Ocean storage of nuclear wastes? Experiences from the Russian Arctic.

An international demonstration (RD&D) project for ocean storage of radioactive wastes should be proposed, to study the feasibility of the concept of ocean storage of nuclear waste. This international project should utilize the scientific, engineering and technical capabilities of selected universities, oceanographic institutions, NGOs and industries. This project would need to be an independent (non-governmental) study, utilizing the capabilities of selected universities, oceanographic institutions, environmental NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) and industries. Scientists and engineers first need to conduct an engineering, environmental, and economic feasibility study of the concept. The goal of the project would be to determine if ocean-based storage reduced the risks to the environment and public health to a greater degree than land-based storage. This would require comparing the risks and factors involved and making the data and information available to anyone, anywhere, anytime on the internet. The mere presence of an investigation of the ocean storage option could facilitate scientific and engineering competition between the two options, could subsequently reduce environmental and public risks and provide better protection and cost benefits in the system utilized. One of the primary concerns of the scientific community would be related to the sensitivity and precision of the monitoring of individaul containers on the ocean bottom. An advantage of the land-based option is that if there is a release, its presence could be detected at very low levels and be contained in the storage facility. On the ocean bottom, a release from a container might not be easily detected due to dispersion. Therefore the containment system would have to be a system within a system with monitoring between the two providing greater protection. Ocean storage may have greater technical and political hurdles than land-based options, but it may provide greater protection over time, because it negates the threat of terrorism, it therefore merit further study. In the future if the use of nuclear energy and nuclear wastes increases, the global society could benefit from this international project, because it could reduce environmental and public health risks and promote energy independence.

Correlates of the sustainability of community-based heart health promotion interventions.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated factors related to the perceived sustainability of 189 heart health promotion interventions initiated by a public health department or research initiative and implemented in a variety of organizations across Canada. METHODS: Data were collected in a telephone survey of key informants from schools, restaurants, grocery stores, health care facilities, and sports facilities that had implemented a heart health promotion intervention (risk factor screening, courses for smoking cessation, healthy eating or physical activity, support groups to promote healthy lifestyles, environmental modification, dissemination of information) in the past 8 years. RESULTS: Overall, 43.6% of 189 interventions were perceived to be very permanent, 34.8% were somewhat permanent, and 21.5% were not permanent. Independent correlates of perceived sustainability included intervention used no paid staff (odds ratio (OR) 95% confidence interval (95% Cl) = 3.7 (1.8, 7.5)), intervention was modified during implementation (OR (95% Cl) = 2.7 (1.4, 5.0)), there was a good fit between the local provider and the intervention (OR (95% Cl) = 2.4 (1.2, 5.0)), and there was the presence of a program champion (OR (95% Cl) = 2.3 (1.2, 4.4)). CONCLUSION: Consideration of these factors by health promotion program planners could increase the potential for sustainability of health promotion interventions implemented in the community.

Vertebral artery trauma: transcatheter embolization.

Injuries of the vertebral arteries in four patients were treated by transcatheter embolization. Embolotherapy was performed after incomplete or unsuccessful surgery in three of the patients and as a preventive measure in lieu of surgery in the fourth patient. All procedures were successful and without complications. An injured vertebral artery is usually extremely difficult to approach surgically, but because of extensive collateral blood supply it is usually expendable; therefore, it becomes an inviting target for management by interventional angiographic techniques. Embolotherapy of an injured vertebral artery is easier, faster, and safer than its surgical ligation and, therefore, decidedly superior. With few exceptions, embolotherapy should be considered the preferred method in the management of vertebral artery trauma.

Systemic hypocalcemia after clinical injections of radiographic contrast media: amelioration by omission of calcium chelating agents.

