Operation Of Repository Research Articles

Design, implementation and operation of a multimodality research imaging informatics repository

BackgroundBiomedical imaging research increasingly involves acquiring, managing and processing large amounts of distributed imaging data. Integrated systems that combine data, meta-data and workflows are crucial for realising the opportunities presented by advances in imaging facilities.MethodsThis paper describes the design, implementation and operation of a multi-modality research imaging data management system that manages imaging data obtained from biomedical imaging scanners operated at Monash Biomedical Imaging (MBI), Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. In addition to Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) images, raw data and non-DICOM biomedical data can be archived and distributed by the system. Imaging data are annotated with meta-data according to a study-centric data model and, therefore, scientific users can find, download and process data easily.ResultsThe research imaging data management system ensures long-term usability, integrity inter-operability and integration of large imaging data. Research users can securely browse and download stored images and data, and upload processed data via subject-oriented informatics frameworks including the Distributed and Reflective Informatics System (DaRIS), and the Extensible Neuroimaging Archive Toolkit (XNAT).

Influence of salt solutions on the swelling behavior of the compacted GMZ01 bentonite

During the long-term operation of a deep geological repository, infiltration of pore fluids with different chemical compositions can influence the swelling behavior of the compacted bentonite. In this paper, using a self-developed swelling deformation apparatus, one-dimensional free swelling tests were conducted on densely compacted GMZ01 bentonite specimen with an initial dry density of 1.70 g/cm3, with infiltration of de-ionized water, NaCl, or CaCl2 solutions at different concentrations. Results show that the swelling strains of GMZ01 bentonite specimens infiltrated with salt solutions were significantly lower than that of those infiltrated with de-ionized water. In fact, the swelling strain decreased in a form of power function with the increasing concentration of infiltration solutions. For a given concentration, the one-dimensional swelling strain of specimens contacted with NaCl solutions was higher than that of the specimens infiltrated with CaCl2 solutions. However, the difference of the swelling strains decreased with increasing concentrations. This phenomenon could be explained by the impact of cation types on the microstructure of bentonite.

Impact of cyclically infiltration of CaCl2 solution and de-ionized water on volume change behavior of compacted GMZ01 bentonite

During the long-term operation of a geological repository, fluctuations of groundwater level, temperature, etc., will lead to cyclically changing of groundwater chemical components correspondingly, resulting in influencing the volume change behavior of compacted bentonite. Using an improved expansion apparatus, one-dimensional free swelling tests were conducted on as-prepared densely compacted GMZ01 bentonite specimens, which have an initial dry density of 1.70g/cm3, with cyclically infiltration of CaCl2 solutions at different concentrations and de-ionized water. Four concentrations (0.1, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0M) of CaCl2 solutions and de-ionized water were employed for the infiltration tests and four salinization–desalinization cycling paths were followed. Results show that the total swelling strains of compacted GMZ01 bentonite specimens were influenced by the concentrations of infiltration CaCl2 solutions, the salinization or de-salinization processes, as well as the cycles of salinization–desalinization experienced.

The Southeastern Minnesota Beacon Project for Community-driven Health Information Technology: Origins, Achievements, and Legacy

Introduction:The Southeastern (SE) Minnesota Beacon organized all the health care providers, county public health organizations, and school districts in the deployment and integration of health information exchange (HIE) and targeted health communication around childhood asthma and diabetes. The community cooperated to establish a clinical data repository for all residents in the 11-county region. Through this community of practice approach that involved traditional and nontraditional providers, the SE Minnesota Beacon was able to realize unique applications of this technology. This manuscript overviews the associated organization and infrastructure of this community collaboration.Background:The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) stimulus, established 17 projects throughout the United States targeting the introduction and meaningful use of health information technology (HIT). These 17 communities were intended to serve as an example of what could be accomplished. The SE Minnesota Beacon is one of these communities.Methods:The community ultimately opted for peer-to-peer HIE, using Nationwide Health Information Network (NwHIN) Connect software. The clinical data repository was established using the infrastructure developed by the Regenstrief Institute, which operated as a trusted third party. As an extension to HIE, the consortium of county public health departments created a patient data portal for use by school nurses and parents. Childhood asthma was addressed by creating, exchanging, and maintaining an “asthma action plan” for each affected child, shared throughout the community, including through the patient portal. Diabetes management introduced patient treatment decision tools and patient quality of life measures, facilitating care. Influenza vaccination was enhanced by large-scale community reporting in partnership with the state vaccination registry. The methodology and principles for arriving at these solutions included community engagement, sustainability, scalability, standards, and best practices that fit a variety of organizations—from large, robust providers to small organizations.Findings:The SE Minnesota Beacon demonstrated that all providers for a geographically defined population can cooperate in the development and shared governance of a low-cost, sustainable HIE, and the operation of a community-managed clinical data repository. Furthermore, these infrastructures can be leveraged to collaboratively improve the care of patients, as demonstrated for childhood asthma and adult diabetes mellitus.Conclusion:The shared governance of HIT by a community can palpably change the scope and success of collaborations targeted to improve patient and community health care.

