• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.25-31
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• 2012

Purpose: The clinical and radiographic outcomes of the internal fixation, which were executed on patients over the age of 65 with proximal humerus fracture by using a polyaxial angular stable locking compression plate (Non-Contact-Bridging proximal humerus plate, Zimmer, Switzerland, NCB), were evaluated. Materials and Methods: Thirty two patients over the age of 65 among the proximal humerus fracture treated with NCB plate, between August 2007 and January 2011, were chosen as the subjects. The average age of patients was 71 years, and the average postoperative follow-up period was 11.5 months. The fractures included 14 two-part and 18 three-part fractures. The clinical results were evaluated, using the visual analog scale (VAS) score and the Constant score. The radiological results were evaluated by time to union and Paavolainen method, which measures the neck shaft angle. Results: At the last follow-up examination, the mean VAS score was 3 points and the mean Constant score was 64.5 points, with bone union achieved after the average of 16.2 weeks following the surgery in all the cases. The mean neck shaft angle was 125.9 and 24 cases had good results, while 8 cases had fair results by Paavolainen method, at the last follow-up. There were 1 case of delayed union and cerclage wire failure, and 3 cases of subacromial impingement. There were no complications, such as loss of reduction, nonunion, screw loosening, or avascular necrosis of the humeral head. Conclusion: Internal fixation, using a NCB plate, was considered to be an effective surgical method in treating proximal humerus fracture in the elderly patients, on whom the fixation of the fracture and maintenance of reduction are difficult.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.131-134
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• 2012

Purpose : The labeling efficiency of radiopharmaceuticals in nuclear medicine is important in terms of accuracy and reliability of the examination. Usually $^{99m}Tc$-HMPAO used for brain SPECT scan is chemically unstable since lots of impurities are existing. Therefore, occurrence of loss of labeling efficiency is easy to appear. In this paper, labeling and use of $^{99m}Tc$-HMPAO should be helpful through experiments on factors affecting the labeling efficiency of $^{99m}Tc$-HMPAO. Materials and Methods : Domestic HMPAO vials (Dong-A) used for brain SPECT scan were tested. Domestic Samyeong Generator 55.5 GBq (1,500 mCi), TLC measurement sets (ITLC-SG, butanone, saline, TLC chamber) and radio-TLC scanner (Advantest, Bioscan) were used. In the first experiment, after eluting generator at 1, 8, 16, 24, 28 hours apart, each eluted $^{99m}Tc$-pertechnetate were labeled with HMPAO and the labeling efficiency was measured. In the second experiment, after eluting $^{99m}Tc$-pertechnetate from a generator, $^{99m}Tc$-pertechnetate was drawn at 0, 1, 3, 6 hours. And each drawn $^{99m}Tc$-pertechnetate were labeled with HMPAO for measuring labeling efficiency. In the third experiment, labeling efficiency was measured at 0, 0.5, 3, 5, 7 hours after labeling $^{99m}Tc$-HMPAO. Results : In the first experiment, measured values were appeared 95.05, 94.64, 94.94, 95.64, 96.76% in passing order of time. In the second experiment, measured values were appeared 94.38, 94.23, 93.26, 91.03% in passing order of time. In the third experiment, measured values were appeared 95.76, 94.17, 88.19, 83.6, 76.86% in passing order of time. Conclusion : In the first experiment of this paper, labeling efficiency of $^{99m}Tc$-HMPAO labeled with $^{99m}Tc$-pertechnetate eluted after 24 hours from first elution. Additional experiments will be needed to discuss for usability. In the second experiment, the labeling efficiency was slightly decreased in chronological order, but it was measured higher than 90%. Also, additional experiments will be needed to discuss for usability. In the third experiment, the labeling efficiency was decreased considerably. Especially, within 3 hours after the labeling is recommended to use $^{99m}Tc$-HMPAO

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.61-66
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• 2010

