• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.101-108
• /
• 2001

Risk assessment defines as the process of estimating both the probability that an event will occur and the probable magnitude of its adverse effects. Chemical or microbial risk assessment generally follows four basic steps, that is, hazard identification, exposure assessment, dose-response assessment, and risk characterization. Risk assessment provides an effective framework for determining the relative urgency of problems and the allocation of resources to reduce risks. Using the results of risk analyses, we can target prevention, reme-diation, or control effects towards areas, sources, or situations in which the greatest risk reductions can be achieved with resources available. Risk assessment is also used to explain chemical and microbial risks as well as ecosystem impacts. Moreover, this process, which allows the quantitation and comparison of diverse risks, lets risk managers utilize the maximum amount of complex information in the decision-making process. This information can also be used to weigh the cost and benefits of control options and to develop standards or treatment options.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
• /
• v.4 no.1
• /
• pp.13-19
• /
• 1988

Brachytherapy is known to be a good modality to achieve local control as a boost treatment following limited external irradiation, which may reduce the external beam related acute radiation sickness, particularly in head and neck cancer. The authors developed iridium-192 ribbons recently to replace the radium needles. Total of 13 head and neck cancer patients had been treated with Ir-192 ribbons during last one year from October 1986 to September 1987, and the results were analysed to assess the applicability of the fabricated sources. The conclusion is as follows; 1) Iridium implant achieved 54% (7/13) of complete response and 69% (9/13) of overall response rate in head and neck cancer. 2) Iridium is superior to radium and cecium in brachytherapy because of easier to use and lesser exposure to the personnel. 3) Afterloading technique is useful to modify dose distribution, to expand treatment site and method, and to develop interstitial hyperthermia.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.56-60
• /
• 1994

In the past, brachytherapy was carried out mostly with radium or radon sources. Currently. use of artificially produced radionuclially produced radionuclides such as $^{137}Cs,\;^{192}Ir,\;^{198}Au,\;and\;^{125}I$ is rapidly increasing. Although electrons are often used as an alternative to interstitial implants, brachytherapy continues to remain an important mode of therapy, either alone or combined with external beam. The National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements(NCRP) recommends that the strength of any ${\gamma}$ emitter should be specified directly in terms of exposure rate in air at a specified distance such as 1m. The air kerma strength is defined as the product of air kerma rate in 'free space' and the square of the disrance of the calibration point from the source center along the perpendicular bisector, i. e., $S_k=K_L{\times}L^2$. Where $S_K$ is the the air kerma strength and K is the air kerma rate at a specified distance L. (usually 1m). Recommended units for all kerma strength are ${\mu}Gym^{2}h^{-1}$.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.235-243
• /
• 2010

For decades, traditional mutation breeding technologies using spontaneous mutation, chemicals, or conventional radiation sources have contributed greatly to the improvement of crops and microorganisms of agricultural and industrial importance. However, new mutagens that can generate more diverse mutation spectra with minimal damage to the original organism are always in need. In this regard, ion beam irradiation, including proton-, helium-, and heavier-charged particle irradiation, is considered to be superior to traditional radiation mutagenesis. In particular, it has been suggested that ion beams predominantly produce strand breaks that often lead to mutations, which is not a situation frequently observed in mutagenesis induced by gamma-ray exposure. In this review, we briefly describe the general principles and history of particle accelerators, and then introduce their successful application in ion beam technology for the improvement of crops and microbes. In particular, a 100-MeV proton beam accelerator currently under construction by the Proton Engineering Frontier Project (PEFP) is discussed. The PEFP accelerator will hopefully prompt the utilization of ion beam technology for strain improvement, as well as for use in nuclear physics, medical science, biology, space technology, radiation technology and basic sciences.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.33 no.3
• /
• pp.180-183
• /
• 2007

Over the last century the mercury (Hg) concentration in the environment has been increased by human activities with inputs from sources such as atmospheric deposition, urban runoff, and industrial effluents. Mercury can be transformed to methylmercury (MeHg) in anaerobic conditions by sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) and sediments are the principal location for MeHg production in aquatic environments. Interest in bioaccumulation of Hg and MeHg into lower trophic levels of benthic and pelagic organisms stems from public health concerns as these organisms provide essential links for higher trophic levels of food chains such as fish and larger invertebrates. Fish consumption is the major exposure route of MeHg to humans. Recently, it was reported that blood samples in Korea showed much higher Hg levels (5-8 times) than those in USA and Germany. Although this brings much attention to Hg research in Korea, there are very few studies on Hg biogeochemical cycling and bioaccumulation in aquatic environments. Given the importance of Hg methylation and MeHg transfer through food chains in aquatic environments, it is imperative that studies should be done in much detail looking at the fate, transport, and bioaccumulation of Hg and MeHg in the environment. Moreover, there should be long-term monitoring plans in Korea to evaluate the environmental and health effects of Hg and MeHg.

