bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hunting for Monsters: Visual Arts Curriculum as Agonistic Inquiry
Authors: Kalin Nadine M. , Barney Daniel T.
Published: February 2014

This article explores the possibilities of placing curriculum design in close proximity with participatory contemporary art projects that potentially activate our capacities and willingness to re‐vision the future of art education. In this curricular questing we have been drawn toward art that encompasses participatory forms – chiefly relational art and relational antagonism in art – en route to modes of lived‐curriculum as agonistic inquiry. We start with an account of the historical present as engulfed in past curricular tensions with curriculum design experiencing an arrested development in its reliance on outdated, causal models of learning in order to assume greater certainty over learning. This produces an illusion of efficiency and comes with particular costs. The interaction between the distinct perspectives of curriculum‐as‐plan and curriculum‐as‐lived offers a number of theoretical opportunities for art educators to re‐engage with curricula. Next, we explore the notion of an uncertain curriculum, drawing upon relational aesthetics and bricolage to highlight curriculum as a negotiated space, while offering a student art project example that illustrates a non‐deterministic and participatory form. The authors suggest that while relational aesthetics and bricolage are helpful in the space between curriculum‐as‐plan and curriculum‐as‐lived, these are also limited. Further, we share examples and possibilities for reconsidering curriculum as inquiry, inspired by relational antagonism in contemporary art. Finally, we end with a plea for the necessity of monstrous curricular excesses and conflicts in perforating both our students' and our own current and historical borders of a field yet to come.
Creatives Teaching Creativity
Authors: Gustina Charles , Sweet Rebecca
Published: February 2014

Creativity is very much in the forefront of current international economic news. As developing countries successfully vie with established economies for manufacturing and less‐skilled jobs, the pressure is on the developed world to move on to the next economic break‐through. Innovation and the creativity that drive it are seen as crucial to this process. Ultimately, education is viewed as the place to inculcate creativity in upcoming generations, to prepare them for the challenges (economic and otherwise) nations will face in coming years. The current global interest in the development of creative thinking for all areas of education requires teachers at all levels to construct learning experiences that generate not only creative products but also creative processes. These processes could ideally be applied across various disciplines requiring complex problem solving, engendering creative outcomes in multiple domains. While the authors assumed that teachers in the creative disciplines of art and design should take a leading role in this development of creative processes, it is not clear that this is happening. This article examines the background of the current calls for creativity, and reviews challenges to the leadership of creative teachers in teaching in non‐creative disciplines.
‘The answer is brought about from within you’: A Student‐Centred Perspective on Pedagogy in Art and Design
Authors: Orr Susan , Yorke Mantz , Blair Bernadette
Published: February 2014

This article reports on the ways that a group of third‐year undergraduate art and design students conceptualise the pedagogy they experience on their course. This study is part of broader research funded by the Group for Learning in Art and Design (GLAD) and the Higher Education Academy (HEA) that employs qualitative interviewing approaches to explore the ways that a small sample of art and design students studying in two English post‐1992 universities interpret and understand the questions in the National Student Survey (this is a questionnaire that UK students complete during the final year of their undergraduate studies). The analysis suggests that the students' conceptions of art and design pedagogy might be best understood as a form of ‘reverse transmission’ that places the students as active co‐producers of their learning.

The study reflects on the centrality of project centred learning in art and design and explores the challenges concerning the nature and scope of the art and design lecturers' role, particularly in the context of the UK's increased student fee regime.
Melatonin protects rat cerebellar granule cells against electromagnetic field‐induced increases in Na+ currents through intracellular Ca2+ release
Authors: Liu Dong‐Dong , Ren Zhen , Yang Guang , Zhao Qian‐Ru , Mei Yan‐Ai
Published: February 2014

Although melatonin (MT) has been reported to protect cells against oxidative damage induced by electromagnetic radiation, few reports have addressed whether there are other protective mechanisms. Here, we investigated the effects of MT on extremely low‐frequency electromagnetic field (ELF‐EMF)‐induced Nav activity in rat cerebellar granule cells (GCs). Exposing cerebellar GCs to ELF‐EMF for 60 min. significantly increased the Nav current (INa) densities by 62.5%. MT (5 μM) inhibited the ELF‐EMF‐induced INa increase. This inhibitory effect of MT is mimicked by an MT2 receptor agonist and was eliminated by an MT2 receptor antagonist. The Nav channel steady‐state activation curve was significantly shifted towards hyperpolarization by ELF‐EMF stimulation but remained unchanged by MT in cerebellar GC that were either exposed or not exposed to ELF‐EMF. ELF‐EMF exposure significantly increased the intracellular levels of phosphorylated PKA in cerebellar GCs, and both MT and IIK‐7 did not reduce the ELF‐EMF‐induced increase in phosphorylated PKA. The inhibitory effects of MT on ELF‐EMF‐induced Nav activity was greatly reduced by the calmodulin inhibitor KN93. Calcium imaging showed that MT did not increase the basal intracellular Ca2+ level, but it significantly elevated the intracellular Ca2+ level evoked by the high K+ stimulation in cerebellar GC that were either exposed or not exposed to ELF‐EMF. In the presence of ruthenium red, a ryanodine‐sensitive receptor blocker, the MT‐induced increase in intracellular calcium levels was reduced. Our data show for the first time that MT protects against neuronal INa that result from ELF‐EMF exposure through Ca2+ influx‐induced Ca2+ release.
Effect of hydrogen peroxide and/or Flavobacterium psychrophilum on the gills of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum)
Authors: Henriksen M M M , Kania P W , Buchmann K , Dalsgaard I
Published: February 2014

