• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.355-362
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• 2014

Purpose : When head&neck cancer radiation therapy, thermoplastic mask is applied for patients with fixed. The purpose of this study is to evaluate usefulness of thermoplastic mask for SRS in tomotherapy by conparison with the conventional mask. Materials and Methods : Typical mask(conventional mask, C-mask) and mask for SRS are used to fix body phantom(rando phantom) on the same iso centerline, then simulation is performed. Tomotherapy plan for orbit and salivary glands is made by treatment planning system(TPS). A thick portion and a thin portion located near the treatment target relative to the mask S-mask are defined as region of interest for surface dose dosimetry. Surface dose variation depending on the type of mask was analyzed by measuring the TPS and EBT film. Results : Surface dose variation due to the type of mask from the TPS is showed in orbit and salivary glands 0.65~2.53 Gy, 0.85~1.84 Gy, respectively. In case of EBT film, -0.2~3.46 Gy, 1.04~3.02 Gy. When applied to the S-mask, in TPS and Gafchromic EBT3 film, substrantially 4.26%, 5.82% showed maximum changing trend, respectively. Conclusion : To apply S-mask for tomotherapy, surface dose is changed, but the amount is insignificant and be useful when treatment target is close critical organs because decrease inter and intra fractional variation.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.1-24
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• 1971

In order to elucidate the feasibility to identify the plant species through the photographic tone this study was made. In this study the author made photographs of Juniperus chinensis L., and Populus glandulosa Uyeki, with the panchromatic film using either yellow filter or red filter in different seasons respectively. The author analyzed the value of tone variation at the level of stereoscopic view of the same photographs by using tone scale and Automatic Micro-Photo-Densitometer. The results obtained are summarized as follows: A. Tone scale reading 1. The tone of Populus glandulosa Uyeki was darker than that of Juniperus chinensis L. in a photograph. 2. Regardless of the tree species, tone of photographs obtained with yellow filter was darker than that with red filter. 3. Along the progresses of seasons, the photographic tone was changed. That is, from the spring to the summer it showed darker and than, from the summer to winter it changed lighter. 4. During winter and spring the discrimination between the both species of trees can be easily made by stereoscopic view whether there are leaves on the tree or not rather than by tone observation. 5. Regardless of tree species, variation of tone due to the age was noticed. The older trees have darker tone than the younger one. 6. It is recognized that the yearly difference depends on insolation quantities. 7. The highest reflex light-waves were in between $600m{\mu}$ and $660m{\mu}$ for both species of trees. B. Density reading 1. For the density reading, there was the same tendency as in tone scale reading. 2. The changes of peaks of the scanning curves with Populus glandulosa Uyeki is smoother and takes place in lower position than with Juniperus chinensis L. 3. The scanning curves on the 20th May was smoothest, and change of peaks increased gradually according to the season progresses. 4. In relation to the types of filter the photographs with yellow filter showed less changes of peaks then that with red filter.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.31 no.6D
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• pp.771-778
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• 2011

Preliminary feasibility study on Busan metro line #1 in Yangsan line (Nopo-Bukjeong) depending on active volume of mass transportation between Yangsan city and Busan city was conducted. As the study concluded that it's valid, the necessity to establish the metro railroad network connecting to Busan, Ulsan and Gyeongnam Province is demanded to improve the transportation issues in Ungsang area vulnerable to metro service and to drive the balanced development between metropolitan cities. In addition, the volume of transportation depending on methods in target areas and road traffic assignment are surveyed to put a stress on the necessity to establish the metro railroad network. As the demand of transportation for alternative lines is predicted, the budget and benefits for construction for each alternative line set for the rough economic analysis depending on traffic volume for each method and traffic assignment results. The total project budget necessary for construction of proposal line #1 set as effective one among target three lines in this project is calculated in 794.32 billion won. Construction accounts for the most expensive in expenses for project and contingency allowances, purchases for vehicles and collateral expense are followed in orders. However, compensation for lands is not counted. In particular, according to economic analysis in proposal #1, ratio of benefit/cost (B/C) is 0.584, net present value (NPV) is -217.47 billion won, the internal rate of return (IRR) is analyzed in 0.604 %. At the current stage, it is not economically feasible, but the B/C is 0.737 in long-term upon construction of Yangsan line between Wolpheong and Yongdang which is proposal line #3. Therefore, when Busan metro basic plan is reorganized to aim the benefit of residents in Ungsang area vulnerable to the metro service, we think it must be necessary to establish the metro railroad network connecting to Busan-Yangsan-Ulsan which is proposal line #2 by extending the existing Sinjeong line and including this task line in high-ranked plan related to metro railroad.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.190-196
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• 2010

