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The American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology established an ad hoc committee to draft evidence-based recommendations and clinical guidance for the application of patient contact shielding during dentomaxillofacial imaging. The committee reviewed monographs and reports from radiation protection organizations and studies that reported radiation dose to gonads, breasts, and thyroid gland from dentomaxillofacial imaging. Considering the absence of radiation-induced heritable effects in humans and the negligible dose to the gonads and fetus from dentomaxillofacial imaging, the committee recommends discontinuing shielding of the gonads, pelvic structures, and fetuses during all dentomaxillofacial radiographic imaging procedures. On the basis of radiation doses from contemporaneous maxillofacial imaging, the committee considered that the risks from thyroid cancer are negligible and recommends that thyroid shielding not be used during intraoral, panoramic, cephalometric, and cone-beam computed tomographic imaging. This position statement informs and educates the reader on evolving radiation protection practices and provides simple, unequivocal guidance to dental personnel to implement these guidelines. State and local authorities should be contacted to update regulations to reflect these recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since September 11, 2001, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has increased efforts to prepare the agency and public health partners for response to potential nuclear/radiological disasters. During the week of May 16-20, 2022, the CDC participated in a national-level radiological emergency exercise, Cobalt Magnet 22 (CM22). The exercise scenario consisted of a notional, failed search mission for a radiological dispersal device (RDD, "dirty bomb"), followed by its explosion during a public event in a large US city. Testing radioanalytical laboratory capabilities during a nuclear/radiological incident was an exercise objective, and developing clear messaging on low-dose exposure and long-term health concerns was a primary output of the exercise. The CDC practiced its activation protocols, exercised the establishment of its updated Incident Management System structure for radiation emergencies, and identified critical staffing needs for this type of response.

Background We compared cardiac outcomes for surgery-eligible patients with stage III non-small-cell lung cancer treated adjuvantly or neoadjuvantly with chemotherapy versus chemo-radiation therapy in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare database. Methods and Results Patients were age 66+, had stage IIIA/B resectable non-small-cell lung cancer diagnosed between 2007 and 2015, and received adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy or chemo-radiation within 121 days of diagnosis. Patients having chemo-radiation and chemotherapy only were propensity-score matched and followed from day 121 to first cardiac outcome, noncardiac death, radiation initiation by patients who received chemotherapy only, fee-for-service enrollment interruption, or December 31, 2016. Cause-specific hazard ratios (HRs) and competing risks subdistribution HRs were estimated. The primary outcome was the first of these severe cardiac events: acute myocardial infarction, other hospitalized ischemic heart disease, hospitalized heart failure, percutaneous coronary intervention/coronary artery bypass graft, cardiac death, or urgent/inpatient care for pericardial disease, conduction abnormality, valve disorder, or ischemic heart disease. With median follow-up of 13 months, 70 of 682 patients who received chemo-radiation (10.26%) and 43 of 682 matched patients who received chemotherapy only (6.30%) developed a severe cardiac event ( P =0.008) with median time to first event 5.45 months. Chemo-radiation increased the rate of severe cardiac events (cause-specific HR: 1.62 [95% CI, 1.11-2.37] and subdistribution HR: 1.41 [95% CI, 0.97-2.04]). Cancer severity appeared greater among patients who received chemo-radiation (noncardiac death cause-specific HR, 2.53 [95% CI, 1.93-3.33] and subdistribution HR, 2.52 [95% CI, 1.90-3.33]). Conclusions Adding radiation therapy to chemotherapy is associated with an increased risk of severe cardiac events among patients with resectable stage III non-small-cell lung cancer for whom survival benefit of radiation therapy is unclear.