The immune response and morphological changes in the gills of rainbow trout fry after immersion in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), Flavobacterium psychrophilum or combined exposure were examined. The gills were sampled 4, 48, 125 and 192 h after exposure, and the regulation of expression of the following genes was investigated using qPCR: IgT, IgM, CD8, CD4, MHC I, MHC II, IL‐4/13A, TcR‐β, IL‐10, IL‐1β, IL‐17, SAA and FoxP3. Bacteria were not observed in haematoxylin‐and‐eosin‐stained gill tissue, but the presence of F. psychrophilum 16S rRNA was detected using qPCR. The 16S rRNA levels were correlated with gene expression. Although pretreatment with H2O2 before immersion in F. psychrophilum did not significantly alter the amount of bacteria found in the gill, the immune response was influenced: exposure to F. psychrophilum resulted in a negative correlation with expression of IL‐17c1, MHC I and MHC II, while pretreatment with H2O2 resulted in a positive correlation with IL‐4/13A and IgM. Exposure to either H2O2 or F. psychrophilum influenced the regulation of gene expression and damaged tissue. Exposure to both combined altered the immune response to infection and postponed healing of gill tissue.
A Regional Comparison of Distribution Strategies and Women's Awareness, Receipt, and Use of Misoprostol to Prevent Postpartum Hemorrhage in Rural Amhara and Oromiya Regions of Ethiopia
Authors: Sibley Lynn M. , Spangler Sydney A. , Barry Danika , Tesfaye Solomon , Desta Binyam Fekadu , Gobezayehu Abebe Gebremariam
Published: February 2014

Introduction

In Ethiopia, postpartum hemorrhage is a leading cause of maternal death. The Maternal Health in Ethiopia Partnership (MaNHEP) project developed a community‐based model of maternal and newborn health focusing on birth and early postpartum care. Implemented in the Amhara and Oromiya regions, the model included misoprostol to prevent postpartum hemorrhage. This article describes regional trends in women's use of misoprostol; their awareness, receipt, and use of misoprostol at project's endline; and factors associated with its use.

Methods

The authors assessed trends in use of misoprostol using monthly data from MaNHEP's quality improvement database; and awareness, receipt, use, and correct use of misoprostol using data from MaNHEP's endline survey of 1019 randomly sampled women who gave birth during the year prior to the survey.

Results

Misoprostol use increased rapidly and was relatively stable over 20 months, but regional differences were stark. At endline, significantly more women in Oromiya were aware of misoprostol compared with women who resided in Amhara (94% vs 59%); significantly more had received misoprostol (80% vs 35%); significantly more had received it during pregnancy (93% vs 48%); and significantly more had received it through varied sources. Most women who received misoprostol used it (> 95%) irrespective of age, parity, or education. Factors associated with use were Oromiya residence (odds ratio [OR] 9.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 6.78–13.24), attending 2 or more Community Maternal and Newborn Health (CMNH) family meetings (OR 2.62; 95% CI, 1.89–3.63), receiving antenatal care (OR 1.67; 95% CI, 1.08–2.58) and being attended at birth by a skilled provider or trained health extension worker, community health development agent, or traditional birth attendant versus an untrained caregiver or no one. Correct use was associated with having attended 2 or more CMNH family meetings (OR 2.02; 95% CI, 1.35–3.03).

Discussion

Multiple distribution channels increase women's access to misoprostol. Most women who have access to misoprostol use it. Early distribution to pregnant women who are educated to use misoprostol appears to be safe and unrelated to choice of birthplace.
Validity of functional diagnostic examination for temporomandibular joint disc displacement with reduction
Authors: Marpaung C. M. , Kalaykova S. I. , Lobbezoo F. , Naeije M.
Published: February 2014