Intravascular injection of some radiographic contrast media causes a fall in the concentration of unbound serum calcium (Ca++) and an increase in serum immunoreactive parathyroid hormone (iPTH). The decrease in Ca++ levels was attributed to the presence in the contrast media of calcium chelating agents (disodium edetate and sodium citrate) and to the effects of high ionic strength and hemodilution on calcium ion activity. In the present study, we have tested whether omission of the calcium chelating agents from solutions of diatrizoate will lessen the alterations in systemic calcium metabolism. We compared Renografin-76 (RG-76) (diatrizoate meglumine and diatrizoate sodium), which contains disodium edetate and sodium citrate, with Hypaque-76 (H-76) (diatrizoate meglumine, diatrizoate sodium), which contains no calcium chelating activity. A bolus injection of a mean dose of 62 ml of either contrast medium decreased levels of Ca++ significantly (P less than 0.01) at five minutes. The decrease was significantly greater (P less than 0.025) with RG-76 (0.096 +/- 0.018 mM, mean +/- SE) than it was with H-76 (0.049 +/- 0.018 mM, mean +/- SE). The level of iPTH increased (P less than 0.01) by 68 +/- 13 nanoliter equivalents (nleq) per ml with RG-76 and by 28 +/- 8 nleq per ml with H-76 (P less than 0.01 vs RG-76). In vitro, RG-76 decreased levels of Ca++ in aqueous calcium solutions 3.7-fold more than did H-76, but neither contrast medium had any direct effect on the parathyroid hormone assay system. Omission of divalent cation chelating agents from solutions of diatrizoate reduces their effects on systemic calcium metabolism.

Acute hypocalcemic effects of clinical contrast media injections.

A decrease in free ionic calcium levels has been reported in the coronary sinus after coronary artery injections of small doses (9 ml) of radiographic contrast media, but there were no studies of the systemic effects of larger doses of medium. Therefore, the acute effects of two commonly used radiographic contrast media on calcium metabolism were studied in nine patients undergoing angiography and five patients undergoing computed tomography. Free ionic calcium (Ca++) in serum was measured by ion-specific electrode, and immunoreactive parathyroid hormone by a highly sensitive radioimmunoassay. Infusion of Renografin or Reno-M-DIP acutely lowered serum Ca++ and produced an immediate increase in parathyroid hormone in each patient studied. Serum Ca++ fell to or below the lower limit of normal in about half the patients. The changes in Ca++ and parathyroid hormone were 2.5- to 4.5-fold greater than those observed after rapid infusion of equal or larger volumes of normal saline. In vitro, the contrast media had no direct effect on the parathyroid hormone assay, but reduced the Ca++ concentration of aqueous calcium solutions by about the amount predicted from their content of disodium edetate and sodium citrate. Contrast agents that contain divalent cation chelators should be used with care in patients in whom a fall in free ionic calcium might have detrimental effects.

Quantitation of the late effects of X-radiation on the large intestine.

A model for quantitating late effects of x-radiation on the large intestine utilizing the rectum of the Sprague-Dawley rat is reported. This model was constructed prefatory to establishing relative biological effectiveness for negative pions as a component of preclinical trials at the Clinton P. Anderson Meson Physics Facility, Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico. The endpoint involves microscopic evaluation of the severity of the experimental lesion, compared with surgically resected bowel lesions we have studied following clinical radiation exposure of the bowel. Individual components of the overall lesion include mucosal ulceration, atypical epithelial regeneration, colitis cystica profunda, fibrosis, and vascular sclerosis. Dose response curves were established for animals receiving 1, 2, 5 and 10 fractions with groups sacrificed at both four and 12 months after completion of radiation exposures.

Oral focal acantholytic dyskeratosis (warty dyskeratoma). Report of two cases.

Two cases of intraoral focal acantholytic dyskeratosis are presented. These uncommon, small, nodular, keratotic lesions, with a distinct histologic pattern similar to that of Darier's disease, have been reported as warty dyskeratomas. Treatment is conservative surgical removal and follow-up. It is suggested that the histologic diagnostic term of focal acantholytic dyskeratosis be used, since there may be several clinical entities with a similar histology but different etiology.