• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.456-463
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• 2008

Purpose: We evaluated the incidence and malignant risk of focal breast lesions incidentally detected by $^{18}F-FDG$ PET/CT. Various PET/CT findings of the breast lesions were also analyzed to improve the differentiation between benign from malignant focal breast lesions. Materials & Methods: The subjects were 3,768 consecutive $^{18}F-FDG$ PET/CT exams performed in adult females without a history of breast cancer. A focal breast lesion was defined as a focal $^{18}F-FDG$ uptake or a focal nodular lesion on CT image irrespective of $^{18}F-FDG$ uptake in the breasts. The maximum SUV and CT pattern of focal breast lesions were evaluated, and were compared with final diagnosis. Results: The incidence of focal breast lesions on PET/CT in adult female subjects was 1.4% (58 lesions in 53 subjects). In finally confirmed 53 lesions of 48 subjects, 11 lesions of 8 subjects (20.8%) were proven to be malignant. When the PET/CT patterns suggesting benignancy (maximum attenuation value>75 HU or <30HU; standard deviation of mean attenuation > 20) were added as diagnostic criteria of PET/CT to differentiate benign from malignant breast lesions along with maximum SUV, the area under ROC curve of PET/CT was significantly increased compared with maximum SUV alone ($0.680{\pm}0.093$ vs. $0.786{\pm}0.076$, p<0.05). Conclusion: The malignant risk of focal breast lesions incidentally found on $^{18}F-FDG$ PET/CT is not low, deserving further diagnostic confirmation. Image interpretation considering both $^{18}F-FDG$ uptake and PET/CT pattern may be helpful to improve the differentiation from malignant and benign focal breast lesion.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.519-528
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• 1998

Background: Diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis is not easy when the sputum smear for Mycobacterium tuberculosis(M. Tb) is negative. We evaluated the clinical utility of polymerase chain reaction(PCR) for detecting M. Tb in bronchoalveolar lavage(BAL) samples. Methods: We recruited 84 patients whose sputum smear for M. Tb were negative or not available due to no production of sputum. We performed bronchoalveolar lavage for acid-fast stain, culture of mycobacteria, and PCR assay of BAL fluid. We analyzed the results of microbiologic examination. Results: The sensitivity of BAL fluid smear, culture, and PCR were 20%, 38%, and 40%, respectively. The specificity of BAL fluid PCR was 95%. The positive predictive value of PCR was 89%. The smear of BAL fluid was positive in 17%. The PCR of BAL fluid was the only diagnostic test in 17%. Therefore, the BAL fluid analysis including smear and PCR was diagnostic in 34 % within 24 hours. The BAL fluid analysis including smear, PCR, and culture was diagnostic in 55% within 2 month. Conclusion: The BAL fluid PCR was valuable method in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in patients whose sputa were not available or reveal negative smear.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.991-1000
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• 1997

Closed thoracostomy with UWSD* which is the most utilized procedure in chest surgery applies general thoracic disorders, trauma and after-thoracic surgery. The University hospital was involved on operating 2341 cases of closed thoracostomy with UWSD except chest tubing after-thoracic surgery for a full six years from January, 1991 to December, 1996. The rate of men and women out of the total 2341 cases was 3.5 : 1, the distribution by age showed that men were 36.6 $\pm21.0$ years old, women were $47.0\pm20.2$ years old and so that the total were 40.0 $\pm$ 20.5 years old. As for indication, spontaneous, secondary and traumatic pneumothorax were the most common, in addition to hemothorax hemopneumothorax, hydrothorax, hydropneumothorax, empyema, chylothorax. The most indwelling period of chest tubing is between eight and fourteen days for 974 cases and the average is 13.7 $\pm$ 6.3 days, The average drainage amount immediately after thoracostomy was 537 $\pm$ 88m1, and in 694 cases(46.0%), the drain amount was 201 ~ 500 ml. The rate of right and left tubing was 52.4 47.6, in 2071 cases(88.5%), the thoracostomy was the first chance and 2210 cases(94.4%) were treated with a single tube drainage. Almost all the patients complained of tube site pain, besides tube site infection, intercostal neuralgia, loss of tube function by the pleural adhesion, intrathoracic infection, incomplete reexpansion of defective lung, hemorrhage caused by the rupture of a blood vessel, subcutaneous emphysema, lung parenchymal rupture, diaphragmatic and intraabdominal trauma, reexpansionary pulmonary edema of one side lung and cellulitis were relapsed. 84.6% of all patients recovered with only clo ed thoracostomy and the rest of patient needed additional some necessary managements and so on to have successful results. There were two deaths(0.1%), caused by reexpansionary pulmonary edema, the cellulitis were complicated by thoracostomy with UWSD on an empyema patients to come to death(due to sepsis). t UWSD = under water seal drainage

