• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.49-63
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• 2016

Objectives : This research was performed to investigate the effects of Jodeungsan pharmacopuncture(PA-J) of focal brain ischemia induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO) in rats. Methods : The subjects were divided into 4 groups : control, acupuncture, pharmacopuncture PA-J1(11.43 mg / 250 g / $40{\mu}{\ell}$) and pharmacopuncture PA-J2(2.29 mg / 250 g / $40{\mu}{\ell}$). The focal brain ischemia was induced by intraluminal filament insertion into the middle cerebral artery. After 3 days of MCAO, Jodeungsan pharmacopuncture treatment was performed on the GB20, and the day after being treated with pharmacopuncture, the Morris water maze test was carried out on the assigned group. The series of processes were administered 6 times. Thereafter mGluR5, density of neuronal cell and ChAT were measured. Results : The results were as follows. 1. The distance to target significantly decreased in the 2nd trial of the Acu group on the water maze test for short-term memory. 2. The distance to target significantly decreased in the 4th trial of the PA-J2 group on the water maze test for long-term memory. 3. The intensity of mGluR5 significantly increased in the PA-J1 group compared with the control group. 4. The neuroprotective effect on the hippocampal CA1 significantly increased in the PA-J1 and PA-J2 groups compared with the control group. 5. The density of ChAT in the hippocampal CA1 significantly increased in the PA-J1 and PA-J2 groups compared with the control group. Conclusion : These results suggest that Jodeungsan pharmacopuncture may improve memory and cognitive impairment and also have neuroprotective effects on focal brain ischemia.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.23 no.7
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• pp.720-731
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• 2022

Objective: We aimed to develop and test a deep learning algorithm (DLA) for fully automated measurement of the volume and signal intensity (SI) of the liver and spleen using gadoxetic acid-enhanced hepatobiliary phase (HBP)-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to evaluate the clinical utility of DLA-assisted assessment of functional liver capacity. Materials and Methods: The DLA was developed using HBP-MRI data from 1014 patients. Using an independent test dataset (110 internal and 90 external MRI data), the segmentation performance of the DLA was measured using the Dice similarity score (DSS), and the agreement between the DLA and the ground truth for the volume and SI measurements was assessed with a Bland-Altman 95% limit of agreement (LOA). In 276 separate patients (male:female, 191:85; mean age ± standard deviation, 40 ± 15 years) who underwent hepatic resection, we evaluated the correlations between various DLA-based MRI indices, including liver volume normalized by body surface area (LV_BSA), liver-to-spleen SI ratio (LSSR), MRI parameter-adjusted LSSR (aLSSR), LSSR × LV_BSA, and aLSSR × LV_BSA, and the indocyanine green retention rate at 15 minutes (ICG-R15), and determined the diagnostic performance of the DLA-based MRI indices to detect ICG-R15 ≥ 20%. Results: In the test dataset, the mean DSS was 0.977 for liver segmentation and 0.946 for spleen segmentation. The Bland-Altman 95% LOAs were 0.08% ± 3.70% for the liver volume, 0.20% ± 7.89% for the spleen volume, -0.02% ± 1.28% for the liver SI, and -0.01% ± 1.70% for the spleen SI. Among DLA-based MRI indices, aLSSR × LV_BSA showed the strongest correlation with ICG-R15 (r = -0.54, p < 0.001), with area under receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.932 (95% confidence interval, 0.895-0.959) to diagnose ICG-R15 ≥ 20%. Conclusion: Our DLA can accurately measure the volume and SI of the liver and spleen and may be useful for assessing functional liver capacity using gadoxetic acid-enhanced HBP-MRI.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.23 no.12
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• pp.1269-1280
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• 2022

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of quantitative indices obtained from deep learning analysis of gadoxetic acid-enhanced hepatobiliary phase (HBP) MRI and their longitudinal changes in predicting decompensation and death in patients with advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD). Materials and Methods: We included patients who underwent baseline and 1-year follow-up MRI from a prospective cohort that underwent gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI for hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance between November 2011 and August 2012 at a tertiary medical center. Baseline liver condition was categorized as non-ACLD, compensated ACLD, and decompensated ACLD. The liver-to-spleen signal intensity ratio (LS-SIR) and liver-to-spleen volume ratio (LS-VR) were automatically measured on the HBP images using a deep learning algorithm, and their percentage changes at the 1-year follow-up (ΔLS-SIR and ΔLS-VR) were calculated. The associations of the MRI indices with hepatic decompensation and a composite endpoint of liver-related death or transplantation were evaluated using a competing risk analysis with multivariable Fine and Gray regression models, including baseline parameters alone and both baseline and follow-up parameters. Results: Our study included 280 patients (153 male; mean age ± standard deviation, 57 ± 7.95 years) with non-ACLD, compensated ACLD, and decompensated ACLD in 32, 186, and 62 patients, respectively. Patients were followed for 11-117 months (median, 104 months). In patients with compensated ACLD, baseline LS-SIR (sub-distribution hazard ratio [sHR], 0.81; p = 0.034) and LS-VR (sHR, 0.71; p = 0.01) were independently associated with hepatic decompensation. The ΔLS-VR (sHR, 0.54; p = 0.002) was predictive of hepatic decompensation after adjusting for baseline variables. ΔLS-VR was an independent predictor of liver-related death or transplantation in patients with compensated ACLD (sHR, 0.46; p = 0.026) and decompensated ACLD (sHR, 0.61; p = 0.023). Conclusion: MRI indices automatically derived from the deep learning analysis of gadoxetic acid-enhanced HBP MRI can be used as prognostic markers in patients with ACLD.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.61 no.4
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• pp.427-433
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• 2018

