• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제51권6호
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• pp.1626-1632
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• 2019

Monitoring of environmental radioactivity is essential for ensuring the radiological safety of residents who live near nuclear power plants. Ulsan, South Korea, is surrounded by 16 nuclear power plants, the highest density in the country. In addition, the city contains facilities for conducting radiological nondestructive testing and using radioisotopes for medical purposes. It makes the confirmation of radiological safety particularly necessary. In this study, sampling points were selected based on regional characteristics, and surface water samples were pretreated and analyzed for gross beta and gamma radiation levels. In addition, the distribution of the city's gamma dose rate was determined using a mobile monitoring system and distribution visualization program. The results showed that there is no effect on the gross beta and gamma nuclides of artificial radionuclides, and the gamma dose rate of the entire region did not exceed the environmental radiation level in South Korea overall, confirming the radiological safety of the city.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.167-174
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• 2005

The concentrations of natural and artificial radionuclides in soil and gamma ray dose rate in air at 233 locations in Korea have been determined. The national mean concentrations of $^{232}Th,\;^{226}Ra,\;^{40}K,\;^{137}Cs\;and\;^{90}Sr$ in soil were $60{\pm}31,\;33{\pm}14,\;673{\pm}238,\;35{\pm}9.3\;and\;5.0{\pm}3.4\;Bq\;kg^{-1}$, respectively. The mean gamma-ray dose rate at 1 m above the ground was $7918\;nGy\;h^{-1}$. $^{137}Cs$ concentration had highly significant correlation with organic matter content and cation exchange capacity. $^{90}Sr$ concentration had slightly coherent with pH. The results have been compared with other global radioactivity and radiation measurements.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제34권3호
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• pp.102-106
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• 2009

We exposed ICR mice to low-dose (0.2 Gy) and low-dose-rate (0.7 mGy/h) $\gamma$-radiation ($^{137}Cs$) in the Low-dose-rate Irradiation Facility at the Radiation Health Research Institute to evaluate systemic effects of low-dose radiation. We compared the body and organ weights, number of blood cells (white and red blood cells and platelets), levels of biochemical markers in serum, and frequency of micronuclei in polychromatic erythrocytes between low-dose irradiated and non-irradiated control mice. The ICR mice irradiated with total doses of 0.2 and 2 Gy showed no changes in body and organ weights, number of blood cells (white and red blood cells), or frequency of micronuclei in the polychromatic erythrocytes of peripheral blood. However, the number of platelets (P = 0.002) and the liver weight (P < 0.01) were significantly increased in mice exposed to 0.2 and 2 Gy, respectively. These results suggest that a low-dose-rate of 0.7 mGy/h does not induce systemic damage. This dose promotes hematopoiesis in the bone marrow microenvironment and the proliferation of liver cells. In the future, the molecular biological effects of lower doses and dose rates need to be evaluated.

• 한국환경농학회지
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• 제17권4호
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• pp.346-351
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• 1998

방사선 hormesis 효과를 알아보기 위하여 저선량의 방사선을 조사한 후 파종자의 발아양상을 비교하였다. 흥농종묘(주)에서 분양받은 1997년산 '온천'파종자는 대조구에 비해 저선량의 방사선이 조사구에서 약 10%정도 증가된 발아율 양상을 보였으며, 기내배양에서도 마찬가지로 8 Gy 조사구에서 약 10%정도 증가되는 것을 알 수 있었다. 중앙종묘(주)로부터 분양받은 1992년산 '석창외대'파종자의 경우 대조구에서는 약 42.7%의 발아율을 보인 반면 4Gy가 조사된 처리구에서는 약 78.0%까지 발아율이 증가하는 것으로 나타났다. 전반적으로 최적의 비옥토양에서 보다는 비경작지에서 방사선 유익효과가 증가되는 양상을 보였다. 흡습지에서의 발아율 양상은 대조구의 발아율이 22%로 매우 저조한 반면, 1 Gy 조사구에서는 38%까지 발아율이 증가되어 약 16%정도 증가율을 보였다. Paper towel을 이용한 발아율 실험에서 역시 1Gy 조사구에서 발아율이 증가되는 경향을 보였는데 역시 대조구에 비해 1 Gy 조사구에서 약 10% 정도 증가하는 양상을 보였다. 발아율이 증가되었던 저선량 방사선 조사구의 전기전도도를 조사해 본 결과 대조구에 비해 낮아지는 경향을 보였다. 결론적으로 1Gy에서 10Gy정도의 저선량 방사선 수준에서 파종자의 발아율 증가효과가 나타나는 것으로 사료된다.

• ETRI Journal
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• 제27권4호
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• pp.449-452
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• 2005

The electrical characteristics of solid state devices such as the bipolar junction transistor (BJT), metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), and other active devices are altered by impinging photon radiation and temperature in the space environment. In this paper, the threshold voltage, the breakdown voltage, and the on-resistance for two kinds of MOSFETs (200 V and 100 V of $V_{DSS}$) are tested for ${\gamma}-irradiation$ and compared with the electrical specifications under the pre- and post-irradiation low dose rates of 4.97 and 9.55 rad/s as well as at a maximum total dose of 30 krad. In our experiment, the ${\gamma}-radiation$ facility using a low dose, available at Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), has been applied on two commercially available International Rectifier (IR) products, IRFP250 and IRF540.