A Model for the Establishment and Operation of the Collaborative Repository for Academic Libraries in Korea

A Model for the Establishment and Operation of the Collaborative Repository for Academic Libraries in Korea

Importance and Feasibility of Establishment and Operation of the Collaborative Repository for Academic Libraries

Importance and Feasibility of Establishment and Operation of the Collaborative Repository for Academic Libraries

Enabling Ontology Based Semantic Queries in Biomedical Database Systems.

There is a lack of tools to ease the integration and ontology based semantic queries in biomedical databases, which are often annotated with ontology concepts. We aim to provide a middle layer between ontology repositories and semantically annotated databases to support semantic queries directly in the databases with expressive standard database query languages. We have developed a semantic query engine that provides semantic reasoning and query processing, and translates the queries into ontology repository operations on NCBO BioPortal. Semantic operators are implemented in the database as user defined functions extended to the database engine, thus semantic queries can be directly specified in standard database query languages such as SQL and XQuery. The system provides caching management to boosts query performance. The system is highly adaptable to support different ontologies through easy customizations. We have implemented the system DBOntoLink as an open source software, which supports major ontologies hosted at BioPortal. DBOntoLink supports a set of common ontology based semantic operations and have them fully integrated with a database management system IBM DB2. The system has been deployed and evaluated with an existing biomedical database for managing and querying image annotations and markups (AIM). Our performance study demonstrates the high expressiveness of semantic queries and the high efficiency of the queries.

Influence of salt solutions on the swelling pressure and hydraulic conductivity of compacted GMZ01 bentonite

During the long-term operation of a deep geological repository, infiltration of groundwater with different chemical compositions can affect the buffer/backfill properties of compacted bentonite. Using a newly developed apparatus, swelling pressure and permeability tests were carried out on densely compacted GMZ01 bentonite samples, which has an initial dry density of 1.70Mg/m3, with de-ionized water as well as NaCl and CaCl2 solutions at different concentrations. Salinity effects of infiltrating solutions on swelling pressure and hydraulic conductivity of tested samples were investigated. Results obtained show that the swelling pressure of GMZ01 bentonite decreases with increasing concentration of infiltrating solutions, while the degree of the impact decreases with the increase of concentrations. Moreover, swelling pressure reaches stability more rapidly in case of high concentrations. The hydraulic conductivity of GMZ01 bentonite increases with the increase of solution concentrations. Comparison shows that the impact of NaCl solutions on the swelling pressure and hydraulic conductivity is higher than that of CaCl2 solutions at same concentrations. This may be explained by the impact of cation types on the microstructure of bentonite.

Demonstrating compliance with protection objectives for non-human biota within post-closure safety cases for radioactive waste repositories

Over recent years, a number of approaches have been developed that enable the calculation of dose rates to animals and plants following the release of radioactivity to the environment. These approaches can be used to assess the potential impacts of activities that may release radioactivity to the environment, such as the operation of waste repositories. A number of national and international studies have identified screening criteria to indicate those assessment results below which further consideration is not generally required. However no internationally agreed criteria are currently available and consistency in criteria between countries has not been achieved. Furthermore, since screening criteria are not intended to be applied as limits, it is clear that they cannot always form a sufficient basis for assessing the adequacy of protection afforded. Typically, exceeding a screening value leads to a regulatory requirement to undertake a further, more detailed assessment. It does not, per se, imply that there is inadequate protection of the organism types at the specific site under assessment. Therefore, there is a need to develop a more structured approach to dealing with situations in which current screening criteria are exceeded. As a contribution to the developing international discussions, and as an interim measure for application where assessments are required currently, a two-tier, three zone framework is proposed here, relevant to the long term assessment of potential impacts from the deep disposal of radioactive wastes. The purpose of the proposed framework is to promote a proportionate and risk-based approach to the level of effort required in undertaking and interpreting an assessment.

