for control programmes. A study was carried out to assess the effect of oral vaccination with TAD Salmonella vac E, TAD Salmonella vac T and with both vaccines TAD Salmonella vac E and TAD Salmonella vac T, on colonization of the reproductive tract and internal egg contamination of laying hens with Salmonella Enteritidis. Three groups of 30 laying hens were vaccinated at 1 day, 6 weeks and 16 weeks of age with either one of the vaccine strains, or a combination of both vaccine strains, while a fourth group was left unvaccinated. At 24 weeks of age, the birds were intravenously challenged with 0.5 ml containing 5 x 10(7)cfu Salmonella Enteritidis PT4 S1400/94. The number of oviducts from which Salmonella was isolated, was significantly lower in the vaccinated than in the non-vaccinated hens at 3 weeks post-challenge. Significantly less egg contents were Salmonella positive in the birds vaccinated with TAD Salmonella vac E or TAD Salmonella vac T (12/105 batches of eggs in both groups) than in the unvaccinated birds (28/105 batches of eggs). Internal egg contamination in the hens vaccinated with both TAD Salmonella vac E and TAD Salmonella vac T was even more reduced, as over the whole experiment, only one batch of eggs was positive. In conclusion, these data indicate that vaccination of laying hens with these live vaccines could be considered as a valuable tool in controlling internal egg contamination.

  1. Consensus statement of the International Summit on Intellectual Disability and Dementia on valuing the perspectives of persons with intellectual disability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watchman, Karen; Janicki, Matthew P; Udell, Leslie; Hogan, Mary; Quinn, Sam; Beránková, Anna

    2018-01-01

    The International Summit on Intellectual Disability and Dementia covered a range of issues related to dementia and intellectual disability, including the dearth of personal reflections of persons with intellectual disability affected by dementia. This article reflects on this deficiency and explores some of the personal perspectives gleaned from the literature, from the Summit attendees and from the experiences of persons with intellectual disability recorded or scribed in advance of the two-day Summit meeting. Systemic recommendations included reinforcing the value of the involvement of persons with intellectual disability in (a) research alongside removing barriers to inclusion posed by institutional/ethics review boards, (b) planning groups that establish supports for dementia and (c) peer support. Practice recommendations included (a) valuing personal perspectives in decision-making, (b) enabling peer-to-peer support models, (c) supporting choice in community-dwelling arrangements and (d) broadening availability of materials for persons with intellectual disability that would promote understanding of dementia.

  2. Consoil '98 ; 6th international FZK/TNO conference on contaminated soil, organized by Research Centre Karlsruhe (KZK, D), TNO, in cooperation with Scottish enterprise, May 17-21, 1998, EICC Edinburgh; vol. 1 en 2.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Harder, W.; Ahrendt, F.; Hart, I.

    1998-01-01

    These volumes present the proceedings of ConSoil '98, the sixth international FZK/TNO conference on contaminated soil. This series of conferences focuses on policies, research and development, regulation, practical implementation and experience related to contaminated sites. Legal, financial and

  3. USDA and university researchers work to prevent U.S. cotton contamination

    Science.gov (United States)

    U.S. cotton is considered to have some of the lowest levels of contamination in the world. However, that reputation is in jeopardy as complaints of contamination from domestic and foreign mills are on the rise. Cotton contamination is classified by the International Textile Manufacturers Federation ...

  4. Urinary incontinence in frail elderly persons: Report from the 5th International Consultation on Incontinence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagg, Adrian; Gibson, William; Ostaszkiewicz, Joan; Johnson, Theodore; Markland, Alayne; Palmer, Mary H; Kuchel, George; Szonyi, George; Kirschner-Hermanns, Ruth

    2015-06-01

    Evidence based guidelines for the management of frail older persons with urinary incontinence are rare. Those produced by the International Consultation on Incontinence represent an authoritative set of recommendations spanning all aspects of management. To update the recommendations of the 4th ICI. A series of systematic reviews and evidence updates were performed by members of the working group in order to update the 2009 recommendations. The resulting guidelines were presented at the 2012 meeting of the European Associatioon of Urology. Along with the revision of the treatment algorithm and accompanying text. There have been significant advances in several areas including pharmacological treatment of overactive bladder. The committee continue to notes the relative paucity of data concerning frail older persons and draw attention to knowledge gaps in this area. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Opening our hearts and minds: the meaning of international clinical nursing electives in the personal and professional lives of nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Callister, Lynn Clark; Cox, Amy Harmer

    2006-06-01

    Although international opportunities are the hallmark of nursing education at a large private university, the meaning of participating in such clinical nursing electives has not been described. The purpose of this phenomenological study of nurses was to examine the personal and professional meaning of participating in international clinical nursing electives during their undergraduate nursing studies. Audiotaped interviews were conducted with 20 former nursing students who had had this opportunity. "Opening our hearts and minds" was described by the study's participants, with the following themes: increasing understanding of other cultures and peoples, increasing understanding of global sociopolitical and health issues, increasing the commitment to make a difference, experiencing personal and professional growth, contributing to professional development in the host country, making interpersonal connexions, and developing cultural competence. This study makes an important contribution to the documentation of the meaning of participating in international nursing clinical experiences. Data are being used for long-term curricular planning in the development and refinement of future international clinical nursing electives and to provide outcomes data for professional accreditation. There are broader implications for the movement beyond individual cultural competence to increasing global consciousness and the improvement of global health care.

  6. Status on contamination monitoring in China

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Quanlu, Gou [China Institute for Radiation Protection, Taiyuan (China)

    1997-06-01

    The air contaminated by radioactive materials in nuclear enterprises and radioactive workplaces and forming radioactive aerosol and the leakage of radioactive materials in operation cause internal exposure damage in workers. It is necessary and important to monitor air and surface contaminations for the health of public and workers, and for protecting environment. At present, many institutes engage in the studies on surface contamination monitoring in China, and the government has formulated the control limits of surface contamination in the Regulations of Radiation Protection. The monitors for surface contamination monitoring are almost home-made. The methods being used often are smear test and placing surface sample test. Scintillation counters, semiconductor detectors and G-M counters have been used for detecting alpha surface contamination. Plastic scintillator meters and thin wall/window G-M counters are used for beta surface contamination. Special detectors have been designed for monitoring low energy nuclides. The status of airborne contamination monitoring in China is reported. As the studies for future, the development of the surface contamination monitor for low energy beta nuclides, especially H-3, the monitoring methods for the special shapes of surfaces, the technology of decontamination and the calibration method and device for on-line radioactive aerosol continuous monitors are taken up. (K.I.)

  7. Trace Contaminant Control for the International Space Station's Node 1- Analysis, Design, and Verification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perry, J. L.

    2017-01-01

    Trace chemical contaminant generation inside crewed spacecraft cabins is a technical and medical problem that must be continuously evaluated. Although passive control through materials selection and active control by adsorption and catalytic oxidation devices is employed during normal operations of a spacecraft, contaminant buildup can still become a problem. Buildup is particularly troublesome during the stages between the final closure of a spacecraft during ground processing and the time that a crewmember enters for the first time during the mission. Typically, the elapsed time between preflight closure and first entry on orbit for spacecraft such as Spacelab modules was 30 days. During that time, the active contamination control systems are not activated and contaminants can potentially build up to levels which exceed the spacecraft maximum allowable concentrations (SMACs) specified by NASA toxicology experts. To prevent excessively high contamination levels at crew entry, the Spacelab active contamination control system was operated for 53 hours just before launch.

  8. Emerging contaminants in groundwater

    OpenAIRE

    Lapworth, Dan; Stuart, Marianne; Hart, Alwyn; Crane, Emily; Baran, Nicole

    2011-01-01

    The term ‘emerging contaminants’ (ECs) is used to cover not only newly developed compounds but also includes newly discovered compounds in the environment (often due to analytical developments), and compounds that have been recently categorised as contaminants. ECs include a huge array of different compounds (and their metabolites) that are used by society for a range of purposes and include; pharmaceuticals, pesticides, personal care products, veterinary medicines, engineered nano-materials,...

  9. Treatment with Ca-DTPA of internal contaminations by plutonium and americium: Recommendations for writing protocols in Cea and AREVA centers; Traitement par le Ca-DTPA des contaminations internes par le plutonium et l'americium: recommandations pour la redaction de protocoles dans les centres CEA et AREVA

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grappin, L. [CEA Cadarache, DEN, Service de Sante au Travail, 13 - Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France); Legoff, J.P.; Andre, F. [CEA Valduc, Service de Sante au Travail, 21 - Is-sur-Tille (France); Carbone, L.; Agrinier, A.L. [CEA Marcoule, DEN, Service de Sante au Travail, 30 (France); Courtay, C.; Aninat, M. [AREVA, Service de Sante au Travail, La Hague, 50 - Beaumont-Hague (France); Amabile, J.C. [SPRA, HIA Percy, 92 - Clamart (France); Florin, A. [CEA Saclay, SDM Service de Sante au Travail, 91 - Gif-sur-Yvette (France)

    2009-10-15

    The purpose of this document is to provide physicians working in a B.N.F. (Basic Nuclear Facility) with recommendations for the drafting of Ca-DTPA treatment protocols for internal contamination by actinides. These recommendations are based on the results of injections carried out by Cea and AREVA doctors in a working group, with the collaboration of the Army Radiation Protection Service. The study focused on Ca-DTPA IV injection. Other dosage forms, routes of administration as well as adjuvant treatments are also mentioned. For cases of contaminated wounds and inhalation, indicators for treatment with Ca-DTPA, particularly its initialization, the dosage, duration, frequency of administration, the criteria for ending the treatment, then its efficiency and dosimetry gain are covered. A guide for the prescription of the radio toxicological monitoring necessary for the treatment and the dosimetric evaluation is proposed. (authors)

  10. An estimate of the outgassing of space payloads, their internal pressures, contaminations and gaseous influences on the environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scialdone, J. J.

    1985-01-01

    Experimentally measured outgassing as a function of time is presented for 14 space systems including several spacecraft instruments, spacecraft, the shuttle bay, and a spent solid fuel motor. The weights, volumes, and some of the scientific functions of the instruments involved are indicated. The methods used to obtain the data are briefly described. General indications on how to use the data to obtain the internal pressure versus time for a payload, its self-contamination, the gaseous flow in its vicinity, the column densities in its field of view, and other environmental parameters which are dependent on the outgassing of a payload are provided.

  11. Personal Usability Constructs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hertzum, Morten; Clemmensen, Torkil; Hornbæk, Kasper

    2011-01-01

    Whereas the concept of usability is predominantly defined analytically, people relate to systems through personal usability constructs. Based on 48 repertory-grid interviews, this study investigates how such personal constructs are affected by two factors crucial to the international development...

  12. To the issue of the root of the matter of «internally displaced persons»: public policy and regional practice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. M. Malykha

    2015-06-01

    The adoption of the Law of Ukraine «On protection of rights and freedoms of internally displaced persons» was a positive solution, however, it requires further work on implementation of the stated rules.

  13. Personality Predicts Mortality Risk: An Integrative Data Analysis of 15 International Longitudinal Studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graham, Eileen K; Rutsohn, Joshua P; Turiano, Nicholas A; Bendayan, Rebecca; Batterham, Philip J; Gerstorf, Denis; Katz, Mindy J; Reynolds, Chandra A; Sharp, Emily S; Yoneda, Tomiko B; Bastarache, Emily D; Elleman, Lorien G; Zelinski, Elizabeth M; Johansson, Boo; Kuh, Diana; Barnes, Lisa L; Bennett, David A; Deeg, Dorly J H; Lipton, Richard B; Pedersen, Nancy L; Piccinin, Andrea M; Spiro, Avron; Muniz-Terrera, Graciela; Willis, Sherry L; Schaie, K Warner; Roan, Carol; Herd, Pamela; Hofer, Scott M; Mroczek, Daniel K

    2017-10-01

    This study examined the Big Five personality traits as predictors of mortality risk, and smoking as a mediator of that association. Replication was built into the fabric of our design: we used a Coordinated Analysis with 15 international datasets, representing 44,094 participants. We found that high neuroticism and low conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness were consistent predictors of mortality across studies. Smoking had a small mediating effect for neuroticism. Country and baseline age explained variation in effects: studies with older baseline age showed a pattern of protective effects (HReffects for extraversion. This study demonstrated coordinated analysis as a powerful approach to enhance replicability and reproducibility, especially for aging-related longitudinal research.

  14. Groundwater contamination and community relations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hayes, K.

    2004-01-01

    Westinghouse Electric Company LLC ('Westinghouse') acquired a nuclear fuel processing plant at Hematite, Missouri ('Hematite', the 'Facility', or the 'Plant') in April 2000. The plant has subsequently been closed, and its operations have been relocated to a newer, larger facility. Westinghouse has announced plans to complete its clean-up, decommissioning, and License retirement in a safe, socially responsible, and environmentally sound manner as required by internal policies, as well as those of its parent company, British Nuclear Fuels plc. (BNFL). Preliminary investigations have revealed the presence of environmental contamination in various areas of the facility and grounds, including both radioactive contamination and various other substances related to the nuclear fuel processing operations. Most noteworthy among the areas of contamination are seven private drinking water wells up to 3 000 feet to the southeast, and one private drinking water well approximately 1 000 feet to the northeast, that have been found to contain tetra-chloro-ethylene ('PCE'), trichloroethylene ('TCE'), and other contaminants associated with their environmental degradation. Potential sources of this contamination include approximately 40 large unlined on-site burial pits and 2 evaporation ponds in which previous operators of the facility disposed of uranium contaminated wastes and a variety of other hazardous substances. This paper discusses Westinghouse's response to the discovery of drinking water contamination, and the significance of its community relations program within that response. (author)

  15. Radiological Risk Assessment and Survey of Radioactive Contamination for Foodstuffs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, W.R.; Lee, C.W.; Choi, K.S.

    2007-11-01

    After the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986, a radiological dose assessment and a survey of a radioactive contamination for foodstuffs have been investigated by many countries such as EU, Japan, USA. In the case of Japan which is similar to our country for the imported regions of foodstuffs, there were some instances of the excess for regulation on the maximum permitted levels of radioactive contamination among some imported foodstuffs. Concerns about the radioactive contamination of foodstuffs are increased because of the recently special situation (Nuclear test of North Korea). The purpose of this study is a radiological dose assessment and a survey of a radioactive contamination for foodstuffs in order to reduce the probability of intake of contaminated foodstuffs. Analytical results of the collected samples are below MDA. In this project, the model of radiological dose assessment via the food chain was also developed and radiological dose assessment was conducted based on surveys results of a radioactive contamination for foodstuffs in the Korean open markets since 2002. The results of radiological dose assessment are far below international reference level. It shows that public radiation exposure via food chain is well controlled within the international guide level. However, the radioactive contamination research of imported foodstuffs should be continuous considering the special situation(nuclear test of North Korea). These results are used to manage the radioactive contamination of the imported foodstuffs and also amend the regulation on the maximum permitted levels of radioactive contamination of foodstuffs

  16. Space Stirling Cryocooler Contamination Lessons Learned and Recommended Control Procedures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glaister, D. S.; Price, K.; Gully, W.; Castles, S.; Reilly, J.

    The most important characteristic of a space cryocooler is its reliability over a lifetime typically in excess of 7 years. While design improvements have reduced the probability of mechanical failure, the risk of internal contamination is still significant and has not been addressed in a consistent approach across the industry. A significant fraction of the endurance test and flight units have experienced some performance degradation related to internal contamination. The purpose of this paper is to describe and assess the contamination issues inside long life, space cryocoolers and to recommend procedures to minimize the probability of encountering contamination related failures and degradation. The paper covers the sources of contamination, the degradation and failure mechanisms, the theoretical and observed cryocooler sensitivity, and the recommended prevention procedures and their impact. We begin with a discussion of the contamination sources, both artificial and intrinsic. Next, the degradation and failure mechanisms are discussed in an attempt to arrive at a contaminant susceptibility, from which we can derive a contamination budget for the machine. This theoretical sensitivity is then compared with the observed sensitivity to illustrate the conservative nature of the assumed scenarios. A number of lessons learned on Raytheon, Ball, Air Force Research Laboratory, and NASA GSFC programs are shared to convey the practical aspects of the contamination problem. Then, the materials and processes required to meet the proposed budget are outlined. An attempt is made to present a survey of processes across industry.

  17. Soil contamination standards for protection of personnel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rittmann, P.D.

    1998-01-01

    The objective of this report is to recommend soil contamination levels that will ensure that radionuclide intakes by unprotected workers are likely to give internal doses below selected dose limits during the working year. The three internal dose limits are 1, 100, and 500 mrem per year. In addition, photon, beta, and alpha instrument readings are estimated for these soil concentration limits. Two exposure pathways are considered: the first is inhalation of resuspended dust and the second is ingestion of trace amounts of soil. In addition, radioactive decay and ingrowth of progeny during the year of exposure is included. External dose from the soil contamination is not included because monitoring and control of external exposures is carried out independently from internal exposures, which are the focus of this report. The methods used are similar to those used by Carbaugh and Bihl (1993) to set bioassay criteria for such workers

  18. Soil contamination standards for protection of personnel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rittmann, P.D.

    1998-04-16

    The objective of this report is to recommend soil contamination levels that will ensure that radionuclide intakes by unprotected workers are likely to give internal doses below selected dose limits during the working year. The three internal dose limits are 1, 100, and 500 mrem per year. In addition, photon, beta, and alpha instrument readings are estimated for these soil concentration limits. Two exposure pathways are considered: the first is inhalation of resuspended dust and the second is ingestion of trace amounts of soil. In addition, radioactive decay and ingrowth of progeny during the year of exposure is included. External dose from the soil contamination is not included because monitoring and control of external exposures is carried out independently from internal exposures, which are the focus of this report. The methods used are similar to those used by Carbaugh and Bihl (1993) to set bioassay criteria for such workers.

  19. Representing and organizing information to describe the lived experience of health from a personal factors perspective in the light of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF): a discussion paper.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geyh, Szilvia; Schwegler, Urban; Peter, Claudio; Müller, Rachel

    2018-03-06

    To discuss the representation and organization of information describing persons' lived experience of health from a personal factors perspective in the light of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, using spinal cord injury as a case in point for disability. The scientific literature was reviewed, discussion rounds conducted, and qualitative secondary analyses of data carried out using an iterative inductive-deductive approach. Conceptual considerations are explicated that distinguish the personal factors perspective from other components of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. A representation structure is developed that organizes health-related concepts describing the internal context of functioning. Concepts are organized as individual facts, subjective experiences, and recurrent patterns of experience and behavior specifying 7 areas and 211 concept groups. The article calls for further scientific debate on the perspective of personal factors in the light of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. A structure that organizes concepts in relation to a personal factors perspective can enhance the comprehensiveness, transparency and standardization of health information, and contribute to the empowerment of persons with disabilities. Implications for rehabilitation The present study collected data from scientific literature reviews, discussion rounds and qualitative secondary analyses in order to develop a representation and organization of information describing persons' lived experience of health from a personal factors perspective in the light of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. The following representation structure for health-related information from a personal factors perspective was developed: (i) Individuals facts (i.e., socio-demographical factors, position in the immediate social and physical context, personal history

  20. Radioactive contamination in Arctic - present situation and future challenges

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Strand, Per

    2002-01-01

    There is currently a focus on radioactivity and the Arctic region. The reason for this is probably the high number of nuclear sources in parts of the Arctic and the vulnerability of Arctic systems to radioactive contamination. The Arctic environment is also perceived as a wilderness and the need for the protection of this wilderness against contamination is great. In the last decade information has also been released concerning the nuclear situation which has caused concern in many countries. Due to such concerns, the International Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy (IAEPS) was launched in 1991 and the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) was established. AMAP is undertaking an assessment of the radioactive contamination of the Arctic and its radiological consequences. In 1996 IAEPS became part of the Arctic Council. AMAP presented one main report in 1997 and another in 1998. There are also several other national, bilateral and international programmes in existence which deal with this issue. This paper summarises some of current knowledge about sources of radioactive contamination, vulnerability, exposure of man, and potential sources for radioactive contamination within Arctic and some views on the future needs for work concerning radioactivity in Arctic. (au)

  1. Survey of radioactive contamination for foodstuffs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Wan No; Lee, Chang Wu; Choi, Geun Sik; Cho, Yeong Hyeon; Kang, Mun Ja; Cheong, Geun Ho; Kim, Hui Ryeong; Park, Du Won; Park, Hyo Guk; Kwak, Ji Yeon

    2006-11-01

    After the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986, a lot of countries including EU, Japan, USA are to strengthen survey of radioactive contamination for foodstuffs. Our country has also surveyed radioactive contamination of the imported foodstuffs and started to check continuously the radioactivity contamination of the open market foodstuffs since 2003. In this year, imported foodstuffs(130 samples) and domestic foodstuffs(10 samples) are analyzed to investigate the radioactive contamination. Sampled foodstuffs items are collected from the open markets; one group is the imported foodstuffs and the other group is the domestic foodstuffs producted around nuclear facilities and northeast of Sokcho city concerning recent situations. Samples are usually bought from traditional markets, mart, department store or the Internet. After pretreatments such as drying, ashing, and homogenization, all samples were analyzed by gamma spectrometer system for survey and assessment of radioactive contamination. The 131 I radionuclide isn't detected among all foodstuffs(imported and domestic). The 137 Cs radionuclide among the regulation radionuclides( 137 Cs, 13 4 C s, 131 I) of food code is only detected at the imported foodstuffs but its level is far below the maximum permitted level. For the improvement of measurement confidence, the developed analysis method is tested by the participation of the national and international intercomparison. The developed method based on test results and international standard would be used at radioactive analysis as well as an education of relative workers. It could be applied as the basis data for amending the analysis method of food code. It is technically supported for radioactive analysis of commercial company and the government including KFDA. Finally these results would be used to solve an ambiguous anxiety of a people for radiation exposure by foodstuffs intake and help the KFDA to manage systematically the radioactive contamination and to give

  2. Techniques for the measurement of the contamination of air; Technique de mesure de la contamination de l'air

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Labeyrie, J [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France).Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

    1960-07-01

    This lecture has been given at the International Symposium of Riso 1959. Methods for measuring radioactive content of the atmosphere are described, and main results found at Saclay are given, for the following contaminants: Rn, Tn and their daughter, H-3, C-14, A-41, Kr-85, I-131, and fission products as a whole. (author) [French] Ce texte est celui d'une conference-rapport prononcee au Colloque International de Riso en 1959. On indique les techniques de mesures de la contamination radioactive de l'atmosphere et les principaux resultats obtenus jusqu'ici au CEA pour: Rn et Tn et leurs derives, H-3, C-14, A-41, Kr-85, I-131, et l'ensemble des produits de fission. (auteur)

  3. First evidence of a prospective relation between avoidance of internal states and borderline personality disorder features in adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharp, Carla; Kalpakci, Allison; Mellick, William; Venta, Amanda; Temple, Jeff R

    2015-03-01

    At least two leading developmental models of borderline personality disorder (BPD) emphasize the role of accurate reflection and understanding of internal states as significant to the development of BPD features (Fonagy, Int J Psycho-Anal 72:639-656, 1991; Linehan, Cognitive-behavioral treatment of borderline personality disorder, 1993). The current study used the construct of experiential avoidance (EA) to operationalize avoidance of internal states and sought to examine (1) the concurrent relations between EA and borderline features in a large and diverse community sample; and (2) the prospective relation between EA and borderline features over a 1-year follow-up, controlling for baseline levels of borderline features. N = 881 adolescents recruited from public schools in a large metropolitan area participated in baseline assessments and N = 730 completed follow-up assessments. Two main findings were reported. First, EA was associated with borderline features, depressive, and anxiety symptoms at the bivariate level, but when all variables were considered together, depression and anxiety no longer remained significantly associated with borderline features, suggesting that the relations among these symptom clusters may be accounted for by EA as a cross-cutting underlying psychological process. Second, EA predicted levels of borderline symptoms at 1-year follow-up, controlling for baseline levels of borderline symptoms, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Results are interpreted against the background of developmental theories of borderline personality disorder.

  4. Forced-air warming: a source of airborne contamination in the operating room?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albrecht, Mark; Gauthier, Robert; Leaper, David

    2009-10-10

    Forced-air-warming (FAW) is an effective and widely used means for maintaining surgical normothermia, but FAW also has the potential to generate and mobilize airborne contamination in the operating room.We measured the emission of viable and non-viable forms of airborne contamination from an arbitrary selection of FAW blowers (n=25) in the operating room. A laser particle counter measured particulate concentrations of the air near the intake filter and in the distal hose airstream. Filtration efficiency was calculated as the reduction in particulate concentration in the distal hose airstream relative to that of the intake. Microbial colonization of the FAW blower's internal hose surfaces was assessed by culturing the microorganisms recovered through swabbing (n=17) and rinsing (n=9) techniques.Particle counting revealed that 24% of FAW blowers were emitting significant levels of internally generated airborne contamination in the 0.5 to 5.0 µm size range, evidenced by a steep decrease in FAW blower filtration efficiency for particles 0.5 to 5.0 µm in size. The particle size-range-specific reduction in efficiency could not be explained by the filtration properties of the intake filter. Instead, the reduction was found to be caused by size-range-specific particle generation within the FAW blowers. Microorganisms were detected on the internal air path surfaces of 94% of FAW blowers.The design of FAW blowers was found to be questionable for preventing the build-up of internal contamination and the emission of airborne contamination into the operating room. Although we did not evaluate the link between FAW and surgical site infection rates, a significant percentage of FAW blowers with positive microbial cultures were emitting internally generated airborne contamination within the size range of free floating bacteria and fungi (<4 µm) that could, conceivably, settle onto the surgical site.

  5. Transport Limits for Non-Fixed Contamination: A Hazard to Optimization in Radioprotection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Theis, S.; Lorenz, B.; Schwarz, W.

    2004-01-01

    Current contamination limits for packages and conveyances under routine transport conditions have been derived from the Fairbairn model more than 40 years ago. This model has proved to be effective if used with pragmatism, but conservative. In some countries the limits are handled as action levels. Actions are taken if contamination levels are exceeded, but instant reporting to authorities is only necessary if the excess is higher than a certain factor of e.g. 10. In countries like Germany the limits are regarded as strictly binding. As could be seen after contamination incidents with transport casks for spent fuel assembly, the reporting by the media and perception by the public was not in accordance with the real radiation risk, which could in any case be neglected. However, exceeding the limits by only one percent lead in some cases immediately to legal actions. To avoid such actions, any practice with relevance for possible contamination or decontamination must consider an additional safety margin which is usually a factor of 10. This results -by the definition of TS-R1 recommendations- in a complete removal of non fixed contamination. For two examples the tremendous amount of decontamination work as well as measurements, which are necessary to reach this aim, is quantified. The first example focuses on the clearance measurements of 20' standard ISO-containers, (which are used exclusively for the transport of radioactive materials,) as conveyances for shipment of radioactive packages. In the second example (a loaded cask awaiting shipment) such actions lead to a real operational exposure which -according to good health physics practice- should otherwise be subject to minimization. These information is compared with the results of an IAEA working group, which was set up in 2000 with the aim of remodeling the exposure conditions for all persons involved in the transport of radioactive material, even members of the public. This international group combined members

  6. Transport Limits for Non-Fixed Contamination: A Hazard to Optimization in Radioprotection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Theis, S.; Lorenz, B.; Schwarz, W.

    2004-07-01

    Current contamination limits for packages and conveyances under routine transport conditions have been derived from the Fairbairn model more than 40 years ago. This model has proved to be effective if used with pragmatism, but conservative. In some countries the limits are handled as action levels. Actions are taken if contamination levels are exceeded, but instant reporting to authorities is only necessary if the excess is higher than a certain factor of e.g. 10. In countries like Germany the limits are regarded as strictly binding. As could be seen after contamination incidents with transport casks for spent fuel assembly, the reporting by the media and perception by the public was not in accordance with the real radiation risk, which could in any case be neglected. However, exceeding the limits by only one percent lead in some cases immediately to legal actions. To avoid such actions, any practice with relevance for possible contamination or decontamination must consider an additional safety margin which is usually a factor of 10. This results -by the definition of TS-R1 recommendations- in a complete removal of non fixed contamination. For two examples the tremendous amount of decontamination work as well as measurements, which are necessary to reach this aim, is quantified. The first example focuses on the clearance measurements of 20' standard ISO-containers, (which are used exclusively for the transport of radioactive materials,) as conveyances for shipment of radioactive packages. In the second example (a loaded cask awaiting shipment) such actions lead to a real operational exposure which -according to good health physics practice- should otherwise be subject to minimization. These information is compared with the results of an IAEA working group, which was set up in 2000 with the aim of remodeling the exposure conditions for all persons involved in the transport of radioactive material, even members of the public. This international group combined

  7. Labour Law for Persons with Disability in Iran: From First International Efforts to Decent Work

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saeed Reza Abadi

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Analysis and Matching the legal system of Work for Persons with disability in Iran with Standards of International Labor Organization concerning to Decent Work. Materials & Methods: In this descriptive – Analytic study , after studying International efforts around Labor law for Persons With Disability , in the context of general and special Human rights documents and ILO ‘s Standards, the present Legal system for the work of persons with disability in Iran, Include Laws and Regulations has been considered by Using the Library – documentation method. Results: In the scope of fundamental Rights, Iranian legal system 1- About Disabled compulsory Work has enough guarantees like other workers, and there is not any deficiency. 2- About Freedom of syndicalism: there is not any deficiency too, and there is not any limitation for Disabled workers and employers membership in present associations. 3- In subject of equal remuneration, despite of non-ratification any special approval, but the Base Wage has determined the same for disabled workers (like the others in article 41 of the Labor Law. 4- About nondiscrimination, also based on present legal foundations, any kind of discrimination because of disability has been prohibited, and in field of employment, by ratification the comprehensive law recently in 2004 and by joining to convention for persons with disability in 2008 has taken serious steps too. Specially the significant gap of facilities presented in various areas of rationing public sector employment, Direct and Indirect Educational services for entering the labor market , and self –employment between war reterans and other groups of disability has been narrowed. Conclusion: Based on results of present comparative research, legal principles for fundamental Rights of vocation for people with disabilities in Iran attempt to meet the basic standards of Decent Work and thus it seems that the crucial issue, besides the passing the

  8. Environmental radioactive contamination and its control for nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shi Zhongqi; Qu Jingyuan; Cui Yongli

    1998-01-01

    The environmental radioactive releases and exposure to human being due to operation of nuclear power plants in the world and in China, environmental contamination and consequences caused by severe nuclear power plant accidents in the history, control of the radioactive contamination in China, and some nuclear laws on the radioactive contamination control established by international organizations and USA etc. are described according to literature investigation and research. Some problems and comments in radioactive contamination control for nuclear power plants in China are presented. Therefore, perfecting laws and regulations and enhancing surveillances on the contamination control are recommended

  9. Chemical Agents: Personal Cleaning and Disposal of Contaminated Clothing

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... What CDC is Doing Blog: Public Health Matters Chemical Agents: Facts About Personal Cleaning and Disposal of ... on Facebook Tweet Share Compartir Some kinds of chemical accidents or attacks may cause you to come ...

  10. Steps towards equal gender representation: TANDEMplusIDEA - an international mentoring and personal development scheme for female scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schaefli, Bettina; Breuer, Elke

    2010-05-01

    TANDEMplusIDEA was a European mentoring programme conducted by the technical universities RWTH Aachen, Imperial College London, ETH Zurich and TU Delft between 2007 and 2010 to achieve more gender equality in science. Given the continuing underrepresentation of women in science and technology and the well-known structural and systematic disadvantages in male-dominated scientific cultures, the main goal of this programme was to promote excellent female scientists through a high-level professional and personal development programme. Based on the mentoring concept of the RWTH Aachen, TANDEMplusIDEA was the first mentoring programme for female scientists realized in international cooperation. As a pilot scheme funded by the 6th Framework Programme of the European Commission, the scientific evaluation was an essential part of the programme, in particular in view of the development of a best practice model for international mentoring. The participants of this programme were female scientists at an early stage of their academic career (postdoc or assistant professor) covering a wide range of science disciplines, including geosciences. This transdisciplinarity as well as the international dimension of the programme have been identified by the participants as one of the keys of success of the programme. In particular, the peer-mentoring across discipline boarders proved to have been an invaluable component of the development programme. This presentation will highlight some of the main findings of the scientific evaluation of the programme and focus on some additional personal insights from the participants.

