X-ray semiotics of radiations affections of the lungs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rabinovich, R.M.; Shapiro, I.V.

1976-01-01

On the hasis of analysis of roentgenograms, tomograms, and bronchograms in 189 patients a repeated study was made of the X-ray semiotics of radiation affections of the lungs. The leading roentgenological symptom of radiation affections of the lungs irrespective of their primary localization, was linear deformity and intensification of the broncho-vascular patten in the peripheral zone. This was expressed on roentgenograms in the form of radially- and cross- coursing shadows from the root: tomog.raphically it was manifested in narrowed shadows of the vessels, a change of their course, their approximation and a tendency to approach the centre; analogous disturbances of topography of the bronchi with phenomena of deforming bronchitis were seen in bronchography. A significant si.gn of radiation injuries of the lung tissue is a tendency to progressive development of connective tissue, which was expressed roentgenologically in extensive pneumosclerosis, sometimes with an outcome into fibrothorax with marked topographic disturbances. Radiation injuries are accompanied by an adhesive reaction of the pleura

Factors that modify risks of radiation-induced cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fabrikant, J.I.

1988-11-01

The collective influence of biologic and physical factors that modify risks of radiation-induced cancer introduces uncertainties sufficient to deny precision of estimates of human cancer risk that can be calculated for low-dose radiation in exposed populations. The important biologic characteristics include the tissue sites and cell types, baseline cancer incidence, minimum latent period, time-to-tumor recognition, and the influence of individual host (age and sex) and competing etiologic influences. Physical factors include radiation dose, dose rate, and radiation quality. Statistical factors include time-response projection models, risk coefficients, and dose-response relationships. Other modifying factors include other carcinogens, and other biological sources (hormonal status, immune status, hereditary factors)

Late effects of radiation: host factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fry, R.J.M.; Storer, J.B.

1983-01-01

The paper discusses the influence of host factors on radiation late effects and in particular cancer. Radiation induces cellular changes that result in initiated cells with a potential to become cancers. The expression of the initiated cells as tumors is influenced, if not determined, by both tissue and systemic factors that are sex-, age-, and species-dependent

The influence of meteorological factors on solar ultraviolet radiation over Pretoria, South Africa for the year 2012

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Makgabutlane, M

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Pretoria receives a fair amount of solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR). Certain meteorological factors affect the amount of solar UVR that reaches the ground. The most dominant influencing meteorological factors are stratospheric ozone, cloud cover...

Factors Affecting University Library Website Design

OpenAIRE

Kim, Yongi-Mi; University of Oklahoma

2011-01-01

Existing studies have extensively explored factors that affect users’ intentions to use university library website resources (ULWR); yet little attention has been given to factors affecting university library website design. This paper investigates factors that affect university library website design and assesses the success of the university library website from both designers’ and users’ perspectives. The findings show that when planning a website, university web designers consider univers...

Factors Affecting Detection Of Irradiated Bone Meat By Using Electron Spine Resonance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

FARAG, S.A.; ATIA, A.I.; HASSAN, G.M.

2009-01-01

Different types of bone meats were purchased locally such as camel, cow and sheep. The bones were removed, cleaned and irradiated with gamma rays at different doses (5, 10 and 20 kGy). The bone samples were stored in a refrigerator for five months for studying their stability of radiation-induced free radicals using electron spin resonance (ESR) technique. The effect of thermal treatment at 50 o C at intervals was studied besides effect of storage period and re-irradiation process on ESR signal intensity. The ESR spectrum for radical species in irradiated samples was characterized by signal with spectroscopic splitting factor (g factor) of g1=2.0025 and g2=1.9973 for camel, cow and sheep bones, respectively. The signal at g = 2.0025 was ascribed to free radical rotation CO -2 that was derived from radiation-induced hydroxyapatite. Generally, the results proved that all above mentioned factors under investigation can affect ESR signal intensity but not prevent the recognize of irradiated bones, therefore, it must be taken in mind when calculating the absorbed dose.

Barriers affecting adherence to radiation treatment and strategies to overcome those barriers.

Science.gov (United States)

Rangarajan, R; Jayaraman, K

2017-01-01

The WHO defines adherence as the extent to which a patient's behavior coincides with recommendations from a health-care provider. Nonadherence to cancer treatment has a major impact on the therapeutic outcome. To assess the prevalence of nonadherence to radiation regimen and to analyze the factors that affect adherence to cancer treatment. Patients receiving radiation treatment in our hospital were screened for adherence to appointment keeping and to the prescribed radiation regimen and patients who had unplanned treatment breaks during treatment were interviewed. Between January and July 2013, we identified 61 patients who had unplanned breaks during treatment. We analyzed the social, emotional, educational, economic, and therapeutic barriers that led to nonadherence. Of the 61 patients who had unplanned breaks during treatment, 54% were males and 46% were females. Fifty-seven percent of patients had head and neck cancers and 25% had gynecological cancers. Seventy-one percent of patients were planned for concurrent chemoradiation. The number of days of unplanned treatment breaks ranged from 3 to 27 days. Social and therapeutic barriers were found to be the most common factor that led to nonadherence in these patients. Identification of barriers that lead to nonadherence, designing strategies to overcome such barriers and effective communication becomes imperative to ensure uninterrupted treatment. Based on the above analysis, we have designed several strategies to improve adherence to treatment among our patients.

Determination of some radiative view factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghosh, B.; Mukhopadhyay, D.; Lele, H.G.; Fichot, F.; Guillard, G.

2011-01-01

View factors are essential components for analysis for of radiative heat transfer through enclosure methods like radiosity approach, direct/total exchange area approach etc. View factor is defined as the integral over the interacting surface. View factor integral can be calculated by following various approaches, such as: view factor algebra, direction analytical approach, contour integration method, Monte Carlo method, numerical methods based of FDM or FEM, Hottle's string method etc. The present module of work on determination of view factor is aimed for use in ASTEC code system for severe accident analysis. There exist many routines (RADB, RADC, GRADEB, RADR, RADL) in the ICARE module of ASTEC code system to model radiative heat transfer from different types of assemblies of interacting surfaces of different nature. The present work is specially targeted for radiative heat transfer model for lower plenum (RADILOWE) and for extension of ICARE module for IPHWR. In interacting surfaces within the lower plenum comprises of different types of circular, cylindrical and conical surface. In the work completed so far, view factor relations have been derived/compiled based on exact/approximate analytical and numerical approaches. (author)

Radiation-induced cranial nerve palsy and its causative factors in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kong Lin; Zhang Youwang; Wu Yongru; Guo Xiaomao; Li Longgen

2005-01-01

Objective: To analyze the incidence and causative factors of radiation-induced cranial nerve palsy in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods: 512 NPC patients who underwent radiotherapy from January 1, 1989 to December 31, 1990 and from January 1, 1994 to December 31, 1995 were retrospectively analyzed. According to Fuzhou' 92 NPC Staging Classification, there are 31 patients in stage I, 212 in stage II, 198 in stage III and 71 in stage IV. All patients were treated by 60 Co or 6 MV X-ray with faciocervical fields or pre-auricular fields to primary area. Some patients were boosted by post-auricular fields or cranial fields. The median dose to the nasopharyngeal region was 7130 cGy by external beam radiotherapy. Thirty-four patients were boosted by brachytherapy. The medial dose to cervical lymph nodes was 6410 cGy as definitive treatment and 5480 cGy as prophylactic treatment. 101 patients were treated with combined chemotherapy. Results: The median follow-up was 6.7 years . Radiation-induced cranial nerve palsies occurred in 81 among the 512 patients. The 5- and 10-year cumulative incidences were 10.3%, 25.4%, respectively. The most common affected nerve was XII. On multivariates analysis, cranial nerve invasion before radiation, chemotherapy, dose to the nasopharyngeal region and age were the independent factors of radiation-induced cranial nerve palsy on nerve I-VII, while the N stage and the radiation fields were independent factors on nerve IX-XII. The cumulative incidence of cranial nerve I-VII palsies increased in patients with cranial nerve invasion, chemotherapy and the dose to the nasopharyngeal region (>7000 cGy). The cumulative incidence of cranial nerve IX- XII palsies increased in patients with advanced N stage. Patients in the first group of treatment field had the highest risk to progress cranial nerve IX-XII palsies, followed by the second group, and the third group had the lowest risk. Only 1 in 34 patients with brachytherapy

Boltzmann factor and Hawking radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryskin, Gregory

2014-01-01

Hawking radiation has thermal spectrum corresponding to the temperature T H =(8πM) −1 , where M is the mass (energy) of the black hole. Corrections to the Hawking radiation spectrum were discovered by Kraus and Wilczek (1995) and Parikh and Wilczek (2000). Here I show that these corrections follow directly from the basic principles of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. In essence, it is the Boltzmann factor that ought to be corrected; corrections to the Hawking (or any other) radiation spectrum then follow necessarily

Factors affecting nuclear development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stevens, G.H.; Girouard, P.

1995-01-01

Among the factors affecting nuclear development, some depend more or less on public authorities, but many are out of public authorities control (foreign policies, market and deregulation, socials and environmental impacts, public opinion). As far as possible, the following study tries to identify those factors. (D.L.). 2 photos

Influence of various factors on individual radiation exposure from the chernobyl disaster

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bondar Alexandra

2002-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant was one of the greatest known nuclear disasters of the 20th century. To reduce individual exposure to ionizing radiation the Soviet Union government introduced a number of counter-measures. This article presents a description of how historical events conspired to disrupt these efforts and affect residents in exposed areas. Methods This study employed an extensive review of data on radionuclide deposition, contamination patterns and lifestyle characteristics. Data were obtained from the Ukraine Ministry of Health and the Ukraine Research Center for Radiation Medicine. Results Data are presented on annual contamination rates in selected locales as well as data on local food consumption patterns. Historical factors including economic and political circumstances are also highlighted. Results show the diminution of individual doses between 1987 and 1991 and then an increase between 1991 and 1994 and the relationship between this increase and changes in the lifestyle of the local population. Conclusion A number of factors played direct and indirect roles in contributing to the populace's cumulative radiation exposure. Future post-contamination studies need to consider these factors when estimating individual exposures.

Influence of various factors on individual radiation exposure from the Chernobyl disaster.

Science.gov (United States)

Zamostian, Pavlo; Moysich, Kirsten B; Mahoney, Martin C; McCarthy, Philip; Bondar, Alexandra; Noschenko, Andrey G; Michalek, Arthur M

2002-10-29

The explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant was one of the greatest known nuclear disasters of the 20th century. To reduce individual exposure to ionizing radiation the Soviet Union government introduced a number of counter-measures. This article presents a description of how historical events conspired to disrupt these efforts and affect residents in exposed areas. This study employed an extensive review of data on radionuclide deposition, contamination patterns and lifestyle characteristics. Data were obtained from the Ukraine Ministry of Health and the Ukraine Research Center for Radiation Medicine. Data are presented on annual contamination rates in selected locales as well as data on local food consumption patterns. Historical factors including economic and political circumstances are also highlighted. Results show the diminution of individual doses between 1987 and 1991 and then an increase between 1991 and 1994 and the relationship between this increase and changes in the lifestyle of the local population. A number of factors played direct and indirect roles in contributing to the populace's cumulative radiation exposure. Future post-contamination studies need to consider these factors when estimating individual exposures.

Ketoconazole attenuates radiation-induction of tumor necrosis factor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hallahan, D.E.; Virudachalam, S.; Kufe, D.W.; Weichselbaum, R.R. [Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA (United States)

1994-07-01

Previous work has demonstrated that inhibitors of phospholipase A2 attenuate ionizing radiation-induced arachidonic acid production, protein kinase C activation, and prevent subsequent induction of the tumor necrosis factor gene. Because arachidonic acid contributes to radiation-induced tumor necrosis factor expression, the authors analyzed the effects of agents which alter arachidonate metabolism on the regulation of this gene. Phospholipase A2 inhibitors quinicrine, bromphenyl bromide, and pentoxyfylline or the inhibitor of lipoxygenase (ketoconazole) or the inhibitor of cycloxygenase (indomethacine) were added to cell culture 1 h prior to irradiation. Radiation-induced tumor necrosis factor gene expression was attenuated by each of the phospholipase A2 inhibitors (quinicrine, bromphenylbromide, and pentoxyfylline). Furthermore, ketoconazole attenuated X ray induced tumor necrosis factor gene expression. Conversely, indomethacin enhanced tumor necrosis factor expression following irradiation. The finding that radiation-induced tumor necrosis factor gene expression was attenuated by ketoconazole suggests that the lipoxygenase pathway participates in signal transduction preceding tumor necrosis factor induction. Enhancement of tumor necrosis factor expression by indomethacin following irradiation suggests that prostaglandins produced by cyclooxygenase act as negative regulators of tumor necrosis factor expression. Inhibitors of tumor necrosis factor induction ameliorate acute and subacute sequelae of radiotherapy. The authors propose therefore, that ketoconazole may reduce acute radiation sequelae such as mucositis and esophagitis through a reduction in tumor necrosis factor induction or inhibition of phospholipase A2 in addition to its antifungal activity. 25 refs., 2 figs.

Factors affecting construction performance: exploratory factor analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Soewin, E.; Chinda, T.

2018-04-01

The present work attempts to develop a multidimensional performance evaluation framework for a construction company by considering all relevant measures of performance. Based on the previous studies, this study hypothesizes nine key factors, with a total of 57 associated items. The hypothesized factors, with their associated items, are then used to develop questionnaire survey to gather data. The exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was applied to the collected data which gave rise 10 factors with 57 items affecting construction performance. The findings further reveal that the items constituting ten key performance factors (KPIs) namely; 1) Time, 2) Cost, 3) Quality, 4) Safety & Health, 5) Internal Stakeholder, 6) External Stakeholder, 7) Client Satisfaction, 8) Financial Performance, 9) Environment, and 10) Information, Technology & Innovation. The analysis helps to develop multi-dimensional performance evaluation framework for an effective measurement of the construction performance. The 10 key performance factors can be broadly categorized into economic aspect, social aspect, environmental aspect, and technology aspects. It is important to understand a multi-dimension performance evaluation framework by including all key factors affecting the construction performance of a company, so that the management level can effectively plan to implement an effective performance development plan to match with the mission and vision of the company.

Factors influencing radiation therapy student clinical placement satisfaction

Science.gov (United States)

Bridge, Pete; Carmichael, Mary-Ann

2014-01-01

Introduction: Radiation therapy students at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) attend clinical placements at five different clinical departments with varying resources and support strategies. This study aimed to determine the relative availability and perceived importance of different factors affecting student support while on clinical placement. The purpose of the research was to inform development of future support mechanisms to enhance radiation therapy students’ experience on clinical placement. Methods: This study used anonymous Likert-style surveys to gather data from years 1 and 2 radiation therapy students from QUT and clinical educators from Queensland relating to availability and importance of support mechanisms during clinical placements in a semester. Results: The study findings demonstrated student satisfaction with clinical support and suggested that level of support on placement influenced student employment choices. Staff support was perceived as more important than physical resources; particularly access to a named mentor, a clinical educator and weekly formative feedback. Both students and educators highlighted the impact of time pressures. Conclusions: The support offered to radiation therapy students by clinical staff is more highly valued than physical resources or models of placement support. Protected time and acknowledgement of the importance of clinical education roles are both invaluable. Joint investment in mentor support by both universities and clinical departments is crucial for facilitation of effective clinical learning. PMID:26229635

Factors influencing radiation therapy student clinical placement satisfaction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bridge, Pete; Carmichael, Mary-Ann [School of Clinical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane (Australia)

2014-02-15

Introduction: Radiation therapy students at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) attend clinical placements at five different clinical departments with varying resources and support strategies. This study aimed to determine the relative availability and perceived importance of different factors affecting student support while on clinical placement. The purpose of the research was to inform development of future support mechanisms to enhance radiation therapy students’ experience on clinical placement. Methods: This study used anonymous Likert-style surveys to gather data from years 1 and 2 radiation therapy students from QUT and clinical educators from Queensland relating to availability and importance of support mechanisms during clinical placements in a semester. Results: The study findings demonstrated student satisfaction with clinical support and suggested that level of support on placement influenced student employment choices. Staff support was perceived as more important than physical resources; particularly access to a named mentor, a clinical educator and weekly formative feedback. Both students and educators highlighted the impact of time pressures. Conclusions: The support offered to radiation therapy students by clinical staff is more highly valued than physical resources or models of placement support. Protected time and acknowledgement of the importance of clinical education roles are both invaluable. Joint investment in mentor support by both universities and clinical departments is crucial for facilitation of effective clinical learning.

Factors influencing radiation therapy student clinical placement satisfaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bridge, Pete; Carmichael, Mary-Ann

2014-01-01

Introduction: Radiation therapy students at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) attend clinical placements at five different clinical departments with varying resources and support strategies. This study aimed to determine the relative availability and perceived importance of different factors affecting student support while on clinical placement. The purpose of the research was to inform development of future support mechanisms to enhance radiation therapy students’ experience on clinical placement. Methods: This study used anonymous Likert-style surveys to gather data from years 1 and 2 radiation therapy students from QUT and clinical educators from Queensland relating to availability and importance of support mechanisms during clinical placements in a semester. Results: The study findings demonstrated student satisfaction with clinical support and suggested that level of support on placement influenced student employment choices. Staff support was perceived as more important than physical resources; particularly access to a named mentor, a clinical educator and weekly formative feedback. Both students and educators highlighted the impact of time pressures. Conclusions: The support offered to radiation therapy students by clinical staff is more highly valued than physical resources or models of placement support. Protected time and acknowledgement of the importance of clinical education roles are both invaluable. Joint investment in mentor support by both universities and clinical departments is crucial for facilitation of effective clinical learning

Factors Affecting Medical Service Quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Mosadeghrad, Ali Mohammad

2014-02-01

A better understanding of factors influencing quality of medical service can pinpoint better strategies for quality assurance in medical services. This study aimed to identify factors affecting the quality of medical services provided by Iranian physicians. Exploratory in-depth individual interviews were conducted with sixty-four physicians working in various medical institutions in Iran. Individual, organizational and environmental factors enhance or inhibit the quality of medical services. Quality of medical services depends on the personal factors of the physician and patient, and factors pertaining to the healthcare setting and the broader environment. Differences in internal and external factors such as availability of resources, patient cooperation and collaboration among providers affect the quality of medical services and patient outcomes. Supportive leadership, proper planning, education and training and effective management of resources and processes improve the quality of medical services. This article contributes to healthcare theory and practice by developing a conceptual framework for understanding factors that influence medical services quality.

Factors impacting public acceptance of medical radiation exposure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsuji, Satsuki; Kanda, Reiko

2009-01-01

We undertook a survey to determine the public acceptance of medical radiation exposure throughout Japan, and 1,357 responses (67.9% response rate) were obtained using a two-stage systematic stratified random sampling method. The acceptance of exposure of children was generally similar to that of adults. For each of the attributes, 45-60% of the participants were accepting of exposure for cancer treatment and diagnosis, but only 30% were accepting of exposure for X-ray diagnoses of bone fractures and dental caries. In general, the presence of a child did not markedly affect women's acceptance of exposure. Factor analyses identified 3 factors influencing the acceptance of child exposure: symptomatic diseases to determine treatment, the possibility of high-risk diseases (or major organ diseases), and the association with cancer. Cluster analysis showed 4 clusters: a positive group regarding children's exposure for the diagnosis of bone fractures and dental caries (12.9% of all participants), a positive group for major organ disease and cancer (15.5%), a negative group excluding cancer (55.2%), and a positive group for all cases (16.4%). The cluster distributions revealed that mothers with 10- to 18-year-old firstborn children showed a tendency to accept the medical radiation exposure of their children in all cases. (author)

Examining the Factors Affecting Student Dropout

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fethi Ahmet INAN

2006-07-01

Full Text Available This study examined the factors affecting student dropouts in an online certificate program. In this research, a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods was used. Online Course Dropout Survey was developed and used to determine which factors affect student attrition from the program. The dropout survey was sent by e-mail to 98 students who had dropped the program. Twenty-six students returned the survey. The findings show that the most important factor affecting student retention is finding sufficient time to study. Having personal problems and affordability of the program took second and third place.

Palliative or curative treatment intent affects communication in radiation therapy consultations.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Timmermans, L.; Maazen, R.W.M. van der; Leer, J.W.H.; Kraaimaat, F.W.

2006-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether communication in radiotherapy consultations is affected by palliative or curative treatment intent. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study involved 160 patients and 8 radiation oncologists. Eighty patients visited the radiation oncologist (RO) for palliative treatment and 80

Radiation quality factor of spherical antennas with material cores

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Troels Vejle; Kim, Oleksiy S.; Breinbjerg, Olav

2011-01-01

This paper gives a description of the radiation quality factor and resonances of spherical antennas with material cores. Conditions for cavity and radiating resonances are given, and a theoretical description of the radiation quality factor, as well as simple expressions describing the relative...

Terrestrial ecosystems, increased solar ultraviolet radiation, and interactions with other climate change factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Caldwell, M M; Bornman, J F; Ballaré, C L; Flint, S D; Kulandaivelu, G

2007-03-01

There have been significant advances in our understanding of the effects of UV-B radiation on terrestrial ecosystems, especially in the description of mechanisms of plant response. A further area of highly interesting research emphasizes the importance of indirect UV radiation effects on plants, pathogens, herbivores, soil microbes and ecosystem processes below the surface. Although photosynthesis of higher plants and mosses is seldom affected by enhanced or reduced UV-B radiation in most field studies, effects on growth and morphology (form) of higher plants and mosses are often manifested. This can lead to small reductions in shoot production and changes in the competitive balance of different species. Fungi and bacteria are generally more sensitive to damage by UV-B radiation than are higher plants. However, the species differ in their UV-B radiation sensitivity to damage, some being affected while others may be very tolerant. This can lead to changes in species composition of microbial communities with subsequent influences on processes such as litter decomposition. Changes in plant chemical composition are commonly reported due to UV-B manipulations (either enhancement or attenuation of UV-B in sunlight) and may lead to substantial reductions in consumption of plant tissues by insects. Although sunlight does not penetrate significantly into soils, the biomass and morphology of plant root systems of plants can be modified to a much greater degree than plant shoots. Root mass can exhibit sizeable declines with more UV-B. Also, UV-B-induced changes in soil microbial communities and biomass, as well as altered populations of small invertebrates have been reported and these changes have important implications for mineral nutrient cycling in the soil. Many new developments in understanding the underlying mechanisms mediating plant response to UV-B radiation have emerged. This new information is helpful in understanding common responses of plants to UV-B radiation

Non-radiation risk factors for leukemia: A case-control study among chornobyl cleanup workers in Ukraine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gudzenko, N.; Hatch, M.; Bazyka, D.; Dyagil, I.; Reiss, R.F.; Brenner, A.; Chumak, V.; Babkina, N.; Zablotska, L.B.; Mabuchi, K.

2015-01-01

Background: Occupational and environmental exposure to chemicals such as benzene has been linked to increased risk of leukemia. Cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption have also been found to affect leukemia risk. Previous analyses in a large cohort of Chornobyl clean-up workers in Ukraine found significant radiation-related increased risk for all leukemia types. We investigated the potential for additional effects of occupational and lifestyle factors on leukemia risk in this radiation-exposed cohort. Methods: In a case-control study of chronic lymphocytic and other leukemias among Chornobyl cleanup workers, we collected data on a range of non-radiation exposures. We evaluated these and other potential risk factors in analyses adjusting for estimated bone marrow radiation dose. We calculated Odds Ratios and 95% Confidence Intervals in relation to lifestyle factors and occupational hazards. Results: After adjusting for radiation, we found no clear association of leukemia risk with smoking or alcohol but identified a two-fold elevated risk for non-CLL leukemia with occupational exposure to petroleum (OR=2.28; 95% Confidence Interval 1.13, 6.79). Risks were particularly high for myeloid leukemias. No associations with risk factors other than radiation were found for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Conclusions: These data – the first from a working population in Ukraine – add to evidence from several previous reports of excess leukemia morbidity in groups exposed environmentally or occupationally to petroleum or its products. - Highlights: • A unique population – a cohort of 110,645 Chernobyl clean-up workers from Ukraine. • Followed 1986–2006 for leukemia, interviewed about non-radiation risk factors. • Petroleum exposure increased risk for non-CLL leukemias, particularly CML. • No risk factor other than radiation was found for CLL.

Non-radiation risk factors for leukemia: A case-control study among chornobyl cleanup workers in Ukraine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gudzenko, N., E-mail: gudznat@gmail.com [National Research Center for Radiation Medicine, Kyiv (Ukraine); Hatch, M., E-mail: hatchm@mail.nih.gov [Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD (United States); Bazyka, D., E-mail: Bazyka@yahoo.com [National Research Center for Radiation Medicine, Kyiv (Ukraine); Dyagil, I., E-mail: leuk@ukr.net [National Research Center for Radiation Medicine, Kyiv (Ukraine); Reiss, R.F., E-mail: rfr1@columbia.edu [Department of Medicine, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY (United States); Brenner, A., E-mail: brennera@mail.nih.gov [Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD (United States); Chumak, V., E-mail: Chumak.vadim@gmail.com [National Research Center for Radiation Medicine, Kyiv (Ukraine); Babkina, N., E-mail: natalie.babkina@gmail.com [National Research Center for Radiation Medicine, Kyiv (Ukraine); Zablotska, L.B., E-mail: lydia.zablotska@ucsf.edu [Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA (United States); Mabuchi, K., E-mail: mabuchik@mail.nih.gov [Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD (United States)

2015-10-15

Background: Occupational and environmental exposure to chemicals such as benzene has been linked to increased risk of leukemia. Cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption have also been found to affect leukemia risk. Previous analyses in a large cohort of Chornobyl clean-up workers in Ukraine found significant radiation-related increased risk for all leukemia types. We investigated the potential for additional effects of occupational and lifestyle factors on leukemia risk in this radiation-exposed cohort. Methods: In a case-control study of chronic lymphocytic and other leukemias among Chornobyl cleanup workers, we collected data on a range of non-radiation exposures. We evaluated these and other potential risk factors in analyses adjusting for estimated bone marrow radiation dose. We calculated Odds Ratios and 95% Confidence Intervals in relation to lifestyle factors and occupational hazards. Results: After adjusting for radiation, we found no clear association of leukemia risk with smoking or alcohol but identified a two-fold elevated risk for non-CLL leukemia with occupational exposure to petroleum (OR=2.28; 95% Confidence Interval 1.13, 6.79). Risks were particularly high for myeloid leukemias. No associations with risk factors other than radiation were found for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Conclusions: These data – the first from a working population in Ukraine – add to evidence from several previous reports of excess leukemia morbidity in groups exposed environmentally or occupationally to petroleum or its products. - Highlights: • A unique population – a cohort of 110,645 Chernobyl clean-up workers from Ukraine. • Followed 1986–2006 for leukemia, interviewed about non-radiation risk factors. • Petroleum exposure increased risk for non-CLL leukemias, particularly CML. • No risk factor other than radiation was found for CLL.

Comparative radiation impact on biota and man in the area affected by the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fesenko, S.V.; Alexakhin, R.M.; Geras'kin, S.A.; Sanzharova, N.I.; Spirin, Ye.V.; Spiridonov, S.I.; Gontarenko, I.A.; Strand, P.

2005-01-01

A methodological approach for a comparative assessment of ionising radiation effects on man and non-human species, based on the use of Radiation Impact Factor (RIF) - ratios of actual exposure doses to biota species and man to critical dose is described. As such doses, radiation safety standards limiting radiation exposure of man and doses at which radiobiological effects in non-human species were not observed after the Chernobyl accident, were employed. For the study area within the 30 km ChNPP zone dose burdens to 10 reference biota groups and the population (with and without evacuation) and the corresponding RIFs were calculated. It has been found that in 1986 (early period after the accident) the emergency radiation standards for man do not guarantee adequate protection of the environment, some species of which could be affected more than man. In 1991 RIFs for man were considerably (by factor of 20.0-1.1 x 10 5 ) higher compared with those for selected non-human species. Thus, for the long term after the accident radiation safety standards for man are shown to ensure radiation safety for biota as well

Comparative radiation impact on biota and man in the area affected by the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fesenko, S.V. [Russian Institute of Agricultural Radiology and Agroecology, Kievskoe shosse, Kaluga region, Obninsk 249020 (Russian Federation) and International Atomic Energy Agency, Agency' s Laboratories, Seibersdorf A-2444 (Austria)]. E-mail: s.fesenko@iaea.org; Alexakhin, R.M. [Russian Institute of Agricultural Radiology and Agroecology, Kievskoe shosse, Kaluga region, Obninsk 249020 (Russian Federation); Geras' kin, S.A. [Russian Institute of Agricultural Radiology and Agroecology, Kievskoe shosse, Kaluga region, Obninsk 249020 (Russian Federation); Sanzharova, N.I. [Russian Institute of Agricultural Radiology and Agroecology, Kievskoe shosse, Kaluga region, Obninsk 249020 (Russian Federation); Spirin, Ye.V. [Russian Institute of Agricultural Radiology and Agroecology, Kievskoe shosse, Kaluga region, Obninsk 249020 (Russian Federation); Spiridonov, S.I. [Russian Institute of Agricultural Radiology and Agroecology, Kievskoe shosse, Kaluga region, Obninsk 249020 (Russian Federation); Gontarenko, I.A. [Russian Institute of Agricultural Radiology and Agroecology, Kievskoe shosse, Kaluga region, Obninsk 249020 (Russian Federation); Strand, P. [Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, Oesteras (Norway)

2005-07-01

A methodological approach for a comparative assessment of ionising radiation effects on man and non-human species, based on the use of Radiation Impact Factor (RIF) - ratios of actual exposure doses to biota species and man to critical dose is described. As such doses, radiation safety standards limiting radiation exposure of man and doses at which radiobiological effects in non-human species were not observed after the Chernobyl accident, were employed. For the study area within the 30 km ChNPP zone dose burdens to 10 reference biota groups and the population (with and without evacuation) and the corresponding RIFs were calculated. It has been found that in 1986 (early period after the accident) the emergency radiation standards for man do not guarantee adequate protection of the environment, some species of which could be affected more than man. In 1991 RIFs for man were considerably (by factor of 20.0-1.1 x 10{sup 5}) higher compared with those for selected non-human species. Thus, for the long term after the accident radiation safety standards for man are shown to ensure radiation safety for biota as well.

Low Calorie Diet Affects Aging-Related Factors

Science.gov (United States)

... Current Issue Past Issues Research News From NIH Low Calorie Diet Affects Aging-Related Factors Past Issues / ... to learn more about the effects of sustained low-calorie diets in humans on factors affecting aging. ...

Factors Affecting University Library Website Design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yongi-Mi Kim

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Existing studies have extensively explored factors that affect users’ intentions to use university library website resources (ULWR; yet little attention has been given to factors affecting university library website design. This paper investigates factors that affect university library website design and assesses the success of the university library website from both designers’ and users’ perspectives. The findings show that when planning a website, university web designers consider university guidelines, review other websites, and consult with experts and other divisions within the library; however, resources and training for the design process are lacking. While website designers assess their websites as highly successful, user evaluations are somewhat lower. Accordingly, use is low, and users rely heavily on commercial websites. Suggestions for enhancing the usage of ULWR are provided.

Non-radiation risk factors for leukemia: A case-control study among chornobyl cleanup workers in Ukraine.

Science.gov (United States)

Gudzenko, N; Hatch, M; Bazyka, D; Dyagil, I; Reiss, R F; Brenner, A; Chumak, V; Babkina, N; Zablotska, L B; Mabuchi, K

2015-10-01

Occupational and environmental exposure to chemicals such as benzene has been linked to increased risk of leukemia. Cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption have also been found to affect leukemia risk. Previous analyses in a large cohort of Chornobyl clean-up workers in Ukraine found significant radiation-related increased risk for all leukemia types. We investigated the potential for additional effects of occupational and lifestyle factors on leukemia risk in this radiation-exposed cohort. In a case-control study of chronic lymphocytic and other leukemias among Chornobyl cleanup workers, we collected data on a range of non-radiation exposures. We evaluated these and other potential risk factors in analyses adjusting for estimated bone marrow radiation dose. We calculated Odds Ratios and 95% Confidence Intervals in relation to lifestyle factors and occupational hazards. After adjusting for radiation, we found no clear association of leukemia risk with smoking or alcohol but identified a two-fold elevated risk for non-CLL leukemia with occupational exposure to petroleum (OR=2.28; 95% Confidence Interval 1.13, 6.79). Risks were particularly high for myeloid leukemias. No associations with risk factors other than radiation were found for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. These data - the first from a working population in Ukraine - add to evidence from several previous reports of excess leukemia morbidity in groups exposed environmentally or occupationally to petroleum or its products. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Radiation activation of transcription factors in mammalian cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kraemer, M.; Stein, B.; Mai, S.; Kunz, E.; Koenig, H.; Ponta, H.; Herrlich, P.; Rahmsdorf, H.J.; Loferer, H.; Grunicke, H.H.

1990-01-01

In mammalian cells radiation induces the enhanced transcription of several genes. The cis acting elements in the control region of inducible genes have been delimited by site directed mutagenesis. Several different elements have been found in different genes. They do not only activate gene transcription in response to radiation but also in response to growth factors and to tumor promoter phorbol esters. The transcription factors binding to these elements are present also in non-irradiated cells, but their DNA binding activity and their transactivating capability is increased upon irradiation. The signal chain linking the primary radiation induced signal (damaged DNA) to the activation of transcription factors involves the action of (a) protein kinase(s). (orig.)

The influence of social psychological factors on behaviour, stress and dose in Chernobyl affected areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murphy, M.; Allen, P.

1998-01-01

During the 12 years since the Chernobyl nuclear accident, people in the affected areas have lived day to day with the risks of radiation. During these 12 years many countermeasures have been applied to minimise dose and thus reduce the threat to the health of the affected populations. Some of these countermeasures are aimed at changing daily life; for example, advice and restrictions on behaviours relating to the forest, consumption of forest produce and the consumption of private milk. In order to be effective, these countermeasures require action, or compliance, on the part of the affected populations. How have people in these areas responded to this risk and to the countermeasures employed to minimise the risk? A number of social psychological factors may be involved in peoples responses to this situation, including their perceptions of threat, the perceived costs and benefits of the behaviours involved, and the influence of other people. We examine the influence of these various social psychological factors on compliance behaviour, dose, and stress related health through a survey of people in the affected areas using quantitative questionnaire measures. SPARPA or Social psychological aspects of radiation protection after accidents, is a European Commission-sponsored project (F14C-CT96-0010) involving U. Surrey, Symlog and NRPB as well as partners in the CIS. Specific objectives include: to characterise, using quantitative methods, the nature and psychological impact of countermeasures and the influence of behaviour on dose, and to develop, guidance on the implementation of countermeasures, taking account of the social and psychological context. (authors)

Social and psychological factors under realization of radiation risk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sushko, S.N.; Malenchenko, S.A.

2001-01-01

In the experiments with mice of Af line, irradiated by gamma-radiation with doses of up to 1.0 Gy and subjected to psycho-emotional effect (the model of 'the provoked aggression') have been investigated the processes of tumour formation. The index of cariogenic efficiency of effects is the number of the induced adenomas in lungs. It has been shown that under separate effect of these factors the frequency of adenomas increases. Under the combined effect the additional number of adenomas per mouse is registered, which exceeds theoretically the expected value assuming additivity of effects, the synergism coefficient was 1.57 (for females). It has been marked that the character of tumour reaction on separate and the combined effect of radiation, as well as the stress-factor has sex distinctions. It has been shown that that real assessment of the radiation risk and the development of the measures system on minimization of medical and biological consequences of the accident should take into account not only the radiation factor, but also a psychological one, especially in those cases when realization of the risk of combined effect of radiation and non-radiation factors can manifest synergism

Time factors in radiation carcinogenesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sasaki, Shunsaku

1995-01-01

Results of experiments using B6C3F 1 female mice were made subject of analysis on the time factors in radiation carcinogenesis. In the experiment for examination of influence of age at irradiation on the lifetime risk and on distribution of ages at death, mice were irradiated at day 12, 14 or 17 of the prenatal period, or day 0, 7, 35, 105, 240 or 365 of the postnatal period with doses ranging from 0.48 to 5.7 Gy gamma-rays from 137 Cs. In the experiment to examine the reduction factor for carcinogenic effect by multiple fractionation of gamma-rays dose 1.9 or 3.8 Gy was divided into 10 fractions, which were delivered once a week during period from 5 to 15 weeks of age. All mice were allowed to live out their life spans under a specific pathogen free condition. The cumulative relative risk for mortality from all causes except lymphoma and leukemia was shown to decrease with age when mice were irradiated at the fetal, neonatal, suckling, adolescent or young adult period, whereas, the decrease in the cumulative relative risk was very little when gamma-rays were given at the intermediate adult period. The lifetime risk for the increase in mortality and for the induction of solid tumors was highest in mice irradiated during neonatal, suckling or adolescent period. Age-dependence of susceptibility to radiation carcinogenesis was different for each type of neoplasm. However, the most susceptible period for induction of each type of neoplasm concentrated in the age from neonatal to adolescent period. Radiation-induced late effects were apparently reduced by multiple fractionation of radiation dose, but the reduction factor for the increase in the long-term mortality did not exceed 2.0. (author)

Factors Affecting Wound Healing

OpenAIRE

Guo, S.; DiPietro, L.A.

2010-01-01

Wound healing, as a normal biological process in the human body, is achieved through four precisely and highly programmed phases: hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. For a wound to heal successfully, all four phases must occur in the proper sequence and time frame. Many factors can interfere with one or more phases of this process, thus causing improper or impaired wound healing. This article reviews the recent literature on the most significant factors that affect cutane...

Web-based Factors Affecting Online Purchasing Behaviour

Science.gov (United States)

Ariff, Mohd Shoki Md; Sze Yan, Ng; Zakuan, Norhayati; Zaidi Bahari, Ahamad; Jusoh, Ahmad

2013-06-01

The growing use of internet and online purchasing among young consumers in Malaysia provides a huge prospect in e-commerce market, specifically for B2C segment. In this market, if E-marketers know the web-based factors affecting online buyers' behaviour, and the effect of these factors on behaviour of online consumers, then they can develop their marketing strategies to convert potential customers into active one, while retaining existing online customers. Review of previous studies related to the online purchasing behaviour in B2C market has point out that the conceptualization and empirical validation of the online purchasing behaviour of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) literate users, or ICT professional, in Malaysia has not been clearly addressed. This paper focuses on (i) web-based factors which online buyers (ICT professional) keep in mind while shopping online; and (ii) the effect of web-based factors on online purchasing behaviour. Based on the extensive literature review, a conceptual framework of 24 items of five factors was constructed to determine web-based factors affecting online purchasing behaviour of ICT professional. Analysis of data was performed based on the 310 questionnaires, which were collected using a stratified random sampling method, from ICT undergraduate students in a public university in Malaysia. The Exploratory factor analysis performed showed that five factors affecting online purchase behaviour are Information Quality, Fulfilment/Reliability/Customer Service, Website Design, Quick and Details, and Privacy/Security. The result of Multiple Regression Analysis indicated that Information Quality, Quick and Details, and Privacy/Security affect positively online purchase behaviour. The results provide a usable model for measuring web-based factors affecting buyers' online purchase behaviour in B2C market, as well as for online shopping companies to focus on the factors that will increase customers' online purchase.

Web-based Factors Affecting Online Purchasing Behaviour

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ariff, Mohd Shoki Md; Yan, Ng Sze; Zakuan, Norhayati; Bahari, Ahamad Zaidi; Jusoh, Ahmad

2013-01-01

The growing use of internet and online purchasing among young consumers in Malaysia provides a huge prospect in e-commerce market, specifically for B2C segment. In this market, if E-marketers know the web-based factors affecting online buyers' behaviour, and the effect of these factors on behaviour of online consumers, then they can develop their marketing strategies to convert potential customers into active one, while retaining existing online customers. Review of previous studies related to the online purchasing behaviour in B2C market has point out that the conceptualization and empirical validation of the online purchasing behaviour of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) literate users, or ICT professional, in Malaysia has not been clearly addressed. This paper focuses on (i) web-based factors which online buyers (ICT professional) keep in mind while shopping online; and (ii) the effect of web-based factors on online purchasing behaviour. Based on the extensive literature review, a conceptual framework of 24 items of five factors was constructed to determine web-based factors affecting online purchasing behaviour of ICT professional. Analysis of data was performed based on the 310 questionnaires, which were collected using a stratified random sampling method, from ICT undergraduate students in a public university in Malaysia. The Exploratory factor analysis performed showed that five factors affecting online purchase behaviour are Information Quality, Fulfilment/Reliability/Customer Service, Website Design, Quick and Details, and Privacy/Security. The result of Multiple Regression Analysis indicated that Information Quality, Quick and Details, and Privacy/Security affect positively online purchase behaviour. The results provide a usable model for measuring web-based factors affecting buyers' online purchase behaviour in B2C market, as well as for online shopping companies to focus on the factors that will increase customers' online purchase.

Determining the Factors Affecting Labor Productivity of Nurses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yurdanur Dikmen

2016-12-01

Results: It was found that the 45.5% of nurses participated in the study were in the 23-53 age group, 79.5% were women, 76.9% married, 41.1% associate degree graduates. 42.3% of nurses' durations of professional experience were 0-5 years, 22.4% of nurses were clinical chief, 69.2% were working as shifts. Participants believe that the factors affecting the labor productivity were respectively organizational factors, ergonomic factors and personal factors. When organizational factors was examined; nurses stated that the lack of working personnel in the section, the low wages and unequal wages for the same work, the long working hours and the system which based on personal relations instead of merit were affecting productivity. The factors affecting labor productivity of nurses were not different according to age, gender, education level and marital status (p>0.05, but different according to mode of operation and years of experience (p<0.05. Conclusion: According to this study, it was found that there are many factors that affect the efficiency of the nurses. The most important factors affecting nurses' efficiency were determined as wage and working conditions. [J Contemp Med 2016; 6(4.000: 334-342

Proposal of a weight factor for alpha radiation aiming biota radioprotection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pereira, Wagner de S.; Py Junior, Delcy de A.; Kelecom, Alphonse; Goncalves, Simone

2009-01-01

Several proposals based on the environmental radioprotection of calculating the absorbed dose in biota have been suggested. The absorbed dose expresses the deposition of energy per mass unit. The differences in biological effects of the absorbed dose can be quantified by applying a correction factor to the absorbed dose. The correction factor for radiation is easier to establish, because radiations exist in smaller number (alpha, beta, neutrons and photons) and can be set for groups of organisms. This work aims to propose a correction factor for radiation, in order to adequate the concept of absorbed dose currently used to the concept of equivalent dose. A survey of the literature on correction factors proposed for alpha radiation was carried out and, when possible, the biological endpoint was identified, as well as the radionuclide and the biological target. A variation of the weight factor for alpha radiation from 1 to 377 was observed and a number of biological endpoints, biological target and alpha emitter radionuclide were identified. Finally we propose a weight value for alpha radiation of 40, and we propose also the name of correction factor for radiation alpha as being ecological radiation weighting factor (WRE) the name 'equivalent dose for flora and fauna' (HTFF) to name of the new dose. (author)

Factors affecting endoglucanase production by Trichoderma reesei ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Jane

2011-08-22

Aug 22, 2011 ... from the ANOVA analysis have a significant value of Pmodel>F= 0.0008 and R2 .... there are various environmental and nutritional factors ... reported to affect cellulase production from wheat straw ... many factors affecting simultaneously the fermentation ..... and control its stability (Kalra and Sandhu, 1986).

Variation of NEE and its affecting factors in a vineyard of arid region of northwest China

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, W. H.; Kang, S. Z.; Li, F. S.; Li, S. E.

2014-02-01

To understand the variation of net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) in orchard ecosystem and it's affecting factors, carbon flux was measured using eddy covariance system in a wine vineyard in arid northwest China during 2008-2010. Results show that vineyard NEE was positive value at the early growth stage, higher negative value at the mid-growth stage, and lower negative value at the later growth stage. Diurnal variation of NEE was "W" shaped curve in sunny day, but "U" shaped curve in cloudy day. Irrigation and pruning did not affect diurnal variation shape of NEE, however, irrigation reduced the difference between maximal and minimal value of NEE and pruning reduced the carbon sink capacity. The main factors affecting hourly NEE were canopy conductance (gc) and net radiation (Rn). The hourly NEE increased with the increase of gc or Rn when gc was less than 0.02 m·s-1 or Rn was between 0 and 200 W·m-2. The main factors affecting both daily and seasonal NEE were gc, air temperature (Ta), atmospheric CO2 density, vapour pressure deficit (VPD) and soil moisture content.

