Development of a methodology for dose assessment and estimate of amount of NORM residues disposable in a conventional landfill.

The final disposal of NORM wastes in conventional landfill generally determines problems of acceptance by the landfill operators, since their willingness to accept Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) is often limited due to their concern about the radiological risks and reluctance of the local community to have at local landfills material that despite being cleared is still perceived as 'radioactive'. In order to raise awareness among landfill operators, and also among other stakeholders on the actual radiological risk of exempted or cleared NORM wastes, it is of interest to estimate the mass of annual wastes containing NORM that can be disposed of in a landfill for conventional waste complying with the annual dose criterion of 1 mSv. A methodology was developed considering a hypothetical homogeneous large landfill and assuming that NORM wastes are delivered with an initial activity concentration of 1 kBq kg.

The cardiovascular effects of large hiatal hernias: a narrative review of cases and studies.

Hiatal hernia (HH) is a common disease in the general population. It is often asymptomatic, but if it does present clinical manifestations, these are usually gastrointestinal. Gastroesophageal reflux is the main symptom that accompanies it.

How, when, and to what degree do people with alcohol dependence recover their psychological wellbeing and quality of life? The Madrid Recovery Project.

Introduction: The consensus on recovery from alcohol use disorder (AUD) has shifted toward encompassing psychological wellbeing and quality of life dimensions. However, few studies have explored the long-term recovery process and its dimensions, timing, styles, and modes. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent, timing, and process of psychological wellbeing and quality of life recovery in alcohol use disorder (AUD) patients, as well as the relationship with classic dimensions of AUD recovery.

A methodology for the systematic identification of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM).

Naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) are present worldwide and under certain circumstances (e.g., human activities) may give radiation exposure to workers, local public or occasional visitors and non-human biota (NHB) of the surrounding ecosystems.

Surgical oncology operative experience at a high-volume safety-net hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic led to disruptions in operative and hospital capabilities as the country triaged resources and canceled elective procedures. This study details the operative experience of a safety-net hospital for cancer-related operations during a 3-month period at the height of the pandemic.

Methods: Patients operated on for or diagnosed with malignancies of the abdomen, breast, skin, or soft-tissue (September 3, 2020-September 6, 2020) were identified from operative/clinic schedules.

Functional and Taxonomic Beta Diversity of Saproxylic Beetles in Mediterranean Forests: On What Factors Do They Depend?

Understanding how biodiversity is distributed across geographical and environmental gradients is a main goal of diversity sciences. However, since ecosystem processes are linked to variation in functional traits of the biota, examining functional beta diversity is particularly important. Our objective was to analyze the taxonomic and functional beta diversity patterns of saproxylic beetle assemblages in evergreen Quercus forest of Spain.

Climate change and landscape development in post-closure safety assessment of solid radioactive waste disposal: Results of an initiative of the IAEA.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has coordinated an international project addressing climate change and landscape development in post-closure safety assessments of solid radioactive waste disposal. The work has been supported by results of parallel on-going research that has been published in a variety of reports and peer reviewed journal articles. The project is due to be described in detail in a forthcoming IAEA report.

An investigation into the upward transport of uranium-series radionuclides in soils and uptake by plants.

The upward migration of radionuclides in the (238)U decay series in soils and their uptake by plants is of interest in various contexts, including the geological disposal of radioactive waste and the remediation of former sites of uranium mining and milling. In order to investigate the likely patterns of behaviour of (238)U-series radionuclides being transported upward through the soil column, a detailed soil-plant model originally developed for studying the behaviour of (79)Se in soil-plant systems has been adapted to make it applicable to the (238)U series. By undertaking a reference case simulation and a series of sensitivity studies, it has been found that a wide variety of behaviour can be exhibited by radionuclides in the (238)U decay chain in soils, even when the source term is limited to being a constant flux of either (238)U or (226)Ra.

Structural insights into the Ca2+ and PI(4,5)P2 binding modes of the C2 domains of rabphilin 3A and synaptotagmin 1.

