Summer
Volume 25, Issue 1, 2014

News and Views

Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan

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Table of Contents
From the Editors ......................................................................................................................................... 1
RERF News
Report on the 41st Scientific Advisory Committee Meeting, 2014....................................................... 1
Hiroshima RERF Holds Its Fourth Public Lecture ............................................................................... 4
Nagasaki RERF Also Holds Fourth Public Lecture .............................................................................. 5
RERF Establishes Its Facebook Page .................................................................................................... 6
PR Specialist Invited to Speak at Hiroshima RERF.............................................................................. 6
Students of Tokyo Institute of Technology Visit Hiroshima RERF ...................................................... 7
UK Radiation Data Expert Speaks at Hiroshima RERF ....................................................................... 8
Staff News ............................................................................................................................................. 8
Visiting Student Fellows ..................................................................................................................... 10
Conference and Workshop Reports
RERF International Symposium: The Evaluation of the Effects of Low-dose Radiation
Exposure in the Atomic-bomb Survivors, by Eric J. Grant ............................................................. 12
RERF International Workshop: The Storage and Utilization of Biological Samples for
Studies on the Health Effects of Atomic-bomb Radiation, by Misa Imaizumi ............................... 13
RERF International Workshop: Remaining Issues in Shielding Calculations,by Harry M. Cullings ...................................................................................................................... 15
Science Articles
Fetal Irradiation of Rats Induces Persistent Translocations in Mammary Epithelial Cells Similar
to the Level after Adult Irradiation, but Not in Hematolymphoid Cells, by Yoshiaki Kodama ...... 17
Effects of IL10 Haplotype and Atomic-bomb Radiation Exposure on Gastric Cancer Risk,
by Tomonori Hayashi ...................................................................................................................... 19
Radiation Exposure and the Risk of Mortality from Noncancer Respiratory Diseases
in the Life Span Study, 1950–2005, by Truong-Minh Pham and Atsuko Sadakane ....................... 21
Radiation Effects on Human Heredity, by Nori Nakamura................................................................. 23
Human Interest Notes
In Memoriam: Dr. Carl Frederic Tessmer, by William J. Schull ......................................................... 25
Participating in the Health Examination/Consultation Project for A-bomb Survivors Living inSouth Korea, by Daisuke Haruta ..................................................................................................... 27
Facts and Figures
New Terrain Shielding Input Data for the Atomic-bomb Survivors, by Harry M. Cullings ............... 29
Research Protocols and Publications
Research Protocols Approved in November 2013–April 2014 ........................................................... 32
Recent Publications ............................................................................................................................. 33
Cover photographs: (left) Public lecture event for citizens in Hiroshima; see page 4(right) Field investigation portion of RERF workshop on shielding (in front of an
air-raid shelter on the grounds of Yamazato Elementary School); see page 15

This newsletter is published twice a year by the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF;
formerly the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission), established in April 1975 as a private,nonprofit Japanese foundation. It is supported by the government of Japan through its Ministryof Health, Labour and Welfare and by the United States through its Department of Energy (DOE),
in part by DOE contract DE-HS0000031 with the National Academy of Sciences. RERF becamea public interest incorporated foundation on April 1, 2012.
RERF conducts research and studies—for peaceful purposes—on medical effects of radiation
and associated diseases in humans, with a view to contributing to maintenance of the health andwelfare of the atomic-bomb survivors and to enhancement of the health of all humankind.
Editor-in-Chief: Harry M. Cullings, Chief, Department of Statistics
Technical Editor: Tomoe Sugiyama, Public Relations & Publications Office
Editorial Policy
Contributions to RERF Update receive editorial review only and do not receive scientific peer
review. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect
RERF policies or positions.
Contact: Mailing address: RERF Public Relations & Publications Office, 5-2 Hijiyama Park,
Minami-ku, Hiroshima 732-0815 Japan
Telephone: 81-82-261-3131; Facsimile: 81-82-263-7279
Internet: http://www.rerf.jp/

update 1

From the Editors / RERF News

From the Editors
Welcome to the first issue of Update for 2014.
We had a beautiful cherry blossom (sakura) season earlier this year, at the end of March, and as
I began this, in May, the azaleas (tsutsuji) were
blooming and it was time for Golden Week and theHiroshima Flower Festival. But time has passed
and now it is the season of hydrangeas (ajisai), at
the beginning of June, with the rainy season not far
off! We had a mild and generally very nice spring,and it has only now begun to heat up. As usual, we
have a full issue of Update, with a complement ofscience articles, a number of introductions of new
staff, and other topical news, including reportson the annual meeting of the Scientific Advisory
Committee and several recent workshops held at
RERF. We are pleased in this issue to welcome a
new Technical Editor, Tomoe Sugiyama, who has
worked in the Public Relations and Publications
Office (former Editorial and Publications Section) at RERF since 2001. She has been helping
with previous editions of Update and other RERF
publications, and is well known as a capable andeffective member of the staff—we look forward toworking with her in her new role.
One of the things we are thinking about here
as we prepare this issue is the increasing transi-tion from print media to online media. We areconsidering, for example, whether we might try toinclude materials in the online edition of Updatethat are not feasible to include in the printed edition. With that in mind, you may see a survey ofour readers with respect to this change in a futureissue of Update.

Harry M. Cullings
Editor-in-Chief

Tomoe Sugiyama
Technical Editor

Report on the 41st Scientific Advisory Committee Meeting, 2014
The 41st Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC)
review of RERF’s research activities was held on
March 3–5, 2014, at our Hiroshima facility. The
SAC consists of 10 scientists, five each from Japanand the United States. The co-chairs this year were
Dr. Marianne Berwick and Dr. Yoichi Gondo. New
members of the SAC are Dr. Michiaki Kai of Oita
University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Dr.
Tomotaka Sobue of the Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, and Dr. Anatoly Dritschiloof Georgetown University School of Medicine.
They replaced Dr. Kiyoshi Miyagawa, Dr. Kazuo
Tajima, and Dr. John J. Mulvihill, respectively, towhom we owe a debt of gratitude for their outstanding, dedicated service to RERF.
It was decided to have more focused reviewsof three departments this year: the departments of
Epidemiology, Statistics, and Information Technology. To aid the focused reviews, three additional
experts were appointed temporarily to the SAC—
Dr. Scott Davis, University of Washington (Epidemiology), Dr. Toshimitsu Hamasaki, Osaka UniReturn to Table of Contents

versity (Biostatistics), and Dr. Divesh Srivastava,
AT&T Laboratories (Information Technology).
Their insights were very valuable, and it was agreat pleasure for us to work with these excellent,
perceptive scholars.
RERF Chairman Dr. Toshiteru Okubo opened
the meeting with a warm welcome to all. In his
report he emphasized how important the SAC’s
work is to the staff of the RERF. He introduced Dr.
Robert L. Ullrich, who was appointed as Associate
Chief of Research at RERF as of November 2013.
One serious issue that was raised by Chairman
Okubo is the need to restructure RERF in order tomaintain high-quality science while decreasing thenumber of overall staff. The rate of attrition mandated by the Japanese government is approximately
five workers per year. At this time, there is less thanhalf the staff number that was present at the time of
RERF’s inauguration in 1975.
Next, Vice Chairman Dr. Roy E. Shore spoke
on RERF responses to last year’s SAC recommendations and on new research achievements. In
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RERF News
accordance with the 2013 SAC recommendations,
RERF has published papers in a number of fairly
high impact international journals; published aworkshop report on radiation and cardiovasculardisease1; worked to develop collaborations andaffiliations to enhance the global impact of RERF;
continued to serve in advisory roles with regard to
Fukushima health issues; and increased its training
and mentoring of young investigators.
Dr. Shore followed with a description of RERF’s
major accomplishments during 2013. Among the
research achievements were the holding of theInternational Low Dose Workshop at RERF in
December 2013 and multiple publications. Papers
that examined radiation effects included those on
radiation risk of soft-tissue sarcomas2; radiation,
immune genes, and risk of gastric cancer3 or livercancer4; radiation, obesity, and colon cancer risk5;
radiation, chronic kidney disease, and cardiovascular risk factors6; radiation and noncancer respiratory diseases7; radiation and glaucoma8; and fetal
irradiation and chromosome aberration frequency
in blood cells compared to mammary cells.9 He
further described the crucial ongoing efforts to consolidate, integrate, and support databases, sample
collection, and storage. These efforts were later
highlighted in presentations regarding the Information Technology Department and the newly created
Biosample Center. Finally, the transparency of theresearch protocol (RP) review process has been
increased, and the Research Priority Committee
has been established to provide information on thepriority of various research projects, to aid in management decisions.
RERF scientists have continued their active
involvement on international radiation-protection
and risk-assessment committees, such as the ICRP
(International Commission on Radiological Protection), UNSCEAR (United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation), and the
NCRP (U.S. National Council on Radiation Protection & Measurements). They also gave a numberof invited lectures abroad and have numerous collaborations with investigators at various institutionsin Japan, Europe, America, and Asia.
The SAC provided a written report of its recommendations; a brief statement of the key generalrecommendations is as follows:• The justification, prioritization, and overall
quality of some of the current research programs are a concern. RPs should assessclearly articulated testable hypotheses that
contribute to the overall goals of RERF.
Working Groups are encouraged to help prioritize the multiple demands and developmentof integrated science at RERF.
• Plans for the use of technology (wholegenome sequencing, metabolomics, etc.) and
Return to Table of Contents

update 2bioinformatics resources are encouraged, withprioritization to address critical RERF mission-specific studies.
• The multiple genome-wide studies, next generation sequencing studies, and other highdimensional data analyses require prioritization, with thoughtful planning and coordination among departments.
• Both the new Biosample Center and the data
management capacity of the Information
Technology Department are critical for development toward becoming a global Center of
Excellence for radiation research.
• The development of a database for access tosample identification, location, and otherinformation, which is underway, is critical for
biosample-data integration and must be supported by all departments.
• The complete data on every subject everinvolved with ABCC-RERF research should
be retrievable with ease.
• More high-quality publications are essential
for the continued success of RERF. The plansoutlined in the Future Plans will assist in thiseffort.
• Efforts to obtain additional competitive external funds have increased, and the SAC
encourages this activity.
• The publication of the “black rain” data represents an opportunity for public education on
the strengths and weaknesses of the ability ofscience to make conclusions about environmental links to health effects.
• The Future Plans are critical to implement,
particularly the aspect regarding developmentof working groups to integrate hypotheses andstudies among departments.
• The SAC commends the ongoing efforts
related to the holding of seminars and fostering of interactions within RERF. It is suggested that a formal mentoring system bedeveloped to help new investigators at RERF
in their professional development.
Selected highlights of the recommendations to
the departments with the primary focus include:• Epidemiology Department: Work closely withcolleagues within or outside of RERF todesign and implement new studies or additions to ongoing studies that have clear aims
and that make maximum use of the Epidemiology Department’s stored tissue samples inan efficient manner.
• Statistics Department: The work on non-parametric smoothing in dose-response estimation, especially as it applies to low-dose risk
estimation, is new and interesting and isencouraged. The continuation of training and
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RERF News
development of genomic data analysis skills
is strongly encouraged, as these skills will
increasingly be required in the near future.
• Information Technology Department: RERF
has outstanding data sets, but some are notalways widely known or accessible to RERF
researchers, including old legacy data sets andanalytic data sets used in RERF publishedreports. Meta-data about ABCC-RERF’s data
sets, including documentation on proper
usage, should be improved and made searchable with user-friendly interfaces.
In summary, the SAC highlighted the uniquerole RERF plays in determining radiation risks andthe high continuing potential for studies that makeimportant contributions. The committee urged theprompt development and publication of new results
regarding issues of scientific and public-healthconcern and suggested ways to address new technological challenges in the basic sciences.
RERF Scientific Advisors
Dr. Marianne Berwick, Co-chairperson, Distinguished Professor, Department of Internal
Medicine and Department of Dermatology, The
University of New Mexico
Dr. Yoichi Gondo, Co-chairperson, Team Leader,
Mutagenesis and Genomics Team, RIKEN BioResource Center
Dr. Kazuo Sakai, Director, Research Center for
Radiation Protection, National Institute ofRadiological Sciences
Dr. Tomotaka Sobue, Professor, Department ofSocial and Environmental Medicine, Graduate
School of Medicine, Osaka University
Dr. Shunichi Yamashita, Director, Vice President,
Nagasaki University
Dr. Michiaki Kai, Member of the Board ofTrustees, Professor, Environmental Health Science, Department of Health Sciences, Oita
University of Nursing and Health Sciences
Dr. Sally Amundson, Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology, Center for RadiologicalResearch, Columbia University Medical Center
Dr. David G. Hoel, Distinguished University Professor, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina and Principal Scientist, Exponent, Inc.
Dr. Michael N. Cornforth, Professor and Directorof Biology Division, Department of Radiation
Oncology, The University of Texas Medical
BranchDr. Anatoly Dritschilo, Professor and Chairman,
Department of Radiation Medicine, Georgetown University School of Medicine

