Sample records for a-bomb survivors exposed

  1. Cancer mortality among atomic bomb survivors exposed as children.

    PubMed

    Goto, Hitomi; Watanabe, Tomoyuki; Miyao, Masaru; Fukuda, Hiromi; Sato, Yuzo; Oshida, Yoshiharu

    2012-05-01

    To compare cancer mortality among A-bomb survivors exposed as children with cancer mortality among an unexposed control group (the entire population of Japan, JPCG). The subjects were the Hiroshima and Nagasaki A-bomb survivor groups (0-14 years of age in 1945) reported in life span study report 12 (follow-up years were from 1950 to 1990), and a control group consisting of the JPCG. We estimated the expected number of deaths due to all causes and cancers of various causes among the exposed survivors who died in the follow-up interval, if they had died with the same mortality as the JPCG (0-14 years of age in 1945). We calculated the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) of A-bomb survivors in comparison with the JPCG. SMRs were significantly higher in exposed boys overall for all deaths, all cancers, leukemia, and liver cancer, and for exposed girls overall for all cancers, solid cancers, liver cancer, and breast cancer. In boys, SMRs were significantly higher for all deaths and liver cancer even in those exposed to very low doses, and for all cancers, solid cancers, and liver cancer in those exposed to low doses. In girls, SMRs were significantly higher for liver cancer and uterine cancer in those exposed to low doses, and for leukemia, solid cancers, stomach cancer, and breast cancer in those exposed to high doses. We calculated the SMRs for the A-bomb survivors versus JPCG in childhood and compared them with a true non-exposed group. A notable result was that SMRs in boys exposed to low doses were significantly higher for solid cancer.

  2. Thyroid Dysfunction and Autoimmune Thyroid Diseases Among Atomic Bomb Survivors Exposed in Childhood.

    PubMed

    Imaizumi, Misa; Ohishi, Waka; Nakashima, Eiji; Sera, Nobuko; Neriishi, Kazuo; Yamada, Michiko; Tatsukawa, Yoshimi; Takahashi, Ikuno; Fujiwara, Saeko; Sugino, Keizo; Ando, Takao; Usa, Toshiro; Kawakami, Atsushi; Akahoshi, Masazumi; Hida, Ayumi

    2017-07-01

    The risk of thyroid cancer increases and persists for decades among individuals exposed to ionizing radiation in childhood, although the long-term effects of childhood exposure to medium to low doses of radiation on thyroid dysfunction and autoimmune thyroid diseases have remained unclear. To evaluate radiation dose responses for the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction and autoimmune thyroid disease among atomic bomb survivors exposed in childhood. Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors who were younger than 10 years old at exposure underwent thyroid examinations at the Radiation Effects Research Foundation between 2007 and 2011, which was 62 to 66 years after the bombing. Data from 2668 participants (mean age, 68.2 years; 1455 women) with known atomic bomb thyroid radiation doses (mean dose, 0.182 Gy; dose range, 0 to 4.040 Gy) were analyzed. Dose-response relationships between atomic bomb radiation dose and the prevalence of hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism (Graves' disease), and positive for antithyroid antibodies. Prevalences were determined for hypothyroidism (129 cases, 7.8%), hyperthyroidism (32 cases of Graves' disease, 1.2%), and positive for antithyroid antibodies (573 cases, 21.5%). None of these was associated with thyroid radiation dose. Neither thyroid antibody-positive nor -negative hypothyroidism was associated with thyroid radiation dose. Additional analyses using alternative definitions of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism found that radiation dose responses were not significant. Radiation effects on thyroid dysfunction and autoimmune thyroid diseases were not observed among atomic bomb survivors exposed in childhood, at 62 to 66 years earlier. The cross-sectional design and survival bias were limitations of this study. Copyright © 2017 Endocrine Society

  3. PSYCHOSOCIAL ADJUSTMENT OF DIRECTLY EXPOSED SURVIVORS SEVEN YEARS AFTER THE OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING

    PubMed Central

    North, Carol S.; Pfefferbaum, Betty; Kawasaki, Aya; Lee, Sungkyu; Spitznagel, Edward L.

    2010-01-01

    Objective To prospectively examine the long-term course of psychiatric disorders, symptoms, and functioning among 113 directly exposed survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing systematically assessed at six months and again nearly seven years post-bombing. Methods The Diagnostic Interview Schedule/Disaster Supplement was used to assess predisaster and postdisaster psychiatric disorders and symptoms and other variables of relevance to disaster exposure and outcomes. Results Total prevalence of PTSD was 41%. Seven years post-bombing, 26% of the sample still had active PTSD. Delayed-onset PTSD and new postdisaster alcohol use disorders were not observed. PTSD non-remission was predicted by the occurrence of negative life events after the bombing. Posttraumatic symptoms among survivors without PTSD decayed more rapidly than for those with PTSD, and symptoms remained at seven years even for many who did not develop PTSD. Those with PTSD reported more functioning problems at index than those without PTSD, but functioning improved dramatically over seven years, regardless of remission from PTSD. No survivors had long-term employment disability based on psychiatric problems alone. Conclusions These findings have potentially important implications for anticipation of long-term emotional and functional recovery from disaster trauma. PMID:21220059

  4. Personality and Major Depression among Directly Exposed Survivors of the Oklahoma City Bombing

    PubMed Central

    North, Carol S.; Cloninger, C. Robert

    2012-01-01

    Background. Few disaster studies have specifically examined personality and resilience in association with disaster exposure, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and major depression. Methods. 151 directly-exposed survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing randomly selected from a bombing survivor registry completed PTSD, major depression, and personality assessments using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for DSM-IV and the Temperament and Character Inventory, respectively. Results. The most prevalent postdisaster psychiatric disorder was bombing-related PTSD (32%); major depression was second in prevalence (21%). Bombing-related PTSD was associated with the combination of low self-directedness and low cooperativeness and also with high self-transcendence and high harm avoidance in most configurations. Postdisaster major depression was significantly more prevalent among those with (56%) than without (5%) bombing-related PTSD (P < .001) and those with (72%) than without (14%) predisaster major depression (P < .001). Incident major depression was not associated with the combination of low self-directedness and low cooperativeness. Conclusions. Personality features can distinguish resilience to a specific life-threatening stressor from general indicators of well-being. Unlike bombing-related PTSD, major depression was not a robust marker of low resilience. Development and validation of measures of resilience should utilize well-defined diagnoses whenever possible, rather than relying on nonspecific measures of psychological distress. PMID:23008763

  5. Personality and Major Depression among Directly Exposed Survivors of the Oklahoma City Bombing.

    PubMed

    North, Carol S; Cloninger, C Robert

    2012-01-01

    Background. Few disaster studies have specifically examined personality and resilience in association with disaster exposure, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and major depression. Methods. 151 directly-exposed survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing randomly selected from a bombing survivor registry completed PTSD, major depression, and personality assessments using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for DSM-IV and the Temperament and Character Inventory, respectively. Results. The most prevalent postdisaster psychiatric disorder was bombing-related PTSD (32%); major depression was second in prevalence (21%). Bombing-related PTSD was associated with the combination of low self-directedness and low cooperativeness and also with high self-transcendence and high harm avoidance in most configurations. Postdisaster major depression was significantly more prevalent among those with (56%) than without (5%) bombing-related PTSD (P < .001) and those with (72%) than without (14%) predisaster major depression (P < .001). Incident major depression was not associated with the combination of low self-directedness and low cooperativeness. Conclusions. Personality features can distinguish resilience to a specific life-threatening stressor from general indicators of well-being. Unlike bombing-related PTSD, major depression was not a robust marker of low resilience. Development and validation of measures of resilience should utilize well-defined diagnoses whenever possible, rather than relying on nonspecific measures of psychological distress.

  6. Resilience among Japanese atomic bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Knowles, A

    2011-03-01

    The purpose of the study was to explore the experience of atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Never has the world experienced such extreme devastation as with the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in August 1945. Although significant quantitative research has been completed about the medical effects following radiation, the literature lacks qualitative exploration from a holistic health perspective. This was a qualitative descriptive study, using methods of narrative analysis, oral history and ethnography. The sample for this research included eight individuals who were exposed to the atomic bombings in Japan and currently reside in the United States. Findings provide insight to the resilience that the survivors exhibited immediately following the bomb, as well as throughout the 65 years following the event. From ethnographic data and interviews with survivors, a thematic structure was developed that depicts the essential elements of the atomic bomb experience. Two ways of being in the world followed the bombing: surviving and thriving, with resilience serving as a lever, allowing for fluid movement over time across the continuum. Individuals experiencing surviving exhibited anxiety about their personal and family members' health, expressed mistrust, and felt a stigma associated with being a survivor. For those who were thriving, peace activism, overcoming and forgiveness were typically displayed. Findings from this study add to the disaster nursing literature and highlight the role resilience plays in the atomic bomb survivors' life perspective. © 2011 The Author. International Nursing Review © 2011 International Council of Nurses.

  7. Incident-related television viewing and psychiatric disorders in Oklahoma City bombing survivors.

    PubMed

    Pfefferbaum, Betty; North, Carol S; Pfefferbaum, Rose L; Jeon-Slaughter, Haekyung; Houston, J Brian; Regens, James L

    2012-01-01

    The objective of this study was to examine terrorism media coverage and psychiatric outcomes in directly-exposed terrorism survivors. The study used (1) self-report questionnaires to retrospectively assess event-related media behaviors and reactions in a cross sectional design and (2) longitudinal structured diagnostic interviews to assess psychopathologic outcomes. The participants were 99 directly-exposed Oklahoma City bombing survivors who were initially studied six months after the 1995 incident. Though a fear reaction to bombing-related television coverage and fear-driven discontinuation of bombing-related media contact were associated with diagnostic outcomes, the number of hours viewing bombing-related television coverage in the first week after the event was not associated with the prevalence of bombing-related posttraumatic stress disorder or post-bombing major depressive disorder during the seven years post event. The results raise doubt about the effects of quantified incident-related television viewing on clinically-significant emotional outcomes in directly-exposed terrorism survivors.

  8. Epidemiological research on radiation-induced cancer in atomic bomb survivors

    PubMed Central

    Ozasa, Kotaro

    2016-01-01

    The late effects of exposure to atomic bomb radiation on cancer occurrence have been evaluated by epidemiological studies on three cohorts: a cohort of atomic bomb survivors (Life Span Study; LSS), survivors exposed in utero, and children of atomic bomb survivors (F1). The risk of leukemia among the survivors increased remarkably in the early period after the bombings, especially among children. Increased risks of solid cancers have been evident since around 10 years after the bombings and are still present today. The LSS has clarified the dose–response relationships of radiation exposure and risk of various cancers, taking into account important risk modifiers such as sex, age at exposure, and attained age. Confounding by conventional risk factors including lifestyle differences is not considered substantial because people were non-selectively exposed to the atomic bomb radiation. Uncertainty in risk estimates at low-dose levels is thought to be derived from various sources, including different estimates of risk at background levels, uncertainty in dose estimates, residual confounding and interaction, strong risk factors, and exposure to residual radiation and/or medical radiation. The risk of cancer in subjects exposed in utero is similar to that in LSS subjects who were exposed in childhood. Regarding hereditary effects of radiation exposure, no increased risk of cancers associated with parental exposure to radiation have been observed in the F1 cohort to date. In addition to biological and pathogenetic interpretations of the present results, epidemiological investigations using advanced technology should be used to further analyze these cohorts. PMID:26976124

  9. Risk of myelodysplastic syndromes in people exposed to ionizing radiation: a retrospective cohort study of Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Iwanaga, Masako; Hsu, Wan-Ling; Soda, Midori; Takasaki, Yumi; Tawara, Masayuki; Joh, Tatsuro; Amenomori, Tatsuhiko; Yamamura, Masaomi; Yoshida, Yoshiharu; Koba, Takashi; Miyazaki, Yasushi; Matsuo, Tatsuki; Preston, Dale L; Suyama, Akihiko; Kodama, Kazunori; Tomonaga, Masao

    2011-02-01

    The risk of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) has not been fully investigated among people exposed to ionizing radiation. We investigate MDS risk and radiation dose-response in Japanese atomic bomb survivors. We conducted a retrospective cohort study by using two databases of Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors: 64,026 people with known exposure distance in the database of Nagasaki University Atomic-Bomb Disease Institute (ABDI) and 22,245 people with estimated radiation dose in the Radiation Effects Research Foundation Life Span Study (LSS). Patients with MDS diagnosed from 1985 to 2004 were identified by record linkage between the cohorts and the Nagasaki Prefecture Cancer Registry. Cox and Poisson regression models were used to estimate relationships between exposure distance or dose and MDS risk. There were 151 patients with MDS in the ABDI cohort and 47 patients with MDS in the LSS cohort. MDS rate increased inversely with exposure distance, with an excess relative risk (ERR) decay per km of 1.2 (95% CI, 0.4 to 3.0; P < .001) for ABDI. MDS risk also showed a significant linear response to exposure dose level (P < .001) with an ERR per Gy of 4.3 (95% CI, 1.6 to 9.5; P < .001). After adjustment for sex, attained age, and birth year, the MDS risk was significantly greater in those exposed when young. A significant linear radiation dose-response for MDS exists in atomic bomb survivors 40 to 60 years after radiation exposure. Clinicians should perform careful long-term follow-up of irradiated people to detect MDS as early as possible.

  10. Epidemiological research on radiation-induced cancer in atomic bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Ozasa, Kotaro

    2016-08-01

    The late effects of exposure to atomic bomb radiation on cancer occurrence have been evaluated by epidemiological studies on three cohorts: a cohort of atomic bomb survivors (Life Span Study; LSS), survivors exposed IN UTERO : , and children of atomic bomb survivors (F1). The risk of leukemia among the survivors increased remarkably in the early period after the bombings, especially among children. Increased risks of solid cancers have been evident since around 10 years after the bombings and are still present today. The LSS has clarified the dose-response relationships of radiation exposure and risk of various cancers, taking into account important risk modifiers such as sex, age at exposure, and attained age. Confounding by conventional risk factors including lifestyle differences is not considered substantial because people were non-selectively exposed to the atomic bomb radiation. Uncertainty in risk estimates at low-dose levels is thought to be derived from various sources, including different estimates of risk at background levels, uncertainty in dose estimates, residual confounding and interaction, strong risk factors, and exposure to residual radiation and/or medical radiation. The risk of cancer in subjects exposed IN UTERO : is similar to that in LSS subjects who were exposed in childhood. Regarding hereditary effects of radiation exposure, no increased risk of cancers associated with parental exposure to radiation have been observed in the F1 cohort to date. In addition to biological and pathogenetic interpretations of the present results, epidemiological investigations using advanced technology should be used to further analyze these cohorts. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japan Radiation Research Society and Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology.

  11. Japanese Legacy Cohorts: The Life Span Study Atomic Bomb Survivor Cohort and Survivors' Offspring.

    PubMed

    Ozasa, Kotaro; Grant, Eric J; Kodama, Kazunori

    2018-04-05

    Cohorts of atomic bomb survivors-including those exposed in utero-and children conceived after parental exposure were established to investigate late health effects of atomic bomb radiation and its transgenerational effects by the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission (ABCC) in the 1950s. ABCC was reorganized to the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF) in 1975, and all work has been continued at RERF. The Life Span Study, the cohort of survivors, consists of about 120,000 subjects and has been followed since 1950. Cohorts of in utero survivors and the survivors' children include about 3,600 and 77,000 subjects, respectively, and have been followed since 1945. Atomic bomb radiation dose was estimated for each subject based on location at the time of the bombing and shielding conditions from exposure, which were obtained through enormous efforts of investigators and cooperation of subjects. Outcomes include vital status, cause of death, and cancer incidence. In addition, sub-cohorts of these three cohorts were constructed to examine clinical features of late health effects, and the subjects have been invited to periodic health examinations at clinics of ABCC and RERF. They were also asked to donate biosamples for biomedical investigations. Epidemiological studies have observed increased radiation risks for malignant diseases among survivors, including those exposed in utero, and possible risks for some non-cancer diseases. In children of survivors, no increased risks due to parental exposure to radiation have been observed for malignancies or other diseases, but investigations are continuing, as these cohorts are still relatively young.

  12. Psychosocial adjustment of directly exposed survivors 7 years after the Oklahoma City bombing.

    PubMed

    North, Carol S; Pfefferbaum, Betty; Kawasaki, Aya; Lee, Sungkyu; Spitznagel, Edward L

    2011-01-01

    The aim of this study was to prospectively examine the long-term course of psychiatric disorders, symptoms, and functioning among 113 directly exposed survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing systematically assessed at 6 months and again nearly 7 years postbombing. The Diagnostic Interview Schedule/Disaster Supplement was used to assess predisaster and postdisaster psychiatric disorders and symptoms and other variables of relevance to disaster exposure and outcomes. Total prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was 41%. Seven years postbombing, 26% of the sample still had active PTSD. Delayed-onset PTSD and new postdisaster alcohol use disorders were not observed. PTSD nonremission was predicted by the occurrence of negative life events after the bombing. Posttraumatic symptoms among survivors without PTSD decayed more rapidly than for those with PTSD, and symptoms remained at 7 years even for many who did not develop PTSD. Those with PTSD reported more functioning problems at index than those without PTSD, but functioning improved dramatically over 7 years, regardless of PTSD or remission from PTSD. No survivors had long-term employment disability based on psychiatric problems alone. These findings have potentially important implications for anticipation of long-term emotional and functional recovery from disaster trauma. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  13. [Cohort studies of the atomic bomb survivors at the Radiation Effects Research Foundation].

    PubMed

    Ozasa, Kotaro

    2012-03-01

    The Radiation Effects Research Foundation has been evaluating the risk of atomic bomb radiation for various diseases since the beginning of its former organization, the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission. Cohorts of atomic-bomb survivors, in-utero survivors, and survivors' offspring have been followed up. The risk of all solid cancers at 1 Gy was estimated as ERR = 0.47 and EAR = 52/10,000 person-years for people who were exposed at 30 years of age and had reached 70 years of age, based on the cancer incidence during 1958-1998. The risk seemed to be increased in the in-utero survivors, but was rather lower than the risk for the survivors exposed at a young age. Effects on the offspring of survivors have not been shown to be significant. Continuing the research is important in order to more accurately estimate and understand radiation-induced health effects.

  14. Radiation Effects on Cognitive Function Among Atomic Bomb Survivors Exposed at or After Adolescence.

    PubMed

    Yamada, Michiko; Landes, Reid D; Mimori, Yasuyo; Nagano, Yoshito; Sasaki, Hideo

    2016-06-01

    The objective of this study was to investigate radiation effects on longitudinal pre-dementia cognitive decline among participants who developed dementia as well as on those who did not develop dementia during follow-up. Measuring cognitive function with the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument approximately every 2 years, we followed 1844 atomic bomb survivors participating in the Adult Health Study of the Radiation Effects Research Foundation from 1992 to 2011. Participants were adolescents or older when exposed to between 0 and 4 Gy. Approximately 15% and 40% of participants were exposed to ≥1 Gy and <5 mGy, respectively. At study start, participants were dementia-free and between 60 and 80 years old. Three-quarters of the participants returned after baseline, averaging 8.4 years of follow-up. During follow-up, 313 developed dementia. We used cognitive scores before dementia onset for analysis and a mixed-effects model to estimate radiation effects on longitudinal change of cognition, adjusting for dementia occurrence, age, sex, and education. Cognition level was significantly associated with age, education, and dementia occurrence but not with radiation dose or sex. Cognitive decline accelerated with increasing age, especially among participants who developed dementia. Neither radiation nor education was significantly associated with the degree of deterioration with age. Radiation did not modify the different cognitive decline by dementia occurrence. Radiation did not significantly affect cognition among atomic bomb survivors exposed at or after adolescence. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Injury perceptions of bombing survivors--interviews from the Oklahoma City bombing.

    PubMed

    Glenshaw, Mary T; Vernick, Jon S; Frattaroli, Shannon; Brown, Sheryll; Mallonee, Sue

    2008-01-01

    Bombings, including the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, remain an important public health threat. However, there has been little investigation into the impressions of injury risk or protective factors of bombing survivors. This study analyzes Oklahoma City bombing survivors' impressions of factors that influenced their risk of injury, and validates a hazard timeline outlining phases of injury risk in a building bombing. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted within a sample of Oklahoma City bombing survivors. Participants included 15 injured and uninjured survivors, who were located in three buildings surrounding the detonation site during the attack. Risk factor themes included environmental glass, debris, and entrapment. Protective factors included knowledge of egress routes, shielding behaviors to deflect debris, and survival training. Building design and health status were reported as risk and protective factors. The hazard timeline was a useful tool, but should be modified to include a lay rescue phase. The combination of a narrative approach and direct questioning is an effective method of gathering the perceptions of survivors. Investigating survivors' impressions of building bombing hazards is critical to capture injury exposures, behavior patterns, and decision-making processes during actual events, and to identify interventions that will be supported by survivors.

  16. Cancer and non-cancer effects in Japanese atomic bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Little, M P

    2009-06-01

    The survivors of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki are a general population of all ages and sexes and, because of the wide and well characterised range of doses received, have been used by many scientific committees (International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiations (BEIR)) as the basis of population cancer risk estimates following radiation exposure. Leukaemia was the first cancer to be associated with atomic bomb radiation exposure, with preliminary indications of an excess among the survivors within the first five years after the bombings. An excess of solid cancers became apparent approximately ten years after radiation exposure. With increasing follow-up, excess risks of most cancer types have been observed, the major exceptions being chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, and pancreatic, prostate and uterine cancer. For most solid cancer sites a linear dose response is observed, although in the latest follow-up of the mortality data there is evidence (p = 0.10) for an upward curvature in the dose response for all solid cancers. The only cancer sites which exhibit (upward) curvature in the dose response are leukaemia, and non-melanoma skin and bone cancer. For leukaemia the dose response is very markedly upward curving, indeed largely describable as a pure quadratic dose response, particularly in the low dose (0-2 Sv) range. Even 55 years after the bombings over 40% of the Life Span Study cohort remain alive, so continued follow-up of this group is vital for completing our understanding of long-term radiation effects in people. In general, the relative risks per unit dose among the Japanese atomic bomb survivors are greater than those among comparable subsets in studies of medically exposed individuals. Cell sterilisation largely accounts for the discrepancy in relative risks between these two populations, although other

  17. Radiation May Indirectly Impair Growth Resulting in Reduced Standing Height via Subclinical Inflammation in Atomic-Bomb Survivors Exposed at Young Ages

    DOE PAGES

    Nakashima, Eiji; Neriishi, Kazuo; Hsu, Wan-Ling

    2015-01-01

    For youngmore » atomic-bomb (A-bomb) survivors, A-bomb radiation’s (total) effect on standing height is thought to comprise the sum of direct effect and indirect effect via inflammation. With the data of five inflammatory markers—white blood cell count, sialic acid, corrected erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), α 1 globulin, and α 2 globulin—obtained in adulthood during the period 1988 to 1992, a summary inflammatory index was constructed as a surrogate for the five subclinical inflammatory markers. For 3,327 A-bomb survivors exposed at ages of less than 25 years, a structural equation model was analyzed to measure direct radiation effects on adult height as well as mediating effect of radiation via inflammation on the height after adjustment for other risk factors, smoking, cancer, inflammatory disease, obesity, and diabetes mellitus. The mediation proportion of the radiation effect on height via inflammation was approximately 5% for both sexes for all ages, and indirect dose effects via inflammation were statistically significant for both sexes combined and for females exposed at ages 0 to 5 years. Indirect dose effects for all ages via sialic acid, corrected ESR, and α 2 globulin were marginally significant for both sexes combined and for females. These proportions are likely underestimated.« less

  18. Radiation May Indirectly Impair Growth Resulting in Reduced Standing Height via Subclinical Inflammation in Atomic-Bomb Survivors Exposed at Young Ages

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nakashima, Eiji; Neriishi, Kazuo; Hsu, Wan-Ling

    For youngmore » atomic-bomb (A-bomb) survivors, A-bomb radiation’s (total) effect on standing height is thought to comprise the sum of direct effect and indirect effect via inflammation. With the data of five inflammatory markers—white blood cell count, sialic acid, corrected erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), α 1 globulin, and α 2 globulin—obtained in adulthood during the period 1988 to 1992, a summary inflammatory index was constructed as a surrogate for the five subclinical inflammatory markers. For 3,327 A-bomb survivors exposed at ages of less than 25 years, a structural equation model was analyzed to measure direct radiation effects on adult height as well as mediating effect of radiation via inflammation on the height after adjustment for other risk factors, smoking, cancer, inflammatory disease, obesity, and diabetes mellitus. The mediation proportion of the radiation effect on height via inflammation was approximately 5% for both sexes for all ages, and indirect dose effects via inflammation were statistically significant for both sexes combined and for females exposed at ages 0 to 5 years. Indirect dose effects for all ages via sialic acid, corrected ESR, and α 2 globulin were marginally significant for both sexes combined and for females. These proportions are likely underestimated.« less

  19. Impact on the Japanese atomic bomb survivors of radiation received from the bombs.

    PubMed

    Cullings, Harry M

    2014-02-01

    The Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF) studies various cohorts of Japanese atomic bomb survivors, the largest being the Life Span Study (LSS), which includes 93,741 persons who were in Hiroshima or Nagasaki at the times of the bombings; there are also cohorts of persons who were exposed in utero and survivors' children. This presentation attempts to summarize the total impact of the radiation from the bombs on the survivors from both an individual perspective (both age-specific and integrated lifetime risk, along with a measure of life expectancy that describes how the risk affects the individual given age at exposure) and a group perspective (estimated numbers of excess occurrences in the cohort), including both early and late effects. As survivors' doses ranged well into the acutely lethal range at closer distances, some of them experienced acute signs and symptoms of radiation exposure in addition to being at risk of late effects. Although cancer has always been a primary concern among late effects, estimated numbers of excess cancers and hematopoietic malignancies in the LSS are a small fraction of the total due to the highly skewed dose distribution, with most survivors receiving small doses. For example, in the latest report on cancer incidence, 853 of 17,448 incident solid cancers were estimated to be attributable to radiation from the bombs. RERF research indicates that risk of radiation-associated cancer varies among sites and that some benign tumors such as uterine myoma are also associated with radiation. Noncancer late effects appear to be in excess in proportion to radiation dose but with an excess relative risk about one-third that of solid cancer and a correspondingly small overall fraction of cases attributable to radiation. Specific risks were found for some subcategories, particularly circulatory disease, including stroke and precedent conditions such as hypertension. Radiation-related cataract in the atomic bomb survivors is well known

  20. Future population of atomic bomb survivors in Nagasaki.

    PubMed

    Yokota, Kenichi; Mine, Mariko; Shibata, Yoshisada

    2013-01-01

    The Nagasaki University Atomic Bomb Survivor Database, which was established in 1978 for elucidating the long-term health effects of the atomic bombing, has registered since 1970 about 120,000 atomic bomb survivors with a history of residence in Nagasaki city. Since the number of atomic bomb survivors has steadily been decreasing, prediction of future population is important for planning future epidemiologic studies, and we tried to predict the population of atomic bomb survivors in Nagasaki city from 2008 to 2030. In addition, we evaluated our estimated population comparing with the actual number from 2008 to 2011.

  1. Cardiovascular disease among atomic bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Ozasa, Kotaro; Takahashi, Ikuno; Grant, Eric J; Kodama, Kazunori

    2017-10-01

    The profile of cardiovascular disease in Japan has been different from that in Western countries. Hypertension was the major cause not only for hemorrhagic stroke but also for ischemic stroke and heart disease in the past, and the influence of hypertension has decreased with calendar years because of reduced salt intake and westernization of lifestyle, and also improved medical care. The health status of atomic bomb survivors has reflected this profile as well as radiation effects. It is also likely that this cohort has been affected by the difficult conditions experienced in the aftermath of the war and atomic bombings. In this article, we tried to make a consistent interpretation of epidemiological findings of atomic bomb radiation effects on cardiovascular disease. Among the atomic bomb survivors, radiation exposure was associated with some cardiovascular diseases that are often associated with hypertension, and dose response appeared to be primarily non-linear among those who were exposed at younger ages. These effects are thought to reflect the nature of whole body irradiation. But, some findings remain inconsistent, possibly because of possible misclassification in death certificate diagnoses in the Life Span Study as well as selected information from the Adult Health Study which was limited to participants, focused on specific outcomes, and gathered in selected periods of follow-up. Therefore, a comprehensive and balanced interpretation of the results from both groups is necessary.

  2. Characteristic expression of fukutin in gastric cancer among atomic bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Pham, Trang T B; Oue, Naohide; Yamamoto, Manabu; Fujihara, Megumu; Ishida, Teruyoshi; Mukai, Shoichiro; Sakamoto, Naoya; Sentani, Kazuhiro; Yasui, Wataru

    2017-02-01

    Approximately 70 years have passed since the atomic bombs were dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. To elucidate potential biomarkers and possible mechanisms of radiation-induced cancer, the expression of FKTN , which encodes fukutin protein and causes Fukuyama-type congenital muscular dystrophy, was analyzed in gastric cancer (GC) tissue samples from atomic bomb survivors. Expression of cluster of differentiation (CD) 10 was also evaluated, as it has previously been observed that positive fukutin expression was frequently noted in CD10-positive GC cases. In the first cohort from Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital and Atomic-Bomb Survivors Hospital (Hiroshima, Japan; n=92), 102 (53%) of the GC cases were positive for fukutin. Expression of fukutin was not associated with exposure status, but was associated with CD10 expression (P=0.0001). The second cohort was from Hiroshima University Hospital (Hiroshima, Japan; n=86), and these patients were also in the Life Span Study cohort, in which atomic bomb radiation doses were precisely estimated using the DS02 system. Expression of fukutin was detected in 58 (67%) of GC cases. GC cases positive for fukutin were observed more frequently in the low dose-exposed group than in the high dose-exposed group (P=0.0001). Further studies with a larger cohort, including precise radiation dose estimation, may aid in clarifying whether fukutin could serve as a potential biomarker to define radiation-induced GC in atomic-bomb survivors.

  3. Characteristic expression of fukutin in gastric cancer among atomic bomb survivors

    PubMed Central

    Pham, Trang T.B.; Oue, Naohide; Yamamoto, Manabu; Fujihara, Megumu; Ishida, Teruyoshi; Mukai, Shoichiro; Sakamoto, Naoya; Sentani, Kazuhiro; Yasui, Wataru

    2017-01-01

    Approximately 70 years have passed since the atomic bombs were dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. To elucidate potential biomarkers and possible mechanisms of radiation-induced cancer, the expression of FKTN, which encodes fukutin protein and causes Fukuyama-type congenital muscular dystrophy, was analyzed in gastric cancer (GC) tissue samples from atomic bomb survivors. Expression of cluster of differentiation (CD) 10 was also evaluated, as it has previously been observed that positive fukutin expression was frequently noted in CD10-positive GC cases. In the first cohort from Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital and Atomic-Bomb Survivors Hospital (Hiroshima, Japan; n=92), 102 (53%) of the GC cases were positive for fukutin. Expression of fukutin was not associated with exposure status, but was associated with CD10 expression (P=0.0001). The second cohort was from Hiroshima University Hospital (Hiroshima, Japan; n=86), and these patients were also in the Life Span Study cohort, in which atomic bomb radiation doses were precisely estimated using the DS02 system. Expression of fukutin was detected in 58 (67%) of GC cases. GC cases positive for fukutin were observed more frequently in the low dose-exposed group than in the high dose-exposed group (P=0.0001). Further studies with a larger cohort, including precise radiation dose estimation, may aid in clarifying whether fukutin could serve as a potential biomarker to define radiation-induced GC in atomic-bomb survivors. PMID:28356981

  4. Association of radiation dose with prevalence of thyroid nodules among atomic bomb survivors exposed in childhood (2007-2011).

    PubMed

    Imaizumi, Misa; Ohishi, Waka; Nakashima, Eiji; Sera, Nobuko; Neriishi, Kazuo; Yamada, Michiko; Tatsukawa, Yoshimi; Takahashi, Ikuno; Fujiwara, Saeko; Sugino, Keizo; Ando, Takao; Usa, Toshiro; Kawakami, Atsushi; Akahoshi, Masazumi; Hida, Ayumi

    2015-02-01

    Few studies have evaluated the association of radiation dose with thyroid nodules among adults exposed to radiation in childhood. To evaluate radiation dose responses on the prevalence of thyroid nodules in atomic bomb survivors exposed in childhood. This survey study investigated 3087 Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors who were younger than 10 years at exposure and participated in the thyroid study of the Adult Health Study at the Radiation Effects Research Foundation. Thyroid examinations including thyroid ultrasonography were conducted between October 2007 and October 2011, and solid nodules underwent fine-needle aspiration biopsy. Data from 2668 participants (86.4% of the total participants; mean age, 68.2 years; 1213 men; and 1455 women) with known atomic bomb thyroid radiation doses (mean dose, 0.182 Gy; median dose, 0.018 Gy; dose range, 0-4.040 Gy) were analyzed. The prevalence of all thyroid nodules having a diameter of 10 mm or more (consisting of solid nodules [malignant and benign] and cysts), prevalence of small thyroid nodules that were less than 10 mm in diameter detected by ultrasonography, and atomic bomb radiation dose-responses. Thyroid nodules with a diameter of 10 mm or more were identified in 470 participants (17.6%): solid nodules (427 cases [16.0%]), malignant tumors (47 cases [1.8%]), benign nodules (186 cases [7.0%]), and cysts (49 cases [1.8%]), and all were significantly associated with thyroid radiation dose. Excess odds ratios per gray unit were 1.65 (95% CI, 0.89-2.64) for all nodules, 1.72 (95% CI, 0.93-2.75) for solid nodules, 4.40 (95% CI, 1.75-9.97) for malignant tumors, 2.07 (95% CI, 1.16-3.39) for benign nodules, and 1.11 (95% CI, 0.15-3.12) for cysts. The interaction between age at exposure and the dose was significant for the prevalence of all nodules (P = .003) and solid nodules (P < .001), indicating that dose effects were significantly higher with earlier childhood exposure. No interactions were seen for

  5. (41)Ca in tooth enamel. Part I: a biological signature of neutron exposure in atomic bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Wallner, A; Rühm, W; Rugel, G; Nakamura, N; Arazi, A; Faestermann, T; Knie, K; Maier, H J; Korschinek, G

    2010-08-01

    The detection of (41)Ca atoms in tooth enamel using accelerator mass spectrometry is suggested as a method capable of reconstructing thermal neutron exposures from atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In general, (41)Ca atoms are produced via thermal neutron capture by stable (40)Ca. Thus any (41)Ca atoms present in the tooth enamel of the survivors would be due to neutron exposure from both natural sources and radiation from the bomb. Tooth samples from five survivors in a control group with negligible neutron exposure were used to investigate the natural (41)Ca content in tooth enamel, and 16 tooth samples from 13 survivors were used to estimate bomb-related neutron exposure. The results showed that the mean (41)Ca/Ca isotope ratio was (0.17 +/- 0.05) x 10(-14) in the control samples and increased to 2 x 10(-14) for survivors who were proximally exposed to the bomb. The (41)Ca/Ca ratios showed an inverse correlation with distance from the hypocenter at the time of the bombing, similar to values that have been derived from theoretical free-in-air thermal-neutron transport calculations. Given that gamma-ray doses were determined earlier for the same tooth samples by means of electron spin resonance (ESR, or electron paramagnetic resonance, EPR), these results can serve to validate neutron exposures that were calculated individually for the survivors but that had to incorporate a number of assumptions (e.g. shielding conditions for the survivors).

  6. Characteristic miR-24 Expression in Gastric Cancers among Atomic Bomb Survivors.

    PubMed

    Naito, Yutaka; Oue, Naohide; Pham, Trang T B; Yamamoto, Manabu; Fujihara, Megumu; Ishida, Teruyoshi; Mukai, Shoichiro; Sentani, Kazuhiro; Sakamoto, Naoya; Hida, Eisuke; Sasaki, Hiroki; Yasui, Wataru

    2015-01-01

    To elucidate the mechanism of radiation-induced cancers, we analyzed the expression profiles of microRNAs extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) gastric cancer (GC) tissue samples from atomic bomb survivors. The expression levels of miR-21, miR-24, miR-34a, miR-106a, miR-143, and miR-145 were measured by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The expression of microRNAs was measured by qRT-PCR in a Hiroshima University Hospital cohort comprising 32 patients in the high-dose-exposed group and 18 patients in the low-dose-exposed group who developed GC after the bombing. The GC cases showing high expression of miR-24, miR-143, and miR-145 were more frequently found in the high-dose-exposed group than in the low-dose-exposed group. We next performed qRT-PCR of miR-24, miR-143, and miR-145 in a cohort from the Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital and Atomic-Bomb Survivors Hospital comprising 122 patients in the high-dose-exposed group and 48 patients in the low-dose-exposed group who developed GC after the bombing. High expressions of miR-24 and miR-143 were more frequently found in the high-dose-exposed group than in the low-dose-exposed group. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that only high expression of miR-24 was an independent predictor for the exposure status. These results suggest that the measurement of miR-24 expression from FFPE samples is useful to identify radiation-associated GC.

  7. Personality and posttraumatic stress disorder among directly exposed survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing.

    PubMed

    North, Carol S; Abbacchi, Anna; Cloninger, C Robert

    2012-01-01

    Few disaster studies have specifically examined personality in association with exposure to disaster and development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A study of survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing examined PTSD and personality measured after the disaster. In a random sample of 255 survivors from a bombing survivor registry, 151 (59%) completed both full PTSD and personality assessments using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule and the Temperament and Character Inventory, respectively. Postbombing PTSD was associated with low self-directedness and low cooperativeness, and also with high self-transcendence and harm avoidance in most configurations. Disorganized (schizotypal) character and explosive (borderline) temperament configurations were associated with PTSD; creative and autocratic character configurations were negatively associated with PTSD. Clinicians should be vigilant for PTSD among individuals with personality disorders and also be aware that personality disorders are likely to be overrepresented among people with PTSD. Treatment of PTSD may need to take into account comorbid personality disorders and personality features. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Prevalence of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance in Asia: a viewpoint from nagasaki atomic bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Iwanaga, Masako; Tomonaga, Masao

    2014-02-01

    Exposure to ionizing radiation is a known environmental risk factor for a variety of cancers including hematological malignancies, such as leukemia, myelodysplastic syndromes, and multiple myeloma. Therefore, for Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors (surviving victims who were exposed to ionizing radiation emitted from the nuclear weapons), several cancer-screening tests have been provided annually, with government support, to detect the early stage of malignancies. An M-protein screening test has been used to detect multiple myeloma at an early stage among atomic bomb survivors. In the screening process, a number of patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), in addition to multiple myeloma, have been identified. In 2009 and 2011, we reported the age- and sex-specific prevalence of MGUS between 1988 and 2004 and the possible role of radiation exposure in the development of MGUS using the screening data of more than 1000 patients with MGUS among approximately 52,000 Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors. The findings included: (1) a significant lower overall prevalence (2.1%) than that observed in Caucasian or African-origin populations; (2) a significantly higher prevalence in men than in women; (3) an age-related increase in the prevalence; (4) a significantly higher prevalence in people exposed to higher radiation doses only among those exposed at age 20 years or younger; and (5) a lower frequency of immunoglobulin M MGUS in Japanese patients than in patients in Western countries. The large study of MGUS among Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors has provided important findings for the etiology of MGUS, including a possible role of radiation exposure on the cause of MGUS and an ethnicity-related difference in the characteristics of MGUS. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Significance of genomic instability in breast cancer in atomic bomb survivors: analysis of microarray-comparative genomic hybridization.

    PubMed

    Oikawa, Masahiro; Yoshiura, Koh-ichiro; Kondo, Hisayoshi; Miura, Shiro; Nagayasu, Takeshi; Nakashima, Masahiro

    2011-12-07

    It has been postulated that ionizing radiation induces breast cancers among atomic bomb (A-bomb) survivors. We have reported a higher incidence of HER2 and C-MYC oncogene amplification in breast cancers from A-bomb survivors. The purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of A-bomb radiation exposure on genomic instability (GIN), which is an important hallmark of carcinogenesis, in archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues of breast cancer by using microarray-comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH). Tumor DNA was extracted from FFPE tissues of invasive ductal cancers from 15 survivors who were exposed at 1.5 km or less from the hypocenter and 13 calendar year-matched non-exposed patients followed by aCGH analysis using a high-density oligonucleotide microarray. The total length of copy number aberrations (CNA) was used as an indicator of GIN, and correlation with clinicopathological factors were statistically tested. The mean of the derivative log ratio spread (DLRSpread), which estimates the noise by calculating the spread of log ratio differences between consecutive probes for all chromosomes, was 0.54 (range, 0.26 to 1.05). The concordance of results between aCGH and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for HER2 gene amplification was 88%. The incidence of HER2 amplification and histological grade was significantly higher in the A-bomb survivors than control group (P = 0.04, respectively). The total length of CNA tended to be larger in the A-bomb survivors (P = 0.15). Correlation analysis of CNA and clinicopathological factors revealed that DLRSpread was negatively correlated with that significantly (P = 0.034, r = -0.40). Multivariate analysis with covariance revealed that the exposure to A-bomb was a significant (P = 0.005) independent factor which was associated with larger total length of CNA of breast cancers. Thus, archival FFPE tissues from A-bomb survivors are useful for genome-wide aCGH analysis. Our results suggested that A-bomb

  10. Significance of genomic instability in breast cancer in atomic bomb survivors: analysis of microarray-comparative genomic hybridization

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background It has been postulated that ionizing radiation induces breast cancers among atomic bomb (A-bomb) survivors. We have reported a higher incidence of HER2 and C-MYC oncogene amplification in breast cancers from A-bomb survivors. The purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of A-bomb radiation exposure on genomic instability (GIN), which is an important hallmark of carcinogenesis, in archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues of breast cancer by using microarray-comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH). Methods Tumor DNA was extracted from FFPE tissues of invasive ductal cancers from 15 survivors who were exposed at 1.5 km or less from the hypocenter and 13 calendar year-matched non-exposed patients followed by aCGH analysis using a high-density oligonucleotide microarray. The total length of copy number aberrations (CNA) was used as an indicator of GIN, and correlation with clinicopathological factors were statistically tested. Results The mean of the derivative log ratio spread (DLRSpread), which estimates the noise by calculating the spread of log ratio differences between consecutive probes for all chromosomes, was 0.54 (range, 0.26 to 1.05). The concordance of results between aCGH and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for HER2 gene amplification was 88%. The incidence of HER2 amplification and histological grade was significantly higher in the A-bomb survivors than control group (P = 0.04, respectively). The total length of CNA tended to be larger in the A-bomb survivors (P = 0.15). Correlation analysis of CNA and clinicopathological factors revealed that DLRSpread was negatively correlated with that significantly (P = 0.034, r = -0.40). Multivariate analysis with covariance revealed that the exposure to A-bomb was a significant (P = 0.005) independent factor which was associated with larger total length of CNA of breast cancers. Conclusions Thus, archival FFPE tissues from A-bomb survivors are useful for genome-wide a

  11. ESR dosimetry for atomic bomb survivors and radiologic technologists

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tatsumi-Miyajima, Junko

    1987-06-01

    An individual absorbed dose for atomic bomb (A-bomb) survivors and radiologic technologists has been estimated using a new personal dosimetry. This dosimetry is based on the electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy of the CO 33- radicals, which are produced in their teeth by radiation. Measurements were carried out to study the characteristics of the dosimetry; the ESR signals of the CO 33- radicals were stable and increased linearly with the radiation dose. In the evaluation of the absorbed dose, the ESR signals were considered to be a function of photon energy. The absorbed doses in ten cases of A-bomb victims and eight cases of radiologic technologists were determined. For A-bomb survivors, the adsorbed doses, which were estimated using the ESR dosimetry, were consistent with the ones obtained using the calculations of the tissue dose in air of A-bomb, and also with the ones obtained using the chromosome measurements. For radiologic technologists, the absorbed doses, which were estimated using the ESR dosimetry, agreed with the ones calculated using the information on the occupational history and conditions. The advantages of this method are that the absorbed dose can be directly estimated by measuring the ESR signals obtained from the teeth of persons, who are exposed to radiation. Therefore, the ESR dosimetry is useful to estimate the accidental exposure and the long term cumulative dose.

  12. Non-cancer Diseases of Korean Atomic Bomb Survivors in Residence at Hapcheon, Republic of Korea

    PubMed Central

    Ju, Young-Su; Kim, Jung-Bum; Kim, Jin-Kook

    2006-01-01

    Many Koreans, in addition to Japanese, were killed or injured by the atomic bombs detonated over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945. Our study examined non-cancer diseases of Korean A-bomb survivors in residence at Hapcheon, Republic of Korea and evaluated whether they had significantly higher prevalence of non-cancer diseases than non-exposed people. We evaluated a number of tests, including anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, blood chemistry, hepatitis B surface antigen, and urinalysis, of survivors (n=223) and controls (n=372). Univariate analysis revealed significantly lower fasting glucose and creatinine, and higher diastolic blood pressure, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and blood urea nitrogen levels in the survivors than in the controls. The calculation of crude prevalence ratios (PRs) revealed that A-bomb survivors had a significantly higher prevalence of hypertension (PR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.00-1.35) and chronic liver disease (2.20; 1.59-3.06) than controls. After adjusting for covariates (age, sex, body mass index, marital status, education, alcohol consumption, and smoking), A-bomb survivors had a significantly higher prevalence of hypertension (1.24; 1.06-1.44), chronic liver disease (2.07; 1.51-2.84), and hypercholesterolemia (1.79; 1.11-2.90) than controls. This study suggests that A-bomb exposure is associated with a higher prevalence of non-cancer diseases in Korean survivors. PMID:16778377

  13. Japanese Legacy Cohorts: The Life Span Study Atomic Bomb Survivor Cohort and Survivors’ Offspring

    PubMed Central

    Grant, Eric J; Kodama, Kazunori

    2018-01-01

    Cohorts of atomic bomb survivors—including those exposed in utero—and children conceived after parental exposure were established to investigate late health effects of atomic bomb radiation and its transgenerational effects by the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission (ABCC) in the 1950s. ABCC was reorganized to the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF) in 1975, and all work has been continued at RERF. The Life Span Study, the cohort of survivors, consists of about 120,000 subjects and has been followed since 1950. Cohorts of in utero survivors and the survivors’ children include about 3,600 and 77,000 subjects, respectively, and have been followed since 1945. Atomic bomb radiation dose was estimated for each subject based on location at the time of the bombing and shielding conditions from exposure, which were obtained through enormous efforts of investigators and cooperation of subjects. Outcomes include vital status, cause of death, and cancer incidence. In addition, sub-cohorts of these three cohorts were constructed to examine clinical features of late health effects, and the subjects have been invited to periodic health examinations at clinics of ABCC and RERF. They were also asked to donate biosamples for biomedical investigations. Epidemiological studies have observed increased radiation risks for malignant diseases among survivors, including those exposed in utero, and possible risks for some non-cancer diseases. In children of survivors, no increased risks due to parental exposure to radiation have been observed for malignancies or other diseases, but investigations are continuing, as these cohorts are still relatively young. PMID:29553058

  14. A prospective study of long-term health outcomes among Oklahoma City bombing survivors.

    PubMed

    Shariat, S; Mallonee, S; Kruger, E; Farmer, K; North, C

    1999-04-01

    A follow-up study was conducted to identify long-term physical and emotional outcomes among Oklahoma City bombing survivors. Baseline data were gathered by the Oklahoma State Department of Health in 1995. Follow-up data were gathered by telephone interviews of survivors from 1-1/2 to 3 years after the bombing. The frequency of medical diagnoses, symptoms, medical cost, physical and social life changes, and services utilized since the bombing were assessed. A total of 494 persons were interviewed, 92 percent had been physically injured in the bombing. Seventy-nine percent of persons interviewed rated their general health status as "good," "very good," or "excellent." Overall, one-fourth to one-third of survivors reported being newly diagnosed with audiologic changes, anxiety, and depression since the bombing. One-third of persons reported preexisting medical conditions that had worsened since the bombing including depression (26%) and asthma/bronchitis (22%). The most frequently reported posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms were "being jumpy or easily startled" and "recurring distressful thoughts of the bombing." The most frequently utilized medical services were psychological counseling (63%) and audiology services (48%). Total costs were estimated of $ 5.7 million. Overall, persons who had been hospitalized with bombing injuries reported higher rates of diagnoses, symptoms, and services utilization. These findings suggest that a large proportion of survivors of a terrorist bombing, especially those seriously injured, will experience long-term physical and/or emotional outcomes and increased need for treatment for bombing-related medical conditions. All survivors should be carefully assessed over time for auditory damage, depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder.

  15. Long-term follow-up of atomic bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Sakata, Ritsu; Grant, Eric J; Ozasa, Kotaro

    2012-06-01

    The Life Span Study (LSS) is a follow-up study of atomic bomb (A-bomb) survivors to investigate the radiation effects on human health and has collected data for over 60 years. The LSS cohort consists of 93,741 A-bomb survivors and another 26,580 age and sex-matched subjects who were not in either city at the time of the bombing. Radiation doses have been computed based on individual location and shielding status at the time of the bombings. Age at death and cause of death are gathered through the Japanese national family registry system and cancer incidence data have been collected through the Hiroshima and Nagasaki cancer registries. Noncancer disease incidence and health information are collected through biannual medical examinations among a subset of the LSS. Radiation significantly increases the risks of death (22% at 1 Gy), cancer incidence (47% at 1 Gy), death due to leukemia (310% at 1 Gy), as well as the incidence of several noncancer diseases (e.g. thyroid nodules, chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, uterine myoma, and hypertension). Significant effects on maturity (e.g. growth reduction and early menopause) were also observed. Long-term follow-up studies of the A-bomb survivors have provided reliable information on health risks for the survivors and form the basis for radiation protection standards for workers and the public. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. The long-term outcome of atomic bomb survivors with gastric carcinoma.

    PubMed

    Yamamoto, Manabu; Matsuyama, Ayumi; Kameyama, Toshifumi; Okamoto, Masahiro; Okazaki, Jin; Utsunomiya, Tohru; Tsutsui, Shinichi; Ishida, Teruyoshi

    2009-12-01

    During the decade following the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima, a high incidence of leukemia was observed among atomic bomb survivors. Subsequently, the incidence of other cancers gradually increased while that of leukemia decreased. We examined the long-term clinical outcome of gastric cancer and second primary cancer in atomic bomb survivors. Results of surgical treatment of gastric cancer were reviewed in 231 atomic bomb survivors and 759 control patients between 1995 and 2006. Long-term prognosis of gastric cancer in atomic bomb survivors was significantly poorer than that in control patients (P < 0.05). In a multivariate analysis, age, depth of tumor invasion, lymph node metastases, and curability were found to be significant and independent prognostic factors for gastric cancer. The incidence of second primary cancer after gastric cancer was significantly higher in survivors than in control patients (P < 0.01), because the number of elderly patients in the survivors was higher. Gastric cancer in survivors had a significantly poorer prognosis. Although the frequency of second primary cancer after gastric cancer in survivors was higher than that in control patients, it did not influence the prognosis.

  17. Incidence of dementia among atomic-bomb survivors--Radiation Effects Research Foundation Adult Health Study.

    PubMed

    Yamada, Michiko; Kasagi, Fumiyoshi; Mimori, Yasuyo; Miyachi, Takafumi; Ohshita, Tomohiko; Sasaki, Hideo

    2009-06-15

    Radiotherapy has been reported to cause neuropsychological dysfunction. Here we examined whether exposure to atomic bomb radiation affected the incidence of dementia among 2286 atomic bomb survivors and controls - all members of the Adult Health Study cohort. Study subjects were non-demented and aged >or=60 years at baseline examination and had been exposed in 1945 at >or=13 years of age to a relatively low dose (a two-phase procedure. DSM IV criteria were used for diagnosing dementia, NINCDS-ADRDA for Alzheimer disease, and NINDS-AIREN for vascular disease. To estimate the effect of radiation on the dementia incidence rate, we applied Poisson regression analysis. Incidence per 1000 person-years was 16.3 in the <5 mGy group, 17.0 in the 5-499 mGy group, and 15.2 in the >or=500 mGy group. Alzheimer disease was the predominant type of dementia in each dose category. After adjustment for potential risk factors, radiation exposure did not affect the incidence rate of either all dementia or any of its subtypes. No case of dementia had a history of therapeutic cranial irradiation. Although we found no relationship between radiation exposure and the development of dementia among atomic bomb survivors exposed at >or=13 years old in this longitudinal study, effects on increased risk of early death among atomic bomb survivors will be considered.

  18. Life-bombing-injury-life: a qualitative follow-up study of Oklahoma City bombing survivors with TBI.

    PubMed

    Sample, Pat L; Greene, David; Johns, Nikole R

    2012-01-01

    To learn about and come to an understanding of the recovery process and outcomes experienced by the survivors of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, who sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) along with other injuries in the blast. A phenomenological study was conducted using in-person interviews, document and video-tape review, internet communication and researcher journals as the primary data set. A total of 20 of the 46 bombing survivors with TBI (44%) agreed to be a part of the study. The data collection process focused on stories about service needs, services accessed and long-term outcomes of the participants. The researchers' data analysis yielded four themes (Trauma-Healing-Support; What TBI?; How I went back to work and life; Now I really need assistance!) that represented the content and meanings of the interviews and supplemental data. A common thread running through the interviews of survivors with TBI was their portrayal of life-long medical, emotional, vocational and residential needs since the bombing. What they experienced in the months--extending into years--after the bombing was beyond their own anticipation and that of their families and healthcare professionals.

  19. Height reduction among prenatally exposed atomic-bomb survivors: A longitudinal study of growth

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nakashima, Eiji; Funamoto, Sachiyo; Carter, R.L.

    Using a random coefficient regression model, sex-specific longitudinal analyses of height were made on 801 (392 male and 409 female) atomic-bomb survivors exposed in utero to detect dose effects on standing height. The data set resulted from repeated measurements of standing height of adolescents (age 10-18 y). The dose effect, if any, was assumed to be linear. Gestational ages at the time of radiation exposure were divided into trimesters. Since an earlier longitudinal data analysis has demonstrated radiation effects on height, the emphasis in this paper is on the interaction between dose and gestational age at exposure and radiation effectsmore » on the age of occurrence of the adolescent growth spurt. For males, a cubic polynomial growth-curve model applied to the data was affected significantly by radiation. The dose by trimester interaction effect was not significant. The onset of adolescent growth spurt was estimated at about 13 y at 0 Gy. There was no effect of radiation on the adolescent growth spurt For females, a quadratic polynomial growth-curve model was fitted to the data. The dose effect was significant, while the dose by trimester interaction was again not significant. 27 refs., 3 figs., 4 tabs.« less

  20. Radiation and cancer risk in atomic-bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Kodama, K; Ozasa, K; Okubo, T

    2012-03-01

    With the aim of accurately assessing the effects of radiation exposure in the Japanese atomic-bomb survivors, the Radiation Effects Research Foundation has, over several decades, conducted studies of the Life Span Study (LSS) cohort, comprising 93 000 atomic-bomb survivors and 27 000 controls. Solid cancer: the recent report on solid cancer incidence found that at age 70 years following exposure at age 30 years, solid cancer rates increase by about 35%  Gy(-1) for men and 58% Gy(-1) for women. Age-at-exposure is an important risk modifier. In the case of lung cancer, cigarette smoking has been found to be an important risk modifier. Radiation has similar effects on first-primary and second-primary cancer risks. Finally, radiation-associated increases in cancer rates appear to persist throughout life. Leukaemia: the recent report on leukaemia mortality suggests that radiation effects on leukaemia mortality persisted for more than 50 years. Moreover, significant dose-response for myelodysplastic syndrome was observed in Nagasaki LSS members even 40-60 years after radiation exposure. Future perspective: given the continuing solid cancer increase in the survivor population, the LSS will likely continue to provide important new information on radiation exposure and solid cancer risks for another 15-20 years, especially for those exposed at a young age.

  1. Detection of de novo single nucleotide variants in offspring of atomic-bomb survivors close to the hypocenter by whole-genome sequencing.

    PubMed

    Horai, Makiko; Mishima, Hiroyuki; Hayashida, Chisa; Kinoshita, Akira; Nakane, Yoshibumi; Matsuo, Tatsuki; Tsuruda, Kazuto; Yanagihara, Katsunori; Sato, Shinya; Imanishi, Daisuke; Imaizumi, Yoshitaka; Hata, Tomoko; Miyazaki, Yasushi; Yoshiura, Koh-Ichiro

    2018-03-01

    Ionizing radiation released by the atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945 caused many long-term illnesses, including increased risks of malignancies such as leukemia and solid tumours. Radiation has demonstrated genetic effects in animal models, leading to concerns over the potential hereditary effects of atomic bomb-related radiation. However, no direct analyses of whole DNA have yet been reported. We therefore investigated de novo variants in offspring of atomic-bomb survivors by whole-genome sequencing (WGS). We collected peripheral blood from three trios, each comprising a father (atomic-bomb survivor with acute radiation symptoms), a non-exposed mother, and their child, none of whom had any past history of haematological disorders. One trio of non-exposed individuals was included as a control. DNA was extracted and the numbers of de novo single nucleotide variants in the children were counted by WGS with sequencing confirmation. Gross structural variants were also analysed. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to the study. There were 62, 81, and 42 de novo single nucleotide variants in the children of atomic-bomb survivors, compared with 48 in the control trio. There were no gross structural variants in any trio. These findings are in accord with previously published results that also showed no significant genetic effects of atomic-bomb radiation on second-generation survivors.

  2. Reactions of Oklahoma City bombing survivors to media coverage of the September 11, 2001, attacks.

    PubMed

    Pfefferbaum, Betty; Nitiéma, Pascal; Pfefferbaum, Rose L; Houston, J Brian; Tucker, Phebe; Jeon-Slaughter, Haekyung; North, Carol S

    2016-02-01

    This study explored the effects of media coverage of a terrorist incident in individuals remote from the location of a major attack who had directly experienced a prior terrorist incident. Directly-exposed survivors of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, initially studied six months after the incident, and indirectly-affected Oklahoma City community residents were assessed two to seven months after the September 11, 2001, attacks. Survivors were assessed for a diagnosis of bombing-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at index and follow up, and emotional reactions and September 11 media behavior were assessed in all participants. Among the three investigated forms of media (television, radio, and newspaper), only television viewing was associated with 9/11-related posttraumatic stress reactions. Exposure to the Oklahoma City bombing was associated with greater arousal in relation to the September 11 attacks, and among survivors, having developed bombing-related PTSD was associated with higher scores on all three September 11 posttraumatic stress response clusters (intrusion, avoidance, and arousal). Although time spent watching television coverage of the September 11 attacks and fear-related discontinuation of media contact were not associated with Oklahoma City bombing exposure, discontinuing September 11 media contact due to fear was associated with avoidance/numbing in the full sample and in the analysis restricted to the bombing survivors. Surviving a prior terrorist incident and developing PTSD in relation to that incident may predispose individuals to adverse reactions to media coverage of a future terrorist attack. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Genomic instability in the epidermis induced by atomic bomb (A-bomb) radiation: a long-lasting health effect in A-bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Naruke, Yuki; Nakashima, Masahiro; Suzuki, Keiji; Kondo, Hisayoshi; Hayashi, Tomayoshi; Soda, Midori; Sekine, Ichiro

    2009-08-15

    Radiation etiology is suggested in the occurrence of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) of the skin among atomic bomb (A-bomb) survivors. Any genotoxicity, including ionizing radiation, can induce a DNA damage response (DDR), leading to genomic instability (GIN), which allows the accumulation of mutations during tumorigenesis. In this study, the authors evaluated the presence of GIN in the epidermis of survivors as a late effect of A-bomb radiation. In total, 146 BCCs, including 23 cases arising from nonexposed skin, were identified in survivors from 1968 to 1999. The incidence rate (IR) of BCC was calculated with stratification by distance in kilometers from the hypocenter (< or =1.5 km, 1.6-2.9 km, and > or =3 km). Nineteen epidermal samples surrounding BCC at the nonexposed sites were collected and tested for p53 binding protein 1 (53BP1) expression with immunofluorescence. 53BP1 rapidly forms nuclear foci at the sites of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs). Because 1 manifestation of GIN is the induction of endogenous DSBs, the level of 53BP1-focus formation (DDR type) can be considered as a marker for GIN. : The incidence rate of BCC increased significantly as exposure distance approached the hypocenter. Of the 7 epidermal samples from the proximal group (< or =1.5 km), 5 samples predominantly expressed DDR and an abnormal type of 53BP1 expression. In contrast, 4 of 5 samples from the distal group (> or =3 km) and all samples from the control group predominantly expressed the stable type of 53BP1 expression in the epidermis. : The current results demonstrated the endogenous activation of DDR in the epidermis surrounding BCC in the proximal group, suggesting the presence of a GIN in the survivors as a late effect of A-bomb radiation, which may indicate a predisposition to cancer.

  4. Physiological reactivity in children of Oklahoma City bombing survivors 7 years postdisaster: a pilot study.

    PubMed

    Pfefferbaum, Betty; Tucker, Phebe; North, Carol S; Jeon-Slaughter, Haekyung

    2011-08-01

    Relatively few studies of children exposed to trauma have used objective indicators such as heart rate and blood pressure measurements to assess physiological reactivity. This pilot study examined physiological reactivity (heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure) and emotional indicators (posttraumatic stress and depressive symptoms) in 17 children of directly exposed Oklahoma City bombing survivors and in 17 demographically matched community comparison children, 7 years after the incident. Despite generally low levels of subjectively reported posttraumatic stress and depressive symptoms 7 years after the disaster, the children of survivors showed heightened objectively measured physiological reactivity relative to the comparison group. The extent to which this heightened physiological reactivity in the children of survivors was pathologic is unclear. Only 1 participant reported high levels of posttraumatic stress and depressive symptoms; this individual also demonstrated physiological reactivity. Results suggest children of disaster survivors may experience physiological reactivity despite absence of direct exposure to the trauma or acknowledgement of symptoms. These findings indicate the physiological effects of trauma may endure separate from subjective affect in the offspring of highly exposed disaster survivors. More research is needed to determine the potential consequences of persistent physiological reactivity.

  5. Longitudinal trends of total white blood cell and differential white blood cell counts of atomic bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Hsu, Wan-Ling; Tatsukawa, Yoshimi; Neriishi, Kazuo; Yamada, Michiko; Cologne, John; Fujiwara, Saeko

    2010-01-01

    In studying the late health effects of atomic-bomb (A-bomb) survivors, earlier findings were that white blood cell (WBC) count increased with radiation dose in cross-sectional studies. However, a persistent effect of radiation on WBC count and other risk factors has yet to be confirmed. The objectives of the present study were 1) to examine the longitudinal relationship between A-bomb radiation dose and WBC and differential WBC counts among A-bomb survivors and 2) to investigate the potential confounding risk factors (such as age at exposure and smoking status) as well as modification of the radiation dose-response. A total of 7,562 A-bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki were included in this study from 1964-2004. A linear mixed model was applied using the repeated WBC measurements. During the study period, a secular downward trend of WBC count was observed. Radiation exposure was a significant risk factor for elevated WBC and differential WBC counts over time. A significant increase of WBC counts among survivors with high radiation dose (> 2 Gy) was detected in men exposed below the age of 20 and in women regardless of age at exposure. Effects on WBC of low dose radiation remain unclear, however. Cigarette smoking produced the most pronounced effect on WBC counts and its impact was much larger than that of radiation exposure.

  6. Psychiatric disorders after terrorist bombings among rescue workers and bombing survivors in Nairobi and rescue workers in Oklahoma City.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Gus; Pfefferbaum, Betty; Narayanan, Pushpa; Lee, Sungkyu; Thielman, Samuel; North, Carol S

    2016-02-01

    To examine the prevalence of psychopathology in 52 male rescue workers responding to the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombing in Nairobi, Kenya, comparing them with 176 male rescue workers responding to the 1995 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, bombing and with 105 directly exposed male civilian survivors of the Nairobi bombing. The Diagnostic Interview Schedule/Disaster Supplement assessed pre-disaster and post-disaster psychiatric disorders and variables related to demographics, exposure, disaster perceptions, and coping in all 3 disaster subgroups. The most prevalent post-disaster disorders were posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (22%) and major depressive disorder (MDD) (27%) among Nairobi rescue workers, which were more than 2 and 4 times higher, respectively, than among Oklahoma City rescue workers. Alcohol use disorder was the most prevalent pre- and post-disaster disorder among Oklahoma City rescue workers. Nairobi rescue workers had a prevalence of PTSD and MDD not significantly different from Nairobi civilian survivors. Nairobi rescue workers were more symptomatic than Oklahoma City rescue workers and were as symptomatic as Nairobi civilian survivors. The vulnerability of Nairobi rescue workers to psychological sequelae may be a reflection of their volunteer, rather than professional, status. These findings contribute to understanding rescue worker mental health, especially among volunteer rescue workers, with potential implications for the importance of professional status of rescue workers in conferring protection from adverse mental health outcomes.

  7. Chromosomal analysis of myelodysplastic syndromes among atomic bomb survivors in Nagasaki.

    PubMed

    Horai, Makiko; Satoh, Shinya; Matsuo, Masatoshi; Iwanaga, Masako; Horio, Kensuke; Jo, Tatsuro; Takasaki, Yumi; Kawaguchi, Yasuhisa; Tsushima, Hideki; Yoshida, Shinichiro; Taguchi, Masataka; Itonaga, Hidehiro; Sawayama, Yasushi; Taguchi, Jun; Imaizumi, Yoshitaka; Hata, Tomoko; Moriuchi, Yukiyoshi; Haase, Detlef; Yoshiura, Koh-Ichiro; Miyazaki, Yasushi

    2018-02-01

    The myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are clonal haematopoietic disorders that develop de novo and also secondary to chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. We previously demonstrated that the risk of MDS is increased among atomic bomb survivors with significant correlation to radiation dose; however, the clinical characteristics of these survivors have not been well analysed. In this study, we investigated chromosomal abnormalities of MDS among survivors. The frequency of abnormal karyotypes was significantly higher, with more very poor risk karyotypes, according to the revised International Prognostic Scoring System, among those exposed close to the hypocentre compared with unexposed cases. However, abnormal karyotype frequency did not reflect the prognosis of exposed cases with respect to distance from the hypocentre. In addition, there was no difference in prognosis between exposed and unexposed cases. Among proximally exposed cases (<1·5 km from the hypocentre), chromosomal translocations and inversions were more frequent, and the frequency of structural alterations in chromosomes 3, 8, and 11 was significantly increased compared with unexposed cases. These results suggest that chromosomal alterations in MDS among survivors have different features compared with those in de novo or therapy-related MDS. Detailed molecular study is warranted. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. Outcome and status of microsatellite stability in Japanese atomic bomb survivors with early gastric carcinoma.

    PubMed

    Yamamoto, Manabu; Taguchi, Kenichi; Yamanaka, Takeharu; Matsuyama, Ayumi; Yoshinaga, Keiji; Tsutsui, Shinichi; Ishida, Teruyoshi

    2013-03-01

    In the decade after the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima, a high incidence of leukemia was observed among atomic bomb survivors. However, the incidence of other cancers gradually increased, while that of leukemia decreased after this period. We evaluated the clinical outcome of early gastric cancer and microsatellite stability over a long-term period in atomic bomb survivors. The results of surgical treatment for early gastric cancer were reviewed for 117 atomic bomb survivors and 394 control patients between 1995 and 2006. In addition, immunohistochemical staining for hMSH2 and hMLH1 expression was performed to evaluate the status of microsatellite stability in 57 atomic bomb survivors and 82 control patients. The long-term survival rate for early gastric cancer in atomic bomb survivors was significantly lower than that in control patients (p < 0.01). Multivariable analysis revealed that age and sex were significant and independent prognostic factors for early gastric cancer. Defective hMSH2 and/or hMLH1 expression was also significantly higher in survivors than in control patients (p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis revealed that atomic bomb survivorship was related to defective hMSH2 and/or hMLH1 expression. The prognosis of early gastric cancer in atomic bomb survivors was poor and was related to age and sex, rather than to being an atomic bomb survivor. Furthermore, a higher rate of defective hMSH2 and/or hMLH1 expression was observed in the survivors.

  9. Absenteeism among survivors of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

    PubMed Central

    Meigs, J W; Blot, W J; Inoue, S; Meigs, C R

    1975-01-01

    Atomic bomb survivors who worked at the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission in Hiroshima during the years 1968-71 and held handbooks identifying them as survivors took significantly more days of both annual leave and sick leave than did matched and paired control subjects. These differences in leave-taking patterns are considered to be due to behavioural causes as they could not be attributed to radiation dose-response effects. PMID:1156567

  10. A-BOMB SURVIVOR SITE-SPECIFIC RADIOGENIC CANCER RISKS ESTIMATES

    EPA Science Inventory

    A draft manuscript is being prepared that describes ways to improve estimates of risk from radiation that have been derived from A-bomb survivors. The work has been published in the journal Radiation Research volume 169, pages 87-98.

  11. Reanalysis of cancer mortality in Japanese A-bomb survivors exposed to low doses of radiation: bootstrap and simulation methods

    PubMed Central

    2009-01-01

    Background The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) recommended annual occupational dose limit is 20 mSv. Cancer mortality in Japanese A-bomb survivors exposed to less than 20 mSv external radiation in 1945 was analysed previously, using a latency model with non-linear dose response. Questions were raised regarding statistical inference with this model. Methods Cancers with over 100 deaths in the 0 - 20 mSv subcohort of the 1950-1990 Life Span Study are analysed with Poisson regression models incorporating latency, allowing linear and non-linear dose response. Bootstrap percentile and Bias-corrected accelerated (BCa) methods and simulation of the Likelihood Ratio Test lead to Confidence Intervals for Excess Relative Risk (ERR) and tests against the linear model. Results The linear model shows significant large, positive values of ERR for liver and urinary cancers at latencies from 37 - 43 years. Dose response below 20 mSv is strongly non-linear at the optimal latencies for the stomach (11.89 years), liver (36.9), lung (13.6), leukaemia (23.66), and pancreas (11.86) and across broad latency ranges. Confidence Intervals for ERR are comparable using Bootstrap and Likelihood Ratio Test methods and BCa 95% Confidence Intervals are strictly positive across latency ranges for all 5 cancers. Similar risk estimates for 10 mSv (lagged dose) are obtained from the 0 - 20 mSv and 5 - 500 mSv data for the stomach, liver, lung and leukaemia. Dose response for the latter 3 cancers is significantly non-linear in the 5 - 500 mSv range. Conclusion Liver and urinary cancer mortality risk is significantly raised using a latency model with linear dose response. A non-linear model is strongly superior for the stomach, liver, lung, pancreas and leukaemia. Bootstrap and Likelihood-based confidence intervals are broadly comparable and ERR is strictly positive by bootstrap methods for all 5 cancers. Except for the pancreas, similar estimates of latency and risk from 10

  12. Mortality of atomic bomb survivors predicted from laboratory animals

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Carnes, Bruce A.; Grahn, Douglas; Hoel, David

    2003-01-01

    Exposure, pathology and mortality data for mice, dogs and humans were examined to determine whether accurate interspecies predictions of radiation-induced mortality could be achieved. The analyses revealed that (1) days of life lost per unit dose can be estimated for a species even without information on radiation effects in that species, and (2) accurate predictions of age-specific radiation-induced mortality in beagles and the atomic bomb survivors can be obtained from a dose-response model for comparably exposed mice. These findings illustrate the value of comparative mortality analyses and the relevance of animal data to the study of human health effects.

  13. Effect of radiation on age at menopause among atomic bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Sakata, Ritsu; Shimizu, Yukiko; Soda, Midori; Yamada, Michiko; Hsu, Wan-Ling; Hayashi, Mikiko; Ozasa, Kotaro

    2011-12-01

    Exposure to ionizing radiation has been thought to induce ovarian failure and premature menopause. Proximally exposed female atomic bomb survivors were reported to experience menopause immediately after the exposure more often than those who were distally exposed. However, it remains unclear whether such effects were caused by physical injury and psychological trauma or by direct effects of radiation on the ovaries. The objective of this study was to see if there are any late health effects associated with the exposure to atomic bomb radiation in terms of age at menopause in a cohort of 21,259 Life Span Study female A-bomb survivors. Excess absolute rates (EAR) of natural and artificial menopause were estimated using Poisson regression. A linear threshold model with a knot at 0.40 Gy [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.13, 0.62] was the best fit for a dose response of natural menopause (EAR at 1 Gy at age of 50 years = 19.4/1,000 person-years, 95% CI: 10.4, 30.8) and a linear threshold model with a knot at 0.22 Gy (95% CI: 0.14, 0.34) was the best fit for artificial menopause (EAR at 1 Gy at age of 50 years for females who were exposed at age of 20 years = 14.5/1,000 person-years, 95% CI: 10.2, 20.1). Effect modification by attained age indicated that EARs peaked around 50 years of age for both natural and artificial menopause. Although effect modification by age at exposure was not significant for natural menopause, the EAR for artificial menopause tended to be larger in females exposed at young ages. On the cumulative incidence curve of natural menopause, the median age at menopause was 0.3 years younger in females exposed to radiation of 1 Gy compared with unexposed females. The median age was 1 year younger for combined natural and artificial menopause in the same comparison. In conclusion, age at menopause was thought to decrease with increasing radiation dose for both natural and artificial menopause occurring at least 5 years after the exposure.

  14. A comparison of clinicopathological features and prognosis in prostate cancer between atomic bomb survivors and control patients

    PubMed Central

    Shoji, Koichi; Teishima, Jun; Hayashi, Tetsutaro; Shinmei, Shunsuke; Akita, Tomoyuki; Sentani, Kazuhiro; Takeshima, Yukio; Arihiro, Koji; Tanaka, Junko; Yasui, Wataru; Matsubara, Akio

    2017-01-01

    An atomic bomb (A-bomb) was dropped on Hiroshima on 6th August 1945. Although numerous studies have investigated cancer incidence and mortality among A-bomb survivors, only a small number have addressed urological cancer in these survivors. The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinicopathological features of prostate cancer (PCa) in A-bomb survivors. The clinicopathological features and prognosis of PCa were retrospectively reviewed in 212 survivors and 595 control patients between November 1996 and December 2010. The histopathological and clinical outcomes of surgical treatment of PCa were also evaluated in 69 survivors and 162 control patients. Despite the higher age at diagnosis compared with the control group (P=0.0031), survivors were more likely to have been diagnosed with PCa from a health check compared with the control group (P<0.0001). As a consequence, the survivors were found to exhibit metastasis significantly less frequently (199/212, 93.9%) compared with the control patients (521/595, 87.6%; P=0.0076). Prognosis in the two groups was examined, subsequent to a mean length of follow-up of 44 months. Overall survival (OS) and PCa-specific survival (CS) were similar between the two groups (OS, P=0.2196; CS, P=0.1017). A-bomb exposure was not found to be an independent predictor for prognosis by multivariate analysis (OS, P=0.7800; CS, P=0.8688). The clinicopathological features of patients who underwent a prostatectomy were similar except for the diagnosis opportunity between the two groups. Progression-free survival rates were similar between the two groups (P=0.5630). A-bomb exposure was not a significant and independent predictor for worsening of progression-free prognosis by multivariate analysis (P=0.3763). A-bomb exposure does not appear to exert deleterious effects on the biological aggressiveness of PCa and the prognosis of patients with PCa. PMID:28693168

  15. A comparison of clinicopathological features and prognosis in prostate cancer between atomic bomb survivors and control patients.

    PubMed

    Shoji, Koichi; Teishima, Jun; Hayashi, Tetsutaro; Shinmei, Shunsuke; Akita, Tomoyuki; Sentani, Kazuhiro; Takeshima, Yukio; Arihiro, Koji; Tanaka, Junko; Yasui, Wataru; Matsubara, Akio

    2017-07-01

    An atomic bomb (A-bomb) was dropped on Hiroshima on 6th August 1945. Although numerous studies have investigated cancer incidence and mortality among A-bomb survivors, only a small number have addressed urological cancer in these survivors. The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinicopathological features of prostate cancer (PCa) in A-bomb survivors. The clinicopathological features and prognosis of PCa were retrospectively reviewed in 212 survivors and 595 control patients between November 1996 and December 2010. The histopathological and clinical outcomes of surgical treatment of PCa were also evaluated in 69 survivors and 162 control patients. Despite the higher age at diagnosis compared with the control group (P=0.0031), survivors were more likely to have been diagnosed with PCa from a health check compared with the control group (P<0.0001). As a consequence, the survivors were found to exhibit metastasis significantly less frequently (199/212, 93.9%) compared with the control patients (521/595, 87.6%; P=0.0076). Prognosis in the two groups was examined, subsequent to a mean length of follow-up of 44 months. Overall survival (OS) and PCa-specific survival (CS) were similar between the two groups (OS, P=0.2196; CS, P=0.1017). A-bomb exposure was not found to be an independent predictor for prognosis by multivariate analysis (OS, P=0.7800; CS, P=0.8688). The clinicopathological features of patients who underwent a prostatectomy were similar except for the diagnosis opportunity between the two groups. Progression-free survival rates were similar between the two groups (P=0.5630). A-bomb exposure was not a significant and independent predictor for worsening of progression-free prognosis by multivariate analysis (P=0.3763). A-bomb exposure does not appear to exert deleterious effects on the biological aggressiveness of PCa and the prognosis of patients with PCa.

  16. Clinical features and prognosis of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes who were exposed to atomic bomb radiation in Nagasaki.

