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RE: Radioisotope Efficiencies



Bill -



While I agree completely with your basic sentiment, using the terms

"dumb", "lazy", and "clueless" amounts to a personal attack, especially

when a specific poster is singled out as the target. I think that we as

professionals need to be firm with people who may have misconceptions

about how lists like this should be properly used, but there is no need

to be derogatory. I would hope that people whose understanding is weaker

can come here and get guidance to the correct practice of the field, and

not walk away with the impression that any off-target comment will be

met with derision. This kills a lot of the effectiveness of the list.

The list can be just for a few elite HPs who "know everything" and want

to occasionally compare notes, or it can be a place to get good opinions

from many HPs (which I agree need to be taken as that - opinions),

guidance as to where good information and training can be obtained (for

the more AND less experienced), debate of issues (from ALL

perspectives), and for other uses. The latter is clearly the way to go.



Mike

(speaking both as member and moderator)





Michael G. Stabin, PhD, CHP

Assistant Professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences

Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences

Vanderbilt University

1161 21st Avenue South

Nashville, TN 37232-2675

Phone (615) 343-0068

Fax   (615) 322-3764

Pager (615) 835-5153

e-mail     michael.g.stabin@vanderbilt.edu

internet   www.doseinfo-radar.com



  

-----Original Message-----

From: William V Lipton [mailto:liptonw@DTEENERGY.COM] 

Sent: Thursday, February 19, 2004 6:27 AM

To: Joel Baumbaugh

Cc: radsafe@list.Vanderbilt.Edu

Subject: Re: Radioisotope Efficiencies





I read your disclaimers with some amusement.  The fact that you feel

they're necessary illustrates two fundamental problems with RADSAFE:

(1) It is sometimes considered a lazy person's research tool.  (2) It's

sometimes used by the clueless to do things that are way outside their

qualifications.  (I remember one posting which went something like:

"I've never shipped radioactive material before.  What label should I

put on the package?") 

While RADSAFE is good for discussions and is good for leads to reference

materials, it should NEVER be used in place of legitimate research, and

should NEVER substitute for needed qualifications.  Any references

received on RADSAFE should be independently confirmed through a

legitimate source.  If someone's too dumb or too lazy to do this, the

person who supplies the information should not be held accountable, even

if its wrong.  To cite an analogy, it's often a great idea to visit "Web

MD" or a similar site if you have questions about a medical condition.

However, it should not take the place of seeing a physician if you have

reason to believe you have something that may need treatment.  (Except,

perhaps, for those RADSAFER's who are physicians.  Even then, it may be

a good idea to see someone else.) 

The opinions expressed are strictly mine. 

It's not about dose, it's about trust. 

Curies forever. 

Bill Lipton 

liptonw@dteenergy.com 

Joel Baumbaugh wrote: 

Jim is correct in his question. 

As I thought I briefly mentioned in my original email/post, these were

MY efficiencies under somewhat ideal conditions. 

The type (size and composition) of vial, the manufacture/type and amount

of scintillation fluid (in the vial(s)), counting times, color/chemical

quenching, background and how you deal with background

(refrigeration/background subtract), how long its been since your PM

service (you don't want any dust on the PMT tube faces), what your

counting windows are set at/for, what formula you use for MDA/LLD, etc.,

etc., etc. ALL these parameters (and some I haven't thought of while

writing this) make a difference on what efficiency YOU and YOU're

machine will get/arrive at with the various/sundry radioisotopes I

listed. 

Just like they say in the advertisements... "your results may vary"....

I was just giving you an example of what YOU should expect on YOUR

machine if everything (your prep and the machine) are in top working

order. 

Please don't nail me to a cross here - I was just trying to be helpful.

There are people on RADSAFE who are MUCH more knowledgeable about LSC's

than I am. 

I don't think that you'll be able to find this information in the

literature (either in a library or on-line) anywhere else..  Take it

(and use it as a benchmark/reference) or leave it... 

  

...Joel Baumbaugh (baumbaug@nosc.mil) 

    SSC-SD... 

  

At 09:53 AM 2/18/2004 -0500, JDNUKE52@aol.com wrote: 

I have one question what was the LCS window settings and what liquid

scint cocktail use this is very important when establishing LCS

efficiencies. 

  

 

Thankyou 

 

Jim Dykes  COH 

 

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