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Special Scientific Advisors
Dr. Scott Davis, Professor and Chairman, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Healthand Community Medicine, University ofWashington
Dr. Toshimitsu Hamasaki, Associate Professor,
Department of Biomedical Statistics, Osaka
University Graduate School of Medicine
Dr. Divesh Srivastava, Executive Director, Database Research Department, AT&T Labs
Research
References
1. Takahashi I, Ohishi W, Mettler FAJ, Ozasa K,
Jacob P, Ban N, Lipschultz SE, Stewart FA,
Nabika T, Niwa Y, Takahashi NA, M, Kodama
K, Shore R, and the International Radiation andCardiovascular Disease Workshop Participants:
A report from the 2013 international workshop: radiation and cardiovascular disease,
Hiroshima, Japan. J Radiol Prot 2013; 33:86980. (doi:10.1088/0952-4746/33/4/869)
2. Samartzis D, Nishi NC, J, Funamoto S, Hayashi
M, Kodama K, Miles EF, Suyama A, Soda M,
Kasagi F: Ionizing radiation exposure and thedevelopment of soft-tissue sarcomas in atomicbomb survivors. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2013;
95:222-9. (doi/10.2106/JBJS.L.00546)
3. Hayashi T, Ito R, Cologne JB, Maki M,
Morishita Y, Nagamura H, Sasaki K, Hayashi
I, Imai K, Yoshida K, Kajimura J, Kyoizumi S,
Kusunoki Y, Ohishi W, Fujiwara S, Akahoshi
M, Nakachi K: Effects of IL-10 haplotype andatomic bomb radiation exposure on gastric cancer risk. Radiat Res 2013; 180(1):60-9. (doi:
10.1667/RR3183.1)
4. Ohishi W, Cologne JB, Fujiwara S, Suzuki
G, Hayashi T, Niwa Y, Akahoshi M, Ueda K,
Tsuge M, Chayama K: Serum interleukin-6
associated with hepatocellular carcinoma risk:
A nested case-control study. Int J Cancer 2014;
134(1):154-63. (doi: 10.1002/ijc.28337)
5. Semmens EO, Kopecky KJ, Grant EJ,
Mabuchi K, Mathes RW, Nishi N, Sugiyama
H, Moriwaki H, Sakata R, Soda M, Kasagi F,
Yamada M, Fujiwara S, Akahoshi M, Davis
S, Kodama K, Li CI: Relationship between
anthropometric factors, radiation exposure,and colon cancer incidence in the Life Span
Study cohort of atomic bomb survivors. Cancer Causes Control 2013; 24(1):27-37. (doi:
10.1007/s10552-012-0086-8)
6. Sera N, Hida A, Imaizumi M, Nakashima E,
Akahoshi M: The association between chronic
kidney disease and cardiovascular disease risk
factors in atomic bomb survivors. Radiat Res
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RERF News
2013; 179:46-52. (doi: 10.1667/RR2863.1)
7. Pham TM, Sakata R, Grant EJ, Shimizu Y,
Furukawa K, Takahashi I, Sugiyama H, Kasagi
F, Soda M, Suyama A, Shore RE, Ozasa K:
Radiation exposure and the risk of mortality
from noncancer respiratory diseases in theLife Span Study, 1950–2005. Radiat Res 2013;
180(5):539-45. (doi: 10.1667/RR13421.1)
8. Kiuchi Y, Yokoyama T, Takamatsu M, Tsuiki
E, Uematsu M, Kinoshita H, Kumagami T,
Kitaoka T, Minamoto A, Neriishi K, Nakashima
E, Khattree R, Hida A, Fujiwara S, Akahoshi

M: Glaucoma in atomic bomb survivors.
Radiat Res 2013; 180(4):422-30. (doi: 10.1667/
RR3273.2)
9. Nakano M, Nishimura MH, K Mishima, S,
Yoshida M, Nakata A, Shimada Y, Noda A,
Nakamura N, Kodama Y: Fetal irradiationof rats induces persistent translocations inmammary epithelial cells similar to the level
after adult irradiation, but not in hematolymphoid cells. Radiat Res 2014; 181:172-6. (doi:
10.1667/RR13446.1)

Participants of the 41st Scientific Advisory Committee meeting held at Hiroshima RERF

Hiroshima RERF Holds Its Fourth Public Lecture
RERF in Hiroshima held its fourth public lecture for citizens in Memorial Hall of the Hiroshima
Peace Memorial Museum, from 14:00 to 16:30 on
Saturday, November 30, 2013. The lecture series
is designed to enhance communication by conveying information to the general public, including
A-bomb survivors and their offspring, about resultsfrom RERF’s long-standing research on A-bombradiation health effects.
This most recent public lecture event, titled“Considering Uses for RERF’s Stored Samples,”was held to obtain feedback from the public about
RERF’s Biosample Center as well as about possible uses, including in collaborative research, forthe center’s biosamples. The new organization,
established in April 2013, initiated full-scale operations in April 2014. Arranged as a panel discussion,
the event was attended by more than 160 people.
The public lecture began with opening remarks
by RERF Executive Director Takanobu Teramoto,who offered a glimpse of work and life atop Mt.
Hijiyama, where the RERF Hiroshima Laboratory is located, and expressed his gratitude for
Return to Table of Contents

the participation in the lecture, the aim of which
was communication between RERF and the public. Chairman Toshiteru Okubo then explained,
among other topics, his belief that the best way
to repay the cooperation of the A-bomb survivorsof Hiroshima and Nagasaki is full utilization of
the many biosamples the foundation has received

Dr. Kazunori Kodama, Chief Scientist and Director of the
Biosample Center, giving a lecture during the fourth public
lecture held in Hiroshima

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RERF News
from the survivors for research into A-bomb healtheffects as well as for medical research including
into the effects of other radiation exposures.
Presentations by two speakers were thenfeatured, followed by a discussion among theinvited panelists. The first speaker, Chief Scientist
and Director of the Biosample Center Kazunori
Kodama, elaborated on the “Current Status andUses of RERF’s Stored Samples,” explaining indetail about the A-bomb survivor samples stored
at RERF and the outline of the Biosample Center.
The second speaker, Dr. Toshiya Inaba, Director,
Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, spoke on the theme“Role of Stored Samples in Radiation Health
Effects Research.” Dr. Inaba touched on the challenging question of who ultimately owns blood andcancer cells as well as other biosamples that areused in research.
In the panel discussion, the seven panelists—
comprising Chairman Okubo and the aforementioned two speakers; Dr. Toshimasa Asahara,
President, Hiroshima University, who chaired
the discussion; Mr. Sunao Tsuboi, Chairman,
Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-bomb
Sufferers Organizations; Dr. Masaya Yamauchi,
Director of Public Relations and Research,
Hiroshima University Hospital; and Mr. Kenji
Namba, Chairman, Japan Congress of Journalists

Hiroshima—gave their views on the significanceof RERF’s biosamples. Dr. Yamauchi expressed hisdesire for assurances of transparency in RERF’s
approval process for collaborative research proposals. Mr. Namba mentioned his concerns regarding protection of personal information and strict
application of guidelines when such collaborative
research is conducted. Mr. Tsuboi, an A-bomb survivor, spoke on his support for the idea that the biosamples should be used in collaborative research
to learn more about the health effects of radiation.
In the question-and-answer session following
the panel discussion, a broad range of opinions
were expressed, including doubts about how RERF
would be able to continue promoting radiation
effects research in the face of a shortage of younger
researchers entering the field, the feeling that there
is a need for involvement of A-bomb survivors, forexample, in RERF’s ethics committee, and fullfledged support for RERF to broaden its scope of
research by allowing collaborative studies using its
biosamples.
The event concluded with closing remarks
by Vice Chairman Roy E. Shore, who requested
public understanding of the need for RERF toallow use of its stored biosamples in collaborative
research to enhance worldwide understanding ofradiation’s health effects.

Nagasaki RERF Also Holds Fourth Public Lecture
The fourth public lecture event for Nagasaki
citizens was held in the Nagasaki A-bomb Museum,from 14:00–16:30 on Saturday, February 22, 2014,
under the same theme as in Hiroshima, “Considering Uses for RERF’s Stored Samples.” Offered asa panel discussion, the event was attended by morethan 100 people.
Following opening remarks by RERF Executive Director Takanobu Teramoto, RERF Chairman
Toshiteru Okubo explained the aims of that day’s
public lecture. Then, as the first speaker of thetwo featured presentations, RERF Chief Scientist
and Director of the Biosample Center Kazunori
Kodama explained the details of the A-bomb survivor samples stored at RERF and the overview
of the Biosample Center under the topic “Current
Status and Uses of RERF’s Stored Samples.” Thesecond speaker, Dr. Yuji Nagayama, Director of
the Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, spoke on the theme “The Role of Stored
Samples in Radiation Health Effects Research.” Dr.
Nagayama commented that, although A-bomb surReturn to Table of Contents

vivors are the donors of samples used for A-bomb
effects research and should ideally be the beneficiaries of the research achievements, such benefits
will ultimately be granted to the next generation
due to the extensive time necessary to conduct
research. He also explained in a straightforwardmanner the guidelines and procedures concern-

Fourth public lecture held in Nagasaki

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RERF Newsing the handling of biosamples stored at Nagasaki
University.
A panel discussion following the above keynote
lectures included six panelists: the two speakers,
Chairman Okubo, Dr. Shigeru Katamine (President, Nagasaki University, who chaired the discussion), Mr. Koichi Kawano (Chairman, A-bombexposed Liaison Council, Nagasaki Prefecture
Peace Movement Center), and Mr. Nobufusa Baba
(Chief, Executive Editorial Bureau and Chief
Editorial Writer of Nagasaki Shimbun), who all
gave their views on the significance of RERF’s
biosamples. Mr. Baba expressed his opinion about
RERF from social and historical viewpoints, while
Mr. Kawano commented on RERF’s role from thestandpoint of A-bomb survivors and on the historical and social significance of the biosamples.
In the Q&A session with the audience, many
opinions were expressed, including requests thatstudies using biosamples should be conducted tobenefit A-bomb survivors; that RERF should contribute to the relief of A-bomb survivors throughits various types of research as well as advocate forthe abolition of nuclear weapons; and that efforts
should be made to increase RERF’s visibility andreliability.
The event concluded with closing remarks by
Mr. Teramoto, who expressed his gratitude for theaudience’s participation in the lecture and valuable
opinions expressed by the participants.

RERF Establishes Its Facebook Page
On March 3, 2014, RERF marked its first useof ‘social media,’ by establishing a Facebook
page (Facebook.com/Radiation Effects Research
Foundation).
RERF has for years used its web page to communicate with the public about information related
to the health effects of radiation exposure from theatomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The
area of public affairs, however, has recently seen
a dramatic rise in use of different so-called social
media platforms, which allow the provider of
information and the user to communicate with eachother more readily.
Against this backdrop, RERF decided to enter
the world of social media using Facebook, withthe aim of reaching a broader audience, including
younger users, by posting more basic information on the science of radiation health effects andnon-scientific news more quickly than is possible
on its homepage. The Facebook page is updated
weekly, with timely stories involving Fukushima
and historical looks at Chernobyl, articles aboutfindings from ABCC-RERF’s studies, and reviewsof relevant books.

We encourage readers of RERF’s Update to‘Like’ us on Facebook, and by so doing gain accessto materials posted there and engage in discussions with followers on such topics as the atomic
bombings, radiation and its health effects, andinformation about nuclear accidents throughout theworld.

RERF’s recently established Facebook page

PR Specialist Invited to Speak at Hiroshima RERF
On February 7 of this year, in an effort toenhance its public relations acumen, RERF invited
a public relations specialist and former journalist
to RERF to advise and lecture to interested RERF
staff on effective communication with the pubReturn to Table of Contents

lic and the media in terms of conveying RERF’s
research results to local and worldwide audiences.
Dr. Masaya Yamauchi, Director of Public Relations and Research (former Assistant Chief Editorial Writer for the Chugoku Shimbun newspaper),RERF Update Volume 25, Issue 1, 2014

RERF News
Hiroshima University Hospital, first spoke to a small
group of about 12 staff who are directly and indirectly involved in RERF’s public relations activities,
including five members of the Public Relations andPublications Office. Dr. Yamauchi began the session
by asking questions about the issues faced at RERF
when communicating with the public and the media,
and in response, he provided examples of his own
experiences. His insightful advice was based on
many years working as a member of the media at the
Chugoku Shimbun and in his more recent career atthe Hiroshima University Hospital.
After the smaller session, Dr. Yamauchi greeteda large audience at the RERF Auditorium (the talk
was broadcast to Nagasaki RERF by teleconference), where he gave a presentation titled “Communicating with the Public and the Media.” The
presentation focused on ABCC-RERF’s public
relations history and recent activities, as well as
examples of public relations approaches used at
the Hiroshima University Hospital. In the talk,Dr. Yamauchi touched on some of the imagemanagement missteps made by ABCC-RERF andlisted some of the criticisms the organization has
endured. But he also encouraged RERF to continue
what he considered to be its important public outreach efforts, emphasizing in particular the public
lecture series, in which Dr. Yamauchi participated
as a panelist in Hiroshima on November 30, 2013.
A question-and-answer session followed his
presentation, with most of the questions involving

update 7

Dr. Masaya Yamauchi, Director of Public Relations and Research, Hiroshima University
Hospital, speaking to RERF staff

the manner in which RERF can more effectivelytransmit its message to the public, including queries about use of social media.
Dr. Yamauchi’s public relations savvy and his
unbiased delivery of thoughtful advice provided
new ideas about communicating with the public
and bolstered the motivation of the public relations
staff. RERF hopes for a continued relationship with
Dr. Yamauchi as it works to enhance its skills incommunicating complex scientific information to
the public and the media.