Exploration of factors that impact voluntary contribution to electronic knowledge repositories in organizational settings

The ascendance of knowledge to the rank of a key competitive resource has changed the way in which organizations attempt to manage what they know. To maintain their knowledge, organizations have implemented numerous strategies, one of which is the operation of knowledge repositories. Employees are expected to contribute their job-related knowledge to these repositories. Undoubtedly, this expectation creates dilemmas for both the employing organization and their employees. The organizations need the employees to contribute to the repositories in order to retain the knowledge within the organizations, but cannot force their employees to do so. The employees have to be convinced that it was worthwhile to contribute to these repositories. The study formulates and tests a theoretical model to explicate the Intention to Contribute and actual Knowledge Contribution of employees to organizational electronic knowledge repositories. Six previously uninvestigated relationships are proffered, and implications for practice are derived from the findings.

Operational tsunami modelling with TsunAWI – recent developments and applications

Abstract. In this article, the tsunami model TsunAWI (Alfred Wegener Institute) and its application for hindcasts, inundation studies, and the operation of the tsunami scenario repository for the Indonesian tsunami early warning system are presented. TsunAWI was developed in the framework of the German-Indonesian Tsunami Early Warning System (GITEWS) and simulates all stages of a tsunami from the origin and the propagation in the ocean to the arrival at the coast and the inundation on land. It solves the non-linear shallow water equations on an unstructured finite element grid that allows to change the resolution seamlessly between a coarse grid in the deep ocean and a fine representation of coastal structures. During the GITEWS project and the following maintenance phase, TsunAWI and a framework of pre- and postprocessing routines was developed step by step to provide fast computation of enhanced model physics and to deliver high quality results.

학술정보 유통을 위한 기관 레포지터리 운영모형 개발 연구

This study extracted quality control factors for invigorating Institutional Repository operations, and re-extracted key quality control factors with significant influence among them. Furthermore, this study developed an operating model reflecting an improvement scheme of these key quality control factors, and estimated how much effective the operating model was to the user. As a result of inspecting satisfaction for IR operating model and the general system, it has been found that librarians` satisfaction for them is higher than that of the general user. Korea`s universities prefer a proxy submission mode by librarians to a self-archiving submission mode by writers. Therefore, based on the operation model developed by this study, it is suggested that Institutional Repository operation can be actively invigorated with librarians of these universities as central players.

A device designed for simulating HM behavior of compacted GMZ01 bentonite

During the long-term operation of a conceptual multi-barrier deep geological repository for disposal of high-level nuclear waste, performance of the artificial barrier system (compacted bentonite) with consideration of influences of the surrounding rocks has to be evaluated for tens of thousands of years. Numerical simulation technology could be one of the most effective assessment methods. In order to have confidence in the prediction of the coupled hydraulic and mechanical processes occurring within the engineered clay barrier, a comparison between calculated and observed results is essential for validation and verification. For this purpose, a new Hydro-Mechanical (HM) device was designed in this paper, in which compacted GMZ01 bentonite specimen was embedded into a hollow Beishan granite column, which was tightly fixed by a closure metal framework. Relative humidity and pressure sensors were employed for monitoring behavior of the compacted bentonite during hydration, in order to observe the HM coupling performance of the compacted bentonite with consideration of influences of surrounding rocks at room temperature. The newly-developed test device includes three parts, a bottom plug, a cylindrical metal cell body and a top plug, which were tightly fixed together with four screws to form a confined (constant volume) closure system. Relative humidity and pressure sensors were implemented. Relative humidity sensors were calibrated before installation. With this newly-developed device, the GMZ01 bentonite-Beishan granite specimen was submitted to hydration. Some interesting preliminary results of the HM behavior of the compacted GMZ01 bentonite with consideration of the bentonite/rock interactions were obtained and discussed.

