Influence of COVID-19 confinement on the size of malignant skin tumours surgically removed at a Spanish hospital.

The COVID-19 pandemic required people to confine themselves to their homes where possible, and disrupted normal hospital activities. We examine whether this lockdown generated changes in the size of the tumours. We compared the dimensions of the surgically removed malignant skin tumours from the first 150 patients treated after the confinement ended in Spain (22 May 2020) with those of the last 150 patients to receive such treatment before the confinement began (13 March 2020). Data on tumour surface area were collected from pathology reports. Overall, no significant difference was seen in the tumour sizes. However, among men, the tumours removed after confinement were significantly larger (P < 0.05). Controversy exists over how the reduction in the number of tumours diagnosed during lockdowns might have influenced the characteristics of tumours. In this study, no overall difference was seen in the size of the tumours removed, although those removed from men after confinement were larger.

Hemorragia intraparenquimatosa relacionada con embolismo venoso secundario a isquemia mesentérica / Intraparenchymal hemorrhage related to cerebral venous air embolism secondary to mesenteric ischemia

Introducción: La presencia de aire en estructuras vasculares cerebrales puede condicionar una sintomatología neurológica y una importante morbilidad. Suele producirse como consecuencia de procedimientos terapéuticos invasivos y es muy infrecuente que el desencadenante sea otro. Caso clínico: Mujer de 76 años con antecedente de fibrilación auricular anticoagulada con acenocumarol. Acudió a urgencias por dolor abdominal de inicio brusco, vómitos y diarrea. Tras iniciar tratamiento sintomático y evidenciar analíticamente infradosificación del anticoagulante, presentó bruscamente focalidad neurológica. La tomografía computarizada craneal evidenció una hemorragia intraparenquimatosa aguda. Se trasladó a la paciente a la unidad de ictus del hospital de referencia. En cuestión de unas horas, presentó inestabilidad hemodinámica por shock séptico de causa abdominal. La tomografía computarizada abdominal evidenció extensa neumatosis intestinal y una interrupción al paso de contraste subsidiario de una isquemia mesentérica. Se intentó una trombectomía mecánica para embolizar el trombo a un nivel más distal, pero la paciente falleció. Conclusiones: La isquemia mesentérica puede causar una importante neumatosis intestinal, que, por un mecanismo retrógrado a través del sistema portal, consiga la llegada de burbujas de aire al sistema venoso cerebral, causando un ictus agudo.(AU)

Introduction: The presence of air in vascular structures of the brain can lead to neurological symptoms and significant morbidity. It usually occurs as a consequence of invasive therapeutic procedures and is very rarely triggered by any other cause. Case report: We report the case of a 76-year-old woman with a history of atrial fibrillation anticoagulated with acenocoumarol who visited the Emergency department because of sudden-onset abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. After starting symptomatic treatment and finding analytical evidence of underdosing of the anticoagulant, she suddenly presented with neurological focus. A cranial computed tomography scan revealed an acute intraparenchymal haemorrhage. The patient was transferred to the stroke unit of the referral hospital. Within a few hours, she developed haemodynamic instability due to a septic shock that had its origin in the abdomen. A computed tomography scan of the abdomen evidenced extensive pneumatosis intestinalis and an obstruction of contrast indicating mesenteric ischaemia. A mechanical thrombectomy was performed in an attempt to embolise the thrombus at a more distal level, but the patient died. Conclusions: Mesenteric ischaemia can cause significant pneumatosis intestinalis, which, by a retrograde mechanism through the portal system, can cause air bubbles to reach the cerebral venous system, leading to acute stroke.(AU)

Ultralow magnetostrictive flexible ferromagnetic nanowires.

The integration of magneto-electric and spintronic sensors to flexible electronics presents a huge potential for advancing flexible and wearable technologies. Magnetic nanowires are core components for building such devices. Therefore, realizing flexible magnetic nanowires with engineered magneto-elastic properties is key to flexible spintronic circuits, as well as creating unique pathways to explore complex flexible spintronic, magnonic, and magneto-plasmonic devices. Here, we demonstrate highly resilient flexible ferromagnetic nanowires on transparent flexible substrates for the first time. Through extensive magneto-optical Kerr experiments, exploring the Villari effect, we reveal an ultralow magnetostrictive constant in nanowires, a two-order reduced value compared to bulk values. In addition, the flexible magnetic nanowires exhibit remarkable resilience sustaining bending radii ∼5 mm, high endurance, and enhanced elastic limit compared to thin films of similar thickness and composition. The observed performance is corroborated by our micro-magnetic simulations and can be attributed to the reduced size and strong nanostructure-interfacial effects. Such stable magnetic nanowires with ultralow magnetostriction open up new opportunities for stable surface mountable and wearable spintronic sensors, advanced nanospintronic circuits, and for exploring novel strain-induced quantum effects in hybrid devices.