  11. 26 CFR 403.25 - Personal property subject to seizure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 18 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Personal property subject to seizure. 403.25... AND ADMINISTRATION DISPOSITION OF SEIZED PERSONAL PROPERTY Seizures and Forfeitures § 403.25 Personal property subject to seizure. Personal property may be seized by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue or his...

  12. RADIATION CONTAMINATION INCIDENT AT ISOLDE

    CERN Multimedia

    2000-01-01

    On 27 June 2000 three specialists were investigating a problem with the extraction electrode of the high-resolution separator (HRS) in Isolde. Whilst using an endoscope in order to have a closer look at the interior, they came into contact with radioactive dust and became contaminated. The level of contamination was low and the radiation dose received by the 3 persons was far below the effective dose limit given in the CERN Radiation Safety Manual and in the regulations of the Host States.According to the usual procedure, the Director General has set up a Fact-Finding Group and an Accident Board in order to advise him on the steps and decisions tobe taken following this incident and in particular to avoid a recurrence.

  13. ISS External Contamination Environment for Space Science Utilization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soares, Carlos; Mikatarian, Ron; Steagall, Courtney; Huang, Alvin; Koontz, Steven; Worthy, Erica

    2014-01-01

    (1) The International Space Station is the largest and most complex on-orbit platform for space science utilization in low Earth orbit, (2) Multiple sites for external payloads, with exposure to the associated natural and induced environments, are available to support a variety of space science utilization objectives, (3) Contamination is one of the induced environments that can impact performance, mission success and science utilization on the vehicle, and (4)The ISS has been designed, built and integrated with strict contamination requirements to provide low levels of induced contamination on external payload assets.

  14. A transportable system for radioactivity contaminated water treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2013-01-01

    Contaminated water treatment system called SARRY for retrieval and recovery of water in operation at the site of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant since August 2011 has been modified by compacting the system size to develop a mobile system SARRY-Aqua that can process Cs-contaminated water (one ton/hour) to the level of 10 Bq/kg. Installing the system in a small container with dimensions conforming to the international standards facilitates transportation by truck and enables the contaminated water treatment occurring in a variety of locations. (S. Ohno)

  15. A study of internal contamination, using 137Cs and 90Sr urinary level, as indicator in the case of nuclear accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Albulescu, L.; Gruia, D.

    1996-01-01

    Our laboratory has from long time a permanent monitoring programme concerning the radioactivity of the environmental factors in Bechet zone (fallout, drinking water, soil) and foodstuffs. The topical results of this programme indicates that there were not significant modifications in the 137 Cs and 90 Sr mean-levels, as indicators in case of nuclear accident, due by Chernobyl accident or by the nearby functioning of NPP in Koslodui. The purpose of this study is to determine the internal contamination of the population in Dolj-district, using the indirect test of determination of radioactivity of excretes (urinary analysis). The daily-urinary levels of 90 Sr and 137 Cs are the best indicators for the human body contamination, in the case of a nuclear accident, conclusion that can be drawn from the Fig.1 below. The variation of these indicators shows that the young people is the most exposed segment of population. (author)

  16. Organization of setting-up sanitary pass-control regime and sanitary treatment of injured persons in case of radiation accidents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Korostin, A.S.; Klochkov, V.N.; Yatsenko, V.N.

    1995-01-01

    The main aim of sanitary pass-control regime is to prevent propagation of radioactive contamination outside the area of emergency-rescue works and guarantee of sanitary treatment of all persons having radioactive contamination. The paper has studied the questions of organization of sanitary pass-control regime, arrangement of sanitary treatment of the injured persons and rendering first aid in case of radioactive contamination of wounds. 5 refs

  17. Compared efficiency of four chelates for the internal decontamination of rats contaminated with radioactive mercury

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chiadot, Pierre

    1964-11-01

    The author, using rats contaminated with 5 microcuries of 203 HgCl 2 has realised: 1) one autoradiographic study of the radioactivity anatomical distribution. Liver and particularly kidneys concentrate rapidly the greatest part of the administered 203 mercury. 2) one study of the decontamination obtained by different chelates injected intraperitoneally. Total excretion at the end of an eleven days period was 62,1 pc of injected radio-activity after treatment with E.D.T.A. - Ca(II), 78,4 pc with D.T.P.A. - Ca (II), 87,5 pc with B.A.L. and 93,5 pc with D.L. Penicillamine instead of 48,7 pc in check-rats. Consequently, D.L. Penicillamine having very good effectiveness and moderate toxicity contrary to B.A.L., asserts itself as the best internal decontaminating agent of radioactive mercury and in a wider sense for treatment of common hydrargyrism. (author) [fr

  18. Correlations of urinary cadmium with hypertension and diabetes in persons living in cadmium-contaminated villages in northwestern Thailand: A population study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Swaddiwudhipong, Witaya, E-mail: swaddi@hotmail.com [Department of Community and Social Medicine, Mae Sot General Hospital, Tak 63110 (Thailand); Mahasakpan, Pranee [Department of Community and Social Medicine, Mae Sot General Hospital, Tak 63110 (Thailand); Limpatanachote, Pisit; Krintratun, Somyot [Department of Internal Medicine, Mae Sot General Hospital, Tak (Thailand)

    2010-08-15

    Risk for hypertension and diabetes has not been conclusively found to be a result of cadmium exposure. A population-based study was conducted in 2009 to examine the correlations of urinary cadmium, a good biomarker of long-term cadmium exposure, with hypertension and diabetes in persons aged 35 years and older who lived in the 12 cadmium-contaminated rural villages in northwestern Thailand. A total of 5273 persons were interviewed and screened for urinary cadmium, hypertension, and diabetes. The geometric mean level of urinary cadmium for women (2.4{+-}2.3 {mu}g/g creatinine) was significantly greater than that for men (2.0{+-}2.2 {mu}g/g creatinine). Hypertension was presented in 29.8% of the study population and diabetes was detected in 6.6%. The prevalence of hypertension significantly increased from 25.0% among persons in the lowest tertile of urinary cadmium to 35.0% in the highest tertile. In women, the rate of hypertension significantly increased with increasing urinary cadmium levels in both ever and never smokers, after adjusting for age, alcohol consumption, body mass index, and diabetes. In men, such association was less significantly found in never smokers. The study revealed no significant association between urinary cadmium and diabetes in either gender. Our study supports the hypothesis that environmental exposure to cadmium may increase the risk of hypertension. Risk for diabetes in relation to cadmium exposure remains uncertain in this exposed population.

  19. Correlations of urinary cadmium with hypertension and diabetes in persons living in cadmium-contaminated villages in northwestern Thailand: A population study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Swaddiwudhipong, Witaya; Mahasakpan, Pranee; Limpatanachote, Pisit; Krintratun, Somyot

    2010-01-01

    Risk for hypertension and diabetes has not been conclusively found to be a result of cadmium exposure. A population-based study was conducted in 2009 to examine the correlations of urinary cadmium, a good biomarker of long-term cadmium exposure, with hypertension and diabetes in persons aged 35 years and older who lived in the 12 cadmium-contaminated rural villages in northwestern Thailand. A total of 5273 persons were interviewed and screened for urinary cadmium, hypertension, and diabetes. The geometric mean level of urinary cadmium for women (2.4±2.3 μg/g creatinine) was significantly greater than that for men (2.0±2.2 μg/g creatinine). Hypertension was presented in 29.8% of the study population and diabetes was detected in 6.6%. The prevalence of hypertension significantly increased from 25.0% among persons in the lowest tertile of urinary cadmium to 35.0% in the highest tertile. In women, the rate of hypertension significantly increased with increasing urinary cadmium levels in both ever and never smokers, after adjusting for age, alcohol consumption, body mass index, and diabetes. In men, such association was less significantly found in never smokers. The study revealed no significant association between urinary cadmium and diabetes in either gender. Our study supports the hypothesis that environmental exposure to cadmium may increase the risk of hypertension. Risk for diabetes in relation to cadmium exposure remains uncertain in this exposed population.

  20. Bioremediation in soil contaminated with hydrocarbons in Colombia.

    OpenAIRE

    María Alejandra Trujillo Toro; Juan Fernando Ramírez Quirama

    2012-01-01

    This study analyzes bioremediation processes of hydrocarbon contaminated soils in Colombia as a sustainable alternative to the deterioration of environmental quality by hydrocarbon spillage. According to national and international environmental law, all waste contaminated with hydrocarbons is considered dangerous waste, and therefore it cannot be released in the ground, water or be incinerated. Such legislation has motivated companies around the world to implement treatment processes for cont...

  1. Personal hygienic concerns in long term space flight

    Science.gov (United States)

    1973-01-01

    Data from numerous experiments and hardware inventories were scanned for Skylab personal hygiene use. A computer program was formulated for predicting the degree of man's involvement with personal hygiene needs. A tabulation was kept for such events as water intake, frequency of urination and defecation, accidents or events requiring clean-up, methods of clean-up, microbiological environment and shower water contamination.

  2. Emerging organic contaminants in groundwater

    OpenAIRE

    Stuart, Marianne; Lapworth, Dan

    2013-01-01

    Emerging organic contaminants (ECs) are compounds now being found in groundwater from agricultural, urban sources that were previously not detectable, or thought to be significant. ECs include pesticides and degradates, pharmaceuticals, industrial compounds, personal care products, fragrances, water treatment by-products, flame retardants and surfactants, as well as ‘life-style’ compounds such as caffeine and nicotine. ECs may have adverse effects on aquatic ecosystems and human health. Freq...

  3. The effect of personal and group discrimination on the subjective well-being of people with mental illness: the role of internalized stigma and collective action intention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pérez-Garín, Daniel; Molero, Fernando; Bos, Arjan E R

    2017-04-01

    The goal of this study is to test a model in which personal discrimination predicts internalized stigma, while group discrimination predicts a greater willingness to engage in collective action. Internalized stigma and collective action, in turn, are associated to positive and negative affect. A cross-sectional study with 213 people with mental illness was conducted. The model was tested using path analysis. Although the data supported the model, its fit was not sufficiently good. A respecified model, in which a direct path from collective action to internalized stigma was added, showed a good fit. Personal and group discrimination appear to impact subjective well-being through two different paths: the internalization of stigma and collective action intentions, respectively. These two paths, however, are not completely independent, as collective action predicts a lower internalization of stigma. Thus, collective action appears as an important tool to reduce internalized stigma and improve subjective well-being. Future interventions to reduce the impact of stigma should fight the internalization of stigma and promote collective action are suggested.

  4. Rehabilitation of the contaminated territories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ageets, V.Yu.; Kenigsberg, Ya.Eh.; Skurat, V.V.; Tikhonova, L.E.; Shevchuk, V.E.; Ipat'ev, V.A.; Klimova, T.A.

    1998-01-01

    The purpose of the activity is development of the scientific reasonable projects of socio-economic and social-psychological rehabilitation of specific areas and populated localities on the contaminated territories of the both Gomel and Mogilev Regions. The results of economic researches allow to decrease expenses for realization of protective measures, to increase feedback of counter-measures, to speed up process of development of the plans and their realization, to decrease the labour input of planning of the rehabilitation measures, to increase quantity of considered alternative variants of strategy of the contaminated regions rehabilitation. On the basis of the sociological and psychological researches the recommendations for the most effective formation of adaptation strategies of behaviour of the people on the contaminated territories, formation of post accidental culture and active life image at teenagers, ways of fastening of youth in these areas, more address specialized social support and protection of the irradiated persons, perfection of social demographic policy on rehabilitated territories are offered. In the report are described following directions: scientific ground and development of the complex programmes of rehabilitation of administrative regions on the contaminated territories; development of administration system of the social economical development of the territories having suffered after the Chernobyl accident; social support and socio-psychological rehabilitation of the population of Belarus

  5. Radiation. Basics, influences, contamination situation, and countermeasures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baba, Mamoru; Nomura, Kiyoshi

    2012-01-01

    Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident resulted in the contamination of a large area, and by now the situation of contamination and exposure has gradually clarified, and a lot of information has been being accumulated. Toward reconstruction of Fukushima prefecture from the current circumstance that the residents still live under continuing fear, this article discusses how to clarify the current situation and deal with the contamination, which the residents are concerned about. First, radiation, basic properties of radiation, and so on are introduced. Regarding the influence on human bodies, the mechanism and the degree of influence by radiation, especially on children, women, and pregnant women are explained. Next, regarding the measurements of radiation and radioactivity, the properties of measurement methods and the detectors are explained. Regarding the current situation of contamination and exposure, mainly addressing the area around Koriyama city, various topics are covered including: (1) situation of contamination and radiation monitoring, (2) countermeasures for radioactivity contamination, (3) internal exposure dose, (4) exposed dose from water and food, as well as (5) safety standards. (S.K.)

  6. Impact of the internal contamination monitoring for national and international regulations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gaburo, J.C.; Sordi, G.M.

    1996-01-01

    An evaluation of the internal radiation dose received by workers between 1984 and 1994 was performed, after a brief description of IPEN facility. The National and International Recommendation aims to reduce the workers' doses below 1/10 of the annual limits. The routine monitoring should be eliminated, if the individual annual dose is below 3/10 of the annual limits. In this case, only the operational monitoring should be maintained. In principle, the concept of restricted area should be reviewed, because, according to Publication 26 of ICRP, 1977, it should be a supervised area instead. The new concept of restricted area recommended by the Publication 60, ICRP 1991, should be adjusted accordingly. Thus, the classification used by the Commission-controlled areas and supervised areas will be with the foreseeable dose and not with the actual dose. When the individual annual dose is kept below 1/10 of the annual limits, the routine monitoring is not necessary, and only operational monitoring is needed. Finally, the future possible activities of the Individual Internal Dosimetry Laboratory at IPEN are discussed, after the elimination of individual monitoring. (authors). 8 refs

  7. Results of the internal contamination measurements performed after Chernobyl accident by means of Casaccia whole body counter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rampa, E.; Santoni, G.; Di Pietro, S.

    1987-01-01

    Direct measurements of internal contamination were carried out in human subjects following the nuclear accident of Chernobyl. The Whole Body Counter facility operated by Dipartimento Protezione Ambientale e Salute dell'Uomo, Divisione Scienze Ambientali, Centro Ricerche Energia - C.R.E. - Casaccia (Rome) was utilized. This investigation was continued until December 31, 1986. The subjects were either resident of the Rome metropolitan area or Italian citizens returning from East European Countries. The report present the data regarding 131 I in the thyroid and 134 Cs and 137 Cs in the whole body. An ingestion or inhalation of these radionuclides is also calculated. The results of this study should contribute to a better evaluation of the theoretical models for the transfer of radionuclides from the environment to man

  8. External radiation dose and cancer mortality among French nuclear workers: considering potential confounding by internal radiation exposure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fournier, L; Laurent, O; Samson, E; Caër-Lorho, S; Laroche, P; Le Guen, B; Laurier, D; Leuraud, K

    2016-11-01

    French nuclear workers have detailed records of their occupational exposure to external radiation that have been used to examine associations with subsequent cancer mortality. However, some workers were also exposed to internal contamination by radionuclides. This study aims to assess the potential for bias due to confounding by internal contamination of estimates of associations between external radiation exposure and cancer mortality. A cohort of 59,004 workers employed for at least 1 year between 1950 and 1994 by CEA (Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique), AREVA NC, or EDF (Electricité de France) and badge-monitored for external radiation exposure were followed through 2004 to assess vital status and cause of death. A flag based on a workstation-exposure matrix defined four levels of potential for internal contamination. Standardized mortality ratios were assessed for each level of the internal contamination indicator. Poisson regression was used to quantify associations between external radiation exposure and cancer mortality, adjusting for potential internal contamination. For solid cancer, the mortality deficit tended to decrease as the levels of potential for internal contamination increased. For solid cancer and leukemia excluding chronic lymphocytic leukemia, adjusting the dose-response analysis on the internal contamination indicator did not markedly change the excess relative risk per Sievert of external radiation dose. This study suggests that in this cohort, neglecting information on internal dosimetry while studying the association between external dose and cancer mortality does not generate a substantial bias. To investigate more specifically the health effects of internal contamination, an effort is underway to estimate organ doses due to internal contamination.

  9. External radiation dose and cancer mortality among French nuclear workers. Considering potential confounding by internal radiation exposure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fournier, L.; Laurent, O.; Samson, E.; Caer-Lorho, S.; Laurier, D.; Leuraud, K. [Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety, Fontenay aux Roses (France). Ionizing Radiation Epidemiology Lab.; Laroche, P. [AREVA, Paris (France); Le Guen, B. [EDF, Saint Denis (France)

    2016-11-15

    French nuclear workers have detailed records of their occupational exposure to external radiation that have been used to examine associations with subsequent cancer mortality. However, some workers were also exposed to internal contamination by radionuclides. This study aims to assess the potential for bias due to confounding by internal contamination of estimates of associations between external radiation exposure and cancer mortality. A cohort of 59,004 workers employed for at least 1 year between 1950 and 1994 by CEA (Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique), AREVA NC, or EDF (Electricite de France) and badge-monitored for external radiation exposure were followed through 2004 to assess vital status and cause of death. A flag based on a workstation-exposure matrix defined four levels of potential for internal contamination. Standardized mortality ratios were assessed for each level of the internal contamination indicator. Poisson regression was used to quantify associations between external radiation exposure and cancer mortality, adjusting for potential internal contamination. For solid cancer, the mortality deficit tended to decrease as the levels of potential for internal contamination increased. For solid cancer and leukemia excluding chronic lymphocytic leukemia, adjusting the dose-response analysis on the internal contamination indicator did not markedly change the excess relative risk per Sievert of external radiation dose. This study suggests that in this cohort, neglecting information on internal dosimetry while studying the association between external dose and cancer mortality does not generate a substantial bias. To investigate more specifically the health effects of internal contamination, an effort is underway to estimate organ doses due to internal contamination.

  10. 134Cs and 137Cs whole-body measurements and internal dosimetry of the population living in areas contaminated by radioactivity after the Chernobyl accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zvonova, I.A.; Jesko, T.V.; Balonov, M.I.; Danilova, I.O.; Wallstroem, E.; Alpsten, M.; Thornberg, C.; Mattsson, S.

    1995-01-01

    Six western districts of the Bryansk region, Russia, were heavily contaminated with radioactive fallout after the Chernobyl NPP accident. Annually, between 1991 and 1994, inhabitants of four settlements were studied. Whole-body 134+137 Cs contents were measured in about 500 inhabitants. No correlation between Cs whole-body content and Cs soil contamination was found; Cs accumulation in a body depends greatly on natural factors such as type of soil, on social factors such as food habits including consumption of forest products, and on countermeasures to reduce internal exposure. During 1991-1994 average whole-body content of 134+137 Cs in adult inhabitants was about 3-60 kBq, corresponding to an effective dose of 0.1-2.4 mSv.y -1 . Cs whole-body content increases equally for girls and boys up to adult age. Cs content in adults does not depend significantly on age and is usually 1.2-2 times higher in men than in women. The average annual internal effective dose varies with age significantly less than 134+137 Cs whole-body content. In children (0-5 years) the mean absorbed dose is usually 1.2-1.5 times less than in adults. (author)

  11. The Quality of Relationships in International Development: Institutional and Personal Implications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leslie Groves

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available In this article, the authors explore some of the personal and organisational implications entailed in satisfying the new demands for greater transparency and accountability in development aid. This calls for changes in the relationships among the different actors inthe international development system. The first part of the article focuses on how the groups of people conceive each other and behave, that is, the “personal” dimension of the construction of the relationship. In this sense, one can observe the role that can be played by the individual development agent to support the change in relationships called for by the new development agenda. In the second part, it examines how the people are connected through their organisations, as well as the institutional mechanisms that can hinder the development of quality relationships, and also how they can be transformed in order to better satisfy the needs of the new poverty reduction agenda.

  12. ISO standards on the evaluation of contamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Swinth, K.L.; Tamberg, T.A.

    1993-01-01

    The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) develops radiation calibration standards through Subcommittee 2 (titled ''Radiation Protection'') of Technical Committee 85 (ISO/TC85/SC2). The subcommittee has also developed standards providing guidance on the performance of measurements. ISO/TC85/SC2 consists of international technical experts who represent their countries through the international consensus process in providing guidance in several radiation protection areas. The purpose of this paper is to summarize ISO's is guidance provided in the area of contamination measurements

  13. The Value of Personal Data

    OpenAIRE

    Lieshout , Marc ,

    2015-01-01

    Part 1: Invited Keynote Papers; International audience; This chapter discusses the value of personal data from two complementary perspectives: the value of personal data for firms and the value of personal data for individuals. The chapter starts with a short introduction into the rise of personal data markets – markets basically driven by the economic exploitation of personal data. Then the chapter discusses how firms asses the value of personal data. This can be done from different angles, ...

  14. Joint trajectories for social and physical aggression as predictors of adolescent maladjustment: Internalizing symptoms, rule-breaking behaviors, and borderline and narcissistic personality features

    Science.gov (United States)

    UNDERWOOD, MARION K.; BERON, KURT J.; ROSEN, LISA H.

    2011-01-01

    This investigation examined the relation between developmental trajectories jointly estimated for social and physical aggression and adjustment problems at age 14. Teachers provided ratings of children's social and physical aggression in Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 for a sample of 255 children (131 girls, 21% African American, 52% European American, 21% Mexican American). Participants, parents, and teachers completed measures of the adolescent's adjustment to assess internalizing symptoms, rule-breaking behaviors, and borderline and narcissistic personality features. Results showed that membership in a high and rising trajectory group predicted rule-breaking behaviors and borderline personality features. Membership in a high desister group predicted internalizing symptoms, rule-breaking behaviors, and borderline and narcissistic personality features. The findings suggest that although low levels of social and physical aggression may not bode poorly for adjustment, individuals engaging in high levels of social and physical aggression in middle childhood may be at greatest risk for adolescent psychopathology, whether they increase or desist in their aggression through early adolescence. PMID:21532919

  15. Personal Digital Assistant-Based Self-Work Sampling Study of Pediatric Interns Quantifies Workday and Educational Value.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campbell, Joyce K; Ortiz, Michael V; Ottolini, Mary C; Birch, Sarah; Agrawal, Dewesh

    2017-04-01

    Optimizing clinical proficiency and education of residents has become more important with restricted residency duty hours. Our objective was to investigate how interns spend their time on inpatient rotations and the perceived educational value of workday activities. We performed a descriptive self-work sampling study using a personal digital assistant (PDA) to randomly query interns on inpatient rotations in real time regarding their activity and the perceived educational value of that activity on a 4-point Likert scale. A total of 31 interns participated on 88 workdays over a 5-month period, generating 2082 samples from which the average workday was modeled. Time spent using the electronic health record (EHR) accounted for 33% of intern time, communicating with the health care team 23%, educational activities 17%, and time with patients and families 12%. Time with patients and families was perceived to be the most educational part of clinical service. Time spent using the EHR was perceived as the least educational. Interns perceived clinical service as excellent or good 37% of the time, while planned educational activities were perceived as excellent or good 81% of the time. Interns spend the majority of their time using the EHR and communicating with the health care team. Interns perceive time spent in planned educational activities has more educational value than time spent in clinical service. The distribution of daily activities is discordant with the perceived educational value of those activities. Copyright © 2016 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Radioecology and management of contaminated forests

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rantavaara, A.; Aro, L.

    2003-01-01

    Dose pathways from contaminated forests to man are related to stay in forests and use of forest products. Their contributions to radiation dose vary according to time after deposition and by groups of people. Wild foods are the major source of long-term internal radiation in areas where people collect mushrooms, berries and herbs, or are hunting for their own use, amounting to at least a few kilograms per capita and year. External radiation exposure will hardly exceed internal, even for forest workers. In early phase of fallout situation intercepted radioactive material will retain in tree canopies for a relatively short time. In dense young forests where trees are not too high external exposure is then at maximum because the radiation source in canopy is so close to people in forests and also due to appearance of short-lived radionuclides. Non-wood forest products are of concern to the public for a long time, but slow contamination of timber can in serious fallout situations cause the most harm to forestry. More than 80% of the income of multiple-use forestry in Finland comes from wood. The availability of domestic timber is a major issue and, if disturbed, also socio-economic consequences of contamination would become substantial. Multiple-use forestry, in addition to wood production comprises hunting, picking of berries, mushrooms and medical herbs, decorative materials, Christmas tree market, hiking and other recreational use of forests. Only few of these activities as such mean substantial addition to human radiation doses. Regulations for activity concentrations in commodities, also in various forest products in international market, are probably to be applied in the near future as a result of an IAEA project. Long-term internal exposure through wild foods is of most concern to local citizens from the point of view of radiation protection. The multiple-use forestry in northern Europe includes increasing sectors of recreational services and activities for the

  17. Combined effects of pharmaceuticals, personal care products, biocides and organic contaminants on the growth of Skeletonema pseudocostatum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petersen, Karina; Heiaas, Harald Hasle; Tollefsen, Knut Erik

    2014-05-01

    Organisms in the environment are exposed to a number of pollutants from different compound groups. In addition to the classic pollutants like the polychlorinated biphenyls, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), alkylphenols, biocides, etc. other compound groups of concern are constantly emerging. Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) can be expected to co-occur with other organic contaminants like biocides, PAHs and alkylphenols in areas affected by wastewater, industrial effluents and intensive recreational activity. In this study, representatives from these four different compound groups were tested individually and in mixtures in a growth inhibition assay with the marine algae Skeletonema pseudocostatum (formerly Skeletonema costatum) to determine whether the combined effects could be predicted by models for additive effects; the concentration addition (CA) and independent action (IA) prediction model. The eleven tested compounds reduced the growth of S. pseudocostatum in the microplate test in a concentration-dependent manner. The order of toxicity of these chemicals were irgarol>fluoxetine>diuron>benzo(a)pyrene>thioguanine>triclosan>propranolol>benzophenone 3>cetrimonium bromide>4-tert-octylphenol>endosulfan. Several binary mixtures and a mixture of eight compounds from the four different compound groups were tested. All tested mixtures were additive as model deviation ratios, the deviation between experimental and predicted effect concentrations, were within a factor of 2 from one or both prediction models (e.g. CA and IA). Interestingly, a concentration dependent shift from IA to CA, potentially due to activation of similar toxicity pathways at higher concentrations, was observed for the mixture of eight compounds. The combined effects of the multi-compound mixture were clearly additive and it should therefore be expected that PPCPs, biocides, PAHs and alkylphenols will collectively contribute to the risk in areas contaminated by such complex

  18. Contamination of fodder and radioactivity in turkeys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kossakowski, S.; Olszewska, K.

    1985-01-01

    Radioactivity was determined in mixed fodder (IB, IC, IE) and in turkeys which were given that feeding stuff. In animals (25 males and 25 females) fed with the above mixed fodder for 16-24 weeks radioactivity was assessed in internal organs and in their tissues. It was found that radioactivity ranged from 322.2 Bq/kg to 190.6 Bq/kg. In males the highest contamination was found in the spleen (average 0.108 Bq/g), in skeletal muscles (0.082 Bq/g), and in the liver (0.080 Bq/g), and the lowest in the skin (0.046 Bq per 1 g). The findings indicate that radioactivity of carcasses and internal organs in turkeys fed with contamined fodder was much lower than that in fodder. 6 refs., 1 tab. (author)

  19. Dose in a house built with contaminated wood

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thomassin, A.

    2006-01-01

    This paper aims to assess the annual effective dose which could be received by a person living in a house built in France with wood from Belarus and contaminated by cesium 137 from Chernobylsk accident fallout. After the context be specified and the potential levels of radioactivity presented, an assessment of the annual effective dose is performed, based on an as realistic as possible scenario. After calculations it appears that the annual effective dose by external exposure potentially received by an inhabitant living in a house build with contaminated wood (pine or birch) at 1,000 Bq/kg is of the order of 1 mSv, due to external exposure to walls. This dose is not negligible, and could even be much more higher if wood from highly contaminated Belarusian areas is used for building houses. Projects of such wooden buildings should be studied with a particular attention to the characterization of the contamination. (N.C.)

  20. Dose in a house built with contaminated wood

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thomassin, A. [Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire (IRSN), 92 - Fontenay aux Roses (France)

    2006-07-01

    This paper aims to assess the annual effective dose which could be received by a person living in a house built in France with wood from Belarus and contaminated by cesium 137 from Chernobylsk accident fallout. After the context be specified and the potential levels of radioactivity presented, an assessment of the annual effective dose is performed, based on an as realistic as possible scenario. After calculations it appears that the annual effective dose by external exposure potentially received by an inhabitant living in a house build with contaminated wood (pine or birch) at 1,000 Bq/kg is of the order of 1 mSv, due to external exposure to walls. This dose is not negligible, and could even be much more higher if wood from highly contaminated Belarusian areas is used for building houses. Projects of such wooden buildings should be studied with a particular attention to the characterization of the contamination. (N.C.)

  1. Contamination of living environment and human organism with plutonium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Benes, J.

    1981-01-01

    The applicability of 239 Pu in nuclear power is discussed. The radiotoxic properties of plutonium, its tissue distribution and the effects of internal and external contamination are described. The contamination of the atmosphere, water, and soil with plutonium isotopes is discussed. Dosimetry is described of plutonium in the living and working environments as is plutonium determination in the human organism. (H.S.)

  2. A study of internal contamination levels resulting from {sup 90}Sr and {sup 137}Cs environmental pollution. The influence of different factors; Etude des niveaux de contamination interne resultant d'une pollution de l'environnement par le {sup 90}Sr et le {sup 137}Cs influence des differents parametres

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Garnier, A [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Fontenay-aux-Roses (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

    1970-07-01

    This study includes two parts. The purpose of the former one is to try and evaluate the amounts of {sup 90}Sr and {sup 137}Cs dietary intakes as a function of age with a view to assessing internal exposure doses and estimating the critical age, and to study the relative significance of the several factors it depends on. The data used are both the results of dietary surveys made in 11 districts of the European community from which the evolution of the consumed amounts of 13 groups of foodstuffs, as a function of age was derived, and the mean factors of contamination pathways. The variability of some factors is very large and an attempt is made to assess their significance on the whole contamination; also, the influence of the various diets has been emphasized. The purpose of the second part is to assess, doses as a function of age in the case of protracted exposure on the basis of the aforesaid results and radiobiological factors derived from bibliographic states of the arts. An assessment is made of body burdens and mean doses (either to the skeleton or the whole body according to the radionuclides) originating either from a direct unitary exposure or from situations implying both modes of exposure. As assumed only the diets vary with the districts, thus the results reflect their significance which should be corrected, for a more accurate assessment of the dose variability, by the significance of human and transfer factors. (author) [French] Cette etude comprend deux parties. L'objet de la premiere partie est a la fois un essai d'evaluation en fonction de l'age des quantites de strontium 90 et de cesium 137 ingerees avec les aliments dans la perspective d'une application a l'estimation des doses d'irradiation interne et a la recherche de l'age critique, et une etude de l'influence relative des divers parametres dont elle depend. Les donnees utilisees sont, d'une part, les resultats des enquetes alimentaires faites en onze regions de la Communaute Europeenne dont on

  3. Basic health, women's health, and mental health among internally displaced persons in Nyala Province, South Darfur, Sudan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Glen; Torbay, Rabih; Lawry, Lynn

    2007-02-01

    We assessed basic health, women's health, and mental health among Sudanese internally displaced persons in South Darfur. In January 2005, we surveyed 6 registered internally displaced persons camps in Nyala District. Using systematic random sampling, we surveyed 1293 households, interviewing 1 adult female per household (N=1274); respondents' households totaled 8643 members. We inquired about respondents' mental health, opinions on women's rights, and the health status of household members. A majority of respondents had access to rations, shelter, and water. Sixty-eight percent (861 of 1266) used no birth control, and 53% (614 of 1147) reported at least 1 unattended birth. Thirty percent (374 of 1238) shared spousal decisions on timing and spacing of children, and 49% (503 of 1027) reported the right to refuse sex. Eighty-four percent (1043 of 1240) were circumcised. The prevalence of major depression was 31% (390 of 1253). Women also expressed limited rights regarding marriage, movement, and access to health care. Eighty-eight percent (991 of 1121) supported equal educational opportunities for women. Humanitarian aid has relieved a significant burden of this displaced population's basic needs. However, mental and women's health needs remain largely unmet. The findings indicate a limitation of sexual and reproductive rights that may negatively affect health.