Obsessive compulsive disorder is a debilitating condition characterized by recurrent obsessive thoughts and compulsive reactions. A great portion of the obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) patients are managed successfully with psychiatric treatment such as selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitor and cognitive behavioral psychotherapy, but more than 10% of patients are remained as non-responder who needs neurosurgical treatments. These patients are potential candidates for the neurosurgical management. There had been various kind of operation, lesioning such as leucotomy or cingulotomy or capsulotomy or limbic leucotomy, and with advent of stereotaxic approach and technical advances, deep brain stimulation was more chosen by neurosurgeon due to its characteristic of reversibility and adjustability. Gamma knife radiosurgery are also applied to make lesion targeting based on magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, but the complication of adverse radiation effect is not predictable. In the neurosurgical field, MR guided focused ultrasound has advantage of less invasiveness, real-time monitored procedure which is now growing to attempt to apply for various brain disorder. In this review, the neurosurgical treatment modalities for the treatment of OCD will be briefly reviewed and the current state of MR guided focused ultrasound for OCD will be suggested.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.147-152
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• 2015

We designed, fabricated, and tested the capacitive microsensors for skin piloerection monitoring. The performance of the skin piloerection monitoring sensor was characterized using the artificial bump, representing human skin goosebump; thus, resulting in the sensitivity of $-0.00252%/{\mu}m$ and the nonlinearity of 25.9 % for the artificial goosebump deformation in the range of $0{\sim}326{\mu}m$. We also verified two successive human skin piloerection having 3.5 s duration on the subject's dorsal forearms, thus resulting in the capacitance change of -6.2 fF and -9.2 fF compared to the initial condition, corresponding to the piloerection intensity of $145{\mu}m$ and $194{\mu}m$, respectively. It was demonstrated experimentally that the proposed sensor is capable to measure the human skin piloerection objectively and quantitatively, thereby suggesting the quantitative evaluation method of the qualitative human emotional state for cognitive human-machine interfaces applications.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.51-58
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• 2015

Toxocariasis is a soil-transmitted helminthozoonosis due to infection of humans by larvae of Toxocara canis. The disease could produce cognitive and behavioral disturbances especially in children. Meanwhile, in our modern era, the incidence of immunosuppression has been progressively increasing due to increased incidence of malignancy as well as increased use of immunosuppressive agents. The present study aimed at comparing some of the pathological and immunological alterations in the brain of normal and immunosuppressed mice experimentally infected with T. canis. Therefore, 180 Swiss albino mice were divided into 4 groups including normal (control) group, immunocompetent T. canis-infected group, immunosuppressed group (control), and immunosuppressed infected group. Infected mice were subjected to larval counts in the brain, and the brains from all mice were assessed for histopathological changes, astrogliosis, and IL-5 mRNA expression levels in brain tissues. The results showed that under immunosuppression, there were significant increase in brain larval counts, significant enhancement of reactive gliosis, and significant reduction in IL-5 mRNA expression. All these changes were maximal in the chronic stage of infection. In conclusion, the immunopathological alterations in the brains of infected animals were progressive over time, and were exaggerated under the effect of immunosuppression as did the intensity of cerebral infection.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.101-116
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• 2016