[Intraparenchymal hemorrhage related to cerebral venous air embolism secondary to mesenteric ischemia]. / Hemorragia intraparenquimatosa relacionada con embolismo venoso secundario a isquemia mesentérica.

INTRODUCTION: The presence of air in vascular structures of the brain can lead to neurological symptoms and significant morbidity. It usually occurs as a consequence of invasive therapeutic procedures and is very rarely triggered by any other cause. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 76-year-old woman with a history of atrial fibrillation anticoagulated with acenocoumarol who visited the Emergency department because of sudden-onset abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. After starting symptomatic treatment and finding analytical evidence of underdosing of the anticoagulant, she suddenly presented with neurological focus. A cranial computed tomography scan revealed an acute intraparenchymal haemorrhage. The patient was transferred to the stroke unit of the referral hospital. Within a few hours, she developed haemodynamic instability due to a septic shock that had its origin in the abdomen. A computed tomography scan of the abdomen evidenced extensive pneumatosis intestinalis and an obstruction of contrast indicating mesenteric ischaemia. A mechanical thrombectomy was performed in an attempt to embolise the thrombus at a more distal level, but the patient died. CONCLUSIONS: Mesenteric ischaemia can cause significant pneumatosis intestinalis, which, by a retrograde mechanism through the portal system, can cause air bubbles to reach the cerebral venous system, leading to acute stroke.

TITLE: Hemorragia intraparenquimatosa relacionada con embolismo venoso secundario a isquemia mesentérica.Introducción. La presencia de aire en estructuras vasculares cerebrales puede condicionar una sintomatología neurológica y una importante morbilidad. Suele producirse como consecuencia de procedimientos terapéuticos invasivos y es muy infrecuente que el desencadenante sea otro. Caso clínico. Mujer de 76 años con antecedente de fibrilación auricular anticoagulada con acenocumarol. Acudió a urgencias por dolor abdominal de inicio brusco, vómitos y diarrea. Tras iniciar tratamiento sintomático y evidenciar analíticamente infradosificación del anticoagulante, presentó bruscamente focalidad neurológica. La tomografía computarizada craneal evidenció una hemorragia intraparenquimatosa aguda. Se trasladó a la paciente a la unidad de ictus del hospital de referencia. En cuestión de unas horas, presentó inestabilidad hemodinámica por shock séptico de causa abdominal. La tomografía computarizada abdominal evidenció extensa neumatosis intestinal y una interrupción al paso de contraste subsidiario de una isquemia mesentérica. Se intentó una trombectomía mecánica para embolizar el trombo a un nivel más distal, pero la paciente falleció. Conclusiones. La isquemia mesentérica puede causar una importante neumatosis intestinal, que, por un mecanismo retrógrado a través del sistema portal, consiga la llegada de burbujas de aire al sistema venoso cerebral, causando un ictus agudo.

Colorectal cribriform comedo-type adenocarcinoma: a distinct subtype with poor prognosis?

Colorectal cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the world. It is a heterogeneous disease with several histologic subtypes, and some of them are associated with adverse prognostic factors. Cribriform comedo-type adenocarcinoma (CCA) has been included as a colorectal adenocarcinoma subtype in the last World Health Organization (WHO) classification of gastrointestinal system tumors. Some authors have linked this subtype to an adverse prognosis, but to the best of our knowledge there is only one previous report assessing its histologic and prognostic features. We herein review a series of CCA of the colon, emphasizing its clinical and morphological features.

Two-Dimensional Flexible High Diffusive Spin Circuits.