Purpose: This study was undertaken to investigate the feasibility of using automated liquid-handling systems equipped with reusable fixed tips in Radioimmunoassays and to demonstrate that the use of an automated pipetting instrument can decrease in the typical daily workload. Materials and Methods: The precisions of the automated pipettor and the manual pipettor were determined gravimetrically (n=30). A total of 30 specimens for HBs Ag were repeatedly pipetted (three replicates) with the automated pipettor and then retested. PSA samples were simultaneously pipetted with either the automated pipettor or the manual pipettor and then analyzed (n=40). Sample carryover test assessed for CA19-9, AFP and HCG when the automated pipettor was used. Pipetting speed of the automated pipettor and the manual pipettor were compared by evaluation of each workload. Results: The precisions coefficients of variation (CV) were 2.1% for the automated pipettor and 1.6% for manual pipettor. The mean cpm and CV for each group of replicates were 41,203 cpm and 3.7% for HBs Ag positive specimens, and 99 cpm and 7.9% for HBs Ag negative specimens, respectively. PSA results showed no significant differences between automated pipettor and manual pipettor (p=0.15, r=0.999). Carryover for CA19-9, AFP and HCG analytes was <0.1 ppm or below the assay limit of detection. Pipetting speed was significantly improved by using the automated instrument. Conclusion: There was no evidence that the use of an automated pipettor adversely affected any of the performance characteristics of the assay. Indeed, routine use of the Tecan automated pipettor has resulted in a decrease in the typical daily workload.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.622-628
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• 2008

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the immunogenicity of the booster immunization with pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in Korean children. Methods : Thirty-nine children aged 12-23 months who visited Kangnam CHA Hospital between September 2006 and December 2006 were enrolled. The children were divided into primary and booster groups depending on their vaccination status for the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. The anti-pneumococcal antibody levels of each serotype included in the vaccine (4, 6B, 9V, 14, 18C, 19F, 23F) were determined by third-generation ELISA. Results : The geometric mean titer (GMT) of antibodies to each pneumococcal serotype in the booster group was higher than in the primary group (P<.05). The percentage of subjects with pneumococcal antibodies ${\geq}0.35{\mu}g/mL$ was 90.5-100% for all serotypes in both the primary and booster groups. The percentage of subjects with pneumococcal antibodies ${\geq}1.0g/mL$ in the booster group was 94.4-100%, which was higher than the primary group except for serotypes 6B and 14 (P<.05). The percentage of subjects with pneumococcal antibodies ${\geq}5.0{\mu}g/mL$ in the booster group was 50.0-94.4% which was higher than the primary group for all serotypes (P<0.05). Conclusion : The immunogenicity of a booster dose of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in Korean children was high and the immunogenicity of a primary series was also relatively high. To determine the feasibility of the introduction of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine and the appropriate schedule for Korean children, further prospective investigation of the immunogenicity of the booster immunization is needed.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.177-187
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• 2012

Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) techniques are widely used in diagnosis of vascular disorders such as hemadostenosis and aneurism. Especially, phase contrast (PC) MRA technique, which is a typical non contrast-enhanced MRA technique, provides not only the anatomy of blood vessels but also flow velocity. In this study, we developed the 2- and 3-dimensional PC MRA pulse sequences for a low magnetic field MRI system. Vessel images were acquired using 2D and 3D PC MRA and the velocities of the blood flow were measured in the superior sagittal sinus, straight sinus and the confluence of the two. The 2D PC MRA provided the good quality of vascular images for large vessels but the poor quality for small ones. Although 3D PC MRA gave more improved visualization of small vessels than 2D PC MRA, the image quality was not enough to be used for diagnosis of the small vessels due to the low SNR and field homogeneity of the low field MRI system. The measured blood velocities were $25.46{\pm}0.73cm/sec$, $24.02{\pm}0.34cm/sec$ and $26.15{\pm}1.50cm/sec$ in the superior sagittal sinus, straight sinus and the confluence of the two, respectively, which showed good agreement with the previous experimental values. Thus, the developed PC MRA technique for low field MRI system is expected to provide the useful velocity information to diagnose the large brain vessels.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.289-297
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• 1999

Purpose: Misonidazole is a radiosensitizer that binds in hypoxic cells. The purpose of this study was to find out the feasibility of I-131-Iodomisonidazole (IMISO) for imaging of tumor hypoxia. Materials and Methods: Tosyl precursor was dissolved in acetonitrile and I-131-NaI was added to synthesize IMISO. Balb/c mice inoculated with CT-26 adenocarcinoma were injected with IMISO. Mice were sacrificed at 1, 2, 4, 24 hr and % of injected dose per gram of tissue (%ID/g) was determined. For scintigraphy and MRI, mouse bearing CT-26 adenocarcinoma was administered with IMISO and imaging was performed 4 hr after. Then, mouse body was fixed and microtomized slice was placed on radiographic film for autoradiography Results: %ID/g of tumor was 1.64 (1h), 0.98 (2h), 0.85 (4h) and 0.20 (24h), respectively. At 24h, %ID/g of tumor was higher than that of all other tissues except thyroid. Tumor to muscle ratio increased with time and tumor to blood ratio also increased with time and reached 1.53 at 24 hr. On autoradiogram, tumor was well visualized as an increased activity in central hypoxic area of the tumor which corresponds to the area of high signal intensity on T2-weighted MR image. On scintigraphy, tumor uptake was visualized. Conclusion: This results suggest that IMISO may have a potential for tumor hypoxia imaging in mouse model. However, further study is needed to improve it's localization in tumor tissue and to achieve acceptable images of tumor hypoxia.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.180-192
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• 2010

