Associations between mortality and air pollution in central Europe.

Increased mortality has been observed in association with elevated concentrations of air pollutants in European cities and in the United States. We reassessed the effects of particulate matter in Central Europe. Mortality and air pollution data were obtained for a highly polluted region of the Czech Republic and a rural region in Germany. Poisson regression analyses were conducted considering trend, season, meteorology, and influenza epidemics as confounders in both a parametric and a nonparametric approach. The Czech Republic had a 3.8% increase in mortality [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.8-6.9%] in association with 100 microg/m(3) total suspended particles (TSP) (lagged 2 days) for the time period 1982-1994. During the last 2 years of study, 68% of the TSP consisted of particulate matter [less than/equal to] 10 microm in aerodynamic diameter (PM(10)). An increase of 100 microg/m(3) TSP (lagged 1 day) was associated with a 9.5% increase in mortality (CI, 1.2-18.5%) and 100 microg/m(3) PM(10 )(lagged 1 day) showed a 9.8% increase in mortality (CI, 0.7-19.7%). We found no evidence for an association between mortality and particulate matter in the rural area in Germany at the Czech border. Data from the coal basin in the Czech Republic suggested an increase in mortality associated with the concentration of particulate matter in a highly polluted setting in Central Europe that is consistent with the associations observed in other western European cities and in the United States

Annealing and Re-embrittlement of Reactor Pressure Vessel Materials - State of the Art Report

Annealing of a reactor pressure vessel embrittled by neutron irradiation constitutes the only known technique to restore the initial material properties, to an extent that depends on the annealing conditions and on the materials. This technique is used in WWER-440 type reactor pressure vessels. A very important related issue is the one of re-embrittlement behaviour of the material after the annealing. In this respect, there is an obvious link with radiation embrittlement understanding. This report compiles the vast amount of information on annealing and re-embrittlement, which is available in the European countries where such annealing operations have been performed. In addition this topic was also investigated in various TACIS-PHARE projects, and the conclusions are included here as well. To complete the state-of-the-art, the results from a number of annealing experiments carried out in US on Western type RPV steels have also been considered.JRC.F.4-Nuclear design safet

Plasmonic Hepatitis B Biosensor for the Analysis of Clinical Saliva

A biosensor for the detection of hepatitis B antibodies in clinical saliva was developed. Compared to conventional analysis of blood serum, it offers the advantage of noninvasive collection of samples. Detection of biomarkers in saliva imposes two major challenges associated with the low analyte concentration and increased surface fouling. The detection of minute amounts of hepatitis B antibodies was performed by plasmonically amplified fluorescence sandwich immunoassay. To have access to specific detection, we prevented the nonspecific adsorption of biomolecules present in saliva by brushes of poly[(N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide)-co-(carboxybetaine methacrylamide)] grafted from the gold sensor surface and post modified with hepatitis B surface antigen. Obtained results were validated against the response measured with ELISA at a certified laboratory using serum from the same patients. © 201

Plasmonic Hepatitis B Biosensor for the Analysis of Clinical Saliva

A biosensor for the detection of hepatitis B antibodies in clinical saliva was developed. Compared to conventional analysis of blood serum, it offers the advantage of noninvasive collection of samples. Detection of biomarkers in saliva imposes two major challenges associated with the low analyte concentration and increased surface fouling. The detection of minute amounts of hepatitis B antibodies was performed by plasmonically amplified fluorescence sandwich immunoassay. To have access to specific detection, we prevented the nonspecific adsorption of biomolecules present in saliva by brushes of poly[(N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide)-co-(carboxybetaine methacrylamide)] grafted from the gold sensor surface and post modified with hepatitis B surface antigen. Obtained results were validated against the response measured with ELISA at a certified laboratory using serum from the same patients. © 201

Integrated Surveillance Specimen Program for WWER-1000/V-320 Reactor Pressure Vessels