Serum Proteome Signature of Radiation Response: Upregulation of Inflammation-Related Factors and Downregulation of Apolipoproteins and Coagulation Factors in Cancer Patients Treated With Radiation Therapy—A Pilot Study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Widlak, Piotr, E-mail: widlak@io.gliwice.pl [Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology, Gliwice Branch, Gliwice (Poland); Jelonek, Karol; Wojakowska, Anna; Pietrowska, Monika [Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology, Gliwice Branch, Gliwice (Poland); Polanska, Joanna [Institute of Automatics Control, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice (Poland); Marczak, Łukasz [Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan (Poland); Miszczyk, Leszek; Składowski, Krzysztof [Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology, Gliwice Branch, Gliwice (Poland)

2015-08-01

Purpose: Ionizing radiation affects the proteome of irradiated cells and tissue, yet data concerning changes induced during radiation therapy (RT) in human blood are fragmentary and inconclusive. We aimed to identify features of serum proteome and associated processes involved in response to partial body irradiation during cancer treatment. Methods and Materials: Twenty patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) and 20 patients with prostate cancer received definitive intensity modulated RT. Blood samples were collected before RT, just after RT, and 1 month after the end of RT. Complete serum proteome was analyzed in individual samples, using a shotgun liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry approach which allowed identification of approximately 450 proteins. Approximately 100 unique proteins were quantified in all samples after exclusion of immunoglobulins, and statistical significance of differences among consecutive samples was assessed. Processes associated with quantified proteins and their functional interactions were predicted using gene ontology tools. Results: RT-induced changes were marked in the HNSCC patient group: 22 upregulated and 33 downregulated proteins were detected in post-RT sera. Most of the changes reversed during follow-up, yet levels of some proteins remained affected 1 month after the end of RT. RT-upregulated proteins were associated with acute phase, inflammatory response, and complement activation. RT-downregulated proteins were associated with transport and metabolism of lipids (plasma apolipoproteins) and blood coagulation. RT-induced changes were much weaker in prostate cancer patients, which corresponded to differences in acute radiation toxicity observed in both groups. Nevertheless, general patterns of RT-induced sera proteome changes were similar in both of the groups of cancer patients. Conclusions: In this pilot study, we proposed to identify a molecular signature of radiation response, based on specific

Contextual investigation of factors affecting sludge accumulation ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Pit latrines in slums areas of Uganda fill up faster than might be expected from some estimates owing to inappropriate use and failure to consider critical factors affecting sludge accumulation rates at the planning, design and construction stages. This study sought to investigate factors affecting filling rates of lined pit latrines ...

Factors Affecting Wound Healing

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, S.; DiPietro, L.A.

2010-01-01

Wound healing, as a normal biological process in the human body, is achieved through four precisely and highly programmed phases: hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. For a wound to heal successfully, all four phases must occur in the proper sequence and time frame. Many factors can interfere with one or more phases of this process, thus causing improper or impaired wound healing. This article reviews the recent literature on the most significant factors that affect cutaneous wound healing and the potential cellular and/or molecular mechanisms involved. The factors discussed include oxygenation, infection, age and sex hormones, stress, diabetes, obesity, medications, alcoholism, smoking, and nutrition. A better understanding of the influence of these factors on repair may lead to therapeutics that improve wound healing and resolve impaired wounds. PMID:20139336

Microstructural effect on radiative scattering coefficient and asymmetry factor of anisotropic thermal barrier coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, X. W.; Zhao, C. Y.; Wang, B. X.

2018-05-01

Thermal barrier coatings are common porous materials coated on the surface of devices operating under high temperatures and designed for heat insulation. This study presents a comprehensive investigation on the microstructural effect on radiative scattering coefficient and asymmetry factor of anisotropic thermal barrier coatings. Based on the quartet structure generation set algorithm, the finite-difference-time-domain method is applied to calculate angular scattering intensity distribution of complicated random microstructure, which takes wave nature into account. Combining Monte Carlo method with Particle Swarm Optimization, asymmetry factor, scattering coefficient and absorption coefficient are retrieved simultaneously. The retrieved radiative properties are identified with the angular scattering intensity distribution under different pore shapes, which takes dependent scattering and anisotropic pore shape into account implicitly. It has been found that microstructure significantly affects the radiative properties in thermal barrier coatings. Compared with spherical shape, irregular anisotropic pore shape reduces the forward scattering peak. The method used in this paper can also be applied to other porous media, which designs a frame work for further quantitative study on porous media.

Decisive factors affecting plasma resistance and roughness formation in ArF photoresist

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jinnai, Butsurin; Uesugi, Takuji; Koyama, Koji; Samukawa, Seiji [Institute of Fluid Science, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577 (Japan); Kato, Keisuke; Yasuda, Atsushi; Maeda, Shinichi [Yokohama Research Laboratories, Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd, 10-1 Daikoku-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama 230-0053 (Japan); Momose, Hikaru, E-mail: samukawa@ifs.tohoku.ac.j [Corporate Research Laboratories, Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd, 2-1 Miyuki-cho, Otake, Hiroshima 739-0693 (Japan)

2010-10-06

Low plasma resistance and roughness formation in an ArF photoresist are serious issues in plasma processes. To resolve these issues, we investigated several factors that affect the roughness formation and plasma resistance in an ArF photoresist. We used our neutral beam process to categorize the effects of species from the plasma on the ArF photoresist into physical bombardment, chemical reactions and ultraviolet/vacuum ultraviolet (UV/VUV) radiation. The UV/VUV radiation drastically increased the etching rates of the ArF photoresist films, and, in contrast, chemical reactions increased the formation of surface roughness. FTIR analysis indicated that the UV/VUV radiation preferentially dissociates C-H bonds in the ArF photoresist, rather than C=O bonds, because of the dissociation energies of the bonds. This indicated that the etching rates of the ArF photoresist are determined by the UV/VUV radiation because this radiation can break C-H bonds, which account for the majority of structures in the ArF photoresist. In contrast, FTIR analysis showed that chemical species such as radicals and ions were likely to react with C=O bonds, in particular C=O bonds in the lactone groups of the ArF photoresist, due to the structural and electronic effects of the lactone groups. As a result, the etching rates of the ArF photoresist can vary in different bond structures, leading to increased surface roughness in the ArF photoresist.

Identification of risk aversion factor for radiation workers in Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fadul, Abdulbagi; Na, Seong H.

2016-01-01

Radiation aversion factor reflects the degree of avoidance of radiation exposure which is considered a fundamental element in the optimization of radiation protection and a key factor in determining the real monetary value of the man-Sievert (Sv). This study provides an adjusted risk aversion factor, which was prescribed by the Korea Institute for Nuclear Safety (KINS), a regulatory body in Korea. Specifically, the Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. (KHNP) evaluated the monetary value of the man-Sv for Korean Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) workers. This monetary value was assessed by the radiation aversion factor. Consequently, identifying the monetary value of the man-Sv in this study will enhance not only the effectiveness of optimization of radiation protection in Korea but also contribute to reduce doses to As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) when accounting for economic and societal aspects. The primary purpose of this study is to obtain the risk aversion factor for radiation workers in medical and industrial facilities in Korea. The secondary purpose is to evaluate the real monetary value of the man-Sv.These objectives will be accomplished by collecting data from surveys that consider a variety of socio-economic conditions. The value of 1.45 represents considerable avoidance of radiation risk for the majority of NDT radiographers due to familiarity and work experience with radiation hazards. On the other hand, the value 1.57 indicates that most of radiation medical practitioners, in particular, interventional radiologists have a strong will to avoid radiation risk. However, they will accept more risk with incremental salary increases. For international comparison, the concept of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) should be adopted to obtain the alpha values in real term. Certainly, this monetary value of the man-Sv is expected to contribute effectively in optimization of radiation protection in both medical and industrial fields. The findings of this study

Identification of risk aversion factor for radiation workers in Korea

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fadul, Abdulbagi [KAIST, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Na, Seong H. [Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

Radiation aversion factor reflects the degree of avoidance of radiation exposure which is considered a fundamental element in the optimization of radiation protection and a key factor in determining the real monetary value of the man-Sievert (Sv). This study provides an adjusted risk aversion factor, which was prescribed by the Korea Institute for Nuclear Safety (KINS), a regulatory body in Korea. Specifically, the Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. (KHNP) evaluated the monetary value of the man-Sv for Korean Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) workers. This monetary value was assessed by the radiation aversion factor. Consequently, identifying the monetary value of the man-Sv in this study will enhance not only the effectiveness of optimization of radiation protection in Korea but also contribute to reduce doses to As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) when accounting for economic and societal aspects. The primary purpose of this study is to obtain the risk aversion factor for radiation workers in medical and industrial facilities in Korea. The secondary purpose is to evaluate the real monetary value of the man-Sv.These objectives will be accomplished by collecting data from surveys that consider a variety of socio-economic conditions. The value of 1.45 represents considerable avoidance of radiation risk for the majority of NDT radiographers due to familiarity and work experience with radiation hazards. On the other hand, the value 1.57 indicates that most of radiation medical practitioners, in particular, interventional radiologists have a strong will to avoid radiation risk. However, they will accept more risk with incremental salary increases. For international comparison, the concept of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) should be adopted to obtain the alpha values in real term. Certainly, this monetary value of the man-Sv is expected to contribute effectively in optimization of radiation protection in both medical and industrial fields. The findings of this study

Factors affecting actinide solubility in a repository for spent fuel, 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Snellman, Margit

1986-07-01

The main tasks in the study were to get information on the chemical conditions in a repository for spent fuel and information on factors affecting releases of actinides from spent fuel and solubility of actinides in a repository for spent fuel. The work in this field started at the Reactor Laboratory of the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) in 1982. This is a report on the effects on the main parameters, Eh, pH, carbonate, organic compounds, colloids, microbes and radiation on the actinide solubility in the nearfield of the repository. Another task has been to identify available models and reported experience from actinide solubility calculations with different codes. 167 refs

Identification of factors affecting individual industries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maryam Sadat Mirzadeh

2017-10-01

Full Text Available High knowledge and technology are rapidly becoming a competitive advantage in today’s world. Individual industries are considered one of the key sectors in the country’s industry. Ranking the factors that affect these industries makes us more familiar with their effectiveness and helps us take actions to improve such factors in knowledge-based companies. Consequently, based on previous research studies on Individual Industries, field observations, and a questionnaire prepared by the researchers, the current study explores and classifies the factors affecting the establishment of these industries. Regarding its purpose, this is an applied research, and regarding data collection, it is a descriptive survey. Using purposive sampling, 60 questionnaires were collected and effective factors were classified applying the SPSS software and the TOPSIS technique. This study suggests that content factors are ranked first place, while contextual and structural factors are ranked second and third, respectively. Therefore, executives and managers in single industries are recommended to strengthen joint enterprise norms and dominant values and beliefs in knowledge-based companies in order to help the growth and development of single industries.

Modifying factors of radiation induced myeloid leukemia of C3H/He mouse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, Kazuko; Nishimura, Mayumi; Nemoto, Kumie; Seki, Masatoshi

1989-01-01

The first experiment examined modifying factors, such as adrenocortical hormones, inflammatory reaction, and surgical stress, for radiation induced myeloid leukemia in C3H/He mice. The incidence of myeloid leukemia was not affected by a solitary subcutaneous injection of one mg of prednisolone acetate (predonine), but increased significantly by whole body irradiation, immediately followed by predonine. Augumentated effects of predonine was found in the 0.47 Gy, 1.42 Gy, and 2.84 Gy irradiated groups, but not found in the 4.73 Gy irradiated group. These results suggest that predonine itself did not have any effect on initiation of leukemogenesis, but promoted the incidence of radiation-induced myeloid leukemia. In the next experiment determining whether the incidence of myeloid leukemia was increased with stimulation of hematopoietic tissues, mice were inserted a piece of cellulose acetate membrane (CAM) into the peritoneal cavity. In the non-irradiated group of mice, CAM insertion did not affect the incidence of myeloid leukemia at all. The incidence of leukemia increased significantly by CAM insertion combined with irradiation of 2.84 Gy. Mice suffered from both surgical stress and inflammatory reaction after CAM insertion. Therefore, surgical stress was considered responsible for the development of radiation-induced leukemia. (Namekawa, K)

The conversion factor of α radiation efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Weida; Zhou Zhixin; Xia Junding

1997-01-01

It is important in fine-grain TL dating that the full α dose must be converted into the equivalent β dose. Although the conversion coefficient K for internal radiation efficiency can not be measured directly for each sample, it is possible to measure the external radiation efficiency K 3.7 . For this purpose a special study for the conversion factor of K to K 3.7 has been made using ultrathin TLD. The results show that the conversion factor of the TLD for archaeological samples is 0.847, which is in agreement with the calculated value 0.85

Dose factors to calculate the radiation exposure due to radioactive waste air from nuclear facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brenk, H.D.; Vogt, K.J.

1977-01-01

An evaluation of the environmental impact of nuclear plants according to paragraph 45 of the Radiation Protection Directive of the Federal Republic of Germany requires the calculation of dose conversion factors indicating the correlation between the contaminated medium and individual radiation exposure. The present study is to be conceived as a contribution to discussion on this subject. For the determination of radiation exposure caused by the waste air of nuclear plants, models are being specified for computing the dose conversion factors for the external exposure pathways of β-submersion, γ-submersion and γ-radiation from contaminated ground as well as the internal exposure pathways of inhalation and ingestion, which further elaborate and improve the models previously applied, especially as far as the ingestion pathway is concerned, which distinguishes between 6 major food categories. The computer models are applied to those radionuclides which are significan for nuclear emitters, in particular nuclear light-water power stations. The results obtained for the individual exposure pathways and affected organs are specified in the form of tables. For this purpose, calculations were first of all carried out for the so-called 'reference man'. The results can be transferred to population groups with different consumption habits (e.g. vegetarians) by the application of correction factors. The models are capable of being extended with a view to covering other age groups. (orig.) [de

RADGEN: A radiation exchange factor generator for rod bundles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rector, D.R.

1987-10-01

The RADGEN computer program has been developed at Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) to generate input required for the thermal radiation models used in the COBRA-SFS (Spent Fuel Storage) computer program. The COBRA-SFS program uses radiation exchange factors to describe the net amount of energy transferred from each surface to every other surface in an enclosure. The RADGEN program generates radiation exchange factors for arrays of rods on a square or triangular pitch as well as open channel geometries. This report describes the input requirements for the RADGEN code, which may be executed in a batch or interactive mode, and outlines the solution procedure used to obtain the exchange factors. 4 refs., 25 figs., 13 tabs

Factors affecting farm diversification in rice-wheat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ashfaq, M.; Hassan, S.; Naseer, M.Z.; Baig, I.A.; Asma, J.

2008-01-01

The risk in agriculture sector is due to various factors like weather and market conditions, particularly the demand of the commodities. This uncertainty can result in variable returns (farm income) to the decisions that farmers make in a particular season. Diversification is a frequently used risk management strategy that involves participation in more than one activity. It has the added advantage of mitigating price risk as well as fluctuations in outputs. The main purpose of this paper was to determine the factors affecting crop diversification. For determining the effect of different factors on diversification a multiple regression model was used. The values of Entropy index computed for measuring horizontal diversification were taken as dependent variable and different factors affecting diversification were taken as independent variables. The results showed that the main factors affecting diversification were size of land holding, age of respondent, education level of respondent, farming experience of respondent, off farm income of respondent, distance of farm from main road, distance of farm from main market and farm machinery. (author)

Dissecting soft radiation with factorization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stewart, Iain W.; Tackmann, Frank J.; Waalewijn, Wouter J.; Amsterdam Univ.

2014-05-01

An essential part of high-energy hadronic collisions is the soft hadronic activity that underlies the primary hard interaction. It can receive contributions from soft radiation from the primary hard partons, secondary multiple parton interactions (MPI), and factorization violating effects. The invariant mass spectrum of the leading jet in Z+jet and H+jet events is directly sensitive to these effects. We use a QCD factorization theorem to predict the dependence on the jet radius R, jet p T , jet rapidity, and partonic process for both the perturbative and nonperturbative components of primary soft radiation. The nonperturbative contributions involve only odd powers of R, and the linear R term is universal for quark and gluon jets. The hadronization model in PYTHIA8 agrees well with these properties. The perturbative soft initial state radiation (ISR) has a contribution that depends on the jet area in the same way as the underlying event. This degeneracy is broken by the jet p T dependence. The size of this soft ISR contribution is proportional to the color state of the initial partons, yielding the same positive contribution for gg→Hg and gq→Zq, but a negative interference contribution for q anti q→Zg. Hence, measuring these dependencies allows one to separate hadronization, soft ISR, and MPI contributions in the data.

Radiation Retinopathy Is Treatable With Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Bevacizumab (Avastin)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finger, Paul T.

2008-01-01

Purpose: To report on bevacizumab treatment for radiation retinopathy affecting the macula. Patients and Methods: Twenty-one patients with radiation retinopathy (edema, hemorrhages, capillary dropout, and neovascularization) and a subjective or objective loss of vision were treated. Treatment involved intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (1.25 mg in 0.05 mL) every 6-12 weeks. Treatment was discontinued at patient request or if there was no measurable response to therapy. Main outcome measures included best corrected visual acuity, ophthalmic examination, retinal photography, and angiography. Results: Bevacizumab treatment was followed by reductions in retinal hemorrhage, exudation, and edema. Visual acuities were stable or improved in 86% (n = 18). Three patients discontinued therapy. Each was legally blind before treatment (n = 1), experienced little to no subjective improvement (n = 2), or was poorly compliant (n = 2). Three patients (14%) regained 2 or more lines of visual acuity. No ocular or systemic bevacizumab-related side effects were observed. Conclusions: Intravitreal bevacizumab can be used to treat radiation retinopathy. In most cases treatment was associated with decreased vascular leakage, stabilization, or improved vision. An anti-vascular endothelial growth factor strategy may reduce tissue damage associated with radiation vasculopathy and neuropathy

Some factors affecting the distribution of radon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grainger, C.R.

1986-01-01

The importance of the distribution of radon in the natural background radiation exposures for man is stressed. Factors which effect the distribution include the origin of the rocks, the permeability of the rocks, fractures in the rocks and ground water flow. (U.K.)

An experimental survey of the factors that affect leaching from low-level radioactive waste forms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dougherty, D.R.; Pietrzak, R.F.; Fuhrmann, M.; Colombo, P.

1988-09-01

This report represents the results of an experimental survey of the factors that affect leaching from several types of solidified low-level radioactive waste forms. The goal of these investigations was to determine those factors that accelerate leaching without changing its mechanism(s). Typically, although not in every case,the accelerating factors include: increased temperature, increased waste loading (i.e., increased waste to binder ratio), and decreased size (i.e., decreased waste form volume to surface area ratio). Additional factors that were studied were: increased leachant volume to waste form surface area ratio, pH, leachant composition (groundwaters, natural and synthetic chelating agents), leachant flow rate or replacement frequency and waste form porosity and surface condition. Other potential factors, including the radiation environment and pressure, were omitted based on a survey of the literature. 82 refs., 236 figs., 13 tabs

The quality factor in ionising radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Changmao

1990-12-01

The existing quality factors for ionizing radiation and the Q values recommended by ICRU report 40 are briefly introduced, and the relevant aspects are also discussed. It is recommended that the new Q values presented by ICRU should not be adopted in protection radiation practices, but the ultimate decision from ICRP should be noted. It is pointed out that the relevant academic discussion should be developed at present, in order to study the position and policy which should be taken. (author)

Factors affecting intellectual outcome in pediatric brain tumor patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ellenberg, L.; McComb, J.G.; Siegel, S.E.; Stowe, S.

1987-01-01

A prospective study utilizing repeated intellectual testing was undertaken in 73 children with brain tumors consecutively admitted to Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles over a 3-year period to determine the effect of tumor location, extent of surgical resection, hydrocephalus, age of the child, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy on cognitive outcome. Forty-three patients were followed for at least two sequential intellectual assessments and provide the data for this study. Children with hemispheric tumors had the most general cognitive impairment. The degree of tumor resection, adequately treated hydrocephalus, and chemotherapy had no bearing on intellectual outcome. Age of the child affected outcome mainly as it related to radiation. Whole brain radiation therapy was associated with cognitive decline. This was especially true in children below 7 years of age, who experienced a very significant loss of function after whole brain radiation therapy

Usefulness of radiation treatment planning allpied respiration factor for streotatic body radiation therapy in the lung cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shin, Sung Pil; Kim, Tae Hyung; So, Woon Young; Back, Geum Mun [Dept. of Medical Health Science, Graduate School, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-12-15

We are evaluated the usefulness of radiation treatment planning applied respiration factor for stereotactic body radiation therapy in the lung cancer. Four dimensional computed tomography images were obtained in 10 patients with lung cancer. The radiation treatment plans were established total lung volume according to respiration images (new method) and conventional method. We was analyzed in the lung volume, radiation absorbed dose of lung and main organs (ribs, tracheobronchus, esophagus, spinal cord) around the tumor, respectively. We were confirmed that lung volume and radiation absorbed dose of lung and main organs around the tumor deference according to applied respiration. In conclusion, radiation treatment planning applied respiration factor seems to be useful for stereotactic body radiation therapy in the lung cancer.

Exercise (effort) tolerance and factors affecting this tolerance for liquidators of consequences of the ChNPP accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khomazyuk, I.N.

1992-01-01

Physical efficiency and factors affecting it for persons exposed to irradiation (the radiation dose being in the range up to 0.75 Gy) has been studied. 670 participants of liquidating the consequences of ChNPP accident have been examined. Depending on the radiation doses to which the people have been exposed the liquidators have been subdivided into 4 groups: for the 1st group the radiation doses ranging from 0.25 to 0.75 Gy; for the 2nd group the radiation doses ranging from 0.10 to 0.24 Gy; for the 3rd group the radiation doses ranging from 0.05 to 0.10 Gy; for the 4th group the radiation dose being up to 0.05 Gy. The physical load was ensured with veloergometer. The results have made it possible to estimate one of the basic health criterion for liquidators of consequences of ChNPP accident (i.e. exercise (effort) tolerance). No direct relationship of the exercise magnitude and the radiation dose within the range up to 0.75 Gy and the irradiation time have been observed. The correlation of the exercise magnitude with due account to age has been provided. 15 refs.; 2 tabs

Age Learning Factors Affecting Pilot Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Torbert, Brison

This document, intended for pilot education and flight safety specialists, consists chiefly of a review of the literature on physiological factors that affect pilot education and an examination of environmental factors that should be scrutinized in order to improve the effectiveness of aviation learning facilities. The physiological factors…

Perceived Factors Affecting Performance Of Extension Workers In ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study focused on perceived factors affecting performance of extension workers in Imo State, Nigeria. Data for the study was collected from 83 Extension agents from the Imo State Agricultural Development Programme (ADP). Results of the study revealed that the organizational factors that affect performance are ...

Ionizing radiation from Chernobyl affects development of wild carrot plants

Science.gov (United States)

Boratyński, Zbyszek; Arias, Javi Miranda; Garcia, Cristina; Mappes, Tapio; Mousseau, Timothy A.; Møller, Anders P.; Pajares, Antonio Jesús Muñoz; Piwczyński, Marcin; Tukalenko, Eugene

2016-12-01

Radioactivity released from disasters like Chernobyl and Fukushima is a global hazard and a threat to exposed biota. To minimize the deleterious effects of stressors organisms adopt various strategies. Plants, for example, may delay germination or stay dormant during stressful periods. However, an intense stress may halt germination or heavily affect various developmental stages and select for life history changes. Here, we test for the consequence of exposure to ionizing radiation on plant development. We conducted a common garden experiment in an uncontaminated greenhouse using 660 seeds originating from 33 wild carrots (Daucus carota) collected near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. These maternal plants had been exposed to radiation levels that varied by three orders of magnitude. We found strong negative effects of elevated radiation on the timing and rates of seed germination. In addition, later stages of development and the timing of emergence of consecutive leaves were delayed by exposure to radiation. We hypothesize that low quality of resources stored in seeds, damaged DNA, or both, delayed development and halted germination of seeds from plants exposed to elevated levels of ionizing radiation. We propose that high levels of spatial heterogeneity in background radiation may hamper adaptive life history responses.

ANALYSIS OF THE FACTORS AFFECTING THE AVERAGE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carmen BOGHEAN

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Productivity in agriculture most relevantly and concisely expresses the economic efficiency of using the factors of production. Labour productivity is affected by a considerable number of variables (including the relationship system and interdependence between factors, which differ in each economic sector and influence it, giving rise to a series of technical, economic and organizational idiosyncrasies. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the underlying factors of the average work productivity in agriculture, forestry and fishing. The analysis will take into account the data concerning the economically active population and the gross added value in agriculture, forestry and fishing in Romania during 2008-2011. The distribution of the average work productivity per factors affecting it is conducted by means of the u-substitution method.

Environmental Factors Affecting Preschoolers' Motor Development

Science.gov (United States)

Venetsanou, Fotini; Kambas, Antonis

2010-01-01

The process of development occurs according to the pattern established by the genetic potential and also by the influence of environmental factors. The aim of the present study was to focus on the main environmental factors affecting motor development. The review of the literature revealed that family features, such as socioeconomic status,…

Bias factors for radiation creep, growth and swelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nichols, F.A.

1980-01-01

Central to the present concepts of the origin of the radiation-induced creep, growth and swelling phenomena is the relative interaction of interstitials and vacancies with various sinks. Radiation-induced climb of dislocations, which figures in many theories of radiation creep and growth, requires the absorption of an excess of either vacancies or interstitials. On the other hand, radiation swelling requires the absorption of an excess of vacancies to effect void growth. These relative preferences are normally expressed in theoretical models by certain bias factors, or capture efficiencies, usually assumed to be constant. Several attempts have been made to estimate their magnitude theoretically but all are seen to involve errors or physically unrealistic assumptions. We present here a unified treatment in which these various bias factors are estimated in a self-consistent model which incorporates, for the first time, all the essential physics, i.e., defect production, interactions of both vacancies and interstitials with sinks and the presence of two types of sinks. We present quantitative evaluations for the SIPA creep model and for radiation swelling, and compare with previous estimates of these phenomena. (orig.)

Cancer risk as a radiation detriment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Servomaa, A.; Komppa, T.; Servomaa, K.

1992-11-01

Potential radiation detriment means a risk of cancer or other somatic disease, genetic damage of fetal injury. Quantative information about the relation between a radiation dose and cancer risk is needed to enable decision-making in radiation protection. However, assessment of cancer risk by means of the radiation dose is controversial, as epidemiological and biological information about factors affecting the origin of cancers show that risk assessment is imprecise when the radiation dose is used as the only factor. Focusing on radiation risk estimates for breast cancer, lung cancer and leukemia, the report is based on the models given in the Beir V report, on sources of radiation exposure and the uncertainty of risk estimates. Risk estimates are assessed using the relative risk model and the cancer mortality rates in Finland. Cancer incidence and mortality rates for men and women are shown in graphs as a function of age and time. Relative risks are shown as a function of time after exposure and lifetime risks as a function of age at exposure. Uncertainty factors affecting the radiation risk are examined from the point of view of epidemiology and molecular biology. (orig.)

Radiation exposure and familial aggregation of cancers as risk factors for colorectal cancer after radioiodine treatment for thyroid carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rubino, Carole; Adjadj, Elisabeth; Doyon, Francoise; Shamsaldin, Akhtar; Abbas, Tahaa Moncef; Caillou, Bernard; Colonna, Marc; Cecarreli, Claudia; Schvartz, Claire; Bardet, Stephane; Langlois, Christiane B.Sc.; Ricard, Marcel; Schlumberger, Martin; Vathaire, Florent de

2005-01-01

Purpose: In thyroid cancer patients, radioiodine treatment has been shown to be associated with an increased risk of colon carcinoma. The aim of this study in thyroid cancer patients was to evaluate the role of familial factors in the risk of colorectal cancer and their potential interaction with radioiodine exposure. Methods and Materials: We performed a case-control study on 15 colorectal cancer patients and 76 matched control subjects, nested in a cohort of 3708 thyroid cancer patients treated between 1933 and 1998. For each patient, the radiation dose delivered to the colon by radioiodine was estimated by use of standard tables. In those who received external radiation therapy, the average radiation doses delivered to the colon and rectum were estimated by use of DOS E g software. A complete familial history was obtained by face-to-face interviews, and a familial index was defined to evaluate the degree of familial aggregation. Results: The risk of colorectal cancer increased with familial aggregation of colorectal cancer (p = 0.02). After adjustment for the radiation dose delivered to the colon and rectum, the risk of colorectal cancer was 2.8-fold higher (95% CI, 1.0-8.0) for patients with at least one relative affected by colorectal cancer than for patients without such a family history (p = 0.05). The radiation dose delivered to the colon and rectum by 131 I and external radiation therapy was associated with an increase of risk near the significance threshold (p = 0.1). No significant interaction was found between radiation dose and having an affected relative (p = 0.9). Conclusions: The role of familial background in the risk of colorectal cancer following a differentiated thyroid carcinoma appears to increase with the radiation dose delivered to the colon and rectum. However, the study population was small and no interaction was found between these two factors

The optimal dose of radiation in Hodgkin's disease: an analysis of clinical and treatment factors affecting in-field disease control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Price Mendenhall, Nancy; Lewis Rodrigue, Lori; Moore-Higgs, Giselle J.; Marcus, Robert B.; Million, Rodney R.

1999-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of radiation dose, as well as other clinical and therapeutic factors, on in-field disease control. Patients and Materials: The study population comprised 232 patients with Stage I and II Hodgkin's disease (HD) treated with curative intent at the University of Florida with radiotherapy (RT) alone (169 patients) or chemotherapy and radiotherapy (CMT) (63 patients). Sites of involvement and radiation doses were prospectively recorded and correlated with sites of disease recurrence. Results: Freedom from relapse and absolute survival rates at 10 years were as follows: 76% and 77%, entire group; 76% and 80%, RT group; 79% and 70%, CMT group; 85% and 78%, Stage I; and 71% and 77%, Stage II. Treatment failure occurred in 50 patients (22%) including in-field failure in 22 patients (9%). In-field failure was rare in electively treated sites. Multivariate analysis of clinical factors (tumor size, number of sites involved, B-symptoms, gender, histology, age, and site of involvement) and treatment factors (use of chemotherapy, number of cycles of chemotherapy, radiation dose, radiation treatment volume, and radiation treatment time) showed only tumor size (p = 0.0001) to be significantly correlated with in-field disease control. In RT patients, the in-field failure rate according to tumor size was as follows: 0% for ≤ 3 cm; 4% for > 3 cm and ≤ 6 cm; 23% for > 6 cm and ≤ 9 cm; and 36% for > 9 cm. In CMT patients, the in-field failure rate was as follows: 0% for ≤ 3 cm; 0% for > 3 and ≤ 6 cm; 5% for > 6 cm and ≤ 9 cm; and 26% for > 9 cm. In-field recurrence was not a predominant pattern of failure in RT patients with small tumors (≤ 6 cm); thus, the difference in in-field control in tumors ≤ 6 cm between doses ≤ 35 Gy (6%) and doses ≥ 36 Gy (0%) was not statistically significant. In larger tumors (> 6 cm), in-field recurrence was a predominant pattern of failure; the in-field failure rate in RT

The relationship between affective factors and the academic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between affective factors and the academic achievement of students at the University of Venda. To this end, self-concept, motivation and attitude are the affective factors selected for the study. The general aim of the study is to determine the role of self-concept, ...

Risk Factors: Radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Radiation of certain wavelengths, called ionizing radiation, has enough energy to damage DNA and cause cancer. Ionizing radiation includes radon, x-rays, gamma rays, and other forms of high-energy radiation.

Some immune reactions of the personnel, subjected to combined effect of ionizing radiation and non-radiation factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shubin, V.M.; Litver, B.Ya.; Zykova, I.A.

1978-01-01

Some factors of nonspecific bodily protection (bactericidal capacity, complement, lysozyme, beta lysins of blood serum) are analyzed in gamma defectoscopists and in workers exposed to occupational factors of nonradiation nature. A number of alterations in immunity indices in persons exposed to combined radiation and nonradiation factors (stimulation of beta lysins, increased levels of antitissue antibodies, etc.) had has been revealed. These alterations appear to have resulted from the potentiation of the effects from ionizing radiation and nonradiation nature factors

Normalization Of Thermal-Radiation Form-Factor Matrix

Science.gov (United States)

Tsuyuki, Glenn T.

1994-01-01

Report describes algorithm that adjusts form-factor matrix in TRASYS computer program, which calculates intraspacecraft radiative interchange among various surfaces and environmental heat loading from sources such as sun.

Nutritional Factors Affecting Adult Neurogenesis and Cognitive Function.

Science.gov (United States)

Poulose, Shibu M; Miller, Marshall G; Scott, Tammy; Shukitt-Hale, Barbara

2017-11-01

Adult neurogenesis, a complex process by which stem cells in the hippocampal brain region differentiate and proliferate into new neurons and other resident brain cells, is known to be affected by many intrinsic and extrinsic factors, including diet. Neurogenesis plays a critical role in neural plasticity, brain homeostasis, and maintenance in the central nervous system and is a crucial factor in preserving the cognitive function and repair of damaged brain cells affected by aging and brain disorders. Intrinsic factors such as aging, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and brain injury, as well as lifestyle factors such as high-fat and high-sugar diets and alcohol and opioid addiction, negatively affect adult neurogenesis. Conversely, many dietary components such as curcumin, resveratrol, blueberry polyphenols, sulforaphane, salvionic acid, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and diets enriched with polyphenols and PUFAs, as well as caloric restriction, physical exercise, and learning, have been shown to induce neurogenesis in adult brains. Although many of the underlying mechanisms by which nutrients and dietary factors affect adult neurogenesis have yet to be determined, nutritional approaches provide promising prospects to stimulate adult neurogenesis and combat neurodegenerative diseases and cognitive decline. In this review, we summarize the evidence supporting the role of nutritional factors in modifying adult neurogenesis and their potential to preserve cognitive function during aging. © 2017 American Society for Nutrition.

Interaction of the radiation and the matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bermudez Jimenez, L.; Pacheco Jimenez, R.

2000-01-01

This document, has the purpose to introduce the reader, in the aspects and factors, which determine or affect, the interaction of ionizing radiations with the matter radiation, such as charged particles and electromagnetic radiations. (author)

A method to adjust radiation dose-response relationships for clinical risk factors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Appelt, Ane Lindegaard; Vogelius, Ivan R

2012-01-01

Several clinical risk factors for radiation induced toxicity have been identified in the literature. Here, we present a method to quantify the effect of clinical risk factors on radiation dose-response curves and apply the method to adjust the dose-response for radiation pneumonitis for patients...

The influence of non-radiation factors on the kinetics of radioactive iodine metabolism in thyroid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalistratova, V.S.; Filatov, V.V.; Shavrina, E.A.

1985-01-01

Estimation of the role non-radiation factors which may influence the dose formation in the most of all irradiated organs is considered very important for the normalization of radioactive isotopes of iodine. The significance of this problem was noted in some recent publications of NCARE. Since a human population which is being irradiated can be affected by the environmental temperature (43-45 deg and 4-6 deg C) and light (complete darkness and darkness for 21 hours) as well as vaccines (dysentery and typhoid) and alcohol (ethanol solutions of 0,02; 0,2; 2,0; and 20,0% concentration) were used as modifying factors. Iodine-125 administrated per os (0,8-1,3 MBq/rat) was used as a model for studying metabolism kinetics of radioactive iodine isotopes. Vaccination of animals results in a change of iodine-125 accumulation level in the thyroid depending on the time interval between an injection of the vaccine and administration of the radionuclide: one day after vaccination the levels of accumulation and the tissue doses formed by radionuclide in the thyroid were decreased by 1,5-2,0 times;14 days after vaccination they were increased by 1,5 times. Accumulation of iodine-125 in other endocrinal organs (pituitary and adrenal glands) was increased. The effect is independent of the type of injected vaccine. A single administration of 2,0-20,0% ethanol caused an increase of iodine-125 content in the thyroid. Chronical exposure to ethanol resulted in a decrease of iodine accumulation in the critical organ by 30% and the tissue doses accumulated by the thyroid, accordingly. Administration 0,02-0,2% ethanol did not affect metabolism kinetics of iodine-125. A single and chronical exposure to higher temperatures (43-45 deg C) decreased accumulation levels and absorbed doses of iodine-125 in the thyroid (by 30-50%) and delayed an elimination of the radionuclide from this organ. Lower temperatures of the environment (4-6 deg C), shorter light day and complete darkness did not affect

Factors Affecting Green Residential Building Development: Social Network Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaodong Yang

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Green residential buildings (GRBs are one of the effective practices of energy saving and emission reduction in the construction industry. However, many real estate developers in China are less willing to develop GRBs, because of the factors affecting green residential building development (GRBD. In order to promote the sustainable development of GRBs in China, this paper, based on the perspective of real estate developers, identifies the influential and critical factors affecting GRBD, using the method of social network analysis (SNA. Firstly, 14 factors affecting GRBD are determined from 64 preliminary factors of three main elements, and the framework is established. Secondly, the relationships between the 14 factors are analyzed by SNA. Finally, four critical factors for GRBD, which are on the local economy development level, development strategy and innovation orientation, developer’s acknowledgement and positioning for GRBD, and experience and ability for GRBD, are identified by the social network centrality test. The findings illustrate the key issues that affect the development of GRBs, and provide references for policy making by the government and strategy formulation by real estate developers.

Human projected area factors for detailed direct and diffuse solar radiation analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kubaha, K.; Fiala, D.; Toftum, Jørn

2004-01-01

Projected area factors for individual segments of the standing and sedentary human body were modelled for both direct and diffuse solar radiation using detailed 3D geometry and radiation models. The local projected area factors with respect to direct short-wave radiation are a function of the solar...

Radiative transfer configuration factor catalog: A listing of relations for common geometries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howell, John R.; Menguec, M. Pinar

2011-01-01

An on-line compilation of radiation configuration factors for over 300 common geometries is provided as a supplementary material from the JQSRT web site at doi: (10.1016/j.jqsrt.2010.10.002). The factors are gathered from references across the radiative transfer and illumination engineering literature, as well as from applications in such diverse fields from combustion systems to human factors engineering. These factors are useful in standard surface-surface radiation exchange calculations, and are based on the assumptions that the surfaces exchanging radiation are diffuse, and that the radiosity from each surface is uniform across that surface. The catalog is updated annually, and can be downloaded from JQSRT in .PDF format.

Microenvironment around tumors and their radiation sensitivity. The possibility of molecular target for radiation sensitization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akimoto, Tetsuo; Ishikawa, Hitoshi [Gunma Univ., Maebashi (Japan). School of Medicine; Mitsuhashi, Norio [Tokyo Women' s Medical Coll. (Japan)

2001-12-01

There have been scarce studies concerning the effect of microenvironment around tumors on their radiation sensitivity and this review describes the influence of environmental factors of cell adhesion, growth factors, cytokines, hypoxia and angiogenesis on the sensitivity and response to radiation and on the signal transduction to consider the possibility of molecular target for radiation sensitization. Cell-cell adhesion and cell-matrix interaction in response to radiation may have a role in inducing apoptotic process like anti-apoptotic or pro-apoptotic one. Growth factors and cytokines can affect the tumor response to radiation in more extent than p53 gene status since apoptosis induction is not always an indication of radiation sensitivity in many tumors clinically encountered. Radiation sensitivity is low in tumor cells under hypoxic conditions and it is important to know the relationship between those hypoxic cell response and angiogenesis by factors like HIF (hypoxia-inducible factor)-1. Molecular targets for radiation sensitization are now under development and both basic and clinical studies are important for future application of those sensitizing agents for the radiotherapy of tumors. (K.H.)

Microenvironment around tumors and their radiation sensitivity. The possibility of molecular target for radiation sensitization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akimoto, Tetsuo; Ishikawa, Hitoshi

2001-01-01

There have been scarce studies concerning the effect of microenvironment around tumors on their radiation sensitivity and this review describes the influence of environmental factors of cell adhesion, growth factors, cytokines, hypoxia and angiogenesis on the sensitivity and response to radiation and on the signal transduction to consider the possibility of molecular target for radiation sensitization. Cell-cell adhesion and cell-matrix interaction in response to radiation may have a role in inducing apoptotic process like anti-apoptotic or pro-apoptotic one. Growth factors and cytokines can affect the tumor response to radiation in more extent than p53 gene status since apoptosis induction is not always an indication of radiation sensitivity in many tumors clinically encountered. Radiation sensitivity is low in tumor cells under hypoxic conditions and it is important to know the relationship between those hypoxic cell response and angiogenesis by factors like HIF (hypoxia-inducible factor)-1. Molecular targets for radiation sensitization are now under development and both basic and clinical studies are important for future application of those sensitizing agents for the radiotherapy of tumors. (K.H.)

Factors affecting dignity of patients with multiple sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharifi, Simin; Borhani, Fariba; Abbaszadeh, Abbas

2016-12-01

MS is one of the most common chronic diseases of the nervous system. Apart from disease progression, other complications such as unemployment, separation and divorce could potentially threat patients' dignity. Most of the previous studies have been done of maintaining patients' dignity in interaction with healthcare team, but studies on affecting factors of dignity in chronic patients in the society and in interaction with usual people are scarce. We aimed to investigate factors affecting dignity of Iranian patients with MS in daily living and in interaction of them with the society. In this qualitative study, 13 patients with multiple sclerosis were chosen by purposive sampling and semi-structured interviews were conducted until data saturation. The study was done in Tehran, the capital city of Iran. Factors affecting dignity were classified as 'personal factors' and 'social factors'. Personal factors consist of the following subcategories: patients' communication with self, patients' knowledge, patients' values and beliefs and patients' resources. Social factors include others' communication with patients, social knowledge, social values and beliefs and social resources. Multiple personal and social factors interfere in perceived patient dignity. In fact, interaction between personal and social factors can be influential in final perceived dignity. By focusing on whole aspects of the patients' lives, we can identify dignity-promoting or dignity-threatening factors and help patients maintain their dignity by taking appropriate measures for moderating threatening factors and improving dignity enhancing ones. © 2016 Nordic College of Caring Science.

[The prognostic factors for the radiation treatment of the cerebral metastases from breast carcinoma].

Science.gov (United States)

Busetto, M; Polico, R; Antonello, M; Conte, G; Masato, M; Ravenna, C; Bruscagnin, A

1991-11-01

Complex mechanisms of various nature, not only physical, can influence the patterns of metastases. We compared the patients with recurrences to the brain as the only metastatic site from breast cancer with the patients relapsing in the brain and other organs. All cases were staged and treated following professional protocols. When brain metastases were diagnosed, the patients were accurately restaged before being submitted to radiation therapy; the whole brain was irradiated with various total doses and the same fractionation. The patients underwent clinical examination before and after irradiation. Survival analysis was carried out using the product-limit method considering the following periods: total survival, relapse-free survival, elapsed time till the appearance of brain metastases, and survival after radiation therapy. The cases were grouped and compared using Mantel-Cox and Breslow methods according to the following prognostic factors: brain as the first site of recurrence, pausal state, total radiation dose, stage (TNM), T and N. No significant difference in survival was observed between the cases with brain as the first metastasized organ and the others. The patients were grouped according to the extant prognostic factors: longer total and postirradiation survival rates were observed in patients in premenopausal state (Breslow: p = 0.025 and 0.005) and in the cases treated with total radiation doses greater than 40 Gy (Breslow: p = 0.023 and 0.005). T levels seemed to significantly affect all the examined periods--which influences the stage effect. Conversely, N levels seemed to be of no significant value. The menopausal factor may reflect the effects of age, from which it cannot be separated. These results can be useful for treatment planning.

GRAY CNVUFAC, Black-Body Radiation View Factors with Self-Shadowing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, R.L.

