• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.241-249
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• 2016

Purpose: To evaluate the added value of diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) to computed tomography (CT) for detecting pancreatic abnormality in patients with clinically suspected acute pancreatitis (AP). Materials and Methods: 203 patients who underwent abdomen CT and subsequent DWI to do a workup for epigastric pain were analyzed. Two blinded radiologists independently performed an interval reading based on CT image sets first, then based on combined CT and DWI image sets. The diagnostic criterion on DWI was the increased signal intensity in the pancreas to that of the spleen. For quantitative analysis, the third radiologist measured ADC value of the pancreas in each patient. Results: For AP (n = 43), the sensitivity for detecting pancreatic abnormality increased, from 42% to 70% for reader 1 (P < 0.05) and from 44% to 72% for reader 2 (P < 0.05). For borderline pancreatitis (n = 42), the sensitivity also increased, from 10% to 26% for reader 1 (P < 0.05) and from 7% to 29% for reader 2 (P < 0.05). The mean ADC values (unit, ${\times}10^{-3}mm^2/s$) were significantly different among the three groups (for AP, $1.09{\pm}0.16$; for borderline pancreatitis, $1.28{\pm}0.2$; for control, $1.46{\pm}0.15$, P < 0.05). Conclusion: Sensitivity for detecting pancreatic abnormality increased significantly after adding DWI to CT in patients with clinically suspected AP.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.231-240
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• 2019

Background: We sought to determine the value of combining diffusion-weighted (DW) and perfusion-weighted (PW) sequences with a conventional magnetic resonance (MR) sequence to assess solid components of borderline ovarian tumors (BOTs) and stage I carcinomas. Methods: Conventional, DW, and PW sequences in the tumor imaging studies of 70 patients (BOTs, n=38; stage I carcinomas, n=32) who underwent surgery with pathologic correlation were assessed. Two independent radiologists calculated the parameters apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), $K^{trans}$ (vessel permeability), and $V_e$ (cell density) for the solid components. The distribution on conventional MR sequence and mean, standard deviation, and 95% confidence interval of each DW and PW parameter were calculated. The inter-observer agreement among the two radiologists was assessed. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and multivariate logistic regression were performed to compare the effectiveness of DW and PW sequences for average values and to characterize the diagnostic performance of combined DW and PW sequences. Results: There were excellent agreements for DW and PW parameters between radiologists. The distributions of ADC, $K^{trans}$, and $V_e$ values were significantly different between BOTs and stage I carcinomas, yielding AUCs of 0.58 and 0.68, 0.78 and 0.82, and 0.70 and 0.72, respectively, with ADC yielding the lowest diagnostic performance. The AUCs of the DW, PW, and combined PW and DW sequences were $0.71{\pm}0.05$, $0.80{\pm}0.05$, and $0.85{\pm}0.05$, respectively. Conclusion: Combining PW and DW sequences to a conventional sequence potentially improves the diagnostic accuracy in the differentiation of BOTs and stage I carcinomas.

• Journal of applied mathematics & informatics
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• v.23 no.1_2
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• pp.563-570
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• 2007

There has been a considerable research interest in medical communities for neuronal fiber tracking with magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging(DTI). DTI data have abundant structural boundaries that need to be preserved during interpolation to facilitate fiber tracking. Sigmoid function has been used in recent papers but the sigmoid function still is not good enough to be served as an positive interpolation in mathematical point of view. In this paper, we construct and provide two families positive cardinal interpolation functions.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.9
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• pp.3327-3332
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• 2011

Antimicrobial peptides have recently gained the much attention because of their ability to make defense system from attacking bacterial infections. Drosocin has been considered as very attractive antibiotic agents because of low toxicity against human erythrocytes and active at the low concentration. We have studied the structureactivity relationship of a glycopeptide drosocin focused on the N-acetyl-D-galactoside at $Thr^{11}$ residue. Based on the radial diffusion assay, we found that the acetylation of carbohydrate moiety increased the antimicrobial activity and the $Pro^{10}$, present in the middle of drosocin plays an important role in the antimicrobial activity. Our results provide a good lead compound for further studies on the design of drosocin-based analogues targeting glyco linked Thr site.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.29-37
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• 2005

Intra-cellular drug uptake in Xenopus laevis oocyte has been elucidated using localized MR spectroscopy (MRS) and PFG NMR techniques at a 600 $MH_z$(Bruker, 14.1 T) NMR spectrometer. The localized MRS has been done with a homemade probe, and shows the intra-cellular uptake of nicotinamide. The self-diffusion of the molecule in Xenopus oocyte was obtained by PFG NMR technique. The measured data are well fitted with a linear combination of two exponential functions, which shows that there are two types of drug molecules, intra-and extra-cellular molecules. Diffusion coefficients of intra- and extra-cellular drug molecules are 3.7 $\times$ $10^{-11}$ $\m^{2}/s$and 6.4 $\times$ $10^{-10}$ $\m^{2}/s$, respectively. In the weighting factors there is shown that about 5% of drug molecule is inside the cells. These techniques can be used for drug screening in molecule-, cell-, and tissue-based preclinical test.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.23-34
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• 2021

