• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.215-223
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• 2003

Against major release of radioactive material in nuclear power plant, Emergency Planning Zone(EPZ)s are typically established around nuclear power plants to effectively perform the public protective measures. The domestic methodology to determine the size of the EPZ is similar to that of Japan established in 1980, where calculations were based on the conservative accident source term. The objective of this study is to re-evaluate the validity of established EPZ, the area within the radius of $8{\sim}10km$ around domestic nuclear power plants, using the source terms covering full spectrum of accidents obtained from PSA study of ULJIN 3&4. To evaluate the risks of health effects, the computer code MACCS2(MELCOR Accident Consequence Code System2) was used. The result shows that the existing EPZ can reduce the probability of early fatality adequately for most of the source term categories(STCs) except for STC-14 and STC-19. In case of STC-14 and 19, the evacuation distance of 16km and 13km, respectively, are required. These distances can be reduced by improving emergency preparedness since the sensitivity studies for the public protective actions show that the magnitude of early fatality is largely affected by the time delays in notification and evacuation.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.63-70
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• 1993

Double ionization of the K- shell accompanying K- shell electron capture of the 0.035 MeV transition of $^{125}I$ has been studied by counting coincidences between $K_{\alpha}$ hypersatellite X-rays and Ka satellite X-rays emitted when double vacancies are filled. The $^{125}I\;and\;^{125}Te^m$ source materials were used in the measurement. We obtained the coincidence spectrum using two NaI(T1) detectors and a Ge(Li) detector and TAC(Time-to-Amplitude Converter), and then analysed the measured coincidence number $N(K_{\alpha}^{II},\;K_{\alpha}^s)$, the total number $N(K_{\alpha})$ of K X-ray. The probability per K-shell electron capture that a double vacancy is formed, $P_{KK}$ is formed, $P_{KK}$ is found to be $2.15{\times}10^{-4}$.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.265-269
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• 2008

Objective : Outcome of gamma knife radiosurgery (GKS) in the consecutive 100 cases with cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) was analyzed. Methods : Data from initial 100 patients treated with GKS in the authors' institute were reviewed retrospectively. Spetzler-Martin grade at diagnosis were I in 18 patients, II in 27, III in 36, IV in 11, and V in 8. Thirty-five patients had experienced previous bleeding, 27 patients presented with seizure, and 31 patients presented with headache. The mean volume of the lesion was $4.3\;cm^3\;(0.1-29.3\;cm^3)$. The median radiation dose delivered to the margin was 20.0Gy (13-32Gy). Mean follow-up period was 37.5 months (5-63 months). Results : Angiographic follow-up was performed in 48 patients at least 2 years after GKS. Sixteen patients were lost in follow up following 2 years from GKS. Twenty-eight of 48 patients (58%) showed complete obliteration and 20 patients (42%) showed partial obliteration. Seven patients presented with post-GKS hemorrhage. Adverse radiation effect (ARE) was observed at follow-up MRI in 25 of 76 patients, and it was symptomatic in 5 patients. Complete obliteration was confirmed in 24 of 31 (77%) patients with volume less than $4\;cm^3$, meanwhile only 4 of 17 (24%) patients with volume of $4\;cm^3$ or more showed complete obliteration. Complete obliteration rate was 67% with 20Gy or higher marginal dose, 63% with 15-20 Gy, and 17% with less than 15Gy. Conclusion : GKS can provide high rates of obliteration with acceptable risk of morbidity in a subgroup of small AVMs. However, overall outcome in whole spectrum of AVMs, in which large proportion of cases have unfavorable characteristics for radiosurgery, is much worse. More effective therapeutic strategy needs to be developed for large AVMs that are difficult to be managed with current available treatment modalities.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.129-135
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• 2008

