• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.307-312
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• 2021

In nuclear medicine, radioactive isotope tracers are administered to the human body to obtain and evaluate disease morphological information and biological function information. Dose calibrator is a device used to measure the radioactivity of a single nuclide in medical institutions. Administration of the correct dose to the human body acts as an important factor in diagnosis and treatment, and measurement through a dose calibrator before administration is the most important factor. Dose calibrator performs daily quality control after installation in each medical institution. Quality control is a means of guaranteeing quality control after installation, and is essential for improving the quality of treatment and promoting patient safety. Therefore, accurate and standardized performance evaluation methods should be established. In this study, 3D printing was used for quantitative evaluation of quality control by increasing the accuracy and standardization of quality control. When the 3D printer was installed and reproducibility was tested, the error range of the expected value and reading value decreased by 0.302% in the F-18 nuclide and 0.09% in the ^99mTc-pertechnate nuclide than when the 3D printer was installed. The error rate for other nuclides was also found to have a low error rate for reproducibility tests when 3D printing was installed.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.65 no.1
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• pp.96-106
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• 2022

Objective : The most common complication of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is cage subsidence and maintenance of disc height affects postoperative clinical outcomes. We considered cage subsidence as an inappropriate indicator for evaluating preservation of disc height. Thus, this study aimed to consider patients with complications such as reduced total disc height compared to that before surgery and evaluate the relevance of several factors before ACDF. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 40 patients who underwent stand-alone single-level ACDF using a polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cage at our institution between January 2012 and December 2018. Our study population comprised 19 male and 21 female patients aged 24-70 years. The minimum follow-up period was 1 year. Twenty-seven patients had preoperative bone mineral density (BMD) data on dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Clinical parameters included sex, age, body mass index, smoking history, and prior medical history. Radiologic parameters included the C2-7 cobb angle, segmental angle, sagittal vertical axis, disc height, and total intervertebral height (TIH) at the preoperative and postoperative periods. Cage decrement was defined as the reduction in TIH at the 6-month follow-up compared to preoperative TIH. To evaluate the bone quality, Hounsfield unit (HU) value was calculated in the axial and sagittal images of conventional computed tomography. Results : Lumbar BMD values and cervical HU values were significantly correlated (r=0.733, p<0.001). We divided the patients into two groups based on cage decrement, and 47.5% of the total patients were regarded as cage decrement. There were statistically significant differences in the parameters of measuring the HU value of the vertebra and intraoperative distraction between the two groups. Using these identified factors, we performed a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Based on the ROC curve, the cut-off point was 530 at the HU value of the upper cortical and cancellous vertebrae (p=0.014; area under the curve [AUC], 0.727; sensitivity, 94.7%; specificity, 42.9%) and 22.41 at intraoperative distraction (p=0.017; AUC, 0.722; sensitivity, 85.7%; specificity, 57.9%). Using this value, we converted these parameters into a bifurcated variable and assessed the multinomial regression analysis to evaluate the risk factors for cage decrement in ACDF. Intraoperative distraction and HU value of the upper vertebral body were independent factors of postoperative subsidence. Conclusion : Insufficient intraoperative distraction and low HU value showed a strong relationship with postoperative intervertebral height reduction following single stand-alone PEEK cage ACDF.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.449-457
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• 2022

The chaperone practices is being applied to solve the problem of sexual harassment in clinics in medical institutions. Therefore, considering the characteristics of the radiation work and the application of the chaperone practices in the radiation work, this study is to analyze the requirements for the application of the chaperone practices and the impact that may occur on the job. From the end of 2021 to the beginning of 2022, a survey was conducted targeting radiologists in Daegu and Gyeongbuk, and about 52.9% of the surveys were analyzed. As a result of the analysis, the demand for the application of the chaperone practices was higher among women than men, the younger the age, the higher the degree, and the lower the age. Also, as for the job impact of the application of the chaperone practices, the higher the demand, the greater the reduction in sexual harassment and credibility. In other words, the younger the age and the higher the education, the higher the need for the chaperone practices, but it is thought that it is necessary to supplement the policy for job security and Employment stability before applying it. Therefore, when considering the application of the chaperone practices to radiation work in the future, it is judged that it is necessary to sufficiently collect opinions in advance to guarantee the job in the relevant occupation.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.38-52
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• 2021