    PubMed

    Matsuo, Masatoshi; Iwanaga, Masako; Kondo, Hisayoshi; Soda, Midori; Jo, Tatsuro; Horio, Kensuke; Takasaki, Yumi; Kawaguchi, Yasuhisa; Tsushima, Hideki; Imaizumi, Yoshitaka; Imanishi, Daisuke; Taguchi, Jun; Sawayama, Yasushi; Hata, Tomoko; Miyazaki, Yasushi

    2016-10-01

    There is evidence that radiation exposure is a causative factor of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). However, little is known about whether radiation exposure is also a prognostic factor of MDS. We investigated the impact of radiation exposure on the prognosis of MDS in Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors using the International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) and the revised version (IPSS-R). Subjects were 140 patients with primary MDS diagnosed between 1985 and 2011 and evaluable for IPSS, IPSS-R, and exposure distance. Of those, 31 were exposed at <1.5 km, 35 at 1.5-2.99 km, and 74 at ≥3.0 km. By the end of March 2014, 47 patients (34%) progressed to overt leukemia and 106 (75.7%) died. By comparing with patients exposed at ≥3.0 km, those exposed at <1.5 km had significantly higher frequencies of abnormal chromosome (P = 0.02), intermediate/poor IPSS, and intermediate/poor/very poor IPSS-R cytogenetic category (P = 0.0001, and P < 0.0001, respectively). As with de novo MDS, multivariate Cox regression analyses revealed that cytogenetic abnormalities, IPSS karyotype, and IPSS-R cytogenetics were significantly associated with poor survival, and cumulative incidence of leukemic transformation in MDS among atomic bomb survivors, but exposure distance was not associated with any poor outcomes. These suggest that exposure to the greater dose of atomic bomb radiation is associated with developing poor cytogenetic abnormalities in MDS, which might consequently lead to overt leukemia among atomic bomb survivors. © 2016 The Authors. Cancer Science published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Cancer Association.

  17. Glaucoma in atomic bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Kiuchi, Yoshiaki; Yokoyama, Tomoko; Takamatsu, Michiya; Tsuiki, Eiko; Uematsu, Masafumi; Kinoshita, Hirofumi; Kumagami, Takeshi; Kitaoka, Takashi; Minamoto, Atsushi; Neriishi, Kazuo; Nakashima, Eiji; Khattree, Ravindra; Hida, Ayumi; Fujiwara, Saeko; Akahoshi, Masazumi

    2013-10-01

    Radiation has been associated with increases in noncancerous diseases. An effect of low-dose radiation on the prevalence of clinically detected glaucoma has not been previously reported. We therefore investigated the prevalence of glaucoma in A-bomb survivors and its possible association with radiation dose. A total of 1,589 people who participated in the clinical examination program for A-bomb survivors at the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF) between October 2006 and September 2008 and who had reconstructed radiation doses, were recruited into this cross-sectional screening study. The prevalence of glaucoma and its dose-response relationship to A-bomb radiation were measured. Each subject underwent an initial screening consisting of an interview and ophthalmological examination. Questionable cases with any indication of ocular disease, including glaucoma, were referred to local hospitals for more comprehensive evaluation. A diagnosis of glaucoma was made based on specific optic disc appearance, perimetric results and other ocular findings. Of 1,589 eligible people, we detected 284 (17.9%) cases of glaucoma overall, including 36 (2.3%) cases of primary open-angle glaucoma with intraocular pressure levels greater than 21 mmHg, 226 (14.2%) cases of normal-tension glaucoma and 25 (1.6%) cases of primary angle-closure glaucoma. Seven glaucoma risk factors were examined as potential confounders but only two needed to be included in the final model. Binary regression using a generalized estimating equation method, with adjustment for gender, age, city, cataract surgery or diabetes mellitus, revealed an odds ratio at 1 Gy of 1.31 (95% confidence interval 1.11-1.53, P = 0.001) in the case of normal-tension glaucoma, but no association for other types of glaucoma. The prevalence of normal-tension glaucoma may increase with A-bomb radiation dose, but uncertainties associated with nonparticipation (59% participation) suggest caution in the interpretation of these

  18. Effects of radiation on the incidence of prostate cancer among Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Kondo, Hisayoshi; Soda, Midori; Mine, Mariko; Yokota, Kenichi

    2013-10-01

    Atomic bomb survivors have been reported to have an increased risk of some cancers, especially leukemia. However, the risk of prostate cancer in atomic bomb survivors is not known to have been examined previously. This study examined the association between atomic bomb radiation and the incidence of prostate cancer among male Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors. The subjects were classified by distance from the hypocenter into a proximal group (<2 km), a distal group (≥2 km), and an early entrance group (those who entered the region <2 km from the hypocenter within 2 weeks after the explosion). Between 1996 and 2009, 631 new cases of prostate cancer were identified among approximately 18 400 male Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors who were alive in 1996. The Cox proportional hazard model was used to estimate the risk of prostate cancer development, with adjustment for age at atomic bomb explosion, attained age, smoking status, and alcohol consumption. Compared with the distal group, the proximal group had significant increased risks of total, localized, and high-grade prostate cancer (relative risk and 95% confidence interval: 1.51 [1.21-1.89]; 1.80 [1.26-2.57]; and 1.88 [1.20-2.94], respectively). This report is the first known to reveal a significant relationship between atomic bomb radiation and prostate cancer. © 2013 Japanese Cancer Association.

  19. Mortality in the Children of Atomic Bomb Survivors and Controls

    PubMed Central

    Neel, James V.; Kato, Hiroo; Schull, William J.

    1974-01-01

    A continuing study of mortality rates among children born to survivors of the atomic bombings and a suitable group of controls has been updated; the average interval between birth and verification of death or survival is 17 years. The mortality experience is now based on 18,946 children liveborn to parents one or both of whom were proximally exposed, receiving jointly an estimated dose of 117 rem; 16,516 children born to distally exposed parents receiving essentially no radiation; and 17,263 children born to parents not in Hiroshima or Nagasaki at the time of the bombings. No clearly significant effect of parental exposure on child's survival can be demonstrated either by a contingency χ2 type of analysis or regression analysis. On the basis of the regression data, the minimal gametic doubling dose of radiation of this type for mutations resulting in death during (on the average) the first 17 years of life among liveborn infants conceived 0–13 years after parental exposure is estimated at 46 rem for fathers and 125 rem for mothers. On the basis of experimental data, the gametic doubling dose for chronic, low-level radiation would be expected to be three to four times this value for males and as much as 1000 rem for females. PMID:4822470

  20. Improved method for analysis of RNA present in long-term preserved thyroid cancer tissue of atomic bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Hamatani, Kiyohiro; Eguchi, Hidetaka; Mukai, Mayumi; Koyama, Kazuaki; Taga, Masataka; Ito, Reiko; Hayashi, Yuzo; Nakachi, Kei

    2010-01-01

    Since many thyroid cancer tissue samples from atomic bomb (A-bomb) survivors have been preserved for several decades as unbuffered formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens, molecular oncological analysis of such archival specimens is indispensable for clarifying the mechanisms of thyroid carcinogenesis in A-bomb survivors. Although RET gene rearrangements are the most important targets, it is a difficult task to examine all of the 13 known types of RET gene rearrangements with the use of the limited quantity of RNA that has been extracted from invaluable paraffin-embedded tissue specimens of A-bomb survivors. In this study, we established an improved 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) method using a small amount of RNA extracted from archival thyroid cancer tissue specimens. Three archival thyroid cancer tissue specimens from three different patients were used as in-house controls to determine the conditions for an improved switching mechanism at 5' end of RNA transcript (SMART) RACE method; one tissue specimen with RET/PTC1 rearrangement and one with RET/PTC3 rearrangement were used as positive samples. One other specimen, used as a negative sample, revealed no detectable expression of the RET gene tyrosine kinase domain. We established a 5' RACE method using an amount of RNA as small as 10 ng extracted from long-term preserved, unbuffered formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded thyroid cancer tissue by application of SMART technology. This improved SMART RACE method not only identified common RET gene rearrangements, but also isolated a clone containing a 93-bp insert of rare RTE/PTC8 in RNA extracted from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded thyroid cancer specimens from one A-bomb survivor who had been exposed to a high radiation dose. In addition, in the papillary thyroid cancer of another high-dose A-bomb survivor, this method detected one novel type of RET gene rearrangement whose partner gene is acyl coenzyme A binding domain 5, located on chromosome 10p

  1. Ocular injuries sustained by survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing.

    PubMed

    Mines, M; Thach, A; Mallonee, S; Hildebrand, L; Shariat, S

    2000-05-01

    The purpose of this study is to provide a review of the ocular injuries sustained by survivors of the April 19, 1995, bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Retrospective, noncomparative case series. The authors retrospectively evaluated data collected on all surviving persons receiving ocular injuries during the bombing and on all at-risk occupants of the federal building and four adjacent buildings. Injury data from survivors were collected from multiple sources to include hospital medical records, a physician survey, emergency medical services run reports, written survivor accounts, building occupant survey, telephone interviews, and mail surveys. The types of ocular injuries, the associated systemic injuries, and the location of the injured at the time of the blast were evaluated. Fifty-five (8%) of the 684 injured bombing survivors sustained an ocular injury. Persons injured in the Murrah building were more than three times more likely to sustain an ocular injury than other injured persons. Seventy-one percent of ocular injuries occurred within 300 feet of the point of detonation. The most common serious ocular injuries included lid/brow lacerations (20 patients, 23 eyes), open globe injuries (12 eyes), orbital fractures (6 eyes), and retinal detachment (5 eyes). A retained intraocular foreign body accounted for only two of the injuries (4%). Glass accounted for nearly two thirds of the ocular injuries. Blasts involving explosions inflict severe ocular injury, mostly as a result of secondary blast effects from glass, debris, etc. Eye injuries in bombings can probably be prevented by increasing the distance from and orientation away from windows (i.e., by facing desks away from windows). Use of such products as laminated glass, toughened window glazing, and Mylar curtains may reduce glass projectiles in the blast vicinity.

  2. Accounting for neutron exposure in the Japanese atomic bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Cullings, Harry M; Pierce, Donald A; Kellerer, Albrecht M

    2014-12-01

    The Japanese atomic bomb survivors that were directly exposed to both γ rays and neutrons have been followed by the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF). The estimation of the γ-ray risks requires some adjustment for the greater biological effect of the neutrons per unit dose. Because the small neutron doses and the predominant γ-ray doses are highly correlated, the neutron relative biological effectiveness (RBE) cannot be reliably estimated from the survivors' data and information from radiobiology must be invoked. As data became available on neutron doses, RERF has used a constant neutron RBE value of 10, even though radiobiological studies indicate that the RBE values appear to have considerably larger values at low doses. The approximation RBE = 10 assumes that if the RBE is variable it takes roughly this value in the range of total dose most relevant for linear risk estimation, namely about 1 Gy. We consider some possible RBE functions to explain the correct use and the impact of a dose-dependent RBE. However, we do not advocate any particular choice or even that a variable RBE be employed. Rather we show that the assumed neutron RBE, within a wide range of choices, is far less important to the outcome of risk assessment of the RERF data than generally believed. Some of these misperceptions have been related to the consideration of variable RBE functions, and without due attention to the fact that in the case of the A-bomb survivors' data, the mixed field of neutrons and γ rays must be considered. Therefore, the RBE value of neutrons is much lower than the RBE in pure neutron fields that are used in radiobiological experiments. Thus, applying the pure neutron field RBE to the mixed-field A-bomb radiation can lead to an overestimation of the actual neutron RBE for moderate total dose levels of 1 Gy by a factor of more than four. While in a pure neutron exposure the RBE depends on the neutron dose, in the mixed field it depends on both components of

  3. Evidence supporting radiation hormesis in atomic bomb survivor cancer mortality data.

    PubMed

    Doss, Mohan

    2012-12-01

    A recent update on the atomic bomb survivor cancer mortality data has concluded that excess relative risk (ERR) for solid cancers increases linearly with dose and that zero dose is the best estimate for the threshold, apparently validating the present use of the linear no threshold (LNT) model for estimating the cancer risk from low dose radiation. A major flaw in the standard ERR formalism for estimating cancer risk from radiation (and other carcinogens) is that it ignores the potential for a large systematic bias in the measured baseline cancer mortality rate, which can have a major effect on the ERR values. Cancer rates are highly variable from year to year and between adjacent regions and so the likelihood of such a bias is high. Calculations show that a correction for such a bias can lower the ERRs in the atomic bomb survivor data to negative values for intermediate doses. This is consistent with the phenomenon of radiation hormesis, providing a rational explanation for the decreased risk of cancer observed at intermediate doses for which there is no explanation based on the LNT model. The recent atomic bomb survivor data provides additional evidence for radiation hormesis in humans.

  4. Coping support factors among Australians affected by terrorism: 2002 Bali bombing survivors speak.

    PubMed

    Stevens, Garry J; Dunsmore, Julie C; Agho, Kingsley E; Taylor, Melanie R; Jones, Alison L; Raphael, Beverley

    2013-12-16

    To examine terrorism survivors' perceptions of factors likely to promote coping and recovery, and to determine whether coping supports vary according to demographic, physical and mental health, incident-exposure and bereavement variables. Individuals directly exposed to and/or bereaved by the 2002 Bali bombings and who had participated in a New South Wales Health therapeutic support program completed cross-sectional telephone interviews during July-November 2010. Spoken passages were categorised into coping support themes. Advocated supports were then examined by demographic, physical and mental health, incident-exposure and bereavement variables. Based on their experiences, respondents identified personal, social and service-related factors that they believed would optimally support future survivors of terrorism. Of the 81 people contacted, 55 (68%) participated, providing a total of 114 comments. Thirty-two respondents were women, and 54 had lost relatives or friends in the bombing. Mean age was 50 years (range, 20-73 years). Four meaningful coping support themes emerged, with excellent inter-rater reliability: professional help and counselling; social support; proactive government response and policy; and personal coping strategies. Women were significantly more likely to advocate the need for proactive government response (P = 0.03). Men were more likely to endorse the use of personal coping strategies (P < 0.01). Respondents diagnosed with a mental health condition since the bombings were significantly less likely to advocate social support processes (P = 0.04). Our findings highlight the perceived value of counselling-related services for terrorism-affected groups. Male survivors may benefit more from mental health interventions that initially build on problem-focused forms of coping, including brief education about reactions and periodic check-ups. Proactive government health and support services that allow simplified and longer-term access were consistently

  5. Neutron relative biological effectiveness in Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors: a critical review

    PubMed Central

    Sasaki, Masao S.; Endo, Satoru; Hoshi, Masaharu; Nomura, Taisei

    2016-01-01

    The calculated risk of cancer in humans due to radiation exposure is based primarily on long-term follow-up studies, e.g. the life-span study (LSS) on atomic bomb (A-bomb) survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Since A-bomb radiation consists of a mixture of γ-rays and neutrons, it is essential that the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of neutrons is adequately evaluated if a study is to serve as a reference for cancer risk. However, the relatively small neutron component hampered the direct estimation of RBE in LSS data. To circumvent this problem, several strategies have been attempted, including dose-independent constant RBE, dose-dependent variable RBE, and dependence on the degrees of dominance of intermingled γ-rays. By surveying the available literature, we tested the chromosomal RBE of neutrons as the biological endpoint for its equivalence to the microdosimetric quantities obtained using a tissue-equivalent proportional counter (TEPC) in various neutron fields. The radiation weighting factor, or quality factor, Qn, of neutrons as expressed in terms of the energy dependence of the maximum RBE, RBEm, was consistent with that predicted by the TEPC data, indicating that the chromosomally measured RBE was independent of the magnitude of coexisting γ-rays. The obtained neutron RBE, which varied with neutron dose, was confirmed to be the most adequate RBE system in terms of agreement with the cancer incidence in A-bomb survivors, using chromosome aberrations as surrogate markers. With this RBE system, the cancer risk in A-bomb survivors as expressed in unit dose of reference radiation is equally compatible with Hiroshima and Nagasaki cities, and may be potentially applicable in other cases of human radiation exposure. PMID:27614201

  6. Genetic analysis of children of atomic bomb survivors.

    PubMed Central

    Satoh, C; Takahashi, N; Asakawa, J; Kodaira, M; Kuick, R; Hanash, S M; Neel, J V

    1996-01-01

    Studies are under way for the detection of potential genetic effects of atomic bomb radiation at the DNA level in the children of survivors. In a pilot study, we have examined six minisatellites and five microsatellites in DNA derived from 100 families including 124 children. We detected a total of 28 mutations in three minisatellite loci. The mean mutation rates per locus per gamete in the six minisatellite loci were 1.5% for 65 exposed gametes for which mean parental gonadal dose was 1.9 Sv and 2.0% for 183 unexposed gametes. We detected four mutations in two tetranucleotide repeat sequences but no mutations in three trinucleotide repeat sequences. The mean mutation rate per locus per gamete was o% for the exposed gametes and 0.5% for the unexposed gametes in the five microsatellite loci. No significant differences in the mutation rates between the exposed and the unexposed gametes were detected in these repetitive sequences. Additional loci are being analyzed to increase the power of our study to observe a significant difference in the mutation rates at the 0.05 level of significance. Images Figure 1. Figure 2. Figure 2. Figure 2. Figure 2. Figure 2. Figure 2. PMID:8781374

  7. Autonomic reactivity and hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis dysregulation in spouses of Oklahoma City bombing survivors 7 years after the attack

    PubMed Central

    Pfefferbaum, Betty; Tucker, Phebe; North, Carol S.; Jeon-Slaughter, Haekyung

    2012-01-01

    Objective The objective of this exploratory pilot study was to examine autonomic reactivity and hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis dysregulation in spouses of highly exposed survivors of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. Methods This study compared psychiatric diagnoses and biological stress markers (physiological reactivity and cortisol measures) in spouses of bombing survivors and matched community participants. Spouses were recruited through bombing survivors who participated in prior studies. Individuals with medical illnesses and those taking psychotropic medications that would confound biological stress measures were excluded. The final sample included 15 spouses and 15 community participants. The primary outcome measures were psychiatric diagnoses assessed with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for DSM-IV (DIS-IV). Biological stress markers were physiological reactivity and recovery in heart rate and blood pressure responses to a trauma interview and cortisol (morning, afternoon, and diurnal variation). Results Compared to the community participants, spouses evidenced greater reactivity in heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure; delayed recovery in systolic blood pressure; and higher afternoon salivary cortisol. Conclusions The results support the need for further research in this area to clarify post-disaster effects on biological stress measures in the spouses of survivors and the potential significance of these effects and to address the needs of this important population which may be overlooked in recovery efforts. PMID:22520087

  8. Autonomic reactivity and hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis dysregulation in spouses of Oklahoma City bombing survivors 7 years after the attack.

    PubMed

    Pfefferbaum, Betty; Tucker, Phebe; North, Carol S; Jeon-Slaughter, Haekyung

    2012-10-01

    The objective of this exploratory pilot study was to examine autonomic reactivity and hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis dysregulation in spouses of highly exposed survivors of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. This study compared psychiatric diagnoses and biological stress markers (physiological reactivity and cortisol measures) in spouses of bombing survivors and matched community participants. Spouses were recruited through bombing survivors who participated in prior studies. Individuals with medical illnesses and those taking psychotropic medications that would confound biological stress measures were excluded. The final sample included 15 spouses and 15 community participants. The primary outcome measures were psychiatric diagnoses assessed with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for DSM-IV (DIS-IV). Biological stress markers were physiological reactivity and recovery in heart rate and blood pressure responses to a trauma interview and cortisol (morning, afternoon, and diurnal variation). Compared to the community participants, spouses evidenced greater reactivity in heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure; delayed recovery in systolic blood pressure; and higher afternoon salivary cortisol. The results support the need for further research in this area to clarify post-disaster effects on biological stress measures in the spouses of survivors and the potential significance of these effects and to address the needs of this important population which may be overlooked in recovery efforts. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Risk of death among children of atomic bomb survivors after 62 years of follow-up: a cohort study.

    PubMed

    Grant, Eric J; Furukawa, Kyoji; Sakata, Ritsu; Sugiyama, Hiromi; Sadakane, Atsuko; Takahashi, Ikuno; Utada, Mai; Shimizu, Yukiko; Ozasa, Kotaro

    2015-10-01

    No clear epidemiological hereditary effects of radiation exposure in human beings have been reported. However, no previous studies have investigated mortality into middle age in a population whose parents were exposed to substantial amounts of radiation before conception. We assessed mortality in children of the atomic bomb survivors after 62 years of follow-up. In this prospective cohort study, we assessed 75 327 singleton children of atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and unexposed controls, born between 1946 and 1984, and followed up to Dec 31, 2009. Parental gonadal doses of radiation from the atomic bombings were the primary exposures. The primary endpoint was death due to cancer or non-cancer disease, based on death certificates. Median follow-up was 54·3 years (IQR 45·4-59·3). 5183 participants died from disease. The mean age of the 68 689 surviving children at the end of follow-up was 53·1 years (SD 7·9) with 15 623 (23%) older than age 60 years. For parents who were exposed to a non-zero gonadal dose of radiation, the mean dose was 264 mGy (SD 463). We detected no association between maternal gonadal radiation exposure and risk of death caused by cancer (hazard ratio [HR] for 1 Gy change in exposure 0·891 [95% CI 0·693-1·145]; p=0·36) or risk of death caused by non-cancer diseases (0·973 [0·849-1·115]; p=0·69). Likewise, paternal exposure had no effect on deaths caused by cancer (0·815 [0·614-1·083]; p=0·14) or deaths caused by non-cancer disease (1·103 [0·979-1·241]; p=0·12). Age or time between parental exposure and delivery had no effect on risk of death. Late effects of ionising radiation exposure include increased mortality risks, and models of the transgenerational effects of radiation exposure predict more genetic disease in the children of people exposed to radiation. However, children of people exposed to the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki had no indications of deleterious health effects after 62

  10. Neutron relative biological effectiveness in Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors: a critical review.

    PubMed

    Sasaki, Masao S; Endo, Satoru; Hoshi, Masaharu; Nomura, Taisei

    2016-11-01

    The calculated risk of cancer in humans due to radiation exposure is based primarily on long-term follow-up studies, e.g. the life-span study (LSS) on atomic bomb (A-bomb) survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Since A-bomb radiation consists of a mixture of γ-rays and neutrons, it is essential that the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of neutrons is adequately evaluated if a study is to serve as a reference for cancer risk. However, the relatively small neutron component hampered the direct estimation of RBE in LSS data. To circumvent this problem, several strategies have been attempted, including dose-independent constant RBE, dose-dependent variable RBE, and dependence on the degrees of dominance of intermingled γ-rays. By surveying the available literature, we tested the chromosomal RBE of neutrons as the biological endpoint for its equivalence to the microdosimetric quantities obtained using a tissue-equivalent proportional counter (TEPC) in various neutron fields. The radiation weighting factor, or quality factor, Q n , of neutrons as expressed in terms of the energy dependence of the maximum RBE, RBE m , was consistent with that predicted by the TEPC data, indicating that the chromosomally measured RBE was independent of the magnitude of coexisting γ-rays. The obtained neutron RBE, which varied with neutron dose, was confirmed to be the most adequate RBE system in terms of agreement with the cancer incidence in A-bomb survivors, using chromosome aberrations as surrogate markers. With this RBE system, the cancer risk in A-bomb survivors as expressed in unit dose of reference radiation is equally compatible with Hiroshima and Nagasaki cities, and may be potentially applicable in other cases of human radiation exposure. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japan Radiation Research Society and Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology.

  11. Biological Profiles of Korean Atomic Bomb Survivors in Residence at Daegu and Kyungbuk, Republic of Korea

    PubMed Central

    Jhun, Hyung-Joon; Kim, Byoung-Gwon; Kim, Su-Young; Koo, Bon-Min; Kim, Jin-Kook

    2008-01-01

    In 1945, many Koreans, in addition to Japanese, were killed or injured by the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. This study compared the biological profiles of Korean atomic bomb survivors in residence at Daegu and Kyungbuk, Republic of Korea with those of a representative sample of Koreans obtained during a similar period. We evaluated anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, blood cell counts, blood chemistry, and urinalysis of survivors (n=414) and age- and sex-matched controls (n=414) recruited from the third Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted in 2005. Univariate analyses revealed significantly higher systolic blood pressure, white blood cell count, and serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and aspartate aminotransferase levels (p<0.01) in the survivors. Conversely, hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit, red blood cell count, and the proportion of positive urine occult blood (p<0.01) were lower in the survivors. Our findings suggest that biological profiles of Korean atomic bomb survivors were adversely affected by radiation exposure. PMID:19119455

  12. Electron spin resonance analysis of tooth enamel does not indicate exposures to large radiation doses in a large proportion of distally-exposed A-bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Hirai, Yuko; Kodama, Yoshiaki; Cullings, Harry M; Miyazawa, Chuzo; Nakamura, Nori

    2011-01-01

    The atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki led to two different types of radiation exposure; one was direct and brief and the other was indirect and persistent. The latter (so-called exposure to residual radiation) resulted from the presence of neutron activation products in the soil, or from fission products present in the fallout. Compared with the doses from direct exposures, estimations of individual doses from residual radiation have been much more complicated, and estimates vary widely among researchers. The present report bases its conclusions on radiation doses recorded in tooth enamel from survivors in Hiroshima. Those survivors were present at distances of about 3 km or greater from the hypocenter at the time of the explosion, and have DS02 estimated doses (direct exposure doses) of less than 5 mGy (and are regarded as control subjects). Individual doses were estimated by measuring CO(2)(-) radicals in tooth enamel with the electron spin resonance (ESR; or electron paramagnetic resonance, EPR) method. The results from 56 molars donated by 49 survivors provided estimated doses which vary from -200 mGy to 500 mGy, and the median dose was 17 mGy (25% and 75% quartiles are -54 mGy and 137 mGy, respectively) for the buccal parts and 13 mGy (25% and 75% quartiles: -49 mGy and 87 mGy, respectively) for the lingual parts of the molars. Three molars had ESR-estimated doses of 300 to 400 mGy for both the buccal and lingual parts, which indicates possible exposures to excess doses of penetrating radiation, although the origin of such radiation remains to be determined. The results did not support claims that a large fraction of distally-exposed survivors received large doses (e.g. 1 Gy) of external penetrating radiation resulting from residual radiation.

  13. Psychiatric disorders among survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing.

    PubMed

    North, C S; Nixon, S J; Shariat, S; Mallonee, S; McMillen, J C; Spitznagel, E L; Smith, E M

    1999-08-25

    Disasters expose unselected populations to traumatic events and can be used to study the mental health effects. The Oklahoma City, Okla, bombing is particularly significant for the study of mental health sequelae of trauma because its extreme magnitude and scope have been predicted to render profound psychiatric effects on survivors. To measure the psychiatric impact of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on survivors of the direct blast, specifically examining rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), diagnostic comorbidity, functional impairment, and predictors of postdisaster psychopathology. Of 255 eligible adult survivors selected from a confidential registry, 182 (71%) were assessed systematically by interviews approximately 6 months after the disaster, between August and December 1995. Diagnosis of 8 psychiatric disorders, demographic data, level of functioning, treatment, exposure to the event, involvement of family and friends, and physical injuries, as ascertained by the Diagnostic Interview Schedule/Disaster Supplement. Forty-five percent of the subjects had a postdisaster psychiatric disorder and 34.3% had PTSD. Predictors included disaster exposure, female sex (for any postdisaster diagnosis, 55% vs 34% for men; chi2 = 8.27; P=.004), and predisaster psychiatric disorder (for PTSD, 45% vs 26% for those without predisaster disorder; chi2 = 6.86; P=.009). Onset of PTSD was swift, with 76% reporting same-day onset. The relatively uncommon avoidance and numbing symptoms virtually dictated the diagnosis of PTSD (94% meeting avoidance and numbing criteria had full PTSD diagnosis) and were further associated with psychiatric comorbidity, functional impairment, and treatment received. Intrusive reexperience and hyperarousal symptoms were nearly universal, but by themselves were generally unassociated with other psychopathology or impairment in functioning. Our data suggest that a focus on avoidance and numbing symptoms

  14. Profiles of referrals to a psychiatric service: a descriptive study of survivors of the Nairobi US Embassy terrorist bomb blast.

    PubMed

    Ndetei, D M; Omar, A; Mutiso, V N; Ongecha, F A; Kokonya, D A

    2009-11-01

    To document the socio-demographic characteristics and psychiatric profiles of the survivors of the Nairobi United States Embassy terrorist bomb blast referred to a psychiatric and psychotherapy (counselling) service. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. Clinical interviews and structured questionnaires for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and stress were administered. Survivors of the bomb blast referred to a psychiatric and psychotherapy service one year or more after the bombing were included in the study. These survivors had been treated using psychopharmacotherapy and individualised (not group) therapy/counselling. Eighty-three consecutive referrals to a psychiatric service participated in this study. There were more males and the sample was generally well educated. The referrals made contact with the referring agency for a number of reasons including seeking psychological, financial and medical assistance. All the patients reported varying degrees of psychiatric symptoms and functional impairment on various aspects of social occupational functioning. High scores for PTSD and other related stress were recorded one or more years after the bombing. Although the survivors indicated that initial counselling following the blast had helped them, they still scored high on PTSD suggesting that clinically, the initial counselling had little, if any impact on the development of PTSD. There is need for a holistic approach to the management of psychotrauma in individuals.

  15. Circulating Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells in Aging Atomic Bomb Survivors.

    PubMed

    Kyoizumi, Seishi; Kubo, Yoshiko; Misumi, Munechika; Kajimura, Junko; Yoshida, Kengo; Hayashi, Tomonori; Imai, Kazue; Ohishi, Waka; Nakachi, Kei; Young, Lauren F; Shieh, Jae-Hung; Moore, Malcolm A; van den Brink, Marcel R M; Kusunoki, Yoichiro

    2016-01-01

    It is not yet known whether hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) are compromised in the aging population of atomic bomb (A-bomb) survivors after their exposure nearly 70 years ago. To address this, we evaluated age- and radiation-related changes in different subtypes of circulating HSPCs among the CD34-positive/lineage marker-negative (CD34(+)Lin(-)) cell population in 231 Hiroshima A-bomb survivors. We enumerated functional HSPC subtypes, including: cobblestone area-forming cells; long-term culture-initiating cells; erythroid burst-forming units; granulocyte and macrophage colony-forming units; and T-cell and natural killer cell progenitors using cell culture. We obtained the count of each HSPC subtype per unit volume of blood and the proportion of each HSPC subtype in CD34(+)Lin(-) cells to represent the lineage commitment trend. Multivariate analyses, using sex, age and radiation dose as variables, showed significantly decreased counts with age in the total CD34(+)Lin(-) cell population and all HSPC subtypes. As for the proportion, only T-cell progenitors decreased significantly with age, suggesting that the commitment to the T-cell lineage in HSPCs continuously declines with age throughout the lifetime. However, neither the CD34(+)Lin(-) cell population, nor HSPC subtypes showed significant radiation-induced dose-dependent changes in counts or proportions. Moreover, the correlations of the proportions among HSPC subtypes in the survivors properly revealed the hierarchy of lineage commitments. Taken together, our findings suggest that many years after exposure to radiation and with advancing age, the number and function of HSPCs in living survivors as a whole may have recovered to normal levels.

  16. Circulating Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells in Aging Atomic Bomb Survivors

    PubMed Central

    Kyoizumi, Seishi; Kubo, Yoshiko; Misumi, Munechika; Kajimura, Junko; Yoshida, Kengo; Hayashi, Tomonori; Imai, Kazue; Ohishi, Waka; Nakachi, Kei; Young, Lauren F.; Shieh, Jae-Hung; Moore, Malcolm A.; van den Brink, Marcel R. M.; Kusunoki, Yoichiro

    2016-01-01

    It is not yet known whether hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) are compromised in the aging population of atomic bomb (A-bomb) survivors after their exposure nearly 70 years ago. To address this, we evaluated age- and radiation-related changes in different subtypes of circulating HSPCs among the CD34-positive/lineage marker-negative (CD34+Lin− ) cell population in 231 Hiroshima A-bomb survivors. We enumerated functional HSPC subtypes, including: cobblestone area-forming cells; long-term culture-initiating cells; erythroid burst-forming units; granulocyte and macrophage colony-forming units; and T-cell and natural killer cell progenitors using cell culture. We obtained the count of each HSPC subtype per unit volume of blood and the proportion of each HSPC subtype in CD34+Lin− cells to represent the lineage commitment trend. Multivariate analyses, using sex, age and radiation dose as variables, showed significantly decreased counts with age in the total CD34+Lin− cell population and all HSPC subtypes. As for the proportion, only T-cell progenitors decreased significantly with age, suggesting that the commitment to the T-cell lineage in HSPCs continuously declines with age throughout the lifetime. However, neither the CD34+Lin− cell population, nor HSPC subtypes showed significant radiation-induced dose-dependent changes in counts or proportions. Moreover, the correlations of the proportions among HSPC subtypes in the survivors properly revealed the hierarchy of lineage commitments. Taken together, our findings suggest that many years after exposure to radiation and with advancing age, the number and function of HSPCs in living survivors as a whole may have recovered to normal levels. PMID:26720799

  17. Association of Acute Radiation Syndrome and Rain after the Bombings in Atomic Bomb Survivors.

    PubMed

    Ozasa, K; Sakata, R; Cullings, H M; Grant, E J

    2016-06-01

    Acute radiation-induced symptoms reported in survivors after the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki have been suspected to be associated with rain that fell after the explosions, but this association has not been evaluated in an epidemiological study that considers the effects of the direct dose from the atomic bombs and other factors. The aim of this study was to evaluate this association using information from a fixed cohort, comprised of 93,741 members of the Life Span Study who were in the city at the time of the bombing. Information on acute symptoms and exposure to rain was collected in surveys conducted by interviewers, primarily in the 1950s. The proportion of survivors developing severe epilation was around 60% at levels of direct radiation doses of 3 Gy or higher and less than 0.2% at levels <0.005 Gy regardless of reported rain exposure status. The low prevalence of acute symptoms at low direct doses indicates that the reported fallout rain was not homogeneously radioactive at a level sufficient to cause a substantial probability of acute symptoms. We observed that the proportion of reported acute symptoms was slightly higher among those who reported rain exposure in some subgroups, however, suggestions that rain was the cause of these reported symptoms are not supported by analyses specific to the known areas of radioactive fallout. Misclassification of exposure and outcome, including symptoms due to other causes and recall bias, appears to be a more plausible explanation. However, the insufficient and retrospective nature of the available data limited our ability to quantify the attribution to those possible causes.

  18. The association between chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease risk factors in atomic bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Sera, Nobuko; Hida, Ayumi; Imaizumi, Misa; Nakashima, Eiji; Akahoshi, Masazumi

    2013-01-01

    Atomic bomb (A-bomb) radiation is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and metabolic CVD risk factors. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is also known to be a risk factor for CVD and little is known whether CKD is associated with A-bomb radiation. To examine whether CKD is associated with CVD risk factors or with A-bomb radiation in A-bomb survivors, we classified renal dysfunction in 1,040 A-bomb survivors who were examined in 2004-2007 as normal [n = 121; estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥ 90 ml/min/1.73 m(2)]; mild (n = 686; eGFR 60-89 ml/min/1.73 m(2)); moderate (n = 217; eGFR 30-59 ml/min/1.73 m(2)); or severe (n = 16; eGFR <30 ml/min/1.73 m(2)). Also, we diagnosed subjects in the moderate and severe renal dysfunction groups as having CKD (n = 233; eGFR <59 ml/min/1.73 m(2)). After adjusting for age, gender, and smoking and drinking habits, we looked for an association between renal dysfunction and hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM), hyperlipidemia, and metabolic syndrome (MetS), and between renal dysfunction and A-bomb radiation. Hypertension [odds ratio (OR), 1.57; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.12-2.20, P = 0.009]; DM (OR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.23-2.61, P = 0.002); hyperlipidemia (OR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.12-2.14, P = 0.008); and MetS (OR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.32-2.63, P < 0.001) were associated with CKD (moderate/severe renal dysfunction), and hyperlipidemia and MetS were also associated with mild renal dysfunction. CKD (OR/Gy, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.01-1.63, P = 0.038) and severe renal dysfunction (OR/Gy, 3.19; 95% CI, 1.63-6.25, P < 0.001) were significantly associated with radiation dose. CKD associated with radiation may have played a role in the development of CVD among A-bomb survivors.

  19. Relationship between spontaneous γH2AX foci formation and progenitor functions in circulating hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells among atomic-bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Kajimura, Junko; Kyoizumi, Seishi; Kubo, Yoshiko; Misumi, Munechika; Yoshida, Kengo; Hayashi, Tomonori; Imai, Kazue; Ohishi, Waka; Nakachi, Kei; Weng, Nan-Ping; Young, Lauren F; Shieh, Jae-Hung; Moore, Malcolm A; van den Brink, Marcel R M; Kusunoki, Yoichiro

    2016-05-01

    Accumulated DNA damage in hematopoietic stem cells is a primary mechanism of aging-associated dysfunction in human hematopoiesis. About 70 years ago, atomic-bomb (A-bomb) radiation induced DNA damage and functional decreases in the hematopoietic system of A-bomb survivors in a radiation dose-dependent manner. The peripheral blood cell populations then recovered to a normal range, but accompanying cells derived from hematopoietic stem cells still remain that bear molecular changes possibly caused by past radiation exposure and aging. In the present study, we evaluated radiation-related changes in the frequency of phosphorylated (Ser-139) H2AX (γH2AX) foci formation in circulating CD34-positive/lineage marker-negative (CD34+Lin-) hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) among 226Hiroshima A-bomb survivors. An association between the frequency of γH2AX foci formation in HSPCs and the radiation dose was observed, but the γH2AX foci frequency was not significantly elevated by past radiation. We found a negative correlation between the frequency of γH2AX foci formation and the length of granulocyte telomeres. A negative interaction effect between the radiation dose and the frequency of γH2AX foci was suggested in a proportion of a subset of HSPCs as assessed by the cobblestone area-forming cell assay (CAFC), indicating that the self-renewability of HSPCs may decrease in survivors who were exposed to a higher radiation dose and who had more DNA damage in their HSPCs. Thus, although many years after radiation exposure and with advancing age, the effect of DNA damage on the self-renewability of HSPCs may be modified by A-bomb radiation exposure. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Relationship between spontaneous γH2AX foci formation and progenitor functions in circulating hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells among atomic-bomb survivors

    PubMed Central

    Kajimura, Junko; Kyoizumi, Seishi; Kubo, Yoshiko; Misumi, Munechika; Yoshida, Kengo; Hayashi, Tomonori; Imai, Kazue; Ohishi, Waka; Nakachi, Kei; Weng, Nan-ping; Young, Lauren F.; Shieh, Jae-Hung; Moore, Malcolm A.; van den Brink, Marcel R.M.; Kusunoki, Yoichiro

    2016-01-01

    Accumulated DNA damage in hematopoietic stem cells is a primary mechanism of aging-associated dysfunction in human hematopoiesis. About 70 years ago, atomic-bomb (A-bomb) radiation induced DNA damage and functional decreases in the hematopoietic system of A-bomb survivors in a radiation dose-dependent manner. The peripheral blood cell populations then recovered to a normal range, but accompanying cells derived from hematopoietic stem cells still remain that bear molecular changes possibly caused by past radiation exposure and aging. In the present study, we evaluated radiation-related changes in the frequency of phosphorylated (Ser-139) H2AX (γH2AX) foci formation in circulating CD34-positive/lineage marker-negative (CD34 + Lin−) hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) among 226Hiroshima A-bomb survivors. An association between the frequency of γH2AX foci formation in HSPCs and the radiation dose was observed, but the γH2AX foci frequency was not significantly elevated by past radiation. We found a negative correlation between the frequency of γH2AX foci formation and the length of granulocyte telomeres. A negative interaction effect between the radiation dose and the frequency of γH2AX foci was suggested in a proportion of a subset of HSPCs as assessed by the cobblestone area-forming cell assay (CAFC), indicating that the self-renewability of HSPCs may decrease in survivors who were exposed to a higher radiation dose and who had more DNA damage in their HSPCs. Thus, although many years after radiation exposure and with advancing age, the effect of DNA damage on the self-renewability of HSPCs may be modified by A-bomb radiation exposure. PMID:27169377

  1. Comparisons of lung tumour mortality risk in the Japanese A-bomb survivors and in the Colorado Plateau uranium miners: support for the ICRP lung model.

    PubMed

    Little, M P

    2002-03-01

    To estimate the ratio of risks for exposure to radon progeny relative to low-LET radiation based on human lung cancer data, taking account of possible time and age variations in radiation-induced lung cancer risk. Fitting two sorts of time- and age-adjusted relative risk models to a case-control dataset nested within the Colorado Plateau uranium miner cohort and to the Japanese atomic (A)-bomb survivor mortality data. If all A-bomb survivors are compared with the Colorado data, there are statistically significant (two-sided p < 0.05) differences between the two datasets in the pattern of the variation of relative risk with time after exposure, age at exposure and attained age. The excess relative risk decreases much faster with time, age at exposure and attained age in the Colorado uranium miners than in the Japanese A-bomb survivors. If only male A-bomb survivors are compared with the Colorado data, there are no longer statistically significant differences between the two datasets in the pattern of variation of relative risk with time after exposure, age at exposure or attained age. There are no statistically significant differences between the male and female A-bomb survivors in the speed of reduction of relative risk with time after exposure, age at exposure or attained age, although there are indications of rather faster reduction of relative risk with time and age among male survivors than among female survivors. The implicit risk conversion factor for exposure to radon progeny relative to the A-bomb radiation in the male survivors is 1.8 x 10(-2) Sv WLM(-1) (95% CI 6.1 x10(-3), 1.1 x 10(-1)) using a model with exponential adjustments for the effects of radiation for time since exposure and age at exposure, and 1.9 x 10(-2) Sv WLM(-1) (95% CI 6.2 x 10(-3), 1.6 x 10(-1)) using a model with adjustments for the effects of radiation proportional to powers of time since exposure and attained age. Estimates of the risk conversion factor calculated using variant

  2. Biomarkers of Radiosensitivity in A-Bomb Survivors Pregnant at the Time of Bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki

    DOE PAGES

    Miles, Edward F.; Tatsukawa, Yoshimi; Funamoto, Sachiyo; ...

    2011-01-01

    Purpose . There is evidence in the literature of increased maternal radiosensitivity during pregnancy. Materials and Methods . We tested this hypothesis using information from the atomic-bomb survivor cohort, that is, the Adult Health Study database at the Radiation Effects Research Foundation, which contains data from a cohort of women who were pregnant at the time of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Previous evaluation has demonstrated long-term radiation dose-response effects. Results/Conclusions . Data on approximately 250 women were available to assess dose-response rates for serum cholesterol, white blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and serum hemoglobin, and on approximatelymore » 85 women for stable chromosome aberrations, glycophorin A locus mutations, and naïve CD4 T-cell counts. Although there is no statistically significant evidence of increased radiosensitivity in pregnant women, the increased slope of the linear trend line in the third trimester with respect to stable chromosome aberrations is suggestive of an increased radiosensitivity.« less

  3. Head injury as a PTSD predictor among Oklahoma City bombing survivors.

    PubMed

    Walilko, Timothy; North, Carol; Young, Lee Ann; Lux, Warren E; Warden, Deborah L; Jaffee, Michael S; Moore, David F

    2009-12-01

    The aim of the Oklahoma City (OKC) bombing retrospective review was to investigate the relationship between physical injury, environmental contributors, and psychiatric disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in an event-based, matched design study focused on injury. The 182 selected participants were a random subset of the 1,092 direct survivors from the OKC bombing. Only 124 of these 182 cases had a full complement of medical/clinical data in the OKC database. These 124 cases were assessed to explore relationships among PTSD diagnoses, levels of blast exposure, and physical injuries. Associations among variables were statistically tested using contingency analysis and logistic regression. Comparison of the PTSD cases to symptoms/diagnoses reported in the medical records reveals a statistically significant association between PTSD and head/brain injuries associated with head acceleration. PTSD was not highly correlated with other injuries. Although blast pressure and impulse were highly correlated with head injuries, the correlation with PTSD was not statistically significant. Thus, a correlation between blast pressure and PTSD may exist, but higher fidelity pressure calculations are required to elucidate this potential relationship. This study provides clear evidence that head injury is associated with subsequent PTSD, giving caregivers' information on what physical injuries may suggest the development of psychologic disorders to aid them in developing a profile for the identification of future survivors of terrorist attacks and Warfighters with brain injuries and potential PTSD.

  4. Radiation dose and cataract surgery incidence in atomic bomb survivors, 1986-2005.

    PubMed

    Neriishi, Kazuo; Nakashima, Eiji; Akahoshi, Masazumi; Hida, Ayumi; Grant, Eric J; Masunari, Naomi; Funamoto, Sachiyo; Minamoto, Atsushi; Fujiwara, Saeko; Shore, Roy E

    2012-10-01

    To examine the incidence of clinically important cataracts in relation to lens radiation doses between 0 and approximately 3 Gy to address risks at relatively low brief doses. Informed consent was obtained, and human subjects procedures were approved by the ethical committee at the Radiation Effects Research Foundation. Cataract surgery incidence was documented for 6066 atomic bomb survivors during 1986-2005. Sixteen risk factors for cataract, such as smoking, hypertension, and corticosteroid use, were not confounders of the radiation effect on the basis of Cox regression analysis. Radiation dose-response analyses were performed for cataract surgery incidence by using Poisson regression analysis, adjusting for demographic variables and diabetes mellitus, and results were expressed as the excess relative risk (ERR) and the excess absolute risk (EAR) (ie, measures of how much radiation multiplies [ERR] or adds to [EAR] the risk in the unexposed group). Of 6066 atomic bomb survivors, 1028 underwent a first cataract surgery during 1986-2005. The estimated threshold dose was 0.50 Gy (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.10 Gy, 0.95 Gy) for the ERR model and 0.45 Gy (95% CI: 0.10 Gy, 1.05 Gy) for the EAR model. A linear-quadratic test for upward curvature did not show a significant quadratic effect for either the ERR or EAR model. The linear ERR model for a 70-year-old individual, exposed at age 20 years, showed a 0.32 (95% CI: 0.09, 0.53) [corrected] excess risk at 1 Gy. The ERR was highest for those who were young at exposure. These data indicate a radiation effect for vision-impairing cataracts at doses less than 1 Gy. The evidence suggests that dose standards for protection of the eye from brief radiation exposures should be 0.5 Gy or less. © RSNA, 2012.

  5. Significance of HER2 and C-MYC oncogene amplifications in breast cancer in atomic bomb survivors: associations with radiation exposure and histologic grade.

    PubMed

    Miura, Shiro; Nakashima, Masahiro; Ito, Masahiro; Kondo, Hisayoshi; Meirmanov, Serik; Hayashi, Tomayoshi; Soda, Midori; Matsuo, Takeshi; Sekine, Ichiro

    2008-05-15

    It has been postulated that radiation induces breast cancers in atomic bomb (A-bomb) survivors. Oncogene amplification is an important mechanism during breast carcinogenesis and also serves as an indicator of genomic instability (GIN). The objective of this study was to clarify the association of oncogene amplification in breast cancer in A-bomb survivors with radiation exposure. In total, 593 breast cancers were identified in A-bomb survivors from 1968 to 1999, and the association between breast cancer incidence and A-bomb radiation exposure was evaluated. Invasive ductal cancers from 67 survivors and 30 nonsurvivors were analyzed for amplification of the HER2 and C-MYC genes by fluorescence in situ hybridization, and expression levels of hormone receptors were analyzed by immunostaining. The incidence rate increased significantly as exposure distance decreased from the hypocenter (hazard ratio per 1-km decrement, 1.47; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.30-1.66). The incidence of HER2 and C-MYC amplification was increased significantly in the order of the control group, the distal group (P = .0238), and the proximal group (P = .0128). Multivariate analyses revealed that distance was a risk factor for the coamplification of C-MYC and HER2 in breast cancer in survivors (odds ratio per 1-km increment, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.01-0.63). The histologic grade of breast cancers became significantly higher in the order of the control group, the distal group, and the proximal group and was associated with oncogene amplifications. The current results suggested that A-bomb radiation may affect the development of oncogene amplification by inducing GIN and may be associated with a higher histologic grade in breast cancer among A-bomb survivors. (c) 2008 American Cancer Society.

  6. Neutron-induced 63Ni activity and microscopic observation of copper samples exposed to the Hiroshima atomic bomb

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shizuma, Kiyoshi; Endo, Satoru; Shinozaki, Kenji; Fukushima, Hiroshi

    2013-05-01

    Fast neutron activation data for 63Ni in copper samples exposed to the Hiroshima atomic bomb are important in evaluating neutron doses to the survivors. Up to until now, accelerator mass spectrometry and liquid scintillation counting methods have been applied in 63Ni measurements and data were accumulated within 1500 m from the hypocenter. The slope of the activation curve versus distance shows reasonable agreement with the calculation result, however, data near the hypocenter are scarce. In the present work, two copper samples obtained from the Atomic bomb dome (155 m from the hypocenter) and the Bank of Japan building (392 m) were utilized in 63Ni beta-ray measurement with a Si surface barrier detector. Additionally, microscopic observation of the metal surfaces was performed for the first time. Only upper limit of 63Ni production was obtained for copper sample of the Atomic bomb dome. The result of the 63Ni measurement for Bank of Japan building show reasonable agreement with the AMS measurement and to fast neutron activation calculations based on the Dosimetry System 2002 (DS02) neutrons.

  7. Extended mental health service utilization among survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing.

    PubMed

    Tucker, Phebe; Pfefferbaum, Betty; Jeon-Slaughter, Haekyung; Garton, Theresa S; North, Carol S

    2014-04-01

    The study assessed survivors of Oklahoma City's 1995 bombing seven years postdisaster to identify long-term mental health service use. Psychiatric disorders and disaster-related variables were assessed for 99 survivors at seven years postdisaster with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for DSM-IV and its Disaster Supplement. Of the 99 survivors, 86% received services during the seven years. Use was associated with female sex, injury or hospitalization, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or major depression. Informal interventions were usually initiated in the first six months. Treatment by psychiatrists, other professionals, and family doctors increased after the first month. Half the survivors with PTSD or depression received treatment from a psychiatrist. Only 15% of survivors took psychotropic medications. Although 33% received treatment for more than one year, only 7% were receiving services at seven years. Although service needs decreased over time, results support provision of diverse services adapted to changing needs.

  8. Exposure to Atomic Bomb Radiation and Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Later Life: The Hiroshima-Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Survivor Study.

    PubMed

    Itakura, Katsumasa; Takahashi, Ikuno; Nakashima, Eiji; Yanagi, Masahide; Kawasaki, Ryo; Neriishi, Kazuo; Wang, Jie Jin; Wong, Tien Yin; Hida, Ayumi; Ohishi, Waka; Kiuchi, Yoshiaki

    2015-08-01

    To investigate the association between radiation exposure from the atomic bombings and the prevalence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) among older residents of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Adult Health Study is a cohort study of atomic bomb survivors living in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, comprising 2153 participants who underwent examinations with retinal fundus photographs in 2006-2008. The radiation dose to the eye for the analysis was estimated with the revised dosimetry system (DS02). The retinal photographs were graded according to the Wisconsin Age-Related Maculopathy Grading System modified for nonstereoscopic retinal images. Early and late AMD were defined according to the type of lesion detected in the worse eye of the participants. Person-specific data were analyzed by using a logistic regression model to assess the association between radiation dose and AMD. Among the 1824 subjects with gradable retinal images (84.7% of the overall participants), the estimated eye dose was widely distributed, with a mean of 0.45 Gy and standard deviation of 0.74 Gy. The prevalence of early and late AMD was 10.5% and 0.3%, respectively. There were no significant associations between radiation dose and AMD, with each 1-Gy increase in exposure, adjusted odds ratio was 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.75-1.15) for early AMD and 0.79 (95% CI, 0.21-2.94) for late AMD. No significant associations were found between atomic bomb irradiation early in life and the prevalence of early or late AMD later in life among Japanese atomic bomb survivors.

  9. Evaluation of systemic markers of inflammation in atomic-bomb survivors with special reference to radiation and age effects.

    PubMed

    Hayashi, Tomonori; Morishita, Yukari; Khattree, Ravindra; Misumi, Munechika; Sasaki, Keiko; Hayashi, Ikue; Yoshida, Kengo; Kajimura, Junko; Kyoizumi, Seishi; Imai, Kazue; Kusunoki, Yoichiro; Nakachi, Kei

    2012-11-01

    Past exposure to atomic bomb (A-bomb) radiation has exerted various long-lasting deleterious effects on the health of survivors. Some of these effects are seen even after >60 yr. In this study, we evaluated the subclinical inflammatory status of 442 A-bomb survivors, in terms of 8 inflammation-related cytokines or markers, comprised of plasma levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), C-reactive protein (CRP), IL-4, IL-10, and immunoglobulins, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). The effects of past radiation exposure and natural aging on these markers were individually assessed and compared. Next, to assess the biologically significant relationship between inflammation and radiation exposure or aging, which was masked by the interrelationship of those cytokines/markers, we used multivariate statistical analyses and evaluated the systemic markers of inflammation as scores being calculated by linear combinations of selected cytokines and markers. Our results indicate that a linear combination of ROS, IL-6, CRP, and ESR generated a score that was the most indicative of inflammation and revealed clear dependences on radiation dose and aging that were found to be statistically significant. The results suggest that collectively, radiation exposure, in conjunction with natural aging, may enhance the persistent inflammatory status of A-bomb survivors.

  10. Radiation risks in lung cancer screening programs: a comparison with nuclear industry workers and atomic bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    McCunney, Robert J; Li, Jessica

    2014-03-01

    The National Lung Cancer Screening Trial (NLST) demonstrated that screening with low-dose CT (LDCT) scan reduced lung cancer and overall mortality by 20% and 7%, respectively. The LDCT scanning involves an approximate 2-mSv dose, whereas full-chest CT scanning, the major diagnostic study used to follow up nodules, may involve a dose of 8 mSv. Radiation associated with CT scanning and other diagnostic studies to follow up nodules may present an independent risk of lung cancer. On the basis of the NLST, we estimated the incidence and prevalence of nodules detected in screening programs. We followed the Fleischner guidelines for follow-up of nodules to assess cumulative radiation exposure over 20- and 30-year periods. We then evaluated nuclear worker cohort studies and atomic bomb survivor studies to assess the risk of lung cancer from radiation associated with long-term lung cancer screening programs. The findings indicate that a 55-year-old lung screening participant may experience a cumulative radiation exposure of up to 280 mSv over a 20-year period and 420 mSv over 30 years. These exposures exceed those of nuclear workers and atomic bomb survivors. This assessment suggests that long-term (20-30 years) LDCT screening programs are associated with nontrivial cumulative radiation doses. Current lung cancer screening protocols, if conducted over 20- to 30-year periods, can independently increase the risk of lung cancer beyond cigarette smoking as a result of cumulative radiation exposure. Radiation exposures from LDCT screening and follow-up diagnostic procedures exceed lifetime radiation exposures among nuclear power workers and atomic bomb survivors.

  11. Cancer mortality in residents of the terrain-shielded area exposed to fallout from the Nagasaki atomic bombing

    PubMed Central

    Mine, Mariko; Kondo, Hisayoshi; Matsuda, Naoki; Shibata, Yoshisada; Takamura, Noboru

    2018-01-01

    Abstract The health effects of radiation exposure from the atomic bomb fallout remain unclear. The objective of the present study is to elucidate the association between low-dose radiation exposure from the atomic bomb fallout and cancer mortality among Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors. Of 77 884 members in the Nagasaki University Atomic Bomb Survivors Cohort, 610 residents in the terrain-shielded area with fallout were selected for this analysis; 1443 residents in the terrain-shielded area without fallout were selected as a control group; and 3194 residents in the direct exposure area were also selected for study. Fifty-two deaths due to cancer in the terrain-shielded fallout area were observed during the follow-up period from 1 January 1970 to 31 December 2012. The hazard ratio for cancer mortality in the terrain-shielded fallout area was 0.90 (95% confidence interval: 0.65–1.24). No increase in the risk of cancer mortality was observed, probably because the dose of the radiation exposure was low for residents in the terrain-shielded fallout areas of the Nagasaki atomic bomb, and also because the number of study subjects was small. PMID:29036510

  12. Somatic cell mutations at the glycophorin A locus in erythrocytes of atomic bomb survivors: Implications for radiation carcinogenesis

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kyoizumi, Seishi; Akiyama, Mitoshi; Tanabe, Kazumi

    To clarify the relationship between somatic cell mutations and radiation exposure, the frequency of hemizygous mutant erythrocytes at the glycophorin A (GPA) locus was measured by flow cytometry for 1,226 heterozygous atomic bomb (A-bomb) survivors in HIroshima and Nagasaki. For statistical analysis, both GPA mutant frequency and radiation dose were log-transformed to normalize skewed distributions of these variables. The GPA mutant frequency increased slightly but significantly with age at testing and with the number of cigarettes smoked. Also, mutant frequency was significantly higher in males than in females even with adjustment for smoking and was higher to Hiroshima than inmore » Nagasaki. These characteristics of background GPA mutant frequency are qualitatively similar to those of background solid cancer incidence or mortality obtained from previous epidemiological studies of survivors. An analysis of the mutant frequency dose response using a descriptive model showed that the doubling dose is about 1.20 Sv [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.95-1.56], whereas the minimum dose for detecting a significant increase in mutant frequency is about 0.24 Sv (95% CI: 0.041-0.51). No significant effects of sex, city or age at the time of exposure on the dose response were detected. Interestingly, the doubling dose of the GPA mutant frequency was similar to that of solid cancer incidence in A-bomb survivors. This observation is in line with the hypothesis that radiation-induced somatic cell mutations are the major cause of excess cancer risk after radiation. 49 refs., 6 figs., 2 tabs.« less

  13. Alterations of body mass index and body composition in atomic bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Tatsukawa, Y; Misumi, M; Yamada, M; Masunari, N; Oyama, H; Nakanishi, S; Fukunaga, M; Fujiwara, S

    2013-08-01

    Obesity, underweight, sarcopenia and excess accumulation of abdominal fat are associated with a risk of death and adverse health outcomes. Our aim was to determine whether body mass index (BMI) and body composition, assessed with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), are associated with radiation exposure among atomic bomb (A-bomb) survivors. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in the Adult Health Study of the Radiation Effects Research Foundation. We examined 2686 subjects (834 men and 1852 women), aged 48-89 years (0-40 years at A-bomb exposure), for BMI analysis. Among them, 550 men and 1179 women underwent DXA in 1994-1996 and were eligible for a body composition study. After being adjusted for age and other potential confounding factors, A-bomb radiation dose was associated significantly and negatively with BMI in both sexes (P=0.01 in men, P=0.03 in women) and appendicular lean mass (P<0.001 in men, P=0.05 in women). It was positively associated with trunk-to-limb fat ratio in women who were less than 15 years old at the time of exposure (P=0.03). This is the first study to report a significant dose response for BMI and body composition 50 years after A-bomb radiation exposure. We will need to conduct further studies to evaluate whether these alterations affect health status.

  14. Prejudice and Health Anxiety about Radiation Exposure from Second-Generation Atomic Bomb Survivors: Results from a Qualitative Interview Study.

    PubMed

    Kamite, Yuka

    2017-01-01

    The effect of atomic bomb radiation exposure on the survivors and their children has been a worrisome problem since soon after the 1945 Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. Researchers have examined physical and genetic effects; however, no research has focused on second-generation survivors' (SGS) psychological effects. Consequently, this study shed light on the SGS' experience of discrimination and prejudice and their anxiety concerning the genetic effects of radiation exposure. This study utilized semi-structured interviews with 14 SGS (10 women, mean age = 56 ± 6.25 years, range = 46-68 years). Data were analyzed using a modified version of the grounded theory approach. Three categories were extracted: low awareness as an SGS, no health anxiety regarding the effect of radiation, and health anxiety regarding the effect of radiation. The results did not reveal that SGS who grew up in the bombed areas experienced discrimination or prejudice. They had little health anxiety from childhood to adolescence. In this study, some of the SGS developed health anxiety about their third-generation children, but only among female participants. Perhaps the transgenerational transmission of anxiety concerning the genetic effects of radiation exposure causes stress, particularly among women with children. However, a change was seen in adulthood health anxiety regarding the effects of radiation, suggesting the possibility that changes in the psychological experiences of SGS can be observed throughout their lifetimes and that their own health status, and that of their children, the third-generation survivors, affects their health anxiety regarding radiation.

  15. The development of fetal dosimetry and its application to A-bomb survivors exposed in utero.

    PubMed

    Chen, Jing

    2012-03-01

    The cohort of the atomic bomb survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki comprises the major basis for investigations of health effects induced by ionising radiation in humans. To study the health effects associated with radiation exposure before birth, fetal dosimetry is needed if significant differences exist between the fetal absorbed dose and the mother's uterine dose. Combining total neutron and gamma ray free-in-air fluences at 1 m above ground with fluence-to-absorbed dose conversion coefficients, fetal doses were calculated for various exposure orientations at the ground distance of 1500 m from the hypocentres in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The results showed that the mother's uterine dose can serve as a good surrogate for the dose of the embryo and fetus in the first trimester. However, significant differences exist between doses of the fetus of different ages. If the mother's uterine dose were used as a surrogate, doses to the fetus in the last two trimesters could be overestimated by more than 20 % for exposure orientations facing towards and away from the hypocentre while significantly underestimated for lateral positions relative to the hypocentre. In newer fetal models, the brain is modelled for all fetal ages. Brain doses to the 3-month fetus are generally higher than those to an embryo and fetus of other ages. In most cases, brain absorbed doses differ significantly from the doses to the entire fetal body. In order to accurately assess radiation effects to the fetal brain, it is necessary to determine brain doses separately.

  16. Atomic Bomb Health Benefits

    PubMed Central

    Luckey, T. D.

    2008-01-01

    Media reports of deaths and devastation produced by atomic bombs convinced people around the world that all ionizing radiation is harmful. This concentrated attention on fear of miniscule doses of radiation. Soon the linear no threshold (LNT) paradigm was converted into laws. Scientifically valid information about the health benefits from low dose irradiation was ignored. Here are studies which show increased health in Japanese survivors of atomic bombs. Parameters include decreased mutation, leukemia and solid tissue cancer mortality rates, and increased average lifespan. Each study exhibits a threshold that repudiates the LNT dogma. The average threshold for acute exposures to atomic bombs is about 100 cSv. Conclusions from these studies of atomic bomb survivors are: One burst of low dose irradiation elicits a lifetime of improved health.Improved health from low dose irradiation negates the LNT paradigm.Effective triage should include radiation hormesis for survivor treatment. PMID:19088902

  17. Atomic bomb health benefits.

    PubMed

    Luckey, T D

    2008-01-01

    Media reports of deaths and devastation produced by atomic bombs convinced people around the world that all ionizing radiation is harmful. This concentrated attention on fear of miniscule doses of radiation. Soon the linear no threshold (LNT) paradigm was converted into laws. Scientifically valid information about the health benefits from low dose irradiation was ignored. Here are studies which show increased health in Japanese survivors of atomic bombs. Parameters include decreased mutation, leukemia and solid tissue cancer mortality rates, and increased average lifespan. Each study exhibits a threshold that repudiates the LNT dogma. The average threshold for acute exposures to atomic bombs is about 100 cSv. Conclusions from these studies of atomic bomb survivors are: One burst of low dose irradiation elicits a lifetime of improved health.Improved health from low dose irradiation negates the LNT paradigm.Effective triage should include radiation hormesis for survivor treatment.

  18. Cancer mortality in residents of the terrain-shielded area exposed to fallout from the Nagasaki atomic bombing.

    PubMed

    Yokota, Kenichi; Mine, Mariko; Kondo, Hisayoshi; Matsuda, Naoki; Shibata, Yoshisada; Takamura, Noboru

    2018-01-01

    The health effects of radiation exposure from the atomic bomb fallout remain unclear. The objective of the present study is to elucidate the association between low-dose radiation exposure from the atomic bomb fallout and cancer mortality among Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors. Of 77 884 members in the Nagasaki University Atomic Bomb Survivors Cohort, 610 residents in the terrain-shielded area with fallout were selected for this analysis; 1443 residents in the terrain-shielded area without fallout were selected as a control group; and 3194 residents in the direct exposure area were also selected for study. Fifty-two deaths due to cancer in the terrain-shielded fallout area were observed during the follow-up period from 1 January 1970 to 31 December 2012. The hazard ratio for cancer mortality in the terrain-shielded fallout area was 0.90 (95% confidence interval: 0.65-1.24). No increase in the risk of cancer mortality was observed, probably because the dose of the radiation exposure was low for residents in the terrain-shielded fallout areas of the Nagasaki atomic bomb, and also because the number of study subjects was small. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japan Radiation Research Society and Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology.

  19. Long-term Radiation-Related Health Effects in a Unique Human Population: Lessons Learned from the Atomic Bomb Survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

    PubMed Central

    Douple, Evan B.; Mabuchi, Kiyohiko; Cullings, Harry M.; Preston, Dale L.; Kodama, Kazunori; Shimizu, Yukiko; Fujiwara, Saeko; Shore, Roy E.

    2014-01-01

    For 63 years scientists in the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission and its successor, the Radiation Effects Research Foundation, have been assessing the long-term health effects in the survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and in their children. The identification and follow-up of a large population (approximately a total of 200 000, of whom more than 40% are alive today) that includes a broad range of ages and radiation exposure doses, and healthy representatives of both sexes; establishment of well-defined cohorts whose members have been studied longitudinally, including some with biennial health examinations and a high survivor participation rate; and careful reconstructions of individual radiation doses have resulted in reliable excess relative risk estimates for radiation-related health effects, including cancer and noncancer effects in humans, for the benefit of the survivors and for all humankind. This article reviews those risk estimates and summarizes what has been learned from this historic and unique study. PMID:21402804

  20. Organ dose conversions from ESR measurements using tooth enamel of atomic bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Takahashi, Fumiaki; Sato, Kaoru

    2012-03-01

    Dose conversions were studied for dosimetry of atomic bomb survivors based upon electron spin resonance (ESR) measurements of tooth enamel. Previously analysed data had clarified that the tooth enamel dose could be much larger than other organ doses from a low-energy photon exposure. The radiation doses to other organs or whole-body doses, however, are assumed to be near the tooth enamel dose for photon energies which are dominant in the leakage spectrum of the Hiroshima atomic bomb assumed in DS02. In addition, the thyroid can be a candidate for a surrogate organ in cases where the tooth enamel dose is not available in organ dosimetry. This paper also suggests the application of new Japanese voxel phantoms to derive tooth enamel doses by numerical analyses.

  1. Atomic Bomb Survivors Life-Span Study

    PubMed Central

    Dobrzyński, Ludwik

    2015-01-01

    The atomic bomb survivors life-span study (LSS) is often claimed to support the linear no-threshold hypothesis (LNTH) of radiation carcinogenesis. This paper shows that this claim is baseless. The LSS data are equally or better described by an s-shaped dependence on radiation exposure with a threshold of about 0.3 Sievert (Sv) and saturation level at about 1.5 Sv. A Monte-Carlo simulation of possible LSS outcomes demonstrates that, given the weak statistical power, LSS cannot provide support for LNTH. Even if the LNTH is used at low dose and dose rates, its estimation of excess cancer mortality should be communicated as 2.5% per Sv, i.e., an increase of cancer mortality from about 20% spontaneous mortality to about 22.5% per Sv, which is about half of the usually cited value. The impact of the “neutron discrepancy problem” – the apparent difference between the calculated and measured values of neutron flux in Hiroshima – was studied and found to be marginal. Major revision of the radiation risk assessment paradigm is required. PMID:26673526

  2. Estimates of Radiation Effects on Cancer Risks in the Mayak Worker, Techa River and Atomic Bomb Survivor Studies.

    PubMed

    Preston, Dale L; Sokolnikov, Mikhail E; Krestinina, Lyudmila Yu; Stram, Daniel O

    2017-04-01

    For almost 50 y, the Life Span Study cohort of atomic bomb survivor studies has been the primary source of the quantitative estimates of cancer and non-cancer risks that form the basis of international radiation protection standards. However, the long-term follow-up and extensive individual dose reconstruction for the Russian Mayak worker cohort (MWC) and Techa River cohort (TRC) are providing quantitative information about radiation effects on cancer risks that complement the atomic bomb survivor-based risk estimates. The MWC, which includes ~26 000 men and women who began working at Mayak between 1948 and 1982, is the primary source for estimates of the effects of plutonium on cancer risks and also provides information on the effects of low-dose rate external gamma exposures. The TRC consists of ~30 000 men and women of all ages who received low-dose-rate, low-dose exposures as a consequence of Mayak's release of radioactive material into the Techa River. The TRC data are of interest because the exposures are broadly similar to those experienced by populations exposed as a consequence of nuclear accidents such as Chernobyl. In this presentation, it is described the strengths and limitations of these three cohorts, outline and compare recent solid cancer and leukemia risk estimates and discussed why information from the Mayak and Techa River studies might play a role in the development and refinement of the radiation risk estimates that form the basis for radiation protection standards. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  3. Relationship between anthropometric factors, radiation exposure, and colon cancer incidence in the Life Span Study cohort of atomic bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Semmens, Erin O; Kopecky, Kenneth J; Grant, Eric; Mathes, Robert W; Nishi, Nobuo; Sugiyama, Hiromi; Moriwaki, Hiroko; Sakata, Ritsu; Soda, Midori; Kasagi, Fumiyoshi; Yamada, Michiko; Fujiwara, Saeko; Akahoshi, Masazumi; Davis, Scott; Kodama, Kazunori; Li, Christopher I

    2013-01-01

    We examined colon cancer risk in atomic bomb survivors to investigate whether excess body weight after the bombings alters sensitivity to radiation effects. Of the 56,064 Japanese atomic bomb survivors with follow-up through 2002 with self-reported anthropometric data obtained from periodic mail surveys, 1,142 were diagnosed with colon cancer. We evaluated the influence of body mass index (BMI) and height on radiation-associated colon cancer risk using Poisson regression. We observed a similar linear dose-response relationship for the 56,064 subjects included in our analysis and the entire cohort of Japanese atomic bomb survivors [excess relative risk (ERR) per Gray (Gy) = 0.53, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.25-0.86]. Elevation in earliest reported BMI, BMI reported closest to colon cancer diagnosis, and time-varying BMI were associated with an elevated risk of colon cancer [relative risk (RR) per 5 kg/m(2) increase in BMI = 1.14, 95 % CI 1.03-1.26; RR = 1.16, 95 % CI 1.05-1.27; and RR = 1.15, 95 % CI 1.04-1.27, respectively]. Height was not significantly related to colon cancer risk. Inclusion of anthropometric variables in models had little impact on radiation risk estimates, and there was no evidence that sensitivity to the effect of radiation on colon cancer risk depended on BMI. Radiation exposure and BMI are both risk factors for colon cancer. BMI at various times after exposure to the atomic bombings does not significantly influence the relationship between radiation dose and colon cancer risk, suggesting that BMI and radiation impact colon cancer risk independently of each other.

  4. A tale of two studies of two disasters: comparing psychosocial responses to disaster among Oklahoma City bombing survivors and Hurricane Katrina evacuees.

    PubMed

    North, Carol S

    2010-08-01

    An accumulation of disaster mental health research literature in the last few decades has contributed knowledge to direct disaster mental health interventions. However, no single set of principles can necessarily outline all anticipated mental health needs to be encountered in a particular disaster. To illustrate how different disaster scenarios may yield a divergence of mental health needs, this article compares mental health findings from two distinctly different studies of two very different populations affected by two very different disasters: directly exposed survivors the Oklahoma City bombing and sheltered evacuees from Hurricane Katrina. Research on the two disasters reviewed illustrates many facets and complexities of postdisaster mental health needs in different populations in different settings after different types of disasters. The major findings of the Oklahoma City bombing study related to posttraumatic stress disorder and the main findings of the Hurricane Katrina study involved need for treatment of preexisting chronic mental health and substance abuse problems. The disaster studies in this review diverged in type of disaster, affected populations, setting, and timing of the study, and these studies yielded a divergence of findings. One disaster mental health model clearly cannot adequately describe all postdisaster scenarios.

  5. Rearranged anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene in adult-onset papillary thyroid cancer amongst atomic bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Hamatani, Kiyohiro; Mukai, Mayumi; Takahashi, Keiko; Hayashi, Yuzo; Nakachi, Kei; Kusunoki, Yoichiro

    2012-11-01

    We previously noted that among atomic bomb survivors (ABS), the relative frequency of cases of adult papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) with chromosomal rearrangements (mainly RET/PTC) was significantly greater in those with relatively higher radiation exposure than those with lower radiation exposure. In contrast, the frequency of PTC cases with point mutations (mainly BRAF(V600E)) was significantly lower in patients with relatively higher radiation exposure than those with lower radiation exposure. We also found that among ABS, the frequency of PTC cases with no detectable gene alterations in RET, neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor 1 (NTRK1), BRAF, or RAS was significantly higher in patients with relatively higher radiation exposure than those with lower radiation exposure. However, in ABS with PTC, the relationship between the presence of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene fused with other gene partners and radiation exposure has received little study. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the relative frequency of rearranged ALK in ABS with PTC, and with no detectable gene alterations in RET, NTRK1, BRAF, or RAS, would be greater in those having relatively higher radiation exposures. The 105 subjects in the study were drawn from the Life Span Study cohort of ABS of Hiroshima and Nagasaki who were diagnosed with PTC between 1956 and 1993. Seventy-nine were exposed (>0 mGy), and 26 were not exposed to A-bomb radiation. In the 25 ABS with PTC, and with no detectable gene alterations in RET, NTRK1, BRAF, or RAS, we examined archival, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded PTC specimens for rearrangement of ALK using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends (5' RACE). We found rearranged ALK in 10 of 19 radiation-exposed PTC cases, but none among 6 patients with PTC with no radiation exposure. In addition, solid/trabecular-like architecture in PTC was closely associated with ALK rearrangements, being observed in

  6. Long term effects of radiation exposure on telomere lengths of leukocytes and its associated biomarkers among atomic-bomb survivors

    PubMed Central

    Lustig, Ana; Shterev, Ivo; Geyer, Susan; Shi, Alvin; Hu, Yiqun; Morishita, Yukari; Nagamura, Hiroko; Sasaki, Keiko; Maki, Mayumi; Hayashi, Ikue; Furukawa, Kyoji; Yoshida, Kengo; Kajimura, Junko; Kyoizumi, Seishi; Kusunoki, Yoichiro; Ohishi, Waka; Nakachi, Kei; Weng, Nan-ping; Hayashi, Tomonori

    2016-01-01

    Ionizing radiation (IR) is a major source of cellular damage and the immediate cellular response to IR has been well characterized. But the long-term impact of IR on cell function and its relationship with aging are not known. Here, we examined the IR effects on telomere length and other biomarkers 50 to 68 years post-exposure (two time points per person) in survivors of the atomic bombing at Hiroshima during WWII. We found that telomere length of leukocytes was inversely correlated with the dose of IR (p=0.008), and this effect was primarily found in survivors who were exposed at younger ages; specifically those <12 years old (p=0.0004). Although a dose-related retardation of telomere shortening with age was observed in the cross-sectional data, longitudinal follow-up after 11 years did not show IR exposure-related alteration of the rate of telomere shortening with age. In addition, IR diminished the associations between telomere length and selected aging biomarkers that were observed in survivors with no dose. These included uric acid metabolism, cytokines, and blood T cell counts. These findings showed long-lasting detrimental effects of IR on telomere length of leukocytes in both dose- and age-at-exposure dependent manner, and on alterations of biomarkers with aging. PMID:27102155

  7. Long term effects of radiation exposure on telomere lengths of leukocytes and its associated biomarkers among atomic-bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Lustig, Ana; Shterev, Ivo; Geyer, Susan; Shi, Alvin; Hu, Yiqun; Morishita, Yukari; Nagamura, Hiroko; Sasaki, Keiko; Maki, Mayumi; Hayashi, Ikue; Furukawa, Kyoji; Yoshida, Kengo; Kajimura, Junko; Kyoizumi, Seishi; Kusunoki, Yoichiro; Ohishi, Waka; Nakachi, Kei; Weng, Nan-Ping; Hayashi, Tomonori

    2016-06-28

    Ionizing radiation (IR) is a major source of cellular damage and the immediate cellular response to IR has been well characterized. But the long-term impact of IR on cell function and its relationship with aging are not known. Here, we examined the IR effects on telomere length and other biomarkers 50 to 68 years post-exposure (two time points per person) in survivors of the atomic bombing at Hiroshima during WWII. We found that telomere length of leukocytes was inversely correlated with the dose of IR (p=0.008), and this effect was primarily found in survivors who were exposed at younger ages; specifically those <12 years old (p=0.0004). Although a dose-related retardation of telomere shortening with age was observed in the cross-sectional data, longitudinal follow-up after 11 years did not show IR exposure-related alteration of the rate of telomere shortening with age. In addition, IR diminished the associations between telomere length and selected aging biomarkers that were observed in survivors with no dose. These included uric acid metabolism, cytokines, and blood T cell counts. These findings showed long-lasting detrimental effects of IR on telomere length of leukocytes in both dose- and age-at-exposure dependent manner, and on alterations of biomarkers with aging.

  8. Injured civilian survivors of suicide bomb attacks: from partial PTSD to recovery or to traumatisation. Where is the turning point?

    PubMed

    Dolberg, Ornah T; Barkai, Gabriel; Leor, Agnes; Rapoport, Helena; Bloch, Miki; Schreiber, Shaul

    2010-03-01

    To assess the short- (3-9 months) and medium-term (30 months) occurrence and severity of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in civilian survivors of suicide bombing terrorist attacks. We evaluated 129 injured survivors of nine attacks in Israel who were treated in our emergency room between June 2000 and September 2002. Data on demographics, physical injuries and psychiatric symptoms were collected by both a structured clinical interview and standard assessment scales for depression, anxiety, and sleep quality. Diagnosis of PTSD was based on a Hebrew-validated DSM-IV SCID-PTSD rating scale. At the first assessment (short-term), 20 survivors (15.5%) met the criteria for full-blown PTSD and 54 (42%) for sub-clinical PTSD, while 55 (42.5%) evidenced no symptoms of PTSD. Two years later, only 54 patients could be located: 19 (35%) of them had either persistent or de novo PTSD and none had residual sub-clinical PTSD. Relatively few survivors of suicide bomb attacks had full-blown PTSD, while a substantial number of survivors had short-term sub-clinical PTSD. Two-year follow-up evaluations revealed that a significant a number of the patients available for testing (35%) had full-blown PTSD. These findings imply that medium-term follow-up of survivors is needed in order to establish the actual prevalence of PTSD.