Berberine is an isoquinoline alkaloid used in traditional Chinese medicine and has been isolated from a variety of plants, such as Coptis chinensis and Phellodendron amurense. It has a wide spectrum of clinical applications such as in anti-tumor, anti-microbial, and anti-inflammatory activities. However, it is still unknown that berberine related with reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated apoptosis pathway in human hepatoma HepG2 cells. In the present study, we are examined the molecular mechanism of ROS- and p38 MAP kinase-mediated apoptosis by berberine in HepG2 cells. Berberine increased cytotoxicity effects by time- and does-dependent manner. $LD_{50}$ was detected 50 ${\mu}M$ at 48h of exposure to berberine. Nuclei cleavage and apoptotic DNA fragmentation were observed in cells treated with 50 ${\mu}M$ of berberine for 48h. Moreover, berberine induced the activating of caspase-3, p53, p38 and Bax expression, whereas the expression of anti-apoptotic signaling pathways, Bcl-2, was decreased. Additionally, berberine-treated cells had an increased level of generation of ROS and nitric oxide (NO). These results indicated that berberine induces apoptosis of HepG2 cells may be mediated oxidative injury acts as an early and upstream change, triggers mitochondrial dysfunction, Bcl-2 and Bax modulation, p38 and p53 activation, caspase-3 activation, and consequent leading to apoptosis.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.57-64
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• 1986

This paper described an improved technical method required for proper evaluation of personnel exposures by means of the photographic dosimeter developed by KAERI in lower gamma or X-ray energy regions, with which response of the dosimeter varies significantly. With calibration of the dosimeter in the energy range from 30 to 300 keV, the beam spectrum was carefully selected and specified it adequately. The absorber combinations and absorber thickness used to obtain the specified X-ray spectra from a constant potential X-ray machine were determined theoretically and also experimentally. A correlation between the density and exposure for the four separate energies, such as $49\;keV_{eff},\;154\;keV_{eff}\;250\;keV_{eff}\;and\;662\;keV$, is experimentally determined. As a result, it can be directly evaluated the exposure from the measured response of dosimeter.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.35-40
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• 2012

Several neutron measuring devices were tested under the neutron fields characterized with two distinct kinds of thermal and fast neutron spectrum. These neutron fields were constructed by the mixing of both thermal neutron fields and fast neutron fields. The thermal neutron field was constructed using by a graphite pile with eight AmBe neutron sources. The fast neutron field of 14 MeV was made by a DT neutron generator. In order to change the fraction of fast neutron fluence rate in each neutron fields, a neutron generator was placed in the thermal neutron field at 50 cm and 150 cm from the reference position. The polyethylene neutron collimator was used to make moderated 14 MeV neutron field. These neutron spectra were measured by using a Bonner sphere system with an LiI scintillator, and dosimetric quantities delivered to neutron surveymeters were determined from these measurement results.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 1977

The neutron dosimetrical parameters, i. e., the fission neutron spectrum-averaged cross-sections and the fluence-to-dose conversion factors have been calculated for some threshold detectors with the aid of a computer. The threshold detectors under investigation were the $^{115}In(n,\;n')^{115m}In,\;^{32}S(n,\;p)^{32}P$ and $^{27}Al(n,\;{\alpha})^{24}Na$ reactions. It is revealed that the average cross-sections($\bar{\sigma}$) for the $^{32}S(n,\;p)^{32}P$ reaction are independent of the spectral functions, namely, the Watt-Cranberg and Maxwellian forms. In the case of the $^{27}Al(n,\;{\alpha})^{24}Na$ reaction a variation of the $\bar{\sigma}$ values appears to be highly dependent on the fissioning types. It seems that both the average cross-section for the $^{115}In(n,\;n')^{11m}In$ reaction and the conversion factor are insensitive to the spectral deformation of fission neutrons. These phenomena make it applicable to use indium as a possible integral fast neutron dosimeter in nuclear criticality accidents provided that the virgin fission neutrons are completely free from the scattered neutrons.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.925-928
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• 2014