• 원예과학기술지
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• 제34권1호
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• pp.122-133
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• 2016

While ion beams are widely used in plant breeding, little is known about the sensitivity of Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) to ionizing radiation. To compare the biological effects of different types of ionizing radiation on the germination and survival rates of lavender, we exposed lavender seeds to gamma rays, 3 MeV electron beams, and 1.89 MeV proton ion beams. We observed that the seed germination rate decreased with increasing dosages of all three types of ionizing radiation. The malformation rate of lavender seedlings exposed to electron beams and gamma rays increased with increasing radiation dosage. By contrast, the effect of the accelerated proton beams on the malformation rate was negatively correlated with the dosage used. The survival rate of lavender seedlings exposed to the three types of ionizing radiation decreased in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the survival rate of seedlings irradiated with proton and electron beams decreased more slowly than did that of seedlings irradiated with gamma rays. The half-lethal dose of gamma rays, electron beams, and proton beams was determined to be 48.1 Gy, 134.3 Gy, and 277.8 Gy, respectively, and the most suitable proton-ion energy for lavender seeds in terms of penetration depth was determined to be 5 MeV. These findings provide valuable information for the breeding of lavender by radiation mutation.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제42권3호
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• pp.313-318
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• 2010

Alnine pellets were installed in a nuclear power plant for one or two operation cycles and measured by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometers for dosimetry. Dose and "x/y ratio", i.e., satellite peak over main center peak ratio, were measured for the returned alanine dosimeters from the nuclear power plant and compared to the values of reference alanine dosimeters exposed only to gamma rays. The variation of the x/y ratio change depended on the population of radicals from each radiation component with different LET. The gamma dose in a mixed radiation field was estimated by an additive gamma ray irradiation experiment and the measured dose rate at specified locations in the containment building.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제40권1호
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• pp.25-35
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• 2015

We analyzed the differential effects of histopathology, apoptosis and expression of radiation response genes after chronic low dose rate (LDR) and acute high dose rate (HDR) radiation exposure in spleen, lung and liver of rats. Female 6-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were used. For chronic low-dose whole body irradiation, rats were maintained for 14 days in a $^{60}Co$ gamma ray irradiated room and received a cumulative dose of 2 Gy or 5 Gy. Rats in the acute whole body exposure group were exposed to an equal dose of radiation delivered as a single pulse ($^{137}Cs$-gamma). At 24 hours after exposure, spleen, lung and liver tissues were extracted for histopathologic examination, western blotting and RT-PCR analysis. 1. The spleen showed the most dramatic differential response to acute and chronic exposure, with the induction of substantial tissue damage by HDR but not by LDR radiation. Effects of LDR radiation on the lung were only apparent at the higher dose (5 Gy), but not at lower dose (2 Gy). In the liver, HDR and LDR exposure induced a similar damage response at both doses. RT-PCR analysis identified cyclin G1 as a LDR-responsive gene in the spleen of rats exposed to 2 Gy and 5 Gy gamma radiation and in the lung of animals irradiated with 5 Gy. 2. The effects of LDR radiation differed among lung, liver, and spleen tissues. The spleen showed the greatest differential effect between HDR and LDR. The response to LDR radiation may involve expression of cyclin G1.

• 한국환경농학회지
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• 제19권4호
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• pp.324-327
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• 2000

저선량 조사한 대두종자의 초기생육과 대두 유식물체의 후속고선량에 대한 방사선 감수성 변화를 알아보고자 저선량 0, 4, 8, 12, 20 Gy를 조사하여 재배한 대두 유식물체에 ${\gamma}$선 50, 100, 200 Gy를 조사한 후 생육상황을 관찰하였다. 저선량 조사에 의해 대두 신규종자의 발아율 증가효과는 없었으나 작물 생장 증대효과는 있었으며 저선량 8 Gy 조사구가 가장 효과적이었다. 대두유식물체의 고선량 방사선에 의한 생육장해는 사전 저선량조사에 의해 크게 감소되었으며 저선량 조사에 의한 고선량 방사선 저항성 증가는 8 Gy와 20 Gy조사에서 가장 효과적이었다.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• 제38권1호
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• pp.60-67
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• 2020

Purpose: We performed three-dimensional (3D) dose reconstruction-based pretreatment verification to evaluate gamma analysis acceptance criteria in volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for prostate cancer. Materials and Methods: Pretreatment verification for 28 VMAT plans for prostate cancer was performed using the COMPASS system with a dolphin detector. The 3D reconstructed dose distribution of the treatment planning system calculation (TC) was compared with that of COMPASS independent calculation (CC) and COMPASS reconstruction from the dolphin detector measurement (CR). Gamma results (gamma failure rate and average gamma value [GFR and γAvg]) and dose-volume histogram (DVH) deviations, 98%, 2% and mean dose-volume difference (DD_98%, DD_2% and DD_mean), were evaluated. Gamma analyses were performed with two acceptance criteria, 2%/2 mm and 3%/3 mm. Results: The GFR in 2%/2 mm criteria were less than 8%, and those in 3%/3 mm criteria were less than 1% for all structures in comparisons between TC, CC, and CR. In the comparison between TC and CR, GFR and γAvg in 2%/2 mm criteria were significantly higher than those in 3%/3 mm criteria. The DVH deviations were within 2%, except for DD_mean (%) for rectum and bladder. Conclusions: The 3%/3 mm criteria were not strict enough to identify any discrepancies between planned and measured doses, and DVH deviations were less than 2% in most parameters. Therefore, gamma criteria of 2%/2 mm and DVH related parameters could be a useful tool for pretreatment verification for VMAT in prostate cancer.