Ethical aspects of registry-based research in the Nordic countries

National health care registries in the Nordic countries share many attributes, but different legal and ethical frameworks represent a challenge to promoting effective joint research. Internationally, there is a lack of knowledge about how ethical matters are considered in Nordic registry-based research, and a lack of knowledge about how Nordic ethics committees operate and what is needed to obtain an approval. In this paper, we review ethical aspects of registry-based research, the legal framework, the role of ethics review boards in the Nordic countries, and the structure of the ethics application. We discuss the role of informed consent in registry-based research and how to safeguard the integrity of study participants, including vulnerable subjects and children. Our review also provides information on the different government agencies that contribute registry-based data, and a list of the major health registries in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Both ethical values and conditions for registry-based research are similar in the Nordic countries. While Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden have chosen different legal frameworks, these differences can be resolved through mutual recognition of ethical applications and by harmonizing the different systems, likely leading to increased collaboration and enlarged studies

COMPUCEA 2nd generation performance evaluation

COMPUCEA (Combined Procedure for Uranium Concentration and Enrichment Assay) is used for on-site analytical measurements in support of joint Euratom-IAEA inspections during physical inventory verification (PIV) campaigns in European Low-Enriched Uranium (LEU) fuel fabrication plants. The analyses provided on site during the PIV involve the accurate determination of the uranium element content and of the U-235 enrichment in verification samples (uranium product samples of solid form , i.e. powders, pellets) selected by the Safeguards inspectors. These samples are dissolved and then measured by energy-dispersive X-ray absorption edge spectrometry (L-edge densitometry) to obtain the uranium elemental content and gamma spectrometry with a Lanthanum-bromide detector for the U-235 abundance determination. The second generation of COMPUCEA equipment is compact, rugged and ready-to use directly after transport, no cooling of the detectors with liquid nitrogen is required. A software package for comfortable instrument control and data handling has been implemented. The paper describes the technique, setup and calibration procedure of the instrument. Results from PIV campaigns and comparisons between COMPUCEA results with data obtained by remote analysis with a qualified primary analytical method are presented, which demonstrate the performance of the technique. The achieved uncertainties are well within the international target values. First results obtained with a sandwich detector configuration for enhanced detection efficiency of the passive gamma spectrometry and a small separate X-ray fluorescence unit for the pre-screening of the samples for their Gd content are discussed.JRC.E.7-Nuclear Safeguards and Forensic

Le logiciel FORSIM de resolution numerique des systemes d'equations differentielles ordinaires et/ou aux derivees partielles

National audienc

Modelowanie na płaszczyźnie pochłaniania wody przez niejednorodny system korzeniowy