  9. The course of posttraumatic stress disorder in a follow-up study of survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing.

    PubMed

    North, Carol S; Pfefferbaum, Betty; Tivis, Laura; Kawasaki, Aya; Reddy, Chandrashekar; Spitznagel, Edward L

    2004-01-01

    The course of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in populations directly exposed to terrorist attacks is of major importance in the post-9/11 era. Because no systematic diagnostic studies of the most highly exposed individuals of the 9/11 terrorist attacks have yet been done, the Oklahoma City bombing remains a unique opportunity to examine PTSD over time in high-exposure terrorist victims. This study assessed 137 survivors in the direct path of the explosion at approximately 6 and 17 months postdisaster, using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Combined index and follow-up data yielded a higher (41%) incidence of PTSD than detected at index (32%) or follow-up (31%). All PTSD was chronic (89% unremitted at 17 months) with no delayed-onset cases. The avoidance and numbing symptom group C, unlike groups B and D alone, was pivotal to current PTSD status and was associated with indicators of functioning at index and follow-up. The findings at index were sustainable. This follow-up study confirmed the immediacy of onset of PTSD and its persistence over time, pointing to the need for early interventions that continue over the long term. Group C avoidance and numbing symptoms may aid in early recognition of PTSD and in predicting long-term functioning.

  10. Pre-Bombing Population Density in Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Its Measurement and Impact on Radiation Risk Estimates in the Life Span Study of Atomic Bomb Survivors.

    PubMed

    French, Benjamin; Funamoto, Sachiyo; Sugiyama, Hiromi; Sakata, Ritsu; Cologne, John; Cullings, Harry M; Mabuchi, Kiyohiko; Preston, Dale L

    2018-03-29

    In the Life Span Study of atomic bomb survivors, differences in urbanicity between high-dose and low-dose survivors could confound the association between radiation dose and adverse outcomes. We obtained data on the pre-bombing population distribution in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and quantified the impact of adjustment for population density on radiation risk estimates for mortality (1950-2003) and incident solid cancer (1958-2009). Population density ranged from 4,671-14,378 and 5,748-19,149 people/km2 in urban regions of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively. Radiation risk estimates for solid cancer mortality were attenuated by 5.1%, but those for all-cause mortality and incident solid cancer were unchanged. There was no overall association between population density and adverse outcomes, but there was evidence that the association between density and mortality differed by age at exposure. Among survivors 10-14 years old in 1945, there was a positive association between population density and risk of all-cause mortality (relative risk, 1.053 per 5,000 people/km2 increase, 95% confidence interval: 1.027, 1.079) and solid cancer mortality (relative risk, 1.069 per 5,000 people/km2 increase, 95% confidence interval: 1.025, 1.115). Our results suggest that radiation risk estimates from the Life Span Study are not sensitive to unmeasured confounding by urban-rural differences.

  11. Ophthalmologic survey of atomic bomb survivors in Japan, 1949. Atomic bomb radiation cataract case report with histopathologic study. Medical examination of Hiroshima patients with radiation cataracts (in Japanese and English)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cogan, D.G.; Martin, S.F.; Kimura, S.J.

    1959-01-01

    This document contains 3 reports dealing with the delayed effects of radiation on the eyes of survivors of the atomic explosions in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In the first study, 1000 persons who were listed as having been in the open and within two kilometers of the hypocenter at the time of the explosion were selected at random from the census files of the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission for study. In addition, 231 others, comprising the total available number of surviving persons listed at present in the census files as having been within one kilometer of the hypocenter, were examined, asmore » were several hundred others who were contacted through newspaper publicity, referrals from local ophthalmologists, or through hearsay. The survey resulted in bringing in persons having, or having had, a variety of ocular conditions. Those connected with the atomic bomb included the following diagnoses; multiple injuries of eyes and eyelids; keratoconjunctivitis from ultraviolet and ionizing radiations; thermal burn of the cornea and of the retina; retinitis proliferans; and radiation cataracts. The cataracts were the only delayed manifestations of ocular injury from the atomic bomb. The second paper is a case report of a histopathologic study of atomic bomb radiation cataract. The third paper presents the results of medical examinations of survivors having radiation induced cataracts. 32 references, 8 figures. (DMC)« less

  12. Missing doses in the life span study of Japanese atomic bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Richardson, David B; Wing, Steve; Cole, Stephen R

    2013-03-15

    The Life Span Study of atomic bomb survivors is an important source of risk estimates used to inform radiation protection and compensation. Interviews with survivors in the 1950s and 1960s provided information needed to estimate radiation doses for survivors proximal to ground zero. Because of a lack of interview or the complexity of shielding, doses are missing for 7,058 of the 68,119 proximal survivors. Recent analyses excluded people with missing doses, and despite the protracted collection of interview information necessary to estimate some survivors' doses, defined start of follow-up as October 1, 1950, for everyone. We describe the prevalence of missing doses and its association with mortality, distance from hypocenter, city, age, and sex. Missing doses were more common among Nagasaki residents than among Hiroshima residents (prevalence ratio = 2.05; 95% confidence interval: 1.96, 2.14), among people who were closer to ground zero than among those who were far from it, among people who were younger at enrollment than among those who were older, and among males than among females (prevalence ratio = 1.22; 95% confidence interval: 1.17, 1.28). Missing dose was associated with all-cancer and leukemia mortality, particularly during the first years of follow-up (all-cancer rate ratio = 2.16, 95% confidence interval: 1.51, 3.08; and leukemia rate ratio = 4.28, 95% confidence interval: 1.72, 10.67). Accounting for missing dose and late entry should reduce bias in estimated dose-mortality associations.

  13. No evidence of radiation effect on mutation rates at hypervariable minisatellite loci in the germ cells of atomic bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Kodaira, Mieko; Izumi, Shizue; Takahashi, Norio; Nakamura, Nori

    2004-10-01

    Human minisatellites consist of tandem arrays of short repeat sequences, and some are highly polymorphic in numbers of repeats among individuals. Since these loci mutate much more frequently than coding sequences, they make attractive markers for screening populations for genetic effects of mutagenic agents. Here we report the results of our analysis of mutations at eight hypervariable minisatellite loci in the offspring (61 from exposed families in 60 of which only one parent was exposed, and 58 from unexposed parents) of atomic bomb survivors with mean doses of >1 Sv. We found 44 mutations in paternal alleles and eight mutations in maternal alleles with no indication that the high doses of acutely applied radiation had caused significant genetic effects. Our finding contrasts with those of some other studies in which much lower radiation doses, applied chronically, caused significantly increased mutation rates. Possible reasons for this discrepancy are discussed.

  14. CD14 and IL18 gene polymorphisms associated with colorectal cancer subsite risks among atomic bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Hu, Yiqun; Yoshida, Kengo; Cologne, John B; Maki, Mayumi; Morishita, Yukari; Sasaki, Keiko; Hayashi, Ikue; Ohishi, Waka; Hida, Ayumi; Kyoizumi, Seishi; Kusunoki, Yoichiro; Tokunaga, Katsushi; Nakachi, Kei; Hayashi, Tomonori

    2015-01-01

    Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignancy worldwide, and chronic inflammation is a risk factor for CRC. In this study, we carried out a cohort study among the Japanese atomic bomb (A-bomb) survivor population to investigate any association between immune- and inflammation-related gene polymorphisms and CRC. We examined the effects of six single-nucleotide polymorphisms of CD14 and IL18 on relative risks (RRs) of CRC. Results showed that RRs of CRC, overall and by anatomic subsite, significantly increased with increasing radiation dose. The CD14-911A/A genotype showed statistically significant higher risks for all CRC and distal CRC compared with the other two genotypes. In addition, the IL18-137 G/G genotype showed statistically significant higher risks for proximal colon cancer compared with the other two genotypes. In phenotype-genotype analyses, the CD14-911A/A genotype presented significantly higher levels of membrane and soluble CD14 compared with the other two genotypes, and the IL18-137 G/G genotype tended to be lower levels of plasma interleukin (IL)-18 compared with the other two genotypes. These results suggest the potential involvement of a CD14-mediated inflammatory response in the development of distal CRC and an IL18-mediated inflammatory response in the development of proximal colon cancer among A-bomb survivors.

  15. CD14 and IL18 gene polymorphisms associated with colorectal cancer subsite risks among atomic bomb survivors

    PubMed Central

    Hu, Yiqun; Yoshida, Kengo; Cologne, John B; Maki, Mayumi; Morishita, Yukari; Sasaki, Keiko; Hayashi, Ikue; Ohishi, Waka; Hida, Ayumi; Kyoizumi, Seishi; Kusunoki, Yoichiro; Tokunaga, Katsushi; Nakachi, Kei; Hayashi, Tomonori

    2015-01-01

    Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignancy worldwide, and chronic inflammation is a risk factor for CRC. In this study, we carried out a cohort study among the Japanese atomic bomb (A-bomb) survivor population to investigate any association between immune- and inflammation-related gene polymorphisms and CRC. We examined the effects of six single-nucleotide polymorphisms of CD14 and IL18 on relative risks (RRs) of CRC. Results showed that RRs of CRC, overall and by anatomic subsite, significantly increased with increasing radiation dose. The CD14–911A/A genotype showed statistically significant higher risks for all CRC and distal CRC compared with the other two genotypes. In addition, the IL18–137 G/G genotype showed statistically significant higher risks for proximal colon cancer compared with the other two genotypes. In phenotype–genotype analyses, the CD14–911A/A genotype presented significantly higher levels of membrane and soluble CD14 compared with the other two genotypes, and the IL18–137 G/G genotype tended to be lower levels of plasma interleukin (IL)-18 compared with the other two genotypes. These results suggest the potential involvement of a CD14-mediated inflammatory response in the development of distal CRC and an IL18-mediated inflammatory response in the development of proximal colon cancer among A-bomb survivors. PMID:27081544

  16. Bone marrow cytology in Hiroshima atomic bomb survivors 5 years following exposure (in Japanese and English)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Oesterle, S.N.; Finch, S.C.

    1978-11-01

    Bone marrow aspiration smears obtained from 35 individuals, 5 years following expsoure to the Hiroshima atomic bomb, were intensively evaluated for radiation related cytologic abnormalities. No definite radiaton related changes were observed, but some findings were very suggestive. The most interesting of these was the occurrence of internuclear bridges joining erythroid precursors in the marrow smears of seven (20%) of the heavily exposed survivors. Although not specific it is likely that this lesion is indicative of residual stem cell damage and some degree of ineffectual erythropoiesis. The bone marrow morphologic lesions may be good markers of residual radiation damage butmore » they are too infrequent in their occurrence to be of value as a biologic dosimeter. The findings in this study also suggest that a gradual disappearance of radiation induced late bone marrow changes continues for periods of 3 to 5 years or more following high dose acute radiation exposure.« less

  17. Malignant tumors during the first 2 decades of life in the offspring of atomic bomb survivors.

    PubMed Central

    Yoshimoto, Y; Neel, J V; Schull, W J; Kato, H; Soda, M; Eto, R; Mabuchi, K

    1990-01-01

    The risk of cancer (incidence) prior to age 20 years has been determined for children born to atomic bomb survivors and to a suitable comparison group. Tumor ascertainment was through death certificates and the tumor registries maintained in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The rationale for the study stemmed from the evidence that a significant proportion of such childhood tumors as retinoblastoma and Wilms tumor arise on the basis of a mutant gene inherited from one parent plus a second somatic cell mutation involving the allele of this gene. Gonadal radiation doses were calculated by the recently established DS86 system, supplemented by an ad hoc system for those children for one or both of whose parents a DS86 dose could not be computed but for whom an ad hoc dose could be developed on the basis of the available information. The total data set consisted of (1) a cohort of 31,150 live-born children one or both of whose parents received greater than 0.01 Sv of radiation at the time of the atomic bombings (average conjoint gonad exposure 0.43 Sv) and (2) two suitable comparison groups totaling 41,066 children. Altogether, 43 malignant tumors were ascertained in the children of exposed parents, and 49 malignant tumors were ascertained in the two control groups. A multiple linear regression analysis revealed no increase in malignancy in the children of exposed parents. However, examination of the data suggested that only 3.0-5.0% of the tumors of childhood that were observed in the comparison groups are associated with an inherited genetic predisposition that would be expected to exhibit an altered frequency if the parental mutation rate were increased. There is thus far no confirmation of the positive findings that Nomura found in a mouse system. PMID:2160192

  18. Rearranged Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) Gene in Adult-Onset Papillary Thyroid Cancer Amongst Atomic Bomb Survivors

    PubMed Central

    Mukai, Mayumi; Takahashi, Keiko; Hayashi, Yuzo; Nakachi, Kei; Kusunoki, Yoichiro

    2012-01-01

    Background We previously noted that among atomic bomb survivors (ABS), the relative frequency of cases of adult papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) with chromosomal rearrangements (mainly RET/PTC) was significantly greater in those with relatively higher radiation exposure than those with lower radiation exposure. In contrast, the frequency of PTC cases with point mutations (mainly BRAFV600E) was significantly lower in patients with relatively higher radiation exposure than those with lower radiation exposure. We also found that among ABS, the frequency of PTC cases with no detectable gene alterations in RET, neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor 1 (NTRK1), BRAF, or RAS was significantly higher in patients with relatively higher radiation exposure than those with lower radiation exposure. However, in ABS with PTC, the relationship between the presence of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene fused with other gene partners and radiation exposure has received little study. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the relative frequency of rearranged ALK in ABS with PTC, and with no detectable gene alterations in RET, NTRK1, BRAF, or RAS, would be greater in those having relatively higher radiation exposures. Methods The 105 subjects in the study were drawn from the Life Span Study cohort of ABS of Hiroshima and Nagasaki who were diagnosed with PTC between 1956 and 1993. Seventy-nine were exposed (>0 mGy), and 26 were not exposed to A-bomb radiation. In the 25 ABS with PTC, and with no detectable gene alterations in RET, NTRK1, BRAF, or RAS, we examined archival, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded PTC specimens for rearrangement of ALK using reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction and 5′ rapid amplification of cDNA ends (5′ RACE). Results We found rearranged ALK in 10 of 19 radiation-exposed PTC cases, but none among 6 patients with PTC with no radiation exposure. In addition, solid/trabecular-like architecture in PTC was closely associated with ALK

  19. Prejudice and Health Anxiety about Radiation Exposure from Second-Generation Atomic Bomb Survivors: Results from a Qualitative Interview Study

    PubMed Central

    Kamite, Yuka

    2017-01-01

    The effect of atomic bomb radiation exposure on the survivors and their children has been a worrisome problem since soon after the 1945 Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. Researchers have examined physical and genetic effects; however, no research has focused on second-generation survivors’ (SGS) psychological effects. Consequently, this study shed light on the SGS’ experience of discrimination and prejudice and their anxiety concerning the genetic effects of radiation exposure. This study utilized semi-structured interviews with 14 SGS (10 women, mean age = 56 ± 6.25 years, range = 46–68 years). Data were analyzed using a modified version of the grounded theory approach. Three categories were extracted: low awareness as an SGS, no health anxiety regarding the effect of radiation, and health anxiety regarding the effect of radiation. The results did not reveal that SGS who grew up in the bombed areas experienced discrimination or prejudice. They had little health anxiety from childhood to adolescence. In this study, some of the SGS developed health anxiety about their third-generation children, but only among female participants. Perhaps the transgenerational transmission of anxiety concerning the genetic effects of radiation exposure causes stress, particularly among women with children. However, a change was seen in adulthood health anxiety regarding the effects of radiation, suggesting the possibility that changes in the psychological experiences of SGS can be observed throughout their lifetimes and that their own health status, and that of their children, the third-generation survivors, affects their health anxiety regarding radiation. PMID:28912738

  20. Missing Doses in the Life Span Study of Japanese Atomic Bomb Survivors

    PubMed Central

    Richardson, David B.; Wing, Steve; Cole, Stephen R.

    2013-01-01

    The Life Span Study of atomic bomb survivors is an important source of risk estimates used to inform radiation protection and compensation. Interviews with survivors in the 1950s and 1960s provided information needed to estimate radiation doses for survivors proximal to ground zero. Because of a lack of interview or the complexity of shielding, doses are missing for 7,058 of the 68,119 proximal survivors. Recent analyses excluded people with missing doses, and despite the protracted collection of interview information necessary to estimate some survivors' doses, defined start of follow-up as October 1, 1950, for everyone. We describe the prevalence of missing doses and its association with mortality, distance from hypocenter, city, age, and sex. Missing doses were more common among Nagasaki residents than among Hiroshima residents (prevalence ratio = 2.05; 95% confidence interval: 1.96, 2.14), among people who were closer to ground zero than among those who were far from it, among people who were younger at enrollment than among those who were older, and among males than among females (prevalence ratio = 1.22; 95% confidence interval: 1.17, 1.28). Missing dose was associated with all-cancer and leukemia mortality, particularly during the first years of follow-up (all-cancer rate ratio = 2.16, 95% confidence interval: 1.51, 3.08; and leukemia rate ratio = 4.28, 95% confidence interval: 1.72, 10.67). Accounting for missing dose and late entry should reduce bias in estimated dose-mortality associations. PMID:23429722

  1. Radiation exposure and circulatory disease risk: Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bomb survivor data, 1950-2003.

    PubMed

    Shimizu, Yukiko; Kodama, Kazunori; Nishi, Nobuo; Kasagi, Fumiyoshi; Suyama, Akihiko; Soda, Midori; Grant, Eric J; Sugiyama, Hiromi; Sakata, Ritsu; Moriwaki, Hiroko; Hayashi, Mikiko; Konda, Manami; Shore, Roy E

    2010-01-14

    To investigate the degree to which ionising radiation confers risk of mortality from heart disease and stroke. Prospective cohort study with more than 50 years of follow-up. Atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. 86 611 Life Span Study cohort members with individually estimated radiation doses from 0 to >3 Gy (86% received <0.2 Gy). Mortality from stroke or heart disease as the underlying cause of death and dose-response relations with atomic bomb radiation. About 9600 participants died of stroke and 8400 died of heart disease between 1950 and 2003. For stroke, the estimated excess relative risk per gray was 9% (95% confidence interval 1% to 17%, P=0.02) on the basis of a linear dose-response model, but an indication of possible upward curvature suggested relatively little risk at low doses. For heart disease, the estimated excess relative risk per gray was 14% (6% to 23%, P<0.001); a linear model provided the best fit, suggesting excess risk even at lower doses. However, the dose-response effect over the restricted dose range of 0 to 0.5 Gy was not significant. Prospective data on smoking, alcohol intake, education, occupation, obesity, and diabetes had almost no impact on the radiation risk estimates for either stroke or heart disease, and misdiagnosis of cancers as circulatory diseases could not account for the associations seen. Doses above 0.5 Gy are associated with an elevated risk of both stroke and heart disease, but the degree of risk at lower doses is unclear. Stroke and heart disease together account for about one third as many radiation associated excess deaths as do cancers among atomic bomb survivors.

  2. Long-term epidemiological studies of atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki: study populations, dosimetry and summary of health effects.

    PubMed

    Okubo, Toshiteru

    2012-10-01

    The Radiation Effects Research Foundation succeeded 28 years' worth of activities of the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission on long-term epidemiological studies in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It has three major cohorts of atomic bomb survivors, i.e. the Life Span Study (LSS) of 120,000 people, the In Utero Cohort of 3600 and the Second Generation Study (F(1)) of 77,000. The LSS and F(1) studies include a periodic health examination for each sub-cohort, i.e. the Adult Health Study and the F(1) Clinical Study, respectively. An extensive individual dose estimation was conducted and the system was published as the Dosimetry System established in 2002 (DS02). As results of these studies, increases of cancers in relation to dose were clearly shown. Increases of other mortality causes were also observed, including heart and respiratory diseases. There has been no evidence of genetic effects in the survivors' children, including cancer and other multi-factorial diseases. The increase in the expected mortality number in the next 10 y would allow the analyses of further details of the observed effects related to atomic bomb exposures.

  3. Radiation-related risks of non-cancer outcomes in the atomic bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Ozasa, K; Takahashi, I; Grant, E J

    2016-06-01

    Risks of non-cancer outcomes after exposure to atomic bomb (A-bomb) radiation have been evaluated among the Life Span Study (LSS) cohort and its subcohort, the Adult Health Study (AHS). Information regarding non-cancer outcomes in the LSS is obtained from death certificates. In the AHS, members undergo clinical examinations biennially to determine their health status. Many AHS studies have been limited to participants attending the clinic over a limited period, and therefore have varying degrees of inferential utility; as such, care is required for comparison with the LSS results. Disease structure of non-cancer diseases in Japan has changed over the long follow-up period since the end of World War II. The health status of the A-bomb survivors may be associated with the hardships of living in a devastated city and impoverished country following the prolonged war effort, in addition to the direct effects of radiation exposure. Radiation-related risk of cardiovascular disease may have increased due to radiation-related increased risk of hypertension and other secondary associations, and the risk of atherosclerotic disorders has also been reported recently. These results should be interpreted with caution because of changes in disease definitions over the follow-up period. The radiation-related risk of non-cancer respiratory diseases also appears to have increased over the follow-up period, but the shapes of the dose-response curves have shown little consistency. © The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics.

  4. Cytogenetic Reconstruction of Gamma-Ray Doses Delivered to Atomic Bomb Survivors: Dealing with Wide Distributions of Photon Energies and Contributions from Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cells.

    PubMed

    Nakamura, Nori; Hirai, Yuko; Kodama, Yoshiaki; Hamasaki, Kanya; Cullings, Harry M; Cordova, Kismet A; Awa, Akio

    2017-10-01

    Retrospective estimation of the doses received by atomic bomb (A-bomb) survivors by cytogenetic methods has been hindered by two factors: One is that the photon energies released from the bomb were widely distributed, and since the aberration yield varies depending on the energy, the use of monoenergetic 60 Co gamma radiation to construct a calibration curve may bias the estimate. The second problem is the increasing proportion of newly formed lymphocytes entering into the lymphocyte pool with increasing time intervals since the exposures. These new cells are derived from irradiated precursor/stem cells whose radiosensitivity may differ from that of blood lymphocytes. To overcome these problems, radiation doses to tooth enamel were estimated using the electron spin resonance (ESR; or EPR, electron paramagnetic resonance) method and compared with the cytogenetically estimated doses from the same survivors. The ESR method is only weakly dependent on the photon energy and independent of the years elapsed since an exposure. Both ESR and cytogenetic doses were estimated from 107 survivors. The latter estimates were made by assuming that although a part of the cells examined could be lymphoid stem or precursor cells at the time of exposure, all the cells had the same radiosensitivity as blood lymphocytes, and that the A-bomb gamma-ray spectrum was the same as that of the 60 Co gamma rays. Subsequently, ESR and cytogenetic endpoints were used to estimate the kerma doses using individual DS02R1 information on shielding conditions. The results showed that the two sets of kerma doses were in close agreement, indicating that perhaps no correction is needed in estimating atomic bomb gamma-ray doses from the cytogenetically estimated 60 Co gamma-ray equivalent doses. The present results will make it possible to directly compare cytogenetic doses with the physically estimated doses of the survivors, which would pave the way for testing whether or not there are any systematic

  5. Relationship between cataracts and epilation in atomic bomb survivors

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Neriishi, Kazuo; Otake, Masanori; Kodama, Kazunori

    1995-10-01

    Among 1713 atomic bomb survivors who underwent ophthalmological examinations from 1963-1964, the risk of cataract formation per unit dose of radiation was significantly greater for those who reported hair loss of 67% or more after exposure (the epilation group) than for those who reported less or no hair loss (the no-epilation group) (P,0.01). Such an epilation effect has also been associated with leukemia mortality and the frequency of chromosome aberrations. Although this might be interpreted as indicating differential sensitivity to radiation between the epilation group and the no-epilation group, it could also be explained by imprecision in dose estimates. Wemore » have calculated that a 48% random error in DS86 dose estimates could be in accordance with the dose-response relationship for the prevalence of cataracts in the epilation group or the no-epilation group. Possible mechanisms for variations in radiosensitivity are discussed. 37 refs., 2 figs., 4 tabs.« less

  6. Long-term trend of thyroid cancer risk among Japanese atomic-bomb survivors: 60 years after exposure

    PubMed Central

    Furukawa, Kyoji; Preston, Dale; Funamoto, Sachiyo; Yonehara, Shuji; Ito, Masahiro; Tokuoka, Shoji; Sugiyama, Hiromi; Soda, Midori; Ozasa, Kotaro; Mabuchi, Kiyohiko

    2014-01-01

    Thyroid cancer risk following exposure to ionizing radiation in childhood and adolescence is a topic of public concern. To characterize the long-term temporal trend and age-at-exposure variation in the radiation-induced risk of thyroid cancer, we analyzed thyroid cancer incidence data for the period from 1958 through 2005 among 105,401 members of the Life Span Study cohort of Japanese atomic-bomb survivors. During the follow-up period, 371 thyroid cancer cases (excluding those with microcarcinoma with a diameter <10 mm) were identified as a first primary among the eligible subjects. Using a linear dose–response model, the excess relative risk of thyroid cancer at 1 Gy of radiation exposure was estimated as 1.28 (95% confidence interval: 0.59–2.70) at age 60 after acute exposure at age 10. The risk decreased sharply with increasing age-at-exposure and there was little evidence of increased thyroid cancer rates for those exposed after age 20. About 36% of the thyroid cancer cases among those exposed before age 20 were estimated to be attributable to radiation exposure. While the magnitude of the excess risk has decreased with increasing attained age or time since exposure, the excess thyroid cancer risk associated with childhood exposure has persisted for >50 years after exposure PMID:22847218

  7. A novel RET rearrangement (ACBD5/RET) by pericentric inversion, inv(10)(p12.1;q11.2), in papillary thyroid cancer from an atomic bomb survivor exposed to high-dose radiation.

    PubMed

    Hamatani, Kiyohiro; Eguchi, Hidetaka; Koyama, Kazuaki; Mukai, Mayumi; Nakachi, Kei; Kusunoki, Yoichiro

    2014-11-01

    During analysis of RET/PTC rearrangements in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) among atomic bomb survivors, a cDNA fragment of a novel type of RET rearrangement was identified in a PTC patient exposed to a high radiation dose using the improved 5' RACE method. This gene resulted from the fusion of the 3' portion of RET containing tyrosine kinase domain to the 5' portion of the acyl-coenzyme A binding domain containing 5 (ACBD5) gene, by pericentric inversion inv(10)(p12.1;q11.2); expression of the fusion gene was confirmed by RT-PCR. ACBD5 gene is ubiquitously expressed in various human normal tissues including thyroid. Full-length cDNA of the ACBD5-RET gene was constructed and then examined for tumorigenicity. Enhanced phosphorylation of ERK proteins in the MAPK pathway was observed in NIH3T3 cells transfected with expression vector encoding the full-length ACBD5/RET cDNA, while this was not observed in the cells transfected with empty expression vector. Stable NIH3T3 transfectants with ACBD5-RET cDNA induced tumor formation after their injection into nude mice. These findings suggest that the ACBD5-RET rearrangement is causatively involved in the development of PTC.

  8. Physical injuries and fatalities resulting from the Oklahoma City bombing.

    PubMed

    Mallonee, S; Shariat, S; Stennies, G; Waxweiler, R; Hogan, D; Jordan, F

    1996-08-07

    To provide an epidemiologic description of physical injuries and fatalities resulting from the April 19, 1995, bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Descriptive epidemiologic study of all persons injured by the bombing and of all at-risk occupants of the federal building and 4 adjacent buildings. Data were gathered from hospital emergency and medical records departments, medical examiner records, and surveys of area physicians, building occupants, and survivors. All persons known to have been exposed to the blast. Characteristics of fatalities and injuries, injury maps, and injury rates by building location. A total of 759 persons sustained injuries, 167 persons died, 83 survivors were hospitalized, and 509 persons were treated as outpatients. Of the 361 persons who were in the federal building, 319 (88%) were injured, of whom 163 (45%) died, including 19 children. Persons in the collapsed part of the federal building were significantly more likely to die (153/175, 87%) than those in other parts of the building (10/186, 5%) (risk ratio [RR], 16.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 8.9-29.8). In 4 adjacent buildings, injury rates varied from 38% to 100%; 3 persons in these buildings and 1 person in an outdoor location died. The most frequent cause of death was multiple injuries. Among survivors, soft tissue injuries, fractures, sprains, strains, and head injuries were most common; these injuries were most often caused by flying glass and other debris and collapsed ceilings. The Oklahoma City bombing resulted in the largest number of fatalities of any terrorist act in the United States, and there were 4 times as many nonfatal injuries as fatalities. Disaster management plans should include the possibility of terrorist bombing, and medical preparedness should anticipate that most injuries will be nonfatal. The role of building collapse in fatal injuries should be considered in the design of buildings at high risk of being bombed so as to

  9. Metabolic Profile as a Potential Modifier of Long-Term Radiation Effects on Peripheral Lymphocyte Subsets in Atomic Bomb Survivors.

    PubMed

    Yoshida, Kengo; Nakashima, Eiji; Kyoizumi, Seishi; Hakoda, Masayuki; Hayashi, Tomonori; Hida, Ayumi; Ohishi, Waka; Kusunoki, Yoichiro

    2016-09-01

    Immune system impairments reflected by the composition and function of circulating lymphocytes are still observed in atomic bomb survivors, and metabolic abnormalities including altered blood triglyceride and cholesterol levels have also been detected in such survivors. Based on closely related features of immune and metabolic profiles of individuals, we investigated the hypothesis that long-term effects of radiation exposure on lymphocyte subsets might be modified by metabolic profiles in 3,113 atomic bomb survivors who participated in health examinations at the Radiation Effect Research Foundation, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in 2000-2002. The lymphocyte subsets analyzed involved T-, B- and NK-cell subsets, and their percentages in the lymphocyte fraction were assessed using flow cytometry. Health examinations included metabolic indicators, body mass index, serum levels of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, C-reactive protein and hemoglobin A1c, as well as diabetes and fatty liver diagnoses. Standard regression analyses indicated that several metabolic indicators of obesity/related disease, particularly high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, were positively associated with type-1 helper T- and B-cell percentages but were inversely associated with naïve CD4 T and NK cells. A regression analysis adjusted for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol revealed a radiation dose relationship with increasing NK-cell percentage. Additionally, an interaction effect was suggested between radiation dose and C-reactive protein on B-cell percentage with a negative coefficient of the interaction term. Collectively, these findings suggest that radiation exposure and subsequent metabolic profile changes, potentially in relationship to obesity-related inflammation, lead to such long-term alterations in lymphocyte subset composition. Because this study is based on cross-sectional and exploratory analyses, the implications regarding radiation exposure, metabolic

  10. Long-Term Effects of Radiation Exposure and Metabolic Status on Telomere Length of Peripheral Blood T Cells in Atomic Bomb Survivors.

    PubMed

    Yoshida, Kengo; Misumi, Munechika; Kubo, Yoshiko; Yamaoka, Mika; Kyoizumi, Seishi; Ohishi, Waka; Hayashi, Tomonori; Kusunoki, Yoichiro

    2016-10-01

    In a series of studies of atomic bomb survivors, radiation-dose-dependent alterations in peripheral T-cell populations have been reported. For example, reduced size in naïve T-cell pools and impaired proliferation ability of T cells were observed. Because these alterations are also generally observed with human aging, we hypothesized that radiation exposure may accelerate the aging process of the T-cell immune system. To further test this hypothesis, we conducted cross-sectional analyses of telomere length, a hallmark of cellular aging, of naïve and memory CD4 T cells and total CD8 T cells in the peripheral blood of 620 atomic bomb survivors as it relates to age and radiation dose, using fluorescence in situ hybridization with flow cytometry. Since telomere shortening has been recently demonstrated in obesity-related metabolic abnormalities and diseases, the modifying effects of metabolic status were also examined. Our results indicated nonlinear relationships between T-cell telomere length and prior radiation exposure, i.e., longer telomeres with lower dose exposure and a decreasing trend of telomere length with individuals exposed to doses higher than 0.5 Gy. There were associations between shorter T-cell telomeres and higher hemoglobin Alc levels or fatty liver development. In naïve and memory CD4 T cells, radiation dose and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were found to positively interact with telomere length, suggesting that the decreasing trend of telomere length from a higher radiation dose was less conspicuous in individuals with a higher HDL cholesterol. It is therefore likely that radiation exposure perturbs T-cell homeostasis involving telomere length maintenance by multiple biological mechanisms, depending on dose, and that long-term-radiation-induced effects on the maintenance of T-cell telomeres may be modified by the subsequent metabolic conditions of individuals.

  11. DS02R1: Improvements to Atomic Bomb Survivors' Input Data and Implementation of Dosimetry System 2002 (DS02) and Resulting Changes in Estimated Doses.

    PubMed

    Cullings, H M; Grant, E J; Egbert, S D; Watanabe, T; Oda, T; Nakamura, F; Yamashita, T; Fuchi, H; Funamoto, S; Marumo, K; Sakata, R; Kodama, Y; Ozasa, K; Kodama, K

    2017-01-01

    Individual dose estimates calculated by Dosimetry System 2002 (DS02) for the Life Span Study (LSS) of atomic bomb survivors are based on input data that specify location and shielding at the time of the bombing (ATB). A multi-year effort to improve information on survivors' locations ATB has recently been completed, along with comprehensive improvements in their terrain shielding input data and several improvements to computational algorithms used in combination with DS02 at RERF. Improvements began with a thorough review and prioritization of original questionnaire data on location and shielding that were taken from survivors or their proxies in the period 1949-1963. Related source documents varied in level of detail, from relatively simple lists to carefully-constructed technical drawings of structural and other shielding and surrounding neighborhoods. Systematic errors were reduced in this work by restoring the original precision of map coordinates that had been truncated due to limitations in early data processing equipment and by correcting distortions in the old (WWII-era) maps originally used to specify survivors' positions, among other improvements. Distortion errors were corrected by aligning the old maps and neighborhood drawings to orthophotographic mosaics of the cities that were newly constructed from pre-bombing aerial photographs. Random errors that were reduced included simple transcription errors and mistakes in identifying survivors' locations on the old maps. Terrain shielding input data that had been originally estimated for limited groups of survivors using older methods and data sources were completely re-estimated for all survivors using new digital terrain elevation data. Improvements to algorithms included a fix to an error in the DS02 code for coupling house and terrain shielding, a correction for elevation at the survivor's location in calculating angles to the horizon used for terrain shielding input, an improved method for truncating

  12. Gamma-ray and neutron dosimetry by EPR and AMS, using tooth enamel from atomic-bomb survivors: a mini review.

    PubMed

    Nakamura, Nori; Hirai, Yuko; Kodama, Yoshiaki

    2012-03-01

    The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR, or electron spin resonance) method was used to measure CO₂⁻· radicals recorded in tooth enamel by exposure to atomic-bomb gamma rays. The EPR-estimated doses (i.e. ⁶⁰Co gamma-ray equivalent dose) were generally in good correlation with cytogenetic data of the same survivors, whereas plots of EPR-estimated dose or cytogenetically estimated dose against DS02 doses turned out to scatter more widely. Because those survivors whose EPR doses were higher (or lower) than DS02 doses tended to show also higher (or lower) responses for cytogenetic responses, the apparent variation appears primarily due to problems in individual DS02 doses rather than the measurement errors associated with the EPR or cytogenetic technique. A part of the enamel samples were also used for evaluation of neutron doses by measuring ⁴¹Ca/⁴⁰Ca ratios using the accelerator mass spectrometry technique. The results for the measured ratios were on average ~85 % of the calculated ratios by DS02 (but within the 95 % confidence bounds of the simulated results), which lends support to DS02-derived neutron doses to the survivors.

  13. Mass casualties in the Oklahoma City bombing.

    PubMed

    Teague, David C

    2004-05-01

    The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City was partially destroyed by a terrorist bomb on April 19, 1995. Injuries were sustained by 759 people, 168 of whom died. Fatalities occurred primarily among victims in the collapse zone of the federal building. Only 83 survivors required hospitalization. Twenty-two surviving victims sustained multiple fractures. Most victims arrived at local emergency departments by private vehicle within 2 hours. More severely injured survivors were transported by ambulance. The closer receiving hospitals used emergency department facilities and minor treatment areas. Few survivors were extricated from the bombing site more than 3 hours after the detonation. Mass casualty plans must provide for improved communications, diversion and retriage from facilities nearest the disaster site, and effective coordination of community and hospital resources.

  14. Invited commentary: missing doses in the life span study of Japanese atomic bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Ozasa, K; Grant, E J; Cullings, H M; Shore, R E

    2013-03-15

    The Life Span Study is a long-term epidemiologic cohort study of survivors of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. In this issue of the Journal, Richardson et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2013;177(6):562-568) suggest that those who died in the earliest years of follow-up were more likely to have a missing dose of radiation exposure assigned, leading to a bias in the radiation risk estimates. We show that nearly all members of the cohort had shielding information recorded before the beginning of follow-up and that much of the alleged bias that Richardson et al. describe simply reflects the geographic distribution of shielding conditions for which reliable dosimetry was impossible.

  15. Children of terrorism survivors: physiological reactions seven years following a terrorist incident.

    PubMed

    Pfefferbaum, Betty; Tucker, Phebe; North, Carol S; Jeon-Slaughter, Haekyung; Nitiéma, Pascal

    2014-05-01

    The aim of this study was to examine psychiatric illness and physiological indicators in the children of Oklahoma City bombing survivors seven years after the event. A study of 17 Oklahoma City bombing survivors and their 21 adolescent and young-adult children conducted seven years after the disaster used structured diagnostic interviews to examine psychiatric outcomes. Physiological measurements included heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and physiological reactivity measured in response to a semi-structured bombing-reminder interview. Results revealed a statistically significant positive association between survivors and their children with respect to both post-disaster and current posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Also, children whose parents met diagnostic criteria for either post-disaster or current major depression were more likely to meet criteria for a post-disaster behavior disorder and for any post-disaster psychiatric disorder than children whose parents did not meet criteria for post-disaster or current major depression. Survivors' children meeting criteria for any post-disaster psychiatric diagnosis had higher heart rates during the pre-test, test, and post-test periods than children who did not meet criteria for any disorder. Children whose survivor parents met criteria for bombing-related PTSD and for any post-disaster psychiatric disorder had greater heart rate reactivity than those whose parents did not. Findings of this study support previous literature on the relationships between children's psychiatric illness and physiological reactions and suggest interactions between disaster survivors' psychiatric illness and their children's psychiatric and physiological status. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Age at exposure and attained age variations of cancer risk in the Japanese A-bomb and radiotherapy cohorts.

    PubMed

    Schneider, Uwe; Walsh, Linda

    2015-08-01

    Phenomenological risk models for radiation-induced cancer are frequently applied to estimate the risk of radiation-induced cancers at radiotherapy doses. Such models often include the effect modification, of the main risk to radiation dose response, by age at exposure and attained age. The aim of this paper is to compare the patterns in risk effect modification by age, between models obtained from the Japanese atomic-bomb (A-bomb) survivor data and models for cancer risks previously reported for radiotherapy patients. Patterns in risk effect modification by age from the epidemiological studies of radiotherapy patients were also used to refine and extend the risk effect modification by age obtained from the A-bomb survivor data, so that more universal models can be presented here. Simple log-linear and power functions of age for the risk effect modification applied in models of the A-bomb survivor data are compared to risks from epidemiological studies of second cancers after radiotherapy. These functions of age were also refined and fitted to radiotherapy risks. The resulting age models provide a refined and extended functional dependence of risk with age at exposure and attained age especially beyond 40 and 65 yr, respectively, and provide a better representation than the currently available simple age functions. It was found that the A-bomb models predict risk similarly to the outcomes of testicular cancer survivors. The survivors of Hodgkin's disease show steeper variations of risk with both age at exposure and attained age. The extended models predict solid cancer risk increase as a function of age at exposure beyond 40 yr and the risk decrease as a function of attained age beyond 65 yr better than the simple models. The standard functions for risk effect modification by age, based on the A-bomb survivor data, predict second cancer risk in radiotherapy patients for ages at exposure prior to 40 yr and attained ages before 55 yr reasonably well. However, for

  17. Late effect of atomic bomb radiation on myeloid disorders: leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes.

    PubMed

    Tsushima, Hideki; Iwanaga, Masako; Miyazaki, Yasushi

    2012-03-01

    Leukemia was the first malignancy linked to radiation exposure in atomic bomb survivors. Clear evidence of the dose-dependent excess risk of three major types of leukemia (acute lymphocytic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia [AML], and chronic myeloid leukemia) was found, especially in people exposed at young ages. Such leukemia risks were at their highest in the late 1950s, and declined gradually thereafter over the past 50 years. Findings from recent risk analyses, however, suggest the persistence of AML risk even after 1990, and evidence of increased risk of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) due to atomic bomb radiation has recently been shown. High-risk MDS and forms involving complex chromosomal aberrations were found to be much more frequent in people exposed to higher radiation doses. These lines of epidemiological evidence suggest that the risk of radiation-induced hematological malignancies has persisted for six decades since the initial exposure.

  18. Exposure to an atomic bomb explosion is a risk factor for in-hospital death after esophagectomy to treat esophageal cancer.

    PubMed

    Nakashima, Y; Takeishi, K; Guntani, A; Tsujita, E; Yoshinaga, K; Matsuyama, A; Hamatake, M; Maeda, T; Tsutsui, S; Matsuda, H; Ishida, T

    2015-01-01

    Esophagectomy, one of the most invasive of all gastrointestinal operations, is associated with a high frequency of postoperative complications and in-hospital mortality. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether exposure to the atomic bomb explosion at Hiroshima in 1945 might be a preoperative risk factor for in-hospital mortality after esophagectomy in esophageal cancer patients. We thus reviewed the outcomes of esophagectomy in 31 atomic bomb survivors with esophageal cancer and 96 controls (also with cancer but without atomic bomb exposure). We compared the incidences of postoperative complications and in-hospital mortality. Of the clinicopathological features studied, mean patient age was significantly higher in atomic bomb survivors than in controls. Of the postoperative complications noted, atomic bomb survivors experienced a longer mean period of endotracheal intubation and higher incidences of severe pulmonary complications, severe anastomotic leakage, and surgical site infection. The factors associated with in-hospital mortality were exposure to the atomic bomb explosion, pulmonary comorbidities, and electrocardiographic abnormalities. Multivariate analysis revealed that exposure to the atomic bomb explosion was an independent significant preoperative risk factor for in-hospital mortality. Exposure to the atomic bomb explosion is thus a preoperative risk factor for in-hospital death after esophagectomy to treat esophageal cancer. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus.

  19. Attention bias in earthquake-exposed survivors: an event-related potential study.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yan; Kong, Fanchang; Han, Li; Najam Ul Hasan, Abbasi; Chen, Hong

    2014-12-01

    The Chinese Wenchuan earthquake, which happened on the 28th of May in 2008, may leave deep invisible scars in individuals. China has a large number of children and adolescents, who tend to be most vulnerable because they are in an early stage of human development and possible post-traumatic psychological distress may have a life-long consequence. Trauma survivors without post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have received little attention in previous studies, especially in event-related potential (ERP) studies. We compared the attention bias to threat stimuli between the earthquake-exposed group and the control group in a masked version of the dot probe task. The target probe presented at the same space location consistent with earthquake-related words was the congruent trial, while in the space location of neutral words was the incongruent trial. Thirteen earthquake-exposed middle school students without PTSD and 13 matched controls were included in this investigation. The earthquake-exposed group showed significantly faster RTs to congruent trials than to incongruent trials. The earthquake-exposed group produced significantly shorter C1 and P1 latencies and larger C1, P1 and P2 amplitudes than the control group. In particular, enhanced P1 amplitude to threat stimuli was observed in the earthquake-exposed group. These findings are in agreement with the prediction that earthquake-exposed survivors have an attention bias to threat stimuli. The traumatic event had a much greater effect on earthquake-exposed survivors even if they showed no PTSD symptoms than individuals in the controls. These results will provide neurobiological evidences for effective intervention and prevention to post-traumatic mental problems. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Chromosome aberration analysis in atomic bomb survivors and Thorotrast patients using two- and three-colour chromosome painting of chromosomal subsets.

    PubMed

    Tanaka, K; Popp, S; Fischer, C; Van Kaick, G; Kamada, N; Cremer, T; Cremer, C

    1996-07-01

    Chromosomal translocations in peripheral lymphocytes of three healthy Hiroshima atomic (A)-bomb survivors, as well as three Thorotrast patients and two non-irradiated age-matched control persons from the German Thorotrast study were studied by two- and three-colour fluorescence in situ hybridization (chromosome painting) with various combinations of whole chromosome composite probes, including chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12. Translocation frequencies detected by chromosome painting in cells of the A-bomb survivors were compared with results obtained by G-banding. A direct comparison was made, i.e. only those cells with simple translocations or complex aberrations detected by G-banding were taken into consideration which in principle could be detected also with the respective painting combination. The statistical analysis revealed no significant differences from a 1:1 relationship between the frequencies of aberrant cells obtained by both methods. The use of genomic translocation frequencies estimated from subsets of chromosomes for biological dosimetry is discussed in the light of evidence that chromosomes occupy distinct territories and are variably arranged in human lymphocyte nuclei. This territorial organization of interphase chromosomes implies that translocations will be restricted to chromatin located at the periphery of adjacent chromosome territories.

  1. Age at exposure and attained age variations of cancer risk in the Japanese A-bomb and radiotherapy cohorts

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Schneider, Uwe, E-mail: uwe.schneider@uzh.ch; Walsh, Linda

    Purpose: Phenomenological risk models for radiation-induced cancer are frequently applied to estimate the risk of radiation-induced cancers at radiotherapy doses. Such models often include the effect modification, of the main risk to radiation dose response, by age at exposure and attained age. The aim of this paper is to compare the patterns in risk effect modification by age, between models obtained from the Japanese atomic-bomb (A-bomb) survivor data and models for cancer risks previously reported for radiotherapy patients. Patterns in risk effect modification by age from the epidemiological studies of radiotherapy patients were also used to refine and extend themore » risk effect modification by age obtained from the A-bomb survivor data, so that more universal models can be presented here. Methods: Simple log-linear and power functions of age for the risk effect modification applied in models of the A-bomb survivor data are compared to risks from epidemiological studies of second cancers after radiotherapy. These functions of age were also refined and fitted to radiotherapy risks. The resulting age models provide a refined and extended functional dependence of risk with age at exposure and attained age especially beyond 40 and 65 yr, respectively, and provide a better representation than the currently available simple age functions. Results: It was found that the A-bomb models predict risk similarly to the outcomes of testicular cancer survivors. The survivors of Hodgkin’s disease show steeper variations of risk with both age at exposure and attained age. The extended models predict solid cancer risk increase as a function of age at exposure beyond 40 yr and the risk decrease as a function of attained age beyond 65 yr better than the simple models. Conclusions: The standard functions for risk effect modification by age, based on the A-bomb survivor data, predict second cancer risk in radiotherapy patients for ages at exposure prior to 40 yr and attained

  2. 76 FR 31329 - EPA Radiogenic Cancer Risk Models and Projections for the U.S. Population (Blue Book)

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-31

    ... epidemiological study of Japanese atomic bomb survivors, who received an essentially instantaneously delivered... than for the Japanese A- bomb survivors. Such differences may be due to genetic or environmental... both the A-bomb survivors and medically irradiated cohorts. While studies on populations exposed...

  3. Radiation- and Age-Associated Changes in Peripheral Blood Dendritic Cell Populations among Aging Atomic Bomb Survivors in Japan.

    PubMed

    Kajimura, Junko; Lynch, Heather E; Geyer, Susan; French, Benjamin; Yamaoka, Mika; Shterev, Ivo D; Sempowski, Gregory D; Kyoizumi, Seishi; Yoshida, Kengo; Misumi, Munechika; Ohishi, Waka; Hayashi, Tomonori; Nakachi, Kei; Kusunoki, Yoichiro

    2017-11-30

    Previous immunological studies in atomic bomb survivors have suggested that radiation exposure leads to long-lasting changes, similar to immunological aging observed in T-cell-adaptive immunity. However, to our knowledge, late effects of radiation on dendritic cells (DCs), the key coordinators for activation and differentiation of T cells, have not yet been investigated in humans. In the current study, we hypothesized that numerical and functional decreases would be observed in relationship to radiation dose in circulating conventional DCs (cDCs) and plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) among 229 Japanese A-bomb survivors. Overall, the evidence did not support this hypothesis, with no overall changes in DCs or functional changes observed with radiation dose. Multivariable regression analysis for radiation dose, age and gender effects revealed that total DC counts as well as subpopulation counts decreased in relationship to increasing age. Further analyses revealed that in women, absolute numbers of pDCs showed significant decreases with radiation dose. A hierarchical clustering analysis of gene expression profiles in DCs after Toll-like receptor stimulation in vitro identified two clusters of participants that differed in age-associated expression levels of genes involved in antigen presentation and cytokine/chemokine production in cDCs. These results suggest that DC counts decrease and expression levels of gene clusters change with age. More than 60 years after radiation exposure, we also observed changes in pDC counts associated with radiation, but only among women.

  4. Radiation- and Age-Associated Changes in Peripheral Blood Dendritic Cell Populations among Aging Atomic Bomb Survivors in Japan.

    PubMed

    Kajimura, Junko; Lynch, Heather E; Geyer, Susan; French, Benjamin; Yamaoka, Mika; Shterev, Ivo D; Sempowski, Gregory D; Kyoizumi, Seishi; Yoshida, Kengo; Misumi, Munechika; Ohishi, Waka; Hayashi, Tomonori; Nakachi, Kei; Kusunoki, Yoichiro

    2018-01-01

    Previous immunological studies in atomic bomb survivors have suggested that radiation exposure leads to long-lasting changes, similar to immunological aging observed in T-cell-adaptive immunity. However, to our knowledge, late effects of radiation on dendritic cells (DCs), the key coordinators for activation and differentiation of T cells, have not yet been investigated in humans. In the current study, we hypothesized that numerical and functional decreases would be observed in relationship to radiation dose in circulating conventional DCs (cDCs) and plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) among 229 Japanese A-bomb survivors. Overall, the evidence did not support this hypothesis, with no overall changes in DCs or functional changes observed with radiation dose. Multivariable regression analysis for radiation dose, age and gender effects revealed that total DC counts as well as subpopulation counts decreased in relationship to increasing age. Further analyses revealed that in women, absolute numbers of pDCs showed significant decreases with radiation dose. A hierarchical clustering analysis of gene expression profiles in DCs after Toll-like receptor stimulation in vitro identified two clusters of participants that differed in age-associated expression levels of genes involved in antigen presentation and cytokine/chemokine production in cDCs. These results suggest that DC counts decrease and expression levels of gene clusters change with age. More than 60 years after radiation exposure, we also observed changes in pDC counts associated with radiation, but only among women.

  5. The incidence of leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma among atomic bomb survivors: 1950 – 2001

    PubMed Central

    Hsu, Wan-Ling; Preston, Dale L.; Soda, Midori; Sugiyama, Hiromi; Funamoto, Sachiyo; Kodama, Kazunori; Kimura, Akiro; Kamada, Nanao; Dohy, Hiroo; Tomonaga, Masao; Iwanaga, Masako; Miyazaki, Yasushi; Cullings, Harry M.; Suyama, Akihiko; Ozasa, Kotaro; Shore, Roy E.; Mabuchi, Kiyohiko

    2013-01-01

    A marked increase in leukemia risks was the first and most striking late effect of radiation exposure seen among the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors. This paper presents analyses of radiation effects on leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma incidence in the Life Span Study cohort of atomic bomb survivors updated 14 years since the last comprehensive report on these malignancies. These analyses make use of tumor- and leukemia-registry-based incidence data on 113,011 cohort members with 3.6 million person-years of follow-up from late 1950 through the end of 2001. In addition to a detailed analysis of the excess risk for all leukemias other than chronic lymphocytic leukemia or adult T-cell leukemia (neither of which appear to be radiation-related), we present results for the major hematopoietic malignancy types: acute lymphoblastic leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia, adult T-cell leukemia, Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. Poisson regression methods were used to characterize the shape of the radiation dose response relationship and, to the extent the data allowed, to investigate variation in the excess risks with sex, attained age, exposure age, and time since exposure. In contrast to the previous report that focused on describing excess absolute rates, we considered both excess absolute rate (EAR) and excess relative risk (ERR) models and found that ERR models can often provide equivalent and sometimes more parsimonious descriptions of the excess risk than EAR models. The leukemia results indicated that there was a non-linear dose response for leukemias other than chronic lymphocytic leukemia or adult T-cell leukemia, which varied markedly with time and age at exposure, with much of the evidence for this non-linearity arising from the acute myeloid leukemia risks. Although the leukemia excess risks generally declined with attained age or time since exposure, there was evidence

  6. Factors associated with injury severity in Oklahoma City bombing survivors.

    PubMed

    Glenshaw, Mary T; Vernick, Jon S; Li, Guohua; Sorock, Gary S; Brown, Sheryll; Mallonee, Sue

    2009-02-01

    Terrorist bombings are an increasing source of violent death and injury worldwide. Injuries in building bombings have been previously reported in descriptive studies, but no comparative analyses have quantitatively assessed factors influencing the severity of nonfatal bombing injuries. The objective of this study was to identify personal and environmental risk factors for injury severity in the Oklahoma City bombing, on April 19, 1995. We conducted a retrospective comparative analysis of 509 nonfatally injured occupants of four buildings surrounding the detonation site. The source of data was the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing database, a registry of all injuries and fatalities related to the bombing. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess two outcomes: (1) medically-attended injury among injured occupants; and (2) hospital admission among occupants with medically attended injuries. Increased odds of sustaining medically attended injuries were associated with being struck by flying glass (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 5.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.9-14.8) and location above the first floor of buildings (OR, 4.0; 95% CI, 1.4-11.7) after adjustment for other factors. Adjusted odds of hospital admission were associated with location in the collapsed region (AOR, 43.4; 95% CI, 4.4-434.1), being blown by the blast wind (AOR, 5.3; 95% CI, 2.1-13.8), and being trapped (AOR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.2-7.7). The severity of nonfatal injury in the Oklahoma bombing was primarily associated with structural and environmental factors. Improved architectural design may prevent many injuries in building bombings. These finding provide evidence for future injury prevention activities.

  7. Current risk estimates based on the A-bomb survivors data - a discussion in terms of the ICRP recommendations on the neutron weighting factor.

    PubMed

    Rühm, W; Walsh, L

    2007-01-01

    Currently, most analyses of the A-bomb survivors' solid tumour and leukaemia data are based on a constant neutron relative biological effectiveness (RBE) value of 10 that is applied to all survivors, independent of their distance to the hypocentre at the time of bombing. The results of these analyses are then used as a major basis for current risk estimates suggested by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) for use in international safety guidelines. It is shown here that (i) a constant value of 10 is not consistent with weighting factors recommended by the ICRP for neutrons and (ii) it does not account for the hardening of the neutron spectra in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which takes place with increasing distance from the hypocentres. The purpose of this paper is to present new RBE values for the neutrons, calculated as a function of distance from the hypocentres for both cities that are consistent with the ICRP60 neutron weighting factor. If based on neutron spectra from the DS86 dosimetry system, these calculations suggest values of about 31 at 1000 m and 23 at 2000 m ground range in Hiroshima, while the corresponding values for Nagasaki are 24 and 22. If the neutron weighting factor that is consistent with ICRP92 is used, the corresponding values are about 23 and 21 for Hiroshima and 21 and 20 for Nagasaki, respectively. It is concluded that the current risk estimates will be subject to some changes in view of the changed RBE values. This conclusion does not change significantly if the new doses from the Dosimetry System DS02 are used.

  8. The course of post-traumatic stress disorder after the Oklahoma City bombing.

    PubMed

    North, C S

    2001-12-01

    Oklahoma City bombing survivors (N = 182) were studied 6 months post-bombing and reassessed approximately 1 year later (N = 141) to determine the longitudinal course of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other psychiatric disorders. The Diagnostic Interview Schedule assessed lifetime, current, predisaster, and post-bombing psychiatric diagnoses at both assessment points. One-third of the Oklahoma City bombing survivors had PTSD at index, and similar rates were diagnosed at follow-up. More recovery from depression was apparent than from PTSD. No delayed onset PTSD was observed, and all PTSD was chronic. Avoidance and numbing symptoms were dominant in defining the development of PTSD. Early onset and chronicity of PTSD indicate need for prompt and long-term intervention after disasters. Focus on avoidance and numbing symptoms may aid in identification of individuals needing intervention and monitoring the course of PTSD.

  9. Female cancer survivors exposed to alkylating-agent chemotherapy have unique reproductive hormone profiles.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Lauren; Sammel, Mary D; Schanne, Allison; Lechtenberg, Lara; Prewitt, Maureen; Gracia, Clarisa

    2016-12-01

    To evaluate reproductive hormone patterns in women exposed to alkylating-agent chemotherapy. Prospective cohort. University hospital. Normally menstruating mid-reproductive-age women (20-35 years old) who had previously been exposed to alkylating-agent chemotherapy for cancer treatment were compared with two healthy control populations: similarly-aged women and late-reproductive-age women (43-50 years old). Subjects collected daily urine samples for one cycle. Integrated urinary pregnanediol glucuronide (PDG) and estrone conjugate (E1c) and urinary excretion of gonadotropins (FSH and LH). Thirty-eight women (13 survivors, 11 same-age control subjects, 14 late-reproductive-age control subjects) provided 1,082 urine samples. Cycle length, luteal phase length, and evidence of luteal activity were similar among the groups. As expected, ovarian reserve was impaired in cancer survivors compared with same-age control subjects but similar between survivors and late-reproductive-age control subjects. In contrast, survivors had total and peak PDG levels that were similar to same-age control subjects and higher than those observed in late-reproductive-age control subjects. Survivors had higher E1c levels than both same-age and late-reproductive-age control subjects. There was no difference in urinary gonadotropins among the groups. Women exposed to alkylating agents have a unique reproductive hormone milieu that is not solely explained by age or ovarian reserve. The urinary hormone profile observed in survivors appears more similar to same-age control subjects than to late-reproductive-age women with similar ovarian reserve, which may suggest that age plays a more important role than ovarian reserve in the follicular dynamics of survivors. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Suicide Bombing Attacks

    PubMed Central

    Almogy, Gidon; Belzberg, Howard; Mintz, Yoaz; Pikarsky, Alon K.; Zamir, Gideon; Rivkind, Avraham I.

    2004-01-01

    Objective: To review the experience of a large-volume trauma center in managing and treating casualties of suicide bombing attacks. Summary Background Data: The threat of suicide bombing attacks has escalated worldwide. The ability of the suicide bomber to deliver a relatively large explosive load accompanied by heavy shrapnel to the proximity of his or her victims has caused devastating effects. Methods: The authors reviewed and analyzed the experience obtained in treating victims of suicide bombings at the level I trauma center of the Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem, Israel from 2000 to 2003. Results: Evacuation is usually rapid due to the urban setting of these attacks. Numerous casualties are brought into the emergency department over a short period. The setting in which the device is detonated has implications on the type of injuries sustained by survivors. The injuries sustained by victims of suicide bombing attacks in semi-confined spaces are characterized by the degree and extent of widespread tissue damage and include multiple penetrating wounds of varying severity and location, blast injury, and burns. Conclusions: The approach to victims of suicide bombings is based on the guidelines for trauma management. Attention is given to the moderately injured, as these patients may harbor immediate life-threatening injuries. The concept of damage control can be modified to include rapid packing of multiple soft-tissue entry sites. Optimal utilization of manpower and resources is achieved by recruiting all available personnel, adopting a predetermined plan, and a centrally coordinated approach. Suicide bombing attacks seriously challenge the most experienced medical facilities. PMID:15075644

  11. Medical consequences of terrorist bombs containing spherical metal pellets: analysis of a suicide terrorism event.

    PubMed

    Kluger, Yoram; Mayo, Ami; Hiss, Jehuda; Ashkenazi, Eitamar; Bendahan, Jose; Blumenfeld, Amir; Michaelson, Moshe; Stein, Michael; Simon, Daniel; Schwartz, Ivan; Alfici, Ricardo

    2005-02-01

    Various metal objects added to explosives increase and diversify the wounding from bombing; especially favoured are spherical missiles for their special injuring characteristics. Our objective was to study the medical consequences and ballistic effects on human tissue of spherical metal pellets used in terrorist bombings. The clinical and forensic data of all bodily injured casualties of a suicide terrorist bombing in a crowded hotel dining room were analysed retrospectively. Of the 250 people at the scene, 164 were injured, with 91 (55.5%) suffering bodily injuries; 30 of them died. The immediately deceased had disseminated tissue damage and their bodies were saturated with steel spheres. Thirty-two immediate survivors sustained severe injuries (Injury Severity Score > or =16), and all suffered tissue penetration by the pellets. Twenty-three (32%) underwent surgery and 15 (21%) required intensive care. Metal pellets propelled by the explosion enhanced the secondary pattern of injury and injured even patients remote from the origin. Tissue destruction and specific organ injuries among survivors were limited. To evaluate and manage victims of terrorist bombings properly, medical teams should become familiar with these severe injuries.

  12. Experimental derivation of relative biological effectiveness of A-bomb neutrons in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and implications for risk assessment.

    PubMed

    Sasaki, M S; Nomura, T; Ejima, Y; Utsumi, H; Endo, S; Saito, I; Itoh, T; Hoshi, M

    2008-07-01

    Epidemiological data on the health effects of A-bomb radiation in Hiroshima and Nagasaki provide the framework for setting limits for radiation risk and radiological protection. However, uncertainty remains in the equivalent dose, because it is generally believed that direct derivation of the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of neutrons from the epidemiological data on the survivors is difficult. To solve this problem, an alternative approach has been taken. The RBE of polyenergetic neutrons was determined for chromosome aberration formation in human lymphocytes irradiated in vitro, compared with published data for tumor induction in experimental animals, and validated using epidemiological data from A-bomb survivors. The RBE of fission neutrons was dependent on dose but was independent of the energy spectrum. The same RBE regimen was observed for lymphocyte chromosome aberrations and tumors in mice and rats. Used as a weighting factor for A-bomb survivors, this RBE system was superior in eliminating the city difference in chromosome aberration frequencies and cancer mortality. The revision of the equivalent dose of A-bomb radiation using DS02 weighted by this RBE system reduces the cancer risk by a factor of 0.7 compared with the current estimates using DS86, with neutrons weighted by a constant RBE of 10.

  13. Investigation on circular asymmetry of geographical distribution in cancer mortality of Hiroshima atomic bomb survivors based on risk maps: analysis of spatial survival data.

    PubMed

    Tonda, Tetsuji; Satoh, Kenichi; Otani, Keiko; Sato, Yuya; Maruyama, Hirofumi; Kawakami, Hideshi; Tashiro, Satoshi; Hoshi, Masaharu; Ohtaki, Megu

    2012-05-01

    While there is a considerable number of studies on the relationship between the risk of disease or death and direct exposure from the atomic bomb in Hiroshima, the risk for indirect exposure caused by residual radioactivity has not yet been fully evaluated. One of the reasons is that risk assessments have utilized estimated radiation doses, but that it is difficult to estimate indirect exposure. To evaluate risks for other causes, including indirect radiation exposure, as well as direct exposure, a statistical method is described here that evaluates risk with respect to individual location at the time of atomic bomb exposure instead of radiation dose. In addition, it is also considered to split the risks into separate risks due to direct exposure and other causes using radiation dose. The proposed method is applied to a cohort study of Hiroshima atomic bomb survivors. The resultant contour map suggests that the region west to the hypocenter has a higher risk compared to other areas. This in turn suggests that there exists an impact on risk that cannot be explained by direct exposure.

  14. Monitoring exposure to atomic bomb radiation by somatic mutation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Akiyama, Mitoshi; Kyoizumi, Seishi; Kusunoki, Yoichiro

    Atomic bomb survivors are a population suitable for studying the relationship between somatic mutation and cancer risk because their exposure doses are relatively well known and their dose responses in terms of cancer risk have also been thoroughly studied. An analysis has been made of erythrocyte glycophorin A (GPA) gene mutations in 1,226 atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The GPA mutation frequency (Mf) increased slightly but significantly with age at the time of measurement and with the number of cigarettes smoked. After adjustment for the effect of smoking, the Mf was significantly higher in males than in femalesmore » and higher in Hiroshima than in Nagasaki. All of these characteristics of the background GPA Mf were in accord with those of solid tumor incidence obtained from an earlier epidemiological study of A-bomb survivors. Analysis of the dose effect on Mf revealed the doubling dose to be about 1.20 Sv and the minimum dose for detection of a significant increase to be about 0.24 Sv. No significant dose effect for difference in sex, city, or age at the time of bombing was observed. Interestingly, the doubling dose for the GPA Mf approximated that for solid cancer incidence (1.59 Sv). And the minimum dose for detection was not inconsistent with the data for solid cancer incidence. The dose effect was significantly higher in those diagnosed with cancer before or after measurement than in those without a history of cancer. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that somatic mutations are the main cause of excess cancer risk from radiation exposure. 27 refs., 2 figs.« less

  15. Primary intervention for memory structuring and meaning acquisition (PIMSMA): study of a mental health first-aid intervention in the ED with injured survivors of suicide bombing attacks.

    PubMed

    Schreiber, Shaul; Dolberg, Ornah T; Barkai, Gabriel; Peles, Einat; Leor, Agnes; Rapoport, Elena; Heinik, Jeremia; Bloch, Miki

    2007-01-01

    To assess the impact of a structured intervention, the "primary intervention for memory structuring and meaning acquisition" (PIMSMA) performed randomly in the emergency department with survivors of suicide bombing attacks, on their medium-term mental health outcome. Follow up and assessment 3-9 months postinjury, and 24 months thereafter. A tertiary referral general hospital in Tel Aviv, Israel. Injured survivors of 9 suicide bombing and suicide shooting, men and women aged 16-72 at the time of the incident. Diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was made using the Hebrew validated version of the DSM-IV SCID-PTSD rating scale. Other psychiatric symptoms were assessed using the following rating scales: impact of event scale (IES), Hamilton rating scale for depression (HAM-D) and for anxiety (HAM-A), and the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI). Effects of PIMSMA and PTSD level of psychological distress were analyzed using ANOVA and for change over time for continuous variables repeated measured multivariate analyses was performed, and for categorical variables nonparametric-related sample McNemar. Logistic regression for variable associated with PTSD was performed. Out of 213 eligible injured survivors evacuated to our ER, 129 were retrieved 3-9 months after the incident, and 53 were available for assessment 2 years later. Multivariate analyses for being PTSD vs non-PTSD at the first evaluation, being hospitalized OR = 5.6 (95 percent CI 1.1-27.6) and treated OR = 24.5 (95 percent CI 2.8-200) were the only predictors, with no effect (p = 0.9) for PIMSMA vs other supportive intervention. Predictor for PTSD at the second evaluation were IES severity score at first evaluation OR = 1.1 (95 percent CI 1.04-1.2). The PIMSMA approach is as good as the nonspecific supportive treatment performed routinely in the ED with all survivors of traumatic events of any origin. Further studies are needed to establish valid, evidence-based treatment approaches for the

  16. Impact of Nagasaki atomic bomb exposure on myelodysplastic syndrome patients who are treated with azacitidine.

    PubMed

    Jo, Tatsuro; Horio, Kensuke; Shigematsu, Kazuto

    2015-05-01

    High-dose radiation exposure greatly increases the risk of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), however the clinical characteristics of MDS among atomic bomb survivors have not been thoroughly investigated to date. We designed this study to identify these characteristics. We retrospectively evaluated data from 13 atomic bomb survivors with MDS and 15 elderly patients with de novo MDS who were diagnosed between April 2011 and April 2013 at the Nagasaki Genbaku Hospital. All patients were treated with azacitidine (AZA; a hypomethylating agent) and overall survival rates were estimated. No clear difference was observed in the clinical response to AZA between the two groups. However, atomic bomb survivors had a survival disadvantage, independent of their karyotype. Minute genetic alterations caused by exposure to atomic radiation can adversely affect the response to AZA, even 66 years after the exposure. Further studies are required to clarify the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. Copyright© 2015 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.

  17. A two-phase Poisson process model and its application to analysis of cancer mortality among A-bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Ohtaki, Megu; Tonda, Tetsuji; Aihara, Kazuyuki

    2015-10-01

    We consider a two-phase Poisson process model where only early successive transitions are assumed to be sensitive to exposure. In the case where intensity transitions are low, we derive analytically an approximate formula for the distribution of time to event for the excess hazard ratio (EHR) due to a single point exposure. The formula for EHR is a polynomial in exposure dose. Since the formula for EHR contains no unknown parameters except for the number of total stages, number of exposure-sensitive stages, and a coefficient of exposure effect, it is applicable easily under a variety of situations where there exists a possible latency time from a single point exposure to occurrence of event. Based on the multistage hypothesis of cancer, we formulate a radiation carcinogenesis model in which only some early consecutive stages of the process are sensitive to exposure, whereas later stages are not affected. An illustrative analysis using the proposed model is given for cancer mortality among A-bomb survivors. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Art Therapy with a Community of Survivors.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jones, John Goff

    1997-01-01

    Describes the experiences in providing clinical services to more than 120 victims and their families following the Oklahoma City bombing. Discusses the organization and employment of treatment/intervention teams, unique dimensions of this traumatic event, techniques of art therapy utilized in the stabilization and treatment of survivors, and other…

  19. Simulation-extrapolation method to address errors in atomic bomb survivor dosimetry on solid cancer and leukaemia mortality risk estimates, 1950-2003.

    PubMed

    Allodji, Rodrigue S; Schwartz, Boris; Diallo, Ibrahima; Agbovon, Césaire; Laurier, Dominique; de Vathaire, Florent

    2015-08-01

    Analyses of the Life Span Study (LSS) of Japanese atomic bombing survivors have routinely incorporated corrections for additive classical measurement errors using regression calibration. Recently, several studies reported that the efficiency of the simulation-extrapolation method (SIMEX) is slightly more accurate than the simple regression calibration method (RCAL). In the present paper, the SIMEX and RCAL methods have been used to address errors in atomic bomb survivor dosimetry on solid cancer and leukaemia mortality risk estimates. For instance, it is shown that using the SIMEX method, the ERR/Gy is increased by an amount of about 29 % for all solid cancer deaths using a linear model compared to the RCAL method, and the corrected EAR 10(-4) person-years at 1 Gy (the linear terms) is decreased by about 8 %, while the corrected quadratic term (EAR 10(-4) person-years/Gy(2)) is increased by about 65 % for leukaemia deaths based on a linear-quadratic model. The results with SIMEX method are slightly higher than published values. The observed differences were probably due to the fact that with the RCAL method the dosimetric data were partially corrected, while all doses were considered with the SIMEX method. Therefore, one should be careful when comparing the estimated risks and it may be useful to use several correction techniques in order to obtain a range of corrected estimates, rather than to rely on a single technique. This work will enable to improve the risk estimates derived from LSS data, and help to make more reliable the development of radiation protection standards.

  20. The Oklahoma City bombing study and methodological issues in longitudinal disaster mental health research.

    PubMed

    North, Carol S

    2005-01-01

    Several methodological issues may affect the findings of studies of the mental health effects of disasters over time. These issues include analysis of the course of individual disorders over time that may be lost when they are presented embedded in general summary statistics, consideration of assessment of psychiatric disorders versus symptoms, adherence to established criteria in assigning psychiatric diagnoses, and orientation of mental health issues to the type of disaster exposure of the sample. This report will explore these methodological issues in a review of disaster literature and in data obtained from study of survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing. Clinical implications of the data obtained from the Oklahoma City bombing study of survivors of the direct bomb blast are presented in the context of these methodological concerns.

  1. Terrorist bombings. Lessons learned from Belfast to Beirut.

    PubMed Central

    Frykberg, E R; Tepas, J J

    1988-01-01

    Experience in the management of mass casualties following a disaster is relatively sparse. The terrorist bombing serves as a timely and effective model for the analysis of patterns of injury and mortality and the determination of the factors influencing casualty survival in the wake of certain forms of disaster. For this purpose, a review of the published experience with terrorist bombings was carried out, providing a study population of 3357 casualties from 220 incidents worldwide. There were 2934 immediate survivors of these incidents (87%), of whom 881 (30%) were hospitalized. Forty deaths ultimately occurred among these survivors (1.4%), 39 of whom were among those hospitalized (4.4%). Injury severity was determined from available data for 1339 surviving casualties, 251 of whom were critically injured (18.7%). Of this population evaluable for injury severity, there were 31 late deaths, all of which occurred among those critically injured, accounting for an overall "critical mortality" rate of 12.4%. Overall triage efficiency was characterized by a mean overtriage rate (noncritically injured among those hospitalized or evacuated) of 59%, and a mean undertriage rate (critically injured among those not hospitalized or evacuated) of .05%. Multiple linear regression analysis of all major bombing incidents demonstrated a direct linear relationship between overtriage and critical mortality (r2 = .845), and an inversely proportional relationship between triage discrimination and critical mortality (r2 = 0.855). Although head injuries predominated in both immediate (71%) and late (52%) fatalities, injury to the abdomen carried the highest specific mortality rate (19%) of any single body system injury among immediate survivors. These data clearly document the importance of accurate triage as a survival determinant for critically injured casualties of these disasters. Furthermore, the data suggest that explosive force, time interval from injury to treatment, and anatomic

  2. Evaluation of adverse events in atomic bomb survivors receiving curative-intent radiation therapy from 2005 to 2010.

    PubMed

    Doi, Yoshiko; Murakami, Yuji; Kenjo, Masahiro; Imano, Nobuki; Kimura, Tomoki; Nagata, Yasushi

    2016-01-01

    To evaluate the safety of radiation therapy (RT) in atomic bomb (A-bomb) survivors (ABS), we evaluated the frequency of RT-associated adverse events (AEs) in ABS. We selected patients who underwent curative external-beam RT (EBRT) at Hiroshima University Hospital between January 2005 and December 2010 and were born before August 1946; the patients were divided into ABS and non-ABS groups, which groups received identical treatments without stratification. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 220 ABS and 753 non-ABS patients. The median age was 72 years. The median observation durations were 41 and 37 months for the ABS and non-ABS groups, respectively. The ABS group had higher frequencies of women, breast cancer patients, and concurrent chemotherapy and had a lower incidence of only acute hematological AEs. However this tendency disappeared when breast cancer patients were excluded, and no significant differences were observed between the ABS and non-ABS groups regarding Grade ⩾ 3 other acute and late AEs. The overall cumulative incidence of Grade ⩾ 3 late AEs did not significantly differ between the ABS and non-ABS groups. Notable increases in AEs were not observed during or after RT among ABS. This study clarified that stratification is not required when treating ABS with RT. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Radioactivity in atomic-bomb samples from exposure to environmental neutrons.

    PubMed

    Endo, S; Shizuma, K; Tanaka, K; Ishikawa, M; Rühm, W; Egbert, S D; Hoshi, M

    2007-12-01

    For about one decade, activation measurements performed on environmental samples from a distance larger than 1 km from the hypocenter of the atomic-bomb explosion over Hiroshima suggested much higher thermal neutron fluences to the survivors than predicted. This caused concern among the radiation protection community and prompted a complete re-evaluation of all aspects of survivor dosimetry. While it was shown recently that secondary neutrons from cosmic radiation and other sources have probably been the reason for the high measured concentrations of the long-lived radioisotope 36Cl in these samples, the source for high measured concentrations of the short-lived radionuclides 152Eu and 60Co has not yet been investigated in detail. In order to quantify the production of 152Eu and 60Co in environmental samples by secondary neutrons from cosmic radiation, thermal neutron fluxes were measured by means of a He gas proportional counter in various buildings where these samples had been and still are being stored. Because a 252Cf neutron source has been operated occasionally close to one of the sample storage rooms, additional neutron flux measurements were carried out when the neutron source was in operation. The thermal neutron fluxes measured ranged from 0.00017 to 0.00093 n cm(-2) s(-1) and depended on the floor number of the investigated building. Based on the measured neutron fluxes, the specific activities from the reactions 151Eu(n,gamma)152Eu and 59Co(n,gamma)60Co in the atomic-bomb samples were estimated to be 7.9 mBq g(-1) Eu and 0.27 mBq g(-1) Co, respectively, in saturation. These activities are much lower than those recently measured in samples that had been exposed to atomic-bomb neutrons. It is therefore concluded that environmental and moderated 252Cf neutrons are not the source for the high activities that had been measured in these samples.

  4. Long-term effects of the rain exposure shortly after the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

    PubMed

    Sakata, Ritsu; Grant, Eric J; Furukawa, Kyoji; Misumi, Munechika; Cullings, Harry; Ozasa, Kotaro; Shore, Roy E

    2014-12-01

    The "black rain" that fell after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki has been generally believed to contain radioactive materials. During 1949-1961 the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission conducted surveys that included a query about exposure to the rain that fell a short time after the bombings. This article presents the first report of those data in relation to possible adverse health outcomes. This study looked at Life Span Study subjects who were in either city at the time of bombing and had an estimated direct radiation dose from the bombs (n = 86,609). The mortality data from 1950-2005 and cancer incidence data from 1958-2005 were used. Excess relative risks (ERRs) of subjects who were exposed to rain compared to those who reported no rain exposure were calculated using a Poisson regression model. In Hiroshima 11,661 subjects (20%) reported that they were exposed to rain, while in Nagasaki only 733 subjects (2.6%) reported rain exposure. To avoid outcome dependent biases (i.e., recall of exposure after a health outcome has already occurred), the primary analyses were based on events that occurred during 1962-2005. No significant risks due to rain exposure were observed for death due to all causes, all solid cancer or leukemia in Hiroshima. In Nagasaki there was no significantly elevated rain exposure-associated risks for 1962-2005, however, for 1950-2005 there was a weak association for all-cause mortality (ERR = 0.08; 95% confidence interval 0.00006, 0.17; P = 0.05). For incidence of solid cancer and leukemia, no significantly elevated rain exposure risks were observed in either city. These results failed to show deleterious health effects from rain exposure. While these data represent the most extensive set of systematically collected data on rain exposure of the atomic bomb survivors, they are limited by substantial uncertainties regarding exposures and missing individual data, so cautious interpretation is advised.

