Radiation protection at the National Nuclear Research Centre, Pelindaba

No Abstrac

Writing the risk of cancer: cancer risk in policy documents.

In this paper we examine how cancer risk is written in cancer policy documents from the English speaking OECD nations. We offer an audit of the multiple ways in which cancer risk is conceptualized and presented in health policy and professional contexts with the long term aim of comparing this with lay conceptualizations. Our study sampled cancer policy documents produced by six nations, the World Health Organisation and the International Union for Cancer Control since 2000 and analysed them iteratively through questions and codes. Whilst the documents contained a comprehensive range of concepts and locations for cancer risk, our analysis found two predominant representations: firstly, well established metaphors that depict cancer as uniformly dreadful and life threatening; and secondly, through a concentration on five behavioural risk factors (tobacco smoking, drinking alcohol, inadequate nutrition, sun exposure and physical inactivity) and one bodily state (overweight). We discuss the implications of this dual focus and of other tensions within ideas about cancer risk that we identified for risk communication

Girls don't rock and boys don't bop: adolescent musical identity and gender stereotypes in popular music.

This study investigated what are considered to be gender appropriate musical behaviours from the perspective of adolescents, with a particular focus on listening behaviours and musical preferences. Gender stereotypes in popularised music and ways in which stereotypes are generated through popular media is also explored. Educational implications of gender delineated musical meaning in popular styles of music are considered in order to contribute to a growing body of research on the use of popular music in the classroom. Data were collected from three focus groups involving adolescents of varied ages from three different schools. Music educators from two of the participating schools also contributed to the study. Grounded theory was developed using open and axial coding of the collected data. Results indicated that gender stereotypes in music listened to by adolescents affect musical identity formation to varying degrees depending on susceptibility to social pressures. Gender delineated musical meaning in the classroom was found to have an impact on musical behaviours of students as a result of teacher attitudes and initiatives towards creating a gender balanced music classroom

Processes and xylem anatomical properties involved in rehydration dynamics of cut flowers

In cut flowers, which are harvested in air and transported dry, all cut xylem vessels in the basal part of the stem contain air instead of water. These air-emboli initially block water transport at the start of vase life, but usually (partly) disappear during the first hours of vase life, resulting in rehydration of the flower. However, in some cases flowers are not able to sufficiently remove these air blockages, resulting in a poor water status expressed by wilting. Differences in rehydration ability are present between cultivars, but also between different lots of flowers within one cultivar as result of growing conditions. Using chrysanthemum cut flowers, investigations are focussed on the dynamics of the flower water status during the first hours of vase life after air entrance in the xylem vessels via the cut surface. Role of xylem anatomy in the process related to the establishment of a good or bad rehydration are studied by means of cryo-SEM and other microscopic techniques, dynamic measurements of stem hydraulic resistance and 1H NMR imaging. Modeling techniques are use to explore theoretical concepts and to integrate experimental results obtained by the different experimental techniques

International Study of the Epidemiology of Paediatric Trauma : PAPSA Research Study

Objectives: Trauma is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The literature on paediatric trauma epidemiology in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is limited. This study aims to gather epidemiological data on paediatric trauma. Methods: This is a multicentre prospective cohort study of paediatric trauma admissions, over 1 month, from 15 paediatric surgery centres in 11 countries. Epidemiology, mechanism of injury, injuries sustained, management, morbidity and mortality data were recorded. Statistical analysis compared LMICs and high-income countries (HICs). Results: There were 1377 paediatric trauma admissions over 31 days; 1295 admissions across ten LMIC centres and 84 admissions across five HIC centres. Median number of admissions per centre was 15 in HICs and 43 in LMICs. Mean age was 7 years, and 62% were boys. Common mechanisms included road traffic accidents (41%), falls (41%) and interpersonal violence (11%). Frequent injuries were lacerations, fractures, head injuries and burns. Intra-abdominal and intra-thoracic injuries accounted for 3 and 2% of injuries. The mechanisms and injuries sustained differed significantly between HICs and LMICs. Median length of stay was 1 day and 19% required an operative intervention; this did not differ significantly between HICs and LMICs. No mortality and morbidity was reported from HICs. In LMICs, in-hospital morbidity was 4.0% and mortality was 0.8%. Conclusion: The spectrum of paediatric trauma varies significantly, with different injury mechanisms and patterns in LMICs. Healthcare structure, access to paediatric surgery and trauma prevention strategies may account for these differences. Trauma registries are needed in LMICs for future research and to inform local policy

Search for Gravitational Waves from Primordial Black Hole Binary Coalescences in the Galactic Halo

We use data from the second science run of the LIGO gravitational-wave detectors to search for the gravitational waves from primordial black hole (PBH) binary coalescence with component masses in the range 0.2--$1.0 M_\odot$. The analysis requires a signal to be found in the data from both LIGO observatories, according to a set of coincidence criteria. No inspiral signals were found. Assuming a spherical halo with core radius 5 kpc extending to 50 kpc containing non-spinning black holes with masses in the range 0.2--$1.0 M_\odot$, we place an observational upper limit on the rate of PBH coalescence of 63 per year per Milky Way halo (MWH) with 90% confidence.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, to be submitted to Phys. Rev.