The reactor accident at Chernobyl on 26 April 1986 dramatically demonstrated the dangers involved in man-made radioactivity. The Chernobyl catastrophe was incomparably larger than the reactor accident in Harrisburg, USA in 1979. Chernobyl released enormous amounts of radioactive substances. Wind and weather dynamics transported these substances and deposited them onto the earth as radioactive d...

In Japan, where all cell concentrates are irradiated because of an unusually high risk of transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) due to the high percentage of HLA homozygous subjects in the population, there have been problems with the breakdown of IBL gamma irradiators. When an irradiator breaks down, it is often found to be difficult for the agencies, or even the manufacturer...

OBJECTIVES We aimed to assess the radiation exposure for epidemiologic investigation in residents exposed to radiation from roads that were accidentally found to be contaminated with radioactive cesium-137 ((137)Cs) in Seoul. METHODS Using information regarding the frequency and duration of passing via the (137)Cs contaminated roads or residing/working near the roads from the questionnaires t...

We analyzed questionnaire and physician examination data for 1560 new immigrants from the former USSR divided into three groups by potential exposure to Chernobyl radiation. Two groups were chosen according to soil contamination by cesium-137 at former residences, as confirmed by our findings in a 137Cs body burden study. The third group consisted of "liquidators," persons who worked at the Che...

Following the March 2011 Fukushima disaster, large amounts of water contaminated with radionuclides, including Cesium-137, were released into the Pacific Ocean. With a half-life of 30.1 years, Cs-137 has the potential to travel large distances within the ocean. Using an ensemble of regional eddy-resolving simulations, this study investigates the long-term ventilation pathways of the leaked Cs-1...

Data required for the determination of the absolute air kerma rate for (60)Co and (137)Cs gamma-rays using spherical cavity chambers were calculated using the EGS4 Monte Carlo system. Mass energy-absorption coefficient ratio and the stopping power ratio were calculated for a 10 cm(3) primary standard graphite-walled ionization chamber from the unfolded energy pulse height distributions of (60)C...

BACKGROUND Better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of remodeling has become a major objective of heart failure (HF) research to stop or reverse its progression. Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are being used in patients with HF, leading to partial reverse remodeling. In the present study, proteomics identified significant changes in α-1-antichymotrypsin (ACT) levels during LVAD...