JUL 10, a brief saga (basic medical science): radiation exposure

 

Authors' Note: 

hormesis: response to an environmental agent with two phases — beneficial at low doses, and harmful at high doses (yielding a U- or J- shaped dose-response curve)

BEIR (acronym pronounced as BEER): reports from the National Academy of Sciences, particularly BEIR VII, on the Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation, based on Japanese atomic bomb survivors

linear no-threshold model: a model for predicting damaging effects from radiation, applied particularly to the induction of cancer by radiating medical tests (CT and nuclear medicine); based on the BEIR VII report, it is the current prevailing theory

   By the BEIR model, damage by radiation is proportional to dose, starting with the first exposure, and is cumulative. That formulation runs counter to experience with other toxic influences, as well as to the more speculative concept of radiation hormesis in humans.

   Some scientific societies have, on the other hand, concluded that induction of cancer by radiation is of concern, but unproven at doses in the range of diagnostic medical testing.

Readers can enjoy our whole collection of verses about "basic medical science" by clicking HERE.

 

  For the purpose of this blog, a 'brief saga' is defined as a poem, usually narrative, but occasionally expository, that tell its story in at least 15 lines. Most commonly, the format involves three stanzas in limerick form, constituting a single submission to the online humor site 'Omnificent English Dictionary in Limerick Form'. On the OEDILF site, rigorous standards for content and format proceed in a collaborative editing process that may take several weeks to over a year. 

  Generally, OEDILF has not been enormously welcoming of multi-verse submissions, but Giorgio Coniglio has persisted, and the OEDILF number for each accepted multiverse poem is shown here on the slide with its first verse. 

To access the next 'brief saga' on this blog (August 2021), proceed to 'French Denial'.

To access the most recent previous 'brief saga', back up to 'Clothes Moths' (holesome verse). 

 To access all of our 'brief sagas' by the year of their creation, click on your selection below.

2020
2021
2022
2023.

Re Medical-Related Poems: Altogether, more than a hundred intriguing verses on medical/dental topics can now be found on various posts in collections, including:

Patients and their Maladies (parts #1, #2 and #3)

The Bottom Line of Medical Humour

Funny Bones (parts #1 and #2),
Doctors and their Practices (part #1 and #2)

To Clot or Not to Clot

The Scopes of Modern Medicine

Handbook of Medical Testing Statistics

Pandemic Verses

Poetry of Healthcare

STD Poetry

Diagnostic Imaging (selected topics)

Toxic Vignettes

Sleek Greek Prefixes

Dental Feelings

Basic Medical Science