Incidence of multiple myeloma among cleanup workers of the chornobyl accident and their survival

The study presents the updated data on the multiple myeloma (MM) incidence in Ukrainian cleanup workers after the Chornobyl accident and their survival. The epidemiological analysis is based on the extended follow-up period to identify new MM cases for higher statistical power and to collect additional data on the disease course and outcome for the survival analysis. The objective of the study was to analyze the MM incidence and survival in Chornobyl cleanup workers in 1996–2013 in comparison with the national MM statistical data. Materials and Methods: A study cohort consisted of 152,520 male cleanup workers resided in one of 6 regions of Ukraine or Kyiv city and registered in the Ukrainian State Chornobyl Registry (SChR). The Cohort Database was linked to the Ukrainian National Cancer Registry (NCR) Database to identify MM cases and to analyze MM incidence in 1996– 2013. Standardized incidence ratios (SIR) for MM over the period 1996–2013 were calculated as compared to the general population of Ukraine. A 10-year lag period (when incident cases are not considered radiation-related) was applied. One-year and 5-year cause-specific survival of MM cases were calculated as percentage of those who were alive correspondingly for 1 or 5 years after diagnosis among overall diagnosed. By the moment, the 5-year survival rate either for the sub-period 2008–2013 or for the whole study period 1996–2013 cannot be determined. Vital status data were updated according to the recent SChR and NCR information. Results: 75 MM cases diagnosed in 1986–2013 were identified in the studied cohort. 69 of them were included to the incidence analysis considering a 10-year lag period. While the incidence over 15 years after the accident did not differ significantly from the corresponding rate in general population of Ukraine, a tendency to increase was seen in the period from 16 to 21 years after the accident, and significantly increased SIR estimate was revealed for 2008–2013 (SIR 1.86, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.27–2.44). The highest incidence was detected in 2008–2013 among cohort members diagnosed over the age of 50 years mostly due to the significant excess among those aged 60–69 (SIR 2.46, 95% CI 1.32–3.59). Survival rates in cleanup workers were shown to be higher than in the general population of Ukraine (73.9% and up to 65.0%, respectively). Conclusions: SIR for the 2008– 2013 period, 22–27 years after the accident, demonstrated the significant excess of MM incidence among male cleanup workers. Survival of MM cases is higher in cleanup workers in comparison with that in general population. This article is a part of a Special Issue entitled “The Chornobyl Nuclear Accident: Thirty Years After”

ЧУВСТВИТЕЛЬНОСТЬ КЛЕТОК КРОВИ И ЭПИДИДИМАЛЬНЫХ СПЕРМАТОЗОИДОВ КРЫС К ВОЗДЕЙСТВИЮ МАГНИТНОГО ПОЛЯ ПРОМЫШЛЕННОЙ ЧАСТОТЫ (50 Гц)

The article discusses the data on the long-time effect of low frequency magnetic fields (IF MF 50 Hz, 0.4 mT, 4h/day, 5 days/week, 26 days) on blood cells and spermatozoa of Wistar rats. It was determined that at different times after exposure (3th, 15th and 30th days) the changes in different quantitative and qualitative indicators of test cells were revealed, some of which are kept in 30 days after exposure. В сообщении обсуждаются данные исследований длительного воздействия магнитного поля промышленной частоты (МП ПЧ 50 Гц, 0,4 мT, 4 ч/день, 5 дней в неделю, суммарное количество 26 дней) на клетки крови и эпидидимальные сперматозоиды крыс Вистар. Установлено, что в различные сроки после воздействия (3-и, 15-е и 30-е сутки) выявляются изменения различных количественных и качественных показателей исследуемых клеток, некоторые из которых сохраняются в отдаленном периоде (30-е cутки после экспозиции).

