A highly sensitive method for the reassessment and quantification of 239Pu in urine samples based on a 1 MV accelerator mass spectrometry system

A new and highly sensitive method for the determination of 239Pu in human urine has been developed permitting the reassessment of planchets initially prepared for alpha spectrometry (AS) analysis in the context of internal dosimetry. A set of urine samples (volume: 500 mL) was spiked with known quantities of 239Pu, ranging from 2 to 120 fg (4.6 mBq–0.3 mBq), employing 14 pg (2.05 mBq) of 242Pu as internal standard. The Pu was purified by ion-chromatography using BioRad AG1X2 anion-exchange resins (Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc.). The chemical yield was determined by alphaspectrometry, being about 80%. Afterwards, the planchets so obtained were leached with diluted HNO3 and the dissolved plutonium was determined by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) at the Centro Nacional de Aceleradores (CNA) in Seville, Spain. The minimum detectable activity (MDA) for the AMS measurements was determined through the study of a set of procedural blanks, giving figures of about 0.44 fg (1 mBq) per sample. This contrasts with the MDA obtained by AS for the same set of samples, of about 50 fg (0.1 mBq). The results now presented helps to demonstrate that the routine measurement of 239Pu at ultra trace levels in human urine samples is possible with the new-generation of compact AMS systems, offering a highly sensitive method for the reassessing of planchets prepared for bioassay purposes

Reassessment of 239Pu on planchets from human urine samples at ultra-trace levels using Aridus-ICP-SFMS and AMS

New analytical methods developed at the facilities here, based on two ultra-sensitive mass spectrometry (MS) techniques, inductively coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometer with a desolvator system (Aridus-ICP-SFMS) and accelerator MS (AMS), have been applied in this work for the reassessment of 239Pu in alpha spectrometry (AS) planchets corresponding to spiked human urine samples. The obtained 239Pu minimum detectable activities (MDAs) values by Aridus-ICP-SFMS and AMS were 3 fg (∼6.92 mBq) and 0.4 fg (∼0.92 mBq), respectively, per sample, which are much better than those attainable by AS [50 fg (∼115.3 mBq) of 239Pu per sample, approximately]. Therefore, it is demonstrated that the MS techniques employed in this work are very powerful tools for internal dosimetry studies in human urine samples, giving excellent results when the reassessment of AS planchets is needed (samples with a Pu concentration below or at the MDA levels measurable by AS)

I+D para detectar isótopos de difícil medida

Desde que el Centro Nacional de Aceleradores (CNA) abriera sus puertas en 1997, los investigadores españoles cuentan con un laboratorio de referencia para estudiar la caracterización y modificación de materiales. Uno de los proyectos que allí se desarrollan consiste en medir isótopos radiactivos, lo que con las técnicas empleadas hasta ahora no se había conseguido. Se trata de un estudio en el que coopera Enresa, empresa con la que el CNA selló un convenio de colaboración en 2008, y cuyos resultados contribuirán a mejorar la seguridad en el almacenamiento de los residuos.Since the National Accelerators Centre (NAC) opened its doors in 1997, Spanish researchers have had use of a reference centre to study the characterisation and modification of materials. One of the projects developed there has been to measure radioactive isotopes that have not been measured using the techniques employed to da te. This study involves the cooperation of Enresa, with which the NAC established a collaboration agreement in 2008, and the results of which may help to improve the safe storage of waste

Fate of anthropogenic radionuclides (90Sr, 137Cs, 238Pu, 239Pu, 240Pu, 241Am) in seawater in the northern Benguela upwelling system off Namibia

A baseline study on anthropogenic radioactivity in the Namibian marine ecosystem, which is part of the northern Benguela upwelling system, known as one of the most productive ocean areas in the world, has been performed. A scientific cruise carried out in 2014 covering inshore and offshore areas, exhibiting different oceanographic features, has provided a basis for better understanding the distributions, ratios and inventories of six anthropogenic radionuclides (Sr, Cs, Pu, Pu, Pu and Am) in seawater. Although H was also measured, due to extremely low levels, its behaviour was not studied. The main source of Sr, Cs, Pu, Pu and Am in the samples analysed was proven to be global fallout, a finding further confirmed by Pu/Pu and Sr/Cs ratios. Furthermore, the Pu SNAP-9A satellite accident signal was confirmed once again through the determination of the Pu/Pu activity ratio. Inshore and offshore samples showed different patterns due to the unique oceanographic features of this upwelling system. The levels of anthropogenic radionuclides, comprehensively assessed for the first time in this region, are comparable with the few existing data and filled a critical gap for the Southern Atlantic Ocean.This work has been partly financed through the project PGC 2018-094546-B-I00 provided by the Spanish Government (Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades)