Many of the sensors deployed at materials and test reactors cannot withstand the high flux/high temperature test conditions often requested by users at U.S. test reactors, such as the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at the Idaho National Laboratory. To address this issue, an instrumentation development effort was initiated as part of the ATR National Scientific User Facility in 2007 to support the development and deployment of enhanced in-pile sensors. This paper provides an update on this effort. Specifically, this paper identifies the types of sensors currently available to support in-pile irradiations and those sensors currently available to ATR users. Accomplishments from new sensor technology deployment efforts are highlighted by describing new temperature and thermal conductivity sensors now available to ATR users. Efforts to deploy enhanced in-pile sensors for detecting elongation and real-time flux detectors are also reported, and recently-initiated research to evaluate the viability of advanced technologies to provide enhanced accuracy for measuring key parameters during irradiation testing are noted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low levels of background radiation exist around us continuously. These levels increase with increasing land elevation, allowing a comparison of low elevations to high elevations in regard to an outcome such as cancer death rates. The present study compares archived cancer mortality rates in six low versus six high elevation jurisdictions. The study also compares mortality rates for all causes, heart disease, and diabetes in low versus high elevation jurisdictions in an effort to see if other mortality outcomes are different in low versus high elevations. Statistically significant decreases in mortality, with very large effect sizes, were observed in high land elevation for three of the four outcomes, including cancer. One possible explanation for the decreased mortality in high elevation jurisdictions is radiation hormesis. Another possible explanation, at least in the case of heart disease mortality, is the physiologic responses that accompany higher elevations regarding decreased oxygen levels. Since this is an ecological study, no causal inferences can be made, particularly when viewpoints on possible effects of low level radiation are diametrically opposed. Further research is indicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the medical management approach to mass casualty events involving external radiation and the voluntary consortium Radiation Injury Treatment Network (RITN) in the U.S. There are a total of 57 hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) centers in the network. Improvements in the preparation for and response to radiation events are said to be fostered by harmonization between efforts in the country and other nations. Also cited are RITN efforts to improve education and training among healthcare workers.

The radiation effects community has developed a number of hardness assurance test guidelines to assess and assure the radiation hardness of integrated circuits for use in space and/or high-energy particle accelerator applications. These include test guidelines for total dose hardness assurance qualification and single event effects (SEE) qualification. In this work, issues associated with these hardness assurance test guidelines are discussed. For total dose qualification, the main test methodologies used in the U.S. and Europe are reviewed and differences between the guidelines are discussed. In addition, some key issues that must be considered when performing total dose hardness assurance testing are addressed. Following these discussions we review some emerging issues relevant to SEE device qualification that are not covered in present SEE test guidelines. The hardness assurance implications of these issues are addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context Approximately 740 000 Ci (2.73 × 1016 Bq) of iodine 131 (131I) were released to the atmosphere from the Hanford Nuclear Site in Washington State from 1944 through 1957. The risk of thyroid disease resulting from prolonged environmental 131I exposure is poorly understood. Objective The Hanford Thyroid Disease Study (HTDS) was conducted to determine if thyroid disease is increased among persons exposed as children to atmospheric releases of 131I from Hanford. Design Retrospective cohort study. Exposure could have occurred from December 1944 through 1957. Follow-up occurred until the time of the HTDS examination (December 1992–September 1997). Participants’ thyroid radiation doses from Hanford’s 131I releases were estimated from interview data regarding residence and dietary histories. Setting The cohort included a sample of all births from 1940 through 1946 to mothers with usual residence in 1 of 7 counties in eastern Washington State. Participants Of 5199 individuals identified, 4350 were located alive and 3440 were evaluable; ie, had sufficient data for dose estimation and received an HTDS evaluation for thyroid disease, including a thyroid ultrasound, physical examination, and fine needle biopsy if required to evaluate thyroid nodularity. Main Outcome Measures Thyroid cancer, benign thyroid nodules, total neoplasia, any thyroid nodules, autoimmune thyroiditis, and hypothyroidism. Results There was no evidence of a relationship between Hanford radiation dose and the cumulative incidence of any of the outcomes. These results remained unchanged after taking into account several factors that might confound the relationship between radiation dose and the outcomes of interest. Conclusion These results do not support the hypothesis that exposure during infancy and childhood to 131I at the dose levels (median, 97 mGy; mean, 174 mGy) and exposure circumstances experienced ... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the exchange of viewpoints on the evolution of selected global commercial nuclear power trends by authors and presenters at the 2009 National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) Annual Meeting. It is stated that radiation-related regulation activities in Great Britain, Japan and the U.S., as well as global developments were reviewed. The discussion panel reportedly included presenters David Bennett, Alan Hanson and Shojiro Matsuura.

Objective: This Minimodule discusses radiation cataracts and makes some basic suggestions for practicing radiologists., Conclusion: For many years radiation-induced cataracts were considered unlikely by most radiologists. Recent data suggest that the likelihood is much higher than previously thought, and the International Commission on Radiological Protection has suggested lower exposure limits.

