• Journal of the Korean Society of Tobacco Science
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.20-25
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• 2014

As part of a balanced testing battery, subchronic inhalation studies on rats are performed to ensure that proposed cigarette modifications do not increase the toxicity of smoke and to demonstrate any instances where a modification may actually contribute to harm reduction. For subchronic inhalation studies with aerosols, the OECD suggests an exposure regimen of 6 hours/day (OECD Guideline 413, 1981), but alternative regimens have also been published: 1 hour/day and $2{\times}1$ hour/day. The aim of this study was to validate a rodent nose-only exposure system for the assessment of inhalation toxicity of cigarette smoke. In this study, cigarette smoke exposure system is consisted of cigarette smoke generator, smoke concentration adjusting system, and 20-port nose-only exposure system. Male SD rats were exposed for 35 days ($2{\times}1$ hour/day) to 3R4F Reference cigarette smoke and analysed major monitoring items of OECD Gudeline 413. WTPM, was measured in the test atmosphere, respiratory function (Buxco Biosystems) during exposure, postexposure urinary exposure biomarkers and alveolar neutrophiles in BAL fluid (Day 35) were evaluated. Validation demonstrated steady WTPM ($257{\pm}20ug/L$, $502{\pm}27ug/L$) and spatial uniformity (<10%). Nose port temperature ($22{\sim}26^{\circ}C$ and RH (45~75%) were acceptable over 35 days. Reductions in respiratory rate and minute volume and increase in the neutrophiles in BALF and the urinary exposure biomarkers were observed cigarette smoke dose dependently. This validation and 35-day inhalation study has shown that the rodent nose-only exposure system may be useful in the inhalation toxicity assessment of cigarette smoke.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.211-220
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• 2020

High-quality computed tomography (CT) images enable precise lesion detection and accurate diagnosis. A lot of studies have been performed to improve CT image quality while reducing radiation dose. Recently, deep learning-based techniques for improving CT image quality have been developed and show superior performance compared to conventional techniques. In this study, a super-resolution convolutional neural network (SRCNN) model was used to improve the spatial resolution of CT images, and image quality according to the hyperparameters, which determine the performance of the SRCNN model, was evaluated in order to verify the effect of hyperparameters on the SRCNN model. Profile, structural similarity (SSIM), peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), and full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) were measured to evaluate the performance of the SRCNN model. The results showed that the performance of the SRCNN model was improved with an increase of the numbers of epochs and training sets, and the learning rate needed to be optimized for obtaining acceptable image quality. Therefore, the SRCNN model with optimal hyperparameters is able to improve CT image quality.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.67-72
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• 2010

Purpose: In Asan Medical Center we perform myocardial perfusion SPECT to evaluate cardiac event risk level for non-cardiac surgery patients. In case of patients with cancer, we check tumor metastasis using whole body bone scan and whole body PET scan and then perform myocardial perfusion SPECT to reduce unnecessary exam. In case of short term in patients, we perform $^{201}Tl$ myocardial perfusion SPECT after whole body bone scan a minimum 16 hours in order to reduce hospitalization period but it is still the actual condition in which the evaluation about the affect of the crosstalk contamination due to the each other dissimilar isotope administration doesn't properly realize. So in our experiments, we try to evaluate crosstalk contamination influence on $^{201}Tl$ myocardial perfusion SPECT using anthropomorphic torso phantom and patient's data. Materials and Methods: From 2009 August to September, we analyzed 87 patients with $^{201}Tl$ myocardial perfusion SPECT. According to $^{201}Tl$ myocardial perfusion SPECT yesterday whole body bone scan possibility of carrying out, a patient was classified. The image data are obtained by using the dual energy window in $^{201}Tl$ myocardial perfusion SPECT. We analyzed $^{201}Tl$ and $^{99m}Tc$ counts ratio in each patients groups obtained image data. We utilized anthropomorphic torso phantom in our experiment and administrated $^{201}Tl$ 14.8 MBq (0.4 mCi) at myocardium and $^{99m}Tc$ 44.4 MBq (1.2 mCi) at extracardiac region. We obtained image by $^{201}Tl$ myocardial perfusion SPECT without gate method application and analyzed spatial resolution using Xeleris ver 2.0551. Results: In case of $^{201}Tl$ window and the counts rate comparison result yesterday whole body bone scan of being counted in $^{99m}Tc$ window, the difference in which a rate to 24 hours exponential-functionally notes in 1:0.114 with Ventri (GE Healthcare, Wisconsin, USA), 1:0.249 after the bone tracer injection in 12 hours in 1:0.411 with 1:0.79 with Infinia (GE healthcare, Wisconsin, USA) according to a reduction a time-out was shown (Ventri p=0.001, Infinia p=0.001). Moreover, the rate of the case in which it doesn't perform the whole body bone scan showed up as the average 1:$0.067{\pm}0.6$ of Ventri, and 1:$0.063{\pm}0.7$ of Infinia. According to the phantom after experiment spatial resolution measurement result, and an addition or no and time-out of $^{99m}Tc$ administrated, it doesn't note any change of FWHM (p=0.134). Conclusion: Through the experiments using anthropomorphic torso phantom and patients data, we found that $^{201}Tl$ myocardium perfusion SPECT image later carried out after the bone tracer injection with 16 hours this confirmed that it doesn't receive notable influence in spatial resolution by $^{99m}Tc$. But this investigation is only aimed to image quality, so it needs more investigation in patient's radiation dose and exam accuracy and precision. The exact guideline presentation about the exam interval should be made of the validation test which is exact and in which it is standardized about the affect of the crosstalk contamination according to the isotope use in which it is different later on.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.94-99
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• 2004