Proteins containing C2 domains are the sensors for Ca(2+) and PI(4,5)P2 in a myriad of secretory pathways. Here, the use of a free-mounting system has enabled us to capture an intermediate state of Ca(2+) binding to the C2A domain of rabphilin 3A that suggests a different mechanism of ion interaction. We have also determined the structure of this domain in complex with PI(4,5)P2 and IP3 at resolutions of 1.

Advanced spatio-temporal modelling in long-term radiological assessment models--radionuclides in the soil column.

Recent developments in the modelling of key radionuclides in long-timescale assessments of the safety of geological disposal of spent fuel and other radioactive wastes emphasise the influence of the redox conditions of the soil column. Models with higher spatial resolution than typically employed in standard modelling approaches have been shown to capture important features of experimental observations that are not otherwise manifested. Furthermore, models with monthly, rather than annually, averaged parameters and with dynamic transfers between soil and plant have been shown to lead to key differences compared with standard models employing soil-plant concentration ratios.

Recent developments in assessment of long-term radionuclide behavior in the geosphere-biosphere subsystem.

Decisions on permitting, controlling and monitoring releases of radioactivity into the environment rely on a great variety of factors. Important among these is the prospective assessment of radionuclide behavior in the environment, including migration and accumulation among and within specific environmental media, and the resulting environmental and human health impacts. Models and techniques to undertake such assessments have been developed over several decades based on knowledge of the ecosystems involved, as well as monitoring of previous radionuclide releases to the environment, laboratory experiments and other related research.

Modelling the behaviour of uranium-series radionuclides in soils and plants taking into account seasonal variations in soil hydrology.

In a previous paper, a mathematical model for the behaviour of (79)Se in soils and plants was described. Subsequently, a review has been published relating to the behaviour of (238)U-series radionuclides in soils and plants. Here, we bring together those two strands of work to describe a new mathematical model of the behaviour of (238)U-series radionuclides entering soils in solution and their uptake by plants.

A review of the behaviour of U-238 series radionuclides in soils and plants.

The U-238 series of radionuclides is of relevance in a variety of environmental contexts ranging from the remediation of former uranium mining and milling facilities to the deep geological disposal of solid radioactive wastes. Herein, we review what is known concerning the behaviour of radionuclides from the U-238 decay chain in soils and plants. This review is intended to provide a single comprehensive source of information to anyone involved in undertaking environmental impact assessment studies relating to this decay chain.

A mathematical model for the behaviour of Se-79 in soils and plants that takes account of seasonal variations in soil hydrology.

Se-79 is a long-lived radionuclide of potential radiological significance in relation to the deep geological disposal of solid radioactive wastes. In the context of release to the terrestrial environment, its main radiological impact is delivered through food chain pathways. Therefore, its accumulation in soils and uptake by plants is an important consideration in post-closure safety assessment studies.

Application of the Spanish methodological approach for biosphere assessment to a generic high-level waste disposal site.

A methodological approach which includes conceptual developments, methodological aspects and software tools have been developed in the Spanish context, based on the BIOMASS "Reference Biospheres Methodology". The biosphere assessments have to be undertaken with the aim of demonstrating compliance with principles and regulations established to limit the possible radiological impact of radioactive waste disposals on human health and on the environment, and to ensure that future generations will not be exposed to higher radiation levels than those that would be acceptable today. The biosphere in the context of high-level waste disposal is defined as the collection of various radionuclide transfer pathways that may result in releases into the surface environment, transport within and between the biosphere receptors, exposure of humans and biota, and the doses/risks associated with such exposures.

Spanish methodological approach for biosphere assessment of radioactive waste disposal.

The development of radioactive waste disposal facilities requires implementation of measures that will afford protection of human health and the environment over a specific temporal frame that depends on the characteristics of the wastes. The repository design is based on a multi-barrier system: (i) the near-field or engineered barrier, (ii) far-field or geological barrier and (iii) the biosphere system. Here, the focus is on the analysis of this last system, the biosphere.