• Water for future
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.147-158
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• 1995

The purpose of this study is to establish a method of estimating the daily urban water demand using statistical model. This method will be used for the development of the efficient management and operation of the water supply facilities. The data used were the daily urban water use, the population, the year lapse and the weather conditions such as temperature, precipitation, relative humidity, etc. Kwangju city was selected for the case study area. The raw data used in this study were rearranged either by month or by season for the purpose of analysis, and the statistical analysis was applied to the data to obtain the regression model. As a result, the multiple linear regression model was developed to estimate the daily urban water use based on the seather condition. The regression constant and the model coefficients were determined for each month of a year. The accuracy of the model was within 3% of average error and within 10% of maximum error. The developed model was found to be useful to the practical operation and management of the water supply facilities.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.199-212
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• 2007

If a type IP-2 transport package were to be subjected to a free drop test and a penetration test under the normal conditions of transport, it should prevent a loss or dispersal of the radioactive contents and a more than 20% increase in the maximum radiation level at any external surface of the package. In this paper, we suggested the analytic method to evaluate the structural safety of a type IP-2 transport package using a thick steel plate for a structure part and a bolt for tying a bolt. Using an analysis a loss or dispersal of the radioactive contents and a loss of shielding integrity were confirmed for two kinds of type IP-2 transport packages to transport radioactive waste drums from a waste facility to a temporary storage site in a nuclear power plant. Under the free drop condition the maximum average stress at the bolts and the maximum opening displacement of a lid were compared with the tensile stress of a bolt and the steps in a lid, which were made to avoid a streaming radiation in the shielding path, to evaluate a loss or dispersal of radioactive waste contents. Also a loss of shielding integrity was evaluated using the maximum decrease in a shielding thickness. To verify the impact dynamic analysis for free drop test condition and evaluate experimentally the safety of two kinds of type IP-2 transport packages, free drop tests were conducted with various drop directions. For the tests we examined the failure of bolts and the deformation of flange to evaluate a loss or dispersal of radioactive material and measured the shielding thickness using a ultrasonic thickness gauge to assess a loss of shielding integrity. The strains and accelerations acquired from tests were compared with those by analyses to verify the impact dynamic analysis. The analytic results were larger than the those of test so that the analysis showed the conservative results. Finally, we evaluated the safety of the type IP-2 transport package under the stacking test condition using a finite element analysis. Under the stacking test condition, the maximum Tresca stress of the shielding material was 1/3 of the yielding stress. Two kinds of a type IP-2 transport package were safe for the free drop test condition and the stacking test condition.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.267-274
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• 2008

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between advanced stage endometriosis and polymorphisms in $\alpha$2-Heremans Schmidt glycoprotein (AHSG) gene in Korean women. Methods: One-hundred thirty women with endometriosis stage III and IV, and 224 women without endometriosis were enrolled. In these patients, we determined AHSG gene polymorphisms by PCR and RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism) analysis. Results: The genotype distribution of the AHSG gene polymorphism in the endometriosis group was not different from that of the control group (AHSG 1*1/AHSG 1*2/AHSG 2*2 frequencies were 56.2%/37.7%/6.2% and 55.8%/39.3%/4.9% for the endometriosis and control groups, respectively, p=.864). Also, the frequency of AHSG 2 haplotype was not different between endometriosis patients and controls (AHSG 1 haplotype /AHSG 2 haplotype rates were 75.0%/25.0% and 75.4%/24.6% for the endometriosis and control groups, respectively, p=0.894). Conclusion: AHSG gene polymorphism was not associated with the risk of advanced stage endometriosis in the Korean population.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.208-219
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• 2009