  5. A lifelong journey of moving beyond wartime trauma for survivors from Hiroshima and Pearl Harbor.

    PubMed

    Liehr, Patricia; Nishimura, Chie; Ito, Mio; Wands, Lisa Marie; Takahashi, Ryutaro

    2011-01-01

    This study examines 51 stories of health, shared by people who survived the wartime trauma of Hiroshima and Pearl Harbor, seeking to identify turning points that moved participants along over their lifetime. The central turning point for Hiroshima survivors was "becoming Hibabusha (A-bomb survivor)" and for Pearl Harbor survivors was "honoring the memory and setting it aside." Wartime trauma was permanently integrated into survivors' histories, surfacing steadily over decades for Hiroshima survivors and intermittently over decades for Pearl Harbor survivors. Regardless of experience or nationality, participants moved through wartime trauma by connecting with others, pursuing personal and global peace.

  6. Lessons from the atomic bomb about secondary MDS.

    PubMed

    Hata, Tomoko; Imanishi, Daisuke; Miyazaki, Yasushi

    2014-12-01

    Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) is a hematological neoplasm defined by ineffective hematopoiesis, dysplasia of hematopoietic cells, and risk of progression to acute leukemia. MDS occurs as de novo or secondary, and chemoradiotherapy for cancers is thought to increase the risk of MDS among patients. Recently, an epidemiological study for MDS among A-bomb survivors was performed, and it clearly demonstrated that the exposure to external radiation significantly increased the risk of MDS. Precise epidemiological data among survivors have revealed important clinical factors related to the risk of leukemias. In this review, by comparing data for secondary MDS and leukemia/MDS among survivors, several factors which would affect the risk of MDS, especially secondary MDS, are discussed.

  7. Disaster nursing in the Oklahoma City bombing.

    PubMed

    Atkinson, R; Keylon, K; Odor, P S; Walker, G; Hunt, L

    1995-10-01

    The Oklahoma City Federal Building disaster quickly changed a routine day of eye surgical procedures into a chaotic trauma center for the victims with not only eye injuries, but multiple deep lacerations and other injuries. The devastating and disruptive effect of the bombing was stressful for the nursing staff who became disaster survivors of the emotional trauma involved.

  8. Greetings: 50 years of Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission–Radiation Effects Research Foundation studies

    PubMed Central

    Shigematsu, Itsuzo

    1998-01-01

    The Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission was established in Hiroshima in 1947 and in Nagasaki in 1948 under the auspices of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences to initiate a long-term and comprehensive epidemiological and genetic study of the atomic bomb survivors. It was replaced in 1975 by the Radiation Effects Research Foundation which is a nonprofit Japanese foundation binationally managed and supported with equal funding by the governments of Japan and the United States. Thanks to the cooperation of the survivors and the contributions of a multitude of scientists, these studies flourish to this day in what must be the most successful long-term research collaboration between the two countries. Although these studies are necessarily limited to the effects of acute, whole-body, mixed gamma-neutron radiation from the atom bombs, their comprehensiveness and duration make them the most definitive descriptions of the late effects of radiation in humans. For this reason, the entire world relies heavily on these data to set radiation standards. As vital as the study results are, they still represent primarily the effects of radiation on older survivors. Another decade or two should correct this deficiency and allow us to measure definitively the human risk of heritable mutation from radiation. We look to the worldwide radiation and risk community as well as to the survivors who have contributed so much to what has been done already to accomplish this goal. PMID:9576897

  9. Intensely Exposed Oklahoma City Terrorism Survivors: Long-term Mental Health and Health Needs and Posttraumatic Growth.

    PubMed

    Tucker, Phebe; Pfefferbaum, Betty; Nitiéma, Pascal; Wendling, Tracy L; Brown, Sheryll

    2016-03-01

    In this study, we explore directly exposed terrorism survivors' mental health and health status, healthcare utilization, alcohol and tobacco use, and posttraumatic growth 18½ years postdisaster. Telephone surveys compared terrorism survivors and nonexposed community control subjects, using Hopkins Symptom Checklist, Breslau's PTSD screen, Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, and Health Status Questionnaire 12. Statistical analyses included multivariable logistic regression and linear modeling. Survivors, more than 80% injured, reported more anxiety and depression symptoms than did control subjects, with survivors' anxiety and depression associated with heavy drinking (≥5 drinks) and worse mental health and social functioning. While survivors had continued posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms (32 [23.2%] met probable posttraumatic stress disorder threshold), they also reported posttraumatic growth. Survivors had more care from physical, speech, respiratory, and occupational therapists. In this unprecedented long-term assessment, survivors' psychiatric symptoms, alcohol use, and ancillary health service utilization suggest unmet mental health and health needs. Extended recovery efforts might benefit from maximizing positive growth and coping.

  10. Exercise recommendations for childhood cancer survivors exposed to cardiotoxic therapies: an institutional clinical practice initiative.

    PubMed

    Okada, Maki; Meeske, Kathleen A; Menteer, Jondavid; Freyer, David R

    2012-01-01

    Childhood cancer survivors who have received treatment with anthracyclines are at risk for developing cardiomyopathy in dose-dependent fashion. Historically, restrictions on certain types of physical activity that were intended to preserve cardiac function have been recommended, based on a mixture of evidence-based and consensus-based recommendations. In the LIFE Cancer Survivorship & Transition Program at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, the authors reevaluated their recommendations for exercise in survivors who were exposed to anthracyclines, with or without irradiation in proximity to the myocardium. The primary goal was to develop consistent, specific, practical, safe, and (where possible) evidence-based recommendations for at-risk survivors in the program. To accomplish this, the authors referred to current exercise guidelines for childhood cancer survivors, consulted recent literature for relevant populations, and obtained input from the program's pediatric cardiology consultant. The resulting risk-based exercise recommendations are designed to complement current published guidelines, maximize safe exercise, and help childhood cancer survivors return to a normal life that emphasizes overall wellness and physical activity. This article describes a single institution's experience in modifying exercise recommendations for at-risk childhood survivors and includes the methods, findings, and current institutional practice recommendations along with sample education materials.

  11. Clinically significant avoidance of public transport following the London bombings: Travel phobia or subthreshold posttraumatic stress disorder?

    PubMed Central

    Handley, Rachel V.; Salkovskis, Paul M.; Scragg, Peter; Ehlers, Anke

    2009-01-01

    Following the London bombings of 7 July 2005 a “screen and treat” program was set up with the aim of providing rapid treatment for psychological responses in individuals directly affected. The present study found that 45% of the 596 respondents to the screening program reported phobic fear of public transport in a screening questionnaire. The screening program identified 255 bombing survivors who needed treatment for a psychological disorder. Of these, 20 (8%) suffered from clinically significant travel phobia. However, many of these individuals also reported symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD]. Comparisons between the travel phobia group and a sex-matched group of bombing survivors with PTSD showed that the travel phobic group reported fewer re-experiencing and arousal symptoms on the Trauma Screening Questionnaire (Brewin et al., 2002). The only PTSD symptoms that differentiated the groups were anger problems and feeling upset by reminders of the bombings. There was no difference between the groups in the reported severity of trauma or in presence of daily transport difficulties. Implications of these results for future trauma response are discussed. PMID:19765946

  12. Rising threat of terrorist bomb blasts in Karachi--a 5-year study.

    PubMed

    Mirza, Farhat Hussain; Parhyar, Hamid Ali; Tirmizi, Syed Zubair Ahmed

    2013-08-01

    This study aims to determine the frequency of injuries and fatalities associated with terrorist bomb explosions in the city of Karachi from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2011. Moreover, this study is aimed to determine age and sex vulnerability among the victims of blast explosion. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. The study was carried out at mortuaries and medicolegal sections at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Civil Hospital and Abbasi-Shaheed Hospital Karachi, the three main hospitals, which cater to all these cases of Karachi. The study included all bomb blast victims examined and autopsied from January 2007 to December 2011 at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Civil Hospital and Abbassi Shaheed Hospital Karachi. Details of 1142 cases were collected for those medicolegal deaths and injured persons, identified to be the victims of bomb blasts from January 2007 to December 2011. Data were collected on a preformed proforma from the mortuaries and medicolegal sections of these three public sector hospitals. The variables investigated include age, gender, year-wise distribution of the injured and the dead along with the cause of death and body parts injured in survivors. Out of the total 11,109 autopsies during the study period, 249 (2.24%) were carried out on deaths due to bomb blasts. Similarly, 135,065 injury cases were reported during the study period out of which 893 (0.66%) cases were due to bomb blasts. An initial peak in the year 2007, followed by a decline in 2008 and since then a steady rise of bomb blast incidences with casualties and fatalities, has been observed. The highest numbers of injured victims were reported in the year 2010 and fatalities in 2007. Among 1142 cases, 95.18% were male and 4.82% female with a male to female ratio of 19.76:1. Persons of ages between 15 and 45 years were chiefly involved. Shock due to multiple injuries was the leading cause of death, followed by head injury with or without haemorrhage. The

  13. Preventing fatalities in building bombings: what can we learn from the Oklahoma City bombing?

    PubMed

    Glenshaw, Mary T; Vernick, Jon S; Li, Guohua; Sorock, Gary S; Brown, Sheryll; Mallonee, Sue

    2007-07-01

    Bombings are an increasing threat to the public's health. Descriptive studies of blast injuries have been published, but these injuries have not been studied using analytical epidemiological methods. This study assesses factors associated with fatality risk among individuals exposed to the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. Retrospective case-control analysis using multivariable logistic regression. Odds ratios (OR) of fatality are calculated among occupants of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995. Of the 348 occupants exposed, 163 (46.8%) were fatally injured. Fatality risk was greatest in the collapsed region of the building (adjusted OR 176.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] 65.9-474.2). Age > or =40 was also associated with a significantly increased risk of fatality (OR 3.7, 95% CI 1.4-9.8). Among people found in the noncollapsed region of the building, employees' status compared to a visitor's or child's status was protective (OR 0.13, 95% CI 0.01-1.3). Structural collapse is the most important risk factor for fatality in a building bombing. Progressive collapse may be prevented through more supportive building design. Protection of vulnerable building occupants can be improved by placement of relevant facilities in more structurally reinforced areas. Regular evacuation training of personnel and clear egress routes may also reduce fatality in a building bombing.

  14. Skin cancer incidence among atomic bomb survivors from 1958 to 1996.

    PubMed

    Sugiyama, Hiromi; Misumi, Munechika; Kishikawa, Masao; Iseki, Masachika; Yonehara, Shuji; Hayashi, Tomayoshi; Soda, Midori; Tokuoka, Shoji; Shimizu, Yukiko; Sakata, Ritsu; Grant, Eric J; Kasagi, Fumiyoshi; Mabuchi, Kiyohiko; Suyama, Akihiko; Ozasa, Kotaro

    2014-05-01

    The radiation risk of skin cancer by histological types has been evaluated in the atomic bomb survivors. We examined 80,158 of the 120,321 cohort members who had their radiation dose estimated by the latest dosimetry system (DS02). Potential skin tumors diagnosed from 1958 to 1996 were reviewed by a panel of pathologists, and radiation risk of the first primary skin cancer was analyzed by histological types using a Poisson regression model. A significant excess relative risk (ERR) of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) (n = 123) was estimated at 1 Gy (0.74, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.26, 1.6) for those age 30 at exposure and age 70 at observation based on a linear-threshold model with a threshold dose of 0.63 Gy (95% CI: 0.32, 0.89) and a slope of 2.0 (95% CI: 0.69, 4.3). The estimated risks were 15, 5.7, 1.3 and 0.9 for age at exposure of 0-9, 10-19, 20-39, over 40 years, respectively, and the risk increased 11% with each one-year decrease in age at exposure. The ERR for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in situ (n = 64) using a linear model was estimated as 0.71 (95% CI: 0.063, 1.9). However, there were no significant dose responses for malignant melanoma (n = 10), SCC (n = 114), Paget disease (n = 10) or other skin cancers (n = 15). The significant linear radiation risk for BCC with a threshold at 0.63 Gy suggested that the basal cells of the epidermis had a threshold sensitivity to ionizing radiation, especially for young persons at the time of exposure.

  15. The Hiroshima/Nagasaki Survivor Studies: Discrepancies Between Results and General Perception

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    The explosion of atom bombs over the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 resulted in very high casualties, both immediate and delayed but also left a large number of survivors who had been exposed to radiation, at levels that could be fairly precisely ascertained. Extensive follow-up of a large cohort of survivors (120,000) and of their offspring (77,000) was initiated in 1947 and continues to this day. In essence, survivors having received 1 Gy irradiation (∼1000 mSV) have a significantly elevated rate of cancer (42% increase) but a limited decrease of longevity (∼1 year), while their offspring show no increased frequency of abnormalities and, so far, no detectable elevation of the mutation rate. Current acceptable exposure levels for the general population and for workers in the nuclear industry have largely been derived from these studies, which have been reported in more than 100 publications. Yet the general public, and indeed most scientists, are unaware of these data: it is widely believed that irradiated survivors suffered a very high cancer burden and dramatically shortened life span, and that their progeny were affected by elevated mutation rates and frequent abnormalities. In this article, I summarize the results and discuss possible reasons for this very striking discrepancy between the facts and general beliefs about this situation. PMID:27516613

  16. Radiation exposure and disease questionnaires of early entrants after the Hiroshima bombing.

    PubMed

    Imanaka, Tetsuji; Endo, Satoru; Kawano, Noriyuki; Tanaka, Kenichi

    2012-03-01

    It is popularly known that people who entered into the ground-zero area shortly after the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki suffered from various syndromes similar to acute radiation effects. External exposures from neutron-induced radionuclides in soil have recently been reassessed based on DS02 calculations as functions of both distance from the hypocentres and elapsed time after the explosions. Significant exposure due to induced radiation can be determined for those who entered the area within 1000 m from the hypocentres shortly after the bombing. Although it was impossible to track the action of each of the survivors over the days or weeks following the bombings in order to make reliable dose estimates for their exposures to soil activation or fallout, four individuals among those early entrants were investigated here to describe useful information of what happened shortly after the bombing.

  17. Solid Cancer Incidence among the Life Span Study of Atomic Bomb Survivors: 1958-2009.

    PubMed

    Grant, Eric J; Brenner, Alina; Sugiyama, Hiromi; Sakata, Ritsu; Sadakane, Atsuko; Utada, Mai; Cahoon, Elizabeth K; Milder, Caitlin M; Soda, Midori; Cullings, Harry M; Preston, Dale L; Mabuchi, Kiyohiko; Ozasa, Kotaro

    2017-05-01

    This is the third analysis of solid cancer incidence among the Life Span Study (LSS) cohort of atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, adding eleven years of follow-up data since the previously reported analysis. For this analysis, several changes and improvements were implemented, including updated dose estimates (DS02R1) and adjustment for smoking. Here, we focus on all solid cancers in aggregate. The eligible cohort included 105,444 subjects who were alive and had no known history of cancer at the start of follow-up. A total of 80,205 subjects had individual dose estimates and 25,239 were not in either city at the time of the bombings. The follow-up period was 1958-2009, providing 3,079,484 person-years of follow-up. Cases were identified by linkage with population-based Hiroshima and Nagasaki Cancer Registries. Poisson regression methods were used to elucidate the nature of the radiation-associated risks per Gy of weighted absorbed colon dose using both excess relative risk (ERR) and excess absolute risk (EAR) models adjusted for smoking. Risk estimates were reported for a person exposed at age 30 years with attained age of 70 years. In this study, 22,538 incident first primary solid cancer cases were identified, of which 992 were associated with radiation exposure. There were 5,918 cases (26%) that occurred in the 11 years (1999-2009) since the previously reported study. For females, the dose response was consistent with linearity with an estimated ERR of 0.64 per Gy (95% CI: 0.52 to 0.77). For males, significant upward curvature over the full dose range as well as restricted dose ranges was observed and therefore, a linear-quadratic model was used, which resulted in an ERR of 0.20 (95% CI: 0.12 to 0.28) at 1 Gy and an ERR of 0.010 (95% CI: -0.0003 to 0.021) at 0.1 Gy. The shape of the ERR dose response was significantly different among males and females (P = 0.02). While there was a significant decrease in the ERR with increasing attained age, this

  18. Low dose radiation risks for women surviving the a-bombs in Japan: generalized additive model.

    PubMed

    Dropkin, Greg

    2016-11-24

    Analyses of cancer mortality and incidence in Japanese A-bomb survivors have been used to estimate radiation risks, which are generally higher for women. Relative Risk (RR) is usually modelled as a linear function of dose. Extrapolation from data including high doses predicts small risks at low doses. Generalized Additive Models (GAMs) are flexible methods for modelling non-linear behaviour. GAMs are applied to cancer incidence in female low dose subcohorts, using anonymous public data for the 1958 - 1998 Life Span Study, to test for linearity, explore interactions, adjust for the skewed dose distribution, examine significance below 100 mGy, and estimate risks at 10 mGy. For all solid cancer incidence, RR estimated from 0 - 100 mGy and 0 - 20 mGy subcohorts is significantly raised. The response tapers above 150 mGy. At low doses, RR increases with age-at-exposure and decreases with time-since-exposure, the preferred covariate. Using the empirical cumulative distribution of dose improves model fit, and capacity to detect non-linear responses. RR is elevated over wide ranges of covariate values. Results are stable under simulation, or when removing exceptional data cells, or adjusting neutron RBE. Estimates of Excess RR at 10 mGy using the cumulative dose distribution are 10 - 45 times higher than extrapolations from a linear model fitted to the full cohort. Below 100 mGy, quasipoisson models find significant effects for all solid, squamous, uterus, corpus, and thyroid cancers, and for respiratory cancers when age-at-exposure > 35 yrs. Results for the thyroid are compatible with studies of children treated for tinea capitis, and Chernobyl survivors. Results for the uterus are compatible with studies of UK nuclear workers and the Techa River cohort. Non-linear models find large, significant cancer risks for Japanese women exposed to low dose radiation from the atomic bombings. The risks should be reflected in protection standards.

  19. Do Direct Survivors of Terrorism Remaining in the Disaster Community Show Better Long-Term Outcome than Survivors Who Relocate?

    PubMed

    Tucker, Phebe; Pfefferbaum, Betty; Nitiéma, Pascal; Wendling, Tracy L; Brown, Sheryll

    2018-05-01

    Little is known about whether, compared to terrorism survivors who relocated to another area, better long-term outcome occurs in terrorism survivors who remain in the community, which may offer social support and formal services as well as ongoing trauma reminders and adversities. A cross-sectional telephone survey of OKC bombing survivors 19 years later assessed current symptoms of PTSD, anxiety and depression; posttraumatic growth; life satisfaction; medical conditions; alcohol use and smoking. We interviewed 138 survivors-114 (82.6%) remaining in OKC area and 24 (17.4%) relocated. Remaining survivors had higher PTS, anxiety and depression and lower posttraumatic growth scores than relocated survivors, and more remaining survivors disagreed with being satisfied with life, with differences not statistically significant. Groups did not differ in major medical problems except heart disease, not significantly different after adjusting for gender. Groups did not differ significantly in smoking or alcohol use. Contrary to expectations, remaining within the community after terrorism was not associated with better long-term psychological or medical outcome. Possible factors relevant to the literature are discussed.

  20. Prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder in children: the case of the Mbagala bomb blasts in Tanzania.

    PubMed

    Messo, Innocent Nasson

    2013-05-01

    In April 2009, military bombs stockpiled in Mbagala, Dar es Salaam, exploded uncontrollably, landing in the neighbourhood killing 26 people, injuring about 600 and destroying 9049 homes. This must have been a terrible experience, with psychological consequences. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among the children involved in the bomb blasts. It was hypothesized that children would not exhibit PTSD symptoms, as well as not showing sex differences in exhibiting PTSD symptoms. The study findings show 93% of children bomb survivors had PTSD symptoms, with no sex differences in the PTSD reported.

  1. Suicide bombing attacks: update and modifications to the protocol.

    PubMed

    Almogy, Gidon; Belzberg, Howard; Mintz, Yoaz; Pikarsky, Alon K; Zamir, Gideon; Rivkind, Avraham I

    2004-03-01

    To review the experience of a large-volume trauma center in managing and treating casualties of suicide bombing attacks. The threat of suicide bombing attacks has escalated worldwide. The ability of the suicide bomber to deliver a relatively large explosive load accompanied by heavy shrapnel to the proximity of his or her victims has caused devastating effects. The authors reviewed and analyzed the experience obtained in treating victims of suicide bombings at the level I trauma center of the Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem, Israel from 2000 to 2003. Evacuation is usually rapid due to the urban setting of these attacks. Numerous casualties are brought into the emergency department over a short period. The setting in which the device is detonated has implications on the type of injuries sustained by survivors. The injuries sustained by victims of suicide bombing attacks in semi-confined spaces are characterized by the degree and extent of widespread tissue damage and include multiple penetrating wounds of varying severity and location, blast injury, and burns. The approach to victims of suicide bombings is based on the guidelines for trauma management. Attention is given to the moderately injured, as these patients may harbor immediate life-threatening injuries. The concept of damage control can be modified to include rapid packing of multiple soft-tissue entry sites. Optimal utilization of manpower and resources is achieved by recruiting all available personnel, adopting a predetermined plan, and a centrally coordinated approach. Suicide bombing attacks seriously challenge the most experienced medical facilities.

  2. The children of parents exposed to atomic bombs: estimates of the genetic doubling dose of radiation for humans.

    PubMed Central

    Neel, J V; Schull, W J; Awa, A A; Satoh, C; Kato, H; Otake, M; Yoshimoto, Y

    1990-01-01

    The data collected in Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the past 40 years on the children of survivors of the atomic bombings and on the children of a suitable control population are analyzed on the basis of the newly revised estimates of radiation doses. No statistically significant effects emerge with respect to eight different indicators. Since, however, it may confidently be assumed some mutations were induced, we have taken the data at face value and calculated the minimal gametic doubling doses of acute radiation for the individual indicators at various probability levels. An effort has also been made to calculate the most probable doubling dose for the indicators combined. The latter value is between 1.7 and 2.2 Sv. It is suggested the appropriate figure for chronic radiation would be between 3.4 and 4.5 Sv. These estimates suggest humans are less sensitive to the genetic effects of radiation than has been assumed on the basis of past extrapolations from experiments with mice. PMID:2339701

  3. Effect of follow-up period on minimal-significant dose in the atomic-bomb survivor studies.

    PubMed

    Cologne, John; Preston, Dale L; Grant, Eric J; Cullings, Harry M; Ozasa, Kotaro

    2018-03-01

    It was recently suggested that earlier reports on solid-cancer mortality and incidence in the Life Span Study of atomic-bomb survivors contain still-useful information about low-dose risk that should not be ignored, because longer follow-up may lead to attenuated estimates of low-dose risk due to longer time since exposure. Here it is demonstrated, through the use of all follow-up data and risk models stratified on period of follow-up (as opposed to sub-setting the data by follow-up period), that the appearance of risk attenuation over time may be the result of less-precise risk estimation-in particular, imprecise estimation of effect-modification parameters-in the earlier periods. Longer follow-up, in addition to allowing more-precise estimation of risk due to larger numbers of radiation-related cases, provides more-precise adjustment for background mortality or incidence and more-accurate assessment of risk modification by age at exposure and attained age. It is concluded that the latest follow-up data are most appropriate for inferring low-dose risk. Furthermore, if researchers are interested in effects of time since exposure, the most-recent follow-up data should be considered rather than the results of earlier reports.

  4. Immune responses to epstein-barr virus in atomic bomb survivors: Study of precursor frequency of cytotoxic lymphocytes and titer levels of anti-Epstein-Barr virus-related antibodies

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kusunoki, Yoichiro; Kyoizumi, Seishi; Saito, Mayumi

    Precursor frequencies of cytotoxic lymphocytes to autologous Epstein-Barr virus-transformed B cells and serum titers of anti-Epstein-Barr virus-related antibodies were measured in 68 atomic bomb survivors to clarify the immune mechanism controlling Epstein-Barr virus infection. The precursor frequency was negatively correlated with the titer of anti-early antigen lgG, which is probably produced at the stage of viral reactivation. A positive correlation between the precursor frequency and titer of anti-Epstein-Barr virus-associated nuclear antigen antibody was also observed, indicating that the precursor frequency reflects the degree of in vivo destruction by T cells of the virus-infected cells. These results suggest that T-cell memorymore » specific to Epstein-Barr virus keeps the virus under control and that the precursor frequency assay is useful for the evaluation of immune responses to Epstein-Barr virus. However, no significant effect of atomic bomb radiation on the precursor frequency was observed in the present study, probably due to the limited number of participants. 24 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs.« less

  5. Inverse associations between obesity indicators and thymic T-cell production levels in aging atomic-bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Yoshida, Kengo; Nakashima, Eiji; Kubo, Yoshiko; Yamaoka, Mika; Kajimura, Junko; Kyoizumi, Seishi; Hayashi, Tomonori; Ohishi, Waka; Kusunoki, Yoichiro

    2014-01-01

    Reduction of the naive T-cell population represents a deteriorating state in the immune system that occurs with advancing age. In animal model studies, obesity compromises the T-cell immune system as a result of enhanced adipogenesis in primary lymphoid organs and systemic inflammation. In this study, to test the hypothesis that obesity may contribute to the aging of human T-cell immunity, a thousand atomic-bomb survivors were examined for obesity status and ability to produce naive T cells, i.e., T-cell receptor excision circle (TREC) numbers in CD4 and CD8 T cells. The number of TRECs showed a strong positive correlation with naive T cell numbers, and lower TREC numbers were associated with higher age. We found that the TREC number was inversely associated with levels of obesity indicators (BMI, hemoglobin A1c) and serum CRP levels. Development of type-2 diabetes and fatty liver was also associated with lower TREC numbers. This population study suggests that obesity with enhanced inflammation is involved in aging of the human T-cell immune system. Given the fact that obesity increases the risk of numerous age-related diseases, attenuated immune competence is a possible mechanistic link between obesity and disease development among the elderly.

  6. Inverse Associations between Obesity Indicators and Thymic T-Cell Production Levels in Aging Atomic-Bomb Survivors

    PubMed Central

    Yoshida, Kengo; Nakashima, Eiji; Kubo, Yoshiko; Yamaoka, Mika; Kajimura, Junko; Kyoizumi, Seishi; Hayashi, Tomonori; Ohishi, Waka; Kusunoki, Yoichiro

    2014-01-01

    Reduction of the naive T-cell population represents a deteriorating state in the immune system that occurs with advancing age. In animal model studies, obesity compromises the T-cell immune system as a result of enhanced adipogenesis in primary lymphoid organs and systemic inflammation. In this study, to test the hypothesis that obesity may contribute to the aging of human T-cell immunity, a thousand atomic-bomb survivors were examined for obesity status and ability to produce naive T cells, i.e., T-cell receptor excision circle (TREC) numbers in CD4 and CD8 T cells. The number of TRECs showed a strong positive correlation with naive T cell numbers, and lower TREC numbers were associated with higher age. We found that the TREC number was inversely associated with levels of obesity indicators (BMI, hemoglobin A1c) and serum CRP levels. Development of type-2 diabetes and fatty liver was also associated with lower TREC numbers. This population study suggests that obesity with enhanced inflammation is involved in aging of the human T-cell immune system. Given the fact that obesity increases the risk of numerous age-related diseases, attenuated immune competence is a possible mechanistic link between obesity and disease development among the elderly. PMID:24651652

  7. Occurrence of Multiple Subsequent Neoplasms in Long-Term Survivors of Childhood Cancer: A Report From the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study

    PubMed Central

    Armstrong, Gregory T.; Liu, Wei; Leisenring, Wendy; Yasui, Yutaka; Hammond, Sue; Bhatia, Smita; Neglia, Joseph P.; Stovall, Marilyn; Srivastava, Deokumar; Robison, Leslie L.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose Childhood cancer survivors experience an increased incidence of subsequent neoplasms (SNs). Those surviving the first SN (SN1) remain at risk to develop multiple SNs. Because SNs are a common cause of late morbidity and mortality, characterization of rates of multiple SNs is needed. Patients and Methods In a total of 14,358 5-year survivors of childhood cancer diagnosed between 1970 and 1986, analyses were carried out among 1,382 survivors with an SN1. Cumulative incidence of second subsequent neoplasm (SN2), either malignant or benign, was calculated. Results A total of 1,382 survivors (9.6%) developed SN1, of whom 386 (27.9%) developed SN2. Of those with SN2, 153 (39.6%) developed more than two SNs. Cumulative incidence of SN2 was 46.9% (95% CI, 41.6% to 52.2%) at 20 years after SN1. The cumulative incidence of SN2 among radiation-exposed survivors was 41.3% (95% CI, 37.2% to 45.4%) at 15 years compared with 25.7% (95% CI, 16.5% to 34.9%) for those not treated with radiation. Radiation-exposed survivors who developed an SN1 of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) had a cumulative incidence of subsequent malignant neoplasm (SMN; ie, malignancies excluding NMSC) of 20.3% (95% CI, 13.0% to 27.6%) at 15 years compared with only 10.7% (95% CI, 7.2% to 14.2%) for those who were exposed to radiation and whose SN1 was an invasive SMN (excluding NMSC). Conclusion Multiple SNs are common among aging survivors of childhood cancer. SN1 of NMSC identifies a population at high risk for invasive SMN. Survivors not exposed to radiation who develop multiple SNs represent a population of interest for studying genetic susceptibility to neoplasia. PMID:21709189

  8. Papillary Microcarcinoma of the Thyroid among Atomic Bomb Survivors: Tumor Characteristics and Radiation Risk

    PubMed Central

    Hayashi, Yuzo; Lagarde, Frederic; Tsuda, Nobuo; Funamoto, Sachiyo; Preston, Dale L.; Koyama, Kojiro; Mabuchi, Kiyohiko; Ron, Elaine; Kodama, Kazunori; Tokuoka, Shoji

    2009-01-01

    Background Radiation exposure is an established cause of clinical thyroid cancer, but little is known about radiation effects on papillary microcarcinoma (PMC) of the thyroid, a relatively common subclinical thyroid malignancy. Because the incidence of these small thyroid cancers has been increasing, it is important to better understand them and their relationship to radiation. Methods PMCs were identified in a subset of 7659 members of the Life Span Study of atomic-bomb survivors who had archived autopsy or surgical materials. We conducted a pathology review of these specimens and evaluated the histological features of the tumors and the association between PMCs and thyroid radiation dose. Results From 1958 to1995, 458 PMCs were detected among 313 study subjects. The majority of cancers exhibited pathologic features of papillary thyroid cancers. Overall, 81% of the PMCs were of the sclerosing variant and 91% were nonencapsulated, psammoma bodies occurred in 13% and calcification was observed in 23%. Over 95% had papillary or papillary-follicular architecture and most displayed nuclear overlap, clear nuclei, and nuclear grooves. Several of these features increased with increasing tumor size, but no association was found with radiation dose. A significant radiation-dose response was found for the prevalence of PMCs (estimated excess odds ratio/Gy=0.57; 95% CI: 0.01-1.55), with the excess risk observed primarily among females. Conclusion Low-to-moderate doses of ionizing radiation appears to increase the risk of thyroid PMCs, even when exposure occurs during adulthood. PMID:20120034

  9. Cancer risk at low doses of ionizing radiation: artificial neural networks inference from atomic bomb survivors

    PubMed Central

    Sasaki, Masao S.; Tachibana, Akira; Takeda, Shunichi

    2014-01-01

    Cancer risk at low doses of ionizing radiation remains poorly defined because of ambiguity in the quantitative link to doses below 0.2 Sv in atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki arising from limitations in the statistical power and information available on overall radiation dose. To deal with these difficulties, a novel nonparametric statistics based on the ‘integrate-and-fire’ algorithm of artificial neural networks was developed and tested in cancer databases established by the Radiation Effects Research Foundation. The analysis revealed unique features at low doses that could not be accounted for by nominal exposure dose, including (i) the presence of a threshold that varied with organ, gender and age at exposure, and (ii) a small but significant bumping increase in cancer risk at low doses in Nagasaki that probably reflects internal exposure to 239Pu. The threshold was distinct from the canonical definition of zero effect in that it was manifested as negative excess relative risk, or suppression of background cancer rates. Such a unique tissue response at low doses of radiation exposure has been implicated in the context of the molecular basis of radiation–environment interplay in favor of recently emerging experimental evidence on DNA double-strand break repair pathway choice and its epigenetic memory by histone marking. PMID:24366315

  10. Cancer risk at low doses of ionizing radiation: artificial neural networks inference from atomic bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Sasaki, Masao S; Tachibana, Akira; Takeda, Shunichi

    2014-05-01

    Cancer risk at low doses of ionizing radiation remains poorly defined because of ambiguity in the quantitative link to doses below 0.2 Sv in atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki arising from limitations in the statistical power and information available on overall radiation dose. To deal with these difficulties, a novel nonparametric statistics based on the 'integrate-and-fire' algorithm of artificial neural networks was developed and tested in cancer databases established by the Radiation Effects Research Foundation. The analysis revealed unique features at low doses that could not be accounted for by nominal exposure dose, including (i) the presence of a threshold that varied with organ, gender and age at exposure, and (ii) a small but significant bumping increase in cancer risk at low doses in Nagasaki that probably reflects internal exposure to (239)Pu. The threshold was distinct from the canonical definition of zero effect in that it was manifested as negative excess relative risk, or suppression of background cancer rates. Such a unique tissue response at low doses of radiation exposure has been implicated in the context of the molecular basis of radiation-environment interplay in favor of recently emerging experimental evidence on DNA double-strand break repair pathway choice and its epigenetic memory by histone marking.

  11. Bombs and Bomb Threats in the School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Starkey, David J.; Starkey, John D.

    1977-01-01

    Bombs and the threat of bombing can leave school personnel faced by an explosive hazard without knowledge of what to do. Therefore, a preplanned response is necessary. Discusses four major stages of dealing with bombs and bomb threats. (Author/RK)

  12. Fast neutrons measured in copper from the Hiroshima atomic bomb dome.

    PubMed

    Marchetti, A A; McAninch, J E; Rugel, G; Rühm, W; Korschinek, G; Martinelli, R E; Faestermann, T; Knie, K; Egbert, S D; Wallner, A; Wallner, C; Tanaka, K; Endo, S; Hoshi, M; Shizuma, K; Fujita, S; Hasai, H; Imanaka, T; Straume, T

    2009-01-01

    The first measurements of (63)Ni produced by A-bomb fast neutrons (above approximately 1 MeV) in copper samples from Hiroshima encompassed distances from approximately 380 to 5062 m from the hypocenter (the point on the ground directly under the bomb). They included the region of interest to survivor studies (approximately 900 to 1500 m) and provided the first direct validation of fast neutrons in that range. However, a significant measurement gap remained between the hypocenter and 380 m. Measurements close to the hypocenter are important as a high-value anchor for the slope of the curve for neutron activation as a function of distance. Here we report measurements of (63)Ni in copper samples from the historic Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Dome, which is located approximately 150 m from the hypocenter. These measurements extend the range of our previously published data for (63)Ni providing a more comprehensive and consistent A-bomb activation curve. The results are also in good agreement with calculations based on the current dosimetry system (DS02) and give further experimental support to the accuracy of this system that forms the basis for radiation risk estimates worldwide.

  13. A Community Study of the Psychological Effects of the Omagh Car Bomb on Adults

    PubMed Central

    Duffy, Michael; Bolton, David; Gillespie, Kate; Ehlers, Anke; Clark, David M.

    2013-01-01

    Background The main aims of the study were to assess psychological morbidity among adults nine months after a car bomb explosion in the town of Omagh, Northern Ireland and to identify predictors of chronic posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Method A questionnaire was sent to all adults in households in The Omagh District Council area. The questionnaire comprised established predictors of PTSD (such as pre-trauma personal characteristics, type of exposure, initial emotional response and long-term adverse physical or financial problems), predictors derived from the Ehlers and Clark (2000) cognitive model, a measure of PTSD symptoms and the General Health Questionnaire. Results Among respondents (n = 3131) the highest rates of PTSD symptoms and probable casesness (58.5%) were observed among people who were present in the street when the bomb exploded but elevated rates were also observed in people who subsequently attended the scene (21.8% probable caseness) and among people for whom someone close died (11.9%). People with a near miss (left the scene before the explosion) did not show elevated rates. Exposure to the bombing increased PTSD symptoms to a greater extent than general psychiatric symptoms. Previously established predictors accounted for 42% of the variance in PTSD symptoms among people directly exposed to the bombing. Predictors derived from the cognitive model accounted for 63%. Conclusions High rates of chronic PTSD were observed in individuals exposed to the bombing. Psychological variables that are in principle amenable to treatment were the best predictors of PTSD symptoms. Teams planning treatment interventions for victims of future bombings and other traumas may wish to take these results into account. PMID:24098795

  14. A Study of Selected Ethnic Affiliations in the Development of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Other Psychopathology After a Terrorist Bombing in Nairobi, Kenya.

    PubMed

    North, Carol S; Dvorkina, Tatiana; Thielman, Samuel; Pfefferbaum, Betty; Narayanan, Pushpa; Pollio, David E

    2017-09-19

    Despite the frequency of disasters in Africa, almost nothing is known about ethnic affiliations in relation to psychopathology after such incidents. This study examined the mental health outcomes of members of 7 major ethnic groups exposed to the 1998 terrorist bombing of the US Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. Approximately 8 to 10 months after the disaster, 229 civilian employees, 99 locally engaged staff workers of the US State Department and the US Agency for International Development, and 64 workers of the Kenyan Red Cross Society (total N=392) were assessed with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition). Additional data were gathered on demographic characteristics, disaster exposures and injuries, and ethnic affiliations. Disaster-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was significantly less prevalent among members of the Kikuyu group (28%) and post-disaster major depression was significantly more prevalent among members of the Meru group (64%), compared with all others in the sample. Preexisting psychopathology and disaster injury were independently associated with bombing-related psychopathology. Further study of disaster-related psychopathology in relation to African ethnic affiliations is needed to better understand these associations and to assist in planning resources and interventions for African disaster survivors. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;page 1 of 6).

  15. Male Breast Cancer Incidence and Mortality Risk in the Japanese Atomic Bomb Survivors - Differences in Excess Relative and Absolute Risk from Female Breast Cancer.

    PubMed

    Little, Mark P; McElvenny, Damien M

    2017-02-01

    There are well-known associations of ionizing radiation with female breast cancer, and emerging evidence also for male breast cancer. In the United Kingdom, female breast cancer following occupational radiation exposure is among that set of cancers eligible for state compensation and consideration is currently being given to an extension to include male breast cancer. We compare radiation-associated excess relative and absolute risks of male and female breast cancers. Breast cancer incidence and mortality data in the Japanese atomic-bomb survivors were analyzed using relative and absolute risk models via Poisson regression. We observed significant (p ≤ 0.01) dose-related excess risk for male breast cancer incidence and mortality. For incidence and mortality data, there are elevations by factors of approximately 15 and 5, respectively, of relative risk for male compared with female breast cancer incidence, the former borderline significant (p = 0.050). In contrast, for incidence and mortality data, there are elevations by factors of approximately 20 and 10, respectively, of female absolute risk compared with male, both statistically significant (p < 0.001). There are no indications of differences between the sexes in age/time-since-exposure/age-at-exposure modifications to the relative or absolute excess risk. The probability of causation of male breast cancer following radiation exposure exceeds by at least a factor of 5 that of many other malignancies. There is evidence of much higher radiation-associated relative risk for male than for female breast cancer, although absolute excess risks for males are much less than for females. However, the small number of male cases and deaths suggests a degree of caution in interpretation of this finding. Citation: Little MP, McElvenny DM. 2017. Male breast cancer incidence and mortality risk in the Japanese atomic bomb survivors - differences in excess relative and absolute risk from female breast cancer. Environ Health

  16. Epidemiologic Study of One Million American Workers and Military Veterans Exposed to Ionizing Radiation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Boice, John D.

    2015-02-27

    A pilot study was completed demonstrating the feasibility of conducting an epidemiologic study assessing cancer and other disease mortality among nearly one million US veterans and workers exposed to ionizing radiation, a population 10 times larger than atomic bomb survivor study with high statistical power to evaluate low dose rate effects. Among the groups enumerated and/or studied were: (1) 194,000 Department of Energy Uranium Workers; (2) 6,700 Rocketdyne Radiation Workers; (3) 7,000 Mound Radiation Workers; (4) 156,000 DOE Plutonium Workers; (5) 212,000 Nuclear Power Plant Workers; (6) 130,000 Industrial Radiography Workers; (7) 1.7 million Medical Workers and (8) 135,000 Atomicmore » Veterans.« less

  17. Bomb Threats and Bomb Search Techniques.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC.

    This pamphlet explains how to be prepared and plan for bomb threats and describes procedures to follow once a call has been received. The content covers (1) preparation for bomb threats, (2) evacuation procedures, (3) room search methods, (4) procedures to follow once a bomb has been located, and (5) typical problems that search teams will…

  18. Rediscovery of an old article reporting that the area around the epicenter in Hiroshima was heavily contaminated with residual radiation, indicating that exposure doses of A-bomb survivors were largely underestimated

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT The A-bomb blast released a huge amount of energy: thermal radiation (35%), blast energy (50%), and nuclear radiation (15%). Of the 15%, 5% was initial radiation released within 30 s and 10% was residual radiation, the majority of which was fallout. Exposure doses of hibakusha (A-bomb survivors) were estimated solely on the basis of the initial radiation. The effects of the residual radiation on hibakusha have been considered controversial; some groups assert that the residual radiation was negligible, but others refute that assertion. I recently discovered a six-decade-old article written in Japanese by a medical doctor, Gensaku Obo, from Hiroshima City. This article clearly indicates that the area around the epicenter in Hiroshima was heavily contaminated with residual radiation. It reports that non-hibakusha who entered Hiroshima soon after the blast suffered from severe acute radiation sickness, including burns, external injuries, fever, diarrhea, skin bleeding, sore throat and loss of hair—as if they were real hibakusha. This means that (i) some of those who entered Hiroshima in the early days after the blast could be regarded as indirect hibakusha; (ii) ‘in-the-city-control’ people in the Life Span Study (LSS) must have been irradiated more or less from residual radiation and could not function properly as the negative control; (iii) exposure doses of hibakusha were largely underestimated; and (iv) cancer risk in the LSS was largely overestimated. Obo's article is very important to understand the health effects of A-bombs so that the essence of it is translated from Japanese to English with the permission of the publisher. PMID:29088449

  19. Male Breast Cancer Incidence and Mortality Risk in the Japanese Atomic Bomb Survivors – Differences in Excess Relative and Absolute Risk from Female Breast Cancer

    PubMed Central

    Little, Mark P.; McElvenny, Damien M.

    2016-01-01

    Background: There are well-known associations of ionizing radiation with female breast cancer, and emerging evidence also for male breast cancer. In the United Kingdom, female breast cancer following occupational radiation exposure is among that set of cancers eligible for state compensation and consideration is currently being given to an extension to include male breast cancer. Objectives: We compare radiation-associated excess relative and absolute risks of male and female breast cancers. Methods: Breast cancer incidence and mortality data in the Japanese atomic-bomb survivors were analyzed using relative and absolute risk models via Poisson regression. Results: We observed significant (p ≤ 0.01) dose-related excess risk for male breast cancer incidence and mortality. For incidence and mortality data, there are elevations by factors of approximately 15 and 5, respectively, of relative risk for male compared with female breast cancer incidence, the former borderline significant (p = 0.050). In contrast, for incidence and mortality data, there are elevations by factors of approximately 20 and 10, respectively, of female absolute risk compared with male, both statistically significant (p < 0.001). There are no indications of differences between the sexes in age/time-since-exposure/age-at-exposure modifications to the relative or absolute excess risk. The probability of causation of male breast cancer following radiation exposure exceeds by at least a factor of 5 that of many other malignancies. Conclusions: There is evidence of much higher radiation-associated relative risk for male than for female breast cancer, although absolute excess risks for males are much less than for females. However, the small number of male cases and deaths suggests a degree of caution in interpretation of this finding. Citation: Little MP, McElvenny DM. 2017. Male breast cancer incidence and mortality risk in the Japanese atomic bomb survivors – differences in excess relative and

  20. Search for mutations altering protein charge and/or function in children of atomic bomb survivors: final report.

    PubMed Central

    Neel, J V; Satoh, C; Goriki, K; Asakawa, J; Fujita, M; Takahashi, N; Kageoka, T; Hazama, R

    1988-01-01

    A sample of (1) children whose parents had been proximally exposed (i.e., less than 2,000 m from the hypocenter) at the time of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and (2) a suitable comparison group have been examined for the occurrence of mutations altering the electrophoretic mobility or activity of a series of 30 proteins. The examination of the equivalent of 667,404 locus products in the children of proximally exposed persons yielded three mutations altering electrophoretic mobility; the corresponding figure for the comparison group was three mutations in 466,881 tests. The examination of a subset of 60,529 locus products for loss of enzyme activity in the children of proximally exposed persons yielded one mutation; no mutations were encountered in 61,741 determinations on the children of the comparison group. When these two series are compared, the mutation rate observed in the children of proximally exposed persons is thus 0.60 x 10(-5)/locus/generation, with 95% confidence intervals between 0.2 and 1.5 x 10(-5), and that in the comparison children is 0.64 x 10(-5)/locus/generation, with 95% intervals between 0.1 and 1.9 x 10(-5). The average conjoint gonad doses for the proximally exposed parents are estimated to be 0.437 Gy of gamma radiation and 0.002 Gy of neutron radiation. If a relative biological effectiveness of 20 is assigned to the neutron radiation, the combined total gonad dose for the parents becomes 0.477 Sv. (Organ absorbed doses are expressed in gray [1 Gy = 100 rad]; where dose is a mixture of gamma and neutron radiation, it is necessary because of the differing relative biological effectiveness of gamma and neutron radiation to express the combined gamma-neutron gonad exposures in sieverts [1 Sv = 100 rem]). PMID:3358419

  1. Improving identification of traumatic brain injury after nonmilitary bomb blasts.

    PubMed

    Rutland-Brown, Wesley; Langlois, Jean A; Bazarian, Jeffrey J; Warden, Deborah

    2008-01-01

    To improve identification of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in survivors of nonmilitary bomb blasts during the acute care phase. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention convened a meeting of experts in TBI, emergency medicine, and disaster response to review the recent literature and make recommendations. Seven key recommendations were proposed: (1) increase TBI awareness among medical professionals; (2) encourage use of standard definitions and consistent terminology; (3) improve screening methods for TBI in the acute care setting; (4) clarify the distinction between TBI and acute stress disorder; (5) encourage routine screening of hospitalized trauma patients for TBI; (6) improve identification of nonhospitalized TBI patients; and (7) integrate the appropriate level of TBI identification into all-hazards mass casualty preparedness. By adopting these recommendations, the United States could be better prepared to identify and respond to TBI following future bombing events.

  2. Breast cancer risk from low-dose exposures to ionizing radiation: results of parallel analysis of three exposed populations of women

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Land, C.E.; Boice, J.D. Jr.; Shore, R.E.

    1980-08-01

    Breast cancer incidence data were analyzed from three populations of women exposed to ionizing radiation: survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs, patients in Massachusetts tuberculosis sanitoria who were exposed to multiple chest fluoroscopies, and patients treated by X-rays for acute postpartum mastitis in Rochester, New York. Parallel analyses by radiation dose, age at exposure, and time after exposure suggested that risk of radiation-induced cancer increased approximately linearly with increasing dose and was heavily dependent on age at exposure; however, the risk was otherwise remarkably similar among the three populations, at least for ages 10 to 40 years atmore » exposure, and followed the same temporal pattern of occurrence as did breast cancer incidence in nonexposed women of similar ages.« less

  3. Workshop report on atomic bomb dosimetry-residual radiation exposure: recent research and suggestions for future studies.

    PubMed

    Kerr, George D; Egbert, Stephen D; Al-Nabulsi, Isaf; Beck, Harold L; Cullings, Harry M; Endo, Satoru; Hoshi, Masaharu; Imanaka, Tetsuji; Kaul, Dean C; Maruyama, Satoshi; Reeves, Glen I; Ruehm, Werner; Sakaguchi, Aya; Simon, Steven L; Spriggs, Gregory D; Stram, Daniel O; Tonda, Tetsuji; Weiss, Joseph F; Weitz, Ronald L; Young, Robert W

    2013-08-01

    There is a need for accurate dosimetry for studies of health effects in the Japanese atomic bomb survivors because of the important role that these studies play in worldwide radiation protection standards. International experts have developed dosimetry systems, such as the Dosimetry System 2002 (DS02), which assess the initial radiation exposure to gamma rays and neutrons but only briefly consider the possibility of some minimal contribution to the total body dose by residual radiation exposure. In recognition of the need for an up-to-date review of the topic of residual radiation exposure in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, recently reported studies were reviewed at a technical session at the 57th Annual Meeting of the Health Physics Society in Sacramento, California, 22-26 July 2012. A one-day workshop was also held to provide time for detailed discussion of these newer studies and to evaluate their potential use in clarifying the residual radiation exposures to the atomic-bomb survivors at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Suggestions for possible future studies are also included in this workshop report.

  4. Workshop Report on Atomic Bomb Dosimetry--Residual Radiation Exposure: Recent Research and Suggestions for Future Studies

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    None

    2013-06-06

    There is a need for accurate dosimetry for studies of health effects in the Japanese atomic bomb survivors because of the important role that these studies play in worldwide radiation protection standards. International experts have developed dosimetry systems, such as the Dosimetry System 2002 (DS02), which assess the initial radiation exposure to gamma rays and neutrons but only briefly consider the possibility of some minimal contribution to the total body dose by residual radiation exposure. In recognition of the need for an up-to-date review of the topic of residual radiation exposure in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, recently reported studies were reviewedmore » at a technical session at the 57th Annual Meeting of the Health Physics Society in Sacramento, California, 22-26 July 2012. A one-day workshop was also held to provide time for detailed discussion of these newer studies and to evaluate their potential use in clarifying the residual radiation exposures to the atomic-bomb survivors at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Suggestions for possible future studies are also included in this workshop report.« less

  5. Rediscovery of an old article reporting that the area around the epicenter in Hiroshima was heavily contaminated with residual radiation, indicating that exposure doses of A-bomb survivors were largely underestimated.

    PubMed

    Sutou, Shizuyo

    2017-09-01

    The A-bomb blast released a huge amount of energy: thermal radiation (35%), blast energy (50%), and nuclear radiation (15%). Of the 15%, 5% was initial radiation released within 30 s and 10% was residual radiation, the majority of which was fallout. Exposure doses of hibakusha (A-bomb survivors) were estimated solely on the basis of the initial radiation. The effects of the residual radiation on hibakusha have been considered controversial; some groups assert that the residual radiation was negligible, but others refute that assertion. I recently discovered a six-decade-old article written in Japanese by a medical doctor, Gensaku Obo, from Hiroshima City. This article clearly indicates that the area around the epicenter in Hiroshima was heavily contaminated with residual radiation. It reports that non-hibakusha who entered Hiroshima soon after the blast suffered from severe acute radiation sickness, including burns, external injuries, fever, diarrhea, skin bleeding, sore throat and loss of hair-as if they were real hibakusha. This means that (i) some of those who entered Hiroshima in the early days after the blast could be regarded as indirect hibakusha; (ii) 'in-the-city-control' people in the Life Span Study (LSS) must have been irradiated more or less from residual radiation and could not function properly as the negative control; (iii) exposure doses of hibakusha were largely underestimated; and (iv) cancer risk in the LSS was largely overestimated. Obo's article is very important to understand the health effects of A-bombs so that the essence of it is translated from Japanese to English with the permission of the publisher. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japan Radiation Research Society and Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology.

  6. Posttraumatic stress and functional impairment in Kenyan children following the 1998 American Embassy bombing.

    PubMed

    Pfefferbaum, Betty; North, Carol S; Doughty, Debby E; Gurwitch, Robin H; Fullerton, Carol S; Kyula, Jane

    2003-04-01

    This study examined a convenience sample of 562 Nairobi school children exposed to the 1998 bombing of the American Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. Posttraumatic stress reactions to the bombing were related to posttraumatic stress reactions to other trauma and to peritraumatic reaction. Self-reported functional impairment was minimal.

  7. The 1983 Beirut Airport terrorist bombing. Injury patterns and implications for disaster management.

    PubMed

    Frykberg, E R; Tepas, J J; Alexander, R H

    1989-03-01

    The casualty profile and results of the medical care provided for the survivors of the terrorist truck bombing of the U.S. Marine Corps facility in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1983 were reviewed to determine the factors that influenced casualty survival. This explosion resulted in 346 casualties, of whom 234 (68%) were immediately killed. The spectrum of injury was determined in 85 survivors using the Injury Severity Score (ISS). There were seven (6.3%) deaths among the 112 immediate survivors. All deaths occurred among the 19 (17%) victims who were critically injured (ISS greater than 15), giving a mortality in this population of 37 per cent. Six (86%) of the seven deaths were associated with an initial delay in treatment. Head injury was the most common fatal injury among both immediate fatalities (71.4%) and immediate survivors (57%). Thoracic injury and burns each accounted for 29 per cent of survivor deaths. Triage efficiency, as determined by the rates of overtriage (80%) and undertriage (0), did not appear adversely to affect mortality. Critical analysis of disasters such as this can contribute to improvements in preparation and casualty care in the event of future disasters.

  8. The impact of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing on the partners of firefighters.

    PubMed

    Pfefferbaum, Betty; North, Carol S; Bunch, Kenneth; Wilson, Teddy G; Tucker, Phebe; Schorr, John K

    2002-09-01

    This study explored the impact of the 1995 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, bombing on the spouses and significant others of a volunteer sample of Oklahoma City firefighters who participated in the bombing rescue effort. Twenty-seven partners of Oklahoma City firefighters participated in this study, conducted 42 to 44 months after the bombing. These partners were assessed using a structured diagnostic interview and a companion interview to examine exposure, rates of psychiatric disorders and symptoms, functioning, health, and relationships. Coping and perception of the firefighter partner's response were also examined. Some of the women were exposed directly; most knew someone who had been involved in the disaster, and all reported exposure through the media. The rate of psychiatric disorders in the women following the disaster was 22%, essentially unchanged from before the incident. One developed bomb-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Most were satisfied with their work performance; 15% reported that their health had worsened since the bombing, and more than one third reported permanent changes in relationships as a result of the bombing. Most coped by turning to friends or relatives, with less than 10% seeking professional help. Many described symptoms in their firefighter mate; all reported that their mate had been affected by the experience, and one half said their mate had fully recovered. The mates of these firefighters fared relatively well in terms of psychiatric disorders, symptoms, and ability to function. The prevalence of bomb-related posttraumatic stress disorder was considerably lower in this sample than in samples of individuals more directly exposed to the bombing, although some reported changes in relationships and health. The results suggest the need for further study of the impact of interpersonal exposure in those who provide support for rescue-and-recovery workers in major terrorist incidents.

  9. Dose-responses for mortality from cerebrovascular and heart diseases in atomic bomb survivors: 1950-2003.

    PubMed

    Schöllnberger, Helmut; Eidemüller, Markus; Cullings, Harry M; Simonetto, Cristoforo; Neff, Frauke; Kaiser, Jan Christian

    2018-03-01

    The scientific community faces important discussions on the validity of the linear no-threshold (LNT) model for radiation-associated cardiovascular diseases at low and moderate doses. In the present study, mortalities from cerebrovascular diseases (CeVD) and heart diseases from the latest data on atomic bomb survivors were analyzed. The analysis was performed with several radio-biologically motivated linear and nonlinear dose-response models. For each detrimental health outcome one set of models was identified that all fitted the data about equally well. This set was used for multi-model inference (MMI), a statistical method of superposing different models to allow risk estimates to be based on several plausible dose-response models rather than just relying on a single model of choice. MMI provides a more accurate determination of the dose response and a more comprehensive characterization of uncertainties. It was found that for CeVD, the dose-response curve from MMI is located below the linear no-threshold model at low and medium doses (0-1.4 Gy). At higher doses MMI predicts a higher risk compared to the LNT model. A sublinear dose-response was also found for heart diseases (0-3 Gy). The analyses provide no conclusive answer to the question whether there is a radiation risk below 0.75 Gy for CeVD and 2.6 Gy for heart diseases. MMI suggests that the dose-response curves for CeVD and heart diseases in the Lifespan Study are sublinear at low and moderate doses. This has relevance for radiotherapy treatment planning and for international radiation protection practices in general.

  10. Cancer incidence in atomic bomb survivors. Part IV: Comparison of cancer incidence and mortality

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ron, E.; Preston, D.L.; Mabuchi, Kiyohiko

    1994-02-01

    This report compares cancer incidence and mortality among atomic bomb survivors in the Radiation Effects Research Foundation Life Span Study (LSS) cohort. Because the incidence data are derived from the Hiroshima and Nagasaki tumor registries, case ascertainment is limited to the time (1958-1987) and geographic restrictions (Hiroshima and Nagasaki) of the registries, whereas mortality data are available from 1950-1987 anywhere in Japan. With these conditions, there were 9,014 first primary incident cancer cases identified among LSS cohort members compared with 7,308 deaths for which cancer was listed as the underlying cause of death on death certificates. When deaths were limitedmore » to those occurring between 1958-1987 in Hiroshima or Nagasaki, there were 3,155 more incident cancer cases overall, and 1,262 more cancers of the digestive system. For cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx, skin, breast, female and male genital organs, urinary system and thyroid, the incidence series was at least twice as large as the comparable mortality series. Although the incidence and mortality data are dissimilar in many ways, the overall conclusions regarding which solid cancers provide evidence of a significant dose response generally confirm the mortality findings. When either incidence or mortality data are evaluated, significant excess risks are observed for all solid cancers, stomach, colon, liver (when it is defined as primary liver cancer or liver cancer not otherwise specified on the death certificate), lung, breast, ovary and urinary bladder. No significant radiation effect is seen for cancers of the pharynx, rectum, gallbladder, pancreas, nose, larynx, uterus, prostate or kidney in either series. There is evidence of a significant excess of nonmelanoma skin cancer in the incidence data, but not in the mortality series. 19 refs., 2 figs., 10 tabs.« less

  11. Impact of the terrorist bombings of the Neve Shalom and Beth Israel Synagogues on a hospital in Istanbul, Turkey.

    PubMed

    Rodoplu, Ulkümen; Arnold, Jeffrey L; Tokyay, Rifat; Ersoy, Gurkan; Cetiner, Serkan; Yücel, Tayfun

    2005-02-01

    The authors sought to estimate the impact of the open-air mass-casualty terrorist bombings of the Neve Shalom and Beth Israel Synagogues in Istanbul, Turkey, on November 15, 2003, on the American Hospital (AH) in terms of resource utilization, epidemiologic outcomes, and time course of emergency needs. A retrospective descriptive study using data from hospital records of injured survivors who used the emergency department at AH on November 15, 2003, to determine the number and percentage of injured survivors who were hospitalized, received operative care, had specific injury types, had an Injury Severity Score >/=16, died, and arrived within certain time intervals. AH received 69 (91%) injured survivors from the scene, of which nine (12%) were hospitalized and three (4%) received operative care. Starting four hours after the initial blast, seven (9%) injured survivors were transferred to AH from other hospitals, of which five (7%) were hospitalized and four (5%) received operative care. Of the 49 injured survivors from the scene with documented injuries, 43 (88%) had injuries to the head or face, 42 (86%) had lacerations, five (10%) had fractures, one (2%) had a penetrating eye injury, one (2%) had a serious intracranial injury, and none had primary blast injuries. Four (5%) injured survivors at AH had an Injury Severity Score >/=16, and none died. Seventy-six injured survivors used the emergency department at AH, including a delayed wave of injured survivors transferred from other hospitals. The majority of injured survivors with documented injuries had non-life-threatening lacerations of the head or face, and relatively few injured survivors were hospitalized or received operative care.

  12. Comparison of post-disaster psychiatric disorders after terrorist bombings in Nairobi and Oklahoma City.

    PubMed

    North, Carol S; Pfefferbaum, Betty; Narayanan, Pushpa; Thielman, Samuel; McCoy, Gretchen; Dumont, Cedric; Kawasaki, Aya; Ryosho, Natsuko; Kim, You-Seung; Spitznagel, Edward L

    2005-06-01

    African disaster-affected populations are poorly represented in disaster mental health literature. To compare systematically assessed mental health in populations directly exposed to terrorist bombing attacks on two continents, North America and Africa. Structured diagnostic interviews compared citizens exposed to bombings of the US Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya (n=227) and the Oklahoma City Federal Building (n=182). Prevalence rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depression were similar after the bombings. No incident (new since the bombing) alcohol use disorders were observed in either site. Symptom group C was strongly associated with PTSD in both sites. The Nairobi group relied more on religious support and the Oklahoma City group used more medical treatment, drugs and alcohol. Post-disaster psychopathology had many similarities in the two cultures; however, coping responses and treatment were quite different. The findings suggest potential for international generalisability of post-disaster psychopathology, but confirmatory studies are needed.

  13. Italian Bombs & Fuzes

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1948-06-01

    document states that the practice of galvanising aircraft bombs has ceased, and that a protective coat of paint is now used instead. These colourings...that the Italians are still in possession of large stocks of galvanised bombs. SECTION I CHEMICAL WARFARE BOMBS No. C.W. bombs have yet been

  14. Population effects of the bombing of Oklahoma City.

    PubMed

    Smith, D W; Christiansen, E H; Vincent, R; Hann, N E

    1999-04-01

    The explosion at the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995, affected many members of the community as well as direct victims. Our goal was to measure the exposure and effects among the general population. We conducted surveys of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area and a control area to measure exposure and impact, primarily stress and psychological distress. Of the adults in the Oklahoma City MSA, 61.5 percent (58.5 percent to 64.5 percent with 95 percent confidence) reported experiencing at least one direct result of the bombing. In population terms, about 433 thousand adults (between 412 thousand and 457 thousand, with 95 percent confidence) were exposed to one or more of the consequences of the bombing. Oklahomans reported higher rates (about double) of increased alcohol use, smoking more or starting smoking. They reported more stress (about double), psychological distress (about double), post-traumatic stress-disorder components, and intrusive thoughts (double) related to the bombing than in the control area. Oklahomans also reported higher rates of seeking help for their stress or taking steps to reduce stress. The differences persisted into 1996, more than a year after the bombing. The exposure to the bombing was widespread, including more than half the adults in the metropolitan area surrounding Oklahoma City. The psychological effects were high and, while decreasing, persisted more than a year after the bombing. Primary care practitioners should screen their patients, who may normally not be considered victims, for exposure to the effects of a terrorist disaster for an extended period of time.

  15. RELATIVE BIOLOGICAL EFFECTIVENESS OF NEUTRONS DERIVED FROM THE EXCESS RELATIVE RISK MODEL WITH THE ATOMIC BOMB SURVIVORS DATA MANAGED BY HIROSHIMA UNIVERSITY.

    PubMed

    Satoh, Kenichi; Yasuda, Hiroshi; Kawakami, Hideshi; Tashiro, Satoshi

    2017-09-23

    According to an analysis of the Life Span Study cohort data conducted by the Radiation Effects Research Foundation in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the sex-averaged excess relative risk (ERR) of all solid cancers was 0.42 Gy-Eq-1. On the other hand, analysis of the atomic bomb survivors (ABS) cohort data at Hiroshima University indicated the ERR value was 0.28 Gy-Eq-1 in Hiroshima. In both cases, initial radiation doses were derived from the dosimetry system DS02, in which the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of neutrons was assumed to be a constant value of 10. To clarify the validity of the RBE, the authors investigated the possibility of different contributions of neutrons by using the ABS. Although there were no statistically significant differences among the estimated value of RBE (=65) and the ordinal value (=10), the corresponding ERR decreased by 30%, which might affect the interpretation of radiation health assessments. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  16. Cancer risk among Holocaust survivors in Israel-A nationwide study.

    PubMed

    Sadetzki, Siegal; Chetrit, Angela; Freedman, Laurence S; Hakak, Nina; Barchana, Micha; Catane, Raphael; Shani, Mordechai

    2017-09-01

    Holocaust survivors during World War II were exposed to various factors that are associated with cancer risk. The objective of this study was to determine whether Holocaust survivors had an increased risk for developing cancer. The study population included 152,622 survivors. The main analysis was based on a comparison between individuals who were entitled to compensation for suffering persecution during the war and individuals who were denied such compensation. A complementary analysis compared survivors who were born in countries governed by Nazi Germany with survivors born in nonoccupied countries. A Cox proportional hazards model was used, with the time at risk of cancer development starting on either January 1, 1960, or the date of immigration to the date of cancer diagnosis or death or the date of last follow-up (December 31, 2006). Cancer was diagnosed in 22.2% of those who were granted compensation versus 16% of those who were denied compensation (P < .0001). Adjusting for birth cohort, sex, country of origin, and period of immigration, both analyses revealed significant increased risks of developing cancer in those who were exposed. For those who were granted versus denied compensation, the hazard ratios were 1.06 (P < .001) for all sites, 1.12 (P = .07) for colorectal cancer, and 1.37 (P = .008) for lung cancer. For those born in occupied countries versus nonoccupied countries, the hazard ratios were 1.08 (P < .001), 1.08 (P = .003), and 1.12 (P = .02), respectively. The current results, based on a large cohort of Holocaust survivors who were exposed to a variety of severe deprivations, add to the conflicting and sparse knowledge on this issue and support the notion that this group has a small but consistent increase in cancer development. Cancer 2017;123:3335-45. © 2017 American Cancer Society. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

  17. Maintaining physical therapy standards in an emergency situation: solutions after the Bali bombing disaster.

    PubMed

    Edgar, D; Wood, F; Goodwin-Walters, A

    2005-08-01

    In a mass casualty event, treatment is traditionally provided in a 'best for the most' fashion. This paper examines the challenges encountered by physical therapists while providing rehabilitation to 28 survivors who suffered burns after the terrorist bombing in Bali, Indonesia. Individual patient input was achieved with routine outcome measures and workload statistics. Workforce expansion, maintenance of treatment quality, and other practical initiatives used in order to achieve this goal are discussed.

  18. SECONDARY GASTROINTESTINAL MALIGNANCIES IN CHILDHOOD CANCER SURVIVORS: A COHORT STUDY

    PubMed Central

    Henderson, Tara O.; Oeffinger, Kevin C.; Whitton, John; Leisenring, Wendy; Neglia, Joseph; Meadows, Anna; Crotty, Catherine; Rubin, David T.; Diller, Lisa; Inskip, Peter; Smith, Susan A.; Stovall, Marilyn; Constine, Louis S.; Hammond, Sue; Armstrong, Greg T.; Robison, Leslie L.; Nathan, Paul C.

    2012-01-01

    Background Childhood cancer survivors develop gastrointestinal malignancies more frequently and at a younger age than the general population, but risk factors for their development have not been well characterized. Objective To determine the risk and associated risk factors for gastrointestinal subsequent malignant neoplasms (SMN) in childhood cancer survivors. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting The Childhood Cancer Survivor Study, a multi-center study of childhood cancer survivors diagnosed between 1970 and 1986. Patients 14,358 survivors of a malignancy diagnosed at < 21 years who had survived for 5 or more years from initial diagnosis. Measurements Standardized incidence ratios (SIR) for gastrointestinal SMN were calculated using age-specific population data. Multivariate Cox regression models identified associations between risk factors and gastrointestinal SMN development. Results At median follow-up of 22.8 years (range: 5.5-30.2), 45 gastrointestinal malignancies were identified. Gastrointestinal SMN risk was 4.6-fold higher in childhood cancer survivors than the general population (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.5-6.1). Colorectal cancer SIR was 4.2 (95% CI: 2.8-6.3). The highest gastrointestinal SMN risk was associated with abdominal radiation (SIR=11.2, 95% CI: 7.6-16.4). However, survivors not exposed to radiation had a significantly increased risk (SIR=2.4, 95% CI-1.4-3.9). In addition to abdominal radiation, high dose procarbazine (RR=3.2, 95% CI 1.1-9.4) and platinum drugs (RR 7.6, 95% CI: 2.3-25.5) independently increased the gastrointestinal SMN risk. Limitations This cohort has not yet attained an age at which gastrointestinal malignancy risk is greatest. Conclusions Childhood cancer survivors, particularly those exposed to abdominal radiation, are at increased risk for gastrointestinal SMN. These findings suggest that surveillance of at-risk childhood cancer survivors should commence at a younger age than recommended for the general

  19. The Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission in retrospect

    PubMed Central

    Putnam, Frank W.

    1998-01-01

    For 50 years, the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission (ABCC) and its successor, the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF), have conducted epidemiological and genetic studies of the survivors of the atomic bombs and of their children. This research program has provided the primary basis for radiation health standards. Both ABCC (1947–1975) and RERF (1975 to date) have been a joint enterprise of the United States (through the National Academy of Sciences) and of Japan. ABCC began in devastated, occupied Japan. Its mission had to be defined and refined. Early research revealed the urgent need for long term study. In 1946, a Directive of President Truman enjoined the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences to develop the program. By 1950, ABCC staff exceeded 1,000, and clinical and genetic studies were underway. Budgetary difficulties and other problems almost forced closure in 1953. In 1955, the Francis Report led to a unified epidemiological study. Much progress was made in the next decade, but changing times required founding of a binational nonprofit organization (RERF) with equal participation by Japan and the United States. New programs have been developed and existing ones have been extended in what is the longest continuing health survey ever undertaken. PMID:9576898

  20. Studies of the mortality of atomic bomb survivors, Report 14, 1950-2003: an overview of cancer and noncancer diseases.

    PubMed

    Ozasa, Kotaro; Shimizu, Yukiko; Suyama, Akihiko; Kasagi, Fumiyoshi; Soda, Midori; Grant, Eric J; Sakata, Ritsu; Sugiyama, Hiromi; Kodama, Kazunori

    2012-03-01

    This is the 14th report in a series of periodic general reports on mortality in the Life Span Study (LSS) cohort of atomic bomb survivors followed by the Radiation Effects Research Foundation to investigate the late health effects of the radiation from the atomic bombs. During the period 1950-2003, 58% of the 86,611 LSS cohort members with DS02 dose estimates have died. The 6 years of additional follow-up since the previous report provide substantially more information at longer periods after radiation exposure (17% more cancer deaths), especially among those under age 10 at exposure (58% more deaths). Poisson regression methods were used to investigate the magnitude of the radiation-associated risks, the shape of the dose response, and effect modification by gender, age at exposure, and attained age. The risk of all causes of death was positively associated with radiation dose. Importantly, for solid cancers the additive radiation risk (i.e., excess cancer cases per 10(4) person-years per Gy) continues to increase throughout life with a linear dose-response relationship. The sex-averaged excess relative risk per Gy was 0.42 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.32, 0.53] for all solid cancer at age 70 years after exposure at age 30 based on a linear model. The risk increased by about 29% per decade decrease in age at exposure (95% CI: 17%, 41%). The estimated lowest dose range with a significant ERR for all solid cancer was 0 to 0.20 Gy, and a formal dose-threshold analysis indicated no threshold; i.e., zero dose was the best estimate of the threshold. The risk of cancer mortality increased significantly for most major sites, including stomach, lung, liver, colon, breast, gallbladder, esophagus, bladder and ovary, whereas rectum, pancreas, uterus, prostate and kidney parenchyma did not have significantly increased risks. An increased risk of non-neoplastic diseases including the circulatory, respiratory and digestive systems was observed, but whether these are causal

  1. Comparison of rescue and relief activities within 72 hours of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

    PubMed

    Matsunari, Yuko; Yoshimoto, Nao

    2013-12-01

    To clarify the factors and reasons for the differences in the outcomes of rescue and relief efforts in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, mainly focusing on the numbers of rescue/relief staffs and casualties in the period within 72 hours of the atomic bombings in August 1945. By retrieving the data and information from the records and reports concerning the disasters in the two cities, together with other publications as to the damages by the atomic bombings and subsequent rescue-relief activities, and restoration activities. It seems that there was less damage in Nagasaki, where a stronger atomic bomb was used than in Hiroshima. There were crucial geographic factors that led to the different effects in terms of the numbers of victims; however, systematic organization and mobilization of rescue and relief staffs, maintenance of functional transportation, and advanced medical knowledge and public warning with regard to disaster all may have contributed to a lower death toll and increase in survivors in Nagasaki.

  2. Trauma-Focused Early Intensive Cognitive Behavioral Intervention (TF-EICBI) in children and adolescent survivors of suicide bombing attacks (SBAs). A preliminary study.

    PubMed

    Leor, Agnes; Dolberg, Orna T; Eshel, Shira Pagorek; Yagil, Yaron; Schreiber, Shaul

    2013-01-01

    To describe and evaluate the impact of an early intervention (Trauma-Focused Early Intensive Cognitive Behavioral Intervention, TF-EICBI) in children and adolescents who were victims of suicide bombing attacks (SBAs) in Israel. Description of an intervention and preliminary experience in its use. An acute trauma center of a Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Unit in a Department of Psychiatry of a university-affiliated medical center. Ten children and adolescents who were victims of SBAs and underwent early interventions (EIG) were compared to 11 adolescent victims who received no intervention (NEIG). The EIG included all the children and adolescent survivors of various SBAs that had occurred during 1 year who presented to our hospital after the TF-EICBI was implemented (June 2001). The NEIG comprised all adolescents girls <18 years of age at follow-up who survived one SBA (at the "Dolphinarium" Discotheque) before the TF-EICBI was available. At the time of the 1-year post-SBA follow-up, all 21 subjects were assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview for Axis 1 DSMIII R Disorders (SCID), and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). One (10 percent) EI subject and four (36.4 percent) NEI subjects had post-traumatic stress disorder. The mean CBCL total score and most of the mean CBCL behavior problem scores were significantly higher (p < 0.021) among the NEI group members. Intervention was effective in preventing and lowering mental morbidity of children and adolescents after SBAs.

  3. 40 years of terrorist bombings - A meta-analysis of the casualty and injury profile.

    PubMed

    Edwards, D S; McMenemy, L; Stapley, S A; Patel, H D L; Clasper, J C

    2016-03-01

    Terrorists have used the explosive device successfully globally, with their effects extending beyond the resulting injuries. Suicide bombings, in particular, are being increasingly deployed due to the devastating effect of a combination of high lethality and target accuracy. The aim of this study was to identify trends and analyse the demographics and casualty figures of terrorist bombings worldwide. Analysis of the Global Terrorism Database (GTD) and a PubMed/Embase literature search (keywords "terrorist", and/or "suicide", and/or "bombing") from 1970 to 2014 was performed. 58,095 terrorist explosions worldwide were identified in the GTD. 5.08% were suicide bombings. Incidents per year are increasing (P<0.01). Mean casualty statistics per incidents was 1.14 deaths and 3.45 wounded from non-suicide incidents, and 10.16 and 24.16 from suicide bombings (p<0.05). The kill:wounded ratio was statistically higher in suicide attacks than non-suicide attacks, 1:1.3 and 1:1.24 respectively (p<0.05). The Middle East witnessed the most incidents (26.9%), with Europe (13.2%) ranked 4th. The literature search identified 41 publications reporting 167 incidents of which 3.9% detailed building collapse (BC), 60.8% confined space (CS), 23.5% open space (OS) and 11.8% semi-confined space (SC) attacks. 60.4% reported on suicide terrorist attacks. Overall 32 deaths and 180 injuries per incident were seen, however significantly more deaths occurred in explosions associated with a BC. Comparing OS and CS no difference in the deaths per incident was seen, 14.2(SD±17.828) and 15.63 (SD±10.071) respectively. However OS explosions resulted in significantly more injuries, 192.7 (SD±141.147), compared to CS, 79.20 (SD±59.8). Extremity related wounds were the commonest injuries seen (32%). Terrorist bombings continue to be a threat and are increasing particularly in the Middle East. Initial reports, generated immediately at the scene by experienced coordination, on the type of detonation

  4. Human body projectiles implantation in victims of suicide bombings and implications for health and emergency care providers: the 7/7 experience.

    PubMed

    Patel, H D L; Dryden, S; Gupta, A; Stewart, N

    2012-07-01

    On 7 July 2005 four suicide bombings occurred on the London transport systems. In some of the injured survivors, bone fragments were embedded as biological foreign bodies. The aim of this study was to revisit those individuals who had sustained human projectile implantation injuries as a result of the bomb blasts at all scenes, review the process of body parts mapping and DNA identification at the scene, detail the management of such injuries and highlight the protocols that have been put in place for protection against blood borne pathogens. We retrospectively reviewed 12 instances of victims who sustained human body projectile implantation injuries. The Metropolitan Police and forensic scientists identified the human projectiles using DNA profiling and mapped these on the involved carriages and those found outside. All human projectiles included were greater than 3 cm(2). Twelve cases had human projectile implantation injuries. Of these, two died at the scene and ten were treated in hospital. Projectiles were mapped at three of the four bomb blast sites. Our findings show that victims within a 2m radius of the blast had human projectile injuries. Eight of the allogenic bony fragments that were identified in the survivors originated from the suicide bomber. All victims with an open wound should have prophylaxis against hepatitis B and serum stored for appropriate action against HIV and hepatitis C infection. All victims following a suicide bombing should be assumed to have human body projectile implantation injuries with blood products or bony fragments. All immediate care providers should receive prophylaxis against hepatitis B virus and appropriate action should be taken against HIV and hepatitis C infection.

