• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.2889-2894
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• 2015

Background: To investigate the impact of the breast size, shape, maximum heart depth (MDH), and chest wall hypotenuse (the distance connecting middle point of the sternum and the length of lung draw on the selected transverse CT slice) on the volumetric dose to heart with whole breast irradiation (WBI) of left-sided breast cancer patients. Materials and Methods: Fifty-three patients with left-sided breast cancer undergoing adjuvant intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) were enrolled in the study. The primary breast size and shape, MHD and DCWH (chest wall hypotenuse) were contoured on radiotherapy (RT) planning CT slices. The dose data of hearts were obtained from the dose-volume histograms (DVHs). Data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Student's t-test and linear regression analysis. Results: Breast size was independent of heart dose, whereas breast shape, MHD and DCWH were correlated with heart dose. The shapes of breasts were divided into four types, as the flap type, hemisphere type, cone type and pendulous type with heart mean dose being $491.8{\pm}234.6cGy$, $752.7{\pm}219.0cGy$, $620.2{\pm}275.7cGy$, and $666.1{\pm}238.0cGy$, respectively. The flap type of breasts shows a strong statistically reduction in heart dose, compared to others (p=0.008 for V30 of heart). DCWH and MHD were found to be the most important parameters correlating with heart dose in WBI. Conclusions: More attention should be paid to the heart dose of non-flap type patients. The MHD was found to be the most important parameter to correlate with heart dose in tangential WBI, closely followed by the DCWH, which could help radiation oncologists and physicsts evaluate heart dose and design RT plan in advance.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.238-248
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• 1999

Purpose : To assess the histomorphologic changes in the rat lung injury induced by radiation, to determine whether captopril reduces the rat lung injury and to evaluate change in TNF-${\alpha}$ and TGF-${\beta}$ in rat lung damage by radiation and captopril Methods and material : Right lungs in male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided irradiation alone (10, 20, 30 Gy) or radiation (same dose with radiation alone group) with captopril (500 mg/L). Radiation alone group were sacrificed at twelve hours and eleven weeks after radiation and radiation with captopril group (captopril group) were sacrificed at eleven weeks after radiation with captopril. We examined the light microscope and electron microscopic features in the groups. Results : In radiation alone group, there were patch parenchymal collapse and consolidation at twelve hours after radiation. The increase of radiation dose shows more prominent the severity and broader the affected areas. Eleven weeks after radiation, the severity and areas of fibrosis had increased in proportion to radiation dose given in the radiation alone group. There was notable decrease of lung fibrosis in captopril group than in radiation alone group. The number of mast cells rapidly increased with increase of radiation dose in radiation alone group and the degree of increase of mast cell number and severity of collagen accumulation more decreased in captopril group than in radiation alone group. In radiation alone group, expression of TNF-${\alpha}$ and TGF-${\beta}$ increased according to increase of radiation dose at twelve hours after radiation in both group. At eleven weeks after radiation, expression of TGF-${\beta}$ increased according to increase of radiation dose in radiation group but somewhat decreased in captopril group. In the captopril group the collagen deposition increased but less dense than those of radiation alone group. The severity of perivascular thickening, capillary change, the number and degranulation of mast cells more decreased in the captopril group than in the radiation alone group. Conclusion : It is concluded that the effect of captopril in the rat lungs after radiation was considered to be due to its effect on inhibition of mast cells and reduction of collagen deposition, and captopril may be protect in lung damage after radiation. We observed expression of TNF-${\alpha}$ and TGF-${\beta}$ increased at the early phase after radiation and expression of TGF-${\beta}$ increased in proportion to increase of radiation dose at the chronic phase after radiation. This results will contribute to future investigation in reduction mechanism of captopril in lung damage after radiation.

• The Korean Journal of Food & Health Convergence
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.23-31
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• 2018

The main issue of CT is radiation dose reduction to patient. The purpose of this study was to estimate the image quality and dose by iterative reconstruction (IR) for adults and pediatrics. Adult and pediatric images of phantom were obtained with 120 and 140 kV, respectively, in accordance with radiation dose in terms of volume CT dose index ($CTDI_{vol}$): 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 mGy. Then, the adult and the pediatric images are reconstructed by filtered-backprojection (FBP) and iterative reconstruction (IR). The images were analyzed by signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). SNR is improved when IR and 140 kV are applied to acquire adult and pediatric images. In the adult abdomen, according to diagnostic reference level, the SNR values of bone were increased about 27.84 % and 27.77 % at 120 kV and 140 kV, and the tissue's SNR values of the IR were increased about 29.84 % and 33.46 % 120 and 140 kV, respectively. Dose is reduced to 40% in adults abdomen images when using IR reconstruction. In pediatric images, the bone's SNR were also increased about 17.70% and 18.17 % at 120 kV and 140 kV. The tissue's SNR were increased about 26.73 % and 26.15 % at 120 kV and 140 kV. Radiation dose is reduced from 30% to 50% for bone and tissue images. In the case of examinations for adult and pediatric CT, IR technique reduces radiation dose to patient, and it could be applied to adult and pediatric imaging.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.225-231
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• 2003