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility and usefulness of the waist circumference-to-height ratio (WHTR) in screening for obesity in Korean children and adolescents. Methods: Data, including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and height, were obtained from the national growth surveys for children and adolescents in 2005. The WHTR was calculated dividing WC by height in subjects 2~18 years of age. Overweight and obese were defined by BMI percentiles for age and gender. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to find out the optimal cutoff values of WHTR that matched BMI-determined overweight and obesity using the STATA program. The area under the curve (AUC), a measure of diagnostic power, of WHTR was compared to WC. The influence of age on WHTR was analyzed by the SAS program. Results: The WHTR significantly decreased with age, and had less correlation with age in the 6~18-year-old age group than the 2~5-year-old age group. Furthermore, the WHTR also had less correlation with age than WC in the 6~18-year-old age group. The AUC of WHTR in identifying overweight and obesity was significantly higher than the AUC of WC in the 6~18-year-old age group. The optimal cutoff values were 0.51 in boys and 0.49 in girls for obesity, and 0.48 in boys and 0.47 in girls for overweight, with all having the AUC>0.9. The optimal cutoff values of WHTR had a higher sensitivity for diagnosing obesity than WC${\geq}$90th percentiles. Conclusion: The WHTR is an easy, accurate, and less age-dependent index with high applicability in screening for obesity in children and adolescents.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.72-78
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• 2009

Background: Mediastinal neurogenic tumors are generally benign lesions and they are ideal candidates for performing resection via video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). However, benign neurogenic tumors at the thoracic apex present technical problems for the surgeon because of the limited exposure of the neurovascular structures, and the optimal way to surgically access these tumors is still a matter of debate. This study aims to clarify the feasibility and safety of the VATS approach for performing surgical resection of benign apical neurogenic tumors (ANT). Material and Method: From January 1996 to September 2008, 31 patients with benign ANT (15 males/16 females, mean age: 45 years, range: 8~73), were operated on by various surgical methods: 14 VATS, 10 lateral thoracotomies, 6 cervical or cervicothoracic incisions and 1 median sternotomy. 3 patients had associated von Recklinhausen's disease. The perioperative variables and complications were retrospectively reviewed according to the surgical approaches, and the surgical results of VATS were compared with those of the other invasive surgeries. Result: In the VATS group, the histologic diagnosis was schwannoma in 9 cases, neurofibroma in 4 cases and ganglioneuroma in 1 case, and the median tumor size was 4.3 cm (range: 1.2~7.0 cm). The operation time, amount of chest tube drainage and the postoperative stay in the VATS group were significantly less than that in the other invasive surgical group (p<0.05). No conversion thoracotomy was required. There were 2 cases of Hornor's syndrome and 2 brachial plexus neuropathies in the VATS group; there was 1 case of Honor's syndrome, 1 brachial plexus neuropathy, 1 vocal cord palsy and 2 non-neurologic complications in the invasive surgical group, and all the complications developed postoperatively. The operative method was an independent predictor for postoperative neuropathies in the VATS group (that is, non-enucleation of the tumor) (p=0.029). Conclusion: The VATS approach for treating benign ANT is a less invasive, safe and feasible method. Enucleation of the tumor during the VATS procedure may be an important technique to decrease the postoperative neurological complications.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.229-234
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• 2013

Coal ash can be added to agricultural soils to increase the chemical properties of soil such as pH, cation exchange capacity and nutrient availability of - B, Ca, Mo etc-. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of fly ash as a soil amendment in paddy soils. Selected fly ash was mixed with bentonite and calcium hydroxide at the ratio of 80:15:5 (w/w) and manufactured as a pellet type at the size of 10 mm. Field experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of fly ash fertilizer on the soil quality and crop growth compare to the control (no fertilizer) and, - traditional fertilizer. Results showed that soil pH and organic matter in paddy soils after applying the manufactured fly ash fertilizer were not increased compared to the other two treatments. However, the concentration of available phosphate and silicate in paddy soils were higher than those of the control and traditional fertilization. With regard to crop growth, no significant difference was observed between three different treatments. However, the content of protein in the rice grain cultivated with the fly ash fertilizer was higher than in the rice cultivated by other two treatments. Overall, fly ash fertilizer could increase the concentration of available silicate and phosphate in the paddy soil and improve the rice quality. In conclusion, fly ash can be utilized in agricultural soils as soil amendment, especially in the rice paddy soil.