  5. Genetic counseling of the cancer survivor

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mulvihill, J.J.; Byrne, J.

    Each year, tens of thousands of persons are diagnosed with cancer, are treated, and become survivors while still in their reproductive years. Their concerns about possible germ-cell damage as a result of life-saving radiation, chemotherapy, or both are plausible, based on evidence from animal models and from somatic cell mutations in human beings. A 40-year follow-up of survivors of the atomic bomb blasts in Japan showed no detectable genetic damage and suggested that the human gonad is more resistant to radiogenic mutation than the laboratory mouse. The pooled results of studying 12 series of offspring of cancer patients showed amore » 4% rate of major birth defects (similar to that of the general population) and an excess of fetal loss and low birth weight in offspring of women who received abdominal radiotherapy. According to preliminary evaluation of a new National Cancer Institute collaboration with five cancer registries, offspring of survivors of childhood cancers had no more birth defects than expected and, beyond an increase in probably familial cancers in children younger than 5, no overall increase in childhood cancer. Ideally, genetic and reproductive counseling should take place as soon as cancer is diagnosed (before therapy starts) and again when pregnancy is contemplated. 28 references.« less

  6. Workshop Report on Atomic Bomb Dosimetry--Review of Dose Related Factors for the Evaluation of Exposures to Residual Radiation at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

    PubMed

    Kerr, George D; Egbert, Stephen D; Al-Nabulsi, Isaf; Bailiff, Ian K; Beck, Harold L; Belukha, Irina G; Cockayne, John E; Cullings, Harry M; Eckerman, Keith F; Granovskaya, Evgeniya; Grant, Eric J; Hoshi, Masaharu; Kaul, Dean C; Kryuchkov, Victor; Mannis, Daniel; Ohtaki, Megu; Otani, Keiko; Shinkarev, Sergey; Simon, Steven L; Spriggs, Gregory D; Stepanenko, Valeriy F; Stricklin, Daniela; Weiss, Joseph F; Weitz, Ronald L; Woda, Clemens; Worthington, Patricia R; Yamamoto, Keiko; Young, Robert W

    2015-12-01

    Groups of Japanese and American scientists, supported by international collaborators, have worked for many years to ensure the accuracy of the radiation dosimetry used in studies of health effects in the Japanese atomic bomb survivors. Reliable dosimetric models and systems are especially critical to epidemiologic studies of this population because of their importance in the development of worldwide radiation protection standards. While dosimetry systems, such as Dosimetry System 1986 (DS86) and Dosimetry System 2002 (DS02), have improved, the research groups that developed them were unable to propose or confirm an additional contribution by residual radiation to the survivor's total body dose. In recognition of the need for an up-to-date review of residual radiation exposures in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a half-day technical session was held for reports on newer studies at the 59 th Annual HPS Meeting in 2014 in Baltimore, MD. A day-and-a-half workshop was also held to provide time for detailed discussion of the newer studies and to evaluate their potential use in clarifying the residual radiation exposure to atomic bomb survivors at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The process also involved a re-examination of very early surveys of radioisotope emissions from ground surfaces at Hiroshima and Nagasaki and early reports of health effects. New insights were reported on the potential contribution to residual radiation from neutron-activated radionuclides in the airburst's dust stem and pedestal and in unlofted soil, as well as from fission products and weapon debris from the nuclear cloud. However, disparate views remain concerning the actual residual radiation doses received by the atomic bomb survivors at different distances from the hypocenter. The workshop discussion indicated that measurements made using thermal luminescence and optically stimulated luminescence, like earlier measurements, especially in very thin layers of the samples, could be expanded to detect possible

  7. A man, a plan, a bomb

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harris, Margaret

    2015-03-01

    Was the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki justified? Was it necessary? Were there other - better - options available, either to the scientists who built the bombs or the generals who ordered them dropped? Nearly 70 years later, there are still no settled answers to these questions, and Tom Morton-Smith's new play Oppenheimer wisely avoids dwelling on the "what ifs" of atomic history.

  8. Mass-casualty terrorist bombings in Istanbul, Turkey, November 2003: report of the events and the prehospital emergency response.

    PubMed

    Rodoplu, Ulkümen; Arnold, Jeffrey L; Tokyay, Rifat; Ersoy, Gurkan; Cetiner, Serkan; Yücel, Tayfun

    2004-01-01

    This paper describes the two mass-casualty, terrorist attacks that occurred in Istanbul, Turkey in November 2003, and the resulting pre-hospital emergency response. A complex, retrospective, descriptive study was performed, using open source reports, interviews, direct measurements of street distances, and hospital records from the American Hospital (AH) and Taksim Education and Research State Hospital (TERSH) in Istanbul. On 15 November, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in trucks were detonated outside the Neve Shalom and Beth Israel Synagogues, killing 30 persons and injuring an estimated additional 300. Victims were maldistributed to 16 medical facilities. For example, AH, a private hospital located six km from both synagogues, received 69 injured survivors, of which 86% had secondary blast injuries and 13% were admitted to the hospital. The TERSH, a government hospital located 1 km from both synagogues, received 48 injured survivors. On 20 November, IEDs in trucks were detonated outside the Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) headquarters and the British Consulate (BC), killing 33 and injuring an estimated additional 450. Victims were maldistributed to 16 medical facilities. For example, TERSH, located 18 km from the HSBC site and 2 km from the the BC received 184 injured survivors, of which 93% had secondary blast injuries and 15% were hospitalized. The AH, located 9 km from the HSBC site and 6 km from the BC, received 16 victims. The twin suicide truck bombings on 15 and 20 November 2003 were the two largest terrorist attacks in modern Turkish history, collectively killing 63 persons and injuring an estimated 750 others. The vast majority of victims had secondary blast injuries, which did not require hospitalization. Factors associated with the maldistribution of casualties to medical facilities appeared to include the distance from each bombing site, the type of medical facility, and the personal preference of injured survivors.

  9. First response, rehabilitation, and outcomes of hand and upper limb function: survivors of the bali bombing disaster. A case series report.

    PubMed

    Edgar, Dale Wesley; Wood, F; Goodwin-Walters, A

    2006-01-01

    In October 2002, two bombs exploded in Bali injuring hundreds, and killing 202 people. The purpose of this paper is to report the organization of the first response, rehabilitation strategies, and outcome of a series of patients evacuated to the Royal Perth Hospital (RPH), a civilian hospital in Australia. The initial medical response in Bali was primarily conducted by holidaying health professionals supporting the hospital on the island. The Australian Defence Force was primarily responsible for the ongoing acute clinical management during the evacuation and repatriation of survivors to all major burn units in Australia. At the RPH, hospital adaptations included novel staffing and treatment strategies to sustain a team effort beyond the acute phase of the disaster to manage the surge of 28 patients (15% of yearly admissions) in 7 days. Data collected were related to service delivery and patient outcomes (shoulder active range of motion, grip strength, and the Burns Specific Health Scale). Data were compared to baseline, similar data collected during normal practice and population norms. Bali patients received 3.2% more therapy treatment sessions and 6.8% less contact hours than usual protocols. Shoulder AROM recovered to normal limits by 3 months postdischarge. Grip strength for women was shown to reach population norms by 1 month after discharge and by 6 months for males. Self-rated physical recovery exceeded major burn population norms at 6 months postdischarge. Physical therapy outcome measures demonstrated upper limb recovery as usual in the Bali group, despite a mass casualty situation. To achieve this required support from the multidisciplinary team, in combination with community, government, and hospital administrative assistance.

  10. Biological correlates of direct exposure to terrorism several years postdisaster.

    PubMed

    Tucker, Phebe; Pfefferbaum, Betty; North, Carol S; Kent, Adrian; Jeon-Slaughter, Haekyung; Parker, Don E

    2010-08-01

    It is important to understand long-term biological and psychiatric correlates of intense exposure to terrorism. We assessed psychiatric diagnoses and biological stress measures in 50 healthy, highly exposed Oklahoma City bombing survivors recruited from a bombing registry 6 1/2 to 7 years postdisaster, comparing them with demographically matched, nonexposed community members. The Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS) determined Axis I psychiatric diagnoses. Participants' salivary cortisol levels were obtained at 8 am, and physiologic assessment measured participants' heart rate and blood pressure responses to a bombing-related interview. Eleven survivors with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) had significantly higher cortisol levels than did both non-PTSD survivors and controls. Survivors with and without PTSD did not differ in any autonomic reactivity measure, whereas the total survivor group had significantly higher reactivity than controls in all measures. Positive correlations occurred between several autonomic reactivity measures, but none between cortisol and autonomic measures. Results differentiate the autonomic and cortisol systems relative to terrorism exposure. Findings support research associating PTSD with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis changes, whereas autonomic reactivity appeared to be a more generalized trauma response. Correlation statistics substantiated a lack of connection between the 2 biological systems. Follow-up could elucidate the long-term course of these stress systems and eventual health status in survivors, in view of the medical morbidity noted in PTSD studies.

  11. Radiation and Smoking Effects on Lung Cancer Incidence by Histological Types Among Atomic Bomb Survivors

    PubMed Central

    Egawa, Hiromi; Furukawa, Kyoji; Preston, Dale; Funamoto, Sachiyo; Yonehara, Shuji; Matsuo, Takeshi; Tokuoka, Shoji; Suyama, Akihiko; Ozasa, Kotaro; Kodama, Kazunori; Mabuchi, Kiyohiko

    2014-01-01

    While the risk of lung cancer associated separately with smoking and radiation exposure has been widely reported, it is not clear how smoking and radiation together contribute to the risk of specific lung cancer histological types. With individual smoking histories and radiation dose estimates, we characterized the joint effects of radiation and smoking on type-specific lung cancer rates among the Life Span Study cohort of Japanese atomic bomb survivors. Among 105,404 cohort subjects followed between 1958 and 1999, 1,803 first primary lung cancer incident cases were diagnosed and classified by histological type. Poisson regression methods were used to estimate excess relative risks under several interaction models. Adenocarcinoma (636 cases), squamous-cell carcinoma (330) and small-cell carcinoma (194) made up 90% of the cases with known histology. Both smoking and radiation exposure significantly increased the risk of each major lung cancer histological type. Smoking-associated excess relative risks were significantly larger for small-cell and squamous-cell carcinomas than for adenocarcinoma. The gender-averaged excess relative risks per 1 Gy of radiation (for never-smokers at age 70 after radiation exposure at age 30) were estimated as 1.49 (95% confidence interval 0.1–4.6) for small-cell carcinoma, 0.75 (0.3–1.3) for adenocarcinoma, and 0.27 (0–1.5) for squamous-cell carcinoma. Under a model allowing radiation effects to vary with levels of smoking, the nature of the joint effect of smoking and radiation showed a similar pattern for different histological types in which the radiation-associated excess relative risk tended to be larger for moderate smokers than for heavy smokers. However, in contrast to analyses of all lung cancers as a group, such complicated interactions did not describe the data significantly better than either simple additive or multiplicative interaction models for any of the type-specific analyses. PMID:22862780

  12. Holocaust survivors: the pain behind the agony. Increased prevalence of fibromyalgia among Holocaust survivors.

    PubMed

    Ablin, J N; Cohen, H; Eisinger, M; Buskila, D

    2010-01-01

    To assess the frequency of fibromyalgia among a population of Holocaust survivors in Israel as well as the occurrence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and concurrent psychiatric symptoms, including depression and anxiety among survivors. Eighty-three survivors of the Nazi Holocaust and 65 age-matched individuals not exposed to Nazi occupation were recruited. Physical examination and manual tender point assessment was performed for the establishment of the diagnosis of fibromyalgia and information was collected regarding quality of life (SF-36), physical function and health (FIQ), psychiatric symptoms (SCL-90) and PTSD symptoms (CAPS). Significantly increased rates of fibromyalgia were identified among Holocaust survivors compared with controls (23.81% vs. 10.94, p<0.05). Significantly increased rates of posttraumatic symptoms and measures of mental distress were also identified among survivors. The results indicate a significantly increased prevalence of fibromyalgia among Holocaust survivors six decades after the end of the Second World War. This finding furthers our knowledge regarding the long-term effect of stress on the development of fibromyalgia.

  13. Bombs, flyin' high. In-flight dynamics of volcanic bombs from Strombolian to Vulcanian eruptions.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Taddeucci, Jacopo; Alatorre, Miguel; Cruz Vázquez, Omar; Del Bello, Elisabetta; Ricci, Tullio; Scarlato, Piergiorgio; Palladino, Danilo

    2016-04-01

    Bomb-sized (larger than 64 mm) pyroclasts are a common product of explosive eruptions and a considerable source of hazard, both from directly impacting on people and properties and from wildfires associated with their landing in vegetated areas. The dispersal of bombs is mostly modeled as purely ballistic trajectories controlled by gravity and drag forces associated with still air, and only recently other effects, such as the influence of eruption dynamics, the gas expansion, and in-flight collisions, are starting to be quantified both numerically and observationally. By using high-speed imaging of explosive volcanic eruptions here we attempt to calculate the drag coefficient of free-flying volcanic bombs during an eruption and at the same time we document a wide range of in-flight processes affecting bomb trajectories and introducing deviations from purely ballistic emplacement. High-speed (500 frames per second) videos of explosions at Stromboli and Etna (Italy), Fuego (Gatemala), Sakurajima (Japan), Yasur (Vanuatu), and Batu Tara (Indonesia) volcanoes provide a large assortment of free-flying bombs spanning Strombolian to Vulcanian source eruptions, basaltic to andesitic composition, centimeters to meters in size, and 10 to 300 m/s in fly velocity. By tracking the bombs during their flying trajectories we were able to: 1) measure their size, shape, and vertical component of velocity and related changes over time; and 2) measure the different interactions with the atmosphere and with other bombs. Quantitatively, these data allow us to provide the first direct measurement of the aerodynamic behavior and drag coefficient of volcanic bombs while settling, also including the effect of bomb rotation and changes in bomb shape and frontal section. We also show how our observations have the potential to parameterize a number of previously hypothesized and /or described but yet unquantified processes, including in-flight rotation, deformation, fragmentation, agglutination

  14. Rethinking suicide bombing.

    PubMed

    Aggarwal, Neil

    2009-01-01

    Current issues in the emerging psychiatric literature on suicide bombing tend to center around the pathologies of suicide bombers and the role of psychiatry as an adequate tool for analysis. Attention to broader social science research may allow mental health professionals to develop more accurate models of behavior to explain and possibly prevent future attacks. The psychiatric literature on suicide bombing was reviewed and compared to similar anthropological literature. A probe into the methodologies of researching suicide bombing, definitions of "war" and "terrorism", and beliefs on life, death, homicide, and suicide demonstrate that most of the psychiatric literature reflects a particular perspective which aspires towards a certain universalism. Anthropological approaches can disclose standpoints taken for granted since any interventions with respect to suicide bombing must eventually account for values which are ultimately culturally determined.

  15. Development of a Dirigible Bomb

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1943-04-15

    X - ¥ control for all future high-angle dirigible bombs in spite of the instrumental complications involved. /. two gyro system consisting of t...ts found thet the bomb wos in roll equilibrium £.t aero roll orientetion . Moreover, these roll equilibrium positions ire stt-ble ss indicated by...tirflow giving rise to voll torques in the seme direction fcs roll dis- placements from the «ero orientetion , the roll equilibrium found for equel pitch

  16. Public-private partnership from theory to practice: Walgreens and the Boston Public Health Commission supporting each other before and after the Boston bombings.

    PubMed

    Martin, Atyia; Williams, Jim

    2014-01-01

    This paper presents an overview of the public health and medical services continuity of operations, response and recovery efforts in the aftermath of the Boston bombings. Countless public and private organisations and agencies came together to support the community and the survivors. The efforts of these organisations define what it means to be Boston Strong.

  17. Cluster bomb ocular injuries.

    PubMed

    Mansour, Ahmad M; Hamade, Haya; Ghaddar, Ayman; Mokadem, Ahmad Samih; El Hajj Ali, Mohamad; Awwad, Shady

    2012-01-01

    To present the visual outcomes and ocular sequelae of victims of cluster bombs. This retrospective, multicenter case series of ocular injury due to cluster bombs was conducted for 3 years after the war in South Lebanon (July 2006). Data were gathered from the reports to the Information Management System for Mine Action. There were 308 victims of clusters bombs; 36 individuals were killed, of which 2 received ocular lacerations and; 272 individuals were injured with 18 receiving ocular injury. These 18 surviving individuals were assessed by the authors. Ocular injury occurred in 6.5% (20/308) of cluster bomb victims. Trauma to multiple organs occurred in 12 of 18 cases (67%) with ocular injury. Ocular findings included corneal or scleral lacerations (16 eyes), corneal foreign bodies (9 eyes), corneal decompensation (2 eyes), ruptured cataract (6 eyes), and intravitreal foreign bodies (10 eyes). The corneas of one patient had extreme attenuation of the endothelium. Ocular injury occurred in 6.5% of cluster bomb victims and 67% of the patients with ocular injury sustained trauma to multiple organs. Visual morbidity in civilians is an additional reason for a global ban on the use of cluster bombs.

  18. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    MISAO, Tando; HATTORI, Kenichi; SHIRAKAWA, Mitsuru

    Physical and psychosomatic examinations were performed on 356 A-bomb survivors during the 4-yr period complained of fatigue and vertigo, 118 of whom had had no corresponding explanation. There was no significant change in the blood and bone marrow other than a tendency to a higher incidence of either anemia, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, or their combination, particularly in those who had been exposed at a small distance from the hypocenter. In psychosomatic aspects, almost all the survivors had some complaints such as anxiety, a feeling that their lives were hopeless, and fear of A-bomb effects on their descendants. Bodily complaints seemed tomore » stem from a neurotic basis. Since information on sequelae of A-bomb disease has come mainly from mass communication sources (67%) and also partially from physicians (21%), it should be emphasized that both mass communication sources and physicians must be very cautious in describing the morbid sequelae. (P.C.H.)« less

  19. Cluster Bomb Ocular Injuries

    PubMed Central

    Mansour, Ahmad M.; Hamade, Haya; Ghaddar, Ayman; Mokadem, Ahmad Samih; El Hajj Ali, Mohamad; Awwad, Shady

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: To present the visual outcomes and ocular sequelae of victims of cluster bombs. Materials and Methods: This retrospective, multicenter case series of ocular injury due to cluster bombs was conducted for 3 years after the war in South Lebanon (July 2006). Data were gathered from the reports to the Information Management System for Mine Action. Results: There were 308 victims of clusters bombs; 36 individuals were killed, of which 2 received ocular lacerations and; 272 individuals were injured with 18 receiving ocular injury. These 18 surviving individuals were assessed by the authors. Ocular injury occurred in 6.5% (20/308) of cluster bomb victims. Trauma to multiple organs occurred in 12 of 18 cases (67%) with ocular injury. Ocular findings included corneal or scleral lacerations (16 eyes), corneal foreign bodies (9 eyes), corneal decompensation (2 eyes), ruptured cataract (6 eyes), and intravitreal foreign bodies (10 eyes). The corneas of one patient had extreme attenuation of the endothelium. Conclusions: Ocular injury occurred in 6.5% of cluster bomb victims and 67% of the patients with ocular injury sustained trauma to multiple organs. Visual morbidity in civilians is an additional reason for a global ban on the use of cluster bombs. PMID:22346132

  20. Time Variation of the Distance Separating Bomb and Dive Bomber Subsequent to Bomb Release

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mathews, Charles W.

    1952-01-01

    A study has been made of the variation of the distance separating bomb and aircraft with time after release as applied to dive-bombing operations, Separation distances determined from this study are presented in terms of two variables only, dive angle and maximum airplane accelerometer reading; the values of separation distance include the effects of delay in initiation of the pull-out and lag in attainment of the maximum normal acceleration.Contains analysis and calculations of the separation distances between bomb and dive bomber following bomb release, Separation distances as determined by the dive angle and the maximum airplane accelerometer reading are presented in a single chart.

  1. Bomb Cyclones Of The Western North Atlantic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Adams, Ryan E.

    "Bomb" cyclones represent a small subset of mid-latitude cyclones characterized by rapid intensification and frequently are associated with extreme weather conditions along the eastern coast of North America. Like other extreme phenomena, bomb cyclone predictions are prone to error leading to inadequate or untimely hazard warnings. The rare nature of bomb cyclones and the uniqueness of their evolutions has made it difficult for researchers to make meaningful generalizations on bomb cyclone events. This paper describes bomb cyclone climatology for the western North Atlantic, using data from the NCEP-NCAR Reanalysis for 1948-2016, and uses a synoptic climatological analysis to relate these bombs to their associated atmospheric environments. A self-organizing map (SOM) of 300-hPa geopotential height tendency is created to partition the regional atmospheric environment. Thermodynamic fields are contrasted by each 300-hPa geopotential height tendency pattern for both bomb and non-bomb events in composite difference maps. The SOM patterns most significantly associated with western North Atlantic bomb cyclogenesis are characterized by both strongly and weakly negative height tendencies along the eastern United States. In both cases, these patterns exhibit strong meridional flow, a distinction marked by the weakening and breaking down of the polar vortex in the boreal Winter. The composite maps for each pattern show the mean differences in low-mid level ascent and near surface thermodynamics for bomb environments contrasted with non-bomb environments, resulting in diverse spatiotemporal distributions of bombs in the western North Atlantic.

  2. The impact of the Oklahoma City bombing on children in the community.

    PubMed

    Pfefferbaum, B

    2001-12-01

    This study examined the influence of exposure on post-traumatic stress symptomatology in children following the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. Over 2,000 children were surveyed 7 weeks after the bombing. Initial reaction and emotional exposure were important predictors of post-traumatic stress symptomatology in the full sample. Children who reported no physical or emotional exposure had significantly lower scores than exposed children on television viewing, initial reaction, and post-traumatic stress symptomatology. Within the nonexposed group, those with high television exposure had significantly more post-traumatic stress symptoms. Children with strong initial reactions should be followed over time, and disaster-related television viewing should be carefully monitored.

  3. 42 CFR 81.10 - Use of cancer risk assessment models in NIOSH IREP.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... tables were developed from analyses of cancer mortality risk among the Japanese atomic bomb survivor... radiation and 33 cancers using morbidity data from the same Japanese atomic bomb survivor cohort. In the... under EEOICPA, which differ from the experiences of the Japanese atomic bomb survivor cohort. Changes...

  4. Are IRIS Bombs Connected to Ellerman Bombs?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tian, Hui; Xu, Zhi; He, Jiansen; Madsen, Chad

    2016-06-01

    Recent observations by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) have revealed pockets of hot gas (˜2-8 × 104 K) potentially resulting from magnetic reconnection in the partially ionized lower solar atmosphere (IRIS bombs; IBs). Using joint observations between IRIS and the Chinese New Vacuum Solar Telescope, we have identified 10 IBs. We find that 3 are unambiguously and 3 others are possibly connected to Ellerman bombs (EBs), which show intense brightening of the extended {{{H}}}α wings without leaving an obvious signature in the {{{H}}}α core. These bombs generally reveal the following distinct properties: (1) the O IV 1401.156 Å and 1399.774 Å lines are absent or very weak; (2) the Mn I 2795.640 Å line manifests as an absorption feature superimposed on the greatly enhanced Mg II k line wing; (3) the Mg II k and h lines show intense brightening in the wings and no dramatic enhancement in the cores; (4) chromospheric absorption lines such as Ni II 1393.330 Å and 1335.203 Å are very strong; and (5) the 1700 Å images obtained with the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory reveal intense and compact brightenings. These properties support the formation of these bombs in the photosphere, demonstrating that EBs can be heated much more efficiently than previously thought. We also demonstrate that the Mg II k and h lines can be used to investigate EBs similarly to {{{H}}}α , which opens a promising new window for EB studies. The remaining four IBs obviously have no connection to EBs and they do not have the properties mentioned above, suggesting a higher formation layer, possibly in the chromosphere.

  5. [A-bomb experience and Hibakushas' lives].

    PubMed

    Akiba, Tadatoshi

    2012-01-01

    The A-bomb experience of Hiroshima may shed light on the reconstruction plan of the Eastern Japan Earthquake and Tsunami and on implementing middle to long range care plans for the victims of the catastrophe. An important element in the success of Hiroshima's reconstruction was the understanding of the realities of everyday life of citizens and hibakusha by local and national government, and incorporation of those points of view into the reconstruction plan. Sharing of accurate and fair information about the disaster, restoration, and reconstruction with citizens was and still is a prerequisite for success. To convey learned lessons from the Hiroshima experience, three books are helpful: "A-bomb Mayor" by Shinzo Hamai, "The Meaning of Survival" compiled by the Chugoku Shimbun and "The Children of the A-bomb" compiled by Arata Osada. They help understand the history of hibakusha psychology from the point of view of their everyday lives and may help those affected by the Earthquake and Tsunami. To summarize the history of psychological changes among the hibakusha, three key transitional pairs of statements used widely by them over the span of 66 years help show the change in their attitude and emotional outlook. Each pair consists of an expression from the period immediately following the bombing and a second more recent expression: (1) Transition from "I would rather die." to "I am glad I am alive." (2) Transition from "I would rather forget." to "We should not forget." (3) Transition from "You will understand if you are a victim." to "No one else should ever suffer as we did".

  6. What Are the Radiation Risks from CT?

    MedlinePlus

    ... some of the Japanese survivors of the atomic bombs. These survivors, who are estimated to have experienced ... some of the Japanese survivors of the atomic bombs. These survivors, who are estimated to have experienced ...

  7. Wind-Tunnel Investigation of the Effects on the Aerodynamic Characteristics of Modifications to a Model of a Bomb Mounted on a Wing-Fuselage Model and to a Model of the Bomb Alone

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    King, Thomas J., Jr.

    1954-01-01

    An investigation was conducted in the Langley high-speed 7- by 10-foot tunnel to determine effects of modifications to a bomb model (particularly with regard to drag) when mounted on a wing-fuselage model and tested at Mach numbers from 0.70 to 1.10. In addition, the static longitudinal stability characteristics of several configurations of a larger scale model of the bomb alone were obtained over a Mach number range from 0.50 to 0.95. The results obtained for the wing-fuselage-bomb model indicate that large reductions in installation drag were obtained for the wing-fuselage-bomb model when the flat nose of the basic bomb was replaced by rounded or pointed noses of various calibers. Shortening the mounting pylon gave further decreases in the installation drag. The tests of the bomb alone indicated that only the flat-nose configurations were stable over the greater part of the Mach number range. Nose-shape modifications which improved the drag also caused the bombs to become unstable at low angles of attack. The stability of the low-drag bomb configurations could be improved by lengthening the cylindrical portion of the body behind the center of gravity.

  8. The role of exposure in posttraumatic stress in youths following the 1995 bombing.

    PubMed

    Pfefferbaum, B; Moore, V L; McDonald, N B; Maynard, B T; Gurwitch, R H; Nixon, S J

    1999-04-01

    This study investigated the relative impact of various forms of exposure to the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing in middle and high school students seven weeks after the incident. We assessed 3210 youths with an instrument that probed for physical, television, and emotional exposure to the bombing and subsequent posttraumatic stress symptomatology and television reactivity. The majority of youths were exposed through physical proximity--hearing and/or feeling the blast--and through television viewing. These types of exposure, as well as emotional exposure, constituted important variables in the development of posttraumatic stress symptoms and television reactivity. Youths with immediate family casualties were more symptomatic than those without.

  9. Korean atomic bomb victims.

    PubMed

    Sasamoto, Yukuo

    2009-01-01

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

  10. Signals for a promoting action of radiation in cancer incidence data.

    PubMed

    Heidenreich, W F

    2002-09-01

    The two-stage clonal expansion model allows us in principle to separate the initiating and promoting action of radiation. Features of the relative risk functions which indicate the action of promotion most clearly are identified for acute and for protracted exposures. They are compared with data: for acute exposure, some results of a preliminary analysis of the atomic-bomb survivor data are given; for protracted exposure, patterns in the fatal lung tumours of radon-exposed rats are discussed.

  11. Erectile Dysfunction in Male Survivors of Childhood Cancer-A Report From the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study.

    PubMed

    Ritenour, Chad W M; Seidel, Kristy D; Leisenring, Wendy; Mertens, Ann C; Wasilewski-Masker, Karen; Shnorhavorian, Margarett; Sklar, Charles A; Whitton, John A; Stovall, Marilyn; Constine, Louis S; Armstrong, Gregory T; Robison, Leslie L; Meacham, Lillian R

    2016-06-01

    With survival rates higher than 80%, the number of survivors from pediatric cancer continues to increase. Late effects resulting from cancer and cancer therapy are being characterized, but little information exists on sexual health for men who have survived childhood cancer. To assess erectile dysfunction (ED) in men who survived childhood and adolescent cancers and to identify potential risk factors for ED. In total, 1,622 men and 271 eligible brothers in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study cohort completed the Male Health Questionnaire, which provided information on sexual practices and sexual function. Combined with demographic, cancer, and treatment information from medical record abstraction, results of the Male Health Questionnaire were analyzed using multivariable modeling. The International Index of Erectile Function was used to identify ED in subjects. International Index of Erectile Function. Survivors (mean age = 37.4 years, SD = 7.3 years) reported significantly lower sexual activity in the year before the survey than the brothers (mean age = 38.8 years, SD = 8.5 years) without cancer. ED was reported by 12.3% (95% CI = 10.4-14.3) of survivors and 4.2% (95% CI = 2.0-7.9) of brothers. Survivors showed significantly higher relative risk (RR) for ED (RR = 2.63, 95% CI = 1.40-4.97). In addition to older age, survivors who were exposed to higher-dose (≥10 Gy) testicular radiation (RR = 3.55, 95% CI = 1.53-8.24), had surgery on the spinal cord or nerves (RR = 2.87, 95% CI = 1.36-6.05), prostate surgery (RR = 6.56, 95% CI = 3.84-11.20), or pelvic surgery (RR = 2.28, 95% CI = 1.04-4.98) were at higher risk for ED. Men who have survived childhood cancer have a greater than 2.6-fold increased risk for ED and certain cancer-specific treatments are associated with increased risk. Attention to sexual health, with its physical and emotional implications, and opportunities for early detection and intervention in these individuals could be important

  12. The concept and science process skills analysis in bomb calorimeter experiment as a foundation for the development of virtual laboratory of bomb calorimeter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kurniati, D. R.; Rohman, I.

    2018-05-01

    This study aims to analyze the concepts and science process skills in bomb calorimeter experiment as a basis for developing the virtual laboratory of bomb calorimeter. This study employed research and development method (R&D) to gain the answer to the proposed problems. This paper discussed the concepts and process skills analysis. The essential concepts and process skills associated with bomb calorimeter are analyze by optimizing the bomb calorimeter experiment. The concepts analysis found seven fundamental concepts to be concerned in developing the virtual laboratory that are internal energy, burning heat, perfect combustion, incomplete combustion, calorimeter constant, bomb calorimeter, and Black principle. Since the concept of bomb calorimeter, perfect and incomplete combustion created to figure out the real situation and contain controllable variables, in virtual the concepts displayed in the form of simulation. Meanwhile, the last four concepts presented in the form of animation because no variable found to be controlled. The process skills analysis detect four notable skills to be developed that are ability to observe, design experiment, interpretation, and communication skills.

  13. Modification of Acute Radiation Response in Different Demographic Age Groups

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-10-25

    17 5.3.1. Data from the atomic bomb survivors...different age groups. Limited data is available from the atomic bomb survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. However, supporting evidence of the...impact age-dependent survival rates. 5.3 Human Data 5.3.1. Data from the atomic bomb survivors Data collected by the Joint Commission for the

  14. Red China’s Capitalist Bomb: Inside the Chinese Neutron Bomb Program

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-01-01

    developed an enhanced radiation weapon (ERW) but did not deploy it. ERWs, better known as “ neutron bombs,” are specialized nuclear weapons with...contemporary systems of concern. An ERW is a specialized nuclear weapon optimized to produce prompt radiation. Such a device emits neutrons with high...Council stated that China mastered “in succession the neutron bomb design technology and the nuclear weapon miniaturization technology.”10 This statement

  15. Risk of breast cancer following low-dose radiation exposure

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Boice, J.D. Jr.; Land, C.E.; Shore, R.E.

    1979-06-01

    Risk of breast cancer following radiation exposure was studied, based on surveys of tuberculosis patients who had multiple fluoroscopic examinations of the chest, mastitis patients given radiotherapy, and atomic bomb survivors. Analysis suggests that the risk is greatest for persons exposed as adolescents, although exposure at all ages carries some risk. The dose-response relationship was consistent with linearity in all studies. Direct evidence of radiation risk at doses under 0.5 Gy (50 rad) is apparent among A-bomb survivors. Fractionation does not appear to diminish risk, nor does time since exposure (even after 45 years of observation). The interval between exposuremore » and the clinical appearance of radiogenic breast cancer may be mediated by hormonal or other age-related factors but is unrelated to dose. Age-specific absolute risk estimtes for all studies are remarkably similar. The best estimate of risk among American women exposed after age 20 is 6.6 excess cancers/10/sup 4/ WY-Gy (10/sup 6/ WY-rad).« less

  16. Automatic behavior sensing for a bomb-detecting dog

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nguyen, Hoa G.; Nans, Adam; Talke, Kurt; Candela, Paul; Everett, H. R.

    2015-05-01

    Bomb-detecting dogs are trained to detect explosives through their sense of smell and often perform a specific behavior to indicate a possible bomb detection. This behavior is noticed by the dog handler, who confirms the probable explosives, determines the location, and forwards the information to an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team. To improve the speed and accuracy of this process and better integrate it with the EOD team's robotic explosive disposal operation, SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific has designed and prototyped an electronic dog collar that automatically tracks the dog's location and attitude, detects the indicative behavior, and records the data. To account for the differences between dogs, a 5-minute training routine can be executed before the mission to establish initial values for the k-mean clustering algorithm that classifies a specific dog's behavior. The recorded data include GPS location of the suspected bomb, the path the dog took to approach this location, and a video clip covering the detection event. The dog handler reviews and confirms the data before it is packaged up and forwarded on to the EOD team. The EOD team uses the video clip to better identify the type of bomb and for awareness of the surrounding environment before they arrive at the scene. Before the robotic neutralization operation commences at the site, the location and path data (which are supplied in a format understandable by the next-generation EOD robots—the Advanced EOD Robotic System) can be loaded into the robotic controller to automatically guide the robot to the bomb site. This paper describes the project with emphasis on the dog-collar hardware, behavior-classification software, and feasibility testing.

  17. Nickel-63 production in copper samples exposed to the Hiroshima atomic bomb: estimation based on an excitation function obtained by neutron irradiation experiments.

    PubMed

    Takamiya, K; Imanaka, T; Ota, Y; Akamine, M; Shibata, S; Shibata, T; Ito, Y; Imamura, M; Uwamino, Y; Nogawa, N; Baba, M; Iwasaki, S; Matsuyama, S

    2008-07-01

    The upper and lower limits of the excitation function of the (63)Cu(n,p)(63)Ni reaction were experimentally determined, and the number of (63)Ni nuclei produced in copper samples exposed to atomic bomb neutrons in Hiroshima was estimated by using the experimental excitation functions and the neutron fluences given in the DS02 dosimetry system. The estimated number of (63)Ni nuclei was compared with that measured and with that calculated using the DS02 dosimetry system and the corresponding ENDF/B-VI cross section. In comparison with DS02, there is about a 60% maximum difference in (63)Ni production at the hypocenter when the experimental upper cross section values are used. The difference becomes smaller at greater distances from the hypocenter and decreases, for example, to less than 30 and 5% when using the upper and lower experimental cross sections at 1,000 m, respectively.

  18. Systems, Shocks and Time Bombs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Winder, Nick

    The following sections are included: * Introduction * Modelling strategies * Are time-bomb phenomena important? * Heuristic approaches to time-bomb phenomena * Three rational approaches to TBP * Two irrational approaches * Conclusions * References

  19. Right bundle branch block without overt heart disease predicts higher risk of pacemaker implantation: the study of atomic-bomb survivors.

    PubMed

    Kusumoto, Saburo; Kawano, Hiroaki; Makita, Naomasa; Ichimaru, Shinichiro; Kaku, Takashi; Haruta, Daisuke; Hida, Ayumi; Sera, Nobuko; Imaizumi, Misa; Nakashima, Eiji; Maemura, Koji; Akahoshi, Masazumi

    2014-06-01

    We investigated the clinical course of complete right bundle branch block (RBBB) or RBBB with axis deviation (AD) in terms of subsequent pacemaker implantation for high-degree atrioventricular (AV) block or sick sinus syndrome (SSS). Among the 16,170 atomic-bomb survivors in our biennial health examination between July 1967 and December 2010, we detected 520 newly-acquired RBBB subjects with no organic heart disease, and selected 1038 age- (at RBBB diagnosis) and sex-matched subjects without RBBB to serve as comparison subjects. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) for the risk of pacemaker implantation due to all causes, AV block or SSS between RBBB and comparison subjects and between RBBB subjects with and without AD. The risk of pacemaker implantation for RBBB was 4.79 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.89-12.58; P=0.001), 3.77 (95% CI, 1.09-13.07; P=0.036), and 6.28 (95% CI, 1.24-31.73, P=0.026) when implantation was for all causes, AV block and SSS, respectively. RBBB subjects with AD had a higher risk for all-cause pacemaker implantation than subjects without AD (HR, 3.03; 95% CI, 1.00-9.13, P=0.049). RBBB subjects with AD were younger than subjects without AD at the time of RBBB diagnosis (59.4±7.6 vs 74.4±3.1 years old, P=0.019), and their progression from diagnosis to pacemaker implantation took longer (15.1±6.6 vs 6.4±3.0 years, P=0.032). RBBB, especially with AD, progresses to AV block and SSS that requires pacemaker implantation; the mechanisms by which the conduction defect progresses differ among patients with and without AD. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Should We Let the Bomb Spread

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-11-01

    in national security policy formulation. iii v Strategic Studies Institute and U.S. Army War College Press SHOULD WE LET THE BOMB SPREAD? Henry D...the Bomb Don’t Think “More Is Better”..............25 W. Seth Carus 3. “At All Costs”: The Destructive Consequences of Anti-Proliferation Policy...In 1966, Leonard Beaton, a journalist and strategic scholar, published a short book that asked: Must the bomb spread?1 Mr. Beaton’s query

  1. Breast Cancer Risk in Childhood Cancer Survivors Without a History of Chest Radiotherapy: A Report From the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study

    PubMed Central

    Moskowitz, Chaya S.; Chou, Joanne F.; Bradbury, Angela R.; Neglia, Joseph Phillip; Dang, Chau T.; Onel, Kenan; Novetsky Friedman, Danielle; Bhatia, Smita; Strong, Louise C.; Stovall, Marilyn; Kenney, Lisa B.; Barnea, Dana; Lorenzi, Elena; Hammond, Sue; Leisenring, Wendy M.; Robison, Leslie L.; Armstrong, Gregory T.; Diller, Lisa R.; Oeffinger, Kevin C.

    2016-01-01

    Purpose Little is known about the breast cancer risk among childhood cancer survivors who did not receive chest radiotherapy. We sought to determine the magnitude of risk and associated risk factors for breast cancer among these women. Patients and Methods We evaluated cumulative breast cancer risk in 3,768 female childhood cancer survivors without a history of chest radiotherapy who were participants in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. Results With median follow up of 25.5 years (range, 8 to 39 years), 47 women developed breast cancer at a median age of 38.0 years (range, 22 to 47 years) and median of 24.0 years (range, 10 to 34 years) from primary cancer to breast cancer. A four-fold increased breast cancer risk (standardized incidence ratio [SIR] = 4.0; 95% CI, 3.0 to 5.3) was observed when compared with the general population. Risk was highest among sarcoma and leukemia survivors (SIR = 5.3; 95% CI, 3.6 to 7.8 and SIR = 4.1; 95% CI, 2.4 to 6.9, respectively). By the age of 45 years, the cumulative incidence of breast cancer in sarcoma and leukemia survivors was 5.8% (95% CI, 3.7 to 8.4) and 6.3% (95% CI, 3.0 to 11.3), respectively. No other primary cancer diagnosis was associated with an elevated risk. Alkylators and anthracyclines were associated with an increased breast cancer risk in a dose-dependent manner (P values from test for trend were both < .01). Conclusions Women not exposed to chest radiotherapy who survive childhood sarcoma or leukemia have an increased risk of breast cancer at a young age. The data suggest high-dose alkylator and anthracycline chemotherapy increase the risk of breast cancer. This may suggest a possible underlying gene-environment interaction that warrants further study. PMID:26700127

  2. Dissociative symptoms and amnesia in Dutch concentration camp survivors.

    PubMed

    Merckelbach, Harald; Dekkers, Theo; Wessel, Ineke; Roefs, Anne

    2003-01-01

    We examined to what extent dissociative phenomena in concentration camp survivors are related to post-traumatic stress symptoms. Self-reports of amnesia for traumatic war events and other dissociative experiences were studied in a sample of 31 Dutch survivors of World War II (WWII) Japanese concentration camps. Seventeen survivors treated for war-related psychiatric symptoms were compared to 14 concentration camp survivors who had no psychiatric diagnosis. Although survivors who received treatment scored significantly higher on the Impact of Event Scale and the Post-Traumatic Symptom Scale than control survivors, the two groups did not differ in terms of accessibility of war memories or dissociative experiences. Levels of post-traumatic stress symptoms were not significantly correlated with dissociative experiences. In both groups, reports of psychogenic amnesia for traumatic events were rare. Our results support previous studies demonstrating that post-traumatic stress symptoms are not necessarily accompanied by dissociative experiences. They also contradict the suggestion that amnesia is a common phenomenon in people who have been exposed to war atrocities. Copyright 2003, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.

  3. Lung, Laryngeal and Other Respiratory Cancer Incidence among Japanese Atomic Bomb Survivors: An Updated Analysis from 1958 through 2009

    DOE PAGES

    Cahoon, Elizabeth K.; Preston, Dale L.; Pierce, Donald A.; ...

    2017-03-21

    The Life Span Study (LSS) of Japanese atomic bomb survivors is comprised of a large, population-based cohort offering one of the best opportunities to study the relationship between exposure to radiation and incidence of respiratory cancers. Risks of lung, laryngeal and other cancers of the respiratory system were evaluated among 105,444 LSS subjects followed from 1958 to 2009. During this period, we identified 2,446 lung, 180 laryngeal and 115 other respiratory (trachea, mediastinum and other ill-defined sites) first primary incident cancer cases. Ten additional years of follow-up, improved radiation dose estimates, revised smoking data, and updated migration information were thenmore » used to investigate the joint effects of radiation and smoking using Poisson regression methods. For nonsmokers, the sexaveraged excess relative risk per Gy (ERR/Gy) for lung cancer (at age 70 after radiation exposure at age 30) was estimated as 0.81 (95% CI: 0.51, 1.18) with a female-to-male ratio of 2.83. There was no evidence of curvature in the radiation dose-response relationship overall or by sex. Lung cancer risks increased with pack-years of smoking and decreased with time since quitting smoking at any level of radiation exposure. Similar to the previously reported study, which followed cohort members through 1999, the ERR/Gy for lung cancer was significantly higher for low-to-moderate smokers than for heavy smokers, with little evidence of any radiation-associated excess risk in heavy smokers. Of 2,446 lung cancer cases, 113 (5%) could be attributed to radiation exposure. Of the 1,165 lung cancer cases occurring among smokers, 886 (76%) could be attributed to smoking. While there was little evidence of a radiation effect for laryngeal cancer, a nonsignificantly elevated risk of other respiratory cancers was observed. However, significant smoking effects were observed for both laryngeal (ERR per 50 pack-years ¼ 23.57; 95% CI: 8.44, 71.05) and other respiratory cancers

  4. Lung, Laryngeal and Other Respiratory Cancer Incidence among Japanese Atomic Bomb Survivors: An Updated Analysis from 1958 through 2009

    PubMed Central

    Cahoon, Elizabeth K.; Preston, Dale L.; Pierce, Donald A.; Grant, Eric; Brenner, Alina V.; Mabuchi, Kiyohiko; Utada, Mai; Ozasa, Kotaro

    2017-01-01

    The Life Span Study (LSS) of Japanese atomic bomb survivors is comprised of a large, population-based cohort offering one of the best opportunities to study the relationship between exposure to radiation and incidence of respiratory cancers. Risks of lung, laryngeal and other cancers of the respiratory system were evaluated among 105,444 LSS subjects followed from 1958 to 2009. During this period, we identified 2,446 lung, 180 laryngeal and 115 other respiratory (trachea, mediastinum and other ill-defined sites) first primary incident cancer cases. Ten additional years of follow-up, improved radiation dose estimates, revised smoking data, and updated migration information were used to investigate the joint effects of radiation and smoking using Poisson regression methods. For nonsmokers, the sex-averaged excess relative risk per Gy (ERR/Gy) for lung cancer (at age 70 after radiation exposure at age 30) was estimated as 0.81 (95% CI: 0.51, 1.18) with a female-to-male ratio of 2.83. There was no evidence of curvature in the radiation dose-response relationship overall or by sex. Lung cancer risks increased with pack-years of smoking and decreased with time since quitting smoking at any level of radiation exposure. Similar to the previously reported study, which followed cohort members through 1999, the ERR/Gy for lung cancer was significantly higher for low-to-moderate smokers than for heavy smokers, with little evidence of any radiation-associated excess risk in heavy smokers. Of 2,446 lung cancer cases, 113 (5%) could be attributed to radiation exposure. Of the 1,165 lung cancer cases occurring among smokers, 886 (76%) could be attributed to smoking. While there was little evidence of a radiation effect for laryngeal cancer, a nonsignificantly elevated risk of other respiratory cancers was observed. However, significant smoking effects were observed for both laryngeal (ERR per 50 pack-years = 23.57; 95% CI: 8.44, 71.05) and other respiratory cancers (ERR per 50

  5. Lung, Laryngeal and Other Respiratory Cancer Incidence among Japanese Atomic Bomb Survivors: An Updated Analysis from 1958 through 2009.

    PubMed

    Cahoon, Elizabeth K; Preston, Dale L; Pierce, Donald A; Grant, Eric; Brenner, Alina V; Mabuchi, Kiyohiko; Utada, Mai; Ozasa, Kotaro

    2017-05-01

    The Life Span Study (LSS) of Japanese atomic bomb survivors is comprised of a large, population-based cohort offering one of the best opportunities to study the relationship between exposure to radiation and incidence of respiratory cancers. Risks of lung, laryngeal and other cancers of the respiratory system were evaluated among 105,444 LSS subjects followed from 1958 to 2009. During this period, we identified 2,446 lung, 180 laryngeal and 115 other respiratory (trachea, mediastinum and other ill-defined sites) first primary incident cancer cases. Ten additional years of follow-up, improved radiation dose estimates, revised smoking data, and updated migration information were used to investigate the joint effects of radiation and smoking using Poisson regression methods. For nonsmokers, the sex-averaged excess relative risk per Gy (ERR/Gy) for lung cancer (at age 70 after radiation exposure at age 30) was estimated as 0.81 (95% CI: 0.51, 1.18) with a female-to-male ratio of 2.83. There was no evidence of curvature in the radiation dose-response relationship overall or by sex. Lung cancer risks increased with pack-years of smoking and decreased with time since quitting smoking at any level of radiation exposure. Similar to the previously reported study, which followed cohort members through 1999, the ERR/Gy for lung cancer was significantly higher for low-to-moderate smokers than for heavy smokers, with little evidence of any radiation-associated excess risk in heavy smokers. Of 2,446 lung cancer cases, 113 (5%) could be attributed to radiation exposure. Of the 1,165 lung cancer cases occurring among smokers, 886 (76%) could be attributed to smoking. While there was little evidence of a radiation effect for laryngeal cancer, a nonsignificantly elevated risk of other respiratory cancers was observed. However, significant smoking effects were observed for both laryngeal (ERR per 50 pack-years = 23.57; 95% CI: 8.44, 71.05) and other respiratory cancers (ERR per 50

  6. Lung, Laryngeal and Other Respiratory Cancer Incidence among Japanese Atomic Bomb Survivors: An Updated Analysis from 1958 through 2009

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cahoon, Elizabeth K.; Preston, Dale L.; Pierce, Donald A.

    The Life Span Study (LSS) of Japanese atomic bomb survivors is comprised of a large, population-based cohort offering one of the best opportunities to study the relationship between exposure to radiation and incidence of respiratory cancers. Risks of lung, laryngeal and other cancers of the respiratory system were evaluated among 105,444 LSS subjects followed from 1958 to 2009. During this period, we identified 2,446 lung, 180 laryngeal and 115 other respiratory (trachea, mediastinum and other ill-defined sites) first primary incident cancer cases. Ten additional years of follow-up, improved radiation dose estimates, revised smoking data, and updated migration information were thenmore » used to investigate the joint effects of radiation and smoking using Poisson regression methods. For nonsmokers, the sexaveraged excess relative risk per Gy (ERR/Gy) for lung cancer (at age 70 after radiation exposure at age 30) was estimated as 0.81 (95% CI: 0.51, 1.18) with a female-to-male ratio of 2.83. There was no evidence of curvature in the radiation dose-response relationship overall or by sex. Lung cancer risks increased with pack-years of smoking and decreased with time since quitting smoking at any level of radiation exposure. Similar to the previously reported study, which followed cohort members through 1999, the ERR/Gy for lung cancer was significantly higher for low-to-moderate smokers than for heavy smokers, with little evidence of any radiation-associated excess risk in heavy smokers. Of 2,446 lung cancer cases, 113 (5%) could be attributed to radiation exposure. Of the 1,165 lung cancer cases occurring among smokers, 886 (76%) could be attributed to smoking. While there was little evidence of a radiation effect for laryngeal cancer, a nonsignificantly elevated risk of other respiratory cancers was observed. However, significant smoking effects were observed for both laryngeal (ERR per 50 pack-years ¼ 23.57; 95% CI: 8.44, 71.05) and other respiratory cancers

  7. Incidence of salivary gland tumors among atomic bomb survivors, 1950-1987. Evaluation of radiation-related risk

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Land, C.E.; Saku, Takashi; Tokuoka, Shoji

    1996-07-01

    A wide-ranging seach for benign and malignant tumors of the major and minor salivary glands among members of the Life Span Study sample of the Radiation Effects Research Foundation identified 41 malignant and 94 benign incident tumors, including 14 malignant and 12 benign tumors of the minor salivary gland, plus 10 major gland tumors of unknown behavior. Dose-response analyses found statistically significant increases in risk with increasing A-bomb dose for both cancer and benign tumors. Estimated relative risks at 1 Sv weighted tissue kerma (RR{sub 1}Sv, with 90% confidence interval in parentheses) were 4.5 (2.5-8.5) for cancer and 1.7 (1.1-2.7)more » for benign tumors. When analyzed by histological subtype within these two broad groups, it appeared that most of the dose response for malignant tumors was provided by an exceptionally strong dose response for mucoepidermoid carcinoma [11 exposed cases with dose estimates, RR{sub 1Sv} - 9.3 (3.5-30.6)], and most or all of that for benign tumors corresponded to Warthin`s tumor [12 cases, RR{sub 1Sv} = 4.1 (1.6-11.3)]. There was a marginal dose response for malignant tumors other than mucoepidermoid carcinoma [RR{sub 1Sv} = 2.4 (0.99-5.7)] but no significant trend for benign tumors other than Warthin`s tumor [RR{sub 1Sv} = 1.3 (0.9-2.2)]. Re-examination of the original data from published studies of other irradiated populations may shed new light on the remarkable type specificity of the salivary tumor dose response observed in the present study. 33 refs., 3 figs., 7 tabs.« less

  8. Lessons from the first two years of Project Heartland, Oklahoma's mental health response to the 1995 bombing.

    PubMed

    Call, J A; Pfefferbaum, B

    1999-07-01

    On April 19, 1995, a terrorist bombing in Oklahoma City killed 168 people and injured 853 others. The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services was the lead agency in crafting a community mental health response to reduce impairment of those affected. The Project Heartland program, which opened on May 15, 1995, was the first community mental health program in the U.S. designed to intervene in the short to medium term with survivors of a major terrorist event. The authors describe lessons learned in the areas of planning and service delivery, as well as the types and extent of services provided in the project's first two years.

  9. Air pollution taking an intercontinental express highway in a bomb

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stohl, A.; Huntrieser, H.; Richter, A.; Beirle, S.; Cooper, O.; Eckhardt, S.; Forster, C.; James, P.; Spichtinger, N.; Wagner, T.

    2003-04-01

    Intercontinental transport (ICT) of trace substances normally occurs on timescales ranging from a few days to several weeks. In this paper we present an extraordinary episode, where pollution transport from North America to Europe took only one day. The transport mechanism in this case was exceptional, as it involved an explosively generated cyclone, a so-called meteorological bomb. To our knowledge, this is the first study describing pollution transport in a bomb. The discovery of this event was based on transport model calculations and satellite measurements of NO_2, a species with a relatively short lifetime in the atmosphere, which could be transported that far only because of the high wind speeds produced by the bomb. Since about 50 bomb events per year occur in the Northern Hemisphere, most of them downstream of Asia and North America, there is possibly some climatological relevance of this transport mechanism for the global re-distribution of air pollution, particularly of short-lived species.

  10. Memory performance in Holocaust survivors with posttraumatic stress disorder.

    PubMed

    Golier, Julia A; Yehuda, Rachel; Lupien, Sonia J; Harvey, Philip D; Grossman, Robert; Elkin, Abbie

    2002-10-01

    The authors evaluated memory performance in Holocaust survivors and its association with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and age. Memory performance was measured in Holocaust survivors with PTSD (N=31) and without PTSD (N=16) and healthy Jewish adults not exposed to the Holocaust (N=35). Explicit and implicit memory were measured by paired-associate recall and word stem completion, respectively. The groups did not differ by age or gender, but the survivors with PTSD had significantly fewer years of education and had lower estimated IQs than the survivors without PTSD and the nonexposed group. There was a significant overall group effect for paired-associate recall but not word stem completion. The survivors with PTSD recalled fewer semantically unrelated words than did the survivors without PTSD and the nonexposed group and fewer semantically related words than the nonexposed group. Of the survivors with PTSD, 36% performed at a level indicative of frank cognitive impairment. Older age was significantly associated with poorer paired-associate recall in the survivors with PTSD but not in the other two groups. Markedly poorer explicit but not implicit memory was found in Holocaust survivors with PTSD, which may be a consequence of or a risk factor for chronic PTSD. Accelerated memory decline is one of several explanations for the significantly greater association of older age with poorer explicit memory in survivors with PTSD, which, if present, could increase the cognitive burden of this illness with aging.

  11. High frequency of AML1/RUNX1 point mutations in radiation-associated myelodysplastic syndrome around Semipalatinsk nuclear test site.

    PubMed

    Zharlyganova, Dinara; Harada, Hironori; Harada, Yuka; Shinkarev, Sergey; Zhumadilov, Zhaxybay; Zhunusova, Aigul; Tchaizhunusova, Naylya J; Apsalikov, Kazbek N; Kemaikin, Vadim; Zhumadilov, Kassym; Kawano, Noriyuki; Kimura, Akiro; Hoshi, Masaharu

    2008-09-01

    It is known that bone marrow is a sensitive organ to ionizing radiation, and many patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) have been diagnosed in radiation-treated cases and atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The AML1/RUNX1 gene has been known to be frequently mutated in MDS/AML patients among atomic bomb survivors and radiation therapy-related MDS/AML patients. In this study, we investigated the AML1 mutations in radiation-exposed patients with MDS/AML among the residents near the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site (SNTS), where the risk of solid cancers and leukemias was increased due to the radiation effects. AML1 mutations were identified in 7 (39%) of 18 radiation-exposed MDS/AML patients. In contrast, no AML1 mutation was found in 13 unexposed MDS/AML cases. The frequency of AML1 mutations in radiation-exposed patients with MDS/AML was significantly higher compared with unexposed patients (p < 0.05).We also found a significant correlation between individual estimated doses and AML1 mutations (p < 0.05). Considering these results, AML1 point mutations might be a useful biomarker that differentiates radio-induced MDS/AML from spontaneous MDS/AML.

  12. One-year vestibular and balance outcomes of Oklahoma City bombing survivors.

    PubMed

    Van Campen, L E; Dennis, J M; King, S B; Hanlin, R C; Velderman, A M

    1999-10-01

    This multisite investigation assessed subjective, behavioral, and objective balance function in 30 blast survivors. Subjects with vertigo, dizziness, or imbalance were screened (n = 6) or evaluated (n = 27) during 1 year. Tests included a questionnaire, electronystagmography (ENG), and computerized dynamic posturography (CDP). Ninety-seven percent of subjects were located inside a building during the blast, and 63 percent of subjects experienced dysequilibrium within 48 hours. Forty-three percent of symptoms could not be attributed to head injury. Sixty percent of subjects had abnormal ENG and/or CDP; ENG abnormalities mostly were peripheral or nonlocalizing, whereas CDP patterns were "vestibular," "surface dependent," and "physiologically inconsistent." At 1-year postblast, 55 percent of initially abnormal CDP results were normal, and 72 percent of subjects said symptoms were unchanged or occurred intermittently. A serial, test battery approach is recommended to assess symptoms. Blast-related dysequilibrium had clinically significant manifestations and should be considered a valid component of aural blast injury.

  13. Researching the Oklahoma City bombing.

    PubMed

    Piotrowski, C; Perdue, B

    1995-12-01

    The authors present a literature retrieval strategy for investigators who plan to conduct research on the Oklahoma City bombing. To facilitate a comprehensive review of the scholarly research on disasters, mass emergencies, and terrorism, a multidatabase search strategy is strongly encouraged. Secondly, a wealth of current information and data on the bombing are available on "popular" and "news" files.

  14. Triggering soft bombs at the LHC

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Knapen, Simon; Griso, Simone Pagan; Papucci, Michele; Robinson, Dean J.

    2017-08-01

    Very high multiplicity, spherically-symmetric distributions of soft particles, with p T ˜ few×100 MeV, may be a signature of strongly-coupled hidden valleys that exhibit long, efficient showering windows. With traditional triggers, such `soft bomb' events closely resemble pile-up and are therefore only recorded with minimum bias triggers at a very low efficiency. We demonstrate a proof-of-concept for a high-level triggering strategy that efficiently separates soft bombs from pile-up by searching for a `belt of fire': a high density band of hits on the innermost layer of the tracker. Seeding our proposed high-level trigger with existing jet, missing transverse energy or lepton hardware-level triggers, we show that net trigger efficiencies of order 10% are possible for bombs of mass several × 100 GeV. We also consider the special case that soft bombs are the result of an exotic decay of the 125 GeV Higgs. The fiducial rate for `Higgs bombs' triggered in this manner is marginally higher than the rate achievable by triggering directly on a hard muon from associated Higgs production.

  15. Atmospheric rivers and bombs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhu, Yong; Newell, Reginald E.

    1994-09-01

    Filamentary structure is a common feature of atmospheric water vapor transport; the filaments may be termed “atmospheric rivers” because some carry as much water as the Amazon [Newell et al., 1992]. An extratropical cyclone whose central pressure fall averages at least 1 hPa hr-1 for 24 hours is known in meteorology as a “bomb” [Sanders and Gyakum, 1980]. We report here an association between rivers and bombs. When a cyclonic system is penetrated by a river, the cyclonic center moves to be close to the position occupied by the leading edge of the river twelve hours previously and the central pressure falls. If the river then moves away from the cyclone, the central pressure rises. Based on a pilot study of pressure fall and water vapor flux convergence for two winter months, the cause of the explosive deepening appears to be latent heat liberation. This is substantiated by composite maps of seven Atlantic and seven Pacific bombs which show that the flux convergence near the bomb center has a comma cloud signature. The observed association may be useful in forecasting 12-hour direction of motion and pressure change of rapidly developing cyclonic systems; the incorporation of better moisture data into numerical forecasting models may be the reason for the reported increase of skill in the prediction of bombs in recent years.

  16. Mental health status of World Trade Center tower survivors compared to other survivors a decade after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

    PubMed

    Gargano, Lisa M; Nguyen, Angela; DiGrande, Laura; Brackbill, Robert M

    2016-09-01

    Studies of individuals directly exposed to the World Trade Center (WTC) terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 have found increased risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and binge drinking (BD). No long-term studies have been conducted on one highly exposed group, WTC tower evacuees. The study sample included 7,695 adult civilians in the WTC Health Registry. Logistic regression was used to examine the odds of PTSD and BD in 1,946 towers evacuees compared to 5,749 others in nearby buildings or on the street. WTC tower survivors were at increased risk for PTSD and BD compared to the others. Infrastructure and behavioral barriers experienced during evacuation were significantly associated with PTSD. WTC tower evacuees are at increased risk for PTSD and BD. Understanding the effects of disaster-related evacuation barriers on the long-term mental health status of survivors can help in the planning of continuing post-disaster treatment. Am. J. Ind. Med. 59:742-751, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  17. Seismogram offers insight into Oklahoma City bombing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Holzer, Thomas L.; Fletcher, Joe B.; Fuis, Gary S.; Ryberg, Trond; Brocher, Thomas M.; Dietel, Christopher M.

    The terrorist bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995, generated seismic waves that were recorded on two permanent seismographs about 7 and 26 km away from the bombing. The seismogram recorded at 26 km shows two low-frequency wave trains, discrete sets of oscillatory signals, that begin about 10 s apart. Public release of this record prompted speculation that each wave train was caused by a different energy source. On May 23, 1995, the U.S. Geological Survey monitored the demolition of the bomb-ravaged Federal Building with portable seismographs (Figure 1). Two wave trains were picked up again. The recordings indicate that the wave trains during both the bombing and demolition represent seismic waves traveling at different velocities. We conclude that the two wave trains recorded during the bombing are consistent with a single impulsive energy source.

  18. Physiologic reactivity despite emotional resilience several years after direct exposure to terrorism.

    PubMed

    Tucker, Phebe M; Pfefferbaum, Betty; North, Carol S; Kent, Adrian; Burgin, Christie E; Parker, Don E; Hossain, Akm; Jeon-Slaughter, Haekyung; Trautman, Richard P

    2007-02-01

    Six and a half to 7 years after the 1995 terrorist bombing in Oklahoma City, the authors assessed autonomic reactivity to trauma reminders and psychiatric symptoms in adults who had some degree of direct exposure to the blast. Sixty survivors who were listed in a state health department registry of persons exposed to the bombing and 60 age- and gender-matched members of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area community were assessed for symptoms of PTSD and depression and for axis I diagnoses. Heart rate and systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressures were measured before, during, and after bombing-related interviews. The two groups were compared on both psychometric and physiologic assessments. Posttraumatic stress but not depressive symptoms were significantly more prevalent in the survivor group than in the comparison group, although symptoms were below levels considered clinically relevant. Despite apparent emotional resilience or recovery, blast survivors had significantly greater autonomic reactivity to trauma reminders on all measures than comparison subjects. The results suggest that physiologic assessment may capture long-term effects of terrorism that are not identified by psychometric instruments. The consequences of autonomic reactivity despite emotional resilience years after experiencing trauma are unknown but theoretically could range from facilitating a protective vigilance toward future disasters to more maladaptive avoidance behaviors, somatic symptoms, or medical problems.

  19. Medical Effects of a Transuranic "Dirty Bomb".

    PubMed

    Durakovic, Asaf

    2017-03-01

    The modern military battlefields are characterized by the use of nonconventional weapons such as encountered in the conflicts of the Gulf War I and Gulf War II. Recent warfare in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Balkans has introduced radioactive weapons to the modern war zone scenarios. This presents the military medicine with a new area of radioactive warfare with the potential large scale contamination of military and civilian targets with the variety of radioactive isotopes further enhanced by the clandestine use of radioactive materials in the terrorist radioactive warfare. Radioactive dispersal devices (RDDs), including the "dirty bomb," involve the use of organotropic radioisotopes such as iodine 131, cesium 137, strontium 90, and transuranic elements. Some of the current studies of RDDs involve large-scale medical effects, social and economic disruption of the society, logistics of casualty management, cleanup, and transportation preparedness, still insufficiently addressed by the environmental and mass casualty medicine. The consequences of a dirty bomb, particularly in the terrorist use in urban areas, are a subject of international studies of multiple agencies involved in the management of disaster medicine. The long-term somatic and genetic impact of some from among over 400 radioisotopes released in the nuclear fission include somatic and transgenerational genetic effects with the potential challenges of the genomic stability of the biosphere. The global contamination is additionally heightened by the presence of transuranic elements in the modern warzone, including depleted uranium recently found to contain plutonium 239, possibly the most dangerous substance known to man with one pound of plutonium capable of causing 8 billion cancers. The planning for the consequences of radioactive dirty bomb are being currently studied in reference to the alkaline earths, osteotropic, and stem cell hazards of internally deposited radioactive isotopes, in particular

  20. Effects of IL-10 haplotype and atomic bomb radiation exposure on gastric cancer risk.

    PubMed

    Hayashi, Tomonori; Ito, Reiko; Cologne, John; Maki, Mayumi; Morishita, Yukari; Nagamura, Hiroko; Sasaki, Keiko; Hayashi, Ikue; Imai, Kazue; Yoshida, Kengo; Kajimura, Junko; Kyoizumi, Seishi; Kusunoki, Yoichiro; Ohishi, Waka; Fujiwara, Saeko; Akahoshi, Masazumi; Nakachi, Kei

    2013-07-01

    Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the cancers that reveal increased risk of mortality and incidence in atomic bomb survivors. The incidence of gastric cancer in the Life Span Study cohort of the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF) increased with radiation dose (gender-averaged excess relative risk per Gy = 0.28) and remains high more than 65 years after exposure. To assess a possible role of gene-environment interaction, we examined the dose response for gastric cancer incidence based on immunosuppression-related IL-10 genotype, in a cohort study with 200 cancer cases (93 intestinal, 96 diffuse and 11 other types) among 4,690 atomic bomb survivors participating in an immunological substudy. Using a single haplotype block composed of four haplotype-tagging SNPs (comprising the major haplotype allele IL-10-ATTA and the minor haplotype allele IL-10-GGCG, which are categorized by IL-10 polymorphisms at -819A>G and -592T>G, +1177T>C and +1589A>G), multiplicative and additive models for joint effects of radiation and this IL-10 haplotyping were examined. The IL-10 minor haplotype allele(s) was a risk factor for intestinal type gastric cancer but not for diffuse type gastric cancer. Radiation was not associated with intestinal type gastric cancer. In diffuse type gastric cancer, the haplotype-specific excess relative risk (ERR) for radiation was statistically significant only in the major homozygote category of IL-10 (ERR = 0.46/Gy, P = 0.037), whereas estimated ERR for radiation with the minor IL-10 homozygotes was close to 0 and nonsignificant. Thus, the minor IL-10 haplotype might act to reduce the radiation related risk of diffuse-type gastric cancer. The results suggest that this IL-10 haplotyping might be involved in development of radiation-associated gastric cancer of the diffuse type, and that IL-10 haplotypes may explain individual differences in the radiation-related risk of gastric cancer. © 2013 by Radiation Research Society

  1. Dietary quality, caloric intake, and adiposity of childhood cancer survivors and their siblings: an analysis from the cardiac risk factors in childhood cancer survivors study.

    PubMed

    Landy, David C; Lipsitz, Stuart R; Kurtz, Joy M; Hinkle, Andrea S; Constine, Louis S; Adams, M Jacob; Lipshultz, Steven E; Miller, Tracie L

    2013-01-01

    Childhood cancer survivors are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, in part because of adiposity. Whether survivors have healthy diets and whether dietary quality is associated with adiposity among survivors are not known. Survivors and siblings from the Cardiac Risk Factors in Childhood Cancer Survivors Study completed 3-day food records that were used to estimate daily caloric intake relative to recommended and dietary quality using the Healthy Eating Index-2005 (HEI). Medical records were reviewed for cancer therapies. Body composition was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Of 91 childhood cancer survivors and 30 sibling controls, there were no marked differences in mean daily caloric intakes (98% vs. 100% of recommended) or HEI total scores (55.5 vs. 53.3), respectively, with both groups scoring worst for the consumption of dark green vegetables and whole grains. Survivors exposed to cranial irradiation had lower total HEI scores (-6.4, P = 0.01). Among survivors, better dietary quality, as reflected by the total HEI score, was associated with decreasing percent body fat (β = -0.19, P = 0.04). Survivors consume diets similar to their siblings although these diets are only moderately adherent to current guidelines. Decreased dietary quality is associated with higher body fat and receipt of cranial irradiation in survivors.

  2. A Review of Non-Cancer Effects, Especially Circulatory and Ocular Diseases1

    PubMed Central

    Little, Mark P.

    2014-01-01

    There is a well-established association between high doses (> 5 Gy) of ionizing radiation exposure and damage to the heart and coronary arteries, although only recently have studies with high quality individual dosimetry been conducted that would enable quantification of this risk adjusting for concomitant chemotherapy. The association between lower dose exposures and late occurring circulatory disease has only recently begun to emerge in the Japanese atomic bomb survivors and in various occupationally-exposed cohorts, and is still controversial. Excess relative risks per unit dose in moderate and low dose epidemiological studies are somewhat variable, possibly a result of confounding and effect modification by well known (but unobserved) risk factors. Radiation doses of 1 Gy or more are associated with increased risk of posterior subcapsular cataract. Accumulating evidence from the Japanese atomic bomb survivors, Chernobyl liquidators, US astronauts and various other exposed groups suggest that cortical cataracts may also be associated with ionizing radiation, although there is little evidence that nuclear cataracts are radiogenic. The dose response appears to be linear, although modest thresholds (of no more than about 0.6 Gy) cannot be ruled out. A variety of other non-malignant effects have been observed after moderate/low dose exposure in various groups, in particular respiratory and digestive disease and central nervous system (and in particular neuro-cognitive) damage. However, because these are generally only observed in isolated groups, or because the evidence is excessively heterogeneous, these associations must be treated with caution. PMID:23903347

  3. Determination of specific activity of cobalt (60Co/Co) in steel samples exposed to the atomic bomb in Hiroshima.

    PubMed

    Kimura, T; Takano, N; Iba, T; Fujita, S; Watanabe, T; Maruyama, T; Hamada, T

    1990-06-01

    Specific activity 60Co/Co in two steel samples taken at 687m S and 1295m NNW from the hypocenter was measured by gamma-ray spectrometry and neutron activation analysis. The results were, respectively, (2.64 +/- 0.38) x 10(1) and (3.09 +/- 0.48) x 10(-1) dpm/mg Co at the time of bombing, which are consistent with previous data by Hashizume et al. for steel rings on the surface of roofs of buildings. The present data are expected to serve as verification of the bomb neutron transport calculations. Content of nickel and copper in the samples, determined by colorimetric and neutron activation methods, respectively, was too small to account for any significant 60Co production by the (n,p) and (n, alpha) reactions.

  4. Higher prevalence of osteoporosis among female Holocaust survivors.

    PubMed

    Marcus, E-L; Menczel, J

    2007-11-01

    The prevalence of osteoporosis was statistically significantly higher among female Holocaust survivors than among those who were not exposed to the Holocaust. These findings support the importance of nutrition and environmental conditions during childhood and adolescence on BMD in older adults. Holocaust survivors during childhood and adolescence experienced undernutrition and lack of exercise and sunlight. The study aimed to establish if Holocaust survivors have higher prevalence of osteoporosis than subjects who were not Holocaust survivors. Seventy-three female Jewish Holocaust survivors > or = 60 years old and 60 female European-born Jews > or =60 years old who were not in the Holocaust were examined. BMD was measured using DXA of the lumbar spine and hips. The Cochran-Armitage trend test was used to test for an increasing trend in decreased BMD in the Holocaust survivors versus controls. Among Holocaust survivors 54.8% had osteoporosis, 39.7% osteopenia, and 5.5% normal BMD, whereas among controls 25.0% had osteoporosis, 55.0% osteopenia, and 20.0% normal BMD (p = 0.0001). In those who were <17 years old in 1945, among Holocaust survivors 58.0% had osteoporosis, 34.0% osteopenia, and 8.0% normal BMD, whereas among controls 20.0% had osteoporosis, 57.8% osteopenia, and 22.2% normal BMD (p = 0.0003). In those > or =17 years old in 1945, among Holocaust survivors 47.8% had osteoporosis, 52.2% osteopenia and none had normal BMD, whereas among controls 40.0% had osteoporosis, 46.7% osteopenia, and 13.3% normal BMD (p = 0.28). The prevalence of osteoporosis was significantly higher among Holocaust survivors.

  5. Cancer risk above 1 Gy and the impact for space radiation protection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schneider, Uwe; Walsh, Linda

    2009-07-01

    Analyses of the epidemiological data on the Japanese A-bomb survivors, who were exposed to γ-rays and neutrons, provide most current information on the dose-response of radiation-induced cancer. Since the dose span of main interest is usually between 0 and 1 Gy, for radiation protection purposes, the analysis of the A-bomb survivors is often focused on this range. However, estimates of cancer risk for doses larger than 1 Gy are becoming more important for long-term manned space missions. Therefore in this work, emphasis is placed on doses larger than 1 Gy with respect to radiation-induced solid cancer and leukemia mortality. The present analysis of the A-bomb survivors data was extended by including two extra high-dose categories and applying organ-averaged dose instead of the colon-weighted dose. In addition, since there are some recent indications for a high neutron dose contribution, the data were fitted separately for three different values for the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of the neutrons (10, 35 and 100) and a variable RBE as a function of dose. The data were fitted using a linear and a linear-exponential dose-response relationship using a dose and dose-rate effectiveness factor (DDREF) of both one and two. The work presented here implies that the use of organ-averaged dose, a dose-dependent neutron RBE and the bending-over of the dose-response relationship for radiation-induced cancer could result in a reduction of radiation risk by around 50% above 1 Gy. This could impact radiation risk estimates for space crews on long-term mission above 500 days who might be exposed to doses above 1 Gy. The consequence of using a DDREF of one instead of two increases cancer risk by about 40% and would therefore balance the risk decrease described above.

  6. Do non-targeted effects increase or decrease low dose risk in relation to the linear-non-threshold (LNT) model?☆

    PubMed Central

    Little, M.P.

    2011-01-01

    In this paper we review the evidence for departure from linearity for malignant and non-malignant disease and in the light of this assess likely mechanisms, and in particular the potential role for non-targeted effects. Excess cancer risks observed in the Japanese atomic bomb survivors and in many medically and occupationally exposed groups exposed at low or moderate doses are generally statistically compatible. For most cancer sites the dose–response in these groups is compatible with linearity over the range observed. The available data on biological mechanisms do not provide general support for the idea of a low dose threshold or hormesis. This large body of evidence does not suggest, indeed is not statistically compatible with, any very large threshold in dose for cancer, or with possible hormetic effects, and there is little evidence of the sorts of non-linearity in response implied by non-DNA-targeted effects. There are also excess risks of various types of non-malignant disease in the Japanese atomic bomb survivors and in other groups. In particular, elevated risks of cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease and digestive disease are observed in the A-bomb data. In contrast with cancer, there is much less consistency in the patterns of risk between the various exposed groups; for example, radiation-associated respiratory and digestive diseases have not been seen in these other (non-A-bomb) groups. Cardiovascular risks have been seen in many exposed populations, particularly in medically exposed groups, but in contrast with cancer there is much less consistency in risk between studies: risks per unit dose in epidemiological studies vary over at least two orders of magnitude, possibly a result of confounding and effect modification by well known (but unobserved) risk factors. In the absence of a convincing mechanistic explanation of epidemiological evidence that is, at present, less than persuasive, a cause-and-effect interpretation of the reported

  7. Selenium impacts on fish: an insidious time bomb

    Treesearch

    A. Dennis Lemly

    1999-01-01

    A selenium time bomb situation is developing in the United States and elsewhere that may result in substantial impacts on fish populations. The selenium time bomb has three components: (1) high food-chain bioaccumulation; (2) steep toxic response curve for fish; and (3) insidious mode of toxicity. If the threshold for selenium toxicity is exceeded, the time bomb...

  8. Yale and the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission.

    PubMed Central

    Bowers, J. Z.

    1983-01-01

    This is a description, based largely on personal discussions, of the contributions of men from the Yale University School of Medicine to the saga of the immediate and long-term studies on the medical effects of the atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They played key roles in the immediate studies of bomb effects, in the creation of long-term studies of delayed effects, and in elevating the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission after 1955 to a position of excellence in its studies and relations with the Japanese. The accumulation of the information presented in this paper derives from research for the preparation of the history of the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission. In 1975, the commission was passed to Japanese leadership as the Radiation Effects Research Foundation. PMID:6349145

  9. The mental health and psychosocial problems of survivors of torture and genocide in Kurdistan, Northern Iraq: a brief qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Bolton, Paul; Michalopoulos, Lynn; Ahmed, Ahmed Mohammed Amin; Murray, Laura K; Bass, Judith

    2013-01-01

    From 1986-9, the Kurdish population of Iraqi Kurdistan was subjected to an intense campaign of military action, and genocide by the central Iraq government. This campaign, referred to as the Anfal, included systematic attacks consisting of aerial bombings, mass deportation, imprisonment, torture, and chemical warfare. It has been estimated that around 200,000 Kurdish people disappeared. To gain a better understanding of current priority mental health and psychosocial problems among Kurdish survivors of the Anfal, and to inform the subsequent design of culturally appropriate and relevant assessment instruments and services to address these problems. The study examined 1) the nature and cause of current problems of survivors of torture and/or civilian attacks and their families, 2) what survivors do to address these problems, and 3) what they felt should be done. We used a grounded theory approach. Free list interviews with a convenience sample (n=42) explored the current problems of Kurdish persons affected by torture. Subsequent key informant interviews (n=21) gathered more detailed information on the priority mental health problem areas identified in the free list interviews. Major mental health problem areas emerging from the free list interviews (and explored in the key informant interviews) included 1) problems directly related to the torture, 2) problems related to the current situation, and 3) problems related to the perception and treatment by others in the community. Problems were similar, but not identical, to Western concepts of depression, anxiety, PTSD and related trauma, and traumatic grief. Iraqi Kurdish torture survivors in Iraq have many mental health and psychosocial problems found among torture survivors elsewhere. The findings suggest that the problems are a result of the trauma experienced as well as current stressors. Development of mental health assessment tools and interventions should therefore address both previous trauma and current

  10. Bomb Threats Taking Financial Toll

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bowman, Darcia Harris

    2004-01-01

    Despite all its efforts to crack down on the bomb scares that disrupted classes again and again in 2003, North Carolina's Orange County district fell victim to yet another false alarm this school year, 2004. For some schools, bomb threats have become more routine than fire drills, with each incident ringing up multi-thousand-dollar tabs for…

  11. Long-term effects of conflict-related sexual violence compared with non-sexual war trauma in female World War II survivors: a matched pairs study.