Owing to their unprecedented electronic properties, graphene and two-dimensional (2D) crystals have brought fresh opportunities for advances in planar spintronic devices. Graphene is an ideal medium for spin transport while being an exceptionally resilient material for flexible nanoelectronics. However, these extraordinary traits have never been combined to create flexible graphene spin circuits. Realizing such circuits could lead to bendable strain-spin sensors, as well as a unique platform to explore pure spin current based operations and low-power 2D flexible nanoelectronics. Here, we demonstrate graphene spin circuits on flexible substrates for the first time. Despite the rough topography of the flexible substrates, these circuits prepared with chemical vapor deposited monolayer graphene reveal an efficient room temperature spin transport with distinctively large spin diffusion coefficients ∼0.2 m2 s-1. Compared to earlier graphene devices on Si/SiO2 substrates, such values are up to 20 times larger, leading to one order higher spin signals and an enhanced spin diffusion length ∼10 µm in graphene-based nonlocal spin valves fabricated using industry standard systems. This high performance arising out of a characteristic substrate terrain shows promise of a scalable and flexible platform towards flexible 2D spintronics. Our innovation is a key step for the exploration of strain-dependent 2D spin phenomena and paves the way for flexible graphene spin memory-logic units and planar spin sensors.

Renal Transplantation in Second-Level Private Hospitals in the State of Mexico.

BACKGROUND: Kidney transplantation (KT) is the replacement therapy of choice in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Here we show a cohort of kidney transplant recipients from the period of May 1994 to May 2016 in 2 2nd-level private hospitals from the city of Toluca in the state of Mexico. METHODS: We checked the clinical files of all the patients that received KT in the period of study. RESULTS: We report 25 KT: 23 performed in Sanatorio Toluca and 2 in Sanatorio Florencia; 16 (64%) male and 9 (26%) female; mean age 36.03 ± 15.9 years (range, 10-66); 19 (76%) hemodialysis and 9 (24%) continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis before KT; ESRD etiology unknown in 16 (64%), diabetes in 5 (20%), IgA nephropathy in 2 (8%), and other in 2 (8%); living donors in 13 (52%) and deceased donors in 12 (48%); blood group 0+ in 18 (72%), A+ in 5 (20%), and B+ in 2 (8%); 21 (84%) with 0 and 4 (16%) with 1 HLA mismatch; and delayed graft function in 8 (32%), of which 7 were from deceased donors and 1 from a living donor. All 25 (100%) had a functional kidney at 1 year of follow-up. Immunosuppression regime consisted of multitarget maintenance therapy in all 25 (100%): cyclosporine in 18 (72%) and tacrolimus in 7 (28%). We used only methylprednisolone (MTP) as induction therapy. There were only 2 cases (8%) of acute rejection during the 1st 6 months of follow-up, and both responded to treatment with MTP. CONCLUSIONS: KT is the treatment of choice for patients with ESRD. The obtained results using only an MTP induction regime are satisfactory, with graft and patient survivals of 100% in the 1st year of follow-up.

Evaluation of a Novel Single-Tube Method for Extended Genotyping of Human Papillomavirus.

The use of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) testing for surveillance and clinical applications is increasing globally, and it is important that tests are evaluated to ensure they are fit for this purpose. In this study, the performance of a new HPV genotyping test, the Papilloplex high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) test, was compared to two well-established genotyping tests. Preliminary clinical performance was also ascertained for the detection of CIN2+ in a disease-enriched retrospective cohort. A panel of 500 cervical liquid-based cytology samples with known clinical outcomes were tested by the Papilloplex HR-HPV test. Analytical concordance was compared to two assays: a Linear Array (LA) HPV genotyping test and an Optiplex HPV genotyping test. The initial clinical performance for the detection for CIN2+ samples was performed and compared to that of two clinically validated HPV tests: a RealTime High-Risk HPV test (RealTime) and a Hybrid Capture 2 HPV test (HC2). High agreement for HR-HPV was observed between the Papilloplex and LA and Optiplex HPV tests (97 and 95%, respectively), with kappa values for HPV16 and HPV18 being 0.90 and 0.81 compared to the LA and 0.70 and 0.82 compared to the Optiplex test. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the Papilloplex test for the detection of CIN2+ were 92, 54, 33, and 96%, respectively, and very similar to the values observed with RealTime and HC2. The Papilloplex HR-HPV test demonstrated a analytical performance similar to those of the two HPV genotyping tests at the HR-HPV level and the type-specific level. The preliminary data on clinical performance look encouraging, although further longitudinal studies within screening populations are required to confirm these findings.

