LNT RIP: It is time to bury the linear no threshold hypothesis

Molecular biology, epidemiology, and the demise of the linear no-threshold (LNT) hypothesis.

The prime concern of radiation protection policy since 1959 has been protecting DNA from damage. The 1995 NCRP Report 121 on collective dose states that since no human data provides direct support for the linear no threshold hypothesis (LNT), and some studies provide quantitative data that, with statistical significance, contradict LNT, ultimately, confidence in LNT is based on the biophysical ...

Radiation Hormesis: an Evolutionary Expectation Invalidating the Linear No-threshold (lnt) Premise

Organisms survive best, or show high fitness, in the habitats in which they most commonly occur, a phenomenon referred to as hormesis in the literature of toxicology. Examples of hormesis accumulate rapidly in the literature. However, a lack of underlying models has led many to doubt its existence, especially for ionizing radiation. The evolutionary model developed here indicates that all poten...

Topics under Debate IS THE LINEAR-NO-THRESHOLD HYPOTHESIS APPROPRIATE FOR USE IN RADIATION PROTECTION?

Is It Time to Bury the Ecosystem Concept? (with Full Military Honors, of Course!)1

The ecosystem concept has become a standard paradigm for studying ecological systems. Underlying the ecosystem concept is a ‘‘machine analogy’’ derived from Systems Analysis. This analogy is difficult to reconcile with our current understanding of ecological systems as metastable adaptive systems that may operate far from equilibrium. This paper discusses some logical and scientific problems as...

Writing qualitative article: It is time to quality improvement

Précis: This debate article highlights some questions from critics of qualitative research. Planning for proper design, philosophical background, researcher as a research instrument in the study, trustworthiness and application of findings are main debates in this field. One of the issues that have been received little attention is report of qualitative inquiry. A qualified report can an...