    PubMed

    Kuwert, Philipp; Glaesmer, Heide; Eichhorn, Svenja; Grundke, Elena; Pietrzak, Robert H; Freyberger, Harald J; Klauer, Thomas

    2014-08-01

    The aim of the study was to compare the long-term effects of conflict-related sexual violence experienced at the end of World War II (WWII) with non-sexual WWII trauma (e.g., being exposed to shell shock or physical violence). A total of 27 elderly wartime rape survivors were compared to age- and gender-matched control subjects who were drawn from a larger sample of subjects over 70 years of age who had experienced WWII-related trauma. A modified version of the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale was used to assess trauma characteristics and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 was used to assess current psychopathology. Additionally, measures of posttraumatic growth (Posttraumatic Growth Inventory) and social acknowledgement as a trauma survivor (Social Acknowledgement Questionnaire) were used to assess two mediating variables in post-trauma conditions of rape victims. Women exposed to conflict-related sexual violence reported greater severity of PTSD-related avoidance and hyperarousal symptoms, as well as anxiety, compared with female long-term survivors of non-sexual WWII trauma. The vast majority (80.9 %) of these women also reported severe sexual problems during their lifetimes relative to 19.0 % of women who experienced non-sexual war trauma. Women exposed to conflict-related sexual violence also reported greater posttraumatic growth, but less social acknowledgement as trauma survivors, compared to survivors of non-sexual war trauma. The results were consistent with emerging neurobiological research, which suggests that different traumas may be differentially associated with long-term posttraumatic sequelae in sexual assault survivors than in other survivor groups and highlights the need to treat (or better prevent) deleterious effects of conflict-related sexual violence in current worldwide crisis zones.

  12. Occupational outcomes of adult childhood cancer survivors: A report from the childhood cancer survivor study.

    PubMed

    Kirchhoff, Anne C; Krull, Kevin R; Ness, Kirsten K; Park, Elyse R; Oeffinger, Kevin C; Hudson, Melissa M; Stovall, Marilyn; Robison, Leslie L; Wickizer, Thomas; Leisenring, Wendy

    2011-07-01

    The authors examined whether survivors from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study were less likely to be in higher-skill occupations than a sibling comparison and whether certain survivors were at higher risk for lower-skill jobs. The authors created 3 mutually exclusive occupational categories for participants aged ≥ 25 years: Managerial/Professional, Nonphysical Service/Blue Collar, and Physical Service/Blue Collar. The authors examined currently employed survivors (4845) and their siblings (1727) in multivariable generalized linear models to evaluate the likelihood of being in 1 of the 3 occupational categories. Multinomial logistic regression was used among all participants to examine the likelihood of these outcomes compared to being unemployed (survivors, 6671; siblings, 2129). Multivariable linear models were used to assess survivor occupational differences by cancer-  and treatment-related variables. Personal income was compared by occupation. Employed survivors were less often in higher-skilled Managerial/Professional occupations (relative risk, 0.93; 95% confidence interval 0.89-0.98) than their siblings. Survivors who were black, were diagnosed at a younger age, or had high-dose cranial radiation were less likely to hold Managerial/Professional occupations than other survivors. In multinomial models, female survivors' likelihood of being in full-time Managerial/Professional occupations (27%) was lower than male survivors (42%) and female (41%) and male (50%) siblings. Survivors' personal income was lower than siblings within each of the 3 occupational categories in models adjusted for sociodemographic variables. Adult childhood cancer survivors are employed in lower-skill jobs than siblings. Survivors with certain treatment histories are at higher risk for lower-skill jobs and may require vocational assistance throughout adulthood. Copyright © 2011 American Cancer Society.

  13. Forensic Seismology: constraints on terrorist bombings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wallace, T. C.; Koper, K. D.

    2002-05-01

    Seismology has long been used as a tool to monitor and investigate explosions, both accidental and intentional. Seismic records can be used to provide a precise chronology of events, estimate the energy release in explosions and produce constraints to test various scenarios for the explosions. Truck bombs are a popular tool of terrorists, and at least two such attacks have been recorded seismically. On August 7, 1998 a truck bomb was detonated near the US embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. The bomb seriously damaging a dozen buildings, injuring more than 4000 people and causing 220 fatalities. The explosion was recorded on a short-period seismometer located north of the blast site; the blast seismogram contained body waves, Rayleigh waves and vibrations associated with the air blast. Modeling of the body and surfaces wave allowed an estimate of the origin time of the bombing, which it turn could be used as a constraint the timing of the air blasts. The speed of the air waves from an explosion depend on the air temperature and the size, or yield, of the explosion. In an effort to fully utilize the seismic recordings from such attacks, we analyzed the seismic records from a series of controlled truck bomb explosions carried out at White Sand Missile Range in New Mexico. We developed a new set of scaling laws that relate seismic and acoustic observations directly to the explosive mass (yield). These relationships give a yield of approximately 3000 kg of TNT equivalent for the Nairobi bomb. The terrorist bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995 was also recorded on seismometers. One of these records showed 2 discrete surface wavetrains separated by approximately 10 seconds. Some groups seized on the seismic recordings as evidence that there were 2 explosions, and that the US government was actually behind the bombing. However, the USGS monitored the demolition of the remainder of the Murrah Building and showed that the collapse also produced 2 surface

  14. Volcanic plume and bomb field masses from thermal infrared camera imagery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harris, A. J. L.; Delle Donne, D.; Dehn, J.; Ripepe, M.; Worden, A. K.

    2013-03-01

    Masses erupted during normal explosions at Stromboli volcano (Italy) are notoriously difficult to measure. We present a method that uses thermal infrared video for cooling bomb fields to obtain the total power emitted by all hot particles emitted during an explosion. A given mass of magma (M) will emit a finite amount of thermal power, defined by M cp(Te-T0), cp and Te being magma specific heat capacity and temperature, and T0 being ambient temperature. We use this relation to convert the total power emitted by the bomb field to the mass required to generate that power. To do this we extract power flux curves for the field and integrate this through time to obtain total power (E). This is used to estimate mass (Q) in Q=E/cp(Te-T0). When applied to individual bombs we obtain masses of between 1 and 9 kg per bomb, or a volume of 970 and 6500 cm3. These volumes equate to spheres with diameters 12 and 27 cm. For the entire bomb field we obtain volumes of 7-28 m3. We calculate masses for 32 eruptions and obtain typical bomb masses of between 103 and 104 kg per eruption. In addition, we estimate that between 102 and 103 kg of gas and ash are emitted as part of a mixed plume of bombs, gas and ash. We identify two types of eruption on the basis of the erupted bomb masses and the ratio of the plume's gas-and-ash component to the bomb component. The first type is bomb-dominated, is characterized by bomb masses of 104 kg and has ash-gas/ bomb ratios of ˜0.02. The second type is ash-and-gas dominated, is characterized by erupted bomb masses of 103 kg and has ash-gas/bomb ratios of around one, and as high as two. There is no correlation between the quantity of bombs and quantity of gas-ash erupted. In addition, while source pressure for each explosion correlates with the quantity of gas and ash erupted, the mass of bombs emitted varies independently of pressure.

  15. What Parents Should Know about Medical Radiation Safety

    MedlinePlus

    ... related cancer risks at low doses among atomic bomb survivors. Radiation Research 2000; 154:178-186. Preston ... Tokuoka S, et al. Solid cancer incidence in atomic bomb survivors: 1958-1998. Radiation Research 2007; 168:1- ...

  16. Bigeye Bomb: Unresolved Development Issues

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1989-08-11

    the lethal agent formed inside the Bigeye bomb) at the purity or equivalent- biotoxicity level required by the Test and Eval- uation Master Plan (TEMP...during the 5 through 30-second period after mixing starts, with- out specifying either wheit the required purity or equivalent biotoxicity level should...revision of the purity or equivalent biotoxicity requirement. However, we believe that a bomb that produces lethal agent at the required purity level for 1

  17. The aftermath of terrorism: posttraumatic stress and functional impairment after the 2011 Oslo bombing

    PubMed Central

    Solberg, Øivind; Blix, Ines; Heir, Trond

    2015-01-01

    Objective: In the present study we wanted to investigate the link between exposure, posttraumatic stress symptomatology, and functional impairment in the aftermath of terrorism. Method: Posttraumatic stress symptomatology and functional impairment related to the Oslo bombing 22nd of July, 2011, in directly and indirectly exposed individuals (N = 1927) were assessed together with demographics, exposure, peri-traumatic reactions, and event centrality approximately 1 year after the attack. Results: Directly and indirectly exposed individuals qualifying for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) reported similar peri-traumatic reactions, event centrality, and functional impairment. However, clusters within the PTSD symptomatology were differentially associated with impairment as a function of their exposure. In the directly exposed group, all clusters within the PTSD symptomatology were associated with impairment in function, while only emotional numbing was associated with impairment within the indirectly exposed group. Conclusion: Considering that terror attacks frequently involve directly exposed individuals and a larger population of indirectly exposed individuals, this finding is of importance, especially in the design of intervention programs and the development of treatment policies. PMID:26300833

  18. 49 CFR 1544.303 - Bomb or air piracy threats.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 9 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Bomb or air piracy threats. 1544.303 Section 1544... AND COMMERCIAL OPERATORS Threat and Threat Response § 1544.303 Bomb or air piracy threats. (a) Flight.... (d) Notification. Upon receipt of any bomb threat against the security of a flight or facility, or...

  19. 49 CFR 1544.303 - Bomb or air piracy threats.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 9 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Bomb or air piracy threats. 1544.303 Section 1544... AND COMMERCIAL OPERATORS Threat and Threat Response § 1544.303 Bomb or air piracy threats. (a) Flight.... (d) Notification. Upon receipt of any bomb threat against the security of a flight or facility, or...

  20. 49 CFR 1544.303 - Bomb or air piracy threats.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 9 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Bomb or air piracy threats. 1544.303 Section 1544... AND COMMERCIAL OPERATORS Threat and Threat Response § 1544.303 Bomb or air piracy threats. (a) Flight.... (d) Notification. Upon receipt of any bomb threat against the security of a flight or facility, or...

  1. 49 CFR 1544.303 - Bomb or air piracy threats.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 9 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Bomb or air piracy threats. 1544.303 Section 1544... AND COMMERCIAL OPERATORS Threat and Threat Response § 1544.303 Bomb or air piracy threats. (a) Flight.... (d) Notification. Upon receipt of any bomb threat against the security of a flight or facility, or...

  2. 49 CFR 1544.303 - Bomb or air piracy threats.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 9 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Bomb or air piracy threats. 1544.303 Section 1544... AND COMMERCIAL OPERATORS Threat and Threat Response § 1544.303 Bomb or air piracy threats. (a) Flight.... (d) Notification. Upon receipt of any bomb threat against the security of a flight or facility, or...

  3. Hiroshima: Perspectives on the Atomic Bombing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cheng, Amy

    In this curriculum module students analyze both U.S. and Japanese perspectives of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The activities integrate Howard Gardner's work on multiple intelligences. The module is recommended as a supplement to textbook coverage of the war in the Pacific and of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. It can be used to support both…

  4. An Investigation of Bomb Cyclogenesis in NCEP's CFS Model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alvarez, F. M.; Eichler, T.; Gottschalck, J.

    2008-12-01

    With the concerns, impacts and consequences of climate change increasing, the need for climate models to simulate daily weather is very important. Given the improvements in resolution and physical parameterizations, climate models are becoming capable of resolving extreme weather events. A particular type of extreme event which has large impacts on transportation, industry and the general public is a rapidly intensifying cyclone referred to as a "bomb." In this study, bombs are investigated using the National Center for Environmental Prediction's (NCEP) Climate Forecast System (CFS) model. We generate storm tracks based on 6-hourly sea-level pressure (SLP) from long-term climate runs of the CFS model. Investigation of this dataset has revealed that the CFS model is capable of producing bombs. We show a case study of a bomb in the CFS model and demonstrate that it has characteristics similar to the observed. Since the CFS model is capable of producing bombs, future work will focus on trends in their frequency and intensity so that an assessment of the potential role of the bomb in climate change can be assessed.

  5. Game of thrown bombs in 3D: using high speed cameras and photogrammetry techniques to reconstruct bomb trajectories at Stromboli (Italy)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gaudin, D.; Taddeucci, J.; Scarlato, P.; Del Bello, E.; Houghton, B. F.; Orr, T. R.; Andronico, D.; Kueppers, U.

    2015-12-01

    Large juvenile bombs and lithic clasts, produced and ejected during explosive volcanic eruptions, follow ballistic trajectories. Of particular interest are: 1) the determination of ejection velocity and launch angle, which give insights into shallow conduit conditions and geometry; 2) particle trajectories, with an eye on trajectory evolution caused by collisions between bombs, as well as the interaction between bombs and ash/gas plumes; and 3) the computation of the final emplacement of bomb-sized clasts, which is important for hazard assessment and risk management. Ground-based imagery from a single camera only allows the reconstruction of bomb trajectories in a plan perpendicular to the line of sight, which may lead to underestimation of bomb velocities and does not allow the directionality of the ejections to be studied. To overcome this limitation, we adapted photogrammetry techniques to reconstruct 3D bomb trajectories from two or three synchronized high-speed video cameras. In particular, we modified existing algorithms to consider the errors that may arise from the very high velocity of the particles and the impossibility of measuring tie points close to the scene. Our method was tested during two field campaigns at Stromboli. In 2014, two high-speed cameras with a 500 Hz frame rate and a ~2 cm resolution were set up ~350m from the crater, 10° apart and synchronized. The experiment was repeated with similar parameters in 2015, but using three high-speed cameras in order to significantly reduce uncertainties and allow their estimation. Trajectory analyses for tens of bombs at various times allowed for the identification of shifts in the mean directivity and dispersal angle of the jets during the explosions. These time evolutions are also visible on the permanent video-camera monitoring system, demonstrating the applicability of our method to all kinds of explosive volcanoes.

  6. Unemployment among adult survivors of childhood cancer: a report from the childhood cancer survivor study.

    PubMed

    Kirchhoff, Anne C; Leisenring, Wendy; Krull, Kevin R; Ness, Kirsten K; Friedman, Debra L; Armstrong, Gregory T; Stovall, Marilyn; Park, Elyse R; Oeffinger, Kevin C; Hudson, Melissa M; Robison, Leslie L; Wickizer, Thomas

    2010-11-01

    Adult childhood cancer survivors report high levels of unemployment, although it is unknown whether this is because of health or employability limitations. We examined 2 employment outcomes from 2003 in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS): (1) health-related unemployment and (2) unemployed but seeking work. We compared survivors with a nearest-age CCSS sibling cohort and examined demographic and treatment-related risk groups for each outcome. We studied 6339 survivors and 1967 siblings ≥25 years of age excluding those unemployed by choice. Multivariable generalized linear models evaluated whether survivors were more likely to be unemployed than siblings and whether certain survivors were at a higher risk for unemployment. Survivors (10.4%) reported health-related unemployment more often than siblings (1.8%; Relative Risk [RR], 6.07; 95% Confidence Interval [CI], 4.32-8.53). Survivors (5.7%) were more likely to report being unemployed but seeking work than siblings (2.7%; RR, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.43-2.54). Health-related unemployment was more common in female survivors than males (Odds Ratio [OR], 1.73; 95% CI, 1.43-2.08). Cranial radiotherapy doses ≥25 Gy were associated with higher odds of unemployment (health-related: OR, 3.47; 95% CI, 2.54-4.74; seeking work: OR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.15-2.71). Unemployed survivors reported higher levels of poor physical functioning than employed survivors, and had lower education and income and were more likely to be publicly insured than unemployed siblings. Childhood cancer survivors have higher levels of unemployment because of health or being between jobs. High-risk survivors may need vocational assistance.

  7. Quality improvement program for the B83 bomb hand truck

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Loll, M.B.; Buck, S.A.

    1998-04-01

    This report describes the problems, issues, and history of the H1347 bomb hand truck for the B83 bomb after the bomb was put into stockpile in the mid-1980s. Major issues that were reported in Unsatisfactory Reports (URs) were cracking problems on stacking fixture welds, cracked welds on the caster bracket receptacles on the cradle, cracked caster mounting brackets, casters unlocking from the swivel lock position, and caster tires rubbing and binding on the stacking frame. Resolution of these and other problems is described. The introduction of the H695B storage-only bomb hand truck to alleviate a shortage of bomb hand trucksmore » in the mid-1990s is described. The development and qualification of the H1347A bomb hand truck as a replacement for the H695 B is covered. The results from load test evaluations on the stacking fixture, cradle, and casters for the H1347 are described along with towing results on one and two-high stack configurations of B83 bombs in bomb hand trucks. New towing and truck/trailer transport procedures are described. Development, evaluation, and production recommendations for a stronger caster mounting bracket are described.« less

  8. Occupational outcomes of adult childhood cancer survivors: A report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study

    PubMed Central

    Kirchhoff, Anne C.; Krull, Kevin R.; Ness, Kirsten K.; Park, Elyse R.; Oeffinger, Kevin C.; Hudson, Melissa M.; Stovall, Marilyn; Robison, Leslie L.; Wickizer, Thomas; Leisenring, Wendy

    2010-01-01

    Background We examined whether survivors from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study were less likely to be in higher skill occupations than a sibling comparison and whether certain survivors were at higher risk. Methods We created three mutually-exclusive occupational categories for participants aged ≥25 years: Managerial/Professional and Non-Physical and Physical Service/Blue Collar. We examined currently employed survivors (N=4845) and siblings (N=1727) in multivariable generalized linear models to evaluate the likelihood of being in the three occupational categories. Among all participants, we used multinomial logistic regression to examine the likelihood of these outcomes in comparison to being unemployed (survivors N=6671; siblings N=2129). Multivariable linear models were used to assess survivor occupational differences by cancer and treatment variables. Personal income was compared by occupation. Results Employed survivors were less often in higher skilled Managerial/Professional occupations (Relative Risk=0.93, 95% Confidence Interval 0.89–0.98) than siblings. Survivors who were Black, were diagnosed at a younger age, or had high-dose cranial radiation were less likely to hold Professional occupations than other survivors. In multinomial models, female survivors’ likelihood of being in full-time Professional occupations (27%) was lower than male survivors (42%) and female (41%) and male (50%) siblings. Survivors’ personal income was lower than siblings within each of the three occupational categories in models adjusted for sociodemographic variables. Conclusions Adult childhood cancer survivors are employed in lower skill jobs than siblings. Survivors with certain treatment histories are at higher risk and may require vocational assistance throughout adulthood. PMID:21246530

  9. Aerodynamic Simulation Analysis of Unmanned Airborne Electronic Bomb

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Jiaoying; Guo, Yachao

    2017-10-01

    For microelectronic bombs for UAVs, on the basis of the use of rotors to lift the insurance on the basis of ammunition, increased tail to increase stability. The aerodynamic simulation of the outer structure of the ammunition was carried out by FLUENT software. The resistance coefficient, the lift coefficient and the pitch moment coefficient under different angle of attack and Mach number were obtained, and the aerodynamic characteristics of the electronic bomb were studied. The pressure line diagram and the velocity line diagram of the flow around the bomb are further analyzed, and the rationality of the external structure is verified, which provides a reference for the subsequent design of the electronic bomb.

  10. Rapid intercontinental air pollution transport associated with a meteorological bomb

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stohl, A.; Huntrieser, H.; Richter, A.; Beirle, S.; Cooper, O.; Eckhardt, S.; Forster, C.; James, P.; Spichtinger, N.; Wenig, M.; Wagner, T.; Burrows, J.; Platt, U.

    2003-04-01

    Intercontinental transport (ICT) of trace substances normally occurs on timescales ranging from a few days to several weeks. In this paper an extraordinary episode in November 2001 is presented, where pollution transport across the North Atlantic took only about one day. The transport mechanism, termed here an intercontinental pollution express highway, was exceptional, as it involved an explosively generated cyclone, a so-called meteorological "bomb". To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study describing pollution transport in a bomb. The discovery of this event was based on transport model calculations and satellite measurements of NO2, a species with a relatively short lifetime in the atmosphere, which could be transported that far only because of the high wind speeds produced by the bomb. A 15-year transport climatology shows that intercontinental express highways are about four times more frequent in winter than in summer, in agreement with bomb climatologies. The climatology furthermore reveals that intercontinental express highways may be important for the budget of short-lived substances in the remote troposphere. For instance, for a substance with a lifetime of 1 day, express highways may be responsible for about two thirds of the total ICT. A rough calculation suggests that express highways connecting North America with Europe enhance the average NOx mixing ratios over Europe, due to North American emissions, by about 2-3 pptv in winter.

  11. Review of Injuries from Terrorist Bombings and Earthquakes

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-08-31

    distribution is unlimited. August 2016 Review of Injuries from Terrorist Bombings and Earthquakes DTRA-TR-16-064 T E C H N IC A L R E P...08-16 Technical Report 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER Review of Injuries Types from Terrorist Bombings and Earthquakes HDTRA1-14-D-0003...Terrorist bombings and earthquakes provide valuable insight on the types of injuries that may occur in an improvised nuclear device (IND) scenario

  12. Deconstructing The Bomb: Confessions of a Nuclear Archeologist

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coster-Mullen, John

    2017-01-01

    I am the author of the groundbreaking book Atom Bombs: The Top Secret Inside Story of Little Boy and Fat Man. I will be sharing some of my quarter century of research and methodology that has allowed me to be the first researcher ever to unravel with an unprecedented level of accuracy, the most closely-guarded secrets of the first two Atomic Bombs (``Little Boy'' and ``Fat Man'') created by the Manhattan Project that were used to end WWII. I refer to this methodology as ``Nuclear Archeology'' and will demonstrate that this was done using entirely ``Open Sources'' of information.

  13. 49 CFR 1546.301 - Bomb or air piracy threats.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 9 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Bomb or air piracy threats. 1546.301 Section 1546... Threat Response § 1546.301 Bomb or air piracy threats. No foreign air carrier may land or take off an airplane in the United States after receiving a bomb or air piracy threat against that airplane, unless the...

  14. 49 CFR 1546.301 - Bomb or air piracy threats.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 9 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Bomb or air piracy threats. 1546.301 Section 1546... Threat Response § 1546.301 Bomb or air piracy threats. No foreign air carrier may land or take off an airplane in the United States after receiving a bomb or air piracy threat against that airplane, unless the...

  15. 49 CFR 1546.301 - Bomb or air piracy threats.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 9 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Bomb or air piracy threats. 1546.301 Section 1546... Threat Response § 1546.301 Bomb or air piracy threats. No foreign air carrier may land or take off an airplane in the United States after receiving a bomb or air piracy threat against that airplane, unless the...

  16. 49 CFR 1546.301 - Bomb or air piracy threats.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 9 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Bomb or air piracy threats. 1546.301 Section 1546... Threat Response § 1546.301 Bomb or air piracy threats. No foreign air carrier may land or take off an airplane in the United States after receiving a bomb or air piracy threat against that airplane, unless the...

  17. 49 CFR 1546.301 - Bomb or air piracy threats.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 9 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Bomb or air piracy threats. 1546.301 Section 1546... Threat Response § 1546.301 Bomb or air piracy threats. No foreign air carrier may land or take off an airplane in the United States after receiving a bomb or air piracy threat against that airplane, unless the...

  18. Hα features with hot onsets. I. Ellerman bombs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rutten, R. J.

    2016-05-01

    Ellerman bombs are transient brightenings of the wings of the Balmer lines that uniquely mark reconnection in the solar photosphere. They are also bright in strong Ca II and ultraviolet lines and in ultraviolet continua, but they are not visible in the optical continuum and the Na I D and Mg I b lines. These discordant visibilities invalidate all published Ellerman bomb modeling. I argue that the assumption of Saha-Boltzmann lower-level populations is informative to estimate bomb-onset opacities for these diverse diagnostics, even and especially for Hα, and employ such estimates to gauge the visibilities of Ellerman bomb onsets in all of them. They constrain Ellerman bomb formation to temperatures 10 000-20 000 K and hydrogen densities around 1015 cm-3. Similar arguments likely hold for Hα visibility in other transient phenomena with hot and dense onsets.

  19. The secret of the Soviet hydrogen bomb

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wellerstein, Alex; Geist, Edward

    2017-11-01

    Was the first Soviet thermonuclear device really a step in the wrong direction? No bomb design has been as much maligned or otherwise disparaged as the first Soviet thermonuclear weapon. Detonated in August 1953, the bomb, officially tested under the name RDS-6s but usually known as Sloika or "layer cake" (the name Andrei Sakharov coined for it), was nothing to sneeze at. Shown in Figure 1 and able to be dropped from aircraft, it released the explosive equivalent, or yield, of almost half a megaton of TNT. The result was a blazing fireball with 20 times the power of the bomb that leveled Nagasaki, Japan.

  20. An autopsy case related to a terrorist attack using a ball-bearing bomb.

    PubMed

    Takamiya, Masataka; Biwasaka, Hitoshi; Niitsu, Hisae; Saigusa, Kiyoshi; Aoki, Yasuhiro

    2009-03-01

    We encountered an autopsy case related to a terrorist attack using a ball-bearing bomb. The decedent was a 51-year-old male without significant medical histories. During dinner in a restaurant, the perpetrator suddenly exploded a ball-bearing bomb, the blast from which blew the victim off his chair. The victim was found to be unresponsive, and pronounced dead. X-ray photographs taken before autopsy revealed six spherical shadows. Three penetrating wounds in the head, one in the neck and chest, and two in the left upper arm were observed in vivo. Six projectiles recovered from the body were identified as ball-bearings, one of which traveled through the midbrain, diencephalon, and left temporal lobe. Although blast injuries and penetrating wounds are often combined in bomb attack victims, penetrating brain injury would be the cause of death in this case. Lethal injuries to major organs can thus occur even though the destructive force of a ball-bearing bomb is weak. X-ray films were informative for detecting the ball-bearings in this case, suggesting that autopsy imaging is essential in cases of terrorism victims.

  1. Britain's bomb

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Corfield, Richard

    2012-10-01

    On the 60th anniversary of Britain's first nuclear test, Richard Corfield explores how Operation Hurricane - the British effort to develop the atomic bomb in the 1940s and 1950s - compares with states such as Iran that today wish to have such devices.

  2. The Approach to Suicide Bombing Attacks: Changing Concepts.

    PubMed

    Almgody, Gidon; Bala, Miklosh; Rivkind, Avraham I

    2007-12-01

    Suicide bombing attacks have emerged as a lethal weapon in the hands of terrorist groups. Our aim was to review the medical experience acquired in Israel, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States in managing terrorist attacks, and prepare medical systems for the difficult task of managing these events. EMS protocols are amended to deal with a large number of victims in an urban setting who must be rapidly evacuated to a medical center where resuscitative as well as definitive care is delivered. A combination of extensive soft tissue damage caused by penetrating injuries, blast injury to the lungs and tympanic membranes, and burns are common among survivors. Preparation must include establishment of a clear chain-of-command lead by a general surgeon who manages the event and is responsible for decisions regarding OR preferences and ICU admissions. The emergency department is re-organized to handle the influx of numerous severely injured casualties. Professional personnel and resources are recruited and re-directed away from routine tasks towards treating the victims. This is achieved by deferring non-urgent operations, procedures and imaging studies. Victims are frequently re-assessed and re-evaluated to control chaos, minimize missed injuries and ensure delivery of an adequate level of care.

  3. The Approach to Suicide Bombing Attacks: Changing Concepts.

    PubMed

    Almgody, Gidon; Bala, Miklosh; Rivkind, Avraham I

    2008-06-01

    Suicide bombing attacks have emerged as a lethal weapon in the hands of terrorist groups. Our aim was to review the medical experience acquired in Israel, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States in managing terrorist attacks, and prepare medical systems for the difficult task of managing these events. EMS protocols are amended to deal with a large number of victims in an urban setting who must be rapidly evacuated to a medical center where resuscitative as well as definitive care is delivered. A combination of extensive soft tissue damage caused by penetrating injuries, blast injury to the lungs and tympanic membranes, and burns are common among survivors. Preparation must include establishment of a clear chain-of-command lead by a general surgeon who manages the event and is responsible for decisions regarding OR preferences and ICU admissions. The emergency department is re-organized to handle the influx of numerous severely injured casualties. Professional personnel and resources are recruited and re-directed away from routine tasks towards treating the victims. This is achieved by deferring non-urgent operations, procedures and imaging studies. Victims are frequently re-assessed and re-evaluated to control chaos, minimize missed injuries and ensure delivery of an adequate level of care.

  4. Casualties in civilians and coalition soldiers from suicide bombings in Iraq, 2003-10: a descriptive study.

    PubMed

    Hicks, Madelyn Hsiao-Rei; Dardagan, Hamit; Bagnall, Peter M; Spagat, Michael; Sloboda, John A

    2011-09-03

    Suicide bombs in Iraq are a major public health problem. We aimed to describe documented casualties from suicide bombs in Iraq during 2003-10 in Iraqi civilians and coalition soldiers. In this descriptive study, we analysed and compared suicide bomb casualties in Iraq that were documented in two datasets covering March 20, 2003, to Dec 31, 2010--one reporting coalition-soldier deaths from suicide bombs, the other reporting deaths and injuries of Iraqi civilians from armed violence. We analysed deaths and injuries over time, by bomb subtype and victim demographics. In 2003-10, 1003 documented suicide bomb events caused 19% (42,928 of 225,789) of all Iraqi civilian casualties in our dataset, 26% (30,644 of 117,165) of injured civilians, and 11% (12,284 of 108,624) of civilian deaths. The injured-to-killed ratio for civilians was 2·5 people injured to one person killed from suicide bombs. Suicide bombers on foot caused 43% (5314 of 12,284) of documented suicide bomb deaths. Suicide bombers who used cars caused 40% (12,224 of 30,644) of civilian injuries. Of 3963 demographically identifiable suicide bomb fatalities, 2981 (75%) were men, 428 (11%) were women, and 554 (14%) were children. Children made up a higher proportion of demographically identifiable deaths from suicide bombings than from general armed violence (9%, 3669 of 40,276 deaths; p<0·0001). The injured-to-killed ratio for all suicide bombings was slightly higher for women than it was for men (p=0·02), but the ratio for children was lower than it was for both women (p<0·0001) and men (p=0·0002). 200 coalition soldiers were killed in 79 suicide bomb events during 2003-10. More Iraqi civilians per lethal event were killed than were coalition soldiers (12 vs 3; p=0·004). Suicide bombers in Iraq kill significantly more Iraqi civilians than coalition soldiers. Among civilians, children are more likely to die than adults when injured by suicide bombs. None. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights

  5. The effects of the Omagh bomb on adolescent mental health: a school-based study.

    PubMed

    Duffy, Michael; McDermott, Maura; Percy, Andrew; Ehlers, Anke; Clark, David M; Fitzgerald, Michael; Moriarty, John

    2015-02-06

    The main objective of this study was to assess psychiatric morbidity among adolescents following the Omagh car bombing in Northern Ireland in 1998. Data was collected within schools from adolescents aged between 14 and 18 years via a self-completion booklet comprised of established predictors of PTSD; type of exposure, initial emotional response, long-term adverse physical problems, predictors derived from Ehlers and Clark's (2000) cognitive model, a PTSD symptoms measure (PDS) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). Those with more direct physical exposure were significantly more likely to meet caseness on the GHQ and the PDS. The combined pre and peri trauma risk factors highlighted in previous meta-analyses accounted for 20% of the variance in PDS scores but the amount of variance accounted for increased to 56% when the variables highlighted in Ehlers and Clark's cognitive model for PTSD were added. High rates of chronic PTSD were observed in adolescents exposed to the bombing. Whilst increased exposure was associated with increased psychiatric morbidity, the best predictors of PTSD were specific aspects of the trauma ('seeing someone you think is dying'), what you are thinking during the event ('think you are going to die') and the cognitive mechanisms employed after the trauma. As these variables are in principle amenable to treatment the results have implications for teams planning treatment interventions after future traumas.

  6. Life Threat and Sleep Disturbances in Adolescents: A Two-Year Follow-Up of Survivors From the 2011 Utøya, Norway, Terror Attack.

    PubMed

    Grønli, Janne; Melinder, Annika; Ousdal, Olga Therese; Pallesen, Ståle; Endestad, Tor; Milde, Anne Marita

    2017-06-01

    A significant number of adolescents have been exposed to traumatic life events. However, knowledge about the specific sleep disturbance that occurs in individuals after trauma exposure is predominantly based on studies of adults. This study reports specific sleep disturbance in 42 survivors of the 2011 mass shooting at a youth summer camp on the Norwegian island Utøya, mean age = 20.91 years, SD = 2.32, 62.5% females. When compared with matched controls, significantly more survivors reported having sleep disturbances, 52.4% versus 13.6%, d = 0.93, of which onset began at the time of the shooting, χ 2 = 14.9, p < .001. The prevalence of insomnia, 56.3% versus 11.0%, d = 0.73; excessive daytime sleepiness, 34.4% versus 13.6%, d = 0.61; symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, 18.8% versus 0%, d = 0.70; and frequent nightmares, 37.5% versus 2.3%, d = 0.90, were all higher in the survivors than in the controls. In a subgroup of survivors (n = 20) with psychiatric diagnoses, sleep disturbances were more prevalent than in survivors without psychiatric diagnosis. Actigraphy data revealed delayed bedtime, sleep onset, and rise time in survivors compared with controls, ts > 1.7, ps = .044 to .028. These results corroborate the effects of a life threat on the range and extent of sleep disturbances, and emphasize the need to better assess and treat sleep disorders in adolescents exposed to trauma. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

  7. Rapid intercontinental air pollution transport associated with a meteorological bomb

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stohl, A.; Huntrieser, H.; Richter, A.; Beirle, S.; Cooper, O. R.; Eckhardt, S.; Forster, C.; James, P.; Spichtinger, N.; Wenig, M.; Wagner, T.; Burrows, J. P.; Platt, U.

    2003-07-01

    Intercontinental transport (ICT) of trace substances normally occurs on timescales ranging from a few days to several weeks. In this paper an extraordinary episode in November 2001 is presented, where pollution transport across the North Atlantic took only about one day. The transport mechanism, termed here an intercontinental pollution express highway because of the high wind speeds, was exceptional, as it involved an explosively generated cyclone, a so-called meteorological "bomb''. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study describing pollution transport in a bomb. The discovery of this event was based on tracer transport model calculations and satellite measurements of NO2, a species with a relatively short lifetime in the atmosphere, which could be transported that far only because of the high wind speeds produced by the bomb. A 15-year transport climatology shows that intercontinental express highways are about four times more frequent in winter than in summer, in agreement with bomb climatologies. The climatology furthermore suggests that intercontinental express highways may be important for the budget of short-lived substances in the remote troposphere. For instance, for a substance with a lifetime of 1 day, express highways may be responsible for about two thirds of the total ICT. We roughly estimate that express highways connecting North America with Europe enhance the average NOx mixing ratios over Europe, due to North American emissions, by about 2-3 pptv in winter.

  8. 49 CFR 173.160 - Bombs, smoke, non-explosive (corrosive).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Bombs, smoke, non-explosive (corrosive). 173.160 Section 173.160 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS... Class 1 and Class 7 § 173.160 Bombs, smoke, non-explosive (corrosive). Bombs, smoke, non-explosive may...

  9. 49 CFR 173.160 - Bombs, smoke, non-explosive (corrosive).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Bombs, smoke, non-explosive (corrosive). 173.160 Section 173.160 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS... Class 1 and Class 7 § 173.160 Bombs, smoke, non-explosive (corrosive). Bombs, smoke, non-explosive may...

  10. 49 CFR 173.160 - Bombs, smoke, non-explosive (corrosive).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Bombs, smoke, non-explosive (corrosive). 173.160 Section 173.160 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS... Class 1 and Class 7 § 173.160 Bombs, smoke, non-explosive (corrosive). Bombs, smoke, non-explosive may...

  11. 49 CFR 173.160 - Bombs, smoke, non-explosive (corrosive).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Bombs, smoke, non-explosive (corrosive). 173.160 Section 173.160 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS... Class 1 and Class 7 § 173.160 Bombs, smoke, non-explosive (corrosive). Bombs, smoke, non-explosive may...

  12. 49 CFR 173.160 - Bombs, smoke, non-explosive (corrosive).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Bombs, smoke, non-explosive (corrosive). 173.160 Section 173.160 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS... Class 1 and Class 7 § 173.160 Bombs, smoke, non-explosive (corrosive). Bombs, smoke, non-explosive may...

  13. Sticky bomb detection with other implications for vehicle security.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Johnston, R. G.; Vetrone, J.; Warner, J. S.

    2010-01-01

    A 'sticky bomb' is a type of improvised explosive device (IED) placed on a motor vehicle by (for example) a terrorist. The bomb is typically attached with adhesive ('duct') tape, or with magnets. This paper reports some preliminary results for a very rudimentary demonstration of two techniques for detecting the placement of a sticky bomb on a motor vehicle. The two techniques are tire pressure and magnetic measurements. There are other possible security applications for these techniques as well.

  14. Particle Detectors Subatomic Bomb Squad

    ScienceCinema

    Lincoln, Don

    2018-01-16

    The manner in which particle physicists investigate collisions in particle accelerators is a puzzling process. Using vaguely-defined “detectors,” scientists are able to somehow reconstruct the collisions and convert that information into physics measurements. In this video, Fermilab’s Dr. Don Lincoln sheds light on this mysterious technique. In a surprising analogy, he draws a parallel between experimental particle physics and bomb squad investigators and uses an explosive example to illustrate his points. Be sure to watch this video… it’s totally the bomb.

  15. Utah Cancer Survivors: A Comprehensive Comparison of Health-Related Outcomes Between Survivors and Individuals Without a History of Cancer.

    PubMed

    Fowler, Brynn; Ding, Qian; Pappas, Lisa; Wu, Yelena P; Linder, Lauri; Yancey, Jeff; Wright, Jennifer; Clayton, Margaret; Kepka, Deanna; Kirchhoff, Anne C

    2018-02-01

    Assessments of cancer survivors' health-related needs are often limited to national estimates. State-specific information is vital to inform state comprehensive cancer control efforts developed to support patients and providers. We investigated demographics, health status/quality of life, health behaviors, and health care characteristics of long-term Utah cancer survivors compared to Utahans without a history of cancer. Utah Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) 2009 and 2010 data were used. Individuals diagnosed with cancer within the past 5 years were excluded. Multivariable survey weighted logistic regressions and computed predictive marginals were used to estimate age-adjusted percentages and 95 % confidence intervals (CI). A total of 11,320 eligible individuals (727 cancer survivors, 10,593 controls) were included. Respondents were primarily non-Hispanic White (95.3 % of survivors, 84.1 % of controls). Survivors were older (85 % of survivors ≥40 years of age vs. 47 % of controls). Survivors reported the majority of their cancer survivorship care was managed by primary care physicians or non-cancer specialists (93.5 %, 95 % CI = 87.9-99.1). Furthermore, 71.1 % (95 % CI = 59.2-82.9) of survivors reported that they did not receive a cancer treatment summary. In multivariable estimates, fair/poor general health was more common among survivors compared to controls (17.8 %, 95 % CI = 12.5-23.1 vs. 14.2 %, 95 % CI = 12.4-16.0). Few survivors in Utah receive follow-up care from a cancer specialist. Provider educational efforts are needed to promote knowledge of cancer survivor issues. Efforts should be made to improve continuity in follow-up care that addresses the known issues of long-term survivors that preclude optimal quality of life, resulting in a patient-centered approach to survivorship.

  16. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Children Exposed to Man-Made Disasters.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Manix, Mary M.

    This paper reviews the literature published in the last 10 years that focused on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children exposed to man-made disasters such as war, school shootings, and the Oklahoma City bombing. As mass violence continues in society, mental health professionals need to be prepared to treat child victims of such…

  17. 33 CFR 334.520 - Lake George, Fla.; naval bombing area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Lake George, Fla.; naval bombing....; naval bombing area. (a) The danger zone. An area in the eastern part of Lake George described as follows.... (2) Prior to each bombing operation the danger zone will be patrolled by naval aircraft which will...

  18. 33 CFR 334.520 - Lake George, Fla.; naval bombing area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Lake George, Fla.; naval bombing....; naval bombing area. (a) The danger zone. An area in the eastern part of Lake George described as follows.... (2) Prior to each bombing operation the danger zone will be patrolled by naval aircraft which will...

  19. New bomb, no mission

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mello, G.

    1997-05-01

    The cold war may be over, but the nuclear arms race has not quite ended. The United States is fielding a new nuclear weapon-a bomb that was used to threaten Libya, a non-nuclear nation, even before it was deployed. The B61 {open_quotes}mod-11{close_quotes} gravity bomb is the first nuclear capability added to the US arsenal since 1989. It was developed and deployed secretly, without public or congressional debate, and in apparent contradiction to official domestic and international assurances that no new nuclear weapons were being developed in the United States. The B61-11`s unique earth-penetrating characteristic and wide range of yields allowmore » it to threaten otherwide indestructible targets from the air-or, in Pentagonese, to hold such targets {open_quotes}at risk.{close_quotes} That makes the B61-11 a uniquely useful warfighting tool. The 1,200-pound B61-11 replaces the B53, a 8,900-pound, nine-megaton bomb that was developed as a {open_quotes}city buster{close_quotes} and was later designated as a substitute for an earth-penetrating weapon. The B53 was deliverable only by vulnerable B-52s; in contrast, the smaller and lighter B61-11 can be delivered the the stealthier B-2A bomber, or even by F16 fighters.« less

  20. Cancer survivor identity shared in a social media intervention.

    PubMed

    Song, Hayeon; Nam, Yujung; Gould, Jessica; Sanders, W Scott; McLaughlin, Margaret; Fulk, Janet; Meeske, Kathleen A; Ruccione, Kathleen S

    2012-01-01

    This study investigates how cancer survivors construct their identities and the impact on their psychological health, as measured by depression and survivor self-efficacy. Fourteen young adult survivors of pediatric cancer participated in a customized social networking and video blog intervention program, the LIFECommunity, over a 6-month period. Survivors were asked to share their stories on various topics by posting video messages. Those video blog postings, along with survey data collected from participants, were analyzed to see how cancer survivors expressed their identities, and how these identities are associated with survivors' psychosocial outcomes. In survivors who held negative stereotypes about cancer survivors, there was a positive relationship with depression while positive stereotypes had a marginal association with cancer survivor efficacy. Findings indicate that although pediatric cancer survivors often do not publicly discuss a "cancer survivor identity," they do internalize both positive and negative stereotypes about cancer survivorship. It is important for practitioners to be aware of the long-term implications of cancer survivor identity and stereotypes.

  1. Cancer morbidity among methyl isocyanate exposed long- term survivors and their offspring: a hospital-based five year descriptive study (2006 - 2011) and future directions to predict cancer risk in the affected population.

    PubMed

    Senthilkumar, Chinnu Sugavanam; Malla, Tahir Mohi-ud-Din; Sah, Nand Kishore; Ganesh, Narayanan

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to update both researchers and clinicians about the cancer incidence in methyl isocyanate (MIC) exposed long-term survivors and in their offspring, focusing on the etiological plausibility. In the time period 2006-2011, cancer morbidity was evaluated in the population surviving after exposure to (MIC) on December 3rd, 1984, in Bhopal. This descriptive study is based on hospital registration of 1261 cancer patients those are MIC gas victims and their subsequently born offspring. Morbidity status was studied on the basis of gender, age, organ and site with relative percentages. Cancers on specific sites, with special reference to breast (n=231) (18.31%), lung (n=103) (8.16%), tongue (n=103) (8.16%), buccal mucosa (n=94) (7.45%), cervix (n=72) (5.70%), and esophagus (n=68) (5.39%) were found in high proportions. Ovary (n=43) (3.40%), brain (n=42) (3.33%), larynx (n=40) (3.17%), non-Hodgkin's (n=31) (2.45%), gallbladder (n=29) (2.29%), stomach (n=28) (2.22%), head and neck (n=28) (2.22%), liver (n=27) (2.14%), acute lymphoid leukemia (n=24) (1.90%), rectum (n=20) (1.58%), colon (n=20) (1.58%), chronic myeloid leukemia (n=17) (1.34%), alveolus (n=17) (1.34%), Hodgkin's (n=14) (1.11%), uterus (n=14) (1.11%), multiple myeloma (n=14) (1.11%), and prostate (n=11) (0.87%) lesions were observed less frequently. Remarkably, gradual increase of cancers on different organs and sites were observed in the long- term survivors and their offspring. The present study observed some cancers which were not previously reported in this population. In addition, we also present the future research directions with systematic approaches to predict cancer risk in long-term survivors and their future generations. On the basis of this morbidity report, we suggest the need of biological surveillance through immune system biomonitoring and cytogenetic screening to predict the cancer risk in the MIC exposed population and their offspring.

  2. The increase in animal mortality risk following exposure to sparsely ionizing radiation is not linear quadratic with dose

    DOE PAGES

    Haley, Benjamin M.; Paunesku, Tatjana; Grdina, David J.; ...

    2015-12-09

    The US government regulates allowable radiation exposures relying, in large part, on the seventh report from the committee to estimate the Biological Effect of Ionizing Radiation (BEIR VII), which estimated that most contemporary exposures- protracted or low-dose, carry 1.5 fold less risk of carcinogenesis and mortality per Gy than acute exposures of atomic bomb survivors. This correction is known as the dose and dose rate effectiveness factor for the life span study of atomic bomb survivors (DDREF LSS). As a result, it was calculated by applying a linear-quadratic dose response model to data from Japanese atomic bomb survivors and amore » limited number of animal studies.« less

  3. The increase in animal mortality risk following exposure to sparsely ionizing radiation is not linear quadratic with dose

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Haley, Benjamin M.; Paunesku, Tatjana; Grdina, David J.

    The US government regulates allowable radiation exposures relying, in large part, on the seventh report from the committee to estimate the Biological Effect of Ionizing Radiation (BEIR VII), which estimated that most contemporary exposures- protracted or low-dose, carry 1.5 fold less risk of carcinogenesis and mortality per Gy than acute exposures of atomic bomb survivors. This correction is known as the dose and dose rate effectiveness factor for the life span study of atomic bomb survivors (DDREF LSS). As a result, it was calculated by applying a linear-quadratic dose response model to data from Japanese atomic bomb survivors and amore » limited number of animal studies.« less

  4. Simultaneous observations of Ellerman bombs by NST and IRIS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Y. H.; Yurchyshyn, V.; Cho, I. H.; Lee, J.; Park, Y. D.; Yang, H.; Ahn, K.; Goode, P.

    2015-12-01

    In this study, we present the simultaneous observations of Ellerman bombs made by New Solar Telescope (NST) of Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO) and Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) in space. The data obtained during joint NST-IRIS observations on 30 and 31 in July 2014. We observed two representative events on both days. The first one was a relatively weak Ellerman bomb occurred around 19:20 UT on 30 July 2014. IRIS observed this event by sit-and-stare mode thus we analyzed high cadence spectral data and slit-jaw data simultaneously. We found that this event was a hot explosion that occurred by magnetic reconnection in the lower atmosphere of the Sun. The second event was quite strong Ellerman bomb (20:20 UT on 31 July 2014) that is well observed by NST FISS (Fast Imaging Solar Spectrograph), while there was no IRIS spectral data. We had IRIS slit-jaw data only. The Ellerman bomb was clearly coincident with the IRIS brightening at the same location. Since the Ellerman bombs are usually believed to occur in the photosphere with no coronal emission, it should be explained its higher atmospheric emission in IRIS data. We will present the result of simultaneous observations by IRIS and NST instruments and discuss physical connection between Ellerman bombs and IRIS brightenings.

  5. Algebraically special resonances of the Kerr-black-hole-mirror bomb

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hod, Shahar

    2013-12-01

    A corotating bosonic field interacting with a spinning Kerr black hole can extract rotational energy and angular momentum from the hole. This intriguing phenomenon is known as superradiant scattering. As pointed out by Press and Teukolsky, the black-hole-field system can be made unstable (explosive) by placing a reflecting mirror around the black hole, which prevents the extracted energy from escaping to infinity. This composed black-hole-mirror-field bomb has been studied extensively by many researchers. It is worth noting, however, that most former studies of the black-hole bomb phenomenon have focused on the specific case of confined scalar (spin-0) fields. In the present study we explore the physical properties of the higher-spin (electromagnetic and gravitational) black-hole bombs. It is shown that this composed system is amenable to an analytic treatment in the physically interesting regime of rapidly rotating black holes. In particular, we prove that the composed black-hole-mirror-field bomb is characterized by the unstable resonance frequency ω=mΩH+is·2πTBH (here s and m are, respectively, the spin parameter and the azimuthal harmonic index of the field, and ΩH and TBH are, respectively, the angular-velocity and the temperature of the rapidly spinning black hole). Our results provide evidence that the higher-spin (electromagnetic and gravitational) black-hole-mirror bombs are much more explosive than the extensively studied scalar black-hole-mirror bomb. In particular, it is shown here that the instability growth rates that characterize the higher-spin black-hole bombs are 2 orders of magnitude larger than the instability growth rate of the scalar black-hole bomb.

  6. Imaginary Savior: the image of the nuclear bomb in Korea, 1945-1960.

    PubMed

    Kim, Dong-Won

    2009-01-01

    Two atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 brought the unexpected liberation of Korea from the 35-year Japanese occupation. Koreans therefore had a very favorable and positive image of the nuclear bomb and nuclear energy from the beginning. The image of the nuclear bomb as "savior" was strengthened during the Korean War when the United States openly mentioned the possible use of the nuclear bomb against North Korean and Chinese military. After the end of the Korean War in July 1953 South Koreans strongly supported the development of the nuclear bomb in order to deter another North Korean invasion. When the US government provided South Korea with a research nuclear reactor in the late 1950s, most South Koreans hailed it as the first step to developing their own nuclear bomb. This paper will analyze how and why the savior image of the nuclear bomb originated and spread in Korea during the 1950s.

  7. Wide-ranging impacts reported by NZ cancer survivors: is supporting cancer survivor resilience a health sector role?

    PubMed

    O'Brien, Inga; Signal, Louise; Sarfati, Diana

    2018-04-01

    Cancer survivor numbers are on the rise but little is known about New Zealand (NZ) survivors' experiences with management of cancer-related impacts and vulnerability. This study explored the experiences and resilience of NZ cancer survivors and the experiences of healthcare practitioners who work with cancer survivors. There is a focus on indigenous Māori survivors. This study used qualitative methods to explore survivors and healthcare practitioners' views on cancer-related impact and management strategies. Two focus groups were conducted with mainly colorectal cancer survivors residing in the central regions of NZ. There was one Māori-only group (n = 6 participants) and one multicultural group (n = 18 participants). The Māori-only focus group was purposefully organised to provide a culturally safe setting for the research. In addition, 12 in-depth interviews were conducted with healthcare practitioners between October 2011 and March 2012. Wide-ranging survivorship impacts were described by survivors across physical, emotional, spiritual and social domains. Shame resilience and relationships, particularly with healthcare practitioners, were indicated as useful supports. Healthcare practitioners' time constraints and role priorities were identified as barriers to their ability to provide survivorship support. This study generated qualitative data on survivorship impacts and components of survivor resilience in NZ. It also provided insights into the need for better strategies and pathways to help the NZ health system be more responsive to both Māori and non-Māori survivors. Survivor impacts create vulnerabilities that are experienced and described differently by individuals and groups in NZ. Tailored survivor support that can enhance resilience and support relationships is needed in NZ.

  8. Lebanese medical students' exposure to domestic violence: does it affect helping survivors?

    PubMed

    Usta, Jinan; Hlais, Sani; Farhat, Hala Abou; Romani, Maya; Bzeih, Hiba; Abdo, Lynn

    2014-02-01

    Our purpose was to assess medical students' willingness to help women survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) and its relation to past exposure to violence. A cross-sectional study of medical students enrolled in three major universities in Beirut was carried out: 545 students filled out a self-administered questionnaire. The Inventory of Beliefs About Wife Beating, the Attitudes Toward Women's scale, the Marriage Role Expectations Inventory, the Conflict Tactics scale, and the Trauma Symptoms scale were used. The majority (93.6%) of medical students believed that battered wives should be helped by either social or governmental agencies, but only 48% showed readiness to provide help themselves. Female medical students were significantly more likely to be willing to help survivors of violence, whereas students exposed to domestic violence in childhood were significantly less likely to do so. Female medical students previously exposed to violence had significantly higher scores on the Briere and Runtz's Trauma Symptom Checklist, indicating more negative trauma-related symptoms. Multivariate analysis revealed that the students' exposure to verbal aggression, their marital role expectations, attitudes toward women, and parents' marital status accounted for 26% of the variability in the Helping Battered Wives score. The results of this study suggest that the medical students' past exposure to DV impacts their psychological well-being and their willingness to help abuse survivors. Given the multitude of stresses medical students are exposed to, careful attention and attendance to the effect of abuse on their well-being may be warranted.

  9. 68Ga/177Lu-NeoBOMB1, a Novel Radiolabeled GRPR Antagonist for Theranostic Use in Oncology.

    PubMed

    Dalm, Simone U; Bakker, Ingrid L; de Blois, Erik; Doeswijk, Gabriela N; Konijnenberg, Mark W; Orlandi, Francesca; Barbato, Donato; Tedesco, Mattia; Maina, Theodosia; Nock, Berthold A; de Jong, Marion

    2017-02-01

    Because overexpression of the gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) has been reported on various cancer types, for example, prostate cancer and breast cancer, targeting this receptor with radioligands might have a significant impact on staging and treatment of GRPR-expressing tumors. NeoBOMB1 is a novel DOTA-coupled GRPR antagonist with high affinity for GRPR and excellent in vivo stability. The purpose of this preclinical study was to further explore the use of NeoBOMB1 for theranostic application by determining the biodistribution of 68 Ga-NeoBOMB1 and 177 Lu-NeoBOMB1. PC-3 tumor-xenografted BALB/c nu/nu mice were injected with either approximately 13 MBq/250 pmol 68 Ga-NeoBOMB1 or a low (∼1 MBq/200 pmol) versus high (∼1 MBq/10 pmol) peptide amount of 177 Lu-NeoBOMB1, after which biodistribution and imaging studies were performed. At 6 time points (15, 30, 60, 120, 240, and 360 min for 68 Ga-NeoBOMB1 and 1, 4, 24, 48, 96, and 168 h for 177 Lu-NeoBOMB1) postinjection tumor and organ uptake was determined. To assess receptor specificity, additional groups of animals were coinjected with an excess of unlabeled NeoBOMB1. Results of the biodistribution studies were used to determine pharmacokinetics and dosimetry. Furthermore, PET/CT and SPECT/MRI were performed. Injection of approximately 250 pmol 68 Ga-NeoBOMB1 resulted in a tumor and pancreas uptake of 12.4 ± 2.3 and 22.7 ± 3.3 percentage injected dose per gram (%ID/g) of tissue, respectively, at 120 min after injection. 177 Lu-NeoBOMB1 biodistribution studies revealed a higher tumor uptake (17.9 ± 3.3 vs. 11.6 ± 1.3 %ID/g of tissue at 240 min after injection) and a lower pancreatic uptake (19.8 ± 6.9 vs. 105 ± 13 %ID/g of tissue at 240 min after injection) with the higher peptide amount injected, leading to a significant increase in the absorbed dose to the tumor versus the pancreas (200 pmol, 570 vs. 265 mGy/MBq; 10 pmol, 435 vs. 1393 mGy/MBq). Using these data to predict patient dosimetry, we found

  10. Male breast cancer incidence and mortality risk in the Japanese atomic bomb survivors – Differences in excess relative and absolute risk from female breast cancer

    DOE PAGES

    Little, Mark P.; McElvenny, Damien M.

    2016-06-10

    There are well-known associations of ionizing radiation with female breast cancer, and emerging evidence also for male breast cancer. In the UK, female breast cancer following occupational radiation exposure is among that set of cancers eligible for state compensation and consideration is currently being given to an extension to include male breast cancer. The objectives here, compare radiation-associated excess relative and absolute risks of male and female breast cancers. Breast cancer incidence and mortality data in the Japanese atomic-bomb survivors were analyzed using relative and absolute risk models via Poisson regression. As a result, we observed significant ( p≤ 0.01)more » dose-related excess risk for male breast cancer incidence and mortality. For incidence and mortality data, there are approximate 15-fold and 5- fold elevations, respectively, of relative risk for male compared with female breast cancer incidence, the former borderline significant (p = 0.050). In contrast, for incidence and mortality data there are approximate 20-fold and 10-fold elevations, respectively, of female absolute risk compared with male, both statistically significant (p < 0.001). There are no indications of differences between the sexes in age/time-since-exposure/age-at-exposure modifications to the relative or absolute excess risk. The probability of causation of male breast cancer following radiation exposure exceeds by at least 5-fold that of many other malignancies. In conclusion, there is evidence of much higher radiation-associated relative risk for male than for female breast cancer, although absolute excess risks for males are much less than for females. However, the small number of male cases and deaths suggests a degree of caution in interpretation of this finding.« less

  11. Male breast cancer incidence and mortality risk in the Japanese atomic bomb survivors – Differences in excess relative and absolute risk from female breast cancer

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Little, Mark P.; McElvenny, Damien M.

    There are well-known associations of ionizing radiation with female breast cancer, and emerging evidence also for male breast cancer. In the UK, female breast cancer following occupational radiation exposure is among that set of cancers eligible for state compensation and consideration is currently being given to an extension to include male breast cancer. The objectives here, compare radiation-associated excess relative and absolute risks of male and female breast cancers. Breast cancer incidence and mortality data in the Japanese atomic-bomb survivors were analyzed using relative and absolute risk models via Poisson regression. As a result, we observed significant ( p≤ 0.01)more » dose-related excess risk for male breast cancer incidence and mortality. For incidence and mortality data, there are approximate 15-fold and 5- fold elevations, respectively, of relative risk for male compared with female breast cancer incidence, the former borderline significant (p = 0.050). In contrast, for incidence and mortality data there are approximate 20-fold and 10-fold elevations, respectively, of female absolute risk compared with male, both statistically significant (p < 0.001). There are no indications of differences between the sexes in age/time-since-exposure/age-at-exposure modifications to the relative or absolute excess risk. The probability of causation of male breast cancer following radiation exposure exceeds by at least 5-fold that of many other malignancies. In conclusion, there is evidence of much higher radiation-associated relative risk for male than for female breast cancer, although absolute excess risks for males are much less than for females. However, the small number of male cases and deaths suggests a degree of caution in interpretation of this finding.« less

  12. The Freezing Bomb

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mills, Allan

    2010-01-01

    The extreme pressures that are generated when water freezes were traditionally demonstrated by sealing a small volume in a massive cast iron "bomb" and then surrounding it with a freezing mixture of ice and salt. This vessel would dramatically fail by brittle fracture, but no quantitative measurement of bursting pressure was available. Calculation…

  13. Obesity in pediatric ALL survivors: a meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Fang Fang; Kelly, Michael J; Saltzman, Edward; Must, Aviva; Roberts, Susan B; Parsons, Susan K

    2014-03-01

    Previous studies of survivors of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have drawn heterogeneous conclusions regarding the prevalence of obesity and risk factors for developing obesity in pediatric ALL survivors. We sought to determine the prevalence of obesity in pediatric ALL survivors and examine risk factors for obesity through a systematic review and meta-analysis. A MEDLINE search was performed from its inception through 2013. Studies met the inclusion criteria if they (1) included at least 10 survivors of pediatric ALL; (2) assessed the prevalence or indicators of obesity; and (3) compared obesity among ALL survivors to a reference population or external control group. Extracted data included patient and treatment characteristics, study design, population used for comparison, and prevalence of obesity. Forty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Despite significant heterogeneity among the studies (I(2) = 96%), the mean BMI z score in 1742 pediatric ALL survivors was 0.83 (95% confidence interval: 0.60-1.06), which corresponds to the 80th BMI percentile, indicating a significantly higher BMI in pediatric ALL survivors than the reference population. Subgroup analyses found a high prevalence of obesity in ALL survivors regardless of survivors' receipt of cranial irradiation, gender, or age at diagnosis. Obesity is prevalent in pediatric ALL survivors and is independent of patient- and treatment-related characteristics. Clinicians need to screen for obesity and its associated health conditions early in survivorship.

  14. Prevalence of uterine myoma detected by ultrasound examination in the atomic bomb survivors

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kawamura, Sachiko; Kodama, Kazunori; Fujiwara, Saeko

    1997-06-01

    Benign tumors of several organs have been demonstrated to occur as late effects of atomic bomb exposure, and a recent addition to the list of affected organs in the uterus. The increased incidence of uterine myoma noted in Radiation Effects Research Foundation (REFR) Adult Health Study Report 7, however, was based on self-reported information, optional gynecological examination and patient-requested ultrasound examination. Thus the possibility of dose-related bias in case detection was a serious concern. Therefore, the relationship between the prevalence of uterine myoma and dose to the uterus was examined after excluding as much bias as possible by asking allmore » women who had undergone biennial examinations from December 1991 through December 1993 to undergo ultrasound examinations. Among 2506 female participants in Hiroshima, the uterus was visualized by ultrasound examination in 1190, and 238 were found to have uterine nodules. Multiple logistic analysis using Dosimetry System 1986 uterine doses revealed a significant dose response for the prevalence of uterine nodules. The odds ratio at 1 Gy was 1.61 (95% confidence interval: 1.12-2.31). It is unlikely that the observed relationship after adjusting for bladder filling, volume of the uterus, age and menopause status was the result of dose-related bias. These results support previous findings at RERF and provide further evidence that radiation exposure is one of the factors associated with uterine myoma. 28 refs., 3 figs., 4 tabs.« less

  15. Survivors on Cancer: the portrayal of survivors in print news.

    PubMed

    Kromm, Elizabeth Edsall; Smith, Katherine Clegg; Singer, Rachel Friedman

    2007-12-01

    This study examines the types of news stories that include comments by everyday cancer survivors and the messages or information these individuals provide. Even though these non-celebrity survivors increasingly serve on the front lines of cancer prevention and advocacy efforts and often engage with media, the role they play in the media discourse on cancer has not been a focus of research. We conducted a thematic content analysis of print news articles of non-celebrity cancer survivors in 15 leading national daily newspapers for four consecutive months starting in June 2005 to identify the issues or events that included a survivor perspective and the messages or information conveyed by the everyday survivors. Journalists included survivor commentary primarily when covering cancer fundraising events and when focusing on individual survivorship stories. In overall news coverage involving survivors, breast and prostate cancers received the greatest attention, followed by blood and lung cancers. Survivors spoke mainly about the diagnosis experience and life post-cancer. Our analysis of survivors' comments revealed that discussions of the diagnosis experience often convey fear and a lack of confidence in cancer screening practices, while cancer is portrayed as a positive life event. While evidence of a positive and hopeful portrayal of survivorship is an encouraging finding for continued efforts to decrease stigma associated with a cancer diagnosis and for the public understanding of the disease, it is important to consider potential negative implications of an idealized and restricted media discourse on survivorship. The increasing size and capacity of the survivor community offers opportunities for the cancer advocacy community to consider how news media portrayal of cancer and survivorship may contribute in both positive and potentially detrimental ways to public understanding of this disease, its survivors and life after cancer.

  16. Environmental Composites for Bomb Cyclones of the Western North Atlantic in Reanalysis, 1948-2016.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Adams, R.; Sheridan, S. C.

    2017-12-01

    "Bomb" cyclones represent a small subset of mid-latitude cyclones characterized by rapid intensification and frequently are associated with extreme weather conditions along the eastern coast of North America. Like other extreme phenomena, bomb cyclone predictions are prone to error leading to inadequate or untimely hazard warnings. The rare nature of bomb cyclones and the uniqueness of their evolutions has made it difficult for researchers to make meaningful generalizations on bomb cyclone events. This paper describes bomb cyclone climatology for the western North Atlantic, using data from the NCEP-NCAR Reanalysis for 1948-2016, and uses a synoptic climatological analysis to relate these bombs to their associated atmospheric environments. A self-organizing map (SOM) of 300-hPa geopotential height tendency is created to partition the regional atmospheric environment. Thermodynamic fields are contrasted by each 300-hPa geopotential height tendency pattern for both bomb and non-bomb events in composite difference maps. The SOM patterns most significantly associated with western North Atlantic bomb cyclogenesis are characterized by both strongly and weakly negative height tendencies along the eastern United States. In both cases, these patterns exhibit strong meridional flow, a distinction marked by the weakening and breaking down of the polar vortex in the boreal Winter. The composite maps for each pattern show the mean differences in low-mid level ascent and near surface thermodynamics for bomb environments contrasted with non-bomb environments, resulting in diverse spatiotemporal distributions of bombs in the western North Atlantic.

  17. A toy model for the yield of a tamped fission bomb

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reed, B. Cameron

    2018-02-01

    A simple expression is developed for estimating the yield of a tamped fission bomb, that is, a basic nuclear weapon comprising a fissile core jacketed by a surrounding neutron-reflecting tamper. This expression is based on modeling the nuclear chain reaction as a geometric progression in combination with a previously published expression for the threshold-criticality condition for such a core. The derivation is especially straightforward, as it requires no knowledge of diffusion theory and should be accessible to students of both physics and policy. The calculation can be set up as a single page spreadsheet. Application to the Little Boy and Fat Man bombs of World War II gives results in reasonable accord with published yield estimates for these weapons.

  18. Pediatric quality of life in long-term survivors of childhood cancer treated with anthracyclines.

    PubMed

    Ryerson, A Blythe; Wasilewski-Masker, Karen; Border, William L; Goodman, Michael; Meacham, Lillian; Austin, Harland; Marchak, Jordan Gilleland; Mertens, Ann C

    2016-12-01

    Anthracyclines are a common class of drugs used to treat pediatric cancer. While much attention is given to their cardiotoxicity, little is known about the relationship between the use of anthracyclines and health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) outcomes. This study examines the association of anthracycline cardiotoxicity risk status and Pediatric Quality-of-Life (PedsQL) Inventory TM scores in childhood cancer METHODS: Pediatric cancer survivors aged 8-21 who were at least 5 years posttreatment were recruited from a Cancer Survivor Clinic. Participants completed the PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales and a health behavior survey. Linear regression was used to evaluate the association between PedsQL scores and anthracycline cardiotoxicity risk status and to assess whether self-reported physical activity modified the association. Eighty survivors participated and were characterized by cardiotoxicity risk status (high: 12; moderate: 23, low: 24, no risk: 21) as defined by the Children's Oncology Group (COG). Measures in all PedsQL domains tended to be slightly lower for survivors exposed to anthracyclines as compared to the unexposed. The largest difference in unadjusted mean scores was for social functioning (96.0% for unexposed vs. 91.3% for exposed, P = 0.0068). There was also an inverse dose-response relation between adjusted PedsQL scores and increasing anthracycline cardiotoxicity risk; this association was not modified by physical activity level. These data indicate that regular psychosocial assessments, such as those currently recommended by the COG, may be especially important for survivors treated with anthracyclines. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. Predictors of successful use of a web-based healthcare document storage and sharing system for pediatric cancer survivors: Cancer SurvivorLink™.

    PubMed

    Williamson, Rebecca; Meacham, Lillian; Cherven, Brooke; Hassen-Schilling, Leann; Edwards, Paula; Palgon, Michael; Espinoza, Sofia; Mertens, Ann

    2014-09-01

    Cancer SurvivorLink™, www.cancersurvivorlink.org , is a patient-controlled communication tool where survivors can electronically store and share documents with healthcare providers. Functionally, SurvivorLink serves as an electronic personal health record-a record of health-related information managed and controlled by the survivor. Recruitment methods to increase registration and the characteristics of registrants who completed each step of using SurvivorLink are described. Pediatric cancer survivors were recruited via mailings, survivor clinic, and community events. Recruitment method and Aflac Survivor Clinic attendance was determined for each registrant. Registration date, registrant type (parent vs. survivor), zip code, creation of a personal health record in SurvivorLink, storage of documents, and document sharing were measured. Logistic regression was used to determine the characteristics that predicted creation of a health record and storage of documents. To date, 275 survivors/parents have completed registration: 63 were recruited via mailing, 99 from clinic, 56 from community events, and 57 via other methods. Overall, 66.9 % registrants created a personal health record and 45.7 % of those stored a health document. There were no significant predictors for creating a personal health record. Attending a survivor clinic was the strongest predictor of document storage (p < 0.01). Of those with a document stored, 21.4 % shared with a provider. Having attended survivor clinic is the biggest predictor of registering and using SurvivorLink. Many survivors must advocate for their survivorship care. Survivor Link provides educational material and supports the dissemination of survivor-specific follow-up recommendations to facilitate shared clinical care decision making.

  20. The case for establishing a Holocaust survivors cohort in Israel

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    In this issue, Keinan-Boker summarises the main studies that have followed up offspring of women exposed to famine during pregnancy and calls for the establishment of a national cohort of Holocaust survivors and their offspring to study inter-generational effects. She suggests that the study would consolidate the fetal origins theory and lead to translational applications to deal with the inter-generational effects of the Holocaust. Barker suggested that alterations in the nutritional supply during critical stages of intra-uterine development permanently alter the structure and metabolism of fetal organs which he termed ‘fetal programming’ (now known as developmental origins of health and disease). The famine studies have played an important role in refining the hypothesis by allowing a ‘quasi-experimental’ setting that would otherwise have been impossible to recreate. The developmental origins hypothesis provides a framework to link genetic, environmental and social factors across the lifecourse and offers a primordial preventive strategy to prevent non-communicable disease. Although the famine studies have provided valuable information, the results from various studies are inconsistent. It is perhaps unsurprising given the problems with collecting and interpreting data from famine studies. Survival bias and information bias are key issues. With mortality rates being high, survivors may differ significantly from non-survivors in factors which influence disease development. Most of the data is at ecological level; a lack of individual-level data and poor records make it difficult to identify those affected and assess the severity of effect. Confounding is also possible due to the varying periods and degrees of food deprivation, physical punishment and mental stress undergone by famine survivors. Nonetheless, there would be value in setting up a cohort of Holocaust survivors and their offspring and Keinan-Boker correctly argues that they deserve special

  1. The bomb 14C transient in the Pacific Ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rodgers, Keith B.; Schrag, Daniel P.; Cane, Mark A.; Naik, Naomi H.

    2000-04-01

    A modeling study of the bomb 14C transient is presented for the Pacific Ocean. A primitive equation ocean circulation model has been configured for a high-resolution domain that accounts for the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF). Four separate runs were performed: (1) seasonal forcing with 20 Sv of ITF transport, (2) seasonal forcing with 10 Sv of ITF transport, (3) seasonal forcing with no ITF transport, and (4) interannual forcing with 15 Sv of ITF transport. This study has two main objectives. First, it is intended to describe the time evolution of the bomb 14C transient. This serves as a tool with which one can identify the physical processes controlling the evolving bomb 14C distribution in the Pacific thermocline and thus provides an interpretive framework for the database of Δ14C measurements in the Pacific. Second, transient tracers are applied to the physical oceanographic problem of intergyre exchange. This is of importance in furthering our understanding of the potential role of the upper Pacific Ocean in climate variability. We use bomb 14C as a dye tracer of intergyre exchange between the subtropical gyres and the equatorial upwelling regions of the equatorial Pacific. Observations show that while the atmospheric Δ14C signal peaked in the early to mid-1960s, the Δ14C levels in the surface water waters of the subtropical gyres peaked near 1970, and the Δ14C of surface waters in the equatorial Pacific continued to rise through the 1980s. It is shown that the model exhibits skill in representing the large-scale observed features observed for the bomb 14C transient in the Pacific Ocean. The model successfully captures the basin-scale inventories of bomb 14C in the tropics as well as in the extratropics of the North Pacific. For the equatorial Pacific this is attributed to the model's high meridional resolution. The discrepancies in the three-dimensional distribution of bomb 14C between the model and data are discussed within the context of the dynamical

  2. Health and well-being in adolescent survivors of early childhood cancer: a report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study.

    PubMed

    Mertens, Ann C; Brand, Sarah; Ness, Kirsten K; Li, Zhenghong; Mitby, Pauline A; Riley, Anne; Patenaude, Andrea Farkas; Zeltzer, Lonnie

    2014-03-01

    With the growing number of childhood cancer survivors in the US, it is important to assess the well-being of these individuals, particularly during the transitional phase of adolescence. Data about adolescent survivors' overall health and quality of life will help identify survivor subgroups most in need of targeted attention to successfully transition to adulthood. This ancillary study to the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study focused on children 15-19 years of age who had been diagnosed with cancer before the age of 4 years. A cohort of siblings of pediatric cancer survivors of the same ages served as a comparison sample. Adolescent health was assessed using the Child Health and Illness Profile-Adolescent Edition (CHIP-AE) survey. The teen survey was sent to 444 survivor teens and 189 siblings. Of these, 307(69%) survivors and 97 (51%) siblings completed and returned the survey. The overall health profiles of siblings and survivors were similar. Among survivors, females scored significantly below males on satisfaction, discomfort, and disorders domains. Survivors diagnosed with central nervous system tumors scored less favorably than leukemia survivors in the global domains of satisfaction and disorders. In general, adolescent survivors fare favorably compared to healthy siblings. However, identification of the subset of pediatric cancer survivors who are more vulnerable to medical and psychosocial disorders in adolescence provides the opportunity for design and implementation of intervention strategies that may improve quality of life. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  3. Slow fuze on the neutron bomb

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Frye, A.

    The U.S. government has wrestled with the neutron bomb's production and its potential bargaining powers for years. President Carter's decision not to decide about the neutron bomb has now provoked a furor. The alarm focuses more on the politics of the decision than on its moral, military, and strategic aspects. The political reaction to Carter's deferring production may virtually compel him to produce neutron warheads eventually, unless the Soviet Union displays compensating restraint in the coming months. While the Kremlin has indicated a willingness to forgo production of similar weapons of its own, it is unlikely to accept American demandsmore » for other concessions, such as a limit on Soviet SS-20 missile deployments. Since the issue has not been settled, but merely postponed, further thought should be given to the potential costs and benefits of an eventual deployment. Following a lengthy discussion of all aspects of the issue, the answers for the use of the neutron bomb and as to whether it will make Europe and America more secure remain unanswered. (MCW)« less

  4. Captives of Their Fantasies: The German Atomic Bomb Scientists

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Klotz, Irving M.

    1997-02-01

    When the Nazi government collapsed in May, 1945, an Allied intelligence mission took into custody nine of the German scientists who played key roles in the German atomic bomb project. Under great secrecy these men were confined in a large country house, Farm Hall, near Cambridge (England), and their conversations were recorded surreptitiously by hidden microphones in every room. The transcripts were kept TOP SECRET for 47 years and were finally released recently. They give fascinating insights into the personalities of the guests and invaluable information on what the Germans really understood about the physics and chemistry of a nuclear reactor and an atomic bomb. The Farm Hall transcripts clearly establish that (a) the Germans on August 6, 1945 did not believe that the Allies had exploded an atomic bomb over Hiroshima that day; (b) they never succeeded in constructing a self-sustaining nuclear reactor; (c) they were confused about the differences between an atomic bomb and a reactor; (d) they did not know how to correctly calculate the critical mass of a bomb; (e) they thought that "plutonium" was probably element 91. The Farm Hall transcripts contradict the self-serving and sensationalist writings about German efforts that have appeared during the past fifty years.

  5. Epidemiology of a thermonuclear bomb-burst over Nashville, Tennessee: a theoretic study.

    PubMed

    Quinn, R W

    1983-07-01

    A thermonuclear bomb explosion over any city in the world would have a devastating effect on the population and environment. For those who survive, with or without injuries, life would become primitive with little or no uncontaminated food or water, and with inadequate housing, fuel, and medical care, resulting in a breakdown of family and interpersonal relationships. This theoretic study of the potential outcome of a thermonuclear bomb-burst over Nashville, Tennessee, discusses epidemiologically the wide range of medical and psychologic effects from the direct trauma of blast and fire, widespread epidemics of otherwise controlled disease, long-term chronic illness, genetic damage, and catastrophic environmental havoc.

  6. Uganda: Perfection of Post-Conflict Stability or Ticking Time Bomb

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-01-01

    1 UGANDA: PERFECTION OF POST-CONFLICT STABILITY OR TICKING TIME BOMB ? By Kristin M. Pearson and Alex S. Pedersen, United States Air...Force Academy 2015 INSS RESEARCH PAPER 2016 2 UGANDA: PERFECTION OF POST-CONFLICT STABILITY OR TICKING TIME BOMB ? By Kristin M. Pearson and Alex...likely. “The area is a ticking time bomb without ongoing efforts. There’s an entire group of young men trained in military tactics that have said

  7. The role of radiology in the Oklahoma City bombing.

    PubMed

    Nye, P J; Tytle, T L; Jarman, R N; Eaton, B G

    1996-08-01

    To evaluate the role of radiologic services in the assessment of injuries and identification of deceased victims of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Okla. In cooperation with the Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center Disaster Studies Group, all victims of the Oklahoma City bombing who were treated in hospitals were evaluated. All radiologic studies performed in these patients during a 4-week period after the bombing were recorded. Major injuries incurred by the victims were noted but were not documented. In addition, assistance provided by radiologic services to the medical examiner's office for identification of deceased victims was assessed. On the day of the bombing, 99% (480 of 485) of the imaging studies performed were either plain radiography, primarily of the extremities and chest, or computed tomography (CT), half of which were of the head. Six deceased victims were identified solely by means of characteristics on radiographs. Almost all bombing-related radiologic studies were either plain radiography or CT. Other modalities had only limited roles. In deceased victims, plain radiography aided identification, and in many other victims it allowed localization of materials that were potential pieces of evidence.