This study is to establish a management method for conservation through comparison and analysis on vegetation structures of Pinus densiflora forest around Beopjusa area for past 17-year. The spatial range of the study was $3.6km^2$ from maintenance office to Beopjusa area. The analysis results of the actual vegetation showed that the ratio of vegetation were composed of 64.7% of Pinus densiflora forest, 3.2% of mixed forest of P. densiflora and deciduous broadleaf trees and 5.9% of deciduous broadleaf tree community out of overall area, 360ha. The type of P. densiflora forest were categorized into four communities; community having high potential of succession, community having low potential of it, the community being in the process of succession and community being in the process of natural selection. The succession tendency was in order of the community having low potential of succession(P. densiflora forest), having high potential of it(P. densiflora forest which is deciduous broadleaf trees are dominating in sub-canopy layer), being in the process of succession(P. densiflora-Prunus sargentii and P. densiflora-Quercus serrata community) and being in the process of natural selection(Q. serrata-P. densiflora and Q. aliena-P. densiflora community). In terms of vegetation management, P. densiflora forest having high potential of succession was needed to remove deciduous broadleaf trees in the sub-canopy layer and the community being in the process of succession was required to be pruning the branch in the canopy layer. Lastly, the community being in the process of natural selection was suggested to let it be in succession, since it is hard to be in the status of P. densiflora Forest.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.60 no.2
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• pp.221-227
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• 2006

Background : Cough may be a consequence of bronchial hyperresponsiveness or inflammation. Empirical treatment is important in this context because it difficult to verify the obvious cause of cough using laboratory tests, Corticosteroid has a nonspecific anti-inflammatory effect, and can be used for cough management. However, its response rate has not yet been fully elucidated. This study investigated the short- term effects of inhaled corticosteroid on chronic cough Methods : Patients with chronic cough with a normal chest radiograph and a pulmonary function test were enrolled. Cases with a prior respiratory infection within 8 weeks, a history of bronchial asthma, objective wheezing on examination, subjective symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux or taking an ACE inhibitor were excluded. On the first visit, a methacholine bronchial provocation test, spontaneous sputum eosinophil count performed twice and a paranasal sinus radiograph were checked, and the patients were treated with budesonide turbuhaler $800{\mu}g/day$ for ten days. The primary outcome measure was a decrease in the cough score after treatment. Results : Sixty nine chronic coughers were finally analyzed. The final diagnoses by the routine tests were as follows: bronchial asthma 13.0%, eosinophilic bronchitis 18.8%, paranasal sinusitis 23.2% and non-diagnostic cases 53.6%. The following responses to the inhaled corticosteroid were observed: definite responders, 76.8%, possible responders, 2.9% and non-responders, 20.3%. The response rate was not affected by the final diagnosis even in the non-diagnostic cases. There were minimal adverse drug related effects during the empirical treatment. Conclusion : Routine objective tests such as methacholine provocation, sputum eosinophil count and simple radiographs were notare not suitable for diagnosing chronic cough Therefore, empirical treatment is important. Short term inhaled corticosteroid is effective and can guide a further treatment plan for chronic cough.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.18-27
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• 2009