Systematic influences on the areas of peaks in gamma-ray spectra that have a large statistical uncertainty.

A method is presented for calculating the expected number of counts in peaks that have a large relative peak-area uncertainty and appear in measured gamma-ray spectra. The method was applied to calculations of the correction factors for peaks occurring in the spectra of radon daughters. It was shown that the factors used for correcting the calculated peak areas to their expected values decrease with an increasing relative peak-area uncertainty. The accuracy of taking the systematic influence inducing the correction factors into account is given by the dispersion of the correction factors corresponding to specific peaks. It was shown that the highest accuracy is obtained in the peak analyses with the GammaVision and Gamma-W software.

Influence of long-range atmospheric transport pathways and climate teleconnection patterns on the variability of surface 210Pb and 7Be concentrations in southwestern Europe.

The variability of the atmospheric concentration of the 7Be and 210Pb radionuclides is strongly linked to the origin of air masses, the strength of their sources and the processes of wet and dry deposition. It has been shown how these processes and their variability are strongly affected by climate change. Thus, a deeper knowledge of the relationship between the atmospheric radionuclides variability measured close to the ground and these atmospheric processes could help in the analysis of climate scenarios. In the present study, we analyze the atmospheric variability of a 14-year time series of 7Be and 210Pb in a Mediterranean coastal city using a synergy of different indicators and tools such as: the local meteorological conditions, global and regional climate indexes and a lagrangian atmospheric transport model. We particularly focus on the relationships between the main pathways of air masses and sun spots occurrence, the variability of the local relative humidity and temperature conditions, and the main modes of regional climate variability, such as the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the Western Mediterranean Oscillation (WeMO). The variability of the observed atmospheric concentrations of both 7Be and 210Pb radionuclides was found to be mainly positively associated to the local climate conditions of temperature and to the pathways of air masses arriving at the station. Measured radionuclide concentrations significantly increase when air masses travel at low tropospheric levels from central Europe and the western part of the Iberian Peninsula, while low concentrations are associated with westerly air masses. We found a significant negative correlation between the WeMO index and the atmospheric variability of both radionuclides and no significant association was observed for the NAO index.

Dysexecutive syndrome in amnesic mild cognitive impairment: a multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Executive functions (EF) in Alzheimer's disease (AD), classically related to the prefrontal cortex, have been forgotten in mild stages, given more importance to temporal lobe associated disorders, such as memory. The study of disexecutive syndrome (DS) has been relegated to advanced stages of the disease. Our goal is to demonstrate that EF are already present in amnesic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). Furthermore, we are interested in knowing whether poor scores in EF tests are related to the progression to AD or another kind of dementia. METHODS: We studied patients with aMCI (n = 81) and healthy controls (n = 142) from neurological departments of several centers of Basque Country with a cross-sectional design. Patients underwent a complete neuropsychological evaluation, neuroimaging testing APOE genotype and 3 year of prospective follow-up. RESULTS: In the first visit, patients with aMCI showed more alterations in tests that evaluate EF such as Stroop, trail-making and categorical verbal fluency. More alterations were also found in NPI scale (P <0.05). Stroop and Trail-Making test were not associated with the future development of AD, but fluency (p = 0.01) and apathy (p = 0.031) did. No patient developed a different kind of dementia different from AD. CONCLUSIONS: DS is a broad concept not confined to frontal lobes, and can be found in early stages of aMCI. DS impacts negatively on patient autonomy and may have prognostic value.

Selection of the appropriate radionuclide source for the efficiency calibration in methods of determining gross alpha activity in water.

Measuring the gross alpha activity in water samples is a rapid, straightforward way of determining whether the water might contain a radionuclide concentration whose consumption would imply a total indicative dose (TID) greater than some reference limit - currently set at 0.1 mSv/y in Europe. There are several methods used for such measurements. Two of them are desiccation with the salts being deposited on a planchet, and coprecipitation. The main advantage of these two methods is their ease of implementation and low cost of preparing the source to measure. However, there is considerable variability in the selection of the most suitable radioactive reference standard against which to calculate the water's gross alpha activity. The goal of this paper is to propose the most appropriate reference radionuclides to use as standards in determining gross alpha activities with these two methods, taking into account the natural radioactive characteristics of a wide range of waters collected at different points in Spain. Thus, the results will be consistent with each other and representative of the sum of alpha activities of all the alpha-emitters contained in a sample.