  8. Mental health insurance access and utilization among childhood cancer survivors: a report from the childhood cancer survivor study.

    PubMed

    Perez, Giselle K; Kirchhoff, Anne C; Recklitis, Christopher; Krull, Kevin R; Kuhlthau, Karen A; Nathan, Paul C; Rabin, Julia; Armstrong, Gregory T; Leisenring, Wendy; Robison, Leslie L; Park, Elyse R

    2018-04-15

    To describe and compare the prevalence of mental health access, preference, and use among pediatric cancer survivors and their siblings. To identify factors associated with mental health access and use among survivors. Six hundred ninety-eight survivors in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (median age = 39.4; median years from diagnosis = 30.8) and 210 siblings (median age = 40.4) were surveyed. Outcomes included having mental health insurance coverage, delaying care due to cost, perceived value of mental health benefits, and visiting a mental health provider in the past year. There were no differences in mental health access, preferences, and use between survivors and siblings (p > 0.05). Among respondents with a history of distress, most reported not having seen a mental health provider in the past year (80.9% survivors vs. 77.1% siblings; p = 0.60). Uninsured survivors were more likely to defer mental health services due to cost (24.6 vs. 8.4%; p < 0.001). In multivariable models, males (OR = 2.96) and survivors with public (OR = 6.61) or employer-sponsored insurance (ESI; OR = 14.37) were more likely to have mental health coverage. Most childhood cancer survivors value having mental healthcare benefits; however, coverage and use of mental health services remain suboptimal. The most vulnerable of survivors, specifically the uninsured and those with a history of distress, are at risk of experiencing challenges accessing mental health care. Childhood cancer survivors are at risk for experiencing high levels of daily life stress that is compounded by treatment-related sequelae. Integrative, system-based approaches that incorporate financial programs with patient education about insurance benefits can help reduce some of the financial barriers survivors face.

  9. Is Einstein the Father of the Atomic Bomb

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lustig, Harry

    2009-05-01

    Soon after the American atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the notion took hold in the popular mind that Albert Einstein was ``the father of the bomb.'' The claim of paternity rests on the belief that E=mc2 is what makes the release of enormous amounts of energy in the fission process possible and that the atomic bomb could not have been built without it. This is a misapprehension. Most physicists have known that all along. Nevertheless in his reaction to the opera Dr. Atomic, a prominent physicist claimed that Einstein's discovery that matter can be transformed into energy ``is precisely what made the bomb possible.'' In fact what makes the fission reaction and one of its applications,the atomic bomb, possible is the smaller binding energies of fission products compared to the binding energies of the nuclei that undergo fission.The binding energies of nuclei are a well understood consequence of the numbers and arrangements of protons and neutrons in the nucleus and of quantum-mechanical effects. The realization that composite systems have binding energies predates relativity. In the 19th century they were ascribed to potential and other forms of energy that reside in the system. With Einstein they became rest mass energy. While E=mc2 is not the cause of fission, measuring the masses of the participants in the reaction does permit an easy calculation of the kinetic energy that is released.

  10. THE PHYSICIAN AND THE ATOMIC BOMB

    PubMed Central

    Bond, V. P.; Fishler, M. C.; Sullivan, W. H.

    1951-01-01

    Atomic detonations are essentially of two types: contaminating and non-contaminating. The only non-contaminating burst is the high air burst, since it does not result in the contamination of the ground with radioactive bomb residue. This type of burst results in blast, thermal and ionizing radiation injury (often combined in the same patient). The only injurious agent peculiar to atomic warfare is ionizing radiation. With a high air burst these effects are due mainly to gamma rays, and they are no longer present after the first few seconds following the explosion. Although only about 15 per cent of the deaths resulting from this type of burst are likely to be due primarily to ionizing radiations, exposure to the latter may well complicate recovery from trauma. Since there is a latent period of a number of days between the initial and later symptoms and signs of whole body radiation exposure, it does not constitute an emergency and can be treated after the initial period of the disaster has passed. With the detonation of a contaminating burst (a surface, underwater or underground burst) the radii of damage from blast and thermal radiation are considerably less than with a high air burst. Two types of radiation may result from the radioactive fog (base surge) formed after an underwater burst—transit radiation and deposit or continuing radiation. The deposit radiation includes that resulting from inhaled or ingested radioactive material as well as that deposited on clothes or skin. Bomb residue contains material which would localize in bones if it entered the body, and much of it has a long radioactive and biological half-life. It would thus bombard the radiosensitive bone marrow for long periods. Fortunately, the materials which would localize in bone are poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and lungs. In general radiation injury to a person exposed to a contaminating burst should be reckoned primarily in terms of the penetrating gamma radiation to which

  11. One-year audiologic monitoring of individuals exposed to the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

    PubMed

    Van Campen, L E; Dennis, J M; Hanlin, R C; King, S B; Velderman, A M

    1999-05-01

    This longitudinal study evaluated subjective, behavioral, and objective auditory function in 83 explosion survivors. Subjects were evaluated quarterly for 1 year with conventional pure-tone and extended high-frequencies audiometry, otoscopic inspections, immittance and speech audiometry, and questionnaires. There was no obvious relationship between subject location and symptoms or test results. Tinnitus, distorted hearing, loudness sensitivity, and otalgia were common symptoms. On average, 76 percent of subjects had predominantly sensorineural hearing loss at one or more frequencies. Twenty-four percent of subjects required amplification. Extended high frequencies showed evidence of acoustic trauma even when conventional frequencies fell within the normal range. Males had significantly poorer responses than females across frequencies. Auditory status of the group was significantly compromised and unchanged at the end of 1-year postblast.

  12. Design and use of a servo-controlled high pressure window bomb in spectroscopic studies of solid propellant combustion

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Goetz, F.; Mann, D. M.

    1980-01-01

    The feasibility of using a high pressure window bomb as a laboratory scale model of actual motor conditions. The design and operation of a modified high pressure window bomb is discussed. An optical servocontrol mechanism has been designed to hold the burning surface of a propellant strand at a fixed position within the bomb chamber. This mechanism permits the recording of visible and infrared emission spectra from various propellants. Preliminary visible emission spectra of a nonmetalized and metalized propellant are compared with spectra recorded using the modified bomb.

  13. Media exposure in children one hundred miles from a terrorist bombing.

    PubMed

    Pfefferbaum, Betty; Seale, Thomas W; Brandt, Edward N; Pfefferbaum, Rose L; Doughty, Debby E; Rainwater, Scott M

    2003-03-01

    This study assessed indirect interpersonal exposure to the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, broadcast and print media exposure in the aftermath of the explosion, emotional reactions to media coverage, and posttraumatic stress reactions in children distant from the explosion. A survey was administered to 88 sixth-grade students in the public middle school in a community 100 miles from Oklahoma City 2 years after the bombing. Many children reported indirect interpersonal exposure and most reported bomb-related media exposure. Print media exposure was more strongly associated with enduring posttraumatic stress than broadcast exposure. Indirect interpersonal exposure and the interaction of media exposure with emotional reaction to media coverage in the aftermath of the explosion each predicted ongoing posttraumatic stress. The results suggest that children may have lingering reactions to highly publicized terrorist incidents. Concern about the influence of television viewing has long been proclaimed. This study implicates print media exposure as well. Media exposure to terrorist incidents, therefore, should be monitored and those working with children should assess exposure and stress even in children not directly impacted.

  14. The process of coping with domestic violence in adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

    PubMed

    Griffing, Sascha; Lewis, Carla S; Jospitre, Tania; Chu, Melissa; Sage, Robert; Primm, Beny J; Madry, Lorraine

    2006-01-01

    Research suggests that the use of disengaged or avoidant strategies to cope with interpersonal violence contributes to the development of depressive symptoms and other psychological difficulties. Survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) who are exposed to subsequent episodes of abuse may be more likely to rely on disengaged coping strategies, placing them at elevated risk of psychological symptomatology. In this study, we explored the interrelationships between coping, depression, and self-esteem in an ethnically diverse sample of domestic violence survivors (N = 219) with and without a history of CSA. As predicted, CSA survivors (n = 86) reported significantly greater use of disengaged coping strategies (wishful thinking, self-criticism, and social withdrawal) than non-CSA survivors (n = 133). As hypothesized, both a CSA history and the use of disengaged coping significantly predicted higher levels of depression and lower self- esteem. Clinical implications of the findings are discussed.

  15. Bombings specific triage (Bost Tool) tool and its application by healthcare professionals.

    PubMed

    Sanjay, Jaiswal; Ankur, Verma; Tamorish, Kole

    2015-01-01

    Bombing is a unique incident which produces unique patterns, multiple and occult injuries. Death often is a result of combined blast, ballistic and thermal effect injuries. Various natures of injury, self referrals and arrival by private transportation may lead to "wrong triage" in the emergency department. In India there has been an increase in incidence of bombing in the last 15 years. There is no documented triage tool from the National Disaster Management Authority of India for Bombings. We have tried to develop an ideal bombing specific triage tool which will guide the right patients to the right place at the right time and save more lives. There are three methods of studying the triage tool: 1) real disaster; 2) mock drill; 3) table top exercise. In this study, a table top exercise method was selected. There are two groups, each consisting of an emergency physician, a nurse and a paramedic. By using the proportion test, we found that correct triaging was significantly different (P=0.005) in proportion between the two groups: group B (80%) with triage tool performed better in triaging the bomb blast victims than group A (50%) without the bombing specific triage tool performed. Development of bombing specific triage tool can reduce under triaging.

  16. Bombings specific triage (Bost Tool) tool and its application by healthcare professionals

    PubMed Central

    Sanjay, Jaiswal; Ankur, Verma; Tamorish, Kole

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Bombing is a unique incident which produces unique patterns, multiple and occult injuries. Death often is a result of combined blast, ballistic and thermal effect injuries. Various natures of injury, self referrals and arrival by private transportation may lead to “wrong triage” in the emergency department. In India there has been an increase in incidence of bombing in the last 15 years. There is no documented triage tool from the National Disaster Management Authority of India for Bombings. We have tried to develop an ideal bombing specific triage tool which will guide the right patients to the right place at the right time and save more lives. METHODS: There are three methods of studying the triage tool: 1) real disaster; 2) mock drill; 3) table top exercise. In this study, a table top exercise method was selected. There are two groups, each consisting of an emergency physician, a nurse and a paramedic. RESULTS: By using the proportion test, we found that correct triaging was significantly different (P=0.005) in proportion between the two groups: group B (80%) with triage tool performed better in triaging the bomb blast victims than group A (50%) without the bombing specific triage tool performed. CONCLUSION: Development of bombing specific triage tool can reduce under triaging. PMID:26693264

  17. "We are survivors and not a virus:" Content analysis of media reporting on Ebola survivors in Liberia.

    PubMed

    Mayrhuber, Elisabeth Anne-Sophie; Niederkrotenthaler, Thomas; Kutalek, Ruth

    2017-08-01

    The Ebola virus disease epidemic between 2013 and 2016 in West Africa was unprecedented. It resulted in approximately 28.000 cases and 10.000 Ebola survivors. Many survivors face social, economic and health-related predicaments and media reporting is crucially important in infectious disease outbreaks. However, there is little research on reporting of the social situation of Ebola survivors in Liberia. The study used a mixed methods approach and analysed media reports from the Liberian Daily Observer (DOL), a daily newspaper available online in English. We were interested to know how the situation of Ebola survivors was portrayed; in what way issues such as stigma and discrimination were addressed; and which stigma reduction interventions were covered and how. We included all articles on the situation of Ebola survivors in the quantitative and in-depth qualitative analysis published between April 2014 and March 2016. The DOL published 148 articles that portrayed the social situation of Ebola survivors between the 24 months observation period. In these articles, Ebola survivors were often defined beyond biological terms, reflecting on a broader social definition of survivorship. Survivorship was associated with challenges such as suffering from after-effects, social and economic consequences and psychological distress. Almost 50% of the articles explicitly mentioned stigmatisation in their reporting on Ebola survivors. This was contextualised in untrustworthiness towards international responses and the local health care system and inconclusive knowledge on cures and transmission routes. In the majority of DOL articles stigma reduction and engaging survivors in the response was reported as crucially important. Reporting in the DOL was educational-didactical and well-balanced in terms of disseminating available medical knowledge and reflecting the social situation of Ebola survivors. While the articles contextualised factors contributing to stigmatisation throughout

  18. "We are survivors and not a virus:" Content analysis of media reporting on Ebola survivors in Liberia

    PubMed Central

    Mayrhuber, Elisabeth Anne-Sophie; Niederkrotenthaler, Thomas

    2017-01-01

    Background The Ebola virus disease epidemic between 2013 and 2016 in West Africa was unprecedented. It resulted in approximately 28.000 cases and 10.000 Ebola survivors. Many survivors face social, economic and health-related predicaments and media reporting is crucially important in infectious disease outbreaks. However, there is little research on reporting of the social situation of Ebola survivors in Liberia. Methods The study used a mixed methods approach and analysed media reports from the Liberian Daily Observer (DOL), a daily newspaper available online in English. We were interested to know how the situation of Ebola survivors was portrayed; in what way issues such as stigma and discrimination were addressed; and which stigma reduction interventions were covered and how. We included all articles on the situation of Ebola survivors in the quantitative and in-depth qualitative analysis published between April 2014 and March 2016. Results The DOL published 148 articles that portrayed the social situation of Ebola survivors between the 24 months observation period. In these articles, Ebola survivors were often defined beyond biological terms, reflecting on a broader social definition of survivorship. Survivorship was associated with challenges such as suffering from after-effects, social and economic consequences and psychological distress. Almost 50% of the articles explicitly mentioned stigmatisation in their reporting on Ebola survivors. This was contextualised in untrustworthiness towards international responses and the local health care system and inconclusive knowledge on cures and transmission routes. In the majority of DOL articles stigma reduction and engaging survivors in the response was reported as crucially important. Discussion Reporting in the DOL was educational-didactical and well-balanced in terms of disseminating available medical knowledge and reflecting the social situation of Ebola survivors. While the articles contextualised factors

  19. Male infertility in long-term survivors of pediatric cancer: A report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study

    PubMed Central

    Wasilewski-Masker, K; Seidel, K D; Leisenring, W; Mertens, A C; Shnorhavorian, M; Ritenour, C W; Stovall, M; Green, D M; Sklar, C A; Armstrong, G T; Robison, L L; Meacham, L R

    2014-01-01

    Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of male infertility and treatment-related risk factors in childhood cancer survivors. Methods Within the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study, 1622 survivors and 274 siblings completed the Male Health Questionnaire. The analysis was restricted to survivors (938/1622; 57.8%) and siblings (174/274; 63.5%) who tried to become pregnant. Relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the prevalence of self-reported infertility were calculated using generalized linear models for demographic variables and treatment-related factors to account for correlation among survivors and siblings of the same family. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results Among those who provided self-report data, the prevalence of infertility was 46.0% in survivors versus 17.5% in siblings (RR=2.64, 95% CI 1.88-3.70, p < 0.001). Of survivors who met the definition for infertility, 37% had reported at least one pregnancy with a female partner that resulted in a live birth. In a multivariable analysis, risk factors for infertility included an alkylating agent dose score (AAD) ≥ 3 (RR= 2.13, 95% CI 1.69-2.68 for AAD ≥ 3 versus AAD<3), surgical excision of any organ of the genital tract (RR=1.63, 95% CI 1.20-2.21), testicular radiation ≥ 4Gy (RR=1.99, 95% CI 1.52-2.61), and exposure to bleomycin (RR=1.55, 95% CI 1.20-2.01). Conclusion Many survivors who experience infertility father their own children suggesting episodes of both fertility and infertility. This and the novel association of infertility with bleomycin warrant further investigation. Implications for Cancer Survivors Though infertility is common, male survivors reporting infertility often father their own children. Bleomycin may pose some fertility risk. PMID:24711092

  20. Obesity in Pediatric ALL Survivors: A Meta-Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Kelly, Michael J.; Saltzman, Edward; Must, Aviva; Roberts, Susan B.; Parsons, Susan K.

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Previous studies of survivors of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have drawn heterogeneous conclusions regarding the prevalence of obesity and risk factors for developing obesity in pediatric ALL survivors. We sought to determine the prevalence of obesity in pediatric ALL survivors and examine risk factors for obesity through a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: A MEDLINE search was performed from its inception through 2013. Studies met the inclusion criteria if they (1) included at least 10 survivors of pediatric ALL; (2) assessed the prevalence or indicators of obesity; and (3) compared obesity among ALL survivors to a reference population or external control group. Extracted data included patient and treatment characteristics, study design, population used for comparison, and prevalence of obesity. RESULTS: Forty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Despite significant heterogeneity among the studies (I2 = 96%), the mean BMI z score in 1742 pediatric ALL survivors was 0.83 (95% confidence interval: 0.60–1.06), which corresponds to the 80th BMI percentile, indicating a significantly higher BMI in pediatric ALL survivors than the reference population. Subgroup analyses found a high prevalence of obesity in ALL survivors regardless of survivors’ receipt of cranial irradiation, gender, or age at diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity is prevalent in pediatric ALL survivors and is independent of patient- and treatment-related characteristics. Clinicians need to screen for obesity and its associated health conditions early in survivorship. PMID:24534408

  1. Triggering soft bombs at the LHC

    DOE PAGES

    Knapen, Simon; Griso, Simone Pagan; Papucci, Michele; ...

    2017-08-18

    Very high multiplicity, spherically-symmetric distributions of soft particles, with p T ~ few×100 MeV, may be a signature of strongly-coupled hidden valleys that exhibit long, efficient showering windows. With traditional triggers, such ‘soft bomb’ events closely resemble pile-up and are therefore only recorded with minimum bias triggers at a very low efficiency. We demonstrate a proof-of-concept for a high-level triggering strategy that efficiently separates soft bombs from pile-up by searching for a ‘belt of fire’: a high density band of hits on the innermost layer of the tracker. Seeding our proposed high-level trigger with existing jet, missing transverse energy ormore » lepton hardware-level triggers, we show that net trigger efficiencies of order 10% are possible for bombs of mass several × 100 GeV. We also consider the special case that soft bombs are the result of an exotic decay of the 125 GeV Higgs. The fiducial rate for ‘Higgs bombs’ triggered in this manner is marginally higher than the rate achievable by triggering directly on a hard muon from associated Higgs production.« less

  2. Triggering soft bombs at the LHC

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Knapen, Simon; Griso, Simone Pagan; Papucci, Michele

    Very high multiplicity, spherically-symmetric distributions of soft particles, with p T ~ few×100 MeV, may be a signature of strongly-coupled hidden valleys that exhibit long, efficient showering windows. With traditional triggers, such ‘soft bomb’ events closely resemble pile-up and are therefore only recorded with minimum bias triggers at a very low efficiency. We demonstrate a proof-of-concept for a high-level triggering strategy that efficiently separates soft bombs from pile-up by searching for a ‘belt of fire’: a high density band of hits on the innermost layer of the tracker. Seeding our proposed high-level trigger with existing jet, missing transverse energy ormore » lepton hardware-level triggers, we show that net trigger efficiencies of order 10% are possible for bombs of mass several × 100 GeV. We also consider the special case that soft bombs are the result of an exotic decay of the 125 GeV Higgs. The fiducial rate for ‘Higgs bombs’ triggered in this manner is marginally higher than the rate achievable by triggering directly on a hard muon from associated Higgs production.« less

  3. Epidemiology of a thermonuclear bomb-burst over Nashville, Tennessee: a theoretic study

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Quinn, R.W.

    1983-07-01

    A thermonuclear bomb explosion over any city in the world would have a devastating effect on the population and environment. For those who survive, with or without injuries, life would become primitive with little or no uncontaminated food or water, and with inadequate housing, fuel, and medical care, resulting in a breakdown of family and interpersonal relationships. This theoretic study of the potential outcome of a thermonuclear bomb-burst over Nashville, Tennessee, discusses epidemiologically the wide range of medical and psychologic effects from the direct trauma of blast and fire, widespread epidemics of otherwise controlled disease, long-term chronic illness, genetic damage,more » and catastrophic environmental havoc.« less

  4. Ultrasonic Device Would Open Pipe Bombs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    El-Raheb, Michael S.; Adams, Marc A.; Zwissler, James G.

    1991-01-01

    Piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer, energized by frequency generator and power supply, vibrates shell of pipe bomb while hardly disturbing explosive inner material. Frequency-control circuitry senses resonance in shell and holds generator at that frequency to induce fatigue cracking in threads of end cap. In addition to disarming bombs, ultrasonically induced fatigue may have other applications. In manufacturing, replaces some machining and cutting operations. In repair of equipment, cleanly and quickly disassembles corroded parts. In demolition of buildings used to dismember steel framework safely and controllably.

  5. Emotional suppression in torture survivors: Relationship to posttraumatic stress symptoms and trauma-related negative affect.

    PubMed

    Nickerson, Angela; Garber, Benjamin; Ahmed, Ola; Asnaani, Anu; Cheung, Jessica; Hofmann, Stefan G; Huynh, Ly; Liddell, Belinda; Litz, Brett T; Pajak, Rosanna; Bryant, Richard A

    2016-08-30

    While clinical reports suggest that torture survivors may try to suppress their emotions during torture, little is known about the use of emotional suppression following torture. In this study, 82 refugees and asylum-seekers (including 33 torture survivors) completed self-report measures of trait suppression, PTSD symptoms and baseline negative affect before being exposed to images depicting scenes of interpersonal trauma. The use of suppression while viewing the images was indexed and negative affect was measured both immediately after viewing the images and following a five minute rest period. Findings indicated that torture survivors did not show higher rates of trait suppression or state emotional suppression during the experimental session compared to non-torture survivors. However, torture survivors who endorsed state suppression higher levels of distress, and this relationship was especially strong for those with more severe PTSD symptoms. In contrast, there was a negative relationship between state suppression and distress for non-torture survivors with high levels of PTSD symptoms. These findings suggest that, while torture exposure does not lead to greater use of suppression, it does influence the impact of suppression on emotional responses to stimuli. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Financial Burden in Survivors of Childhood Cancer: A Report From the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study.

    PubMed

    Nipp, Ryan D; Kirchhoff, Anne C; Fair, Douglas; Rabin, Julia; Hyland, Kelly A; Kuhlthau, Karen; Perez, Giselle K; Robison, Leslie L; Armstrong, Gregory T; Nathan, Paul C; Oeffinger, Kevin C; Leisenring, Wendy M; Park, Elyse R

    2017-10-20

    Purpose Survivors of childhood cancer may experience financial burden as a result of health care costs, particularly because these patients often require long-term medical care. We sought to evaluate the prevalence of financial burden and identify associations between a higher percentage of income spent on out-of-pocket medical costs (≥ 10% of annual income) and issues related to financial burden (jeopardizing care or changing lifestyle) among survivors of childhood cancer and a sibling comparison group. Methods Between May 2011 and April 2012, we surveyed an age-stratified, random sample of survivors of childhood cancer and a sibling comparison group who were enrolled in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. Participants reported their household income, out-of-pocket medical costs, and issues related to financial burden (questions were adapted from national surveys on financial burden). Logistic regression identified associations between participant characteristics, a higher percentage of income spent on out-of-pocket medical costs, and financial burden, adjusting for potential confounders. Results Among 580 survivors of childhood cancer and 173 siblings, survivors of childhood cancer were more likely to have out-of-pocket medical costs ≥ 10% of annual income (10.0% v 2.9%; P < .001). Characteristics of the survivors of childhood cancer that were associated with a higher percentage of income spent on out-of-pocket costs included hospitalization in the past year (odds ratio [OR], 2.3; 95% CI, 1.1 to 4.9) and household income < $50,000 (OR, 5.5; 95% CI, 2.4 to 12.8). Among survivors of childhood cancer, a higher percentage of income spent on out-of-pocket medical costs was significantly associated with problems paying medical bills (OR, 8.9; 95% CI, 4.4 to 18.0); deferring care for a medical problem (OR, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.6 to 5.9); skipping a test, treatment, or follow-up (OR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.1 to 4.0); and thoughts of filing for bankruptcy (OR, 6.6; 95% CI, 3.0 to

  7. What Survivors Want: Understanding the Needs of Sexual Assault Survivors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Munro-Kramer, Michelle L.; Dulin, Alexandra C.; Gaither, Caroline

    2017-01-01

    Objective: Sexual assault is a pervasive crime on our college campuses and many survivors do not seek post-assault resources. This study will explore components of alternative interventions to consider in the development of campus-based interventions for sexual assault survivors. Participants: Three stakeholder groups including survivors (n = 8),…

  8. Fatalities associated with home-made pipe bombs in Northern Ireland.

    PubMed

    Lucas, James; Crane, Jack

    2008-06-01

    Pipe bombs are crudely constructed improvized explosive devices which are easily made at home. They are increasingly used by terrorists and others, and may inflict serious injuries and cause death. Four fatalities have occurred in association with their use in Northern Ireland between 1998 and 2002. In 2 cases, death was due to penetrating shrapnel injuries to the chest causing laceration of the great vessels, and a third fatality occurred due to a bomb fragment penetrating the cranial cavity. A pipe bomb exploded close to the back of the head of a fourth victim and this was associated with a severe brain injury. The pathologist was able to determine the position of the victim in relation to the explosion by interpreting the pattern of injuries. It seems likely that 2 of the victims had been involved in the construction, transport, or use of the devices. A third victim was entirely innocent and had been in the process of removing a pipe bomb, which had been thrown through the window of her home, when it exploded. The fourth victim was a member of the security forces who had been struck by a bomb fragment, in the region of the right eye, during a period of sectarian unrest.

  9. Self injury of extremities leading to amputation while handling local bomb.

    PubMed

    Bhadani, Umesh Kumar

    2013-05-01

    Self injury while making material which has a tendency to blast is dangerous- whether it is fire cracker or local bomb. Some villagers living nearby forest make bomb to scare wild animals to protect their pet animals. A 22-year old girl while making this kind of local bomb, got injured badly. The injury was sustained while making bomb in a sitting position with face down as it is evident form type of injury. There was lacerated injury of both hands leading to amputation of both hands above wrists. Lacerated injury was present on medial sides of both thighs and gun powder marks on face. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

  10. BOMB STABILIZING STRUCTURE

    DOEpatents

    Kelley, J.L.; Runyan, C.E.

    1963-12-10

    A stabilizinig structure capable of minimizing deviations of a falling body such as a bomb from desired trajectory is described. The structure comprises a fin or shroud arrangement of double-wedge configuration, the feeding portion being of narrow wedge shape and the after portion being of a wider wedge shape. The structure provides a force component for keeping the body on essentially desired trajectory throughout its fall. (AEC)

  11. Validation of questionnaire-reported hearing with medical records: A report from the Swiss Childhood Cancer Survivor Study

    PubMed Central

    Scheinemann, Katrin; Grotzer, Michael; Kompis, Martin; Kuehni, Claudia E.

    2017-01-01

    Background Hearing loss is a potential late effect after childhood cancer. Questionnaires are often used to assess hearing in large cohorts of childhood cancer survivors and it is important to know if they can provide valid measures of hearing loss. We therefore assessed agreement and validity of questionnaire-reported hearing in childhood cancer survivors using medical records as reference. Procedure In this validation study, we studied 361 survivors of childhood cancer from the Swiss Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (SCCSS) who had been diagnosed after 1989 and had been exposed to ototoxic cancer treatment. Questionnaire-reported hearing was compared to the information in medical records. Hearing loss was defined as ≥ grade 1 according to the SIOP Boston Ototoxicity Scale. We assessed agreement and validity of questionnaire-reported hearing overall and stratified by questionnaire respondents (survivor or parent), sociodemographic characteristics, time between follow-up and questionnaire and severity of hearing loss. Results Questionnaire reports agreed with medical records in 85% of respondents (kappa 0.62), normal hearing was correctly assessed in 92% of those with normal hearing (n = 249), and hearing loss was correctly assessed in 69% of those with hearing loss (n = 112). Sensitivity of the questionnaires was 92%, 74%, and 39% for assessment of severe, moderate and mild bilateral hearing loss; and 50%, 33% and 10% for severe, moderate and mild unilateral hearing loss, respectively. Results did not differ by sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents, and survivor- and parent-reports were equally valid. Conclusions Questionnaires are a useful tool to assess hearing in large cohorts of childhood cancer survivors, but underestimate mild and unilateral hearing loss. Further research should investigate whether the addition of questions with higher sensitivity for mild degrees of hearing loss could improve the results. PMID:28333999

  12. Did Divorces Decline after the Oklahoma City Bombing?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nakonezny, Paul A.; Reddick, Rebecca; Rodgers, Joseph Lee

    2004-01-01

    The Oklahoma City bombing in April 1995 was an act of terrorism that had many potential influences on the city and state, including influences on families. We analyzed divorce data from 1985 to 2000 for all 77 counties in Oklahoma to assess the divorce response to the Oklahoma City bombing. Our prediction was that divorce rates in Oklahoma would…

  13. Impact of late radiation effects on cancer survivor children: an integrative review

    PubMed Central

    Coura, Cibeli Fernandes; Modesto, Patrícia Cláudia

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT We aimed to identify the late effects of radiation exposure in pediatric cancer survivors. An integrated literature review was performed in the databases MEDLINE and LILACS and SciELO. Included were articles in Portuguese and English, published over the past 10 years, using the following keywords: “neoplasias/neoplasms” AND “radioterapia/radiotherapy” AND “radiação/radiation”. After analysis, 14 articles - published in nine well-known journals - met the inclusion criteria. The publications were divided into two categories: “Late endocrine effects” and “Late non-endocrine effects”. Considering the increased survival rates in children who had cancer, the impact of late effects of exposure to radiation during radiological examinations for diagnosis and treatment was analyzed. Childhood cancer survivors were exposed to several late effects and should be early and regularly followed up, even when exposed to low radiation doses. PMID:26313432

  14. Screening and surveillance for second malignant neoplasms in adult survivors of childhood cancer: a report from the childhood cancer survivor study.

    PubMed

    Nathan, Paul Craig; Ness, Kirsten Kimberlie; Mahoney, Martin Christopher; Li, Zhenghong; Hudson, Melissa Maria; Ford, Jennifer Sylene; Landier, Wendy; Stovall, Marilyn; Armstrong, Gregory Thomas; Henderson, Tara Olive; Robison, Leslie L; Oeffinger, Kevin Charles

    2010-10-05

    Survivors of childhood cancer may develop a second malignant neoplasm during adulthood and therefore require regular surveillance. To examine adherence to population cancer screening guidelines by survivors at average risk for a second malignant neoplasm and adherence to cancer surveillance guidelines by survivors at high risk for a second malignant neoplasm. Retrospective cohort study. The Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS), a 26-center study of long-term survivors of childhood cancer that was diagnosed between 1970 and 1986. 4329 male and 4018 female survivors of childhood cancer who completed a CCSS questionnaire assessing screening and surveillance for new cases of cancer. Patient-reported receipt and timing of mammography, Papanicolaou smear, colonoscopy, or skin examination was categorized as adherent to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines for survivors at average risk for breast or cervical cancer or the Children's Oncology Group guidelines for survivors at high risk for breast, colorectal, or skin cancer as a result of cancer therapy. In average-risk female survivors, 2743 of 3392 (80.9%) reported having a Papanicolaou smear within the recommended period, and 140 of 209 (67.0%) reported mammography within the recommended period. In high-risk survivors, rates of recommended mammography among women were only 241 of 522 (46.2%) and the rates of colonoscopy and complete skin examinations among both sexes were 91 of 794 (11.5%) and 1290 of 4850 (26.6%), respectively. Data were self-reported. Participants in the CCSS are a selected group of survivors, and their adherence may not be representative of all survivors of childhood cancer. Female survivors at average risk for a second malignant neoplasm show reasonable rates of screening for cervical and breast cancer. However, surveillance for new cases of cancer is very low in survivors at the highest risk for colon, breast, or skin cancer, suggesting that survivors and their physicians need

  15. Posttraumatic stress in aging World War II survivors after a fireworks disaster: a controlled prospective study.

    PubMed

    Bramsen, Inge; van der Ploeg, Henk M; Boers, Maarten

    2006-04-01

    Little is known about the effects of cumulative trauma and whether traumatized individuals are more vulnerable. In 2000, a fireworks disaster created the possibility to examine this issue among World War II survivors who were part of an ongoing longitudinal study. Between 1998 and 2000 posttraumatic stress increased in disaster exposed respondents as opposed to the control group. War-related reexperiencing and avoidance also increased. The strongest increase occurred in disaster-exposed respondents who had low levels of wartime stress and a slight decrease occurred in those who had high wartime exposure. This unique controlled observation suggests that disasters do increase the levels of posttraumatic stress, and that reactivation of previous traumatic events generally occurs. However, the vulnerability hypothesis was not supported.

  16. Spontaneous Seizures and Altered Gene Expression in GABA Signaling Pathways in a mind bomb Mutant Zebrafish

    PubMed Central

    Hortopan, Gabriela A.; Dinday, Matthew T.; Baraban, Scott C.

    2010-01-01

    Disruption of E3 ubiquitin ligase activity in immature zebrafish mind bomb mutants, leads to a failure in Notch signaling, excessive numbers of neurons, and depletion of neural progenitor cells. This neurogenic phenotype is associated with defects in neural patterning and brain development. Because developmental brain abnormalities are recognized as an important feature of childhood neurological disorders such as epilepsy and autism, we determined whether zebrafish mutants with grossly abnormal brain structure exhibit spontaneous electrical activity that resembles the long-duration, high-amplitude multi-spike discharges reported in immature zebrafish exposed to convulsant drugs. Electrophysiological recordings from agar immobilized mind bomb mutants at three days postfertilization (dpf) confirmed the occurrence of electrographic seizure activity; seizure-like behaviors were also noted during locomotion video tracking of freely behaving mutants. To identify genes differentially expressed in the mind bomb mutant and provide insight into molecular pathways that may mediate these epileptic phenotypes, a transcriptome analysis was performed using microarray. Interesting candidate genes were further analyzed using conventional reverse transcriptasepolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR), as well as whole-mount in situ hybridization. Approximately 150 genes, some implicated in development, transcription, cell metabolism and signal transduction, are differentially regulated including down-regulation of several genes necessary for GABA-mediated signaling. These findings identify a collection of gene transcripts that may be responsible for the abnormal electrical discharge and epileptic activities observed in a mind bomb zebrafish mutant. This work may have important implications for neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders associated with mutations in ubiquitin ligase activity. Notch is an essential component of an evolutionarily

  17. Bomb Threat Becomes Real News.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gastaldo, Evann

    1999-01-01

    Discusses how the staff of the newspaper at Camarillo High School (California) covered a bomb threat at their school. Describes how they, overnight, conducted interviews, took and developed photographs, produced the layout, and published the newspaper. (RS)

  18. Long-Term Pulmonary Function in Survivors of Childhood Cancer

    PubMed Central

    Armenian, Saro H.; Landier, Wendy; Francisco, Liton; Herrera, Claudia; Mills, George; Siyahian, Aida; Supab, Natt; Wilson, Karla; Wolfson, Julie A.; Horak, David; Bhatia, Smita

    2015-01-01

    Purpose This study was undertaken to determine the magnitude of pulmonary dysfunction in childhood cancer survivors when compared with healthy controls and the extent (and predictors) of decline over time. Patients and Methods Survivors underwent baseline (t1) pulmonary function tests, followed by a second comprehensive evaluation (t2) after a median of 5 years (range, 1.0 to 10.3 years). Survivors were also compared with age- and sex-matched healthy controls at t2. Results Median age at cancer diagnosis was 16.5 years (range, 0.2 to 21.9 years), and time from diagnosis to t2 was 17.1 years (range, 6.3 to 40.1 years). Compared with odds for healthy controls, the odds of restrictive defects were increased 6.5-fold (odds ratio [OR], 6.5; 95% CI, 1.5 to 28.4; P < .01), and the odds of diffusion abnormalities were increased 5.2-fold (OR, 5.2; 95% CI, 1.8 to 15.5; P < .01). Among survivors, age younger than 16 years at diagnosis (OR, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.2 to 7.8; P = .02) and exposure to more than 20 Gy chest radiation (OR, 5.6; 95% CI, 1.5 to 21.0; P = .02, referent, no chest radiation) were associated with restrictive defects. Female sex (OR, 3.9; 95% CI, 1.7 to 9.5; P < .01) and chest radiation dose (referent: no chest radiation; ≤ 20 Gy: OR, 6.4; 95% CI, 1.7 to 24.4; P < .01; > 20 Gy: OR, 11.3; 95% CI, 2.6 to 49.5; P < .01) were associated with diffusion abnormalities. Among survivors with normal pulmonary function tests at t1, females and survivors treated with more than 20 Gy chest radiation demonstrated decline in diffusion function over time. Conclusion Childhood cancer survivors exposed to pulmonary-toxic therapy are significantly more likely to have restrictive and diffusion defects when compared with healthy controls. Diffusion capacity declines with time after exposure to pulmonary-toxic therapy, particularly among females and survivors treated with high-dose chest radiation. These individuals could benefit from subsequent monitoring. PMID:25847925

  19. Physical Parameters of Vulcanian Eruptions at Pichincha Volcano, Ecuador: Bomb Morphologies and Textures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wright, H. M.; Cashman, K.; Rosi, M.; Cioni, R.

    2003-12-01

    Vulcanian eruptions are common at many volcanoes around the world. These eruptions occur in energetic pulses and eject relatively small amounts of material. Each blast event (vulcanian eruption) has been inferred to represent a "throat-clearing" process that ejects a conduit plug. As such, we can examine the ejected material to reconstruct the conduit stratigraphy. The recent sequence of vulcanian eruptions at Guagua Pichincha volcano provides an opportunity to learn more about the dynamics of and pressurization conditions preceding vulcanian eruptions. From late 1999 - mid 2000, Pichincha experienced a series of vulcanian eruptions that ejected ballistic bombs, which now cover the surface of the crater. Bomb types range from dense to highly vesicular, with many exhibiting the breadcrusting that is ubiquitous in vulcanian deposits. Clast morphology varies with clast density, with slightly vesicular bombs having thick, glassy crusts and widely spaced cracks, whereas more vesicular bombs have thinner crusts and more closely spaced, regular crack patterns. The wide range of clast types appears to represent the stratigraphy of the conduit prior to each eruptive event, with denser blocks formed from more degassed magma near the top of the pre-eruptive conduit plug and more vesicular blocks representing deeper, less degassed levels in the conduit. This study uses the ballistic bombs, including the abundant breadcrust bombs, to learn more about conduit processes during a typical vulcanian eruption. In particular, we use the rapidly quenched crusts of breadcrust bombs, which preserve pre-eruptive conduit material, to determine gradients in volatile and crystal content in the conduit. The volatile content (both H2O and CO2) of the pre-eruptive melt was determined from FTIR spectroscopic analysis of bomb rind matrix glass. These values reach up to 1.2 wt% water and 10 ppm CO2, equivalent to 15 MPa maximum recorded presusure, or approximately 600 meters maximum depth

  20. Cumulative exposure to prior collective trauma and acute stress responses to the Boston marathon bombings.

    PubMed

    Garfin, Dana Rose; Holman, E Alison; Silver, Roxane Cohen

    2015-06-01

    The role of repeated exposure to collective trauma in explaining response to subsequent community-wide trauma is poorly understood. We examined the relationship between acute stress response to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings and prior direct and indirect media-based exposure to three collective traumatic events: the September 11, 2001 (9/11) terrorist attacks, Superstorm Sandy, and the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Representative samples of residents of metropolitan Boston (n = 846) and New York City (n = 941) completed Internet-based surveys shortly after the Boston Marathon bombings. Cumulative direct exposure and indirect exposure to prior community trauma and acute stress symptoms were assessed. Acute stress levels did not differ between Boston and New York metropolitan residents. Cumulative direct and indirect, live-media-based exposure to 9/11, Superstorm Sandy, and the Sandy Hook shooting were positively associated with acute stress responses in the covariate-adjusted model. People who experience multiple community-based traumas may be sensitized to the negative impact of subsequent events, especially in communities previously exposed to similar disasters. © The Author(s) 2015.

  1. Endovascular Treatment of Carotid-Internal Jugular Venous Fistula in a Bomb Blast Victim.

    PubMed

    Ashraf, Tariq; Khan, Navedullah; Yousaf, K M; Yaqub, Maha Zainab Z.

    2017-02-01

    Carotid-internal jugular venous fistula is one of the rarest presentations among victims of bomb blast injuries. Treatment of such fistula is open surgery with high mortality and morbidity. Endovascular treatment with covered stent seems to have an optimal result with low complications. We present a case report of a bomb blast victim having carotid-jugular venous fistula with hemodynamic compromise. The patient was successfully managed with endovascular graft stent. There was an optimal result with no immediate and long-term complications.

  2. The Oklahoma bombing. Lessons learned.

    PubMed

    Anteau, C M; Williams, L A

    1997-06-01

    The Oklahoma City bombing experience in April of 1995 provided a unique opportunity to test the effectiveness of an existing disaster plan. The critical care nurses at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital learned valuable lessons about managing intense activity, equipment and supplies, staffing resources, and visitor issues. The degree to which the bombing affected the emotional state of personnel was unanticipated, and leaders learned that critical stress management interventions should be included in every emergency preparedness plan. Additionally, recommendations include using runners for communication; assigning specific roles (supplies, staffing, triage); keeping additional staff in reserve for shift relief; ensuring ample hospital staff members are available to coordinate visitors and media; and setting up record systems to preserve continuity. The unique lessons learned as a result of this terrorist attack can be used by other critical care nurses to understand and refine disaster plans.

  3. Psychiatric disorders in rescue workers after the Oklahoma City bombing.

    PubMed

    North, Carol S; Tivis, Laura; McMillen, J Curtis; Pfefferbaum, Betty; Spitznagel, Edward L; Cox, Jann; Nixon, Sara; Bunch, Kenneth P; Smith, Elizabeth M

    2002-05-01

    Psychiatric disorders were studied in a volunteer group of 181 firefighters who served as rescue/recovery workers after the Oklahoma City bombing. Approximately 34 months after the disaster, the authors retrospectively assessed psychopathology both before and after the bombing with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Findings for male rescue workers were compared with those of male primary victims who had been in the direct path of the blast and who had been assessed with the same instrument. The prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder related to the bombing was significantly lower in male rescue workers (13%) than in male primary victims (23%). High rates of alcohol disorders (postdisaster: 24%; lifetime: 47%) were seen among all rescue workers, with virtually no new cases occurring after the bombing. The resilience seen in firefighters may be related to their career selection, their preparedness and experience, the fewer injuries they suffered, and postdisaster mental health interventions. However, alcohol disorders were endemic before the disaster, indicating a need for ongoing programs targeting this problem.

  4. Posttraumatic stress among young children after the death of a friend or acquaintance in a terrorist bombing.

    PubMed

    Pfefferbaum, B; Gurwitch, R H; McDonald, N B; Leftwich, M J; Sconzo, G M; Messenbaugh, A K; Schultz, R A

    2000-03-01

    The effects of traumatic loss on children who reported a friend or acquaintance killed in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing of a federal office building were examined. Twenty-seven children who lost a friend or acquaintance and 27 demographically matched controls were assessed eight to ten months after the bombing. All but three of the children continued to experience posttraumatic stress symptoms. Those who lost a friend watched significantly more bombing-related television coverage than those without losses. Those who lost a friend had significantly more posttraumatic stress symptoms at the time of the assessment than those who lost an acquaintance. Parents and those working with children should be alert to the impact of loss even when it involves nonrelatives.

  5. Dealing with "The Bomb"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Caruso, Nicholas D., Jr.

    2004-01-01

    Every superintendent eventually has to deal with "The Bomb." This refers to a loaded question from a board member dropped at an inopportune moment in a public meeting when the superintendent has been given no time to prepare an informed response. The superintendent's typical reactions include the "deer in the headlights" look, a big gulp or even a…

  6. Forensic applications of 14C bomb-pulse dating

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zoppi, U.; Skopec, Z.; Skopec, J.; Jones, G.; Fink, D.; Hua, Q.; Jacobsen, G.; Tuniz, C.; Williams, A.

    2004-08-01

    After a brief review of the basics of 14C bomb-pulse dating, this paper presents two unique forensic applications. Particular attention is dedicated to the use of the 14C bomb-pulse to establish the time of harvest of illicit drugs such as heroin and opium. Preliminary measurements of 14C concentrations in milligram samples taken from seized drugs are presented. 14C bomb-pulse dating can determine whether drug distribution originates from stockpiles or recent manufacture, and support the action of law enforcement authorities against criminal organisations involved in drug trafficking. In addition, we describe the dating of wine vintages for a number of authenticated single label vintage red wines from the Barossa Valley - South Australia. Our results show that radiocarbon dating can be used to accurately determine wine vintages and therefore reveal the addition of unrelated materials of natural and synthetic origin.

  7. Sulfur activation at the Little Boy-Comet Critical Assembly: a replica of the Hiroshima bomb

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kerr, G.D.; Emery, J.F.; Pace, J.V. III

    1985-04-01

    Studies have been completed on the activation of sulfur by fast neutrons from the Little Boy-Comet Critical Assembly which replicates the general features of the Hiroshima bomb. The complex effects of the bomb's design and construction on leakage of sulfur-activation neutrons were investigated both experimentally and theoretically. Our sulfur activation studies were performed as part of a larger program to provide benchmark data for testing of methods used in recent source-term calculations for the Hiroshima bomb. Source neutrons capable of activating sulfur play an important role in determining neutron doses in Hiroshima at a kilometer or more from the pointmore » of explosion. 37 refs., 5 figs., 6 tabs.« less

  8. Neurocognitive Status in Long-Term Survivors of Childhood CNS Malignancies: A Report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study

    PubMed Central

    Ellenberg, Leah; Liu, Qi; Gioia, Gerard; Yasui, Yutaka; Packer, Roger J.; Mertens, Ann; Donaldson, Sarah S.; Stovall, Marilyn; Kadan-Lottick, Nina; Armstrong, Gregory; Robison, Leslie L.; Zeltzer, Lonnie K.

    2009-01-01

    Background Among survivors of childhood cancer, those with Central Nervous System (CNS) malignancies have been found to be at greatest risk for neuropsychological dysfunction in the first few years following diagnosis and treatment. This study follows survivors to adulthood to assess the long term impact of childhood CNS malignancy and its treatment on neurocognitive functioning. Participants & Methods As part of the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS), 802 survivors of childhood CNS malignancy, 5937 survivors of non-CNS malignancy and 382 siblings without cancer completed a 25 item Neurocognitive Questionnaire (CCSS-NCQ) at least 16 years post cancer diagnosis assessing task efficiency, emotional regulation, organizational skills and memory. Neurocognitive functioning in survivors of CNS malignancy was compared to that of non-CNS malignancy survivors and a sibling cohort. Within the group of CNS malignancy survivors, multiple linear regression was used to assess the contribution of demographic, illness and treatment variables to reported neurocognitive functioning and the relationship of reported neurocognitive functioning to educational, employment and income status. Results Survivors of CNS malignancy reported significantly greater neurocognitive impairment on all factors assessed by the CCSS-NCQ than non-CNS cancer survivors or siblings (p<.01), with mean T scores of CNS malignancy survivors substantially more impaired that those of the sibling cohort (p<.001), with a large effect size for Task Efficiency (1.16) and a medium effect size for Memory (.68). Within the CNS malignancy group, medical complications, including hearing deficits, paralysis and cerebrovascular incidents resulted in a greater likelihood of reported deficits on all of the CCSS-NCQ factors, with generally small effect sizes (.22-.50). Total brain irradiation predicted greater impairment on Task Efficiency and Memory (Effect sizes: .65 and .63, respectively), as did partial brain

  9. Pre- and post-bomb radiocarbon in fish otoliths

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kalish, John M.

    1993-02-01

    Measurements of radiocarbon in seawater dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), or suitable proxies such as hermatypic corals, are a valuable source of information on carbon flux and ocean circulation. However, knowledge of the global distribution of both pre- and post-bomb radiocarbon is limited due to the sources of these data. Suitable hermatypic corals are restricted to shallow tropical and subtropical waters and oceanographic collections of seawater are prohibitively expensive. What is needed is a proxy for ocean radiocarbon that can be collected at most latitudes and depths, and which can be reliably aged. Here I report accelerator mass spectrometry analyses of radiocarbon from selected regions of fish otoliths and show that such measurements are suitable for determining both pre- and post-bomb radiocarbon in all oceans and at most depths. Radiocarbon data obtained from otoliths can extend our knowledge of carbon flux in the oceans and atmosphere and help to develop further understanding of the fate of atmospheric CO 2 and ocean circulation. The data presented here represent the first pre- and post-bomb time series of radiocarbon levels from temperate waters. Furthermore, I demonstrate that the dramatic increase in radiocarbon in the atmosphere and oceans, attributable to the atmospheric testing of thermonuclear bombs during the 1950's and 1960's, provides a chemical mark on fish otoliths that is suitable for the validation of age in fishes.

  10. 26. BOMBS IN CRATE IN BUILDING 1607. VIEW TO NORTHWEST. ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    26. BOMBS IN CRATE IN BUILDING 1607. VIEW TO NORTHWEST. - Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Cluster Bomb Assembly-Filling-Storage Building, 3500 feet South of Ninth Avenue; 2870 feet East of D Street, Commerce City, Adams County, CO

  11. Predictors of inactive lifestyle among adult survivors of childhood cancer: a report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study.

    PubMed

    Ness, Kirsten K; Leisenring, Wendy M; Huang, Sujuan; Hudson, Melissa M; Gurney, James G; Whelan, Kimberly; Hobbie, Wendy L; Armstrong, Gregory T; Robison, Leslie L; Oeffinger, Kevin C

    2009-05-01

    : Participation in physical activity is important for childhood cancer survivors, because inactivity may compound cancer/treatment-related late effects. However, some survivors may have difficulty participating in physical activity, and these individuals need to be identified so that risk-based guidelines for physical activity, tailored to specific needs, can be developed and implemented. The objectives of the current study were to document physical activity patterns in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) cohort, to compare the physical activity patterns with siblings in the CCSS and with a population-based sample from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, and to evaluate associations between diagnosis, treatment, and personal factors in terms of the risk for an inactive lifestyle. : Percentages of participation in recommended physical activity were compared among survivors, siblings, and population norms. Generalized linear models were used to evaluate the associations between cancer diagnosis and therapy, sociodemographics, and the risk for an inactive lifestyle. : Participants included 9301 adult survivors of childhood cancer and 2886 siblings. Survivors were less likely than siblings (46% vs 52%) to meet physical activity guidelines and were more likely than siblings to report an inactive lifestyle (23% vs 14%). Medulloblastoma (35%) and osteosarcoma (27%) survivors reported the highest levels of inactive lifestyle. Treatments with cranial radiation or amputation were associated with an inactive lifestyle as were being a woman, black race, older age, lower educational attainment, underweight or obese status, smoking, and depression. : Childhood cancer survivors were less active than a sibling comparison group or an age- and sex-matched population sample. Survivors who are at risk for an inactive lifestyle should be considered high priority for developing and testing of intervention approaches. Cancer 2009. (c) 2009 American Cancer Society.

  12. Impaired cardiovascular structure and function in adult survivors of severe acute malnutrition.

    PubMed

    Tennant, Ingrid A; Barnett, Alan T; Thompson, Debbie S; Kips, Jan; Boyne, Michael S; Chung, Edward E; Chung, Andrene P; Osmond, Clive; Hanson, Mark A; Gluckman, Peter D; Segers, Patrick; Cruickshank, J Kennedy; Forrester, Terrence E

    2014-09-01

    Malnutrition below 5 years remains a global health issue. Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) presents in childhood as oedematous (kwashiorkor) or nonoedematous (marasmic) forms, with unknown long-term cardiovascular consequences. We hypothesized that cardiovascular structure and function would be poorer in SAM survivors than unexposed controls. We studied 116 adult SAM survivors, 54 after marasmus, 62 kwashiorkor, and 45 age/sex/body mass index-matched community controls who had standardized anthropometry, blood pressure, echocardiography, and arterial tonometry performed. Left ventricular indices and outflow tract diameter, carotid parameters, and pulse wave velocity were measured, with systemic vascular resistance calculated. All were expressed as SD scores. Mean (SD) age was 28.8±7.8 years (55% men). Adjusting for age, sex, height, and weight, SAM survivors had mean (SE) reductions for left ventricular outflow tract diameter of 0.67 (0.16; P<0.001), stroke volume 0.44 (0.17; P=0.009), cardiac output 0.5 (0.16; P=0.001), and pulse wave velocity 0.32 (0.15; P=0.03) compared with controls but higher diastolic blood pressures (by 4.3; 1.2-7.3 mm Hg; P=0.007). Systemic vascular resistance was higher in marasmus and kwashiorkor survivors (30.2 [1.2] and 30.8 [1.1], respectively) than controls 25.3 (0.8), overall difference 5.5 (95% confidence interval, 2.8-8.4 mm Hg min/L; P<0.0001). No evidence of large vessel or cardiac remodeling was found, except closer relationships between these indices in former marasmic survivors. Other parameters did not differ between SAM survivor groups. We conclude that adult SAM survivors had smaller outflow tracts and cardiac output when compared with controls, yet markedly elevated peripheral resistance. Malnutrition survivors are thus likely to develop excess hypertension in later life, especially when exposed to obesity. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

  13. Morbidity and Mortality Associated With Meningioma After Cranial Radiotherapy: A Report From the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study

    PubMed Central

    Moskowitz, Chaya S.; Chou, Joanne F.; Mazewski, Claire M.; Neglia, Joseph P.; Armstrong, Gregory T.; Leisenring, Wendy M.; Robison, Leslie L.; Oeffinger, Kevin C.

    2017-01-01

    Purpose Little is known about neurologic morbidity attributable to cranial radiotherapy (CRT) –associated meningiomas. Materials and Methods From 4,221 survivors exposed to CRT in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study, a diagnosis of meningioma and onset of neurologic sequelae were ascertained. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% CIs to evaluate the factors associated with neurologic sequelae after subsequent meningioma. Results One hundred ninety-nine meningiomas were identified among 169 participants. The median interval from primary cancer to meningioma diagnosis was 22 years (5 to 37 years). The cumulative incidence of a subsequent meningioma by age 40 years was 5.6% (95% CI, 4.7% to 6.7%). CRT doses of 20 to 29.9 Gy (HR, 1.6; 95% CI,1.0 to 2.6) and doses ≥ 30 Gy (HR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.6 to 4.2) were associated with an increased risk of meningioma compared with CRT doses of 1.5 to 19.9 Gy (P < .001). Within 6 months before or subsequent to a meningioma diagnosis, 20% (30 of 149) reported at least one new neurologic sequela, including seizures (8.3%), auditory-vestibular-visual deficits (6%), focal neurologic dysfunction (7.1%), and severe headaches (5.3%). Survivors reporting a meningioma had increased risks of neurologic sequelae > 5 years after primary cancer diagnosis, including seizures (HR, 10.0; 95% CI, 7.0 to 15.3); auditory-vestibular-visual sensory deficits (HR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.3 to 4.0); focal neurologic dysfunction (HR, 4.9; 95% CI, 3.2 to 7.5); and severe headaches (HR, 3.2; 95% CI, 1.9 to 5.4). With a median follow-up of 72 months after meningioma diagnosis (range, 3.8 to 395 months), 22 participants (13%) were deceased, including six deaths attributed to a meningioma. Conclusion Childhood cancer survivors exposed to CRT and subsequently diagnosed with a meningioma experience significant neurologic morbidity. PMID:28339329

  14. Challenges Evaluating Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Childhood Cancer Survivors.

    PubMed

    Mohrmann, Caroline; Armer, Jane; Hayashi, Robert J

    Children treated for cancer are exposed to a variety of chemotherapeutic agents with known toxicity to the peripheral nervous system. The side effect of peripheral neuropathy can cause changes in sensation, function, and even cause pain. Although peripheral neuropathy is recognized by pediatric oncology nurses as an important and significant side effect, measuring neuropathy can be quite complex for clinical care and research efforts. With more children surviving a cancer diagnosis today, this issue is increasingly important for childhood cancer survivors. This article has reviewed existing literature examining peripheral neuropathy in childhood cancer survivors with particular interest paid to measurement tools available and needs for future research. It is important for nurses to choose appropriate measures for clinical care and research methods in order to have an impact on patients experiencing this condition.

  15. Ovarian and Uterine Functions in Female Survivors of Childhood Cancers.

    PubMed

    Oktem, Ozgur; Kim, Samuel S; Selek, Ugur; Schatmann, Glenn; Urman, Bulent

    2018-02-01

    Adult survivors of childhood cancers are more prone to developing poor reproductive and obstetrical outcomes than their siblings and the general population as a result of previous exposure to chemotherapy and radiation during childhood. Chemotherapy drugs exert cytotoxic effects systemically and therefore can damage the ovaries, leading to infertility, premature ovarian failure, and, to a lesser extent, spontaneous abortions. They have very limited or no deleterious effects on the uterus that can be recognized clinically. By contrast, radiation is detrimental to both the ovaries and the uterus, thereby causing a greater magnitude of adverse effects on the female reproductive function. These include infertility, premature ovarian failure, miscarriage, fetal growth restrictions, perinatal deaths, preterm births, delivery of small-for-gestational-age infants, preeclampsia, and abnormal placentation. Regrettably, the majority of these adverse outcomes arise from radiation-induced uterine injury and are reported at higher incidence in the adult survivors of childhood cancers who were exposed to uterine radiation during childhood in the form of pelvic, spinal, or total-body irradiation. Recent findings of long-term follow-up studies evaluating reproductive performance of female survivors provided some reassurance to female cancer survivors by documenting that pregnancy and live birth rates were not significantly compromised in survivors, including those who had been treated with alkylating agents and had not received pelvic, cranial, and total-body irradiation. We aimed in this narrative review article to provide an update on the impact of chemotherapy and radiation on the ovarian and uterine function in female survivors of childhood cancer. Adult survivors of childhood cancers are more prone to developing a number of poor reproductive and obstetrical outcomes than their siblings and the general population as a result of previous exposure to chemotherapy and radiation

  16. How a School Coped with the Oklahoma City Bombing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aspy, David N.; Aspy, Cheryl B.

    1996-01-01

    Following the Oklahoma City bombing, fifth graders at a nearby elementary school coped with ensuing uncertainty, pain, and loss. They wrote appreciative letters to fire and rescue workers; shared personal stories with classmates; compiled an anthology of poems, prayers, and stories; attended an assembly to honor parents participating in rescue…

  17. 24. INTERIOR DETAIL OF BUILDING 1607, SHOWING BOMBS AND CRATES. ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    24. INTERIOR DETAIL OF BUILDING 1607, SHOWING BOMBS AND CRATES. VIEW TO SOUTHWEST. - Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Cluster Bomb Assembly-Filling-Storage Building, 3500 feet South of Ninth Avenue; 2870 feet East of D Street, Commerce City, Adams County, CO

  18. Was Nazi Germany on the Road to an Atomic Bomb after all?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lustig, Harry

    2006-04-01

    The story of Germany's efforts to develop a nuclear weapon during World War II is a much written about and contentious subject. However there has been agreement on one thing: by the end of the War the Germans had not achieved and were nowhere near to building a bomb. The dispute therefore has been about why Germany did not succeed. Now, from Germany, comes a challenge to this truth, in the provocative book Hitlers Bombe by Rainer Karlsch. The bombshell in Hitler's Bombe is the assertion that German scientists developed and tested a primitive fission and fusion nuclear weapon in March 1945. Karlsch bases this claim on testimony of witnesses in 1962, previously secret Russian documents, and the results of soil tests carried out in 2004 and 2005. However the physics is very murky and it seems out of the question that Germany had enough Uranium 235 or produced any Plutonium for a bomb. Hitlers Bombe also makes other, better documented and more credible revisionist assertions. These include the claim that the Nazis did continue to try to build a bomb after 1942 and that not Werner Heisenberg, but Kurt Diebner and Walther Gerlach were then the leaders of the German Uranium project. Karlsch's book therefore deserves more attention from physicists and historians than it has received in the United States.

  19. The image of the atomic bomb in Japan before Hiroshima.

    PubMed

    Nakao, Maika

    2009-01-01

    This paper traces the roots of the image of the atomic bomb in Japan by investigating the various discourses on atomic energy and atomic weapons in Japanese literature prior to the bombing of Hiroshima in August 1945. Japan is a country that suffered an atomic attack and, at the same time, one of the countries that was engaged in atomic weapons research during the Second World War. During the war, the discourses on atomic weapons were not limited to the military or scientific communities, but included the general public, thus facilitating the creation of a shared image of the atomic bomb as an ultimate weapon. This paper examines how this image was created. This special issue deals with the comparison among different countries, but the purpose of my paper is to deepen this subject by illustrating the differences within a single country in different periods. This research aims to extend the historical perspective concerning the atomic bomb in Japan, and offers another way of looking at this both historical and contemporary issue.

  20. 25. INTERIOR DETAIL OF BUILDING 1607, SHOWING BOMB CRATES AND ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    25. INTERIOR DETAIL OF BUILDING 1607, SHOWING BOMB CRATES AND SCALE. VIEW TO WEST. - Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Cluster Bomb Assembly-Filling-Storage Building, 3500 feet South of Ninth Avenue; 2870 feet East of D Street, Commerce City, Adams County, CO

  1. Anticipatory fear and helplessness predict PTSD and depression in domestic violence survivors.

    PubMed

    Salcioglu, Ebru; Urhan, Sevim; Pirinccioglu, Tugba; Aydin, Sule

    2017-01-01

    Embracing the conceptual framework of contemporary learning theory, this study tested the hypothesis that anticipatory fear due to a sense of ongoing threat to safety and sense of helplessness in life would be the strongest determinants of PTSD and depression in domestic violence survivors. Participants were 220 domestic violence survivors recruited consecutively from 12 shelters for women in Turkey (response rate 70%). They were assessed with the Semi-Structured Interview for Survivors of Domestic Violence, Traumatic Stress Symptom Checklist, Depression Rating Scale, and Fear and Sense of Control Scale. Survivors were exposed to 21 (SD = 6.7) physical, psychological, and sexual violence stressors over 11.3 (SD = 8.8) years. They reported high levels of peritrauma perceived distress of and lack of control over stressor events. Approximately 10 months after trauma, many feared reliving the same domestic violence events, felt helpless, feared for their life, and felt in danger. PTSD and depression rates were 48.2% and 32.7%, respectively. The strongest predictors of PTSD and depression were fear due to a sense of ongoing threat to safety and sense of helplessness in life, which explained the largest amount of variances in these psychiatric conditions. The findings support the contemporary learning theory of traumatic stress and are consistent with findings of studies involving earthquake, war, and torture survivors. They imply that trauma-focused interventions designed to overcome fear, reduce helplessness, and restore sense of control over one's life would be effective in PTSD and depression in domestic violence survivors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  2. A Constant Pressure Bomb

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stevens, F W

    1924-01-01

    This report describes a new optical method of unusual simplicity and of good accuracy suitable to study the kinetics of gaseous reactions. The device is the complement of the spherical bomb of constant volume, and extends the applicability of the relationship, pv=rt for gaseous equilibrium conditions, to the use of both factors p and v. The method substitutes for the mechanical complications of a manometer placed at some distance from the seat of reaction the possibility of allowing the radiant effects of reaction to record themselves directly upon a sensitive film. It is possible the device may be of use in the study of the photoelectric effects of radiation. The method makes possible a greater precision in the measurement of normal flame velocities than was previously possible. An approximate analysis shows that the increase of pressure and density ahead of the flame is negligible until the velocity of the flame approaches that of sound.

  3. 5 CFR 831.641 - Division of a survivor annuity.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Division of a survivor annuity. 831.641... REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) RETIREMENT Survivor Annuities Eligibility § 831.641 Division of a survivor annuity. (a... annuities (not including any benefits based on an election of an insurable interest annuity) payable based...

  4. 5 CFR 842.613 - Division of a survivor annuity.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Division of a survivor annuity. 842.613... REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM-BASIC ANNUITY Survivor Elections § 842.613 Division of a survivor annuity. (a) The maximum combined total of all current and former spouse annuities...

  5. Changes in smoking habits of smokers under bombing by rockets.

    PubMed

    Keinan-Boker, L; Enav, T; Rozentraub, T; Shohat, T

    2011-03-01

    Stress is known to impact smoking. This survey assessed changes in smoking behaviour of smokers in Southern Israel during a military operation (December 2008-January 2009) that exposed several civilian communities to intensive rocket bombing and acute stress. Households with an active land telephone line in Jewish Gaza vicinity communities were sampled. Inclusion criteria were age (18+ years) and being a daily or an occasional smoker. A telephone interview was carried out, focusing on socio-demographic characteristics and change in smoking behaviour during the military operation. Personal, demographic and circumstantial correlates of smoking behaviour were assessed using univariate and multivariate analyses. A total of 425 smokers took part in the survey. Most (85%) reported being daily smokers, and smoked, on average, 10-20 cigarettes/day before the operation. During the operation, 38% of the smokers changed their smoking habits and most (88%) reported higher than usual smoking rates. Correlates significantly associated with higher smoking during the operation were sex (female), education (lower) and not working due to the operation. Exposure to acute stress has an impact on smoking rates, especially in certain subgroups of smokers. Relevant smoking cessation interventions should address the special needs of smokers exposed to stressful circumstances.

  6. Long-term psychosocial impact reported by childhood critical illness survivors: a systematic review

    PubMed Central

    Manning, Joseph C; Hemingway, Pippa; Redsell, Sarah A

    2014-01-01

    Aim To undertake a qualitative systematic review that explores psychological and social impact, reported directly from children and adolescents at least 6 months after their critical illness. Background Significant advances in critical care have reduced mortality from childhood critical illness, with the majority of patients being discharged alive. However, it is widely reported that surviving critical illness can be traumatic for both children and their family. Despite a growing body of literature in this field, the psychological and social impact of life threatening critical illness on child and adolescent survivors, more than 6 months post event, remains under-reported. Data sources Searches of six online databases were conducted up to February 2012. Review methods Predetermined criteria were used to select studies. Methodological quality was assessed using a standardized checklist. An adapted version of the thematic synthesis approach was applied to extract, code and synthesize data. Findings Three studies met the inclusion criteria, which were all of moderate methodological quality. Initial coding and synthesis of data resulted in five descriptive themes: confusion and uncertainty, other people's narratives, focus on former self and normality, social isolation and loss of identity, and transition and transformation. Further synthesis culminated in three analytical themes that conceptualize the childhood survivors' psychological and social journey following critical illness. Conclusions Critical illness in childhood can expose survivors to a complex trajectory of recovery, with enduring psychosocial adversity manifesting in the long term. Nurses and other health professionals must be aware and support the potential multifaceted psychosocial needs that may arise. Parents and families are identified as fundamental in shaping psychological and social well-being of survivors. Therefore intensive care nurses must take opportunities to raise parents' awareness of the

  7. Psychosexual Functioning Among Adult Female Survivors of Childhood Cancer: A Report From the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study

    PubMed Central

    Ford, Jennifer S.; Kawashima, Toana; Whitton, John; Leisenring, Wendy; Laverdière, Caroline; Stovall, Marilyn; Zeltzer, Lonnie; Robison, Leslie L.; Sklar, Charles A.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose Childhood cancer survivors may be at risk for impaired psychosexual functioning as a direct result of their cancer or its treatments, psychosocial difficulties, and/or diminished quality of life. Patients and Methods Two thousand one hundred seventy-eight female adult survivors of childhood cancer and 408 female siblings from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) completed a self-report questionnaire about their psychosexual functioning and quality of life. On average, participants were age 29 years (range, 18 to 51 years) at the time of the survey, had been diagnosed with cancer at a median age of 8.5 years (range, 0 to 20) and were most commonly diagnosed with leukemia (33.2%) and Hodgkin lymphoma (15.4%). Results Multivariable analyses suggested that after controlling for sociodemographic differences, survivors reported significantly lower sexual functioning (mean difference [MnD], −0.2; P = .01), lower sexual interest (MnD, −0.2; P < .01), lower sexual desire (MnD, −0.3; P < .01), lower sexual arousal (MnD, −0.3; P < .01), lower sexual satisfaction (MnD, −0.2; P = .01), and lower sexual activity (MnD, −0.1; P = .02) compared with siblings. Risk factors for poorer psychosexual functioning among survivors included older age at assessment, ovarian failure at a younger age, treatment with cranial radiation, and cancer diagnosis during adolescence. Conclusion Decreased sexual functioning among female survivors of childhood cancers seems to be unrelated to emotional factors and is likely to be an underaddressed issue. Several risk factors among survivors have been identified that assist in defining high-risk subgroups who may benefit from targeted screening and interventions. PMID:25113763

  8. Surgical resource utilization in urban terrorist bombing: a computer simulation.

    PubMed

    Hirshberg, A; Stein, M; Walden, R

    1999-09-01

    The objective of this study was to analyze the utilization of surgical staff and facilities during an urban terrorist bombing incident. A discrete-event computer model of the emergency room and related hospital facilities was constructed and implemented, based on cumulated data from 12 urban terrorist bombing incidents in Israel. The simulation predicts that the admitting capacity of the hospital depends primarily on the number of available surgeons and defines an optimal staff profile for surgeons, residents, and trauma nurses. The major bottlenecks in the flow of critical casualties are the shock rooms and the computed tomographic scanner but not the operating rooms. The simulation also defines the number of reinforcement staff needed to treat noncritical casualties and shows that radiology is the major obstacle to the flow of these patients. Computer simulation is an important new tool for the optimization of surgical service elements for a multiple-casualty situation.

  9. Bomb Threat Assessments. Fact Sheet

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tunkel, Ronald F.

    2010-01-01

    This information provides a brief, summary outline of how investigators should assess anonymous bomb threats at schools. Applying these principles may help administrators and law enforcement personnel accurately assess the viability and credibility of a threat and appropriately gauge their response. Any credible evidence provided by teachers or…

  10. The Last Act: The Atomic Bomb and the End of World War II.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. National Air And Space Museum.

    This text was to have been the script for the National Air and Space Museum's exhibition of the Enola Gay, focusing on the end of World War II and the decision of the United States to use of the atomic bomb. The Enola Gay was a B-29 aircraft that carried the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945. The atomic bomb brought a…

  11. The recovery and analysis of mitochondrial DNA from exploded pipe bombs.

    PubMed

    Foran, David R; Gehring, Michael E; Stallworth, Shawn E

    2009-01-01

    Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) represent one of the most common modes of arbitrarily injuring or killing human beings. Because of the heat generated by, and destruction to, an IED postconflagration, most methods for identifying who assembled the device are ineffective. In the research presented, steel pipe bombs were mock-assembled by volunteers, and the bombs detonated under controlled conditions. The resultant shrapnel was collected and swabbed for residual cellular material. Mitochondrial DNA profiles were generated and compared blind to the pool of individuals who assembled the bombs. Assemblers were correctly identified 50% of the time, while another 19% could be placed into a group of three individuals with shared haplotypes. Only one bomb was assigned incorrectly. In some instances a contaminating profile (mixture) was also observed. Taken together, the results speak to the extreme sensitivity the methods have for identifying those who assemble IEDs, along with precautions needed when collecting and processing such evidence.

  12. 1. EAST SIDE OF OVERHEAD BOMB TRANSPORT RACK, WITH BUILDING ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    1. EAST SIDE OF OVERHEAD BOMB TRANSPORT RACK, WITH BUILDING 343 AT LEFT AND BUILDING 328 AT RIGHT. VIEW TO WEST. - Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Overhead Bomb Transport Rack, 1580 feet South of December Seventh Avenue; 860 feet West of D Street, Commerce City, Adams County, CO

  13. Worse quality of life in young and recently diagnosed breast cancer survivors compared with female survivors of other cancers: A cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Li, Jingmei; Humphreys, Keith; Eriksson, Mikael; Dar, Huma; Brandberg, Yvonne; Hall, Per; Czene, Kamila

    2016-12-01

    Literature focusing on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) by cancer site among women only is scarce. This study examines HRQoL of breast cancer (BC) survivors compared with female survivors of other cancers, and to understand which subgroups of BC survivors were particularly at risk of reduced HRQoL. We placed emphasis on young (<50 years) and recently diagnosed (≤5 years) survivors, where the deficits in HRQoL were most pronounced. The cross-sectional study consisted of 2,224 BC survivors, 8,504 non-cancer controls and 2,205 other cancer survivors in the Karma study. We examined HRQoL differences using linear regression analyses in the whole cohort and in a subset of young and recently diagnosed BC survivors (n = 242) and female survivors of other cancers (n = 140) with comparable ages at diagnosis (43.6 vs 43.6, p = 0.917) and time since diagnosis (2.3 vs 2.8 years, p < 0.001). HRQoL was assessed using the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire. While only cognitive functioning was significantly compromised in BC survivors compared with survivors of other cancers when women of all ages were included, young BC survivors reported significantly lower HRQoL on multiple functional scales (global quality of life, emotional, role, social and cognitive functioning) and experienced more fatigue and insomnia. BC survivors with any prior medical history of mental disorders reported poorer HRQoL than those without such a history. We also observed a close-knit relationship between tumor and treatment characteristics. BC survivors perform poorly in HRQoL in comparison with female survivors of other cancers. Our results emphasize the importance of age- and gender-appropriate comparison groups. © 2016 UICC.

  14. Posttraumatic stress responses in bereaved children after the Oklahoma City bombing.

    PubMed

    Pfefferbaum, B; Nixon, S J; Tucker, P M; Tivis, R D; Moore, V L; Gurwitch, R H; Pynoos, R S; Geis, H K

    1999-11-01

    To investigate the responses of middle and high school students exposed to the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing across a spectrum of loss. A questionnaire measuring exposure, personal consequences, initial response, and current posttraumatic stress and other symptoms was administered to 3,218 students 7 weeks after the explosion. More than one third of the sample knew someone killed in the explosion. Bereaved youths were more likely than nonbereaved peers to report immediate symptoms of arousal and fear, changes in their home and school environment, and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Retrospective measures of initial arousal and fear predicted posttraumatic stress symptoms at 7 weeks. The results support the literature addressing the role of initial response in posttraumatic stress symptom development. The study raises concern about the impact of television, and traumatized youths' reactivity to it, in the aftermath of disaster.

  15. Ultrasonic Acoustic Emissions from the Sapwood of Thuja occidentalis Measured inside a Pressure Bomb 1

    PubMed Central

    Tyree, Melvin T.; Dixon, Michael A.; Thompson, Robert G.

    1984-01-01

    An improved method of counting acoustic emission (AE) events from water-stressed stems of cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.) is presented. Amplified AEs are analyzed on a real time basis by a microcomputer. The instrumentation counts AE events in a fashion nearly analogous to scintillation counting of radioactive materials. The technique was applied to measuring ultrasonic AEs from the stems of cedar inside a pressure bomb. The shoots were originally fully hydrated. When the shoots are dehydrated in the bomb by application of an overpressure very few AEs were detected. When the bomb pressure is reduced after dehydration of the shoot, AE events could be detected. We conclude that ultrasonic AEs are caused by cavitation events (= structural breakdown of water columns in the tracheids of cedar) and not by the breaking of cellulose fibers in the wood. PMID:16663501

  16. Young adult cancer survivors and work: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Stone, Dawn S; Ganz, Patricia A; Pavlish, Carol; Robbins, Wendie A

    2017-12-01

    Sixty-three percent of cancer survivors continue to work, or return to work after treatment. Among this population, work ability and challenges encountered in the workplace by young adult cancer survivors have not been well established. The purposes of the study are to describe what is currently known about work-related issues for young adult cancer survivors diagnosed between ages 15 and 39, to identify gaps in the research literature, and to suggest interventions or improvements in work processes and occupational settings. A narrative review of articles using PubMed, CINAHL, and PsychInfo was conducted without date limitations. Search phrases included young adult cancer survivors, long-term cancer survivors, young adults affected by cancer, further combined with key terms employment, work, and occupationally active. Inclusion criteria for publications were young adult cancer survivors initially diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 39, data about work or employment was presented, and articles written in English. Twenty-three publications met the inclusion criteria. Work-related issues included the potential for reduced work productivity from cancer-changed physical and cognitive functional ability that affected income, and resulted in distress. Coping style, support systems, and changing perspectives about work and life in general were also influential on career decisions among young adult cancer survivors. More research is needed to study interventions to better manage health changes in young adult cancer survivors within the context of the workplace. Since financial hardship has been shown to be especially high among young cancer survivors, employment is essential to ensure payment of cancer-associated costs and continued medical care. While young adult cancer survivors may initially grapple with cancer-related physical and psychosocial changes that impact work productivity or influence choice of occupation, employment appears to enhance overall quality of life.