1991-01-01

Description of program or function: CNVUFAC, the General Dynamics heat-transfer radiation view program, was adapted for use on the LLNL computer system. The input and output were modified, and a node incrementing logic added for compatibility with TRUMP (NESC 771) thermal analyzer and related codes. The program performs the multiple integration necessary to evaluate the geometric black-body radiation node to node view factors. CNVUFAC uses an elemental area summation scheme to evaluate the multiple integrals. The program permits shadowing and self-shadowing. The basic configuration shapes that can be considered are cylinders, cones, spheres, ellipsoids, flat plates, disks, toroids, and polynomials of revolution. Portions of these shapes can also be considered. Card-image output containing node number and view factor information is generated for input to GRAY, a related code. GRAY performs the matrix manipulations necessary to convert black-body radiation heat-transfer view factors to gray-body view factors as required by thermal analyzer codes. The black-body view factors contain only geometric relationships. GRAY allows the effects of multiple gray-body reflections to be included. The resulting effective gray-body view factors can then be used with the corresponding fourth-power temperature differences to obtain the net radiative heat flux. GRAY accepts a matrix input or the card-image output generated by CNVUFAC. The resulting card-image GRAY output is in a form usable by TRUMP

Radiation dose exposure in patients affected by lymphoma undergoing repeat CT examinations: how to manage the radiation dose variability.

Science.gov (United States)

Paolicchi, Fabio; Bastiani, Luca; Guido, Davide; Dore, Antonio; Aringhieri, Giacomo; Caramella, Davide

2018-03-01

To assess the variability of radiation dose exposure in patients affected by lymphoma undergoing repeat CT (computed tomography) examinations and to evaluate the influence of different scan parameters on the overall radiation dose. A series of 34 patients (12 men and 22 women with a median age of 34.4 years) with lymphoma, after the initial staging CT underwent repeat follow-up CT examinations. For each patient and each repeat examination, age, sex, use of AEC system (Automated Exposure Control, i.e. current modulation), scan length, kV value, number of acquired scans (i.e. number of phases), abdominal size diameter and dose length product (DLP) were recorded. The radiation dose of just one venous phase was singled out from the DLP of the entire examination. All scan data were retrieved by our PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) by means of a dose monitoring software. Among the variables we considered, no significant difference of radiation dose was observed among patients of different ages nor concerning tube voltage. On the contrary the dose delivered to the patients varied depending on sex, scan length and usage of AEC. No significant difference was observed depending on the behaviour of technologists, while radiologists' choices had indirectly an impact on the radiation dose due to the different number of scans requested by each of them. Our results demonstrate that patients affected by lymphoma who undergo repeat whole body CT scanning may receive unnecessary overexposure. We quantified and analyzed the most relevant variables in order to provide a useful tool to manage properly CT dose variability, estimating the amount of additional radiation dose for every single significant variable. Additional scans, incorrect scan length and incorrect usage of AEC system are the most relevant cause of patient radiation exposure.

Factor affecting Agrobacterium -mediated transformation of rice ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Potato is a very important food crop and is adversely affected by fungus. Agrobacterium-mediated transformation can play an important role in the improvement of potato. The present study was conducted to optimize the different factors affecting Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of chitinase gene. Nodes were used as ...

Overview of factors affecting the leachability of nuclear waste forms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stone, J.A.

1980-01-01

An overview of various factors that affect the leachability of nuclear waste forms is presented. The factors affect primarily the leaching system (temperature, for example), the leachant (pH, for example), or the solid being leached (surface condition, for example). A qualitative understanding exists of the major factors affecting leaching, but further studies are needed to establish leaching mechanisms and develop predictive models. 67 refs

Radiation therapy for malignant gliomas in adults. Analysis of treatment results regarding factors on the radiation technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Yoshiaki; Kawamori, Jiro; Saito, Tsutomu; Karasawa, Katsuyuki; Shitara, Nobuyuki; Matsutani, Masao.

1997-01-01

During 19 years, 309 patients with astrocytic tumors (173 of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), 41 of anaplastic astrocytoma (AA), and 95 of astrocytoma) were treated with radiation therapy. Initially a dose of 50 Gy was given with an extended field, then the target volume was decreased to the contrast enhancing lesion plus 1-2 cm margin and treated to the total dose ranging from 60 Gy to 66 Gy for GBM and about 60 Gy for AA. Fifty-four patients underwent surgical resection combined with a single dose of 15-20 Gy by intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT). The one-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates and the median survival time (MST) of patients with GBM were 56%, 27%, 16%, and 495 days, respectively. For patients with AA, these were 63%, 50%, 33%, and 762 days, respectively. From analysis on GBM, patients treated with IORT were survived longer than without IORT, significantly (p 2 , were significantly inferior than with less portal size (p<0.05). Patients treated with conformation radiotherapy (CFRT) were superior on survival rates than without it on GBM, however, there was no difference on AA. The treatment factors for radiation therapy which affected for prolonging survival time were considered as dose, size of irradiated portals, application of IORT and CFRT, especially on patients with GBM. (author)

SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS AFFECTING APPLE PRODUCTION ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ACSS

Research Organisation scientists working directly with apple farmers ... be productive up to 40 years, it was more realistic to consider .... to determine the factors that affect apple production. ..... profit maximising model using flexible production ...

Radiation hazards and biological effects of ionising radiation on man

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siti Najila Mohd Janib

2004-01-01

The contents of this chapter are follows - Mechanism of damage: direct action of radiation, indirect action of radiation. Classification of effects: somatic effect, induction of cancer, factors, affecting somatic effects, genetic effect, inherited abnormalities, induced effects, early effects, late effects, deterministic effect, stochastic effect. Effect of specific group: development abnormality, childhood Cancer, fertile women, risk and uncertainty, comparison of risk

Toward the elucidation of factors concerning the individual difference of radiation sensitivity, and the reduction of radiation risks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nenoi, Mitsuru; Nakajima, Tetsuo; Wang, Bing

2013-01-01

This article describes studies aiming at the title subject and contains 2 topics of genetic and non-genetic factors modifying the radiation sensitivity. The ultimate purposes of those studies are the introduction of individual weighting factor to correct the individual differences of the sensitivity (IDS) and the practical control of the sensitivity-concerned factors, in the field of medical exposure. For genetic factors, described are studies on factors modifying the sensitivity at DNA repair and on the control of the sensitivity through the DNA repairing factors. The former, using cultured cells, aims at identifying protein (gene) of possible biomarker for IDS in non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ), an important mechanism in repairing the double strand break of DNA. Ku protein is found as the candidate. The latter has revealed that cells lacking Artemis, XRCC4 or MDC1 gene are highly sensitive, and are planning to suppress Artemis activity artificially, which may lead to the reduction of radiation cancer formation due to the death of highly sensitive cells. For non-genetic factors, described are studies on the life habits modifying the sensitivity, on the control of the sensitivity through the radiation-induced adaptive response and with steroid hormone. In the first, in mice treated with high-calorie diet and X-irradiation, a possible radiation response is suggested in the hepatic DNA-methylation and micro-RNA. Second, the combination of radiation adaptive response in the genome damage and restriction of diet ingestion is shown to lower the sensitivity of mice with use of C, Ne ion or X-ray irradiation. Third, in studies on the radiation-induced formation and condensation of breast cancer stem cells in the presence of progesterone, the hormone is found to produce micro-RNA molecules relating with the suppression of cellular senescence and repressed carcinogenesis with over-expression of apoptosis inhibitory molecules. (T.T.)

Factors Affecting Entrepreneurship and Business Sustainability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Tur-Porcar

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Sustainability is becoming increasingly important for society, and the creation of business ventures is one area where sustainability is critical. We examined the factors affecting actions that are designed to foster business sustainability. These factors are related to the environment, behavior, human relations, and business activity. Based on questionnaire responses from experts, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP method was used to rank sustainable business criteria according to their importance for entrepreneurs starting sustainable businesses. The results indicate that the most important drivers of sustainable entrepreneurship are behavioral factors and business factors. Ethical principles and values, together with competitive intelligence, are crucial for undertaking actions that lead to sustainability.

Choosing an alpha radiation weighting factor for doses to non-human biota

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chambers, Douglas B.; Osborne, Richard V.; Garva, Amy L.

2006-01-01

The risk to non-human biota from exposure to ionizing radiation is of current international interest. In calculating radiation doses to humans, it is common to multiply the absorbed dose by a factor to account for the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of the radiation type. However, there is no international consensus on the appropriate value of such a factor for weighting doses to non-human biota. This paper summarizes our review of the literature on experimentally determined RBEs for internally deposited alpha-emitting radionuclides. The relevancy of each experimental result in selecting a radiation weighting factor for doses from alpha particles in biota was judged on the basis of criteria established a priori. We recommend a nominal alpha radiation weighting factor of 5 for population-relevant deterministic and stochastic endpoints, but to reflect the limitations in the experimental data, uncertainty ranges of 1-10 and 1-20 were selected for population-relevant deterministic and stochastic endpoints, respectively

Factors Affecting the Productivity of Government Workers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jerry P. Haenisch

2012-01-01

Full Text Available While there have been a variety of studies concerning government worker motivation and productivity, few, if any, studies have focused specifically on state government workers’ perceptions about what factors affect their productivity. With more than 5 million workers employed by state governments in the United States, any improvement in state workplace productivity could have significant financial and service impact for society. In this study, state government workers identified those factors perceived as most affecting their workplace productivity. Data were collected through a survey offered to state government workers in the state of Wyoming. Factor analysis was used to derive key productivity factors from survey responses. The results indicate that state government workers appreciate having freedom and autonomy, like their jobs and the sense of achievement, and welcome teamwork, but feel limited by poor supervision and management, poor communications, and insufficient budgets and staffing. To improve productivity, the workers would eliminate bureaucracy, supervise better, and improve communication.

Effective doses and standardised risk factors from paediatric diagnostic medical radiation exposures: Information for radiation risk communication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bibbo, Giovanni

2018-01-01

In the paediatric medical radiation setting, there is no consistency on the radiation risk information conveyed to the consumer (patient/carer). Each communicator may convey different information about the level of risk for the same radiation procedure, leaving the consumer confused and frustrated. There is a need to standardise risks resulting from medical radiation exposures. In this study, paediatric radiographic, fluoroscopic, CT and nuclear medicine examination data have been analysed to provide (i) effective doses and radiation induced cancer risk factors from common radiological and nuclear medicine diagnostic procedures in standardised formats, (II) awareness of the difficulties that may be encountered in communicating risks to the layperson, and (iii) an overview of the deleterious effects of ionising radiation so that the risk communicator can convey with confidence the risks resulting from medical radiation exposures. Paediatric patient dose data from general radiographic, computed tomography, fluoroscopic and nuclear medicine databases have been analysed in age groups 0 to <5 years, 5 to <10 years, 10 to <15 years and 15 to <18 years to determine standardised risk factors. Mean, minimum and maximum effective doses and the corresponding mean lifetime risks for general radiographic, fluoroscopic, CT and nuclear medicine examinations for different age groups have been calculated. For all examinations, the mean lifetime cancer induction risk is provided in three formats: statistical, fraction and category. Standardised risk factors for different radiological and nuclear medicine examinations and an overview of the deleterious effects of ionising radiation and the difficulties encountered in communicating the risks should facilitate risk communication to the patient/carer.

Review: Factors affecting fouling in conventional pens for slaughter pigs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Mona Lilian Vestbjerg; Bertelsen, Maja; Pedersen, Lene Juul

2018-01-01

and pigs’ earlier experience. Further, these primary factors are affected by secondary factors such as the shape of the pen, the weight of the pigs and especially the heat balance of the pigs, which is affected by several tertiary factors including, for example, temperature, humidity and draught. Results...

Factors Affecting Prenatal Care Utilization in East Wollega Zone ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The objective of the study was to identify factors affecting utilization of prenatal care and skilled birth attendant in East Wollega zone. Prenatal care and skilled birth attendant are crucial factor which affects the health and wellbeing of the mother and newborn and help the women to access skilled assistance, drugs, ...

The quantum walk search algorithm: Factors affecting efficiency

OpenAIRE

Lovett, Neil B.; Everitt, Matthew; Heath, Robert M.; Kendon, Viv

2011-01-01

We numerically study the quantum walk search algorithm of Shenvi, Kempe and Whaley [PRA \\textbf{67} 052307] and the factors which affect its efficiency in finding an individual state from an unsorted set. Previous work has focused purely on the effects of the dimensionality of the dataset to be searched. Here, we consider the effects of interpolating between dimensions, connectivity of the dataset, and the possibility of disorder in the underlying substrate: all these factors affect the effic...

Determining the Factors Affecting Labor Productivity of Nurses

OpenAIRE

Yurdanur Dikmen; Dilek Kara Yilmaz; Handenur Basaran; Nasibe Yagmur Filiz

2016-01-01

Aim: This study was conducted to determine the factors affecting the labor productivity of nurses. Material and Methods: The study which was planned as descriptive and analytical was carried out with 156 nurses who volunteered to participate in the study in a public hospital in the northwest of Turkey. Data was collected with the and ldquo;Participant Presentation Form and rdquo; and the questionnaire including the factors affecting labor productivity which was developed by Ozkoc (2005). ...

Factors influencing the efficiency of radiation-induced degradation of water pollutants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Getoff, Nikola

2002-01-01

The efficiency of the radiation-induced degradation of water pollutants depends on several factors, such as kind and energy of radiation, absorbed dose, dose rate, pollutant concentration as well as synergistic effects of radiation and ozone or/and catalysts (e.g. TiO 2 ) and of the molecular structure of the pollutants. The role of the individual factors is illustrated by examples. The application of pulse radiolysis in addition to chemical analysis for elucidation of reaction mechanisms and optimization of the degradation treatment is also mentioned

Identifying factors affecting optimal management of agricultural water

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masoud Samian

2015-01-01

In addition to quantitative methodology such as descriptive statistics and factor analysis a qualitative methodology was employed for dynamic simulation among variables through Vensim software. In this study, the factor analysis technique was used through the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO and Bartlett tests. From the results, four key elements were identified as factors affecting the optimal management of agricultural water in Hamedan area. These factors were institutional and legal factors, technical and knowledge factors, economic factors and social factors.

Factors affecting the runoff response of watersheds to precipitation

OpenAIRE

DROZDOVÁ, Martina

2013-01-01

This bachelor thesis is focused on the factors that affect the drainage basin of the response. It contains a literature review, which deals with the hydrological cycle characteristics of precipitation, surface runoff and flood and erosion protection. The aim of the work is to evaluate the factors that adversely affect the runoff from the catchment.

Economic and Cultural Factors Affecting University Excellence

Science.gov (United States)

Jabnoun, Naceur

2009-01-01

Purpose: The ranking of top universities in the world has generated increased interest in the factors that enhance university performance. The purpose of this paper is to identify economic and cultural factors that affect the number of top ranking universities in each country. Design/methodology/approach: This paper first identifies the number of…

The Survival and Recovery of Irradiated Bacterial Spores as Affected by Population Density and Some External Factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farkas, J.; Kiss, I.; Andrássy, E.

1967-01-01

The radiation resistance of Bacillus cereus spores as affected by the pH-value and cell density of the irradiated spore suspensions was investigated. The portions of the survival curves of suspensions of 10 8 , 4 x 10 3 and 5 x 10 1 per millilitre viable cell counts, respectively, were compared for a three-orders-of-magnitude decrease in viable cell count. It was established that the initial cell density did not affect radiation resistance of spores. Radiation resistance as affected by pH-value in the range of 3 to 8 was investigated. In the range of pH 5 to 8, the radiation resistance of B. cereus spores was not affected. By lowering the pH-value to below 5, the radiation resistance decreased below that observed in the neutral region. The colony-forming capacity of B. cereus, B. coagulans and B. pumilus as a function of the pH-value in the nutrient medium, and the pH-sensitivity of bacterial spores as affected by radiation, were also investigated. It was established that irradiation increased the pH-sensitivity of surviving bacterial spores in all three strains. The initial phase of spore germination (the phase accompanied by decrease of refractivity of the spores) and the division stage of vegetative cells proved to be the most sensitive to the value of the hydrogen ion concentration. (author)

Factors affecting the organization and management of emergency ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Factors affecting the organization and management of emergency mass casualty ... service all under a unified command of leadership with a specified job description. Factors identified were: Political will, human resource planning, appropriate ...

Factors affecting IUCD discontinuation in Nepal

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thapa, Subash; Paudel, Ishwari Sharma; Bhattarai, Sailesh

2015-01-01

Information related to contraception discontinuation, especially in the context of Nepal is very limited. A nested case-control study was carried out to determine the factors affecting discontinuation of intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUCDs). A total of 115 cases (IUCD discontinuers) and 115...

Radiation treatment of glottic squamous cell carcinoma, Stage I and II: analysis of factors affecting prognosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franchin, Giovanni; Minatel, Emilio; Gobitti, Carlo; Talamini, Renato; Sartor, Giovanna; Caruso, Giuseppe; Grando, Giuseppe; Politi, Doriano; Gigante, Marco; Toffoli, Giuseppe; Trovo, Mauro G.; Barzan, Luigi

1998-01-01

Purpose: At least in some European Countries, there is still considerable controversy regarding the choice between surgery and radiotherapy for the treatment of patients with early laryngeal-glottic carcinoma. Methods and Materials: Two hundred and forty-six patients with laryngeal-glottic neoplasms, Stage I-II, were treated with radical radiotherapy. Before radiotherapy the patients were evaluated to determine the surgical procedure of choice. Either 66-68.4 Gy (33-38 fractions) or 63-65 Gy (28-29 fractions) of radiation therapy (RT) were administered. The overall disease free survival was determined for each subgroup of patients. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine significant prognostic variables. Results: Five- and 10-year overall survival rates were 83 and 72%, respectively. At a median follow-up of 6 years 204 patients are alive and disease free. No patient developed distant metastases. One patient died of a large local recurrence, 38 patients died of causes unrelated to their tumor, and 3 patients were lost to follow-up. The multivariate analysis confirmed that performance status (PS), macroscopic presentation of the lesion, and persistence of dysphonia after radiotherapy are significant prognostic factors. Conclusions: According to the multivariate analysis, the patients with PS >80 and with exophytic lesions are eligible for radical RT. The surgical procedure proposed for each patient was not found to be an independent prognostic factor

Factors affecting the design of instrument flight procedures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivan FERENCZ

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The article highlights factors, which might affect the design of instrument flight procedures. Ishikawa diagram is used to distribute individual factors into classes, as are People, Methods, Regulations, Tools, Data and Environment.

Hereditary Factors Involved in Radiation-Induced Leukaemogenesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duplan, J.F.

1969-01-01

The hereditary factors involved in radiation-induced leukaemogenesis were studied in pure AKR and C57BL strains, their first-generation hybrids and their back-crosses. It is known that the heredity of spontaneous lymphoid leukaemias is attributable to hereditary factors, of which only some are chromosomal, and the same situation can be considered to exist as regards the heredity of radiation-induced leukoses. In order to identify the various chromosomal and non-chromosomal factors concerned, three types of experiment were conducted with the pure strains and with each of the crosses, intended to evaluate (a) the incidence of spontaneous lymphoid leukoses, (b) the incidence of radiation-induced leukoses and (c) the inhibition of radioleukaemo- genesis by the injection of isogenic haematopoietic cells. The results show that the main non-chromosomal factor is the leukaemogenic Gross virus (VG) in the case of the AKR strain and the radioleukaemia virus (VRL) in that of the C57BL strain; these two agents are transmitted by the mother to her progeny. The VG may be responsible for radioleukaemias as well as for spontaneous leukoses, but the VRL does not produce spontaneous leukaemias even in back-crosses possessing a substantial fraction of the AKR genome, which is particularly conducive to leukaemogenesis. Restoration using C57BL bone marrow brings about a distinct inhibition of leukaemogenesis in all animals deriving from crossings for which this material is histocompatible; AKR marrow, however, never exhibits any restorative activity. Three hypotheses may be put forward to explain these results. The first is that C57BL bone marrow contains many more precursor elements than AKR marrow, these cells being necessary for inhibition of the leukaemogenic process. The second hypothesis is that the AKR strain lacks a factor which is essential for the utilization of these precursors. Finally the third hypothesis, which seems the least probable, is that AKR cells are much more

Factors Affecting Rural Facilitators’ Role: Iran

OpenAIRE

Azimi, Farideh; Kamali, Mohammad Bagher

2011-01-01

This study aimed to examine key factors affecting rural female facilitators’ role in participatory rural development in Tehran Province. Since the researchers intended to have a better insight into the facilitators’ role and employ inquiry as a learning forum for bringing about changes for all participants, they preferred to use a case study based upon an appreciative inquiry method. The study divided the factors affecting the facilitators’ role into two main categories: driving factors...

Psychological factors affecting equine performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

McBride Sebastian D

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract For optimal individual performance within any equestrian discipline horses must be in peak physical condition and have the correct psychological state. This review discusses the psychological factors that affect the performance of the horse and, in turn, identifies areas within the competition horse industry where current behavioral research and established behavioral modification techniques could be applied to further enhance the performance of animals. In particular, the role of affective processes underpinning temperament, mood and emotional reaction in determining discipline-specific performance is discussed. A comparison is then made between the training and the competition environment and the review completes with a discussion on how behavioral modification techniques and general husbandry can be used advantageously from a performance perspective.

Form factors and radiation widths of the giant multipole resonances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Denisov, V.Yu.

1990-01-01

Simple analytic relations for the form factors of inelastic electron scattering in the Born approximation and radiation widths of the isovector and isoscalar giant multipole resonances are derived. The dynamic relationship between the volume and surface density vibrations were taken into account in this calculation. The form factors in the Born approximation were found to be in satisfactory agreement with experimental data in the region of small transferred momenta. The radiation widths of isoscalar multipole resonances increase when the number of nucleons increase as A 1/3 , and for isovector resonances this dependence has the form f(A)A 1/3 , where f(A) is a slowly increasing function of A. Radiation widths well fit the experimental data

Relative biological effectiveness and radiation weighting factors in the context of animals and plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Higley, K.A.; Kocher, D.C.; Real, A.G.; Chambers, D.B.

2012-01-01

Radiation weighting factors have long been employed to modify absorbed dose as part of the process of evaluating radiological impact to humans. Their use represents an acknowledgement of the fundamental difference in energy deposition patterns of charged and uncharged particles, and how this can translate into varying degrees of biological impact. Weighting factors used in human radiation protection are derived from a variety of endpoints taken from in-vitro experiments that include human and animal cell lines, as well as in-vivo experiments with animals. Nonetheless, the application of radiation weighting factors in the context of dose assessment of animals and plants is not without some controversy. Specifically, radiation protection of biota has largely focused on limiting deterministic effects, such as reduced reproductive fitness. Consequently, the application of conventional stochastic-based radiation weighting factors (when used for human protection) appears inappropriate. While based on research, radiation weighting factors represent the parsing of extensive laboratory studies on relative biological effectiveness. These studies demonstrate that the magnitude of a biological effect depends not just on dose, but also on other factors including the rate at which the dose is delivered, the type and energy of the radiation delivering the dose, and, most importantly, the endpoint under consideration. This article discusses the efforts taken to develop a logical, transparent, and defensible approach to establishing radiation weighting factors for use in assessing impact to non-human biota, and the challenges found in differentiating stochastic from deterministic impacts.

Using mortality data to estimate radiation effects on breast cancer incidence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoel, D.G.; Dinse, G.E.

1990-01-01

In this paper we combine Japanese data on radiation exposure and cancer mortality with U.S. data on cancer incidence and lethality to estimate the effects of ionizing radiation on cancer incidence. The analysis is based on the mathematical relationship between the mortality rate and the incidence and lethality rates, as well as on statistical models that relate Japanese incidence rates to U.S. incidence rates and radiation risk factors. Our approach assumes that the risk of death from causes other than the cancer does not depend on whether or not the cancer is present, and among individuals with the cancer, the risk of death attributable to the cancer is the same in Japan and the U.S. and is not affected by radiation exposure. In particular, we focus on the incidence of breast cancer in Japanese women and how this incidence is affected by radiation risk factors. The analysis uses Japanese exposure and mortality data from the Radiation Effects Research Foundation study of atomic bomb survivors and U.S. incidence and lethality data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Registry. Even without Japanese incidence data, we obtain reasonable estimates of the incidence of breast cancer in unexposed Japanese women and identify the radiation risk factors that affect this incidence. Our analysis demonstrates that the age at exposure is an important risk factor, but that the incidence of breast cancer is not affected by the city of residence (Nagasaki versus Hiroshima) or the time since exposure

Workplace, Biographical and Motivation Factors Affecting ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper presents the findings of a survey on how workplace, biographical and motivational factors affect the organisational commitment of records officers in federal universities in Nigeria. Single stage random sampling, with equal allocation method, was used to administer questionnaire on 300 sampled participants from ...

Psychological factors affecting equine performance

OpenAIRE

McBride, Sebastian D; Mills, Daniel S

2012-01-01

Abstract For optimal individual performance within any equestrian discipline horses must be in peak physical condition and have the correct psychological state. This review discusses the psychological factors that affect the performance of the horse and, in turn, identifies areas within the competition horse industry where current behavioral research and established behavioral modification techniques could be applied to further enhance the performance of animals. In particular, the role of af...

Physical factors affecting the electrically assisted thermal bitumen recovery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bogdanov, I.I.; Torres, J.-A.; Kamp, A.M. [CHLOE, University of Pau (France); Corre, B. [CSTJF, Total (France)

2011-07-01

In the heavy oil industry, thermal processes are used to enhance oil recovery by increasing the reservoir temperature which results in better oil mobility. Low frequency heating (LFH) is a technology using electrical conductivity of connate water to propagate current between electrodes, thus generating heat in the reservoir through the Joule effect. During the preheating and production periods, many physical factors may affect the LFH process and the aim of this study was to determine which factors affect the process and how, using a particular pattern of electrodes. Simulations were conducted using the CMG Stars reservoir simulator under different configurations, conditions and parameters. Important physical properties and operational conditions affecting the LFH process were determined and results showed that convection heat, bulk electrical conductivity and power distribution can be improved by salt water circulation. This paper highlighted the physical factors affecting LFH efficiency and these findings will be useful for future process design.

Characteristics of natural background external radiation and effective dose equivalent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujimoto, Kenzo

1989-01-01

The two sources of natural radiation - cosmic rays and primordial radionuclides - are described. The factors affecting radiation doses received from natural radiation and the calculation of effective dose equivalent due to natural radiation are discussed. 10 figs., 3 tabs

Factors affecting radiation injury after interstitial brachytherapy for brain tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leibel, S.A.; Gutin, P.H.; Davis, R.L.

1991-01-01

The effects of brachytherapy on normal brain tissue are not easily delineated in the clinical setting because of the presence of concurrent radiation-induced changes in the coexistent brain tumor. Sequential morphologic studies performed after the implantation of radioactive sources into the brains of experimental animals have provided a better understanding of the character and magnitude of the structural changes produced by interstitial irradiation on normal brain tissue. Furthermore, the clinical experience accumulated thus far provides not only relevant information, but also some guidelines for future treatment policies. In this paper, the authors summarize the experimental findings and review the pathologic and clinical features of brain injury caused by interstitial brachytherapy. A number of studies in the older literature examined the effects of radioisotopes such as radium-226 (38--43), radon-22 (44--46), gold-198 (29,47--50), tantalum-182 (29,51,52) yttrium-9- (50,53,54), and cobalt-60 (29,50,55). This review is restricted to low- and high-activity encapsulated iodine-125 ( 125 I) and iridium-192 ( 192 Ir), the isotopes that are most commonly used in current clinical practice

Evaluation of near-miss and adverse events in radiation oncology using a comprehensive causal factor taxonomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Spraker, Matthew B; Fain, Robert; Gopan, Olga; Zeng, Jing; Nyflot, Matthew; Jordan, Loucille; Kane, Gabrielle; Ford, Eric

Incident learning systems (ILSs) are a popular strategy for improving safety in radiation oncology (RO) clinics, but few reports focus on the causes of errors in RO. The goal of this study was to test a causal factor taxonomy developed in 2012 by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine and adopted for use in the RO: Incident Learning System (RO-ILS). Three hundred event reports were randomly selected from an institutional ILS database and Safety in Radiation Oncology (SAFRON), an international ILS. The reports were split into 3 groups of 100 events each: low-risk institutional, high-risk institutional, and SAFRON. Three raters retrospectively analyzed each event for contributing factors using the American Association of Physicists in Medicine taxonomy. No events were described by a single causal factor (median, 7). The causal factor taxonomy was found to be applicable for all events, but 4 causal factors were not described in the taxonomy: linear accelerator failure (n = 3), hardware/equipment failure (n = 2), failure to follow through with a quality improvement intervention (n = 1), and workflow documentation was misleading (n = 1). The most common causal factor categories contributing to events were similar in all event types. The most common specific causal factor to contribute to events was a "slip causing physical error." Poor human factors engineering was the only causal factor found to contribute more frequently to high-risk institutional versus low-risk institutional events. The taxonomy in the study was found to be applicable for all events and may be useful in root cause analyses and future studies. Communication and human behaviors were the most common errors affecting all types of events. Poor human factors engineering was found to specifically contribute to high-risk more than low-risk institutional events, and may represent a strategy for reducing errors in all types of events. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Radiation Oncology

Investigation of Factors Affecting Microdialysis Probe Delivery and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

HP

Purpose: To investigate in vitro the factors affecting microdialysis probe delivery and recovery of puerarin . Methods: ... methods. Factors such as drug concentration, stirring speed, additives and length of membrane were ... The high performance liquid chromatography ..... Pharmacokinetic Modeling to Investigate Regional.

Personality factors and adult attachment affecting job mobility

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Vianen, A.E.M.; Feij, J.A.; Krausz, M.; Taris, R.

2003-01-01

Past research has revealed that individuals' job mobility is affected by factors such as job satisfaction, specific career enhancing attributes and job availability. This study examined personality factors predicting voluntary internal and external job mobility. Three types of voluntary job mobility

Parallel factor analysis PARAFAC of process affected water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ewanchuk, A.M.; Ulrich, A.C.; Sego, D. [Alberta Univ., Edmonton, AB (Canada). Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Alostaz, M. [Thurber Engineering Ltd., Calgary, AB (Canada)

2010-07-01

A parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) of oil sands process-affected water was presented. Naphthenic acids (NA) are traditionally described as monobasic carboxylic acids. Research has indicated that oil sands NA do not fit classical definitions of NA. Oil sands organic acids have toxic and corrosive properties. When analyzed by fluorescence technology, oil sands process-affected water displays a characteristic peak at 290 nm excitation and approximately 346 nm emission. In this study, a parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) was used to decompose process-affected water multi-way data into components representing analytes, chemical compounds, and groups of compounds. Water samples from various oil sands operations were analyzed in order to obtain EEMs. The EEMs were then arranged into a large matrix in decreasing process-affected water content for PARAFAC. Data were divided into 5 components. A comparison with commercially prepared NA samples suggested that oil sands NA is fundamentally different. Further research is needed to determine what each of the 5 components represent. tabs., figs.

Factors affecting the performance of professional nurses in Namibia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Magdalene H. Awases

2013-04-01

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to identify factors affecting the performance of professional nurses in Namibia. Method: A quantitative, descriptive survey was used to collect data by means of a questionnaire. A random sample of 180 professional nurses was selected from six hospitals in three regions of Namibia. Results: Factors affecting the performance of nurses negatively were identified such as: lack of recognition of employees who are performing well, quality performance outcomes and an absence of a formal performance appraisal system and poor working conditions. Various factors contribute to both the positive and negative performance of professional nurses in Namibia. Strategies were developed for addressing the negative factors that could positively affect the performance of professional nurses in Namibia. Conclusions: This study emphasises the importance of developing strategies to promote the performance of nurses; build knowledge and expertise; develop mechanisms for improving the performance of nurses; expand leadership and management capacity; and generate information and knowledge through research.

Nuclear radiation in warfare

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rotblat, J.

1986-01-01

The subject is covered in chapters, entitled: introduction; digest of nuclear weaponry (characteristics of nuclear weapons; effects of nuclear weapons other than ionizing radiation (fire-ball, fall-out, thermal radiation, blast wave, electromagnetic pulse); the nuclear arms race; war scenarios; biological effects of radiations on man (radiation doses; natural sources of radiation; acute effects of radiation; long-term somatic effects; genetic effects; factors affecting the biological response to radiation; internal exposure; synergistic effects; protection against radiation effects); radiations from nuclear explosions (initial radiation; fall-out; effects of fall-out on animal and plant life; contamination of water and food supplies by fall-out); radiation casualties in a nuclear war; effectiveness of civil defence; other warlike uses of radiation (attacks on civilian nuclear power installations; radiological warfare; terrorist activities); conclusion. (orig./HP) [de

Nuclear radiation in warfare

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rotblat, J.

1981-01-01

The subject is covered in chapters, entitled: introduction; digest of nuclear weaponry (characteristics of nuclear weapons; effects of nuclear weapons other than ionizing radiation (fire-ball, fall-out, thermal radiation, blast wave, electromagnetic pulse); the nuclear arms race; war scenarios); biological effects of radiations on man (radiation doses; natural sources of radiation; acute effects of radiation; long-term somatic effects; genetic effects; factors affecting the biological response to radiation; internal exposure; synergistic effects; protection against radiation effects); radiations from nuclear explosions (initial radiation; fall-out; effects of fall-out on animal and plant life; contamination of water and food supplies by fall-out); radiation casualties in a nuclear war; effectiveness of civil defence; other warlike uses of radiation (attacks on civilian nuclear power installations; radiological warfare; terrorist activities); conclusion. (U.K.)

A Study of Factors Affecting the Renewal of Health Insurance Policy

OpenAIRE

Bhat Ramesh; Jain Nishant

2007-01-01

Health insurance policies are generally one-year policies and to remain part of the insurance poll, policyholders are required to renew their policies each year. Understanding the factors that affect the demand and renewal decisions to continue in health insurance programme is imperative for future growth and development of the insurance sector. We extend our previous work on factors affecting the decision to purchase health insurance to understand the factors affecting the renewal of insuran...

Biological effects of ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1991-01-01

Experiments with small animals, tissue cultures, and inanimate materials help with understanding the effects of ionizing radiation that occur at the molecular level and cause the gross effects observed in man. Topics covered in this chapter include the following: Radiolysis of Water; Radiolysis of Organic Compounds; Radiolysis in Cells; Radiation Exposure and Dose Units; Dose Response Curves; Radiation Effects in Animals; Factors Affecting Health Risks. 8 refs., 3 figs., 5 tabs

Factors Affecting Faculty Web Portal Usability

Science.gov (United States)

Bringula, Rex P.; Basa, Roselle S.

2011-01-01

The study investigated the factors that might significantly affect web portal usability. Results of the study were intended to serve as inputs for faculty web portal development of the University of the East-Manila. Descriptive statistics utilized questionnaire data from 82 faculty members. The data showed that most of the respondents were…

Gender factors affecting female labour input in the Nigerian ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Gender factors affecting female labour input in the Nigerian University system. ... which mostly affect women‟s job performance in the Nigerian university system. ... are essential in building a gender-friendly university work environment.

Investigation of the factors disguising radiation effects on the human body

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korzeneva, I.B.; Styazhkina, T.V.; Dubrova, Y.E.; Malinina, T.V.; Prokhorovskaya, V.D.; Kholod, O.N.

1998-01-01

Herein we have studied the effects of some hereditary and environmental factors on children's states of health. The factors under investigation, along with radiation, also impact the immunological status and human adaptivity, thus disguising hazardous radiation effects. The state-of-health criterion we have chosen are children's liability to a wide range of intrinsic diseases through the first three years of life. The analysis involved 626 children (326 male and 300 female) who's parents and grandparents lived in the vicinity of the Russian Federal Nuclear Centre (RFNC), a large-scale nuclear facility. Our results should preferably be taken into consideration when projecting radiation effects on the human body. (author)

Investigation of Factors Affecting Microdialysis Probe Delivery and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Purpose: To investigate in vitro the factors affecting microdialysis probe delivery and recovery of puerarin. Methods: The recovery and delivery of puerarin were tested for extraction efficiency and retro-dialysis methods. Factors such as drug concentration, stirring speed, additives and length of membrane were studied to ...

Investigation of Factors Affecting Microdialysis Probe Delivery and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Purpose: To investigate in vitro the factors affecting microdialysis probe delivery and recovery of puerarin . Methods: The recovery and delivery of puerarin were tested for extraction efficiency and retro-dialysis methods. Factors such as drug concentration, stirring speed, additives and length of membrane were studied to ...

7339 BASELINE SURVEY ON FACTORS AFFECTING SORGHUM ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

muuicathy

2013-01-01

Jan 1, 2013 ... factors affecting sorghum production and the sorghum farming ... The informal seed system includes methods such as retaining seed on-farm from ..... Jaetzold R and H Schmidt Farm Management Handbook of Kenya, Ministry.

Analysis of the factors affecting the safety of robotic stereotactic body radiation therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liu XJ

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Xiaojie Liu,1,* Yongchun Song,1,* Ping Liang,2 Tingshi Su,2 Huojun Zhang,3 Xianzhi Zhao,3 Zhiyong Yuan,1 Ping Wang1 1Department of Radiotherapy,Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 2Cyberknife Center, Ruikang Hospital, Guangxi Traditional Chinese Medical University, Nanning, 3Department of Radiotherapy, Shanghai Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the safety of robotic stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC patients and its related factors.Methods: A total of 74 HCC patients with Child–Turcotte–Pugh (CTP Class A were included in a multi-institutional, single-arm Phase II trial (NCT 02363218 between February 2013 and August 2016. All patients received SBRT treatment at a dose of 45 Gy/3f. The liver function was compared before and after SBRT treatment by the analysis of adverse hepatic reactions and changes in CTP classification.Results: After SBRT treatment, eight patients presented with decreases in CTP classification and 13 patients presented with ≥ grade 2 hepatic adverse reactions. For patients presenting with ≥ grade 2 hepatic adverse reactions, the total liver volume of ≤1,162 mL and a normal liver volume (total liver volume – gross tumor volume [GTV] of ≤1,148 mL were found to be independent risk factors and statistically significant (P<0.05.Conclusion: The total liver volume and normal liver volume are associated with the occurrence of ≥ grade 2 hepatic adverse reactions after SBRT treatment on HCC patients. Therefore, if the fractionated scheme of 45 Gy/3f is applied in SBRT for HCC patients, a total liver volume >1,162 mL and a normal liver

FACET, Radiation View Factor with Shadowing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shapiro, A.B.

1988-01-01

1 - Description of program or function: FACET calculates the radiation geometric view factor (alternatively called shape factor, angle factor, or configuration factor) between surfaces for axisymmetric, two-dimensional planar and three-dimensional geometries with interposed third surface obstructions. FACET was developed to calculate view factors as input data to finite element heat transfer analysis codes. 2 - Method of solution: Three algorithms are incorporated to integrate the view factor equation for three dimensional geometries. The algorithm used for any two surfaces depends on their geometric relationship and whether third surface obstructions exist. The three algorithms are the area integration (AI) method, the line integration method (LI), and the Mitalas and Stephenson (MS) method. The LI method is used to calculate the view factor between two disjoint surfaces. If the two surfaces have an adjoint edge, the MS method is used. The AI method is used if there is self or third surface shadowing. In two-dimensional planar geometries, the view factor between two surfaces is calculated using Hottel's cross string method. For axisymmetric geometries in the absence of shadowing, the view factor between two surfaces is calculated by view factor algebra using the view factors between parallel coaxial discs. In the presence of self or third surface shadowing, the geometry is represented in three dimensions before calculating the view factors

Photometric estimation of defect size in radiation direction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zuev, V.M.

1993-01-01

Factors, affecting accuracy of photometric estimation of defect size in radiation transmission direction, are analyzed. Experimentally obtained dependences of contrast of defect image on its size in radiation transmission direction are presented. Practical recommendations on improving accuracy of photometric estimation of defect size in radiation transmission direction, are developed

Analysis of Economic Factors Affecting Stock Market

OpenAIRE

Xie, Linyin

2010-01-01

This dissertation concentrates on analysis of economic factors affecting Chinese stock market through examining relationship between stock market index and economic factors. Six economic variables are examined: industrial production, money supply 1, money supply 2, exchange rate, long-term government bond yield and real estate total value. Stock market comprises fixed interest stocks and equities shares. In this dissertation, stock market is restricted to equity market. The stock price in thi...

An examination of human factors in external beam radiation therapy: Findings and implications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henriksen, K.; Kaye, R.D.; Jones, R.E. Jr.; Morisseau, D.S.; Persensky, J.J.

1994-01-01

To better understand the contributing factors to human error in external beam radiation therapy, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has undertaken a series of human factors evaluations. A team of human factors specialists, assisted by a panel of radiation oncologists, medical physicists, and radiation technologists, conducted visits to 24 radiation oncology departments at community hospitals, university centers, and free-standing clinics. A function and task analysis was initially performed to guide subsequent evaluations in the areas of human-system interfaces, procedures, training and qualifications, and organizational policies and practices. Representative findings and implications for improvement are discussed within the context of a dynamic model which holds that misadministration likely results from the unanticipated interaction of several necessary but singly insufficient conditions

Factors Affecting Learning Among Undergraduate Nursing Students: Cross-Sectional Survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Linu Sara George

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Nursing education expects the students to be competent enough to render quality care for their patients in hospital as well as community setting. To reach the level of expected competency, the students must undergo vigorous training during their undergraduate education. The learning experience of the students is influenced by many factors. Aim: To identify the factors, affecting learning as perceived by the students. Materials and Methods: This descriptive survey was conducted among 414 undergraduate nursing students enrolled in selected Nursing Colleges. Background information was collected using Demographic Proforma and the factors affecting learning were identified using Likert Scale. Factors were identified by exploratory factor analysis using extraction method of principal component analysis with varimax rotation. Results: Majority (73.7% of the samples were between 22-25 years of age, 93.2% were females, most (38.9% were studying in the fourth year of nursing, 50% of the students enrolled in the study had chosen nursing as a career due to job security in future, 58.7% students did not spent time every day for their studies and majority (89.1% had English as their medium of instruction in Pre-university college. Factor analysis identified five factors (Learning environment, Supportive services, Teacher characteristics, Learner challenges and Personal factors that affect the student learning. Conclusion: From the present study it can be concluded that perception of students do have an influence on factors affecting learning. The study findings will help the faculty members to bring in changes for the best learning outcome.

Substrate-Related Factors Affecting Enzymatic Saccharification of Lignocelluloses: Our Recent Understanding

Science.gov (United States)

Shao-Yuan Leu; J.Y. Zhu

2013-01-01

Enzymatic saccharification of cellulose is a key step in conversion of plant biomass to advanced biofuel and chemicals. Many substrate-related factors affect saccharification. Rather than examining the role of each individual factor on overall saccharification efficiency, this study examined how each factor affects the three basic processes of a heterogeneous...

What is access to radiation therapy? A conceptual framework and review of influencing factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Sundaresan, Puma; Stockler, Martin R; Milross, Christopher G

2016-02-01

Optimal radiation therapy (RT) utilisation rates (RURs) have been defined for various cancer indications through extensive work in Australia and overseas. These benchmarks remain unrealised. The gap between optimal RUR and actual RUR has been attributed to inadequacies in 'RT access'. We aimed to develop a conceptual framework for the consideration of 'RT access' by examining the literature for existing constructs and translating it to the context of RT services. We further aimed to use this framework to identify and examine factors influencing 'RT access'. Existing models of health care access were reviewed and used to develop a multi-dimensional conceptual framework for 'RT access'. A review of the literature was then conducted to identify factors reported to affect RT access and utilisation. The electronic databases searched, the host platform and date range of the databases searched were Ovid MEDLINE, 1946 to October 2014 and PsycINFO via OvidSP,1806 to October 2014. The framework developed demonstrates that 'RT access' encompasses opportunity for RT as well as the translation of this opportunity to RT utilisation. Opportunity for RT includes availability, affordability, adequacy (quality) and acceptability of RT services. Several factors at the consumer, referrer and RT service levels affect the translation of this opportunity for RT to actual RT utilisation. 'Access' is a term that is widely used in the context of health service related research, planning and political discussions. It is a multi-faceted concept with many descriptions. We propose a conceptual framework for the consideration of 'RT access' so that factors affecting RT access and utilisation may be identified and examined. Understanding these factors, and quantifying them where possible, will allow objective evaluation of their impact on RT utilisation and guide implementation of strategies to modify their effects.