Background: In March of 2011, an earthquake struck Japan causing a tsunami that resulted in a radiological release from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Surveillance for potential radiological and any iodine/iodide product exposures was initiated on the National Poison Data System (NPDS) to target public health messaging needs within the United States (US). Our objectives are to describe self-reported exposures to radiation, potassium iodide (KI) and other iodine/iodide products which occurred during the US federal response and discuss its public health impact., Methods: All calls to poison centers associated with the Japan incident were identified from March 11, 2011 to April 18, 2011 in NPDS. Exposure, demographic and health outcome information were collected. Calls about reported radiation exposures and KI or other iodine/iodide product ingestions were then categorized with regard to exposure likelihood based on follow-up information obtained from the PC where each call originated. Reported exposures were subsequently classified as probable exposures (high likelihood of exposure), probable non-exposures (low likelihood of exposure), and suspect exposure (unknown likelihood of exposure)., Results: We identified 400 calls to PCs associated with the incident, with 340 information requests (no exposure reported) and 60 reported exposures. The majority (n = 194; 57%) of the information requests mentioned one or more substances. Radiation was inquired about most frequently (n = 88; 45%), followed by KI (n = 86; 44%) and other iodine/iodide products (n = 47; 24%). Of the 60 reported exposures, KI was reported most frequently (n = 25; 42%), followed by radiation (n = 22; 37%) and other iodine/iodide products (n = 13; 22%). Among reported KI exposures, most were classified as probable exposures (n = 24; 96%); one was a probable non-exposure. Among reported other iodine/iodide product exposures, most were probable exposures (n = 10, 77%) and the rest were suspect exposures (n = 3; 23%). The reported radiation exposures were classified as suspect exposures (n = 16, 73%) or probable non-exposures (n = 6; 27%). No radiation exposures were classified as probable exposures. A small number of the probable exposures to KI and other iodide/iodine products reported adverse signs or symptoms (n = 9; 26%). The majority of probable exposures had no adverse outcomes (n = 28; 82%). These data identified a potential public health information gap regarding KI and other iodine/iodide products which was then addressed through public health messaging activities., Conclusion: During the Japan incident response, surveillance activities using NPDS identified KI and other iodine/iodide products as potential public health concerns within the US, which guided CDC's public health messaging and communication activities. Regional PCs can provide timely and additional information during a public health emergency to enhance data collected from surveillance activities, which in turn can be used to inform public health decision-making.

In a notice of proposed rulemaking published in the Federal Register on March 21, 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) as a radiogenic cancer under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 (EEOICPA) (76 FR 15268). Under this final rule, CLL will be treated as being potentially caused by radiation and hence as potentially compensable under EEOICPA. HHS reverses its decision to exclude CLL from such treatment.

A comparative study of Japanese and Japanese-American survivors of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 suggests that there is much to be gained by looking at the history of the Bomb as a cross-cultural history. Issues of science and gender in survivors' experiences and memories illuminate three key features of the trans-Pacific history: a Japanese female author's literary responses to the Bomb, the Japan-U.S. relationship after the war that shaped Japan's antinuclear movement, and Japanese-American survivors' effort to gain governmental recognition and medical care in the U.S. within the context of the Asian American movement. Using variety of sources--literature, popular political discourse, congressional hearings, and oral histories--this article shows the volatile diffusion of political and cultural ideas revealed by a trans-Pacific perspective., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

After colonizing Korea, Japan invaded China, and subsequently initiated the Pacific War against the United States, Britain, and their allies. Towards the end of the war, U.S. warplanes dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which resulted in a large number of Koreans who lived in Hiroshima and Nagasaki suffering from the effects of the bombs. The objective of this paper is to examine the history of Korea atomic bomb victims who were caught in between the U.S., Japan, the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea).

