• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.63-72
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• 2011

This study describes the impact of positive sampling artifact caused by a filter-based sampling in the determination of ambient organic carbon (OC). Three different sampling media combinations were employed for this investigation: (1) Quartz filter-alone (Q-alone), (2) quartz filter behind quartz-fiber filter (QBQ), and (3) quartz filter and quartz filter behind Teflon filter (Q-QBT). The measurement of ambient OC was carried out at a semi-urban site near oceanside at the end of November of 2008. It was found that Q-alone sampling configuration resulted in a higher OC than QBQ and Q-QBT by 14% and 28%, respectively due to no correction for positive artifact caused by adsorption of gas-phase OC onto the filter. A lower quantity of OC was collected from the backup quartz filter on QBQ than that from Q-QBT. A possible explanation is that the front quartz filter of QBQ was not fully saturated with gas-phase OC during the sampling period, allowing smaller amount of gas-phase OC to reach the backup quartz filter. The contribution of positive artifact to $PM_{2.5}$ mass was approximately 2.15 ${\mu}g/m^3$ which is equivalent to 6% in terms of Q-QBT sampling configuration. The positive artifact was found to be more dominated during summer than during winter, showing temperature dependence. It was concluded that Q-QBT sampling configuration offers less impact of positive artifact on ambient OC sampling than QBQ in quantification of OC.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.107-113
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• 2017

This study describes (1) the impact of positive sampling artifacts caused by not only a filter-based sampling, but also a denuder-based sampling in the determination of particle-phase organic carbon (POC), (2) the effect of sample flow rate on positive artifacts, and (3) an optimum flow rate that provides a minimized negative sampling artifact for the denuder-based sampling method. To achieve the goals of this study, four different sampling media combinations were employed: (1) Quartz filter-alone (Q-alone), (2) quartz filter behind quartz-fiber filter (QBQ), (3) quartz filter and quartz filter behind Teflon filter (Q-QBT), and (4) quartz filter behind carbon-based denuder (Denuder-Q). The measurement of ambient POC was carried out in an urban area. In addition, to determine gas-phase OC (GOC) removal efficiency of the denuder, a Teflon filter and a quartz filter were deployed upstream and downstream of the denuder, respectively with varying sample flow rates: 5, 10, 20, and 30 LPM. It was found that Q-alone sampling configuration showed a higher POC than QBQ, Q-QBT, and Denuder-Q by 12%, 28%, and 23%, respectively at a sample flow rate of 20 LPM due to no correction for positive artifact caused by adsorption of GOC onto the filter. A lower quantity of GOC was collected from the backup quartz filter on QBQ than that from Q-QBT. This was because GOC was not in equilibrium with that adsorbed on the front quartz filter of QBQ during the sampling period. It is observed that the loss of particle number and mass across the denuder increases with decreasing sample flow rate. The contribution o f positive arti facts to POC decreased with increasing sample flow rate, showing 29%, 25%, and 22% for 10, 20, and 30 LPM, respectively. The 20 LPM turns out to be the optimum sample flow rate for both filter and denuder-based POC sampling.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.35-43
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• 2012

Purpose : PET/CT performed CT-based attenuation correction generates the beam hardening artifact by metallic implant. The attenuation correction causes over or underestimate of the area adjacent to metallic hip prosthetic material and change of $^{18}F$-FDG uptake. Also, the image quality and the diagnosability on genitourinary disease are reduced. Therefore, this study will evaluate the usefulness of MAR (Metal Artifact Reduction) algorithm method to improve the image quality on PET/CT. Materials and Methods : PET/CT was performed by fixing hip prosthesis in SPECT/PET phantom. In PET images with and Without MAR algorithm, the Bright streak, Dark streak, Metal region and Background area that appeared on CT were confirmed, and the change of each SUV (standardized uptake value) was analyzed. Also, in 15 patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty, each MAR algorithm and Without MAR algorithm and non attenuation correction was evaluated. Results : In PET image Without MAR algorithm, SUV of Bright streak region was $0.98{\pm}0.48$ g/ml; Dark streak region was $0.88{\pm}0.02$ g/ml; Metal region was $0.24{\pm}0.16$ g/ml, Background area was $0.91{\pm}0.18$ g/ml. In SUV of PET image with MAR algorithm, Bright streak region was $0.88{\pm}0.49$ g/ml, Dark streak region was $0.63{\pm}0.21$ g/ml, Metal region was $0.06{\pm}0.07$ g/ml, Background was $0.90{\pm}0.02$ g/ml. SUV generally decreased when applying MAR algorithm. In PET image Without MAR algorithm, SUVs of Bright region were higher than those measured in the Background, and it was false positive uptake. But, in PET image with MAR algorithm, SUVs of Bright region were similar to the Background, and false positive uptake disappeared. Conclusion : MAR algorithm could reduce an increase of $^{18}F$-FDG uptake due to attenuation correction in the hip surrounding tissue. However, decrease of SUV in Dark streak region should be considered in the future. Therefore, this study propose that the diagnostic accuracy can be improved in genitourinary diseases adjacent to metallic hip prosthesis, if provided PET images with and Without MAR algorithm, and non attenuation correction images at the same time.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.341-350
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• 2019