Radiochromic film has several advantages; high spatial resolution, relatively low spectral sensitivity, near tissue equivalence and requires no special development procedure. The object of this study was to measure the anisotropy of an Ir-192 source (microSelectron manufactured by Nucletron) in a few mm regions from the source, using the GafChromic film. The GafChromic film was calibrated in the range of 0∼105 Gy, using a 4 MV photon beam, and the anisotropy function measured in an acrylic phantom using the GafChroimic film. The data obtained gave agreement to within 4.4% of the Monte Calro calculation, by J. F. Williamson, at a radial distance of 2.5 mm with polar angles of 50 to 130$^{\circ}$, while a maximum deviation of 17.6% was observed at angles near 140$^{\circ}$and agreement within 3.7% at a radial distance of 5 mm at polar angles between 35 to 150$^{\circ}$ and a maximum deviation of 7.6% was observed at angles near 30$^{\circ}$. A GafChromic film can be used as a more efficient detector for measuring the anisotropy of an HDR $^{192}$ Ir source at close distances than any other detector.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.31-39
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• 2015

Purpose: This study was performed to evaluate the feasibility of visualizing soft tissue lesions and vascular structures using contrast-enhanced cone-beam computed tomography (CE-CBCT) after the intravenous administration of a contrast medium in an animal model. Materials and Methods: CBCT was performed on six rabbits after a contrast medium was administered using an injection dose of 2 mL/kg body weight and an injection rate of 1 mL/s via the ear vein or femoral vein under general anesthesia. Artificial soft tissue lesions were created through the transplantation of autologous fatty tissue into the salivary gland. Volume rendering reconstruction, maximum intensity projection, and multiplanar reconstruction images were reconstructed and evaluated in order to visualize soft tissue contrast and vascular structures. Results: The contrast enhancement of soft tissue was possible using all contrast medium injection parameters. An adequate contrast medium injection parameter for facilitating effective CE-CBCT was a 5-mL injection before exposure combined with a continuous 5-mL injection during scanning. Artificial soft tissue lesions were successfully created in the animals. The CE-CBCT images demonstrated adequate opacification of the soft tissues and vascular structures. Conclusion: Despite limited soft tissue resolution, the opacification of vascular structures was observed and artificial soft tissue lesions were visualized with sufficient contrast to the surrounding structures. The vascular structures and soft tissue lesions appeared well delineated in the CE-CBCT images, which was probably due to the superior spatial resolution of CE-CBCT compared to other techniques, such as multislice computed tomography.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.193-200
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• 2015

The aim of this study is to present commissioning results of the ViewRay system. We verified safety functions of the ViewRay system. For imaging system, we acquired signal to noise ratio (SNR) and image uniformity. In addition, we checked spatial integrity of the image. Couch movement accuracy and coincidence of isocenters (radiation therapy system, imaging system and virtual isocneter) was verified. Accuracy of MLC positioing was checked. We performed reference dosimetry according to American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Task Group 51 (TG-51) in water phantom for head 1 and 3. The deviations between measurements and calculation of percent depth dose (PDD) and output factor were evaluated. Finally, we performed gamma evaluations with a total of 8 IMRT plans as an end-to-end (E2E) test of the system. Every safety system of ViewRay operated properly. The values of SNR and Uniformity met the tolerance level. Every point within 10 cm and 17.5 cm radii about the isocenter showed deviations less than 1 mm and 2 mm, respectively. The average couch movement errors in transverse (x), longitudinal (y) and vertical (z) directions were 0.2 mm, 0.1 mm and 0.2 mm, respectively. The deviations between radiation isocenter and virtual isocenter in x, y and z directions were 0 mm, 0 mm and 0.3 mm, respectively. Those between virtual isocenter and imaging isocenter were 0.6 mm, 0.5 mm and 0.2 mm, respectively. The average MLC positioning errors were less than 0.6 mm. The deviations of output, PDDs between mesured vs. BJR supplement 25, PDDs between measured and calculated and output factors of each head were less than 0.5%, 1%, 1% and 2%, respectively. For E2E test, average gamma passing rate with 3%/3 mm criterion was $99.9%{\pm}0.1%$.