• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.84-89
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• 2023

Background: Food consumption is one of the most important routes for radionuclide intake for the public; therefore, there is the need to have a comprehensive understanding of the amount of radioactivity in food products. Consumption of radionuclide-contaminated food could increase potential health risks associated with exposure to radiation such as cancers. The present study aims to determine radioactivity levels in some food products (milk, rice, sugar, and wheat flour) consumed in Mali and to evaluate the radiological effect on the public health from these radionuclides. Materials and Methods: The health impact due to ingestion of radionuclides from these foods was evaluated by the determination of activity concentration of radionuclides ²³⁸U, ²³²Th, ⁴⁰K, and ¹³⁷Cs using gamma spectrometry system with high-purity germanium detector and radiological hazards index in 16 samples collected in some markets, mall, and shops of Bamako-Mali. Results and Discussion: The average activity concentrations were 9.8±0.6 Bq/kg for ²³⁸U, 8.7±0.5 Bq/kg for ²³²Th, 162.9±7.9 Bq/kg for ⁴⁰K, and 0.0035±0.0005 Bq/kg for ¹³⁷Cs. The mean values of radiological hazard parameters such as annual committed effective dose, internal hazard index, and risk assessment from this work were within the dose criteria limits given by international organizations (International Commission on Radiological Protection and United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation) and national standards. Conclusion: The results show low public exposure to radioactivity and associated radiological impact on public health. Nevertheless, this study stipulates vital data for future research and regulatory authorities in Mali.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.207-213
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• 2003

Carbon-14 is one of the major radionuclides released by CANDU Nuclear Power Plants(NPPs). It is almost always emitted as gas through the stack. From CANDU NPPs about 95% of all carbon-14 is released as carbon dioxide. Carbon-14 is a low energy beta emitter which, therefore, gives only a small skin dose from external radiation. As carbon dioxide Is physiologically rather inert gases for man's metabolism, the inhalation dose is probably less than 1 % of the ingestion dose. But this source of carbon-14, formed in a closed, nor-oxidative environment, was subsequently released into the workplace as an insoluble particulate when these systems were opened lip for re-tubing at CANDU NPPs. As a part of the improvement of dosimetry program at Wolsong Nuclear Power Plants, the carbon-14 metabolism based on references was investigated and studied to setup the internal dosimetry program due to inhalation of carbon-14.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.109-114
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• 2010

Bioassay data analysis software (BiDAS-2007) has been developed by KAERI, which adds several new functions to its previous version. New functions of the BiDAS-2007 computer code enable the user not only to do a simultaneous analysis by using two or more types of bioassay for the best internal dose evaluation, but also to do a continual internal dose evaluation from a change of the internal exposure conditions such as an intake type (acute, chronic), an intake pathway (inhalation, ingestion), an absorption type (Type F, M, S), and a particle size (AMAD, activity median aerodynamic diameter), and also to estimate the intakes in various conditions of an internal exposure at a time. The values calculated by the BiDAS-2007 code are consistent and in good agreement with those values by IMIE-2004 code by Berkovski and IMBA code by Birchall. The BiDAS-2007 computer code is very useful and user-friendly to estimate the radionuclide intakes and committed effective doses of a radiation worker.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 1982

For the purpose of establishment of Reference Korean and estimation of internal and external exposure doses in the Reference Korean, we have surveyed reference values for Koreans, such as physical standards including height, weight and body surface area, food consumption rate of daily intake of radioactive substances and exposure dose from natural radiation. The results obtained are as follows: 1) The age group of the Reference Korean ranged from 20 to 30 years old in both sexes. The height, weight and surface area of the body of the Reference Korean are 167cm, 61kg and $1.67m^2$ in male and 155cm, 51kg and $1.51m^2$, respectively in female. 2) The food consumption of the Korean is 812.8g (669.6g of vegetable food and 143.2g of animal food) per capita per day. 3) Koreans are taken about 1,200 pCi of radioactive substances(${\beta}$-ray) per capita per day. 4) The external and internal radiation exposure doses of the Korean are estimated to be 127 mrem and 8 mrem per year, respectively. However, it is believed that these values will be modified upon the addition of data collection.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.209-214
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• 2018

The results of CBCT was obtained using image guided radiation therapy for radiation therapy in 5 prostate cancer patients. Using these results, we compared and evaluated the dose changes according to the treatment plan depending on the volume and position of bladder, rectum, and prostate. The 28 images of CBCT were acquired using On-Board Imaging device before radiotherapy. After the outline of bladder, rectum, and PTV, pCT images and CBCT images for radiotherapy were treated respectively. The volume of the bladder was increased by 105.6% and decreased by 45.2%. The volume of the rectum was increased by 30.5% and decreased by 20.3%. Prostate volume was increased by 6.3% and decreased by 12.3%. The mean dose of the rectum was higher in the CBCT than in the pCT, and V40 (equivalent to 40 Gy) of the bladder showed a reduction in all treatment regimens in the CBCT than in the pCT. Conformity treatment and homogeneity index of PTV showed better results in all treatment regimens using pCT than CBCT. It was found that the dose distribution of the pelvic internal organs varied greatly according to the patient 's condition and pretreatment.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.111-133
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• 2022

