[en] The basic concepts of the Nuclear program that Mexico plans are presented, to develop pointing out that it constitutes an outstanding event within the history of the country, that will result in an equilibrated profit of the resources of oil exploitation consolidating each step of its technical evolution; all of this represents a challenge since it establishes a qualitative transformation in the very roots of the National economy. Being certain that oil is a non renovable natural resource, the author points out that Mexican Government has emphasized the promotion of the research of alternate resource of energy in the future. According to this panorama, the quidelines that Mexico must undertake regarding production, distribution and consumption of nuclear energy, will point primarily to a global program, which will avoid the imports of equipment and technicians, to achieve maximum advantages for the Country. It stresses the fact that this program cannot start from zero; since first, Mexico, has to import foreign technology, which once assimilated, will give to the Mexican technicians the starting point to establish the proper solution to the foreseen objectives. Therefore, any kind of International cooperation must tend to accelerate the nuclear development and to obtain the transference to technology, within a frame of respect to Mexican sovereignity. The conclusion is that the task at which Mexico aims must be based on the existing human potentiality and on the one that will be prepared in the future, and also on the knowledge and adequate exploitation of the uranium reserves, having the ININ a prominent role of creating the necessary human infrastructure, the development of a Mexican nuclear energy can be achieved in a medium term. (author)

[en] Among the studies aimed at strengthening the security of ANAV (Stress Tests) and has been evaluated the capacity of channels and pipes of the Potxos ravine and its tributary Valley of the 110 kV Park. Considering that these channels are operated and channeled, to carry out the assessment of their capabilities, is evidence that it is feasible to improve the margin of safety against floods, reason by which the actions described later arise.

[en] This paper discusses experimental work under way in Italy for the treatment and conditioning of different types of solid radioactive wastes. The following wastes are taken into account in this paper: Magnox fuel element debris, solid compactable wastes, radiation sources and contaminated carcasses. The metallic debris, consisting of Magnox splitters and braces, are conditioned, after drying and separation of corrosion products, by means of a two component epoxy system (base product + hardener). Solid compactable wastes are reduced in volume by using a press. The resulting pellets are transferred to a final container and conditioned with a cement mortar of a suitable consistency. As to the radiation sources, mainly contained in lightning-rods, gas detectors and radioactive thickness gauges, the encapsulation in a cementitious grout is a common practice for their incorporation. Early experiments, with satisfactory results, have also been conducted for the cementation of contaminated carcasses

[en] The result of a radiation treatment is linked to the accuracy of the patient's position, his immobility during the treatment time and the repeatability of the patient's position during the various sessions. The psychological aspects which prevent the use of immobilisation constraints have lead radiotherapists to examine the use of artificial vision to perform qualimetry based on immobility and repositioning. As concerns immobility monitoring: the image of the scene, sampled according to a reference grid to reduce the size of the information, is compared in real time to a file which constitutes the reference to the initial position. This enables the detection of non stationary points which are indicative of local movements. To eliminate the artefacts, a check is performed over the eight neighbouring points of each sample, and only the points which represent a real movement are considered. As the quality of detection is linked to the computation time, observation windows are determined by the physician during the first session which enable detection to be limited to observation of the defined fields only. As concerns position monitoring: the positional differences between the position corresponding to the first session taken as a reference, and the position under observation to be monitored, result from the measurements obtained by the co-location of a vector modelling the current image with the vector modelling in the same manner the reference image limited by a window over the part of the image visualising the target volume. A successive presentation is made of the environmental specifications, the heuristics involved in the processing of images providing the elimination of acquisition chain interference, variations in the brightness of treatment rooms and natural physiological movements such as the blinking of cyclids, and the experimental results obtained on site

