• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.338-343
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• 2004

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a small animal PET using dual layer phoswich detector to minimize parallax error that degrades spatial resolution at the outer part of field-of-view (FOV). Materials and Methods: A simulation tool GATE (Geant4 Application for Tomographic Emission) was used to derive optimal parameters of small PET, and PET was developed employing the parameters. Lutetium Oxyorthosilicate (LSO) and Lutetium-Yttrium Aluminate-Perovskite(LuYAP) was used to construct dual layer phoswitch crystal. $8{\times}8$ arrays of LSO and LuYAP pixels, $2mm{\times}2mm{\times}8mm$ in size, were coupled to a 64-channel position sensitive photomultiplier tube. The system consisted of 16 detector modules arranged to one ring configuration (ring inner diameter 10 cm, FOV of 8 cm). The data from phoswich detector modules were fed into an ADC board in the data acquisition and preprocessing PC via sockets, decoder block, FPGA board, and bus board. These were linked to the master PC that stored the events data on hard disk. Results: In a preliminary test of the system, reconstructed images were obtained by using a pair of detectors and sensitivity and spatial resolution were measured. Spatial resolution was 2.3 mm FWHM and sensitivity was 10.9 $cps/{\mu}Ci$ at the center of FOV. Conclusion: The radioactivity distribution patterns were accurately represented in sinograms and images obtained by PET with a pair of detectors. These preliminary results indicate that it is promising to develop a high performance small animal PET.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.37-41
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• 2016

Purpose The importance of quality control by the error to a minimum, which for the purpose of enhancing the reliability of the examination is not be emphasized excess. Currently, most nuclear medicine laboratory are conducting the internal and external quality control, and they are applying the Levey-Jennings or Westgard Multi-Rules by using the commercialized quality control materials. The reliability of the nuclear medicine blood test which affects the diagnosis of patients and the treatment policy is being secured through this quality control activity. Therefore, researchers will evaluate the utility of the statistic quality control using the population distribution of the nuclear medicine blood test conducted targeting the checkup examinees by the additional technique of the reliability improvement. Materials and Methods A statistic analysis was performed about 12 items of the nuclear medicine blood test targeting 41,341 peoples who used the health screening and promotion center in Asan Medical Center from January, 2014 to December, 2014. The results of 12 items of the nuclear medicine blood test was divided into the monthly percentage of three groups: within reference values, over reference, and under reference to analyze the average value of the population distribution, standard deviation, and standard deviation index (SDI). Results The standard deviation of the population distribution mostly showed a result within ${\pm}2SD$ in all groups. However, When the standard deviation of the population distribution represented a result over ${\pm}2SD$, it was confirmed SDI was showing a result of SDI > -2 or SDI > 2. As a result of analyzing the population distribution of 12 items(AFP, CEA, CA19-9, CA125, PSA, TSH, FT4, Anti-Tg-Ab, Anti-TPO-Ab, Calcitonin, 25-OH-VitD3, Insulin) of the nuclear medicine blood part basic test, when SDI of the monthly percentage which deviated from the reference values was over ${\pm}2.0$, CA19-9 September was 2.2, Anti-Tg-Ab may was 2.2, Insulin January was 2.3, Insulin March was 2.4. It was confirmed these cases were attributed to the abnormality of the test reagent (maximum combination rate of isotope reagent declined) and the decline of the test response time. Conclusion The population distribution includes the entire attribute which becomes the study object. It is expected the statistic quality management using the population distribution which was conducted targeting the checkup examinees by dividing into three groups: within reference values, over reference, and under reference by means of this characteristics will be able to play a role of complementing the internal quality control program which is being carried out in the laboratory.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.71-75
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• 2013

