• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.445-455
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• 2005

Purpose: We developed an animal SPECT system using clinical Philips ARGUS scintillation camera and pinhole collimator with specially manufactured small apertures. In this study, we evaluated the physical characteristics of this system and biological feasibility for animal experiments. Materials and Methods: Rotating station for small animals using a step motor and operating software were developed. Pinhole inserts with small apertures (diameter of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mm) were manufactured and physical parameters including planar spatial resolution and sensitivity and reconstructed resolution were measured for some apertures. In order to measure the size of the usable field of view according to the distance from the focal point, manufactured multiple line sources separated with the same distance were scanned and numbers of lines within the field of view were counted. Using a Tc-99m line source with 0.5 mm diameter and 12 mm length placed in the exact center of field of view, planar spatial resolution according to the distance was measured. Calibration factor to obtain FWHM values in 'mm' unit was calculated from the planar image of two separated line sources. Te-99m point source with i mm diameter was used for the measurement of system sensitivity. In addition, SPECT data of micro phantom with cold and hot line inserts and rat brain after intravenous injection of [I-123]FP-CIT were acquired and reconstructed using filtered back protection reconstruction algorithm for pinhole collimator. Results: Size of usable field of view was proportional to the distance from the focal point and their relationship could be fitted into a linear equation (y=1.4x+0.5, x: distance). System sensitivity and planar spatial resolution at 3 cm measured using 1.0 mm aperture was 71 cps/MBq and 1.24 mm, respectively. In the SPECT image of rat brain with [I-123]FP-CIT acquired using 1.0 mm aperture, the distribution of dopamine transporter in the striatum was well identified in each hemisphere. Conclusion: We verified that this new animal SPECT system with the Phlilps ARGUS scanner and small apertures had sufficient performance for small animal imaging.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.519-530
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• 2016

Vegetative plants in Yakutia are naturally frozen when they are covered with snow in the fall, and they function as green cryo-fodder that is a source of biologically active substances and nutrients for herbivorous animals. We observed a considerable increase in the total fatty acid content in the leaves of Avena sativa, Elytrigia rеpens, Equisetum variegatum and Equisetum scirpoides during the fall period. However, the degree of unsaturation of fatty acids was not higher in the frozen plants covered with snow than in the summer plants, with the exception of E. scirpoides, a dwarf horsetail found in the Pole of Cold in the northern hemisphere. In the internal adipose tissue of the Yakut horse (young horse meat), 18 fatty acids were found, including 10 saturated ones. Monounsaturated oleic С18:1 (n-9) acid and polyunsaturated α-linolenic С18:3 (n-3) acid were equally prevalent among the unsaturated fatty acids, accounting for 70% of the total unsaturated fatty acids. This composition of polyenoic fatty acids in the internal adipose tissue indicates that the Yakut horse actively feeds on the fall vegetation and the wintergreen sedge-grass. We believe that the high plant-specific free fatty acid content in the tissue of Yakut horses may play an important role in the regulation of their resistance to long-term low-temperature stress.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.503-524
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• 2000

Intercomparisons between four kinds of data have been done to estimate the accuracy of satellite observations and model reanalysis for middle and lower tropospheric thermal state over regional oceans. The data include the Microwave Sounding Units (MSU) Channel 2 (Ch2) brightness temperatures of NOAA satellites and the vertically weighted corresponding temperature of ECMWF GCM (1980-93). The satellite data for midtropospheric temperatures are MSU2 (1980-98) in nadir direction and SC2 (1980-97) in multiple scans, and for lower tropospheric temperature SC2R (1980-97). MSU2 was derived in this study while SC2 and SC2R were described in Spencer and Christy (1992a, 1992b). Temporal correlations between the above data were high (r${\ge}$0.90) in the middle and high latitudes, but low(r${\sim}$0.65) over the low latitude and more convective regions. Their values with SC2R which included the noises due to hydrometeors and surface emission were conspicuously low. The reanalysis shows higher correlation with SC2 than with MSU2 partially because of the hydrometeors screening. SC2R in monthly climatological anomalies was more sensitive to surface thermal condition in northern hemisphere than MSU2 or SC2. The first EOF mode for the monthly mean data of MSU and ECMWF shows annual cycle over most regions except the tropics. The mode in MSU2 over the Pacific suggests the east-west dipole due to the Walker circulation, but this tendency is not clear in other data. In the first and second modes for the Ch2 anomalies over most regions, the MSU and ECMWF data commonly indicate interannual variability due to El Ni${\tilde{n}$o and La Ni${\tilde{n}$a. The substantial disagreement between observations and model reanalysis occurs over the equatorial upwelling region of the western Pacific, suggesting uncertainties in the model parameterization of atmosphere-ocean interaction.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.553-560
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• 2001