Purpose: Recently, Department of Nuclear Medicine have an interest in Video Display Terminals (VDT) syndrome including musculoskeletal disorders, ophthalmologic disorders, trouble of electromagnetic waves and stress disorders occur to VDT workers as the growing number of users and rapid pace of service period supply in large amount. This study research on the actual condition for VDT syndrome in Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH), discover the problem and draw a plan of upcoming improvement. The aim of this study establish awareness about VDT syndrome and is to prevent for it in the long run. Materials and Methods: Department of Nuclear Medicine, SNUH is composed Principle part, Pediatric part and PET center. We estimated risk factors visit in each part directly. Estimation method use "Check list for VDT work" of Wonjin working environment health laboratory and check list is condition of VDT work, condition of work tables, condition of chairs, condition of keyboards, condition of monitors, working position, character of health management and other working environment. Analysis result is verified in Department of Occupational and Environment, Hallym University Sacred Heard Hospital. Results: As a result of analysis, VDT condition of Department of Nuclear Medicine, SNUH is rule good. In case of work tables, recent of things are suitable to users upon the ergonomical planning, but 15% of existing work tables are below the standard value. In case of chairs are suitable, but 5% of theirs lost optimum capacity become superannuated. The keyboards are suitable for 98% of standard value. In case of monitors, angle control of screen is possible of all, but positioning control is impossible for 38%. In case of working position, 10% is fixed positioning for long time and some of the items researched unsuitable things for standard. At health management point, needed capable of improvement. Also, other working condition as lighting, temperature, noise and ventilation, discovered the problem, but is sufficient to advice value. Conclusion: VDT syndrome is occurrences of possibility continuously, come economical expensive about improvement, is inherent in various causes and originate without your knowledge. So, there is need systematic management system. In Nuclear Medicine, VDT syndrome make it better that constant interest and effort as improvement of ergonomical working environment, improvement of working procedure, regular exercise and steady stretching, and can be prevented fairly. This promote physical and mental condition of worker in top form in comfortable working environment, so this is judged by enlargement of operations efficiency and rising of satisfaction ratings of the inside client.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.22 no.3 s.74
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• pp.145-157
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• 2004

The cycle length design model of the Korean traffic responsive signal control systems is devised to vary a cycle length as a response to changes in traffic demand in real time by utilizing parameters specified by a system operator and such field information as degrees of saturation of through phases. Since no explicit guideline is provided to a system operator, the system tends to include ambiguity in terms of the system optimization. In addition, the cycle lengths produced by the existing model have yet been verified if they are comparable to the ones minimizing delay. This paper presents the studies conducted (1) to find shortcomings embedded in the existing model by comparing the cycle lengths produced by the model against the ones minimizing delay and (2) to propose a new direction to design a cycle length minimizing delay and excluding such operator oriented parameters. It was found from the study that the cycle lengths from the existing model fail to minimize delay and promote intersection operational conditions to be unsatisfied when traffic volume is low, due to the feature of the changed target operational volume-to-capacity ratio embedded in the model. The 64 different neural network based cycle length design models were developed based on simulation data surrogating field data. The CORSIM optimal cycle lengths minimizing delay were found through the COST software developed for the study. COST searches for the CORSIM optimal cycle length minimizing delay with a heuristic searching method, a hybrid genetic algorithm. Among 64 models, the best one producing cycle lengths close enough to the optimal was selected through statistical tests. It was found from the verification test that the best model designs a cycle length as similar pattern to the ones minimizing delay. The cycle lengths from the proposed model are comparable to the ones from TRANSYT-7F.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.93-99
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• 2002