Purpose: Currently, decrement revision using LDCT is used in PET/CT. But cold artifacts are often found in decrement revision image by mismatch between LDCT image and Emission image near diaphragm due to patient's respiration. This research studied reduction of cold artifact by patient's respiration using CTAC Shift among revision methods. Materials and Methods: From March to September in 2012, 30 patients who had cold artifacts by respiration were targeted using PET/CT Discovery 600 (GE Healthcare, MI, USA) equipment. Patients with cold artifacts were additionally scan in diaphragm area, and the image shown cold artifacts at whole body test were revised using CTAC Shift. Cold artifacts including image, additional scan image and CTAC Shift revision image were evaluated as 1~5 points with naked eye by one nuclear medicine expert, 4 radiotechnologists with over 5 year experience. Also, standard uptake value of 3 images was compared using paired t-test. Results: Additional scan image and CTAC Shift revision image received relatively higher score in naked eye evaluation than cold artifacts including image. The additional scan image and CTAC Shift revision image had high correlation as the results of ANOVA test of standard uptake value and did not show significant difference. Conclusion: When cold artifacts are appeared by patient's respiration at PET/CT, it causes not only patient inconvenience but troubles in test schedule due to extra radiation exposure and time consumption by additional scan. But if CTAC Shift revision image can be acquired with out additional scan, it is considered to be helped in exact diagnosis without unnecessary extra radiation exposure and additional scan.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.159-166
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• 2007

Objective: To investigate whether semen parameters in infertile couples who undergone intrauterine insemination (IUI) change in the subsequent IUI cycle and the subsequent in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle. Methods: Fifty-three infertile couples who had failed to become pregnant after the first IUI cycle with computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) were included. After the first IUI, thirty-eight couples underwent the second IUI (Group 1), and fifteen underwent IVF-ET procedure (Group 2). All semen parameters including semen volume, concentration, motility and total motile sperm count were analyzed in the second IUI or IVF-ET procedure for comparison with the result of first IUI. Results: There were no significant differences in husband age, interval between the first and second procedure and cause of infertility. In Group 1, only sperm motility at the time of the latter IUI was significantly decreased when compared to the former IUI irrespective of the first semen parameters. In Group 2, sperm concentration, motility and total motile sperm count at the time of subsequent IVF were lower than the former IUI. By sub-analyses of Group 2, in the group of optimal semen parameter at IUI cycle, sperm concentration and total motile sperm count at the time of subsequent IVF were lower than the former IUI, while in the group of suboptimal semen parameter at IUI cycle, only sperm motility at the time of subsequent IVF were lower than the former IUI. Conclusion: The semen parameters in couples converted to IVF cycle were more adversely affected than those remained in IUI cycle. Further study on psychological stress should be necessary to explain the reason.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.160-175
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• 1991

The purpose of this study is to investigate the parental marital relationships and the parent-child relationships of child psychiatric parents and its control group. This study was carried out two questionnaire instruments ; The marital satisfaction inventory(MSI) and the dyadic adjustment scale(DAS). The subjects are parents of the child psychiatric patients. A matched control group and parents of child psychiatric parents in Seoul area which were collected from July 1987 to September 1987, and classified into five subgroups : 1 Psychiatric disorder 2) Neurotic disorder 3) Tic disorder 4) Autistic disorder 5) Mental retardation. The results are as following ; 1) M.S.I scale scores of parents of patients group are lower than that of control group. 2) D.A.S scale score of parents of patients group is significantly lower than that of the control group(P<0.01). 3) The global distress scale(GDS) of the M.S.I. was most positively correlated with affective communication(AFC) and problem-sloving communication(PSC). 4) Female shoed more modern concept of role identification than male but tend to have heavier role assignment especially in child rearing practices which could be characterized by maternal domination. 5) Affective communication and sexual relationship between married couple and child rearing practices are influenced by their own family history of distress. 6) The marital global distress scale(GDS) score was highest in the parents of psychosis, the next in the parents of neurosis, autism, mental retardation, and tic disorder in descending order of severity. 7) The dyadic maladjustment score was highest in the parents of psychosis, the next in the parents of neurosis, tic, autism and mental retardation in descending order of severity. 8) Conflict in child rearing and parenting problems were particularly prominent in parents of the tic patients, and their marital relationship was not significantly disturbed. The above finding suggested that couple adjustment and marital dissatisfaction were closely related with child rearing problems and the children's disorder. So marital dissatisfaction and marital maladjustment seem to play a significant role in the genesis of psychosis and neurosis not much in autism and mental retardation.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.192-217
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• 2001