Comparison of different sampling methods for the determination of low-level radionuclides in air.

The aim of this work is to check the consistency of results given by different air dust samplers (flow-rates between 2 and 700m(3)/h) and measurement protocols at a single location. The study is focussed on (210)Pb since is the only nuclide that can be easily assessed through all the studied sampler types. Results from high- and mid-volume samplers agreed well to within the associated uncertainties. Gross beta activity from low-volume samplers can be used as a good indicator of the evolution of (210)Pb concentration in air.

Endothelium-Mediated Action of Analogues of the Endogenous Neuropeptide Kyotorphin (Tyrosil-Arginine): Mechanistic Insights from Permeation and Effects on Microcirculation

Kyotorphin (KTP) is an endogenous peptide with analgesic properties when administered into the central nervous system (CNS). Its amidated form (L-Tyr-L-Arg-NH2; KTP-NH2) has improved analgesic efficacy after systemic administration, suggesting blood-brain barrier (BBB) crossing. KTP-NH2 also has anti-inflammatory action impacting on microcirculation. In this work, selected derivatives of KTP-NH2 were synthesized to improve lipophilicity and resistance to enzymatic degradation while introducing only minor changes in the chemical structure: N-terminal methylation and/or use of D amino acid residues. Intravital microscopy data show that KTP-NH2 having a D-Tyr residue, KTP-NH2-DL, efficiently decreases the number of leukocyte rolling in a murine model of inflammation induced by bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS): down to 46% after 30 min with 96 mu M KTP-NH2-DL. The same molecule has lower ability to permeate membranes (relative permeability of 0.38) and no significant activity in a behavioral test which evaluates thermal nociception (hot-plate test). On the contrary, methylated isomers at 96 mu M increase leukocyte rolling up to nearly 5-fold after 30 min, suggesting a proinflammatory activity. They have maximal ability to permeate membranes (relative permeability of 0.8) and induce long-lasting antinociception

[Validation of an in-house method for the determination of zinc in serum: Meeting the requirements of ISO 17025]. / Propuesta de un procedimiento de validación de un método para la determinación de cinc sérico: cumplimiento de los requisitos de la ISO 17025.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this report is to propose a scheme for validation of an analytical technique according to ISO 17025. MATERIAL AND METHODS: According to ISO 17025, the fundamental parameters tested were: selectivity, calibration model, precision, accuracy, uncertainty of measurement, and analytical interference. RESULTS: A protocol has been developed that has been applied successfully to quantify zinc in serum by atomic absorption spectrometry. CONCLUSION: It is demonstrated that our method is selective, linear, accurate, and precise, making it suitable for use in routine diagnostics.

The JAK2 46/1 haplotype does not predispose to CALR-mutated myeloproliferative neoplasms.

Somatic mutations in the CALR gene were recently discovered in a substantial proportion of Philadelphia-negative chronic myeloproliferative neoplasm (cMPN) patients lacking JAK2 and MPL mutations. Somatically acquired defects are not the only pathogenic mechanism involved in these disorders. Since germline JAK2 46/1 haplotype predisposes to cMPN-associated mutations, including JAK2V617F and MPLW515K7L, we evaluated whether the 46/1 haplotype also confers susceptibility to CALR-mutated cMPN, both in sporadic and familial cases. The single-nucleotide polymorphism rs10974944, which tags 46/1, was investigated in 155 sporadic MPN patients and 270 unrelated controls, as well as in 11 familial cMPN cases and 36 unaffected relative controls. As described elsewhere, the 46/1 haplotype was overrepresented, both in sporadic and familial cMPN. In sporadic cMPN, the JAK2 46/1 haplotype was closely associated with JAK2V617F (p = 0.0003) but not with JAK2-nonmutated cases. Analysis of CALR-mutated sporadic cMPN (n = 22) showed no association between CALR mutations and 46/1 haplotype (p = 0.87). Regarding the familial cMPN, the prevalence of carriers of the G allele was higher in familial (81.8%) than in sporadic (62%) cMPN, but it did not differ significantly (p = 0.3). Although we described a family with carriers of both JAK2V617F and CALR mutations, due to the low number of CALR-mutated familial cases, we could not determinate whether the JAK2 46/1 haplotype predisposes or does not to CALR-mutated familial cMPN. We conclude, for the first time, that the 46/1 haplotype, unlike JAK2V617F and MPLW515K7L, is not associated with CALR-mutated cMPN.