Purpose : We intended to decrease late CNS reaction after radical radiotherapy for an intracranial germinoma by using combined neoadjuvant chemotherapy and involved-field radiotherapy. The efficacy in terms of its acute toxicity and short-term relapse patterns was analyzed. Materials and Methods : Eighteen patients were treated with combined neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy between 1995 and 2001. The chemotherapy regimen used was the Children's Cancer Group (CCG) 9921A (cisplatin, cyclophosphamide, VP-16, vincristine) for 5 patients younger than 16 years, BEP (bleomycin, VP-16, cisplatin) for 12 patients, and EP (VP-16, cisplatin) for 1 patient. The radiotherapy covered the whole craniospinal axis for 5 patients, the whole brain for 1, and the partial brain (involved field) for 12. the primary lesion received tumour doses between 3,960 and 5,400 cGy. Results : The male to female ratio was 16:2 and the median age was 16 years old. The tumors were located in the pineal gland in 12 patients, in the suprasellar region in 1, in the basal ganglia In 1, in the thalamus in 1. Three patients had multiple lesions and ventricular seedings were shown at MRI. In 3 patients, tumor cells were detected in the cerebrospinal fluid and MRI detected a spinal seeding in 2 patients. The response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy was complete remission in 5 patients, partial remission in 12, and no response in 1. However, after radiotherapy, all except 1 patient experienced complete remission. The toxicity during or after chemotherapy greater than or equal to grade III was remarkable; hematologic toxicity was observed in 11 patients, liver toxicity in none, kidney toxicity in none, and gastrointestinal toxicity in one. One patient suffered from bleomycin-induced pneumonitis. Radiotherapy was therefore stopped and the patient eventually died of respiratory failure. The other 17 are alive without any evidence of disease or relapse during an average of 20 months follow-up. Conclusion : A high response rate and disease control was experienced, which was the same as observed other studies and the morbidity from chemotherapy-induced toxicity was similar. With these results, the results from adjuvant chemotherapy and involved-field radiotherapy cannot be concluded to be equal to those from extended-field radiotherapy. The long term follow-up study on later complications are required in order to draw definite conclusions on the optimal management with minimum side effects.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.225-231
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• 1997

Purpose : Radiation therapy in combination with surgery has an important role in the therapy of the head and neck cancer We conducted a prospective study for patients with head and neck cancer treated with surgery and radiation to evaluate the effect of therapies on the thyroid gland, and to identify the factors that might influence the development of hypothyroidism. Materials and Methods : From September 1986 through December 1994, 71 patients with head and cancer treated with surgery and radiation were included in this prospective study. Patients' age ranged from 32 to 73 years with a median age of 58 years. There were 12 women and 59 men. The primary tumor sites were larynx in 34 patients, hypopharynx in 13 patients, oral cavity in 12 patients, unknown primary of the neck in 6 patients, salivary gland in 3 patients, maxillary sinus in 2 patients, and oropharynx in 1 patient. Total laryngectomy with neck dissection was carried out in 45 patients and neck dissection alone in 26 patients. All patients were serially monitored for thyroid function (T3, T4, free T4, TSH, antithyroglobulin antibody and antimicrosomal antibody) before and after radiation therapy. Radiation dose to the thyroid gland ranged from 40.6Gy to 60Gy with a median dose of 50Gy The follow-up duration was 3 to 80 months. Results :The overall incidence of hypothyroidism was 56.3\%$);7 out of 71 patients $(9.9\%)$ developed clinical hypothyroidism and 33 patients $(46.4\%)$ developed subclinical hypothyroidism. No thyroid nodules, thyroid cancers, or hyperthyroidism was detected. Hypothyroidism developed earlier in patients who underwent total laryngectomy with neck dissection than in patients with neck dissection alone (P<0.05). The risk factor that significantly influenced the incidence of hypothyroidism was a combination of surgery (total laryngectomy with neck dissection) and radiation therapy (P=0.0000), Four of 26 patients $(15.4\%)$ with neck dissection alone developed hypothyroidism while 36 of 45 patients $(80\%)$ with laryngectomy and neck dissection developed hypothyroidism. Conclusion : The hypothyroidism following surgery and radiation therapy was a relatively common complication. The factor that significantly influenced theincidence of hypothyroidism was combination of surgery and radiation therapy. Evaluation of thyroid function before and after radiation therapy with periodic thyroid function tests is recommended for an early detection of hypothyroidism and thyroid hormone replacement therapy is recommended whenever hypothyroidism develops.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.271-278
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• 1995