Students of Tokyo Institute of Technology Visit Hiroshima RERF
On the morning of February 28, 2014, 51
students from the Academy for Global Nuclear
Safety and Security Agent of the Tokyo Instituteof Technology—about two-thirds of whom were
foreign-exchange students—paid a visit to RERF’s
Hiroshima Laboratory under the supervision of
Dr. Masaki Saito, Director of the Academy andProfessor at the Institute’s Research Laboratory for
Nuclear Reactors.
The visit to Hiroshima was part of the International Symposium and Seminar on Global Nuclear
Human Resource Development for Safety, Security and Safeguards hosted by the Institute. In the
RERF Auditorium, the group viewed RERF’s
promotional video and then sat in on a lecture by
RERF Chairman Toshiteru Okubo in English titled“A long-term cohort study on the A-bomb survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Recent results
and future outlook.” The visitors then split up into
three groups to tour RERF’s facilities and listened
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to explanations that primarily focused on panels
describing the Adult Health Study, displays regarding the Cytogenetics Laboratory’s biodosimetry
systems, and the Biosample Center.

Chairman Toshiteru Okubo, talking to students of the Tokyo
Institute of Technology

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RERF News

U.K. Radiation Data Expert Speaks at Hiroshima RERF
Mr. Tony Riddell visited RERF Hiroshima on
April 21, 2014, to give a lecture to RERF staff at
the culmination of a family trip to Japan, which
had included stopovers in Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto,
and Osaka.
Mr. Riddell has worked in some aspect of plutonium-related activities for 27 years. For the firstseven years he worked in research and development for British Nuclear Fuels Limited, calculating
reactor inventories and designing instrumentation.
He then moved to health and safety work, andfinally data management for epidemiological studies. He now serves as a data manager at the Epidemiology Department of the Centre for Radiation,
Chemicals and Environmental Hazards, Public
Health England.
In his lecture, Mr. Riddell gave a detailed reviewof the setting of radiation protection standards for
exposure to plutonium. He reviewed the history ofplutonium since its discovery in the early 1940s
and the history of studies on its health effects, ending with a discussion of current epidemiologicalstudies underway in worker populations in the U.S.
and the former U.S.S.R.
Exposure to plutonium is very different fromthe direct exposure of the atomic-bomb survivors
that is studied by RERF and estimated by Dosimetry System 2002 (DS02). Whereas the DS02 dose
estimates involve external exposure to penetratingradiations (neutrons and gamma rays) received
almost instantaneously, the typical hazard associated with plutonium involves internal exposure,predominantly to densely ionizing radiation in theform of alpha particles, some of which are received
over extended periods of time. Plutonium may be
relevant to the atomic-bomb survivors in that someresearchers have raised concerns about possible
inhalation exposure of survivors in the Nishiyama
area of Nagasaki to plutonium that might havebeen contained in local radioactive fallout from theNagasaki atomic bomb.
Several questions followed Mr. Riddell’s presentation, after which he and his wife and sonviewed RERF’s introductory video and took an
abbreviated tour of the RERF facilities, during
which Mr. Riddell expressed particular interest in
various aspects of radiation risk communication.

Mr. Tony Riddell, at left, accompanied by his family, taking
a tour of Hiroshima RERF. At right is Mr. Jeffrey L. Hart,
Chief, Public Relations and Publications Office.

Staff News
Kiyohiro Hamatani’s term as Chief of the Cell
Biology Laboratory, Department of Radiobiology/
Molecular Epidemiology, expired on December
31, 2013. He was reappointed as Adjunct Specialist(research scientist) effective January 1, in order tocontinue research at the same laboratory. Nobuko
Sera, Associate Senior Scientist of the Divisionof Medicine, Department of Clinical Studies in
Nagasaki, resigned upon term expiration as ofMarch 31 and assumed the position of AssistantChief of the Department of Metabolism/Diabetes and Clinical Nutrition, Nagasaki University
Hospital on April 1. She was appointed as Part-timeProfessional of the Department of Clinical Studies
in Nagasaki effective June 1 and is expected to continue contributing to RERF research.
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The following changes took effect on April 1.
Waka Ohishi, Acting Chief of the Department ofClinical Studies, was promoted to the post of Chiefof the department, Ayumi Hida, Assistant Chiefof the Department of Clinical Studies in Nagasaki,
was promoted to Acting Chief of the department,
and Yoshimi Tatsukawa, Associate Senior Scientist of the Division of Health Examinations,
Department of Clinical Studies, was promoted
to Chief of the Division of Medicine. Michiko
Yamada, Chief of the Division of Health Examinations, Department of Clinical Studies, assumed
the position of Chief of the Division of Radiology
related to reorganization of the department.
Two new research scientists were hired at RERF.
Kazumasa Sekihara joined the Department of
RERF Update Volume 25, Issue 1, 2014

RERF News
Genetics as a research scientist as of December 1,
2013. Mai Utada joined the Department of Epidemiology as a research scientist as of April 1.
At RERF, employees who have worked for 10,
20, 30 years are commended for long service inApril every year. In 2014, 16 employees—three
employees for 30 years of service, five employees
for 20 years, and eight employees for 10 years—
were commended in Hiroshima. Among this group,
the research scientists, commended for 10 yearsof service, were Waka Ohishi, Department Chief,
and Yoshimi Tatsukawa, Chief of the Division of
Medicine, Department of Clinical Studies, Hiromi
Sugiyama, Research Scientist of the Department of
Epidemiology, Reiko Ito, Research Scientist of the
Cell Biology Laboratory, Department of Radiobiology/Molecular Epidemiology, and Yasunari Sato,
Research Scientist of the Biochemical Genetics
Laboratory, Department of Genetics. In Nagasaki,
two general employees were commended for 30
years of service.
The abovementioned two new research scientists introduce themselves in the following section.
Kazumasa Sekihara, Ph.D.
On December 2, 2013, I
joined RERF as a researchscientist in the Cytogenetics
Laboratory of the Departmentof Genetics, as a temporary
employee supported by the
MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Scienceand Technology Grants-in-Aid
for Scientific Research) Kakenhi funding.
After graduating from the School of Health
Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University ofTokushima, I received a master’s degree from the
Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, and a doctoral degree from the Graduate
School of Medical Research, Shimane University.
In the master’s program, I conducted research onradiation treatment planning, taking into consideration biological effectiveness, under the supervision of Professor Hiroki Shirato (radiology). My
doctoral research was on the combined effectsof heat shock protein inhibitors and hyperthermia or radiotherapy. That work was supervised
by Professor Nobue Uchida (radiation oncology,
Tottori Prefectural Central Hospital), Professor
Taisuke Inomata (radiation oncology), and Professor Mamoru Harada (immunology). My research
work was published and prospects for obtaining my
Ph.D. seemed good, and I therefore decided it wastime to move on to the next step, which was looking for a research career in radiobiology. Aroundthat time, I learned that RERF was recruiting a
research scientist, and I applied for the position.
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update 9With the help of Dr. Asao Noda, Assistant Chief,
RERF Department of Genetics, I was fortunate tobe hired.
I got off to a good start in the new workplaceabout six months ago, and since then I have been
enjoying my research work every day at the
Department of Genetics. I attribute all this to thekindness and warmth of the people at RERF, which
I have experienced since I first applied for the position, and I am truly grateful for that. I am currently
working hard on projects to develop green fluorescent protein (GFP) knock-in mice designed for
detecting mutations, and to elucidate the mechanism for the repair of double-strand breaks in DNA
after exposure to ionizing radiation. I am committed to doing my best to produce good research
results during my two-year term at RERF.
This is my first time in Hiroshima since aschool trip when I was in elementary school. I havebecome more familiar with the area since living
here and cycling around the city. I like travelingalone, climbing mountains, and exploring places toeat, so I am looking forward to enjoying the nature,
culture, and local cuisine of Hiroshima on my time
off.
Finally, I feel privileged to be part of the prestigious RERF as one of its research scientists. Since
I still have a lot to learn here, I have to ask everyone for continued help. I would really appreciate
your ongoing support and guidance.
Mai Utada, Ph.D.
I am Mai Utada. On April
1, 2014, I joined the Department of Epidemiology at
RERF as a research scientist.
I completed my doctoral studies at the Division of Health
Sciences, Osaka University
Graduate School of Medicine
in March 2014. When I wasworking on my graduation thesis as an undergraduate student, I was surprised to learn that cancer
incidence figures in Japan are not actual figures
but estimated ones. This surprising fact triggered
my interest in cancer research. While in graduate
school, I was fortunate to be given opportunities
to get involved in work related to Nagasaki Prefecture Cancer Registry materials and 3-Prefecture
Cohort Study data, among others. Through theseopportunities, I became interested in engaging incancer epidemiology research. In the past, I only
analyzed well-organized data, and therefore I was
rarely aware of the process of how such data wereregistered and followed up. At RERF, as I am
learning the history of cohort studies and the workof the Tumor and Tissue Registry Office firsthand,
I now clearly recognize that such data are availRERF Update Volume 25, Issue 1, 2014

update 10

RERF News
able thanks to many people such as study subjects,
research scientists, and staff members. Keeping
this in mind, I would like to work on my researchwith further respect and sincerity.
I am from Kure city in Hiroshima prefecture. I
attended Yasuda Girls Junior and High Schools in
Hiroshima city. Now I am back home in Hiroshima

after nine years. I feel very pleased and privileged
to be a member of RERF, a foundation with a longand distinguished history, in Hiroshima. Since
there are many things I need to learn here, I would
really appreciate your continuous support andguidance.

Visiting Student Fellows
Tatjana Bogdanova (Training period: January 14–
February 14, 2014)
At RERF, I studied as a visiting student fellow in the Radiobiology/Molecular Epidemiology
Department under the guidance of Dr. Tomonori
Hayashi.
I graduated from Riga Stradins University in2011. Now I am working at the Stradins University
hospital in the Department of Pathology as a resident pathologist, and also in the same department
at the university as an assistant teaching pathological anatomy and pathological physiology to medical students.
I started my doctoral studies in October 2013.
My research topic is “Novel morphological andmolecular diagnostic parameters and prognosis incases of gastric cancer.”
I grew up in Ludza, which is located in the eastern part of Latvia. Ludza is a small but very beautiful and green country town with a relaxed lifestyle.
After graduating from high school, I moved to thecapital city of Latvia for my medical studies.
A nice country in which to reside, Latvia has
intact and wild nature, as well as very cold andsnowy winters and contrasting hot but short summers. Most people love Latvian fall, when trees
have colorful leaves, and Sigulda is the most beautiful town in that season.
For a few years now, I have had a great interest
in Asian culture, especially that of Korea. Asian
countries are different from Europe’s (language
structure, family ties, traditions), and I find themsomehow more exciting. I like to watch Asianmovies and typical dramas, from which I learn
more about Asian counties and their lifestyles.
I am very grateful for the chance I was given
to be trained at RERF and to obtain new experience and knowledge in my area of research. In thecourse of my work at RERF, I became familiar
with some methods for use in my specialty such as
cancer tissue microdissection based on observationof cancer cell DNA mutations. Unfortunately, conducting this kind of research in my county requires
special equipment.
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In more general terms, I learned many things at
RERF during the training period, such as how tocarry out cell separation with whole blood samples
and ROS analysis. I truly enjoyed learning about
the multicolor FISH method, which requires thatone be a skilled specialist with “good eyes” tofind chromosome aberrations. It was very interesting and useful to have access to the data of such a
big study cohort of A-bomb survivors, organizedaccording to cancer incidence and radiation dose.
Despite the winter, I truly enjoyed my stay in
Hiroshima. I visited wonderful places, like thePeace Memorial Museum, the A-bomb Dome, andMiyajima Island. I will cherish those great memories for the rest of my life.
Svetlana Lakisa (Training period: January 14–
February 14, 2014)
As a visiting student fellow, I participated in thecollaborative training program offered by RERF
and the Hiroshima International Council for HealthCare of the Radiation-exposed (HICARE). My
home is Latvia—a beautiful country hidden inwoods and green fields near the Baltic Sea. Despite
the fact that Latvia is a small nation, we have asubstantial cultural heritage, with many opportunities to experience this land of folk songs, expansive
forests, and Old Riga architecture.
My main field is occupational safety and environmental health, as I continue my work as a
researcher at the Institute of Occupational Safety
and Environmental Health of Riga Stradins University. During the period 2005–2011, I completed
my bachelor’s degree studies in public health andobtained my master’s degree in health care (both at
Riga Stradins University).
I truly appreciated the opportunity to participate
in RERF’s training program. It was a great experience for me both professionally and in terms of
personal growth. Many of the topics that we studied during the training program were completely
new to me. Based on this training, I would like tohelp develop such a scientific/research culture in
our research organizations in Latvia.
RERF Update Volume 25, Issue 1, 2014