Development of a U.S. Nuclear Waste Repository Research Program in Salt

With the United States rethinking its strategy for the management and disposal of defense high-level radioactive waste and civilian used nuclear fuel (UNF), it is an opportune time to evaluate the near-term and long-term options and requirements for the U.S. geologic repository program. In this paper, we outline a research program investigating the behavior of salt when subjected to thermal loads like those that would be present in a high-level-waste (HLW) repository. This program builds upon the knowledge base developed as a result of previous repository program efforts and the successful licensing and operation of the Waste Isolation Pilot Project Transuranic waste repository. We present a preliminary evaluation of a conceptual repository design that, in principle, exploits the positive attributes of salt as a disposal medium while balancing heat management issues against other considerations such as efficiency of disposal operations and cost. The coupled thermal-mechanical behavior of the intact and crushed salt, which influences and is influenced by the liberation and movement of water present in the salt and hydrous minerals, will ultimately control the thermal and hydrochemical conditions in the repository and at the waste package. To address key scientific issues, we advocate a combination of laboratory-scale investigations, a thermal test in the field for a configuration that replicates a small portion of our conceptual repository design, and numerical simulations conducted to develop a validated model that can be used for future repository design or performance assessment purposes. Accompanying this testing program would be a broader set of investigations that we advocate be conducted in the context of an iterative and adaptive process for systematically reducing uncertainties as we build a science-based safety case for HLW disposal in salt.

Perceived Risk and Benefit of Nuclear Waste Repositories: Four Opinion Clusters

Local public resistance can block the site-selection process, construction, and operation of nuclear waste repositories. Social science has established that the perception of risks and benefits, trust in authorities, and opinion on nuclear energy play important roles in acceptance. In particular, risk and benefit evaluations seem critical for opinion formation. However, risks and benefits have rarely been studied independently and, most often, the focus has been on the two most salient groups of proponents and opponents. The aim of this exploratory study is to examine the often-neglected majority of people holding ambivalent or indifferent opinions. We used cluster analysis to examine the sample (N = 500, mailed survey in German-speaking Switzerland) in terms of patterns of risk and benefit perception. We reveal four significantly different and plausible clusters: one cluster with high-benefit ratings in favor of a repository and one cluster with high-risk ratings opposing it; a third cluster shows ambivalence, with high ratings on both risk and benefit scales and moderate opposition, whereas a fourth cluster seems indifferent, rating risks and benefits only moderately compared to the ambivalent cluster. We conclude that a closer look at the often neglected but considerable number of people with ambivalent or indifferent opinions is necessary. Although the extreme factions of the public will most probably not change their opinion, we do not yet know how the opinion of the ambivalent and indifferent clusters might develop over time.

Development of a global certification program for biorepository technical professionals.

Currently, technical staff for biorepositories come to their work with a variety of educational and professional experiences. Some begin having completed a baccalaureate program with laboratory experience while others have acquired their knowledge of biorepository operations through years of experience working in a biobank without having initiated formal coursework at a university. Inconsistent recognition of the value of the contributions made by biobank technical staff has in many cases led to lower salaries and higher turnover, making it challenging for specimen repositories to consistently operate efficiently and to guarantee that only the highest quality specimens are available for research. In recent years, several excellent educational courses have been developed to address the need for substantive training in a number of areas relating to effective biorepository operations, such as specimen tracking, shipping, quality assurance, and others. In addition to these courses, ISBER offers a variety of courses and workshops as a part of its annual meeting. In spite of the value of these courses, access to them is not always possible for repository technicians due to limited funding and other circumstances that may make participation difficult. In order to begin to address this issue, ISBER has created a new, reduced registration category for repository technicians who desire to attend the 2012 Annual Meeting. In addition to these important educational initiatives, ISBER recognizes that a need exists for broadly available, consistent education and training opportunities for repository technicians. The training will ensure that those who desire it can have access to a body of knowledge that will support their understanding of successful strategies for supporting the collection, processing, storage, and dissemination of high quality biospecimens for research. To this aim, ISBER is partnering with the Board of Certification of the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) to explore the feasibility of developing what is being called a Certification Program for Repository Technicians. Successful participants in the program will be certified for their acquisition of knowledge essential to repository operations.

