• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.61-69
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• 1998

Objectives: The response rate of the radioactive iodine(RI) therapy with low dose was variable. Only a few studies reported the response and complication rate with high dose. The goal of this study was to access the ablation and complication rate after high dose of RI therapy (more than 100mCi) and to evaluate the factors affect the results. Material and Methods: During a period of 12 years, 225 patients received high dose of RI from 100 to 200mCi depending on the RI uptake in the whole body after total thyroidectomy. 100mCi of RI was given to 123 patients for ablation who showed the uptake only in the thyroid bed. 150mCi was given to another 84 patients for ablation who had uptake confined to the neck. The other 21 patients took more than 200mCi of RI because the whole body scan showed distant metastasis. Among these patients, the ablation and the complication rate was investigated. Results: Elevated level of the serum thyroglobulin(Tg) decreased less than 5ng/ml after RI therapy in all patients except two in the first group. The second group showed reduction of the serum Tg in 93%. Eighteen of the 21 patients in the third group are still alive after RI therapy. There were no fatal complications after high dose RI therapy and most of the complications were minimal and transient. The complication rate was not related with the dose of RI, age, sex, DNA flowcytometry, serum thyroglobulin level and the extent of node dissection. Conclusion: We concluded that RI therapy with high dose was very effective for thyroid ablation after operation and it also showed excellent results with minimal complications for treatment of metastatic lesions.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.167-175
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate airborne radon and thoron levels and estimate the effective doses of workers who made household goods and mattresses using monazite. Methods: Airborne radon and thoron concentrations were measured using continuous monitors (Rad7, Durridge Company Inc., USA). Radon and thoron concentrations in the air were converted to radon doses using the dose conversion factor recommended by the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission in Korea. External exposure to gamma rays was measured at the chest height of a worker from the source using real-time radiation instruments, a survey meter (RadiagemTM 2000, Canberra Industries, Inc., USA), and an ion chamber (OD-01 Hx, STEP Co., Germany). Results: When using monazite, the average concentration range of radon was $13.1-97.8Bq/m^3$ and thoron was $210.1-841.4Bq/m^3$. When monazite was not used, the average concentration range of radon was $2.6-10.8Bq/m^3$ and the maximum was $1.7-66.2Bq/m^3$. Since monazite has a higher content of thorium than uranium, the effects of thoron should be considered. The effective doses of radon and thoron as calculated by the dose conversion factor based on ICRP 115 were 0.26 mSv/yr and 0.76 mSv/yr, respectively, at their maximum values. The external radiation dose rate was $6.7{\mu}Sv/hr$ at chest height and the effective dose was 4.3 mSv/yr at the maximum. Conclusions: Regardless of the use of monazite, the total annual effective doses due to internal and external exposure were 0.03-4.42 mSv/yr. Exposures to levels higher than this value are indicated if dose conversion factors based on the recently published ICRP 137 are applied.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.218-222
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• 2010

As radiation is irradiated from various directions in intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), longer treatment time than conventional treatment method is taken. In case of the patients who have problem to keep same posture for long time because of pain and injury, reducing treatment time through increased dose rate is a way for effective treatment. This study measured and found out the variation of dose and dose distribution in accordance with dose rate variation. IMRT treatment plan was set up to investigate from 5 directions - $0^{\circ}$, $72^{\circ}$, $144^{\circ}$, $216^{\circ}$, $288^{\circ}$ - using ECLIPSE system (Varian, SomaVision 6.5, USA). To confirm dose and dose rate in accordance with dose rate variation, dose rate was set up as 100, 300, 500 MU/min, and dose and dose distribution were measured using ionization chamber (PTW, TN31014) and film dosimeter (EDR2, Kodak). At this time, film dosimeter was inserted into acrylic phantom, then installed to run parallel with beam's irradiating direction, 21EX-S (Varian, USA) was utilized as linear accelerator for irradiation. The measured film dosimeter was analyzed using VXR-16 (Vidar System Corporation) to confirm dose distribution.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.53-68
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• 2020

