[en] We evaluated damage to commercial crops caused by the monk parakeet, Myiopsitta monachus, in the Baix Llobregat agricultural area (1,024 ha) bordering the city of Barcelona, Spain. Average crop loss was 0.4% for tomatoes, 28% for corn, 9% for red plums, 36% for round plums, 37% for pears, 17% for persimmons, and 7% for quinces. Our data show that the potential damage to crops by monk parakeets in this invaded area is now a reality. As a wait–and–see approach is likely to be a more costly strategy in the long–term, policy makers should assess issues such as the extent of damage, feasibility/cost benefit analysis, and public opinion so as to avoid greater damage and loss in the future. (Author)

[en] The Computer Code ALFA was created for the calculation of teh heat transfer coefficient and the hydraulic friction factor in various points of a Nuclear Power Plant with VVER-type reactor. In this paper the algorithm of the program is described. At the same time highlight several improvements introduced to the original model. Results are reported for a wide range of temperature and pressure within a cooling channel of the core

[en] The start of operation of the large reprocessing facilities led Euratom Safeguards to a new approach for verification analysis of samples taken at the facility: the installation of on-site laboratories. The availability of analytical capabilities for independent verification measurements at the site of these facilities offers obvious advantages in view of timeliness of results. The 'On-Site Laboratory' (OSL) at the BNFL Sellafield site was the first ever and entered into operation in 1999. For almost five years, the Institute for Transuranium Elements (ITU) has been operating the laboratory under routine conditions. During this period, more than one thousand safeguards samples were analysed. The experience gained in the management, logistics and operation of the OSL allow a critical review based on a significant period in time. This includes also aspects of training of staff, maintenance of equipment, flow of information, and improvements in the efficiency. The analytical issues are of key importance: based on the operational experience, the measurement methods were adapted (changing boundary conditions), the distribution of samples according to material type changed (start up of MOS fabrication plant), and the cutback in resources triggered a further streamlining of the analytical efforts. (orig.)

[en] Spectral shapes of isolated lines of HCl perturbed by Ar are investigated for the first time using classical molecular dynamics simulations (CMDS). Using reliable intermolecular potentials taken from the literature, these CMDS provide the time evolution of the auto-correlation function of the dipole moment, whose Fourier-Laplace transform leads to the absorption spectrum. In order to test these calculations, room temperature spectra of various lines in the fundamental band of HCl diluted in Ar are measured, in a large pressure range, with a difference-frequency laser spectrometer. Comparisons between measured and calculated spectra show that the CMDS are able to predict the large Dicke narrowing effect on the shape of HCl lines and to satisfactorily reproduce the shapes of HCl spectra at different pressures and for various rotational quantum numbers

[en] This study was undertaken to optimize the equivalent transmittance of a wall consisting of voided clay bricks using ceramic material Termoarcilla 29 ECO, complying with the Spanish UNE , European EN and international ISO standards. Various geometries were investigated for the bricks' cross sections, starting from a commercialized block and improvements in its thermal conductivity were studied by varying parameters such as a number of rows in the brick, the type of tongue and grooving and the alternation between contiguous rows in the brick. Simulations were made using a finite elements application . The conclusions of the study were that the thermal properties of a brick are improved by placing the perforations of the voids in a quincunx (in parallel rows, so that every hole is placed between those of the immediate rows, forming equilateral triangles) and that the greater the number of rows, the better the thermal behaviour. Further, if these perforations are extended to the tongue and groove area and a certain clearance is left between the tongue and groove of each brick, the wall's equivalent transmittance is reduced. - Highlights: → This study tries to optimize the equivalent transmittance of a wall of bricks. → Thermal properties of a brick are improved by placing the perforations in a quincunx. → If perforations are extended to the tongue the wall's transmittance is reduced. → A clearance left in the joint of the bricks, reduces the wall's transmittance. → A brick with 26 rows of rectangles with Ueq<0.57 W/m²-K is obtained.

[en] The isotopic composition and concentration of Pu in eight 'high-burn-up' mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel samples have been determined by destructive and non-destructive techniques. In addition, the U concentration and U isotopic composition was also available from the destructive techniques. The applied non-destructive techniques were gamma spectrometry, calorimetry and neutron coincidence counting, while the destructive techniques were titration, alpha spectrometry and thermal ionization mass spectrometry combined with isotope dilution. The current study describes the measurements and compares the results obtained by the mentioned techniques. Some lessons learned for the improvement of the non-destructive assay are also discussed.

[en] The d-2-hydroxyacid dehydrogenase from Haloferax mediterranei has been crystallized in two different forms. Diffraction data have been collected to 1.9 Å resolution for the non-productive ternary complex of the enzyme and to 2.7 Å for the selenomethionyl derivative. d-2-Hydroxyacid dehydrogenase (D2-HDH) from Haloferax mediterranei has been overexpressed in Escherichia coli, solubilized in 8 M urea and refolded by rapid dilution. The protein was purified and crystallized by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method using ammonium sulfate or PEG 3350 as precipitant. Two crystal forms representing the free enzyme and the nonproductive ternary complex with α-ketohexanoic acid and NAD⁺ grew under these conditions. Crystals of form I diffracted to beyond 3.0 Å resolution and belonged to the monoclinic space group P2₁, with unit-cell parameters a = 66.0, b = 119.6, c = 86.2 Å, β = 96.3°. Crystals of form II diffracted to beyond 2.0 Å resolution and belonged to the triclinic space group P1, with unit-cell parameters a = 66.5, b = 75.2, c = 77.6 Å, α = 109.1, β = 107.5, γ = 95.9°. The calculated values for V_M and analysis of the self-rotation and self-Patterson functions suggest that the asymmetric unit in both crystal forms contains two dimers related by pseudo-translational symmetry

[en] Scintigraphy, radiotherapy, in thyroid diseases, optimization of radioimmunotherapy are the essential of this part of the presentations. (N.C.)

[en] We report on the detection of a narrow feature at 262816.73 MHz toward Orion and the cold prestellar core B1-bS which we attribute to the 1₀-0₀ line of the deuterated ammonium ion, NH₃D⁺. The observations were performed with the IRAM 30 m radio telescope. The carrier has to be a light molecular species as it is the only feature detected over 3.6 GHz of bandwidth. The hyperfine structure is not resolved, indicating a very low value for the electric quadrupolar coupling constant of nitrogen which is expected for NH₃D⁺ as the electric field over the N nucleus is practically zero. Moreover, the feature is right at the predicted frequency for the 1₀-0₀ transition of the ammonium ion, 262817 ± 6 MHz (3σ), using rotational constants derived from new infrared data obtained in our laboratory in Madrid. The estimated column density is (1.1 ± 0.2) × 10¹² cm^–2. Assuming a deuterium enhancement similar to that of NH₂D, we derive N(NH₄⁺) ≅ 2.6 × 10¹³ cm^–2, i.e., an abundance for ammonium of a few 10^–11.