Nuclear and radiological

Infant powdered milk (i.e., infant formula) is a rich and convenient source of nutrients, substituting for human breast milk in many countries. Moreover, it is the basic foodstuff for the infants because of its mineral and protein content, which is essential for growth and development. However, there are still limited data on radioactivity levels in infant powdered milk around the world, including Malaysia, for radiological health risk assessment. Thus, it is important to assess the radioactivity levels and the associated dose in the widely consumed powered infant milk. As a result, activity concentrations of 226 Ra, 232 Th, 40 K, and 137 Cs were determined in 14 brands of powdered milk consumed by Malaysian infants, which are imported from various regions around the world. Mean activities of 226 Ra, 232 Th, 40 K, and 137 Cs were 3.05 – 1.84, 2.55 – 2.48, 99.1 – 69.5, and 0.27 – 0.19 Bq/kg, respectively. Among the analyzed milk samples, the brand from Philippines (Lactogen) showed low level of radioactivity, while a Singaporean brand (S26 SMA Gold) showed the highest. The artificial radionuclide, 137 Cs, is virtually not detected in most of the brands investigated. Estimated mean annual effective doses due to consumption of powdered milk were 635.13 and 111.45 lSv/year for infants £1 year and infants 1–2 years old, respectively. The obtained dose value is significantly higher (in case of infants £1 year old) and lower (in case of infants 1–2 years old) compared to the UNSCEAR reported value (290 lSv/year) for the general population. In general, values are lower than the FAO/WHO and ICRP recommended limit of 1.0 mSv/year for all ages.

Weapon-grade (or "bomb-grade") uranium or plutonium is any alloy or oxide compound that contains enough of certain isotopes of these elements to serve as the active ingredient in a nuclear weapon. Some civilian weapon-grade materials are tracked by international organizations, especially the United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM), to prevent diversion to bombs. The goal is to prevent nuclear proliferation, that is, the possession of nuclear weapons by unauthorized nations and/or groups.

Those states that already had nuclear weapons at the time of the treaty's creation—the U.S., United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China—are not subject to IAEA safeguards. Only four states—Cuba, India, Israel, and Pakistan—have not signed the NPT and are not part of any international safeguard system. Of these four, India and Pakistan have nuclear weapons and Israel is widely assumed to have a nuclear weapons.

The IAEA tracks weapon-grade materials (or, in the case of plutonium, dilute materials that could be refined to weapons grade) in non-military nuclear fuel cycles in states that are signatories to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) of 1968.

EURATOM safeguards civil plutonium and uranium in the European countries, including materials not covered by mandatory IAEA safeguards under the NPT (i.e., those in the UK and France). The IAEA and EURATOM cooperatively safeguard European materials to avoid redundancy.

Military nuclear materials are tracked only by the governments that own them. Because the tracking techniques employed internally by nuclear- weapons states vary from nation to nation and are always partly or wholly secret. (download to read more)

"PURPOSE:

To evaluate the accuracy of detecting cephalometric landmarks automatically by computer.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Digital image processing algorithms (edge-based and morphological) in addition to mathematical algorithms (knowledge-based) were used to develop a program for the identification of 15 lateral cephalometric landmarks on digital cephalograms.
RESULTS:

The automatic landmark identification system was clinically acceptable (p > 0.05 comparing with 2-mm error range) for five landmarks.
CONCLUSION:

The automatic landmark identification is accurate for only some landmarks. Additional studies may be necessary to improve this method."

A study on the “Determination of Gross Alpha and Beta activitity in Water” in Gombe metropolis was carried out. Nuclides are unstable elements that are spontaneously emitting nuclear radiation in an attempt to attain the nuclear structure of the stable elements. Humnan exposure to these radiation beyond certain limit can cause serious health problems. Radionuclides can be found in air, water and soil. This study investigated the gross alpha and beta activity in water from Gombe metropolitan. Gross alpha and beta activity is a measure of the total amount of natural radioactivity in a water sample attributable to the radioactive decay of alpha or beta particles emitted from natural decay series. The gross alpha and beta activity is used to create assurance on the level of nuclear contamination in water for drinking and other domestic use. The World Health Organization (WHO) standard for alpha and beta activity in water 100 Bqm-3 . The resuts obtained in this study varies between 0 – 0.045 Bqv/I and 0.659 – 11.580 Bq/I for alpha and beta radiation respectively. Comparison of these results with the WHO standards shows that the gross alpha and beta activity in the water in Gombe metropolitan is far beow WHO satndards. This indicates the safety of the water in the study area for drinking and other domestic applications.