  17. Pain and mean absorbed dose to the pubic bone after radiotherapy among gynecological cancer survivors.

    PubMed

    Waldenström, Ann-Charlotte; Olsson, Caroline; Wilderäng, Ulrica; Dunberger, Gail; Lind, Helena; al-Abany, Massoud; Palm, Åsa; Avall-Lundqvist, Elisabeth; Johansson, Karl-Axel; Steineck, Gunnar

    2011-07-15

    To analyze the relationship between mean absorbed dose to the pubic bone after pelvic radiotherapy for gynecological cancer and occurrence of pubic bone pain among long-term survivors. In an unselected, population-based study, we identified 823 long-term gynecological cancer survivors treated with pelvic radiotherapy during 1991-2003. For comparison, we used a non-radiation-treated control population of 478 matched women from the Swedish Population Register. Pain, intensity of pain, and functional impairment due to pain in the pubic bone were assessed with a study-specific postal questionnaire. We analyzed data from 650 survivors (participation rate 79%) with median follow-up of 6.3 years (range, 2.3-15.0 years) along with 344 control women (participation rate, 72 %). Ten percent of the survivors were treated with radiotherapy; ninety percent with surgery plus radiotherapy. Brachytherapy was added in 81%. Complete treatment records were recovered for 538/650 survivors, with dose distribution data including dose-volume histograms over the pubic bone. Pubic bone pain was reported by 73 survivors (11%); 59/517 (11%) had been exposed to mean absorbed external beam doses <52.5 Gy to the pubic bone and 5/12 (42%) to mean absorbed external beam doses ≥ 52.5 Gy. Thirty-three survivors reported pain affecting sleep, a 13-fold increased prevalence compared with control women. Forty-nine survivors reported functional impairment measured as pain walking indoors, a 10-fold increased prevalence. Mean absorbed external beam dose above 52.5 Gy to the pubic bone increases the occurrence of pain in the pubic bone and may affect daily life of long-term survivors treated with radiotherapy for gynecological cancer. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Pain and Mean Absorbed Dose to the Pubic Bone After Radiotherapy Among Gynecological Cancer Survivors

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Waldenstroem, Ann-Charlotte, E-mail: ann-charlotte.waldenstrom@oncology.gu.se; Department of Oncology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg; Olsson, Caroline

    Purpose: To analyze the relationship between mean absorbed dose to the pubic bone after pelvic radiotherapy for gynecological cancer and occurrence of pubic bone pain among long-term survivors. Methods and Materials: In an unselected, population-based study, we identified 823 long-term gynecological cancer survivors treated with pelvic radiotherapy during 1991-2003. For comparison, we used a non-radiation-treated control population of 478 matched women from the Swedish Population Register. Pain, intensity of pain, and functional impairment due to pain in the pubic bone were assessed with a study-specific postal questionnaire. Results: We analyzed data from 650 survivors (participation rate 79%) with median follow-upmore » of 6.3 years (range, 2.3-15.0 years) along with 344 control women (participation rate, 72 %). Ten percent of the survivors were treated with radiotherapy; ninety percent with surgery plus radiotherapy. Brachytherapy was added in 81%. Complete treatment records were recovered for 538/650 survivors, with dose distribution data including dose-volume histograms over the pubic bone. Pubic bone pain was reported by 73 survivors (11%); 59/517 (11%) had been exposed to mean absorbed external beam doses <52.5 Gy to the pubic bone and 5/12 (42%) to mean absorbed external beam doses {>=}52.5 Gy. Thirty-three survivors reported pain affecting sleep, a 13-fold increased prevalence compared with control women. Forty-nine survivors reported functional impairment measured as pain walking indoors, a 10-fold increased prevalence. Conclusions: Mean absorbed external beam dose above 52.5 Gy to the pubic bone increases the occurrence of pain in the pubic bone and may affect daily life of long-term survivors treated with radiotherapy for gynecological cancer.« less

  19. A Confusion of Signals: James Franck, the Chicago Scientists and Early Efforts to Stop the Bomb

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Villa, Brian Loring

    1975-01-01

    If the scientists working on the Manhattan Project had realized the consequences of the atomic bomb earlier, formulated their recommendations more precisely, and approached the statesmen in time, American policy on use and control of the bomb might well have been different. (Author/BT)

  20. Risk and impact of pulmonary complications in survivors of childhood cancer: A report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study.

    PubMed

    Dietz, Andrew C; Chen, Yan; Yasui, Yutaka; Ness, Kirsten K; Hagood, James S; Chow, Eric J; Stovall, Marilyn; Neglia, Joseph P; Oeffinger, Kevin C; Mertens, Ann C; Robison, Leslie L; Armstrong, Gregory T; Mulrooney, Daniel A

    2016-12-01

    Pulmonary complications after cancer therapy are varied. This study describes pulmonary outcomes among childhood cancer survivors and evaluates their impact on daily activities. The incidence of pulmonary outcomes (asthma, chronic cough, emphysema, lung fibrosis, oxygen need, and recurrent pneumonia) reported among 5-year cancer survivors (n = 14,316) and the incidence of death due to pulmonary causes among all eligible survivors (n = 20,690) in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study were compared with those for sibling controls (n = 4027) with cumulative incidence, standardized mortality ratio (SMR), and piecewise exponential models. Logistic regression with random effects was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for activity limitations with pulmonary complications. By the age of 45 years, the cumulative incidence of any pulmonary condition was 29.6% (95% CI, 29.1%-30.0%) for cancer survivors and 26.5% (95% CI, 24.9%-28.0%) for siblings. Fewer survivors reported ever smoking (23.6% vs 36.4%, P < .001), but survivors were more likely to report chronic cough (rate ratio [RR], 1.6; 95% CI, 1.4-1.9), oxygen need (RR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.5-2.2), lung fibrosis (RR, 3.5; 95% CI, 2.3-5.4), and recurrent pneumonia (RR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.4-3.0). The SMR for death due to pulmonary causes was 5.9 (95% CI, 4.2-8.1), and it was associated with platinum exposure and lung radiation (P < .01). The impact of chronic cough on daily activities for survivors (OR vs survivors without chronic cough, 2.7) was greater than that for siblings (OR, 2.0; P = .04). Pulmonary complications are substantial among adult survivors of childhood cancer and can affect daily activities. Cancer 2016;122:3687-96. © 2016 American Cancer Society. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

  1. Atomic bomb: Ultimate faith of diplomacy. Research report, August 1992-April 1993

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Frank, S.

    1993-04-01

    This paper examines the development and use of the atomic bombs as the means of achieving a grand strategy formulated by United States President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill as early as 1943. This grand strategy consisted of two main goals. First, if necessary, the atomic bombs would be used to end World War II as soon as they were ready. Second, the existence of the atomic bombs would be used as a diplomatic hammer to shape the political landscape of the postwar world - a direct warning to Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin not to attempt tomore » hegemonize Eastern Europe and the Far East. Was the grand strategy successfully accomplished. Could newly sworn President Harry Truman have employed diplomatic means to quickly and successfully end World War II without resorting to the use of the atomic bombs against Japan.« less

  2. Accidents at Nuclear Power Plants and Cancer Risk

    MedlinePlus

    ... of the Chernobyl accident, survivors of the atomic bomb explosions in Japan during World War II, and ... about the health effects from the 1945 atomic bomb exposures in that country. This ongoing project is ...

  3. Cancer in Children and Adolescents

    MedlinePlus

    ... to radiation from the World War II atomic bomb blasts had an elevated risk of leukemia ( 12 ), ... of leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma among atomic bomb survivors: 1950-2001. Radiation Research 2013; 179(3): ...

  4. Do single people want to date a cancer survivor? A vignette study

    PubMed Central

    2018-01-01

    Objective Qualitative studies indicated that cancer survivors may be worried about finding a partner in the future, but whether this concern is warranted is unknown. We examined single people´s interest in dating a cancer survivor, how they perceive survivors’ traits, and their preferences about the timing of disclosing a cancer history. Methods In three experimental vignette studies, dating website members (n = 324) and college students (n = 138 and n = 131) were randomly assigned to a vignette of a person with or without a history of cancer (experiment 1 & 2), or a cancer survivor beyond or during active follow-up (experiment 3). Respondents rated their interest in dating this fictive person, this person’s traits, and indicated their preferences about the timing of disclosure. ANOVAs with main and interaction effects of condition, gender, and relationship history were conducted, partial eta squared and Cohen’s d were used to estimate the magnitude of effects. Correlations were used to investigate relationships between interest in a date and assessment of traits. Results Cancer survivors’ traits were assessed more positively, but interest to date them did not differ from healthy vignettes for both men and women. However, widowed respondents were much less interested in a date with a cancer survivor, and women showed less interest in a cancer survivor during active follow-up relative to survivors beyond follow-up. Most respondents wanted to hear about the cancer diagnosis after a few dates, hardly anyone wanted to hear about this before the first date (2% - 5%). Conclusion and implications for cancer survivors Cancer survivors do not have to expect any more problems in finding a date than people without a cancer history, and can wait a few dates before disclosing. Survivors dating widowed people and survivors in active follow-up could expect more hesitant reactions and should disclose earlier. PMID:29566002

  5. Dr. Lytle Adams' incendiary "bat bomb" of World War II.

    PubMed

    Christen, Arden G; Christen, Joan A

    2004-11-01

    On December 7, 1941, a 60-year old dentist from Irwin, Pennsylvania, Dr. Lytle S. Adams, was driving home from a vacation at Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. Hours earlier, he had been gripped with amazement as he witnessed millions of bats exiting the caves of Carlsbad. Listening to his car radio on his return trip, he was shocked to hear that Japan had just attacked Pearl Harbor. Dr. Adams, outraged over this travesty, began to mentally construct a plan for U.S. retaliation. As his thoughts returned to the countless bats that had awed him, he formed a tentative plan: millions of these small, flying mammals could be connected to tiny, time-fused incendiary bombs, and then released to land on the flimsily constructed structures which dotted the cities of Japan. Within a few minutes, the bombs would explode and enflame the entire urban areas. He postulated that these immeasurable numbers of fires, spreading their devastation over such vast areas within Japanese cities would result in the enemy's speedy surrender. This article documents the futile efforts of Dr. Adams, his team and the U.S. government to develop and employ an effective, incendiary bat bomb. The recently developed atom bomb, a far more deadly weapon was used in its place.

  6. Nuclear shadows on silvered walls: Atomic Bomb Cinema, from 1935 to 1991

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shapiro, J.F.

    1991-01-01

    The cinema and the atomic bomb are two of the most significant technological innovations of the past-century - their influence on culture has provoked tremendous political, academic, and popular debate. The point at which these two technologies intersect is what the author calls Atomic Bomb Cinema.' Since 1945 almost six hundred films with images of nuclear weapons have been released in the US, and they have been virtually ignored by everyone but the film going public. This study shows how Bomb films' use recurring themes and formal structures, and therefore must be treated as a coherent body of films; identifiesmore » historical, mythological, and contemporary motifs; and analyzes these films from two points of view: interdisciplinary (history, politics, economics, sociology, and aesthetics) and cross-cultural (American, Japanese, British, and Australian). The most important element of Atomic Bomb Cinema is the Apocalyptic Imagination; film makers use it to structure their narratives and explore a wide range of ideological issues. In contrast to commonly held beliefs, Atomic Bomb Cinema is undeniably part of a process that helps people to understand the threat of nuclear war. In this instance, the cinema is one cultural institution that contributes to a healthy society.« less

  7. Does caregiver well-being predict stroke survivor depressive symptoms? A mediation analysis.

    PubMed

    Grant, Joan S; Clay, Olivio J; Keltner, Norman L; Haley, William E; Wadley, Virginia G; Perkins, Martinique M; Roth, David L

    2013-01-01

    Studies suggest that family caregiver well-being (ie, depressive symptoms and life satisfaction) may affect stroke survivor depressive symptoms. We used mediation analysis to assess whether caregiver well-being might be a factor explaining stroke survivor depressive symptoms, after controlling for demographic factors and stroke survivor impairments and problems. Caregiver/stroke participant dyads (N = 146) completed measures of stroke survivor impairments and problems and depressive symptoms and caregiver depressive symptoms and life satisfaction. Mediation analysis was used to examine whether caregiver well-being mediated the relationship between stroke survivor impairments and problems and stroke survivor depressive symptoms. As expected, more stroke survivor problems and impairments were associated with higher levels of stroke survivor depressive symptoms (P < .0001). After controlling for demographic factors, we found that this relationship was partially mediated by caregiver life satisfaction (29.29%) and caregiver depressive symptoms (32.95%). Although these measures combined to account for 40.50% of the relationship between survivor problems and impairments and depressive symptoms, the direct effect remained significant. Findings indicate that stroke survivor impairments and problems may affect family caregivers and stroke survivors and a high level of caregiver distress may result in poorer outcomes for stroke survivors. Results highlight the likely importance of intervening with both stroke survivors and family caregivers to optimize recovery after stroke.

  8. Fertility of Male Survivors of Childhood Cancer: A Report From the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study

    PubMed Central

    Green, Daniel M.; Kawashima, Toana; Stovall, Marilyn; Leisenring, Wendy; Sklar, Charles A.; Mertens, Ann C.; Donaldson, Sarah S.; Byrne, Julianne; Robison, Leslie L.

    2010-01-01

    Purpose This study was undertaken to determine the effect of treatment for childhood cancer on male fertility. Patients and Methods We reviewed the fertility of male Childhood Cancer Survivor Study survivor and sibling cohorts who completed a questionnaire. We abstracted the chemotherapeutic agents administered, the cumulative dose of drug administered for selected drugs, and the doses and volumes of all radiation therapy from medical records. Risk factors for siring a pregnancy were evaluated using Cox proportional hazards models. Results The 6,224 survivors age 15 to 44 years who were not surgically sterile were less likely to sire a pregnancy than siblings (hazard ratio [HR], 0.56; 95% CI, −0.49 to 0.63). Among survivors, the HR of siring a pregnancy was decreased by radiation therapy of more than 7.5 Gy to the testes (HR, 0.12; 95% CI, −0.02 to 0.64), higher cumulative alkylating agent dose (AAD) score or treatment with cyclophosphamide (third tertile HR, 0.42; 95% CI, −0.31 to 0.57) or procarbazine (second tertile HR, 0.48; 95% CI, −0.26 to 0.87; third tertile HR, 0.17; 95% CI, −0.07 to 0.41). Compared with siblings, the HR for ever siring a pregnancy for survivors who had an AAD score = 0, a hypothalamic/pituitary radiation dose = 0 Gy, and a testes radiation dose = 0 Gy was 0.91 (95% CI, 0.73 to 1.14; P = .41). Conclusion This large study identified risk factors for decreased fertility that may be used for counseling male cancer patients. PMID:19949008

  9. Future use of tritium in mapping pre-bomb groundwater volumes.

    PubMed

    Eastoe, C J; Watts, C J; Ploughe, M; Wright, W E

    2012-01-01

    The tritium input to groundwater, represented as volume-weighted mean tritium concentrations in precipitation, has been close to constant in Tucson and Albuquerque since 1992, and the decrease in tritium concentrations at the tail end of the bomb tritium pulse has ceased. To determine the future usefulness of tritium measurements in southwestern North America, volume-weighted mean tritium levels in seasonal aggregate precipitation samples have been gathered from 26 sites. The averages range from 2 to 9 tritium units (TU). Tritium concentrations increase with site latitude, and possibly with distance from the coast and with site altitude, reflecting local ratios of combination of low-tritium moisture advected from the oceans with high-tritium moisture originating near the tropopause. Tritium used alone as a tool for mapping aquifer volumes containing only pre-bomb recharge to groundwater will become ambiguous when the tritium in precipitation at the end of the bomb tritium pulse decays to levels close to the analytical detection limit. At such a time, tritium in precipitation from the last one to two decades of the bomb pulse will become indistinguishable from pre-bomb recharge. The threshold of ambiguity has already arrived in coastal areas with a mean of 2 TU in precipitation and will follow in the next three decades throughout the study region. Where the mean tritium level is near 5 TU, the threshold will occur between 2025 and 2030, given a detection limit of 0.6 TU. Similar thresholds of ambiguity, with different local timing possible, apply globally. © 2011, The Author(s). Ground Water © 2011, National Ground Water Association.

  10. Suicide in paradise: aftermath of the Bali bombings.

    PubMed

    Suryani, L K; Page, A; Lesmana, C B J; Jennaway, M; Basudewa, I D G; Taylor, R

    2009-08-01

    The relationship between the Bali (Indonesia) bombings of October 2002 and suicide has not previously been investigated, despite anecdotal evidence of the economic and psychological consequences of these attacks. Suicide rates were calculated over the period 1994-2006 in three Bali regencies to determine whether suicide increased in the period following the first Bali bombings. Poisson regression and time-series models were used to assess the change in suicide rates by sex, age and area in the periods before and after October 2002. Suicide rates (age-adjusted) increased in males from an average of 2.84 (per 100 000) in the period pre-2002 to 8.10 in the period post-2002, and for females from 1.51 to 3.68. The greatest increases in suicide in the post-2002 period were in the age groups 20-29 and 60 years, for both males and females. Tourist arrivals fell significantly after the bombings, and addition of tourism to models reduced relative risk estimates of suicide, suggesting that some of the increase may be attributable to the socio-economic effects of declines in tourism. There was an almost fourfold increase in male suicide risk and a threefold increase in female suicide risk in the period following the 2002 bombings in Bali. Trends in tourism did not account for most of the observed increases. Other factors such as indirect socio-economic effects and Balinese notions of collective guilt and anxieties relating to ritual neglect are important in understanding the rise in suicide in the post-2002 period.

  11. Late radiation responses in man: Current evaluation from results from Hiroshima and Nagasaki

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schull, William J.

    Among the late effects of exposure to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, none looms larger than radiation related malignancies. Indeed, the late effects of A-bomb radiation on mortality appear to be limited to an increase in malignant tumors. At present, it can be shown that cancers of the breast, colon, esophagus, lungs, stomach, thyroid, and urinary tract as well as leukemia and multiple myeloma increase in frequency with an increase in exposure. No significant relationship to radiation can as yet be established for malignant lymphoma, nor cancers of the rectum, pancreas or uterus. Radiation induced malignancies other than leukemia seem to develop proportionally to the natural cancer rate for the attained age. For specific age-at-death intervals, both relative and absolute risks tend to be higher for those of younger age at the time of bombing. Other late effects include radiation-related lenticular opacities, disturbances of growth among those survivors still growing at the time of exposure, and mental retardation and small head sizes among the in utero exposed. Chromosomal abnormalities too are more frequently encountered in the peripheral leucocytes of survivors, and this increase is functionally related to their exposure. Some uncertainty continues to surround both the quantity and quality of the radiation released by these two nuclear devices, particularly the Hiroshima bomb. A recent reassessment suggests that the gamma radiation estimates which have been used in the past may be too low at some distances and the neutron radiation estimates too high at all distances; moreover, the energies of the neutrons released now appear ``softer'' than previously conjectured. These uncertainties not sufficiently large, however, to compromise the reality of the increased frequency of malignancy, but make estimates of the dose response, particularly in terms of gamma and neutron exposures, tentative.

  12. The aging of Holocaust survivors: myth and reality concerning suicide.

    PubMed

    Barak, Yoram

    2007-03-01

    The association between the Holocaust experience and suicide has rarely been studied systematically. The dearth of data in this area of old-age psychiatry does not necessarily imply that Holocaust survivors are immune from suicide. Recent work on the aging of survivors seems to suggest that as a group they are at high risk for self-harm. Published reports on suicide and the Holocaust identified by means of a MEDLINE literature search were reviewed. A similar search was performed on the Internet using the Google search engine. Thirteen studies were uncovered, 9 of which addressed the association of suicide and the Holocaust experience and 4 focused on suicide in the concentration camps during the genocide. Eleven of the 15 studies explicitly reported on the association of suicide, suicidal ideation or death by suicide with the Holocaust experience, or reported findings suggesting such an association. The Internet search yielded three sites clearly describing increased suicide rates in the concentration camps. An increased rate of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among the elderly who were exposed to the Holocaust experience is confirmed. There is a need for further study, intervention and resource allocation among the growing numbers of elderly persons who suffered traumatic events in earlier phases of their lives. This is especially critical for Holocaust survivors.

  13. Psychological response to the Oklahoma City bombing.

    PubMed

    Krug, R S; Nixon, S J; Vincent, R

    1996-01-01

    The bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Office Building in Oklahoma City was the most devastating terrorist activity that has occurred in America. Prevention of revictimization of persons seriously affected by the bombing was central to the planned response to this tragedy. Coordination and collaboration among local, state, and national agencies promoted effective clinical services provision, research facilitation, and prevention of revictimization. Information gathered from this cooperative effort will contribute to the effort to minimize the potential for such tragedies in the future as well as help to develop prevention and intervention strategies to reduce the effects when the next such disaster occurs.

  14. Are Londoners Prepared for an Emergency? A Longitudinal Study Following the London Bombings

    PubMed Central

    Rubin, James; Amlôt, Richard; Simpson, John; Wessely, Simon

    2008-01-01

    The UK government sees increasing individual preparedness as a priority, but the level of preparedness of people in the UK for a large-scale emergency is not known. The London bombings of July 7, 2005, affected many Londoners and may have altered their sense of vulnerability to a future terrorist attack. We used a longitudinal study design to assess individual preparedness within the same sample of Londoners at 2 points in time: immediately after the bombings (T1) and 7 to 8 months later (T2). A demographically representative sample of 1,010 Londoners participated in a phone interview at T1. Subsequently, at T2, 574 of the same people participated in a follow-up phone interview. At T1 51% of Londoners had made 4 or more relevant emergency plans; 48% had gathered 4 or more relevant supplies in case of emergency. There was evidence of increased preparedness at T2, by which time 90% had made 4 or more emergency plans. Ethnicity, low social status, and having felt a sense of threat during the bombings predicted increased preparedness between T1 and T2. Women in general, and women of low social status in particular, perceived themselves to be unprepared in the event of a future terrorist attack. In summary, Londoners show moderate levels of emergency preparedness, which increased following the London bombings. Although we cannot know whether this association is causal, the prospective nature of the study increases the likelihood that it is. However, preparedness is still patchy, and there are important demographic associations with levels of preparedness and perception of vulnerability. These findings have implications for future development of individual and community emergency preparedness policy. PMID:19117430

  15. Investigations of Lateral Stability of a Glide Bomb Using Automatic Control Having No Time Lag

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sponder, E. W.

    1950-01-01

    The investigation of the lateral stability of an automatically controlled glide bomb led also to the attempt of clarifying the influence of a phugoid oscillation or of any general longitudinal oscillation on the lateral stability of a glide bomb. Under the assumption that its period of oscillation considerably exceeds the rolling and yawing oscillation and that c(sub a) is, at least in sections, practically constant, the result of this test is quite simple. It becomes clear that the influence of the phugoid oscillation may be replaced by suitable variation of the rolling-yawing moment on a rectilinear flight path instead of the phugoid oscillation. If the flying weight of the glide bomb of unchanged dimensions is increased, an increase of the flight velocity will be more favorable than an increase of the lift coefficient. The arrangement of the control permits lateral stability to be achieved in every case; a minimum rolling moment due to sideslip proves of great help.

  16. The Rhetoric of "Unconditional Surrender" and the Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hikins, James W.

    1983-01-01

    Analyzes the decision to drop the atomic bomb from a rhetorical point of view, arguing that the bombs were launched because of an American commitment to a particular rhetoric that focused on the propaganda slogan "unconditional surrender." (PD)

  17. Morbidity and Mortality Differences Between Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Survivors and Other Cancer Survivors.

    PubMed

    Chow, Eric J; Cushing-Haugen, Kara L; Cheng, Guang-Shing; Boeckh, Michael; Khera, Nandita; Lee, Stephanie J; Leisenring, Wendy M; Martin, Paul J; Mueller, Beth A; Schwartz, Stephen M; Baker, K Scott

    2017-01-20

    Purpose To compare the risks of serious health outcomes among hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) survivors versus a matched population of patients with cancer who did not undergo HCT, where the primary difference may be exposure to HCT. Methods Two-year HCT survivors treated at a comprehensive cancer center from 1992 through 2009 who were Washington State residents (n = 1,792; 52% allogeneic and 90% hematologic malignancies) were frequency matched by demographic characteristics and underlying cancer diagnosis (as applicable) to non-HCT 2-year cancer survivors, using the state cancer registry (n = 5,455) and the general population (n = 16,340) using driver's license files. Late outcomes for all three cohorts were ascertained from the state hospital discharge and death registries; subsequent cancers were ascertained from the state cancer registry. Results After median follow-up of 7.1 years, HCT survivors experienced significantly greater rates of hospitalization compared with matched non-HCT cancer survivors (280 v 173 episodes per 1,000 person-years, P < .001) and greater all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 1.1; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.3). HCT survivors had more hospitalizations or death with infections (10-year cumulative incidence, 31% v 22%; HR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.3 to 1.6) and respiratory complications (cumulative incidence, 27% v 20%; HR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.2 to 1.5). Risks of digestive, skin, and musculoskeletal complications also were greater among HCT versus non-HCT cancer survivors. The two groups had similar risks of circulatory complications and second cancers. Both HCT and non-HCT cancer survivors had significantly greater 10-year cumulative incidences of all major organ-system outcomes versus the general population. Conclusion History of HCT was associated with late morbidity and mortality among cancer survivors. In particular, clinicians who care for HCT survivors should be aware of their high rates of late respiratory and infectious complications.

  18. How training and experience affect the benefits of autonomy in a dirty-bomb experiment

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    David J. Bruemmer; Curtis W. Nielsen; David I. Gertman

    2008-03-01

    A dirty-bomb experiment conducted at the INL is used to evaluate the effectiveness and suitability of three different modes of robot control. The experiment uses three distinct user groups to understand how participants’ background and training affect the way in which they use and benefit from autonomy. The results show that the target mode, which involves automated mapping and plume tracing together with a point and click tasking tool, provides the best performance for each group. This is true for objective performance such as source detection and localization accuracy as well as subjective measures such as perceived workload, frustration andmore » preference. The best overall performance is achieved by the Explosive Ordinance Disposal group which has experience in both robot teleoperation and dirty bomb response. The user group that benefits least from autonomy is the Nuclear Engineers that have no experience with either robot operation or dirty bomb response. The group that benefits most from autonomy is the Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Response Team that has extensive experience related to the task, but no robot training.« less

  19. Comparing the Knowledge of Parents and Survivors Who Attend a Survivorship Clinic.

    PubMed

    Quillen, Joanne; Li, Yimei; Demski, Michele; Carlson, Claire; Bradley, Holli; Schwartz, Lisa; Ginsberg, Jill P; Hobbie, Wendy

    This study underscores the importance of the survivor/parent dynamic in understanding the knowledge level of childhood cancer survivors and their parents with regard to cancer diagnosis, treatments, and potential late effects, and to assess the impact of parental knowledge on survivor's knowledge. A convenience sample (N = 219 dyads) consisting of childhood cancer survivors with a parent match was used. Survivors 2 years out from completion of therapy, aged 16 to 25 years, and fluent in English or Spanish completed 2 questionnaires to assess adolescent and young adult and parental knowledge regarding diagnosis, treatment, and long-term risks. Data from the survivor/parent dyad confirm that parents are more knowledgeable than their child regarding treatment specifics. However, survivors are more accurate when assessing second tumor and fertility risk. More knowledgeable parents led to more knowledgeable survivors. Although parents were well-informed about treatment specifics, they were not as accurate in identifying risks appropriately. Therefore, education must be directed at both parent and survivors to maximize knowledge.

  20. Bomb blast mass casualty incidents: initial triage and management of injuries.

    PubMed

    Goh, S H

    2009-01-01

    Bomb blast injuries are no longer confined to battlefields. With the ever present threat of terrorism, we should always be prepared for bomb blasts. Bomb blast injuries tend to affect air-containing organs more, as the blast wave tends to exert a shearing force on air-tissue interfaces. Commonly-injured organs include the tympanic membranes, the sinuses, the lungs and the bowel. Of these, blast lung injury is the most challenging to treat. The clinical picture is a mix of acute respiratory distress syndrome and air embolism, and the institution of positive pressure ventilation in the presence of low venous pressures could cause systemic arterial air embolism. The presence of a tympanic membrane perforation is not a reliable indicator of the presence of a blast injury in the other air-containing organs elsewhere. Radiological imaging of the head, chest and abdomen help with the early identification of blast lung injury, head injury, abdominal injury, eye and sinus injuries, as well as any penetration by foreign bodies. In addition, it must be borne in mind that bomb blasts could also be used to disperse radiological and chemical agents.

  1. Brain structural plasticity in survivors of a major earthquake

    PubMed Central

    Lui, Su; Chen, Long; Yao, Li; Xiao, Yuan; Wu, Qi-Zhu; Zhang, Jun-Ran; Huang, Xiao-Qi; Zhang, Wei; Wang, Yu-Qin; Chen, Hua-Fu; Chan, Raymond C.K.; Sweeney, John A.; Gong, Qi-Yong

    2013-01-01

    Background Stress responses have been studied extensively in animal models, but effects of major life stress on the human brain remain poorly understood. The aim of this study was to determine whether survivors of a major earthquake, who were presumed to have experienced extreme emotional stress during the disaster, demonstrate differences in brain anatomy relative to individuals who have not experienced such stressors. Methods Healthy survivors living in an area devastated by a major earthquake and matched healthy controls underwent 3-dimentional high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Survivors were scanned 13–25 days after the earthquake; controls had undergone MRI for other studies not long before the earthquake. We used optimized voxel-based morphometry analysis to identify regional differences of grey matter volume between the survivors and controls. Results We included 44 survivors (17 female, mean age 37 [standard deviation (SD) 10.6] yr) and 38 controls (14 female, mean age 35.3 [SD 11.2] yr) in our analysis. Compared with controls, the survivors showed significantly lower grey matter volume in the bilateral insula, hippocampus, left caudate and putamen, and greater grey matter volume in the bilateral orbitofrontal cortex and the parietal lobe (all p < 0.05, corrected for multiple comparison). Limitations Differences in the variance of survivor and control data could impact study findings. Conclusion Acute anatomic alterations could be observed in earthquake survivors in brain regions where functional alterations after stress have been described. Anatomic changes in the present study were observed earlier than previously reported and were seen in prefrontal–limbic, parietal and striatal brain systems. Together with the results of previous functional imaging studies, our observations suggest a complex pattern of human brain response to major life stress affecting brain systems that modulate and respond to heightened affective arousal. PMID

  2. Education, Income, and Support for Suicide Bombings: Evidence from Six Muslim Countries

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shafiq, M. Najeeb; Sinno, Abdulkader H.

    2010-01-01

    The authors examine the effect of educational attainment and income on support for suicide bombing among Muslim publics in six predominantly Muslim countries that have experienced suicide bombings: Indonesia, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, and Turkey. The authors make two contributions. First, they present a conceptual model, which has been…

  3. Myth-building: The [open quotes]Islamic[close quotes] bomb

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hoodbhoy, P.

    1993-06-01

    The [open quotes]Islamic Bomb[close quotes] is roughly understood to be a nuclear weapon aquired for broad ideological reasons--a weapon that supposedly belongs to the Muslim [ital ummah] or community and, as such, is the ultimate expression of Islamic solidarity. Concern about the Islamic bomb is at the heart of the intense effort to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons to Muslim countries. The official justification is a general one: proliferation must be curbed globally. But unofficially, the Islamic bomb gets special attention. The reasons behind this special attention are described in this article. The reasons include fear of terrorism, ofmore » a [ital jihad] willing to indiscriminately use nuclear weapons in hope of a reward in the Hereafter, and of the transfer of nuclear arms from nuclear to non-nuclear Muslim countries in times of crisis. Possibilities for controlling the proliferation of nuclear weapons in Muslim countries are addressed. Reasons are cited as to why various Muslim countries wish to acquire nuclear weapons.« less

  4. Epidemiologic evidence of health effects from long-distance transit of chemical weapons fallout from bombing early in the 1991 Persian Gulf War.

    PubMed

    Haley, Robert W; Tuite, James J

    2013-01-01

    Military intelligence data published in a companion paper explain how chemical fallout from US and Coalition bombing of Iraqi chemical weapons facilities early in the air campaign transited long distance, triggering nerve agent alarms and exposing US troops. We report the findings of a population-based survey designed to test competing hypotheses on the impact on chronic Gulf War illness of nerve agent from early-war bombing versus post-war demolition. The US Military Health Survey performed computer-assisted telephone interviews of a stratified random sample of Gulf War-era veterans (n = 8,020). Early-war exposure was measured by having heard nerve agent alarms and post-war exposure, by the computer-generated plume from the Khamisiyah demolition. Gulf War illness was measured by two widely published case definitions. The OR (95% CI) for the association of alarms with the Factor case definition was 4.13 (95% CI 2.51-6.80) compared with 1.21 (95% CI 0.86-1.69) for the Khamisiyah plume. There was a dose-related trend for the number of alarms (p(trend) < 0.001) but not for the number of days in the Khamisiyah plume (p(trend) = 0.17). Exposure to low-level sarin nerve agent in fallout from bombing early in the air campaign contributed more to chronic illness than post-war demolition. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  5. Cancer survivors. Work related issues.

    PubMed

    Schultz, Pamela N; Beck, Martha L; Stava, Charles; Sellin, Rena V

    2002-05-01

    New and more effective treatments for cancer have resulted in individuals living longer with a better quality of life. Many more survivors are employed in the workplace. Cancer is no longer only an issue for survivors and their families; it has become an issue for the employer and the workplace. This article describes survey results of 4,364 long term cancer survivors in which they were asked to respond to items describing their ability to work, job discrimination, and quality of life. Thirty-five percent of survivors were working at the time they completed the survey, and 8.5% considered themselves unable to work. This research has shown that age, gender, ethnic group, and cancer type affected the working status of the survivors. Of survivors continuing to work, 7.3% indicated they had experienced job discrimination. The results indicate most cancer survivors do not perceive employment related problems, and are readily assimilated into the work force. Job discrimination and the ability to work is a quality of life issue.

  6. A Comparison of Psychological Symptoms in Survivors of Sex and Labor Trafficking.

    PubMed

    Hopper, E K; Gonzalez, L D

    2018-03-20

    Human trafficking is a form of interpersonal trauma that has significant mental health impacts on survivors. This study examined psychological symptoms in 131 survivors of sex and labor trafficking, including people trafficked into or within the U.S. High rates of depression (71%) and PTSD (61%) were identified. Two thirds of survivors also met criteria for multiple categories of Complex PTSD (C-PTSD), including affect dysregulation and impulsivity; alterations in attention and consciousness; changes in interpersonal relationships; revictimization; somatic dysregulation; and alterations in self-perception. Although there were not significant differences in the prevalence rates of diagnoses of PTSD or depression between survivors of sex and labor trafficking, important group differences were identified. Compared to survivors of labor trafficking, sex trafficking survivors had higher prevalence rates of pre-trafficking childhood abuse and a higher incidence of physical and sexual violence during trafficking. They reported more severe post-trauma reactions than labor trafficking survivors, including more PTSD and C-PTSD symptoms. They were also more likely to meet criteria for comorbid PTSD and depression, while labor trafficking survivors were more likely than sex trafficking survivors to meet criteria for depression alone. An analysis of gender differences found that trafficking survivors who identified as transgender endorsed more PTSD and C-PTSD symptoms, than male or female survivors. Childhood abuse exposure was linked to PTSD and C-PTSD in trafficking survivors, and trafficking type was predictive of the number of trauma-related symptoms beyond the role of pre-trafficking child abuse. Implications for assessment and intervention with trafficking survivors are discussed.

  7. Cartridge output testing - Methods to overcome closed-bomb shortcomings

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bement, Laurence J.; Schimmel, Morry L.

    1991-01-01

    Although the closed-bomb test has achieved virtually universal acceptance for measuring the output performance of pyrotechnic cartridges, there are serious shortcomings in its ability to quantify the performance of cartridges used as energy sources for pyrotechnic-activated mechanical devices. This paper presents several examples of cartridges (including the NASA Standard Initiator NSI) that successfully met closed-bomb performance requirements, but resulted in functional failures in mechanisms. To resolve these failures, test methods were developed to demonstrate a functional margin, based on comparing energy required to accomplish the function to energy deliverable by the cartridge.

  8. Why 159°?: a story about the dropping of the Hiroshima atom bomb

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prunty, Sean L.

    2015-04-01

    This paper presents an analysis of the evasive manoeuvre undertaken by the pilot of the Enola Gay aircraft following the dropping of the first uranium bomb. The pilot was instructed to make a 159° turn following the bomb’s release in order to acquire the greatest distance from the point at which the bomb explodes. Accordingly, the objective here is to investigate why the angle should be exactly 159°. The optimum flight-path to maximize the distance from the detonation point is analysed by considering the escape or exit angle taken by the aircraft following a turning-manoeuvre that points it directly away from the detonation site. A range of escape angles are predicted based on the requirement to exit the turning radius prior to detonation. By using information that appeared in a historical account of the event regarding the manoeuvre undertaken by the pilot following the release of the bomb, an estimate is made of the escape angle. Despite the fact that the result shows reasonable agreement with the value of 159°, some uncertainty is expressed as to the close coincidence obtained. In addition, the location of the aircraft and the time of arrival of the shock wave following detonation are also briefly discussed.

  9. Childhood Cancer Survivors Exposed to Total Body Irradiation Are At Significant Risk For Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis During Recombinant Growth Hormone Therapy

    PubMed Central

    Mostoufi-Moab, Sogol; Isaacoff, Elizabeth J.; Spiegel, David; Gruccio, Denise; Ginsberg, Jill P.; Hobbie, Wendy; Shults, Justine; Leonard, Mary B.

    2015-01-01

    Background Childhood cancer survivors treated with cranial or total body irradiation (TBI) are at risk for growth hormone deficiency (GHD). Recombinant growth hormone (rhGH) therapy is associated with slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE). We compared the incidence of SCFE after TBI versus cranial irradiation (CI) in childhood cancer survivors treated with rhGH. Procedure Retrospective cohort study (1980–2010) of 119 survivors treated with rhGH for irradiation-induced GHD (56 TBI; 63 CI). SCFE incidence rates were compared in CI and TBI recipients, and compared with national registry SCFE rates in children treated with rhGH for idiopathic GHD. Results Median survivor follow-up since rhGH initiation was 4.8 (range 0.2–18.3) years. SCFE was diagnosed in 10 subjects post-TBI and none after CI (P < 0.001). All 10 subjects had atypical valgus SCFE, and 7 were bilateral at presentation. Within TBI recipients, age at cancer diagnosis, sex, race, underlying malignancy, age at radiation, and age at initiation of rhGH did not differ significantly between those with versus without SCFE. The mean (SD) age at SCFE diagnosis was 12.3 (2.7) years and median duration of rhGH therapy to SCFE was 1.8 years. The SCFE incidence rate after TBI exposure was 35.9 per 1,000 person years, representing a 211-fold greater rate than reported in children treated with rhGH for idiopathic GH deficiency. Conclusions The markedly greater SCFE incidence rate in childhood cancer survivors with TBI-associated GHD, compared with rates in children with idiopathic GHD, suggests that cancer treatment effects to the proximal femoral physis may contribute to SCFE. PMID:23818448

  10. Education, Income and Support for Suicide Bombings: Evidence from Six Muslim Countries

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shafiq, M. Najeeb; Sinno, Abdulkader H.

    2009-01-01

    We examine the effect of educational attainment and income on support for suicide bombing among Muslim publics in six predominantly Muslim countries that have experienced suicide bombings: Indonesia, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, and Turkey. We make two contributions. First, we present a conceptual model, which has been lacking in the…

  11. The Tennis Ball Bomb Incident or the Safety Plan as "Shelf Document"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fast, Jonathan; Fanelli, Rossella

    2003-01-01

    This article presents a case study of a single incident involving a high school student who brought a "tennis ball" bomb to school. Although the district had recently created a safety plan, with a specific protocol for the discovery of a bomb in the building, the principal and the crises team ignored it. The principal did not refer to…

  12. Screening for thyroid cancer in survivors of childhood and young adult cancer treated with neck radiation.

    PubMed

    Tonorezos, Emily S; Barnea, Dana; Moskowitz, Chaya S; Chou, Joanne F; Sklar, Charles A; Elkin, Elena B; Wong, Richard J; Li, Duan; Tuttle, R Michael; Korenstein, Deborah; Wolden, Suzanne L; Oeffinger, Kevin C

    2017-06-01

    The optimal method of screening for thyroid cancer in survivors of childhood and young adult cancer exposed to neck radiation remains controversial. Outcome data for a physical exam-based screening approach are lacking. We conducted a retrospective review of adult survivors of childhood and young adult cancer with a history of neck radiation followed in the Adult Long-Term Follow-Up Clinic at Memorial Sloan Kettering between November 2005 and August 2014. Eligible patients underwent a physical exam of the thyroid and were followed for at least 1 year afterwards. Ineligible patients were those with prior diagnosis of benign or malignant thyroid nodules. During a median follow-up of 3.1 years (range 0-9.4 years), 106 ultrasounds and 2277 physical exams were performed among 585 patients. Forty survivors had an abnormal thyroid physical exam median of 21 years from radiotherapy; 50% of those with an abnormal exam were survivors of Hodgkin lymphoma, 60% had radiation at ages 10-19, and 53% were female. Ultimately, 24 underwent fine needle aspiration (FNA). Surgery revealed papillary carcinoma in seven survivors; six are currently free of disease and one with active disease is undergoing watchful waiting. Among those with one or more annual visits, representing 1732 person-years of follow-up, no cases of thyroid cancer were diagnosed within a year of normal physical exam. These findings support the application of annual physical exam without routine ultrasound for thyroid cancer screening among survivors with a history of neck radiation. Survivors with a history of neck radiation may not require routine thyroid ultrasound for thyroid cancer screening. Among adult survivors of childhood and young adult cancer with a history of radiation therapy to the neck, annual physical exam is an acceptable thyroid cancer screening strategy.

  13. The Process of Coping with Domestic Violence in Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Griffing, Sascha; Lewis, Carla S.; Chu, Melissa; Sage, Robert; Jospitre, Tania; Madry, Lorraine; Primm, Beny J.

    2006-01-01

    Research suggests that the use of disengaged or avoidant strategies to cope with interpersonal violence contributes to the development of depressive symptoms and other psychological difficulties. Survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) who are exposed to subsequent episodes of abuse may be more likely to rely on disengaged coping strategies,…

  14. The cetene scale and the induction period preceding the spontaneous ignition of diesel fuels in bombs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Michailova, M N; Neumann, M B

    1936-01-01

    In the present report a comparison is made between the scale obtained with mixtures of cetane and l-methyl naphthalene in a bomb, and that obtained with the same fuels in a Waukesha engine. The tests were conducted in a metal bomb heated by a Nichrome spiral. The fuel was injected into the bomb from a Bosch jet by means of a specially constructed plunger pump. The instant injection and the pressure curve in the bomb were registered by a beam of light which was reflected from a mirror connected to the needle of the jet and to a membrane indicator.

  15. Leininger's Ethnonursing Research Methodology and Studies of Cancer Survivors: A Review.

    PubMed

    Farren, Arlene T

    2015-09-01

    The purpose of this article is to present the findings of a literature review regarding the use of Leininger's ethnonursing research methodology (ENRM) in studies addressing adult cancer survivors. It is important to learn about differences and similarities among cancer survivors' experiences so that patient-centered, culturally congruent care can be provided. A review of the literature was conducted using databases such as CINAHL and MEDLINE. Search terms included variations on ENRM and cancer survivors. The results were a small number of published studies that used the ENRM examining breast cancer survivors' perceptions and experiences. A review instrument was developed to estimate study quality based on established criteria. The studies are critiqued in relation to the theory-based methodology, evaluation criteria for qualitative research, and study findings are summarized. The author concludes that although there is a paucity of research using ENRM with adult cancer survivors, the preliminary findings of the included studies contribute to what is known about breast cancer survivors. Implications for research include recommendations to increase the use of ENRM to discover the universal and diverse experiences of care practices in adult cancer survivors and use the evidence to develop patient-centered, culturally congruent, quality care for cancer survivors. © The Author(s) 2014.

  16. Increased pediatric functional neurological symptom disorders after the Boston marathon bombings: a case series.

    PubMed

    Guerriero, Réjean M; Pier, Danielle B; de Gusmão, Claudio M; Bernson-Leung, Miya E; Maski, Kiran P; Urion, David K; Waugh, Jeff L

    2014-11-01

    Functional neurological symptom disorders are frequently the basis for acute neurological consultation. In children, they are often precipitated by high-frequency everyday stressors. The extent to which a severe traumatic experience may also precipitate functional neurological abnormalities is unknown. For the 2-week period after the Boston Marathon bombings, we prospectively collected data on patients whose presentation suggested a functional neurological symptom disorder. We assessed clinical and demographic variables, duration of symptoms, extent of educational impact, and degree of connection to the Marathon bombing. We contacted all patients at 6 months after presentation to determine the outcome and accuracy of the diagnosis. In a parallel study, we reported a baseline of 2.6 functional neurological presentations per week in our emergency room. In the week after the Marathon bombings, this frequency tripled. Ninety-one percent of presentations were delayed by 1 week, with onset around the first school day after a city-wide lockdown. Seventy-three percent had a history of a prior psychiatric diagnosis. At the 6 months follow-up, no functional neurological symptom disorder diagnoses were overturned and no new organic diagnosis was made. Pediatric functional neurological symptom disorder may be precipitated by both casual and high-intensity stressors. The 3.4-fold increase in incidence after the Boston Marathon bombings and city-wide lockdown demonstrates the marked effect that a community-wide tragedy can have on the mental health of children. Care providers must be aware of functional neurological symptom disorders after stressful community events in vulnerable patient populations, particularly those with prior psychiatric diagnoses. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Posttraumatic growth, posttraumatic stress and psychological adjustment in the aftermath of the 2011 Oslo bombing attack.

    PubMed

    Blix, Ines; Hansen, Marianne Bang; Birkeland, Marianne Skogbrott; Nissen, Alexander; Heir, Trond

    2013-10-02

    Experiencing potentially traumatic events is associated with psychological distress. However, some survivors also experience positive personal and psychological changes in the aftermath of trauma. The present study investigated perceived posttraumatic growth in 197 ministerial employees who were present at work during the 2011 Oslo bombing attack. The relationships between trauma-exposure, peritraumatic reactions and posttraumatic growth were studied. Moreover, the adaptive significance of posttraumatic growth was addressed. The results showed that higher levels of trauma-exposure and immediate reactions were significantly related to perceived posttraumatic growth. No support for an adaptive significance of posttraumatic growth was found. On the contrary, posttraumatic growth was associated with higher symptom levels of posttraumatic stress. After adjusting for posttraumatic stress symptoms no association was found between perceived growth and work and social adjustment. However, perceived growth was associated with higher levels of life satisfaction. The present results are in line with previous findings indicating that perceived growth may be unrelated to psychological adjustment, and suggest that the concept and significance of posttraumatic growth should be interpreted with caution.

  18. The Manhattan Project: Making the Atomic Bomb. 1999 edition.

    DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

    Gosling, F. G.

    1999-01-01

    "The Manhattan Project: Making the Atomic Bomb" is a short history of the origins and development of the American atomic bomb program during World War II. Beginning with the scientific developments of the pre-war years, the monograph details the role of the United States government in conducting a secret, nationwide enterprise that took science from the laboratory and into combat with an entirely new type of weapon. The monograph concludes with a discussion of the immediate postwar period, the debate over the Atomic Energy Act of 1946, and the founding of the Atomic Energy Commission.

  19. Discussion: Reporting and calibration of post-bomb 14C data

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Reimer, P J; Brown, T A; Reimer, R W

    2004-10-11

    The definitive paper by Stuiver and Polach (1977) established the conventions for reporting of {sup 14}C data for chronological and geophysical studies based on the radioactive decay of {sup 14}C in the sample since the year of sample death or formation. Several ways of reporting {sup 14}C activity levels relative to a standard were also established, but no specific instructions were given for reporting nuclear weapons testing (post-bomb) {sup 14}C levels in samples. Because the use of post-bomb {sup 14}C is becoming more prevalent in forensics, biology, and geosciences, a convention needs to be adopted. We advocate the use ofmore » fraction modern with a new symbol F{sup 14}C to prevent confusion with the previously used Fm, which may or may not have been fractionation corrected. We also discuss the calibration of post-bomb {sup 14}C samples and the available datasets and compilations, but do not give a recommendation for a particular dataset.« less

  20. Suspected survivor bias in case-control studies: stratify on survival time and use a negative control.

    PubMed

    van Rein, Nienke; Cannegieter, Suzanne C; Rosendaal, Frits R; Reitsma, Pieter H; Lijfering, Willem M

    2014-02-01

    Selection bias in case-control studies occurs when control selection is inappropriate. However, selection bias due to improper case sampling is less well recognized. We describe how to recognize survivor bias (i.e., selection on exposed cases) and illustrate this with an example study. A case-control study was used to analyze the effect of statins on major bleedings during treatment with vitamin K antagonists. A total of 110 patients who experienced such bleedings were included 18-1,018 days after the bleeding complication and matched to 220 controls. A protective association of major bleeding for exposure to statins (odds ratio [OR]: 0.56; 95% confidence interval: 0.29-1.08) was found, which did not become stronger after adjustment for confounding factors. These observations lead us to suspect survivor bias. To identify this bias, results were stratified on time between bleeding event and inclusion, and repeated for a negative control (an exposure not related to survival): blood group non-O. The ORs for exposure to statins increased gradually to 1.37 with shorter time between outcome and inclusion, whereas ORs for the negative control remained constant, confirming our hypothesis. We recommend the presented method to check for overoptimistic results, that is, survivor bias in case-control studies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Somatic and germline TP53 alterations in second malignant neoplasms from pediatric cancer survivors

    PubMed Central

    Sherborne, Amy L.; Lavergne, Vincent; Yu, Katharine; Lee, Leah; Davidson, Philip R.; Mazor, Tali; Smirnoff, Ivan; Horvai, Andrew; Loh, Mignon; DuBois, Steven G.; Goldsby, Robert E.; Neglia, Joseph; Hammond, Sue; Robison, Leslie L.; Wustrack, Rosanna; Costello, Joseph; Nakamura, Alice O.; Shannon, Kevin; Bhatia, Smita; Nakamura, Jean L.

    2016-01-01

    Purpose Second malignant neoplasms (SMNs) are severe late complications that occur in pediatric cancer survivors exposed to radiotherapy and other genotoxic treatments. To characterize the mutational landscape of treatment-induced sarcomas and to identify candidate SMN-predisposing variants we analyzed germline and SMN samples from pediatric cancer survivors. Experimental Design We performed whole exome sequencing (WES) and RNA sequencing on radiation-induced sarcomas arising from two pediatric cancer survivors. To assess the frequency of germline TP53 variants in SMNs, Sanger sequencing was performed to analyze germline TP53 in thirty-seven pediatric cancer survivors from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) without history of a familial cancer predisposition syndrome but known to have developed SMNs. Results WES revealed TP53 mutations involving p53’s DNA binding domain in both index cases, one of which was also present in the germline. The germline and somatic TP53 mutant variants were enriched in the transcriptomes for both sarcomas. Analysis of TP53 coding exons in germline specimens from the CCSS survivor cohort identified a G215C variant encoding an R72P amino acid substitution in six patients and a synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism A639G in four others, resulting in ten out of 37 evaluable patients (27%) harboring a germline TP53 variant. Conclusions Currently, germline TP53 is not routinely assessed in pediatric cancer patients. These data support the concept that identifying germline TP53 variants at the time a primary cancer is diagnosed may identify patients at high risk for SMN development, who could benefit from modified therapeutic strategies and/or intensive post-treatment monitoring. PMID:27683180

  2. Exploring stroke survivor experience of participation in an enriched environment: a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    White, Jennifer H; Bartley, Emma; Janssen, Heidi; Jordan, Louise-Anne; Spratt, Neil

    2015-01-01

    Data highlight the importance of undertaking intense and frequent repetition of activities within stroke rehabilitation to maximise recovery. An enriched environment (EE) provides a medium in which these activities can be performed and enhanced recovery achieved. An EE has been shown to promote neuroplasticity in animal models of stroke, facilitating enhanced recovery of motor and cognitive function. However, the benefit of enriching the environment of stroke survivors remains unknown. To qualitatively explore stroke survivors' experience of implementation of exposure to an EE within a typical stroke rehabilitation setting, in order to identify facilitators and barriers to participation. Semi-structured interviews with 10 stroke survivors (7 females and 3 males, mean age of 70.5 years) exposed to an EE for a 2-week period following exposure to routine rehabilitation within a stroke rehabilitation ward. An inductive thematic approach was utilised to collect and analyse data. Qualitative themes emerged concerning the environmental enrichment paradigm including: (1) "It got me moving" - perceived benefits of participation in an EE; (2) "You can be bored or you can be busy." - Attenuating factors influencing participation in an EE; (3) "I don't like to make the staff busier" - limitations to use of the EE. This study provides preliminary support for the implementation of an EE within a typical stroke rehabilitation setting from a patient perspective. Reported benefits included (1) increased motor, cognitive and sensory stimulation, (2) increased social interaction, (3) alleviation of degree of boredom and (4) increased feelings of personal control. However, participants also identified a number of barriers affecting implementation of the EE. We have previously published findings on perceptions of nursing staff working with stroke survivors in this enriched rehabilitation environment who identified that patients benefited from having better access to physical, cognitive

  3. Delivering More Than Bombs: The Utility of Long-Range Strike Platforms

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-06-01

    strategic in the consequences of their actions” in Colin S. Gray, Explorations in Strategy (New York: Praeger, 1998), 61. Strategic bombing does not...LRS-B 3 Air Force Priorities for a New Strategy with Constrained Budgets, Office of the Chief of Staff of the...17 to battle, the defensive nature of US air strategy all but disappeared. The proponents of long-range strategic bombing quickly gained support

  4. Role Playing: The Atomic Bomb and the End of World War II

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eggleston, Noel C.

    1978-01-01

    Describes how a role playing exercise can be used to teach students in a college level history course about the use of the atomic bomb in World War II. Information is presented on general use of role playing in history courses, objectives, questions to consider about use of the atomic bomb, and course evaluation. For journal availability, see so…

  5. Mechanism of formation of volcanic bombs: insights from a pilot study of anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility and preliminary assessment of analytical models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cañón-Tapia, Edgardo

    2017-07-01

    Volcanic bombs and achneliths are a special type of pyroclastic fragments formed by mildly explosive volcanic eruptions. Models explaining the general shapes of those particles can be divided in two broad categories. The most popular envisages the acquisition of shapes of volcanic bombs as the result of the rush of air acting on a fluid clot during flight, and it includes many variants. The less commonly quoted model envisages their shapes as the result of forces acting at the moment of ejection of liquid from the magma pool in the conduit, experiencing an almost negligible modification through its travel through air. Quantitative evidence supporting either of those two models is limited. In this work, I explore the extent to which the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) might be useful in the study of mechanisms of formation of volcanic bombs by comparing measurements made on two spindle and two bread-crusted bombs. The results of this pilot study reveal that the degree of anisotropy of spindle bombs is larger, and their principal susceptibility axes are better clustered than on bread-crusted bombs. Also, the orientation of the principal susceptibility axes is consistent with two specific models (one of the in-flight variants and the general ejection model). Consequently, the reported AMS measurements, albeit limited in number, indicate that it is reasonable to focus attention on only two specific models to explain the acquisition of the shapes of volcanic bombs. Based on a parallel theoretical assessment of analytical models, a third alternative is outlined, envisaging volcanic bomb formation as a two-stage process that involves the bursting of large ( m) gas bubbles on the surface of a magma pond. The new model advanced here is also consistent with the reported AMS results, and constitutes a working hypothesis that should be tested by future studies richer in data. Fortunately, since this work also establishes that AMS can be used to determine magnetic

  6. Long-term trajectories of self-reported cognitive function in a cohort of older survivors of breast cancer: CALGB 369901 (Alliance).

    PubMed

    Mandelblatt, Jeanne S; Clapp, Jonathan D; Luta, Gheorghe; Faul, Leigh Anne; Tallarico, Michelle D; McClendon, Trina D; Whitley, Jessica A; Cai, Ling; Ahles, Tim A; Stern, Robert A; Jacobsen, Paul B; Small, Brent J; Pitcher, Brandelyn N; Dura-Fernandis, Estrella; Muss, Hyman B; Hurria, Arti; Cohen, Harvey J; Isaacs, Claudine

    2016-07-22

    The number of survivors of breast cancer aged ≥65 years ("older") is growing, but to the authors' knowledge, little is known regarding the cognitive outcomes of these individuals. A cohort of cognitively intact older survivors with nonmetastatic, invasive breast cancer was recruited from 78 sites from 2004 through 2011; approximately 83.7% of the survivors (1280 survivors) completed baseline assessments. Follow-up data were collected at 6 months and annually for up to 7 years (median, 4.1 years). Cognitive function was self-reported using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30); scores ranged from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating better function. Group-based trajectory modeling determined trajectories; women were assigned to a trajectory group based on the highest predicted probability of membership. Multinomial logistic regression evaluated the association between receipt of chemotherapy (with or without hormonal treatment) and trajectory group. Survivors were aged 65 to 91 years; approximately 41% received chemotherapy. There were 3 cognitive trajectories: "maintained high" (42.3% of survivors); "phase shift" (50.1% of survivors), with scores slightly below but parallel to maintained high; and "accelerated decline" (7.6% of survivors), with the lowest baseline scores and greatest decline (from 71.7 [standard deviation, 19.8] to 58.3 [standard deviation, 21.9]). The adjusted odds of being in the accelerated decline group (vs the maintained high group) were 2.1 times higher (95% confidence interval, 1.3-3.5) for survivors who received chemotherapy (with or without hormonal therapy) versus those treated with hormonal therapy alone. Greater comorbidity and frailty also were found to be associated with accelerated decline. Trajectory group analysis demonstrated that the majority of older survivors maintained good long-term self-reported cognitive function, and that only a small

  7. Are exercise programs effective for improving health-related quality of life among cancer survivors? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Mishra, Shiraz I; Scherer, Roberta W; Snyder, Claire; Geigle, Paula; Gotay, Carolyn

    2014-11-01

    To evaluate the effectiveness of exercise interventions on overall health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and its domains among cancer survivors who have completed primary treatment. 11 electronic databases were searched from inception (dates varied) to October 2011. The authors also identified eligible trials through a search of additional sources. 40 trials with 3,694 participants met the inclusion criteria. At 12 weeks, cancer survivors exposed to exercise interventions had greater positive improvement in overall HRQOL (standardized mean difference [SMD] 0.48; 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.16, 0.81]), emotional well-being (SMD 0.33; 95% CI [0.05, 0.61]), and social functioning (SMD 0.45; 95% CI [0.02, 0.87]); and had a significant reduction in anxiety (SMD -0.26; 95% CI [-0.44, -0.07]) and fatigue (SMD -0.82; 95% CI [-1.5, -0.14]). Exercise programs have a beneficial effect on HRQOL and most of its domains and can be integrated into the management plans for cancer survivors who have completed treatment. Future research is needed to help understand specific attributes of exercise programs that are beneficial for improving HRQOL within and across cancer types. Evidence presented in this review supports the inclusion of exercise programs in clinical guidelines for the management of cancer survivors who have completed treatment, such as the Oncology Nursing Society's Putting Evidence Into Practice resource.

  8. Specialized survivor clinic attendance is associated with decreased rates of emergency department visits in adult survivors of childhood cancer.

    PubMed

    Sutradhar, Rinku; Agha, Mohammad; Pole, Jason D; Greenberg, Mark; Guttmann, Astrid; Hodgson, David; Nathan, Paul C

    2015-12-15

    Survivors of childhood cancer are at considerable risk of experiencing treatment-related adverse health outcomes. To provide survivors with specialized care focused on these risks during adulthood, the government of Ontario funded a provincial network of specialized survivor clinics in 1999. The aim of this study was to determine whether prior attendance at survivor clinics by adult survivors of childhood cancer was associated with rates of emergency department (ED) visits. This was a population-based, retrospective cohort study using multiple linked administrative health databases. The cohort consisted of all adult survivors of childhood cancer diagnosed between January 1, 1986 and December 31, 2005 in Ontario, Canada. A recurrent event regression model was used to evaluate the association between prior attendance at survivor clinics and the rate of ED visits; adjustments were made for individual, demographic, treatment, and provider characteristics. The study consisted of 3912 adult survivors of childhood cancer. Individuals who had at least 1 prior visit to a survivor clinic had a 19% decreased rate of ED visits in comparison with individuals who had not visited a survivor clinic (adjusted relative rate, 0.81; 95% confidence interval, 0.78-0.85). Each additional prior visit to a survivor clinic was associated with a 5% decrease in the rate of ED visits (adjusted relative rate, 0.95; 95% confidence interval, 0.93-0.96). These results were independent of whether or not survivors received care from a primary care physician. Attendance at a specialized survivor clinic was significantly associated with decreased ED visits among adult survivors of childhood cancer. © 2015 American Cancer Society.

  9. Characteristics and adaptive strategies linked with falls in stroke survivors from analysis of laboratory-induced falls

    PubMed Central

    Honeycutt, Claire F.; Nevisipour, Masood; Grabiner, Mark D.

    2016-01-01

    Falls are the most common and expensive medical complication in stroke survivors. There is remarkably little information about what factors lead to a fall in stroke survivors. With few exceptions, the falls literature in stroke has focused on relating metrics of static balance and impairment to fall outcomes in the acute care setting or in community. While informative, these studies provide little information about what specific impairments in a stroke-survivor’s response to dynamic balance challenges lead to a fall. We identified the key kinematic characteristics of stroke survivors’ stepping responses following a balance disturbance that are associated with a fall following dynamic balance challenges. Stroke survivors were exposed to posteriorly-directed translations of a treadmill belt that elicited a stepping response. Kinematics were compared between successful and failed recovery attempts (i.e. a fall). We found that the ability to arrest and reverse trunk flexion and the ability to perform an appropriate initial compensatory step were the most critical response contributors to a successful recovery. We also identified 2 compensatory strategies utilized by stroke survivors to avoid a fall. Despite significant post-stroke functional impairments, the biomechanical causes of trip-related falls by stroke survivors appear to be similar to those of unimpaired older adults and lower extremity amputees. However, compensatory strategies (pivot, hopping) were observed. PMID:27614614

  10. Infertility, infertility treatment, and achievement of pregnancy in female survivors of childhood cancer: a report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study cohort

    PubMed Central

    Barton, Sara E.; Najita, Julie S.; Ginsburg, Elizabeth S.; Leisenring, Wendy M.; Stovall, Marilyn; Weathers, Rita E.; Sklar, Charles A.; Robison, Leslie L.; Diller, Lisa

    2013-01-01

    Background Prior studies have documented decreased pregnancy rates and early menopause in female cancer survivors; however, infertility rates and reproductive interventions have not been studied. This study investigates infertility and time to pregnancy among female childhood cancer survivors, and analyzes treatment characteristics associated with infertility and subsequent pregnancy. Methods The Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) is a cohort study including five-year cancer survivors from 26 institutions who were <21 years old at the time of diagnosis between January 1, 1970, and December 31, 1986, and a sibling control group. CCSS females ages 18–39 years reporting they had ever been sexually active (3,531 survivors and 1,366 female controls) were studied. Self-reported infertility, medical treatment for infertility, the time to first pregnancy in survivors and siblings, and the risk of infertility in survivors by demographic, disease, and treatment variables were analyzed. Findings Survivors had an increased risk of clinical infertility (>1 year of attempts at conception without success) compared to siblings which was most pronounced at early reproductive ages (≤24 years Relative Risk (RR)=2·92, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1·18–7·20; 25–29 years RR=1·61, 95% CI 1·05–2·48; 30–39 years RR=1·37, 95% CI 1·11–1·69). Despite being equally likely to seek treatment for infertility, survivors were less likely to be prescribed medication for treatment of infertility (RR=0·57, 95% CI 0·46–0·70). Increasing doses of uterine radiation and alkylating agent chemotherapy were most strongly associated with infertility. Although survivors had an increased time to pregnancy interval (p=0·032), 64·2% (292/455) with infertility achieved a pregnancy. Interpretation A more comprehensive understanding of infertility after cancer is critical for counseling and decision-making regarding future attempts at conception as well as fertility preservation

  11. An empirical study of employment and disability over three years among survivors of major disasters.

    PubMed

    Rasco, Sarah S; North, Carol S

    2010-01-01

    This study was designed to clarify the relationship between exposure to disaster and future employment. Survivors of seven disasters and their employment histories were prospectively followed over three years. At the time of the disasters, 86 percent were working, and at follow-up, 84 percent were working. All of the 261 individuals employed on the day of the disaster described themselves as not disabled at follow-up, although one individual who dropped out of the workforce to become a self-described housewife shortly after the disaster and who developed PTSD may have left the workforce because of lasting emotional effects of the disaster. The reasons she provided for changing job status were not disaster related, however. Long-standing employment disability was virtually nonexistent in this highly exposed sample of trauma survivors, but it is possible that some cases of PTSD-related disability were lost to follow-up. Further work is needed to explore psychological disability in other trauma survivor populations.

  12. Cognitive, behaviour, and academic functioning in adolescent and young adult survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: a report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study.

    PubMed

    Jacola, Lisa M; Edelstein, Kim; Liu, Wei; Pui, Ching-Hon; Hayashi, Robert; Kadan-Lottick, Nina S; Srivastava, Deokumar; Henderson, Tara; Leisenring, Wendy; Robison, Leslie L; Armstrong, Gregory T; Krull, Kevin R

    2016-10-01

    Survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) are at risk for neurocognitive deficits that affect development in adolescence and young adulthood, and influence educational attainment and future independence. We examined a large and diverse cohort of survivors to identify risk predictors and modifiers of these outcomes. In this cohort study, cognitive and behaviour symptoms were assessed via a standardised parent questionnaire for 1560 adolescent survivors of ALL diagnosed between 1970 and 1999. Clinically significant symptoms (≥90th percentile) and learning problems were compared between survivors and a sibling cohort. Multivariable regression models were used to examine associations with demographic and treatment characteristics. Models were adjusted for inverse probability of sampling weights to reflect undersampling of ALL survivors in the expansion cohort. In a subset of survivors with longitudinal data (n=925), we examined associations between adolescent symptoms or problems and adult educational attainment. Compared with siblings, survivors treated with chemotherapy only were more likely to demonstrate headstrong behaviour (155 [19%] of 752 survivors vs 88 [14%] of 610 siblings, p=0·010), inattention-hyperactivity (15 [19%] vs 86 [14%], p<0·0001), social withdrawal (142 [18%] vs 75 [12%], p=0·002), and had higher rates of learning problems (191 [28%] vs 76 [14%], p<0·0001). In multivariable models among survivors, increased cumulative dose of intravenous methotrexate (ie, >4·3 g/m 2 ) conferred increased risk of inattention-hyperactivity (relative risk [RR] 1·53, 95% CI 1·13-2·08). Adolescent survivors with cognitive or behaviour problems and those with learning problems were less likely to graduate from college as young adults than adolescent survivors without cognitive or behaviour problems. Although modern therapy for childhood ALL has eliminated the use of cranial radiation therapy, adolescent survivors treated with chemotherapy

  13. A review of breast cancer survivorship issues from survivors' perspectives.

    PubMed

    Cho, Jihyoung; Jung, So-Youn; Lee, Jung Eun; Shim, Eun-Jung; Kim, Nam Hyoung; Kim, Zisun; Sohn, Guiyun; Youn, Hyun Jo; Kim, Ku Sang; Kim, Hanna; Lee, Jong Won; Lee, Min Hyuk

    2014-09-01

    Despite the fact that more breast cancer survivors are currently enjoying longer lifespans, there remains limited knowledge about the factors and issues that are of greatest significance for these survivors, particularly from their perspectives. This review was based on the concept that the topics addressed should focus on the perspectives of current survivors and should be extended to future modalities, which physicians will be able to use to gain a better understanding of the hidden needs of these patients. We intended to choose and review dimensions other than the pathology and the disease process that could have been overlooked during treatment. The eight topics upon which we focused included: delay of treatment and survival outcome; sexual well-being; concerns about childbearing; tailored follow-up; presence of a family history of breast cancer; diet and physical activity for survivors and their families; qualitative approach toward understanding of breast cancer survivorship, and; mobile health care for breast cancer survivors. Through this review, we aimed to examine the present clinical basis of the central issues noted from the survivors' perspectives and suggest a direction for future survivorship-related research.

  14. Mental health status following severe sulfur mustard exposure: a long-term study of Iranian war survivors.

    PubMed

    Khateri, Shahriar; Soroush, Mohammadreza; Mokhber, Naghmeh; Sedighimoghaddam, Mohammadreza; Modirian, Ehsan; Mousavi, Batool; Mousavi, Seyed Javad; Hosseini, Maryam

    2017-06-01

    This study aimed to describe the mental health status of sulfur mustard-exposed survivors suffering from severe respiratory and ophthalmological problems. Out of 450 invited Iran-Iraq War survivors of sulfur mustard exposure with severe symptoms, 350 participated in this cross-sectional study. Mental health status was assessed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition, criteria. Fisher exact test, Pearson chi-square test, and chi-square test were used to assess any relationship, and the independent-sample t test was employed to compare differences between the veterans with ocular and pulmonary injuries. There were 60.9% (n = 213) survivors who suffered from mental disorders. Among them, 39.7% (n = 139) were previously untreated and required the initiation of psychiatric treatment. The prevalence of anxiety and mood disorders among all survivors was 40.6% (n = 142) and 32.0% (n = 112), respectively. The most common anxiety and mood disorders were posttraumatic stress disorder (32.9%, n = 115) and major depressive disorder (22.3%, n = 78), respectively. Psychiatric disorders were more prevalent in cases with severe pulmonary chemical injury than in subjects with severe ophthalmologic chemical injury. Significant relationships were found between the types of psychiatric disorders and age, education, and occupation (P < .05). The psychiatric morbidity in the chemically injured populations was remarkable and significantly different between the populations. The prevalence of mental illness in these groups highlights the need for the appropriate provision of mental health services. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  15. Anxiety and depression in working-age cancer survivors: a register-based study.

    PubMed

    Inhestern, Laura; Beierlein, Volker; Bultmann, Johanna Christine; Möller, Birgit; Romer, Georg; Koch, Uwe; Bergelt, Corinna

    2017-05-19

    Anxiety and depression can be a long-term strain in cancer survivors. Little is known about the emotional situation of cancer survivors who have to deal with work- and family-related issues. The purpose of this study was to investigate anxiety and depression in working-age cancer survivors and associated factors. A register-based sample of 3370 cancer survivors (25 to 55 years at time of diagnosis) diagnosed up to six years prior to the survey was recruited from two German cancer registries. Demographic and medical characteristics as well as self-reported measures were used. Overall, approximately 40% of the survivors reported moderate to high anxiety scores and approximately 20% reported moderate to high depression scores. Compared to the general population, working-age cancer survivors were more anxious but less depressed (p < .001). Subgroups with regard to time since diagnosis did not differ in anxiety or depression. Anxiety and depression in cancer survivors were associated with various variables. Better social support, family functioning and physical health were associated with lower anxiety and depression. Overall, we found higher anxiety levels in cancer survivors of working-age than in the general population. A considerable portion of cancer survivors reported moderate to high levels of anxiety and depression. The results indicate the need for psychosocial screening and psycho-oncological support e.g. in survivorship programs for working-age cancer survivors. Assessing the physical health, social support and family background might help to identify survivors at risk for higher emotional distress.

  16. From classified to commonplace: the trajectory of the hydrogen bomb 'secret'.

    PubMed

    Wellerstein, Alex

    2008-06-01

    The secret of the hydrogen bomb went from being an icon of nuclear secrecy to something that could be widely reproduced on the Internet and in children's textbooks. The rise and fall of the H-bomb secret reveals both changing attitudes towards state secrecy in general and the contingent nature of secrecy, depending on an imagined threat as guidance.

  17. Trauma, grief and depression in Nairobi children after the 1998 bombing of the American Embassy.

    PubMed

    Pfefferbaum, Betty; North, Carol S; Doughty, Debby E; Pfefferbaum, Rose L; Dumont, Cedric E; Pynoos, Robert S; Gurwitch, Robin H; Ndetei, David

    2006-01-01

    Despite the increasingly dangerous world where trauma and loss are common, relatively few studies have explored traumatic grief in children. The 1998 American Embassy bombing in Nairobi, Kenya, provided an unfortunate opportunity to examine this topic. This report describes findings in 156 children who knew someone killed in the incident, assessed 8 to 14 months after the explosion. Bomb-related posttraumatic stress was associated with physical exposure, acute response, posttraumatic stress related to other negative life events, type of bomb-related loss, and subsequent loss. Grief was associated with bomb-related posttraumatic stress, posttraumatic stress related to other negative life events, and type of bomb-related loss. The study supports the developing literature on traumatic grief and the need for studies exploring the potentially unique aspects of this construct.

  18. Psychiatric disorders and suicide attempts in Swedish survivors of the 2004 southeast Asia tsunami: a 5 year matched cohort study.

    PubMed

    Arnberg, Filip K; Gudmundsdóttir, Ragnhildur; Butwicka, Agnieszka; Fang, Fang; Lichtenstein, Paul; Hultman, Christina M; Valdimarsdóttir, Unnur A

    2015-09-01

    Survivors of natural disasters are thought to be at an increased risk of psychiatric disorders, however the extent of this risk, and whether it is linked to pre-existing psychopathology, is not known. We aimed to establish whether Swedish survivors of tsunamis from the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake had increased risks of psychiatric disorders and suicide attempts 5 years after repatriation. We identified Swedish survivors repatriated from southeast Asia (8762 adults and 3742 children) and 864 088 unexposed adults and 320 828 unexposed children matched for sex, age, and socioeconomic status. We retrieved psychiatric diagnoses and suicide attempts from the Swedish patient register for the 5 years after the tsunami (from Dec 26, 2004, to Jan 31, 2010) and estimated hazard ratios (HRs), then adjusted for pre-tsunami psychiatric disorders, and, for children, for parental pre-tsunami disorders. Exposed adults were more likely than unexposed adults to receive any psychiatric diagnosis (547 [6·2%] vs 47 734 [5·5%]; adjusted HR 1·21, 95% CI 1·11-1·32), particularly stress-related disorders (187 [2·1%] vs 8831 [1·0%]; 2·27, 1·96-2·62) and suicide attempts (38 [0·43%] vs 2752 [0·32%]; 1·54, 1·11-2·13), but not mood or anxiety disorders. Risk of psychiatric diagnoses did not differ between exposed and unexposed children and adolescents (248 [6·6] vs 22 081 [6·9%]; 0·98, 0·86-1·11), although exposed children and adolescents had a higher risk for suicide attempts with uncertain intent (1·43; 1·01-2·02) and stress-related disorders (1·79; 1·30-2·46), mainly during the first 3 months after the tsunami. The 2004 tsunami was, independently of previous psychiatric morbidity, associated with an increased risk of severe psychopathology, mainly stress-related disorders and suicide attempts, in children and adults. Survivors of natural disasters should be targeted with early interventions and active long-term follow-up to prevent, detect, and alleviate

  19. Who Is a Cancer Survivor? A Systematic Review of Published Definitions.

    PubMed

    Marzorati, Chiara; Riva, Silvia; Pravettoni, Gabriella

    2017-06-01

    The term "cancer survivor" is commonly used by different persons, clinical institutions, academic bodies, and political organizations although it lacks of a unanimous and detailed definition. The objective of the study is to make a systematic review of published and proposed definitions of "cancer survivor." Utilizing a systematic search strategy with different strings of "cancer survivor," we searched the following databases: Medline (June 1975-June 2015), Scopus (all the years), Web of Science (all the years), Google Scholar (all the years), ERIC (all the years). This review suggests that there is not a unique definition of who is a "cancer survivor" and what is "cancer survivorship." However, the most widely used definition sees cancer survivorship as a process that begins at the moment of diagnosis and continues through the balance of life. This definition highlights psychological and legal patient's needs-as well as medical ones-to receive care and assistance from the beginning and, at the same time, it establishes valid criteria for making scientific and statistical sampling research. The extensive use of the term "cancer survivor" indicates that it is a significant term. This review has been written to outline the state of the art and it invites to reflect on a shared definition that could satisfy both clinical and research aspects. Implication for cancer survivors: this compendium of proposed definitions may improve communication among the many patients and patient organizations that use and work with this term.

  20. Cancer incidence in Israeli Jewish survivors of World War II.

    PubMed

    Keinan-Boker, Lital; Vin-Raviv, Neomi; Liphshitz, Irena; Linn, Shai; Barchana, Micha

    2009-11-04

    Israeli Jews of European origin have high incidence rates of all cancers, and many of them were exposed to severe famine and stress during World War II. We assessed cancer incidence in Israeli Jewish survivors of World War II. Cancer rates were compared in a cohort of 315 544 Israeli Jews who were born in Europe and immigrated to Israel before or during World War II (nonexposed group, n = 57 496) or after World War II and up to 1989 (the exposed group, ie, those potentially exposed to the Holocaust, n = 258 048). Because no individual data were available on actual Holocaust exposure, we based exposure on the immigration date for European-born Israeli Jews and decided against use of the term "Holocaust survivors," implying a known, direct individual Holocaust exposure. Cancer incidences were obtained from the Israel National Cancer Registry. Relative risk (RR) estimates and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated for all cancer sites and for specific cancer sites, stratified by sex and birth cohort, and adjusted for time period. The nonexposed group contributed 908 436 person-years of follow-up, with 13 237 cancer diagnoses (crude rate per 100 000 person-years = 1457.1). The exposed group contributed 4 011 264 person-years of follow-up, with 56 060 cancer diagnoses (crude rate per 100 000 person-years = 1397.6). Exposure, compared with nonexposure, was associated with a statistically significantly increased risk for all-site cancer for all birth cohorts and for both sexes. The strongest associations between exposure and all-site cancer risk were observed in the youngest birth cohort of 1940-1945 (for men, RR = 3.50, 95% CI = 2.17 to 5.65; for women, RR = 2.33, 95% CI = 1.69 to 3.21). Excess risk was pronounced for breast cancer in the 1940-1945 birth cohort (RR = 2.44, 95% CI = 1.46 to 4.06) and for colorectal cancer in the 1935-1939 cohort (for men, RR = 1.75, 95% CI = 1.19 to 2.59; for women, RR = 1.93, 95% CI = 1.25 to 3.00). Incidence of all cancers