Bullying girls - Changes after brief strategic family therapy: A randomized, prospective, controlled trial with one-year follow-up

Background: Many girls bully others. They are conspicuous because of their risk-taking behavior, increased anger, problematic interpersonal relationships and poor quality of life. Our aim was to determine the efficacy of brief strategic family therapy (BSFT) for bullying-related behavior, anger reduction, improvement of interpersonal relationships, and improvement of health-related quality of life in girls who bully, and to find out whether their expressive aggression correlates with their distinctive psychological features. Methods: 40 bullying girls were recruited from the general population: 20 were randomly selected for 3 months of BSFT. Follow-up took place 12 months after the therapy had ended. The results of treatment were examined using the Adolescents' Risk-taking Behavior Scale (ARBS), the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI), the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP-D), and the SF-36 Health Survey (SF-36). Results: In comparison with the control group (CG) (according to the intent-to-treat principle), bullying behavior in the BSFT group was reduced (BSFT-G from n = 20 to n = 6; CG from n = 20 to n = 18, p = 0.05) and statistically significant changes in all risk-taking behaviors (ARBS), on most STAXI, IIP-D, and SF-36 scales were observed after BSFT. The reduction in expressive aggression (Anger-Out scale of the STAXI) correlated with the reduction on several scales of the ARBS, IIP-D, and SF-36. Follow-up a year later showed relatively stable events. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that bullying girls suffer from psychological and social problems which may be reduced by the use of BSFT. Expressive aggression in girls appears to correlate with several types of risk-taking behavior and interpersonal problems, as well as with health-related quality of life. Copyright (c) 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel

COUPLED SIMULATION OF GAS COOLED FAST REACTOR FUEL ASSEMBLY WITH NESTLE CODE SYSTEM

The paper is focused on coupled calculation of the Gas Cooled Fast Reactor. The proper modelling of coupled neutronics and thermal-hydraulics is the corner stone for future safety assessment of the control and emergency systems. Nowadays, the system and channel thermal-hydraulic codes are accepted by the national regulatory authorities in European Union for license purposes, therefore the code NESTLE was used for the simulation. The NESTLE code is a coupled multigroup neutron diffusion code with thermal-hydraulic sub-channel code. In the paper, the validation of NESTLE code 5.2.1 installation is presented. The processing of fuel assembly homogeneous parametric cross-section library for NESTLE code simulation is made by the sequence TRITON of SCALE code package system. The simulated case in the NESTLE code is one fuel assembly of GFR2400 concept with reflective boundary condition in radial direction and zero flux boundary condition in axial direction. The results of coupled calculation are presented and are consistent with the GFR2400 study of the GoFastR project

Precise experimental determination of attenuation coefficient and its simulation

With regard to progress achieved in computation methods of ionizing radiation transport in various materials, there is increased need for validation of such computer codes with experiments. Therefore, special measurement equipment has been built at Brno University of Technology. It serves for experimental determination of attenuation coefficients of various shielding materials. Special focus is put on inhomogeneous materials, new composites, and non-standard shielding bricks which are usually used for various inside shielding reinforcement. Various measurements methods are tested, different detectors (gas filled, semi-conductor, scintillation, etc.) are used. Dependence on measurement geometry is also tested. Basic build-up factor measurements have also been done and its investigation will continue. Experimental results are then compared with values obtained by Monte Carlo methods based codes such as MCNP and PHITS. Results are then compared with literature and possibility of the methodology further utilization is discussed in conclusions.Dny radiační ochrany; November 8-12, 2021

Theoretical simulation and experimental testing of advanced shielding materials properties with focus on inhomogeneity and build-up

To extend the research possibilities of the nuclear research group at Brno University of Technology, a gamma radiation shielding measurement benchmark assembly was designed and built. Experimental device will be used for fine attenuation coefficient and build-up factors measurement and for easy validation of theoretical simulation and calculation of shielding properties of selected materials. Many different radioactive emitters can be used in the assembly, as well as many different detectors and materials, which might be tested, and results compared to understand well measurement results. A theoretical model was also created for the benchmark assembly and simulated in MCNP. Initial results show identical trends of values obtained by simulation and practical experiment