Background: International organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) reported public exposure doses due to radionuclides released in the Fukushima nuclear accident a few years after the event. However, the reported doses were generally overestimated due to conservative assumptions such as a longer stay in deliberate areas designated for evacuation than the actual stay. After these reports had been published, more realistic dose values were reported by Japanese scientists. Materials and Methods: The present paper reviews those reports, including the most recently published articles; and summarizes estimated effective doses (external and internal) and issues related to their estimation. Results and Discussion: External dose estimation can be categorized as taking two approaches-estimation from ambient dose rate and peoples' behavior patterns-and measurements using personal dosimeters. The former approach was useful for estimating external doses in an early stage after the accident. The first 4-month doses were less than 2 mSv for most (94%) study subjects. Later on, individual doses came to be monitored by personal dosimeter measurements. On the basis of these measurements, the estimated median annual external dose was reported to be < 1 mSv in 2011 for 22 municipalities of Fukushima Prefecture. Internal dose estimation also can be categorized as taking two approaches: estimation from whole-body counting and estimation from monitoring of environmental samples such as radioactivity concentrations in food and drinking water. According to results by the former approach, committed effective dose due to ¹³⁴Cs and ¹³⁷Cs could be less than 0.1 mSv for most residents including those from evacuated areas. Conclusion: Realistic doses estimated by Japanese scientists indicated that the doses reported by WHO and UNSCEAR were generally overestimated. Average values for the first-year effective doses for residents in two affected areas (Namie Town and Iitate Village) were not likely to reach 10 mSv, the lower end of the doses estimated by WHO.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.745-750
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• 2018

New exercise technology such as the virtual reality (VR)-based exercise system is required to meet soaring demand for target participants in exercises and to alleviate the difficulties in personnel mobilization through an alternative approach to the exercise system. In a previous study, event tree methodologies were introduced in setting up an exercise scenario of a VR-based radiological exercise system. In the scenario, the locations at which major events occur are rephrased as nodes, routes as paths, and public response actions as protective actions or contents of an exercise at individual locations. In the study, a model for estimating effective doses to the participants is proposed to evaluate the exercise system, using the effective dose rates at particular times and locations derived from a computer program. The effective dose received by a student when she/he follows a successful route is about a half of the dose received when she/he does not follow the exercise guide directions. In addition, elapsed time to finish an exercise when following a successful route is less than one-third of the time spent to finish an exercise when following the guide's directions.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.3-9
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• 1991

Brachytherapy is a method of radiotherapy in advantage to achieve better local control with minimum radiation toxicity in comparison with external irradiation because radiation dose is distributed according to the inverse square low of gamma-ray emitted from the implanted sources. The main characteristics of brachytherapy are delivering of higher dose to target volume shortening of total treatment period and sparing of normal tissue. Recent development of iridium ribbons for low dose rate implant provides improvement of technology of brachytherapy in terms of safety and efficiency. High dose rate method. on the other hand, is effective to avoid unnecessary expoure of medical personnel.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2013

This paper describes the radiation doses to human and non-human biota in the Republic of Korea, as a result of the Fukushima nuclear accident. By using the measured airborne activity and ground deposition, the effective and thyroid doses of five human age groups (infant, 5 years, 10 years, 15 years and adult) were estimated by the ECOSYS code, and the whole body absorbed dose rate of the eight Korean reference animals and plants (RAPs) was estimated by the K-BIOTA (the Korean computer code to assess the risk of radioactivity to wildlife). The first-year effective and thyroid human doses ranged from 5.7E-5 mSv in the infant group to 2.0E-4 mSv in the 5 years group, and from 5.0E-4 mSv in the infant group to 3.4E-3 mSv in the 5 years group, respectively. The life-time (70 years) effective and thyroid human doses ranged from 1.5E-4 mSv in the infant group to 3.0E-4 mSv in the 5 years group, and from 6.0E-4 mSv in the infant group to 3.5E-3 mSv in the 5 years group, respectively. The estimated maximum whole body absorbed dose rate to the Korean RAPs was 6.7E-7 mGy/d for a snake living in soil (terrestrial biota), and 2.0E-5 mGy/d for freshwater fish (aquatic biota), both of which were far less than the generic dose criteria to protect biota from ionizing radiation. Also, the screening level assessment for ERICA's (Environmental Risks from Ionizing Contaminants: Assessments and management) limiting organisms showed that the risk quotient (RQ) for the estimated maximum soil and water activity was significantly less than unity for both the terrestrial and freshwater organisms. Conclusively, the radiological risk of the radioactivity released into the environment by the Fukushima nuclear accident to the public and the non-human biota in the republic of Korea is considered negligible.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.7-14
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• 2014

