• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.1349-1364
• /
• 2006

An analytic approach that provides explicit estimates of risk on cataract and epilation data is evaluated by reasonableness of conceivable relative risk models regarding a simple, odds, logistic or Gompertz regression method, assuming a binomial distribution. In these analyses, we apply relative risk models with two thresholds between epilators and nonepilators from a highly characteristic lesion of which radiation cataract does not occur around 2 gray for a single acute exposure. The risk models are fitted to the data assuming 10 as a constant relative biological effectiveness of neutron. The likelihood of observing the entire data set in these models fitted is evaluated by an individual binary-response array. Estimation of a threshold with or without severe epilation and the 100 ($1-\alpha$)% confidence limits are derived from the maximum likelihood approach. The relative risk model with two thresholds can be expressed as a formula with structure of Background $\times$ RR, where RR includes threshold models with or without epilation. The radiosensitivity of ionizing radiation to cataracts has been examined for the relationship between epilators and nonepilators.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.206-211
• /
• 2017

Background: Self-reported low back pain (LBP) has been evaluated in relation to material handling lifting tasks, but little research has focused on relating quantifiable stressors to LBP at the individual level. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Composite Lifting Index (CLI) has been used to quantify stressors for lifting tasks. A chemical exposure can be readily used as an exposure metric or stressor for chemical risk assessment (RA). Defining and quantifying lifting nonchemical stressors and related adverse responses is more difficult. Stressor-response models appropriate for CLI and LBP associations do not easily fit in common chemical RA modeling techniques (e.g., Benchmark Dose methods), so different approaches were tried. Methods: This work used prospective data from 138 manufacturing workers to consider the linkage of the occupational stressor of material lifting to LBP. The final model used a Bayesian random threshold approach to estimate the probability of an increase in LBP as a threshold step function. Results: Using maximal and mean CLI values, a significant increase in the probability of LBP for values above 1.5 was found. Conclusion: A risk of LBP associated with CLI values > 1.5 existed in this worker population. The relevance for other populations requires further study.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.73-81
• /
• 2012

Objectives: With the goal of quantifying the risk of children contracting gastroenteritis while playing at interactive waterscape facilities and evaluating the adequacy of current water quality regulations, risk assessment was performed with Escherichia coli as pathogen. Methods: Abundances of E. coli in the waters of interactive water features in South Korea were acquired from survey reports. A gamma distribution describing the volume of water swallowed by children during swimming activities was adopted. Exposure rate and risk were calculated by Monte Carlo simulation and dose-response models for various pathogenic E. coli. Results: E. coli was detected in 25 out of 40 facilities, with range of ~1,600 CFU/100 ml. The abundance fitted an exponential distribution. Simulated exposures ranged ${\sim}1.9{\times}10^{10}$ CFU, varying greater along E. coli abundance than the volume of water. Risk of children being infected by enterohemorrhagic E. coli was high, with range of ~0.85. When E. coli abundance was <200 CFU/100 ml, which is the current government threshold, the risk decreased to <0.43. Although the guideline successfully reduced the risk of adults being infected by a less virulent E. coli strains (<0.03), the risk for children could not be quantified due to lack of dose-response models for those pathogens for children. Conclusions: Under the current guideline, children are at risk of being infected if water is contaminated with by enterohemorrhagic E. coli. For other E. coli strains, the risk appears to be considerably less. The result warrants need for developing dose-response models for children for each pathogenic E. coli strain.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.43 no.2
• /
• pp.263-273
• /
• 1999

When glutamate was infected intrathecally, the result is similar to those produced by TPA injected. The involvement of protein kinase C (PKC) in the nociceptive responses in rat dorsal horn neurons of lumbar spinal cord was studied. In test with formalin, a PKC inhibitor (chelerythrine) inhibited dose-dependently the formalin-induced behavior response. Neomycin also inhibited it significantly. But, a PKC activator (12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-ester, TPA) showed reverse effect. When gluatamate was injected intrathecally, we observed the result is smilar to those produced by TPA injection. On the other hand, intrathecal injection of glutamate induced thermal and mechanical hyperalgesia. In Tail-flick test, we examined the involvement of PKC on the glutamate-indeced thermal hyperalgesia. Chelerythrine showed an inhibitory effect and TPA enhanced thermal response. Glutamate decreased the mechanical threshold significantly. A pretreatment of chelerythrine and neomycin inhibited glutamate-induced mechanical hyperalgesia, but the effect of neomycin was not significant. TPA had little effect on the mechanical nociceptive response. These results suggest that the PKC activation through metabotropic receptor at postsynaptic region of spinal cord dorsal horn neurons may influence on the persistent nociception produced by chemical stimulation with formalin, thermal and mechanical hyperalgesia induced by glutamate.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.257-260
• /
• 2006

