Genotoxicity of DrinkingWater Disinfectants in Plant Bioassays

The genotoxicity of two widely used drinking water disinfectants, sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) and chlorine dioxide (ClO2), and a new disinfectant, peracetic acid (PAA, CH3-CO-COOH), was evaluated in three short-term plant tests: (1) induction of anaphase chromosome aberrations in the root cells of Allium cepa, (2) micronucleus induction in the root cells of Vicia faba, and (3) micronucleus induction in Tradescantia pollen cells. The study was carried out in the laboratory by directly exposing the plants to several concentrations of the disinfectants in redistilled water at unadjusted (acid) and adjusted (neutral) pHs. Both 0.1 and 0.2 mg/l NaClO induced chromosome aberrations in the Allium cepa test at acid pH, but concentrations up to 0.5 mg/l of all the disinfectants were negative at neutral pH. Concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 0.5 mg/l NaClO, ClO2, and PAA induced micronuclei in Vicia faba at acid pH, while 1–2 mg/l NaClO and ClO2 and 0.5–2 mg/l PAA gave positive responses at neutral pH. Most of concentrations of ClO2 produced positive responses in the Tradescantia micronucleus test. In general, the highest levels of genotoxicity were observed under acid conditions; at acid pH, significant effects were induced by low concentrations of ClO2 and PAA. Since the test concentrations of disinfectants are typical of those encountered in the biocidal treatment of tap water and similar concentrations are consumed daily by a large number of people, the genotoxicity of these compounds may constitute a significant public health concern

Quenching Measurements and Modeling of a Boron-Loaded Organic Liquid Scintillator

Organic liquid scintillators are used in a wide variety of applications in experimental nuclear and particle physics. Boron-loaded scintillators are particularly useful for detecting neutron captures, due to the high thermal neutron capture cross section of 10B. These scintillators are commonly used in neutron detectors, including the DarkSide-50 neutron veto, where the neutron may produce a signal when it scatters off protons in the scintillator or when it captures on 10B. Reconstructing the energy of these recoils is complicated by scintillation quenching. Understanding how nuclear recoils are quenched in these scintillators is an important and difficult problem. In this article, we present a set of measurements of neutron-induced proton recoils in a boron-loaded organic liquid scintillator at recoil energies ranging from 57–467 keV, and we compare these measurements to predictions from different quenching models. We find that a modified Birks’ model whose denominator is quadratic in dE/dx best describes the measurements, with χ 2 /NDF= 1.6. This result will help model nuclear recoil scintillation in similar detectors and can be used to improve their neutron tagging efficiency

Lifetime Measurements of Low-Spin Negative-Parity Levels in \u3csup\u3e160\u3c/sup\u3eGd

160Gd(n,n′γ) experiments were performed with accelerator-produced monoenergetic neutrons. Excitation functions at neutron energies from 1.5 to 2.8 MeV aided in the placement of γ rays in the level scheme and angular distributions at three neutron energies resulted in the determination of 28 excited-level lifetimes or limits in 160Gd, including the lifetimes of several negative-parity levels attributed to octupole vibrations

Collectivity of 0\u3csup\u3e+\u3c/sup\u3e States in \u3csup\u3e160\u3c/sup\u3eGd

Excited 0+ states in 160Gd have been examined with the (n,n′γ) reaction at incident neutron energies up to 2.8 MeV. Gamma-ray excitation functions and angular distribution measurements allow the confirmation of the existence of 0+ states at 1379.70 keV and 1558.30 keV, but we reject the assignments of additional previously suggested 0+ candidates. Limits on the level lifetimes of the observed 0+ states permit an evaluation of the collectivity of these states

Examination of Neurocorrelates of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Young Adults

In recent years, there has been an upswing in the number of concussion diagnoses per year in the United States, particularly in young athletes. Accompanying this recent trend is an increased amount of research on concussions and their long-term impacts. Many efforts have been geared toward educating individuals on the dangers of concussions, as well as creating preventative measures to lessen the amount of cases in the future. The current study assessed data gathered from a sample of 51 participants, including results from various neuropsychological batteries, as well as self-report surveys and participants’ EEG readings. The results from this study demonstrated that previously concussed participants showed significantly different result patterns on these tests than did non-concussed participants. Specifically, participants who have suffered a concussion exhibited deficits in executive control and impulse control, as evidenced by their performances on the tasks included in this study, similar to deficits exhibited by individuals with ADD/ADHD

Development of a Concussion Education Outreach Program

In recent years, there has been an upswing in the number of concussion diagnoses per year in the United States, particularly in young athletes. Accompanying this recent trend is an increased amount of research on concussions and their long-term impacts. Many efforts have been geared toward educating individuals on the dangers of concussions, as well as creating preventative measures to lessen the amount of cases in the future. Over the course of the summer, we collected and compared data from 40 concussed and non-concussed students. This data included the results from various neuropsychological batteries, as well as self-report surveys and participants’ EEG readings. We expect that previously concussed students will have significantly different results than non-concussed students. Specifically, we believe that students who have suffered a concussion will exhibit deficits in executive control and impulse control tasks. We are in the process of transforming the results of the empirical data we have collected as well as the current attitudes toward concussions we can extract from our surveys to build an educational outreach program. This multi-faceted program is geared toward coaches, athletic trainers, parents, and student-athletes in an attempt to educate each unique group about the severity of concussions and help to change the current attitude toward these injuries

A first approach to engineering of DAP (Dose Area Product) information for medical record

The purpose of this study is the engineering of the certification procedure of the DAP (Dose Area Product) information. This procedure has been developed at the Azienda Ospedaliera di Rilievo Nazionale 'San Giuseppe Moscati' in Avellino (Avellino Hospital). This was done to meet the requirements imposed by the Euratom Directive 59/2013, that prescribes that the DAP information related to a specific practice of diagnosis, will have to be included in the patient's medical record. We developed two procedures to insert the DAP information in the medical record, one for the analogical equipment, the other for the digital equipment

Illicit Opioid Intoxication: Diagnosis and Treatment

Opioid intoxications and overdose are associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Opioid overdose may occur in the setting of intravenous or intranasal heroin use, illicit use of diverted opioid medications, intentional or accidental misuse of prescription pain medications, or iatrogenic overdose. In this review, we focused on the epidemiology of illict opioid use in the United States and on the mechanism of action of opioid drugs. We also described the signs and symptoms, and diagnoses of intoxication and overdose. Lastly, we updated the reader about the most recent recommendations for treatment and prevention of opioid intoxications and overdose