• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• 제15권1호
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• pp.90-93
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• 2011

Purpose: A Pixelated BSGI gamma camera has features to enhance resolution and sensitivity and minimize the distance between detector and organs by narrow FOV. Therefore, it is known as useful device to examine small organs such as thyroid, parathyroid and gall bladder. In general, when we would like to enlarge the size of images and obtain high resolution images by gamma camera in nuclear medicine study, we use pinhole collimator. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of Pixelated BSGI gamma camera and to compare to it using pinhole collimator in thyroid scan which is a study of typical small organs. Materials and methods: (1) The evaluation of sensitivity and spatial resolution: We measured sensitivity and spatial resolution of Pixelated BSGI with LEHR collimator and Infinia gamma camera with pinhole collimator. The sensitivity was measured by point source sensitivity test recommended by IAEA. We acquired images considering dead time in BSGI gamma camera for 100 seconds and used $^{99m}TcO4-\;400{\mu}Ci$ line source. (2) The evaluation of thyroid phantom: The thyroid phantom was filled with $^{99m}TcO4-$. After set 300 sec or 100 kcts stop conditions, we acquired images from both pixelated BSGI gamma camera and Infinia gamma camera with LEHR collimator. And we performed all thyroid studies in the same way as current AMC's procedure. Results: (1) the result of sensitivity: As a result, the sensitivity and spatial resolution of pixelated BSGI gamma camera were better than Infinia's. The sensitivities of pixelated BSGI and Infinia gamma camera were $290cps/{\mu}Ci$ and $350cps/{\mu}Ci$ respectively. So, the sensitivity of pixelated BSGI was 1.2 times higher than Infinia's (2) the result of thyroid phantom: Consequently, we confirmed that images of Pixelated BSGI gamma camera were more distinguishable between hot and cold spot compared with Infinia gamma camera. Conclusion: A pixelated BSGI gamma camera is able to shorten the acquisition time. Furthermore, the patients are exposed to radiation less than before by reducing amount of radiopharmaceutical doses. Shortening scan time makes images better by minimizing patient's breath and motion. And also, the distance between organ and detector is minimized because detector of pixelated BSGI gamma camera is small and possible to rotate. When patient cannot move at all, it is useful since device is feasible to move itself. However, although a pixelated BSGI gamma camera has these advantages, the effect of dead time occurs over 2000 cts/s since it was produced only for breast scan. So, there were low concentrations in organ. Therefore, we should consider that it needs to take tests to adjust acquisition time and amount of radiopharmaceutical doses in thyroid scan case with a pixelated BSGI gamma camera.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• 제2권4호
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• pp.271-278
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• 2004

This paper shows our experiment is performed to understand the exposure tendency of $^{137}Cs$ according to the height of area and also, to supplement it by considering chemical characters of $^{137}Cs$ exposed to the soil. The samples we use for this experiment are from the general flat area of Yeonggwang county where it has NPPs, the high places of Keumjung & Bulgap mountains, and Naejan mountain where it is quite far from the NPPs. The data from this experiment show that the exposure of $^{137}Cs$ is not harmful since its range is around 252 Bq/kg-dry in most of sampled soils such as from the general flat area, the high place of Keumjung mountain where is 2 km away from the NPPs, the other high place of Bulgap mountain where is about 20 km away from the NPPs, and Naejan mountain where it is far from the NPPs. Not like the general flat area, however, the data show that the higher the area is the more $^{137}Cs$ is exposed. That is, at the top of mountains, the more $^{137}Cs$ is exposed compared to at the bottom area. It is almost $2{\~}6$ times more than the general flat area of Yeonggwang county where it has NPPs. The data also show that the spread of $^{137}Cs$ is deeply related to the geographical(the height of area, rainfall, etc..) factors and chemical factors of soils. As the geographical factors, there are far more chances to be exposed of $^{137}Cs$ at the high area of mountains through the air compared to at lower area and therefore, we can get more high-leveled readings of $^{137}Cs$ at the high area while it is low-leveled ones at the general flat area even if both of them have the same soil conditions. Regarding the chemical factors of soil, it is clarified that the CEC is the key factor. The CEC means the capability of sticking $^{137}Cs$ accumulated into the soil. Hence, the more CEC it has the more high-leveled readings of $^{137}Cs$ we get under the same geographical condition.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• 제34권5호
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• pp.371-379
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes and types of statistical methods used in the Korean Journal of Orthodontics (KJO) and the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics (AJODO) from )999 to 2003. The frequency of use, transitions, assumption check of statistical methods and types of advanced statistical methods were examined from each journal. The study consisted of 247 articles published in the KJO and randomly chosen 50 articles per year which were original articles and used statistical methods T-test, analysis of variance(ANOVA), correlation analysis, nonparametric analysis. regression analysis chi-square test. factor analysis, were the order of statistical methods most frequently used in the KJO, while t-test. ANOVA, nonparametric analysis, correlation analysis, regression analysis, chi-square test. factor analysis. were the order of statistical methods used in the AJODO The changes of statistical methods observed in the KJO were not significant $(X^2=17.4\;p=0.5881)$ but the changes observed in the AJODO was seen to be significant $(x^2=42.4,\;p=0.0397)$ Some of the studies examined had overlooked the assumptions of the statistical methods employed. Data investigation such as outlier should be performed before analysis and alternative statistical approaches are applied for a small sample size. Types of advanced statistical methods were factor analysis and discriminant analysis in the KJO and Intention-To-Treat (ITT) analysis in clinical trials through multi-center, survival analysis and Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) in the AJODO. Appropriate analysis approaches and interpretations should be applied for the correlated and repeated measurements of the orthodontic data set.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• 제109권3호
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• pp.259-270
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• 2020