The choice of approach for diagnosing temporomandibular joint (TMJ) anterior disc displacement with reduction (ADDR), viz. functional examination or TMJ imaging, is debatable and complicated by findings of low agreement between these approaches. Our aim was to investigate the validity of functional ADDR diagnostics using clinical examination and opto‐electronic mandibular movement recordings versus magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). 53 participants (32 women and 21 men, mean age ± s.d. of 28·7 ± 10·1 years) underwent a clinical examination, mandibular movement recording and MRI of their TMJs within 1 month. All were performed and analysed in a single‐blind design by different experienced examiners for each technique. The sensitivity and specificity of each functional diagnostic method was calculated, with MRI as the gold standard. Anterior disc displacement with reduction was diagnosed in 27·6% of the TMJs clinically, in 15·2% using the movement recordings and in 44·8% on MRI. The specificity of the clinical examination for diagnosing ADDR was 81·0%, and of the movement recordings, 96·6%. The sensitivity was 38·3% and 29·8%, respectively. The chance of having a false‐positive functional diagnosis of ADDR compared with MRI is low, and disagreement between the functional methods and MRI is mainly due to the high number of MRI diagnoses in asymptomatic subjects. In view of the fact that ADDR becomes clinically relevant only when it interferes with TMJ function, the functional diagnostic approach can be considered benchmark in ADDR recognition.
How Does Price Presentation Influence Consumer Choice? The Case of Life Insurance Products
Authors: Huber Carin , Gatzert Nadine , Schmeiser Hato
Published: February 2014

Life insurance is an important product for many individuals, both to protect dependents against the premature death of an income producer and to provide savings in later retirement years. These kinds of products, however, can be quite complex. Regulatory authorities and consumers currently ask for more cost transparency with respect to product components (e.g., risk premium for death benefits, savings premium, cost of investment guarantee) and administration costs. The aim of this article is to measure the effects of different forms of presenting the price of life insurance contract components and especially of embedded investment guarantees on consumer evaluation of those products. The intention is to understand the extent to which price presentation affects consumer demand. This is done by means of an experimental study and by focusing on unit‐linked life insurance products. Our findings reveal that contrary to other consumer products, there are no precise effects of “price bundling” and “price optic” on consumer evaluation and purchase intention in the case of life insurance. Consumer experience and price perception, however, yield a significant moderating effect.
Challenging the tyranny of the five‐paragraph essay: teachers and students as semiotic boundary workers in classroom and digital space
Authors: Schwartz Lisa H.
Published: February 2014

This article addresses several challenges faced by educators and students in English classrooms in the US–Mexico borderlands region that will resonate with educators more broadly. I present how Ms Smith, the predominately Latino students in her high school writing class and I moved beyond what Ms Smith called the “tyranny of the five‐paragraph essay” used for standardised tests so that students were able to make personally and academically meaningful arguments in their writing. I examine how we collaboratively mobilised interests, motivations and diverse semiotic resources across out‐of‐school and in‐school contexts in the process of developing multimodal and hybrid genres and texts. First, I describe how Ms Smith and I crafted hybrid, digitally mediated classroom spaces and essay assignments informed by students' identity and literacy practices within digital networks. Next, I examine how three Latina students used semiotic resources and issues circulating in the different spaces of their lives to confidently argue their perspectives within the hybrid genres we created. From this collaborative work, I suggest that thinking of students and teachers as “semiotic boundary workers” provides a useful framework for practitioners who want to enable young people to draw on their practices and digital tools and engage their expansive, networked and creative affordances in academic contexts.
Contrasting evolutionary trajectories of multiple retrotransposons following independent allopolyploidy in wild wheats
Authors: Senerchia Natacha , Felber François , Parisod Christian
Published: February 2014

Transposable elements (TEs) are expectedly central to genome evolution. To assess the impact of TEs in driving genome turnover, we used allopolyploid genomes, showing considerable deviation from the predicted additivity of their diploid progenitors and thus having undergone major restructuring.

Genome survey sequencing was used to select 17 putatively active families of long terminal repeat retrotransposons. Genome‐wide TE insertions were genotyped with sequence‐specific amplified polymorphism (SSAP) in diploid progenitors and their derived polyploids, and compared with changes in random sequences to assess restructuring of four independent Aegilops allotetraploid genomes.

Generally, TEs with different evolutionary trajectories from those of random sequences were identified. Thus, TEs presented family‐specific and species‐specific dynamics following polyploidy, as illustrated by Sabine showing proliferation in particular polyploids, but massive elimination in others. Contrasting with that, only a few families (BARE1 and Romani) showed proliferation in all polyploids. Overall, TE divergence between progenitors was strongly correlated with the degree of restructuring in polyploid TE fractions.

TE families present evolutionary trajectories that are decoupled from genome‐wide changes after allopolyploidy and have a pervasive impact on their restructuring.
MODELING AND ANALYSIS OF THE DEPLETION OF ORGANIC POLLUTANTS BY BACTERIA WITH EXPLICIT DEPENDENCE ON DISSOLVED OXYGEN
Authors: MISRA A. K. , TIWARI P. K. , GOYAL ASHISH , SHUKLA J. B.
Published: February 2014

In this paper, a nonlinear mathematical model is proposed and analyzed to study the depletion of dissolved oxygen caused by interactions of organic pollutants with bacteria in a water body, such as lake. The system is assumed to be governed by three dependent variables, namely, the cumulative concentration of organic pollutants, the density of bacteria and the concentration of dissolved oxygen. In the model, the coefficient of interaction of organic pollutants with bacteria depends upon the concentration of dissolved oxygen nonlinearly and explicitly, which is the main focus of this paper, has never been studied before. The stability theory of differential equations is used to analyze the model and to confirm the analytical results numerical simulation is performed. The model analysis shows that if the coefficient of interaction mentioned above depends upon dissolved oxygen explicitly, the decrease in its concentration is more than the case when the interaction does not depend on dissolved oxygen and consequently the depletion of organic pollutants is also more in such a case.
Top predator removals have consistent effects on large species despite high environmental variability
Authors: Boersma Kate S. , Bogan Michael T. , Henrichs Brian A. , Lytle David A.
Published: February 2014