Diffusion tensor imaging with deterministic error bounds

Errors in the data and the forward operator of an inverse problem can be handily modelled using partial order in Banach lattices. We present some existing results of the theory of regularisation in this novel framework, where errors are represented as bounds by means of the appropriate partial order. We apply the theory to diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), where correct noise modelling is challenging: it involves the Rician distribution and the nonlinear Stejskal-Tanner equation. Linearisation of the latter in the statistical framework would complicate the noise model even further. We avoid this using the error bounds approach, which preserves simple error structure under monotone transformations.While at the Center for Mathematical Modelling of the Escuela Politécnica Nacional in Quito, Ecuador, T. Valkonen has been supported by a Prometeo scholarship of the Senescyt (Ecuadorian Ministry of Science, Technology, Education, and Innovation). In Cambridge, T. Valkonen has been supported by the EPSRC grants Nr. EP/J009539/1 “Sparse & Higher-order Image Restoration”, and Nr. EP/M00483X/1 “Efficient computational tools for inverse imaging problems”. A. Gorokh and Y. Korolev are grateful to the RFBR (Russian Foundation for Basic Research) for partial financial support (projects 14-01-31173 and 14-01-91151)

Low-power gas sensor on nanostructured dielectric membrane

The article presents a technology for manufacture of a gas sensor with a two-layer nanostructured dielectric membrane on a silicon substrate and its characteristics. Selection of the correct mathematical model ensures a good correlation between the experimental and calculated current-voltage characteristics of the sensor and makes it possible to evaluate the effect of porosity of the dielectric membrane on the value of the sensor’s power consumption, temperature of its sensitive layer and the related thermomechanical stresses. It demonstrates that the temperature range (150—350 °C) of the sensor’s sensitive layer, where the sensor’s response to 1 ppm CO is detected, is ensured due to power consumption from 5,0 mW up to 15,5 mW

Low-power gas sensor on nanostructured dielectric membrane

The article presents a technology for manufacture of a gas sensor with a two-layer nanostructured dielectric membrane on a silicon substrate and its characteristics. Selection of the correct mathematical model ensures a good correlation between the experimental and calculated current-voltage characteristics of the sensor and makes it possible to evaluate the effect of porosity of the dielectric membrane on the value of the sensor’s power consumption, temperature of its sensitive layer and the related thermomechanical stresses. It demonstrates that the temperature range (150—350 °C) of the sensor’s sensitive layer, where the sensor’s response to 1 ppm CO is detected, is ensured due to power consumption from 5,0 mW up to 15,5 mW

Synthesis and study of strontium ferromolybdate nanopowders with high degree of superstructural ordering for spintronics

The metal oxide compounds Sr2FeMoO6-δ systems with an ordered double perovskite structure due to their unique and extremely important magnetotransport and magnetic properties are among the most promising materials for spintronic devices. In the present work, we investigated the correlation between the citrate-gel synthesis conditions (pH of initial solutions and annealing temperature) and the microstructure, phase transformations and magnetic properties of the Sr2FeMoO6-δ nanopowders. According to the results the average grain size of the powders in the dispersion grows from 250 to 550 nm with increasing of pH values. Single-phase nanosized Sr2FeMoO6-δ powders had various degrees of superstructural ordering of Fe3+ and Mo5+ (P = 65% for pH = 4, P = 51% for pH = 6 and P = 20 % for pH = 9). With increasing of pH, the Fe2+ concentration increases from 63% to 72%, and the Fe+3 concentration drops from 37% to 28%. According to the results of investigations of magnetization temperature dependence in Sr2FeMoO6-δ powders a metastable superparamagnetic state was established at TS<19 K in low-dimensional grains. An optimized synthesis procedure, based on an initial solution of pH = 4, has allowed obtaining a single-phase Sr2FeMoO6-δ compound having grain size in the range of 50-120 nm and a superstructural ordering of iron and molybdenum cations of 88%. The optimum conditions of synthesis of nanopowders strontium ferromolybdate allow for the directional change of the phase composition of the synthesized nanosized ceramic with reproducible physical and chemical properties