Role of morphology in the performance of LiFe0.5Mn1.5O4 spinel cathodes for lithium-ion batteries.

Spinel oxides with composition LiMn2-xMxO4 (M, a transition metal) are intensively studied due to their remarkable electrochemical properties. This study deals with cathode materials based on the lithium iron manganese oxide LiFe0.5Mn1.5O4 synthesized by different methods (sol-gel, in solution and hydrothermal) in order to obtain samples with various morphologies. SEM results show microspheres, composed of nanosized/submicrometer-sized subunits, microrods with a less porous surface, and finally nanoparticles that form micro-sized aggregates. The samples obtained by both solution and hydrothermal methods provided the best electrochemical behavior. In all cases, the coulombic efficiency is around 90%, and it remains constant during the tested cycles. Specific capacities remain stable between 95% and 98% of capacity retention after series of cycles in samples formed by microspheres or micro-size aggregates. These values are notably higher than those obtained for the samples with particles of heterogeneous size (49%). A LiMn1.5Fe0.5O4/Li2MnO3 composite has been prepared by the solvothermal technique in order to increase its capacity and energy density. These cells show a good cyclability at different current densities. All cells based on these LiFe0.5Mn1.5O4 cathodes recover their discharge capacity when the current density returns to C/10.

[Antenatal corticosteroid therapy and late preterm infant morbidity and mortality]. / Corticoterapia prenatal y morbimortalidad del prematuro tardío: estudio prospectivo.

INTRODUCTION: Late preterm infants (34-36 weeks gestation) have a morbidity rate significantly higher than those born at term. However, few interventions have been undertaken to reduce this increased morbidity and mortality. Antenatal corticosteroid administration could be an effective preventive measure. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe the morbidity associated with late prematurity in our institution, and determine if there are differences between those who received antenatal corticosteroids. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective observational study was conducted on late preterm infants born in a tertiary hospital from October 2011 until September 2012. Two groups were formed according to whether or not they had received antenatal steroids. The rates of morbidity and mortality for each of the groups were analysed and compared. RESULTS: There was a total of 4127 live newborns during the study period, of whom 3795 were term and 332 were preterm (the overall prematurity rate was 8.04%). There were 247 late preterm deliveries, representing 6% of live born infants, and 74.4% of all premature infants. Of late preterm infants, 63.2% were admitted to the Neonatal Unit and 29.6% had received antenatal steroids. The incidence of admission to the Neonatal Unit and Neonatal Intensive Care, transient tachypnea, need for respiratory support in the form of continuous positive pressure airway and oxygen therapy, incidence of hypoglycemia, feeding difficulty, and jaundice requiring phototherapy were significantly higher (P<.05) in the late preterm group that did not receive antenatal steroids. CONCLUSIONS: Our finding suggests that the administration of antenatal corticosteroids to patients at risk of 34-36 weeks delivery could significantly reduce the cost and acute morbidity associated with late preterm birth.

Validation of aerosol low-level activities by comparison with a deep underground laboratory.

The activities on air filters of the radionuclides (40)K and (137)Cs were measured in an above ground laboratory and compared with the activities measured in an underground laboratory. The average relative differences were lower than 20% for (137)Cs and (40)K. The temporal series of these radionuclides in the period 2006-2010 are also presented. These results form the baseline of these radionuclides in the studied period, and are particularly interesting because they correspond to the radioactive background in Barcelona before the Fukushima accident.

Coincidence summing corrections for volume samples using the PENELOPE/penEasy Monte Carlo code.

The coincidence summing correction factors estimated with penEasy, a steering program for the Monte Carlo simulation code PENELOPE, and with penEasy-eXtended, an in-house modified version of penEasy, are presented and discussed for (152)Eu and (134)Cs in volume sources. The geometries and experimental data were obtained from an intercomparison study organized by the International Committee for Radionuclide Metrology (ICRM). A significant improvement in the results calculated with PENELOPE/penEasy was obtained when X-rays are included in the (152)Eu simulations.