Object：This study was carried out to classify adolescents in runaway shelters by evaluating their psychopathology. And the ultimate purpose is to offer basic data for preventing adolescents‘ runaway and for diversifying runaway shelters suitable for the problem of individual adolescent. Method：128 adolescents who stay in the runaway shelters were asked to complete self-report qeustionnaires including basic sociodemographic data, Child Behavior Check List(CBCL), Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory(MMPI), and Symptom Check List-90-Revised(SCL-90-R). Korean Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale(K-WAIS)[or Korean Educational Developmental Institute-Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children(KEDI-WISC)] and Bender-Gestalt test(BGT) were also done by clinical psychologists. Results：The most common age of the subjects were 15-year-old, and they dropped out their schools in the middle school most commonly. Mostly they were from middle class family and their parents' educational level were high school graduates. The first runaway episode was most common in the middleschool period, and their runaways were repeated. The most common frequency of runaways were more than 10 times. About 10% of them abused drugs and about 80% of them abused alcohol. One third of them had experiences of illegal problems and 10% of them engaged in sexual activity for money. 95 adolescents(83%) in CBCL, 42 adolescents(36%) in SCL-90-R, and 70 adolescents(69.3%) in MMPI showed clinical significance. In intelligence test, 22 adolescents(22%) were mentally retarded. In BGT, 35 adolescents(39.4%) manifested brain dysfunction signs. Conclusion：Runaway adolescents in the shelters have variable and severe psychopathology. Their psychopathology is classified as follows；The behavior disorder group, the mood disorder group with anxiety/depression, the somatic disorder group with somatic symptoms, and the psychosis group with possibility of severe psychopathology. Therefore it is very important to evaluate psychiatric problems of runaway adolescents, and specific therapeutic interventions according to their problems are required.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.216-222
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was performed to identify the symptoms and care needs of home-based cancer patients in Korea and to add to the scarce literature on this topic. Methods: Data were collected from patients who subscribed to home-based cancer care services in Jinju. Assessments were performed by nurses at the local public health center. The Edmonton Symptom Assessment System with a numeric rating scale (NRS) was used to identify symptoms, and a four-point Likert scale was used to assess psychological, social, and spiritual needs. Results: Cross-sectional data were collected in October 2013. A total of 209 patients participated and their median age was 65 years (range, 17~89 years). Most patients were diagnosed in the early stage of cancer (n=188); only 19 patients were diagnosed in the advanced stage. More than half the patients lived alone (n=115, 55.0%) and took care of themselves (n=128, 61.2%). Anorexia and fatigue were the most common symptoms (median NRS, 5 and 4, respectively). Patients needed economic support the most, whereas spiritual care was least needed (n=138 [67.3%] vs. n=128 [62.1%], respectively). Conclusion: Patients who signed up for home-based cancer care services in Jinju are struggling with a financial issue and physical symptoms. A customized approach is needed to improve the quality of the home-based care services.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.484-492
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• 2014