Does the amount of tagged stool and fluid significantly affect the radiation exposure in low-dose CT colonography performed with an automatic exposure control?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lim, Hyun Kyong; Lee, Kyoung Ho; Kim, So Yeon; Kim, Young Hoon [Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Department of Radiology, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do (Korea, Republic of); Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Bundang (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Kil Joong [Seoul National University College of Medicine, Department of Radiation Applied Life Science, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Bohyoung; Lee, Hyunna [Seoul National University, School of Computer Science and Engineering, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Park, Seong Ho [University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Yanof, Jeffrey H. [Philips Healthcare, CT Clinical Science, Cleveland, OH (United States); Hwang, Seung-sik [Inha University School of Medicine, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Incheon (Korea, Republic of)

2011-02-15

To determine whether the amount of tagged stool and fluid significantly affects the radiation exposure in low-dose screening CT colonography performed with an automatic tube-current modulation technique. The study included 311 patients. The tagging agent was barium (n = 271) or iodine (n = 40). Correlation was measured between mean volume CT dose index (CTDI{sub vol}) and the estimated x-ray attenuation of the tagged stool and fluid (ATT). Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to determine the effect of ATT on CTDI{sub vol} and the effect of ATT on image noise while adjusting for other variables including abdominal circumference. CTDI{sub vol} varied from 0.88 to 2.54 mGy. There was no significant correlation between CTDI{sub vol} and ATT (p = 0.61). ATT did not significantly affect CTDI{sub vol} (p = 0.93), while abdominal circumference was the only factor significantly affecting CTDI{sub vol} (p < 0.001). Image noise ranged from 59.5 to 64.1 HU. The p value for the regression model explaining the noise was 0.38. The amount of stool and fluid tagging does not significantly affect radiation exposure. (orig.)

Does the amount of tagged stool and fluid significantly affect the radiation exposure in low-dose CT colonography performed with an automatic exposure control?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lim, Hyun Kyong; Lee, Kyoung Ho; Kim, So Yeon; Kim, Young Hoon; Kim, Kil Joong; Kim, Bohyoung; Lee, Hyunna; Park, Seong Ho; Yanof, Jeffrey H.; Hwang, Seung-sik

2011-01-01

To determine whether the amount of tagged stool and fluid significantly affects the radiation exposure in low-dose screening CT colonography performed with an automatic tube-current modulation technique. The study included 311 patients. The tagging agent was barium (n = 271) or iodine (n = 40). Correlation was measured between mean volume CT dose index (CTDI vol ) and the estimated x-ray attenuation of the tagged stool and fluid (ATT). Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to determine the effect of ATT on CTDI vol and the effect of ATT on image noise while adjusting for other variables including abdominal circumference. CTDI vol varied from 0.88 to 2.54 mGy. There was no significant correlation between CTDI vol and ATT (p = 0.61). ATT did not significantly affect CTDI vol (p = 0.93), while abdominal circumference was the only factor significantly affecting CTDI vol (p < 0.001). Image noise ranged from 59.5 to 64.1 HU. The p value for the regression model explaining the noise was 0.38. The amount of stool and fluid tagging does not significantly affect radiation exposure. (orig.)

Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor in the Treatment of Acute Radiation Syndrome: A Concise Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michal Hofer

2014-04-01

Full Text Available This article concisely summarizes data on the action of one of the principal and best known growth factors, the granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF, in a mammalian organism exposed to radiation doses inducing acute radiation syndrome. Highlighted are the topics of its real or anticipated use in radiation accident victims, the timing of its administration, the possibilities of combining G-CSF with other drugs, the ability of other agents to stimulate endogenous G-CSF production, as well as of the capability of this growth factor to ameliorate not only the bone marrow radiation syndrome but also the gastrointestinal radiation syndrome. G-CSF is one of the pivotal drugs in the treatment of radiation accident victims and its employment in this indication can be expected to remain or even grow in the future.

Biophysics of NASA radiation quality factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cucinotta, Francis A.

2015-01-01

NASA has implemented new radiation quality factors (QFs) for projecting cancer risks from space radiation exposures to astronauts. The NASA QFs are based on particle track structure concepts with parameters derived from available radiobiology data, and NASA introduces distinct QFs for solid cancer and leukaemia risk estimates. The NASA model was reviewed by the US National Research Council and approved for use by NASA for risk assessment for International Space Station missions and trade studies of future exploration missions to Mars and other destinations. A key feature of the NASA QFs is to represent the uncertainty in the QF assessments and evaluate the importance of the QF uncertainty to overall uncertainties in cancer risk projections. In this article, the biophysical basis for the probability distribution functions representing QF uncertainties was reviewed, and approaches needed to reduce uncertainties were discussed. (author)

Modulating factors in the expression of radiation-induced oncogenic transformation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hall, E.J.; Hei, T.K.

1990-01-01

Many assays for oncogenic transformation have been developed ranging from those in established rodent cell lines where morphological alteration is scored, to those in human cells growing in nude mice where tumor invasiveness is scored. In general, systems that are most quantitaive are also the least relevant in terms of human carcinogenesis and human risk estimation. The development of cell culture systems has made it possible to assess at the cellular level the oncogenic potential of a variety of chemical, physical and viral agents. Cell culture systems afford the opportunity to identify factors and conditions that may prevent or enhance cellular transformation by radiation and chemicals. Permissive and protective factors in radiation-induced transformation include thyroid hormone and the tumor promoter TPA that increase the transformation incidence for a given dose of radiation, and retinoids, selenium, vitamin E, and 5-aminobenzamide that inhibit the expression of transformation. Densely ionizing α-particles, similar to those emitted by radon daughters, are highly effective in inducing transformations and appear to interact in a supra-additive fashion with asbestos fibers. The activation of a known dominant oncogene has not yet been demonstrated in radiation-induced oncogenic transformation. The most likely mechanism for radiation activation of an oncogene would be via the production of a chromosomal translocation. Radiation also efficiently induces deletions and may thus lead to the loss of a suppressor gene

Travel for the 2004 American Statistical Association Biannual Radiation Meeting: "Radiation in Realistic Environments: Interactions Between Radiation and Other Factors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brenner, David J.

2009-07-21

The 16th ASA Conference on Radiation and Health, held June 27-30, 2004 in Beaver Creek, CO, offered a unique forum for discussing research related to the effects of radiation exposures on human health in a multidisciplinary setting. The Conference furnishes investigators in health related disciplines the opportunity to learn about new quantitative approaches to their problems and furnishes statisticians the opportunity to learn about new applications for their discipline. The Conference was attended by about 60 scientists including statisticians, epidemiologists, biologists and physicists interested in radiation research. For the first time, ten recipients of Young Investigator Awards participated in the conference. The Conference began with a debate on the question: “Do radiation doses below 1 cGy increase cancer risks?” The keynote speaker was Dr. Martin Lavin, who gave a banquet presentation on the timely topic “How important is ATM?” The focus of the 2004 Conference on Radiation and Health was Radiation in Realistic Environments: Interactions Between Radiation and Other Risk Modifiers. The sessions of the conference included: Radiation, Smoking, and Lung Cancer Interactions of Radiation with Genetic Factors: ATM Radiation, Genetics, and Epigenetics Radiotherapeutic Interactions The Conference on Radiation and Health is held bi-annually, and participants are looking forward to the 17th conference to be held in 2006.

Methodological aspects of hygienic standardization of complex radiation and non-radiation effects on human organizm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liberman, A.N.; Sanovskaya, M.S.; Bronshtejn, I.Eh.; Orobej, V.V.

1978-01-01

Considered are the necessary requirements for the methodics of substantiating the hygienic standards for a combined effect of radiation and nonradiation factors on workers engaged in electronic, radio engineering branches of industry and a number of nuclear-physical units. These approaches were used in planning and conducting of investigations on hygienic evaluation of a combined effect of ionizing radiation, electromagnetic UHF radiation, noise and other factors. Along with experimental investigations on small laboratory animals, clinico-physiological examinations of people affected by a combined or predominantely separate effect of the above-mentioned factors have been carried out for many years. The material obtaed has been subjected to mathematical treatment with the use of dispersion analysis. The results testify to the intensification of the effect under conditions of a combined action of X-ray and UHF radiations and noise

Factors predicting radiation pneumonitis in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Myung Soo; Lee, Ji Hae; Ha, Bo Ram; Lee, Re Na

2011-01-01

Thoracic radiotherapy is a major treatment modality of stage III non-small cell lung cancer. The normal lung tissue is sensitive to radiation and radiation pneumonitis is the most important dose-limiting complication of thoracic radiation therapy. This study was performed to identify the clinical and dosimetric parameters related to the risk of radiation pneumonitis after definitive radiotherapy in stage III non-small cell cancer patients. The medical records were reviewed for 49 patients who completed definitive radiation therapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer from August 2000 to February 2010. Radiation therapy was delivered with the daily dose of 1.8 Gy to 2.0 Gy and the total radiation dose ranged from 50.0 Gy to 70.2 Gy (median, 61.2 Gy). Elective nodal irradiation was delivered at a dose of 45.0 Gy to 50.0 Gy. Seven patients (14.3%) were treated with radiation therapy alone and forty two patients (85.7%) were treated with chemotherapy either sequentially or concurrently. Twenty-five cases (51.0%) out of 49 cases experienced radiation pneumonitis. According to the radiation pneumonitis grade, 10 (20.4%) were grade 1, 9 (18.4%) were grade 2, 4 (8.2%) were grade 3, and 2 (4.1%) were grade 4. In the univariate analyses, no clinical factors including age, sex, performance status, smoking history, underlying lung disease, tumor location, total radiation dose and chemotherapy were associated with grade ≥2 radiation pneumonitis. In the subgroup analysis of the chemotherapy group, concurrent rather than sequential chemotherapy was significantly related to grade ≥2 radiation pneumonitis comparing sequential chemotherapy. In the univariate analysis with dosimetric factors, mean lung dose (MLD), V20, V30, V40, MLDipsi, V20ipsi, V30ipsi, and V40ipsi were associated with grade ≥2 radiation pneumonitis. In addition, multivariate analysis showed that MLD and V30 were independent predicting factors for grade ≥2 radiation pneumonitis. Concurrent

Minimization of the effect of errors in approximate radiation view factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clarksean, R.; Solbrig, C.

1993-01-01

The maximum temperature of irradiated fuel rods in storage containers was investigated taking credit only for radiation heat transfer. Estimating view factors is often easy but in many references the emphasis is placed on calculating the quadruple integrals exactly. Selecting different view factors in the view factor matrix as independent, yield somewhat different view factor matrices. In this study ten to twenty percent error in view factors produced small errors in the temperature which are well within the uncertainty due to the surface emissivities uncertainty. However, the enclosure and reciprocity principles must be strictly observed or large errors in the temperatures and wall heat flux were observed (up to a factor of 3). More than just being an aid for calculating the dependent view factors, satisfying these principles, particularly reciprocity, is more important than the calculation accuracy of the view factors. Comparison to experiment showed that the result of the radiation calculation was definitely conservative as desired in spite of the approximations to the view factors

Factors affecting the rural domestic waste generation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.R. Darban Astane

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The current study was carried out to evaluate the quantity and quality of rural domestic waste generation and to identify the factors affecting it in rural areas of Khodabandeh county in Zanjan Province, Iran. Waste samplings consisted of 318 rural households in 11 villages. In order to evaluate the quality and quantity of the rural domestic waste, waste production was classified into 12 groups and 2 main groups of organic waste and solid waste. Moreover, kriging interpolation technique in ARC-GIS software was used to evaluate the spatial distribution of the generated domestic waste and ultimately multiple regression analysis was used to evaluate the factors affecting the generation of domestic waste. The results of this study showed that the average waste generated by each person was 0.588 kilograms per day. with the share of organic waste generated by each person being 0.409 kilograms per day and the share of solid waste generated by each person being 0.179 kilograms per day. The results from spatial distribution of waste generation showed a certain pattern in three groups and a higher rate of waste generation in the northern and northwestern parts, especially in the subdistrict. The results of multiple regression analysis showed that the households’ income, assets, age, and personal attitude are respectively the most important variables affecting waste generation. The housholds’ attitude and indigenous knowledge on efficient use of materials are also the key factors which can help reducing waste generation.

Ranking and evaluating the factors affecting the success of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Ranking and evaluating the factors affecting the success of management team in construction projects. ... Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences. Journal Home ... The project management team is one of these important factors.

QED radiative corrections to impact factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuraev, E.A.; Lipatov, L.N.; Shishkina, T.V.

2001-01-01

We consider radiative corrections to the electron and photon impact factors. The generalized eikonal representation for the e + e - scattering amplitude at high energies and fixed momentum transfers is violated by nonplanar diagrams. An additional contribution to the two-loop approximation appears from the Bethe-Heitler mechanism of fermion pair production with the identity of the fermions in the final state taken into account. The violation of the generalized eikonal representation is also related to the charge parity conservation in QED. A one-loop correction to the photon impact factor for small virtualities of the exchanged photon is obtained using the known results for the cross section of the e + e - production during photon-nuclei interactions

Factors Affecting the Pharmacology of Antibody–Drug Conjugates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew T. Lucas

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Major advances in therapeutic proteins, including antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs, have created revolutionary drug delivery systems in cancer over the past decade. While these immunoconjugate agents provide several advantages compared to their small-molecule counterparts, their clinical use is still in its infancy. The considerations in their development and clinical use are complex, and consist of multiple components and variables that can affect the pharmacologic characteristics. It is critical to understand the mechanisms employed by ADCs in navigating biological barriers and how these factors affect their biodistribution, delivery to tumors, efficacy, and toxicity. Thus, future studies are warranted to better understand the complex pharmacology and interaction between ADC carriers and biological systems, such as the mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS and tumor microenvironment. This review provides an overview of factors that affect the pharmacologic profiles of ADC therapies that are currently in clinical use and development.

Distance factor on reducing scattered radiation risk during interventional fluoroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Husaini Salleh; Mohd Khalid Matori; Muhammad Jamal Mat Isa; Zainal Jamaluddin; Mohd Firdaus Abdul Rahman; Mohd Khairusalih Mohd Zin

2012-01-01

Interventional Radiology (IR) is subspecialty of diagnostic radiology where minimally invasive procedures are performed using an x-ray as a guidance. This procedure can deliver high radiation doses to patient and medical staff compared with other radiological method due to long screening time. The use of proper shielding, shorten the exposure time and keep the distance are the practices to reduce scattered radiation risks to staff involve in this procedure. This project is to study the distance factor on reducing the scattered radiation effect to the medical staff. It also may provide the useful information which can be use to establish the scattered radiation profile during the IR for the sake of radiation protection and safety to the medical staff involved. (author)

Factors affecting strategic plan implementation using interpretive structural modeling (ISM).

Science.gov (United States)

Bahadori, Mohammadkarim; Teymourzadeh, Ehsan; Tajik, Hamidreza; Ravangard, Ramin; Raadabadi, Mehdi; Hosseini, Seyed Mojtaba

2018-06-11

Purpose Strategic planning is the best tool for managers seeking an informed presence and participation in the market without surrendering to changes. Strategic planning enables managers to achieve their organizational goals and objectives. Hospital goals, such as improving service quality and increasing patient satisfaction cannot be achieved if agreed strategies are not implemented. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors affecting strategic plan implementation in one teaching hospital using interpretive structural modeling (ISM). Design/methodology/approach The authors used a descriptive study involving experts and senior managers; 16 were selected as the study sample using a purposive sampling method. Data were collected using a questionnaire designed and prepared based on previous studies. Data were analyzed using ISM. Findings Five main factors affected strategic plan implementation. Although all five variables and factors are top level, "senior manager awareness and participation in the strategic planning process" and "creating and maintaining team participation in the strategic planning process" had maximum drive power. "Organizational structure effects on the strategic planning process" and "Organizational culture effects on the strategic planning process" had maximum dependence power. Practical implications Identifying factors affecting strategic plan implementation is a basis for healthcare quality improvement by analyzing the relationship among factors and overcoming the barriers. Originality/value The authors used ISM to analyze the relationship between factors affecting strategic plan implementation.

Possible affection of psychic health with regard to exposure to ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Otten, W.; Vlek, C.A.J.

1988-12-01

This report makes part of a series of eight reports which have been drawn up in behalf of the dutch Policy Notition Radiation Standards (BNS). It presents the results of an investigation into the possible affection of psychic health with regard to exposure to ionizing radiation. First the concept 'psychic health' is circumscribed. Subsequently the possible effects of ionizing radiation upon psychic health are entered by outlining two cause-effect chains, in which various variables are distinguished. Thus the framework in which the remainder of the report has been written, is described (ch.2). Ch. 3 deals with the measurability of psychic health and of the various variables in two cause-effect chains. In ch. 4 the found empirical evidence of the effects of ionizing radiation upon psychic health is described. This chapter is especially based upon study of literature. In ch. 5 interviews with users of various radiation sources are reported. In ch. 6 the question of standardization of ionizing radiation with regard to possible (psychic) damage is entered. It is looked if one can speak in terms of 'standards' in case of psychic damage. As far as standardization does not seem to be possible practical alternatives are presented with which eventual psychic damage from ionizing (radiation) sources may be limited. Finally in ch. 7 a comparison is made between the theoretical framework of the (possible) effects of ionizing radiation upon psychic health and the measurability of the therein distinguishable variables on the one hand, and, on the other hand, the empirical materials obtained from the study of the literature and the interviews. (H.W.) 103 refs.; 8 figs

Exploring paraprofessional and classroom factors affecting teacher supervision.

Science.gov (United States)

Irvin, Dwight W; Ingram, Paul; Huffman, Jonathan; Mason, Rose; Wills, Howard

2018-02-01

Paraprofessionals serve a primary role in supporting students with disabilities in the classroom, which necessitates teachers' supervision as a means to improve their practice. Yet, little is known regarding what factors affect teacher supervision. We sought to identify how paraprofessional competence and classroom type affected the levels of teacher direction. We administered an adapted version of the Paraprofessional Needs, Knowledge & Tasks Survey and the Survey for Teachers Supervising Paraprofessionals to teachers supervising paraprofessionals in elementary schools. Structural Equation Modeling was used to examine the link between paraprofessional competence and classroom factors affecting the level of teacher supervision. Our results indicated that when teachers perceived paraprofessionals as being more skilled, they provided more supervision, and when more supervision was provided the less they thought paraprofessionals should be doing their assigned tasks. Additionally, paraprofessionals working in classrooms with more students with mild disabilities received less supervision than paraprofessionals working in classrooms with more students with moderate-to-severe disabilities. Those paraprofessionals in classrooms serving mostly children with mild disabilities were also perceived as having lower levels of skill competence than those serving in classrooms with students with more moderate-to-severe disabilities. By understanding the factors that affect teacher supervision, policy and professional development opportunities can be refined/developed to better support both supervising teachers and paraprofessionals and, in turn, improve the outcomes of children with disabilities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors Affecting Customer Retention in the Airline Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raghda Climis

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: This study empirically investigated the factors that affect customer retention in the airline industry in North Cyprus. These factors were service quality attributes, perceived safety, customer satisfaction, loyalty reward program, relationship commitment and customer loyalty. The study also investigated four different groups for purposes of travel (business, education, vacation and family visit in the empirical model. Methodology: A descriptive approach was chosen to conduct this research. A quanhip between customer retention and the related study factors; however, not all of these relations are signifcant. The results also showed that the different purposes of travel had different influences on the variables regarding the positive and signifcant relations between them. Some independent variables had a negative effect on the dependent variables. Conclusions: This research was limited to one group and place: the students of Eastern Mediterranean University in North Cyprus. Originality: This study connected the retention, loyalty, satisfaction and service quality factors as attributes. In addition, this research was the frst to include other independent factors affecting satisfaction and loyalty in a comparison between four different groups regarding the purpose of travel in the airline industry.

Organization of medical aid and treatment of individuals affected in radiation accidents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mikhajlov, M.G.; Andreev, E.A.; Bliznakov, V.

1979-01-01

The emergency programme of the medical service for radiation accidents constitutes part of the whole emergency programme of the establishment whose production process is derectly connected with the utilization of ionizing radiation sources. The chief of the establishment health centre also heads the operative radiation accident group. When a radiation accident occurs the medical personnel, according to a previously developed plan, reports at the Health centre. The medical aid is based on the principle of step treatment and evacuation of the affected persons, according to the prescriptions. The first step of the medical evacuation is the health centre; the second - the District hospital, where a team of specialists is formed, all of them previously well trained in the recognition and treatment of radiation sickness. The third step is the specialized clinic for radiation injuries. Persons, who have received irradiation dose of up to 100 rad, or are in a shock state, or have incorporated radioactive substances, are temporarily hospitalized at the health centre. The assistance rended to them consists of: control of shock, asphyxia and bleeding, primary surgical treatment of wounds in cases of complex injuries, deactivation under dosimetric control, attempt for accelerated removal of the radioactive substances, etc. At the District hospital and the specialized clinic the therapeutic measures are conformed to the pathogenetic mechanism and severity of clinical symptoms, and their dynamics. Their aim is first of all to block the earlier radiation effects, to prevent and to treat the haemorrhagic phenomena and infectious complications, to restore the activity of the blood organs, etc. (A.B.)

Modulation of radiation effects in tissues by keratinocyte growth factor (KGF)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doerr, W.; Lacmann, A.; Noack, R.; Spekl, K.

2000-01-01

Keratinocyte Growth Factor (KGF) is a member of the fibroblast growth factor family. KGF is produced by mesenchymal cells, predominantly fibroblasts; target cells are epithelial cells in a variety of tissues. Hence, KGF is a mediator of the mesenchymal-epithelial communication and a regulator of tissue homeostasis in epithelia. Systemic administration of KGF in animal models induces stimulation of proliferation and modulation of migration and differentiation processes in squamous epithelia. This results in a transient increase in cell numbers and epithelial thickness. Radiation exposure of epithelia causes an imbalance between cell production and cell loss, which in consequence causes progressive cell depletion and eventually complete denudation. Systemic application of KGF reduces the radiation-induced cell loss. This effect is most pronounced when KGF is given after the radiation exposure. With regard to epithelial radiation tolerance, KGF-application in animal models results in a significant increase, by a factor of 1.7-2.3, in the doses required to induce epithelial ulceration as a clinically most relevant endpoint. After exposure with a given dose, this translates into a significant reduction of the clinical manifestation of the acute radiation sequelae. This effect is accompanied by a modification of the time course of the response. In conclusion, although the mechanisms underlying the protective efficacy remain unclear, KGF may represent an effective approach for amelioration of radiation effects in oral, gastrointestinal and cutaneous epithelia. Results from a clinical pilot study indicate that KGF is well tolerated and effective in humans. (orig.) [de

Factors affecting the effects of diuresis renography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Deshan

2006-01-01

Diuresis renography is one of the classic methods for diagnosing upper urinary tract obstruction in both children and adults. However, in clinical practice, the results of diuresis renography were often influenced by many factors including diuretics, timing of diuretics injection, the status of renal function and hydration, the volume and compliance of collecting system, bladder fullness and so on. It is important to consider all the factors affecting diuresis renography during performing and interpreting diuresis renography. (authors)

Densely ionizing radiation affects DNA methylation of selective LINE-1 elements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prior, Sara; Miousse, Isabelle R. [Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205 (United States); Nzabarushimana, Etienne [Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205 (United States); Department of Bioinformatics, School of Informatics and Computing, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405 (United States); Pathak, Rupak [Division of Radiation Health, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205 (United States); Skinner, Charles; Kutanzi, Kristy R. [Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205 (United States); Allen, Antiño R. [Division of Radiation Health, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205 (United States); Raber, Jacob [Departments of Behavioral Neuroscience, Neurology, and Radiation Medicine, Division of Neuroscience, ONPRC, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239 (United States); Tackett, Alan J. [Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205 (United States); Hauer-Jensen, Martin [Division of Radiation Health, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205 (United States); Nelson, Gregory A. [Department of Basic Sciences, Division of Radiation Research, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350 (United States); and others

2016-10-15

Long Interspersed Nucleotide Element 1 (LINE-1) retrotransposons are heavily methylated and are the most abundant transposable elements in mammalian genomes. Here, we investigated the differential DNA methylation within the LINE-1 under normal conditions and in response to environmentally relevant doses of sparsely and densely ionizing radiation. We demonstrate that DNA methylation of LINE-1 elements in the lungs of C57BL6 mice is dependent on their evolutionary age, where the elder age of the element is associated with the lower extent of DNA methylation. Exposure to 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine and methionine-deficient diet affected DNA methylation of selective LINE-1 elements in an age- and promoter type-dependent manner. Exposure to densely IR, but not sparsely IR, resulted in DNA hypermethylation of older LINE-1 elements, while the DNA methylation of evolutionary younger elements remained mostly unchanged. We also demonstrate that exposure to densely IR increased mRNA and protein levels of LINE-1 via the loss of the histone H3K9 dimethylation and an increase in the H3K4 trimethylation at the LINE-1 5′-untranslated region, independently of DNA methylation. Our findings suggest that DNA methylation is important for regulation of LINE-1 expression under normal conditions, but histone modifications may dictate the transcriptional activity of LINE-1 in response to exposure to densely IR. - Highlights: • DNA methylation of LINE-1 elements is dependent on their evolutionary age. • Densely ionizing radiation affects DNA methylation of selective LINE-1 elements. • Radiation-induced reactivation of LINE-1 is DNA methylation-independent. • Histone modifications dictate the transcriptional activity of LINE-1.

Densely ionizing radiation affects DNA methylation of selective LINE-1 elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prior, Sara; Miousse, Isabelle R.; Nzabarushimana, Etienne; Pathak, Rupak; Skinner, Charles; Kutanzi, Kristy R.; Allen, Antiño R.; Raber, Jacob; Tackett, Alan J.; Hauer-Jensen, Martin; Nelson, Gregory A.

2016-01-01

Long Interspersed Nucleotide Element 1 (LINE-1) retrotransposons are heavily methylated and are the most abundant transposable elements in mammalian genomes. Here, we investigated the differential DNA methylation within the LINE-1 under normal conditions and in response to environmentally relevant doses of sparsely and densely ionizing radiation. We demonstrate that DNA methylation of LINE-1 elements in the lungs of C57BL6 mice is dependent on their evolutionary age, where the elder age of the element is associated with the lower extent of DNA methylation. Exposure to 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine and methionine-deficient diet affected DNA methylation of selective LINE-1 elements in an age- and promoter type-dependent manner. Exposure to densely IR, but not sparsely IR, resulted in DNA hypermethylation of older LINE-1 elements, while the DNA methylation of evolutionary younger elements remained mostly unchanged. We also demonstrate that exposure to densely IR increased mRNA and protein levels of LINE-1 via the loss of the histone H3K9 dimethylation and an increase in the H3K4 trimethylation at the LINE-1 5′-untranslated region, independently of DNA methylation. Our findings suggest that DNA methylation is important for regulation of LINE-1 expression under normal conditions, but histone modifications may dictate the transcriptional activity of LINE-1 in response to exposure to densely IR. - Highlights: • DNA methylation of LINE-1 elements is dependent on their evolutionary age. • Densely ionizing radiation affects DNA methylation of selective LINE-1 elements. • Radiation-induced reactivation of LINE-1 is DNA methylation-independent. • Histone modifications dictate the transcriptional activity of LINE-1.

Personal factors affecting organizational commitment of records ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study investigated personal factors affecting organizational commitment among records management personnel in the state universities in Nigeria. Simple cluster sampling with equal allocation method was used to select 180 records management personnel from the study population. A five item organizational ...

The monetary value of the man-mSv for Korean NPP radiation workers assessed by the radiation aversion factor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, B. I.; Suh, D. H.; Kim, S. I.; Jeong, M. S.; Lim, Y. K.

2008-01-01

The monetary value of the man-mSv for operators of Korean nuclear power plants (NPPs) was calculated using a radiation aversion factor based on a survey of NPP workers. Initially, the life expectancy in the population is 79.4 y, the average age of cancer occurrence is 60 y, the average annual wage for an electric worker is 56 000 $ y -1 and the nominal risk coefficient induced by radiation is 4.2 E-5 mSv were used to evaluate the basic monetary value (α base) resulting in 45.6 $ mSv -1 . To investigate the degree of radiation aversion, the subject of the investigation was selected as the working radiation workers in 10 NPPs in Korea (Kori 1-2, Yeonggwang 1-3, Ulchin 1-3 and Wolseong 1-2). In August 2010, with the cooperation of KHNP and partner companies, a total of 2500 survey questionnaires to 10 NPPs (or 250 surveys to each NPP) were distributed to currently employed radiation workers. From these, 2157 responses were obtained between August and October 2010. The assessed radiation aversion factor and the monetary value of the man-mSv from the calculated radiation aversion factor were 1.26 and ∼50 $ in the 0-1 mSv range, 1.38 and ∼200 $ in the 1-5 mSv range, 1.52 and ∼1000 $ in the 5-10 mSv range, 1.65 and ∼4000 $ in the 10-20 mSv range and 1.74 and ∼8500 $ >20 mSv. (authors)

Explanation of application standards of hematopoietic stimulating factors in the treatment of acute radiation sickness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xing Zhiwei; Jiang Enhai; Wang Guilin; Luo Qingliang

2012-01-01

Occupational standard of the Ministry of health-Application Standards of Hematopoietic Stimulating Factors in the Treatment of Acute Radiation Sickness has been completed as a draft standard. Based on the wide study and analysis of related animal experimental literature about hematopoietic stimulating factor in the treatment of acute radiation sickness and domestic and foreign clinical reports about application of hematopoietic stimulating factor in radiation accidents in the past decade, the standard was enacted according to the suggestions of International Atomic Energy Agency and the United States Strategic National Stockpile Radiation Working Group and European countries about the application of hematopoietic stimulating factor. It is mainly used for nuclear accident emergency and the treatment of the bone marrow form of acute radiation sickness caused by radiation accidents. It also applies to other hematopoietic failure diseases. In order to implement this standard correctly, the relevant contents of the standard were interpreted in this article. (authors)

Relevant Affect Factors of Smartphone Mobile Data Traffic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siniša Husnjak

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Smartphones are used to access a wide range of different information and communication services and perform functions based on data transfer. A number of subscription contracts for smartphones is rapidly increasing, and the development of mobile communications network provides higher speed of data transfer. The continuous increase in the average amount of data traffic per one subscriber contract leads to an increase in the total Mobile Data Traffic (MDT, globally. This research represents a summary of factors that affect the amount of smartphone MDT. Previous literature shows only a few of the factors individually that affect the realization of smartphone MDT. The results of the research clarify the ways which influence the amount of MDT generated by a smartphone. This paper increases the awareness of the users of the methods of generating smartphone MDT. The research also allows users to specify parameters that affect the prediction of generated MDT of a smartphone.

Temperature and Solar Radiation Effects on Photovoltaic Panel Power

OpenAIRE

Karafil, Akif; Ozbay, Harun; Kesler, Metin

2016-01-01

Solar energy is converted to electrical energy directly by semi-conductors materials used in Photovoltaic (PV) panels. Although, there has been great advancements in semi-conductor material technology in recent years panel efficiency is very lower. There are many factors affecting the panel efficiency such as tilt angle, shading, dust, solar radiation level, temperature and wiring losses. Among these factors, solar radiation level and temperature are more prominent. The solar radiation level ...

Factorization for radiative heavy quarkonium decays into scalar Glueball

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhu, Ruilin [INPAC, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Particle Physics and Cosmology,Department of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University,Dongchuan RD 800, Shanghai 200240 (China); State Key Laboratory of Theoretical Physics,Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences,Zhongguancun E. St. 55, Beijing 100190 (China); CAS Center for Excellence in Particle Physics,Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences,Yuquan RD 19B, Beijing 100049 (China)

2015-09-24

We establish the factorization formula for scalar Glueball production through radiative decays of vector states of heavy quarkonia, e.g. J/ψ, ψ(2S) and Υ(nS), where the Glueball mass is much less than the parent heavy quarkonium mass. The factorization is demonstrated explicitly at one-loop level through the next-to-leading order (NLO) corrections to the hard kernel, the non-relativistic QCD (NRQCD) long-distance matrix elements (LDMEs) of the heavy quarkonium, and the light-cone distribution amplitude (LCDA) of scalar Glueball. The factorization provides a comprehensive theoretical approach to investigate Glueball production in the radiative decays of vector states of heavy quarkonia and determine the physic nature of Glueball. We discuss the scale evolution equation of LCDA for scalar Glueball. In the end, we extract the value of the decay constant of Scalar Glueball from Lattice QCD calculation and analyze the mixing effect among f{sub 0}(1370), f{sub 0}(1500) and f{sub 0}(1710).

A Variationally Formulated Problem of the Stationary Heat Conduction in a Plate with Radiation Reduction Factor Increased under Temperature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. S. Zarubin

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The equipment uses heat-shielding and structural materials that, when exposed, absorb radiation both on the surface and in the volume. In a variety of technical devices, absorption processes of penetrating radiation of materials and structural elements are typical for a number of process steps and operating conditions. Absorption of radiation penetrating into material volume may significantly affect the temperature state and runability of construction made of such material.The process of material-absobed penetrating radiation is associated with transition of the electromagnetic wave energy into the excitation energy of this material microparticles that, after all, leads to increasing internal energy and temperature growth. With radiation passing through the layer of material its flow density and hence energy of penetrating radiation decreases exponentially with increasing distance from the exposed layer surface. This law was experimentally established by the French physicist P. Bouguer and bears his name. In general, a certain fraction of this energy is radiated and dissipated in the material volume, and the rest is absorbed. A mathematical model describing these processes is an equation of the radiative energy transfer.In mathematical modeling of thermomechanical processes there is a need to consider the effect of penetrating radiation on the temperature state of materials and construction elements. The P. Bouguer law is used also when the volume radiation and scattering of penetrating radiation in the material can be neglected, but it is necessary to take into account its absorption. In this case, a negative indicator of the exponential function is represented by the product of the distance from the irradiated surface and integral or some average absorption factor that is constant for a given material and spectral distribution of penetrating radiation. However, with increasing power of radiation passing through the material layer there is a

The role of nuclear factor κB in the cellular response to different radiation qualities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koch, Kristina

2013-01-01

Radiation is currently one of the most important limiting factors for manned space flight. During such missions, there is a constant exposure to low doses of galactic cosmic radiation and in particular high-energy heavy ions. Together this is associated with an increased cancer risk which currently cannot be sufficiently reduced by shielding. As such, cellular radiation response needs to be further studied in order to improve risk estimation and develop appropriate countermeasures. It has been shown that exposure of human cells to accelerated heavy ions, in fluences that can be reached during long-term missions, leads to activation of the Nuclear Factor κB (NF-κB) pathway. Heavy ions with a linear energy transfer (LET) of 90 to 300 keV/μm were most effective in activating NF-κB. NF-κB as an important modulating factor in the cellular radiation response could improve cellular survival after heavy ion exposure, thereby influencing the cancer risk of astronauts. The NF-κB pathway may be a potential pharmacological target in the mitigation of radiation response during space missions; such as the prevention of massive cell death after high dose irradiation (acute effects), in addition to neoplastic cell transformation during chronic low-dose exposure (late effects). The aim of this work was to examine the role of NF-κB in the cellular response to space-relevant radiation. Firstly, NF-κB activation in human embryonic kidney cells (HEK) after exposure to different radiation qualities and quantities was investigated. Key elements of different NF-κB sub-pathways were chemically inhibited to analyze their role in NF-κB activation induced by low and high LET ionizing radiation. Finally a cell line, stably transfected with a plasmid coding for a short-hairpin RNA (shRNA) for a knockdown of the NF-κB subunit RelA, was established to assess the role of RelA in the cellular response to space-relevant radiation. The knockdown was verified on several levels and the cell

The role of nuclear factor κB in the cellular response to different radiation qualities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koch, Kristina

2013-04-11

Radiation is currently one of the most important limiting factors for manned space flight. During such missions, there is a constant exposure to low doses of galactic cosmic radiation and in particular high-energy heavy ions. Together this is associated with an increased cancer risk which currently cannot be sufficiently reduced by shielding. As such, cellular radiation response needs to be further studied in order to improve risk estimation and develop appropriate countermeasures. It has been shown that exposure of human cells to accelerated heavy ions, in fluences that can be reached during long-term missions, leads to activation of the Nuclear Factor κB (NF-κB) pathway. Heavy ions with a linear energy transfer (LET) of 90 to 300 keV/μm were most effective in activating NF-κB. NF-κB as an important modulating factor in the cellular radiation response could improve cellular survival after heavy ion exposure, thereby influencing the cancer risk of astronauts. The NF-κB pathway may be a potential pharmacological target in the mitigation of radiation response during space missions; such as the prevention of massive cell death after high dose irradiation (acute effects), in addition to neoplastic cell transformation during chronic low-dose exposure (late effects). The aim of this work was to examine the role of NF-κB in the cellular response to space-relevant radiation. Firstly, NF-κB activation in human embryonic kidney cells (HEK) after exposure to different radiation qualities and quantities was investigated. Key elements of different NF-κB sub-pathways were chemically inhibited to analyze their role in NF-κB activation induced by low and high LET ionizing radiation. Finally a cell line, stably transfected with a plasmid coding for a short-hairpin RNA (shRNA) for a knockdown of the NF-κB subunit RelA, was established to assess the role of RelA in the cellular response to space-relevant radiation. The knockdown was verified on several levels and the cell

Bilateral implant reconstruction does not affect the quality of postmastectomy radiation therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ho, Alice Y., E-mail: hoa1234@mskcc.org [Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY (United States); Patel, Nisha [Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA (United States); Ohri, Nisha [Department of Radiation Oncology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY (United States); Morrow, Monica [Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Mehrara, Babak J.; Disa, Joseph J.; Cordeiro, Peter G. [Department of Plastic Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY (United States); Shi, Weiji; Zhang, Zhigang [Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY (United States); Gelblum, Daphna [Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY (United States); Nerbun, Claire T.; Woch, Katherine M.; Ballangrud, Ase [Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY (United States); McCormick, Beryl; Powell, Simon N. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY (United States)

2014-04-01

To determine if the presence of bilateral implants, in addition to other anatomic and treatment-related variables, affects coverage of the target volume and dose to the heart and lung in patients receiving postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT). A total of 197 consecutive women with breast cancer underwent mastectomy and immediate tissue expander (TE) placement, with or without exchange for a permanent implant (PI) before radiation therapy at our center. PMRT was delivered with 2 tangential beams + supraclavicular lymph node field (50 Gy). Patients were grouped by implant number: 51% unilateral (100) and 49% bilateral (97). The planning target volume (PTV) (defined as implant + chest wall + nodes), heart, and ipsilateral lung were contoured and the following parameters were abstracted from dose-volume histogram (DVH) data: PTV D{sub 95%} > 98%, Lung V{sub 20}Gy > 30%, and Heart V{sub 25}Gy > 5%. Univariate (UVA) and multivariate analyses (MVA) were performed to determine the association of variables with these parameters. The 2 groups were well balanced for implant type and volume, internal mammary node (IMN) treatment, and laterality. In the entire cohort, 90% had PTV D{sub 95%} > 98%, indicating excellent coverage of the chest wall. Of the patients, 27% had high lung doses (V{sub 20}Gy > 30%) and 16% had high heart doses (V{sub 25}Gy > 5%). No significant factors were associated with suboptimal PTV coverage. On MVA, IMN treatment was found to be highly associated with high lung and heart doses (both p < 0.0001), but implant number was not (p = 0.54). In patients with bilateral implants, IMN treatment was the only predictor of dose to the contralateral implant (p = 0.001). In conclusion, bilateral implants do not compromise coverage of the target volume or increase lung and heart dose in patients receiving PMRT. The most important predictor of high lung and heart doses in patients with implant-based reconstruction, whether unilateral or bilateral, is treatment of

Single-tooth replacement: factors affecting different prosthetic treatment modalities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Al-Quran Firas A

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The choice between several treatment options for replacing a single missing tooth is influenced by clinical, dentist- and patient-immanent factors. This study aimed to determine the patient factors that would affect the treatment decision to replace a single missing tooth and to assess the satisfaction with several options. Method 200 volunteers involved (121 females and 79 males divided into four groups, Group A: consisted of patients with conventional fixed partial dentures or patients with resin bonded fixed partial dentures. Group B: consisted of patients who received removable partial dentures while Group C: consisted of patients who received a single implant supported crown, and a control group D: consisted of patients who received no treatment. Data were collected using a questionnaire. Results The highest percentage of males within groups (58% was within the removable prostheses category. The majority of the subjects in the study reported that the main reason for replacing a missing tooth was for esthetic and function. Most important factor affecting the choice between treatment modalities was damaging the neighboring teeth. Pain, post operative sensitivity and dental phobia were important factors in choosing the prosthesis type and affected the control group patients not to have any treatment. The highest satisfaction percentage among groups studied was recorded for dental implants then FPD groups, while the least percentage were in both the control and RPD groups, for all aspects of function, esthetic and speech efficiency. Conclusions The final choice between FPD, RPD and implant depended on several factors which affected the decision making; among these is cost and patients' awareness of the different treatment options.

Socio-demographic and clinical factors affecting adherence to ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Socio-demographic and clinical factors affecting adherence to antihypertensive medications and blood pressure control among patients attending the family practice clinic in a tertiary hospital in northern Nigeria.

Economic Analysis of Factors Affecting Technical Efficiency of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Economic Analysis of Factors Affecting Technical Efficiency of Smallholders ... socio-economic characteristics which influence technical efficiency in maize production. ... Ministry of Agriculture and livestock, records, books, reports and internet.

Simple Factors Associated With Radiation-Induced Lung Toxicity After Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy of the Thorax: A Pooled Analysis of 88 Studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, Jing [Department of Radiation Oncology, GRU Cancer Center/Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, Georgia (United States); Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan (China); Yorke, Ellen D. [Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Li, Ling [Department of Radiation Oncology, GRU Cancer Center/Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, Georgia (United States); Department of Shanghai Cancer Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai (China); Kavanagh, Brian D. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado (United States); Li, X. Allen [Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (United States); Das, Shiva [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (United States); Miften, Moyed [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado (United States); Rimner, Andreas [Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, New York (United States); Campbell, Jeffrey [Department of Radiation Oncology, GRU Cancer Center/Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, Georgia (United States); Xue, Jinyu [Department of Radiation Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, Camden, New Jersey (United States); Jackson, Andrew [Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Grimm, Jimm [Bott Cancer Center, Holy Redeemer Hospital, Meadowbrook, Pennsylvania (United States); Milano, Michael T. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York (United States); and others

2016-08-01

Purpose: To study the risk factors for radiation-induced lung toxicity (RILT) after stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) of the thorax. Methods and Materials: Published studies on lung toxicity in patients with early-stage non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) or metastatic lung tumors treated with SBRT were pooled and analyzed. The primary endpoint was RILT, including pneumonitis and fibrosis. Data of RILT and risk factors were extracted from each study, and rates of grade 2 to 5 (G2+) and grade 3 to 5 (G3+) RILT were computed. Patient, tumor, and dosimetric factors were analyzed for their correlation with RILT. Results: Eighty-eight studies (7752 patients) that reported RILT incidence were eligible. The pooled rates of G2+ and G3+ RILT from all 88 studies were 9.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.15-11.4) and 1.8% (95% CI: 1.3-2.5), respectively. The median of median tumor sizes was 2.3 (range, 1.4-4.1) cm. Among the factors analyzed, older patient age (P=.044) and larger tumor size (the greatest diameter) were significantly correlated with higher rates of G2+ (P=.049) and G3+ RILT (P=.001). Patients with stage IA versus stage IB NSCLC had significantly lower risks of G2+ RILT (8.3% vs 17.1%, odds ratio = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.29-0.64, P<.0001). Among studies that provided detailed dosimetric data, the pooled analysis demonstrated a significantly higher mean lung dose (MLD) (P=.027) and V20 (P=.019) in patients with G2+ RILT than in those with grade 0 to 1 RILT. Conclusions: The overall rate of RILT is relatively low after thoracic SBRT. Older age and larger tumor size are significant adverse risk factors for RILT. Lung dosimetry, specifically lung V20 and MLD, also significantly affect RILT risk.