RERF NewsThe amazing places, culture, history, and heritage of Japan were so exciting for me to see. Thisfantastic experience has the potential to change mylife. Naturally, my view on the tragic events of theatomic bombings is different now. Hiroshima is a
representation of the world’s desire for peace, and I
hope to continue pursuing this idea of peace.
I would like to express my gratitude to RERF
and HICARE for providing me with the chance toparticipate in this training program. I am especiallygrateful to Dr. Tomonori Hayashi and his staff for
their contributions to our training and for taking
care of us during that unforgettable time.
Eun Kyoung Choi (Training period: February 3–
28, 2014)
I am a molecular biology research scientist currently working at the Radiation Medicine Branch,
National Cancer Center (NCC) in Goyang, Korea.
I came to Hiroshima to participate in the international exchange program of RERF.
I received a Ph.D. in molecular cell biology
from Chonnam National University. I continued to
study as a post-doctoral researcher until 2011 at thesame university, and then joined the laboratory of
NCC in Korea, my current post. I study about theeffects of radiation exposure and conduct research
related to breast cancer using transgenic mice.
I am glad that the location of my first visit toJapan was the city of Hiroshima. What I knew
about Hiroshima was that it had experienced theworld’s first atomic bombing. I did not know otherdetails about the city. Thankfully, however, I wasable to learn many things during my stay here. I
would like to say thank you to RERF in Hiroshima
and NCC in Goyang, Korea for offering me thiswonderful opportunity to participate in this training
program.
My first impression about the laboratory wasthat it is clean, quiet, and very well organized. Furthermore, the institute is located on a hill, which I
felt made the environment even more serene. But
it had something else that I only discovered during the course of my work. It was the passion withwhich people conducted their research. I met a lotof people at the institute. And I was surprised thatthey all showed great passion and strong belief
about the research results they had generated overtheir careers.
While staying in the city, I visited Hiroshima
Peace Memorial Park. I saw with my own eyes

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update 11
what happened to Hiroshima in 1945 through thepark museum’s exhibits and information. I had
difficulty envisioning the scene of so many buildings and inhabitants of the city vanishing all at
once. I was very surprised. But one of the things
that surprised me the most is the resilience of
the Japanese, who were able to rebuild their city
amidst the debris left by the atomic explosion. I
thought that they would have simply given up, but
I came to notice that they have a powerful dynamic
force behind those restoration efforts. Similarly,
I felt that the RERF laboratory also has a mighty
energy. I discovered the energy in the enormous
amount of data and research results that have been
accumulated at the laboratory regarding the atomicbombing effects. I also felt the amazing strength
inherent in the ongoing research. Needless to say,the training program was a great experience for me.
While at RERF in Japan I also met new people
and learned about many different things. I see
clearly how much it all meant to me, and the special value of such an experience in my life. Thankyou once again for the opportunity to work on thisinteresting program. I want to express my gratitude
to the staff of the Department of Radiobiology/
Molecular Epidemiology (RME). I am particularly
grateful to Dr. Tomonori Hayashi, Assistant Chiefof RME, for his help and guidance during thecourse of the training session. Even after returning to Korea, I will never forget my experiences at
RERF.

Dr. Eun Kyoung Choi, Ms. Svetlana Lakisa, Dr. Tatjana
Bogdanova, from right, with Dr. Tomonori Hayashi (far left)
and Ms. Yukari Morishita, in front of biosamples used in anexperiment to measure intracellular reactive oxygen species

RERF Update Volume 25, Issue 1, 2014

Conference and Workshop Reports

update 12

RERF International Symposium: The Evaluation of the Effects of
Low-dose Radiation Exposure in the Atomic-bomb Survivors
Eric J. Grant, Assistant Chief
Department of Epidemiology, Hiroshima
On December 5–6, 2013, RERF hosted aninternational symposium titled “The Evaluation of
the Effects of Low-dose Radiation Exposure in the
Atomic-bomb Survivors.” As radiation’s effects at
low-dose levels remain uncertain, this symposium
was organized to refine the epidemiological andstatistical methodologies for studies of low-doseradiation effects and to obtain important insights
into the biological basis for such effects.
The aims and outline of the symposium
were introduced by Dr. Kotaro Ozasa, Chief ofthe Department of Epidemiology, RERF, who
described the Life Span Study (LSS) of atomicbomb survivors as being a rich source of data forelucidating the health effects of ionizing radiation,
while at the same time reminding the group that
low-dose radiation effects remain uncertain. The
symposium was organized against the backdropof public concern regarding low-dose exposures,
particularly after environmental exposures as seenin the case of the Fukushima nuclear power plant
disaster.
On the opening day of the symposium, Dr.
Richard Wakeford (University of Manchester) gavea presentation on low-level radiation epidemiology,
in which he discussed the current status of the fieldand explained the difficulties in assessing low-doseradiation risks, and related study designs that are
currently yielding helpful results. Dr. Wakeford’s
talk was followed by an introduction to the current
status of low-dose effects research in RERF’s LSS
by Dr. Ozasa.
The following speakers then made presentations
and led discussions aimed at refining methodologies for low-dose effects studies:• Dr. Tomotaka Sobue (Osaka University)
spoke about factors affecting cancer rates inJapan;• Dr. John B. Cologne (RERF, Department of
Statistics) touched on the potential for bias inrisk estimates when non-confounding risk
factors are ignored in nonlinear models;• Dr. Eric J. Grant (RERF, Department of Epidemiology) talked about the data that havebeen collected by ABCC-RERF via questionnaires and interviews since the inception of
the LSS that could be used to help model
variations in background risks;• Dr. Harry M. Cullings (RERF, Department of
Statistics) spoke twice—the first talk
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described how the doses calculated by thecurrent RERF dosimetry system depend on
the level of detail available regarding shielding conditions at the time of exposure, and thesecond discussed exposure to residual radioactivity;• Dr. Ritsu Sakata (RERF, Department of Epidemiology) discussed her recent findings on
the effects of fallout rain on mortality andcancer incidence risks;• Dr. Atsuko Sadakane (RERF, Department of
Epidemiology) discussed work that had been
done to estimate doses from diagnostic X rays
and radiotherapy in the Adult Health Study(AHS) subjects. An LSS mail survey has
recently been completed documenting diagnostic and therapeutic radiation exposures;• Dr. Amy Berrington de González (U.S.
National Cancer Institute) spoke about theonline radiation-risk assessment tool RadRAT, which estimates the lifetime risk ofradiation-related cancer with uncertainty
intervals following a user-specified exposure
history;• Dr. Dale L. Preston (Hirosoft International
Corporation) discussed the need to consider
the choice of comparison group when investigating low-dose risks and the dose-responseshape in the LSS data;• Dr. Kyoji Furukawa (RERF, Department of
Statistics) touched on improving doseresponse estimation in radiation risk analysis
using a Bayesian semi-parametric model; and• Dr. Nobuhiko Ban (Tokyo Healthcare University) discussed how mathematical models andreality often diverge.
On the second day of the symposium, the topic
of estimates of external doses in Fukushima wasintroduced by Dr. Seiji Yasumura (Fukushima
Medical University), who spoke on the methods
and results from the Basic Fukushima Health Management Survey, which is an attempt to estimate
external radiation exposures for all of the 2.05 million who were Fukushima residents as of 11 March
2011. Various issues related to the biological basisof effects were then discussed by Dr. Ohtsura Niwa
(Kyoto University), including the models used
for radiation epidemiology and how they relate tomechanistic models. Dr. Nori Nakamura (RERF,
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Conference and Workshop Reports
Consultant, Department of Genetics), picking up
on the same theme, made the presentation “Breast
cancer risk and age at the time of the bombing: A
bridge between epidemiology and biology.” And
Dr. Preetha Rajaraman (U.S. National Cancer Institute), with the last presentation, spoke on the topic
of individual differences in radiation sensitivity.
The symposium concluded with a final roundtable discussion in which an overall summary of
the gathering was delivered and suggestions about
the future direction of RERF research by the participants were made.
In conclusion, many complex questions regard-

update 13
ing the effects of low-dose radiation exposure
remain unanswered. While RERF’s LSS is a richresource for studying the health effects of radiation exposure, we realized that the study cannot
provide all of the answers sought by both thescientific community and the public. RERF must
continue to publish its results while actively seeking collaborative studies involving other radiationexposed cohorts. The objective of resolving thesecomplex questions can only be accomplished via acollaborative effort based on a broad collection ofexpertise.

Participants of the RERF International Symposium: The Evaluation of the Effects of Low-dose
Radiation Exposure in the Atomic-bomb Survivors, held at Hiroshima RERF

RERF International Workshop: The Storage and Utilization of Biological
Samples for Studies on the Health Effects of Atomic-bomb Radiation
Misa Imaizumi, Chief
Division of Clinical Laboratories
Department of Clinical Studies, Nagasaki
Research Scientist, Biosample Center
On February 10, 2014, RERF hosted an international workshop, “The Storage and Utilization of Biological Samples for Studies on the
Health Effects of Atomic-bomb Radiation,” at theHiroshima Laboratory’s Auditorium. Increased
incidence of solid cancers among A-bomb survivors as a function of their estimated radiation doseis still observed even today, more than 60 years
after initial exposure to A-bomb radiation, but mostof the molecular mechanisms and biological characteristics underlying this increase remain uncerReturn to Table of Contents

tain. To gain insight into these matters, molecularstudies using blood, pathological, and other biological samples are essential. Experts from Japanand overseas participated in the workshop, which
was organized to consider RERF’s future direction
regarding storage and utilization of the unique andvaluable biological samples obtained from A-bomb
survivors.
We invited Dr. Geraldine A. Thomas, professorof Molecular Pathology, Imperial College London,
who launched and now coordinates the Chernobyl
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Conference and Workshop Reports
Tissue Bank, to participate in the workshop, as well
as four professors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Universities and two pathologists from local hospitals in Japan.
The event opened with remarks from Dr.
Toshiteru Okubo, RERF Chairman. Dr. Kazunori
Kodama, RERF Chief Scientist, then defined theaims and outline of the workshop, followed bya special lecture by Dr. Thomas, who delivered
an extensive presentation on an overview of theChernobyl Tissue Bank and approaches to radiation-associated thyroid cancer studies, covering
ethical aspects and study findings. The lecture also
included reference to methods used at the Chernobyl Tissue Bank for collection and utilization of
thyroid tissues and blood.
The next session included the following presentations: “Establishment of the RERF Biosample
Center and its role” by Dr. Kodama; “Current preservation status of pathology samples at RERF anddevelopment of an archival system for surgical cancer samples from members of the Life Span Studyin collaboration with hospitals in Hiroshima andNagasaki” by Dr. Kotaro Ozasa, Chief, Departmentof Epidemiology, RERF; “Preservation of fresh
thyroid samples obtained from participants of the
Adult Health Study” by Dr. Misa Imaizumi, Chief,
Division of Clinical Laboratories, Department ofClinical Studies, Nagasaki RERF; and “Storageof biosamples from atomic-bomb survivors at
Nagasaki University” by Dr. Shunichi Yamashita,
Director and Vice President, Nagasaki University.
The presentations reported on the current situation
regarding the storage and utilization of biologicalsamples at RERF and Nagasaki University, and thediscussion that ensued focused on future directions
for storing and using biological samples.
At the session that followed, Dr. Norio

update 14
Takahashi, Consultant, Office of Associate Chiefof Research, RERF, presented “Ethical guidelines
for human genome/gene analysis research,” which
explained ethical issues related to the storage andutilization of biological samples, based on theJapanese ethics guidelines that were revised in
February 2013. The findings of studies using tissue
and blood samples from A-bomb survivors werethen reported by Dr. Yoichiro Kusunoki, Chief, andDr. Tomonori Hayashi, Assistant Chief, both of the
Department of Radiobiology/Molecular Epidemiology, RERF. Their presentations were titled “Amolecular oncology study of radiation-associatedthyroid cancer among atomic-bomb survivors”
and “Immunobiology and immunogenome studies
among Adult Health Study participants,” respectively. The discussion that followed focused on thecurrent status and future prospects of studies using
biological samples.
In a general discussion scheduled for the endof the event, participants actively considered, fromboth scientific and societal perspectives, the future
direction for storage and utilization of biologicalsamples from A-bomb survivors for use in radiation effects studies. This discussion included reference to actual examples from the operation of theChernobyl Tissue Bank. The workshop concluded
with remarks by Dr. Roy E. Shore, RERF Vice
Chairman, who expressed his gratitude to the participants.
The workshop was planned by the Biosample
Center, sponsored by Japan’s Ministry of Health,Labour and Welfare, and carried out with the cooperation of many members from RERF’s various
departments and the Secretariat. I would like totake this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation to all those concerned for their help in holding a successful workshop.