The objective of the present study was to investigate the inhibitory effect of physiologically pulsatile pattern of testosterone(T) on luteinizing hormone(LH) in wethers. To do this, 3 separate experiments were conducted. Infusion rates and patterns needed to produce normal T secretory profiles found in intact rams were established in Experiment 1, the time-course of the suppressive effect of T on circulating LH concentrations was determined in Experiment 2, and the effectiveness of a pulsatile versus a constant pattern of T to suppress LH secretion in wethers was compared in Experiment 3. In Experiment 1, three different doses(25, 50 or $100{\mu}g$) of T were injected intravenously to animals to do pharmacokinetic analysis of T. Elimination rate constant, volume of distribution, and total body clearance of T averaged $0.18min^{-1}$, 0.531/kg BW, and 0.091/min/ kg BW, respectively. In Experiment 2, three different doses(192,384, or $768{\mu}g/kg/24h$) of T were infused at 4h intervals for 3 days into animals to evaluate the time course of the inhibitory effect of T on mean LH concentration. As duration of T infusion increased, mean LH concentrations gradually reduced. Mean LH concentrations were significantly lower at day 2 or day 3 than at day 0. However, mean LH concentrations did not differ between day 0 and day 1 or between day 2 and day 3. In Experiment 3, animals were subjected to two different intravenous infusion regimens for 3 days: constant T($768{\mu}g/kg/24h$) and pulsatile(one pulse every 4h) T($768{\mu}g/kg24h$). Blood samples were collected at 10-min intervals for 4h both prior to infusion and during the last 4h of the infusion. Mean LH was more suppressed(p=0.045) by constant T than by pulsatile T. LH pulse amplitude was not affected by constant T or pulsatile T. LH interpulse interval was increased more(p=0.034) by constant T than pulsatile T.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.19-31
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• 2013

To figure out the decay characteristics of naturally occurring radionuclides, eight sampled groundwaters from a monitoring borehole having high levels of uranium and radon concentrations in a two mica granitic area have analyzed by liquid scintillation counters (LSC) for over 1 year. In December 2011, three groundwater samples (DJ1, DJ2, DJ3) were obtained from each aquifer system located at -20 m, -40 m, -60 m of the monitoring borehole below the ground surface, respectively. Five samples (DJ4, DJ5, DJ6, DJ7, DJ8) were additionally gained from each aquifer positioned -20 m, -40 m, -60 m, -100 m, -105 m of the borehole in February 2012, respectively. Temporal variation characteristics of uranium and radon concentrations have showed over maximum 2.1 times and 1.4 times fluctuations of the values in the same sampling intervals over time, respectively. The intervals of -40 m and -105 m in the borehole have the highest values of uranium and radon concentrations, respectively. This may imply that the concentrations of naturally occurring radionuclides such as uranium and radon in groundwater have been changed over time and indicate that the qualities of groundwaters from the aquifers developed at each interval in the borehole are different each other. This discrepancy, moreover, could be caused by behaviour differences between uranium which is in ionic status having a half life of 4.6 billion years and is transported along with the flowing groundwater, and radon which is in gaseous status having a 3.82 day's half life in the aquifer systems. Physicochemical characteristics of groundwaters from the aquifer systems could be identified by the results of the on-situ measuring items such as pH and Eh, and the major ionic contents. The CPM values of eight groundwater samples analysed by LSC over one year have shown not to follow the theoretical decay curve of the radon. The CPM values of the samples have ranged from 2 to 7.5 after it had passed two months when the theoretical CPM values of the radon started zero since the initial analysis. Alpha and beta particle spectrums have shown the peaks of radium-226, however they have not revealed any peaks of radon and it's daughter products such as polonium-218 and 214, bismuth-214 for the late stage of the analysis. This implies that the groundwater from the borehole may contain radium-226 having a half life of 1,600 years which decays continuously.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.76-83
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• 2013