Purpose: To determine the MR parameters affecting India ink artifacts on opposed-phase chemical shift magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Materials and Methods: The use of a female Sprague-Dawley rat was approved by our Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Using an iterative decomposition of water and fat with echo asymmetry and least-squares estimation (IDEAL) images, which is a modified Dixon method, axial opposed-phase images of the abdominal cavity were obtained with different MR parameters: series 1, different repetition times (TRs; 400, 2000, and 4000 ms); series 2, different echo times (TEs; 10, 50, and 100 ms); series 3, different field of views (FOVs; 6, 8, 16, and 24 cm); series 4, different echo train lengths (ETLs; 2, 4, and 8); series 5, different bandwidths (25, 50, and 85); and series 6, different slice thicknesses (1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 mm). Artifacts on opposed images obtained with different parameters were compared subjectively by two radiologists. For objective analysis, the thickness of the artifact was measured. Spearman's correlation between altered MR parameters and thicknesses of India ink artifact was obtained via objective analysis. Results: India ink artifact was increasingly apparent using shorter TE, larger FOV and ETL, and thicker slices upon subjective analysis. The objective analysis revealed a strong negative correlation between the thickness of the artifact and TE (r = -0.870, P < 0.01); however, strong positive correlations were found between FOV (r = 0.854, P < 0.01) and slice thickness (r = 0.971, P < 0.01). Conclusion: India ink artifact was thicker with shorter TE, larger FOV, and larger slice thickness.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.555-563
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• 2017

Electrical stimulation through retinal prosthesis elicits both short and long-latency retinal ganglion cell (RGC) spikes. Because the short-latency RGC spike is usually obscured by electrical stimulus artifact, it is very important to isolate spike from stimulus artifact. Previously, we showed that topographic prominence (TP) discriminator based algorithm is valid and useful for artifact subtraction. In this study, we compared the performance of forward backward (FB) filter only vs. TP-adopted FB filter for artifact subtraction. From the extracted retinae of rd1 mice, we recorded RGC spikes with $8{\times}8$ multielectrode array (MEA). The recorded signals were classified into four groups by distances between the stimulation and recording electrodes on MEA (200-400, 400-600, 600-800, $800-1000{\mu}m$). Fifty cathodic phase-$1^{st}$ biphasic current pulses (duration $500{\mu}s$, intensity 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, $60{\mu}A$) were applied at every 1 sec. We compared false positive error and false negative error in FB filter and TP-adopted FB filter. By implementing TP-adopted FB filter, short-latency spike can be detected better regarding sensitivity and specificity for detecting spikes regardless of the strength of stimulus and the distance between stimulus and recording electrodes.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.581-588
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• 2019

MRI is superior when contrasted to help the organization generate artifacts resolution, but also affect the diagnosis and create a image that can not be read. Metal is inserted into the tooth, it is necessary to often be inhibited in imaging by causing the geometric distortion due to the majority and if the difference between the magnetic susceptibility of a ferromagnetic material or paramagnetic reducing them. The purpose of this study is to conduct a metal artefact in accordance with the analysis using a diamagnetic material. The magnetic material include a wire for the orthodontic bracket and a stainless steel was used as a diamagnetic material was used copper, zinc, bismuth. Testing equipment is sequenced using 1.5T, 3T was used was measured using a SE, TSE, GE, EPI. A self-produced phantom material was used for agarose gel (10%) to a uniform signal artifacts causing materials are stainless steel were tested by placing in the center of the phantom and cover inspection of the positive cube diamagnetic material of 10mm each length.After a measurement artefact artifact zone settings area was calculated using the Wand tool After setting the Low Threshold value of 10 in the image obtained by subtracting images, including magnetic material from a pure tool phantom images using Image J. Metal artifacts occur in stainless steel metal artifact reduction was greatest in the image with the bismuth diamagnetic materials of copper and zinc is slightly reduced, but the difference in degree will not greater. The reason for this is thought to be due to hayeotgi offset most of the susceptibility in bismuth diamagnetic susceptibility of most small ferromagnetic. Most came with less artifacts in image of bismuth in both 1.5T and 3T. Sequence-specific artifact reduction was most reduced artifacts from the TSE 1.5T 3T was reduced in the most artifacts from SE. Signal-to-noise ratio was the lowest SNR is low, appears in the implant, the 1.5T was the Implant + Bi Cu and Zn showed similar results to each other. Therefore, the results of artifacts variation of diamagnetic material, magnetic susceptibility (${\chi}$) is the most this shows the reduced aspect lower than the implant artificial metal artifacts criteria in the video using low bismuth susceptibility to low material the more metal artifacts It was found that the decrease. Therefore, based on the study on the increase, the metal artifacts reduction for the whole, as well as dental prosthesis future orthodontic materials in a way that can even reduce the artifact does not appear which has been pointed out as a disadvantage of the solutions of conventional metal artifact It is considered to be material.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.120-128
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• 2017

