The World Needs Nuclear Power

ABSTRAK There was a good deal of talk about energy at the UN General Assembly\u27s Special Session on Sustainable Development in New York last summer, but I must tell you that , speaking for the MEA, I was alone in referring to the potential of nuclear power to help reduce green-house gas emissions. My speech was followed by that of a representative of Green peace who called for - I quote "the beginning of the phase-out of .fossil fuels and their replacement by clean renewable energy which exists in abundance. " He added: "nuclear is not an alternative..." Keywords: Nuclear powe

Environment, Nuclear Energy and Public Perception

The famous Indian nuclear scientist, Dr. Homi Bhabha, coined the expression "no energy is more expensive than no energy". He meant that nothing is grimmer than living without any other energy than that of your own body. For a good life we need energy for cooking, heating, transportation, industrial production, communication, home appliances ... We take our cars. elevators. dish-washers, central heating and computers for granted in the industrialized societies. When we need power, we just plug in. Our energy and especially electricity consumption is big. The US uses some 13,500 kWh per person and year; my own country, Sweden, some 15000. But at the other end of the spectrum we have countries like Chad and Tanzania with less than 100 kWh per person and year. Nothing is more certain - and reasonable - than that countries at the lower end will seek to improve the lives of their people by increasing their energy and electricity consumption. * After-dinner speech delivered on Global Foundation, Inc. Conference on "Environment and Nuclear Enery", Washington DC, 28 Oktober 1997. Artikel ini diambil dari situs www.iaea.or.a

Some aspects of the conclusion of treaties

It is, no doubt, a truism that in the relations of states treaties are matters of importance and frequent occurrence. The law of treaties, therefore, rightly occupies a central position in international law. Within this branch of the law, three large categories of rules may easily be distinguished relating, respectively, to the conclusion, to the interpretation, and to the termination of treaties. It is with some aspects of the first of these categories that the present study is exclusively concerned. In order that a treaty may be validly concluded on behalf of a state, two requirements are of fundamental importance: the first is that expressions of consent must have occurred; the second, that these expressions shall emanate from persons who are competent to give them. The original plan of the present study envisaged a full treatment of the rules of international law governing the two requirements referred to above. As the work proceeded, however, it became clear that no more than one of the topics could be treated within the framework of a thesis. Accordingly, the writer decided not to discuss the rules of international law relating to what constitutes an expression of consent to a treaty. The result of the writer's inquiry into the question whether, in cases of doubt, the signature of a treaty constitutes an irrevocable expression of consent, or ratification is required, is found in a published article, appended to the present study as Annex I. An inquiry into a cognate problem, namely, the need for unanimity in the revision of multilateral treaties, is also attached to this thesis as Annex II. Consequently, the present study is restricted to a systematic examination of those rules of international law which relate to the identification of those authorities in the state who are competent to express the final consent of the state to a treaty. The questions of the representation in contractual and treaty matters of subjects other than states, however, is not discussed. The present work deals with two distinct but interrelated problems. The first is that of the conditions under which the expressions of consent to a treaty of an authority or person are imputed to the state on whose behalf the authority or person purports to act. This is the question of identifying the competent treaty-making organ. The other problem is that of the conditions under which the expression of consent given to a treaty by an individual may be imputed to the treaty-making organ whose agent the individual purports to be. Both problems are of considerable difficulty. In the case of the second problem, the competence of agents, the difficulties are caused, chiefly, by the scant attention which the question has attracted. Material relevant to it has not been easily accessible, and the doctrinal discussion of the matter has hitherto been so limited that the present study may probably claim to be the first full treatment of the topic. By contrast, many of the difficulties relating to the problem of the competence of treaty-making organs, have been caused by the prolific treatment which it has been accorded at the hands of publicists. In order, therefore, to make some fresh contribution to this subject, the emphasis of this study has been placed on the investigation and discussion of the practice of states and the decisions of tribunals, both municipal and international. One consequence of this approach is to expose to criticism many of the views hitherto expressed on this subject; and it has, therefore, become necessary to attempt the formulation of a theory that is less contradicted by the practice of states than most existing theories seem to be. The study falls into three parts. Part I contains an examination of the problem of the competence of agents of treaty-making organs. Part II takes up the question of the competence of treaty-making organs generally. In Part III the same question is examined with special reference to states possessing constitutional regulations governing their treaty-making activities