We quantified the effects of the composition and concentration of fertilizer solutions on the growth and nutrient uptake of 'Maehyang' strawberry at the vegetative growth stage. Acid fertilizer (AF), neutral fertilizer (NF), and basic fertilizer (BF) with concentrations of 100 or $200mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ based on N, were formulated and applied during the 100 days after transplanting, at which point crop growth and tissue nutrient contents were analyzed. The soil solutions were sampled every two weeks to measure the pH, EC and nutrient concentrations. BF was a more effective fertilizer compared to AF and NF for growth of 'Maehyang' strawberry when fertilizer concentrations were controlled to $100mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$. By contrast, the fresh and dry weights were greatest in the NF treatment when fertilizer concentrations were controlled to $200mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$. The tissue contents of N, P, and Na were 2.20, 0.51 and 0.10%, respectively, in the NF 200 treatment, and these were the highest among all treatments tested. The highest contents of K, Ca and Mg were 2.60% in AF 200, 0.95% in BF 200 and 0.45% in BF 100, respectively. During the fertilization period, the highest and lowest pHs were 6.13 in BF 100 and 4.92 in AF 200. The lowest EC was $1.376dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ in BF 100 and the highest was $4.936dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ in NF 200 treatments. The highest $NH_4{^+}$ concentrations in the soil solution occurred during the AF 200 treatment, followed by those with NF 200 and AF 100. When fertilizer concentrations were equal, AF treatment gave rise to the highest $Ca^{+2}$ and $Mg^{+2}$ concentrations, followed by NF and BF, until day 84 of fertilization. The BF treatments had the highest $NO_3{^-}$ concentrations followed by NF and AF. The trends for $PO_4^{-3}$ concentrations were similar in all fertilizer treatments when the fertilizer concentrations were equal. The above results indicate that neutral and basic fertilizers were most effective to promote 'Maehyang' strawberry growth when fertilizer solutions were controlled to low or high concentrations, respectively. These findings are useful for planning fertilization programs for vegetative propagation of 'Maehyang' strawberry.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.46-52
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• 1997

Urinary tract infection (UTI) in children has been known to be a cause of renal damage, leading to scar formation, hypertension and renal failure. And vesico-ureteral reflex (VUR), frequently accompanying UTI in young children, has been incriminated as the main factor causing scar formation. This retrospective study has been undertaken to see the relationship among UTI, VUR and renal scar formation. Study population consisted of 291 children (boy 134, girl 42) with UTI, who have been admitted to the Pediatric Department of Kyungpook University Hospital during 6 1/2 year period from January 1990 to June 1996. VUR was diagnosed by VCUG and renal scar by ultrasonogram, DMSA scan (or DMSA SPECT) and IVP. The following result were obtained. Sexual difference showed male predominance (male to female, 134:42) below 1 year of age, and female predominance (male to female, 11:35) over 5 years of age were rioted. VUR has been found in 64 children (22%) and the degree of reflux, classfied by the method proposed by 'International Reflux Study in Children', were as follows ; Grade I : 4.0%, Grade II : 3.0%, Grade III : 2.7%, Grade IV : 5.8% and Grade V : 6.2%. There was no sexual difference E.coli was the most predominant infecting agent occurring in 167 children (57%), and end-stage renal failure was diagnosed at the time of first admission in 5 children with Grade V VUR. Renal scar has been noted in 49 out of 582 kidneys (8.4%), and the incidence of scar foramation according to the degree of VUR were as follow ; Grade 0 (No reflux) : 1.2%, Grade I : 6.7%, Grade II 27.3%, Grade III 29.4%, Grade IV : 57.1%, and Grade V : 100%. In summary, present study shows that renal scar formation in UTI has close correlation with the severity of VUR occurring more frequently in severe reflux, so that early diagnosis and proper treatment of UTI and VUR is of paramount importance in preventing renal damage in children with UTI.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.6 no.3 s.21
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• pp.1-7
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• 2004

Roads, like bikeways, parkways and walks, are to be just capable of supporting light traffic and traveling public, but they are required to be human friendly and environmental-oriented. Lately soil-solidifier mixture, a kind of soil-cement, has developed and has been applied to the recycling and environment-oriented pavement as the surfacing material. Soil-solidifier pavement structure has been designed by only experience. To design this pavement mechanically, it is necessary to find out basic engineering properties of soil-solidifier mixture. This study focuses on finding out mechanical characteristics of the mixture according to mixture proportions and aging. Test molds with various mixture proportions are made, and then unconfined strength tests are performed for test molds with aging of the mixture. As the result of this study, it is found that the strength of the mixture increases with amount of cement and that maximum strength is achieved at 6%$\sim$8% of the ratio of solidifier and water. The strength increase rapidly until 14 days, after then slowly. After 28 days the strength of the mixture approaches to the constant value. The heat of hydration during curing of the mixture is measured no significantly. It also shows that temperature characteristics of the mixture is similar to that of soil. Since this mixture is mixed with soil and is able to improve engineering problems in pavement due to temperature, this mixture is expected to use effectively in the environment-oriented pavement for light traffic.