Hydrological Behaviour of Tritium on the Former Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site (Kazakhstan) Determined using Stable Isotope Measurements

Tritium and stable isotope (deuterium 2H and 18O) concentrations have been determined in natural waters collected from shallow lakes, wells, streams and rivers inside and in the vicinity of the former Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site (NE Kazakhstan). The Semipalatinsk Test Site (STS) was one of the main proving grounds for the testing of nuclear weapons by the former Soviet Union. Tritium activity concentrations have been determined by liquid scintillation counting, while hydrogen isotopic composition have been determined using a GV-Isoprime mass spectrometer coupled to an elemental analyzer. Tritium activity concentrations recorded in lake waters (in most cases >10 Bq L-1) were significantly higher than those in well, stream and the Irtysh River waters. In lake waters, enrichments in deuterium and 18O (δD and δ18O varying between –5 and –64 ‰ V-SMOW and –8.4 and +5.5 ‰ V-SMOW, respectively), and high salt concentrations, strongly suggest that significant evaporation has occurred. In contrast, deuterium and tritium signatures of ‘common’ surface and underground waters at the STS were mostly typical of present-day isotope backgrounds of natural waters in NE Kazakhstan. In STS, come salt lakes like Bajansor and Tumatsor with elevated tritium activity from 12 to 15 Bq L-1 lie close to the Global Meteoric Water Line. The potential tritium source for these lakes is residual concentration of tritium after former nuclear test in STS. The study provides evidence to show that export of tritium from underground nuclear test areas and tritium enrichment produced by evaporation are both important determinants of tritium concentrations in standing waters on the Semipalatinsk test site

Lipid nanoparticles and siRNA targeting plasminogen provide lasting inhibition of fibrinolysis in mouse and dog models of hemophilia A

Antifibrinolytic drugs are used extensively for on-demand treatment of severe acute bleeding. Controlling fibrinolysis may also be an effective strategy to prevent or lessen chronic recurring bleeding in bleeding disorders such as hemophilia A (HA), but current antifibrinolytics have unfavorable pharmacokinetic profiles. Here, we developed a long-lasting antifibrinolytic using small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting plasminogen packaged in clinically used lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) and tested it to determine whether reducing plasmin activity in animal models of HA could decrease bleeding frequency and severity. Treatment with the siRNA-carrying LNPs reduced circulating plasminogen and suppressed fibrinolysis in wild-type and HA mice and dogs. In HA mice, hemostatic efficacy depended on the injury model; plasminogen knockdown improved hemostasis after a saphenous vein injury but not tail vein transection injury, suggesting that saphenous vein injury is a murine bleeding model sensitive to the contribution of fibrinolysis. In dogs with HA, LNPs carrying siRNA targeting plasminogen were as effective at stabilizing clots as tranexamic acid, a clinical antifibrinolytic, and in a pilot study of two dogs with HA, the incidence of spontaneous or excess bleeding was reduced during 4 months of prolonged knockdown. Collectively, these data demonstrate that long-acting antifibrinolytic therapy can be achieved and that it provides hemostatic benefit in animal models of HA

Банківське кредитування під час кризи COVID-19: досвід Швейцарії

This paper is devoted to the analysis of the influence of bank lending on the economy in Switzerland during COVID-19 pandemic. Analysis of the main economiс indicators (GDP and its components, inflation, monetary supply) before and during corona-crisis proves that the impact of corona-crisis is stronger than that of the 2008—2009 financial crisis. A sharp decline of GDP, exports and imports is underlined. The components of GDP that were most stable over the last 12 years and did not decrease during the 2008—2009 financial crisis, namely «Households Consumption Expenditures» and «Total Consumption Expenditures», had a negative trend in 2020. It outlines the non-economic nature of the crisis. The pandemic period is characterized by growth of inflation and changes of the money supply structure, such as a reduction of deposits in transaction accounts by half. The most vulnerable economic entity was the population, whose solvency decreased significantly. It led to the consumption and transactions reduction. It is underlined that in such conditions bank lending can be used to boost consumption, consumer demand, stimulate economic growth. The authors’ analysis demonstrates that the amounts of credit lines and utilisation were higher in 2020 during ongoing pandemic compared to the previous year. Loans to individuals remain the most significant in bank's credit portfolio, its share was 66 % at the end of 2020. At the same time, corporate loans grow faster during the crisis, which indicates businesses have higher demand for credit and use it as a crisis management tool. Contrary to the existing opinion on the negative impact of bank lending on inflation, the article proves that the increase of bank lending as part of fiscal and monetary policy measures has a positive impact on economic recovery during and after the crisis. The analysed Swiss experience can be used in Ukrainian realities.Присвячена аналізу впливу банківського кредитування на економіку під час пандемії COVID-19 на прикладі швейцарського досвіду. За результатами дослідження динаміки основних макроекономічних індикаторів (ВВП і його складових, рівня інфляції, показників грошової маси) до і під час коронакризи доведено, що вплив поточної кризи на економіку є сильнішим, аніж вплив фінансової кризи 2008—2009 рр. Зокрема виявлено різке падіння ВВП Швейцарії 2020 року, зниження обсягів експорту та імпорту. Складові ВВП, які були найбільш стабільними протягом останніх 12 років і не знижувалися під час фінансової кризи 2008—2009 рр., а саме «Споживчі витрати домогосподарств» і «Загальні споживчі витрати», показали спадну динаміку 2020 року, що підкреслює неекономічний характер кризи. Період пандемії охарактеризувався зростанням інфляції та зміною структури грошової маси, а саме зменшенням обсягів депозитів на поточних рахунках майже удвічі. Найбільш вразливим економічним суб’єктом виявилося населення, рівень платоспроможності якого значно знизився, що спричинило скорочення обсягів споживання і безготівкових розрахунків. Зростанню обсягів попиту і споживання, пожвавленню ділової активності, стимулюванню економічного зростання в умовах, що склалися, сприятиме активізація банківського кредитування. Проведений аналіз дозволив констатувати, що обсяги кредитування у Швейцарії протягом 2020 року були вищими порівняно з попереднім роком. Найбільш значущим у структурі кредитного портфеля банків залишається кредит для населення, частка якого становила 66 % на кінець 2020-го. Водночас же час корпоративний кредит характеризується швидшими темпами зростання з початку кризи, що свідчить про вищий попит на кредит з боку бізнесу та використання його у складі антикризового менеджменту. На противагу наявній думці щодо негативного впливу банківського кредитування на рівень інфляції доведено, що пожвавлення банківського кредитування у складі комплексу заходів фіскально-бюджетної та монетарної політики має позитивний вплив на відновлення економіки під час і після кризи. Проаналізований досвід Швейцарії може бути використаний в українських реаліях

The use of selected monochromatic X-rays to induce a cascade of gamma transitions from the 31-year nuclear isomer to the 4 second isomeric state of Hf-178

The Hf-178m2 nuclear spin isomer stores 2.45 MeV of energy for a half life of 31 years. Unperturbed, such nuclei radiate away the stored energy through the emission of gamma photons from electromagnetic (EM) transitions occurring within the nuclei. It has been shown that the irradiation of samples containing such nuclei with pulsed X-rays can accelerate the rate of the EM transitions by relaxing the selection rules upon changes of angular momenta. To date, most work has been done with incident X-ray energies between 9 and 10 keV, and in such cases the acceleration of the rate of gamma emission is immediate. Reported here is a channel for deexcitation excited by more energetic X-rays that results in a cascade of gamma transitions that includes a 4 second statistical time lag. This more protracted release of the energy stored in samples of the Hf-178m2 nuclear isomers encourages consideration of potential mechanical and thermal applications