• Asia Pacific Journal of Business Review
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.23-33
• /
• 2020

Uzbekistan has been gradually integrating into the world economy since gaining its independence back in 1991. The need to integrate stems from the desire to advance the national economy and social well-being of population through importing advanced technologies or stimulating exports. However, opening up the country also meant exposure to increase in the mobility of its human capital. As a result, Uzbekistan has witnessed labor migration in and out of the country in the past couple of decades, driven by various causes, which is having inevitable social and economic implications for the country. Intensifying processes in contemporary international labor market make migration as a mechanism, which has a back-to-back impact onto and from economic development of a country. From developing countries' perspective, international labor migration is an instrument for reducing tension in national labor markets, decreasing high rates of unemployment and expanding sources of income. From developed countries' perspective, international labor migration helps solve demographic problems like decreasing number of population, aging of population and shortage of labor force. Thus, this processes turned into a mechanism or a system, which is not possible to ignore. Uzbekistan, in particular, is increasing its participation in the international labor market due to its high rates of population growth and young population.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.42 no.6
• /
• pp.343-348
• /
• 2009

The final decision of study design in molecular and genetic epidemiology is usually a compromise between the research study aims and a number of logistical and ethical barriers that may limit the feasibility of the study or the interpretation of results. Although biomarker measurements may improve exposure or disease assessments, it is necessary to address the possibility that biomarker measurement inserts additional sources of misclassification and confounding that may lead to inconsistencies across the research literature. Studies targeting multi-causal diseases and investigating gene-environment interactions must not only meet the needs of a traditional epidemiologic study but also the needs of the biomarker investigation. This paper is intended to highlight the major issues that need to be considered when developing an epidemiologic study utilizing biomarkers. These issues covers from molecular and genetic epidemiology (MGE) study designs including cross-sectional, cohort, case-control, clinical trials, nested case-control, and case-only studies to matching the study design to the MGE research goals. This review summarizes logistical barriers and the most common epidemiological study designs most relevant to MGE and describes the strengths and limitations of each approach in the context of common MGE research aims to meet specific MEG objectives.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.37-42
• /
• 2010

Over years it has been increasingly concerned with how upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders (UEMSDs) are attributed to psychosocial job stressors. A review study was conducted to examine associations between UEMSDs and psychosocial work factors, and to recommend what to consider for the associations. For studies in which the job demand-control-support (DCS) model or its variables were specifically employed, published papers were selected and reviewed. A number of studies have reported relationships between UEMSDs symptoms and psychosocial exposure variables. For example, the findings are: higher numbness in the upper extremity was significantly attributed to by less decision latitude at work; work demands were significantly associated with neck and shoulder symptoms while control over time was associated with neck symptoms; and the combination of high psychosocial demands and low decision latitude was a significant predictor for shoulder and neck pain in a female working population. Sources of bias, such as interaction or study design, were discussed. UEMSDs were shown to be associated with psychosocial work factors in various studies where the job DCS model was addressed. Nonetheless, this review suggests that further studies should be conducted to much more clarify the association between UEMSDs and psychosocial factors.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.33-48
• /
• 2017

An optimum disposal plan of disused sealed radioactive sources (DSRSs) should be established to ensure long-term disposal safety at the low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste (LILW) disposal facility in Gyeongju. In this study, an optimum disposal system was suggested and preliminary post-closure safety assessment was performed. The DSRSs disposal system was composed of a rock cavern and near surface disposal facilities at the Gyeongju LILW disposal facility. The assessment was conducted using GoldSim program, and probabilistic assessment and sensitivity analysis were implemented to evaluate the uncertainties in the input parameters of natural barriers. Deterministic and probabilistic calculations indicated that the maximum dose was below the regulatory limits ($0.1mSvyr^{-1}$ for the normal scenario, $1mSvyr^{-1}$ for the well scenario). It was concluded that the DSRSs disposal system would maintain environmental safety over a long-time. Moreover, the partition coefficient of Np in host rock, Darcy velocity in host rock, and density of the host rock were the most sensitive parameters in predicting exposure dose in the safety assessment.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.53 no.7
• /
• pp.2195-2206
• /
• 2021

In order to mitigate the damage caused by accidents in nuclear power plants (NPPs), evacuation strategies are usually managed on the basis of off-site effects such as the diffusion of radioactive materials and evacuee traffic simulations. However, the interactive behavior between evacuees and the accident environment has a significant effect on the consequential gap. Agent-based modeling (ABM) is a method that can control and observe such interactions by establishing agents (i.e., the evacuees) and patches (i.e., the accident environments). In this paper, a radiological emergency evacuation model is constructed to realistically check the effectiveness of an evacuation strategy using NetLogo, an ABM toolbox. Geographic layers such as radiation sources, roads, buildings, and shelters were downloaded from an official geographic information system (GIS) of Korea, and were modified into respective patches. The dispersion model adopted from the puff equation was also modified to fit the patches on the geographic layer. The evacuees were defined as vehicle agents and a traffic model was implemented by combining the shortest path search (determined by an A ^* algorithm) and a traffic flow model incorporated in the Nagel-Schreckenberg cellular automata model. To evaluate the radiological harm to the evacuees due to the spread of radioactive materials, a simple exposure model was established to calculate the overlap fraction between the agents and the dispersion patches. This paper aims to demonstrate that the potential of ABM can handle disaster evacuation strategies more realistically than previous approaches.