Previous studies about effect of respiratory motion on diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy have been performed by monitoring external motions but these can not reflect internal organ motion well. The aim of this study was to develope the artificial pulmonary nodule able to perform non-invasive implantation to dogs in the thorax and to evaluate applicability of the model to respiratory motion studies on PET image acquisition and radiation delivery by phantom studies. Artificial pulmonary nodule was developed on the basis of 8 Fr disposable gastric feeding tube. Four anesthetized dogs underwent implantation of the models via trachea and implanted locations of the models were confirmed by fluoroscopic images. Artificial pulmonary nodule models for PET injected $^{18}F$-FDG and mounted on the respiratory motion phantom. PET images of those acquired under static, 10-rpm- and 15-rpm-longitudinal round motion status. Artificial pulmonary nodule models for radiation delivery inserted glass dosemeter and mounted on the respiratory motion phantom. Radiation delivery was performed at 1 Gy under static, 10-rpm- and 15-rpm-longitudinal round motion status. Fluoroscpic images showed that all models implanted in the proximal caudal bronchiole and location of models changed as respiratory cycle. Artificial pulmonary nodule model showed motion artifact as respiratory motion on PET images. SNR of respiratory gated images was 7.21. which was decreased when compared with that of reference images 10.15. However, counts of respiratory images on profiles showed similar pattern with those of reference images when compared with those of static images, and it is assured that reconstruction of images using by respiratory gating improved image quality. Delivery dose to glass dosemeter inserted in the models were same under static and 10-rpm-longitudinal motion status with 0.91 Gy, but dose delivered under 15-rpm-longitudinal motion status was decreased with 0.90 Gy. Mild decrease of delivered radiation dose confirmed by electrometer. The model implanted in the proximal caudal bronchiole with high feasibility and reflected pulmonary internal motion on fluoroscopic images. Motion artifact could show on PET images and respiratory motion resulted in mild blurring during radiation delivery. So, the artificial pulmonary nodule model will be useful tools for study about evaluation of motion on diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy using laboratory animals.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.35-41
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• 2006

Purpose: A various find of radiotherapy treatment plans have been made to determine appropriate doses for breasts, chest walls and loco-regional lymphatics in the radiotherapy of breast cancers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the optimum radiotherapy plan technique method by analyzing dose distributions qualitatively and quantitatively. Materials and Methods: To evaluate the optimum breast cancer radiotherapy plan technique, the traditional method(two dimensional method) and computed tomography image are adopted to get breast volume, and they are compared with the three-dimensional conformal radiography (3DCRT) and the intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). For this, the regions of interest (ROI) such as breasts, chest walls, loco-regional lymphatics and lungs were marked on the humanoid phantom, and the computed tomography(Volume, Siemens, USA) was conducted. Using the computed tomography image obtained, radiotherapy treatment plans (XiO 5.2.1, FOCUS, USA) were made and compared with the traditional methods by applying 3DCRT and IMRT. The comparison and analysis were made by analyzing and conducting radiation dose distribution and dose-volume histogram (DVH) based upon radiotherapy techniques (2D, 3DCRT, IMRT) and point doses for the regions of interest. Again, treatment efficiency was evaluated based upon time-labor. Results: It was found that the case of using 3DCRT plan techniques by getting breast volume is more useful than the traditional methods in terms of tumor delineation, beam direction and confirmation of field boundary. Conclusion: It was possible to present the optimum radiotherapy plan techniques through qualitative and quantitative analyses based upon radiotherapy plan techniques in case of breast cancer radiotherapy. However, further studies are required for the problems with patient setup reproducibility arising from the difficulties of planning target volume (PVT) and breast immobilization in case of three-dimensional radiotherapy planning.