[en] During total body irradiation, the patient is entirely exposed to radiation and the dose to lungs have to be limited. Personalized shields are make and set between the source and the patient, in front of lungs. The patient and the shields set up are checked before the treatment session with radiographs. Verification films are performed during the treatment sessions with anterior and posterior beams. During the treatment session, the patient may move and his relative positioning can change. Also, for each daily session treatment, his positioning could be different. One way to determine position discrepancies of the shields lungs is to analyse verification films. A study has been achieved comparing positions of lungs and shields edges in digitised simulator and digitised verification images. Discrepancies on distance and angle between similar anatomical landmarks in both images are determined by applying a least squares minimisation approach. In this study, which concerns 29 patients, distance discrepancies are founded from 1,5 to 12,6 mm for the anterior beams and from 1,8 to 15,3 mm for the posterior beams. Angle discrepancies are founded from 0 to 2 degrees

[en] In local radiation therapy, patients are exposed to radiation not only from the primary beam but also, and more generally, from scattered radiation during irradiation. We have conducted a study to estimate the dose level on testes for 60 patients underwent susdiaphragmatic and subdiaphragmatic lymph node irradiation with 25 MV X rays. Testes of each patient was measured five times while under treatment by using thermoluminescent dosimeters (LiF). In 35 cases, dosimeter showed that radiation was under the additional shield which completed the primary one to reduce exposure. In 41 patients, measurements were performed with microrods which were read with a manual reader and, in the others, an automatic reader and chips were used. This study showed that: -for susdiaphragmatic irradiation, the median dose received by each patient on testes was 0,6% of the reference dose. -for subdiaphragmatic irradiation, the median dose was 5.75 % for cases without additional shield and was 3 % for ones with additional shield

[en] Ionising radiations are known since the end of the 19th century. Early, after being discovered, they were applied in Medicine and the association with an increased number of different malignant tumors was proved. This paper presents a literature review concerning epidemiological proof of radiation induced cancer, molecular mechanisms and factors that increase or decrease the carcinogenic action of ionizing radiations

[en] The low level radioactive waste production per year in Italy is evaluated to be at the origin of the order of about 2500 cu.m.. The LLW management scheme in the past was based on a double approach, depending on the waste origin. The LLW from nuclear activities were stored on site under the responsibility of the producers, which had no real possibility to dispose off the LLW in the lack of authorized disposal sites. The management of the LLW coming from other activities (hospitals, university etc.) was left mainly to the sense of responsibility of the same producers which, under the local authorities authorization released case by case, were permitted by the existing regulations to store and sometimes to discharge the wastes, after a suitable decay period. In this context, the government charged the ENEA (Italian Committee for Nuclear and Alternative Energies Development), in the frame of the national energy plan, to overview and organize the whole matter. This paper describes the new trends adopted by ENEA for the LLW management

[en] The role of the ENEA-NUCLECO in the management of radioactive waste in Italy is described. In particular the different tasks of the two companies are emphasized. ENEA is mainly involved in the establishment of acceptance criteria, definition of strategies for the management of radwaste, research development, selection, acquisition and qualification of final repositories. NUCLECO, on its own, provides treatment, conditioning and temporary storage of all the wastes produced in Italy and transports them to Casaccia Center, near Rome. Several types of waste are treated by NUCLECO: LLW and MLW arising from medical, research and industrial activities; dry active waste (DAW); large dimension contaminated equipments from decommissioning operations; wastes from nuclear power plants. Different technologies are used for the treatment of such wastes: supercompaction, treatment ofliquid wastes, cementation. The NUCLECO's experiences in the area of spent fuel and in decommissioning of research reactors and laboratories are also described

[en] Aim of study: The Natura 2000 Network “Montemuro Mountain” Site in Portugal. Material and methods: This study combined several consultation and citizen participation techniques. Main results: The perceptions shared by the stakeholders are some similar, others not similar and others still quite paradoxical regarding forest characteristics and the opportunities they offer. The study has shown that it is possible to implement and improve citizen participation methodologies. This can be a viable way towards more effective forest management and fire prevention as this may help blunt conflicts of interest in forest space management. However, for participation to be truly effective and representative, a policy regarding training and awareness of the importance of information is necessary. Research highlights: The stakeholder perceptions on forests and forest management are assessed; forest fires and agrarian abandonment are central for territory’s development; depopulation, old age and absenteeism emphasize degradation of forest areas; Conscious citizen participation benefit policymaking and forest management. (Author)