The international community stresses the necessity to report discrepancies in security procedures and build an environment conducive for fostering security culture inside organizations that handle nuclear or radiological materials. In reality, however, there have been a number of instances where reports on nuclear security were not encouraged by organizations or were left without needed corrective actions. Such an attitude, where reports on security matters, instead of serving as an internal 'early warning signal' leading to enhancement of security, have been put aside or entered the public domain after external reporting, is to a great extent caused by a lack of knowledge on how to deal with them and what drives people to report. This article aims to study challenges and drivers for reporting in the nuclear and radiological sector. First, it discusses the meaning of whistle-blowing and reporting. Secondly, it demonstrates how reporting is encouraged by the international community through IAEA guidance and Nuclear Industry Summit statements. Then by using survey data received from 56 participants, the study examines factors influencing reporting. This analysis is supported by an overview of some real-life examples related to reporting or raising concerns about security procedures in organizations that handle nuclear or radiological materials.

Current studies on memory stress that images of the past are conveyed and sustained by multiple and conflicting experiences. In the case of radiation disaster, the process of remembering points to an intricate field of forces of secrecy, fear, responsibility, financial compensation, and health care monitoring programs. This paper focuses on the power dynamics of memory production in the aftermath of the 1987, Goiânia Radiological Disaster. I argue that survivors carry inside their bodies multiple memories that are not recorded by metric suffering. Consequently, a radiological disaster does not close when nuclear expert teams and governments declare it under control. Survivors' bodily memories tangle with the official disaster memory generating a "politics of remembrance" which must be recognized in human rights agendas as well as in health care monitoring programs.

In the early morning of January 24, 1978, the nuclear-powered Soviet satellite Cosmos 954 crashed on the barrens of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The crash dispersed radioactive debris across the region, including over multiple communities. A close reading of the archival record of the military-led clean up operation that followed, known as Operation Morning Light, shows how the debris recovery effort was shaped by government understandings of the northern environment as mediated through authoritative science and technology.

Radiology Case Reports is one of the exciting and interesting medical courses that makes the use of imaging to distinguish and treat diseases available in the body. Radiology represents a branch of medicine that deals with radiant energy in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. This field can be divided into two broad areas – diagnostic radiology and interventional radiology. A variety of imaging techniques such as X-ray radiography, ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), nuclear medicine including positron emission tomography (PET), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are used to diagnose and/or treat diseases. Interventional radiology is the performance of (usually minimally invasive) medical procedures with the guidance of imaging technologies. • Nuclear Radiology For more details on sessions of the conference and abstracts submission, PS: https:// clinicalcasereports.conferenceseries.com/call-for-abstracts.php

It is a common assumption that, in the event of a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) attack, a well-prepared and informed public is more likely to follow official recommendations regarding the appropriate safety measures to take. We present findings from a UK study investigating the ability of crisis communication to influence perceptions of risk and behavioral intentions in the general public in response to CBRN terrorism. We conducted a focus group study involving a scenario presented in mock news broadcasts to explore levels of public knowledge, information needs, and intended behavioral reactions to an attack involving an overt radiological dispersal device (RDD), or dirty bomb. We used the findings from these focus groups to design messages for the public that could be presented in a short leaflet. We then tested the effects of the leaflet on reactions to the same scenario in 8 further focus groups. The impact of the new messages on levels of knowledge, information needs, and intended compliance with official recommendations was assessed. The provision of information increased the perceived credibility of official messages and increased reported levels of intended compliance with advice to return to normal/stop sheltering, attend a facility for assessment and treatment, and return to a previously contaminated area after decontamination of the environment has taken place. Should a real attack with an RDD occur, having pretested messages available to address common concerns and information needs should facilitate the public health response to the attack