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Research paper : A strategic approach for comparing different types of health risks (A. Kishimoto)−37−Synthesiology - English edition Vol.1 No.1 (2008) ones. This is a great achievement. However, I imagine that the work has not yet been completed although elemental techniques are being revised or developed. Assumptions were made without foundation. The quantification of human health risks and calculation of cost-effectiveness were implemented even though there was a huge uncertainty about the results. Is it possible to assess and quantify uncertainty in case sufficient data and information are lacking? Answer (Atsuo Kishimoto)In this paper, we set priority on deriving concrete numbers, since it was important to exemplify the whole process of proposed methodology, starting from social demands as indicated by the reviewer. As a result, we admit that the discussion on uncertainty i.e. the range of distributions remains to be addressed. At the same time, it is necessary to develop a simplified methodology that can be applied to cases with less data. 4 Compatibility of this article to the journalComment (Masayuki Kamimoto)The content of this article is consistent with the spirit of Synthesiology, since it proposes a new methodology of risk assessment by adopting back-casting process and QALYs, and then applies the methodology to the case of toluene. It also describes the process of revising each step of risk assessment and obtains good results. 5 Comparability with other types of risksQuestion (Masayuki Kamimoto)You state, “We must also demonstrate that the methodology presented in this paper can be applied to other chemical substances and other types of risks”. Is this applicable to other substances with enough data? Answer (Atsuo Kishimoto)Yes, it is applicable to other substances with sufficient data. It is also applicable to other types of risks such as traffic accidents, since there is a wealth of statistical data. We are now investigating a methodology that is applicable to cases with scarce information.

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