The exciting advancement related to the "modeling of digital human" in terms of a computational phantom for radiation dose calculations has to do with the latest hype related to deep learning. The advent of deep learning or artificial intelligence (AI) technology involving convolutional neural networks has brought an unprecedented level of innovation to the field of organ segmentation. In addition, graphics processing units (GPUs) are utilized as boosters for both real-time Monte Carlo simulations and AI-based image segmentation applications. These advancements provide the feasibility of creating three-dimensional (3D) geometric details of the human anatomy from tomographic imaging and performing Monte Carlo radiation transport simulations using increasingly fast and inexpensive computers. This review first introduces the history of three types of computational human phantoms: stylized medical internal radiation dosimetry (MIRD) phantoms, voxelized tomographic phantoms, and boundary representation (BREP) deformable phantoms. Then, the development of a person-specific phantom is demonstrated by introducing AI-based organ autosegmentation technology. Next, a new development in GPU-based Monte Carlo radiation dose calculations is introduced. Examples of applying computational phantoms and a new Monte Carlo code named ARCHER (Accelerated Radiation-transport Computations in Heterogeneous EnviRonments) to problems in radiation protection, imaging, and radiotherapy are presented from research projects performed by students at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and University of Science and Technology of China (USTC). Finally, this review discusses challenges and future research opportunities. We found that, owing to the latest computer hardware and AI technology, computational human body models are moving closer to real human anatomy structures for accurate radiation dose calculations.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.89-96
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• 2005

In this study, we investigated the effect of time gating threshold on the delivered dose at a organ with internal motion by respiration. Generally, the internal organs have minimum motion at exhalation during normal breathing. Therefore to compare the dose distribution time gating threshold, in this paper, was determined as the moving region of target during 1 sec at the initial position of exhalation. The irradiated fields were then delivered under three conditions; 1) non-moving target 2) existence of the moving target in the region of threshold (1sec), 3) existence of the moving target region out of threshold (1.4 sec, 2 sec). And each of conditions was described by the moving phantom system. It was compared with the dose distributions of three conditions using film dosimetry. Although the treatment time increased when the dose distributions was obtained by the internal motion to consider the TGT, it could be obtained more exact dose distribution than in the treatment field that didn't consider the internal motion. And it could be reduced the unnecessary dose at the penumbra region. When we set up 1.4 sec of threshold, to reduce the treatment time, it could not be obtained less effective dose distribution than 1 sec of threshold. Namely, although the treatment time reduce, the much dose was distributed out of the treatment region. Actually when it is treated the moving organ, it would rather measure internal motion and external motion of the moving organ than mathematical method. If it could be analyzed the correlation of the internal and external motion, the treatment scores would be improved.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2018

The $TomoTherapy^{(R)}$ beam-delivery method creates helical beam-junctioning patterns in the dose distribution within the target. In addition, the dose discrepancy results in the particular region where the resonance by pattern of dose delivery occurs owing to the change in the position and shape of internal organs with a patient's respiration during long treatment times. In this study, we evaluated the dose pattern of the longitudinal profile with the change in respiration. The superior-inferior motion signal of the programmable respiratory motion phantom was obtained using AbChes as a four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) original moving signal. We delineated virtual targets in the phantom and planned to deliver the prescription dose of 300 cGy using field widths of 1.0 cm, 2.5 cm, and 5.0 cm. An original moving signal was fitted to reflecting the beam delivery time of the $TomoTherapy^{(R)}$. The EBT3 film was inserted into the phantom movement cassette, and static, without the movement and with the original movement, was measured with signal changes of 2.0 s, 4.0 s, and 5.0 s periods, and 2.0 mm and 4.0 mm amplitudes. It was found that a dose fluctuation within ${\pm}4.0%$ occurred in all longitudinal profiles. Compared with the original movement, the region of the gamma index above 1 partially appeared within the target and the border of the target when the period and amplitude were changed. Gamma passing rates were 95.00% or more. However, cases for a 5.0 s period and 4.0 mm amplitude at a field width of 2.5 cm and for 2.0 s and 5.0 s periods at a field width of 5.0 cm have gamma passing rates of 92.73%, 90.31%, 90.31%, and 93.60%. $TomoTherapy^{(R)}$ shows a small difference in dose distribution according to the changes of period and amplitude of respiration. Therefore, to treat a variable respiratory motion region, a margin reflecting the degree of change of respiration signal is required.

• 대한두경부종양학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.253-253
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• 2002

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.213-218
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• 2024

The myocardial nuclear medicine examination is widely performed to diagnose myocardium disease using various radionuclides. Although image quality according to radionuclides has improved, the radiation exposure for target organ as well as peripheral organs should be considered. Here, the aim of this study was to evaluate absorbed dose (Gy) for peripheral organs in myocardial nuclear medicine scan from myocardium according to various scan environments based on Monte Carlo simulation. The simulation environment was modeled 5 cases, which were considered by radionuclides, number of injections, and radiodosage. In addition, the each radionuclide simulation such as distribution fraction was considered by recommended standard protocol, and the mesh computational female phantom, which is provided by International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) 145, was used using the particle and heavy ion transport code system (PHITS) version 3.33. Based on the results, the closer to the myocardium, the higher the absorbed dose values. In addition, application for dual injection for radionuclides leaded to high absorbed dose compared with single injection for radionuclide. Consequently, there is difference for absorbed dose according to radionuclides, number of injections, and radiodosage. To detect the accurate diseased area, acquisition for improved image quality is crucial process by injecting radionuclides, however, we need to consider absorbed dose both target and peripheral inner organs from radionuclides in terms radiation protection for patient.