In order to evaluate the exposure to the radiologic technologists from patients who had been administrated with radiopharmaceuticals, we measured the spatial dose rates at $5{\sim}300\;cm$ from skin surface of patients using an proportional digital surveymeter, 1.5(PET scan) and 4hr(bone scan) after injection. In results, the exposure to the technologists in each procedure was small, compared with the dose limits of the medical workers. However, the dose-response relationships in cancer and hereditary effects, referred to as the stochastic effects, have been assumed linear and no threshold models ; therefore, the exposure should be minimized. For this purpose, the measurements of spatial dose rate distributions were thought to be useful.

• Progress in Medical Physics
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.65-71
• /
• 2014

A Varian Portal Dosimetry system was compared to an isocentrically mounted MapCHECK 2 diode array for volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) QA. A Varian TrueBeam STx with an aS-1000 digital imaging panel was used to acquire VMAT QA images for 13 plans using four photon energies (6, 8, 10 and 15 MV). The EPID-based QA images were compared to the Portal Dose Image Prediction calculated in the Varian Eclipse treatment planning system (TPS). An isocentrically mounted Sun Nuclear MapCHECK 2 diode array with 5 cm water-equivalent buildup was also used for the VMAT QAs and the measurements were compared to a composite dose plane from the Eclipse TPS. A ${\gamma}$ test was implemented in the Sun Nuclear Patient software with 10% threshold and absolute comparison at 1%/1 mm (dose difference/distance-to-agreement), 2%/2 mm, and 3%/3 mm criteria for both QA methods. The two-tailed paired Student's t-test was employed to analyze the statistical significance at 95% confidence level. The average ${\gamma}$ passing rates were greater than 95% at 3%/3 mm using both methods for all four energies. The differences in the average passing rates between the two methods were within 1.7% and 1.6% of each other when analyzed at 2%/2 mm and 3%/3 mm, respectively. The EPID passing rates were somewhat better than the MapCHECK 2 when analyzed at 1%/1 mm; the difference was lower for 8 MV and 10 MV. However, the differences were not statistically significant for all criteria and energies (p-values >0.05). The EPID-based QA showed large off-axis over-response and dependence of ${\gamma}$ passing rate on energy, while the MapCHECK 2 was susceptible to the MLC tongue-and-groove effect. The two fluence-based QA techniques can be an alternative tool of VMAT QA to each other, if the limitations of each QA method (mechanical sag, detector response, and detector alignment) are carefully considered.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.85-95
• /
• 1997

TLD and film badges have been traditionally used as formal dosimeters in personal monitoring and are still most widely used. Recently, electronic personal dosimeters based upon Si diode or miniature G-M tube were developed and are getting attractions due to their merits of active nature ; indication of dose rates and the commutative dose, and facilitation of record keeping and radiological control. Response characteristics of the electronic dosimeters including reproducibility, accuracy, linearity, energy and angular dependencies, detection threshold, and response time were examined for three commercial types ; EPD2, STEPHEN6000, and PD-3i. The results were compared with the relevant requirements of IEC standards and Ontario Hydro standards to conclude that their general performances were good. Some specific deficiencies, e.g. incapability of shallow dose measurement of STEPHEN6000, and PD-3i, however, should be corrected to be used as a formal dosimeter.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.4 no.1
• /
• pp.35-42
• /
• 1998

The effects of CRP purified from human ascites fluid on phagocytic activity of the human macrophage were investigated. CRP was purified using affinity chromatography including absorption on p-diazonium phosphocholine or C-polysaccharide coupled sepharose 4B and gel filtration on hydroxylapatite column chromatography. Macrophage was separated ficoll hypaque gradient density and absorption method, and then was confirmed phagocytic uptake test using latex method. CRP was able either to inhibit or to enhance phagocytic activity of human macrophage against bacteria in vitro. The effects of CRP on phagocytic activity of human macrophage were in time and dose-dependent manners. The additional sequence of reaction mixture against bacteria in vitro shows a threshold stimulus on the activation of phagocytic response upon the CRP.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.45-50
• /
• 1982