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to analyze the use of insured herbal extracts and Korean medicinal treatments, which are mainly used to treat allergic rhinitis in Korean medicine. Methods : Among all HIRA(Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service) claims data in 2016, we included all statements that included J30(vasomotor and allergic rhinitis) or a subcategory of J30(J30.0, J30.1, J30.2, J30.3, or J30.4) as the main disease, using the Korean Standard Classification of Diseases(KCD-7). This study analyzed the most frequently used insured herbal extracts and Korean medicinal treatments for allergic rhinitis in Korean medicine. We performed a frequency analysis on subgroups based on treatment type(inpatient or outpatient), sex, age, insurance type, and medical institution type. Results : The result shows the 10 most frequently used insured herbal extracts and Korean medicinal treatments for allergic rhinitis. The total number of insured herbal extracts prescriptions was 82,533, and the most commonly prescribed insured herbal extracts was socheongryong-tang(35,131 prescriptions), followed by hyeonggaeyeongyo-tang(18,157 prescriptions), samsoeum(6,257 prescriptions), and galgeun-tang(4,465 prescriptions). The total number of Korean medicinal treatments prescriptions was 1,878,541, of which the most common Korean medicinal treatments was acupuncture(922,977 prescriptions), followed by moxibustion(372,120 prescriptions), cupping(242,094 prescriptions), and segmental acupuncture(161,553 prescriptions). Conclusions : It is expected that the results of this study can be used as a basis for establishing the priorities of evidence-based clinical research topics in the field of Korean medicine and making health care policy decisions to strengthen coverage in the future.

• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.335-341
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• 2022

This article is devoted to the study of the process of formation of the digital generation in a distance learning environment. With the introduction of quarantine due to the spread of COVID-19, opponents of digital technologies were forced to turn to relevant resources, while supporters identified new opportunities for the development of didactics and education in general. The irreversibility of the former educational reality became apparent and only the scale of the vision of potential change by interested and disinterested groups differed. Using a comprehensive approach, the authors consider the issues related to the direct and indirect impact of distance learning on children and young people born after the beginning of the XXI century. The article reveals the prerequisites and implications of distance education for the interaction of participants in the educational process. IC technologies during the educational process in the primary grades, in addition to identifying the student's learning deficit, should provide the transmission of non-verbal signals, which are important for children of this age. At the same time in the secondary school IR-technologies are designed to replace frontal learning during the assimilation of knowledge and at the same time not to worsen the quality of the educational process. Formation of students in the HEI takes place in the political science format, constant discussion of problem situations, so the task of introducing IC technology in this process is the accurate transfer of the content of the discussions. Individualization and autonomization of the educational process, its dependence on the results of the choice of educational content, and the use of pedagogical management tools change the philosophy of education for children and youth. The authors conclude that the formation of a digital generation, characterized by an increased level of digital literacy of children and youth, the possession of a certain level of digital capacity requires the use of strategies aimed at optimizing the learning process in a digital educational environment.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Medical Physics Conference
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• 2003.09a
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• pp.82-82
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• 2003

Introduction: With the development of dose calculation algorithms for electron beams, 3D RTP systerns are available for electron beam dose distribution commercially. However, no studies evaluated the accuracy of dose calculation with ADAC Pinnacle system for electron beams. So, the accuracy of the ADAC system is investigated by comparing electron dose distributions from ADAC system against the BEAMnrc/DOSXYZnrc. Methods: A total of 33 breast cancer patients treated with 6, 9, and 12MeV electrons in our institution was selected for this study. The first part of this study is to compare the dose distributions of measurement, TPS and the BEAMnrc/DOSXYZnrc code in flat water phantom at gantry zero position and for a 10 ${\times}$ 10 $\textrm{cm}^2$ field. The second part is to evaluate the monitor unit obtained from measurement and TPS. Adding actual breast patient's irregular blocks to the first part, monitor units to deliver 100 cGy to the dose maximum (dmax) were calculated from measurement and 3D RTP system. In addition, the dose distributions using blocks were compared between TPS and the BEAMnrc/DOSXYZnrc code. Finally, the effects of tissue inhomogeneities were studied by comparing dose distributions from Pinnacle and Monte Carlo method on CT data sets. Results: The dose distributions calculated using water phantom by the TPS and the BEAMnrc/ DOSXYZnrc code agreed well with measured data within 2% of the maximum dose. The maximum differences of monitor unit between measured and Pinnacle TPS in flat water phantom at gantry zero position were 4% for 6 MeV and 2% for 9 and 12 MeV electrons. In real-patient cases, comparison of depth doses and lateral dose profiles calculated by the Pinnacle TPS, with BEAMnrc/DOSXYZnrc code has generally shown good agreement with relative difference less than +/-3%. Discussion: For comparisons of real-patient cases, the maximum differences between the TPS and BEAMnrc/DOSXYZnrc on CT data were 10%. These discrepancies were due in part to the inaccurate dose calculation of the TPS, so that it needs to be improved properly. Conclusions: On the basis of the results presented in this study, we can conclude that the ADAC Pinnacle system for electron beams is capable of giving results absolutely comparable to those of a Monte Carlo calculation.

