Risks of Chest X-ray Examination for Students

Chest X-ray (CXR) examination is considered essential for health checkups of students;thus, it is important to objectively assess the CXR for a better understanding of the appropriate X-ray exposure dose, and the risks such an examination entails. Accordingly, we performed a multi-institutional study regarding students' CXR exposure, during a 6year-period from 2002 (partially including 2001) to 2007, with the collaboration of national, municipal, and private universities and colleges in Japan. A glass badge was worn by the students at the time of CXR screening examination. These glass badges were collected, and their X-ray exposure doses were measured. The results indicated a tendency of decreasing exposure dose over the 6 years, though the difference was not significant. In a comparison of the chest X-ray systems within institutions (own X-ray equipmentinside systems) with those outside the institution (mobile X-ray equipmentoutside systems), the average exposure dose with the outside systems exceeded that of the inside systems. Both inside and outside systems included a few X-ray machines with which the exposure was more than 1mSv. Based on these facts, individuals in charge of student health checkups should be aware of the exposure dose of each chest fluorographic system at their institution.</p

Semi-Invariant Algorithm for Color to Gray and Back

This paper proposes a reversible algorithm to convert color images to gray images with keeping chroma and spatial resolution. K. Braun and R. L. de Queiroz proposed a color-to-gray mapping algorithm. The method can almost recover the original color, but it had theoretical problems that both chroma and spatial resolution deteriorated. Our algorithm succeeded to solve those problems by devising a color embedding technique. By replacing a subband of a luminance component by quantized high-pass and chrominance signals, semi-invariant algorithm for chroma and spatial resolution can be realized. Experimental results show that the proposed method can recover vivid color images with keeping spatial resolution from textured gray images

Exposure assessment of lead from food and airborne dusts and biomonitoring in pregnant mothers, their fetus and siblings in Karachi, Pakistan and Shimotsuke, Japan.

AIM: Exposure assessment of lead (Pb) and Arsenic (As) from food, water, and house dust intake were assessed among pregnant women, their children and fetuses in Pakistan and Japan, as well as their body burden of the metals in their blood. METHOD: Fifty families which included a pregnant woman, a fetus and the 1-3-year-old siblings were recruited in Karachi and Khairpur in Pakistan, and Shimotsuke and Asahikawa in Japan, respectively. Their dietary exposure to Pb and As was measured in 3-day food duplicates and drinking water by ICP-MP. Pb in house dust and respirable dust was evaluated with an energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Non-radioactive isotope Pb profiles of blood specimens will be compared with those of the exposure origins, such as food duplicates, respirable house dust, the soils nearby, and gasoline. RESULTS: Judging from the data collected and analyzed so far, contribution from dietary intake is highly correlated to higher body burden of Pb among Pakistani mothers. Additional data analyses will reveal the status of Pb and As body burden in Pakistani mothers, fetuses and their siblings, and causal sources of high body burden is delineated by Pb isotope profile analysis of different sources of Pb exposure

Siponimod versus placebo in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (EXPAND): a double-blind, randomised, phase 3 study

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