Participants of the RERF International Workshop: The Storage and Utilization of Biological Samples
for Studies on the Health Effects of Atomic-bomb Radiation, held at Hiroshima RERF

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RERF Update Volume 25, Issue 1, 2014

Conference and Workshop Reports

update 15

RERF International Workshop: Remaining Issues in Shielding Calculations
Harry M. Cullings, Chief
Department of Statistics
On February 19 and 20, 2014, an international
workshop was held on remaining issues in shielding calculations for the atomic-bomb survivors.
The plan for the workshop was to begin by summarizing the progress that has been made in a
project that was recently completed at RERF toprovide improved input data on individual survivors’ locations and terrain shielding. This work
represents several years of dedicated effort andwill be described in detail in a manuscript and an
RERF report that are now in preparation. Thenthe program moved to a discussion of remaining
issues in the calculation of shielding, particularly
for survivors whose doses are currently classified
as “unknown” because their shielding cannot becalculated with dosimetry system 2002 (DS02).
In addition to a series of presentations at theHiroshima Laboratory, the workshop included afield trip to sites of interest in Nagasaki that are
related to special shielding problems.
Following greetings and an introduction by
Dr. Toshiteru Okubo, RERF Chairman, Dr. Harry
M. Cullings, RERF Department of Statistics,
gave an overview of the work on improved survivor locations and terrain shielding. That projectencompassed several methods of using original
source documents with new technology to provide
improved estimates of location and related terrain
data. The first method compared various original
source documents such as the Master File, Migration, and Radiation Questionnaires and the 1949
Radiation Census to determine the most reliable
estimate of each survivor’s location at the time of
the bombing, in terms of the coordinates of the1945 U.S. Army maps that were used at ABCC
and RERF from early times up until the present
work. Mr. Takashi Oda, Master File Section, RERF
Department of Epidemiology, gave the results ofa detailed study of the reasons for noted discrepancies among source documents and the relatedchanges in estimated location for certain survivors,a small fraction of which involved large changes in
distance from the hypocenter. He also described therestoration of digits representing tens of yards in
the U.S. Army map coordinates of many survivors
that had been truncated for unknown reasons sometime in the past.
Dr. Cullings then described the creation anduse of a key tool in the map work of this project:
orthophotographic mosaics of the cities made frompre-bombing aerial photographs. The pre-bombing
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photographs were geometrically corrected withspecial software to remove the effect of aircraft
altitude, terrain relief, camera angle, and so on,
to make them of uniform scale, and were thenassembled into a mosaic. Each mosaic was accurately located in the coordinates of the new Japan
Geodetic Datum 2000 (JGD2000) using landmarks
visible in both the mosaic and accurate new maps,
in a geographical information system (GIS). The
first use of the orthophotographic mosaics was toalign the U.S. Army maps with the mosaics using a“rubber sheeting” method based on a large numberof landmarks such as street intersections. This provided mathematical transformations that correct for
local distortions in the placement of features on the
U.S. Army maps. These transformations were thenapplied to the U.S. Army map coordinates of thesurvivors for whom a set of U.S. Army map coordinates represents the only estimate of their location at time of bombing. Dr. Eric J. Grant, RERF
Department of Epidemiology, then described aneven more accurate method of obtaining improved
survivor location estimates for survivors withshielding histories: the neighborhood drawings
were aligned with the orthophotographic mosaics
using features such as street corners. For more
information, see the Facts and Figures section by
Dr. Toshiteru Okubo, Chairman of RERF, in theWinter 2013 RERF Update, Volume 24, Issue 2.
The focus then shifted to remaining issues, with
Dr. Cullings and Mr. Tadaaki Watanabe, Master
File Section, RERF Department of Epidemiology,
describing several cases in which factory shielding was incorrectly classified as wooden houseshielding in some early records, and several cases
involving special types of terrain shielding such asretaining walls that are depicted in some shielding
histories but are not suitable for calculation by theDS02 terrain shielding module.
Dr. Cullings then discussed a possible statistical
approach to the “survival bias problem” in calculating doses for survivors in heavy shielding such asconcrete buildings and air-raid shelters, by using
information about both likelihood of occupancy
and likelihood of surviving potential combined
injury, as a function of location within a structure.
This elaborated on a talk given at the workshop on
heavy shielding one year earlier (please refer to“RERF International Workshop: Heavy Structural
Shielding,” in the RERF Update, Summer Edition,
Volume 24, Issue 1, 2013). Next, Dr. Stephen D.
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Conference and Workshop Reports
Egbert of LEIDOS (formerly Science Applications
International Corporation; SAIC) gave a presentation titled “Ideas for Generic Shielding Models
That Could Be Used for Monte Carlo Calculations
to Support a Sensitivity Analysis of Shielding
among Survivors with Currently-Unknown Doses.”
He discussed requirements for such generic models
and how they might be used for various kinds of
odd shielding, such as vehicles, large trees, boats,
and containers, among others. He also discussed
several schema for enhanced calculation of terrain
and urban shielding, improved organ doses, andcalculation of heavy shielding. Finally, Dr. Grant
discussed the information resources at RERF available for construction of three-dimensional modelsof Hiroshima and Nagasaki that could be used in
the future to validate the localized terrain shielding calculations of DS02 by doing a large, full-city
calculation of the transport of radiations from thebomb in the air-over-buildings-and-terrain environment.
The second day of the workshop was spent outside in Nagasaki. After an orientation at the RERF
Nagasaki Laboratory provided by Mr. Hiroshi
Fuchi, Master File Section, Department of Epide-

Return to Table of Contents

update 16
miology, Nagasaki RERF, participants visited anumber of locations of air raid shelters and special
terrain shielding situations that have been preserved sufficiently for their locations to be reliably
and accurately identified in the present-day cityand to allow visualization of the spatial relationship between the shielding and the epicenter of theNagasaki bombing.

RERF International Workshop: Remaining Issues in Shielding Calculations, held in Hiroshima and Nagasaki (here, atHiroshima RERF)

RERF Update Volume 25, Issue 1, 2014

update 17

Science Articles

Fetal Irradiation of Rats Induces PersistentTranslocations in Mammary Epithelial Cells
Similar to the Level after Adult Irradiation,
but Not in Hematolymphoid Cells*
Yoshiaki Kodama
Department of Genetics, RERF
*This article is based on the following publication:
Nakano M, Nishimura M, Hamasaki K, Mishima S, Yoshida M, Nakata A, Shimada Y, Noda A,
Nakamura N, Kodama Y: Fetal irradiation of rats induces persistent translocations in mammary
epithelial cells similar to the level after adult irradiation, but not in hematolymphoid cells.
Radiat Res 2014 (February); 181(2):172–6 (doi: 10.1667/RR13446.1)

Study Findings
Examination of rat chromosomes following
fetal irradiation showed radiation-induced chromosome aberrations in mammary epithelial cells
similar to those found in the mothers, but very few
aberrations were observed in lymphocytes. This
result demonstrates the presence of tissue specificity with regard to chromosome aberrations following fetal radiation exposure.
Explanation
Previous studies on humans and mice haveshown that fetal exposure to radiation fails to
induce persistent chromosome aberrations in blood
lymphocytes. Such a low level of response toradiation exposure is counterintuitive in view ofthe generally accepted belief that fetuses are highly
sensitive to radiation. In this study, we examinedchromosomes of mammary tissues in rats irradiated in utero to determine whether or not the same
result is observed in other tissues.

mary epithelial cells were cultured, chromosome
samples were prepared by a conventional method.
To detect translocations, we adopted the fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) technique to stain
chromosomes 2 and 4 green and red, respectively(see Figure), and 800 cells were examined for eachrat. The same procedure was followed to examine
the chromosomes of cultured spleen lymphocytes.
3. Results(1) The mean translocation frequency in mammary
epithelial cells of rats irradiated in utero with adose of 2 Gy was 3.7% (n = 23). This figure issimilar to the mean frequency of 2.9% observedin the mothers (n = 5).

1. Objectives
With the aim of determining whether or not thefrequencies of chromosome aberration attributable
to fetal radiation exposure differ by tissue type, thisstudy examined mammary epithelial cells in rats.
In addition, chromosomes of spleen lymphocytes
were examined in a subgroup of rats to compare
the frequencies of aberration between blood cells
and epithelial cells.
2. Methods
Pregnant rats were irradiated at a dose of 2 Gyon day 17.5 of gestation. Mammary tissues werecollected from the mothers and their offspring six,nine, and 45 weeks after irradiation. After mamReturn to Table of Contents

Figure. Detection of translocation (t) by FISH. Chromosomes 2 and 4 are stained green and red, respectively, and the remaining chromosomes are stained
blue. Chromosomes stained in two colors (indicatedby arrows) are detected as abnormal chromosomes(translocations).

RERF Update Volume 25, Issue 1, 2014

Science Articles(2) The translocation frequency in spleen lymphocytes was 0.0–0.6% among rats irradiated inutero (mean frequency: 0.4%, n = 13), which
was significantly lower than the mean translocation frequency of 3.5% observed in the mothers (n = 3).
(3) Translocation frequencies were similar at six,nine, and 45 weeks after irradiation.
As noted above, this study showed that thefrequency of chromosome aberrations in the mammary cells of rats irradiated in utero, and examinedat six to 45 weeks of age, was as high as that in themothers. In contrast, the translocation frequency
in lymphocytes was high in the mothers but con-Return to Table of Contents

update 18
siderably lower among rats irradiated in utero(about 10% of that of the mothers), supporting thefindings in previous studies on mice and humans.
These results suggest tissue specificity in the chromosome aberration pattern in fetal exposure. If thetranslocation frequency is assumed to be an index
of the carcinogenic effect of radiation, this study
suggests that fetal radiation exposure may induce
persistent carcinogenic damage in mammary stem
cells and progenitor cells. However, the results ofanother report showed that fetal exposure in rats
did not increase breast cancer risk. No clear reason
has been identified that can explain this discrepancy, highlighting the need for further study.

RERF Update Volume 25, Issue 1, 2014

update 19

Science Articles

Effects of IL10 Haplotype and Atomic-bomb
Radiation Exposure on Gastric Cancer Risk*
Tomonori Hayashi
Department of Radiobiology/Molecular Epidemiology, RERF
*This article is based on the following publication:
Hayashi T, Itoh R, Cologne JB, Maki M, Morishita Y, Nagamura H, Sasaki K, Hayashi I, Imai
K, Yoshida K, Kajimura J, Kyoizumi S, Kusunoki Y, Ohishi W, Fujiwara S, Akahoshi M,
Nakachi K: Effects of IL10 haplotype and atomic-bomb radiation exposure on gastric cancer
risk. Radiat Res 2013 (July); 180(1):60–9 (doi: 10.1667/RR3183.1)

Study Findings
Our gene structures contain individual differences (called “gene polymorphisms,” based
upon which are formulated several genotype classifications), with our basic physical constitutions
being affected by this genetic variation. Dividing
gastric cancer cases among atomic-bomb survivors into intestinal-type and diffuse-type, we
examined the association between gastric cancer
risk and radiation dose by genotype of IL10, an
immunosuppressive gene. Although no significant
association was found between radiation exposure
and intestinal-type gastric cancer risk regardlessof IL10 genotype, the dose dependence of diffusetype gastric cancer risk varied by IL10 genotype.
This result suggests that IL10 gene polymorphisms
are involved in individual differences in radiationrelated diffuse-type gastric cancer risk.
Explanation
Dr. Tomonori Hayashi, Assistant Chief of the
Department of Radiobiology/Molecular Epidemiology, Radiation Effects Research Foundation(RERF), and other researchers examined the association between gastric cancer among A-bomb
survivors and immune/inflammatory-related gene
polymorphisms, using samples collected from
immunology studies, carried out since 1981, that
followed a portion of the participants in RERF’s
Adult Health Study (AHS), which is a long-term
follow-up study of the health of A-bomb survivors
in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The research teampublished the results in Radiation Research.
1. Study purpose
Gastric cancer is one of the cancers regarding
which risks of mortality and incidence are clearly
increased for A-bomb survivors. The gastric cancer
incidence in RERF’s Life Span Study (LSS) population increased with radiation dose (sex-averaged
Return to Table of Contents

excess relative risk per Gy: 0.28) and remains higheven today, more than 65 years since exposure. In
this study, we specifically examined the association
between risk of gastric cancer (intestinal-type anddiffuse-type) and radiation exposure by genotypeof the immunosuppressive gene IL10 to investigate
individual differences in gastric-cancer susceptibility to radiation exposure.
2. Study methods
We examined IL10 gene polymorphisms of
4,690 subjects of the AHS, including 200 gastriccancer cases (93 intestinal-type, 96 diffuse-type,and 11 other cases). IL10 genotypes can be divided
into the following three categories: wild-typehomozygotes, heterozygotes, and variant-typehomozygotes. Using statistical models (multiplicative and additive), we assessed risks of, and examined the interaction between, different combinations of radiation doses and IL10 genotypes.
3. Study results(1) IL10 genotypes and intestinal-type gastric cancer
After adjustment for sex, year of birth, city,
smoking status, and radiation dose, the relative risk (RR) of intestinal-type gastric cancer
with IL10 variant-type homozygotes was significantly high, being 2.2 (95% confidence
interval: 1.10–4.25), compared to that with
IL10 wild-type homozygotes. In other words,
the variant-type IL10 gene is considered to
be a risk factor of intestinal-type gastric cancer. However, no significant association wasobserved between radiation exposure andintestinal-type gastric cancer, and no statistical interaction was observed between radiation
exposure and IL10 genotypes.