Objectives : This research was performed to investigate the effects of Ukgansan pharmacopuncture(U-PA) of focal brain ischemia induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO) in rats. Methods : The subjects were divided into 5 groups : A control group, acupuncture group, pharmacopuncture group U-PA1($2.571mg/250g/40{\mu}{\ell}$), pharmacopuncture group U-PA2($6.428mg/250g/40{\mu}{\ell}$), and pharmacopuncture group U-PA3($12.855mg/250g/40{\mu}{\ell}$). The focal brain ischemia was induced by intraluminal filament insertion into the middle cerebral artery. After 3 days of MCAO, Ukgansan(UGS) pharmacopuncture treatment was performed on the GB20, and the day after being treated with pharmacopuncture, the Morris water maze test was carried out by the assigned group. The series of processes were treated 6 times. Thereafter Bax, Bcl-2, Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, mGluR5, density of neuronal cell, and ChAT were measured. Results : The results were as follows. 1. The intensity of Bax significantly decreased in the U-PA1, U-PA2, U-PA3 groups. 2. The Bax/Bcl-2 ratio significantly decreased in the U-PA3 group compared with the control group. 3. The neuroprotective effect on the hippocampal CA1 significantly increased in the U-PA1, U-PA2, U-PA3 groups compared with the control group. 4. The density of ChAT in the hippocampal CA1 significantly increased in the U-PA1, U-PA2, U-PA3 groups compared with the control group. Conclusion : These results suggest that UGS pharmacopuncture may have anti-apoptotic and neuroprotective effects on focal cerebral ischemia caused by intraluminal filament insertion into the middle cerebral artery in rats.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.83-94
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• 2014

The present study examined the intensity of affective forecasting and the size of affective forecasting errors of people who experienced social exclusion or those high in need to belong. In Particular, a series of studies was designed to explore the moderating role of the types of future events (i.e. social vs. non-social events) in the relationship between social exclusion, the need to belong and affective forecasting. Results indicated that participants who experienced social exclusion or be high in need to belong showed significantly extreme affective ratings on the future social events compared to the future non-social events. Additional results suggested that more social exclusion experiences or higher needs to belong did not affect to the affective ratings on the experienced social events, indicating greater affective forecasting errors of socially excluded people or people with higher need to belong. The implications and limitations of the results were also discussed.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.241-250
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the relation between quantitative magnetic resonance imaging biomarkers, and clinical performances in chronic phase of carbon monoxide intoxication. Materials and Methods: Eighteen magnetic resonance scans and cognitive evaluations were performed, on patients with carbon monoxide intoxication in chronic phase. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) ratios of affected versus unaffected centrum semiovale, and corpus callosum were obtained. Signal intensity (SI) ratios between affected centrum semiovale, and normal pons in T2-FLAIR (fluid-attenuated inversion recovery) images were obtained. The Mini-Mental State Exam, and clinical outcome scores were assessed. Correlation coefficients were calculated, between MRI and clinical markers. Patients were further classified into poor-outcome and good-outcome groups based on clinical performance, and imaging parameters were compared. T2-SI ratio of centrum semiovale was compared, with that of 18 sex-matched and age-matched controls. Results: T2-SI ratio of centrum semiovale was significantly higher in the poor-outcome group, than that in the good-outcome group and was strongly inversely correlated, with results from the Mini-Mental State Exam. ADC ratios of centrum semiovale were significantly lower in the poor outcome group than in the good outcome group, and were moderately correlated with the Mini-Mental State Exam score. Conclusion: A higher T2-SI and a lower ratio of ADC values in the centrum semiovale, may indicate presence of more severe white matter injury and clinical impairment. T2-SI ratio and ADC values in the centrum semiovale, are useful quantitative imaging biomarkers for correlation with clinical performance in individuals with carbon monoxide intoxication.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.500-509
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• 2022

Purpose: We compared the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of children and adolescents with functional abdominal pain disorders (FAPDs) and organic abdominal pain disorders (ORGDs). Methods: This was a single-center, cross-sectional, observational study. The PedsQL 4.0 generic cores scales parent proxy-report was administered to parents/caregivers of 130 and 56 pediatric patients with FAPDs and ORGDs respectively on their first visit. The self-reported pain intensity in the patients was assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS) and facial affective scale (FAS). Results: Irritable bowel syndrome was the most prevalent FAPDs, and the most prevalent ORGDs were reflux esophagitis (41.1%) and gastritis associated with Helicobacter pylori (21.4%). There was no difference in HRQOL among patients diagnosed with ORGDs and FAPDs (p>0.05). Patients with ORGDs and FAPDs had lower HRQOL Scale scores than healthy Brazilian and American children's references, with a high proportion of children at risk for impaired HRQOL (p<0.0001). There was no difference in the VAS and the FAS scores between the ORGDs and the FAPDs. FAPDs had a higher prevalence of girls' and couples' disagreement (p<0.02), although poor school performance (p<0.0007) and bullying (p<0.01) were higher in patients with ORGD. Conclusion: This study revealed that there was a difference in impaired HRQOL between patients with ORGDs and FAPDs. Thus, considering the high prevalence of chronic abdominal pain in children, a well-founded treatment plan is necessary for a multidisciplinary cognitive-behavioral Pain management program.