• The Journal of KAIRB
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.21-32
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• 2023

Purspose: The purpose of this study is to examine the meaning and definition of vulnerable subjects in clinical trials in light of domestic and international regulations and guidelines, to analyze the contents of standard operation procedures (SOPs) among advanced general hospitals in Korea that conduct clinical trials, and to examine deliberation procedures for operation plans. Methods: The study examined how vulnerable research subjects were defined and described in related regulations and the classification of vulnerable research subjects presented in the IRB/HRPP SOPs of 18 clinical trial institutions, including 11 AAHRPP-accreditated general hospitals in Korea, as well as the operation of the IRB deliberation. Results: Among all domestic and international regulations and guidelines, only the The Council for International Organization of Medical Sciences (CIOMS) guidelines explain why vulnerability is related to judgments on the severity of physical, psychological, and social harm, why individuals are vulnerable, and for what reasons. However, the classification of vulnerable subjects by institutions differed from the classification by the International Conference on Harmonization-Good Clinical Practice (ICH-GCP). A total of the 16 institutions classified children and minors as vulnerable research subjects. 14 institutions classified subjects who cannot consent freely were classified as vulnerable subjects. 15 institutions classified sujects who can be affected by the organizational hierarchy were classified as vulnerable subjects. Subjects in emergency situations were regarded as vulnerable research subjects in 8 of institutions, while people in wards, patients with incurable diseases, and the economically poor including the unemployed were categorized as vulnerable research subjects in 7, 4, and 4 of institutions, respectively. Additionally, some research subjects were not classified as vulnerable by ICH-GCP but were classified as vulnerable by domestic institutions 15 of the institutions classified pregnant women and fetuses as vulnerable, 11 classified the elderly as vulnerable, and 6 classified foreigners as vulnerable. Conclution: The regulations and institutional SOPs classify subjects differently, which may affect subject protection. There is a need to improve IRBs' classifications of vulnerable research subjects. It is also necessary to establish the standards according to the differences in deliberation processes. Further, it is recommended to maintain a consistent review of validity, assessment of risk/benefit, and a review using checklists and spokeperson. The review of IRB is to be carried out in a manner that respects human dignity by taking into account the physical, psychological, and social conditions of the subjects.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.25-31
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• 2018

Background: In Korea, stomach cancer is the second most common malignancy and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths. the time of diagnosis is very important for treatment so early detection and surgery are currently considered the mainstay of treatment, when diagnosed advanced with tumor extension through the gastric wall and direct extension into other organs, with metastatic involvement. Recently, new drugs, drug combinations, and multimodal approaches have been used to treat this disease and In cancers over expressing or amplifying HER2, the combination of cisplatin-fluoropyrimidine-trastuzumab is considered to be the treatment of reference. but At present, the choice of treatment schedule for HER2-negative tumors is based on the medical institution's preferences and adverse effects profile. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of using FOLFOX regimen as a first-line therapy or a salvage therapy in the patients with HER2-negative advanced or metastatic gastric cancer. Methods: We retrospective reviewed the patient medical record from March 2012 to July 2017. This study evaluated 113 patients. Sixty-eight patients were treated with the FOLFOX regimen for the first time (first-line group) and 45 patients were treated with the FOLFOX regimen as a second (35 patients) or third (10 patients) chemotherapy (salvage group). Results: In the first-line group, the response rate was 54.9%. In the salvage therapy group, the response rate was 24.4% and The difference was statistically significant (p=0.205). The median TTP of the first-line group was 10.7 months (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 7.8-13.7 months) and that of salvage line group was 6.1 months (95% CI, 3.8-8.4 months). The median OS of the first-line group was 15.8 months (95% CI, 12.7-18.9 months) and that of the salvage therapy group was 10.2 months (95% CI, 8.2-11.9 months). drug toxicity was similar andtolerable between two groups. Conclusion: In patients with unresctable metastatic gastric cancer, after failing to respond to first-line therapy, most patients have no alternative other than second-line therapy because the disease is highly progressive. if the performance status of the patient is good enough to be eligible to treatments beyond best supportive care. FOLFOX regimen can be a considerable therapeutic option for salvage treatment.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.190-203
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• 2023