Up-front irradiation technique as 3-dimensional conformation, or intensity modulation has kept large proportion of brain tumors from being complicated with acute radiation reactions in the normal tissue during or shortly after radiotherapy. For years, we've cannot help but counting on 2-D vertex beam technique to reduce acute reactions in the brain tumor patients because we're not equipped with 3-dimensional planning system. We analyzed its advantages and limitations in the clinical application. From 1998 to 2001, vertex or oblique vertex beams were applied to 35 patients with primary brain tumor and 25 among them were eligible for this analysis. Vertex(V) plans were optimized on the reconstructed coronal planes. As the control, we took the bilateral opposed techniques(BL) otherwise being applied. We compared the volumes included in 105% to 50% isodose lines of each plan. We also measured the radiation dose at various extracranial sites with TLD. With vertex techniques, we reduced the irradiated volumes of contralateral hemisphere and prevented middle ear effusion at contralateral side. But the low dose volume increased outside 100%; the ratio of V to BL in irradiated volume included in 100%, 80%, 50% was 0.55+/-0.10, 0.61+/-0.10, and 1.22+/-0.21, respectively. The hot area within 100% isodose line almost disappeared with vertex plan; the ratio of V to BL in irradiated volume included in 103%, 105%, 108% was 0.14+/-0.14, 0.05./-0.17, 0.00, respectively. The dose distribution within 100% isodose line became more homogeneous; the ratio of volume included in 103% and 105% to 100% was 0.62+/-0.14 and 0.26+/-0.16 in BL whereas was 0.16+/-0.16 and 0.02+/-0.04 in V. With the vertex techniques, extracranial dose increased up to $1{\sim}3%$ of maximum dose in the head and neck region except submandibular area where dose ranged 1 to 21%. From this data, vertex beam technique was quite effective in reduction of unnecessary irradiation to the contralateral hemispheres, integral dose, obtaining dose homogeneity in the clinical target. But it was associated with volume increment of low dose area in the brain and irradiation toward the head and neck region otherwise being not irradiated at all. Thus, this 2-D vertex technique can be a useful quasi-conformal method before getting 3-D apparatus.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.69-89
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• 2006

Biological mechanisms for ionizing radiation effects are different at low doses than at high doses. Radiation hormesis involves low-dose-induced protection and high-dose-induced harm. The protective component is associated with a reduction in the incidence of cancer below the spontaneous frequency, brought about by activation of defensive and repair processes. The Linear No-Threshold (LNT) hypothesis advocated by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and the Biological Effects of ionizing Radiation (BEIR) Report VII for cancer risk estimations Ignores hormesis and the presence of a threshold. Cancer incidences significantly less than expected have been found in a large number of epidemiological studies including, airline flight personnel, inhabitants of high radiation backgrounds, shipyard workers, nuclear site workers in scores of locations throughout the world, nuclear power utility workers, plutonium workers, military nuclear test site Participants, Japanese A-bomb survivors, residents contaminated by major nuclear accidents, residents of Taiwan living in $^{60}Co$ contaminated buildings, fluoroscopy and mammography patients, radium dial painters, and those exposed to indoor radon. Significantly increased cancer was not found at doses <200 $mSv^*$. Evidence for radiation hormesis was seen in both sexes for acute or chronic exposures, low or high LET radiations, external whole- or partial body exposures, and for internal radionuclides. The ubiquitous nature of the Healthy Worker Effect (HWE)-like responses in cellular, animal and epidemiological studies negates the HWE as an explanation for radiation hormesis. The LNT hypothesis is wrong and does not represent the true nature of the dose-response relationship, since low doses or dose-rates commonly result in thresholds and reduce cancer incidences below the spontaneous rate. Radiation protection organizations should seriously consider the cost and health implications of radiation hormesis.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.12 no.7
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• pp.3117-3122
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• 2011