Surveillance specimen programs play an important role in reactor pressure vessel lifetime assessment as they should monitor changes in pressure vessel materials, mainly their irradiation embrittlement. Standard surveillance programs in WWER-1000/V-320 reactor pressure vessels have some deficiencies resulting from their design – nonuniformity of neutron field and even within individual specimen sets, large gradient in neutron flux between specimens and containers, lack of neutron monitors in most of containers and no suitable temperature monitors. Moreover, location of surveillance specimens does not assure similar conditions as the beltline region of reactor pressure vessels. Thus, Modified surveillance program for WWER-1000/V-320С type reactors was designed and realized in two units of NPP Temelin, Czech Republic. In this program, large flat type containers are located on inner wall of reactor pressure vessel in the beltline region that assures their practically identical irradiation conditions with critical vessel materials. These containers with inner dimensions of 210x300 mm have two layers of specimens; using inserts (10x10x14 mm) instead of fully Charpy size specimens allows irradiation of materials from several pressure vessels at once in one container. This design advantage has been used for the creation of the Integrated Surveillance Program for several WWER-1000 units – Temelin 1 + 2, Belene (Bulgaria), Rovno 3 + 4, Khmelnick 2, Zaporozhie 6 (Ukraine) and Kalinin 3 (Russia). Irradiation of these archive materials together with the IAEA reference steel JRQ (of ASTM A 533-B type) and reference steel VVER-1000 will allow to compare irradiation embrittlement of these materials and to obtain more reliable and objective results as no reliable predictive formulae exist up to no due to a higher content of nickel in welds. Irradiation of specimens from cladding region will help in the evaluation of resistance of pressure vessels against PTS regimes.Програми для зразків-свідків відіграють незамінну роль при оцінці тривалості эксплуатації корпуса високого тиску реактора (КР), тому що вони повинні контролювати зміни в матеріалах КР, в основному їх радіаційне окрихчення. Стандартні програми для корпусів високого тиску реактора ВВЭР-1000/V-320 мають деякі недоліки, причиною яких є їхня конструкція – неоднорідність нейтронного поля навіть усередині окремих наборів зразків, великий градієнт нейтронного потоку між зразками й контейнерами, відсутність нейтронних моніторів у більшій частині контейнерів, а також відповідних температурних моніторів. Крім того, розташування зразків-свідків не гарантує умов, що відповідають умовам опромінення центральної обечайки КР. Модифікована програма для реакторів типу ВВЭР-1000/V-320С була розроблена й реалізована у двох блоках АЕС Темі-Лин, Чехія. По цій програмі більші плоскі контейнери розташовуються на внутрішній стінці КР у зоні центральної обечайки, що забезпечує практично ідентичні умови опромінення із критичними корпусними матеріалами. Такі контейнери внутрішніми розмірами 210х300 мм мають два шари зразків; використання вкладишів (10х10х14 мм) замість півнорозмірних зразків Шарпи дає можливість опромінювати матеріали декількох корпусів одночасно в одному контейнері. Ця перевага конструкції використовувалася при створенні Комплексної Програми для декількох блоків ВВЕР-1000 – Темелин 1 + 2, Белене (Болгарія), Рівне 3 + 4, Хмільник 2, Запоріжжя 6 (Україна) і Калінін 3 (Росія). Опромінення цих архівних матеріалів разом з еталонними сталями JRQ МАГАТЕ (типу ASTM А 533- В) і еталонною сталлю ВВЕР-1000 дозволить зрівняти радіаційне охрихчування даних матеріалів і одержати більш надійні й об'єктивні результати, тому що дотепер не існує достовірних прогнозованих формул при найбільш високому змісті нікелю у зварених з'єднаннях. Опромінення зразків із зони оболонки допоможе при оцінці опору корпуса тиску режимам PTS.Программы для образцов-свидетелей играют незаменимую роль при оценке продолжительности эксплуатации корпуса высокого давления реактора (КР), так как они должны контролировать изменения в материалах КР, в основном их радиационное охрупчивание. Стандартные программы для корпусов высокого давления реактора ВВЭР-1000/V-320 имеют некоторые недостатки, причиной которых является их конструкция – неоднородность нейтронного поля даже внутри отдельных наборов образцов, большой градиент нейтронного потока между образцами и контейнерами, отсутствие нейтронных мониторов в большей части контейнеров, а также соответствующих температурных мониторов. Кроме того, расположение образцов-свидетелей не гарантирует условий, соответствующих условиям облучения центральной обечайки КР. Модифицированная программа для реакторов типа ВВЭР-1000/V-320C была разработана и реализована в двух блоках АЭС Темелин, Чехия. По этой программе большие плоские контейнеры располагаются на внутренней стенке КР в зоне центральной обечайки, что обеспечивает практически идентичные условия облучения с критичными корпусными материалами. Такие контейнеры с внутренними размерами 210х300 мм имеют два слоя образцов; использование вкладышей (10х10х14 мм) вместо полноразмерных образцов Шарпи даёт возможность облучать материалы нескольких корпусов одновременно в одном контейнере. Это преимущество конструкции использовалось при создании Комплексной Программы для нескольких блоков ВВЭР-1000 – Темелин 1 + 2, Белене (Болгария), Ровно 3 + 4, Хмельник 2, Запорожье 6 (Украина) и Калинин 3 (Россия). Облучение этих архивных материалов вместе с эталонными сталями JRQ МАГАТЭ (типа ASTM А 533-В) и ВВЭР-1000 позволит сравнить радиационное охрупчивание данных материалов и получить более надёжные и объективные результаты, так как до сих пор не существует достоверных прогнозируемых формул при наиболее высоком содержании никеля в сварных соединениях. Облучение образцов из зоны оболочки поможет при оценке сопротивления корпуса давления режимам PTS