  4. Acute care of radioactively contaminated or externally radiated personnel at nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1984-01-01

    Practical advice is given concerning the treatment of persons injure at nuclear power plant accidents, in particular accidents resulting in contamination or external radiation of man. The folder is primarily directed to persons responsible for the local plannning and supervision of emergency care at the power plant. (L.E.)

  5. Assessment of beta-emitter radionuclides in biological samples using liquid scintillation counting. Application to the study of internal doses in molecular and cellular biology techniques; Evaluacion en muestras biologicas de radionucleidos emisores beta mediante espectrometria de centelleo en fase liquida. Aplicaciones al estudio de dosis internas en tecnicas de investigacion de biologia molecular y celular

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sierra, I.; Delgado, A.; Navarro, T.; Macias, M. T.

    2007-07-01

    The radioisotopic techniques used in Molecular and Cellular Biology involve external and internal irradiation risk. It is necessary to control the possible internal contamination associated to the development of these techniques. The internal contamination risk can be due to physical and chemical properties of the labelled compounds, aerosols generated during the performance technique. The aim of this work was to estimate the possible intake of specific beta emitters during the technique development and to propose the required criterions to perform Individual Monitoring. The most representative radioisotopic techniques were selected attending their potential risk of internal contamination. Techniques were analysed applying IAEA methodology according to the used activity in each technique. It was necessary to identify the worker groups that would require individual monitoring on the base of their specific risk. Different measurement procedures were applied to study the possible intake in group risk and more than 160 persons were measured by in vitro bioassay. (Author) 96 refs.

  6. Effects of Contamination Upon the Performance of X-Ray Telescopes

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Dell, Stephen L.; Elsner, Ronald F.; Oosterbroek, Tim

    2010-01-01

    Particulate and molecular contamination can each impact the performance of x-ray telescope systems. Furthermore, any changes in the level of contamination between on-ground calibration and in-space operation can compromise the validity of the calibration. Thus, it is important to understand the sensitivity of telescope performance, especially the net effective area and the wings of the point spread function to contamination. Here, we quantify this sensitivity and discuss the flow-down of science requirements to contamination-control requirements. As an example, we apply this methodology to the International X-ray Observatory (IXO), currently under joint study by ESA, JAXA, and NASA.

  7. A cost-effective technique for integrating personal radiation dose assessment with personal gravimetric sampling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Strydom, R.; Rolle, R.; Van der Linde, A.

    1992-01-01

    During recent years there has been an increasing awareness internationally of radiation levels in the mining and milling of radioactive ores, including those from non-uranium mines. A major aspect of radiation control is concerned with the measurement of radiation levels and the assessment of radiation doses incurred by individual workers. Current techniques available internationally for personnel monitoring of radiation exposures are expensive and there is a particular need to reduce the cost of personal radiation monitoring in South African gold mines because of the large labour force employed. In this regard the obvious benefits of integrating personal radiation monitoring with existing personal monitoring systems already in place in South African gold mines should be exploited. A system which can be utilized for this purpose is personal gravimetric sampling. A new cost-effective technique for personal radiation monitoring, which can be fully integrated with the personal gravimetric sampling strategy being implemented on mines, has been developed in South Africa. The basic principles of this technique and its potential in South African mines are described. 9 refs., 7 figs

  8. Predicting the Spatial Distribution of Organic Contaminants in an Estuarine System using a Random Forest Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Modeling the magnitude and distribution of estuarine sediment contamination by pollutants of historic (e.g. PCB) and emerging concern (e.g., personal care products, PCP) is often limited by incomplete site knowledge and inadequate sediment contamination sampling. We tested a mode...

  9. Contamination limits for real and personal property. Progress report, July--December 1975

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Healy, J.W.; Wenzel, W.J.

    1976-05-01

    Studies of surface contamination continued with an attempt to apply previous concepts. Revision of the proposed limit for plutonium in soils was started with major efforts on wind resuspension and the use of data on environmental lead to estimate intake by children

  10. Analytical model of contamination during the drying of cylinders of jamonable muscle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montoya Arroyave, Isabel

    2014-05-01

    For a cylinder of jamonable muscle of radius R and length much greater than R; considering that the internal resistance to the transfer of water is much greater than the external and that the internal resistance is one certain function of the distance to the axis; the distribution of the punctual moisture in the jamonable cylinder is analytically computed in terms of the Bessel's functions. During the process of drying and salted the jamonable cylinder is sensitive to contaminate with bacterium and protozoa that come from the environment. An analytical model of contamination is presents using the diffusion equation with sources and sinks, which is solve by the method of the Laplace transform, the Bromwich integral, the residue theorem and some special functions like Bessel and Heun. The critical times intervals of drying and salted are computed in order to obtain the minimum possible contamination. It is assumed that both external moisture and contaminants decrease exponentially with time. Contaminants profiles are plotted and discussed some possible techniques of contaminants detection. All computations are executed using Computer Algebra, specifically Maple. It is said that the results are important for the food industry and it is suggested some future research lines.

  11. Surveillance for previously unmonitored organic contaminants in the San Francisco Estuary.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oros, Daniel R; Jarman, Walter M; Lowe, Theresa; David, Nicole; Lowe, Sarah; Davis, Jay A

    2003-09-01

    The San Francisco Estuary Regional Monitoring Program initiated surveillance monitoring to identify previously unmonitored synthetic organic contaminants in the San Francisco Estuary. Organic extracts of water samples were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in full scan mode. The major contaminant classes identified in the samples were fire retardants, pesticides, personal care product ingredients, and plasticizers. Evidence from the literature suggests that some of these contaminants can persist in the environment, induce toxicity, and accumulate in marine biota and in higher food chain consumers. The major sources of these contaminants into the marine environment are the discharge of municipal and industrial wastewater effluents, urban stormwater, and agricultural runoff. As a proactive effort, it is suggested that surveillance studies be used routinely in monitoring programs to identify and prevent potential problem contaminants from harming the marine environment.

  12. The Follow-up IAEA International Mission on Remediation of Large Contaminated Areas Off-Site the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, Tokyo and Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, 14-21 October 2013. Final Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2014-01-01

    In October 2011, the IAEA conducted an International Mission to Japan to support the remediation of large contaminated areas off-site TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). In response to the request made by the Government of Japan, in October 2013, the IAEA organized a follow-up International Mission on remediation of large contaminated areas off-site TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi NPP (hereinafter referred to as the 'Follow-up Mission' or the 'Mission') with the main purpose of evaluating the progress of the on-going remediation works achieved since the previous mission in October 2011. The Follow-up Mission Team involved 13 international experts. Additionally, 3 experts of the Working Group 5 (Subgroup 5.2, Remediation) in charge of preparing the IAEA Report on TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Accident accompanied the Mission as observers to obtain first-hand information for the report. The Follow-up Mission had the following three objectives: 1. To provide assistance to Japan in assessing the progress made with the remediation of the Special Decontamination Area (not included in the previous mission of 2011) and the Intensive Contamination Survey Areas; 2. To review remediation strategies, plans and works, in view of the advice provided by the previous mission on remediation of large contaminated off-site areas; and 3. To share its findings with the international community as lessons learned. The Mission was conducted through the assessment of information provided to the Team and by means of professional and open discussions with the relevant institutions in Japan, including national, prefectural and local institutions. The Japanese authorities provided comprehensive information on their remediation programme. The Mission Team visited the affected areas, including several sites where activities on remediation were conducted. The Team also visited some temporary storage sites for radioactive waste and soil generated in the remediation activities, as well as a

  13. Measurement of contamination by 241Am

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hemmingsen, L.B.S.

    1991-08-01

    In relation to the fact that four employees at the Danish Isotope Center who had regularly cleaned the smoke detectors used for control measurements were found to be contaminated with 241 Am, the aim was to investigate the suitability of the Phoswich detector system for measurement of contamination of humans by 241 Am. It was also wished to compare this measuring method with other selected ones. The measurement results are presented in detail. It was found that measurements taken on the cranium with the Phoswich detectors were more suitable for measurement of contamination by 241 Am than the use of a Ge detector on the liver, - because of the first-named method's greater degree of measuring efficiency, (0.013 cps/Bq compared with 0.0001 cps/Bq in the case of Ge detector measurement) and lower minimum detectable activity in relation to that activity that was measured on A1 (one of the employees). It was found that Phoswich-detector measurement and measuring of urine samples supplemented each other in a satisfactory way. The Phoswich detector enables a quick measurement of the degree of seriousness of the contamination of a person and a relatively accurate determination of the calculated intake of contamination which has a size of at least twice the annual limit of intake size. Measurements of urine samples enable smaller amounts of contamination to be revealed, but this takes ca. 32 weeks and is less accurate than Phoswich measurement especially if a long time has elapsed after the intake. (AB) (34 refs.)

  14. Contaminated land in Colombia: A critical review of current status and future approach for the management of contaminated sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arias Espana, Victor Andres; Rodriguez Pinilla, Alfonso R; Bardos, Paul; Naidu, Ravi

    2018-03-15

    Environmental contaminants can have negative effects on human health and land, air and water resources. Consequently, there have been significant advances in regulation for protecting the environment in developed countries including the development of remediation frameworks and guidelines. On the other hand, fewer studies have been reported on the risks and health effects of contaminants in developing regions and there is scarce information regarding contaminated land assessment and environmental remediation. Colombia is an important emerging economy and has started to take the first steps towards the development of a framework for the management of contaminated sites and there are opportunities for the country to learn from countries with well-established frameworks such as the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) and for international collaboration with organisations such as CRC for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CARE). We review main pollution issues, current status of contaminated land management in Colombia to identify the gaps in policy and regulation. We also review the UK and US contaminated land policies and regulations to identify the elements of those experiences that could support progress in the country. Finally, we propose recommendations (e.g. risk based approach, soil screening criteria, clean-up funding, liability) for Colombia that could support further development and implementation of a more effective contaminated land management framework. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. COULD MUSHROOMS ACT AS CONCENTRATION PATHWAYS TO INTERNAL CONTAMINA-TION OF SOME MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES BY 137CS IN SLOVAKIA?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juraj Miššík

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to obtain some preliminary data necessary for the assessment of the possible existence of small-area local sources of contaminated mushrooms in forested areas with comparatively low inventory of man-made 137Cs. On the study plot near Čierne-Svrčinovec (North-western Slovakia 31 samples were collected during periodic sampling in the years 2012-2013 and analysed by gamma-spectrometry. Activities 137Cs in mushrooms from entire sampling plot followed the lognormal distribution with extremely high variation and high positive skew, with projected three-sigma (99.75% range from 0.49 Bq.kg-1 to 1537 Bq.kg-1 (dry weight, d.w. and with geometrical average of 27.4 Bq.kg-1 (d.w.. Another 11 samples were collected or bought from roadside vendors living in Roma slums near villages Richnava and Kluknava (Spiš region, eastern Slovakia. Obtained edible wild mushrooms were in a good shape despite prolonged drought indicating existence of well hidden forested sites in slum surroundings. Highest activity of 137Cs in this set was recorded in Boletus edulis (263.3 ± 20.3 Bq.kg-1 (d.w.. Both geometric mean (49.0 Bq.kg-1 and expectation value (91.2 Bq.kg-1 d.w. of lognormal distribution were higher than that of the study plot on NW Slovakia. No sample exceeded the legal radiohygienic limit for radiocesium contamination. The limited extent of presented study only slightly indicates the possibility of slow changes in spatial redistribution of bioavailable 137Cs in forest ecosystem. However, available data on this subject from different sources suggest that there is no reason for massive occurrence of highly contaminated fruiting bodies in small areas surrounding settlements, where some critical groups of individuals, who are used to consume large amounts of mushrooms from limited geographical area could in such case develop significant internal contamination.

  16. Mandatory certification of personal protection equipment against ionizing radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Palacios, Tulio A.

    2000-01-01

    This paper analyze the regulations establishing mandatory certification of personal protection equipment, including those aim to protect against ionizing radiation due to the external irradiation and to the radioactive contamination. (author)

  17. Treatment of radioactive contaminated water in nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1978-12-01

    This rule is to be applied to the design, construction, and operation of facilities for treatment of water contaminated with radioactive material in stationary nuclear power plants with LWRs and HTRs. According to the requirements of the rule these facilities are to be designed, constructed, and operated in such a way that a) uncontrolled discharge of water contaminated with radioactive material is avoided, b) the activity discharged with water is as low as possible, c) water contaminated with radioactive material will not reach the ground, d) the radiation exposure as a consequence of direct radiation, contamination, and inhalation of the persons occupied in the facilities is as low as possible and as a maximum corresponds to the values laid down in the radiation protection regulation or to the values of the operating license. This rule is not to be applied to facilities for coolant and storage pit clean-up as well as facilities for the treatment of concentrates produced during the contamination of the water. (orig./HP) [de

  18. PERSONALITY PREDISPOSITIONS IN CHINESE ADOLESCENTS: THE RELATION BETWEEN SELF-CRITICISM, DEPENDENCY, AND PROSPECTIVE INTERNALIZING SYMPTOMS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen, Joseph R.; Young, Jami F.; Hankin, Benjamin L.; Yao, Shuqiao; Zhu, Xiong Zhao; Abela, John R.Z.

    2015-01-01

    The present study examined the prospective relation between two personality predispositions, self-criticism and dependency, and internalizing symptoms. Specifically, it was examined whether self-criticism and dependency predicted symptoms of depression and social anxiety, and if a moderation (e.g. diathesis-stress) or mediation model best explained the relation between the personality predispositions and emotional distress in Chinese adolescents. Participants included 1,150 adolescents (597 females and 553 males) from mainland China. Participants completed self-report measures of self-criticism, dependency, and neuroticism at baseline, and self-report measures of negative events, depressive symptoms, and social anxiety symptoms once a month for six months. Findings showed that self-criticism predicted depressive symptoms, while dependency predicted social anxiety symptoms. In addition, support was found for a mediation model, as opposed to a moderation model, with achievement stressors mediating the relation between self-criticism and depressive symptoms. Overall, these findings highlight new developmental pathways for the development of depression and social anxiety symptoms in mainland Chinese adolescents. Implications for cross-cultural developmental psychopathology research are discussed. PMID:25798026

  19. Conducting the personal subsidiary plot at the territory, contaminated with radioactive substances

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borovikov, A.N.; Kulazhenko, V.G.; Kovalev, S.D.; Milyuta, B.I.; Basalaeva, Z.N.

    1993-01-01

    As a result of Chernobyl NPP accident large amount of radioactive substances fell at agricultural areas and its production became the source of additional irradiation of population. One of the task is to get food with the content of radionuclides not exceeding the fixed norms. The rules of working hygiene which provide safe living of population at the territories with different level of contamination are described. Recommendations for processing the fruit and market gardens are given, suitable from the point of view of accumulation of radionuclides vegetables and fruits, kinds and sorts cultures are presented. The rules of keeping and feeding the animals, bees and fur-bearing animals are developed. The rules for primary processing of products of plant-growing and stock-breeding, which permit to decrease radioactive contamination 2-10 and more times are presented. Methods of using the products of forest - material and fuel wood, meet of wild animals, mushrooms and berries - are proposed. 5 tabs

  20. Baseline risk assessment for groundwater contamination at the uranium mill tailings site, Gunnison, Colorado

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1990-11-01

    The Gunnison Baseline Risk Assessment for Groundwater Contamination at the Uranium Mill Tailings Site was performed to determine if long-term use of groundwater from domestic wells near the site has a potential for adverse health effects. The risk assessment was based on the results of sampling domestic wells during 1989--1990. A risk assessment evaluates health risks by comparing the amount of a contaminant taken in by a person with the amount of the contaminant that may be toxic. The Gunnison Risk Assessment used high intake values to estimate the maximum levels a person might be exposed to. The results of the risk assessment are divided into cancer (carcinogenic) risks and non-carcinogenic risks. Five key contaminants were evaluated for adverse health risks: uranium, manganese, lead antimony, and cadmium. Due to the potential health risks and the unavoidable uncertainties associated with limited groundwater and toxicity data, it is prudent public health policy to provide a permanent alternate water supply. Additionally, providing a permanent alternate water supply is cost-effective compared to long-term routine monitoring

  1. Construction of an internal amplification control for Mycobacterium ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Elham

    2013-07-03

    Jul 3, 2013 ... million and 10 bacteria and the most suitable internal control concentration for the mix was ... But the risk of contamination is unavoidable in normal ..... Contamination Management: Implication for Broad-Range Ribosomal.

  2. Direct Detection of Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products from Aqueous Samples with Thermally-Assisted Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campbell, Ian S.; Ton, Alain T.; Mulligan, Christopher C.

    2011-07-01

    An ambient mass spectrometric method based on desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) has been developed to allow rapid, direct analysis of contaminated water samples, and the technique was evaluated through analysis of a wide array of pharmaceutical and personal care product (PPCP) contaminants. Incorporating direct infusion of aqueous sample and thermal assistance into the source design has allowed low ppt detection limits for the target analytes in drinking water matrices. With this methodology, mass spectral information can be collected in less than 1 min, consuming ~100 μL of total sample. Quantitative ability was also demonstrated without the use of an internal standard, yielding decent linearity and reproducibility. Initial results suggest that this source configuration is resistant to carryover effects and robust towards multi-component samples. The rapid, continuous analysis afforded by this method offers advantages in terms of sample analysis time and throughput over traditional hyphenated mass spectrometric techniques.

  3. Human genetics: international projects and personalized medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Apellaniz-Ruiz, Maria; Gallego, Cristina; Ruiz-Pinto, Sara; Carracedo, Angel; Rodríguez-Antona, Cristina

    2016-03-01

    In this article, we present the progress driven by the recent technological advances and new revolutionary massive sequencing technologies in the field of human genetics. We discuss this knowledge in relation with drug response prediction, from the germline genetic variation compiled in the 1000 Genomes Project or in the Genotype-Tissue Expression project, to the phenome-genome archives, the international cancer projects, such as The Cancer Genome Atlas or the International Cancer Genome Consortium, and the epigenetic variation and its influence in gene expression, including the regulation of drug metabolism. This review is based on the lectures presented by the speakers of the Symposium "Human Genetics: International Projects & New Technologies" from the VII Conference of the Spanish Pharmacogenetics and Pharmacogenomics Society, held on the 20th and 21st of April 2015.

  4. Dose control for internal radiation; Kawalan dos untuk sinaran dalam

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1988-12-31

    The chapter briefly discussed the following subjects: aerosol physics, relationship of surface contamination and internal contamination for workers, surface contamination control and the it`s procedures i.e. protective personnel cloth, waste management in active area, storage of radioactive materials etc.

  5. Controls of internal contamination from gamma-emitting radionuclides performed whole-body counter measures on children's population from Bjelorussia, Russia and Ucraina

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tarroni, G.; Battisti, P.; Castellani, C.M.; Formignani, M.; Rampa, E.; Ticconi, R.

    1994-12-01

    This report summarizes the results obtained in 9 measurement campaigns, performed at the ENEA (Italian Agency for New Technologies, Energy and the Environment) centres of Bologna and Roma-Casaccia from April 1991 to September 1992, for the assessment of internal contamination from gamma-emitting radionuclides. Homogeneous samples were selected for the controls, each one representing the children's population from given area. 15 areas were investigated and 24 examined; 20 of them were from Bjelorussia. 266 children, 124 male and 142 female subjects, were controlled. The instruments were intercalibrated according to the body size, from 20.25 kg to 81 kg. Body contamination only from 1 37 Cs and 1 34 Cs was detected. Evaluations were performed in order to test appropriate use of ICRP caesium biokynetic model for children aged 8 to 15 years. Statistical distribution of body activity data were carefully analyzed. It is demonstrated that the data are well fitted by lognormal distribution and a difference between sexes in terms of activity. A significant difference between sexes was found in terms of activity intake

  6. Food Safety and Chemical Contaminants: An Overview a

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Ali

    2004-06-01

    Full Text Available Food safety is a major consumer’s concern worldwide. Although several incidences of food poisoning have placed microbial contamination on the forefront during recent years, health risks due to chemical contamination still remain high. The most often cited chemical contaminants are derived from a variety of sources such as pesticides, environmental chemicals (PCBs. dioxin, heavy metals including lead, mercury, chemical contaminants as a result of food processing (acrylamide, nitrosamines etc., naturally occurring toxicants (glycoalkaloids, mycotoxins, antinutritives etc, chemicals migrating from packaging materials, veterinary drugs and other chemical residues. In addition to the presence of unintentional contaminants, the quality and safety of foods could also be compromised by the addition of certain food additives, phytonutrients, exposure to irradiation and other substances. Food processors and the regulatory and enforcement agencies are facing an ever-increasing challenge to meet the consumer’s demands for safe foods that do not pose health risks or alter their lifestyle. As the food trade expands throughout the world, food safety has become a shared concern among both the developed and developing countries. Although food control systems do exist in the countries of Gulf region, in most of the cases they are not in line with national and international needs and are not able to cope with the new challenges of the modern era. The most appropriate methods to ensure the safety of food supplies are the strengthening of regular surveillance systems, developing methods for the systematic application of risk analysis, risk assessment and risk management strategies, and timely communication of information to develop and enforce the appropriate food safety laws globally as well as the development of international and national cooperation. This paper reviews issues, challenges and solutions to achieve food safety with respect to chemical

  7. EVALUATION OF PERSONAL COOLING DEVICES FOR A ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    The study investigated the use of personal coolers to increase worker productivity and safety while working at elevated, ambient temperatures cleaning up dioxin contaminated soil.^The study included laboratory tests to measure the thermal characteristics of the chemical protective clothing worn and the performance of ice vest and vortex personal coolers.^In addition, field tests were conducted at a dioxin clean-up site to evaluate the performance of these two types of personal coolers.^The use of personal coolers was found to be an effective method of reducing the risk of heat stress.^In addition, workers were able to work continuously in hot weather without following the procedure normally used to decrease heat stress, i.e., working one hour followed by one hour of resting.^Both types of personal coolers were acceptable for the task being performed. information

  8. Targeting the pains of food insecurity and malnutrition among internally displaced persons with nutrient synergy and analgesics in organ meat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fayemi, Peter O; Muchenje, Voster; Yetim, Hasan; Ahhmed, Abdulatef

    2018-02-01

    Living with pain is one of the distressing effects of food insecurity and malnutrition among millions of internally displaced persons (IDPs) worldwide. Vulnerability to emotional pain, metabolic imbalance, chronic illnesses and non-communicable diseases by IDPs are associated with stressed livelihood and restricted access to balanced diets in their camps. Tackling the complexity of issues related to internal displacement is challenging as 45% are globally trapped in protracted conditions. In this review, a diet-based intervention is proposed considering the potential benefits of nutrient synergy and analgesic constituents in organ meat. Providing an affordable, value added and well packaged nutrient dense diet is suggested to meet daily protein and micronutrient requirements from organ meat. Also, unlocking health-promoting bioactive substances and analgesics in restructured organ meat product is proposed as personalized dietary remedy to exert opioid bioactivity in food matrix. Exploiting the nutrient synergy of this animal by-product will not only improve the nutritional status or wellbeing but also raise the composite score of dietary diversity or food security index among IDPs by 2030. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  9. Contaminations of inner surface of magnesium fluoride windows in the `Expose-R' experiment on the International Space Station

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skurat, V. E.

    2017-10-01

    A series of experiments was carried out previously on board of the International Space Station in `EXPOSE-R', a multi-user expose facility, provided by European Space Agency attached to the external surface of the Russian Segment. In one experiment, spores of microorganisms and species of higher plant seeds, in heat-sealed polymer bags were irradiated by solar radiation passed through MgF2 windows in a high space vacuum. After sample exposure, it was found that in many cases the inner surfaces of windows were contaminated. Analysis of the contamination revealed the presence of chemical groups CH2, CH3, NH, OH, C═O, Si-CH3 (Demets et al. in 2015). Their presence in deposits was explained by photofixation of gaseous precursors - some of the vapours of glues and additives in polymeric materials in the core facility of `Expose-R'. Carbon-, oxygen- and silicon-containing groups may be deposited from outer intrinsic atmosphere. This atmosphere is connected with sample compartments and core facility. However, the presence of NH groups on inner surfaces of windows was not expected. This paper shows that the process responsible for carbon-, nitrogen- and oxygen-containing group formation can be a photopolymerization of caprolactam, which is released from the outer Nylon 6 layer of polymer bags under Solar vacuum ultraviolet radiation.

  10. Contamination limits for real and personal property. Progress report, July--December 1974

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Healy, J.W.; Wenzel, W.J.

    1975-05-01

    Studies during this period were primarily devoted to the derivation of a simplified conceptual model of radiation doses resulting from contaminated objects. A four-part model consisting of sections on use, actions, pathways, and radiation dose is described. This model will permit study of the quantitative features for each part. (U.S.)

  11. Evaluation of sensitivity evaluation of a contamination monitor for use in monitoring of internal exposure of workers in nuclear medicine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dantas, Bernando Maranhao; Assis, Janima Cruz de; Oliveira, Salomao Marques de; Dantas, Ana Leticia Almeida

    2014-01-01

    In practice of nuclear medicine, expert personnel routinely handle radiopharmaceuticals for diagnosis and radiotherapy. The control of intakes of radionuclides by workers can be performed through internal dosimetry techniques, as an integral part of the radiation protection program of the installation. The use of radiopharmaceuticals for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in vivo and in vitro in Brazil is regulated by CNEN-NE Standards and 3:05 CNEN-NN 3.01. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommends the establishment of an internal monitoring program on workers, especially those subject to possible exposure to annual effective doses greater than 1 mSv. Note that, currently, in Brazil, are not available qualified laboratories to provide internal monitoring services in all regions in the country, if it were applied by CNEN, the requirement for internal monitoring of workers. This paper presents the development of a simple and low-cost methodology for in vivo monitoring of 131 I in the thyroid. The proposed methodology is the use of portable monitor of surface contamination, equipment available and routinely used in all nuclear medicine services in Brazil. The monitor is calibrated with neck-thyroid simulator developed at the Laboratory of In Vivo Monitoring of IRD/CNEN-RJ. The equipment tested is suitable for application in in vivo occupational monitoring thyroid. This conclusion is based on the fact that the detection system has sufficient sensitivity for monitoring up to seven days after the incorporation of the radionuclide and guarantees 131 I detection in values that result in effective doses below 1 mSv for the exposure scenarios adopted

  12. Radioactive contamination in the Arctic - Present situation and future challenges

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Strand, P.

    2002-01-01

    There is currently a focus on radioactivity and the Arctic region. The reason for this is the high number of nuclear sources in parts of the Arctic and the vulnerability of Arctic systems to radioactive contamination. The Arctic environment is also perceived as a wilderness and the need for the protection of this wilderness against contamination is great. In 1991, the International Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy (IAEPS) was launched and the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) established. AMAP is undertaking an assessment of the radioactive contamination of the Arctic and its radiological consequences. This paper summarises some of current knowledge about sources of radioactive contamination, vulnerability, exposure of man, and potential sources for radioactive contamination within Arctic and some views on the future needs for work concerning radioactivity in Arctic. (author)

  13. Environmental radioactive contamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saucedo, Edgardo

    2000-01-01

    The environmental radioactive contamination with the scientific and technological advances can produce big benefits or damages to the human beings or the environment. The approval of national or international laws in the population's education so that it can face the topic critically and the scientific formation of human resources and ethically for application of the ionizing radiations, they are the best road to take advantage to the maximum of benefits of these radiations, reducing to the minimum the risks on the man and the environment

  14. Catalyst Substrates Remove Contaminants, Produce Fuel

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    A spacecraft is the ultimate tight building. We don t want any leaks, and there is very little fresh air coming in, says Jay Perry, an aerospace engineer at Marshall Space Flight Center. As a result, there is a huge potential for a buildup of contaminants from a host of sources. Inside a spacecraft, contaminants can be introduced from the materials that make spacecraft components, electronics boxes, or activities by the crew such as food preparation or cleaning. Humans also generate contaminants by breathing and through the body s natural metabolic processes. As part of the sophisticated Environmental Control and Life Support System on the International Space Station (ISS), a trace contaminant control system removes carbon dioxide and other impurities from the cabin atmosphere. To maintain healthy levels, the system uses adsorbent media to filter chemical contaminant molecules and a high-temperature catalytic oxidizer to change the chemical structure of the contaminants to something more benign, usually carbon dioxide and water. In the 1990s, while researching air quality control technology for extended spaceflight travel, Perry and others at Marshall were looking for a regenerable process for the continuous removal of carbon dioxide and trace chemical contaminants on long-duration manned space flights. At the time, the existing technology used on U.S. spacecraft could only be used once, which meant that a spacecraft had to carry additional spare parts for use in case the first one was depleted, or the spacecraft would have to return to Earth to exchange the components.

  15. Adulthood personality correlates of childhood adversity

    OpenAIRE

    Carver, Charles S.; Johnson, Sheri L.; McCullough, Michael E.; Forster, Daniel E.; Joormann, Jutta

    2014-01-01

    Objective: Childhood adversity has been linked to internalizing and externalizing disorders and personality disorders in adulthood. This study extends that research by examining several personality measures as correlates of childhood adversity. Method: In a college sample self-reports were collected of childhood adversity, several scales relating to personality, and current depression symptoms as a control variable. The personality-related scales were reduced to four latent variables, whic...

  16. Report on international round table conference 'Accidental radiation contamination of food of animal origin'. Vol.II (Working papers)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1986-07-01

    The World Association of Veterinary Food Hygienists (WAVFH) held an international round table conference in Stockholm, Sweden, January 26-29, 1987. The topic of the conference was 'Accidental Radiation Contamination of Food of Animal Origin'. The agenda was divided into three major topic areas: 1. Ecological Science; 2. Veterinary Science - Live Animals; and 3. Veterinary Science - Food of Animal Origin. Experts and delegates from member countries presented papers, participated in discussions and workshops and produced a multidisciplinary report covering the topic areas. Two volumes were produced; one a collection of all papers presented, and the other a compilation of the proceedings from each of the topic workshops. In order to rapidly distribute the Association's information to members, papers and other information were collated and disseminated as presented to the conference participants.

  17. Report on international round table conference 'Accidental radiation contamination of food of animal origin'. Vol.II (Working papers)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1986-01-01

    The World Association of Veterinary Food Hygienists (WAVFH) held an international round table conference in Stockholm, Sweden, January 26-29, 1987. The topic of the conference was 'Accidental Radiation Contamination of Food of Animal Origin'. The agenda was divided into three major topic areas: 1. Ecological Science; 2. Veterinary Science - Live Animals; and 3. Veterinary Science - Food of Animal Origin. Experts and delegates from member countries presented papers, participated in discussions and workshops and produced a multidisciplinary report covering the topic areas. Two volumes were produced; one a collection of all papers presented, and the other a compilation of the proceedings from each of the topic workshops. In order to rapidly distribute the Association's information to members, papers and other information were collated and disseminated as presented to the conference participants

  18. Food contamination : lessons of Chernobyl

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haque, F.