Influential Factors Affecting Materials Management in Construction Projects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jusoh Zairra Mat

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Construction projects are more often than not plagued by poor performances such as delays, cost overrun, low productivity, construction wastes and compromised quality. Amongst the critical contributory factors of poor project performances, is the ineffectiveness of materials management occurring in the construction sites. Indeed, materials management is a very important component for construction projects. However, there are only limited numbers of research available regarding this topic. Thus, this research focuses its study on materials management, specifically in identifying the influential factors that affect materials management in the construction project activities. Literatures from books, journal articles and conference papers related to poor project performances and materials management have been reviewed. Consequently, this study sorted the salient influential factors and categorized them based on their specific group. Out of 47 factors identified, they are classified into 8 groups. They are (1 site condition; (2 planning and handling on site; (3 management; (4 materials; (5 supplier and manufacturer default; (6 transportation; (7 contractual; and (8 governmental interferences. In conclusion, this study contends that by identifying the influential factors affecting materials management, it will help construction players to avoid the occurrence of those factors and will minimize the negative impacts on the overall performance of construction projects. Hence, the handling-over of project will be according to schedule and not delayed by materials mismanagement.

Biophysics of NASA radiation quality factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Cucinotta, Francis A

2015-09-01

NASA has implemented new radiation quality factors (QFs) for projecting cancer risks from space radiation exposures to astronauts. The NASA QFs are based on particle track structure concepts with parameters derived from available radiobiology data, and NASA introduces distinct QFs for solid cancer and leukaemia risk estimates. The NASA model was reviewed by the US National Research Council and approved for use by NASA for risk assessment for International Space Station missions and trade studies of future exploration missions to Mars and other destinations. A key feature of the NASA QFs is to represent the uncertainty in the QF assessments and evaluate the importance of the QF uncertainty to overall uncertainties in cancer risk projections. In this article, the biophysical basis for the probability distribution functions representing QF uncertainties was reviewed, and approaches needed to reduce uncertainties were discussed. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Effects of chronic gamma radiation on the lichen Parmelia sulcata Tayl. in the Enterprise Radiation Forest

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erbisch, F.H.

1977-01-01

Within the Enterprise Radiation Forest, the foliose lichen Parmelia sulcata Tayl. exhibited radiation damage. Only those lichens which received in excess of 100 krad manifested damage. The damage was evidenced as a lifting and subsequent breaking of lobes, a coalescing of fungal hyphae, a formation of a brown pigment by the coalescing hyphae, a distortion of the chloroplastid of the algal component, and eventual death of the lichen. The radiation also affected thallus growth by slowing it and rhizinae branching by increasing the number of branches. Damage was not manifested until the late spring (June) of the year following radiation. Apparently P. sulcata is able to maintain itself until conditions are favorable for growth, after receiving a large dose of gamma radiation. Under favorable growth conditions, the lichen cannot carry out its normal growth functions and deteriorates. Although environmental changes did occur within the forest, evidence obtained indicates that gamma radiation was the principal factor affecting the lichens

Conversion factors for the ICRU dose equivalent quantities for calibrating radiation dosemeters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grosswendt, B.; Hohlfeld, K.; Kramer, H.M.; Selbach, H.J.

1985-02-01

Report describing the application of conversion factors for monoenergetic photon radiation and for X and gamma reference radiation used for dosemeter calibration with the aid of spherical or rectangular phantoms (environmental and individual monitoring). (DG) [de

Empirical Analysis on Factors Affecting User Behavior in Social Commerce

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xu Jiayi

2017-02-01

Full Text Available [Purpose/significance] This paper aims to discover the factors affecting user behavior in the derivative situation of e-commerce, social commerce, and explore the sustainable development and related marketing advice of it. [Method/process］This paper put forward a theoretical model of factors affecting user behavior in social commerce by integrating emotional state impact into the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R framework. 277 valid samples were collected by questionnaires and PLS. [Result/conclusion］The results show that information quality and tie strength significantly affect user emotional states, while emotional states positively affect user behavior. In addition, graphic features of business information have indirect effects on user emotional states, while it has direct effect on purchase intention.

Factors affecting academic leadership in dermatology.

Science.gov (United States)

Martires, Kathryn J; Aquino, Lisa L; Wu, Jashin J

2015-02-01

Although prior studies have examined methods by which to recruit and retain academic dermatologists, few have examined factors that are important for developing academic leaders in dermatology. This study sought to examine characteristics of dermatology residency programs that affect the odds of producing department or division chairs/chiefs and program directors (PDs). Data regarding program size, faculty, grants, alumni residency program attended, lectures, and publications for all accredited US dermatology residency programs were collected. Of the 103 programs examined, 46% had graduated at least 1 chair/chief, and 53% had graduated at least 1 PD. Results emphasize that faculty guidance and research may represent modifiable factors by which a dermatology residency program can increase its graduation of academic leaders.

A study of affecting factors on the degree of university students ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

There are different factors which affect the way people select and continue their attitudes towards products of certain brands. The main objective of the present study was investigating factors affecting the degree of University students' loyalty to Nike brand. This research is functional in regard with objective and ...

78 FR 46418 - Proposed Information Collection (Obligation To Report Factors Affecting Entitlement) Activity...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-31

... (Obligation To Report Factors Affecting Entitlement) Activity; Comment Request AGENCY: Veterans Benefits... use of other forms of information technology. Title: Obligation to Report Factors Affecting... entitlement factors. Individual factors such as income, marital status, and the beneficiary's number of...

Average radiation weighting factors for specific distributed neutron spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ninkovic, M.M.; Raicevic, J.J.

1993-01-01

Spectrum averaged radiation weighting factors for 6 specific neutron fields in the environment of 3 categories of the neutron sources (fission, spontaneous fission and (α,n)) are determined in this paper. Obtained values of these factors are greater 1.5 to 2 times than the corresponding quality factors used for the same purpose until a few years ago. This fact is very important to have in mind in the conversion of the neutron fluence into the neutron dose equivalent. (author)

Analysis of factors affecting employee satisfaction: A case study from Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Rukh, Lala; Choudhary, Muhammad Abbas; Abbasi, Saddam Akber

2015-01-01

Employee job satisfaction has been a research focal point throughout the world. It is a key factor when measuring the performance of an organization and individuals. A leading engineering goods manufacturing enterprise in Pakistan, has been used in this case study. In Pakistan, very limited research has been done with respect to factors affecting job satisfaction. Some research has been done in medical institutions, banks, universities and the information technology sector but large public sector organizations in Pakistan have not been studied. A theoretical foundation for researching factors affecting job satisfaction in large organizations is outlined. The objective of this research is to analyze various demographic, financial and non-financial factors affecting the satisfaction level of employees and to study the effects across different employee groups. This study is based on quantitative data analysis. The employees of the organization under study have been divided into 10 homogeneous groups based on their departments. Information on job related factors (affecting the satisfaction level) have been collected from subsamples of each group using a self-administered questionnaire. An overall sample of 250 (out of total 1100) employees has been selected. Before conducting the survey, reliability of the questionnaire was measured using Cronbach's alpha. The normality of data was also examined using the Kolmogorov Smirnov test. Hypotheses devised to address the research questions were tested by using non-parametric Spearman correlation and Kruskal-Wallis tests. The response rate was 73.2%. Research findings indicated the significant factors that affect the satisfaction level of employees. Median group differences existed between responses based on age, work experience, salary and designation (i.e. job position/rank) of employees. Job satisfaction was also positively and significantly associated with job related factors such as pay, promotion, relation with employees

Factors Affecting Successful Implementation of Hospital Information Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Farzandipur, Mehrdad; Jeddi, Fatemeh Rangraz; Azimi, Esmaeil

2016-02-01

Today, the use of information systems in health environments, like any other fields, is necessary and organizational managers are convinced to use these systems. However, managers' satisfaction is not the only factor in successfully implementing these systems and failed information technology projects (IT) are reported despite the consent of the directors. Therefore, this study aims to determine the factors affecting the successful implementation of a hospital information system. The study was carried out as a descriptive method in 20 clinical hospitals that the hospital information system (HIS) was conducted in them. The clinical and paraclinical users of mentioned hospitals are the study group. 400 people were chosen as samples in scientific method and the data was collected using a questionnaire consisted of three main human, managerial and organizational, and technological factors, by questionnaire and interview. Then the data was scored in Likert scale (score of 1 to 5) and were analyzed using the SPSS software. About 75 percent of the population were female, with average work experience of 10 years and the mean age was 30 years. The human factors affecting the success of hospital information system implementation achieved the mean score of 3.5, both organizational and managerial factors 2.9 and technological factors the mean of 3. Human factors including computer skills, perceiving usefulness and perceiving the ease of a hospital information system use are more effective on the acceptance and successful implementation of hospital information systems; then the technological factors play a greater role. It is recommended that for the successful implementation of hospital information systems, most of these factors to be considered.

Factors affecting self-regulated learning in medical students: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Jouhari, Zahra; Haghani, Fariba; Changiz, Tahereh

2015-01-01

Clinical courses are required of all medical students and means that they must develop the key skill of self-regulation during learning. The ability to self-regulate learning strategies is affected by different factors. This study determined the views of medical students on the factors affecting self-regulated learning (SRL). This study uses a qualitative approach and the content analysis method. Nineteen medical students in their fourth, fifth, and sixth years of study at Isfahan University of Medical Science participated in semi-structured, in-depth interviews. The students were selected using purposive sampling based on their overall grade point average (GPA). Five main themes were found to affect SRL. These themes included family with the two subthemes of family supervisory and supportive roles; peers with the two subthemes of facilitating and inhibiting roles; instructors with the two subthemes of personal and educational instructor's characteristics; educational environment with the two subthemes of facilitator and inhibitor roles; and student with the two subthemes of facilitating and inhibiting personal factors. The outcomes of student understanding of the factors affecting self-regulation indicate that facilitating factors should be used on an individual basis to reduce the effect of inhibiting factors to improve self-regulation in students.

Factors influencing radiation exposure during the extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wei Chuan Chen; Ying Huei Lee; Ming Tsun Chen; Jong Khing Huang; Luke S Chang (Division of Urology, Dept. of Surgery, National Yang-Ming Medical College and Veterans General Hospital-Taipei, Taiwan (China))

1991-01-01

A prospective evaluation of 89 consecutive sessions of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) was undertaken to try and find the best way of minimising the amount of exposure to radiation. Forty-two patients were randomly allocated to undergo ESWL treatment by experienced surgeons (group A), and 47 to undergo the treatment by inexperienced surgeons (group B). The mean calculated entrance radiation exposure was 3.01 rads (group A: 2.64 (0.97) rads, range 1.00-4.48, group B: 3.38 (0.86) rads, range 1.11-5.75). Among factors that influenced radiation exposure, the tissue: air ratio should be borne in mind and the level of skill in controlling movement of gantry was the most important in reducing the exposure to radiation. (au).

Factors influencing radiation exposure during the extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei Chuan Chen; Ying Huei Lee; Ming Tsun Chen; Jong Khing Huang; Luke S Chang

1991-01-01

A prospective evaluation of 89 consecutive sessions of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) was undertaken to try and find the best way of minimising the amount of exposure to radiation. Forty-two patients were randomly allocated to undergo ESWL treatment by experienced surgeons (group A), and 47 to undergo the treatment by inexperienced surgeons (group B). The mean calculated entrance radiation exposure was 3.01 rads (group A: 2.64 (0.97) rads, range 1.00-4.48, group B: 3.38 (0.86) rads, range 1.11-5.75). Among factors that influenced radiation exposure, the tissue: air ratio should be borne in mind and the level of skill in controlling movement of gantry was the most important in reducing the exposure to radiation. (au)

Prognostic factors for survival and radiation necrosis after stereotactic radiosurgery alone or in combination with whole brain radiation therapy for 1–3 cerebral metastases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schüttrumpf, Lars Hendrik; Niyazi, Maximilian; Nachbichler, Silke Birgit; Manapov, Farkhad; Jansen, Nathalie; Siefert, Axel; Belka, Claus

2014-01-01

In the present study factors affecting survival and toxicity in cerebral metastasized patients treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) were analyzed with special focus on radiation necrosis. 340 patients with 1–3 cerebral metastases having been treated with SRS were retrospectively analyzed. Radiation necrosis was diagnosed by MRI und PET imaging. Univariate and multivariate analysis using a Cox proportional hazards regression model and log-rank test were performed to determine the prognostic value of treatment-related and individual factors for outcome and SRS-related complications. Median overall survival was 282 days and median follow-up 721 days. 44% of patients received WBRT during the course of disease. Concerning univariate analysis a significant difference in overall survival was found for Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS ≤ 70: 122 days; KPS > 70: 342 days), for RPA (recursive partitioning analysis) class (RPA class I: 1800 days; RPA class II: 281 days; RPA class III: 130 days), irradiated volume (≤2.5 ml: 354 days; > 2.5 ml: 234 days), prescribed dose (≤18 Gy: 235 days; > 18 Gy: 351 days), gender (male: 235 days; female: 327 days) and whole brain radiotherapy (+WBRT: 341 days/-WBRT: 231 days). In multivariate analysis significance was confirmed for KPS, RPA class and gender. MRI and clinical symptoms suggested radiation necrosis in 21 patients after SRS +/− whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT). In five patients clinically relevant radiation necrosis was confirmed by PET imaging. SRS alone or in combination with WBRT represents a feasible option as initial treatment for patients with brain metastases; however a significant subset of patients may develop neurological complications. Performance status, RPA class and gender were identified to predict improved survival in cerebral metastasized patients

Factors Affecting Furfural as a Nematicide on Turf

OpenAIRE

Luc, J. E.; Crow, W. T.

2013-01-01

Recently a furfural nematicide Multiguard Protect EC was launched for use on turfgrasses in the United States. A series of greenhouse experiments were conducted to determine the concentration and exposure time required for this formulation to irreversibly affect Belonolaimus longicaudatus, and to study factors that might affect the practicality of furfural use in turfgrass systems. One experiment exposed B. longicaudatus to increasing concentrations of furfural (0 to 990 ppm) in vitro for eit...

Emergency response activities and collecting damaged radiation devices from a war affected area in Croatia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Subasic, Damir; Schaller, Antum

1997-01-01

A number of various devices containing ionizing radiation sources were in use in the area affected by the recent war in Croatia. In destruction caused by the war operations, a number of these devices were damaged, destroyed or even missed/lost. The actions undertaken to (re)collect these radiation sources, experience gained and lessons learned are reviewed. The importance of a well-organized national regulatory system is highlighted as a precondition for the efficient identification and safe collection of radiation sources which were under ruins. Experience from this event could be well applicable to similar situations caused by disasters and particularly for regulatory authorities who design emergency preparedness plans. (author)

Influence of radiation and non-radiation factors on pancreatic cancer incidence among Mayak PA workers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhuntova, G.V.; Tokarskaya, Z.B.; Belyaeva, Z.D. [Southern Ural Biophysics Institute (SUBI), Ozyorsk (Russian Federation); Syrchikov, V.A.; Grigoryeva, E.S. [Mayak Production Association (Mayak PA), Ozyorsk (Russian Federation)

2006-07-01

The finding of this nested case-control study suggests that high levels of 239 Pu incorporation (239 Pu body burden > 3.7), alcohol abuse and smoking were associated with increasing the risk of pancreatic cancer among Mayak PA workers chronically exposed to ionizing radiation. The contribution of non radiation factors (alcohol abuse and smoking) to pancreatic tumor incidence is greater (AR=51%) than 239 Pu incorporation kBq; AR = 7%). No significant effect of external gamma rays ({<=} 6.8 Gy), prior exposure to chemical agents, or chronic digestive diseases was found on the incidence of pancreatic tumor. Evaluation of the absorbed alpha-radiation pancreatic dose will permit to make more exact the 239 Pu risk estimation in the further extended study.

Influence of radiation and non-radiation factors on pancreatic cancer incidence among Mayak PA workers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhuntova, G.V.; Tokarskaya, Z.B.; Belyaeva, Z.D.; Syrchikov, V.A.; Grigoryeva, E.S.

2006-01-01

The finding of this nested case-control study suggests that high levels of 239 Pu incorporation (239 Pu body burden > 3.7), alcohol abuse and smoking were associated with increasing the risk of pancreatic cancer among Mayak PA workers chronically exposed to ionizing radiation. The contribution of non radiation factors (alcohol abuse and smoking) to pancreatic tumor incidence is greater (AR=51%) than 239 Pu incorporation kBq; AR = 7%). No significant effect of external gamma rays (≤ 6.8 Gy), prior exposure to chemical agents, or chronic digestive diseases was found on the incidence of pancreatic tumor. Evaluation of the absorbed alpha-radiation pancreatic dose will permit to make more exact the 239 Pu risk estimation in the further extended study

Interaction between radiation and other breast cancer risk factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boice, J.D. Jr.; Stone, B.J.

1978-01-01

A follow-up study was conducted of 1764 women institutionalized for pulmonary tuberculosis between 1930 and 1954. Among 1047 women exposed to fluoroscopic chest X-rays during air collapse therapy of the lung, an excess of breast cancer was observed and previously reported (41 cases observed versus 23.3 expected). Among 717 comparison patients who received other treatments, no excess breast cancer risk was apparent (15 cases observed versus 14.1 expected). To determine whether breast cancer risk factors modify the carcinogenic effect of radiation, analyses were performed evaluating the interaction of radiation with indicators of breast cancer risk. The greatest radiation risk was found when radiation exposure occurred just before and during menarche. Similarly, exposures during first pregnancy appeared substantially more hazardous than exposures occurring before or after first pregnancy, suggesting that the condition of the breast at the time of pregnancy modifies the effect of radiation in such a way as to enhance the risk. Age at menopause did not appear to influence the risk of radiation exposure. Other than radiation, benign breast disease was the most significant breast cancer risk indicator. Benign breast disease was not seen to modify the effect of radiation exposure; however, excessive radiation exposure might have increased the incidence of benign breast disease, complicating the interaction analysis. Because of the uncertainty due to small-number sampling variation, these study results will require confirmation by a larger series. They do, however, suggest that stages when breast tissue undergoes high mitotic activity, e.g. menarche and pregnancy, are times of special vulnerability to the harmful effects of ionizing radiation

Factors that affect South African Reading Literacy Achievement ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Factors that affect South African Reading Literacy Achievement: evidence from prePIRLS 2011. ... achievement among Grade 4 learners in South Africa by utilising aspects of Carroll's model of school learning. ... AJOL African Journals Online.

Physiological factors affecting renal radiation tolerance: a guide to the treatment of late effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robbins, M.E.C.; Hopewell, J.W.

1986-01-01

The results presented provide preliminary information concerning the ability of vasoactive compounds to modify the reduction in renal haemodynamics following renal irradiation. The two compounds are widely used in the clinical treatment of hypertension. The radiation-induced changes in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) observed in bilaterally irradiated pigs which received 150 mg indoramin daily were similar to those seen in pigs which received radiation alone: if anything the former exhibited greater decline in renal function. Two of the three Captopril-treated animals appeared to show a reduced impairment of renal function compared with irradiated controls. It is not known why the remaining pig did not show a similar response. However, plasma renin levels in this pig, measured 10 weeks after irradiation, were markedly higher than in the other two animals, i.e. 10.7 compared with 2.3 and 4.5 pmol -1 ml -1 , possibly reflecting greater renal damage. The total renal weight at postmortem of this pig was considerably reduced (approx. 50%), whereas the renal weights of the remaining Captopril-treated pigs were similar to those of age-related controls. (UK)

S-factor for radiative capture reactions for light nuclei at astrophysical energies

Science.gov (United States)

Ghasemi, Reza; Sadeghi, Hossein

2018-06-01

The astrophysical S-factors of thermonuclear reactions, including radiative capture reactions and their analysis in the frame of different theoretical models, are the main source of nuclear processes. We have done research on the radiative capture reactions importance in the framework of a potential model. Investigation of the reactions in the astrophysical energies is of great interest in the aspect of astrophysics and nuclear physics for developing correct models of burning and evolution of stars. The experimental measurements are very difficult and impossible because of these reactions occurrence at low-energies. In this paper we do a calculation on radiative capture astrophysical S-factors for nuclei in the mass region A theoretical methods.

Chronic radiation exposure as an ecological factor: Hypermethylation and genetic differentiation in irradiated Scots pine populations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Volkova, P.Yu.; Geras'kin, S.A.; Horemans, N.; Makarenko, E.S.; Saenen, E.; Duarte, G.T.; Nauts, R.; Bondarenko, V.S.; Jacobs, G.; Voorspoels, S.; Kudin, M.

2018-01-01

Genetic and epigenetic changes were investigated in chronically irradiated Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) populations from territories that were heavily contaminated by radionuclides as result of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident. In comparison to the reference site, the genetic diversity revealed by electrophoretic mobility of AFLPs was found to be significantly higher at the radioactively contaminated areas. In addition, the genome of pine trees was significantly hypermethylated at 4 of the 7 affected sites. - Highlights: • Chronic radiation exposure changes the genetic structure of plant populations. • Genomes of irradiated pines are hypermethylated. • The level of hypermethylation does not depend on annual dose. - These results indicate that even relatively low levels of chronic radiation exposure can influence on the genetic characteristics and the methylation status of natural pine populations and that it should be considered as an important ecological factor reflecting the anthropogenic impact on ecosystems.

Top-of-atmosphere radiative forcing affected by brown carbon in the upper troposphere

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yuzhong; Forrister, Haviland; Liu, Jiumeng; Dibb, Jack; Anderson, Bruce; Schwarz, Joshua P.; Perring, Anne E.; Jimenez, Jose L.; Campuzano-Jost, Pedro; Wang, Yuhang; Nenes, Athanasios; Weber, Rodney J.

2017-07-01

Carbonaceous aerosols affect the global radiative balance by absorbing and scattering radiation, which leads to warming or cooling of the atmosphere, respectively. Black carbon is the main light-absorbing component. A portion of the organic aerosol known as brown carbon also absorbs light. The climate sensitivity to absorbing aerosols rapidly increases with altitude, but brown carbon measurements are limited in the upper troposphere. Here we present aircraft observations of vertical aerosol distributions over the continental United States in May and June 2012 to show that light-absorbing brown carbon is prevalent in the troposphere, and absorbs more short-wavelength radiation than black carbon at altitudes between 5 and 12 km. We find that brown carbon is transported to these altitudes by deep convection, and that in-cloud heterogeneous processing may produce brown carbon. Radiative transfer calculations suggest that brown carbon accounts for about 24% of combined black and brown carbon warming effect at the tropopause. Roughly two-thirds of the estimated brown carbon forcing occurs above 5 km, although most brown carbon is found below 5 km. The highest radiative absorption occurred during an event that ingested a wildfire plume. We conclude that high-altitude brown carbon from biomass burning is an unappreciated component of climate forcing.

Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor in the Treatment of Acute Radiation Syndrome: A Concise Review

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hofer, Michal; Pospíšil, Milan; Komůrková, Denisa; Hoferová, Zuzana

2014-01-01

Roč. 19, č. 4 (2014), s. 4770-4778 ISSN 1420-3049 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP303/11/0128 Institutional support: RVO:68081707 Keywords : granulocyte colony-stimulating factor * radiation accident s * acute radiation syndrome Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 2.416, year: 2014

Age-specific radiation dose commitment factors for a one-year chronic intake

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoenes, G.R.; Soldat, J.K.

1977-11-01

During the licensing process for nuclear facilities, radiation doses and dose commitments must be calculated for people in the environs of a nuclear facility. These radiation doses are determined by examining characteristics of population groups, pathways to people, and radionuclides found in those pathways. The pertinent characteristics, which are important in the sense of contributing a significant portion of the total dose, must then be analyzed in depth. Dose factors are generally available for adults, see Reference 1 for example, however numerous improvements in data on decay schemes and half-lives have been made in recent years. In addition, it is advisable to define parameters for calculation of the radiation dose for ages other than adults since the population surrounding nuclear facilities will be composed of various age groups. Further, since infants, children, and teens may have higher rates of intake per unit body mass, it is conceivable that the maximally exposed individual may not be an adult. Thus, it was necessary to develop new radiation-dose commitment factors for various age groups. Dose commitment factors presented in this report have been calculated for a 50-year time period for four age groups

Motivation factors affecting employees job performance in selected ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Motivation can be intrinsic, such as satisfaction and feelings of achievement; or extrinsic, such as rewards, punishment, and goal obtainment. The study assessed the motivating factors affecting the job performance of two oil palm companies' ...

INTERNATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN FACTORS AFFECTING LABOUR MOBILITY.

Science.gov (United States)

SELLIER, F.; ZARKA, C.

THE GEOGRAPHICAL, OCCUPATIONAL, AND INTERFIRM MOBILITY, AND THE FACTORS AFFECTING THESE MOVEMENTS FOR WORKERS IN FRANCE, ITALY, GERMANY, AND SWEDEN IN THE PERIOD SINCE THE SECOND WORLD WAR ARE STUDIED. DATA OBTAINED FROM INDUSTRIAL SURVEYS AND GENERAL CENSUSES WERE USED TO COMPARE THE FOUR COUNTRIES WITH EACH OTHER AND WITH THE UNITED STATES.…

Factors controlling high-frequency radiation from extended ruptures

Science.gov (United States)

Beresnev, Igor A.

2017-09-01

Small-scale slip heterogeneity or variations in rupture velocity on the fault plane are often invoked to explain the high-frequency radiation from earthquakes. This view has no theoretical basis, which follows, for example, from the representation integral of elasticity, an exact solution for the radiated wave field. The Fourier transform, applied to the integral, shows that the seismic spectrum is fully controlled by that of the source time function, while the distribution of final slip and rupture acceleration/deceleration only contribute to directivity. This inference is corroborated by the precise numerical computation of the full radiated field from the representation integral. We compare calculated radiation from four finite-fault models: (1) uniform slip function with low slip velocity, (2) slip function spatially modulated by a sinusoidal function, (3) slip function spatially modulated by a sinusoidal function with random roughness added, and (4) uniform slip function with high slip velocity. The addition of "asperities," both regular and irregular, does not cause any systematic increase in the spectral level of high-frequency radiation, except for the creation of maxima due to constructive interference. On the other hand, an increase in the maximum rate of slip on the fault leads to highly amplified high frequencies, in accordance with the prediction on the basis of a simple point-source treatment of the fault. Hence, computations show that the temporal rate of slip, not the spatial heterogeneity on faults, is the predominant factor forming the high-frequency radiation and thus controlling the velocity and acceleration of the resulting ground motions.

Safety of natural radiation exposure. A meta-analysis of epidemiological studies on natural radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osaki, S.

2000-01-01

People have been exposed every time and everywhere to natural radiation and ''intuitively'' know the safety of this radiation exposure. On the other hand the theory of no threshold value on radiological carcinogenesis is known widely, and many people feel danger with even a smallest dose of radiation exposure. The safety of natural radiation exposure can be used for the risk communication with the public. For this communication, the safety of natural radiation exposure should be proved ''scientifically''. Safety is often discussed scientifically as the risks of the mortality from many practices, and the absolute risks of safe practices on the public are 1E-5 to 1E-6. The risks based on the difference of natural radiation exposure on carcinogenesis have been analyzed by epidemiological studies. Much of the epidemiological studies have been focused on the relationship between radiation doses and cancer mortalities, and their results have been described as relative risks or correlation factors. In respect to the safety, however, absolute risks are necessary for the discussion. Cancer mortalities depend not only on radiation exposure, but also on ethnic groups, sexes, ages, social classes, foods, smoking, environmental chemicals, medical radiation, etc. In order to control these confounding factors, the data are collected from restricted groups or/and localities, but any these ecological studies can not perfectly compensate the confounding factors. So positive or negative values of relative risks or the meaningful correlation factors can not be confirmed that their values are derived originally from the difference of their exposure doses. The absolute risks on these epidemiological studies are also affected by many factors containing radiation exposure. The absolute risk or the upper value of the confidence limit obtained from the epidemiological study which is well regulated confounding factors is possible to be a maximum risk on the difference of the exposure doses

Study of risc factors affecting the number of mental disorders and nervous system diseases for people who participated in liquidation of consequences of ChNPP accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ivanov, V.K.; Chekin, S.Yu.; Mikhal'skij, A.I.; Petrovskij, A.M.

1992-01-01

Interrelation of disease incidence for liquidators and factors affecting it has been studied. The diseases (mental disorders and nervous system diseases) have been taken into account provided more than 10% of people have suffered of the above diseases. Date of getting into the accident zone; duration of work within the zone; the radiation dose accumulated were considered to be risc factors. Getting into the accident zone and duration of work within the zone of accident have been though to be the main risc factors. 3 figs.; 2 tabs

Emergency response activities and collecting damaged radiation devices from a war affected area in Croatia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Subasic, Damir; Schaller, Antum [APO-Hazardous Waste Management Agency, Zagreb (Croatia)

1997-12-31

A number of various devices containing ionizing radiation sources were in use in the area affected by the recent war in Croatia. In destruction caused by the war operations, a number of these devices were damaged, destroyed or even missed/lost. The actions undertaken to (re)collect these radiation sources, experience gained and lessons learned are reviewed. The importance of a well-organized national regulatory system is highlighted as a precondition for the efficient identification and safe collection of radiation sources which were under ruins. Experience from this event could be well applicable to similar situations caused by disasters and particularly for regulatory authorities who design emergency preparedness plans. (author) 4 refs., 1 tab.

Factors Which Affect Academic Achievement of University Students

OpenAIRE

RENÇBER, Bahman Alp

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate by analysing factors affecting academic achievement of university students. Also effects of these factors are studied. For this purpose, the students attending “Statistics and Transport Technology” course at Gazi University, Industrial Arts Education and Arts Faculty, Industrial Technology Education Department, in the 2008-2009 academic year have been identified as the study universe. Analysis has been done by taking examples for this universe. The ...

Influence of beam divergence on form-factor in X-ray diffraction radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sergeeva, D.Yu.; Tishchenko, A.A.; Strikhanov, M.N.

2015-01-01

Diffraction radiation from divergent beam is considered in terms of radiation in UV and X-ray range. Scedastic form of Gaussian distribution of the particle in the bunch, i.e. Gaussian distribution with changing dispersion has been used, which is more adequate for description of divergent beams than often used Gaussian distribution with constant dispersion. Both coherent and incoherent form-factors are taken into account. The conical diffraction effect in diffraction radiation is proved to make essential contribution in spectral-angular characteristics of radiation from a divergent beam

Radiation doses to Finns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rantalainen, L.

1996-01-01

The estimated annual radiation doses to Finns have been reduced in the recent years without any change in the actual radiation environment. This is because the radiation types have been changed. The risk factors will probably be changed again in the future, because recent studies show discrepancies in the neutron dosimetry concerning the city of Hiroshima. Neutron dosimetry discrepancy has been found between the predicted and estimated neutron radiation. The prediction of neutron radiation is calculated by Monte Carlo simulations, which have also been used when designing recommendations for the limits of radiation doses (ICRP60). Estimation of the neutron radiation is made on the basis of measured neutron activation of materials in the city. The estimated neutron dose beyond 1 km is two to ten, or more, times as high as the predicted dose. This discrepancy is important, because the most relevant distances with respect to radiation risk evaluation are between 1 and 2 km. Because of this discrepancy, the present radiation risk factors for gamma and neutron radiation, which rely on the Monte Carlo calculations, are false, too. The recommendations of ICRP60 have been adopted in a few countries, including Finland, and they affect the planned common limits of the EU. It is questionable whether happiness is increased by adopting false limits, even if they are common. (orig.) (2 figs., 1 tab.)

Factors influencing changes in levels of radiation doses received by patients during gastroduodenal series procedures in the Hospital Dr. Max Peralta de Cartago

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guzman Campos, Jeremy; Vargas Navarro, Jonnathan

2009-01-01

A measurement was made of the number of radiation doses emitted by fluoroscopy equipment used in Hospital Dr. Max Peralta, specifically at the Centro de Deteccion de Cancer Gastrico. The analysis has included the factors could be influencing on increase of the total dose to the patient, by means of indicators that directly affect the unnecessary increase in dose, such as: the procedure, sequences of images, indicators of dosage levels, varying conditions of actual studies, variations dose levels and production process factors. [es

Options for the modified radiation weighting factor of neutrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kellerer, A. M.; Leuthold, G.; Mares, V.; Schraube, H.

2004-01-01

The recent ICRP Report 92 has noted that the current radiation weighting factor, w R , depends on the energy of the incident neutrons in a manner that differs substantially from the dependence, which results from the current convention, Q(L). At all neutron energies, but most conspicuously below 1 MeV, the values of w R exceed those of the effective quality factor, q E . The discrepancy is largely due to the fact that - in the absence of computed values of the effective quality factor for neutrons - w R has been patterned after the values of the ambient quality factor, which accounts insufficiently for the low-linear energy transfer (LET) gamma ray component from neutron capture in the human body. There are different options to remove the discrepancy. Option 1 is to reduce w R substantially at all neutron energies to make it equal to q E for a standard condition, such as isotropic incidence of the neutrons. Since such a reduction may cause problems in those countries where the current w R values are already legally implemented, ICRP 92 has proposed what is here termed Option 2. It recommended to replace Q(L) by the increased value 1.6 Q(L) - 0.6 and, accordingly, to make the radiation weighting factor equal to 1.6 q E - 0.6. With Option 2 the radiation weighting factor needs to be decreased appreciably at low neutron energies, but for fission neutron spectra the overall changes are minor. To guide - regardless which option is chosen - the selection of the numerical values, the effective quality factor, q E , is computed here for different directional distributions of neutrons incident on the anthropomorphic phantoms ADAM and EVA. None of the sex averaged numerical values is found to deviate much from those for isotropic incidence. Isotropic incidence can, thus, be used as an adequate standard condition. A numerical approximation is proposed for the standard q E that is nearly equivalent to a formula invoked by ICRP 92, but is somewhat simpler and provides realistic

Gamma radiation effects on polydimethylsiloxane rubber foams under different radiation conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Sui, H. L.; Liu, X. Y.; Zhong, F. C.; Li, X. Y.; Wang, L.; Ju, X.

2013-07-01

Polydimethylsiloxane rubber foams were irradiated by gamma ray under different radiation conditions designed by orthogonal design method. Compression set measurement, infrared attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy (ATR) and X-ray induced photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used. Three aging factors' influence effects on the mechanical property and chemical structure were studied. It was found that among the three factors and the chosen levels, both properties were affected most by radiation dose, while radiation dose rate had no obvious influence on both properties. The stiffening of the rubber foams was caused by cross-linking reactions in the Si-CH3. At the same radiation dose, the rigidity of the foams irradiated in air was lower than that in nitrogen. When polydimethylsiloxane was irradiated at a high dose in sealed nitrogen atmosphere, carbon element distribution would be changed. Hydrocarbons produced by gamma ray in the sealed tube would make the carbon content in the skin-deep higher than that in the middle, which indicated that polydimethylsiloxane rubber foams storing in a sealed atmosphere filled with enough hydrocarbons should be helpful to extend the service life.

Analysis of the factors that affect photon counts in Compton scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo, Guang; Xiao, Guangyu

2015-01-01

Compton scattering has been applied in a variety of fields. The factors that affect Compton scattering have been studied extensively in the literature. However, the factors that affect the measured photon counts in Compton scattering are rarely considered. In this paper, we make a detailed discussion on those factors. First, Compton scattering experiments of some alloy series and powder mixture series are explored. Second, the electron density is researched in terms of atom and lattice constants. Third, the factor of attenuation coefficient is discussed. And then, the active degree of electrons is discussed based on the DFT theory. Lastly, the conclusions are made, that the factors affecting Compton scattering photon counts include mainly electron number density, attenuation coefficient and active degree of electrons. - Highlights: • Compton scattering experiments of some alloy series and powder mixture series are explored. • The influence of electron density is researched in terms of atom and lattice constants. • The influence of attenuation coefficient is discussed. • The active degree of electrons is discussed detailedly based on DFT theory

Geometric radiation exchange factors for axial radiative transfer in an LWR core filled with absorbing-emitting gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chan, S.H.; Cho, D.H.

1984-01-01

A reactor core filled with an emitting-absorbing mixture (like steam, hydrogen gas and fission gases) is considered. Analysis is provided to evaluate axial radiative heat exchange of a rod bundle with a nonuniform axial temperature distribution. The necessary radiation exchange shape factors (geometric mean absorptance, emittance and transmittance) between segments of the complex rod bundle arrangement are presented. They are applicable to arbitrary sizes of segments, well suited for numerical computations

Influence of radiation effects on man during breakdowns at nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chernyak, S.I.; Zhilyaev, E.G.; Alferov, A.P.

1992-01-01

One of the most essential radiation factors during accidents at NPPs is gamma-radiation from radioactive clouds and radiation-contaminated land (RCL) what is demonstrated by the Chernobyl NPP accident. Beta-radiation from contaminated medium objects is of essential importance during some months after the accident. Internal irradiation is linked with prolonged retention of radionuclides in the body. Evaluation of the situation caused by the NPP accident is based on the analysis of affecting radiation factors and it makes it possible to plan necessary measures for limiting after effects of such influence

Factors Affecting Microbial Contamination of Market Eggs: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Svobodová J.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of the review was to analyze the ways of microbial contamination, the protective mechanism of egg, and factors that affect the quantity of contamination and microbial penetration. Eggs can be contaminated during their formation in the infected reproductive organs of hens or after laying, when eggs are exposed to contaminated environment. The eggs are equipped against microbial contamination by several protective mechanisms comprising the presence of cuticle, eggshell, eggshell membranes, occurrence of some antibacterial proteins, and high pH value of albumen. There are several factors that affect the quantity of microbial contamination and penetration such as species of bacteria, the amount of microorganisms, storage conditions, quality of eggshell or number of pores.

ORIGINAL ARTICLES Factors affecting career preferences of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

College of Medicine prefer to work as doctors, and (ii) what factors may affect their long-term retention in their home country? Methods. We designed ... from rural areas and small towns, and whose parents were 'non- professionals', were .... needs – 5; city life can be difficult – 3; one is closer to family – 2; there is a sense of ...

Factors affecting compliance to treatment among children with ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

BACKGROUND:This study aimed to determine the factors affecting compliance to treatment among children with epilepsy in Enugu,Nigeria. METHODS: Children with diagnosis of epilepsy were consecutively recruited.Their 6 months retrospective and 1 month prospective data were collected;and analyzed using SPSS ...

Effects of ultraviolet radiation, visible light, and infrared radiation on erythema and pigmentation: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Sklar, Lindsay R; Almutawa, Fahad; Lim, Henry W; Hamzavi, Iltefat

2013-01-01

The effects of ultraviolet radiation, visible light, and infrared radiation on cutaneous erythema, immediate pigment darkening, persistent pigment darkening, and delayed tanning are affected by a variety of factors. Some of these factors include the depth of cutaneous penetration of the specific wavelength, the individual skin type, and the absorption spectra of the different chromophores in the skin. UVB is an effective spectrum to induce erythema, which is followed by delayed tanning. UVA induces immediate pigment darkening, persistent pigment darkening, and delayed tanning. At high doses, UVA (primarily UVA2) can also induce erythema in individuals with skin types I-II. Visible light has been shown to induce erythema and a tanning response in dark skin, but not in fair skinned individuals. Infrared radiation produces erythema, which is probably a thermal effect. In this article we reviewed the available literature on the effects of ultraviolet radiation, visible light, and infrared radiation on the skin in regards to erythema and pigmentation. Much remains to be learned on the cutaneous effects of visible light and infrared radiation.

Radiation therapy in pseudotumour haemarthrosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lal, P.; Biswal, B.M.; Thulkar, S.; Patel, A.K.; Venkatesh, R.; Julka, P.K.

1998-01-01

Total or partial deficiency of factor VIII and IX in the coagulation cascade leads to haemophilia. Haemophilia affecting weight-bearing joints gives a 'pseudotumour' or haemarthrosis-like condition. Surgery and cryoprecipitate infusions have been the treatment for this condition. Radiocolloids and radiation therapy have been used with some benefit. One case of ankle pseudotumour which was treated by low-dose external beam radiation is presented here. Copyright (1998) Blackwell Science Pty Ltd

Factors affecting the tissues composition of pork belly.

Science.gov (United States)

Duziński, K; Knecht, D; Lisiak, D; Janiszewski, P

2015-11-01

Bellies derived from the commercial population of pig carcasses are diverse in terms of tissue composition. Knowledge of the factors influencing it and the expected results, permits quick and easy evaluation of raw material. The study was designed to determine the factors affecting the tissues composition of pork bellies and to estimate their lean meat content. The research population (n=140 pig carcasses) was divided into groups according to sex (gilts, barrows), half-carcass mass (meat content class: S (⩾60%), E (55% to 60%), U (50% to 55%), R (meat content affected the growth of the fat and skin mass in a linear way. No differences were observed between class S and E in terms of belly muscle mass. A 0.37% higher share of belly in the half-carcass was found for barrows (Pmeat content in bellies, suggesting they may be used directly in the production line.

Cognitive Factors Affecting Freeze-like Behavior in Humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Alban, Michael W; Pocknell, Victoria

2017-01-01

Contemporary research on survival-related defensive behaviors has identified physiological markers of freeze/flight/fight. Our research focused on cognitive factors associated with freeze-like behavior in humans. Study 1 tested if an explicit decision to freeze is associated with the psychophysiological state of freezing. Heart rate deceleration occurred when participants chose to freeze. Study 2 varied the efficacy of freezing relative to other defense options and found "freeze" was responsive to variations in the perceived effectiveness of alternative actions. Study 3 tested if individual differences in motivational orientation affect preference for a "freeze" option when the efficacy of options is held constant. A trend in the predicted direction suggested that naturally occurring cognitions led loss-avoiders to select "freeze" more often than reward-seekers. In combination, our attention to the cognitive factors affecting freeze-like behavior in humans represents a preliminary step in addressing an important but neglected research area.

Factors affecting cardiac rehabilitation referral by physician specialty.

Science.gov (United States)

Grace, Sherry L; Grewal, Keerat; Stewart, Donna E

2008-01-01

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is widely underutilized because of multiple factors including physician referral practices. Previous research has shown CR referral varies by type of provider, with cardiologists more likely to refer than primary care physicians. The objective of this study was to compare factors affecting CR referral in primary care physicians versus cardiac specialists. A cross-sectional survey of a stratified random sample of 510 primary care physicians and cardiac specialists (cardiologists or cardiovascular surgeons) in Ontario identified through the Canadian Medical Directory Online was administered. One hundred four primary care physicians and 81 cardiac specialists responded to the 26-item investigator-generated survey examining medical, demographic, attitudinal, and health system factors affecting CR referral. Primary care physicians were more likely to endorse lack of familiarity with CR site locations (P negatively impacting CR referral practices than cardiac specialists. Cardiac specialists were significantly more likely to perceive that their colleagues and department would regularly refer patients to CR than primary care physicians (P Marketing CR site locations, provision of standardized referral forms, and ensuring discharge summaries are communicated to primary care physicians may improve their willingness to refer to CR.

The role of social and psychological factors in radiation protection after accidents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morrey, M.; Allen, P.