Environment, Nuclear Energy and Public Perception

The famous Indian nuclear scientist, Dr. Homi Bhabha, coined the expression "no energy is more expensive than no energy". He meant that nothing is grimmer than living without any other energy than that of your own body. For a good life we need energy for cooking, heating, transportation, industrial production, communication, home appliances ... We take our cars. elevators. dish-washers, central heating and computers for granted in the industrialized societies. When we need power, we just plug in. Our energy and especially electricity consumption is big. The US uses some 13,500 kWh per person and year; my own country, Sweden, some 15000. But at the other end of the spectrum we have countries like Chad and Tanzania with less than 100 kWh per person and year. Nothing is more certain - and reasonable - than that countries at the lower end will seek to improve the lives of their people by increasing their energy and electricity consumption. * After-dinner speech delivered on Global Foundation, Inc. Conference on "Environment and Nuclear Enery", Washington DC, 28 Oktober 1997. Artikel ini diambil dari situs www.iaea.or.a

Immobilization of muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) with etorphine and xylazine

One hundred and thirty three "wild" muskoxen, 81 of which of known body mass, were successfully immobilized using etorphine (M99), and xylazine (Rompun®), delivered by use of a dart gun. A dose of 0.05 mg/kg M99, supplemented by 0.15 mg/kg Rompun was found to be very effective. This dose is much higher than currently recommended e.g. by Handbook of Wildlife Chemical Immobilization

Experiences from 40 years of muskox (Ovibos moschatus) farming in Norway

Experiences from the management of a semi-domesticated herd of muskoxen, mostly on an island outside Tromsø (~70º N; 19º E), over a period of 40 years have been collected, and data on husbandry practices, reproduction, diseases and longevity are presented and discussed

Struggles of being and becoming: A dialogical narrative analysis of the life stories of Sami elderly

The Sami are an indigenous people living in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. Historically, national states have made strong efforts to assimilate the Sami people into the majority populations, and the Sami have experienced stigmatization and discrimination. However, after World War II, there has been a revitalization process among the Sami that was pioneered by the Sami Movement and gradually adopted in broader spheres of Norwegian society. The lifespans of the current cohort of elderly Sami unfold throughout a historical period in which contrasting public narratives about the Sami have dominated. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between elderly Sami's individual life stories and contrasting public narratives about the Sami. Nineteen elderly Sami individuals in Norway were interviewed. This article is a dialogical narrative analysis of the life stories of four elderly Sami. The article illuminates how individual life stories are framed and shaped by public narratives and how identifying is an ongoing process also in late life. A dialogical relationship between individual life stories and public narratives implies that individual stories have the capacity to shape and revise dominant public narratives. To do so, the number of stories that are allowed to act must be increased. A commitment in dialogic narrative research on minority elderly is to make available individual stories from the margins of the public narratives to reduce narrative silences and to prevent the reproduction of established “truths”

Effects of improved nutrition in pregnant reindeer on milk quality, calf birth weight, growth, and mortality