    1987-01-01

    This brief survey of radioactive contamination of food suggests at least four areas in which action needs to be taken so that we might be better prepared to respond to any possible future nuclear accident. More research is needed on the way that radiation enters the food chain, and the measures that can be taken to counter the health hazards posed by fallout. A second clear need is for a global radioactivity monitoring system. Third, international standards need to be established for methods of sampling, analysis and reporting of the radioactive levels in foods. Finally, an effort must be made to inform the public so it can distinguish between the real and the imaginary hazards posed by radioactively contaminated foods

  19. The personal norm of reciprocity

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Perugini, M.; Gallucci, M.; Presaghi, F.; Ercolani, A.P.

    2002-01-01

    Reciprocity is here considered as an internalized social norm, and a questionnaire to measure individual differences in the internalized norm of reciprocity is presented. The questionnaire, Personal Norm of Reciprocity (PNR), measures three aspects of reciprocity: positive reciprocity, negative

  20. User modeling, adaptation, and personalization : 17th international conference, UMAP 2009, formerly UM and AH, Trento, Italy, June 22-26, 2009 : proceedings

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Houben, G.J.P.M.; McCalla, G.I.; Pianesi, F.; Zancanaro, M.

    2009-01-01

    The First International Conference on User Modeling, Adaptation, and Personalization (UMAP 2009) was held June 22-26, 2009, in Trento, Italy. UMAP 2009 was not, however, the first conference on user modeling or adaptation. In fact, UMAP 2009 merged two vigorous biennial conference traditions - the

  1. How to establish practical rules for the avoidance of contamination; Comment etablir des regles pratiques pour eviter la contamination

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Duhamel, F.; Lavie, J.M. [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France).Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

    1960-07-01

    The international Commission for Radiation Protection has given, for the most common radioelements, the internal contamination standards corresponding to a permanent exposure to these risks. These standards, expressed in maximum permissible concentrations in air, cannot be used directly for defining regulations aiming at avoiding the respiration of large doses during a short time. That is why the authors of this report have established a basis of comparison for the radioelements using the idea of the maximum permissible intake quantity 'Q.M.I.' for a single dose. (author) [French] La Commission internationale de Protection contre les Radiations 'I.C.R.P.' a donne, pour les radioelements les plus courants, les normes de contamination interne correspondant a une exposition permanente a ces risques. Ces normes, exprimees en concentrations maximales admissibles dans l'air ne sont pas directement utilisables pour elaborer directement un reglement cherchant a eviter les inhalations importantes mais de courte duree. C'est pourquoi, les auteurs de ce rapport ont etabli une base de comparaison des radioelements en faisant appel a la notion de quantite maximale inhalable 'Q.M.I.' en une seule fois. (auteur)

  2. How to establish practical rules for the avoidance of contamination; Comment etablir des regles pratiques pour eviter la contamination

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Duhamel, F; Lavie, J M [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France).Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

    1960-07-01

    The international Commission for Radiation Protection has given, for the most common radioelements, the internal contamination standards corresponding to a permanent exposure to these risks. These standards, expressed in maximum permissible concentrations in air, cannot be used directly for defining regulations aiming at avoiding the respiration of large doses during a short time. That is why the authors of this report have established a basis of comparison for the radioelements using the idea of the maximum permissible intake quantity 'Q.M.I.' for a single dose. (author) [French] La Commission internationale de Protection contre les Radiations 'I.C.R.P.' a donne, pour les radioelements les plus courants, les normes de contamination interne correspondant a une exposition permanente a ces risques. Ces normes, exprimees en concentrations maximales admissibles dans l'air ne sont pas directement utilisables pour elaborer directement un reglement cherchant a eviter les inhalations importantes mais de courte duree. C'est pourquoi, les auteurs de ce rapport ont etabli une base de comparaison des radioelements en faisant appel a la notion de quantite maximale inhalable 'Q.M.I.' en une seule fois. (auteur)

  3. Contamination of the Arctic by exotic air toxics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ford, J.; Landers, D.

    1991-01-01

    Various kinds of atmospheric pollutants are commonly known to occur in arctic environments. These include organic contaminants, pollutants associated with fossil fuel combustion, smelting, industrial development, and radionuclides. Recently, additional concern has arisen from studies suggesting that at least some atmospheric contaminants may be susceptible to poleward redistribution as a result of their physical and chemical properties. Thus, contamination of the arctic may be exacerbated by the tendency of selected contaminants produced at lower latitudes to be transported to polar regions and incorporated into high latitude food chains. Although awareness of exotic contaminants in high latitude food chains is not new, regional baseline data are needed to document the spatial extent and magnitude of this potentially serious problem. The US Arctic is little studied in this regard relative to several other circumpolar nations (e.g., Canada, Sweden); over the next year the authors will be designing a regional survey to begin remedying this information gap. A major focus of this activity will be to ensure compatibility with both ongoing international studies of arctic contamination, and the USEPA Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program. Issues related to sampling design will be outlined and discussed

  4. Evaluation of exposure scenarios on intentional microbiological contamination in a drinking water distribution network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schijven, Jack; Forêt, Jean Marie; Chardon, Jurgen; Teunis, Peter; Bouwknegt, Martijn; Tangena, Ben

    2016-06-01

    Drinking water distribution networks are vulnerable to accidental or intentional contamination events. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of seeding duration and concentration, exposure pathway (ingestion via drinking of water and tooth brushing and inhalation by taking a shower) and pathogen infectivity on exposure and infection risk in the case of an intentional pathogenic contamination in a drinking water distribution network. Seeding of a pathogen for 10 min and 120 min, and subsequent spreading through a drinking water distribution network were simulated. For exposure via drinking, actual data on drinking events and volumes were used. Ingestion of a small volume of water by tooth brushing twice a day by every person in the network was assumed. Inhalation of contaminated aerosol droplets took place when taking a shower. Infection risks were estimated for pathogens with low (r = 0.0001) and high (r = 0.1) infectivity. In the served population (48 000 persons) and within 24 h, about 1400 persons were exposed to the pathogen by ingestion of water in the 10-min seeding scenario and about 3400 persons in the 120-min scenario. The numbers of exposed persons via tooth brushing were about the same as via drinking of water. Showering caused (inhalation) exposure in about 450 persons in the 10-min scenario and about 1500 in the 120-min scenario. Regardless of pathogen infectivity, if the seeding concentration is 10(6) pathogens per litre or more, infection risks are close to one. Exposure by taking a shower is of relevance if the pathogen is highly infectious via inhalation. A longer duration of the seeding of a pathogen increases the probability of exposure. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Personality and trajectories of posttraumatic psychopathology: A latent change modelling approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fletcher, Susan; O'Donnell, Meaghan; Forbes, David

    2016-08-01

    Survivors of traumatic events may develop a range of psychopathology, across the internalizing and externalizing dimensions of disorder and associated personality traits. However, research into personality-based internalizing and externalizing trauma responses has been limited to cross-sectional investigations of PTSD comorbidity. Personality typologies may present an opportunity to identify and selectively intervene with survivors at risk of posttraumatic disorder. Therefore this study examined whether personality prospectively influences the trajectory of disorder in a broader trauma-exposed sample. During hospitalization for a physical injury, 323 Australian adults completed the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire-Brief Form and Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, with the latter readministered 3 and 12 months later. Latent profile analysis conducted on baseline personality scores identified subgroups of participants, while latent change modelling examined differences in disorder trajectories. Three classes (internalizing, externalizing, and normal personality) were identified. The internalizing class showed a high risk of developing all disorders. Unexpectedly, however, the normal personality class was not always at lowest risk of disorder. Rather, the externalizing class, while more likely than the normal personality class to develop substance use disorders, were less likely to develop PTSD and depression. Results suggest that personality is an important mechanism in influencing the development and form of psychopathology after trauma, with internalizing and externalizing subtypes identifiable in the early aftermath of injury. These findings suggest that early intervention using a personality-based transdiagnostic approach may be an effective method of predicting and ultimately preventing much of the burden of posttraumatic disorder. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Development of an automatic smear sampler and evaluation of surface contamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seo, B. K.; Lee, B. J.; Lee, K. W.; Park, J. H.

    2004-01-01

    The surface contamination level of a radiation-controlled area is measured periodically according to atomic energy law and connection regulations. The measurement of surface contamination by an indirect method is subject to various kinds of error depending on the sampling person and consumes much time and effort in the sampling of large nuclear facilities. In this research, an automatic smear sampler is developed to solve these problems. The developed equipment is composed of a rotating sampling part, a sample transferring part, a power supply part a control part, and vacuum part. It improved the efficiency of estimation of the surface contamination level achieved periodically in a radiation-controlled area. Using an automatic smear sampler developed in this research, it is confirmed that radioactive contaminated materials are uniformly transferred to smear paper more than any sampling method by an operator. (authors)

  7. Analysis of body surface radiological contamination for inbound people from Japan to China during the Fukushima nuclear accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yuan Long; Ma Weidong; Lei Cuiping; Chen Huifang; Li Yuwen; Liu Ying

    2012-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the radiological contamination of body surface for inbound people from Japan to China during Fukushima nuclear accident. Methods: According to The guidance for radiological contamination management for body surface issued by Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, for people evacuated from Japan, the body surface monitoring of radiological contamination was performed by the related agencies in main provinces and cities in China. The monitoring data were collected, analyzed and reported to Ministry of Health. Results: A total of 432 persons were checked. The monitoring results of 429 cases were close to the background level, while those of three persons were higher than the background level. Conclusions: In general,the detected results were as low as the background level. The radiological contamination monitoring of body surface for people from Japan could provide scientific data to relax the horror and panic among them. (authors)

  8. A study of internal contamination levels resulting from {sup 90}Sr and {sup 137}Cs environmental pollution. The influence of different factors; Etude des niveaux de contamination interne resultant d'une pollution de l'environnement par le {sup 90}Sr et le {sup 137}Cs influence des differents parametres

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Garnier, A. [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Fontenay-aux-Roses (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

    1970-07-01

    This study includes two parts. The purpose of the former one is to try and evaluate the amounts of {sup 90}Sr and {sup 137}Cs dietary intakes as a function of age with a view to assessing internal exposure doses and estimating the critical age, and to study the relative significance of the several factors it depends on. The data used are both the results of dietary surveys made in 11 districts of the European community from which the evolution of the consumed amounts of 13 groups of foodstuffs, as a function of age was derived, and the mean factors of contamination pathways. The variability of some factors is very large and an attempt is made to assess their significance on the whole contamination; also, the influence of the various diets has been emphasized. The purpose of the second part is to assess, doses as a function of age in the case of protracted exposure on the basis of the aforesaid results and radiobiological factors derived from bibliographic states of the arts. An assessment is made of body burdens and mean doses (either to the skeleton or the whole body according to the radionuclides) originating either from a direct unitary exposure or from situations implying both modes of exposure. As assumed only the diets vary with the districts, thus the results reflect their significance which should be corrected, for a more accurate assessment of the dose variability, by the significance of human and transfer factors. (author) [French] Cette etude comprend deux parties. L'objet de la premiere partie est a la fois un essai d'evaluation en fonction de l'age des quantites de strontium 90 et de cesium 137 ingerees avec les aliments dans la perspective d'une application a l'estimation des doses d'irradiation interne et a la recherche de l'age critique, et une etude de l'influence relative des divers parametres dont elle depend. Les donnees utilisees sont, d'une part, les resultats des enquetes alimentaires faites en

  9. Adulthood Personality Correlates of Childhood Adversity

    OpenAIRE

    Charles S. Carver; Charles S. Carver; Sheri L Johnson; Sheri L Johnson; Michael E McCullough; Daniel E Forster; Jutta eJoormann

    2014-01-01

    Objective: Childhood adversity has been linked to internalizing and externalizing disorders and personality disorders in adulthood. This study extends that research by examining several personality measures as correlates of childhood adversity. Method: In a college sample self-reports were collected of childhood adversity, several scales relating to personality, and current depression symptoms as a control variable. The personality-related scales were reduced to four latent variables, which w...

  10. Real significance of skin contamination is

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sudmann, R.H.

    1983-01-01

    For five decades, health physicists have discussed the thickness, area, significance of radioactive contamination and the exposures to various portions of the skin. Concern about instances of skin contamination extend beyond the resultant organ dose simply because it is a recognizable and quantifiable event. As such, there is a tendency for management and regulatory agencies to use it as a trend indicator. The final result is a score card similar to the list of OSHA reportable accidents. In fact, the skin contamination incidence rate has a somewhat different meaning to the health physicist, to the manager, and to the regulator. The question must then be asked, What is the true significance of skin contamination, Is it the resultant skin dose, Is it an indicator of loss of control, Is it both or neither. In order to answer these questions, Rockwell Hanford Operations began analysis of the previous five years records of skin contamination cases. Since by policy each incidence of skin contamination is documented, a large percentage of the 425 records analyzed were of low level activity (less than 100 dpm/cm 2 ) on the extremeties, primarily hands and fingers. Most of these cases were readily decontaminated with soap and water. Individual elements studied included: detection/monitoring methods and limits; impact of type of operation on the incidence rate; causes of and methods for reduction of the incidence rate; reporting and documentation; and dose assessment. Results of the study indicate that skin contamination rarely presents a beta dose problem because it is normally highly localized on the extremeties. Only in unusual cases does it represent a potential for internal deposition. Thus, the real importance of skin contamination incidence is as an indicator of deteriorating conditions and should be reviewed by health physicists, managers and regulators as such

  11. Identifying PTSD personality subtypes in a workplace trauma sample.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sellbom, Martin; Bagby, R Michael

    2009-10-01

    The authors sought to identify personality clusters derived from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) Personality Psychopathology Five Scales in a sample of workplace claimants with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Three clusters--low pathology, internalizing, and externalizing were recovered similar to those obtained by M. W. Miller and colleagues (2003, 2004, 2007) in samples of combat veterans and sexual assault victims. Internalizers and externalizers scored comparably on measures of PTSD symptom severity, general distress, and negative affect. Internalizers were uniquely characterized by anhedonia and depressed mood; externalizers by antisocial behavior, substance abuse, and anger/aggression.

  12. Imaging of accidental contamination with F-18-solution; a quick trouble-shooting procedure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kalevi Kairemo

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available To the best of our knowledge, imaging of accidental exposure to radioactive fluorine-18 (F-18 due to liquid spill has not been described earlier in the scientific literature. The short half-life of F-18 (t½=110 min, current radiation safety requirements, and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP regulations on radiopharmaceuticals have restrained the occurrence of these incidents. The possibility of investigating this type of incidents by gamma and positron imaging is also quite limited. Additionally, a quick and precise analysis of radiochemical contamination is cumbersome and sometimes challenging if the spills of radioactive materials are low in activity. Herein, we report a case of accidental F-18 contamination in a service person during a routine cyclotron maintenance procedure. During target replacement, liquid F-18 was spilled on the person responsible for the maintenance. The activities of spills were immediately measured using contamination detectors, and the photon spectrum of contaminated clothes was assessed through gamma spectroscopy. Despite protective clothing, some skin areas were contaminated, which were then thoroughly washed. Later on, these areas were imaged, using positron emission tomography (PET, and a gamma camera (including spectroscopy. Two contaminated skin areas were located on the hand (9.7 and 14.7 cm2, respectively, which showed very low activities (19.0 and 22.8 kBq respectively at the time of incident. Based on the photon spectra, F-18 was confirmed as the main present radionuclide. PET imaging demonstrated the shape of these contaminated hot spots. However, the measured activities were very low due to the use of protective clothing. With prompt action and use of proper equipments at the time of incident, minimal radionuclide activities and their locations could be thoroughly analyzed. The cumulative skin doses of the contaminated regions were calculated at 1.52 and 2.00 mSv, respectively. In the follow-up, no skin

  13. Protection of environmental contamination by radioactive materials and remediation of environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2003-05-01

    This report consisted of the environmental contamination of radioactive and non-radioactive materials. 38 important accident examples of environmental contamination of radioactive materials in the world from 1944 to 2001 are stated. Heavily polluted areas by accidents are explained, for example, Chernobyl, atomic reactor accidents, development of nuclear weapon in USA and USSR, radioactive waste in the sea. The environmental contamination ability caused by using radioactive materials, medical use, operating reactor, disposal, transferring, crashing of airplane and artificial satellite, release are reported. It contains measurements and monitor technologies, remediation technologies of environmental contamination and separation and transmutation of radioactive materials. On the environmental contamination by non-radioactive materials, transformation of the soil contamination in Japan and its control technologies are explained. Protection and countermeasure of environmental contamination of radioactive and non-radioactive materials in Japan and the international organs are presented. There are summary and proposal in the seventh chapter. (S.Y.)

  14. Do we become a different person when hitting the road? Personality development of sojourners.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zimmermann, Julia; Neyer, Franz J

    2013-09-01

    International mobility is a prevalent life event that particularly affects university students. The aim of this longitudinal study was twofold: First, we examined the impact of international mobility on personality (Big Five) change, separating self-selection effects from socialization processes. Second, we extended prior analyses on the association between life events and personality development by investigating the mechanisms that account for socialization processes. In particular, we assessed whether individual differences in the fluctuation of support relationships serve as an explanatory link. We used a prospective control group design with 3 measurement occasions. A sample of university students, containing both short-term (i.e., 1 semester) and long-term (i.e., 1 academic year) sojourners (N = 527) along with control students (N = 607), was tracked over the course of an academic year. Multivariate latent models revealed 3 main findings: First, initial (pre-departure) levels of Extraversion and Conscientiousness predicted short-term sojourning, and Extraversion and Openness predicted long-term sojourning. Second, both forms of sojourning were associated with increases in Openness and Agreeableness and a decrease in Neuroticism above and beyond the observed self-selection. Third, the acquisition of new international support relationships largely accounted for the sojourn effects on personality change. These findings help to fill the missing link between life events and personality development by establishing social relationship fluctuation as an important mediating mechanism.

  15. Contamination of the minnow Rastrineobola argenta , through ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Setting: Fish landing sites and retail markets in Homa Bay County Subject: Studies on fish contamination are critical for the acceptance of fish food locally and in international markets. In this study, Rastrineobola argentea were examined for microbial loads. Results: Samples indicated high levels of coliforms and Escherichia ...

  16. Fifth international conference on radioactive waste management and environmental remediation -- ICEM '95: Proceedings. Volume 2: Management of low-level waste and remediation of contaminated sites and facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Slate, S.; Baker, R.; Benda, G.

    1995-01-01

    The objective of this conference is the broad international exchange of information on technologies, operations, management approaches, economics, and public policies in the critical areas of radioactive waste management and environmental remediation. The ICEM '95 technical program includes four parallel program tracks: Low/intermediate-level waste management; High-level waste, spent fuel, nuclear material management; Environmental remediation and facility D and D; and Major institutional issues in environmental management. Volume 2 contains approximately 200 papers divided into the following topical sections: Characterization of low and intermediate level waste; Treatment of low and intermediate level waste; LLW disposal and near-surface contaminant migration; Characterization and remediation of contaminated sites; and Decontamination and decommissioning technologies and experience. Papers have been processed separately for inclusion on the data base

  17. Basic Health, Women’s Health, and Mental Health Among Internally Displaced Persons in Nyala Province, South Darfur, Sudan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Glen; Torbay, Rabih; Lawry, Lynn

    2007-01-01

    Objectives. We assessed basic health, women’s health, and mental health among Sudanese internally displaced persons in South Darfur. Methods. In January 2005, we surveyed 6 registered internally displaced persons camps in Nyala District. Using systematic random sampling, we surveyed 1293 households, interviewing 1 adult female per household (N=1274); respondents’ households totaled 8643 members. We inquired about respondents’ mental health, opinions on women’s rights, and the health status of household members. Results. A majority of respondents had access to rations, shelter, and water. Sixty-eight percent (861 of 1266) used no birth control, and 53% (614 of 1147) reported at least 1 unattended birth. Thirty percent (374 of 1238) shared spousal decisions on timing and spacing of children, and 49% (503 of 1027) reported the right to refuse sex. Eighty-four percent (1043 of 1240) were circumcised. The prevalence of major depression was 31% (390 of 1253). Women also expressed limited rights regarding marriage, movement, and access to health care. Eighty-eight percent (991 of 1121) supported equal educational opportunities for women. Conclusions. Humanitarian aid has relieved a significant burden of this displaced population’s basic needs. However, mental and women’s health needs remain largely unmet. The findings indicate a limitation of sexual and reproductive rights that may negatively affect health. PMID:17138925

  18. Study of monitoring protection of radionuclides contamination in organism by autoradiography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu Shoupeng; Kang Baoan; He Guangren

    1987-01-01

    In view of the exceptionally important role of the medical radiation protection in human health, the authors try to study on the monitoring of internal contamination of radionuclides in organism by different autoradiographic methods, such as: monitoring of the body retention of isolated or combined radionuclides by freezing microautoradiography; monitoring of blood, bone marrow and excreta radioactive samples by smear autoradiography; differentiation of two radionuclides contamination by double radionuclide autoradiography; especially, monitoring of low level of radionuclides contamination by fluorescence sensitization autoradiography. The sensitivity of autoradiographic formation was increased by the scintillator by 10 times

  19. Radioactive contamination of workers. General recommendation and procedures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mastro, N.L. del; Santos, O.R. dos; Silva, E.N.D.; Santos, A.J. dos.

    1987-09-01

    The present publication has an objective to provide data and information to be used by workers who handle with or eventually could enter in touch with radioactives substances. The authors have made a compilation of subjects got from the literature on several aspects about radiocontamination, physical and chemical characteristics of radioisotopes, main sources of radioactive contamination, biological basis and treatement of internal and external decontamination. Special attention was paid to iodine and actinides contamination, particularly to uranium and plutonium. The conclusion are presented as general recommendation and synoptic tables. (Author) [pt

  20. Beyond diagnosis: the Core Sets for persons with schizophrenia based on the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gómez-Benito, Juana; Guilera, Georgina; Barrios, Maite; Rojo, Emilio; Pino, Oscar; Gorostiaga, Arantxa; Balluerka, Nekane; Hidalgo, María Dolores; Padilla, José Luis; Benítez, Isabel; Selb, Melissa

    2017-07-30

    Based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), this paper presents the results of the process to develop the Comprehensive and Brief Core Sets for schizophrenia that allow to comprehensively describe functioning in persons with schizophrenia. Twenty health professionals from diverse backgrounds participated in a formal and iterative decision-making process during an international consensus conference to develop these Core Sets. The conference was carried out based on evidence gathered from four preparatory studies (systematic literature review, qualitative study, expert survey, and empirical study). The first step of this decision-making and consensus process comprised of discussions and voting in working groups and plenary sessions to develop the comprehensive version. The categories of the Comprehensive ICF Core Set for schizophrenia served as the basis for the second step -a ranking and cutoff procedure to decide on the brief version. Of the 184 candidate categories identified in the preparatory studies, 97 categories were included in the Comprehensive Core Set for schizophrenia. A total of 25 categories were selected to constitute the Brief Core Set. The formal decision-making and consensus process integrating evidence from four preparatory studies and expert opinion led to the first version of the Core Sets for schizophrenia. Comprehensive and Brief Core Sets for schizophrenia may provide a common language among different health professionals and researchers, and a basic international standard of what to measure, report, and assess the functioning of persons with schizophrenia. Implications for rehabilitation Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder that has a tremendous impact on functioning and daily life of persons living with the disorder. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) offers an internationally recognized standard for describing the functioning status of these

  1. Bacterial Contamination of Iranian Paper Currency and Their Antibiotic Resistance Patterns

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farzaneh Firoozeh

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Background: Paper currency is used in exchange for services, and thisis why the circulation of paper currency from person to person expandsmicroorganisms. Objectives:: Paper banknotes would be a vector for transmission of pathogenic microorganisms through handling. This study aimed to determine bacterial contamination of Iranian paper currencies in circulation and their antibiotic resistance patterns. Materials and Methods: In this study, 337 currency notes of different value were collected from markets, shops, restaurants, bus stations and banks in Kashan, Iran during April 2015 to March 2016. The currency notes transferred to microbiology laboratory and were tested for bacterial contamination using standard microbiological methods. Antibiotic resistance patterns of isolated bacteria were determined by disk diffusion method according to CLSI standards. The results and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Of 337 currency notes, 262 (77.7% were identified with bacterial contamination. Bacteria isolated from currency notes were as follows: Bacillus spp 113 (43.1%, coagulase-negative Staphylococci 99 (37.7%, Escherichia coli 20 (7.6%, Enterococci species 14 (5.3%, Staphylococcus aureus 8 (3.1%, Klebsiella spp 4 (1.5%, Shigella species 2 (0.8%, Pseudomonas species 2 (0.8%. The most and least contaminated currency notes were 50000 and 500 Rials, respectively. The most resistance rates in gram negative rods were against nalidixicacid, and ampicillin. Also most resistance rates in Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative Staphylococci and Enterococci species were against ampicillin, erythromycin and tetracycline. Conclusion: Our study revealed that the bacterial contamination among Iranian paper currency in circulation especially those obtained from certain sources including shops and bus stations is high and in most cases these bacterial isolates are antibiotic resistant strains.

  2. Validation criteria of an internal dosimetry laboratory in vivo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alfaro L, M. de las M.

    2014-10-01

    People working with radioactive materials, under certain circumstances (e.g. not using the proper protective equipment, an incident not covered, etc.) could be incorporated into the body. The radiation protection programs include direct measurement methods -in vivo- or indirect -in vitro- or both, to know that radioactive material is incorporated into the body. The monitoring measurements of internal contamination or (Radio-bioassay) are carried out with the purpose of determining the amount of radioactive material incorporated in the body; estimate the effective dose and committed dose; management administration of radiation protection; appropriate medical management; and to provide the data necessary for the legal requirements and the preservation of records. The measurement methods used in the monitoring of internal contamination must be validated by the combination of the following processes: calibration, using standards reference materials and/or simulators; execute systematic research, using control samples; and intercomparison between laboratories and performance tests. In this paper the validation criteria of an internal dosimetry laboratory in vivo are presented following the information provided by the standard ANSI N13-30-1996 and ISO/TEC 17025-2005 as are the criteria of facilities, staff training, interpretation of measurements, performance criteria for monitoring of internal contamination in vivo, results reporting and records retention. Thereby we achieve standardized quantitative performance criteria of truthfulness, accuracy and detection limit and a consensus on statistical definitions to establish the validation plan of a monitoring laboratory of internal contamination in vivo. (Author)

  3. Structural contingency theory and individual differences: examination of external and internal person-team fit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hollenbeck, John R; Moon, Henry; Ellis, Aleksander P J; West, Bradley J; Ilgen, Daniel R; Sheppard, Lori; Porter, Christopher O L H; Wagner, John A

    2002-06-01

    This article develops and tests a structurally based, integrated theory of person-team fit. The theory developed is an extension of structural contingency theory and considers issues of external fit simultaneously with its examination of internal fit at the team level. Results from 80 teams working on an interdependent team task indicate that divisional structures demand high levels of cognitive ability on the part of teammembers. However, the advantages of high cognitive ability in divisional structures are neutralized when there is poor external fit between the structure and the environment. Instead, emotional stability becomes a critical factor among teammembers when a divisional structure is out of alignment with its environment. Individual differences seem to play little or no role in functional structures, regardless of the degree of external fit.

  4. Microbial and heavy metal contamination of pineapple products ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    SAM

    3Department of Social Sciences, University of Rwanda, P.O. Box 117 Butare, ... pineapple processing Enterprises (SMEs) over a storage duration of 12 months. .... The results were measured against ... analyzed for microbial contamination using International Organization ... All culture media used were manufactured by.

  5. Study of nuclear medicine practices in Portugal from an internal dosimetry perspective

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bento, J.; Teles, P.; Neves, M.; Santos, A. I.; Cardoso, G.; Barreto, A.; Alves, F.; Guerreiro, C.; Rodrigues, A.; Santos, J. A. M.; Capelo, C.; Parafita, R.; Martins, B.

    2012-01-01

    Nuclear medicine practices involve the handling of a wide range of pharmaceuticals labelled with different radionuclides, for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. This work intends to evaluate the potential risks of internal contamination of nuclear medicine staff in several Portuguese nuclear medicine services and to conclude about the requirement of a routine internal monitoring. A methodology proposed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), providing a set of criteria to determine the need, or not, for an internal monitoring programme, was applied. The evaluation of the risk of internal contaminations in a given set of working conditions is based on the type and amount of radionuclides being handled, as well as the safety conditions with which they are manipulated. The application of the IAEA criteria showed that 73.1 % of all the workers included in this study should be integrated in a routine monitoring programme for internal contaminations; more specifically, 100 % of workers performing radioimmunoassay techniques should be monitored. This study suggests that a routine monitoring programme for internal exposures should be implemented in Portugal for most nuclear medicine workers. (authors)

  6. Labour Force Participation Rates of Older Persons: An International Comparison.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Robert L.; Anker, Richard

    1990-01-01

    Using data from 151 countries, labor force participation of older men and women was analyzed and related to economic, demographic, and policy variables. Reduced participation rates are related to increased income levels, structural changes, social security programs, and, for men, the ratio of older persons to persons of standard working age. (SK)

  7. Resource Guide for Persons with Learning Impairments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    IBM, Atlanta, GA. National Support Center for Persons with Disabilities.

    The resource guide identifies products which assist learning disabled and mentally retarded individuals in accessing IBM (International Business Machine) Personal Computers or the IBM Personal System/2 family of products. An introduction provides a general overview of ways computers can help learning disabled or retarded persons. The document then…

  8. The international Chernobyl project. Technical report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-01-01

    This report contains the findings of the International Chernobyl Project. Separate chapters deal with the history of the accident and the Soviet emergency measures, environmental contamination, radiation exposure of the population, health impact, and protective measures. The conclusions and recommendations of the Project are presented, and an annex gives the available data on cesium 137 and strontium 90 contamination levels in populated areas of the BSSR, the RSFSR and the UkrSSR from June/July 1989: these data were used to draw up the area contamination maps. Ref, figs and tabs

  9. Distribution of Exhaled Contaminants and Personal Exposure in a Room using Three Different Air Distribution Strategies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olmedo, Inés; Nielsen, Peter V.; Adana, M. Ruiz de

    2012-01-01

    The level of exposure to human exhaled contaminants in a room depends not only on the air distribution system but also on people’s different positions, the distance between them, people’s activity level and height, direction of exhalation, and the surrounding temperature and temperature gradient...... between the manikins are changed to study the influence on the level of exposure. The results show that the air exhaled by a manikin flows a longer distance with a higher concentration in case of displacement ventilation than in the other two cases, indicating a significant exposure to the contaminants....... Human exhalation is studied in detail for different distribution systems: displacement and mixing ventilation as well as a system without mechanical ventilation. Two thermal manikins breathing through the mouth are used to simulate the exposure to human exhaled contaminants. The position and distance...