Top predator losses affect a wide array of ecological processes, and there is growing evidence that top predators are disproportionately vulnerable to environmental changes. Despite increasing recognition of the fundamental role that top predators play in structuring communities and ecosystems, it remains challenging to predict the consequences of predator extinctions in highly variable environments. Both biotic and abiotic drivers determine community structure, and manipulative experiments are necessary to disentangle the effects of predator loss from other co‐occurring environmental changes. To explore the consistency of top predator effects in ecological communities that experience high local environmental variability, we experimentally removed top predators from arid‐land stream pool mesocosms in southeastern Arizona, USA, and measured natural background environmental conditions. We inoculated mesocosms with aquatic invertebrates from local streams, removed the top predator Abedus herberti (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae) from half of the mesocosms as a treatment, and measured community divergence at the end of the summer dry season. We repeated the experiment in two consecutive years, which represented two very different biotic and abiotic environments. We found that some of the effects of top predator removal were consistent despite significant differences in environmental conditions, community composition, and colonist sources between years. As in other studies, top predator removal did not affect overall species richness or abundance in either year, and we observed inconsistent effects on community and trophic structure. However, top predator removal consistently affected large‐bodied species (those in the top 1% of the community body size distribution) in both years, increasing the abundance of mesopredators and decreasing the abundance of detritivores, even though the identity of these species varied between years. Our findings highlight the vulnerability of large taxa to top predator extirpations and suggest that the consistency of observed ecological patterns may be as important as their magnitude.
Group VII Ethylene Response Factor diversification and regulation in four species from flood‐prone environments
Authors: van VEEN HANS , AKMAN MELIS , JAMAR DIAAN C. L. , VREUGDENHIL DICK , KOOIKER MAARTEN , van TIENDEREN PETER , VOESENEK LAURENTIUS A. C. J. , SCHRANZ M. ERIC , SASIDHARAN RASHMI
Published: February 2014

Flooding events negatively affect plant performance and survival. Flooding gradients thereby determine the dynamics in vegetation composition and species abundance. In adaptation to flooding, the group VII Ethylene Response Factor genes (ERF‐VIIs) play pivotal roles in rice and Arabidopsis through regulation of anaerobic gene expression and antithetical survival strategies. We investigated if ERF‐VIIs have a similar role in mediating survival strategies in eudicot species from flood‐prone environments. Here, we studied the evolutionary origin and regulation of ERF‐VII transcript abundance and the physiological responses in species from two genera of divergent taxonomic lineages (Rumex and Rorippa). Synteny analysis revealed that angiosperm ERF‐VIIs arose from two ancestral loci and that subsequent diversification and duplication led to the present ERF‐VII variation. We propose that subtle variation in the regulation of ERF‐VII transcript abundance could explain variation in tolerance among Rorippa species. In Rumex, the main difference in flood tolerance correlated with the genetic variation in ERF‐VII genes. Large transcriptional differences were found by comparing the two genera: darkness and dark submergence‐induced Rumex ERF‐VIIs, whereas HRE2 expression was increased in submerged Rorippa roots. We conclude that the involvement of ERF‐VIIs in flooding tolerance developed in a phylogenetic‐dependent manner, with subtle variations within taxonomic clades.
Experiences of Wives of Iranian War Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Regarding Social Relationships
Authors: Vagharseyyedin Seyyed A.
Published: February 2014

Objective

The aim of this study was to describe the lived experiences of wives of Iranian veterans with PTSD concerning their social relationships.

Design and Sample

A qualitative design with a qualitative content analysis approach was used for data collection and analysis of wives' experiences. Fourteen wives of war veterans with PTSD participated in this study.

Measures

Qualitative data were collected using in‐depth semistructured interviews.

Results

Two themes emerged from the analysis: (1) Dynamic interaction between the limited social world and the spiritual world, and (2) Seeking a sensitive and assistive atmosphere. Disruption of social activities, necessity of the public's realistic perception of families' problems, and the need for additional social support were among the most emphasized points made by participants.