A group of 35 pregnant reindeer (Rangifcr tarandus) was divided into two groups in mid-February. Until calving in May one of the groups (L) received lichen ad lib., while the other group (IN) received an improved diet, rich in protein and minerals. After calving both groups received the same improved diet. In both groups it was distinguished between young (<3 years) and old (>3 years) animals. At the start of the experiment the body weight of L-young animals was 58.5 ± 4.6 kg, IN-young 56.2 ± 2.8 kg, L-old 70.3 ± 6.0 kg and IN-old 68.2 ± 4.8 kg. At calving the weights of the same animals were 55.9 ± 4.5 kg (L-young), 68.1 ± 2.5 (IN-young), 70.0 ± 6.9 kg (L-old) and 81.6 ± 6.8 kg (IN-old). Birth weight of IN-young calves was 4.5 ± 0.7 kg and of L-young calves 3.7 ± 0.5 kg. Birth weight of IN-old calves was 5.7 ± 0.8 kg and of L-old calves 4.4 ± 0.6 kg. The birth weight of the calves in all groups was correlated to the weight of the female just prior to calving. Growth rates in all but the IN-old group were not different, the IN-old group showing a significantly higher growth rate than the other groups. In mid-September, however, the average body weight for the calves from the L and IN-groups did not differ significantly. Neither chemical composition nor total energy content of the milk differed significantly between the groups. Total mortality in the L-group was 28% as compared to 7% in the IN-group. Two females in the IN-old group had not given birth at the end of the experimental period.Virkningen av bedret ernæring til drektige reinsimler på melkekvalitet, kalvenes fødselsvekt, vekst og dødelighet.Abstract in Norwegian / Sammendrag: En flokk på 35 drektige reinsimler (Rangifer tarandus) ble delt i to grupper i midten av februar. Frem til kalving i mai ble den ene gruppen gitt lav ad lib. (L-gruppe), mens den andre gruppen ble tilleggsforet med 2 kg RF - 71/dag (IN-gruppe). Etter kalving ble begge gruppene gitt 2 kg RF - 71/dag. Innen begge gruppene ble det skilt mellom unge (<3 år) og gamle (>3 år) simler. Ved forsøkets start var kroppsvekten for unge simler ca. 57 kg, og for gamle simler ca. 69 kg, i begge ernæringsgruppene. Ved kalving var kroppsvekten for unge simler 55.9 ± 4.5 kg (L-gruppe), og 68.1 ± 2.5 kg (IN-gruppe) mens kroppsvekten for gamle simler var 70.0 ± 6.9 kg (L-gruppe) og 81.6 ± 6.8 kg (IN-gruppe). Fødselsvekt for kalver etter IN-unge simler var 4.5 ± 0.7 kg, og 3.7 ± 0.5 kg for kalver etter L-unge simler. De tilsvarende fødselsvektene for kalver etter gamle simler var 5.7 ± 0.8 kg (IN-gruppe) og 4.4 ± 0.6 kg (L-gruppe). Fødselsvektene var korrelert til simlenes kroppsvekt like før kalving. Kalveveksten i de første tre ukene etter fødselen var signifikant høyere for kalver etter IN-gamle simler, sammenlignet med kalveveksten i de øvrige tre gruppene, som ikke var innbyrdes signifikant forskjellige. I midten av september var det ingen signifikante forskjeller i kalvenes kroppsvekt gruppene imellom. Det var ingen signifikante forskjeller hverken i totalt energiinnhold eller i kjemisk sammensetning av melken fra simlene i de to ernæringsgruppene. Total dødelighet for kalver i L-gruppen var 28% mot 7% i IN-gruppen i løpet av de tre første ukene etter fødselen. To av de gamle simlene i IN-gruppen hadde ikke kalvet ved forsøkets slutt.Kantavien porovaatimien parannetun ravinnon vaikutus maidonlaatuun, vasojen syntymåpainoon, kasvuun ja kuolleisuuteen.Abstract in Finnish / Yhteenveto: 35 kantavan porovaatimen (Rangifer tarandus) lauma jaettiin kahteen ryhmaan helmikuun puolivålisså. Vasomiseen saakka toukokuussa annettiin toiselle ryhmalle jåkalaa ad. Ub. (L-ryhmå), kun taas toinen ryhma sai lisåravintona 2 kg RF-71 rehua påivåsså (IN-ryhmå). Vasomisen jålkeen annettiin molemmille ryhmille 2 kg RF-71 rehua påivåsså. Molemmissa ryhmisså erotettiin nuoret (< 3-vuotiaat) ja vanhat (> 3-vuotiaat) vaatimet toisistaan. Tutkimuksen alkuvaiheessa oli nuorten vaatimien ruumiinpaino n.57 kg, ja vanhojen vaatimien n.69 kg, molemmissa ravintoryhmisså. Vasomisen aikana oli nuorten vaatimien ruumiinpaino 55,9 ± 4,5 kg (L-ryhmå), ja 68,1 ± 2,5 kg (IN-ryhmå), kun taas vanhojen vaatimien ruumiinpaino oli 70,0 ± 6,9 kg (L-ryhmå) ja 81,6 ± 6,8 kg (IN-ryhmå). Vasojen syntymåpaino IN-nuorten vaatimien ryhmåsså oli 4,5 ± 0,7 kg, ja 3,7 ± 0,5 kg L-nuorten vaatimien ryhmåsså. Vastaavat syntymåpainot vanhojen vaatimien vasoilla olivat 5,7 ± 0,8 kg (IN-ryhmå) ja 4,4 ± 0,6 kg (L-ryhmå). Syntymåpainot olivat vastaavuussuhteessa vaatimien ruumiinpainoon våhåå ennen vasomista. IN-vanhojen vaatimien vasojen kasvu ensimmåisten kolmen viikon aikana syntymån jålkeen oli merkittåvåsti korkeampi, verrattuna niiden kolmen muun ryhmån vasankasvuun, jotka eivåt olleet keskenåån merkittåvån erilaisia. Vasojen ruumiinpainossa ryhmien kesken ei ollut mitåån merkittåviå eroavaisuuksia syyskuun puolivålisså. Nåiden kahden ravintoryhmån vaatimien maidossa ei ollut mitåån merkittåviå eroja kokonaisuudessa ravinnon sisåltoon eikå kemialliseen kokoonpanoon nåhden. Vasojen kokonaiskuolleisuus L-ryhmåsså oli 28% ja IN-ryhmåsså 7% kolmena ensimmåisenå viikkona syntymån jålkeen. Kaksi vanhaa vaadinta IN-ryhmåsså ei ollut vasonut tutkimuksen lopussa