The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 revealed the most destructive power to-date of man-made weapons. Their impact was so great that Japanese scientists thought that a bigger disaster could be prevented only if war was abolished. Thus they welcomed the international control of atomic energy. It was, however, only after the occupation that the Japanese general public began to learn about the horror of these atomic disasters due to the censorship imposed by the occupational forces. The hydrogen bomb test by the US in the Bikini atoll on March 1, 1954 renewed fears of nuclear weapons. The crew of a Japanese fishing vessel, the "Daigo Fukuryu Maru" (Lucky Dragon No. 5) suffered from exposure to radiation from the test. Even after the incident the US did not stop nuclear tests which continued to radioactively contaminate fish and rains in Japan. As a result, the petition movement for the ban of nuclear trials suddenly spread all over the country. By the summer of 1955 the number of the signatures grew to more than one third of Japan's population at the time. Under the strong influence of anti-nuclear Japanese public opinion the Science Council of Japan announced the so-called three principles of atomic energy: "openness," "democracy," and "independence" to ensure atomic energy was used for peaceful uses only. These principles were included in the Atomic Energy Basic Law established in December 1955. With this law, military uses of nuclear energy were strictly forbidden.

The U.S. Government's official narrative denies the effects of residual radiation which appeared one minute after the atomic bomb detonations in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This paper explores declassified documents from the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, the Atomic Bomb Casualties Commission, and others and shows that these documents actually suggested the existence of serious effects from residual radiation.

This review of the plasma-cell disorders begins with the definition of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). The prevalence of MGUS in white and black populations is described. MGUS is a common finding in the medical practice of all physicians, and thus it is important to both the patient and the physician to determine whether the monoclonal protein remains stable or progresses to multiple myeloma (MM), Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (WM), primary systemic amyloidosis (AL), or a related disorder. The long-term (almost 40 years) follow-up data of 241 patients in the Mayo Clinic population is provided. In a large study of 1384 patients with MGUS from southeastern Minnesota, the risk of progression to MM, WM, AL, or other disorders was approximately 1% per year. Risk factors for progression are provided. The incidence of MM in Olmsted County, Minnesota, remained stable for the 56-year span 1945-2001. The apparent increase in incidence and mortality rates among patients with MM in many studies is due to improved case ascertainment, especially among the elderly. The incidence and mortality rates of MM in the United States and other countries are presented. The major emphasis is on the cause of MM, which is unclear. Exposure to radiation from atomic bombs, therapeutic and diagnostic radiation, and in workers in the nuclear industry field are addressed. Many studies involving agricultural occupations, exposure to benzene, petroleum products, and engine exhaust and other industrial exposures are discussed. Tobacco use, obesity, diet, and alcohol ingestion are all possible causes of MM. Clusters of MM have been noted. Multiple cases of MM have been found in first-degree relatives.

Rationale and Objectives: Written institutional policies governing radiation exposure and work responsibilities for pregnant radiology residents are not uniform and often are nonexistent. Standardized program guidelines would allow residents and program directors alike to prepare for a resident pregnancy with objectivity and consistency., Materials and Methods: The American Association for Women Radiologists (AAWR) launched a task force to revisit guidelines for the protection of pregnant residents from radiation exposure during training. We conducted two surveys of the Association of Program Directors in Radiology (APDR) membership. Survey 1 was designed to learn about existing program and institutional policies and to assess the need for and interest in standardized guidelines that would address radiation exposure and work responsibilities for pregnant radiology residents. Based on those responses, we drafted a set of program guidelines incorporating policies contributed by responding program directors. Our follow-up APDR survey, survey 2, was conducted to determine opinions and acceptance of the drafted program guidelines. Each survey was analyzed by using a proportion of means test., Results: Fifty-five of 156 program director APDR members (35%) responded to survey 1. Only half the respondents had formal written policies at their respective institutions. Review of submitted policies showed widely divergent opinions about appropriate policies for pregnant radiology residents. Most (34/52; 75%) supported the development of standardized guidelines. In survey 2, 38/73 responding APDR members (53%) offered their opinions and comments on our drafted guidelines. Approximately 90% agreement was catalogued on 13 of 18 items (72%); a majority (>60%) agreed on all points, even the most controversial points concerning fluoroscopy., Conclusion: A minority of radiology residency programs have written policies addressing pregnancy during training. With expressed support from a majority of responding program directors, we have developed and present here proposed program guidelines for pregnant radiology residents to serve as a framework for radiology residents and program directors alike.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is issuing a final rule to amend the Federal performance standard for diagnostic x-ray systems and their major components (the performance standard). The agency is taking this action to update the performance standard to account for changes in technology and use of radiographic and fluoroscopic x-ray systems and to fully utilize the International System of Units to describe radiation-related quantities and their units when used in the performance standard. For clarity and ease of understanding, FDA is republishing the complete contents, as amended, of three sections of the performance standard regulations and is amending a fourth section without republishing it in its entirety. This action is being taken under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the act), as amended by the Safe Medical Devices Act of 1990 (SMDA).