Yeum et al. formulated a new hot-plate method using the threshold temperature, and there are some controversies on the effects of naloxone and diazepam on the antinociceptive action. In this paper, the comparison of three methods registering analgesic activity and the application of the new hot-plate method formulated by Yeum et al. on the study of the influences of naloxone and diazepam on the analgesic effect of morphine were tried in male mice. The results obtained were summarized as follows; 1) The least-square regression lines of the morphine analgesia plotted against log-dose showed the correlation coefficient of above 0.90, but the competitive antagonism produced by naloxone (0.1 mg/kg) against the analgesia was more prominently demonstated by the new hot-plate method than the other methods: original hot-plate method and electrical stimulation method. 2) In the experiment using the new hot-plate method, the log dose-response curve of morphine (y=7.30 x+49.80, r=0.998) was shifted to the right by the pretreatment of naloxone (0.1 mg/kg), but was slightly shifted to the left by the pretreatment of diazepam (2.5 mg/kg). This study suggests that for the analgesia experiment, the new hot-plate method is superior to the original hot-plate method or the electrical stimulation method, and that the potentiative effect of diazepam on the morphine anagesia is not significant.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2002

High energy photon beams from medical linear accelerators produce large scattered radiation by various components of the treatment head, collimator and walls or objects in the treatment room including the patient. These scattered radiation do not provide therapeutic dose and are considered a hazard from the radiation safety perspective. Scattered dose of therapeutic high energy radiation beams are contributed significant unwanted dose to the patient. ICRP take the position that a dose of 500mGy may cause abortion at any stage of pregnancy and that radiation detriment to the fetus includes risk of mental retardation with a possible threshold in the dose response relationship around 100 mGy for the gestational period. The ICRP principle of as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) was recommended for protection of occupation upon the linear no-threshold dose response hypothesis for cancer induction. We suggest this ALARA principle be applied to the fetus and testicle in therapeutic treatment. Radiation dose outside a photon treatment filed is mostly due to scattered photons. This scattered dose is a function of the distance from the beam edge, treatment geometry, primary photon energy, and depth in the patient. The need for effective shielding of the fetus and testicle is reinforced when young patients ate treated with external beam radiation therapy and then shielding designed to reduce the scattered photon dose to normal organs have to considered. Irradiation was performed in phantom using high energy photon beams produced by a Varian 2100C/D medical linear accelerator (Varian Oncology Systems, Palo Alto, CA) located at the Yonsei Cancer Center. The composite phantom used was comprised of a commercially available anthropomorphic Rando phantom (Phantom Laboratory Inc., Salem, YN) and a rectangular solid polystyrene phantom of dimensions $30cm{\times}30cm{\times}20cm$. the anthropomorphic Rando phantom represents an average man made from tissue equivalent materials that is transected into transverse 36 slices of 2.5cm thickness. Photon dose was measured using a Capintec PR-06C ionization chamber with Capintec 192 electrometer (Capintec Inc., Ramsey, NJ), TLD( VICTOREEN 5000. LiF) and film dosimetry V-Omat, Kodak). In case of fetus, the dosimeter was placed at a depth of loom in this phantom at 100cm source to axis distance and located centrally 15cm from the inferior edge of the $30cm{\times}30cm^2$ x-ray beam irradiating the Rando phantom chest wall. A acryl bridge of size $40cm{\times}40cm^2$ and a clear space of about 20 cm was fabricated and placed on top of the rectangular polystyrene phantom representing the abdomen of the patient. The leaf pot for testicle shielding was made as various shape, sizes, thickness and supporting stand. The scattered photon with and without shielding were measured at the representative position of the fetus and testicle. Measurement of radiation scattered dose outside fields and critical organs, like fetus position and testicle region, from chest or pelvic irradiation by large fie]d of high energy radiation beam was performed using an ionization chamber and film dosimetry. The scattered doses outside field were measured 5 - 10% of maximum doses in fields and exponentially decrease from field margins. The scattered photon dose received the fetus and testicle from thorax field irradiation was measured about 1 mGy/Gy of photon treatment dose. Shielding construction to reduce this scattered dose was investigated using lead sheet and blocks. Lead pot shield for testicle reduced the scatter dose under 10 mGy when photon beam of 60 Gy was irradiated in abdomen region. The scattered photon dose is reduced when the lead shield was used while the no significant reduction of scattered photon dose was observed and 2-3 mm lead sheets refuted the skin dose under 80% and almost electron contamination. The results indicate that it was possible to improve shielding to reduce scattered photon for fetus and testicle when a young patients were treated with a high energy photon beam.