Skull A-P projections are the bi-product where the ESD (Entrance Surface Dose) for digital radiography is much higher than that conventional screen-film radiography. Therefore, the aim of this study was to reduce radiation doses to patients by using an added filter. This research focuses on the identification of the reduction of exposure to radiation based on the thickness of an added filter when applying the 'Skull A-P Projection' by using the 'Skull Phantom'. Also, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the qualitative decline of images through filtration. The measurement of one's exposed dose to radiation was executed by locating the 'Skull Phantom' on the position of the 'Skull AP,' while changing 16 kinds of added filters from 0.1 mmAl to 0.5 mmCu + 2.0 mmAl in terms of incident and penetrating doses. For the qualitative evaluation of images, a total number of 17 images have been acquired in the 'Skull Phantom' under the same conditions as those for the measurement of one's exposed dose. The acquired images have been evaluated by a radiological specialist. As a result, the images with a diagnostic value have been obtained by using such added filters as the compound filter of 0.2 mmCu +1.0 mmAl. The exposed dose absorbed on the 'Skull Phantom' is about 0.6 mGy. The value is only 12% of 5 mGy, the ESD value acquired on the 'Skull P-A Projection', which is recommended by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). As a result, depending on the parts of inspection, it is possible to reduce the patient's exposed dosage of radiation considerably by using an appropriate added filter.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.573-580
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• 2018

The Nuclear Safety Commission amended the Nuclear Safety Act by strengthening the safety management system for the frequent workers to the level of radiation workers. And students entering radiation management zones for testing and practical purposes are subject to frequent workers. It is inevitable that this will incur additional costs. In this paper, the validity of the amendment to the Nuclear Safety Act was to be assessed in terms of radiation protection. Study subjects are from 2014 to 2016, among university students in Seong-nam Korea and comparisons for analyses were made taking into account variables that are differences in annual, practical types, on-class and clinical practice students exposure dose. The analysis showed that exposures between on-class and clinical practice received were less than the annual dose limit of 1 mSv for the public. Then, some alternatives that excluding from frequent workers during on-class practice or mitigating the frequent workers' safety regulation for only on-class frequent workers can be considered. Optimization is how rational is the reduction in exposure dose to the costs required. Therefore, the results are hardly considered for optimization. If the data accumulated, it could be considered that the revision of the act could be evaluated and improved.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.1210-1217
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• 2023

The assessment of radiation fields in the lithium loop pipes and dump tank during the operation were performed for International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility - DEMO-Oriented NEutron Source (IFMIF-DONES) in order to obtain the radiation dose-rate maps in the component surroundings. Variance reduction techniques such as weight window mesh (produced with the ADVANTG code) were applied to bring the statistical uncertainty down to a reasonable level. The biological dose was given in the study, and potential shielding optimization is suggested and more thoroughly evaluated. The MCNP Monte Carlo was used to simulate a gamma particle transport for radiation shielding purposes for the current Li Systems' design. In addition, the shielding efficiency was identified for the Impurity Control System components and the dump tank. The analysis reported in this paper takes into account the radiation decay source from and activated corrosion products (ACPs), which is created by d-Li interaction. As a consequence, the radiation (resulting from ACPs and Be-7) shielding calculations have been carried out for safety considerations.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.92-98
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• 1997

Effects of radiation dose on mechanical properties such as tensile strength, compressive strength, flexural strength, specific gravity and changes of weight and hydrogen content of epoxy resin-type neutron shielding materials to be used for spent fuel shipping casks have been investigated. At radiation dose up to 0.5MGy, the tensile strength, compressive strength and flexural strength of the shielding materials of KNS-115A, KNS-115B and KNS-115C have been increased with increase in the radiation dose. In contract, these mechanical properties have been decreased at radiation dose above 0.5MGy. The amount of radiation dose on the materials of KNS-115A, KNS-115B and KNS-115C has not resulted in a measurable loss of specific gravity and weight of them, whereas the reduction of hydrogen content has been observed.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.84-89
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to compare radiation dose and image quality between low-dose (LDP) and standard-dose protocol (SDP). LDP (120 kVp, 30 mAs, 2-mm thickness) and SDP (120 kVp, 180 mAs, 1.2-mm thickness) images obtained from 61 subjects were retrospectively evaluated at level of carina bifurcation, using multi-detector CT (Brilliance 16, Philips Medical Systems). Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were calculated at ascending aorta and infraspinatus muscle, from CT number and back-ground noise. Radiation dose from two protocols measured at 5-point using acrylic-phantom, and CT number and noise measured at 4-point using water-phantom. All statistical analysis were performed using SPSS 19.0 program. LDP images showed significantly more noise and a significantly lower SNR and CNR than did SDP images at ascending aorta and infraspinatus muscle. Noise, SNR and CNR were significantly correlated with body mass index (p<0.001). Radiation dose, SNR and CNR from phantom were significant differences between two protocols. LDP showed a significant reduction of radiation dose with a significant change in SNR and CNR compared with SDP. Therefore, exposure dose on LDP in clinical applications needs resetting highly more considering image quality.