RERF Update Volume 25, Issue 1, 2014

Science Articles(2) IL10 genotypes and diffuse-type gastric cancer
The variant-type IL10 gene is not a risk
factor of diffuse-type gastric cancer, and theexcess relative risk (ERR) per Gy of radiation
exposure by genotype was statistically significant only for wild-type IL10 homozygotes(ERR = 0.46/Gy, P = 0.037). On the other
hand, the ERR estimate of radiation exposurefor variant-type homozygotes was close to0, with no statistical significance observed.
Therefore, variant-type IL10 might act toreduce risk of diffuse-type gastric cancer due
to radiation exposure.

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update 20
This study of A-bomb survivors suggests that
IL10 genotypes may be associated with the development of radiation-related diffuse-type gastriccancer. There is a possibility, therefore, that
immune/inflammatory-related gene polymorphisms may be involved in individual differencesin radiation-related cancer risks. Studies are currently underway into the effects of immune/
inflammatory-related gene polymorphisms andradiation exposure on not only gastric cancer but
also colorectal, lung, hepatocellular, breast, andother cancers.

RERF Update Volume 25, Issue 1, 2014

update 21

Science Articles

Radiation Exposure and the Risk of Mortality
from Noncancer Respiratory Diseases
in the Life Span Study, 1950–2005*
Truong-Minh Pham1 and Atsuko Sadakane2
CancerControl Alberta, Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, Canada;
2
Department of Epidemiology, Hiroshima, RERF

1

*This article is based on the following publication:
Pham TM, Sakata R, Grant EJ, Shimizu Y, Furukawa K, Takahashi I, Sugiyama H, Kasagi F,
Soda M, Suyama A, Shore RE, Ozasa K: Radiation exposure and the risk of mortality from
noncancer respiratory diseases in the Life Span Study, 1950–2005. Radiat Res 2013 (November); 180(5): 539–45 (doi: 10.1667/RR13421.1)

Study Rationale
The Life Span Study (LSS) has found that exposure to A-bomb radiation is associated with mortality from noncancer respiratory diseases (hereinafter, simply called respiratory diseases). However,this relationship may be a secondary association
caused by the fact that respiratory diseases that candevelop at the terminal stage of illnesses such as
cancer and circulatory diseases, which have alreadybeen linked to radiation exposure, are designated as
the cause of death. Considering that the biologicalmechanisms behind the association between radiation exposure and respiratory diseases are unclear,further examination was necessary before reaching any conclusion about whether the association
between radiation exposure and noncancer respiratory disease mortality was genuine or an artifact of
disease misclassification.
Explanation
1. Objectives
While the LSS has clarified the association
between A-bomb radiation exposure and cancer,
attention has also recently been paid to noncancer
diseases. The two purposes of the study were (1)to examine the associations of radiation dose withthe main subclasses of deaths coded as respiratory
diseases on the death certificates; and (2) to determine the degree to which the associations between
radiation exposure and respiratory diseases were
genuine or were caused by biases due to lifestyleand sociodemographic factors or disease misclassification.
2. Methods
The subjects of the present study were 86,611
people with estimated lung doses from among the
Return to Table of Contents

120,321 members of the LSS, which was established on the basis of the Japan 1950 National
Census. Based on the International Classificationof Diseases, respiratory diseases recorded as causesof death of these subjects were classified into acuterespiratory infection, pneumonia/influenza, chronic
obstructive lung disease, bronchial asthma, andother respiratory diseases. The present study was
based on a follow-up conducted from 1950 through2005. To determine the degree of association ofradiation exposure with mortality from these diseases, excess relative risks (ERR) were estimatedusing Cox regression analyses.
3. Results(1) Association between radiation exposure andrespiratory diseases
During the study period, 5,515 deaths due
to respiratory diseases occurred. The ERR per
Gy for all noncancer respiratory diseases was
significantly elevated, being 0.17 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.08, 0.27). (The ERR of
0.17 here indicates a 17% increase in the risk at
1 Gy of exposure as compared with unexposed
subjects, but with a range of uncertainty from
8% to 27%.) The ERR for each of the respective diseases varied, being 0.20 (95% CI: 0.09,0.34) for pneumonia/influenza, 0.08 (95%
CI: –0.14, 0.37) for chronic obstructive lungdisease, 0.16 (95% CI: –0.10, 0.52) for bronchial asthma, and –0.16 (95% CI: <0, 0.40) for
acute respiratory infection. Adjustments forlifestyle and socioeconomic factors had virtually no impact on the risk estimates. When the
study period was divided into shorter intervals(1950–1964, 1965–1979, and 1980–2005), theassociation between radiation exposure and
RERF Update Volume 25, Issue 1, 2014

Science Articles
respiratory diseases was observed to be stronger in the period 1980–2005. Until the 1970s,
most respiratory disease deaths in Japan werefrom acute infections, but in the 1980s respiratory disease deaths started to be observed
primarily as diseases accompanying the terminal stages of cancer and circulatory diseases
among the elderly. It was thus plausible thatthe suggestive association between radiation
exposure and respiratory diseases might reflect
cancer and circulatory disease in this later
period.
(2) Effects of cause-of-death misclassification
Because in the present study information
on cause of death was obtained from deathcertificates, it is important that the underlying
cause of death recorded on death certificatesbe accurate in order to correctly estimate risks.
Many patients with cancer or circulatory disease die of respiratory diseases at the terminal
stage of such illnesses. Thus, there is a concernthat although the actual underlying cause ofdeath is cancer or circulatory diseases, respiratory diseases may be mistakenly recorded as
the cause of death. With this in mind, analysis
was conducted after excluding subjects with a

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update 22
history of cancer or circulatory diseases fromamong deaths due to respiratory diseases. As aresult, the ERRs decreased by about 35%, andexcept for pneumonia/influenza, no statistically significant association between radiation
exposure and mortality from respiratory diseases was observed.
Care should be taken in interpreting theresults of the present study because the study
could only partially correct for other causesof death. Some study subjects did not live in
Hiroshima or Nagasaki prefectures where ourtumor registries could have identified associated cancers, and death certificates often list
only one “cause” of death, rather than identifying the important accompanying causes
as well, such as cancer or cardiovasculardisease. Thus, the apparent associations ofradiation with respiratory diseases may havebeen reduced even more if we had complete
ascertainment of the alternative underlying
causes. However, the present study indicatesthat at least part of the apparent associationof radiation exposure with noncancer respiratory disease deaths is likely due to reporting
artifacts on the death certificates, but not due tosociodemographic or lifestyle biases.

RERF Update Volume 25, Issue 1, 2014

update 23

Science Articles

Radiation Effects on Human Heredity*
Nori Nakamura
Consultant, Department of Genetics, RERF
*This article is based on the following publication:
Nakamura N, Suyama A, Noda A, Kodama Y: Radiation effects on human heredity. Annu Rev
Genet 2013 (November); 47:33–50 (doi: 10.1146/annurev-genet-111212-133501)

Summary of Paper
This paper, which offers a review of research
results on the genetic effects of radiation, describesclassic research using drosophila and mice,research with human subjects, and the influence of
results of recent human genome sequencing studies. While clear genetic effects of radiation havebeen observed in animal experiments, no apparent
effects have been observed in humans. This paper
discusses possible reasons for the difference.
Explanation
This paper consists of the following sections:“Introduction,” “Classic studies in laboratory
animals,” “Studies in humans,” “Impact of thehuman genome study,” and “Conclusion.” The section “Studies in humans” discusses birth defects,
chromosome aberrations, sex ratios, mutations at
hypervariable minisatellite loci, cancer incidence,and mortality. It introduces research not only on
A-bomb survivors but also on former patients who
underwent radiation therapy for childhood cancer
as well as workers of nuclear facilities and theirfamilies.
Why radiation effects are difficult to detect instudies of human subjects
1. Difference in radiation dose
Although mice are usually irradiated with 3 gray(Gy) or more, such heavy whole-body radiation
exposure is extremely rare in humans. However,in the case of radiotherapy for childhood cancer,
repetitive localized irradiation to cancer sites
causes scattered radiation, which may give rise togonadal irradiation of accumulated doses of up to
10 Gy or larger when nearby organs are treated.
2. Differences in effects on offspring
In mammalian male germ lines, stem cells
continuously divide, with their daughter cells differentiating to become mature sperm. Fertilization
occurring soon after radiation exposure is brought
about by sperm cells that were irradiated, while
fertilization occurring later is brought about by
sperm that were irradiated at an immature, stem
Return to Table of Contents

cell stage. Following exposure to the same radiation dose, the biologic effect on offspring is smallerwhen fertilization occurs later (i.e., derived from
irradiated stem cells) as compared with fertilizationthat occurs sooner (i.e., from irradiated sperm). The
major reason for the difference is thought to lie inthe meiotic process (a unique cell-division system
whereby chromosome number is reduced by half),
which spermatogonia must undergo to differentiate
into sperm. On the other hand, female mammals
are born with a much larger number of eggs (immature eggs) than necessary in their lifetime, but the
number of eggs continues to decrease naturally as
they age, with most eggs remaining in an immaturestate without being released. Only a very limited
number of eggs are released after absorbing nutrients in the maturation process. Because there arefew examples of conception occurring immediately
after radiation exposure, studies of human females
focus on the effects of exposure on eggs at immature stages. Here too, the effects on eggs before
meiosis are presumed to be small. Unfortunately,
however, immature mouse eggs readily die due toapoptosis following exposure to low-dose radiation, and hence no conception is achieved at thehigher doses used in studies of mutagenesis andno data are obtained. In contrast, immature humaneggs are not susceptible to low-dose apoptosis, so
mice cannot serve as a model for human females.
In the immature eggs of hamsters, which areresistant to low-dose apoptosis, chromosome aberrations have not been detected in offspring after
exposure to 1 Gy of radiation, and it is conceivablethat the same applies to humans.
3. Impact of human genomic research
Recent studies reported that numerous “abnormalities” have already accumulated in the humangenome. Comparison of two normal people
selected randomly shows differences of one basein several million sites, and small deletions andduplications in several hundreds of thousands ofsites. On the other hand, the probability that 1 Gy
will cause mutation at any gene of a mouse spermatogonial cell is about 1/100,000. Both mice and
RERF Update Volume 25, Issue 1, 2014

Science Articles
humans have about 25,000 genes, and therefore thetotal number of genes in which mutation occurs ispresumed to be 0.25 at the exposure level of 1 Gy.
The average dose received by the parents in thestudies on birth defects in the offspring of A-bomb
survivors is about 0.3 Gy, so the number of genes

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update 24
with mutation is estimated to be 0.075 on average,
based on the assumption that radiosensitivity inhumans is the same as that in mice. This number,which is much smaller than the number of preexisting “abnormalities,” highlights just how difficult it is to detect radiation effects.