Tunable magnetic exchange interactions in manganese-doped inverted core/shell ZnSe/CdSe nanocrystals

Magnetic doping of semiconductor nanostructures is actively pursued for applications in magnetic memory and spin-based electronics. Central to these efforts is a drive to control the interaction strength between carriers (electrons and holes) and the embedded magnetic atoms. In this respect, colloidal nanocrystal heterostructures provide great flexibility via growth-controlled `engineering' of electron and hole wavefunctions within individual nanocrystals. Here we demonstrate a widely tunable magnetic sp-d exchange interaction between electron-hole excitations (excitons) and paramagnetic manganese ions using `inverted' core-shell nanocrystals composed of Mn-doped ZnSe cores overcoated with undoped shells of narrower-gap CdSe. Magnetic circular dichroism studies reveal giant Zeeman spin splittings of the band-edge exciton that, surprisingly, are tunable in both magnitude and sign. Effective exciton g-factors are controllably tuned from -200 to +30 solely by increasing the CdSe shell thickness, demonstrating that strong quantum confinement and wavefunction engineering in heterostructured nanocrystal materials can be utilized to manipulate carrier-Mn wavefunction overlap and the sp-d exchange parameters themselves.Comment: To appear in Nature Materials; 18 pages, 4 figures + Supp. Inf

Vascular Response on a Novel Fibrin-Based Coated Flow Diverter

Purpose Due to thromboembolic complications and in-stent-stenosis after flow diverter (FD) treatment, the long-term use of dual antiplatelet treatment (DAPT) is mandatory. The tested nano-coating has been shown to reduce material thrombogenicity and promote endothelial cell proliferation in vitro. We compared the biocompatibility of coated (Derivo Heal) and non-coated (Derivo bare) FDs with DAPT in an animal model. Methods Derivo® bare (n = 10) and Derivo® Heal (n = 10) FD were implanted in the common carotid arteries (CCAs) of New Zealand white rabbits. One additional FD, alternately a Derivo bare (n = 5) or Derivo Heal (n = 5), was implanted in the abdominal aorta (AA) for assessment of the patency of branch arteries. Histopathological examinations were performed after 28 days. Angiography was performed before and after FD implantation and at follow-up. Results Statistical analysis of the included specimens showed complete endothelialization of all FDs with no significant differences in neointima thickness between Derivo® bare and Derivo® Heal (CCA: p = 0.91; AA: p = 0.59). A significantly reduced number of macrophages in the vessel wall of the Derivo Heal was observed for the CCA (p = 0.02), and significantly reduced fibrin and platelet deposition on the surface of the Derivo Heal was observed for the AA. All branch arteries of the stented aorta remained patent. Conclusion In this animal model, the novel fibrin-based coated FD showed a similar blood and tissue compatibility as the non-coated FD