Olaparib monotherapy as primary treatment in unselected triple negative breast cancer

Background - The antitumor efficacy of PARP inhibitors (PARPi) for breast cancer patients harboring germline BRCA1/2 (gBRCA1/2) mutations is well established. While PARPi monotherapy was ineffective in patients with metastatic triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) wild type for BRCA1/2, we hypothesized that PARPi may be effective in primary TNBCs without previous chemotherapy exposure. Patients and methods - In the phase II PETREMAC trial, patients with primary TNBC >2 cm received olaparib for up to 10 weeks before chemotherapy. Tumor biopsies collected before and after olaparib underwent targeted DNA sequencing (360 genes) and BRCA1 methylation analyses. In addition, BRCAness (multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification), PAM50 gene expression, RAD51 foci, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and PD-L1 analyses were performed on pretreatment samples. Results - The median pretreatment tumor diameter was 60 mm (range 25-112 mm). Eighteen out of 32 patients obtained an objective response (OR) to olaparib (56.3%). Somatic or germline mutations affecting homologous recombination (HR) were observed in 10/18 responders [OR 55.6%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 33.7-75.4] contrasting 1/14 non-responders (OR 7.1%; CI 1.3-31.5, P = 0.008). Among tumors without HR mutations, 6/8 responders versus 3/13 non-responders revealed BRCA1 hypermethylation (P = 0.03). Thus, 16/18 responders (88.9%, CI 67.2-96.9), in contrast to 4/14 non-responders (28.6%, CI 11.7-54.7, P = 0.0008), carried HR mutations and/or BRCA1 methylation. Excluding one gPALB2 and four gBRCA1/2 mutation carriers, 12/14 responders (85.7%, CI 60.1-96.0) versus 3/13 non-responders (23.1%, CI 8.2-50.3, P = 0.002) carried somatic HR mutations and/or BRCA1 methylation. In contrast to BRCAness signature or basal-like subtype, low RAD51 scores, high TIL or high PD-L1 expression all correlated to olaparib response. Conclusion - Olaparib yielded a high clinical response rate in treatment-naïve TNBCs revealing HR deficiency, beyond germline HR mutations

Using random forest and decision tree models for a new vehicle prediction approach in computational toxicology

yesDrug vehicles are chemical carriers that provide beneficial aid to the drugs they bear. Taking advantage of their favourable properties can potentially allow the safer use of drugs that are considered highly toxic. A means for vehicle selection without experimental trial would therefore be of benefit in saving time and money for the industry. Although machine learning is increasingly used in predictive toxicology, to our knowledge there is no reported work in using machine learning techniques to model drug-vehicle relationships for vehicle selection to minimise toxicity. In this paper we demonstrate the use of data mining and machine learning techniques to process, extract and build models based on classifiers (decision trees and random forests) that allow us to predict which vehicle would be most suited to reduce a drug’s toxicity. Using data acquired from the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) Developmental Therapeutics Program (DTP) we propose a methodology using an area under a curve (AUC) approach that allows us to distinguish which vehicle provides the best toxicity profile for a drug and build classification models based on this knowledge. Our results show that we can achieve prediction accuracies of 80 % using random forest models whilst the decision tree models produce accuracies in the 70 % region. We consider our methodology widely applicable within the scientific domain and beyond for comprehensively building classification models for the comparison of functional relationships between two variables