Conclusions

Findings of the study can provide some direction for priority setting of problems and designing interventions to improve social lives of wives of Iranian patients diagnosed with PTSD. Further, the findings provide a base for comparing similar possible studies conducted in other societies with the Iranian society.
Relationships among fourteen species of Satureja growing wild in Iran detected with molecular markers
Authors: Hadian J. , Khadivi‐Khub A.
Published: February 2014

The genus Satureja is an important plant with a number of aromatic and medicinal properties. In this research, the relative efficiencies of amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and selectively amplified microsatellite polymorphic loci (SAMPL) were used to detect genetic relationships among 14 species of Satureja, growing wild in Iran. Eleven AFLP and 14 SAMPL primer combinations produced 999 and 1142 scorable bands, respectively, all of the fragments of which were found to be polymorphic. The average genetic similarity values based on Jaccard's coefficient were 0.24 and 0.21 for AFLP and SAMPL, respectively, indicating considerable distance and diversity in the studied germplasm. The correlation coefficients were statistically significant between both marker systems (r = 0.89). UPGMA derived from the combined binary data matrices of both markers depicted genetic distinctions among the studied species and clustered them into two main clusters and several groups. S. edmondi showed the maximum distance from other species and was placed into a single main cluster, while the maximum similarity was obtained between S. rechingeri and S. khuzistanica. Our results indicate that both marker systems are suitable for differentiating individuals and species of this genus.
Effect of a Mediterranean Diet during Pregnancy on Fetal Growth and Preterm Delivery: Results From a French Caribbean Mother–Child Cohort Study (TIMOUN)
Authors: Saunders Lauren , Guldner Laurence , Costet Nathalie , Kadhel Philippe , Rouget Florence , Monfort Christine , Thomé Jean‐Pierre , Multigner Luc , Cordier Sylvaine
Published: February 2014

Background

Recent studies suggest that a Mediterranean dietary pattern during pregnancy may influence pregnancy outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of adherence to a Mediterranean diet (MD) during pregnancy on fetal growth restriction (FGR) and preterm delivery (PTD) in a French Caribbean island where the population is largely of African descent and presents dietary patterns similar to MD.

Methods

Using data from the TIMOUN Mother–Child Cohort Study conducted in Guadeloupe (French West Indies) between 2004 and 2007, we analysed data for 728 pregnant women who delivered liveborn singletons without any major congenital malformations. Degree of adherence to MD during pregnancy was evaluated with a semi‐quantitative food frequency questionnaire based on nine dietary criteria. Multiple logistic regression models were used to analyse birth outcomes while taking potential confounders into account.

Results

Overall there was no association between MD adherence during pregnancy and the risk of PTD or FGR. However, pre‐pregnancy body mass index was a strong effect modifier, and MD adherence was associated with a decreased risk of PTD specifically in overweight and obese women (adjusted odds ratio 0.7, 95% confidence interval 0.6, 0.9) (P heterogeneity <0.01).

Conclusions

These results suggest that Caribbean diet during pregnancy may carry some benefits of MD and may contribute to reduce the risk of PTD in overweight and obese pregnant women.
Combined effects of different CO2 levels and N sources on the diazotrophic cyanobacterium Trichodesmium
Authors: Eichner Meri , Kranz Sven A. , Rost Björn
Published: February 2014

To predict effects of climate change and possible feedbacks, it is crucial to understand the mechanisms behind CO2 responses of biogeochemically relevant phytoplankton species. Previous experiments on the abundant N2 fixers Trichodesmium demonstrated strong CO2 responses, which were attributed to an energy reallocation between its carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) acquisition. Pursuing this hypothesis, we manipulated the cellular energy budget by growing Trichodesmium erythraeum IMS101 under different CO2 partial pressure (pCO2) levels (180, 380, 980 and 1400 µatm) and N sources (N2 and NO3−). Subsequently, biomass production and the main energy‐generating processes (photosynthesis and respiration) and energy‐consuming processes (N2 fixation and C acquisition) were measured. While oxygen fluxes and chlorophyll fluorescence indicated that energy generation and its diurnal cycle was neither affected by pCO2 nor N source, cells differed in production rates and composition. Elevated pCO2 increased N2 fixation and organic C and N contents. The degree of stimulation was higher for nitrogenase activity than for cell contents, indicating a pCO2 effect on the transfer efficiency from N2 to biomass. pCO2‐dependent changes in the diurnal cycle of N2 fixation correlated well with C affinities, confirming the interactions between N and C acquisition. Regarding effects of the N source, production rates were enhanced in NO3− grown cells, which we attribute to the higher N retention and lower ATP demand compared with N2 fixation. pCO2 effects on C affinity were less pronounced in NO3− users than N2 fixers. Our study illustrates the necessity to understand energy budgets and fluxes under different environmental conditions for explaining indirect effects of rising pCO2.
Kinematic analysis of the wheelchair tennis serve: Implications for classification
Authors: Cavedon V. , Zancanaro C. , Milanese C.
Published: February 2014

The aim of the present study was to assess the validity of the classification system used in Open‐class wheelchair tennis by investigating the relationship between post‐impact ball velocity in the serve (measured using a sports radar gun) and the severity of impairment. Shoulder and wrist angles at the instant of ball impact were also estimated from 2D motion analysis. Forty‐three nationally ranked Italian Open‐class wheelchair tennis players were assigned to four groups (A–D) according to descending level of activity limitation. Ten successful flat serves (WFSs) and 10 successful kick serves (WKSs) for each player were recorded. One‐way ANOVA showed that the severity of impairment significantly (P < 0.05) affected post‐impact ball velocity and shoulder angle at the instant of ball impact. Furthermore, the mean value of post‐impact ball velocity in WFS increased from group A to group D, i.e., with descending level of activity limitation. The results of this cross‐sectional study indicate that the severity of impairment per se is associated with velocity of the wheelchair tennis serve, suggesting that the current classification is flawed in that it overlooks the impact of severity of impairment on players' performance.
Evaluation of fluid leakage into the canine vitreous humor during phacoemulsification using contrast‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Kang Seonmi , Jeong Manbok , Ahn Jaesang , Lee Euiri , Kim Soohyun , Park Sangwan , Yi Kangjae , Choi Mincheol , Seo Kangmoon
Published: February 2014

Objective

To evaluate the effects of phacoemulsification with different fluidic parameters on the intraocular tissues using contrast‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CE‐MRI).