1996-01-01

The inclusion of social and psychological factors in the justification and optimisation of intervention after an accident requires identification of the relevant factors and their appropriate quantification. Recent studies suggest a possible approach. Some social and psychological factors either influence the consequences of radiation protection countermeasures, or are direct consequences of those measures. Such factors can be grouped into those that alter the dose-effectiveness of a countermeasure, those that extend the need for countermeasures in time or space, and those that fall into neither of the first two categories. Factors of the first two types can be quantified in terms of changes to the anticipated averted dose and monetary cost of a countermeasure. Quantification of the third type is currently difficult, but the existence of structural models for applications in social psychology suggests that such models could be developed for radiation protection in the future. (author)

Factors affecting radiocaesium transfer to ruminants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voigt, G.; Howard, B.J.; Vandecasteele, C.; Mayes, R.W.; Belli, M.; Sansone, U.; Stakelum, G.; Colgan, P.A.; Assimakopoulos, P.; Crout, N.M.J.; Jones, B.E.V., Hove, K.; ITE, Merlewood; CEN, Mol; MLURI, Aberdeen; ENEA-DISP, Rome; MPRC, Fermoy; RPII, Dublin; Ioannina Univ., Nuclear Physics; Nottingham Univ., Dept. of Environmental Sciences; Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala; Agricultural Univ., Aas

1993-01-01

The studies performed in the 2 year CEG/DG XII Radiation Protection Programme described here have tried to identify and quantify some of the most important factors influencing the radiocaesium levels in animal food products. The programme involved 9 laboratories in 6 countries: Belgium, Ireland, Greece, Italy, Sweden and the UK. Scientists from Norway and Germany also participated on an informal basis and are formally involved in a subsequent project. Experimental studies have largely been conducted using sheep, although some comparative studies have been performed with dairy cattle. In parallel to the experimental studies, a number of research models have been developed by participants in Greece and the UK to be interactively used with a number of different aspects in the programme. This presentation gives a short overview and discussion of the main findings of this project. (orig./DG)

Research progress on space radiation biology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Wenjian; Dang Bingrong; Wang Zhuanzi; Wei Wei; Jing Xigang; Wang Biqian; Zhang Bintuan

2010-01-01

Space radiation, particularly induced by the high-energy charged particles, may cause serious injury on living organisms. So it is one critical restriction factor in Manned Spaceflight. Studies have shown that the biological effects of charged particles were associated with their quality, the dose and the different biological end points. In addition, the microgravity conditions may affect the biological effects of space radiation. In this paper we give a review on the biological damage effects of space radiation and the combined biological effects of the space radiation coupled with the microgravity from the results of space flight and ground simulation experiments. (authors)

Risk factors for radiation-induced hypothyroidism: A Literature-Based Meta-Analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vogelius, Ivan R; Bentzen, Søren; Maraldo, Maja V

2011-01-01

BACKGROUND: A systematic overview and meta-analysis of studies reporting data on hypothyroidism (HT) after radiation therapy was conducted to identify risk factors for development of HT. METHODS: Published studies were identified from the PubMed and Embase databases and by hand-searching published...... reviews. Studies allowing the extraction of odds ratios (OR) for HT in 1 or more of several candidate clinical risk groups were included. A meta-analysis of the OR for development of HT with or without each of the candidate risk factors was performed. Furthermore, studies allowing the extraction......% risk of HT at a dose of 45 Gy but with considerable variation in the dose response between studies. Chemotherapy and age were not associated with risk of HT in this analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Several clinical risk factors for HT were identified. The risk of HT increases with increasing radiation dose...

Quality of Life and Its Related Factors of Radiation Therapy Cancer Patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shin, Ryung Mi; Jung, Won Seok; Oh, Byeong Heon; Jo, Jun Young; Kim, Gi Chul; Choi, Tae Gyu; Lee, Sok Goo

2011-01-01

radiation treatment is related to social support, medical support and self esteem. Self-esteem is an important factor that influenced quality of life, so if government offers works that doesn't affect patient's health, they are a useful method that maximize self-esteem and lessen their financial burden at the same time. Along with these policies, the developments of the attention of medical and the program for cancer patient's family are needed for the purpose of improving quality of life of cancer patients. Lastly, medical team, patients and family have to cooperate in harmony to overcome difficulties of cancer patients.

Quality of Life and Its Related Factors of Radiation Therapy Cancer Patients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shin, Ryung Mi; Jung, Won Seok; Oh, Byeong Heon; Jo, Jun Young; Kim, Gi Chul; Choi, Tae Gyu [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Kyunghee University Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Sok Goo [Dept. of Preventive Medicine, Chungnam National University College of Medicine, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2011-03-15

received radiation treatment is related to social support, medical support and self esteem. Self-esteem is an important factor that influenced quality of life, so if government offers works that doesn't affect patient's health, they are a useful method that maximize self-esteem and lessen their financial burden at the same time. Along with these policies, the developments of the attention of medical and the program for cancer patient's family are needed for the purpose of improving quality of life of cancer patients. Lastly, medical team, patients and family have to cooperate in harmony to overcome difficulties of cancer patients.

Policy factors affecting broadband development in Poland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henten, Anders; Windekilde, Iwona Maria

2014-01-01

of telecommunications network development in Poland than other countries in the European Union is the reason that the circumstances and also the effects of the implementation of some solutions of the EU regulation model are different in Poland than in the most developed EU countries. The aim of the paper is to examine...... and discuss broadband access development in Poland and the policy factors influencing this development as well as to examine national strategies used to stimulate service and infrastructure competition in Poland. There are, indeed, many other factors affecting broadband development such as the income level....../distribution in the country and the infrastructural point of departure. The paper, therefore, analyses the implications of the policy initiatives in light of these basic conditions and the broader context of factors influencing broadband development. In the paper, different kinds of policy initiatives are examined...

An Improved Reinforcement Learning System Using Affective Factors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takashi Kuremoto

2013-07-01

Full Text Available As a powerful and intelligent machine learning method, reinforcement learning (RL has been widely used in many fields such as game theory, adaptive control, multi-agent system, nonlinear forecasting, and so on. The main contribution of this technique is its exploration and exploitation approaches to find the optimal solution or semi-optimal solution of goal-directed problems. However, when RL is applied to multi-agent systems (MASs, problems such as “curse of dimension”, “perceptual aliasing problem”, and uncertainty of the environment constitute high hurdles to RL. Meanwhile, although RL is inspired by behavioral psychology and reward/punishment from the environment is used, higher mental factors such as affects, emotions, and motivations are rarely adopted in the learning procedure of RL. In this paper, to challenge agents learning in MASs, we propose a computational motivation function, which adopts two principle affective factors “Arousal” and “Pleasure” of Russell’s circumplex model of affects, to improve the learning performance of a conventional RL algorithm named Q-learning (QL. Compared with the conventional QL, computer simulations of pursuit problems with static and dynamic preys were carried out, and the results showed that the proposed method results in agents having a faster and more stable learning performance.

Nurse aide decision making in nursing homes: factors affecting empowerment.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaudhuri, Tanni; Yeatts, Dale E; Cready, Cynthia M

2013-09-01

To evaluate factors affecting structural empowerment among nurse aides in nursing homes. Structural empowerment can be defined as the actual rather than perceived ability to make autonomous decisions within an organisation. Given the paucity of research on the subject, this study helps to close the gap by identifying factors that affect nurse aide empowerment, that is, decision-making among nurse aides. The data for the study come from self-administered questionnaires distributed to direct-care workers (nurse aides) in 11 nursing homes in a southern state in the USA. Ordinary least square regression models were estimated to analyse the effects of demographic predictors, personal factors (competency, emotional exhaustion and positive attitude) and structural characteristics (coworker and supervisor support, information availability and shared governance) on nurse aide decision-making. Findings suggest race among demographic predictors, emotional exhaustion among personal characteristics, and supervisor support, and shared governance among structural factors, significantly affect nurse aide decision-making. It is important to explore race as one of the central determinants of structural empowerment among nurse aides. In addition, the nature and type of emotional exhaustion that propels decision-making needs to be further examined. The study shows the importance of shared governance and supervisor support for fostering nurse aide empowerment. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Radiation and nuclear risk - considerations for those affected. A RISKPERCOM summary report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reitan, J.B.; Mays, C.; Lindstroem, A.L.C.; Sjoeberg, L.; Toennessen, A

1999-07-01

This report contains four summaries of national case reports from France, Norway, Spain and Sweden, published elsewhere, and a general discussion. The case reports deal with various aspects of radioactive waste and radioactive fallout, and the situation and information needs of affected populations. The four case studies have not examined the same problems. Nevertheless, they are focusing segments of the population experiencing or perceiving an actual or future radiation or nuclear risk larger than the average citizen. The studies show problems in addressing those groups, and with different solution in the four countries. No definite answer can be given as to which approach is the most rewarding. A multitude of factors may contribute to any success. It seems, however, that an increased emphasis on communication and public involvement versus information alone is considered important. The situations reported cannot be said to have achieved effective public involvement. Indeed, in the siting cases, it may be hypothesized that the contradiction between stated intention to involve the public, and the actual opportunities for (unorganized) residents to make themselves heard, may contribute to tension and detract from credibility. Still, the trends observed in these case studies toward more consideration by authorities of communication needs, should be welcomed.

Radiation and nuclear risk - considerations for those affected. A RISKPERCOM summary report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reitan, J.B.; Mays, C.; Lindstroem, A.L.C.; Sjoeberg, L.; Toennessen, A.

1999-07-01

This report contains four summaries of national case reports from France, Norway, Spain and Sweden, published elsewhere, and a general discussion. The case reports deal with various aspects of radioactive waste and radioactive fallout, and the situation and information needs of affected populations. The four case studies have not examined the same problems. Nevertheless, they are focusing segments of the population experiencing or perceiving an actual or future radiation or nuclear risk larger than the average citizen. The studies show problems in addressing those groups, and with different solution in the four countries. No definite answer can be given as to which approach is the most rewarding. A multitude of factors may contribute to any success. It seems, however, that an increased emphasis on communication and public involvement versus information alone is considered important. The situations reported cannot be said to have achieved effective public involvement. Indeed, in the siting cases, it may be hypothesized that the contradiction between stated intention to involve the public, and the actual opportunities for (unorganized) residents to make themselves heard, may contribute to tension and detract from credibility. Still, the trends observed in these case studies toward more consideration by authorities of communication needs, should be welcomed

Factors Affecting Utilization of Cooking Banana among Households ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study investigated factors affecting utilization of cooking banana among households in Oguta area of Imo State, Nigeria. Data were collected from 84 randomly selected respondents from six communities in the study area who were administered with structured questionnaire. Data analysis was by use of descriptive ...

Factors Affecting Academic Achievement of Students in Senior ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study investigated the factors affecting academic achievement ofstudents in Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) in ChristianReligious Knowledge. A total of three hundred students in SS III from five secondary schools were randomly selected and used as sample for the study. Five hypotheses were tested, ...

Nutritional Factors Affecting Adult Neurogenesis and Cognitive Function

Science.gov (United States)

Adult neurogenesis, a complex process by which stem cells in the hippocampal brain region differentiate and proliferate into new neurons and other resident brain cells, is known to be affected by many intrinsic and extrinsic factors, including diet. Neurogenesis plays a critical role in neural plas...

An Initial Investigation of Factors Affecting Multi-Task Performance

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Branscome, Tersa A; Swoboda, Jennifer C; Fatkin, Linda T

2007-01-01

This report presents the results of the first in a series of investigations designed to increase fundamental knowledge and understanding of the factors affecting multi-task performance in a military environment...

Aloe vera oral administration accelerates acute radiation-delayed wound healing by stimulating transforming growth factor-β and fibroblast growth factor production.

Science.gov (United States)

Atiba, Ayman; Nishimura, Mayumi; Kakinuma, Shizuko; Hiraoka, Takeshi; Goryo, Masanobu; Shimada, Yoshiya; Ueno, Hiroshi; Uzuka, Yuji

2011-06-01

Delayed wound healing is a significant clinical problem in patients who have had previous irradiation. This study investigated the effectiveness of Aloe vera (Av) on acute radiation-delayed wound healing. The effect of Av was studied in radiation-exposed rats compared with radiation-only and control rats. Skin wounds were excised on the back of rats after 3 days of local radiation. Wound size was measured on days 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 after wounding. Wound tissues were examined histologically and the expressions of transforming growth factor β-1 (TGF-β-1) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) were examined by immunohistochemistry and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Wound contraction was accelerated significantly by Av on days 6 and 12 after wounding. Furthermore, the inflammatory cell infiltration, fibroblast proliferation, collagen deposition, angiogenesis, and the expression levels of TGF-β-1 and bFGF were significantly higher in the radiation plus Av group compared with the radiation-only group. These data showed the potential application of Av to improve the acute radiation-delayed wound healing by increasing TGF-β-1 and bFGF production. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Factors That Affect Suicidal Attempt Risk Among Korean Elderly Adults: A Path Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junsoo Ro

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Among the Korean elderly (those 65 years of age and older, the suicide rate is 80.3/100 000 people, which is ten times higher than the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development average. Because South Korea is rapidly becoming an aging population, this high elderly suicidal rate will only get worse. Although the size of the elderly suicide problem is quite large, previous research in South Korea has surveyed restricted areas and not the entire country. Even though the factors that affect elderly suicide are complicated, there has been little research into these influencing factors. Thus, this research uses the national survey data (Community Health Survey that was obtained in 2009. Additionally, we analyze factors affecting elderly suicidal ideation and attempts as well as the paths of these effects. Methods: Community Health Survey data obtained by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2009 was used for this study. We additionally examined the factors that affect suicide with chi-squared tests, t-tests, Pearson’s correlation test, and path analysis. Results: Depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation are the only factors that directly affect suicidal attempts. Demographic, behavioral, and physical activity factors have indirect effects on suicidal attempts. Conclusions: Depression has the strongest influence on suicidal ideation and attempts. Demographic, behavioral, and physical activity factors affect suicidal attempts mostly through depressive symptoms. In addition, there is a path that suggests that demographic, behavioral, and physical activity factors affect suicidal attempts not through depression symptoms but only through suicidal ideation. This means that the elderly who do not have depression symptoms attempt suicide according to their own situations and characteristics.

The key factors affecting students' individual interest in school science lessons

Science.gov (United States)

Cheung, Derek

2018-01-01

Individual interest in school science lessons can be defined as a relatively stable and enduring personal emotion comprising affective and behavioural reactions to events in the regular science lessons at school. Little research has compared the importance of different factors affecting students' individual interest in school science lessons. The present study aimed to address this gap, using a mixed methods design. Qualitative interview data were collected from 60 Hong Kong junior secondary school students, who were asked to describe the nature of their interest in science lessons and the factors to which they attribute this. Teacher interviews, parent interviews, and classroom observations were conducted to triangulate student interview data. Five factors affecting students' individual interest in school science lessons were identified: situational influences in science lessons, individual interest in science, science self-concept, grade level, and gender. Quantitative data were then collected from 591 students using a questionnaire. Structural equation modelling was applied to test a hypothesised model, which provided an acceptable fit to the student data. The strongest factor affecting students' individual interest in school science lessons was science self-concept, followed by individual interest in science and situational influences in science lessons. Grade level and gender were found to be nonsignificant factors. These findings suggest that teachers should pay special attention to the association between academic self-concept and interest if they want to motivate students to learn science at school.

Radiation therapy in pseudotumour haemarthrosis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lal, P.; Biswal, B.M.; Thulkar, S.; Patel, A.K.; Venkatesh, R.; Julka, P.K. [Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi (India). Departments of Radiation Oncology, Radiodiagnosis and Haematology

1998-11-01

Total or partial deficiency of factor VIII and IX in the coagulation cascade leads to haemophilia. Haemophilia affecting weight-bearing joints gives a `pseudotumour` or haemarthrosis-like condition. Surgery and cryoprecipitate infusions have been the treatment for this condition. Radiocolloids and radiation therapy have been used with some benefit. One case of ankle pseudotumour which was treated by low-dose external beam radiation is presented here. Copyright (1998) Blackwell Science Pty Ltd 14 refs., 2 figs.

Evaluation of factors affecting adherence to asthma controller ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Evaluation of factors affecting adherence to asthma controller therapy in chest clinics in a sub-Saharan African setting: a cross-sectional study. ... Background: Adherence to controller therapy in asthma is a major concern during the management of the disease. Objective: To determine the adherence rate and identify the ...

Factors affecting mortality and epidemiological data in patients ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background. Burns continue to be responsible for significant morbidity and mortality in developing countries. In this study we aimed to determine the factors affecting mortality and epidemiological data by examining the records of burned patients. Method. The hospital records of 980 patients who were hospitalised in the ...

Factors Affecting Students' Grades in Principles of Economics

Science.gov (United States)

Kara, Orhan; Bagheri, Fathollah; Tolin, Thomas

2009-01-01

Factors affecting students' grades in principles of microeconomics and macroeconomics students are analyzed from the data collected in two public universities. Results indicate that gender, number of hours worked, SAT scores, number of missed classes, recommending the course to a friend, instructors, being a junior, number of economics courses…

Factors affecting guidance and counseling programme in primary ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The objective of this study was to establish the factors that affect guidance and counseling in primary schools. Guidance and counseling seems not to be adequately helping pupils with physical and psychological problems in Nairobi province of Kenya. Many primary schools are faced with indiscipline and poor performance ...

[Effects of ionizing radiation on scintillators and other particle detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Proudfoot, J.

1992-01-01

It is my task to summarise the great variety of topics (covering a refreshing mix of physics, chemistry and technology) presented at this conference, which has focused on the effects of ionising radiation on scintillators and other particle detectors. One of the reasons and the central interest of many of the participants was the use of such detectors in experiments at two future large hadron colliders: the Superconducting Super Collider to be operating outside of Dallas in the United States by the turn of the decade and its European counterpart the Large Hadron Collider to be operating outside of Geneva in Switzerland on a similar time scale. These accelerators are the ''apple of the high energy physicist's eye.'' Their goal is to uncover the elusive Higgs particle and thereby set the cornerstone in our current knowledge of elementary particle interactions. This is the Quest, and from this lofty height the presentations rapidly moved on to the specific questions of experimental science: how such an experiment is carried out; why radiation damage is an issue; how radiation damage affects detectors; which factors affect radiation damage characteristics; which factors are not affected by radiation damage; and how better detectors may be constructed. These were the substance of this conference

Radiation affects binding of Fpg repair protein to an abasic site containing DNA

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Gillard, N.; Běgusová, Marie; Castaing, B.; Spotheim-Maurizot, M.

2004-01-01

Roč. 162, č. 5 (2004), s. 566-571 ISSN 0033-7587 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA1048103 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z1048901 Keywords : ionizing radiation * DNA * protein komplex Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 3.208, year: 2003

Factors affecting e-Commerce adoption in Danish and Australian SMEs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scupola, Ada

2006-01-01

This paper presents the results of a study investigating environmental, organizational and technological factors influencing adoption of electronic commerce in small and medium size enterprises in Denmark and Australia. A total of eight companies have been interviewd, four located in the area....... The main organizational factors affecting e-commerce adoption in the two countries are the CEO and employees' knowledge and attitude. Finally a number of technology related factors affect e-commerce adoption in the two countries as for example the ability to stream information out to the clients...... of Copenhagen, Denamrk and four in Brisbane area, Australia. The results show many interesting similarities and few differences between the two countries. For example, in both countries the external environment has an influence mainly through customer pressure and availability of ICT consulting services...

Factors affecting the HIV/AIDS epidemic: An ecological analysis of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Factors affecting the HIV/AIDS epidemic: An ecological analysis of global data. ... Backward multiple linear regression analysis identified the proportion of Muslims, physicians density, and adolescent fertility rate are as the three most prominent factors linked with the national HIV epidemic. Conclusions: The findings support ...

Factors Affecting Adoption of Recommended Cauliflower Production Technology in Nepal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pankaj Raj Dhital

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Binary logit regression model of econometrics was used to identify the factors affecting adoption of recommended agricultural technology by the commercial farmers of Nepal. A survey was carried out in 2012 in 120 households from Kavre district, Nepal. The objective was to appraise factors affecting adoption of recommended technology of cauliflower, finding out the level of adoption, identifying the constraints of cauliflower cultivation, assessing the perceived level of satisfaction and studying the relationship of certain selected variables on the adoption. Education, Occupation, contact with Personal Localite sources of information, Group membership and Experience were the most influencing factors for adoption of recommended technology. Though, other factors were not strong enough to contribute significantly but indirectly influence the adoption decision of farmers as combined effects. Occupation was found as negatively associated. Landholding size was strongly and positively influencing among the non significant factors. The level of satisfaction and the constraints of cauliflower production were also identified. Transfer of technology will be effective if and only if the client adopts the technology. For an effective transfer of technology, it is better to go for activities for the welfare of the socioeconomic factors of the farmers.

Multiple factors affecting South African anchovy recruitment in the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Multiple factors affecting South African anchovy recruitment in the spawning, transport and nursery. ... and are inversely linked to high rates of gonad atresia in anchovy and reduced subsequent recruitment. ... AJOL African Journals Online.

Radiation injury caused by internal contamination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petyrek, P.

1988-01-01

Basic data are given of radiation injury of the respiratory organs, digestive tract, hematogenous tissues and the thyroid due to internal contamination. Attention is drawn to the complexity of the problem and to the effect of the various factors affecting the picture and course of the radiation damage. The treatment is based on the assumption that fundamental is the damage of the stem cells of the critical organs. Discussed are also the basic clinical pictures that can occur due to internal contamination with activities causing radiation injury. (B.S.). 27 refs

Genetic factors affecting dental caries risk.

Science.gov (United States)

Opal, S; Garg, S; Jain, J; Walia, I

2015-03-01

This article reviews the literature on genetic aspects of dental caries and provides a framework for the rapidly changing disease model of caries. The scope is genetic aspects of various dental factors affecting dental caries. The PubMed database was searched for articles with keywords 'caries', 'genetics', 'taste', 'diet' and 'twins'. This was followed by extensive handsearching using reference lists from relevant articles. The post-genomic era will present many opportunities for improvement in oral health care but will also present a multitude of challenges. We can conclude from the literature that genes have a role to play in dental caries; however, both environmental and genetic factors have been implicated in the aetiology of caries. Additional studies will have to be conducted to replicate the findings in a different population. Identification of genetic risk factors will help screen and identify susceptible patients to better understand the contribution of genes in caries aetiopathogenesis. Information derived from these diverse studies will provide new tools to target individuals and/or populations for a more efficient and effective implementation of newer preventive measures and diagnostic and novel therapeutic approaches in the management of this disease. © 2015 Australian Dental Association.

Factors affecting scholastic performances of adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Shashidhar, Saraswati; Rao, Chandrika; Hegde, Radhakrishna

2009-05-01

The present study aims at recognizing the social influence, study habits and health factors affecting scholastic performances of adolescents and to compare these factors among the adolescents between two categories of school. A total of 1230 adolescents (13-18 yrs) were screened. Data was collected by personal interview, using the teenage screening questionnaire, Trivandrum, between May 2004 and November 2005. A total 615 students from corporation and private schools were studied. 39.76% (489) were high achievers, 13.5% (166) were low achievers with p poor study habits and social factors were increased in low achievers of corporation schools. On multivariate analysis, the predictor variables for poor scholastic performance were adolescent having refractory error, not having help for study at home, not doing home work regularly, not solving question bank papers and reading only before examinations. It is feasible and worthwhile to identify the determinants of scholastic performance and plan intervention strategies at each school. The results of this study highlight the importance of implementing newer strategies, focusing on strict study patterns and creating the conducive school and home environment for study, so as to achieve better scholastic performances.

Impact of climate change on occupational exposure to solar radiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Grandi, Carlo; Borra, Massimo; Militello, Andrea; Polichetti, Alessandro

2016-01-01

Occupational exposure to solar radiation may induce both acute and long-term effects on skin and eyes. Personal exposure is very difficult to assess accurately, as it depends on environmental, organisational and individual factors. The ongoing climate change interacting with stratospheric ozone dynamics may affect occupational exposure to solar radiation. In addition, tropospheric levels of environmental pollutants interacting with solar radiation may be altered by climate dynamics, so introducing another variable affecting the overall exposure to solar radiation. Given the uncertainties regarding the direction of changes in exposure to solar radiation due to climate change, compliance of outdoor workers with protective measures and a proper health surveillance are crucial. At the same time, education and training, along with the promotion of healthier lifestyles, are of paramount importance.

Factors affecting sustainability of rural water schemes in Swaziland

Science.gov (United States)

Peter, Graciana; Nkambule, Sizwe E.

The Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target to reduce the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water by the year 2015 has been met as of 2010, but huge disparities exist. Some regions, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa are lagging behind it is also in this region where up to 30% of the rural schemes are not functional at any given time. There is need for more studies on factors affecting sustainability and necessary measures which when implemented will improve the sustainability of rural water schemes. The main objective of this study was to assess the main factors affecting the sustainability of rural water schemes in Swaziland using a Multi-Criteria Analysis Approach. The main factors considered were: financial, social, technical, environmental and institutional. The study was done in Lubombo region. Fifteen functional water schemes in 11 communities were studied. Data was collected using questionnaires, checklist and focused group discussion guide. A total of 174 heads of households were interviewed. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyse the data and to calculate sustainability scores for water schemes. SPSS was also used to classify sustainability scores according to sustainability categories: sustainable, partially sustainable and non-sustainable. The averages of the ratings for the different sub-factors studied and the results on the sustainability scores for the sustainable, partially sustainable and non-sustainable schemes were then computed and compared to establish the main factors influencing sustainability of the water schemes. The results indicated technical and social factors as most critical while financial and institutional, although important, played a lesser role. Factors which contributed to the sustainability of water schemes were: functionality; design flow; water fetching time; ability to meet additional demand; use by population; equity; participation in decision making on operation and

Factors Affecting Behaviours that address HIV Risk among Nigerian ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify factors affecting HIV risk reduction ... Main outcome measures: Sexual behavior and condom use, knowledge about ... attitudes, normative beliefs, and subjective norms about condoms, HIV/AIDS ...

Factors Affecting the Efficiency of Maize Marketing in Vandeikya ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Factors Affecting the Efficiency of Maize Marketing in Vandeikya Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. ... Two hundred maize marketers were selected from Vandeikya Local Area (LGA) of ... EMAIL FULL TEXT EMAIL FULL TEXT

Combined action of ionizing radiation with another factor: common rules and theoretical approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jin Kyu; Roh, Changhyun; Komarova, Ludmila N.; Petin, Vladislav G.

2013-01-01

Two or more factors can simultaneously make their combined effects on the biological objects. This study has focused on theoretical approach to synergistic interaction due to the combined action of radiation and another factor on cell inactivation. A mathematical model for the synergistic interaction of different environmental agents was suggested for quantitative prediction of irreversibly damaged cells after combined exposures. The model takes into account the synergistic interaction of agents and based on the supposition that additional effective damages responsible for the synergy are irreversible and originated from an interaction of ineffective sub lesions. The experimental results regarding the irreversible component of radiation damage of diploid yeast cells simultaneous exposed to heat with ionizing radiation or UV light are presented. A good agreement of experimental results with model predictions was demonstrated. The importance of the results obtained for the interpretation of the mechanism of synergistic interaction of various environmental factors is discussed. (author)

Combined action of ionizing radiation with another factor: common rules and theoretical approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Jin Kyu; Roh, Changhyun, E-mail: jkkim@kaeri.re.kr [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup (Korea, Republic of); Komarova, Ludmila N.; Petin, Vladislav G., E-mail: vgpetin@yahoo.com [Medical Radiological Research Center, Obninsk (Russian Federation)

2013-07-01

Two or more factors can simultaneously make their combined effects on the biological objects. This study has focused on theoretical approach to synergistic interaction due to the combined action of radiation and another factor on cell inactivation. A mathematical model for the synergistic interaction of different environmental agents was suggested for quantitative prediction of irreversibly damaged cells after combined exposures. The model takes into account the synergistic interaction of agents and based on the supposition that additional effective damages responsible for the synergy are irreversible and originated from an interaction of ineffective sub lesions. The experimental results regarding the irreversible component of radiation damage of diploid yeast cells simultaneous exposed to heat with ionizing radiation or UV light are presented. A good agreement of experimental results with model predictions was demonstrated. The importance of the results obtained for the interpretation of the mechanism of synergistic interaction of various environmental factors is discussed. (author)

Identifying factors affecting about outsourcing in paraclinical services

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective: Outsourcing refers to the transfer of services or functions to an outsider supplier, which controls them through a contract or cooperative. The main problem of senior managers in health organizations is determining the services which should be outsourced. The present study seeks to identify the factors that affect ...

Factors Affecting Online Groupwork Interest: A Multilevel Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Jianxia; Xu, Jianzhong; Fan, Xitao

2013-01-01

The purpose of the present study is to examine the personal and contextual factors that may affect students' online groupwork interest. Using the data obtained from graduate students in an online course, both student- and group-level predictors for online groupwork interest were analyzed within the framework of hierarchical linear modeling…

Factors affecting sustainable animal trypanosomosis control in parts ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study examined the factors affecting sustainable trypanosomiasis control in parts of Kaduna State within the sub-humid savannah ecological zone of Nigeria. Focus group discussions were ... More awareness and preference for pour-on and aerial spraying were higher than the use of traps, target or screens. Rearing of ...

Radiation Exposure in Endovascular Infra-Renal Aortic Aneurysm Repair and Factors that Influence It

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rui Machado

Full Text Available Abstract Objective: The endovascular repair of aortic abdominal aneurysms exposes the patients and surgical team to ionizing radiation with risk of direct tissue damage and induction of gene mutation. This study aims to describe our standard of radiation exposure in endovascular aortic aneurysm repair and the factors that influence it. Methods: Retrospective analysis of a prospective database of patients with abdominal infra-renal aortic aneurysms submitted to endovascular repair. This study evaluated the radiation doses (dose area product (DAP, fluoroscopy durations and their relationships to the patients, aneurysms, and stent-graft characteristics. Results: This study included 127 patients with a mean age of 73 years. The mean DAP was 4.8 mGy.m2, and the fluoroscopy time was 21.8 minutes. Aortic bilateral iliac aneurysms, higher body mass index, aneurysms with diameters larger than 60 mm, necks with diameters larger than 28 mm, common iliac arteries with diameters larger than 20 mm, and neck angulations superior to 50 degrees were associated with an increased radiation dose. The number of anatomic risk factors present was associated with increased radiation exposure and fluoroscopy time, regardless of the anatomical risk factors. Conclusion: The radiation exposure during endovascular aortic aneurysm repair is significant (mean DAP 4.8 mGy.m2 with potential hazards to the surgical team and the patients. The anatomical characteristics of the aneurysm, patient characteristics, and the procedure's technical difficulty were all related to increased radiation exposure during endovascular aortic aneurysm repair procedures. Approximately 40% of radiation exposure can be explained by body mass index, neck angulation, aneurysm diameter, neck diameter, and aneurysm type.

Preliminary analysis of the risk factors for radiation pneumonitis in patients with non- small-cell lung cancer treated with concurrent erlotinib and thoracic radiotherapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhuang H

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Hongqing Zhuang,* Hailing Hou,* Zhiyong Yuan, Jun Wang, Qingsong Pang, Lujun Zhao, Ping WangDepartment of Radiotherapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, and Tianjin Lung Cancer Center, Tianjin, People's Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workPurpose: The aim of this study was to investigate radiation pneumonitis and its associated risk factors in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer treated with concurrent erlotinib and thoracic radiotherapy.Materials and methods: We conducted an analysis of patients with nonoperable stage IIIA–IV non-small-cell lung cancer who were treated with concurrent thoracic radiotherapy and erlotinib (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00973310. The Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 3.0 grading system was applied to evaluate the incidence of radiation pneumonitis. The lung dosimetric parameters were recorded in accordance with the treatment plan, and the study endpoint was radiation pneumonitis at grade 2 or more.Results: Among the 24 selected clinical cases, nine were identified with radiation pneumonitis of grade 2 or above (37.5%. This included four cases with grade 2 (16.7%, two cases with grade 3 (8.3%, and three cases with grade 5 (12.5%. The results showed that the planning target volume was a significant factor affecting the incidence of radiation pneumonitis. All lung dosimetric parameters exhibited statistically significant differences between patients with pneumonitis and patients without pneumonitis. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC curve analysis showed that all lung dosimetric parameters were useful in predicting the incidence of radiation pneumonitis. In addition, the threshold values of V5, V10, V15, V20, V30, and mean lung dose were >4%, >29%, >27%, >22%, >17% and >1,027 cGy, respectively.Conclusion: Special attention

Global Factors that Affect the Real Estate Markets in the EU

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Povilas Švogžlys

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The place, neighbourhood, infrastructure, and apartment plan are the main factors which have an influence on price for the buyers, sellers, investors, or brokers participating in the buying and selling processes of real estate. Participants of the process forget frequently that there are more crucial factors which can affect not only the prices of property, but the prices of real estate in the whole region as well in the future. The article uses benchmarking and discuss the main external factors which affect the real estate market in the European Union, the current events and the proposals are presented and the specific conclusions are identified.

Socioeconomic Factors Affecting Adoption of Sunflower Varieties in Sindh

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ghulam Ali Jariko (Corresponding Author

2011-09-01

Full Text Available This research study is based on primary data collection from sunflower growers to assess the socioeconomic factors that are affecting the adoption of sunflower varieties in Sindh.Data samples have been selected from two districts; Badin and Thatta, as these districts are considered main sunflower growing areas in Sindh. The results reveal that Sunflower growers are using Hybrid varieties i.e. 43 percent planted Hysun-33, 29 percent Hysun-38 and 28 percent Hysun-37 varieties. The finding of research using multinomial logistic regression suggests that farm size and level of education significantly affected the adoption of sunflower varieties. These factors are statistically significant at p<0.05. Theother variables such as tenancy status and source of income are not statistically significant in the adoption of sunflower varieties in Sindh.

Factors affecting extension workers in their rendering of effective ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Factors affecting extension workers in their rendering of effective service to pre and ... Small, micro and medium entrepreneurs play an important role in economic ... such as production, marketing and management to adequately service the ...

Factors affecting the periapical healing process of endodontically treated teeth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberto Holland

Full Text Available Abstract Tissue repair is an essential process that reestablishes tissue integrity and regular function. Nevertheless, different therapeutic factors and clinical conditions may interfere in this process of periapical healing. This review aims to discuss the important therapeutic factors associated with the clinical protocol used during root canal treatment and to highlight the systemic conditions associated with the periapical healing process of endodontically treated teeth. The antibacterial strategies indicated in the conventional treatment of an inflamed and infected pulp and the modulation of the host's immune response may assist in tissue repair, if wound healing has been hindered by infection. Systemic conditions, such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension, can also inhibit wound healing. The success of root canal treatment is affected by the correct choice of clinical protocol. These factors are dependent on the sanitization process (instrumentation, irrigant solution, irrigating strategies, and intracanal dressing, the apical limit of the root canal preparation and obturation, and the quality of the sealer. The challenges affecting the healing process of endodontically treated teeth include control of the inflammation of pulp or infectious processes and simultaneous neutralization of unpredictable provocations to the periapical tissue. Along with these factors, one must understand the local and general clinical conditions (systemic health of the patient that affect the outcome of root canal treatment prediction.

Emergency Nurses' Perspectives: Factors Affecting Caring.

Science.gov (United States)

Enns, Carol L; Sawatzky, Jo-Ann V

2016-05-01

Caring is a universal phenomenon. However, as a result of higher patient acuity and staff shortages within the chaotic ED environment, caring behaviors may be in peril. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the meaning of caring from the perspective of emergency nurses. Exploring nurses' perspectives of caring is central to improving staffing and retention issues in this unique work environment. As part of a larger study, a subsample of emergency nurses who work in public hospitals in Manitoba, Canada (n = 17) were interviewed. A qualitative descriptive design was used to gain insight into the caring perspectives of nurses by asking them, "What does caring meaning to you?" and "What affects caring in your practice in the emergency department?" Emerging themes were extracted through analysis of audio tapes and transcripts. Advocacy and holistic care emerged as major themes in the meaning of caring for emergency nurses. Caring was affected by a number of factors, including workload, lack of time, staffing issues, shift work, and lack of self-care. However, lack of management support was the most consistent hindrance to caring identified by study participants. Caring continues to be a unifying concept in nursing; however, influencing factors continue to undermine caring for emergency nurses. Caring is not subsidiary to nursing; it is the central core of nursing. Therefore, fostering a caring working environment is essential for nurses to practice holistic nursing care. It is also imperative to job satisfaction and the retention of emergency nurses. Copyright © 2016 Emergency Nurses Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Some factors that will affect the next generation of forest growth models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leary, R.A.

1988-01-01

This paper discusses several types of factors that affect the form and referents of future growth models. These include philosophical, scientific, technological, educational, and organizational factors. Each factor is presented individually

Factors affecting outcome in ocular myasthenia gravis.

Science.gov (United States)

Mazzoli, Marco; Ariatti, Alessandra; Valzania, Franco; Kaleci, Shaniko; Tondelli, Manuela; Nichelli, Paolo F; Galassi, Giuliana

2018-01-01

50%-60% of patients with ocular myasthenia gravis (OMG) progress to generalized myasthenia gravis (GMG) within two years. The aim of our study was to explore factors affecting prognosis of OMG and to test the predictive role of several independent clinical variables. We reviewed a cohort of 168 Caucasian patients followed from September 2000 to January 2016. Several independent variables were considered as prognostic factors: gender, age of onset, results on electrophysiological tests, presence and level of antibodies against acetylcholine receptors (AChR Abs), treatments, thymic abnormalities. The primary outcome was the progression to GMG and/or the presence of bulbar symptoms. Secondary outcomes were either achievement of sustained minimal manifestation status or worsening in ocular quantitative MG subscore (O-QMGS) or worsening in total QMG score (T-QMGS), assessed by Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) quantitative scores. Changes in mental and physical subscores of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) were assessed with SF-36 questionnaire. Variance analysis was used to interpret the differences between AChR Ab titers at different times of follow up among the generalized and non-generalized patients. Conversion to GMG occurred in 18.4% of patients; it was significantly associated with sex, later onset of disease and anti-AChR Ab positivity. Antibody titer above the mean value of 25.8 pmol/mL showed no significant effect on generalization. Sex and late onset of disease significantly affected T-QMGS worsening. None of the other independent variables significantly affected O-QMGS and HRQoL. Sex, later onset and anti-AChR Ab positivity were significantly associated with clinical worsening.

Factors that affect the accuracy in the precise radiotherapy for abdomen tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Tieming; Ju Yongjian

2008-01-01

The precise radiotherapy has been widely used in the clinics. But there are many factors that affect the accuracy in the course of implementation. Finally the effect of radiotherapy is affected. These factors are reviewed. And the previous research data about the abdomen tumors is summed up. Also how the accuracy was affected by the respiratory movement, positioning, position fixed technology, weight, retraction and motion of the tumor and the situation of surrounding organs will be analyzed. At last, how to avoid these errors in clinics will be discussed. (authors)

Unemployment in Kenya: Some economic factors affecting wage ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This article analyses the economic factors affecting wage employment in Kenya, where open unemployment fell from 15 per cent in 1998/1999 to 13 per cent in 2005/2006. As of 2005/2006, wage employment constituted 13 per cent of the total working population, which implies that doubling wage employment will absorb ...

Factors affecting sports participation among female students at ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The primary aim of this study was to examine factors affecting sport participation among resident and non- resident female students at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), Pretoria, South Africa. The study targeted all students participating in 12 registered sports but due to the fact that only a limited number of the total ...

Factors affecting sexual function in menopause: A review article

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soheila Nazarpour

2016-08-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to systematically review the articles on factors affecting sexual function during menopause. Searching articles indexed in Pubmed, Science Direct, Iranmedex, EMBASE, Scopus, and Scientific Information Database databases, a total number of 42 studies published between 2003 and 2013 were selected. Age, estrogen deficiency, type of menopause, chronic medical problems, partner's sex problems, severity of menopause symptoms, dystocia history, and health status were the physical factors influencing sexual function of menopausal women. There were conflicting results regarding the amount of androgens, hormonal therapy, exercise/physical activity, and obstetric history. In the mental–emotional area, all studies confirmed the impact of depression and anxiety. Social factors, including smoking, alcohol consumption, the quality of relationship with husband, partner's loyalty, sexual knowledge, access to health care, a history of divorce or the death of a husband, living apart from a spouse, and a negative understanding of women's health were found to affect sexual function; however, there were conflicting results regarding the effects of education, occupation, socioeconomic status, marital duration, and frequency of sexual intercourse.

Factors affecting sexual function in menopause: A review article.

Science.gov (United States)

Nazarpour, Soheila; Simbar, Masoumeh; Tehrani, Fahimeh Ramezani

2016-08-01

This study aimed to systematically review the articles on factors affecting sexual function during menopause. Searching articles indexed in Pubmed, Science Direct, Iranmedex, EMBASE, Scopus, and Scientific Information Database databases, a total number of 42 studies published between 2003 and 2013 were selected. Age, estrogen deficiency, type of menopause, chronic medical problems, partner's sex problems, severity of menopause symptoms, dystocia history, and health status were the physical factors influencing sexual function of menopausal women. There were conflicting results regarding the amount of androgens, hormonal therapy, exercise/physical activity, and obstetric history. In the mental-emotional area, all studies confirmed the impact of depression and anxiety. Social factors, including smoking, alcohol consumption, the quality of relationship with husband, partner's loyalty, sexual knowledge, access to health care, a history of divorce or the death of a husband, living apart from a spouse, and a negative understanding of women's health were found to affect sexual function; however, there were conflicting results regarding the effects of education, occupation, socioeconomic status, marital duration, and frequency of sexual intercourse. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

factors affecting antenatal care service utilization in yem special ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

jhon

assess antenatal care utilization and factors that affect it in Yem Special Woreda, South Western Ethiopia. METHODS: A ... A pre-tested structured questionnaire consisting of information on socio- ..... model and access to medical care: does it.

Environmental Factors Affecting Where People Geocache

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer Golbeck

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Outdoor leisure activities are important for public health as well as family cohesiveness, yet environmental factors may easily affect someone’s ability to participate in such activities. We explored this with a focus on the social web-based treasure hunt game called Geocaching. We collected data on all US and Canadian geocaches from OpenCaching.com and conducted an online survey with twenty geocachers as a follow-up to our data analysis. Data analysis showed that geocaches were more often found in areas that were wealthier, better educated, younger, and more urban, and had higher population density and better weather. Survey results showed similar trends: Most people actively thought about where they would cache and tried to minimize risks, despite cache hiders thinking less about these concerns. These results further emphasize the importance of environmental factors when it comes to participation in outdoor activities and leads to Human–Computer Interaction design implications for location-based online social activities.

Analysis on factors affecting consumers decision on purchasing simple-type houses

Science.gov (United States)

Rumintang, A.; Sholichin, I.

2018-01-01

In line with the increase of the population and the need of comfortable houses, as affected by modernization era, the house demand is getting higher. Hence, conducting a research on consumers need and want in buying a house should be seriously attempted to succeed marketing activity. Using an analysis consumers’ behavior, the researcher will know few affecting factors related to consumers’ satisfaction in buying a house. Among other, the factors in question include: house price, house condition, facilities, location and accessability. The sample of this research was drawn from the residents of Graha Asri Housing, Taman Bulang Permai, and Sukodono Permai. Based on the analysis and discussion, some conclusions are made as follow: the factors and variables affecting the consumers’ decision on each choice of house is different and also the same variables on three sources of data include housing atmosphere, cleaning service, ease of access to shopping center, health clinics or hospitals, tourism spot, schools, and the bus station.

Radiation recall dermatitis, panniculitis, and myositis following cyclophosphamide therapy: histopathologic findings of a patient affected by multiple myeloma.

Science.gov (United States)

Borroni, Giovanni; Vassallo, Camilla; Brazzelli, Valeria; Martinoli, Sara; Ardigò, Marco; Alessandrino, Paolo Emilio; Borroni, Riccardo Giovanni; Franchini, Pietro

2004-06-01

Radiation recall dermatitis is one of the skin sequelae that may affect oncology patients. It occurs in a previously irradiated field, when subsequent chemotherapy is given. The eruption may be elicited by chemotherapy, even several months after radiotherapy. Its mechanism is poorly understood, and the histopathologic findings have received, to date, only sketchy descriptions. A 55-year-old male affected by multiple myeloma received radiation therapy both on his left coxofemoral area, and lumbar region (D11-L1). After cyclophosphamide administration, he developed 2 well defined square-shaped, infiltrated erythematoviolaceous plaques in the prior irradiated fields. Histopathologic findings revealed a diffusely fibrosclerosing process, involving deep dermis, hypodermis, as well as the underlying muscle, while sparing the epidermis and superficial-mid dermis. Histopathology was indistinguishable from deep radio-dermatitis, panniculitis, and myositis. This is the first case providing clear evidence of the causative role of cyclophosphamide in inducing a cutaneous and subcutaneous radiation recall reaction.