Objective : The objective of this study was to determine the photodynamic therapeutic response of U-87 human glioma cell in vitro as well as in the nude rat xenograft model using photofrin as photosensitizer. Material and Method : U-87 cells were cultured on 96-well culture plates, photofrin(Quadralogic Technologies Inc., Vancouver, Canada) was added into the cell culture medium at concentration of $1{\mu}g/ml$, $2.5{\mu}g/ml$, $5{\mu}g/ml$, $10{\mu}g/ml$ and $20{\mu}g/ml$. 24 hour after drug treatment, cells were treated with optical(632nm) irradiation of $100mJ/cm^2$, $200mJ/cm^2$ and $400mJ/cm^2$. Photofrin(12.5mg/kg, i.p.) was administered to 28 nude rats containing intracerebral U-87 human glioma as well as 26 normal nude rats. 48 hours after administration, animals were treated with optical irradiation(632nm) of $35J/cm^2$, $140J/cm^2$ and $280J/cm^2$ to exposed tumor and normal brain. The photofrin concentration was measured in tumor and normal brain in a separate population of animals. Results : By MTT assay, there was 100% cytotoxicity at any dose of photofrin with optical irradiation of $200mJ/cm^2$ and $400mJ/cm^2$. But at the optical irradiation of $100mJ/cm^2$ cells were killed in dose dependent manner 28.5%, 49.1%, 54.4%, 78.2%, and 84.6% at concentration of $1{\mu}g/ml$, $2.5{\mu}g/ml$, $5{\mu}g/ml$, $10{\mu}g/ml$ and $20{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. Dose dependent PDT lesions in both tumor and normal brain were observed. In the tumor lesion, only superficial tissue damage was found with optical irradiation of $35J/cm^2$. However, in the optical irradiation group of $140J/cm^2$ and $280J/cm^2$ the volume of lesions was measured of $7.2mm^3$ and $14.0mm^3$ for treatment at $140J/cm^2$ and $280J/cm^2$, respectively. The U-87 bearing rats showed a photofrin concentration in tumor tissue of $6.53{\pm}2.16{\mu}g/g$, 23 times higher than that found in the contralateral hemisphere of $0.28{\pm}0.15{\mu}g/g$. Conclusion : Our data indicate that the U-87 human glioma in vitro and in the xenografted rats is responsive to PDT. At these doses, a reproducible injury can be delivered to human glioma in this model. Strategies to spare the normal brain collateral damage are being studied.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.161-166
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• 2005

Purpose : Electron is used for the treatment of skin cancer, breast cancer, and head and neck cancer in clinic. Our study is performed to check the isodose distribution in source surface distance(SSD)and source bolus distance(SBD)setup, nipple influence to isodose distribution of electron, junctional area isodose variation of photon and electron field. Materials and Methods : The electron dose distribution measures the diameter for 20 cm hemisphere paraffin phantom 2 made. It inserted the film between 2 paraffin phantom and it investigated it got radiation and dose distribution curve. Results : The 8% of isodose difference is with the surface distance(SSD)and source bolus distance(SBD)setup. The electon when the nipple exists inside the field, as nipple size it cuts the bolus and when it puts out and there is a possibility of getting the dose distribution which is homogeneous. When in the junction of electron and photon it uses the bolus it uses in the electron field whole, there is a possibility of getting the dose distribution which is homogeneous. Conclusion : The dose distribution decrease from the SBD setup. To reduce the influence of nipple, corresponding volume of bolus should be removed. And bolus covering all the electron field reduced hot and cold spot of junctional area of photon. In the future becomes the research which sees an effective electron therapy.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.3 s.67
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• pp.187-200
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• 2006