Procedures

Phacoemulsification with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation was performed on 10 pairs of enucleated canine eyes. Irrigation fluid containing dilutedMRIcontrast agent was used, with the bottle height/the vacuum pressure set at 50 cm/80 mmHg for one eye (Group L) and at 120 cm/150 mmHg for the opposite eye (Group H).CE‐MRIwas carried out immediately after phacoemulsification to evaluate the presence of anterior hyaloid membrane detachment (AHD) and the leakage volume‐to‐vitreous volume ratio (LV/VV%). The ultrasound time, the volume of irrigation solution used, and the total irrigation time were recorded.

Results

AHDwas seen in seven of the 10 eyes in Group L and in nine of the 10 eyes in Group H. Fluid leakage into the vitreous humor (LV/VV%) was significantly greater in Group H than in Group L (P < 0.01). TheLV/VV% was also correlated with the total irrigation time in both groups (P < 0.05). The volume of irrigation solution used in Group H was significantly greater than that used in Group L (P < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in the ultrasound time between the two groups.

Conclusions

Low fluidic parameters led to decreased fluid passage through the zonules, reducing fluid passage into the vitreous. These may also lead to reduced surgical stress on the intraocular tissues by decreasing the amount of irrigation solution used during phacoemulsification in the dog.
CONTRAST VIDEOFLUOROSCOPIC ASSESSMENT OF DYSPHAGIC CATS
Authors: Levine Jonathan S. , Pollard Rachel E. , Marks Stanley L.
Published: February 2014

The diagnostic utility of contrast‐enhanced videofluoroscopic esophagography in dysphagic cats has been rarely studied relative to dogs. Current literature regarding feline dysphagia typically consists of individual case reports or small case series. This retrospective study analyzed the imaging findings in 11 cats undergoing 15 videofluoroscopic swallow studies. Hiatal hernia (n = 5), esophageal stricture (n = 3), and esophageal dysmotility (n = 7) were the most common diagnoses (some cats having more than 1 diagnosis) in dysphagic cats that underwent videofluoroscopic swallow studies. Esophageal dysmotility appeared to be associated with a higher percentage of swallows from which no peristaltic waves were generated. Oropharyngeal and cricopharyngeal causes of dysphagia were not identified in any cat and quantitative assessment of the swallowing reflex (pharyngeal constriction ratio = 0.17 ± 0.09; time to maximum pharyngeal contraction = 0.13 ± 0.02 s; time to proximal esophageal sphincter opening = 0.07 ± 0.02 s; time to proximal esophageal sphincter closed = 0.23 ± 0.05 s; time to opening of the epiglottis = 0.27 ± 0.04 s) was similar to quantitative swallowing parameters previously reported in healthy dogs. In conclusion, videofluoroscopy is a diagnostic tool that can identify esophageal abnormalities that are not readily apparent on survey radiographs. Limitations include the potential need for multiple studies, and the possibility of poor compliance in the feline patient. Results of this study are intended to help veterinarians define a prioritized differential diagnosis list for dysphagic cats.
Integrated Systems-Based Approach to Monitoring Environmental Remediation
Authors: Truex Michael J. , Bunn Amoret L. , Oostrom Mart , Carroll K. C. , Wellman Dawn M.
Published: February 2014

The U.S. Department of Energy is responsible for risk reduction and cleanup of its nuclear weapons complex. Remediation strategies for some of the contamination may include techniques that mitigate risk, but leave contaminants in place. Monitoring to verify remedy performance and long-term mitigation of risk is key to implementing these strategies and can be a large portion of the total cost of remedy implementation. Especially in these situations, there is a need for innovative monitoring approaches that move away from the cost- and labor-intensive point-source monitoring. In this paper, alternative approaches for monitoring are presented for vadose zone, groundwater, groundwater/surface water interface, and surface water.