Background: Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) is a spectrum of disease with abnormal trophoblastic proliferation. Treatment is based on FIGO stage and WHO risk factor scores. Patients whose score is 12 or more are considered as at extremely high risk with a high likelihood of resistance to first line treatment. Optimal therapy is therefore controversial. Objective: This study was conducted in order to summarize the regimen used for extremely high risk or resistant GTN patients in our institution the in past 10 years. Materials and Methods: All the charts of GTN patients classified as extremely high risk, recurrent or resistant during 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2011 were reviewed. Criteria for diagnosis of GTN were also assessed to confirm the diagnosis. FIGO stage and WHO risk prognostic score were also re-calculated to ensure the accuracy of the information. Patient characteristics were reviewed in the aspects of age, weight, height, BMI, presenting symptoms, metastatic area, lesions, FIGO stage, WHO risk factor score, serum hCG level, treatment regimen, adjuvant treatments, side effects and response to treatment, including disease free survival. Results: Eight patients meeting the criteria of extremely high risk or resistant GTN were included in this review. Mean age was 33.6 years (SD=13.5, range 17-53). Of the total, 3 were stage III (37.5%) and 5 were stage IV (62.5%). Mean duration from previous pregnancies to GTN was 17.6 months (SD 9.9). Mean serum hCG level was 864,589 mIU/ml (SD 98,151). Presenting symptoms of the patients were various such as hemoptysis, abdominal pain, headache, heavy vaginal bleeding and stroke. The most commonly used first line chemotherapeutic regimen in our institution was the VAC regimen which was given to 4 of 8 patients in this study. The most common second line chemotherapy was EMACO. Adjuvant radiation was given to most of the patients who had brain metastasis. Most of the patients have to delay chemotherapy for 1-2 weeks due to grade 2-3 leukopenia and require G-CSF to rescue from neutropenia. Five form 8 patients were still survived. Mean of disease free survival was 20.4 months. Two patients died of the disease, while another one patient died from sepsis of pressure sore wound. None of surviving patients developed recurrence of disease after complete treatment. Conclusions: In extremely high risk GTN patients, main treatment is multi-agent chemotherapy. In our institution, we usually use VAC as a first line treatment of high risk GTN, but since resistance is quite common, this may not suitable for extremely high risk GTN patients. The most commonly used second line multi-agent chemotherapy in our institution is EMA-CO. Adjuvant brain radiation was administered to most of the patients with brain metastasis in our institution. The survival rate is comparable to previous reviews. Our treatment demonstrated differences from other institutions but the survival is comparable. The limitation of this review is the number of cases is small due to rarity of the disease. Further trials or multicenter analyses may be considered.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.571-575
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• 2016

Monte Carlo simulations are widely used as the most accurate technique for dose calculation in radiation therapy. In this paper, the GATE6(Geant4 Application for Tomographic Emission ver.6) code was employed to calculate the dosimetric performance of the photon beams from a linear accelerator(LINAC). The treatment head of a Varian 21EX Clinac was modeled including the major geometric structures within the beam path such as a target, a primary collimator, a flattening filter, a ion chamber, and jaws. The 6 MV photon spectra were characterized in a standard $10{\times}10cm^2$ field at 100 cm source-to-surface distance(SSD) and subsequent dose estimations were made in a water phantom. The measurements of percentage depth dose and dose profiles were performed with 3D water phantom and the simulated data was compared to measured reference data. The simulated results agreed very well with the measured data. It has been found that the GATE6 code is an effective tool for dose optimization in radiotherapy applications.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.37-43
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• 2013

In case of neutron dose measurement using TLDs (thermo-luminescence dosimeters), because the neutron energy dependence of the TLD is very high, the calibration of the energy response according to the characteristics of the neutron spectrum of workplace is required. In the present study, the ambient dose equivalent rates inside and around the Long-Counter (neutron detector) with narrow and complex inside in the neutron field of $^{252}Cf$ were evaluated. The calibration factors to account for the neutron energy dependence of TLDs were established for both the bare and $D_2O$ modulated $^{252}Cf$ neutron beams, respectively. The values of the TLD's measurement were compared with the computational results of the MCNPX (Monte Carlo N-Particles transport code). When using the two calibration factors of the TLD than a single calibration factor, the measured and the calculated values at the point of verification outside and inside the Long-Counter were in more good agreement. This results show that TLD should be calibrated in the reference neutron field similar to workplace situation.