Transparency and Public Participation in Radioactive Waste Management

ABSTRACTSelection of appropriate sites for disposal of radioactive waste, especially high level waste and spent nuclear fuel, is a controversial task, not only from technological but also from societal point of view. A key part of the nuclear facility development is public consultation before the siting, construction and operation of the new repository. All decisions on these issues should be made in clear and transparent manner. The involvement of the local community from the very beginning of planning process may avoid faults and misunderstandings resulting in social objections and organized protests in future. To enhance the public participation in decision-making process several approaches of communication with the society were elaborated in the countries with well-developed nuclear power industry. Special models for communicating with stakeholders to build the acceptance and confidence concerning the radioactive waste management may be also helpful for Poland – the country entering the nuclear energy pathway. An effort to adapt the RISCOM Process developed in Sweden and also implemented in Czech Republic, to Polish conditions will be made in the scope of the EC-FP 7 IPPA project.

Environmental monitoring of radioactive and non-radioactive constituents in the vicinity of WIP

Abstract The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), a US Department of Energy (DOE) facility, is a deep geologic transuranic waste disposal site designed for the safe disposal of transuranic (TRU) wastes generated from the US defense program. Monitoring is a key component of the development and operation of any nuclear repository and is important to the WIPP performance assessment. Initial concerns over the release of radioactive and chemical contaminants from the WIPP led to various monitoring programs, including the independent, academic-based WIPP environmental monitoring (WIPP-EM) program conducted by the New Mexico State University (NMSU) Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring and Research Center (CEMRC) located in Carlsbad, NM. The mission of CEMRC is to develop and implement an independent health and environmental monitoring program in the vicinity of WIPP and make the results easily accessible to the public and all interested parties. Under the WIPP-EM program constituents monitored include: (1) selected radionuclides, elements, and ions of interest in air, soil, vegetation, drinking water, surface water and sediment from within a 100-mile radius of WIPP as well as in the air exiting the WIPP exhaust shaft, and (2) internally deposited radionuclides in the citizenry living within a 100-mile radius of WIPP. This article presents an evaluation of more than tens years of environmental monitoring data that informed the public that there is no evidence of increases in radiological contaminants in the region that could be attributed to releases from the WIPP. Such an extensive monitoring program and constant public engagement is an ideal model for all nuclear waste repositories anywhere in the world.

Decision criteria in digital preservation: What to measure and how

The enormous amount of valuable information that is produced today and needs to be made available over the long-term has led to increased efforts in scalable, automated solutions for long-term digital preservation. The mission of preservation planning is to define the optimal actions to ensure future access to digital content and react to changes that require adjustments in repository operations. Considerable effort has been spent in the past on defining, implementing, and validating a framework and system for preservation planning. This article sheds light on the actual decision criteria and influence factors to be considered when choosing digital preservation actions. It is based on an extensive evaluation of case studies on preservation planning for a range of different types of objects with partners from different institutional backgrounds. We categorize decision criteria from a number of real-world decision-making instances in a taxonomy. We show that a majority of the criteria can be evaluated by applying automated measurements under realistic conditions, and demonstrate that controlled experimentation and automated measurements can be used to substantially improve repeatability of decisions and reduce the effort needed to evaluate preservation components. The presented measurement framework enables scalable preservation and monitoring and supports trust in preservation decisions because extensive evidence is produced in a reproducible, automated way and documented as the basis of decision making in a standardized form.

Comparison of the transportation risks for the spent fuel in Korea for different transportation scenarios

According to the long term management strategy for spent fuels in Korea, they will be transported from the spent fuel pools in each nuclear power plant to the central interim storage facility (CISF) which is to start operation in 2016. At the start of the operation of the final repository (FR), by the year 2065, transport will then take place between the CISF and the FR. Therefore, we have to determine the safe and economical logistics for the transportation of these spent fuels by considering their transportation risks and costs. In this study, we developed four transportation scenarios for a maritime transportation by considering the type of transportation casks and transport means in order to suggest safe and economical transportation logistics for the spent fuels in Korea. And, we estimated and compared the transportation risks for these four transportation scenarios. Also, we estimated and compared the transportation risks resulting from accidents during the transportation of PWR and PHWR spent fuels by road trailers from the CISF and the FR. From the results of this study, we found that risks resulting from accidents during the transportation of the spent fuels have a very low radiological risk activity with a manageable safety and health consequences. The results of this study can be used as basic data for the development of safe and economical logistics for a transportation of the spent fuels in Korea by considering the transportation costs for the four scenarios which will be needed in the near future.