Acute flank pain from urolithiasis is the most common condition in people visiting emergency rooms. This study is to evaluate the usefulness of color Doppler in detecting ureteral stones in patients without hydronephrosis. We performed ultrasonography and retrospective analysis on 161 patients who were suspected of urinary stones through plain radiography of the kidney, ureter, and bladder examination or urine tests that showed positive signs of hematuria. In ultrasonography, a total of 154 (95.6%) cases from the 161 patients were diagnosed with ureteral stones. In color Doppler, ureteral stones with twinkling artifact (TA) in the absence of hydronephrosis was shown in 18 (85.7%) cases of the 21 patients(p<0.001). The use of color Doppler has a high diagnostic efficacy for the detection of indistinguishable stones, non-dilatational ureteral stones, and middle ureter stones.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.1111-1113
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• 2012

The ER-/PR+ breast tumor may be the result of a false ER negative result. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is a difference in patient and tumor characteristics of the ER-/PR+ phenotype in an Asian setting. A total of 2629 breast cancer patients were categorized on the basis of their age, ethnicity, tumor hormonal receptor phenotype, grade and histological type. There were 1230 (46.8%) ER+/PR+, 306 (11.6%) ER+/PR-, 122 (4.6%) ER-/PR+ and 972 (37%) ER-/PR-. ER-/PR+ tumors were 2.5 times more likely to be younger than 50 years at diagnosis (OR: 2.52; 95% CI: 1.72-3.67). Compared to ER+/PR+ tumors, the ER-/PR+ phenotype was twice more likely to be associated with grade 3 tumors (OR:2.02; 95%CI: 1.00-4.10). In contrast, compared to ER-/PR- tumors, the ER-/PR+ phenotype was 90% less likely to be associated with a grade 3 tumor (OR: 0.12; 95%CI:0.05-0.26), and more likely to have invasive lobular than invasive ductal histology (OR: 3.66; 95%CI: 1.47-9.11). These results show that the ER-/PR+ phenotype occurs in a younger age group and is associated with intermediate histopathological characteristics compared to ER+/PR+ and ER-/PR- tumors. This may imply that it is a distinct entity and not a technical artifact.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.111-121
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• 1996

Fine needle aspiration cytology(FNAC) is preferred because of simplicity, safety, and reliability in the evaluation of patients with thyroid nodule or hyperplasia. However, there are a few limitations such as false-negative or false-positive cases and non-diagnostic material. To evaluate the usefulness of FNAC in thyroid lesions, we reviewed 704 FNAC cases of thyroid nodules from 1988 to 1994 at Soonchunhyang University Hospital. The results are as follows. 1. Among 704 FNAC cases of thyroid gland, 571(81.1%) cases were benign, 12(1.7%) were suspicious, 71(10.1%) were malignancy, and 50(7.1%) were material insufficiency. The cytologic diagnoses of the benign lesions included 168 cases of follicular neoplasm, 139 cases of adenomatous goiter, 162 cases of follicular lesion such as follicular neoplasm or adenomatous goiter, 61 cases of Hashimoto's thyroiditis, 13 cases of subacute thyroiditis, and 28 cases of colloidal nodule or benign nodule. The malignant lesions included 68 cases of papillary carcinona, two medullary carcinomas and a case of metastatic colon cancer. 2. The average number of cytologic smear slides was $4.12{\pm}1.81$ in material insufficiency and $5.63{\pm}1.79$ in diagnostic cases. This difference was statistically significant(p<0.00001). 3. Histological assessment of 150 cases revealed 2 false negative and 1 false positive cases. The false negative cases were a case of marked sclerosis in papillary carcinoma and an occult case of papillary carcinoma. The false positive case resulted from pseudo-ground glass nuclei due to marked dry artifact. 4. Comparison between the FNAC and the histologic diagnosis revealed that FNAC had a sensitivity of 93.5%, a specificity of 99.2%, a false negative rate of 6.6%, a false positive rate of 0.8%, and an overall diagnostic accuracy of 98.0%. Therefore, FNAC of thyroid gland is a very reliable diagnostic method with excellent accuracy rate.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.51-52
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• 2006

A 39-year-old female patient who had undergone a total thyroidectomy for a papillary thyroid carcinoma underwent a whole body scan with I-131. The I-131 scan was performed 72 hours after administering 185 MBq (5 mCi) of an I-131 solution. The anterior image of the head, neck, and upper chest showed multiple areas of increased uptake in the mediastinal area considering of functional metastasis. However, radioactivity was not evident in the image taken after removing her clothes and muffler. The image obtained after placing the muffler on the pallet showed that the radioactivity was still present. It is well known that artifacts on an I-131 scan can be produced by styling hair sputum, drooling during sleep, chewing gum, and paper or a cloth handkerchief that is contaminated with the radioactive iodine from either perspiration or saliva. This activity might be mistaken for a functional metastasis. Therefore, it is essential that an image be obtained after removing the patient's clothes. In this study, artifacts due to a contaminated muffler on the I-131 scan were found. These mimicked a functional metastasis of the mediastinal area in a patient with a papillary thyroid carcinoma.