Objective: We aimed to assess and validate the radiologic and clinical factors that were associated with recurrence and survival after curative surgery for heterogeneous targetoid primary liver malignancies in patients with chronic liver disease and to develop scoring systems for risk stratification. Materials and Methods: This multicenter retrospective study included 197 consecutive patients with chronic liver disease who had a single targetoid primary liver malignancy (142 hepatocellular carcinomas, 37 cholangiocarcinomas, 17 combined hepatocellular carcinoma-cholangiocarcinomas, and one neuroendocrine carcinoma) identified on preoperative gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI and subsequently surgically removed between 2010 and 2017. Of these, 120 patients constituted the development cohort, and 77 patients from separate institution served as an external validation cohort. Factors associated with recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were identified using a Cox proportional hazards analysis, and risk scores were developed. The discriminatory power of the risk scores in the external validation cohort was evaluated using the Harrell C-index. The Kaplan-Meier curves were used to estimate RFS and OS for the different risk-score groups. Results: In RFS model 1, which eliminated features exclusively accessible on the hepatobiliary phase (HBP), tumor size of 2-5 cm or > 5 cm, and thin-rim arterial phase hyperenhancement (APHE) were included. In RFS model 2, tumors with a size of > 5 cm, tumor in vein (TIV), and HBP hypointense nodules without APHE were included. The OS model included a tumor size of > 5 cm, thin-rim APHE, TIV, and tumor vascular involvement other than TIV. The risk scores of the models showed good discriminatory performance in the external validation set (C-index, 0.62-0.76). The scoring system categorized the patients into three risk groups: favorable, intermediate, and poor, each with a distinct survival outcome (all log-rank p < 0.05). Conclusion: Risk scores based on rim arterial enhancement pattern, tumor size, HBP findings, and radiologic vascular invasion status may help predict postoperative RFS and OS in patients with targetoid primary liver malignancies.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.854-861
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• 2019

Objective: To evaluate quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameters for differentiation of cysts from and solid masses in the anterior mediastinum. Materials and Methods: The development dataset included 18 patients from two institutions with pathologically-proven cysts (n = 6) and solid masses (n = 12) in the anterior mediastinum. We measured the maximum diameter, normalized T1 and T2 signal intensity (nT1 and nT2), normalized apparent diffusion coefficient (nADC), and relative enhancement ratio (RER) of each lesion. RERs were obtained by non-rigid registration and subtraction of precontrast and postcontrast T1-weighted images. Differentiation criteria between cysts and solid masses were identified based on receiver operating characteristics analysis. For validation, two separate datasets were utilized: 15 patients with 8 cysts and 7 solid masses from another institution (validation dataset 1); and 11 patients with clinically diagnosed cysts stable for more than two years (validation dataset 2). Sensitivity and specificity were calculated from the validation datasets. Results: nT2, nADC, and RER significantly differed between cysts and solid masses (p = 0.032, 0.013, and < 0.001, respectively). The following criteria differentiated cysts from solid masses: RER < 26.1%; nADC > 0.63; nT2 > 0.39. In validation dataset 1, the sensitivity of the RER, nADC, and nT2 criteria was 87.5%, 100%, and 75.0%, and the specificity was 100%, 40.0%, and 57.4%, respectively. In validation dataset 2, the sensitivity of the RER, nADC, and nT2 criteria was 90.9%, 90.9%, and 72.7%, respectively. Conclusion: Quantitative MRI criteria using nT2, nADC, and particularly RER can assist differentiation of cysts from solid masses in the anterior mediastinum.