By using a Chest Phantom(DUKE Phantom) focusing on dose reduction of diagnostic radiation field with the most use of artificial radiation, and attempt to reduce radiation dose studies technical radiation. Publisher of the main user of the X-ray Radiological technologists, Examine the effect of reducing the radiation dose to apply additional filtering of the X-ray generator. In order to understand the organ dose and effective dose by using the PC-Based Monte Carlo Program(PCXMC) Program, the patient receives, was carried out this research. In this experiment, by applying a complex filter using a copper and Al(aluminum,13) and filtered single of using only aluminum with the condition set, and measures the number of the disk of copper indicated by DUKE Phantom. The combination of the composite filtration and filtration of a single number of the disk of the copper is the same, with the PCXMC 2.0. Program looking combination of additional filtration fewest absorbed dose was calculated effective dose and organ dose. Although depends on the use mAs, The 80 kVp AP projection conditions, it is possible to reduce the effective amount of about 84 % from about 30 % to a maximum at least. The 120 kVp PA projection conditions, it is possible to reduce the effective amount of about 71 % from about 41 % to a maximum of at least. The organ dose, dose reduction rate was different in each organ, but it showed a decrease of dose rate of 30 % to up 100 % at least. Additional filtration was used on the imaging conditions throughout the study. There was no change in terms of video quality at low doses. It was found that using the DUKE Phantom and PCXMC 2.0 Program were suitable to calculate the effect of reducing the effective dose and organ dose.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.159-167
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• 2007

Vestibular schwannoma (VS) is a benign tumor typically originated in the schwann cell of vestibular nerve and usually accompany hearing symptom. Microsurgical removal and radiosurgery have a great role for the treatment of VS. Recently radiosurgery has been considered as an alternative or primary treatment for VS with the tremendous increase of patients who were treated with gamma knife radiosurgery (GKS) though microsurgery still takes the premier. By many published results, it is proved that GKS is a effective and noninvasive technique for VS, especially small sized tumors with satisfactory tumor control rate. The authors assumed that GKS can be expected to achieve satisfactory tumor control rate for small VS under 5cc in volume. A major interest regarding radiosurgery nowadays is to determine the optimal radiation dose for hearing preservation to improve the quality of life of patients. The more high radiation dose are used for effective tumor growth control, the more radiation-related complications like as hearing deficit, the impairment of other cranial nerve function are increased. Since 1990's the mean radiation dose for tumor margin was more than 18 Gy, but there were high complication rate in spite of good tumor growth control. After the year of 2000, under the influence of advanced neuro-imaging techniques and radiosurgical planning system which enable clinicians to do more precise planning, marginal dose for VS has been decreased to 12-13 Gy and the radiation-related complications has been reduced. But because there may be a unexpected radiation induced complications as time goes by after the latency period, optimal radiation dose for VS should be established on the basis of more long term follow-up observation.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.10
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• pp.2370-2378
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• 2020

Building materials contribute significantly to the indoor radon and thoron levels. Therefore, parameters that influence the exhalation rates of radon and thoron from building material need to be analyzed closely. As a preliminary study, the effects of humidity on exhalation rates were measured using a system with an accumulation chamber and RAD7 detector for Korean brick, Korean soil, and Indonesian brick. Resulting doses to a person who resides in a room constructed from the building materials were assessed by UNSCEAR method for different air exchange rates. The measurements have revealed that Korean brick exhaled the highest radon and thoron while Indonesian brick exhaled the lowest thoron. Results showed that for a typical low dense material, radon and thoron exhalation rate will increase until reached its maximum at a certain value of humidity and will remain saturated above it. Analysis on concentration and effective dose showed that radon is strongly affected by air exchange rate (ACH). This is showed by about 66 times decrease of radon dose from 0.00 h^-1 to those of 0.50 h^-1 ACH and decrease by a factor of 2 from 0.50 h^-1 to those of 0.80 h^-1. In case of thoron, the ACH doesn't have significant effects on effective dose.