Objectives: Acupuncture has been applied in Asia for thousands of years, especially to rehabilitation after stroke. It has been reported that acupuncture increased cerebral blood supply and stimulated the functional activity of brain nerve cells shown by using brain imaging techniques. This study was to evaluate the effect of GB 34-GB 39 electro-acupuncture (EA) on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in stroke patients and normal volunteers using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Methods: The study procedure was divided into two parts: patients and volunteers studies. For the patients study, ten ischemic stroke patients (3 males, 7 females, mean age $68.5{\pm}8.9$ years old) were selected. Baseline brain SPECT was done with triple head gamma camera (MultiSPECT3, Siemens, USA) after intravenous administration of 1,110 MBq of $^{99m}Tc-ECD$. Fifteen-minute EA at GB 34 and GB 39 were applied on the affected limb. The same dose of $^{99m}Tc-ECD$ was injected during the EA, and the second set of SPECT images wasobtained. Using the computer software (ICON 7.1, Siemens, USA), 3 SPECT slices (upper, middle, lower) surrounding the brain lesion were selected and each slice was divided into 10-16 brain regions. Asymmetry indexes (AI) were analyzed in each brain region. We regarded over 10% changes of AI between before and after EA as significance. For the volunteers study, 10 healthy human volunteers (5 males, 5 females, mean age $28.1{\pm}6$ years old) were selected. In the resting state, $^{99m}Tc-ECD$ brain SPECT scans were performed. On the 7th day after the resting examination, 15 minute EA was applied at GB 34 and GB 39 on the right side of the subjects. Immediately after EA, the second SPECT images were obtained inthe same manner as the resting state. Significant increases and decreases of rCBF after EA were estimated by comparing their SPECT images with those of the resting state using paired t statistics at every voxel, which were analyzed by statistical parametric mapping with a threshold of p = 0.01, uncorrected (extent threshold: k=100 voxels). Results: In stroke patients, six of the eight (75%) had significantly increased perfusion in post-acupuncture scans compared to their baseline state. In normal volunteers, GB 34-GB GB EA increased rCBF in both hemispheres including right ventral posterior cingulate (Brodmann area (BA) 23), left superior temporal, anterior transverse temporal (BA 22, 41), left parastriate, peristriate (BA 18, 19), right occipitotemporal, angular (BA 37, 39), left rostral postcentral, caudal postcentral and preparietal (BA 2, 3, 5). However GB 34-GB 39 EA decreased rCBF in the right hemisphere including triangular and middle frontal lobes. Conclusions: The results demonstrated that OB 34-GB 39 EA increased cerebral perfusion in ischemic stroke patients and increased rCBF grossly in temporal lobes of normal volunteers. It is also suggested that there may be a correlation between the GB meridian and the territory of the middle cerebral artery.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.123-129
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• 2001

Purpose: The purposes of this study are to evaluate normal MR spectroscopy (MRS) data of the cerebellum and pons, and to evaluate intra-unit and inter-unit differences of the results. Materials and methods: Nine normal volunteers (mean age 23 years) were studied with two 1.5 Tesla MR units (A and B units). A total of four sessions of MRS study were performed with two sessions in ea.ch MR unit in each volunteer. In each session, MRS data were obtained from bilateral cerebellar hemisphere and pons. MRS was performed using spin-echo single voxel technique with repetition time of 2000 ms, echo time of 288ms and 128 averagings. Voxel size was $2{\;}{\times}{\;}2{\;}{\times}{\;}1.5{\;}cm$ in the cerebellum and $1.5{\;}{\times}{\;}1.5{\;}{\times}{\;}1.5{\;}cm$ in the pons. Metabolite ratios of NAA/Cho, NAAcCr, NAAc(Cho+Cr) and Cr/Cho (both peak heights and the peak areas) were compared among the results of four sessions of MRS for evaluation of intra-unit and inter-unit differences. Results: In the cerebellum, mean (SO values of peak height NAA/Cho, NAA/Cr, NAA/(Cho+Cr) and Cr/Cho ratios obtained in the first session of A unit were $1.08{\pm}O.16,{\;}1.44{\pm}O.286,{\;}0.61{\pm}O.09{\;}and{\;}O.76{\pm}0.13$, respectively. Comparing with the results of the second session, intra-unit differences were 3-7%. In B unit intra-unit differences were 1-9%, except for 22% of Cr/Cho ratio. Inter-unit differences between A and B units were 1-26%. In the pons, mean ISD values of peak height NANCho, NANCr, NANICho + Cr) and Cr/Cho ratios obtained in the first session of A unit were $1.51{\pm}O.35,{\;}3.35{\pm}O.78,{\;}1.02{\pm}0.16{\;}and{\;}0.47{\pm}O.14$, respectively. Mean NAAfCho, NANCr and NAAI(Cho+ Cr} ratios of the pons were significantly higher than those of the cerebellum. Intra-unit differences were 2-21 % in A unit and 4-18 % in B unit. Inter-unit differences between A and B units were 1-18%. The mean values obtained by using peak area were generally higher and wider in range than those of peak height in both units. Conclusion: Mean NAAfCho, NAAlCr and NAAf(Cho+Cr) ratios of the cerebellum were significanHy lower than those of the pons. Intra-unit differences of most metabolites ratios were generally not significant, whereas inter-unit differences were greater than intra-unit differences in more metabolite ratios. Therefore, normal MRS data of the cerebellum and the pons should be obtained in every MR unit, before MRS applications in the diseases of the cerebellum and the pons.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.94-102
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• 2003