  10. Oral bioaccessibility of toxic metals in contaminated oysters and relationships with metal internal sequestration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Shi; Wang, Wen-Xiong

    2014-12-01

    The Hong Kong oysters Crassostrea hongkongensis are widely farmed in the estuarine waters of Southern China, but they accumulate Cu and Zn to alarmingly high concentrations in the soft tissues. Health risks of seafood consumption are related to contaminants such as toxic metals which are bioaccessible to humans. In the present study, we investigated the oral bioaccessibility of five toxic metals (Ag, Pb, Cd, Cu and Zn) in contaminated oysters collected from different locations of a large estuary in southern China. In all oysters, total Zn concentration was the highest whereas total Pb concentration was the lowest. Among the five metals, Ag had the lowest oral bioaccessibility (38.9-60.8%), whereas Cu and Zn had the highest bioaccessibility (72.3-93.1%). Significant negative correlation was observed between metal bioaccessibility and metal concentration in the oysters for Ag, Cd, and Cu. We found that the oral bioaccessibility of the five metals was positively correlated with their trophically available metal fraction (TAM) in the oyster tissues, and negatively correlated with metal distribution in the cellular debris. Thus, metal partitioning in the TAM and cellular debris controlled the oral bioaccessibility to humans. Given the dependence of oral bioaccessibility on tissue metal contamination, bioaccessibility needs to be incorporated in the risk assessments of contaminated shellfish. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. A Temporal-Causal Network Model for the Internal Processes of a Person with a Borderline Personality Disorder

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hoțoiu, Maria; Tavella, Federico; Treur, Jan

    2018-01-01

    This paper presents a computational network model for a person with a Borderline Personality Disorder. It was designed according to a Network-Oriented Modeling approach as a temporal-causal network based on neuropsychological background knowledge. Some example simulations are discussed. The model

  12. Consoil 2000 : 7th international FZK/TNO conference on contaminated soil, organized by Research Centre Karlsruhe (KZK, D), TNO, in cooperation with UFZ Leipzig, 18-22 Sept 2000. Vol. 1 en 2

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    2000-01-01

    These volumes present the proceedings of ConSoil 2000, the 7th international FZK/TNO conference on contaminated soil (in cooperation with UFZ Leipzig-Halle). This series of conferences focuses on policies, research and development, regulations, practical implementation and experiences related to

  13. A protocol for the calibration of gamma cameras to estimate internal contamination in emergency situations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dantas, B.M.; Lucena, E.A.; Dantas, A.L.A.; Araujo, F.; Melo, D. [Instituto de Radioprotecao e Dosimetria, CNEN, Av. Salvador Allende s/n, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Rebelo, A.M.O. [University Hospital, Nuclear Medicine Center, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Teran, M.; Paolino, A. [Facultad de Quimica, Montevideo (Uruguay); Hermida, J.C. [Hospital de Clinicas, Facultad de Medicina, Montevideo (Uruguay); Rojo, A.M. [Autoridad Regulatoria Nuclear, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Puerta, J.A.; Morales, J. [Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellin (Colombia); Bejerano, G.M.L. [Centro de Proteccion e Higiene de las Radiaciones, Ciudad de la Habana (Cuba); Alfaro, M.; Ruiz, M.A. [Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac (Mexico); Videla, R.; Pinones, O. [Comision Chilena de Energia Nuclear, Santiago (Chile); Gonzalez, S. [Instituto Peruano de Energia Nuclear, Lima (Peru); Navarro, T. [Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas, Medioambientales y Tecnologicas, Madrid (Spain); Cruz-Suarez, R. [International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)

    2007-07-01

    The concern about accidents involving radioactive materials has led to the search of alternative methods to quickly identify and quantify radionuclides in workers and in the population. One of the options to face up an eventual demand for mass monitoring of internal contamination is the use of a nuclear medicine diagnostic equipment known as gamma camera, a device used to scan patients who have been administered specific amounts of radioactive materials for medical purposes. Although the gamma camera is used for image diagnosis, it can be calibrated with anthropomorphic phantoms or point sources for the quantification of radionuclide activities in the human body. This work presents a protocol for the calibration of gamma cameras for such application. In order to evaluate the suitability of this type of equipment, a gamma camera available in a public hospital located in Rio de Janeiro was calibrated for the in vivo measurement of {sup 131}I. The calibration includes the determination of detection efficiencies and minimum detectable activities for each radionuclide. The results show that the gamma camera presents enough sensitivity to detect activity levels corresponding to effective doses below 1 mSv. The protocol is the basis to establish a network of Nuclear Medicine Centres, located in public hospitals in eight countries of Latin America (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Chile, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay) and in Spain that could be requested to collaborate in remediation actions in the event of an accident involving incorporation of radioactive materials. This protocol is one of the most significant outputs of the IAEA-ARCAL Project (RLA/9/049-LXXVIII) aimed to the Harmonization of Internal Dosimetry Procedures. (authors)

  14. A protocol for the calibration of gamma cameras to estimate internal contamination in emergency situations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dantas, B.M.; Lucena, E.A.; Dantas, A.L.A.; Araujo, F.; Melo, D.; Rebelo, A.M.O.; Teran, M.; Paolino, A.; Hermida, J.C.; Rojo, A.M.; Puerta, J.A.; Morales, J.; Bejerano, G.M.L.; Alfaro, M.; Ruiz, M.A.; Videla, R.; Pinones, O.; Gonzalez, S.; Navarro, T.; Cruz-Suarez, R.

    2007-01-01

    The concern about accidents involving radioactive materials has led to the search of alternative methods to quickly identify and quantify radionuclides in workers and in the population. One of the options to face up an eventual demand for mass monitoring of internal contamination is the use of a nuclear medicine diagnostic equipment known as gamma camera, a device used to scan patients who have been administered specific amounts of radioactive materials for medical purposes. Although the gamma camera is used for image diagnosis, it can be calibrated with anthropomorphic phantoms or point sources for the quantification of radionuclide activities in the human body. This work presents a protocol for the calibration of gamma cameras for such application. In order to evaluate the suitability of this type of equipment, a gamma camera available in a public hospital located in Rio de Janeiro was calibrated for the in vivo measurement of 131 I. The calibration includes the determination of detection efficiencies and minimum detectable activities for each radionuclide. The results show that the gamma camera presents enough sensitivity to detect activity levels corresponding to effective doses below 1 mSv. The protocol is the basis to establish a network of Nuclear Medicine Centres, located in public hospitals in eight countries of Latin America (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Chile, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay) and in Spain that could be requested to collaborate in remediation actions in the event of an accident involving incorporation of radioactive materials. This protocol is one of the most significant outputs of the IAEA-ARCAL Project (RLA/9/049-LXXVIII) aimed to the Harmonization of Internal Dosimetry Procedures. (authors)

  15. Plutonium contamination twenty years after the nuclear weapons accident in Spain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iranzo, E.; Richmond, C.R.

    1987-01-01

    An accident involving two US Air Force planes engaged in a refueling operation occurred at 0922 GMT on January 17, 1966 over the town of Palomares in southeastern Spain. Three of the bombs, one intact, were found on land, in or near Palomares while the fourth was removed from the Mediterranean Sea. The parachutes of two of the bombs did not deploy resulting in the detonation of their conventional explosives and release of fissile material upon impact. Partial burning of the fissile material formed an aerosol that contaminated approximately 226 hectares of uncultivated, farmed, and urban land. The objective of this study was to determine the magnitude of the risk from internal contamination of the area inhabitants immediately after the accident and during the emergency phase and to determine the short, medium and long-term risk of internal contamination for the inhabitants of Palomares and its environs and to those who consume planet products cultivated in that area

  16. The role of sex and autonomy-connectedness in internalizing and externalizing personality pathology, coping and axis-I pathology : Among psychiatric and healthy elderly

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bachrach, N.; Croon, M.A.; Bekker, M.H.J.

    2017-01-01

    Objectives: In the current study we investigated the relationship of sex and autonomy-connectedness with internalizing and externalizing personality disorder symptoms (PDS), coping and axis-I pathology in older age. Method: A path model was tested which was based on neo-analytical object relation,

  17. Skin and surface lead contamination, hygiene programs, and work practices of bridge surface preparation and painting contractors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Virji, M Abbas; Woskie, Susan R; Pepper, Lewis D

    2009-02-01

    A 2005 regulatory review of the lead in construction standard by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) noted that alternative pathways of exposure can be as significant as inhalation exposure and that noncompliance with the standard pertaining to hygiene facilities and practices was the second most commonly violated section of the standard. Noncompliance with provisions of the standard and unhealthy work and hygiene practices likely increase the likelihood of take-home lead via contaminated clothing, automobiles, and skin, thus contributing to elevated blood lead levels (BLL) among construction workers and their family members. We performed a cross-sectional study of bridge painters working for small contractors in Massachusetts to investigate causes of persistent elevated BLLs and to assess lead exposures. Thirteen work sites were evaluated for a 2-week period during which surface and skin wipe samples were collected and qualitative information was obtained on personal hygiene practices, decontamination and hand wash facilities, and respiratory protection programs. Results showed lead contamination on workers' skin, respirators, personal automobiles, and the decontamination unit, indicating a significant potential for take-home lead exposure. Overall, the geometric mean (GM) skin lead levels ranged from 373 microg on workers' faces at end of shift to 814 microg on hands at break time. The overall GM lead level inside respirators was 143 microg before work and 286 microg after work. Lead contamination was also present inside workers' personal vehicles as well as on surfaces inside the clean side of the decontamination unit. Review of the respiratory protection programs, work site decontamination and hand wash facilities, and personal hygiene practices indicated that these factors had significant impact on skin and surface contamination levels and identified significant opportunities for improving work site facilities and personal practices

  18. The Personal Characteristics Predictors of Academic Success

    Science.gov (United States)

    Angelkoska, Slagana; Stankovska, Gordana; Dimitrovski, Dimitar

    2016-01-01

    When we speak about the academic achievement of the students and their personality, the internal state of a student is in connection with his personal experience and individual differences and talents, dispositions, motives, his "I" and a whole range of cognitive processes. Modern psychological theories of personality believe that the…

  19. Uranium Concentration of Contaminated Zone due to the Cover Depth for Self-Disposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koo, Dae Seo; Sung, Hyun Hee; Kim, Gye Nam; Kim, Seung Soo; Kim, Il Gook; Han, Gyu Seong; Choi, Jong Won

    2016-01-01

    To acquire radiation dose under self disposal from them, the study on decontamination of some uranium contaminated soil and concrete wastes was performed using electrokinetic-electrodialytic. In this study, we evaluated radiation dose due to cover depth on contaminated zone such as uranium contaminated soil and concrete wastes under radiation dose limit using RESRAD Version 6.5. At first, the calculation of the radiation dose on the contaminated zone are carried out. The second, the uranium concentration of contaminated zone due to the cover depth are also analyzed. The uranium contaminated soil and concrete wastes under radiation dose limit by decontaminating them have application to self-disposal of contaminated zone. The area of contaminated zone is 1,500 m"2. The thickness of contaminated zone is 2 m. The length parallel to aquifer flow is 43.702m. The age of the residents on contaminated zone is 15 years old. The period of evaluation on the contaminated zone is from regulation exemption of uranium contaminated soil and concrete wastes till 1,000 years. The calculation of the radiation dose on contaminated zone are carried out. The uranium concentration of contaminated zone due to the cover depth was also analyzed. as the cover depth increases, the uranium concentration has an increasing trend. As the cover depth increases, radiation dose of a person has a decreasing trend. As the cover depth increases, the radiation dose of residents has also a decreasing trend.

  20. Uranium Concentration of Contaminated Zone due to the Cover Depth for Self-Disposal

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Koo, Dae Seo; Sung, Hyun Hee; Kim, Gye Nam; Kim, Seung Soo; Kim, Il Gook; Han, Gyu Seong; Choi, Jong Won [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-05-15

    To acquire radiation dose under self disposal from them, the study on decontamination of some uranium contaminated soil and concrete wastes was performed using electrokinetic-electrodialytic. In this study, we evaluated radiation dose due to cover depth on contaminated zone such as uranium contaminated soil and concrete wastes under radiation dose limit using RESRAD Version 6.5. At first, the calculation of the radiation dose on the contaminated zone are carried out. The second, the uranium concentration of contaminated zone due to the cover depth are also analyzed. The uranium contaminated soil and concrete wastes under radiation dose limit by decontaminating them have application to self-disposal of contaminated zone. The area of contaminated zone is 1,500 m{sup 2}. The thickness of contaminated zone is 2 m. The length parallel to aquifer flow is 43.702m. The age of the residents on contaminated zone is 15 years old. The period of evaluation on the contaminated zone is from regulation exemption of uranium contaminated soil and concrete wastes till 1,000 years. The calculation of the radiation dose on contaminated zone are carried out. The uranium concentration of contaminated zone due to the cover depth was also analyzed. as the cover depth increases, the uranium concentration has an increasing trend. As the cover depth increases, radiation dose of a person has a decreasing trend. As the cover depth increases, the radiation dose of residents has also a decreasing trend.

  1. Forced-air warming blowers: An evaluation of filtration adequacy and airborne contamination emissions in the operating room.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albrecht, Mark; Gauthier, Robert L; Belani, Kumar; Litchy, Mark; Leaper, David

    2011-05-01

    Forced-air warming (FAW) is widely used to prevent hypothermia during surgical procedures. The airflow from these blowers is often vented near the operative site and should be free of contaminants to minimize the risk of surgical site infection. Popular FAW blowers contain a 0.2-μm rated intake filter to reduce these risks. However, there is little evidence that the efficiency of the intake filter is adequate to prevent airborne contamination emissions or protect the internal air path from microbial contamination buildup. Five new intake filters were obtained directly from the manufacturer (Bair Hugger 505, model 200708D; Arizant Healthcare, Eden Prairie, MN), and 5 model 200708C filters currently in hospital use were removed from FAW devices. The retention efficiency of these filters was assessed using a monodisperse sodium chloride aerosol. In the same hospitals, internal air path surface swabs and hose outlet particle counts were performed on 52 forced-air warming devices (all with the model 200708C filter) to assess internal microbial buildup and airborne contamination emissions. Intake filter retention efficiency at 0.2 μm was 93.8% for the 200708C filter and 61.3% at for the 200708D filter. The 200708D filter obtained directly from the manufacturer has a thinner filtration media than the 200708C filter in current hospital use, suggesting that the observed differences in retention efficiency were due to design changes. Fifty-eight percent of the FAW blowers evaluated were internally generating and emitting airborne contaminants, with microorganisms detected on the internal air path surfaces of 92.3% of these blowers. Isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, and methicillin-resistant S aureus were detected in 13.5%, 3.9%, and 1.9% of FAW blowers, respectively. The design of popular FAW devices using the 200708C filter was found to be inadequate for preventing the internal buildup and emission of microbial contaminants into the

  2. The Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority leads international cooperation on radioactive contamination in the Arctic

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-01-01

    In cooperation with Russia, Norway is responsible for the part of Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) concerning radioactivity. An assessment of the consequences of radioactive contamination for the environment in northern areas will be an important part of AMAP's report to the Ministers of the Environment in the eight participating countries in 1996. The report will contain an overview of the sources of the contamination and the level of radioactivity in the environment, in addition to an evaluation of the consequences for humans and the environment

  3. Exposure Path Perceptions and Protective Actions in Biological Water Contamination Emergencies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael K. Lindell

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This study extends the Protective Action Decision Model, developed to address disaster warning responses in the context of natural hazards, to “boil water” advisories. The study examined 110 Boston residents' and 203 Texas students' expectations of getting sick through different exposure paths for contact with contaminated water. In addition, the study assessed respondents' actual implementation (for residents or behavioral expectations (for students of three different protective actions – bottled water, boiled water, and personally chlorinated water – as well as their demographic characteristics and previous experience with water contamination. The results indicate that people distinguish among the exposure paths, but the differences are small (one-third to one-half of the response scale. Nonetheless, the perceived risk from the exposure paths helps to explain why people are expected to consume (or actually consumed bottled water rather than boiled or personally chlorinated water. Overall, these results indicate that local authorities should take care to communicate the relative risks of different exposure paths and should expect that people will respond to a boil water order primarily by consuming bottled water. Thus, they should make special efforts to increase supplies of bottled water in their communities during water contamination emergencies.

  4. Ergonomic guidelines for using notebook personal computers. Technical Committee on Human-Computer Interaction, International Ergonomics Association.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saito, S; Piccoli, B; Smith, M J; Sotoyama, M; Sweitzer, G; Villanueva, M B; Yoshitake, R

    2000-10-01

    In the 1980's, the visual display terminal (VDT) was introduced in workplaces of many countries. Soon thereafter, an upsurge in reported cases of related health problems, such as musculoskeletal disorders and eyestrain, was seen. Recently, the flat panel display or notebook personal computer (PC) became the most remarkable feature in modern workplaces with VDTs and even in homes. A proactive approach must be taken to avert foreseeable ergonomic and occupational health problems from the use of this new technology. Because of its distinct physical and optical characteristics, the ergonomic requirements for notebook PCs in terms of machine layout, workstation design, lighting conditions, among others, should be different from the CRT-based computers. The Japan Ergonomics Society (JES) technical committee came up with a set of guidelines for notebook PC use following exploratory discussions that dwelt on its ergonomic aspects. To keep in stride with this development, the Technical Committee on Human-Computer Interaction under the auspices of the International Ergonomics Association worked towards the international issuance of the guidelines. This paper unveils the result of this collaborative effort.

  5. Bioremediation in soil contaminated with hydrocarbons in Colombia.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María Alejandra Trujillo Toro

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available This study analyzes bioremediation processes of hydrocarbon contaminated soils in Colombia as a sustainable alternative to the deterioration of environmental quality by hydrocarbon spillage. According to national and international environmental law, all waste contaminated with hydrocarbons is considered dangerous waste, and therefore it cannot be released in the ground, water or be incinerated. Such legislation has motivated companies around the world to implement treatment processes for contaminated soils. Within Colombia, oil companies have been implementing the bioremediation of hydrocarbon contaminated soils in order to manage the waste coming from activities of oil drilling, refinement, transport and distribution.These practices must be considered viable for their ease of implementation, their low overhead costs, and for the benefits they provide towards environmental quality. Among the positive impacts that these practices have generated, it may consider the following: a solution for the problem of hydrocarbon contaminated soils, alternatives for the ultimate disposal of said waste without affecting ground, water or air resources, the low cost of the operation, and the technical experience of sustainable development which can continue to be implemented in companies dealing with dangerous waste.

  6. Personality Assessment Use by Clinical Neuropsychologists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Steven R.; Gorske, Tad T.; Wiggins, Chauntel; Little, Jessica A.

    2010-01-01

    The present study is an exploration of the personality assessment practices of clinical neuropsychologists. Professional members of the National Academy of Neuropsychology and the International Neuropsychological Society (N = 404) were surveyed to examine use of several forms of personality, behavior, and emotional function measures. Results…

  7. On the long-term development of population dose in radioactively contaminated parts of Korma County (Belarus)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dederichs, H.; Pillath, J.; Heuel-Fabianek, B.; Hill, P.; Lennartz, R.

    2009-01-01

    Radiological long-term measurements were performed between 1998 and 2007 in a region in Belarus that was affected by the Chernobyl accident. The internal radiation exposure of the inhabitants in the village of Volincy (Korma County) - caused by the existing contamination and an increasing lack of precaution over time with regard to eating home-grown food - has experienced a significant decrease from a very high level. The external exposure, however, reveals a different picture. Although an overall decrease was observed, the organic constituents of the soil show an increase in contamination. This increase was not observed in soils from cultivated land or gardens. In addition to the measurements, a relationship based on mutual trust allowed us to offer the inhabitants individual advice on how to reduce internal contamination. As a result of this advice and the decreasing environmental contamination (topsoil and crops), the internal dose was reduced significantly. Today, the internal exposure has only increased slightly and has no significant negative influence on the health of the people. The internal dose will decrease to less than 0.2 mSv/a in 2011 and to below 0.1 mSv/a in 2020. Despite this, the cumulative dose will remain significantly higher than normal background values due to external exposure. If internal exposure is checked on a regular basis and advice is offered on an individual basis, there should be no specific danger for the people in the region in the near future. Resettlement may even be possible in former prohibited areas provided that people comply with appropriate dietary rules. (orig.)

  8. Effect of Particle-size Distribution on Chemical Washing Experiment of Uranium Contaminated Concrete

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Wan Suk; Kim, Gye Nam; Shon, Dong Bin; Park, Hye Min; Kim, Ki Hong; Lee, Kun Woo; Lee, Ki Won; Moon, Jei Kwon

    2011-01-01

    Taken down of nuclear institution was radioactive contaminated concrete over 70% of whole waste. Advanced countries have realized the importance of waste processing. Nuclear institutions keep a lot of radioactive contaminated concrete in internal waste storage. Therefore radioactive contaminated concrete disport to whole waste and reduce for self-processing standard concentration may be disposed of inexpensive more than radioactive waste storage. This study uses mechanical and thermal technology for a uranium contaminated concrete process in Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute's radioactive waste storage. Mechanical and thermal technologies are divided based on particle size. Each particles-sized concrete analyzed for uranium contamination using an MCA instrument. A chemical washing experiment was carried out

  9. Groundwater arsenic contamination in Bangladesh-21 Years of research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chakraborti, Dipankar; Rahman, Mohammad Mahmudur; Mukherjee, Amitava; Alauddin, Mohammad; Hassan, Manzurul; Dutta, Rathindra Nath; Pati, Shymapada; Mukherjee, Subhash Chandra; Roy, Shibtosh; Quamruzzman, Quazi; Rahman, Mahmuder; Morshed, Salim; Islam, Tanzima; Sorif, Shaharir; Selim, Md; Islam, Md Razaul; Hossain, Md Monower

    2015-01-01

    Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE), Bangladesh first identified their groundwater arsenic contamination in 1993. But before the international arsenic conference in Dhaka in February 1998, the problem was not widely accepted. Even in the international arsenic conference in West-Bengal, India in February, 1995, representatives of international agencies in Bangladesh and Bangladesh government attended the conference but they denied the groundwater arsenic contamination in Bangladesh. School of Environmental Studies (SOES), Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India first identified arsenic patient in Bangladesh in 1992 and informed WHO, UNICEF of Bangladesh and Govt. of Bangladesh from April 1994 to August 1995. British Geological Survey (BGS) dug hand tube-wells in Bangladesh in 1980s and early 1990s but they did not test the water for arsenic. Again BGS came back to Bangladesh in 1992 to assess the quality of the water of the tube-wells they installed but they still did not test for arsenic when groundwater arsenic contamination and its health effects in West Bengal in Bengal delta was already published in WHO Bulletin in 1988. From December 1996, SOES in collaboration with Dhaka Community Hospital (DCH), Bangladesh started analyzing hand tube-wells for arsenic from all 64 districts in four geomorphologic regions of Bangladesh. So far over 54,000 tube-well water samples had been analyzed by flow injection hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (FI-HG-AAS). From SOES water analysis data at present we could assess status of arsenic groundwater contamination in four geo-morphological regions of Bangladesh and location of possible arsenic safe groundwater. SOES and DCH also made some preliminary work with their medical team to identify patients suffering from arsenic related diseases. SOES further analyzed few thousands biological samples (hair, nail, urine and skin scales) and foodstuffs for arsenic to know arsenic body burden and people sub

  10. Fungal contamination in white medical coats of dentistry professionals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benicio Barros Brandão

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: The white medical coats used by health professionals may serve as a source of infection in health services because it is a potential vehicle for transmission of microorganisms. There are several studies that warn of the inherent dangers in bacterial contamination in lab coats, but there are few reports of fungal contamination in this personal protection equipment. Aims: The study aims to identify fungi in dental lab coats. Method: Samples were collected from ten dentists from a dentistry-school clinic of a higher education institution of Teresina, Piauí, Brazil, using sterile swab, soaked in saline contained in a test tube. Each sample was inoculated on chloramphenicol-containing Saboroud Dextrose agar and incubated at room temperature for fungal growth. Phenotypic and biochemical methods were used to identify the colonies. Results: Fungal growth was observed in all samples of the lab coats, and 19 isolates were counted. The genera Cladosporium and Aspergillus were the most frequent in this study. The results emphasize the role of fungi as contaminants in lab coats; and, as an effective means of transmission of pathogens in the community. Conclusions: This study suggests a methodology for the proper washing and decontamination of the lab coat and advocates the need to implement more rigid norms in concern to the use of lab coats, as well as educational campaigns to guide dentists about the correct use of this Personal Protection Equipment (PPE. Keywords: Individual Protection Equipment. Fungi. Cross infection.

  11. Aspects of chronic ingestion of contaminated food in cattle and game

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prochazka, H.; Jandl, J.; Jirasek, V.; Francova, J.; Sekera, K.

    1989-01-01

    Following the Chernobyl accident, meat of grazing stock and of game was contaminated via the food chain. 134 Cs and 137 Cs, in the acute phase also iodine isotopes were measured in various samples of meat, milk, feeds and soil. The samples were first counted using a well-type large-volume NaI(Tl) detector and then by gamma spectrometric analysis using a semiconductor Ge/Li or HPGe detector. Contamination exceeding the international derived action level was only observed in game. Untilled meadows and forests are a long-term source of contamination. (M.D.). 5 figs., 3 tabs., 7 refs

  12. Root Cause Assessment of Pressure Drop Rise of a Packed Bed of Lithium Hydroxide in the International Space Station Trace Contaminant Control System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguilera, Tatiana; Perry, Jay L.

    2009-01-01

    The trace contaminant control system (TCCS) located in the International Space Station s (ISS) U.S. laboratory module employs physical adsorption, thermal catalytic oxidation, and chemical adsorption to remove trace chemical contamination produced by equipment offgassing and anthropogenic sources from the cabin atmosphere. The chemical adsorption stage, consisting of a packed bed of granular lithium hydroxide (LiOH), is located after the thermal catalytic oxidation stage and is designed to remove acid gas byproducts that may be formed in the upstream oxidation stage. While in service on board the ISS, the LiOH bed exhibited a change in flow resistance that leading to flow control difficulties in the TCCS. Post flight evaluation revealed LiOH granule size attrition among other changes. An experimental program was employed to investigate mechanisms hypothesized to contribute to the change in the packed bed s flow resistance. Background on the problem is summarized, including a discussion of likely mechanisms. The experimental program is described, results are presented, and implications for the future are discussed.

  13. 26 CFR 31.3301-1 - Persons liable for tax.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 15 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Persons liable for tax. 31.3301-1 Section 31... TAXES AND COLLECTION OF INCOME TAX AT SOURCE EMPLOYMENT TAXES AND COLLECTION OF INCOME TAX AT SOURCE Federal Unemployment Tax Act (Chapter 23, Internal Revenue Code of 1954) § 31.3301-1 Persons liable for...

  14. Cancer from internal emitters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boecker, B.B.; Griffith, W.C. Jr.

    1995-01-01

    Irradiation from internal emitters, or internally deposited radionuclides, is an important component of radiation exposures encountered in the workplace, home, or general environment. Long-term studies of human populations exposed to various internal emitters by different routes of exposure are producing critical information for the protection of workers and members of the general public. The purpose of this report is to examine recent developments and discuss their potential importance for understanding lifetime cancer risks from internal emitters. The major populations of persons being studied for lifetime health effects from internally deposited radionuclides are well known: Lung cancer in underground miners who inhaled Rn progeny, liver cancer from persons injected with the Th-containing radiographic contrast medium Thorotrast, bone cancer from occupational or medical intakes of 226 Ra or medical injections of 224 Ra, and thyroid cancer from exposures to iodine radionuclides in the environment or for medical purposes

  15. Chernobyl three years later: radiobiologic evaluation of a radioactive contamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Behar, A.; Cohen-Boulakia, F.; Othmani, S.

    1990-01-01

    On April 26, 1986, after partial fusion and confining loss by explosion of a nuclear reactor, 5 x 10(7) Ci of radionuclides escaped from Chernobyl. Three years later, maps show contamination by radioactive isotopes (formed during that period) of 21,000 km2 of Soviet soil, mainly in Byelorussia and part of the Ukraine. Decontamination measures have not been effective to date and 135,000 persons are being followed medically, taking into account the radioactive doses they received. An initial excess of morbidity from solid tumors has been noted much sooner than in the case of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but its significance is in dispute. Three years later, only the extent of the ecologic disaster caused by the radioactive contamination can be confirmed. It is too early to draw conclusions about radiation-induced carcinogenesis for the contaminated population

  16. Psychiatric disorders among a sample of internally displaced persons in South Darfur.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elhabiby, Mahmoud M; Radwan, Doaa N; Okasha, Tarek A; El-Desouky, Eman D

    2015-06-01

    The violent armed conflict in Darfur has been ongoing for years getting the attention of human rights activists and mental health professionals. The aim of this study was to assess psychiatric disorders in a sample of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in South Darfur. A cross-sectional observational study, as a part of the 'Darfur Campaign' organized by Arab Federation of Psychiatrists, assessing psychiatric disorders in a sample of internally displaced women using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-I) (clinical version). Up to 25.7% of participants had lost a close family member or more in the violent clashes. Psychiatric diagnoses were found in 62.2% of the participants. The most frequently reported was post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) reaching 14.9%, followed by depression 13.5% (among which 2.7% with psychotic features), while comorbid PTSD and depression reached 8.1% of participants. Patients with psychiatric diagnoses had an older age (36.6 years) (p = .024). Suffering from a psychiatric disorder was found to be associated with losing a family member in the conflict (p = .015), being 35.6% in patients with psychiatric diagnoses compared to 10.3% in those without losing a family member in the conflict (odds ratio (OR) =  .7, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.25-18.28). This study used a standardized tool for diagnosing psychiatric morbidity among refugees in Darfur to give as much as possible an actual description of the problems and psychiatric morbidity caused by human-made disasters. This study can help to lead to a more detailed and specific mental health service program much needed by this population. © The Author(s) 2014.

  17. Detection of microbial contamination in platelets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berg, Tracy L.; Leparc, German; Huffman, Debra E.; Gennaccaro, Angela L.; Garcia-Lopez, Alicia; Klungness, Greta; Stephans, Christie; Garcia-Rubio, Luis H.

    2005-03-01

    In the United States, approximately 100 patients develop fatal sepsis associated with platelet transfusions every year. Current culture methods take 24-48 hours to acquire results, which in turn decrease the shelf life of platelets. Many of the microorganisms that contaminate platelets can replicate easily at room temperature, which is the necessary storage temperature to keep platelets functional. Therefore, there is a need for in-situ quality control assessment of the platelet quality. For this purpose, a real time spectrophotometric technique has been developed. The Spectral Acquisition Processing Detection (SAPD) method, comprised of a UV-vis spectrophotometer and modeling algorithms, is a rapid method that can be performed prior to platelet transfusion to decrease the risk of bacterial infection to patients. The SAPD method has been used to determine changes in cell suspensions, based on size, shape, chemical composition and internal structure. Changes in these cell characteristics can in turn be used to determine microbial contamination, platelet aging and other physiologic changes. Detection limits of this method for platelet suspensions seeded with bacterial contaminants were identified to be less than 100 cfu/ml of sample. Bacterial counts below 1000 cfu/ml are not considered clinically significant. The SAPD method can provide real-time identification of bacterial contamination of platelets affording patients an increased level of safety without causing undue strain on laboratory budgets or personnel while increasing the time frame that platelets can be used by dramatically shortening contaminant detection time.

  18. Lesions in Broiler Chicks Following Experimental Contamination ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of feed contamination with battery waste on the performance, organs weights as well as the histology of some internal organs of broiler chicks. A total of 120 1- d old broiler chicks were allotted to four dietary treatments in a completely randomized design.

  19. Personality characteristics and attributes of international medical graduates in general practice training: Implications for supporting this valued Australian workforce.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laurence, Caroline O; Eley, Diann S; Walters, Lucie; Elliott, Taryn; Cloninger, Claude Robert

    2016-10-01

    To describe the personality profiles of International Medical Graduates (IMGs) undertaking General Practice (GP) training in Australia. A better understanding of the personal characteristics of IMGs may inform their training and enhance support for their vital contribution to the Australian rural workforce. Cross-sectional self-report questionnaires. Independent variables included socio-demographics, prior training, the Temperament and Character Inventory, and the Resilience Scale. GP registrars (IMGs = 102; AMGs = 350) training in the Australian General Practice Training rural and general pathway and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine independent pathway. Univariate analysis explored the differences in levels of traits between IMG and AMG registrars. Compared to the general population both groups have moderately high resilience, and well-organised characters with high Self-directedness, high Cooperativeness and low Self-transcendence, supported by temperaments which were high in Persistence and Reward Dependence. IMGs were different than AMGs in two temperament traits, Novelty Seeking and Persistence and two character traits, Self-directedness and Cooperativeness. Factors such as cultural and training backgrounds, personal and professional expectations, and adjustments necessary to assimilate to a new lifestyle and health system are likely to be responsible for differences found between groups. Understanding the personality profiles of IMGs provides opportunities for targeted training and support which may in turn impact on their retention in rural areas. © 2016 National Rural Health Alliance Inc.

  20. Medical management of radio-contaminated wounded by the French military health service

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Castagnet, X.; Amabile, J.C.; Laroche, P.; Carbonnieres, H. de; Pennacino, A.

