Study of the Process of Alloying Steel By Nitrated Chromium

Experimental investigation of process of steel alloying by nitrated chromium was carried out. As raw material for metal-melt treatment, the steel containing 20.3% Cr; 11.2% Mn; 7.1% Ni; 1.46% Mo; 0.33% Si; and 0.05% C was used. As-cast samples of nitrated chromium (ФХH10 and ФХH20 grades) were used as alloying additives. The compositions of grades are 85.7% Cr; 8.0% N, and 73.9% Cr; 16.1% N, respectively. Experiments were carried out in high-temperature laboratory unit at 1500∘C. It was found that the degree of nitrogen transfer into steel reaches up to 84% at the application of as-cast specimen of nitrated chromium containing 8% of nitrogen and 1 min exposure time after addition to ferroalloy. Further high-temperature soaking of nitrated steel causes a dropdown of nitrogen concentration due to thermal dissociation of existed nitrogen-containing compounds in the melt and exhalation in gas phase. This prevents nitrogen transfer into the steel. It was demonstrated a possibility in principle of obtaining of chrome-manganese steel containing about 0.4–0.6% of nitrogen at melt alloying by nitrated chromium in air atmosphere at exposure time up to 15 min. Keywords: metallurgy, nitrogen, chromium, steel, digestion degree, physicochemical characteristic

Reduction of cardiac imaging tests during the COVID-19 pandemic: The case of Italy. Findings from the IAEA Non-invasive Cardiology Protocol Survey on COVID-19 (INCAPS COVID)

Background: In early 2020, COVID-19 massively hit Italy, earlier and harder than any other European country. This caused a series of strict containment measures, aimed at blocking the spread of the pandemic. Healthcare delivery was also affected when resources were diverted towards care of COVID-19 patients, including intensive care wards. Aim of the study: The aim is assessing the impact of COVID-19 on cardiac imaging in Italy, compare to the Rest of Europe (RoE) and the World (RoW). Methods: A global survey was conducted in May–June 2020 worldwide, through a questionnaire distributed online. The survey covered three periods: March and April 2020, and March 2019. Data from 52 Italian centres, a subset of the 909 participating centres from 108 countries, were analyzed. Results: In Italy, volumes decreased by 67% in March 2020, compared to March 2019, as opposed to a significantly lower decrease (p < 0.001) in RoE and RoW (41% and 40%, respectively). A further decrease from March 2020 to April 2020 summed up to 76% for the North, 77% for the Centre and 86% for the South. When compared to the RoE and RoW, this further decrease from March 2020 to April 2020 in Italy was significantly less (p = 0.005), most likely reflecting the earlier effects of the containment measures in Italy, taken earlier than anywhere else in the West. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic massively hit Italy and caused a disruption of healthcare services, including cardiac imaging studies. This raises concern about the medium- and long-term consequences for the high number of patients who were denied timely diagnoses and the subsequent lifesaving therapies and procedures