Extreme weather events, such as heat and drought, have occurred frequently over the past two decades. This has led to continuous reports of cases of forest damage due to physiological stress, not pest damage. In 2014, pine trees were collectively damaged in the forest genetic resources reserve of Sogwang-ri, Uljin, South Korea. An investigation was launched to determine the causes of the dieback, so that a forest management plan could be prepared to deal with the current dieback, and to prevent future damage. This study aimedto 1) understand the topographic and structural characteristics of the area which experienced pine tree dieback, 2) identify the main causes of the dieback, and 3) predict future risk areas through the use of machine-learning techniques. A model for identifying risk areas was developed using 14 explanatory variables, including location, elevation, slope, and age class. When three machine-learning techniques-Decision Tree, Random Forest (RF), and Support Vector Machine (SVM) were applied to the model, RF and SVM showed higher predictability scores, with accuracies over 93%. Our analysis of the variable set showed that the topographical areas most vulnerable to pine dieback were those with high altitudes, high daily solar radiation, and limited water availability. We also found that, when it came to forest stand characteristics, pine trees with high vertical stand densities (5-15 m high) and higher age classes experienced a higher risk of dieback. The RF and SVM models predicted that 9.5% or 115 ha of the Geumgang Pine Forest are at high risk for pine dieback. Our study suggests the need for further investigation into the vulnerable areas of the Geumgang Pine Forest, and also for climate change adaptive forest management steps to protect those areas which remain undamaged.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• 제43권5호
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• pp.604-617
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• 2022

Sea surface temperature (SST) is a key variable that can be used to understand ocean-atmosphere phenomena and predict climate change. Satellite microwave remote sensing enables the measurement of SST despite the presence of clouds and precipitation in the sensor path. Therefore, considering the high utilization of microwave SST, it is necessary to continuously verify its accuracy and analyze its error characteristics. In this study, the validation of the microwave global precision measurement (GPM)/GPM microwave imager (GMI) SST around the Northwest Pacific and Korean Peninsula was conducted using surface drifter temperature data for approximately eight years from March 2014 to December 2021. The GMI SST showed a bias of 0.09K and an average root mean square error of 0.97K compared to the actual SST, which was slightly higher than that observed in previous studies. In addition, the error characteristics of the GMI SST were related to environmental factors, such as latitude, distance from the coast, sea wind, and water vapor volume. Errors tended to increase in areas close to coastal areas within 300 km of land and in high-latitude areas. In addition, relatively high errors were found in the range of weak wind speeds (<6 m s^-1) during the day and strong wind speeds (>10 m s^-1) at night. Atmospheric water vapor contributed to high SST differences in very low ranges of <30 mm and in very high ranges of >60 mm. These errors are consistent with those observed in previous studies, in which GMI data were less accurate at low SST and were estimated to be due to differences in land and ocean radiation, wind-induced changes in sea surface roughness, and absorption of water vapor into the microwave atmosphere. These results suggest that the characteristics of the GMI SST differences should be clarified for more extensive use of microwave satellite SST calculations in the seas around the Korean Peninsula, including a part of the Northwest Pacific.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.177-180
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• 2010