We describe the design, construction details, and performance characteristics of an exposure system designed to provide very well controlled extremely-low-frequency magnetic field exposures of in vitro samples. This system uses Helmholtz coils placed inside temperature-controlled mu-metal chambers to provide simultaneous ac and dc field exposures at any relative angle with minimal residual background field. The system has both exposed and sham-exposed chambers and is operated under computer control in such a way as to ensure blind exposure of samples.

The contributions of Carl Durney to dosimetry have decisively advanced the bioelectromagnetics field and led to significant revisions of relevant health standards. Three items come to mind while studying his work: 1. The work of Carl Durney and his colleagues in dosimetry has advanced the bioelectromagnetics field most significantly whereas more abundant work of a biomedical nature has had less impact. More biophysics work is desirable. 2. The rationale for the specific absorption rate as a basis of health standards needs further elaboration. The need for scaling animal results is stressed. 3. Dosimetry at the cellular level (microdosimetry) is essential if one cares to discuss direct field interactions at the cellular and macromolecular level. Carl Durney's recognition of this need is stated. Carl Durney's wide range of productive interests is indicated by several tables. They summarize his many contributions to electrical engineering, education, bioelectromagnetic dosimetry, hyperthermia, NMR, and field-induced biophysical phenomena at the molecular and cellular level. His scientific work is summarized, including how his interest changed with time. His scientific accomplishment and productive interaction with students, colleagues, and society sets an example to be admired.

This is the second in a series of papers that discuss methodologies being developed and employed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in support of its decisions on cleanup levels for radioactively contaminated sites that are to be remediated and released for public use. It describes a model, CU-POP, designed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to obtain estimates of the potential collective radiological health impacts over specific periods of time (100, 1,000 and 10,000 y following cleanup), both on and off site, due to residual radioactive materials in on-site soil. Collective doses and risks are linear in population density for the direct exposure, dust and indoor radon inhalation, and soil ingestion pathways; it is assumed that specific fractions of all food grown and all groundwater pumped at a site are consumed by on- and off-site populations. The model was developed for application to a set of hypothetical "reference" sites; its testing on a simple generic site is discussed briefly here.

Background: The Hanford Tribal Service Program offers technical assistance and health education to American Indian tribes in an area reported to be affected by radiation from the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, which was developed and operated by the United States federal government. This article describes strategies used to reach out to communities to tell them about Hanford's history and the potential health effects of radioactive materials emitted from Hanford. Two health effects of concern are thyroid disease and cancer. Based in Portland, Oregon, the Hanford program is administered by the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, a tribal organization serving 39 federally recognized tribes in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington on health issues., Methods: This article describes outreach strategies used by the health educator. They include informational resource kits, community visits, postage-paid response cards, and a toll-free telephone line. The staff made presentations to tribal councils and then reached out to health care providers and general community members, with special attention given to elders., Discussion: The staff faced obstacles in delivering the message about Hanford's history and the potential health effects of the radioactive emissions from Hanford. One such obstacle is the uncertain and controversial nature linking Hanford and health effects due to its releases of radioactive materials. Another is that Hanford concerns represent only one of many issues vying for communities' attention. However, communities welcomed the efforts of the Hanford Tribal Service Program. After decades of secrecy, people wanted to know what happened at Hanford and how its operations might have affected their health.

Like the National Commission and the President's Commission, the Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments was formed to carry out specific ethical tasks. Yet the committee also had an "openness" mission, a charge to investigate allegations that the U.S. government secretly exposed Americans to environmental releases of radiation. Eighteen months later- and after sixteen public meetings, more than 200 interviews, and the review of about 400,000 documents-the committee delivered a 925-page report to the president.

Convinced that armed conflict with the Soviet Union was all but inevitable, that such conflict would involve unconventional atomic, biological, and chemical warfare, and that research with human subjects was essential to respond to the threat, in the early 1950s the U.S. Department of Defense promulgated a policy governing human experimentation based on the Nuremberg Code. Yet the policymaking process focused on the abstract issue of whether human experiments should go forward at all, ignoring the reality of humans subjects research already under way and leaving unanswered ethical questions about how to conduct such research. Documents newly released to the Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments tell the story of the Pentagon policy.