    2006-01-01

    The French armed forces health service has set up in France specialized installation only designed and used to take care of radio contaminated patients. These installations can be used for the military and for the civilians, e.g. in case of an accident in a civilian nuclear installation or in case of terrorist attack with a few injured. The main principles of the medical management of a radio contaminated wounded are: - Trauma care is the first priority, - External decontamination has to be treated as fast and reasonably as possible, - Medical treatment for internal contamination is more efficiency that is given earlier (stable iodine, DTPA). Three type of installations have been developed to take charge of contaminated patient or with a suspicion of contamination: - The hasty decontamination post, to take into account the involved victims physically fit, - The advance post for radio-contaminated wounded (P.A.B.R.C.), for the relative emergency whom evacuation can be delayed after medical examination, - The center for the treatment of radio-contaminated wounded(C.T.B.R.C.), in an hospital area, for the absolute emergencies (needing some resuscitation and emergency surgery for saving life, like stopping an hemorrhage). Each military hospital in France has is own C.T.B.R.C. These structures are dedicated to the decontamination, that means that all type of decontamination would be conducted here: skin decontamination, internal decontamination by specific de-contaminant if needed, and decontamination of a contaminated wound by surgical means. This type of surgery might be associated with a precise detection. At his arrival, in a first time, the victim is examined by an emergency physician who is in charge of the structure. Secondly, he makes a triage concerning the medical emergency to identify the type of emergency, life threatening emergency or not. - If the patient is a critical case then the medical treatment takes precedence over contamination - If the patient is

  1. Medical management of radio-contaminated wounded by the French military health service

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Castagnet, X.; Amabile, J.C.; Laroche, P.; Carbonnieres, H. de [Service de Protection Radiologique des Armees, 92 - Clamart (France); Pennacino, A. [Direction Centrale du Service de Sante des Armees, 75 - Paris (France)

    2006-07-01

    The French armed forces health service has set up in France specialized installation only designed and used to take care of radio contaminated patients. These installations can be used for the military and for the civilians, e.g. in case of an accident in a civilian nuclear installation or in case of terrorist attack with a few injured. The main principles of the medical management of a radio contaminated wounded are: - Trauma care is the first priority, - External decontamination has to be treated as fast and reasonably as possible, - Medical treatment for internal contamination is more efficiency that is given earlier (stable iodine, DTPA). Three type of installations have been developed to take charge of contaminated patient or with a suspicion of contamination: - The hasty decontamination post, to take into account the involved victims physically fit, - The advance post for radio-contaminated wounded (P.A.B.R.C.), for the relative emergency whom evacuation can be delayed after medical examination, - The center for the treatment of radio-contaminated wounded(C.T.B.R.C.), in an hospital area, for the absolute emergencies (needing some resuscitation and emergency surgery for saving life, like stopping an hemorrhage). Each military hospital in France has is own C.T.B.R.C. These structures are dedicated to the decontamination, that means that all type of decontamination would be conducted here: skin decontamination, internal decontamination by specific de-contaminant if needed, and decontamination of a contaminated wound by surgical means. This type of surgery might be associated with a precise detection. At his arrival, in a first time, the victim is examined by an emergency physician who is in charge of the structure. Secondly, he makes a triage concerning the medical emergency to identify the type of emergency, life threatening emergency or not. - If the patient is a critical case then the medical treatment takes precedence over contamination - If the patient is

  2. Contamination of chlorhexidine cream used to prevent ascending urinary tract infections

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Salveson, A.; Bergan, T.

    1981-06-01

    Chlorhexidine-containing cream is often used as an antimicrobial barrier to ascending urinary tract infection in patients with indwelling urethral catheters. The cream is dispensed in small tubes for personal use but repeated use of a tube still entails a potential infection hazard. The extent of cream contamination was analysed by emulsifying it in 1% peptone broth with 1% Tween-80 added as a wetting agent, and culturing quantitatively for bacteria and fungi by membrane filtration. Twenty-three per cent of cream samples and 35% of swabs taken from outside the tube beneath the screw cap demonstrated microbial contamination. Isolates included potential pathogens such as enterococci, staphylococci, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, opportunists like Moraxella spp. and diphtheroids, and contaminants such as Bacillus spp., micrococci, and a mould of the genus Cladosporium. Contamination of cream with a particular bacterial strain was found to precede urinary tract infection with the same microbe. We recommend that chlorhexidine cream for this use be dispensed in single dose units to ensure sterility.

  3. The role of religiosity, coping strategies, self-efficacy and personality dimensions in the prediction of Iranian undergraduate rehabilitation interns' satisfaction with their clinical experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mirsaleh, Y R; Rezai, H; Kivi, S R; Ghorbani, R

    2010-12-01

    to investigate the relationship between religiosity, coping styles, self-efficacy and personality dimensions as predictors of satisfaction with clinical experience in rehabilitation interns during transition from academic study to clinical internship. a cross-sectional survey design. five rehabilitation faculties. three hundred and eighteen undergraduate rehabilitation interns, including physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech and language pathology students. Islamic Religiosity Scale, Ways of Coping Questionnaire, General Self-efficacy Scale, NEO Five Factor Inventory, and Satisfaction with Clinical Experiences Questionnaire. religiosity, problem-focused coping and general self-efficacy had significant positive correlation with satisfaction with clinical internship in rehabilitation students. Among personality dimensions, openness, agreement and consciousness had significant positive correlation with satisfaction with clinical experience and neuroticism had significant negative correlation with satisfaction with clinical experience. The results of regression analysis demonstrated that religiosity and self-efficacy had important roles in the prediction of satisfaction with clinical experience in all the rehabilitation intern students of three disciplines (physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech and language pathology). religiosity, problem-focused coping and general self-efficacy seem to be good predictors of satisfaction with clinical internship in rehabilitation students.

  4. The development of the Person-Centred Situational Leadership Framework: Revealing the being of person-centredness in nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lynch, Brighide M; McCance, Tanya; McCormack, Brendan; Brown, Donna

    2018-01-01

    To implement and evaluate the effect of using the Person-Centred Situational Leadership Framework to develop person-centred care within nursing homes. Many models of nursing leadership have been developed internationally in recent years but do not fit with the emergent complex philosophy of nursing home care. This study develops the Person-Centred Situational Leadership Framework that supports this philosophy. It forms the theoretical basis of the action research study described in this article. This was a complex action research study using the following multiple methods: nonparticipatory observation using the Workplace Culture Critical Analysis Tool (n = 30); critical and reflective dialogues with participants (n = 39) at time 1 (beginning of study), time 2 (end of study) and time 3 (6 months after study had ended); narratives from residents at time 1 and time 2 (n = 8); focus groups with staff at time 2 (n = 12) and reflective field notes. Different approaches to analyse the data were adopted for the different data sources, and the overall results of the thematic analysis were brought together using cognitive mapping. The Person-Centred Situational Leadership Framework captures seven core attributes of the leader that facilitate person-centredness in others: relating to the essence of being; harmonising actions with the vision; balancing concern for compliance with concern for person-centredness; connecting with the other person in the instant; intentionally enthusing the other person to act; listening to the other person with the heart; and unifying through collaboration, appreciation and trust. This study led to a theoretical contribution in relation to the Person-Centred Practice Framework. It makes an important key contribution internationally to the gap in knowledge about leadership in residential care facilities for older people. The findings can be seen to have significant applicability internationally, across other care settings and contexts.

  5. CELEBRATED APRIL 2nd – INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH AUTISM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manuela KRCHANOSKA

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available On April 2nd, the Macedonian Scientific Society for Autism, for the fourth time organized an event on the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Autism. The event with cultural and artistic character was held at the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle under the motto “They are not alone, we are with them”. The huge number of citizens only confirmed the motto. It seemed that the hall of the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle is too small for the warm hearts of the audience. More than 300 guests were present in the hall, among which there were children with autism and their families, prominent professors, doctors, special educators and rehabilitators, psychologists, students and other citizens with glad heart and will who decided to enrich the event with their presence. The event was opened by the violinist Plamenka Trajkovska, which performed one song. After her, the President of the Macedonian Scientific Society for Autism, PhD. Vladimir Trajkovski delivered his speech. The professor told the parents of autistic children, who were present in large number, not to lose hope, to fight for their children, and that the Macedonian Scientific Society for Autism will provide tremendous support and assistance in this struggle.

  6. Food and feed chemical contaminants in the European Union: Regulatory, scientific, and technical issues concerning chemical contaminants occurrence, risk assessment, and risk management in the European Union.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silano, Marco; Silano, Vittorio

    2017-07-03

    A priority of the European Union is the control of risks possibly associated with chemical contaminants in food and undesirable substances in feed. Following an initial chapter describing the main contaminants detected in food and undesirable substances in feed in the EU, their main sources and the factors which affect their occurrence, the present review focuses on the "continous call for data" procedure that is a very effective system in place at EFSA to make possible the exposure assessment of specific contaminants and undesirable substances. Risk assessment of contaminants in food atances in feed is carried currently in the European Union by the CONTAM Panel of EFSA according to well defined methodologies and in collaboration with competent international organizations and with Member States.

  7. Internal contamination monitoring through measurements in vivo at whole body contamination unity of IRD-CNEN, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Monitoracao da contaminacao interna atraves de medicoes in vivo na Unidade de Contador de Corpo Inteiro do IRD-CNEN, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dantas, Ana Leticia A.; Lucena, Eder A.; Dantas, Bernardo M., E-mail: adantas@ird.gov.b, E-mail: eder@ird.gov.b, E-mail: bmdantas@ird.gov.b [Instituto de Radioprotecao e Dosimetria (IRD/CNEN-RJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Lab. de Monitoracao In Vivo. Servico de Monitoracao Individual Interna

    2011-10-26

    The present work approaches the internal contamination monitoring capacity through measurements performed at the Whole-body Counter Unity of the in-vivo monitoring laboratory (LABMIV) of the IRD-CNEN, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, present thr main parameters related to the monitoring techniques developed, and the the available instrumentation for identification and quantification in vivo of photon emitter radionuclides with energy in the range of 10-3000 keV, incorporated by workers and public individuals

  8. Personality traits and combat exposure as predictors of psychopathology over time.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koffel, E; Kramer, M D; Arbisi, P A; Erbes, C R; Kaler, M; Polusny, M A

    2016-01-01

    Research suggests that personality traits have both direct and indirect effects on the development of psychological symptoms, with indirect effects mediated by stressful or traumatic events. This study models the direct influence of personality traits on residualized changes in internalizing and externalizing symptoms following a stressful and potentially traumatic deployment, as well as the indirect influence of personality on symptom levels mediated by combat exposure. We utilized structural equation modeling with a longitudinal prospective study of 522 US National Guard soldiers deployed to Iraq. Analyses were based on self-report measures of personality, combat exposure, and internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Both pre-deployment Disconstraint and externalizing symptoms predicted combat exposure, which in turn predicted internalizing and externalizing symptoms. There was a significant indirect effect for pre-deployment externalizing symptoms on post-deployment externalizing via combat exposure (p personality on residualized changes in externalizing symptoms were found. Baseline symptom dimensions had significant direct and indirect effects on post-deployment symptoms. Controlling for both pre-exposure personality and symptoms, combat experiences remained positively related to both internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Implications for diagnostic classification are discussed.

  9. Trafficking in Persons: The U.S. and International Response

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Miko, Francis T

    2006-01-01

    Trafficking in people for prostitution and forced labor is one of the most prolific areas of international criminal activity and is of significant concern to the United States and the international community...

  10. Marine pollution. Proceedings of an international symposium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1999-07-01

    The marine environment - understanding and protecting for the future were at the forefront of the International Symposium on Marine Pollution convened in Monaco from 5 to 9 October 1998, as one of the major events of the UN International Year of Oceans. Over 400 international experts from 61 Member States and 8 international organizations delivered 114 oral presentations in plenary and parallel sessions and made 215 poster presentations. New achievements were reported in identifying the sources of pollution, on the behaviour and fate of contaminants in seawater, biota and sediments, on the use of radioactive and non-radioactive tracers for the studies of transport and circulation processes in the world's oceans and seas, on studies of radioactive waste dumping sites and nuclear weapons test sites, on local, regional and global computer modelling of the transport of contaminants and on many other topics in marine pollution. New developments in high sensitivity analytical measurements of contaminants with emphasis on nuclear and isotopic methods were also presented. Information on global and regional marine pollution studies programmes was also given and participants had the chance to interacts with leading experts in the field and ro discuss future trends in marine pollution studies. This TECDOC contains some of the papers submitted on issues falling within the thematic scope od the symposium which were presented in oral and poster presentations

  11. Marine pollution. Proceedings of an international symposium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1999-07-01

    The marine environment - understanding and protecting for the future were at the forefront of the International Symposium on Marine Pollution convened in Monaco from 5 to 9 October 1998, as one of the major events of the UN International Year of Oceans. Over 400 international experts from 61 Member States and 8 international organizations delivered 114 oral presentations in plenary and parallel sessions and made 215 poster presentations. New achievements were reported in identifying the sources of pollution, on the behaviour and fate of contaminants in seawater, biota and sediments, on the use of radioactive and non-radioactive tracers for the studies of transport and circulation processes in the world`s oceans and seas, on studies of radioactive waste dumping sites and nuclear weapons test sites, on local, regional and global computer modelling of the transport of contaminants and on many other topics in marine pollution. New developments in high sensitivity analytical measurements of contaminants with emphasis on nuclear and isotopic methods were also presented. Information on global and regional marine pollution studies programmes was also given and participants had the chance to interacts with leading experts in the field and ro discuss future trends in marine pollution studies. This TECDOC contains some of the papers submitted on issues falling within the thematic scope od the symposium which were presented in oral and poster presentations Refs, figs, tabs

  12. Role of International Study Experiences in the Personal and Professional Development of University Lecturers in the Humanities and Social Sciences Fields in Thailand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaowiwattanakul, Sukanya

    2016-01-01

    This study investigates the role of international experience on personal and professional development of university academic staff in the Humanities and Social Sciences fields in Thailand. The participants were 23 lecturers from nine universities in Thailand. A semi-structured face-to-face interviewing method was employed. The findings reveal that…

  13. Personalized Monte Carlo dosimetry for the planning and evaluation of internal radiotherapy treatments: development and application to selective internal radiotherapy (SIRT)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petitguillaume, Alice

    2014-01-01

    Medical techniques in full expansion arousing high therapeutic expectations, targeted radionuclide therapies (TRT) consist of administering a radiopharmaceutical to selectively treat tumors. Nowadays, the activity injected to the patient is generally standardized. However, in order to establish robust dose-effect relationships and to optimize treatments while sparing healthy tissues at best, a personalized dosimetry must be performed, just like actual clinical practice in external beam radiotherapy. In that context, this PhD main objective was to develop, using the OEDIPE software, a methodology for personalized dosimetry based on direct Monte Carlo calculations. The developed method enables to calculate the tridimensional distribution of absorbed doses depending on the patient anatomy, defined from CT or MRI data, and on the patient-specific activity biodistribution, defined from SPECT or PET data. Radiobiological aspects, such as differences in radiosensitivities and repair time constants between tumoral and healthy tissues, have also been integrated through the linear-quadratic model. This methodology has been applied to the selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) which consists in the injection of 90 Y-microspheres to selectively treat unresectable hepatic cancers. Distributions of absorbed doses and biologically effective doses (BED) along with the equivalent uniform biologically effective doses (EUD) to hepatic lesions have been calculated from 99m Tc-MAA activity distributions obtained during the evaluation step for 18 patients treated at Hopital Europeen Georges Pompidou. Those results have been compared to classical methods used in clinics and the interest of accurate and personalized dosimetry for treatment planning has been investigated. On the one hand, the possibility to increase the activity in a personalized way has been highlighted with the calculation of the maximal activity that could be injected to the patient while meeting tolerance criteria

  14. Pion contamination in the MICE muon beam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adams, D.; Barclay, P.; Bayliss, V.; Brashaw, T.W.; Alekou, A.; Apollonio, M.; Barber, G.; Asfandiyarov, R.; Blondel, A.; De Bari, A.; Bayes, R.; Bertoni, R.; Bonesini, M.; Blackmore, V.J.; Blot, S.; Bogomilov, M.; Booth, C.N.; Bowring, D.; Boyd, S.; Bravar, U.

    2016-01-01

    The international Muon Ionization Cooling Experiment (MICE) will perform a systematic investigation of ionization cooling with muon beams of momentum between 140 and 240 MeV/c at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory ISIS facility. The measurement of ionization cooling in MICE relies on the selection of a pure sample of muons that traverse the experiment. To make this selection, the MICE Muon Beam is designed to deliver a beam of muons with less than ∼1% contamination. To make the final muon selection, MICE employs a particle-identification (PID) system upstream and downstream of the cooling cell. The PID system includes time-of-flight hodoscopes, threshold-Cherenkov counters and calorimetry. The upper limit for the pion contamination measured in this paper is f π  < 1.4% at 90% C.L., including systematic uncertainties. Therefore, the MICE Muon Beam is able to meet the stringent pion-contamination requirements of the study of ionization cooling

  15. Pion contamination in the MICE muon beam

    CERN Document Server

    Bogomilov, M.; Vankova-Kirilova, G.; Bertoni, R.; Bonesini, M.; Chignoli, F.; Mazza, R.; Palladino, V.; de Bari, A.; Cecchet, G.; Capponi, M.; Iaciofano, A.; Orestano, D.; Pastore, F.; Tortora, L.; Kuno, Y.; Sakamoto, H.; Ishimoto, S.; Japan, Ibaraki; Filthaut, F.; Hansen, O.M.; Ramberger, S.; Vretenar, M.; Asfandiyarov, R.; Blondel, A.; Drielsma, F.; Karadzhov, Y.; Charnley, G.; Collomb, N.; Gallagher, A.; Grant, A.; Griffiths, S.; Hartnett, T.; Martlew, B.; Moss, A.; Muir, A.; Mullacrane, I.; Oates, A.; Owens, P.; Stokes, G.; Warburton, P.; White, C.; Adams, D.; Barclay, P.; Bayliss, V.; Bradshaw, T.W.; Courthold, M.; Francis, V.; Fry, L.; Hayler, T.; Hills, M.; Lintern, A.; Macwaters, C.; Nichols, A.; Preece, R.; Ricciardi, S.; Rogers, C.; Stanley, T.; Tarrant, J.; Watson, S.; Wilson, A.; Bayes, R.; Nugent, J.C.; Soler, F.J.P.; Cooke, P.; Gamet, R.; Alekou, A.; Apollonio, M.; Barber, G.; Colling, D.; Dobbs, A.; Dornan, P.; Hunt, C.; Lagrange, J-B.; Long, K.; Martyniak, J.; Middleton, S.; Pasternak, J.; Santos, E.; Savidge, T.; Uchida, M.A.; Blackmore, V.J.; Carlisle, T.; Cobb, J.H.; Lau, W.; Rayner, M.A.; Tunnell, C.D.; Booth, C.N.; Hodgson, P.; Langlands, J.; Nicholson, R.; Overton, E.; Robinson, M.; Smith, P.J.; Dick, A.; Ronald, K.; Speirs, D.; Whyte, C.G.; Young, A.; Boyd, S.; Franchini, P.; Greis, J.R.; Pidcott, C.; Taylor, I.; Gardener, R.; Kyberd, P.; Littlefield, M.; Nebrensky, J.J.; Bross, A.D.; Fitzpatrick, T.; Leonova, M.; Moretti, A.; Neuffer, D.; Popovic, M.; Rubinov, P.; Rucinski, R.; Roberts, T.J.; Bowring, D.; DeMello, A.; Gourlay, S.; Li, D.; Prestemon, S.; Virostek, S.; Zisman, M.; Drews, M.; Hanlet, P.; Kafka, G.; Kaplan, D.M.; Rajaram, D.; Snopok, P.; Torun, Y.; Winter, M.; Blot, S.; Kim, Y.K.; Bravar, U.; Onel, Y.; Cremaldi, L.M.; Hart, T.L.; Luo, T.; Sanders, D.A.; Summers, D.J.; Cline, D.; Yang, X.; Coney, L.; Hanson, G.G.; Heidt, C.

    2016-01-01

    The international Muon Ionization Cooling Experiment (MICE) will perform a systematic investigation of ionization cooling with muon beams of momentum between 140 and 240\\,MeV/c at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory ISIS facility. The measurement of ionization cooling in MICE relies on the selection of a pure sample of muons that traverse the experiment. To make this selection, the MICE Muon Beam is designed to deliver a beam of muons with less than $\\sim$1\\% contamination. To make the final muon selection, MICE employs a particle-identification (PID) system upstream and downstream of the cooling cell. The PID system includes time-of-flight hodoscopes, threshold-Cherenkov counters and calorimetry. The upper limit for the pion contamination measured in this paper is $f_\\pi < 1.4\\%$ at 90\\% C.L., including systematic uncertainties. Therefore, the MICE Muon Beam is able to meet the stringent pion-contamination requirements of the study of ionization cooling.

  16. GREATER HEMOCYTE BACTERICIDAL ACTIVITY IN OYSTERS (CRASSOSTREA VIRGINICA) FROM A RELATIVELY CONTAMINATED SITE IN PENSACOLA BAY, FLORIDA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bivalve mollusks such as Crassostrea virginica inhabiting polluted estuaries and coastal areas may bioaccumulate high concentrations of contaminants without apparent ill effects. However, changes in putative internal defense activities have been associated with contaminant accumu...

  17. Effect of arsenic contaminated drinking water on human chromosome: a case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Asha Lata; Singh, Vipin Kumar; Srivastava, Anushree

    2013-10-01

    Arsenic contamination of ground water has become a serious problem all over the world. Large number of people from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal of India are suffering due to consumption of arsenic contaminated drinking water. Study was carried out on 30 individuals residing in Ballia District, UP where the maximum concentration of arsenic was observed around 0.37 ppm in drinking water. Blood samples were collected from them to find out the problem related with arsenic. Cytogenetic study of the blood samples indicates that out of 30, two persons developed Klinefelter syndrome.

  18. The Mini Questionnaire of Personal Organization (MQPO): preliminary validation of a new post-rationalist personality questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nardi, Bernardo; Arimatea, Emidio; Giovagnoli, Sara; Blasi, Stefano; Bellantuono, Cesario; Rezzonico, Giorgio

    2012-01-01

    The Mini Questionnaire of Personal Organization (MQPO) has been constructed in order to comply with the inward/outward Personal Meaning Organization's (PMO) theory. According to Nardi's Adaptive Post-Rationalist approach, predictable and invariable caregivers' behaviours allow inward focus and a physical sight of reciprocity; non-predictable and variable caregivers' behaviours allow outward focus and a semantic sight of reciprocity. The 20 items of MQPO have been selected from 29 intermediate (n = 160) and 40 initial items (n = 204). Psychometric validation has been conducted (n = 296), including Internal Validity (Item-Total Correlation; Factor Analysis), Internal Coherence by Factor Analysis, two analyses in Discriminant Validity (n = 132 and n = 80) and Reliability by Test-Retest Analysis (n = 49). All subjects have been given their written informed consent before beginning the test. The validation of the MQPO shows that the ultimate version is consistent with its post-rationalist paradigm. Four different factors have been found, one for each PMO. Validity of the construct and the internal reliability index are satisfying (Alpha = 0.73). Moreover, the results obtained are constant (from r = 0.80 to r = 0.89). There is an adequate agreement between the MQPO scales and the clinical evaluations (72.5%), as well as an excellent agreement (80.0%) between the scores of the MQPO and those of the Personal Meaning Questionnaire. The MQPO is a tool able to study personality as a process by focusing on the relationships between personality and developmental process axes, which are the bases of the PMO's theory, according to the APR approach. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  19. Satellite Contamination and Materials Outgassing Knowledge base

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minor, Jody L.; Kauffman, William J. (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    Satellite contamination continues to be a design problem that engineers must take into account when developing new satellites. To help with this issue, NASA's Space Environments and Effects (SEE) Program funded the development of the Satellite Contamination and Materials Outgassing Knowledge base. This engineering tool brings together in one location information about the outgassing properties of aerospace materials based upon ground-testing data, the effects of outgassing that has been observed during flight and measurements of the contamination environment by on-orbit instruments. The knowledge base contains information using the ASTM Standard E- 1559 and also consolidates data from missions using quartz-crystal microbalances (QCM's). The data contained in the knowledge base was shared with NASA by government agencies and industry in the US and international space agencies as well. The term 'knowledgebase' was used because so much information and capability was brought together in one comprehensive engineering design tool. It is the SEE Program's intent to continually add additional material contamination data as it becomes available - creating a dynamic tool whose value to the user is ever increasing. The SEE Program firmly believes that NASA, and ultimately the entire contamination user community, will greatly benefit from this new engineering tool and highly encourages the community to not only use the tool but add data to it as well.

  20. Decontamination of persons and other medical measures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohlenschlaeger, L.

    1982-01-01

    Medical measures in case of radiation damages are discussed on the basis of five potential categories of radiation incidents or accidents, namely contaminations, incorporations, external local and general radiation over-exposures, contaminated wounds, and combinations of radiation damages and conventional injuries. Considerations are made for diagnostic and therapeutic initial measures especially in case of minor and moderate radiation accidents. The medical emergency planning is reviewed by means of definitions used in the practical handling of radiation incidents or accidents. The parameters are: extent of the incident or accident, number of persons involved, severity of the radiation damage. Based on guiding symptoms the criteria for the classification into minor, moderate or severe radiation accidents are discussed. (orig./RW)

  1. Effect of Some Therapeutic Agents on the Radionuclides Excretion from Internally Contaminated Rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aziz, M.; Mangood, Sh.A.; Sohsah, M.A.

    2009-01-01

    The present work was oriented to investigate the effectiveness of Prussian blue (PB), vermiculite and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (CaDTPA) as therapeutic agents for the elimination of either 134 Cs or 60 Co from contaminated rats after intake of one of the isotopes. The study was performed by using 48 adult rats divided into 8 identical groups each of six rats having approximately the same body weight. The groups included a reference group, without isotope or therapeutic agent administration, four groups given one of the isotopes and four groups given the isotopes and treated with different therapeutic regimes. The isotope content of the treated and untreated contaminated rats were followed by daily whole body radiometric counting for three weeks. On plotting log % radionuclide retained as a function of time, elapsed between radionuclide administration and radiometric counting, straight lines were obtained. The results indicate that excretion can mostly be represented by two stages; the first is fast followed by a second slow stage. The % radionuclide excreted, the corresponding rate constant and the biological half-life of each stage was estimated. It was found that the application of PB + vermiculite is more efficient, to remove 134 Cs, from contaminated rats, than PB only and CaDTPA is more efficient to remove 60Co. Therefore, it is recommended to use the three therapeutic agents to remove both isotopes when taken simultaneously

  2. Modeling, Monitoring and Fault Diagnosis of Spacecraft Air Contaminants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramirez, W. Fred; Skliar, Mikhail; Narayan, Anand; Morgenthaler, George W.; Smith, Gerald J.

    1998-01-01

    Control of air contaminants is a crucial factor in the safety considerations of crewed space flight. Indoor air quality needs to be closely monitored during long range missions such as a Mars mission, and also on large complex space structures such as the International Space Station. This work mainly pertains to the detection and simulation of air contaminants in the space station, though much of the work is easily extended to buildings, and issues of ventilation systems. Here we propose a method with which to track the presence of contaminants using an accurate physical model, and also develop a robust procedure that would raise alarms when certain tolerance levels are exceeded. A part of this research concerns the modeling of air flow inside a spacecraft, and the consequent dispersal pattern of contaminants. Our objective is to also monitor the contaminants on-line, so we develop a state estimation procedure that makes use of the measurements from a sensor system and determines an optimal estimate of the contamination in the system as a function of time and space. The real-time optimal estimates in turn are used to detect faults in the system and also offer diagnoses as to their sources. This work is concerned with the monitoring of air contaminants aboard future generation spacecraft and seeks to satisfy NASA's requirements as outlined in their Strategic Plan document (Technology Development Requirements, 1996).

  3. Estimating dermal transfer from PCB-contaminated porous surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slayton, T M; Valberg, P A; Wait, A D

    1998-06-01

    Health risks posed by dermal contact with PCB-contaminated porous surfaces have not been directly demonstrated and are difficult to estimate indirectly. Surface contamination by organic compounds is commonly assessed by collecting wipe samples with hexane as the solvent. However, for porous surfaces, hexane wipe characterization is of limited direct use when estimating potential human exposure. Particularly for porous surfaces, the relationship between the amount of organic material collected by hexane and the amount actually picked up by, for example, a person's hand touch is unknown. To better mimic PCB pickup by casual hand contact with contaminated concrete surfaces, we used alternate solvents and wipe application methods that more closely mimic casual dermal contact. Our sampling results were compared to PCB pickup using hexane-wetted wipes and the standard rubbing protocol. Dry and oil-wetted samples, applied without rubbing, picked up less than 1% of the PCBs picked up by the standard hexane procedure; with rubbing, they picked up about 2%. Without rubbing, saline-wetted wipes picked up 2.5%; with rubbing, they picked up about 12%. While the nature of dermal contact with a contaminated surface cannot be perfectly reproduced with a wipe sample, our results with alternate wiping solvents and rubbing methods more closely mimic hand contact than the standard hexane wipe protocol. The relative pickup estimates presented in this paper can be used in conjunction with site-specific PCB hexane wipe results to estimate dermal pickup rates at sites with PCB-contaminated concrete.

  4. Atmospheric contamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gruetter, Juerg

    1997-01-01

    It is about the levels of contamination in center America, the population's perception on the problem, effects of the atmospheric contamination, effects in the environment, causes of the atmospheric contamination, possibilities to reduce the atmospheric contamination and list of Roeco Swisscontac in atmospheric contamination

  5. Understanding Contamination; Twenty Years of Simulating Radiological Contamination

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Emily Snyder; John Drake; Ryan James

    2012-02-01

    A wide variety of simulated contamination methods have been developed by researchers to reproducibly test radiological decontamination methods. Some twenty years ago a method of non-radioactive contamination simulation was proposed at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) that mimicked the character of radioactive cesium and zirconium contamination on stainless steel. It involved baking the contamination into the surface of the stainless steel in order to 'fix' it into a tenacious, tightly bound oxide layer. This type of contamination was particularly applicable to nuclear processing facilities (and nuclear reactors) where oxide growth and exchange of radioactive materials within the oxide layer became the predominant model for material/contaminant interaction. Additional simulation methods and their empirically derived basis (from a nuclear fuel reprocessing facility) are discussed. In the last ten years the INL, working with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC), has continued to develop contamination simulation methodologies. The most notable of these newer methodologies was developed to compare the efficacy of different decontamination technologies against radiological dispersal device (RDD, 'dirty bomb') type of contamination. There are many different scenarios for how RDD contamination may be spread, but the most commonly used one at the INL involves the dispersal of an aqueous solution containing radioactive Cs-137. This method was chosen during the DARPA projects and has continued through the NHSRC series of decontamination trials and also gives a tenacious 'fixed' contamination. Much has been learned about the interaction of cesium contamination with building materials, particularly concrete, throughout these tests. The effects of porosity, cation-exchange capacity of the material and the amount of dirt and debris on the surface are very important factors

  6. Personal dosimetry at the radiation accidents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perevoznikov, O.N.; Klyuchnikov, A.A.; Kanchenko, V.A.

    2007-01-01

    The radiation accidents of different types and the methods of the dosimetry used at the consequences liquidation are considered. The long-term experience of the population personal instrumental dosimetric control carrying out at the ChNPP accident consequences liquidation is widely covered in details. The concepts are stated out and the results are presented on the functioning of the created system for personal dose monitoring of the population of Ukraine irradiation. The use of the person radiation counters at the internal irradiation population and personal dose assessment is considered in details

  7. The Influence of Personal Well-Being on Learning Achievement in University Students Over Time: Mediating or Moderating Effects of Internal and External University Engagement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lu Yu

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The current study examined the relationship between students' personal well-being and their learning achievement during university study, and whether such relationship would be mediated or moderated by university engagement. A total of 434 university students from one public university in Hong Kong participated in the study. The participants completed an online survey consisting of personal well-being (cognitive behavioral competence and general positive youth development, university engagement, and learning achievement measures (personal growth, and accumulated GPA as academic achievement at four time points with a 1-year interval. Results showed that personal well-being measured at the beginning of university study positively predicted students' personal growth and academic achievement after 3 years' study. While the internal dimensions of university engagement (academic challenge and learning with peers showed longitudinal significant mediational effect, the external dimensions (experience with faculty and campus environment did not have significant longitudinal moderating effect. Nevertheless, external dimensions of student engagement also showed direct effect on personal growth and academic achievement. The long-standing positive effects of personal well-being on university engagement and subsequently, learning achievement during university years call for more attention to the promotion of holistic development among university students in Hong Kong.