Purpose: Differentiating between glioblastoma and solitary metastasis is very important for the planning of further workup and treatment. We assessed the ability of various morphological parameters using conventional MRI and diffusion-based techniques to distinguish between glioblastomas and solitary metastases in tumoral and peritumoral regions. Materials and Methods: We included 38 patients with solitary brain tumors (21 glioblastomas, 17 solitary metastases). To find out if there were differences in the morphologic parameters of enhancing tumors, we analyzed their shape, margins, and enhancement patterns on postcontrast T1-weighted images. During analyses of peritumoral regions, we assessed the extent of peritumoral non-enhancing lesion on T2- and postcontrast T1-weighted images. We also aimed to detect peritumoral neoplastic cell infiltration by visual assessment of T2-weighted and diffusion-based images, including DWI, ADC maps, and exponential DWI, and evaluated which sequence depicted peritumoral neoplastic cell infiltration most clearly. Results: The shapes, margins, and enhancement patterns of tumors all significantly differentiated glioblastomas from metastases. Glioblastomas had an irregular shape, ill-defined margins, and a heterogeneous enhancement pattern; on the other hand, metastases had an ovoid or round shape, well-defined margins, and homogeneous enhancement. Metastases had significantly more extensive peritumoral T2 high signal intensity than glioblastomas had. In visual assessment of peritumoral neoplastic cell infiltration using T2-weighted and diffusion-based images, all sequences differed significantly between the two groups. Exponential DWI had the highest sensitivity for the diagnosis of both glioblastoma (100%) and metastasis (70.6%). A combination of exponential DWI and ADC maps was optimal for the depiction of peritumoral neoplastic cell infiltration in glioblastoma. Conclusion: In the differentiation of glioblastoma from solitary metastatic lesions, visual morphologic assessment of tumoral and peritumoral regions using conventional MRI and diffusion-based techniques can also offer diagnostic information.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.101-108
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• 2021

Purpose: To identify characteristic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features to differentiate between Krabbe disease and metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) in young children. Materials and Methods: We collected all confirmed cases of Krabbe disease and MLD between October 2004 and September 2020 at Seoul National University Children's Hospital. Patients with initial MRI available were included. Their initial MRIs were retrospectively reviewed for the following: 1) presence of white matter signal abnormality involving the periventricular and deep white matter, subcortical white matter, internal capsule, brainstem, and cerebellum; 2) presence of volume decrease and signal alteration in the corpus callosum and thalamus; 3) presence of the tigroid sign; 4) presence of optic nerve hypertrophy; and 5) presence of enhancement or diffusion restriction. Results: Eleven children with Krabbe disease and 12 children with MLD were included in this study. There was no significant difference in age or symptoms at onset. Periventricular and deep white matter signal alterations sparing the subcortical white matter were present in almost all patients of the two groups. More patients with Krabbe disease had T2 hyperintensities in the internal capsule and brainstem than patients with MLDs. In contrast, more patients with MLD had T2 hyperintensities in the splenium and genu of the corpus callosum. No patient with Krabbe disease showed T2 hyperintensity in the corpus callosal genu. A decrease in volume in the corpus callosum and thalamus was more frequently observed in patients with Krabbe disease than in those with MLD. Other MRI findings including the tigroid sign and optic nerve hypertrophy were not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusion: Signal abnormalities in the internal capsule and brainstem, decreased thalamic volume, decreased splenial volume accompanied by signal changes, and absence of signal changes in the callosal genu portion were MRI findings suggestive of Krabbe disease rather than MLD based on initial MRI. Other MRI findings such as the tigroid sign could not help differentiate between these two diseases.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.649-661
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• 2019

Objective: To systematically review the evaluation of the diagnostic accuracy of pre-treatment apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and change in ADC during the intra- or post-treatment period, for the prediction of locoregional failure in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Materials and Methods: Ovid-MEDLINE and Embase databases were searched up to September 8, 2018, for studies on the use of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging for the prediction of locoregional treatment response in patients with HNSCC treated with chemoradiation or radiation therapy. Risk of bias was assessed by using the Quality Assessment Tool for Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2. Results: Twelve studies were included in the systematic review, and diagnostic accuracy assessment was performed using seven studies. High pre-treatment ADC showed inconsistent results with the tendency for locoregional failure, whereas all studies evaluating changes in ADC showed consistent results of a lower rise in ADC in patients with locoregional failure compared to those with locoregional control. The sensitivities and specificities of pre-treatment ADC and change in ADC for predicting locoregional failure were relatively high (range: 50-100% and 79-96%, 75-100% and 69-95%, respectively). Meta-analytic pooling was not performed due to the apparent heterogeneity in these values. Conclusion: High pre-treatment ADC and low rise in early intra-treatment or post-treatment ADC with chemoradiation, could be indicators of locoregional failure in patients with HNSCC. However, as the studies are few, heterogeneous, and at high risk for bias, the sensitivity and specificity of these parameters for predicting the treatment response are yet to be determined.

• Proceedings of the KSMRM Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.15-19
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• 2001

지난 10년간 신경계의 MR영상은 컴퓨터를 비롯한 하드웨어적인 발달에 힘입어 functional imaging, perfusion imaging, diffusion imaging, MR spectroscopy, MR angiography 등의 분야에서 괄목한 만한 성장이 있었다. 지난 2001년 4월 국제자기공명의과학회 (ISMRM) 학술대회에 약 2300개의 논문이 발표되었으며 이 중 신경계와 관련된 논문의 수는 저자가 파악하기에 약 500개 정도이었다. 매년 수많은 논문이 발표되고 있으나 이 중 기초 또는 임상의학적으로 유용한 논문만이 후속 연구로 연결되어 궁극적으로 많은 사람들이 활용할 수 있게 되고 있다. 따라서 지난 수 년 동안의 연구 동향을 모두 follow-up하는 것은 무의미하며, 이 중 functional, perfusion, diffusion imaging을 중심으로 이들 영상 기법의 기술적 측면과 적용 분야를 알아보고자 한다.

• Journal of the Korean neurological association
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.366-368
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• 2018