Purpose: As PET test came to be covered by the pay system of medical insurance (July 1, 2006) and the needs for it becoming increased for laboratory purpose, it became necessary to purchase expensive medical equipments to solve those problems. However, as most of equipments that are operated by cyclotron are very expensive as to amount from tens of millions up to hundreds of millions of won, it is difficult to purchase those equipments from the point of medical organizations. It may be possible to self manufacture those equipments with least costs if their parts functions that meets the operators demands. The Nuclear Medicine department of National Cancer Center (NCC) is trying to manufacture and use equipments that can be made with least costs, including introducing 2 medical equipments that can improves the operator's works. Materials and Methods: Example 1: Self production of radioisotope($^{18}F$) divider was fabricated. The NCC's Nuclear Medicine department acquired one acrylic panel, seven 3-way valve, tubing etc. that can be found in the market to make the main body of divider in cooperation with biomedical engineering, and placed them inside hot cell, and installed switching box outside of hot cell to make it possible to control them from outside. This main body of divider were placed in radioisotope transfer line that are manufactured in the cyclotron. Example 2: Self production of $^{18}F$-FDG automated divider was fabricated. The NCC's Nuclear Medicine department used cavro pump syringe that consists the main body of divider in cooperation with biomedical engineering, biomedical engineering developed programs that divides a certain amount. $^{18}F$-FDG automated divider is placed inside hot cell, and cable chords were used in the equipment, and then it was connected to PC outside hot cell to make it possible to control the $^{18}F$-FDG automated divider. Results: From the NCC's Nuclear Medicine department tests that were carried out from March, 2007 until now, we found out that radioisotope can be sent to radiopharmaceuticals composite module we want, and from the tests that are carried out at NCC's Nuclear Medicine department using $^{18}F$-FDG automated divider since August, 2009 it was possible to distribute radiopharmaceuticals into vial intended. Conclusion: Through the two examples above, we found out that costs can be reduced by self manufacturing expensive equipments from NCC's cyclotron room with least costs. Also, it decreased radiation exposure dose on workers, and set up problem solving processes in cooperation with lots of parties related.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• 제52권4호
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• pp.429-438
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• 2007

Early growth vigor(EGV) is one of the physiological characteristics that may contribute to the increase of genetic yield potential and radiation use efficiency by closing the canopy earlier. To estimate the genotypic variation of EGV, determine the relationships among the related traits, and identify the rapidly growing genotypes and indirect indicator for selection in breeding program, the evaluation of EGV and EGV-related traits was conducted for a total of 140 rice varieties consisting of 101 Korean, 25 Northern China and 14 IRRI-bred rice varieties in a serial sowing experiment in plastic rain shelter and plastic-covered nursery bed in 2003. EGV defined as the amount of leaf area and/or dry weight produced early in the season and the EGV-related traits such as length and breadth of the $2^{nd}\;and\;3^{rd}$ leaves showed highly significant positive correlation with the embryo and seed weight. Especially, the genotypic variation in the length of the third leaf was explained over 90% of genotypic variation in the seed weight. Owing to a large effect of seed size on EGV and its related traits, vigor measurements were adjusted based on their linear or exponential relationships with seed weight for excluding the seed weight effect. EGV and its related-traits adjusted for seed weight also showed big variation among genotypes. Increased EGV was genetically correlated with increases in breadth and length of early leaves. The broad-sense heritability for EGV was significantly high(81%), but lower than those of leaf breadth(90% for the $2^{nd}$ leaf and 93% for the $3^{rd}$ leaf) and length(87% for the $2^{nd}$ leaf and 89% for the $3^{rd}$ leaf). Significantly positive genetic correlations were found between EGV and the breadth and length of early leaves. The high heritability of early leaf breadth and length coupled with their strong genetic correlation with EGV indicated that the breadth and length of the $2^{nd}\;and\;3^{rd}$ leaf would be used as good indirect indicators for EGV selection in rice breeding program.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• 제83권3호
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• pp.669-679
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• 2022

Purpose To evaluate the feasibility of pediatric low-dose facial CT reconstructed with filtered back projection (FBP) using adequate kernels. Materials and Methods We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and imaging data of children aged < 10 years who underwent facial CT at our emergency department. The patients were divided into two groups: low-dose CT (LDCT; Group A, n = 73) with a fixed 80-kVp tube potential and automatic tube current modulation (ATCM) and standard-dose CT (SDCT; Group B, n = 40) with a fixed 120-kVp tube potential and ATCM. All images were reconstructed with FBP using bone and soft tissue kernels in Group A and only bone kernel in Group B. The groups were compared in terms of image noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). Two radiologists subjectively scored the overall image quality of bony and soft tissue structures. The CT dose index volume and dose-length product were recorded. Results Image noise was higher in Group A than in Group B in bone kernel images (p < 0.001). Group A using a soft tissue kernel showed the highest SNR and CNR for all soft tissue structures (all p < 0.001). In the qualitative analysis of bony structures, Group A scores were found to be similar to or higher than Group B scores on comparing bone kernel images. In the qualitative analysis of soft tissue structures, there was no significant difference between Group A using a soft tissue kernel and Group B using a bone kernel with a soft tissue window setting (p > 0.05). Group A showed a 76.9% reduction in radiation dose compared to Group B (3.2 ± 0.2 mGy vs. 13.9 ± 1.5 mGy; p < 0.001). Conclusion The addition of a soft tissue kernel image to conventional CT reconstructed with FBP enables the use of pediatric low-dose facial CT protocol while maintaining image quality.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• 제13권4호
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• pp.495-502
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• 2019

