Experiences from the ARGOS user group nuclear emergency exercise.

The Accident Reporting and Guiding Operational System (ARGOS) is a decision support system used to assist in the Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) to nuclear and radiological incidents. The ARGOS user group has been formed that is made up of government agencies across many countries that have a role in EPR to nuclear and radiological incidents. In 2020, a desktop exercise was organised for the members of the ARGOS user group.

AMPlify: attentive deep learning model for discovery of novel antimicrobial peptides effective against WHO priority pathogens.

Background: Antibiotic resistance is a growing global health concern prompting researchers to seek alternatives to conventional antibiotics. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are attracting attention again as therapeutic agents with promising utility in this domain, and using in silico methods to discover novel AMPs is a strategy that is gaining interest. Such methods can sift through large volumes of candidate sequences and reduce lab screening costs.

A Comparison of Collaborative Testing and Alternative Test-Taking Methods on Content Retention in Baccalaureate Nursing Students.

Nursing faculty look for ways to promote the retention of content so that students can build on that content and apply it to nursing practice. A study was designed to determine differences in content retention between testing collaboratively, which involves students taking an exam collectively within a small group, using an individual notecard, and including written rationale for test answers during collaborative testing. Students who tested collaboratively had significantly higher long-term content retention than students who tested with the other methods.

The effect of silica desiccation under different storage conditions on filter-immobilized environmental DNA.

Objective: Silica gel beads have promise as a non-toxic, cost-effective, portable method for storing environmental DNA (eDNA) immobilized on filter membranes. Consequently, many ecological surveys are turning to silica bead filter desiccation rather than ethanol preservation. However, no systematic evaluation of silica bead storage conditions or duration past 1 week has been published.

Projecting thyroid cancer risk to the general public from radiation exposure following hypothetical severe nuclear accidents in Canada.

Introduction: A robust emergency management framework can limit radiation exposures and effectively minimize the potentially devastating consequences of a nuclear emergency. We projected thyroid cancer risk resulting from two hypothetical severe nuclear accidents occurring at the Darlington nuclear power plant (NPP) located in Ontario, Canada.

Methods: Single- and multi-unit accidents were considered.

Fluorescence characterization of organic matter and fouling: Case study in a full-scale reverse osmosis membrane treatment plant.

Membranes used for water treatment are subject to organic fouling, caused by organic matter in source water. Characterizing organic matter has the potential to improve fouling prediction since the development of an organic fouling layer on the membrane is dependent on the specific characteristics of the organic matter. A field study was performed at a full-scale reverse osmosis water treatment plant that treats secondary wastewater effluent for industrial reuse at a power plant.

Radon exhalation from sub-slab aggregate used in home construction in Canada.

Exposure to elevated levels of radon in homes has been shown to result in an increased risk of developing lung cancer. The two largest contributors to indoor radon are radon in soil gas, formed from the rocks and soil surrounding the home, and building materials such as aggregate. This study measured the surface radon exhalation rates for 35 aggregate samples collected from producers across Canada.

Results of simultaneous radon and thoron measurements in 33 metropolitan areas of Canada.

Radon has been identified as the second leading cause of lung cancer after tobacco smoking. (222)Rn (radon gas) and (220)Rn (thoron gas) are the most common isotopes of radon. In order to assess thoron contribution to indoor radon and thoron exposure, a survey of residential radon and thoron concentrations was initiated in 2012 with ∼4000 homes in the 33 census metropolitan areas of Canada.

The design of Radiation Accident Registry.

In order to provide effective monitoring and follow-up on the health effects of individuals accidentally exposed to ionising radiation, a Radiation Accident Registry (RAR) has been designed and constructed as an extension to the existing National Dose Registry (NDR). The RAR has basic functions of recording, monitoring and reporting. This type of registry is able to assist responders in preparing for and managing situations during radiological events and in providing effective follow-up on the long-term health effects of persons exposed to ionising radiation.

Development of a medical resource database for radiological emergency preparedness.

In order for Canada to be better prepared to respond quickly to a radiological or nuclear emergency detailed knowledge regarding the locations and capacities of hospitals, relevant medical supplies and radiological or nuclear professionals is needed. These key points of information were identified at a CRTI workshop in 2009, and it was proposed that a medical resource database (MRD) was required. This database is in addition to the development of a radiation accident registry which was also proposed at the CRTI Workshop in 2009.

Correlation of soil radon and permeability with indoor radon potential in Ottawa.

Soil gas radon and soil gas permeability measurements were conducted at 32 sites across the five most populated communities in the city of Ottawa where indoor radon measurements were available for 167 houses. A soil radon index (SRI) determined from the soil radon concentration and the soil gas permeability was used to characterise radon availability from soil to air. This study demonstrated that the average SRI in a community area correlates with the indoor radon potential (the percentage of homes above 200 Bq m(-3)) in that community.

Long-term monitoring of soil gas radon and permeability at two reference sites.

The long-term monitoring of soil radon variations was conducted at two reference sites in Ottawa. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a single soil radon survey could provide a representative soil radon characteristic of the site. Results showed that during the normal field survey period from June to September in Canada, a single field survey with multiple measurements of soil gas radon concentrations at a depth of 80 cm can characterise the soil radon level of a site within a deviation of +/-30%.