Factors Affecting Quality of Life and Fatigue in Gynaecologic Cancer Patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Güngör İ

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF is the most commonly reported and most distressing symptom in cancer patients. Health-related quality of life (QOL is an important outcome in cancer management, the authors sought to better understand its determinants. Aim: This study aims to identify quality of life and fatigue levels and the affecting factors in gynaecologic cancer patients. Method: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 154 volunteer women with gynaecologic cancer. The data were collected through the interview form, functional assessment of cancer therapy-general (FACT-G Quality of Life Scale, and Piper Fatigue Scale. Results: The mean score of total quality of life in gynaecologic cancer patients was low, 53.4 ± 15.4. Physical and emotional states were found to be the mostly affected states in the quality of life. According to the Piper Fatigue Scale, the total fatigue score was mild, 3.5 ± 2.4. Total fatigue scores were found to be high in metastatic cancers. Multivariate analyses indicate that the most important factor affecting the quality of life is economic condition, and the most important variables affecting fatigue are the level of activity and use of medicine. Conclusion: This study found that quality of life dimensions in women with gynaecologic cancer was affected by factors such as cancer type, time of diagnosis, and stage and spread of the cancer.

Adaptive Measures for the Factors Affecting Marketing of Coffee ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Adaptive Measures for the Factors Affecting Marketing of Coffee ( Coffea robusta ... of coffee in the study area was poor pricing and marketing systems; this is as a ... of quality control and relevant information on improved coffee technologies.

Identifying factors affecting destination choice of medical tourists: a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

medical tourism”, has emerged as a new source of competitive advantage all over the world. The present study seeks to identify the factors that affect destination choice of medical tourists. Methods: We systematically searched relevant databases ...

Environmental and genetic factors affecting faecal worm egg counts ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Environmental and genetic factors affecting faecal worm egg counts in Merinos divergently selected for reproduction. ... The fixed effect of birth year x sex interaction was significant, with rams showing higher mean values for FWEC than ewes ...

Violation of the factorization theorem in large-angle radiative Bhabha scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arbuzov, A.B.; Kuraev, Eh.A.; Shajkhatdenov, B.G.

1998-01-01

The lowest order QED radiative corrections to the radiative large-angle Bhabha scattering process in the region where all the kinematical invariants are large compared to the electron mass are considered. We show that the leading logarithmic corrections do not factor before the Born cross section, contrary to the picture assumed in the renormalization group approach. Estimation of the leading and nonleading contributions for typical kinematics of the hard process for energy of Φ factory is done

Population-genetic approach to standardization of radiation and non-radiation factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Telnov, I.

2006-01-01

population level. Of 65 analyses of association between diseases and unfavorable effects and various genetic polymorphic systems, 27 had negative results. Other 38 had significant, i.e. positive results. Respective G.S.R.R. varied accordingly in the range from 1.2 to 2.5. Averaged G.S.R.R. for some genetic systems ranged from 1.4 to 1.9. More stable and closer values of averaged G.S.R.R. calculated for various categories of effects: pathologies due to radiation and non-radiation factors - 1.51; non-tumor (1,47) and tumor (1,54) diseases; average life expectancy - 1.34. Population-averaged or integral value of G.S.R.R. was about 1.5. This value can be used as genetic predisposition coefficient (C.G.P.) for correction in averaging of environmental population level factors. Such correction can be done by decreasing of permissible standard value by the value of C.G.P. to calculate population-genetic standard. It should be noted that population-genetic standards decrease risk of development of unfavorable consequences due to effect of environmental factors in individuals with genetic predisposition to the general population level. An important advantage of this approach is that there is no need to account for all existing variations of genetic predisposition to multiform unfavorable environmental factors

A possible methodological approach to setting up control level of radiation factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devyatajkin, E.V.; Abramov, Yu.V.

1986-01-01

The mathematical formalization of the concept of control levels (CL) which enables one to obtain CL numerical values of controllable parameters required for rapid control purposes is described. The initial data for the assessment of environmental radioactivity are the controllable parameter values that is practical characteristic of controllable radiation factor showing technically measurable or calculation value. The controllable parameters can be divided into two classes depending on the degree of radiation effect on a man: possessing additivity properties (dosimetric class) and non-possessing (radiation class, which comprises the results of control of medium alteration dynamics, equipment operation safety, completeness of protection measures performance). The CL calculation formulas with account for requirements of radiation safety standards (RSS-76) are presented

Reappraising factors affecting mourning dove perch coos

Science.gov (United States)

Sayre, M.W.; Atkinson, R.D.; Baskett, T.S.; Haas, G.H.

1978-01-01

Results confirmed pairing as the primary factor influencing perch-cooing rates of wild mourning doves (Zenaida macroura). Marked unmated males cooed at substantially higher rates (6.2x) than mated males, had greater probability of cooing (2.3x) during 3-minute periods, and continued cooing longer each morning than mated males. Population density was not a major factor affecting cooing. Unmated males cooed more frequently in the presence of other cooing doves (P < 0.05) than when alone, but the number of additional doves above 1 was unimportant. Cooing rates of both mated and unmated males on areas with dissimilar dove densities were not significantly different. Within limits of standard call-count procedure, weather exerted no detectable influence on cooing.

Organisational Factors Affecting Policy and Programme Decision Making in a Public Health Policy Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Zardo, Pauline; Collie, Alex; Livingstone, Charles

2015-01-01

Organisational factors can affect the success of interventions aimed at increasing research use. Research is needed to identify organisational factors affecting research use in specific public health policy contexts. Qualitative interviews with decision makers from a specific public health context identified a range of organisational factors that…

Factors affecting dental service quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Bahadori, Mohammadkarim; Raadabadi, Mehdi; Ravangard, Ramin; Baldacchino, Donia

2015-01-01

Measuring dental clinic service quality is the first and most important factor in improving care. The quality provided plays an important role in patient satisfaction. The purpose of this paper is to identify factors affecting dental service quality from the patients' viewpoint. This cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study was conducted in a dental clinic in Tehran between January and June 2014. A sample of 385 patients was selected from two work shifts using stratified sampling proportional to size and simple random sampling methods. The data were collected, a self-administered questionnaire designed for the purpose of the study, based on the Parasuraman and Zeithaml's model of service quality which consisted of two parts: the patients' demographic characteristics and a 30-item questionnaire to measure the five dimensions of the service quality. The collected data were analysed using SPSS 21.0 and Amos 18.0 through some descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, as well as analytical methods, including confirmatory factor. Results showed that the correlation coefficients for all dimensions were higher than 0.5. In this model, assurance (regression weight=0.99) and tangibility (regression weight=0.86) had, respectively, the highest and lowest effects on dental service quality. The Parasuraman and Zeithaml's model is suitable to measure quality in dental services. The variables related to dental services quality have been made according to the model. This is a pioneering study that uses Parasuraman and Zeithaml's model and CFA in a dental setting. This study provides useful insights and guidance for dental service quality assurance.

Exploring Factors that Affect Purchase Intention of Athletic Team Merchandise

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Donghun; Trail, Galen T.; Lee, Cindy; Schoenstedt, Linda J.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to test a structural model to determine which psychosocial constructs affected the purchase intention of athletic team merchandise (ATM). Results from the analyses indicated that the twelve-factor ATM model fit the data from collegiate athletic events well, explaining the various impact factors that lead to purchase…

Factors Affecting Utilization of Skilled Birth Attendants by Women in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This underscores the need to investigate factors responsible for low use of skilled attendants at birth. The main purpose of the study was to identify factors affecting utilization of skilled attendants at birth by pregnant women in Kasama district in order to help contribute to the reduction of maternal and child complications.

Factors Affecting Community Participation in O and OD Planning ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Factors Affecting Community Participation in O and OD Planning and ... great success at start but later dropped in number of cattle taken for dipping. ... and to establish the measures taken by the district leadership in addressing the problems.

Kjell J. Nilssen; Factors affecting energy expenditure in reindeer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sven Skjenneberg (ed.

1984-05-01

Full Text Available The thesis Factors affecting energy expenditure in reindeer by Kjell J. Nilssen was approved for the Phil, dr's degree at the University of Tromsø. The dissertation took place in Tromsø December 15.1984.

Group decision-making: Factors that affect group effectiveness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juliana Osmani

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Organizations are operating in a dynamic and turbulent environment. In these conditions, they have to make decisions for new problems or situations. Most of decisions are therefore non-programmed and unstructured, accompanied by risk and uncertainty. Moreover, the problems and situations are complex. All organizations are oriented towards group decisionmaking processes, as useful tools to cope with uncertainty and complexity. Apart from the necessity, companies are turning towards participatory processes also to benefit from the important advantages that these processes offer. Organizations have realized the importance of group decision-making processes to contribute to the creation of sustainable competitive advantages. Main objective of this paper is to show that group decision-making processes do not offer guarantee for good decisions, because the effectiveness of group is affected by many factors. So, the first thing done in this paper is discussing about the benefits and limitations that accompany the use of groups with decision-making purpose. Afterwards, we stop on the different factors that influence the group’s ability to make good decisions. The aim is to emphasize that regardless of the many advantages of groups, some factors as group size, type of communication within the group, leadership style, the norms, the differentiation of roles and statuses, cohesion and compliance degree should be the main elements to keep into consideration because they affect the effectiveness of group. In this regard, is discussed how such factors influence the quality of decision and then we try to draw some conclusions that can improve and make better and easier group decision-making processes.

Factors Affecting Customer Satisfaction in Mobile Telecommunication Industry in Bangladesh

OpenAIRE

Md. Rahman

2014-01-01

Identification of factors responsible for customer satisfaction is a key concern of marketing scholars and marketers in now a days and it will remain in the future. There is considerable evidence that quality factors affecting customer satisfaction in numerous ways. However, this empirical study is initiated to find out what particular factors responsible for customer satisfaction in the mobile tel- ecommunication industry in Bangladesh. 282 samples have been collected through structured ques...

Formal Classroom Observations: Factors That Affect Their Success

Science.gov (United States)

Zaidi, Zeba

2017-01-01

Formal class room observation is a very delicate topic in any educational institution. It involves a series of emotions and sentiments that come with the package. In this paper, the researcher will attempt to analyze the factors that affect the process in a relatively significant manner and thereby contribute greatly to the success or failure of…

Factors affecting the quality of voice in the early glottic cancer treated with radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agarwal, Jai Prakash; Baccher, Gurmit K.; Waghmare, Chaitali M.; Mallick, Indranil; Ghosh-Laskar, Sarbani; Budrukkar, Ashwini; Pai, Prathamesh; Chaturvedi, Pankaj; D'Cruz, Anil; Shrivastava, Shyam K.; Dinshaw, Ketayun A.

2009-01-01

Aims: To prospectively analyze the objective voice quality before and after radiotherapy (RT) for early glottic cancer and to evaluate the role of different factors that may affect it. Methods: Patients with T1-T2N0M0 glottic cancer underwent voice quality assessment before treatment and after radical RT. Post-RT voice quality was compared to the voice at diagnosis and the voice of healthy individuals used as controls. A comprehensive set of voice parameters were measured. The effects of age, smoking history, T stage, anterior commissure (AC) involvement, radiation dose, fractionation and volumes on pre-treatment and post-treatment voice quality were analyzed. Results: The voice quality data of 50 patients were analyzed. Following treatment, there was a significant improvement in the majority of measured parameters. However, perturbation and HNR remained inferior compared to controls. A history of smoking, AC involvement and larger RT volumes resulted in poorer voice parameters following RT. There was no significant impact of age alone. T2 tumors had an inferior voice quality before treatment, but did not remain inferior following RT. Hypofractionated RT did not show any negative impact. Conclusions: There is a considerable improvement of voice quality following RT. Several factors may have specific effects on pre-treatment and post-treatment voice

Factors affecting disclosure of serostatus to children attending Jinja ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Factors affecting disclosure of serostatus to children attending Jinja Hospital ... twenty children and all (ten) health workers at Jinja Hospital paediatric HIV clinic. ... and child attending psychosocial support group (OR 7.4 CI 3.6-15.3 p < 0.001).

Simulated radiation disinfestation of infested cocoa beans in Ghana

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amoako-Atta, B.

1979-01-01

Four major insect pests persistently affect the cocoa industry in Ghana, the world's leading exporter of cocoa, despite the conventional methods of chemical control in practice. The Ghana Atomic Energy Commission currently is investigating the possible use of radiation for the control of both insect attack and microbial spoilage of cocoa beans in storage. Radiation response studies of the four major insect pests that significantly affect the quality of dried cocoa beans in storage have been evaluated. Results herein reported were based on simulated bulk infestation radiation disinfestation of dried cocoa under field and laboratory conditions at ambient temperature (25 to 32 0 C). The comparative efficiency of locally available packaging materials best suited for bagging of the dried cocoa beans at and after irradiation have been assessed concurrently. The author concludes by identifying and discussing possible factors that could affect the technology of radiation disinfestation of cocoa beans under the Ghanaian context. (author)

Factors affecting 30-month survival in lung cancer patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahesh, P A; Archana, S; Jayaraj, B S; Patil, Shekar; Chaya, S K; Shashidhar, H P; Sunitha, B S; Prabhakar, A K

2012-10-01

Age adjusted incidence rate of lung cancer in India ranges from 7.4 to 13.1 per 100,000 among males and 3.9 to 5.8 per 100,000 among females. The factors affecting survival in lung cancer patients in India are not fully understood. The current study was undertaken to evaluate the factors affecting survival in patients diagnosed with lung cancer attending a tertiary care cancer institute in Bangalore, Karnataka, India. Consecutive patients with primary lung cancer attending Bangalore Institute of Oncology, a tertiary care centre at Bangalore, between 2006 and 2009 were included. Demographic, clinical, radiological data were collected retrospectively from the medical records. A total of 170 consecutive subjects (128 males, 42 females) diagnosed to have lung cancer; 151 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and 19 small cell lung cancer (SCLC) were included. A higher proportion of never-smokers (54.1%) were observed, mostly presenting below the age of 60 yr. Most subjects were in stage IV and III at the time of diagnosis. More than 50 per cent of patients presented with late stage lung cancer even though the duration of symptoms is less than 2 months. The 30-month overall survival rates for smokers and never-smokers were 32 and 49 per cent, respectively. No significant differences were observed in 30 month survival based on age at presentation, gender and type of lung cancer. Cox proportional hazards model identified never-smokers and duration of symptoms less than 1 month as factors adversely affecting survival. Our results showed that lung cancer in Indians involved younger subjects and associated with poorer survival as compared to other ethnic population. Studies on large sample need to be done to evaluate risk factors in lung cancer patients.

Factors affecting medication-order processing time.

Science.gov (United States)

Beaman, M A; Kotzan, J A

1982-11-01

The factors affecting medication-order processing time at one hospital were studied. The order processing time was determined by directly observing the time to process randomly selected new drug orders on all three work shifts during two one-week periods. An order could list more than one drug for an individual patient. The observer recorded the nature, location, and cost of the drugs ordered, as well as the time to process the order. The time and type of interruptions also were noted. The time to process a drug order was classified as six dependent variables: (1) total time, (2) work time, (3) check time, (4) waiting time I--time from arrival on the dumbwaiter until work was initiated, (5) waiting time II--time between completion of the work and initiation of checking, and (6) waiting time III--time after the check was completed until the order left on the dumbwaiter. The significant predictors of each of the six dependent variables were determined using stepwise multiple regression. The total time to process a prescription order was 58.33 +/- 48.72 minutes; the urgency status of the order was the only significant determinant of total time. Urgency status also significantly predicted the three waiting-time variables. Interruptions and the number of drugs on the order were significant determinants of work time and check time. Each telephone interruption increased the work time by 1.72 minutes. While the results of this study cannot be generalized to other institutions, pharmacy managers can use the method of determining factors that affect medication-order processing time to identify problem areas in their institutions.

Sarcomas following radiation therapy for breast cancer: a report of three cases and a review of the literature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pendlebury, Susan C.; Bilous, Michael; Langlands, Allan O.

1995-01-01

Purpose: First to describe clinical and pathologic features of sarcomas arising after radiation therapy for breast cancer and to report three cases of sarcoma arising 7, 15, and 20 years following radiation therapy for breast cancer. Second, to review the literature on this treatment complication. Methods and Materials: Medline literature search. Results: The most frequent histology is osteosarcoma and bone is affected more commonly than soft tissue at a median latency of 11 years. The scapula is the most frequently affected bone. The most frequently affected soft tissue site is now the conserved breast with a median latency of 5.5 years. The aetiologic factors relating to these sarcomas are not fully defined with factors of beam energy, radiation dose, chemotherapy and regional edema being inconsistently reported. Conclusion: The frequency of radiation-induced sarcoma at 10 years of follow-up is approximately 0.2%. This is an overestimate by an unknown factor because of the description of sarcomas arising metachromously in breast cancer patients, in nonirradiated areas

Heat and nuclear radiation as risk factors for male infertility: results of a French case-control study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thonneau, P.F.; Rachou, E.; Ducot, B.; Multigner, L.; Velez de la Calle, J.P.; Le Martelot, M.T.

1998-01-01

Very few studies have investigated the possible effects of environmental radiation and heat exposure on male reproductive function. We conducted a case control study to evaluate the various infertility risk factors in the military population of the french town of Brest to investigate an apparently high incidence of infertility in couples in which the man may have been exposed to occupational nuclear radiation. These findings suggest that in addition to well known medical factors, 'potential' exposure to heat or nuclear radiation could also be risk factors for infertility. (N.C.)

The results of definitive radiation therapy and the analysis of prognostic factors for non-small cell lung cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Seung Hee; Lee, Kyung Ja; Lee, Soon Nam

1998-01-01

This retrospective study was tried to evaluate the clinical characteristics of patients, patterns of failure, survival rates, prognostic factors affecting survival, and treatment related toxicities when non-small cell lung cancer patients was treated by definitive radiotherapy alone or combined with chemotherapy. We evaluated the treatment results of 70 patients who were treated by definitive radiation therapy for non-small cell lung cancer at the Department of Radiation Oncology. Ewha Womans University Hospital, between March 1982 and April 1996. The number of patients of each stage was 2 in stage 1. 6 in stage II, 30 in stage III-A, 29 in stage III-B, 3 in stage IV. Radiation therapy was administered by 6 MV linear accelerator and daily dose was 1.8-2.0 Gy and total radiation dose was ranged from 50.4 Gy to 72.0 Gy with median dose 59.4 Gy. Thirty four patients was treated with combined therapy with neoadjuvant or concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and most of them were administered with the multi-drug combined chemotherapy including etoposide and cisplatin. The survival rate was calculated with the Kaplan-Meier methods. The overall 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year survival rates were 63%, 29%, and 26%, respectively. The median survival time of all patients was 17 months. The disease-free survival rate for 1-year and 2-year were 23% and 16%, respectively. The overall 1-year survival rates according to the stage was 100% for stage I, 80% for stage II, 61% for stage III, and 50% for stage IV. The overall 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year survival rates for stage III patients only were 61%, 23%, and 20%, respectively. The median survival time of stage III patients only was 15 months. The complete response rates by radiation therapy was 16% and partial response rate was 50%, patients (43%) among 70 patients assessed local control at initial 3 months follow-up duration. Twenty four (80%) of these 30 patients was possible to evaluate the pattern of failure after achievement

Factors Affecting Gastrointestinal Microbiome Development in Neonates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Clara Yieh Lin Chong

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The gut microbiome is established in the newborn period and is recognised to interact with the host to influence metabolism. Different environmental factors that are encountered during this critical period may influence the gut microbial composition, potentially impacting upon later disease risk, such as asthma, metabolic disorder, and inflammatory bowel disease. The sterility dogma of the foetus in utero is challenged by studies that identified bacteria, bacterial DNA, or bacterial products in meconium, amniotic fluid, and the placenta; indicating the initiation of maternal-to-offspring microbial colonisation in utero. This narrative review aims to provide a better understanding of factors that affect the development of the gastrointestinal (GI microbiome during prenatal, perinatal to postnatal life, and their reciprocal relationship with GI tract development in neonates.

AFFECTING CUSTOMER LOYALTY: DO DIFFERENT FACTORS HAVE VARIOUS INFLUENCES IN DIFFERENT LOYALTY LEVELS?

OpenAIRE

Andres Kuusik

2007-01-01

The current paper studies the influence of various factors on customer loyalty. The main hypothesis of the study insists that the list of most important factors affecting loyalty is dependant on the level of loyalty of costumers. LOGIT method was used for testing the hypotheses on the sample of survey data about 1000 private customers of the biggest telecommunication company in Estonia. The results reveal that four analysed factors affecting customer loyalty (satisfaction, trustworthiness, im...

Teachers' Perception of the Factors Affecting Job Satisfaction in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Toshiba

perception of salary as a factor affecting job satisfaction. Also, there .... Thus workers now have higher purchasing power, are given opportunity to use their .... Z-Cal. Z-Crit Significant. Level decision. Female. 70 12.73 3.23. Teachers. 0.32. 1.96.

Factors affecting in sacco dietary degradation by Ankole cattle ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Factors affecting in sacco dietary degradation by Ankole cattle grazing natural range pastures in Uganda. ... Keywords: Ankole cattle, dietary selection, dry matter disappearance, free water intake, in sacco degradation, lignification, live weight change, predictive model, water solubility. African Journal of Range & Forage ...

Labour cost of radiation dose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cook, A.; Lockett, L.E.

1978-01-01

In order to optimise capital expenditure on measures to protect workers against radiation it would be useful to have a means to measure radiation dose in money terms. Because labour has to be employed to perform radiation work there must be some relationship between the wages paid and the doses received. Where the next increment of radiation dose requires additional labour to be recruited the cost will at least equal the cost of the extra labour employed. This paper examines some of the factors which affect the variability of the labour cost of radiation dose and notes that for 'in-plant' exposures the current cost per rem appears to be significantly higher than values quoted in ICRP Publication 22. An example is given showing how this concept may be used to determine the capital it is worth spending on installed plant to prevent regular increments of radiation dose to workers. (author)

Culture and affect: the factor structure of the affective style questionnaire and its relation with depression and anxiety among Japanese.

Science.gov (United States)

Ito, Masaya; Hofmann, Stefan G

2014-09-02

Affective styles are assumed to be one of the underlying processes of depression and anxiety maintenance. However, little is known about the effect of depression and anxiety and the cultural influence of the factor structure. Here, we examined the cross-cultural validity of the Affective Style Questionnaire and its incremental validity for the influence on depression and anxiety. Affective Style Questionnaire was translated into Japanese using standard back-translation procedure. Japanese university students (N = 1,041) served as participants. Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II, Toronto Alexithymia Scale, Rumination and Reflection Questionnaire, Brief COPE, Self-Construal Scale, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were administered. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed that the Affective Style Questionnaire comprised four factors: Concealing, Adjusting, Holding and Tolerating (CFI = .92, TLI = .90, RMSEA = .07). The measure's convergent and discriminant validity was substantiated by its association with various emotion regulation measures. Regression analyses showed that negative influence of Adjusting, Holding, Reappraisal (β = -.17, -.19, -.30) and positive influence of Suppression (β = .23) were observed on depression. For anxiety, Adjusting and Reappraisal was negatively influenced (β = -.29, and -.18). Reliability and validity of the Affective Style Questionnaire was partly confirmed. Further study is needed to clarify the culturally dependent aspects of affective styles.

Factors affecting incidence of dry socket: a prospective community-based study.

Science.gov (United States)

Parthasarathi, Krishnan; Smith, Andrew; Chandu, Arun

2011-07-01

Dry socket, or alveolar osteitis, can occur because of the removal of teeth. No clear etiology has been acknowledged; however, numerous risk factors have been proposed and tested. We report on the results of a prospective, multicenter study of the incidence and factors affecting the occurrence of alveolar osteitis at the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne and Community Dental Clinics in Melbourne, Australia. Ethics approval was gained from the University of Melbourne and Dental Health Services Victoria. The data were analyzed in a descriptive fashion, and the factors affecting alveolar osteitis were assessed using logistic regression analysis. The incidence of alveolar osteitis was 2.3% of all teeth extracted, with 4.2% of all patients experiencing alveolar osteitis in a public dental setting. Multivariate analysis revealed operator experience, perioperative crown and root fractures, periodontal disease, posterior teeth, and, interestingly, the use of mental health medications to be significant independent risk factors for the development of alveolar osteitis. No alveolar osteitis was reported in patients taking antibiotics, the oral contraceptive pill, bisphosphonates, or oral steroid drugs. Smoking and extraction technique (either operative or nonoperative) were also not found to significantly affect the development of alveolar osteitis. Copyright © 2011 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

FACTORS AFFECTING COST PERFORMANCE IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS WITHIN KELANTAN STATE IN MALAYSIA

OpenAIRE

ABDELNASER OMRAN; SITI NORHYDAYATON BINTI MAMAT

2011-01-01

This study investigates the factors affecting cost performance of construction projects in Kelantan State located in the east-coast part of Malaysia. It draws on relevant previous research in the theory of work on cost performance. Thirty-three contractors companies with different working grades in the state of Kelantan were participated in the study. Data were collected from the contractors using a questionnaire survey. The results indicated that the success factors affecting the cost perfor...

Applying total interpretive structural modeling to study factors affecting construction labour productivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sayali Shrikrishna Sandbhor

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Construction sector has always been dependent on manpower. Most of the activities carried out on any construction site are labour intensive. Since productivity of any project depends directly on productivity of labour, it is a prime responsibility of the employer to enhance labour productivity. Measures to improve the same depend on analysis of positive and negative factors affecting productivity. Major attention should be given to factors that decrease the productivity of labour. Factor analysis thus is an integral part of any study aiming to improve productivity.  Interpretive structural modeling is a methodology for identifying and summarizing relationships among factors which define an issue or problem. It provides a means to arrange the factors in an order as per their complexity. This study attempts to use the latest version of interpretive structural modeling i.e. total interpretive structural modeling to analyze factors negatively affecting construction labour productivity. It establishes interpretive relationship among these factors facilitating improvement in the overall productivity of construction site.

Meteorological analysis of symptom data for people with seasonal affective disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarran, Christophe; Albers, Casper; Sachon, Patrick; Meesters, Ybe

2017-11-01

It is thought that variation in natural light levels affect people with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Several meteorological factors related to luminance can be forecast but little is known about which factors are most indicative of worsening SAD symptoms. The aim of this meteorological analysis is to determine which factors are linked to SAD symptoms. The symptoms of 291 individuals with SAD in and near Groningen have been evaluated over the period 2003-2009. Meteorological factors linked to periods of low natural light (sunshine, global radiation, horizontal visibility, cloud cover and mist) and others (temperature, humidity and pressure) were obtained from weather observation stations. A Bayesian zero adjusted auto-correlated multilevel Poisson model was carried out to assess which variables influence the SAD symptom score BDI-II. The outcome of the study suggests that the variable sunshine duration, for both the current and previous week, and global radiation for the previous week, are significantly linked to SAD symptoms. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Motivation and Factors Affecting It among Health Professionals in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

BACKGROUND: Motivation is an individual's degree of willingness to exert and maintain an effort towards organizational goals. This study assessed motivational status and factors affecting it among health professionals in public hospitals of West Shoa Zone, Oromia Region. METHOD: Facility based cross-sectional survey ...

Factors affecting sustainability of land reform projects in Ehlanzeni ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study evaluated factors affecting sustainability of land reform projects in Mpumalanga Province in Bushbuckridge Local Municipality (BLM) of Ehlanzeni District. The study was conducted between July and September 2014. A random sampling technique was used in selecting 31 key informants from the projects.

Various factors affecting /sup 67/Ga scintigraphy of liver cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Motoki, T; Morinari, H; Oono, K [Tokyo Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Medicine

1980-10-01

Various factors affecting /sup 67/Ga accumulation in liver cancer were studied in 38 patients with liver cancer (19 with hepatocellular carcinoma and 19 with metastatic liver cancer) who had received /sup 67/Ga-scintigraphy and liver scintigraphy. Besides histological types, the size, necrosis, vascularity and treatments of liver cancer, concentrations of transferrin (/sup 67/Ga binding protein) and iron in blood probably affected /sup 67/Ga accumulation in liver cancer.

Factors affecting the adoption and diffusion of Internet in higher ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Journal of Language, Technology & Entrepreneurship in Africa ... Factors affecting the adoption and diffusion of Internet in higher educational institutions in Kenya ... communication Technologies (ICTs) such as the Internet, Learning ...

Factors affecting the carbon allowance market in the US

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Hyun Seok; Koo, Won W. [Center for Agricultural Policy and Trade Studies, Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics, North Dakota State University, Dept 7610, P.O. Box 6050, Fargo, ND 58103-6050 (United States)

2010-04-15

The US carbon allowance market has different characteristic and price determination process from the EU ETS market, since emitting installations voluntarily participate in emission trading scheme. This paper examines factors affecting the US carbon allowance market. An autoregressive distributed lag model is used to examine the short- and long-run relationships between the US carbon allowance market and its determinant factors. In the long-run, the price of coal is a main factor in the determination of carbon allowance trading. In the short-run, on the other hand, the changes in crude oil and natural gas prices as well as coal price have significant effects on carbon allowance market. (author)

Factors affecting the carbon allowance market in the US

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hyun Seok; Koo, Won W.

2010-01-01

The US carbon allowance market has different characteristic and price determination process from the EU ETS market, since emitting installations voluntarily participate in emission trading scheme. This paper examines factors affecting the US carbon allowance market. An autoregressive distributed lag model is used to examine the short- and long-run relationships between the US carbon allowance market and its determinant factors. In the long-run, the price of coal is a main factor in the determination of carbon allowance trading. In the short-run, on the other hand, the changes in crude oil and natural gas prices as well as coal price have significant effects on carbon allowance market.

Radiation dosimetry and its influencing factors for the multi-detector/slice spiral CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bai Mei; Zheng Junzheng

2008-01-01

The Multi-Detector/Slice Spiral Computed Tomography (MDCT/MSCT)reflects the new progress in equipment and technology for radiology. Its popularized application demonstrates its advantages for clinical diagnosis. With the continuous development and growing uses of the MDCT/MSCT, the medical exposure of the patients and public has also been increasing. Therefore, assessment of the radiation dose and radiation risk from X-CT has become an increasingly important concern that should be addressed. Thus, this paper summarizes the main characteristics of the MDCT/MSCT emphasizing particularly on the radiation dosimetry, and reviews the expressions and measures of radiation dose in the MDCT/MSCT. In addition, main factors that influence radiation dose from the MDCT/MSCT are also discussed. A proper grasp of its radiation dosimetry and assessment method can significantly help radiologists, health physicists, medical physicists, X-CT engineers and manufacturers improve the management of radiation dose while optimizing the image quality in the MDCT/MSCT. (authors)

Factors Affecting Research Environment at Syrian Business Faculties: A Student-Perceived Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bayan Khalifa

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This study aims at investigating the factors that affect the research environment of business postgraduate students, particularly master students, from the perspective of these students. From the same perspective, it also aims at assessing these factors together with the quality of research environment. A questionnaire survey method was employed. The questionnaire was developed by academics from five business faculties based on relevant studies and was distributed to graduate students enrolled in all of the research business programs at the Faculty of Economics, Damascus University, ending up with 88 valid responses. To explore the factors that may affect research environment, exploratory factor analysis was employed. In addition, multiple regression analysis and t-test were applied to respond to the study purposes. Facilities and industry linkage come to be significant factors in the research environment. However, the results show insignificant impact for each of the research courses, networking, and research skills in the overall research environment. Variations in regard to the availability of these factors were identified with low level of availability for the facilities and industry linkage. The study is one of a kind that investigates factors affecting research environment of postgraduate students and particularly master students. Further and to the best of our knowledge, it is the first study that examines such factors in war conditions, which enables us to understand what students perceive as critical factors influencing their research performance in these conditions. Recommendations to policy makers are presented to develop strategies that respond to students’ concerns for a better research environment.

Psychological factors affecting medical condition: a new proposal for DSM-V.

Science.gov (United States)

Fava, Giovanni A; Fabbri, Stefania; Sirri, Laura; Wise, Thomas N

2007-01-01

The DSM category of "psychological factors affecting medical condition" had virtually no impact on clinical practice. However, several clinically relevant psychosomatic syndromes have been described in the literature: disease phobia, persistent somatization, conversion symptoms, illness denial, demoralization, and irritable mood. These syndromes, in addition to the DSM definition of hypochondriasis, can yield clinical specification in the category of "psychological factors affecting medical condition" and eliminate the need for the highly criticized DSM classification of somatoform disorders. This new classification is supported by a growing body of research evidence and is in line with psychosomatic medicine as a recognized subspecialty.

Risk factors that influence suicidal behavior in affective disorders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stanojević Albina

2016-01-01

Full Text Available It is known in the literature that the incidence and prevalence of suicide and attempted suicide in psychiatric patients is significantly higher than in the general population. The paper examined risk factors for suicidal behavior in the category of admitted patients hospitalized with the diagnosis of sleep disorders and affective (Unipolar resp. Bipolar depression. Study activated by 80 patients, 40 in both diagnostic groups received treatment at the Special Psychiatric Hospital in Gornja Toponica near Nis. The work methodology used are: psychiatric interview, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD, and the C-SSRS (Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale- assessment tool that assesses suicidal ideation and behavior. The study results show that there is a relationship between suicidal behavior (suicide attempts and suicidal ideation and the diagnosis of bipolar affective disorder, positive history of previous suicide attempts, so that these factors are stronger, to the degree of suicidality higher. On this sample, clearly suicidal behavior, with the same purpose, intensity of suicidal thoughts and medical impairment after suicide attempts were significantly more frequent in patients with Bipolar Affective Disorder in the depressive phase of the illness. Patients with a previous suicide attempt, and poor personal and social circumstances had a higher rate of attempted suicide.

Examining the factors affecting willingness to use electronic banking ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Examining the factors affecting willingness to use electronic banking: the ... which information technologies are accepted are of the research studies. ... Customers' understanding of the ease of use of e-banking systems has a significant impact on perceived usefulness and their attitude had. ... AJOL African Journals Online.

Factors affecting farmers' participation in irrigation schemes of the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... those factors affecting farmers' participation in irrigated agriculture at the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority (LNRBDA) in Kwara State, Nigeria. One hundred and sixty (160) respondents were selected from communities around LNRBDA site at Oke Oyi for this study through a two-stage sampling procedures.

EXPLORING THE FACTORS AFFECTING EMPLOYEES’ ADOPTION AND USE OF INNOVATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Majharul Talukder

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This paper explores the factors affecting innovation adoption by individual employees within an organization in Australia. Following a qualitative research approach, this paper uses a series of in-depth interviews and focus group discussions involving academic and administrative employees at a tertiary educational institution in Australia. The qualitative approach is adopted to have a deeper insight into the complexities and dynamism associated with the factors influencing innovation adoption process in organizational settings. The findings of this research highlight the need for broadening an understanding of the key factors affecting employee’s decisions to uptake the adoption of innovation. The results provide important clues for comprehending the factors influencing and determining the employee’s adoption and continued use of innovation in the work environment. In the face of the current trend towards end-user applications of technological innovation, the results suggest some guidelines for management toward effective and efficient adoption and use of innovation in organizational settings. This paper has highlighted the above findings and their implications for management practices related to innovation management in an Australian organizational setting. This paper also identifies possible limitations and future research potential in the relevant field.

Synergism between UV-B radiation and pathogen magnifies amphibian embryo mortality in nature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiesecker, J.M.; Blaustein, R.

1995-01-01

Previous research has shown that amphibians have differential sensitivity to ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation. In some species, ambient levels of UV-B radiation cause embryonic mortality in nature. The detrimental effects of UV-B alone or with other agents may ultimately affect amphibians at the population level. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a synergistic effect between UV-B radiation and a pathogenic fungus in the field that increases the mortality of amphibian embryos compared with either factor alone. Studies investigating single factors for causes of amphibian egg mortality or population declines may not reveal the complex factors involved in declines

Affect and Health Behavior Co-Occurrence: The Emerging Roles of Transdiagnostic Factors and Sociocultural Factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Zvolensky, Michael J; Leventhal, Adam M

2016-01-01

The majority of scientific work addressing relations among affective states and health correlates has focused primarily on their co-occurrence and a limited range of health conditions. We have developed a Special Issue to highlight recent advances in this emerging field of work that addresses the nature and interplay between affective states and disorders, in terms of their impact and consequences from health status and behavior. This Special Issue is organized into three parts classified as (a) co-occurrence and interplay between (b) transdiagnostic factors and (c) sociocultural factors. It is hoped that this issue will (a) alert readers to the significance of this work at different levels of analysis, (b) illustrate the many domains currently being explored via innovative approaches, and (c) identify fecund areas for future systematic study. © The Author(s) 2016.

Suppression of DNA-dependent protein kinase sensitize cells to radiation without affecting DSB repair

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gustafsson, Ann-Sofie; Abramenkovs, Andris; Stenerlöw, Bo

2014-01-01

Highlights: • We reduced the level of DNA-PKcs with siRNA and examined cells after γ-irradiation. • Low DNA-PKcs levels lead to radiosensitivity but did not affect repair of DSB. • Low DNA-PKcs levels may block progression of mitosis. • DNA-PKcs role in mitotic progression is independent of its role in DSB repair. • We suggest different mechanisms by which loss of DNA-PKcs function sensitize cells. - Abstract: Efficient and correct repair of DNA double-strand break (DSB) is critical for cell survival. Defects in the DNA repair may lead to cell death, genomic instability and development of cancer. The catalytic subunit of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKcs) is an essential component of the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) which is the major DSB repair pathway in mammalian cells. In the present study, by using siRNA against DNA-PKcs in four human cell lines, we examined how low levels of DNA-PKcs affected cellular response to ionizing radiation. Decrease of DNA-PKcs levels by 80–95%, induced by siRNA treatment, lead to extreme radiosensitivity, similar to that seen in cells completely lacking DNA-PKcs and low levels of DNA-PKcs promoted cell accumulation in G2/M phase after irradiation and blocked progression of mitosis. Surprisingly, low levels of DNA-PKcs did not affect the repair capacity and the removal of 53BP1 or γ-H2AX foci and rejoining of DSB appeared normal. This was in strong contrast to cells completely lacking DNA-PKcs and cells treated with the DNA-PKcs inhibitor NU7441, in which DSB repair were severely compromised. This suggests that there are different mechanisms by which loss of DNA-PKcs functions can sensitize cells to ionizing radiation. Further, foci of phosphorylated DNA-PKcs (T2609 and S2056) co-localized with DSB and this was independent of the amount of DNA-PKcs but foci of DNA-PKcs was only seen in siRNA-treated cells. Our study emphasizes on the critical role of DNA-PKcs for maintaining survival after radiation exposure

Suppression of DNA-dependent protein kinase sensitize cells to radiation without affecting DSB repair

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gustafsson, Ann-Sofie, E-mail: ann-sofie.gustafsson@bms.uu.se; Abramenkovs, Andris; Stenerlöw, Bo

2014-11-15

Highlights: • We reduced the level of DNA-PKcs with siRNA and examined cells after γ-irradiation. • Low DNA-PKcs levels lead to radiosensitivity but did not affect repair of DSB. • Low DNA-PKcs levels may block progression of mitosis. • DNA-PKcs role in mitotic progression is independent of its role in DSB repair. • We suggest different mechanisms by which loss of DNA-PKcs function sensitize cells. - Abstract: Efficient and correct repair of DNA double-strand break (DSB) is critical for cell survival. Defects in the DNA repair may lead to cell death, genomic instability and development of cancer. The catalytic subunit of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKcs) is an essential component of the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) which is the major DSB repair pathway in mammalian cells. In the present study, by using siRNA against DNA-PKcs in four human cell lines, we examined how low levels of DNA-PKcs affected cellular response to ionizing radiation. Decrease of DNA-PKcs levels by 80–95%, induced by siRNA treatment, lead to extreme radiosensitivity, similar to that seen in cells completely lacking DNA-PKcs and low levels of DNA-PKcs promoted cell accumulation in G2/M phase after irradiation and blocked progression of mitosis. Surprisingly, low levels of DNA-PKcs did not affect the repair capacity and the removal of 53BP1 or γ-H2AX foci and rejoining of DSB appeared normal. This was in strong contrast to cells completely lacking DNA-PKcs and cells treated with the DNA-PKcs inhibitor NU7441, in which DSB repair were severely compromised. This suggests that there are different mechanisms by which loss of DNA-PKcs functions can sensitize cells to ionizing radiation. Further, foci of phosphorylated DNA-PKcs (T2609 and S2056) co-localized with DSB and this was independent of the amount of DNA-PKcs but foci of DNA-PKcs was only seen in siRNA-treated cells. Our study emphasizes on the critical role of DNA-PKcs for maintaining survival after radiation exposure

Determination of transmission factors for beta radiation at different experimental conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Albuquerque, M. da P.P.; Caldas, L.V.E.

1988-06-01

During the transmission factors determination of beta radiation in air, using an ionization chamber with variable volume (extrapolation chamber), connected to a digital electrometer, and the secondary standard system constituted by the 90 Sr + 90 Y, 204 Tl and 147 Pm sources, the positioning of absorber materials equivalent to tissue, in relation to the detector and to the radiation sources is fundamental. In this work the absorbers were positioned in front of the sources, as well in front of the chamber, in different experiments, and the data were compared. (author) [pt

Factors affecting radon levels in homes in British Columbia, Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morley, D.R.; Phillips, B.G.; Van Netten, C.

1992-01-01

British Columbia, Canada's most westerly province, has diverse geologic and climatic characteristics, making it a region where predicting radon gas level is quite complex. Data recently obtained for eleven (11) communities confirm an association between background terrestrial gamma radiation measurements and indoor radon levels in homes. Direct links between radon levels and other factors such as home design/construction features and heating/ventilation systems were observed in data for some communities, but not necessarily from the overall data. (author)

The use of human factors methods to identify and mitigate safety issues in radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chan, Alvita J.; Islam, Mohammad K.; Rosewall, Tara; Jaffray, David A.; Easty, Anthony C.; Cafazzo, Joseph A.

2010-01-01

Background and purpose: New radiation therapy technologies can enhance the quality of treatment and reduce error. However, the treatment process has become more complex, and radiation dose is not always delivered as intended. Using human factors methods, a radiotherapy treatment delivery process was evaluated, and a redesign was undertaken to determine the effect on system safety. Material and methods: An ethnographic field study and workflow analysis was conducted to identify human factors issues of the treatment delivery process. To address specific issues, components of the user interface were redesigned through a user-centered approach. Sixteen radiation therapy students were then used to experimentally evaluate the redesigned system through a usability test to determine the effectiveness in mitigating use errors. Results: According to findings from the usability test, the redesigned system successfully reduced the error rates of two common errors (p < .04 and p < .01). It also improved the mean task completion time by 5.5% (p < .02) and achieved a higher level of user satisfaction. Conclusions: These findings demonstrated the importance and benefits of applying human factors methods in the design of radiation therapy systems. Many other opportunities still exist to improve patient safety in this area using human factors methods.

Research on Paramecium aurelia sensitivity factors to natural ionizing radiations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Croute, F.; Soleilhavoup, J.P.; Gros, N.; Planel, H.

1976-01-01

Previous results have demonstrated that the proliferative activity of Paramecium aurelia is linked to the level of natural ionizing radiations since this activity is decreased under radiation protection (lead cell) and increased under chronic exposure to very low dose of 60 Co gamma rays. The results of this investigation indicate that cell sensitivity in spite of variations in natural irradiation levels can be isolated; they are called 'radioresistant' in opposition to 'radiosensitive' cells which present the other response. These characters are being retained for 9 months after the strains have been isolated. On the other hand, in the case of radiosensitive strains, it has been demonstrated that autogamy affected the cell response to background irradiation; no response at all occured on the very day when autogamy took place, but it reached a maximum level 8 days approximately after autogamy. Moreover, it has been proved that the catalase activity of Paramecium aurelia is higher than those already studied in other cell varieties. This great amount of catalase, which seems to vary with the age of cultures after autogamy, could act on Paramecium sensitivity to very low radiation doses [fr

Possible Mechanism of Infrared Radiation Reception: The Role of the Temperature Factor

Science.gov (United States)

Yachnev, I. L.; Penniyaynen, V. A.; Podzorova, S. A.; Rogachevskii, I. V.; Krylov, B. V.