Purpose : Cerebral blood flow (CBF) reactivity to acetazolamide (ACZ) is useful to select patients with hemodynamic failure. However, it is still a matter of speculation that varying degrees of regional CBF increases after ACZ administration represent the severity or stage of regional hemodynamic failure as assessed by positron emission tomography (PET). We studied to elucidate whether ACZ challenge $^{123}I-IMP$ brain single photon emission tomography (SPECT) can accurately grade the seventy of regional hemodynamic failure. Materials and Methods: Eighteen patients (M: 16, F: 2, average age: 61 years) with unilateral occlusive disease of the internal carotid artery or the trunk of the middle cerebral artery (MCA). Patients undewent $^{123}I-IMP$ brain SPECT study with acetazolamide challenge and PET study was carried out within 2 weeks before and after SPECT study. Five healthy volunteers with a mean age of 48 years (range: 28-73 yr, M: 3, F: 2) underwent PET studies to determine normal values. In SPECT study, an asymmetry index (Al)-the percentage of radioactivity of region of interest (ROI) in the occlusive cerebrovascular lesion to the contralateral homologous ROI-was used for numerical evaluation of relative $^{123}I-IMP$ distribution. In PET study, regional CBF, oxygen extraction fraction (OEF), cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen ($CMRO_2$) and cerebral blood volume (CBV) values were measured with $^{15}O-labeled$ gas inhalation method and the values were used for comparison with Al (Al during acetazolamide challenge-Al of basal study) on the SPECT study. ROls were classified by severity into three groups (normal, stage I and stage II). Results: Mean values of Al in areas with normal, stage I and stage II hemodynamic failure were $6.25{\pm}7.77%\;(n=107),\;-10.38{\pm}10.41%\:(n=117)\;and\;13.30{\pm}10.51%\;(n=140)$, respectively. Al significantly differed with each groups (p<0.05). Correlation between Al and CBF, OEF and CBV/CBF in hemisphere with occlusive cerebrovascular lesion was 0.20 (p<0.01), -0.28 (p<0.01) and -0.28 (p<0.01), respectively. Conclusion: We concluded that $^{123}I-IMP$ brain SPECT with acetazolamide challenge could determine the severity ad stage of regional hemodynamic failure as assessed by PET.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.155-165
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• 2002

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify the brain areas whose regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was changed in medial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE) using ${H_2}^{15}O-PET$. Materials and Methods: 12 patients with mTLE (6 left, 6 right mTLE) and 6 normal controls were scanned during a fixation baseline period and a sensory-motor condition where subjects pressed a button to an upward arrow. A voxel-based analysis using SPM99 software was peformed to compare the patient groups with the normal controls for the rCBF during fixation baseline period and for relative changes of rCBF during the sensory-motor task relative to fixation. Results: During the fixation baseline, a significant reduction of rCBF was found posterior insula bilaterally and right frontopolar regions in right mTLE patients compared to the normal controls. In left mTLE patients, the reduction was found in left frontopolar and temporal legions. During the sensory-motor task, rCBF increase over the fixation period, was reduced in left frontal and superior temporal legions in the right mTLE patients whereas in various areas of right hemisphere in left mTLE patients, relative to normal controls. However, the increased rCBF was also found in the left inferior parietal and anterior thalamic/fornix regions in both right and left mTLE patients compared to normal controls. Conclusion: Epilepsy induced changes were found not only in relative increase/decrease of rCBF during a simple sensory-motor control condition relative to a fixation rest condition but also in the relative rCBF distribution during the rest period.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.225-237
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• 1998

Purpose: We investigated the statistical methods to compose the functional brain map of human working memory and the principal factors that have an effect on the methods for localization. Materials and Methods: Repeated PET scans with successive four tasks, which consist of one control and three different activation tasks, were performed on six right-handed normal volunteers for 2 minutes after bolus injections of 925 MBq $H_2^{15}O$ at the intervals of 30 minutes. Image data were analyzed using SPM96 (Statistical Parametric Mapping) implemented with Matlab (Mathworks Inc., U.S.A.). Images from the same subject were spatially registered and were normalized using linear and nonlinear transformation methods. Significant difference between control and each activation state was estimated at every voxel based on the general linear model. Differences of global counts were removed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with global activity as covariate. Using the mean and variance for each condition which was adjusted using ANCOVA, t-statistics was performed on every voxel To interpret the results more easily, t-values were transformed to the standard Gaussian distribution (Z-score). Results: All the subjects carried out the activation and control tests successfully. Average rate of correct answers was 95%. The numbers of activated blobs were 4 for verbal memory I, 9 for verbal memory II, 9 for visual memory, and 6 for conjunctive activation of these three tasks. The verbal working memory activates predominantly left-sided structures, and the visual memory activates the right hemisphere. Conclusion: We conclude that rCBF PET imaging and statistical parametric mapping method were useful in the localization of the brain regions for verbal and visual working memory.