L'objet de ce travail est de décrire, de quantifier et de généraliser sur modèle, les conséquences de 1' hétérogénéité du système racinaire sur la consommation en eau pendant une période donnée et pour une demande climatique déterminée. Géométriquement, le système étudié correspond à un plan horizontal (deux dimensions) où les racines sont répresentées par leur point d'impact sur ce plan. Le modèle proposé comprend plusieurs sous-modèles.This paper presents a theoretical approach to analyse the effects of the soil hydrodynamic properties, climatic conditions and spatial position of roots on plant water stress. Theoretical calculations in order to predict soil/roots water flows are made in the two-dimensional case, assuming that the Darcy law yields to predict water movements in the unsaturated zone. The main hypotheses are the following: 1) the soil is regarded as homogeneous, 2) the initial soil water potential is assumed as uniform, 3) the root water potential is the same for all roots at a given time, 4) the variations of the root water potential versus time are comprised between given upper (0 m) and lower boundaries (0-(-)15 m). The main input file of the proposed modelling are: 1) the basic hydrodynamic soil properties, 2) the position of the roots on the plane, and 3) the potential evaporation. The root water potential is estimated at each time step using an iterative procedure which calculates the best root water potential estimate in order to minimize the plant water stress. Furthermore, an original procedure is given to compute automatically the finite elements grid layout according to the given position of the roots. Results for various soils, climatic conditions and root position are presented. First, maps of the soil water potential after several days of simulation are given that show it exists a strong relationship between the root position and water uptakes. Furthermore, the effects of water movements from the soil to the root zone during the night when no evaporation occurs appear clearly. Second, the variations of the root water potential and the activity of roots during night and day are presented during 7 days of water movements simulation and the results agree with the common knowledge about the relationships between soil moisture and root uptakes. Finally, simulations are presented in order to combine the effects of the initial water content, soil hydrodynamic properties, spatial root position and climate on the plant water stress. It is showed that 1) when the soil is very and continuously wet, no stress appears, 2) when the soil is drier, the effects of limiting soil properties, spatial root positions and potential evaporation appear clearly on the plant water stress.Praca przedstawia teoretyczne podejście do programu analizy wpływu właściwości hydrodynamicznych gleby, warunków klimatycznych i przestrzennego rozmieszczenia korzeni na wodny stres roślin. Wyliczenia teoretyczne mające na celu określenie strumieni wody na granicy gleba - korzenie zostały wykonane dla przypadku dwuwymiarowego, przy założeniu, że równanie Darcy'ego pozwala przewidzieć ruch wody w strefie nienasyconej. Główne założenia były następujące: 1) gleba jest jednorodna, 2) początkowy potencjał wody glebowej jednakowy, 3) potencjał wody w korzeniu jest jednakowy dla wszystkich korzeni w określonej chwili, 4) zmiany korzeniowego potencjału wody w czasie zawarte są w granicach 0-(-)15 m. Główne dane wejściowe do proponowanego modelu są następujące: 1) podstawowe właściwości hydrodynamiczne, 2) położenie korzeni na płaszczyźnie, 3) parowanie potencjalne. Korzeniowy potencjał wodny jest oceniany dla każdego kroku czasowego, z wykorzystaniem metody iteracyjnej, która pozwala najlepiej oszacować potencjał wodny korzeni w celu zminimalizowania stresu wodnego roślin. Następnie przedstawiono oryginalną procedurę automatycznego wyliczania planu siatki do metody elementów skończonych, zgodnie z aktualną pozycją korzeni. Przedstawiono wyniki dla różnych gleb, warunków klimatycznych i pozycji korzenia. Po pierwsze, mapy potencjału wody glebowej po kilku dniach symulacji wskazują, że istnieje istotna zależność między pozycją korzeni i poborem wody. Ponadto efekty ruchu wody z gleby do strefy korzeniowej podczas nocy, gdy nie ma ewaporacji, są wyraźnie zauważalne. Po drugie, przedstawiono zmiany potencjału wodnego i aktywności korzeni podczas nocy i dnia w okresie 7 dni symulacji przenoszenia wody. Wyniki są zgodne z ogólnymi prawami rządzącymi tymi procesamai, tzn. zależnością między wilgotnością gleby i poborem wody. Następnie wykonano symulację w celu połączenia ze sobą efektów początkowej wilgotności właściwości hydrodynamicznych klimatu i przestrzennego rozmieszczenia korzeni na wodny stres roślin. Wynika z niej, że 1) gdy gleba jest bardzo wilgotna, stresy nie występują, 2) gdy gleba jest suchsza, daje się zauważyć wpływ granicznych właściwości gleby, przestrzennego rozkładu korzeni oraz potencjalnej ewaporacji na stres wodny roślin

Modeling root water-potential and soil-root water transport : 1. Model presentation

International audienc

Modeling Seasonal Variations in Carbon Dioxide and Nitrous Oxide in the Vadose Zone

International audienceSoil CO2 and N2O concentrations were simulated with a model predicting C and N transport in the vadose zone during a 7-mo field experiment, after maize (Zea mays L.) harvesting and incorporation of maize residues into the soil. The gas transport model was based on the dusty gas theory and combined with the PASTIS model. During the experiment, soil atmosphere (CO2 and N2O), soil solution (NO3 − and dissolved organic carbon [DOC]), soil water content and temperature, and potential denitrifying and aerobic respiratory activities were measured in a 2.50-m-thick soil profile. Soil gas concentrations were correctly simulated even though the model did not simulate all the biological processes that produced N2O. Nitrous oxide concentration peaks after rain were slightly overestimated, as the WFPS (water-filled pore space) was not estimated accurately enough to predict local anoxic conditions. To model CO2 concentrations, account had to be taken of DOC adsorption onto soil mineral particles and of zymogenous biomass death during the period when the ground was frozen. The model satisfactorily simulated NO3 − concentrations in the top soil profile, notably during major rainfall events, and maize residue dry matter loss during the experiment. The modeling of biological processes needs to be improved to provide a better simulation of C and N transport in the vadose zone. In particular, the use of WFPS was not sufficient to predict anoxic periods; simulations should improve if soil aggregate structure is also taken into account

Modelling the effect of rain partitionning on below ground competition for water in intercrops

International audienc