RERF Update Volume 25, Issue 1, 2014

update 25

Human Interest Notes

In Memoriam
Dr. Carl Frederick Tessmer(May 28, 1912–February 2, 2011)
William J. Schull
Former Vice Chairman, RERF

The studies of survivors of the atomic bombingsof Hiroshima and Nagasaki are a consequence of aseries of recommendations made in the late fall of1945 by a Japan-U.S. binational committee known
as the Joint Commission. One of their recommendations was the initiation, under civilian auspices,of long-term studies to identify the late effects
of exposure to the ionizing radiation released by
the atomic bombs and to quantitate, to the extent
possible, the radiation’s effects on human health.
Responsibility for the design and conduct of thesestudies was undertaken by the National ResearchCouncil of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. The Council’s task was
bewildering. There was little scientific information
to guide such an undertaking, and the logistics
involved in organizing a study of the requisite
scope in a war-devastated city some 7,000 miles
away were formidable.
These difficulties notwithstanding, a research
institution known as the Atomic Bomb Casualty
Commission (ABCC), predecessor to the present-day Radiation Effects Research Foundation(RERF), was established in Hiroshima in March
1947 and shortly thereafter in Nagasaki. Leadership of this organization was invested in a temporary Director, Dr. James V. Neel, pending therecruitment of a permanent Director. The initialresearch program was a cobbling together of several, existing projects including a genetics program
conceived and managed by Dr. Neel, several hematological studies, and an investigation of the growthand development of exposed children. While eachof the projects had its own merits, together they
offered no coherent approach to the overall assessment of radiation-related health risks. It was to Dr.
Carl Tessmer, the first permanent ABCC Director,
that the task of defining a coherent program fell.
Fortunately, Dr. Tessmer had prior acquaintancewith the aims and needs of ABCC. He had taken
part in the survey in 1946 organized by Dr. Shields
Warren as part of the nuclear weapons tests carriedout in the Pacific region known as Operation Crossroads. However, his recruitment was complicatedby the fact that he was still an active member ofReturn to Table of Contents

the U.S. Army Medical Corps, and if he was to be
involved in ABCC activities, the Surgeon Generalof the Army had to assign him to detached dutywith the National Research Council. A request
for such assignment was made to Major General
Raymond Bliss, the Surgeon General, by Dr. Lewis
Weed, head of the National Research Council,
in November 1947. Approval of this assignment
was forthcoming, and in March 1948 Lt. Colonel
Tessmer was on his way to Japan to serve as Director of ABCC.
Carl Frederick Tessmer was born on May 28,
1912, in North Braddock, Pennsylvania, an easternborough of the city of Pittsburgh. At the time ofCarl’s birth, Braddock was a community of 19,000
individuals and the site of the first of Andrew Carnegie’s Bessemer furnaces, which revolutionized theworldwide production of steel. His ancestors wereGermans who settled in Pennsylvania in the mid1850s. He received his higher education at the University of Pittsburgh from whence he was awardeda baccalaureate degree in science in 1933. He thenenrolled in the University’s medical school, which
he attended from 1933 to 1935, graduating with aDoctor of Medicine degree in 1935. As was mandatory for licensure at the time, he completed a rotat-

Dr. Carl Frederic Tessmer, when
he was Director of ABCCRERF Update Volume 25, Issue 1, 2014

Human Interest Notes
ing internship at the Pittsburgh Medical Center,and in 1937 served a residency in pathology at the
Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh. This was followed by a fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where he continued his study ofpathology. Those were difficult years financiallyfor a young physician; the Great Depression, stillin full cry, limited career options. Carl accepted aresidency at Queen’s Hospital in Honolulu. Uponcompletion of his residency, he became a memberof the U.S. Army Medical Corps and was assigned
to the medical unit at Schofield Barracks, where
he was “Officer of the Day” on December 7, 1941.
He served the U.S. Army for 23 years, retiring as
Colonel in 1963.
Carl’s years as Director of ABCC occurred during the Allied Occupation of Japan. Administratively, ABCC fell under the Supreme Commander
for the Allied Powers (SCAP)’s Public Health andWelfare Section, commanded by Colonel Crawford
F. Sams (later, Brigadier General Sams). The latter officer had the reputation of being difficult, but
Carl managed ABCC’s affairs adroitly and successfully. He was responsible for a myriad of details
involving personnel, supplies, housing, the contract with the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC),
travel, and no end of other miscellany. All of his
actions had to be consonant with the numerous
regulations promulgated by SCAP regarding interaction between Japanese nationals and members of
the Occupation. He presided over the most rapid
expansion of staff seen by ABCC (now, RERF).
When Carl took office in March 1948, ABCC had
28 employees, and when he retired there were morethan 1,000 staff members. He was sensitive toJapanese culture and met regularly with Hiroshima
Mayor Shinzo Hamai regarding the siting of thepermanent research facility. Indeed, at the formal
ground breaking (Jichinsai) for ABCC in July 1949
he was actively involved in this traditional Shinto
ceremony.
From the perspective of research, his tenureencompassed the years when the increase ofleukemia among the survivors was noted, and
ABCC played a significant role in the 1950 Census
of Japan. Indeed, ABCC was permitted to append a

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update 26
short questionnaire to the conventional census form
seeking identification of all of the survivors of theatomic bombing of Hiroshima or Nagasaki alive in
October 1950. This information was crucial to thelater establishment of the fixed cohorts represented
by the Life Span Study (LSS) and the Adult HealthStudy (AHS). Carl was especially active in contesting the recommendation by the Goodpasture committee to terminate the studies in 1950.
On leaving ABCC in early 1951, he was
assigned to the United States Army Medical
Research Laboratory at Fort Knox, Kentucky as
its Commanding Officer. After a three-year stint
there, Carl was appointed to serve as Chief of the
Radiation Pathology Branch and Chief of the Basic
Science Division of the Armed Forces Institute of
Pathology in Washington, D.C. He held the latter
position for six years and was then reassigned
to Japan to become head of the 406th Medical
General Laboratory. After his return to the UnitedStates and a brief period of duty at the Walter Reed
Army Institute of Research in Washington, D.C., hejoined the staff of the MD Anderson Hospital andTumor Institute as Chief Pathologist and Professorof Pathology at the University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in Houston.
After 10 years in Houston he would move again,
this time to the Olin E. Teague* Veterans Centerin Temple, Texas, where he served in a variety ofcapacities for another decade. Carl retired fromacademia in 1985 at the age of 73, but continued tobe active as a physician and consultant for anotherquarter of a century. Carl Tessmer died on February
2, 2011, in Belton, Texas, where he had resided forthe previous 25 years. He was twice married. His
first wife, Maxine (nee Keller), whom he marriedin 1939, was the mother of his two sons, Jon andDavid. Maxine preceded Carl in death, as did his
second wife, Shizue (nee Murata).
*Olin E. Teague was a much-decorated veteran ofWorld War II and a long-serving member of theUnited States House of Representatives noted for his
legislation on behalf of veterans of the aforementioned war.

RERF Update Volume 25, Issue 1, 2014

Human Interest Notes

update 27

Participating in the Health Examination/Consultation
Project for A-bomb Survivors Living in South Korea
Daisuke Haruta, Research Scientist
Department of Clinical Studies, Nagasaki
The Health Examination/Consultation Projectfor A-bomb Survivors Living in South Korea has
been conducted biannually since 2004 as part of anassistance program for survivors currently residingin that country. The most recent event marked the20th occasion to hold the project, but it was myfirst time to participate. As part of a larger effort toassist A-bomb survivors in South Korea, this project is intended to dispel concerns about late effectsof A-bomb radiation exposure and to endeavor toenhance the health of A-bomb survivors throughhealth examinations and consultations conductedby physicians and other medical experts dispatchedfrom Japan.
Since A-bomb survivors reside throughout
South Korea, the Health Examination/Consultation Project targets cities and regions where arelatively large number of A-bomb survivors areconcentrated, such as Seoul, Daegu, Hapcheon,
Busan, Masan, Gwangju, Pyeongtaek, Daejeon,
Ulsan, Jeju, and Gyeongsangnam-do. Our four-day
schedule covered Jeju, Gwangju, and Daejeon from
November 10 to 13, 2013 (essentially two days,
with the first and last days spent for travel). The
project work was carried out by a seven-member
team consisting of four internal medicine specialists, one public health nurse from the Nagasaki
municipal government, and two employees fromthe Nagasaki prefectural and municipal governments.
A total of 84 A-bomb survivors participatedin this visit: 9 in Jeju, 14 in Gwangju, and 61
in Daejeon. The average age of the participants
was 75.3 years, with the oldest being 94 and the
youngest 67. Of these individuals, 73 experienced
the A-bombing in Hiroshima and 11 in Nagasaki.
Since the project time was essentially limited totwo days with three locations, the team divided
into two groups and worked separately at Jeju andGwangju on the first two days, and then met at
Daejeon to work together there on the third day.
Since I was a member of the Gwangju group,
I and the others visited Gwangju on the first day,conducted health consultations there on the nextday, and then traveled to Daejeon on the thirdday. We conducted health consultations with thehelp of an interpreter, referring to the results of
the health examinations that were carried out atReturn to Table of Contents

local Red Cross hospitals prior to our visit. At the
beginning of each health consultation session, weinterviewed each of the participants based on a
medical questionnaire. Although some participants
were good at Japanese, most did not understandor remember the language, and so the interpretersassigned to each physician were of great help. The
medical interviews lasted from about 30 minutes
to one hour, during which we explained the healthexamination results and relevant health issues,along with carrying out the medical interview. If
called for, we also provided to Korean physicians
advice about medical treatment and consultation
concerning administrative procedures for A-bomb
survivors support programs. At the end of our firstday, I found myself completely exhausted, affected
as I was by the combination of multiple factors,
such as nervousness resulting from my first-time
participation in the project, the challenges of providing health consultation through an interpreter,
and the fact that I had caught a cold the day before
my departure from Japan.
After completing our scheduled health consultations, my Gwangju group traveled by bus to
Daejeon to join up with the Jeju group. In Daejeon
on the third day, I found that things went relatively
smoothly since I had by now achieved a better
understanding of how to handle the consultation
work and was recovering from my cold. Aftercompleting the Daejeon health consultations, theteam all together traveled by bus to Seoul, where

At the Gwangju Association of Health Promotion. Dr. Daisuke
Haruta is the second person from left in the back row.

RERF Update Volume 25, Issue 1, 2014

Human Interest Notes
we were treated to yakiniku, the South Korean
specialty of grilled meat, at a dinner hosted by
the Republic of Korea National Red Cross. Afterdinner we enjoyed the night view from the N Seoul
Tower, which concluded our itinerary.
Like their Japanese counterparts, many of theSouth Korean A-bomb survivors interviewed byour team suffer from various lifestyle diseases,
such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. From
what I could discern, there did not seem to bemuch difference in the medical care provided to
A-bomb survivors in Japan and South Korea. We
received a pleasant welcome from the survivors
in South Korea, and most expressed gratitude andappreciation to us. Employees of the Republic ofKorea National Red Cross were also gracious andhospitable and took good care of us for everything, from our mode of transport to our meals.
Although we were only able to communicate with

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update 28
a limited number of people in South Korea during
the project, I never sensed any of the strain in therelationship between Japan and South Korea thathas recently become an issue. If I have an opportunity to participate in this project again, I hope that I
can be of help in maintaining the health of A-bomb
survivors in South Korea and be part of the effort
to establish a bridge of friendship between the twonations.
I would like to express my appreciation to theresearch scientists and staff members at the RERF
Nagasaki Laboratory who supported my participation in this 20th occasion of the Health Examination/Consultation Project for A-bomb Survivors
Living in South Korea, as well as to the employees
and volunteer staff members from the Korean Red
Cross and to our interpreters for their support during our stay in South Korea.

RERF Update Volume 25, Issue 1, 2014

Facts and Figures

update 29

New Terrain Shielding Input Data for the
Atomic-bomb Survivors
Harry M. Cullings, Chief
Department of Statistics

As detailed in the last issue of Update (volume
24, issue 2, 2013; page 25), RERF recently completed a program of work to provide improved
estimates of survivors’ locations, to allow moreaccurate distance input data for dosimetry system
DS02 and therefore more accurate dose estimates.
As part of that program, it was clear that survivors’
terrain shielding would need to be re-evaluatedat their new estimated locations. However, it wasneither feasible nor desirable to simply emulate theoriginal methods by which terrain-shielding input
data were obtained.
To calculate terrain shielding for a survivor,
DS02 uses angles of elevation from the survivor’s
position to the horizon (grazing angles) in fivehorizontal directions: toward the hypocenter and
45° and 90° to the left and right. For about 315
proximal (<2 km) survivors in Nagasaki called“Globe terrain” cases, the grazing angles were
estimated in the 1960s using the elevation contours on the 1945 U.S. Army maps. (No proximal
survivors in Hiroshima were considered to haveterrain shielding.) For a much larger group of distal(>2 km) survivors, about 3,521 in Hiroshima and8,242 in Nagasaki, grazing angles were estimatedin the implementation of DS02 to account for any
shielding that they received by being behind Mt.
Hijiyama (Hiroshima) or Mt. Konpira (Nagasaki).
Those data were obtained by using digital terrain
elevation data on a 50-m horizontal grid, and thesurvivors were denoted as having “distal terrain”
or “mountain” shielding, although many of themturned out to have had little or no terrain shielding,depending on their exact location relative to themountain and the bomb.
For the new work, more accurate digital terrain
elevation data on a 10-m horizontal grid were avail-

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able from the Geospatial Information Authorityof Japan. Furthermore, advances in computational
speed made it feasible to estimate grazing angles
for all survivors, rather than only for pre-selectedgroups based on arbitrary criteria. This work was
greatly aided by an RERF consultant, Dr. Stephen
Egbert of LEIDOS corporation (formerly Science
Applications International Corporation; SAIC),
who was a main developer of the DS02 terrain
shielding module. Notably, Dr. Egbert identified
a need, previously unappreciated, to correct grazing angles for the elevation above sea level at thesurvivor’s location. This need arises because eachatomic bomb exploded at a particular height above
sea level. Therefore, for survivors at a given distance with a given angle of elevation to the horizon,
the bomb will be at a lower angle relative to thehorizon if the survivor is at a higher elevation.
The Table shows numbers of survivors who
have substantial terrain shielding, by distance category, in each city, for both of the old and new methods. Figures 1 and 2 allow the reader to appreciate
relative numbers of survivors as a function of bothdistance and amount of shielding. Some survivors
have very heavy terrain shielding, i.e., transmission
factors <0.2, i.e., a dose reduction >80%, althoughmost survivors have less dose reduction due to terrain shielding. There is a substantial increase interrain shielding that is readily seen in the table andfigures, because of survivors who were not properly identified as having terrain shielding by theearlier methods. In addition, it was found that manyof the original grazing angles estimated in the
1960s were very inaccurate, which is understandable given the difficulty of making such estimatesby manual methods with a paper map.