To illustrate integrated, systems-based monitoring, this paper focuses on vadose zone contaminant remediation to mitigate impact to groundwater. In this context, vadose zone contamination is a source, or potential source, to groundwater plumes. The monitoring design uses a systems-based approach focused on developing a conceptual site model that highlights key features that control contaminant flux to groundwater. These features are derived considering the unsaturated flow and contaminant transport processes in the vadose zone and the nature of the waste discharge. Diagnostic properties and/or parameters related to both short- and long-term contaminant flux to groundwater can be identified and targeted for monitoring. The resolution of monitoring data needed to correspond to a functionally useful indicator of flux to groundwater can be estimated using quantitative analyses and the associated unsaturated flow properties relevant to the targeted site and vadose zone features. This monitoring design approach follows the process of developing a quantitative conceptual model suitable for supporting projections of future flux to groundwater. Support for such projections is important because it is likely that, in many cases, remediation decisions for the vadose zone will need to be made based all or in part on projected impacts to groundwater, and monitoring will then be applied to verify that remedy goals are being met.
The Regulatory Framework for Safe Decommissioning of Nuclear Power Plants in Korea
Authors: Ahn Sangmyeon , Lee Jungjoon , Jeong Chanwoo , Choi Kyungwoo
Published: February 2014

We are having 23 units of nuclear power plants in operation and 5 units of nuclear power plants under construction in Korea as of September 2012. However, we don’t have any experience on shutdown permanently and decommissioning of nuclear power plants. There are only two research reactors being decommissioned since 1997. It is realized that improvement of the regulatory framework for decommissioning of nuclear facilities has been emphasized constantly from the point of view of IAEA’s safety standards. It is also known that IAEA will prepare the safety requirement on decommissioning of facilities; its title is the Safe Decommissioning of Facilities, General Safety Requirement Part 6.

According to the result of IAEA’s Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) mission to Korea in 2011, it was recommended that the regulatory framework should require decommissioning plans for nuclear installations to be constructed and operated and these plans should be updated periodically. In addition, after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan in March of 2011, preparedness for early decommissioning caused by an unexpected severe accident became important issues and concerns.

In this respect, it is acknowledged that the regulatory framework for decommissioning of nuclear facilities in Korea need to be improved. First of all, we focus on identifying the current status and relevant issues of regulatory framework for decommissioning of nuclear power plants compared to the IAEA’s safety standards in order to achieve our goal. And then the plan is established for improvement of regulatory framework for decommissioning of nuclear power plants in Korea. It is expected that if the things will go forward as planned, the revised regulatory framework for decommissioning could enhance the safety regime on the decommissioning of nuclear power plants in Korea in light of international standards.
French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission Decommissioning Programme and Feedback Experience
Authors: Guiberteau Philippe , Nokhamzon Jean-Guy
Published: February 2014

Since the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) was founded in 1945 to carry out research programs on use of nuclear, and its application France has set up and run various types of installations : research or prototypes reactors, process study or examination laboratories, pilot installations, accelerators, nuclear power plants and processing facilities. Some of these are currently being dismantled or must be dismantled soon so that the DEN, the Nuclear Energy Division, can construct new equipment and thus have available a range of R&D facilities in line with the issues of the nuclear industry of the future. Since the 1960s and 1970s in all its centers, the CEA has acquired experience and know-how through dismantling various nuclear facilities. The dismantling techniques are nowadays operational, even if sometimes certain specific developments are necessary to reduce the cost of operations. Thanks to availability of techniques and guarantees of dismantling program financing now from two dedicated funds, close to 15 B€ for the next thirty years, for current or projected dismantling operations, the CEA’s Nuclear Energy Division has been able to develop, when necessary, its immediate dismantling strategy. Currently, nearly thirty facilities are being dismantled by the CEA’s Nuclear Energy Division operational units with its industrial partners. Thus the next decade will see completion of the dismantling and radioactive clean-up of the Grenoble site and of the facilities on the Fontenay-aux-Roses site. By 2018, the dismantling of the UP1 plant at Marcoule, the largest dismantling work in France, will be well advanced, with all the process equipment dismantled. After an overview of the French regulatory framework, the paper will describe the DD&R strategy, programme and feedback experience inside the CEA’s Nuclear Energy Division and its progress since ICEM 14 in 2011’s conference in Reims.
A Matrix-Inversion Method for Gamma-Source Mapping From Gamma-Count Data
Authors: Adsley Ian , Bull Richard K. , Burgess Claire
Published: February 2014

In a previous paper (1) it was proposed that a simple matrix inversion method could be used to extract source distributions from gamma-count maps, using simple models to calculate the response matrix. The method was tested using numerically generated count maps.

In the present work a 100 kBq Co60 source has been placed on a gridded surface and the count rate measured using a NaI scintillation detector. The resulting map of gamma counts was used as input to the matrix inversion procedure and the source position recovered. A multisource array was simulated by superposition of several single-source count maps and the source distribution was again recovered using matrix inversion. The measurements were performed for several detector heights. The effects of uncertainties in source-detector distances on the matrix-inversion method are also examined.

The results from this work give confidence in the application of the method to practical applications, such as the segregation of highly active objects amongst fuel-element debris.
Decommissioning the Belgonucleaire Dessel MOX Plant: Presentation of the Project and Situation End August 2013
Authors: Cuchet J. M. , Libon H. , Verheyen C. , Bily J. , Boden S. , Joffroy F. , Walthéry R.
Published: February 2014

BELGONUCLEAIRE has been operating the Dessel MOX plant at an industrial scale between 1986 and 2006. During this period, 40 metric tons of plutonium (HM) have been processed into 90 reloads of MOX fuel for commercial light water reactors. The decision to stop the production in 2006 and to decommission the MOX plant was the result of the shrinkage of the MOX fuel market due to political and commercial factors.