A typical cerebrovascular disease among cerebrovascular diseases is vascular diseases such as cerebral infarction, cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral aneurysm, cerebrovascular stenosis. If the disease occurs and causes cerebral damage, it may be difficult to recover completely. So that, Must continue to perform health care through examination early. In particular, Because most cerebrovascular disease examining use radiation equipment and Thus this study was to find out how to select about the optimal examining method and X-ray dose decrease method among different examining method though comparison and analysis for the entrance surface dose (ESD) on cerebrovascular examining with Trance Femoral Cerebral angiography (TFCA) and Cerebral Computed Tomographic Angiography (CCTA). Also, want to find out how to select about the optimal examining method for worried patient that contrast medium side effect though measuring and evaluating for contrast usage. Data were collected from 70 patients (43 males and 27 females) who underwent CCTA at Yeosoo region hospital from June 2018 to December 2018 and 61 patients (34 males and 27 females) who underwent TFCA at Pyeongtaek region hospital from June 2018 to November 2018. ESD analysis method collected retrospective data though M-view and PACS PLUS program, Used contrast usage measuring method did reality measuring method. In the analysis using SPSS, the ESD of TFCA was $245.74{\pm}71.91$, which was $32.05{\pm}7.74$ lower than the dose of $277.79{\pm}79.65$ of CCTA ESD, and statistically significant at t = 3.249, p = 0.017 (p<0.05). As a result of the comparison of the total amount of contrast agent, the mean contrast agent used in TFCA was $55.05{\pm}17.68ml$, which was about 14.95 smaller than the amount of contrast agent used in CCTA, and statistically significant t = -4.548, p<0.001. In conclusion, the ESD of TFCA was statistically significantly lower than that of CCTA, and also the used contrast usage was significantly tiny than that of CCTA. Therefore, Select the method to increase the utilization of TFCA for cerebral disease examining, we can consider X-ray dose decrease method at the same time as to decrease side effect of contrast medium.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• 제42권2호
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• pp.226-232
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• 2009

Background: Blunt chest trauma accounts for 90% of all chest traumas in Europe and the United States and this causes 20% of all trauma-related deaths. The major cause of morbidity and mortality after blunt chest trauma is undetected injuries. For this reason, chest computerized tomography has gained popularity for the evaluation of trauma, but it is expensive and it exposes patients to radiation. This study identified the clinical features associated with the diagnosic information obtained on a CT chest scan, as compared with a standard chest X-ray, for patients who sustained blunt trauma to the chest. This study also evaluated the role of a routine computed tomographic (CT) scan for these patients. The patients who had chest computed tomography done after the initial chest x-ray were analyzed separately for the presence of occult injuries. Material and Method: We studied 100 consecutive patients from November 2006 to July 2007: 74 patients after motor vehicle crashes and 26 patients after a fall from a height >2m. Simultaneous with the initial clinical evaluation, an anteroposterior chest radiograph and a helical chest CT scan were obtained for all the patients. The data extracted from the medical record included the vital signs, the interventions and the type and severity of injury (RTS). Result: Among the 100 cases, 79 patients showed at least more than one pathologic sign on their chest radiograph, and 21 patients had a normal chest radiograph. For 17 of the patients who had a normal chest X ray, the CT scan showed multiple injuries, which were pneumothorax, hemothorax, lung contusion, sternal fracture etc. This represents that a CT scan is statistically superior to a chest radiograph to diagnose the pathologic signs. But on the other hand, as for treatment, only 31 patients were diagnosed by CT scan and they were treated with chest tube insertion ect. 42 patients needed ony conservative management without invasive thoracosurgical treatment such as chest tube insertion or open thoracotomy. 27 patients were treated based on the diagnosis made by the chest radiograph and physical examination. Conclusion: Chest computerized tomography was significantly more effective than routine chest X-ray for detecting lung contusion, pneumothorax and mediastinal hematoma, as well as fractured ribs, scapula and, sternum. Although the occult findings increased, the number of patients who needed treatment was small. Therefore, we suggest making selective use of a CT scan to avoid its overuse in ERs.