RERF Update Volume 25, Issue 1, 2014

update 30

Facts and Figures

Table. Number and % of survivors with terrain shielding,* by distance category and city
Grounddistance
(m)
from

to

0
250
500
750
1,000
1,250
1,500
1,750
2,000
2,250
2,500
2,750
3,000
3,250
3,500
3,750

250
500
750
1,000
1,250
1,500
1,750
2,000
2,250
2,500
2,750
3,000
3,250
3,500
3,750
4,000

Hiroshima

Nagasakiold method
N
8
31
634
2,854
5,661
7,108
7,529
6,373
7,141
2,842
2,109
2,418
2,223
1,489
1,025
1,141

terrainshielded

179
228
19
1

new method%

terrainshielded

3
3
1
<0.5

12
157
356
124
70
206
183

old method
N

%

<0.5
2
5
4
3
9
8

terrainshielded

%

1
5
5
52
100
171
531
916
2,513
2,839
18
2

13
8
1
3
6
11
22
34
61
59
2
<0.5

0
8
66
405
1,588
1,565
1,504
2,459
2,730
4,131
4,825
1,080
884
868
695
799

new method
terrainshielded

%

3
2
103
221
506
759
1,712
3,257
3,906
700
390
307
71

5
<0.5
6
14
34
31
63
79
81
65
44
35
10

*gamma-ray transmission factor <0.9

Hiroshima Terrain Gamma-ray Shielding
Transmission Factor
0 .2 .4 .6 .8 1

Old Method

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

2500

3000

3500

4000

Ground Distance, mTransmission Factor
0 .2 .4 .6 .8 1

New Method

0

500

1000

1500

2000
Ground Distance, mFigure 1. Terrain gamma-ray shielding transmission factor vs. distance, Hiroshima; clearly shown for the “new method” areincreased numbers of survivors with calculated transmission factors, and many more survivors with transmission
factors considerably less than 1, representing in part those not previously identified as having terrain shielding.
(Note: many points representing individual survivors are superimposed. Also, transmission factors less than 1
were not calculated for survivors at distances beyond 3,500 m, where unshielded doses are negligible.)

Return to Table of Contents

RERF Update Volume 25, Issue 1, 2014

update 31

Facts and Figures

Nagasaki Terrain Gamma-ray Shielding
Transmission Factor
0 .2 .4 .6 .8 1

Old Method

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

2500

3000

3500

4000

Ground Distance, mTransmission Factor
0 .2 .4 .6 .8 1

New Method

0

500

1000

1500

2000
Ground Distance, mFigure 2. Terrain gamma-ray shielding transmission factor vs. distance, Nagasaki, with increased numbers of survivors
with calculated transmission factors, and many more survivors with transmission factors considerably less than1, due to reevaluation using new method for determination of terrain shielding

Return to Table of Contents

RERF Update Volume 25, Issue 1, 2014

Research Protocols

Research Protocols Approved in
November 2013–April 2014
RP 1-14 A study of the biological significanceof the EML4-ALK fusion gene in radiationassociated thyroid carcinogenesis using conditional transgenic mice
Hamatani K, Ito R, Taga M, Niwa Y, Kim Y-M,
Hayashi Y, Eguchi H, Kusunoki Y
Rearranged anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)
genes (echinoderm microtubule-associated proteinlike 4 [EML4]-ALK fusion genes), which we found
for the first time in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC),
are likely to be highly correlated with atomicbomb (A-bomb) radiation exposure and to occur
in a fundamentally exclusive manner in RET,
neurotropic tyrosine kinase receptor 1 (NTRK1),
BRAF, and RAS gene alterations. Interestingly, justas lung adenocarcinoma cases with EML4-ALK
fusion genes show histological characteristics significantly different from those without the EML4ALK fusion gene, this fusion gene-positive PTC
has characteristic solid/trabecular architectures at
a high frequency, suggesting that the EML4-ALK
fusion gene plays a key role in architectural alterations related to the histopathological characteristicsof the cancer tissue that concerns our oncology
study. We thus hypothesize that the EML4-ALK
fusion gene plays an important role in causing PTC
and is a result of radiation. Function of the fusion
gene may be different from RET/PTC rearrangements in terms of their pathological consequences.
With use of conditional transgenic mice harboring
EML4-ALK genes, we will test the hypotheses
from the following viewpoints: One is to evaluate
evidence for generation of PTC from the transgenic mice with this fusion gene. The second is todemonstrate effects of radiation in tumorigenesis
in these transgenic mice, i.e., the shortened latency
and/or the enhanced aggressiveness of the tumors.

update 32
convincing because of limitations in death certificate coding of CVD. Using single photon emission
computed tomography, other clinical/epidemiologic studies have indicated that medical radiation
is associated with dose-dependent perfusion defectin patients treated for breast cancer with radiation
therapy, which may be a cause of heart damage.
Past experimental findings reported that total body
irradiation in rats was associated with development
of diastolic dysfunction. We therefore hypothesizedthat atomic-bomb radiation may cause diastolic
dysfunction among the survivors. Based on echocardiograph assessment and blood markers in the
Adult Heath Study (AHS) subjects who were 15
years of age and younger at the time of bombings, we will diagnose HF and categorize it into its
subtypes. Our main purpose is evaluating radiation
effects on diastolic heart failure, one subtype of
HF. However, we will also examine as secondary
endpoints systolic heart failure, as well as hypertensive, valvular, and ischemic heart disease. Relevant measures for all these types are available fromthe echocardiograms, conforming to the guidelines
and recommendations from the American Societyof Echocardiography (ASE). The expected numberof subjects for the study is about 2,700 AHS members (including in utero survivors) in Hiroshima
and Nagasaki who were ≤15 years old at the timeof the bombings. We will also measure biomarkers that are thought to play an important role in thedevelopment of cardiac dysfunction and fibrosis,
as well as remodeling that arises from radiationrelated damage-repair processes in cardiac tissues.

RP 2-14 Study of heart disease in the Adult
Health Study population using echocardiography
Takahashi I, Haruta D, Hidaka T, Tsuneto A,
Kajimura J, Hayashi T, Furukawa K, Imaizumi M,
Hida A, Ohishi W, Kihara Y
There is much evidence that exposure to highdose medical irradiation increases risk of cardiovascular disease. Recent Life Span Study (LSS)
reports demonstrated an excess risk of mortality
from cardiovascular disease (CVD), especially
hypertensive heart disease, heart failure (HF), andrheumatic heart disease after whole-body exposure
to atomic-bomb radiation. However, explanations
for this relationship between radiation dose andsuch subtypes of disease incidence are far fromReturn to Table of Contents

RERF Update Volume 25, Issue 1, 2014

Recent Publications

update 33

Recent Publications

Symposium on the Medical Basis for Radiation
Accident Preparedness: Medical Management)(Japanese): the original article is in Japanese

Arataki K, Hayes CN, Akamatsu S, Akiyama R,
Abe H, Tsuge M, Miki D, Ochi H, Hiraga N,
Imamura M, Takahashi S, Aikata H, Kawaoka T,
Kawakami H, Ohishi W, Chayama K: Circulating microRNA-22 correlates with microRNA-122
and represents viral replication and liver injury inpatients with chronic hepatitis B. J Med Virol2013 (May); 85(5):789-98.
Asukai N, Sugiyama H, Kato H, Nakajima M,
Saeki T: Contributing factors to long-term psychological consequences in Hiroshima A-bomb
survivors. Nihon Shakai Seishin Igakkai Zasshi[Jpn Bull Soc Psychiat] 2012 (May); 21(2):20814. (Japanese)
Chen Y et al. (RERF: Grant EJ, Ozasa K, Ohishi
W): Association between body mass index andcardiovascular disease mortality in east Asians
and south Asians: pooled analysis of prospective
data from the Asia Cohort Consortium. BMJ
2013 (October); 347:f5446.
Cologne JB: Probabilistic interpretation of data: A
physicist’s approach by Guthrie Miller (Bookreview). Health Phys 2013 (December);105(6):576-7.
Hamatani K: Fusion genes in radiation-associatedsolid cancer. Saibou [The Cell] 2013 (June);45(6):6-9. (Japanese)
Nakamura N: Radiation risks at low doses. Igaku
Butsuri [Jpn J Med Phys] 2013 (May); 32(4):2028. (Japanese)
Nakamura N, Suyama A, Noda A, Kodama Y:
Radiation effects on human heredity. Annu Rev
Genet 2013 (November); 47:33-50. (CR 2-12)
Nakano M, Nishimura M, Hamasaki K, Mishima
S, Yoshida M, Nakata A, Shimada Y, Noda A,
Nakamura N, Kodama Y: Fetal irradiation of rats
induces persistent translocations in mammary
epithelial cells similar to the level after adult irradiation, but not in hematolymphoid cells. Radiat
Res 2014 (February); 181(2):172-6. (RR 3-13)
Neriishi K: The accident at Tokai-Mura Japan(1999): managing the psychosocial impact.
Doran M et al., eds. The Medical Basis for Radiation-accident Preparedness. Tennessee: Oak
Ridge Associated Universities; 2013, pp 261-73.
(Proceedings of the Fifth International REAC/TS
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Ozasa K: Late health effects of atomic bomb radiation. Tajima K et al., eds. Advances and Future
Directions of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention—Extended Abstracts for the 44th International Symposium of the Princess Takamatsu
Cancer Research Fund, Tokyo, Japan, 13–15
November 2013. Tokyo: Princess Takamatsu
Cancer Research Fund; 2014, pp 49-53.
Ozasa K: Health effects of radiation. Yasumura S,
ed. Public Health at Nuclear Disaster—Reportfrom Fukushima. Tokyo: Nanzando; 2014, pp
18-24. (Japanese)
Pham TM, Sakata R, Grant EJ, Shimizu Y,
Furukawa K, Takahashi I, Sugiyama H, Kasagi F,
Soda M, Suyama A, Shore RE, Ozasa K: Radiation exposure and the risk of mortality from noncancer respiratory diseases in the Life Span
Study, 1950–2005. Radiat Res 2013 (November); 180(5):539-45. (RR 2-13)
Sugiyama H: Effects of differences in methods ofcollecting local cancer registry data on completeness and information registered for respective
items. JACR Monograph 2013 (December);
No.19:116-20. (Japanese)
Wondergem J, Boerma M, Kodama K, Stewart FA,
Trott KR: Cardiovascular effects after low-dose
exposure and radiotherapy: what research isneeded? Radiat Environ Biophys 2013 (November); 52(4):425-34.
Yanagi M, Misumi M, Kawasaki R, Takahashi I,
Itakura K, Fujiwara S, Akahoshi M, Neriishi K,
Wong TY, Kiuchi Y: Is the association between
smoking and the retinal venular diameter reversible following smoking cessation? Invest Ophth
Vis Sci 2014 (January); 55(1):405-11. (RR
17-12)
Yoshida K: Human aging mechanisms and radiation exposure related to the mTOR signaling
pathway. Hoshasen Seibutsu Kenkyu [Radiat
Biol Res Commun] 2013 (September);48(3):297-305. (Japanese)
Yoshida K, Nakashima E, Kubo Y, Yamaoka M,
Kajimura J, Kyoizumi S, Hayashi T, Ohishi W,
Kusunoki Y: Inverse associations between obesity indicators and thymic T-cell productionlevels in aging atomic-bomb survivors. PLoS
ONE 2014 (March); 9(3):e91985. (RR 8-13)

RERF Update Volume 25, Issue 1, 2014

Recent Publications

update 34

Publications Using RERF Data
The following publication represents research done by
non-RERF scientists based on the data publicly available from RERF.

Sasaki MS, Tachibana A, Takeda S: Cancer risk at
low doses of ionizing radiation: artificial neuralnetworks inference from atomic bomb survivors.
J Radiat Res (Tokyo) 2014 (May); 55(3):391-406

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RERF Update Volume 25, Issue 1, 2014

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