  8. The Influence of Personal Well-Being on Learning Achievement in University Students Over Time: Mediating or Moderating Effects of Internal and External University Engagement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Lu; Shek, Daniel T. L.; Zhu, Xiaoqin

    2018-01-01

    The current study examined the relationship between students' personal well-being and their learning achievement during university study, and whether such relationship would be mediated or moderated by university engagement. A total of 434 university students from one public university in Hong Kong participated in the study. The participants completed an online survey consisting of personal well-being (cognitive behavioral competence and general positive youth development), university engagement, and learning achievement measures (personal growth, and accumulated GPA as academic achievement) at four time points with a 1-year interval. Results showed that personal well-being measured at the beginning of university study positively predicted students' personal growth and academic achievement after 3 years' study. While the internal dimensions of university engagement (academic challenge and learning with peers) showed longitudinal significant mediational effect, the external dimensions (experience with faculty and campus environment) did not have significant longitudinal moderating effect. Nevertheless, external dimensions of student engagement also showed direct effect on personal growth and academic achievement. The long-standing positive effects of personal well-being on university engagement and subsequently, learning achievement during university years call for more attention to the promotion of holistic development among university students in Hong Kong. PMID:29375421

  9. Alpha contamination assessment for D ampersand D activities: Monitoring pipe interiors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rawool-Sullivan, M.W.; Conaway, J.G.; MacArthur, D.W.; Vaccarella, J.

    1996-02-01

    We have developed a prototype instrument capable of assessing alpha-emitting contamination on interior surfaces of ducts, pipes, tanks, and other enclosed volumes without inserting a probe. Air is drawn through the potentially contaminated volume and then through a detection grid, where ions created in the air by alpha particles are collected and the resulting charge measured with a sensitive electrometer. A filter at the intake end of the contaminated volume excludes externally created ions, so only ions generated inside the volume are detected. We have studied the response of this prototype in initial experiments using calibrated alpha sources with various pipe diameters and configurations, air flows, and source locations in the pipes. The results of these experiments indicate that this method can be an effective approach to assessing internal contamination

  10. Microbiological Study on Some Gamma Irradiated Personal Care Products

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmed, M.A.Sh.A.

    2014-01-01

    Humans have a basic need to change their appearance. The vastness of today‟s cosmetics and toiletries industry clearly indicates this wide spread and basic need for personal care products. Perhaps this need arises because these products allow us to make ourselves unique for rituals or societal reasons. We apparently have a primal need for them for our well-being (Geis, 2006). This industry had achieved stupendous growth within a short span of time and is now a multi-billion dollar industry. It would continue to grow as long as people are ready to spend a fortune to look their best. The result of which is large number of brands and twice the number of hair and skin care products (Naz et al., 2012). The term ''personal care products''refers to a wide variety of items find in the health and beauty departments and the products commonly referred to as ''personal care products''are cosmetics (FDA, 2012 a and b). Makeup can do wonders for women, but it can be dangerous to their health, if not handled properly (Archer, 1998 and Persaud, 2008). Practically all cosmetics are subjected to contamination with microorganisms (Oliviera et al., 2013). Contamination leads to several types of infections that range in severity from mild to serious (Ashour et al., 1987). Microbial load of personal care product is affected by the level of contamination during manufacturing, after manufacturing and during consumer use (Razooki et al., 2010 and Muhammed, 2011). The quality of cosmetic products largely depends on the quality of starting materials. The guidelines of good manufacturing practice for cosmetic products (GMPC) have clearly depicted the necessity of the starting materials to comply with specifications (WHO, 1992). Cosmetic contamination awareness is even worse among the younger age. Many women even share makeup and applicators with friends and their family, increasing their chances of facial infection. Makeup can easily be contaminated by the repetitive use to the skin using

  11. CELABRATION OF 3RD OF DECEMBER, INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maja FILIPOVSKA

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available This year as well, the Institute of Special education and rehabilitation celebrated the International day of persons with disabilities. In that occasion, two different events were organized by the Institute at the Faculty of Philosophy. The first event was held on 03.12.2015 and was organized in collaboration with the students of the Institute of Special education and rehabilitation, Faculty of pedagogy “St. Kliment Ohridski” form Skopje, Faculty of architecture, Faculty of Fine Arts and Faculty of Music. In the official part of the program, speeches were held by Stefani Nakova, student at the Institute of Special Education and rehabilitation, dr. Zora Jachova, PhD, head of the Institute of special education and rehabilitation and dr. Velimir Stojkovski, PhD, rector of the University “Ss Cyril and Methodius” – Skopje. Beside the mentioned speeches, the event was enriched by the students from the Faculty of pedagogy “St. Kliment Ohridski” from Skopje with the performance of “Tajno moja” in sign language by Dzengis Memedovski and the presentation of Aleksandar Matovski called “Youth and the Down syndrome”.

  12. Personal space regulation in childhood autism: Effects of social interaction and person's perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Candini, Michela; Giuberti, Virginia; Manattini, Alessandra; Grittani, Serenella; di Pellegrino, Giuseppe; Frassinetti, Francesca

    2017-01-01

    Studies in children with Typical Development (TD) and with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) revealed that autism affects the personal space regulation, influencing both its size (permeability) and its changes depending on social interaction (flexibility). Here, we investigate how the nature of social interaction (Cooperative vs. Uncooperative) and the person perspective influence permeability and flexibility of interpersonal distance. Moreover, we tested whether the deficit observed in ASD children, reflects the social impairment (SI) in daily interactions. The stop-distance paradigm was used to measure the preferred distance between the participant and an unfamiliar adult (first-person perspective, Experiment 1), and between two other people (third-person perspective, Experiment 2). Interpersonal distance was measured before and after the interaction with a confederate. The Wing Subgroups Questionnaire was used to evaluate SI in everyday activities, and each ASD participant was accordingly assigned either to the lower (children with low social impairment [low-SI ASD]), or to the higher SI group (children with high social impairment [high-SI ASD]). We observed larger interpersonal distance (permeability) in both ASD groups compared to TD children. Moreover, depending on the nature of social interaction, a modulation of interpersonal distance (flexibility) was observed in TD children, both from the first- and third-person perspective. Similar findings were found in low-SI but not in high-SI ASD children, in Experiment 1. Conversely, in Experiment 2, no change was observed in both ASD groups. These findings reveal that SI severity and a person's perspective may account for the deficit observed in autism when flexibility, but not permeability, of personal space is considered. Autism Res 2017, 10: 144-154. © 2016 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. Adverse events associated with metal contamination of traditional chinese medicines in Korea: a clinical review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Hyunah; Hughes, Peter J; Hawes, Emily M

    2014-09-01

    This study was performed to review studies carried out in Korea reporting toxic reactions to traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) as a result of heavy metal contamination. PubMed (1966-August 2013) and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1965-August 2013) were searched using the medical subject heading terms of "Medicine, Chinese Traditional," "Medicine, Korean Traditional," "Medicine, Traditional," "Metals, Heavy," and "Drug Contamination". For Korean literature, Korea Med (http://www.koreamed.org), the Korean Medical Database (http://kmbase.medric.or.kr), National Discovery for Science Leaders (www.ndsl.kr), Research Information Sharing Service (http://www.riss.kr), and Google Scholar were searched using the terms "Chinese medicine," "Korean medicine," "herbal medicine," and "metallic contamination" in Korean. Bibliographies of case reports and case series, identified using secondary resources, were also utilized. Only literature describing cases or studies performed in Korea were included. Case reports identified clear issues with heavy metal, particularly lead, contamination of TCMs utilized in Korea. No international standardization guidelines for processing, manufacturing and marketing of herbal products exist. Unacceptably high levels of toxic metals can be present in TCM preparations. Health care providers and patients should be educated on the potential risks associated with TCMs. International advocacy for stricter standardization procedures for production of TCMs is warranted.

  14. Intervention strategies for the recovery of radioactive-contaminated environments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gutierrez, J.; Vazquez, C.

    2000-01-01

    Following an accident with environmental consequences, intervention may be necessary. The type of remedial actions and the strategy required will be dependent upon, inter alia, the phase and conditions within the contaminated scenario. Leaving aside the basic countermeasures (such as confinement, evacuation), which are based on internationally agreed Generic Intervention Levels (GIL's), the paper deals with intervention strategies leading to a return of the contaminated site to as close to normality as possible with the lowest social cost. The reduction of the damage from the existing contamination must be justified and optimised; the best strategy for applying recovery actions must be selected from a set of potential alternatives. A methodology for intervention strategies analysis, developed in the framework of CEC-CHECIR ECP-4 'Decontamination Strategies', is presented together with some examples of application. (author)

  15. Assessing exposures and risks in heterogeneously contaminated areas: A simulation approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fingleton, D.J.; MacDonell, M.M.; Haroun, L.A.; Oezkaynak, H.; Butler, D.A.; Xue, J.

    1991-01-01

    The US Department of Energy (DOE) is responsible for cleanup activities at a number of facilities under its Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Program. The major goals of this program are to eliminate potential hazards to human health and the environment that are associated with contamination of these sites and, to the extent possible, make surplus real property available for other uses. The assessment of potential baseline health risks and ecological impacts associated with a contaminated site is an important component of the remedial investigation/feasibility study (RI/FS) process required at all Superfund sites. The purpose of this paper is to describe one phase of the baseline assessment, i.e., the characterization of human health risks associated with exposure to chemical contaminants in air and on interior building surfaces at a contaminated site. The model combines data on human activity patterns in a particular microenvironment within a building with contaminant concentrations in that microenvironment to calculate personal exposure profiles and risks within the building. The results of the building assessment are presented as probability distribution functions and cumulative distribution functions, which show the variability and uncertainty in the risk estimates

  16. Assessing exposures and risks in heterogeneously contaminated areas: A simulation approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fingleton, D.J.; MacDonell, M.M.; Haroun, L.A.; Oezkaynak, H.; Butler, D.A.; Jianping Xue

    1991-01-01

    The US Department of Energy (DOE) is responsible for cleanup activities at a number of facilities under its Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Program. The major goals of this program are to eliminate potential hazards to human health and the environment that are associated with contamination of these sites and, to the extent possible, make surplus real property available for other uses. The assessment of potential baseline health risks and ecological impacts associated with a contaminated site is an important component of the remedial investigation/feasibility study (RI/FS) process required at all Superfund sites. The purpose of this paper is to describe one phase of the baseline assessment, i.e., the characterization of human health risks associated with exposure to chemical contaminants in air and on interior building surfaces at a contaminated site. The model combines data on human activity patterns in a particular microenvironment within a building with contaminant concentrations in that microenvironment to calculate personal exposure profiles and risks within the building. The results of the building assessment are presented as probability distributions functions and cumulative distribution functions, which show the variability and uncertainty in the risk estimates. 23 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab

  17. International symposium on marine pollution. Extended synopses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1999-12-31

    The marine environment - understanding and protecting for the future were at the forefront of the International Symposium on Marine Pollution convened in Monaco from 5 to 9 October 1998, as one of the major events of the UN International Year of the Oceans. New achievements were reported in identifying the sources of pollution, on the behaviour and fate of contaminants in seawater, biota and sediments, on the use of radioactive and non-radioactive tracers for studies of transport and circulation processes in the world`s oceans and seas, on studies of radioactive waste dumping sites and nuclear weapons test sites, on local, regional and global computer modelling of the transport of contaminants and on many other topics in marine pollution. New developments in high sensitivity analytical measurements of contaminants with emphasis on nuclear and isotopic methods were also presented. This document contains extended synopses of 390 oral and poster presentations made at the symposium. Each synopsis was indexed separately. Refs, figs, tabs

  18. International symposium on marine pollution. Extended synopses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1998-01-01

    The marine environment - understanding and protecting for the future were at the forefront of the International Symposium on Marine Pollution convened in Monaco from 5 to 9 October 1998, as one of the major events of the UN International Year of the Oceans. New achievements were reported in identifying the sources of pollution, on the behaviour and fate of contaminants in seawater, biota and sediments, on the use of radioactive and non-radioactive tracers for studies of transport and circulation processes in the world's oceans and seas, on studies of radioactive waste dumping sites and nuclear weapons test sites, on local, regional and global computer modelling of the transport of contaminants and on many other topics in marine pollution. New developments in high sensitivity analytical measurements of contaminants with emphasis on nuclear and isotopic methods were also presented. This document contains extended synopses of 390 oral and poster presentations made at the symposium. Each synopsis was indexed separately

  19. CELEBRATION OF DECEMBER 3RD, INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maja FILIPOVSKA

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available On December 2nd 2016 in the main amphitheater at the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje, was held the celebration of December 3rd, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, in organization of the Institute of Special Education and Rehabilitation. The official part of the program was started with a speech by Goran Ajdinski, PhD, the Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje. The guests at the celebration were also greeted by the Rector of the University “Ss. Cyril and Methodius” – Skopje, Nikola Jankulovski, PhD and the Minister of Labor and Social Policy of Republic of Macedonia, Frosina Tashevska-Remenski, PhD. After the speeches, which highlighted the current efforts and future commitment to inclusion and accessibility of persons with disabilities, two awards were presented by the Humanitarian foundation “Prof. d-r Ljupco Ajdinski”. The first award was given to Simona Kostadinova as the student with achieved highest grade point average of 9.65 in the generation 2011/12 during the studies of Special education and rehabilitation. The second award was intended for the highest ranked student at the university admission in 2016/2017. This award belonged to Nadica Gjerasimova who had 97.70 points on the official rank list. Beside the awards, two acknowledgements for humanity were also given by the Foundation “Prof. d-r Ljupco Ajdinski”. For the longstanding human activity in preparation of special education and rehabilitation staff and education and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities, the first acknowledgement was given to the Institute of Special education and rehabilitation. The second acknowledgement was meant for Kiril Temkov, PhD, about his numerous initiated and organized human activities, especially for the published paper on the ethical dimensions of special education and rehabilitation and introduction of Ethics in the education system in Republic of Macedonia. The last part of the program was intended for

  20. Minimal Internal Radiation Exposure in Residents Living South of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Disaster.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akiyama, Junichi; Kato, Shigeaki; Tsubokura, Masaharu; Mori, Jinichi; Tanimoto, Tetsuya; Abe, Koichiro; Sakai, Shuji; Hayano, Ryugo; Tokiwa, Michio; Shimmura, Hiroaki

    2015-01-01

    Following the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster, assessment of internal radiation exposure was indispensable to predict radiation-related health threats to residents of neighboring areas. Although many evaluations of internal radiation in residents living north and west of the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant are available, there is little information on residents living in areas south of the plant, which were similarly affected by radio-contamination from the disaster. To assess the internal radio-contamination in residents living in affected areas to the south of the plant or who were evacuated into Iwaki city, a whole body counter (WBC) screening program of internal radio-contamination was performed on visitors to the Jyoban hospital in Iwaki city, which experienced less contamination than southern areas adjacent to the nuclear plant. The study included 9,206 volunteer subjects, of whom 6,446 were schoolchildren aged 4-15 years. Measurements began one year after the incident and were carried out over the course of two years. Early in the screening period only two schoolchildren showed Cs-137 levels that were over the detection limit (250 Bq/body), although their Cs-134 levels were below the detection limit (220 Bq/body). Among the 2,760 adults tested, 35 (1.3%) had detectable internal radio-contamination, but only for Cs-137 (range: 250 Bq/body to 859 Bq/body), and not Cs-134. Of these 35 subjects, nearly all (34/35) showed elevated Cs-137 levels only during the first year of the screening. With the exception of potassium 40, no other radionuclides were detected during the screening period. The maximum annual effective dose calculated from the detected Cs-137 levels was 0.029 and 0.028 mSv/year for the schoolchildren and adults, respectively, which is far below the 1 mSv/year limit set by the government of Japan. Although the data for radiation exposure during the most critical first year after the incident are unavailable due to a lack of systemic

  1. Contaminants in the coastal karst aquifer system along the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Metcalfe, Chris D.; Beddows, Patricia A.; Bouchot, Gerardo Gold; Metcalfe, Tracy L.; Li Hongxia; Van Lavieren, Hanneke

    2011-01-01

    Intensive land development as a result of the rapidly growing tourism industry in the 'Riviera Maya' region of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico may result in contamination of groundwater resources that eventually discharge into Caribbean coastal ecosystems. We deployed two types of passive sampling devices into groundwater flowing through cave systems below two communities to evaluate concentrations of contaminants and to indicate the possible sources. Pharmaceuticals and personal care products accumulated in the samplers could only have originated from domestic sewage. PAHs indicated contamination by runoff from highways and other impermeable surfaces and chlorophenoxy herbicides accumulated in samplers deployed near a golf course indicated that pesticide applications to turf are a source of contamination. Prevention and mitigation measures are needed to ensure that expanding development does not impact the marine environment and human health, thus damaging the tourism-based economy of the region. - Research highlights: → Intensive land development as a result of the rapidly growing tourism industry in the 'Riviera Maya' region of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico is contaminating groundwater resources that discharge into Caribbean coastal ecosystems. → Passive sampling devices deployed in groundwater flowing through cave systems below two communities in the Riviera Maya accumulated: pharmaceuticals and personal care products originating from domestic sewage. → PAHs originating from runoff from highways and other impermeable surfaces; chlorophenoxy herbicides originating from pesticide applications to lawns and turf. → Prevention and mitigation measures are needed to ensure that expanding development does not impact the marine environment and human health in the region. - Contaminants accumulated in passive samplers deployed in flooded cave systems in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico indicate contamination by domestic sewage, runoff and applications of pesticides

  2. Contaminants in the coastal karst aquifer system along the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Metcalfe, Chris D., E-mail: cmetcalfe@trentu.ca [Worsfold Water Quality Centre, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, K9J 7B8 (Canada); Beddows, Patricia A. [Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL (United States); Bouchot, Gerardo Gold [Departemento de Recursos del Mar, CINVESTAV Unidad Merida, Yucatan (Mexico); Metcalfe, Tracy L.; Li Hongxia [Worsfold Water Quality Centre, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, K9J 7B8 (Canada); Van Lavieren, Hanneke [UN University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), Hamilton, ON (Canada)

    2011-04-15

    Intensive land development as a result of the rapidly growing tourism industry in the 'Riviera Maya' region of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico may result in contamination of groundwater resources that eventually discharge into Caribbean coastal ecosystems. We deployed two types of passive sampling devices into groundwater flowing through cave systems below two communities to evaluate concentrations of contaminants and to indicate the possible sources. Pharmaceuticals and personal care products accumulated in the samplers could only have originated from domestic sewage. PAHs indicated contamination by runoff from highways and other impermeable surfaces and chlorophenoxy herbicides accumulated in samplers deployed near a golf course indicated that pesticide applications to turf are a source of contamination. Prevention and mitigation measures are needed to ensure that expanding development does not impact the marine environment and human health, thus damaging the tourism-based economy of the region. - Research highlights: > Intensive land development as a result of the rapidly growing tourism industry in the 'Riviera Maya' region of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico is contaminating groundwater resources that discharge into Caribbean coastal ecosystems. > Passive sampling devices deployed in groundwater flowing through cave systems below two communities in the Riviera Maya accumulated: pharmaceuticals and personal care products originating from domestic sewage. > PAHs originating from runoff from highways and other impermeable surfaces; chlorophenoxy herbicides originating from pesticide applications to lawns and turf. > Prevention and mitigation measures are needed to ensure that expanding development does not impact the marine environment and human health in the region. - Contaminants accumulated in passive samplers deployed in flooded cave systems in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico indicate contamination by domestic sewage, runoff and applications of

  3. Role of raptors in contaminant research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henny, Charles J.

    2017-01-01

    This chapter reviews the history of and approaches used in studies focused on the effects of contaminants on raptors and raptor populations at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (Patuxent) in Laurel, MD. Worldwide raptor declines following World War II were unprecedented and resulted in a sequence of major efforts at Patuxent to understand their cause(s). The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), and osprey (Pandion haliaetus) were the species of most concern in North America. Laboratory and field studies at Patuxent complemented each other and yielded timely results of national and international importance, including some findings published in the journals “Science” and “Nature.” Concern about contaminant effects on wildlife populations came to the forefront during the years immediately following World War II. This concern was worldwide and not limited to one taxonomic group or to personnel and investigations at Patuxent. Contaminant studies of raptors were only part of the story, but this review, with minor exceptions, is limited to raptor studies and the role Patuxent played in this research. Indeed, many important nonraptor contaminant studies done at Patuxent, as well as raptor studies conducted elsewhere, are not mentioned here. For other reviews of contaminant-wildlife issues in the 1950s and 1960s, the reader is referred to “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson (1962), “Pesticides and the Living Landscape” by Robert Rudd (1964), and “Return of the Peregrine: A North American Saga of Tenacity and Teamwork” by Tom Cade and Bill Burnham (Cade and Burnham, 2003).

  4. Robustness and Radiation Resistance of the Pale Grass Blue Butterfly from Radioactively Contaminated Areas: A Possible Case of Adaptive Evolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nohara, Chiyo; Hiyama, Atsuki; Taira, Wataru; Otaki, Joji M

    2018-02-14

    The pale grass blue butterfly, Zizeeria maha, has been used to evaluate biological impacts of the Fukushima nuclear accident in March 2011. Here, we examined the possibility that butterflies have adapted to be robust in the contaminated environment. Larvae (n = 2432) were obtained from adult butterflies (n = 20) collected from 7 localities with various contamination levels in May 2012, corresponding to the 7th generation after the accident. When the larvae were reared on non-contaminated host plant leaves from Okinawa, the normality rates of natural exposure without artificial irradiation (as an indication of robustness) were high not only in the least contaminated locality but also in the most contaminated localities. The normality rates were similarly obtained when the larvae were reared on non-contaminated leaves with external irradiation or on contaminated leaves from Fukushima to deliver internal irradiation. The normality rate of natural exposure and that of external or internal exposure were correlated, suggesting that radiation resistance (or susceptibility) likely reflects general state of health. The normality rate of external or internal exposure was divided by the relative normality rate of natural exposure, being defined as the resistance value. The resistance value was the highest in the populations of heavily contaminated localities and was inversely correlated with the distance from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant. These results suggest that the butterfly population might have adapted to the contaminated environment within approximately 1 year after the accident. The present study may partly explain the decrease in mortality and abnormality rates later observed in the contaminated areas. © The American Genetic Association 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  5. Mental health problems among internally displaced persons in Darfur.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamid, Abdalla A R M; Musa, Saif A

    2010-08-01

    War victims are regarded as one of the highest risk groups for mental disturbances. This study investigated the effects of the Darfur conflict on mental health of 430 internally displaced persons (IDPs) from three camps located around Fasher and Nyala towns. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select participants. Male participants represented 50.6% of the sample while female participants represented 49.4%. The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) were used in addition to a questionnaire measuring demographic variables and living conditions. It was hypothesized that high prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and of nonpsychotic psychiatric symptoms will be evident. Results showed a high dissatisfaction rate (72%) with living conditions among IDPs. There was also high prevalence of PTSD (54%) and general distress (70%) among IDPs. Female participants showed more somatic symptoms than their male counterparts. Married participants were more distressed, anxious, and showed more social dysfunction, while single ones reported more avoidance symptoms. Significant differences related to date of displacement were found in PTSD and hyperarousal. The group of IDPs displaced in 2003 scored higher on these scales than those displaced in 2004 and 2005. There was also significant difference related to date of displacement in distress, somatic symptoms, depression, anxiety, and social dysfunction. IDPs displaced in 2003 scored higher on these scales. Results are discussed in light of the study hypotheses and previous findings. It is concluded that three factors might affect the dissatisfaction of IDPs with living conditions inside camps. These are: lack of employment, unsuitability of food items, and lack of security around camps. It was recommended that psychological support services should be among the prime relief services provided by aid agencies.

  6. Detection system qualification for direct measurement of thyroid internal contamination by radioiodine; Qualificazione di un sistema di rilevazione trasportabile per misure dirette di contaminazione interna di radioiodio

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tiberi, V.; Battisti, P.; Gualdrini, G. [ENEA, Centro Ricerche Ezio Clementel, Bologna (Italy). Dipt. Ambiente

    1999-07-01

    The work deals with a detection system qualification for direct measurements of thyroid internal contamination by radioiodine. The isotopes {sup 131}I and {sup 125}I are the most frequently used in nuclear medicine. Because of their volatility they are very dangerous for thyroid contamination by inhalation. The system has been projected to be easily and fast used and above all transportable where the control is necessary. These characteristic make it able to realise supervision programs of internal contamination by radioiodine. In fact due the very high control frequencies (each 15 days for {sup 131}I), these programs are usually very expensive and demanding when they are executed in external measurement laboratories. The following steps are described: devices presentation, calculation of energy and efficiency parameters, minimum detectable activity, time system reliability, best operative conditions in the measurements. At the end an application example of the system is reported. [Italian] Il presente lavoro consiste nella qualificazione di un sistema di rivelazione per misure dirette di contaminazione interna da radioiodio in tiroide, progettato per essere maneggevole, di semplice e rapido impiego e trasportabile sul luogo dove e' richiesta la misura. Il sistema e' stato studiato per la realizzazione di programmi di sorveglianza della contaminazione interna da radioiodio che, richiedendo frequenze di controllo elevate (quindicinali per lo {sup 131}I), sono estremamente impegnativi ed onerosi, soprattutto se i controlli vengono effettuati in centri di misura esterni. Dopo la determinazione dei parametri della calibrazione in energia ed efficienza, la minima attivita' rivelabile, l'affidabilita' del sistema nel tempo e le condizioni operative ottimali da adottare in sede di misura, viene verificata la piena affidabilita' del sistema in un programma di sorveglianza della contaminazione interna da radioiodio.

  7. Accident with radioactive substances in laboratory. An exercise during the education of persons in radiation protection, who are working with open radioactive sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stolze, B.

    2003-01-01

    In spite of carefulness it is possible,that contamination occur by handling unscaled radioactive sources or in case of an accident. It is demonstrated in an exercise managing an accident with unscaled radioactive sources. The persons, who are educated in radiation protection for handling unsealed radioactive sources, must have knowledge of theoretical regulations of the radiation protection law and of the limits in radiation protection. Also they have to know the handling to reduce possible contamination. They have to be able to calculate the dose of skin contamination. In my lecture I give some information on regulations of accidents with radioactive sources in Germany and a scenario of an accident and I explain, what is to do to manage this event. A person opened an ampoule. The activity splashed and contaminated the person's hand, arm and face. Also in the room there was a contamination. The desk and the floor were contaminated. There were 50 MBq P-32 as NaH 2 P''32O 3 in water solution, I give a report on practices in our courses, which the participants have to do. The radiological experts have to decontaminate the skin and they have to calculate the skin-dose and to give the information to the authorities. (Author) 4 refs

  8. Methicillin-resistant staphylococcal contamination of cellular phones of personnel in a veterinary teaching hospital

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julian Timothy

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Hospital-associated infections are an increasing cause of morbidity and mortality in veterinary patients. With the emergence of multi-drug resistant bacteria, these infections can be particularly difficult to eradicate. Sources of hospital-associated infections can include the patients own flora, medical staff and inanimate hospital objects. Cellular phones are becoming an invaluable feature of communication within hospitals, and since they are frequently handled by healthcare personnel, there may be a potential for contamination with various pathogens. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of contamination of cellular phones (hospital issued and personal carried by personnel at the Ontario Veterinary College Health Sciences Centre with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA. Results MRSP was isolated from 1.6% (2/123 and MRSA was isolated from 0.8% (1/123 of cellular phones. Only 21.9% (27/123 of participants in the study indicated that they routinely cleaned their cellular phone. Conclusions Cellular phones in a veterinary teaching hospital can harbour MRSP and MRSA, two opportunistic pathogens of significant concern. While the contamination rate was low, cellular phones could represent a potential source for infection of patients as well as infection of veterinary personnel and other people that might have contact with them. Regardless of the low incidence of contamination of cellular phones found in this study, a disinfection protocol for hospital-issued and personal cellular phones used in veterinary teaching hospitals should be in place to reduce the potential of cross-contamination.

  9. Radiotoxicological analyses of 239+240Pu and 241Am in biological samples by anion-exchange and extraction chromatography: a preliminary study for internal contamination evaluations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ridone, S.; Arginelli, D.; Bortoluzzi, S.; Canuto, G.; Montalto, M.; Nocente, M.; Vegro, M.

    2006-01-01

    Many biological samples (urines and faeces) have been analysed by means of chromatographic extraction columns, utilising two different resins (AG 1-X2 resin chloride and T.R.U.), in order to detect the possible internal contamination of 239 + 240 Pu and 241 Am, for some workers of a reprocessing nuclear plant in the decommissioning phase. The results obtained show on one hand the great suitability of the first resin for the determination of plutonium, and on the other the great selectivity of the second one for the determination of americium

  10. The contamination of personal space : boundary construction in a prison environment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sibley, David; van Hoven, Bettina

    In this paper, inmates in dormitories in a prison in New Mexico, USA, talk about their everyday lives. We are particularly interested in the ways in which they think about space. Their principal concern appears to be the definition of personal space in an environment where boundaries are weak. The

  11. Space Flight Experiments to Measure Polymer Erosion and Contamination on Spacecraft

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lillis, Maura C.; Youngstrom, Erica E.; Marx, Laura M.; Hammerstrom, Anne M.; Finefrock, Katherine D.; Youngstrom, Christiane A.; Kaminski, Carolyn; Fine, Elizabeth S.; Hunt, Patricia K.; deGroh, Kim K.

    2002-01-01

    Atomic oxygen erosion and silicone contamination are serious issues that could damage or destroy spacecraft components after orbiting for an extended period of time, such as on a space station or satellite. An experiment, the Polymer Erosion And Contamination Experiment (PEACE) will be conducted to study the effects of atomic oxygen (AO) erosion and silicone contamination, and it will provide information and contribute to a solution for these problems. PEACE will fly 43 different polymer materials that will be analyzed for AO erosion effects through two techniques: mass loss measurement and recession depth measurement. Pinhole cameras will provide information about the arrival direction of AO, and silicone contamination pinhole cameras will identify the source of silicone contamination on a spacecraft. All experimental hardware will be passively exposed to AO for up to two weeks in the actual space environment when it flies in the bay of a space shuttle. A second set of the PEACE Polymers is being exposed to the space environment for erosion yield determination as part of a second experiment, Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE). MISSE is a collaboration between several federal agencies and aerospace companies. During a space walk on August 16, 2001, MISSE was attached to the outside of the International Space Station (ISS) during an extravehicular activity (EVA), where it began its exposure to AO for approximately 1.5 years. The PEACE polymers, therefore, will be analyzed after both short-term and long-term AO exposures for a more complete study of AO effects.

  12. Persistent and emerging micro-organic contaminants in Chalk groundwater of England and France

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lapworth, D.J.; Baran, N.; Stuart, M.E.; Manamsa, K.; Talbot, J.