As a significant part of the decommissioning project of the Dessel MOX plant, about 170 medium-sized glove-boxes and about 1.200 metric tons of structure and equipment outside the glove-boxes are planned for dismantling.

The license for the dismantling of the MOX plant was granted by Royal Decree in 2008 and the dismantling started in March 2009. The dismantling works are carried out by an integrated organization under leadership and responsibility of BELGONUCLEAIRE; this organization includes 3 main contractors, namely Tecnubel N.V., the THV (‘Tijdelijke HandelsVereniging’) Belgoprocess / SCK•CEN and Studsvik GmbH and TRACTEBEL ENGINEERING as project manager.

In this paper, after having described the main characteristics of the project, the authors review the different organizational and technical options considered for the decommissioning of the glove-boxes; thereafter the main decision criteria (qualification of personnel and of processes, confinement, cutting techniques & radiation protection, safety aspects, alpha-bearing waste management) are analyzed as well.

Finally the progress, the feedback and the lessons learned at the end of August 2013 are presented, giving the principal’s and contractors point of view.
Fundamental Study on Mitigation of Rocking Motion of a Cask System by a Gyro System
Authors: Ito Tomohiro , Ishikawa Yasumasa , Shintani Atsuhiko , Nakagawa Chihiro
Published: February 2014

In Japan, ensuring the structural integrity of cask systems during seismic events is becoming increasingly important. Cask systems, which are free-standing cylindrical structures that contain spent fuel assemblies, are believed to exhibit rocking motions under strong seismic excitations. Thus far, analytical studies conducted by the authors have indicated that cask systems subjected to strong seismic motions, undergo large rocking motions, and, in the worst case, may overturn and collapse. Therefore, reducing the rocking motions of casks to avoid overturning and consequent contamination of radioactive substances is critical.

To suppress rocking motions for heavy free-standing structures such as cask systems, we propose a rocking motion suppression system that employs a gyro system. This system is installed in the free-standing structure. A previous analytical study showed that this system largely mitigates rocking motion.

In the present study, we fabricated a fundamental cask system model and a gyro system. By using the cask system model without a gyro system, free vibration tests and shaking table tests were conducted to understand the basic characteristics of rocking motion and responses under base excitations. Analyses were also conducted to confirm the validity of the analytical model for rocking motion comparing with the experimental data. Moreover, analyses for the cask system with the gyro system were conducted. From these results, we evaluated the ability of the gyro system to mitigate rocking motion.
Enhanced HLW Glass Formulations for the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant
Authors: Kruger Albert A.
Published: February 2014

Current estimates and glass formulation efforts are conservative vis-à-vis achievable waste loadings. These formulations have been specified to ensure that glasses are homogenous, contain essentially no crystalline phases, are processable in joule-heated, ceramic-lined melters and meet WTP Contract terms. The WTP’s overall mission will require the immobilization of tank waste compositions that are dominated by mixtures of aluminum, chromium, bismuth, iron, phosphorous, zirconium, and sulfur compounds as waste-limiting components. Glass compositions for these waste mixtures have been developed based upon previous experience and current glass property models. DOE has a testing program to develop and characterize HLW glasses with higher waste loadings. This work has demonstrated the feasibility of increases in waste loading from 25 wt% to 33–50 wt% (based on oxide loading) in the glass depending on the waste stream. It is expected these higher waste loading glasses will reduce the HLW canister production requirement by 25% or more.
Reuse of Low Specific Activity Material as Part of LLWR Design Optimisation
Authors: Huntington Amy , Cummings Richard , Shevelan John , Sumerling Trevor , Baker Andrew J.
Published: February 2014

A final cap will be emplaced over the disposed waste as part of the closure engineering for the UK’s Low Level Waste Repository (LLWR). Additional profiling material will be required above the waste to obtain the required landform. Consideration has been given to the potential opportunity to reuse Low Specific Activity Material (LSAM, defined as up to 200 Bq g−1) imported from other sites as a component of the necessary profiling material for the final repository cap. Justification of such a strategy would ultimately require a demonstration that the solution is optimal with respect to other options for the long-term management of such materials. The proposal is currently at the initial evaluation stage and seeks to establish how LSAM reuse within the cap could be achieved within the framework of an optimised safety case for the LLWR, should such a management approach be pursued. The key considerations include the following: The LSAM must provide the same engineering function as the remainder of the profiling material. The cap design must ensure efficient leachate collection, drainage and control for Low Level Waste (LLW) (and, by extension, LSAM) during the Period of Authorisation. In the longer term the engineering design must passively direct any accumulating waters preferentially away from surface water systems. An initial design has been developed that would allow the placement of around 220,000m3 of LSAM. The potential impact of the proposal has been assessed against the current Environmental Safety Case.