Dialogue between Higher Education, Cooperation Development and Economics through Information Technologies; an imperative need for the success of the XXIth Century Society

Este proyecto es atemporal por lo que se continuará a través de otros proyectos de innovación docente, cooperación al desarrollo y TFG y Tesis de DoctoradoEl proyecto de Innovación Docente surge, en línea con los objetivos de "Erasmus Key Action 2", con el propósito de acercar la Educación Superior en Economía y Administración de Empresas de países desarrollados a la formación de micro-empresarios en países en desarrollo de África y Latinoamérica. Este acercamiento sería a través de las Tecnologías de la Información y Comunicación (TICs) que serán el vehículo de apoyo, en línea con los objetivos de esta convocatoria. Así se definirán nuevas metodologías docentes, más dinámicas e innovadoras en enseñanza presencial para los profesores. Se diseñaran herramientas de aprendizaje para las nuevas generaciones de estudiantes y de micro-empresarios en el tercer mundo. Finalmente, se diseñaran herramientas para la evaluación de la satisfacción de los estudiantes (micro-empresarios en países en desarrollo) junto con la promoción de solidaridad entre los alumnos de los grados de ADE y Economía en España al conocer el proyecto hacia la mejora de países en desarrollo por medio de la educación superior. Uno de los valores añadidos del proyecto es que ha conseguido reunir a 14 profesores de las áreas de Contabilidad, Finanzas, Marketing y Trabajo Social que son docentes de amplia experiencia en Universidades públicas y privadas de España pero que también han formado parte de equipos investigadores y docentes en Cooperación al Desarrollo en países como Etiopía, República Democrática del Congo, Malawi, Perú y Colombia. La experiencia de formar a micro-empresarios en países en desarrollo no es fácil y el coste de oportunidad de ir a clases de formación, aun en áreas importantes para ellos como la contabilidad, las micro-finanzas o las técnicas de ventas, es muy alto. Por ello hay que pensar en tecnologías que se acerquen a ellos y les motiven a la formación continua. Los Apps como recurso didáctico en las aulas en España empiezan a dejar de ser una novedad para ser un recurso más. Por ello, en este proyecto se propone programar/usar un App propio ajustado a los contenidos de Contabilidad, Finanzas y Marketing que se rodaría en los seminarios de las distintas asignaturas de los 14 profesores con cuestionario de motivación y satisfacción y test de aprendizaje para medir el éxito docente de este recurso.This teaching Innovation project emerges, in line with the objectives of "Erasmus Key Action 2", with the purpose of linking Higher Education with development cooperation and economics and business administration. This link will be between developed countries and developing countries of Africa and Latin America through the economics training of micro-entrepreneurs. This approach would be through the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) that will be the analytic tool, in line with the objectives of this call. ITs will define new teaching methods, more dynamic and innovative than face-to-face teaching for teachers. Learning tools will be designed for the new generations of students and micro-entrepreneurs in the third world. Finally, interactive tools for the evaluation of students' satisfaction (micro-entrepreneurs in developing countries) will be designed together with solidarity fostering among the students of the Economics and Business degrees in Spain when they learn about the project towards the improvement of countries in development through higher education. One of the added values of the project is that it has connected 14 teachers and researchers from the areas of Accounting, Finance, Marketing and Social Work who have extensive experience in public and private universities in Spain, but who have also been part of research teams in Development Cooperation in countries such as Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Peru and Colombia. The experience of training micro-entrepreneurs in developing countries is not easy and the opportunity cost of going to training classes, even in areas important to them such as accounting, micro-finance or sales techniques, is very high . Therefore it is necessary to think about technologies that can approach them more easily and motivate them to the continuous formation (ITs). Apps as a didactic resource in classrooms in Spain are starting to stop being a novelty to be a usual resource. Therefore, in this project an own App programmed is proposed adjusted to the contents of Accounting, Finance and Marketing that would be applied and trialed in the seminars of the different subjects of the 14 teachers with motivation, satisfaction and learning questionnaires and test to measure the teaching success of this resource.Depto. de Administración Financiera y ContabilidadFac. de Ciencias Económicas y EmpresarialesFALSEsubmitte