The purpose of this study is to understand the scale of temperature change following large-scale urban developments in paddy fields to present possible measures to preserve suburban area paddy fields and to lower the scale of temperature increase after developing paddy fields in urban areas. The study was conducted in Bupyeong and Bucheon of Incheon Metropolitan City. The satellite image($1989{\sim}2000$) before and after the development of old paddy fields were used to analyze the land surface temperature changes according to the land use types. Building coverage, green coverage, non-permeable pavement coverage, and floor area ratio(FAR) were selected as the factors that influence urban temperature changes and the temperature estimation model was constructed by using correlation and regression analyses. The before and after satellite images of Bupyeong and Bucheon were classified into forests, greens and plantations, paddy fields, unused lands, and urban areas. The results indicate that most of the paddy fields that existed in the center of Bupyeong and Bucheon were converted into unused lands which were undergoing construction to become new urban areas. The difference between the surface temperatures of May 17th, 1989 and May 7th, 2000 was analyzed to reveal that most land converted from paddy fields to unused lands or urban areas saw an increase in surface temperature. Han River was used as a comparison to analyze the average surface temperature changes($1989{\sim}2000$) in former paddy fields. The scale of temperature changes were: $+1.6697^{\circ}C$ in urban parks; $+2.5503^{\circ}C$ in residential zones; $+2.9479^{\circ}C$ on public lands, $+3.0385^{\circ}C$ in commercial zones, and $+3.1803^{\circ}C$ in educational zones. The correlation between building coverage, green coverage, non-permeable pavement coverage, or floor area ratio(FAR) and surface temperature increases was also analyzed. The green coverage to temperature increases, but building coverage, non-permeable pavement coverage, and floor area ratio(FAR) had no statistically significant temperature increases. The factors that influence urban temperature changes were set up as independent variables and the surface temperature changes as dependent variables to construct a surface temperature change model for the land use types of former paddy fields. As a result of regression analysis, green coverage was selected as the most significant independent variable. According to regression analysis, if farmland is converted into an urban area, a temperature increase of $+3.889^{\circ}C$ is anticipated with 0% green coverage. The temperature saw a decrease of $-0.43^{\circ}C$ with every 10% increase of green coverage.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.175-183
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• 1995

Background: The incidence of mycoplasmal pneumonia is predominantly at childhood and early adulthood, but in adults, its incidence is low and its symptoms and physical findings are nonspecific. The definite diagnosis of M. pneumoniae pneumonia can be made by sputum culture, but requires several weeks for positive results, and the early diagnosis must initially be based on the serologic tests and appropriate clinical findings. Thus, we evaluated the clinical aspects of M. pneumoniae pneumonia in the adults patients. Method: Among the admitted patients due to pneumonia, the definite diagnosis is anti-M. pneumoniae antibody titer of $\geq$ 1:40 and a single cold agglutinin titer of $\geq$ 1:64. The presumptive diagnosis is anti-M. pneumoniae antibody titer of $\geq$ 1:40 or a single cold agglutinin titer of $\geq$ 1:64 and the clinical characteristics or chest X-ray findings are compatible with M. pneumoniae pneumonia. We studied the age and sex distribution, seasonal distribution, clinical symptoms, physical findings, serologic test, chest X-ray findings, treatment and its progression. Results: 1) The age distribution was even and the ratio of male to female was 1:1. 2) The monthly distribution was most common in January(16.7%) and the seasonal distribution in autumn and winter(autumn: 30%, winter: 33.3%). 3) The cold agglutinin titers were higher than 1:64 in 12 cases(40%), and reached the peak level around 2 weeks from onset and antimycoplasma antibody titers were higher than 1:160 in 5 cases(16.7%). 4) On the chest X-ray, pulmonary infiltration was noted in 28 cases(93.3%) among 30 cases and right lower lobe involvement was the most common(33.3%) and both lower lobe involvement was noted in 7 cases(23.3%). 5) The mean treatment duration was most common(33.3%) in 1 week to 2 weeks after admission and 26 cases(86.7%) were improved within 4 weeks. 6) On admission, there was fever(${\geq}38.9^{\circ}C$) in 17 cases(56.7%), and the fever subsided in 12 cases(70%) within 3 days after treatment using erythromycin. Conclusion: The mycoplasmal pneumonia in adults shows milder clinical patterns than that in childhood and can be completely recovered without complication by early diagnosis and treatment.