    2015-01-01

    The Chalk aquifer of Northern Europe is an internationally important source of drinking water and sustains baseflow for surface water ecosystems. The areal distribution of microorganic (MO) contaminants, particularly non-regulated emerging MOs, in this aquifer is poorly understood. This study presents results from a reconnaissance survey of MOs in Chalk groundwater, including pharmaceuticals, personal care products and pesticides and their transformation products, conducted across the major Chalk aquifers of England and France. Data from a total of 345 sites collected during 2011 were included in this study to provide a representative baseline assessment of MO occurrence in groundwater. A suite of 42 MOs were analysed for at each site including industrial compounds (n = 16), pesticides (n = 14) and pharmaceuticals, personal care and lifestyle products (n = 12). Occurrence data is evaluated in relation to land use, aquifer exposure, well depth and depth to groundwater to provide an understanding of vulnerable groundwater settings. - Highlights: • Broad range of microorganics detected in Chalk groundwater in England and France. • Plasticisers, pesticides, BPA and THM detected at the highest concentrations. • Pesticides higher in outcrop Chalk, caffeine and BPA at concealed sites. • Occurrences show some relationship to land use, borehole depth and water level. - Broad screening reveals for the first time the extent of emerging microorganic pollution in Chalk groundwater sources across England and France

  13. Combat sports for persons with disabilities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kasum Goran

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available In literature, the term adapted sport indicates sports activities, modified and adapted to persons with disabilities. In spite of their highly prominent values, combat sports are underrepresented among persons with disabilities in Serbia. The benefits of combat sports practicing are numerous, and at some international hospitals, martial sports and arts already have an important role in the treatment of traumatized and disabled persons. Currently, the programme of Paralympic Games includes only two sports, these are fencing and judo, in male and female competition. Almost certainly, karate will also be included in the programme of Paralympic Games, and there are similar ambitions in the case of taekwondo as well. In addition to these sports, some martial arts, especially aikido, thai-chi-chuan and qigong, have obtained significant representation and interest among persons with disabilities. The reasons for weaker interest in other martial sports and arts, should be sought in the fact that they are underrepresented among this population, and that these persons are not offered the possibility of organized practice of such sports. Orientation towards a combat sport brings great refreshment and powerful emotional experience to each practitioner, and this fact has special significance to persons with disabilities. In Serbia, combat sports are not widely represented among persons with disabilities, and only the wrestlers with impaired hearing have achieved significant success on the international stage. On the other hand, the popularity of combat sports among persons with disabilities in the world is significantly growing. It is necessary to take concrete steps to make it so in Serbia as well.

  14. Criteria and actions facing a radiological environmental contamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gutierrez, Jose; Montero, Milagros

    2008-01-01

    An approach to improve the management of the radiological risk due to an environmental contamination is presented. The experience gained in emergency response has clearly demonstrated the importance to have an efficient emergency system including planning, procedures and operational internally consistent criteria. The lack of these components in the emergency system could lead to important radiological and non radiological consequences. The setting of internationally agreed criteria and guides is very important in the anticipated emergency response plan. The paper firstly reviews the approaches proposed by international recommendations and norms. From this review, a substantial coincidence on the basic principles is stated, in spite of small differences in its formulation. Also, a need for harmonization is endorsed. So, generic levels, in terms of imparted dose or avoided dose due to intervention, and, in some cases, derived levels, in terms of activity concentration, are proposed. Numerical values for emergency actions are also identified. The second part deals with the adaptation of the existing prediction and decision systems to the above radiological criteria. Relations among deposition, activity concentrations and annual doses for different scenarios, exposure pathways and age groups are established. Also, the sensibility of the radiological impact against different characteristics of the intervention scenarios is stated. This makes easy to assess the radiological significance of different contamination situations by comparison to the existing action generic levels. Furthermore, the radiological impact can be numerically incorporated in a decision system which includes non radiological aspects of the applicable intervention options. Agricultural, urban and mixed scenarios are presented and solved for a 137 Cs contamination. The results can be further used to develop a methodology guide for setting action generic levels in post-accidental interventions and

  15. Personality expression in Chinese language use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiu, Lin; Lu, Jiahui; Ramsay, Jonathan; Yang, Shanshan; Qu, Weina; Zhu, Tingshao

    2017-12-01

    To date, little research has investigated personality expressions in languages other than English. Given that the Chinese language has the largest number of native speakers in the world, it is vitally important to examine the associations between personality and Chinese language use. In this research, we analysed Chinese microblogs and identified word categories and factorial structures associated with personality traits. We also compared our results with previous findings in English and showed that linguistic expression of personality has both universal- and language-specific aspects. Expression of personality via content words is more likely to be consistent across languages than expression via function words. This makes an important step towards uncovering universal patterns of personality expression in language. © 2016 International Union of Psychological Science.

  16. Person-city personality fit and entrepreneurial success: An explorative study in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Mingjie; Zhou, Yixin; Zhang, Jianxin; Obschonka, Martin; Silbereisen, Rainer K

    2017-08-13

    While the study of personality differences is a traditional psychological approach in entrepreneurship research, economic research directs attention towards the entrepreneurial ecosystems in which entrepreneurial activity are embedded. We combine both approaches and quantify the interplay between the individual personality make-up of entrepreneurs and the local personality composition of ecosystems, with a special focus on person-city personality fit. Specifically, we analyse personality data from N = 26,405 Chinese residents across 42 major Chinese cities, including N = 1091 Chinese entrepreneurs. Multi-level polynomial regression and response surface plots revealed that: (a) individual-level conscientiousness had a positive effect and individual-level agreeableness and neuroticism had a negative effect on entrepreneurial success, (b) city-level conscientiousness had a positive, and city-level neuroticism had a negative effect on entrepreneurial success, and (c) additional person-city personality fit effects existed for agreeableness, conscientiousness and neuroticism. For example, entrepreneurs who are high in agreeableness and conduct their business in a city with a low agreeableness level show the lowest entrepreneurial success. In contrast, entrepreneurs who are low in agreeableness and conduct their business in a city with a high agreeableness level show relatively high entrepreneurial success. Implications for research and practice are discussed. © 2017 International Union of Psychological Science.

  17. US screening of international travelers for radioactive contamination after the Japanese nuclear plant disaster in March 2011.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Todd; Chang, Arthur; Berro, Andre; Still, Aaron; Brown, Clive; Demma, Andrew; Nemhauser, Jeffrey; Martin, Colleen; Salame-Alfie, Adela; Fisher-Tyler, Frieda; Smith, Lee; Grady-Erickson, Onalee; Alvarado-Ramy, Francisco; Brunette, Gary; Ansari, Armin; McAdam, David; Marano, Nina

    2012-10-01

    On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami damaged nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi complex in Japan, resulting in radionuclide release. In response, US officials augmented existing radiological screening at its ports of entry (POEs) to detect and decontaminate travelers contaminated with radioactive materials. During March 12 to 16, radiation screening protocols detected 3 travelers from Japan with external radioactive material contamination at 2 air POEs. Beginning March 23, federal officials collaborated with state and local public health and radiation control authorities to enhance screening and decontamination protocols at POEs. Approximately 543 000 (99%) travelers arriving directly from Japan at 25 US airports were screened for radiation contamination from March 17 to April 30, and no traveler was detected with contamination sufficient to require a large-scale public health response. The response highlighted synergistic collaboration across government levels and leveraged screening methods already in place at POEs, leading to rapid protocol implementation. Policy development, planning, training, and exercising response protocols and the establishment of federal authority to compel decontamination of travelers are needed for future radiological responses. Comparison of resource-intensive screening costs with the public health yield should guide policy decisions, given the historically low frequency of contaminated travelers arriving during radiological disasters.

  18. How residents and interns utilise and perceive the personal digital assistant and UpToDate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lim Tow

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In this era of evidence-based medicine, doctors are increasingly using information technology to acquire medical knowledge. This study evaluates how residents and interns utilise and perceive the personal digital assistant (PDA and the online resource UpToDate. Methods This is a questionnaire survey of all residents and interns in a tertiary teaching hospital. Results Out of 168 doctors, 134 (79.8% responded to the questionnaire. Only 54 doctors (40.3% owned a PDA. Although these owners perceived that the PDA was most useful for providing drug information, followed by medical references, scheduling and medical calculators, the majority of them did not actually have medical software applications downloaded on their PDAs. The greatest concerns highlighted for the PDA were the fear of loss and breakage, and the preference for working with desktop computers and paper. Meanwhile, only 76 doctors (56.7% used UpToDate, even though the hospital had an institutional subscription for it. Although 93.4% of these users would recommend UpToDate to a colleague, only 57.9% stated that the use of UpToDate had led to a change in their management of patients. Conclusion Although UpToDate and various PDA software applications were deemed useful by some of the residents and interns in our study, both digital tools were under-utilised. More should be done to facilitate the use of medical software applications on PDAs, to promote awareness of tools for evidence-based medicine such as UpToDate, and to facilitate the application of evidence-based medicine in daily clinical practice.

  19. Use of a surface contamination survey simulation program and its effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Onuma, Isamu; Kobayashi, Makoto; Umehara, Takashi; Shimizu, Isamu

    2012-01-01

    A computer simulation program has been developed to train the practitioners examining the surface contamination of objects to be carried out from the controlled area. The efficiency of the examination depends significantly on the proficiency in radiation measurement and proper perception of contamination. It has been demonstrated through the usage of the program that it helps practitioners very much suggest their weakness and promote their skill in examination. The program runs on the commonly used personal computers and users can easily experience the virtual examination by sweeping and cricking the mouse. The program is useful to radiation protection practitioners not only beginners but also experts. (author)

  20. Contamination of cockroaches (Insecta: Blattaria) to medically fungi: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nasirian, H

    2017-12-01

    Fungal infections have emerged worldwide. Cockroaches have been proved vectors of medically fungi. A systematic meta-analysis review about cockroach fungal contamination was investigated. Relevant topics were collected between January 2016 and January 2017. After a preliminary review among 392 collected papers, 156 were selected to become part of the detailed systematic meta-analysis review. Cockroaches contaminated to 38 fungi species belonging to 19 families and 12 orders. About 38, 25 and 13 fungal species were recovered from the American, German and brown-banded cockroaches, respectively with a variety of medical importance. Except the fungi isolated from German and brown-banded cockroaches, 15 species have been isolated only from the American cockroaches. The global world mean and trend of cockroach fungal contamination were 84.1 and 50.6-100%, respectively in the human dwelling environments. There is a significant difference between cockroach fungal contamination in the urban and rural environments (P0.05). The external and internal cockroach fungal contamination is more dangerous than entire surfaces, while the internal is more dangerous than the external surface. The German and brown-banded cockroach fungal contamination are more dangerous than the American cockroaches in the hospital environments. The study indicates that globally cockroach fungal contamination has been increased recognizing as agents of human infections and associating with high morbidity and mortality in immune-compromised patients. These facts, along with insecticide resistance emergence and increasing globally cockroach infestation, reveal importance of cockroaches and need for their control more than ever. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  1. Occurrence, fate and transformation of emerging contaminants in water: An overarching review of the field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilkinson, John; Hooda, Peter S.; Barker, James; Barton, Stephen; Swinden, Julian

    2017-01-01

    Many of the products and drugs used commonly contain chemical components which may persist through sewage treatment works (STW) and eventually enter the aquatic environment as parent compounds, metabolites, or transformation products. Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and other emerging contaminants (ECs) have been detected in waters (typically ng/L) as well as more recently bound to sediment and plastic particles (typically ng/g). Despite significant advancement of knowledge since the late 1990s, the fate of these contaminants/transformation products once introduced into the aquatic environment remains relatively unresolved. This review provides a unique focus on the fate of seven major groups of PPCPs/ECs in the aquatic environment, which is frequently not found in similar works which are often compound or topic-specific and limited in background knowledge. Key findings include: a) some replacements for regulation precluded/banned chemicals may be similarly persistent in the environment as those they replace, b) the adsorption of potentially bioactive chemicals to micro- and nanoplastics is a significant topic with risks to aquatic organisms potentially greater than previously thought, and c) micro-/nanoplastics are likely to remain of significant concern for centuries after regulatory limitations on their use become active due to the slow degradation of macro-plastics into smaller components. An interdisciplinary perspective on recent advances in the field is presented here in a unique way which highlights both the principle science and direction of research needed to elucidate the fate and transport patterns of aquatic PPCPs/ECs. Unlike similar reviews, which are often topic-specific, here we aim to present an overarching review of the field with focus on the occurrence, transformation and fate of emerging contaminants. Environmental presence of seven major classes of contaminants (analygesics, antibiotics, antineoplastics, beta

  2. Liability for contaminated property : the interaction between regulation and the common law

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    MacWilliam, A.G. [Milner Fenerty, Calgary, AB (Canada)

    1998-12-31

    The criteria used for guidelines by environmental regulators to set acceptable levels of contamination for the purposes of site remediation were discussed. For the purposes of liability under environmental legislation, the guidelines allow `persons responsible` for property contamination to have an idea of the extent to which they must remediate. The guidelines provide a standard of cleanliness which takes into account the protection of environmental quality and human health. This paper describes common law causes of action, including claims in tort and claims in contract. Issues of negligence, nuisance, and liability under Rylands v. Fletcher are also addressed.

  3. Bacterial contamination of traditional ice creams in Kermanshah in 2008

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sina Emami

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Background: Ice cream is a dairy product that is very popular during warm seasons. Ice cream can be contaminated with various microorganisms including pathogenic bacteria if hygienic procedures are not followed during preparation, distribution and preservation processes. This may put the health of people using ice cream at risk. Our study aimed to examine the bacterial contamination of traditional ice creams in Kermanshah city during 2008. Methods: During summer 2008, 80 samples of traditional ice creams were collected. The samples were examined according to the Iranian National Standard protocols for E. coli, Coliforms,  Salmonella,  Staphylococcus aureus and complete count of microorganisms. Results: Overall, 62 (77.5% samples had microbial contaminations more than the standard limit. Results showed 59 (73.75% and 54 (67.5 % of the samples contained a high number of microorganisms and coliform, respectively. Furthermore 30 (37.5% and 23 (28.75% of the samples were contaminated with E. coli and S. aureus, respectively. However, Salmonella spp. was not found in any of the ice cream samples. Conclusion: The traditional ice creams tested in Kermanshah were heavily contaminated with bacteria. It could be due to the inappropriate preparation and preservation procedures using unpasteurized milk and other materials.  Contaminations may also be induced by personals. So it is recommended to apply the hygienic procedures for preparation and preservation of ice cream including the use of pasteurized milk and other materials.

  4. Systematic differentiation of contaminated and non-contaminated areas in the Korma region

    CERN Document Server

    Dederichs, H; Hille, R; Konoplya, E

    2001-01-01

    This report presents the results of body counts and environmental measurements taken from June 1998 till June 2001 in two communities in the district of Korma, Belarus. The measurements were carried out together with the Radiobiological Institute of the National Academy of Science within the framework of a projekt supported by the BMU/BfS. The results are listed in the table. The results show that the population dose in the highly contaminated areas following the Tschernobyl catastrophe does not decrease at the rate predicted. The external load decreases due to the physical decay and the continual migration into deeper soil layers. However, due to an internal accumulation of cesium in the population in many cases, the total dose load has either hardly decreased, remained constant or even increased in some areas. The aim of this work is, together with continuing body counts, to give individual advice which helps change the habits of the population and consequently the internal load. These measures appear to be...

  5. Technogenic contamination of Bulgarian green leafy vegetation and its contribution to public exposure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pavlova, P.; Vasilev, G.

    2007-01-01

    Main sources of excessive background ionizing radiation exposure for the Bulgarian public are the following: medical radiation procedures; occupational radiation exposure; enhanced natural radiation exposure (uranium mining and milling, artificial fertilizers, non-radioactive sources of energy, building materials etc.); environmental technogenic radionuclide contamination from global fallouts (1950-1970) and Chernobyl accident depositions (1986-1996 and after). The green leafy vegetation, incl. forage plants used for feeding of farm animals (sheep and cows) as well as leafy vegetables (lettuce, dock, spinach, parsley etc.) are one of the main reservoirs of technogenic radionuclides. Bulgaria is situated in the middle northern latitude zone (40 north - 50 north) where the global radioactive fallout from nuclear experiments (1945-1962) were most intensive. Bulgaria is also one of the countries most affected by the Chernobyl NPP accident on 26 April 1986. Respectively, the Bulgarian population dose burden is high compared with the other European countries (excluding the population near the site, i.e. Ukraine, Russia and Byelorussian). Both the global and Chernobyl fallout (globally distributed) contaminated the green leafy vegetation with technogenic radionuclides of two groups: Short-lived, mainly Iodine-131; Long-lived, mainly Cesium-137 and partially Strontium- 90. The effects on the Bulgarian public from technogenic radionuclide contamination of green leafy vegetation were analyzed. The analyses show the following chain in motion of technogenic radionuclides (Iodine-131 and Cesium-137 are chosen as representative): 1) Iodine-131: (duration of transfer - less than 30 to 60 days since fallout); a) fallout - meadow grass - sheep and cows - milk and dairy products - person; b) fallout - leafy vegetables - person; 2) Cesium-137 (duration of transfer - several days) (based on Chernobyl experience); a) fallout - meadow grass - forage - sheep, cows, etc. - milk and dairy

  6. Academic, Personal, Social and Vocational Needs of International and Exchange Students at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus

    OpenAIRE

    Ángel A Villafañe-Santiago; Carol Y Irizarry-Robles; Robinson A Vázquez-Ramos

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to identify the needs of a sample of the international and exchange students staying at the North Tower Residence of the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus. Social and demographic data, as well as the academic, vocational, and social/personal needs were explored with the purpose of gathering relevant information and submitting recommendations to universities serving this student population. Findings revealed particular needs in the academic, voc...

  7. [Contamination of human milk with aerobic flora: Evaluation of losses for a human milk bank].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dewitte, C; Courdent, P; Charlet, C; Dumoulin, D; Courcol, R; Pierrat, V

    2015-05-01

    In France, human milk banks pasteurize milk for the mother's own hospitalized baby (personalized milk) and for donation. There is specific legislation regulating the activity of human milk banks with bacterial screening of donor milk before and after pasteurization. Milk should be tested for Staphylococcus aureus and total aerobic flora. Any sample of milk positive for aerobic flora and/or S. aureus before and/or after pasteurization should be discarded. The real pathogenicity of the total aerobic flora is actually debated as well as the usefulness of systematic postpasteurization screening. The aim of this study was to quantify milk losses related to prepasteurization contamination by total aerobic flora in a regional milk bank, to identify losses due to contamination with S. aureus or aerobic flora, and to analyze differences between centers. This was a prospective observational study conducted in the regional human milk bank of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais area in France. Data were collected from six major centers providing 80% of the milk collected between June 2011 and June 2012. Variables were the volumes of personalized milk collected by each center, volumes of contaminated milk, and the type of bacteria identified. During the study period, the regional human milk bank treated 4715 L (liters) of personalized milk and 508 L (10.8%) were discarded due to bacteriological screening. Among these 508 L, 43% were discarded because of a prepasteurization contamination with aerobic flora, 55% because of a prepasteurization contamination with S. aureus, and 2% because of other pathogenic bacteria. Postpasteurization tests were positive in 25 samples (0.5%). Only five of these 25 samples were positive before pasteurization and in all cases with S. aureus. A total of 218 L were destroyed because of prepasteurization contamination with total aerobic flora, while the postpasteurization culture was sterile. There was a great difference between centers in the percentage of

  8. An evaluation of early countermeasures to reduce the risk of internal radiation exposure after the Fukushima nuclear incident in Japan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nomura, Shuhei; Tsubokura, Masaharu; Gilmour, Stuart; Hayano, Ryugo S; Watanabe, Yuni N; Kami, Masahiro; Kanazawa, Yukio; Oikawa, Tomoyoshi

    2016-05-01

    After a radiation-release incident, intake of radionuclides in the initial stage immediately following the incident may be the major contributor to total internal radiation exposure for individuals in affected areas. However, evaluation of early internal contamination risk is greatly lacking. This study assessed the relationship between initial stage evacuation/indoor sheltering and internal radiation contamination levels 4 months after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear incident in Japan and estimated potential pathways of the contamination. The study population comprised 525 participants in the internal radiation screening program at Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital, 23 km north of the Fukushima nuclear plant. The analysed dataset included the results of a screening performed in July 2011, 4 months after the incident, and of a questionnaire on early-incident response behaviours, such as sheltering indoors and evacuations, completed by participants. Association between such early countermeasures and internal contamination levels of cesium-134 were assessed using Tobit multiple regression analyses. Our study shows that individuals who evacuated to areas outside Fukushima Prefecture had similar contamination levels of cesium-134 to individuals who stayed in Fukushima (relative risk: 0.86; 95% confidence interval: 0.74-0.99). Time spent outdoors had no significant relationship with contamination levels. The effects of inhalation from radiological plumes released from the nuclear plant on total internal radiation contamination might be so low as to be undetectable by the whole-body counting unit used to examine participants. Given the apparent limited effectiveness of evacuation and indoor sheltering on internal contamination, the decision to implement such early responses to a radiation-release incident should be made by carefully balancing their potential benefits and health risks. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For

  9. Monitoring of tritium-contaminated surfaces, including skin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Surette, R.A.; Wood, M.J.

    1994-05-01

    We have examined various commercially available tritium surface contamination monitors along with different swipe media and techniques for direct and indirect (swipe) monitoring of contaminated surfaces, including skin. None of the methods or instruments evaluated were more sensitive than the swipe and liquid scintillation counting (LSC) method. Swipe measurements with open-window proportional counters were, in general, less than half as sensitive as LSC, but have the advantages of having the results available almost immediately, and no sample preparation is required. The Nuclear Measurement Corporation's PC-55 is the most suitable instrument we tested for the analysis of routine swipe measurement. The PC-55 was about one third as sensitive as LSC when used with Ontario Hydro filter paper swipe media. Surface contamination measurement results can be obtained within minutes using the PC-55, compared to hours using LSC. The selection of swipe media for use with proportional counter-based instruments is critical. A medium that is electrically insulating can develop an electrostatic charge on its surface; this may alter the field gradient in the detector and may adversely influence the results. Although the PC-55 is sufficiently sensitive and very convenient, operational experience with the instrument is needed before recommending that it replace current LSC methods. The PC-55's susceptibility to internal tritium contamination may limit its practical usefulness. Because of the complexity of using live animals to evaluate direct and indirect methods for assessing skin contamination, pig skin was investigated as a possible substitute. We concluded that, for the first few hours post-exposure, pig skin mimics the kinetics of animal skin that has contacted a tritium-contaminated surface. (author). 30 refs., 1 tab., 7 figs

  10. Blood biochemical disorders in gamma irradiated rats maintained on pesticide contaminated food

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdel-Hamid, F. M.

    1997-01-01

    The present work deals with the effect of 6.5 Gy whole body gamma irradiation on male albino rats kept ether under normal environmental condition or subjected to either short or long term of internal contamination with the environmental chemical pollutant kelthane widely applied as organo chlorine miticide. This has need introduced either through daily oral administration at the doses 50 and 100 mg/kg b.w. over 3 successive days, or through daily ingestion at the dose 200 mg/kg b.w. over feeding time periods of 3, 6, and 12 weeks. The results obtained demonstrated fluctuations in certain serum metabolites and minerals encountering increased levels serum glucose total lipids, cholesterol, uric acid, creatinine, and inorganic phosphorus. on the other hand, the serum levels of bilirubin, and total calcium tended to decrease. Most of these changes where significantly aggravated when radiation exposure has been undertaken following a prolonged internal contamination with the miticide. This potential risk should be carefully considered when addressing farmers from several areas exposed to pesticide contamination risks, to radiotherapy clinics or to occupational radiation practices

  11. Effect of Air Stability on the Dispersal of Exhaled Contaminant in Rooms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xu, Chunwen; Gong, Guangcai; Nielsen, Peter V.

    2013-01-01

    the manikin, indicating that the person who exhales the contaminant may not be polluted by himself as the protective effect of the thermal boundary layer around the body, especially in stable condition with two concentration zones and clean air drawn from the inlets. However, other persons facing......Experiments are conducted in a full-scale chamber equipped with whole floor and whole ceiling supply or exhaust to form approximately zero and larger temperature gradients corresponding to unstable and stable air conditions. It can be observed that the air with smoke exhaled from a life...

  12. Accreditation of the Personal Dosimetry internal Service Tecnatom by the National Entity (ENAC); Acreditacion del Servicio de Dosimetria Personal Interna de Tecnatom por la Entidad Nacional de Acreditacion (ENAC)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bravo, B.; Marchena, P.

    2014-07-01

    The service of personal Dosimetry internal Tecnatom has made the process of adapting its methodology and quality assurance, requirements technical and management will be required to obtain accreditation from the National Accreditation Entity according to ISO / IEC 170251 standard {sup G}eneral Requirements competence of testing and calibration laboratories. To carry out this process, the laboratory has defined quality criteria set out in their test procedures, based on ISO Standards 27048: 2011; ISO 20553: 2005 and ISO 28218: 2010. This paper describes what has been the methodology used to implement the requirements of different ISO test methods of SDPI Tecnatom. (Author)

  13. An Empirically Derived Taxonomy for Personality Diagnosis: Bridging Science and Practice in Conceptualizing Personality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Westen, Drew; Shedler, Jonathan; Bradley, Bekh; DeFife, Jared A.

    2013-01-01

    Objective The authors describe a system for diagnosing personality pathology that is empirically derived, clinically relevant, and practical for day-to-day use. Method A random national sample of psychiatrists and clinical psychologists (N=1,201) described a randomly selected current patient with any degree of personality dysfunction (from minimal to severe) using the descriptors in the Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure–II and completed additional research forms. Results The authors applied factor analysis to identify naturally occurring diagnostic groupings within the patient sample. The analysis yielded 10 clinically coherent personality diagnoses organized into three higher-order clusters: internalizing, externalizing, and borderline-dysregulated. The authors selected the most highly rated descriptors to construct a diagnostic prototype for each personality syndrome. In a second, independent sample, research interviewers and patients’ treating clinicians were able to diagnose the personality syndromes with high agreement and minimal comorbidity among diagnoses. Conclusions The empirically derived personality prototypes described here provide a framework for personality diagnosis that is both empirically based and clinically relevant. PMID:22193534

  14. Effects of radionuclide contamination on leaf litter decomposition in the Chernobyl exclusion zone

    OpenAIRE

    Bonzom , Jean-Marc; Hättenschwiler , Stephan; Lecomte-Pradines , Catherine; Chauvet , Eric; Gaschak , Sergey; Beaugelin-Seiller , Karine; Della-Vedova , Claire; Dubourg , Nicolas; Maksimenko , Andrey; Garnier-Laplace , Jacqueline; Adam-Guillermin , Christelle

    2016-01-01

    International audience; The effects of radioactive contamination on ecosystem processes such as litter decomposition remain largely un- known. Because radionuclides accumulated in soil and plant biomass can be harmful for organisms, the function- ing of ecosystems may be altered by radioactive contamination. Here, we tested the hypothesis that decomposition is impaired by increasing levels of radioactivity in the environment by exposing uncontaminated leaf litter from silver birch and black a...

  15. The development of the Person-Centred Situational Leadership Framework: Revealing the being of person-centredness in nursing homes

    OpenAIRE

    Lynch, Brighide M; McCance, Tanya; McCormack, Brendan; Brown, Donna

    2017-01-01

    Aims and objectives\\ud \\ud To implement and evaluate the effect of using the Person-Centred Situational Leadership Framework to develop person-centred care within nursing homes.\\ud \\ud \\ud Background\\ud \\ud Many models of nursing leadership have been developed internationally in recent years but do not fit with the emergent complex philosophy of nursing home care. This study develops the Person-Centred Situational Leadership Framework that supports this philosophy. It forms the theoretical ba...

  16. Radioactive waste management. International projects on biosphere modelling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carboneras, P.; Cancio, D.

    1993-01-01

    The paper presents a general overview and discussion on the state of art concerning the biospheric transfer and accumulation of contaminants. A special emphasis is given to the progress achieved in the field of radioactive contaminants and particularly to those implied in radioactive waste disposal. The objectives and advances of the international projects BIOMOVS and VAMP on validation of model predictions are also described. (Author)

  17. Development and Validation of a Personality Assessment Instrument for Traditional Korean Medicine: Sasang Personality Questionnaire

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Han Chae

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective. Sasang typology is a traditional Korean medicine based on the biopsychosocial perspectives of Neo-Confucianism and utilizes medical herbs and acupuncture for type-specific treatment. This study was designed to develop and validate the Sasang Personality Questionnaire (SPQ for future use in the assessment of personality based on Sasang typology. Design and Methods. We selected questionnaire items using internal consistency analysis and examined construct validity with explorative factor analysis using 245 healthy participants. Test-retest reliability as well as convergent validity were examined. Results. The 14-item SPQ showed acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha=.817 and test-retest reliability (=.837. Three extracted subscales, SPQ-behavior, SPQ-emotionality, and SPQ-cognition, were found, explaining 55.77% of the total variance. The SPQ significantly correlated with Temperament and Character Inventory novelty seeking (=.462, harm avoidance (=−.390, and NEO Personality Inventory extraversion (=.629. The SPQ score of the So-Eum (24.43±4.93, Tae-Eum (27.33±5.88, and So-Yang (30.90±5.23 types were significantly different from each other (<.01. Conclusion. Current results demonstrated the reliability and validity of the SPQ and its subscales that can be utilized as an objective instrument for conducting personalized medicine research incorporating the biopsychosocial perspective.

  18. Adolescent Personality in Social Contexts: Pals, Partners, and Problems

    OpenAIRE

    Yu, R.

    2014-01-01

    The aim of the current dissertation was to show how adolescent personality was linked to youths’ developmental outcomes. Our findings suggest that adolescent personality has concurrent and predictive relations to a variety of important developmental outcomes. Specifically, adolescent personality was associated with internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors at an individual level. Also, adolescent personality was related to conflict frequency and conflict resolution strategies as well ...

  19. Personality traits in established schizophrenia: aspects of usability and differences between patients and controls using the Swedish universities Scales of Personality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fagerberg, Tomas; Söderman, Erik; Gustavsson, J Petter; Agartz, Ingrid; Jönsson, Erik G

    2016-08-01

    Personality is considered as an important aspect that can affect symptoms and social function in persons with schizophrenia. The personality questionnaire Swedish universities Scales of Personality (SSP) has not previously been used in psychotic disorder. To investigate if SSP has a similar internal consistency and factor structure in a psychosis population as among healthy controls and if patients with psychotic disorders differ from non-psychotic individuals in their responses to the SSP. Patients with psychotic disorders (n = 107) and healthy controls (n = 119) completed SSP. SSP scores were analyzed for internal consistency and case-control differences by Cronbach's alfa and multiple analysis of covariance, respectively. Internal consistencies among patients were overall similar to that of controls. The patients scored significantly higher in seven (Somatic trait anxiety, Psychic trait anxiety, Stress susceptibility, Lack of assertiveness, Detachment, Embitterment, Mistrust) and lower in three (Physical trait aggression, Verbal trait aggression, Adventure seeking) of the 13 scales of the inventory. In three scales (Impulsiveness, Social desirability and Trait irritability) there was no significant difference between the scoring of patients and healthy controls. The reliability estimates suggest that SSP can be used by patients with psychotic disorders in stable remission. Patients score higher on neuroticism-related scales and lower on aggression-related scales than controls, which is in accordance with earlier studies where other personality inventories were used.

  20. Review of emerging contaminants in aquatic biota from Latin America: 2002-2016.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Llorca, Marta; Farré, Marinella; Eljarrat, Ethel; Díaz-Cruz, Sílvia; Rodríguez-Mozaz, Sara; Wunderlin, Daniel; Barcelo, Damià

    2017-07-01

    Although it is known that emerging contaminants are widespread all over the globe, there is a gap of information about their distribution in some geographical areas, such as Latin America. The present bibliographic work reviews the available literature about the presence of organic emerging contaminants in Latin American freshwater and marine biota between 2002 and 2016 and includes 23 works from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Nicaragua. In particular, the present review provides an overview of the occurrence of continuously present contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and pyrethroid insecticides, as well as the new groups of persistent organic pollutants, the halogenated flame retardants and the perfluoroalkyl substances. A wide overview is provided, considering not only occurrence data but also effects and potential transfer through the food chain. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:1716-1727. © 2016 SETAC. © 2016 SETAC.