Effectiveness of an intervention for improving drug prescription in primary care patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy:Study protocol of a cluster randomized clinical trial (Multi-PAP project)

This study was funded by the Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias ISCIII (Grant Numbers PI15/00276, PI15/00572, PI15/00996), REDISSEC (Project Numbers RD12/0001/0012, RD16/0001/0005), and the European Regional Development Fund ("A way to build Europe").Background: Multimorbidity is associated with negative effects both on people's health and on healthcare systems. A key problem linked to multimorbidity is polypharmacy, which in turn is associated with increased risk of partly preventable adverse effects, including mortality. The Ariadne principles describe a model of care based on a thorough assessment of diseases, treatments (and potential interactions), clinical status, context and preferences of patients with multimorbidity, with the aim of prioritizing and sharing realistic treatment goals that guide an individualized management. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a complex intervention that implements the Ariadne principles in a population of young-old patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy. The intervention seeks to improve the appropriateness of prescribing in primary care (PC), as measured by the medication appropriateness index (MAI) score at 6 and 12months, as compared with usual care. Methods/Design: Design:pragmatic cluster randomized clinical trial. Unit of randomization: family physician (FP). Unit of analysis: patient. Scope: PC health centres in three autonomous communities: Aragon, Madrid, and Andalusia (Spain). Population: patients aged 65-74years with multimorbidity (≥3 chronic diseases) and polypharmacy (≥5 drugs prescribed in ≥3months). Sample size: n=400 (200 per study arm). Intervention: complex intervention based on the implementation of the Ariadne principles with two components: (1) FP training and (2) FP-patient interview. Outcomes: MAI score, health services use, quality of life (Euroqol 5D-5L), pharmacotherapy and adherence to treatment (Morisky-Green, Haynes-Sackett), and clinical and socio-demographic variables. Statistical analysis: primary outcome is the difference in MAI score between T0 and T1 and corresponding 95% confidence interval. Adjustment for confounding factors will be performed by multilevel analysis. All analyses will be carried out in accordance with the intention-to-treat principle. Discussion: It is essential to provide evidence concerning interventions on PC patients with polypharmacy and multimorbidity, conducted in the context of routine clinical practice, and involving young-old patients with significant potential for preventing negative health outcomes. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02866799Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Peri-operative red blood cell transfusion in neonates and infants: NEonate and Children audiT of Anaesthesia pRactice IN Europe: A prospective European multicentre observational study

BACKGROUND: Little is known about current clinical practice concerning peri-operative red blood cell transfusion in neonates and small infants. Guidelines suggest transfusions based on haemoglobin thresholds ranging from 8.5 to 12 g dl-1, distinguishing between children from birth to day 7 (week 1), from day 8 to day 14 (week 2) or from day 15 (≥week 3) onwards. OBJECTIVE: To observe peri-operative red blood cell transfusion practice according to guidelines in relation to patient outcome. DESIGN: A multicentre observational study. SETTING: The NEonate-Children sTudy of Anaesthesia pRactice IN Europe (NECTARINE) trial recruited patients up to 60 weeks' postmenstrual age undergoing anaesthesia for surgical or diagnostic procedures from 165 centres in 31 European countries between March 2016 and January 2017. PATIENTS: The data included 5609 patients undergoing 6542 procedures. Inclusion criteria was a peri-operative red blood cell transfusion. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary endpoint was the haemoglobin level triggering a transfusion for neonates in week 1, week 2 and week 3. Secondary endpoints were transfusion volumes, 'delta haemoglobin' (preprocedure - transfusion-triggering) and 30-day and 90-day morbidity and mortality. RESULTS: Peri-operative red blood cell transfusions were recorded during 447 procedures (6.9%). The median haemoglobin levels triggering a transfusion were 9.6 [IQR 8.7 to 10.9] g dl-1 for neonates in week 1, 9.6 [7.7 to 10.4] g dl-1 in week 2 and 8.0 [7.3 to 9.0] g dl-1 in week 3. The median transfusion volume was 17.1 [11.1 to 26.4] ml kg-1 with a median delta haemoglobin of 1.8 [0.0 to 3.6] g dl-1. Thirty-day morbidity was 47.8% with an overall mortality of 11.3%. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate lower transfusion-triggering haemoglobin thresholds in clinical practice than suggested by current guidelines. The high morbidity and mortality of this NECTARINE sub-cohort calls for investigative action and evidence-based guidelines addressing peri-operative red blood cell transfusions strategies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT02350348