2018-02-01

The role of the temperature factor in the mechanism of reception of the CO2 laser low-power infrared (IR) radiation (λ = 10.6 μm) by a sensory neuron membrane has been studied. Organotypic embryonic tissue culture has been used to measure and estimate the temperature of a sensory ganglia monolayer exposed to radiation at different energy densities. The effects of tissue exposure to low-power IR radiation have been investigated. It has been found that inhibition of tissue growth by radiation of low energy density (10-14-10-10 J/cm2) is replaced by tissue growth (10-7-10-4 J/cm2), and again followed by inhibition in the range of 0.1-6 J/cm2. A statistically significant specific reaction to nonthermal radiation has been detected at the radiation power density of 3 × 10-10 J/cm2, which is due to activation of the Na+,K+-ATPase transducer function. The mechanisms of interaction of IR radiation with embryonic nerve tissue have been considered. Low-power IR radiation with the wavelength of 10.6 μm has been demonstrated to specifically activate a novel signal transducer function of the sodium pump, which controls the reception of nonthermal IR radiation in the energy density range of 10-14 to 10-10 J/cm2.

Factors Affecting Loan Utilization And Repayment Patterns By Small ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study identified factors affecting loan utilization and repayment patterns by small holder farmers of the Nigerian Agricultural Co-operative and Rural Development Bank (NACRDB) Osogbo branch in Osun State. Two Local Government Areas with large number of loan beneficiaries from 2003 to 2008 in NACRDB were ...

Factors affecting the utilisation of electronic medical records system ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Malawi Medical Journal 29 (3): September 2017. Electronic medical ... care, as they enable storage of large amounts of data and ... EMRs. This study assessed factors that affect the use of EMRs in Malawi, particularly at Queen Elizabeth and Kamuzu Central ..... paperless hospitals in Norway : A socio-technical perspective.

Factors affecting quality of life in cancer patients undergoing ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Factors affecting quality of life in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. ... Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the QoL in cancer patients with solid tumors and at the different chemotherapy cycles (CT). ... Results: A significant relationship between the cancer type, pain intensity, and fatigue was found.

Factors Affecting Recruitment into Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Training

Science.gov (United States)

Shaw, Jon A.; Lewis, John E.; Katyal, Shalini

2010-01-01

Objective: The authors studied the factors affecting the recruitment into child and adolescent psychiatry training in the United States. Methods: Medical students (n = 154) and general and child and adolescent psychiatry residents (n = 111) completed a questionnaire to evaluate career choice in child psychiatry (n = 265). Results: Compared with…

Logistic analysis on influencing factors of radiation workers' anxiety and depression in some city

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kong Xueyuan; Liu Yulong; Zhang Bingjie; Li Yuan; Chen Xiyun; Qiu Mengyue; Bian Huahui; Chen Weibo; Wang Youyou

2014-01-01

Objective: To provide theoretical basis for making the psychological support scheme and to explore the radiation workers' anxiety and depression status in some communities of a city and the influence factors. Methods: A total of 424 workers from 32 units of the city were sampled and required to provide the general demographic data for self-evaluation of anxiety scale (SAS) and depression self rating scale (SDS). Personal dose data was collected. The influence factors were analyzed by use of binary logistic regression procedure. Results: The radiation workers in this city had obvious anxiety and depression mood. Both SAS and SDS scores were significantly higher compared with Chinese norm (t = 10.55, 20.17, P < 0.05). Multiple factors logistic regression showed that their gender, personal dose and training situation were the factors influencing anxiety mood(χ"2 = 47.21, P < 0.05), while their educational background, personal dose and training situation had influence on depression mood(χ"2 = 329.83, P < 0.05). Conclusions: The anxiety and depression mood of radiation workers are obviously high in comparison with the Chinese norm, and are influenced by gender and personal dose. (authors)

Factors affecting functional prognosis of patients with hip fracture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristensen, M T

2011-01-01

to just one or two single factors. The current article reviews important factors affecting the functional prognosis, and clinicians are encouraged to include all factors potentially influencing the outcome of patients with hip fracture in their individualised treatment and rehabilitation plan. Especially......Having a hip fracture is considered one of the most fatal fractures for elderly people, resulting in impaired function, and increased morbidity and mortality. This challenges clinicians in identifying patients at risk of worse outcome, in order to optimise and intensify treatment in these patients....... A variety of factors such as age, prefracture function and health status, fracture type, pain, anaemia, muscle strength, and the early mobility level have been shown to influence patient outcome. Thus, the outcome of patients with hip fracture is considered multi-factorial, and can therefore not be related...

Formulating the strength factor α for improved predictability of radiation hardening

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tan, L., E-mail: tanl@ornl.gov; Busby, J.T.

2015-10-15

Analytical equations were developed to calculate the strength factors of precipitates, Frank loops, and cavities in austenitic alloys, which strongly depend on barrier type, size, geometry and density, as well as temperature. Calculated strength factors were successfully used to estimate radiation hardening using the broadly employed dispersed barrier-hardening model, leading to good agreement with experimentally measured hardening in neutron-irradiated type 304 and 316 stainless steel variants. The formulated strength factor provides a route for more reliable hardening predictions and can be easily incorporated into component simulations and design.

An engagement factor for caregiver radiation dose assessment with radioiodine treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Hyun Kuk; Hong, Seong Jong; Jeong, Kyu Hwan; Jung, Jae Won; Kim, Seong Min; Kang, Yun-Hee; Han, Man Seok

2015-01-01

This study aims to suggest ways to better manage thyroid cancer patients treated with high- and low-activity radioiodine ( 131 I) by assessing external radiation doses to family members and caregivers and the level of radiation in the surrounding environment. The radiation doses to caregivers of 33 inpatients (who were quarantined in the hospital for 2-3 d after treatment) and 31 outpatients who received radioiodine treatment after thyroidectomy were measured using passive thermoluminescence dosemeters. In this study, 33 inpatients were administered high-activity (100-200 mCi) 131 I, and 31 outpatients were administered low-activity (30 mCi) 131 I. The average doses to caregivers were measured at 0.61 mSv for outpatients and 0.16 mSv for inpatients. The total integrated dose of the recovery (recuperation) rooms where the patients stayed after release from hospital was measured to be 0.83 mSv for outpatients and 0.23 mSv for inpatients. To reflect the degree of engagement between the caregiver and the patient, considering the duration and distance between two during exposure, the authors used the engagement factor introduced by Jeong et al. (Estimation of external radiation dose to caregivers of patients treated with radioiodine after thyroidectomy. Health Phys 2014;106:466-474.). This study presents a new engagement factor (K-value) of 0.82 obtained from the radiation doses to caregivers of both in- and out-patients treated with high- and low-activity radioiodine, and based on this new value, this study presented a new predicted dose for caregivers. A patient treated with high-activity radioiodine can be released after 24 h of isolation, whereas outpatients treated with low-activity radioiodine should be isolated for at least 12 h. (authors)

Correlation factor analysis between radiation pneumonitis and chemo-radiotherapy in breast cancer patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Huiping; Wang Junjie; Ma Liwen; Zhang Shulan; Deng Huijing; Jia Tingzhen

2004-01-01

Objective: To investigate the relationship between radiotherapy-induced lung injury and chemotherapy agents as well as other factors. Methods: A total of 85 breast cancer patients received radiotherapy with sequential or concurrent chemotherapy after surgery were analysed for radiation dose, chemotherapy schedule, age, and lung disease history. Results: Five patients had clinical symptoms of radiation pneumonitis, one of them was necessary to treat and 16 patients developed radiological changes (18.8%). Close relationship was noted between incidence of radiation pneumonitis and radiation dose, timing and drugs used in chemotherapy and lung disease history. Conclusion: High irradiation dose, concurrent chemotherapy, and lung disease history can increase the rate of radiotherapy-induced pulmonary injury in breast cancer patients. (authors)

A review of affecting factors on sexual satisfaction in women.

Science.gov (United States)

Shahhosseini, Zohreh; Gardeshi, Zeinab Hamzeh; Pourasghar, Mehdi; Salehi, Fariba

2014-12-01

Sex is a complex, important and sensitive issue in human being and interwoven with the whole of human existence. Given the serious changes in attitude, function and behavior in sex, the need to address sexual function, especially sexual satisfaction, is felt completely. Sexual satisfaction has a very important role in creating marital satisfaction and any defect in sexual satisfaction is significantly associated with risky sexual behaviors, serious mental illness, social crimes and ultimately divorce. The aim of this study was to explore affecting factors on sexual satisfaction in women based on an overview in scientific database. In this narrative review the researchers searched MEDLINE database, Google Scholar and Science Direct as well as Persian database like Scientific Information Database with search terms of sexual satisfaction and sexual function, restricted to English/ Persian language, during the 20 years ago. Then those articles written by renowned experts were selected. In this regard, 57 articles have been reviewed, which 30 articles related to this research have been extracted. The findings were divided in to four categories including: Demographic factors, Pathophysiological factors, Psychological factors and Sociocultural factors. Sexuality, especially sexual intimacy is sophisticated and yet elegant affair that the other persons has different definitions and different functions. Discrepancies in the results of the studies show that analysis of factors affecting sexual satisfaction regardless of the women's' sociocultural context, religious beliefs, and personal attitudes is undoubtedly inefficient, unscientific and irrational.

Study of physical factors affecting the TLD readout

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmed, Amira Abd Elrhman Ebrahim

2015-10-01

The aim of the study was to study the effects of physical factors in TLD reading. The dosimeters have been irradiated with x rays of (0.5 mGy to 5 mGy) using plastic holder with Aluminum filters with dimensions 1.5 x 0.8 mm and 0.5 mm in thickness to obtain the equivalent dose Hp (10) flux of nitrogen gas and annealing after data collection by TLD Reader Analyzer 04 (Version 0.9.400 micro lab (krakow 2012). The count and dose analysis shows that; The count/s given by TLD appears to be higher in case of using filtration which was 7189.9 eps in contrast with reading without filter which was 4055.8 eps. There was proportional linear relationship between the applied dose and the TLD count for both cases with and without filter. And the correlation could be fitted in the form of equations: y=423.9 x + 1023 and y = 432.5 x + 405.3 for filtered and y refers to count/s. Such increment in count is ascribed to increasing applied radiation dose as well it indicates and confirms the linearity of TLD in measuring the radiation dose since R 2 = 0.9. However the count with filter for the applied radiation dose in mGy was greater than that without filter. The that measured with pellets annealing (reading of zero doses). TLD pellets reading without zero dose measurement usually gives greater dose ( 441.8 and 563.6 μGy) relative to the case where the zero doses have been measured which were 289.6 and 429.2 μGy, respectively. While the effect of using filtration is so obvious and leads to increase of zero dose, respectively relative to dose s of un reading of zero dose, and reading of zero dose, but without filter.(Author)

Factors affecting yearly and monthly visits to Taipei Zoo

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Ai-Tsen; Lin, Yann-Jou

2018-02-01

This study investigated factors affecting yearly and monthly numbers of visits to Taipei Zoo. Both linear and nonlinear regression models were used to estimate yearly visits. The results of both models showed that the "opening effect" and "animal star effect" had a significantly positive effect on yearly visits, while a SARS outbreak had a negative effect. The number of years had a significant influence on yearly visits. Results showed that the nonlinear model had better explanatory power and fitted the variations of visits better. Results of monthly model showed that monthly visits were significantly influenced by time fluctuations, weather conditions, and the animal star effect. Chinese New Year, summer vacation, numbers of holidays, and animal star exhibitions increased the number of monthly visits, while the number of days with temperatures at or below 15 °C, the number of days with temperatures at or above 30 °C, and the number of rainy days had significantly negative effects. Furthermore, the model of monthly visits showed that the animal star effect could last for over two quarters. The results of this study clarify the factors affecting visits to an outdoor recreation site and confirm the importance of meteorological factors to recreation use.

External factors affecting data acquisition during corneal topography examination.

Science.gov (United States)

González-Méijome, José Manuel; Queirós, Antonio; Jorge, Jorge; Fernandes, Paulo; Cerviño, Alejandro; de Almeida, José Borges

2007-03-01

To analyze the factors affecting data acquisition during corneal topography examination with the Medmont E-300 videokeratoscope and to provide strategies to minimize their effects. Sixty eyes from thirty young adults were examined. A second observer registered incidences with the potential to affect data acquisition. Those factors were correlated with the difficulty of measurements as judged subjectively by the practitioner who performed the examination. Measurements of axial curvature were analyzed to evaluate the variability expressed as intrasession and intersession coefficient of variation and the standard error of the mean (SEM). The level of difficulty rated by the practitioner was in general low, with 70% of the eyes being easy or very easy to measure. For the remaining 30% of the eyes, corneal topography measurements were considered to be difficult (27%) or very difficult (3%). Of the external parameters investigated, only fixation instability (PSEM improved when three readings from each session were considered. The level of subjective difficulty found during videokeratoscopy examination is correlated strongly with fixation instability and the need for head reorientation in the chin rest, whereas tear-related events seem to be less relevant in the practitioner perception of test ease or difficulty. Those factors have relevance in measurement variability.

GENDER DIFFERENTIALS IN FACTORS AFFECTING PERFORMANCE OF SMALL-SCALE ENTERPRISES IN LAGOS STATE – NIGERIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yusuff Olabisi Sherifat

2013-05-01

Full Text Available There is a lack of empirical data segregation on factors affecting gender as the variable of interest. However, previous research had indicated several factors that affect business performances among small-scale enterprise owners. Using feminist theory and a descriptive survey research design, data were collected from fifty (50 small-scale enterprise owners that were purposively chosen across the study area. The findings show that the factors that were significant for female were significantly different from male. For female small scale enterprise owners, marital status (64% Age of Children (68%, Role Model/ advisors (58% were significant factors that affect their business performance. For male small-scale enterprise owners, Friends (70%, a lack of Government support (80%, inability to display innovativeness (78% and Risk-Taking (84% were significant for male. Lack of availability of capital and finances were significant for the two. Other factors that affect performance include friends, inadequate training and business location. Adequate knowledge of factors that affect gender enterprise performance will go a long way in alleviating these problems. Small-scale enterprises should be supported for poverty alleviation, especially among women and for the nation’s economic development

Factors Affecting Role Stress and Burnout among School Counselors

Science.gov (United States)

Willingham, Wendy Elizabeth

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine factors affecting role stress and burnout among practicing school counselors as measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educators Survey (MBI-ES) and the Role Conflict and Ambiguity Scale. The MBI-ES utilizes three subscales to measure burnout: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal…

Soft and Collinear Radiation and Factorization in Perturbation Theory and Beyond

CERN Document Server

Gardi, Einan

2002-01-01

Power corrections to differential cross sections near a kinematic threshold are analysed by Dressed Gluon Exponentiation. Exploiting the factorization property of soft and collinear radiation, the dominant radiative corrections in the threshold region are resummed, yielding a renormalization-scale-invariant expression for the Sudakov exponent. The interplay between Sudakov logs and renormalons is clarified, and the necessity to resum the latter whenever power corrections are non-negligible is emphasized. The presence of power-suppressed ambiguities in the exponentiation kernel suggests that power corrections exponentiate as well. This leads to a non-perturbative factorization formula with non-trivial predictions on the structure of power corrections, which can be contrasted with the OPE. Two examples are discussed. The first is event-shape distributions in the two-jet region, where a wealth of precise data provides a strong motivation for the improved perturbative technique and an ideal situation to study had...

Away-from-reactor storage of spent nuclear fuel: factors affecting demand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dinneen, P.M.; Solomon, K.A.; Triplett, M.B.

1980-10-01

This report analyzes factors that affect the magnitude and timing of demand for government AFRs, relative to the demand for other storage options, to assist policymakers in predicting this demand. Past predictions of AFT demand range widely and often appear to conflict. This report helps to explain the apparent conflicts among existing demand predictions by demonstrating their sensitivity to changes in key assumptions. Specifically, the report analyzes factors affecting the demand for government AFR storage facilities; illustrates why demand estimates may vary; and identifies actions that may be undertaken by groups, within and outside the government, to influence the level and timing of demands

New strategies in the assessment of psychological factors affecting medical conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Sirri, Laura; Fabbri, Stefania; Fava, Giovanni A; Sonino, Nicoletta

2007-12-01

In this article, we examine research that may lead to a better assessment of psychological factors affecting medical conditions. We performed a review of the psychosomatic literature using both Medline and manual searches. We selected papers that were judged to be relevant to new strategies of assessment, with particular reference to the use of the Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatic Research. We assessed 8 areas concerned with the assessment of psychological factors in the setting of medical disease: hypochondriasis, disease phobia, persistent somatization, conversion symptoms, illness denial, demoralization, irritable mood, and Type A behavior. A new subclassification of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed. [DSM-V]; not yet published) category of psychological factors affecting physical conditions appears to be feasible and may provide the clinician with better tools for identifying psychological distress.

Alterations in transcription factor binding in radioresistant human melanoma cells after ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sahijdak, W.M.; Yang, Chin-Rang; Zuckerman, J.S.; Meyers, M.; Boothman, D.A.

1994-01-01

We analyzed alterations in transcription factor binding to specific, known promoter DNA consensus sequences between irradiated and unirradiated radioresistant human melanoma (U1-Mel) cells. The goal of this study was to begin to investigate which transcription factors and DNA-binding sites are responsible for the induction of specific transcripts and proteins after ionizing radiation. Transcription factor binding was observed using DNA band-shift assays and oligonucleotide competition analyses. Confluence-arrested U1-Mel cells were irradiated (4.5 Gy) and harvested at 4 h. Double-stranded oligonucleotides containing known DNA-binding consensus sites for specific transcription factors were used. Increased DNA binding activity after ionizing radiation was noted with oligonucleotides containing the CREB, NF-kB and Sp1 consensus sites. No changes in protein binding to AP-1, AP-2, AP-3, or CTF/NF1, GRE or Oct-1 consensus sequences were noted. X-ray activation of select transcription factors, which bind certain consensus sites in promoters, may cause specific induction or repression of gene transcription. 22 refs., 2 figs

Multivariate analysis of various factors affecting background liver and mediastinal standardized uptake values

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuruva, Manohar; Mittal, Bhagwant Rai; Abrar, Mohammed Labeeb; Kashyap, Raghava; Bhattacharya, Anish

2012-01-01

Standardized uptake value (SUV) is the most commonly used semi-quantitative PET parameter. Various response assessment criteria grade the tumor uptake relative to liver or mediastinal uptake. However various factors can affect the background SUV values. This prospective study was carried out to assess the variability of liver and mediastinal SUVs normalized to lean body mass (SUL-L, SUL-M), body surface area (SUB-L, SUB-M), and body weight (SUW-L, SUW-M) and their dependence on various factors which can affect SUV values. Eighty-eight patients who underwent F-18 FDG PET/CT for various oncological indications were prospectively included in this study. SUVs of liver and mediastinum were calculated by ROIs drawn as suggested by Wahl, et al., in PERCIST 1.0 criteria. Multivariate linear regression analysis was done to assess for the various factors influencing the SUVs of liver and mediastinum. Factors assessed were age, sex, weight, blood glucose level, diabetic status, and uptake period. A P value less than 0.01 was considered significant. SUL-L, SUL-M, SUB-L, SUB-M, SUW-L, SUW-M were not affected significantly by age, sex, blood glucose levels, diabetic status. The uptake period had a statistically significant effect on SUL-L (P = 0.007) and SUW-L (P = 0.008) with a progressive decrease with increasing uptake time. Body weight showed a statistically significant effect on SUW-L (P = 0.001) while SUL-L and SUB-L were not dependent on weight. SUB-L was least dependent on weight (P = 0.851) when compared with SUL-L (P = 0.425). However SUL-L was also not affected statistically significantly by variations in body weight (P = 0.425). Mediastinal SUVs were not significantly affected by any of the factors. As mediastinal SUVs are not affected significantly by any of the factors, it can be considered as background when wide variations occur in uptake times or weight of the patient when comparing two PET/CT studies to evaluate response

Factors Affecting Surgical Decision-making—A Qualitative Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caroline Gunaratnam

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background Guidelines and Class 1 evidence are strong factors that help guide surgeons’ decision-making, but dilemmas exist in selecting the best surgical option, usually without the benefit of guidelines or Class 1 evidence. A few studies have discussed the variability of surgical treatment options that are currently available, but no study has examined surgeons’ views on the influential factors that encourage them to choose one surgical treatment over another. This study examines the influential factors and the thought process that encourage surgeons to make these decisions in such circumstances. Methods Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with 32 senior consultant surgeons, surgical fellows, and senior surgical residents at the University of Toronto teaching hospitals. An e-mail was sent out for volunteers, and interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and subjected to thematic analysis using open and axial coding. Results Broadly speaking there are five groups of factors affecting surgeons’ decision-making: medical condition, information, institutional, patient, and surgeon factors. When information factors such as guidelines and Class 1 evidence are lacking, the other four groups of factors—medical condition, institutional, patient, and surgeon factors (the last-mentioned likely being the most powerful—play a significant role in guiding surgical decision-making. Conclusions This study is the first qualitative study on surgeons’ perspectives on the influential factors that help them choose one surgical treatment option over another for their patients.

Comparison of Five Modeling Approaches to Quantify and Estimate the Effect of Clouds on the Radiation Amplification Factor (RAF) for Solar Ultraviolet Radiation

Science.gov (United States)

A generally accepted value for the Radiation Amplification Factor (RAF), with respect to the erythemal action spectrum for sunburn of human skin, is −1.1, indicating that a 1.0% increase in stratospheric ozone leads to a 1.1% decrease in the biologically damaging UV radiation in ...

Factors Affecting Sugarcane Production in Pakistan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adnan Nazir

2013-05-01

Full Text Available This study was undertaken to identify the factors affecting sugarcane production in Pakistan. Data were collected from 387 sugarcane growers from Sindh, Punjab and NWFP province. Data were collected during the period 2007-08. The study reveals that the costs of inputs of sugarcane i.e. urea, DAP, FYM, land preparation, seed and its application, weeding and cost of irrigation were the important factors which influenced on the returns of sugarcane growers. The effectiveness was examined by using the Cobb-Douglas production function; MVP and allocative efficiency were calculated. The coefficient of multiple determinations R2 was 0.9249, which indicated that 92% variation in the cost of inputs was explained by all explanatory variables and the adjusted R2 was 92%. The F-value was 666.94 and was highly significant at 5% level of significance, indicating that the regression model was well fitted. The high prices of inputs, low price of output, delay in payments and lack of scientific knowledge were the major problems in sugarcane production. In order to enhance the productivity of sugarcane in the country, government should solve the identified problems to increase the income of sugarcane growers.

factors affecting particle retention in thermal field-flow fractionation

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In this paper, we report a range of factors which affect the retention of colloidal particles in thermal field-flow fractionation (ThFFF). These results are observed among different sizes of polystyrene (PS) latex particles suspended in both aqueous and nonaqueous liquid carriers and very low density lipoproteins in a phosphate ...

Factors Affecting Time, Cost and Quality Management in Building ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study is an assessment of time, cost and quality management in the Nigerian construction industry, and it aims to explore time cost and quality management in the construction industry. The objective of the study is to identify factors affecting time; cost and quality management in building construction projects. This study ...

Determination of tin equilibrium isotope fractionation factors from synchrotron radiation experiments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Polyakov, VB; Mineev, SD; Clayton, RN; Hu, G; Mineev, KS

2005-01-01

A method of determination of the reduced isotopic partition function ratio (beta-factor) from the partial density of state (PDOS) obtained by inelastic nuclear resonant X-ray scattering (INRXS) in synchrotron radiation experiments has been established. The method has been demonstrated by the example

Factors affecting the survival of HIV-infected children after ART ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

admin

Factors affecting the survival of HIV-infected children after. ART initiation ... balance between treating the disease and maintaining quality of life must be weighed carefully. An evaluation .... children were forced to work in early life, especially in.

An Analysis of Factors Affecting Community College Students' Expectations on E-Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Kilic-Cakmak, Ebru; Karatas, Sercin; Ocak, Mehmet Akif

2009-01-01

There are many factors that affect the e-learning process. Instructor, assessment and evaluation, communication, and technical support are among the leading factors. It is obvious that these factors influence the effectiveness of e-learning and may be related to different expectations of e-learners. Therefore, this study focuses on examining the…

Lengths of Orthologous Prokaryotic Proteins Are Affected by Evolutionary Factors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tatiana Tatarinova

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Proteins of the same functional family (for example, kinases may have significantly different lengths. It is an open question whether such variation in length is random or it appears as a response to some unknown evolutionary driving factors. The main purpose of this paper is to demonstrate existence of factors affecting prokaryotic gene lengths. We believe that the ranking of genomes according to lengths of their genes, followed by the calculation of coefficients of association between genome rank and genome property, is a reasonable approach in revealing such evolutionary driving factors. As we demonstrated earlier, our chosen approach, Bubble-sort, combines stability, accuracy, and computational efficiency as compared to other ranking methods. Application of Bubble Sort to the set of 1390 prokaryotic genomes confirmed that genes of Archaeal species are generally shorter than Bacterial ones. We observed that gene lengths are affected by various factors: within each domain, different phyla have preferences for short or long genes; thermophiles tend to have shorter genes than the soil-dwellers; halophiles tend to have longer genes. We also found that species with overrepresentation of cytosines and guanines in the third position of the codon (GC3 content tend to have longer genes than species with low GC3 content.

Lengths of Orthologous Prokaryotic Proteins Are Affected by Evolutionary Factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Tatarinova, Tatiana; Salih, Bilal; Dien Bard, Jennifer; Cohen, Irit; Bolshoy, Alexander

2015-01-01

Proteins of the same functional family (for example, kinases) may have significantly different lengths. It is an open question whether such variation in length is random or it appears as a response to some unknown evolutionary driving factors. The main purpose of this paper is to demonstrate existence of factors affecting prokaryotic gene lengths. We believe that the ranking of genomes according to lengths of their genes, followed by the calculation of coefficients of association between genome rank and genome property, is a reasonable approach in revealing such evolutionary driving factors. As we demonstrated earlier, our chosen approach, Bubble-sort, combines stability, accuracy, and computational efficiency as compared to other ranking methods. Application of Bubble Sort to the set of 1390 prokaryotic genomes confirmed that genes of Archaeal species are generally shorter than Bacterial ones. We observed that gene lengths are affected by various factors: within each domain, different phyla have preferences for short or long genes; thermophiles tend to have shorter genes than the soil-dwellers; halophiles tend to have longer genes. We also found that species with overrepresentation of cytosines and guanines in the third position of the codon (GC3 content) tend to have longer genes than species with low GC3 content.

Factors affecting passive monitoring of radon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asano, Tomohiro; Kahn, B.

1989-09-01

In recent years, increasing cancer has been expressed as a possible health hazards associated with long-term exposures to a large population at a low level of radon in the environment. Because radon is ubiquitous nuclide, nation-wide monitoring is necessary to determine lung cancer risk. For such purpose, passive sampling methods with track etch detector or charcoal adsorption collector may have the advantage in lower cost and convenience. The charcoal adsorption collector is considered in this study. Various factors may significantly affect the charcoal adsorption mechanism on its practical application. Moisture effects are discussed here as having major impact on radon collection by charcoal. Set of equations are presented in this report to describe adsorption of radon including moisture effects. (author) 61 refs

Factors affecting rotator cuff healing after arthroscopic repair: osteoporosis as one of the independent risk factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Seok Won; Oh, Joo Han; Gong, Hyun Sik; Kim, Joon Yub; Kim, Sae Hoon

2011-10-01

The prognostic factors associated with structural outcome after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair have not yet been fully determined. The hypothesis of this study was that bone mineral density (BMD) is an important prognostic factor affecting rotator cuff healing after arthroscopic cuff repair. Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Among 408 patients who underwent arthroscopic repair for full-thickness rotator cuff tear between January 2004 and July 2008, 272 patients were included whose postoperative cuff integrity was verified by computed tomography arthrography (CTA) or ultrasonography (USG) and simultaneously who were evaluated by various functional outcome instruments. The mean age at the time of operation was 59.5 ± 7.9 years. Postoperative CTA or USG was performed at a mean 13.0 ± 5.1 months after surgery, and the mean follow-up period was 37.2 ± 10.0 months (range, 24-65 months). The clinical, structural, and surgery-related factors affecting cuff integrity including BMD were analyzed using both univariate and multivariate analysis. Evaluation of postoperative cuff integrity was performed by musculoskeletal radiologists who were unaware of the present study. The failure rate of rotator cuff healing was 22.8% (62 of 272). The failure rate was significantly higher in patients with lower BMD (P cuff healing failure following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Bone mineral density, as well as FI of the infraspinatus and amount of retraction, was an independent determining factor affecting postoperative rotator cuff healing. Further studies with prospective, randomized, and controlled design are needed to confirm the relationship between BMD and postoperative rotator cuff healing.

[Factors affecting residual stones after percutaneous nephrolithotomy in patients with renal calculus].

Science.gov (United States)

Qiao, Mingzhou; Zhang, Haifang; Zhou, Chenlong

2015-11-24

To explore the factors affecting the residual stones after percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) in patients with renal calculus. A retrospective analysis was performed for 1 200 patients who were affected by renal calculus and treated with PCNL between Jan 2008 and May 2014 in People's Hospital of Anyang City. Among those patients, 16 were diagnosed as bilateral renal stone and had two successive operations. The size, location and number of stones, previous history of surgery, the degree of hydronephrosis, urinary infection were included in the univariate analysis. Significant factors in univariate analysis were included in the multivariate analysis to determine factors affecting stone residual. A total of 385 cases developed stone residual after surgery. The overall residual rate was 31.7%. In univariate analysis, renal pelvis combined with caliceal calculus (P=0.006), stone size larger than 4 cm (P=0.005), stone number more than 4 (P=0.002), the amount of bleeding more than 200 ml (P=0.025), operation time longer than 120 minutes (P=0.028) were associated with an increased rate of stone residual. When subjected to the Cox multivariate analysis, the independent risk factors for residual stones were renal pelvis combined with caliceal calculus (P=0.049), stone size larger than 4 cm (P=0.038) and stone number more than 4 (P=0.018). Factors affecting the incidence of residual stones after PCNL are the size, location and number of stones. Larger size stone and the presence of renal pelvis combined with caliceal calculus are significantly associated with residual stones. Nevertheless, stone number less than 4 indicates an increased stone clearance rate.

Investigating the factors affecting the investment decision in residential development.

OpenAIRE

Narang, Somil

2007-01-01

The purpose of this project is to provide a rare insight into the motivation behind residential property investors when looking to purchase an apartment. The factors driving demand preferences for housing are constantly changing, difficult to measure, and often deemed to be a complex bundle of attributes. The project attempts to answer the following questions: What are the factors affecting the investment decision in a Residential Development? To identify the significance and weight of su...

Factors affecting mortality of critical care trauma patients | Hefny ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The most common mechanism of injury was road traffic collisions (72.3 %). The overall mortality was 13.9%. A direct logistic regression model has shown that factors that affected mortality were decreased GCS (p < 0.0001), mechanism of injury (p = 0.004) with burns having the highest mortality, increased age (p = 0.004), ...

Some factors affecting the accuracy of uranium content determined by DNC measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song Quanxun

1988-01-01

Some factors affecting the accuracy of uranium contents determined by delayed neutron counting and methods solving these problems are described. One of the factors is deterioration of the BF 3 proportional counters. This problem is discussed in more detail

Radiation dose rates from UF{sub 6} cylinders

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Friend, P.J. [Urenco, Capenhurst (United Kingdom)

1991-12-31

This paper describes the results of many studies, both theoretical and experimental, which have been carried out by Urenco over the last 15 years into radiation dose rates from uranium hexafluoride (UF{sub 6}) cylinders. The contents of the cylinder, its history, and the geometry all affect the radiation dose rate. These factors are all examined in detail. Actual and predicted dose rates are compared with levels permitted by IAEA transport regulations.

Study of the natural radiation background affected on the human body in some areas of Viet Nam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ngo Van Thanh

2008-01-01

The author had studied the natural radiation background in 68 districts belong 40 provinces and cities of Vietnam from 2002 to 2005. The estimated results clearly show that the average external irradiation dose levels and the average annual external radiation equivalent dose affected on the human body are 0.181± 0.0189 μSv/h and 1599 ± 171.8 μSv/year respectively, both are in normal limit; the highest levels are in Lai Chau district (Lai Chau province); the lowest levels are in Buon Ma Thuot city (DakLak province), Phuoc Son district (Quang Nam province), Tan An district (Long An province). The radon concentration in the human being and the average annual internal inhalation irradiation equivalent dose affected on the human beings are 26.9 ± 15.89 Bq/m 3 and 392.88 ± 231.99 μSv/year respectively; the maximums are in Nha Trang city (Khanh Hoa province), Bac Binh district (Binh Phuoc province); the minimums are in Vung Tau city (Ba Ria- Vung Tau province), Tan An district (Long An province), Rach Gia district (Kien Giang province). The terrestrial radionuclide concentrations in the cereals, foodstuffs (rice, meat, vegetables), water, earth and the average annual internal irradiation equivalent dose are 829.2 ± 38.06 Bq/kg and 229.3 ± 67.70 μSv/year respectively; the highest levels are in Phong Tho district (Lai Chau province), Dien Bien city; the lowest levels are in Dong Xoai district (Binh Phuoc province), Tan An district (Long An province). The average total annual natural radiation background effective equivalent dose level affected on the human body is 2206.9 ± 529.30 μSv/year; the highest levels are in Lai Chau district (Lai Chau province); the lowest levels are in Tan An district (Long An province). The 14 maps of Natural Radiation Background in several localized regions belong 40 provinces and cities of Viet Nam had been set up. These results can reserve for serviceman and public health in the both wartime and peacetime. (author)

A cross-sectional study of factors affecting seasonality in bipolar ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Journal Home > Vol 20, No 2 (2014) >. Log in or ... To study seasonality in bipolar disorder (BD) patients and also the factors affecting this seasonality. ... Most of the patients were morning types but chronotype had no influence on seasonality.

View factor for radiation heat exchange between the wall and end of a cylinder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Bahadili, H.; Wood, J.

1991-01-01

In a paper by previous authors (Carlson and Garcia (1984) Ann. Nucl. Energy Vol 11, No 4), a numerical integration technique (trapezoidal rule) is developed for the approximate calculation of view factors for radiant heat transfer, for both internal and external radiation, from the curved surface of a right circular cylinder. In that paper the variation of view factor for internal radiation (wall to bottom of cylinder) with height, H, of the cylinder, is shown to reach a maximum value of about 0.36 when H is about 0.3. This behaviour is remarked upon in the text. We wish to make two points: (i) the internal view factors for the cylinder can be determined analytically (ii) the view factor behavior shown is erroneous. In fact, the view factor decreases monatonically as H increases, achieving its greatest value (0.5) as H tends to zero. H is normalised to a radius of unity. (author)

Factors that Affect Poverty Areas in North Sumatera Using Discriminant Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Nasution, D. H.; Bangun, P.; Sitepu, H. R.

2018-04-01

In Indonesia, especially North Sumatera, the problem of poverty is one of the fundamental problems that become the focus of government both central and local government. Although the poverty rate decreased but the fact is there are many people who are poor. Poverty happens covers several aspects such as education, health, demographics, and also structural and cultural. This research will discuss about several factors such as population density, Unemployment Rate, GDP per capita ADHK, ADHB GDP per capita, economic growth and life expectancy that affect poverty in Indonesia. To determine the factors that most influence and differentiate the level of poverty of the Regency/City North Sumatra used discriminant analysis method. Discriminant analysis is one multivariate analysis technique are used to classify the data into a group based on the dependent variable and independent variable. Using discriminant analysis, it is evident that the factor affecting poverty is Unemployment Rate.

Radiation therapy for Kasabach-Merritt syndrome. Analysis of unfavorable factors in 5 children

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawamori, Jiro; Saito, Tsutomu; Tanaka, Yoshiaki; Sato, Katsuhiko.

1996-01-01

During the past 10 years, five infants with Kasabach-Merritt syndrome (K-M) receiving radiation therapy were reported. We investigated whether radiation therapy for K-M was useful and what the unfavorable factors of K-M were. During the past 10 years, we have treated five infants with K-M. The syndrome occurred at ages ranging from birth to 4 months. The incidence of female to male ratio was 3:2. Among 5 cases, the site of hemangioma was as follows; shoulder, anterior chest wall, lower abdominal wall, face and neck and inguinal site. All 5 cases received medication to control the coagulopathy including prednisone and blood transfusion at first. Because the platelet count and the bleeding tendency did not improve in any case, these cases received radiation therapy. Total dose ranged from 5 to 10 Gy and fraction-size ranged from 0.5 to 1.75 Gy. Irradiation session was 2 or 3 times per week. In 5 cases, 4 cases showed cure of bleeding tendency and disappearance of tumor, and survived. In these 4 cases, normalization of platelet count was obtained at the early phase of dose ranging from 3 to 5 Gy by radiation therapy. In the remaining case, bleeding tendency was improved at the late phase by initial radiation therapy, however, after that immediately relapsed. In this case, the salvage radiation therapy was not effective and she died from airway obstruction. This case was of neonatal age and had bulky neck tumor. We recognized that radiation therapy was effective for K-M. A serious case was of neonatal age and had bulky neck tumor. It was estimated that the unfavorable factors of K-M were neonatal case and bulky neck tumor case. (author)

Service-Oriented Factors Affecting the Adoption of Smartphones

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Youngmo Kang

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This research investigates the adoption factors of smartphones focusing on the differences of smartphone and feature phone users. We used Technology Acceptance Model (TAM which incorporates service-oriented and device-oriented functional attributes as exogenous variables for a product-service system such as smartphones. In addition, Decision Tree (DT and customer surveys were conducted. As a study results, we found that the service-oriented functional attributes - ‘wireless internet’ and ‘mobile applications’ - affect the adoption of smartphones regardless of users. However, the DT results revealed that the more important factor is 'mobile applications' to smartphone users but 'wireless internet' for feature phone users. In conclusion, we discovered that a strategy emphasis on the service-oriented attributes is needed for the adoption of smartphones.

Validating YouTube Factors Affecting Learning Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Pratama, Yoga; Hartanto, Rudy; Suning Kusumawardani, Sri

2018-03-01

YouTube is often used as a companion medium or a learning supplement. One of the educational places that often uses is Jogja Audio School (JAS) which focuses on music production education. Music production is a difficult material to learn, especially at the audio mastering. With tutorial contents from YouTube, students find it easier to learn and understand audio mastering and improved their learning performance. This study aims to validate the role of YouTube as a medium of learning in improving student’s learning performance by looking at the factors that affect student learning performance. The sample involves 100 respondents from JAS at audio mastering level. The results showed that student learning performance increases seen from factors that have a significant influence of motivation, instructional content, and YouTube usefulness. Overall findings suggest that YouTube has a important role to student learning performance in music production education and as an innovative and efficient learning medium.

Beyond Negative Pain-Related Psychological Factors: Resilience Is Related to Lower Pain Affect in Healthy Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Hemington, Kasey S; Cheng, Joshua C; Bosma, Rachael L; Rogachov, Anton; Kim, Junseok A; Davis, Karen D

2017-09-01

Resilience, a characteristic that enhances adaptation in response to stressful events, is a positive psychological factor that can predict and modulate health outcomes. However, resilience is rarely considered in pain research. Conversely, negative psychological factors (eg, anxiety, depression) are known to be related to the affective dimension of pain. It is critical to understand all potential psychological drivers of pain affect, a prominent component of chronic pain. We tested the hypothesis that higher resilience is associated with lower pain affect, above and beyond the predictive value of negative psychological factors. Healthy adults underwent psychophysical testing to acquire ratings of heat pain intensity and unpleasantness and completed the Resilience Scale, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (trait form), Beck Depression Inventory, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, and the Pain Vigilance and Attention Questionnaire. Multiple regression modeling (n = 68) showed resilience to be a negatively associated with pain affect (unpleasantness). Furthermore, in individuals with higher anxiety scores, resilience was protective against higher pain affect. This highlights the importance of resilience, a positive psychological factor, in the affective dimension of pain. This study is the first to assess a positive psychological factor and experimental pain affect, and has the potential to improve prediction of and treatment strategies for clinical pain. We report that resilience, a positive psychological factor, interacts with anxiety and is associated with heat pain affect (unpleasantness) in healthy individuals. Resilience may provide predictive value of chronic pain affect and treatment outcomes, and could be a target for behavioral therapy. Copyright © 2017 American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

CRITICAL THINKING AND ITS AFFECTING FACTORS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S Slameto

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The objectives of this research were to measure the success rate achieved by the alumni of Open/Distance Learning (O/DL, the Bachelor Education In-service Teachers Program (BEITP, Staya Jacana Christian University(SWCU, Salatiga in their critical thinking habit that lead to their success, and to find factors which determined their critical thinking habit. The factors concerned were student factor (learning motivation, alumni’s readiness to enter ICT community, prerequisite or teacher factor (teacher’s ability in creating and using a new instructional context. This quantitative research belongs to the causality ex-post facto research. The data source was one class of O/ DL, the BEITP, SWCUstudents, who were chosen out of four classes, as many as 32 alumni in the academic year 2015/2016. Data were screened using a self-rating scale, which consisted of 40 items tested valid and reliable, and then reduced to 5 variablas. The BEITP, SWCU Salatiga had graduated most of its alumni who owned critical thinking habit at a high rate. The critical thinking habit was affected by the instructional contexts which enabled a new situation (Model 1, alumni’s readiness to enter the ICT community (Model 2, pre-requisite, i.e., mastery of previous lecture materials (Model 3, and student’s learning motivation (Model 4 to reach 81%. The alumni’s critical thinking habit of 51.20% was determined by the teacher’s role in developing instructional contexts which made a new situation possible. This finding was useful for educational quality management for the effectiveness and productivity of higher education, which should have been focused on the teacher in developing an instructional strategy based on context, alumni readiness to enter the ICT community, prerequisite, and student’s learning motivation.

Comparison of factors affecting orthodontic treatment motivation of Taiwanese and Thai patients in two hospitals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wariya Laothong

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Background/purpose: Many factors, including economic, psychosocial statuses and ethnicity, affect patients' decision to seek orthodontic treatment. The present study compared orthodontic patients' motivation, attitude and the factors affecting this motivation in Taiwanese and Thai patients. We investigated the association between the aforementioned variables and patient characteristics. Materials and methods: We enrolled 250 Thai and 250 Taiwanese patients (age ≥ 20 years from Sunprasitthiprasong and Taipei Medical University Hospitals, respectively, by using self-administered questionnaires. Demographic characteristics were analyzed using Pearson's chi-square test, patients' motivation, attitude and the factors affecting this motivation were analyzed using the sample t-test. The association among the variables was investigated by multiple regression analysis. Results: In both hospitals, the main motivation for seeking orthodontic treatment was esthetic concerns; the patients believed that treatment could make them more beautiful. Taiwanese and Thai patients rejected treatment because of high treatment costs and long treatment periods, respectively. A significant association was observed between household income and Thai patients' motivation (p < 0.05. Sex was significantly associated with Thai patients' attitude (p < 0.05. Age, sex, active treatment duration, and marital status were associated with Taiwanese attitude toward treatment (p < 0.05. In addition, age, household income, and information resources were significantly associated with the factors affecting Taiwanese patients' motivation (p < 0.05. Conclusion: Ethnicity influenced patients' motivation. Economic status was the main factor affecting Thai patients, whereas many factors affected Taiwanese patients' decision to seek orthodontic treatment. However, esthetic concerns were a crucial motivation for both groups. Keywords: factors affecting

Breed effect and non-genetic factors affecting growth performance of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

SARAH

2013-07-30

Jul 30, 2013 ... Methodology and results: Data on birth weight (BWT), 90-day weaning ... Pre and post-weaning growth rates were significantly (P<0.05) affected by all the factors examined ... The majority of the sheep population of the semi-.

Factors Affecting the Adoption of Improved Rice Varieties in Borno ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

USER

The study investigated the factors that affect adoption of improved rice varieties in the ... give a good results and also a threat to food security. Keywords: ..... decision of the farmers, however, inappropriate chain of supply/distributing the input or ...

Analysis Of The Social-Economic Factors Affecting Output Of Nihort ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Analysis Of The Social-Economic Factors Affecting Output Of Nihort Fruit Adoptors And ... A moderate family size of 6-7 family members are in adopters and ... Extension agents presence is necessary in the study area so as to organise training ...

Factors determining the viability of radiation processing in developing countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Linde, H.J. van der

1988-01-01