• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.48 no.8
• /
• pp.826-831
• /
• 2005

Purpose : This study is directed to evaluate standardized developmental test performances of infants and children who, as fetuses, had mild isolated cerebral ventriculomegaly diagnosed by ultrasound. Methods : All prenatal sonographic findings from 2001 to 2002 were evaluated. Live isolated mild ventriculomegaly(IMVM) of 10-15 mm were observed in 95 cases(1.1 percent). Standardized developmental testing of 40 cases of IMVM and 36 cases in a comparison group were offered to parents Both groups of children were adjusted to normal antepatum subjects with respect to sex, race, indication for ultrasound and gestational age at the time of ultrasound. Test of cognitive and motor development(Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Second Edition; BSID-II) were administered by developmental examiners. Results : Forty cases and 34 comparison sujects completed the testing. The IMVM and comparison groups were similar with respect to parental age, gestational age, birth weight, familial socioeconomic status. The IMVM subjects scored lower than the comparison group on both the BSID-II, but there was not statistically significant. differences; metal development index(MDI)($92.7{\pm}12.9$ vs $94.7{\pm}14.1$, P=0.47) and psychomotor development index(PDI)($100.3{\pm}14.1$ vs $101.3{\pm}10.7$, P=0.75). Eleven cases(27.5 percent) of IMVM group and five cases(14.7 percent) of the comparison group were developmentally delayed, but most cases in both groups showed mild delays. Resolution or lack of progression, lateral ventricle diameter ${\leq}12mm$ and females were associated with better scores, but there were not statistically significant. Polarity, and head circumference were not related to later development. Conclusion : This study show children with MIVM did not delay performance in the developmental test, but we might suggest a tendency to increase the risk of mild developmental delay.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.9-16
• /
• 2009

This study, tasting 14 months, was conducted to investigate the effects of different pen size and group size on growing-fattening characteristics of Hanwoo steers. Forty-eight, 12-month-old Hanwoo steers($305.8{\pm}32.2\;kg$) were randomly assigned to three groups($35.28\;m^2$; n=4 heads, $70.56\;m^2$; n=8 heads, $105.84\;m^2$; n=12 heads) and reared in separate pens with a constant space allowance of $8.82m^2$ per head from 12 to 21 month of age and then regrouped to 4 heads per pen. A common diet including concentrate(limited) and forage(ad lib) was provided to all the animals. Images of live animal ultrasonic back fat thickness, longissimus muscle area and Marbling score were evaluated in three months interval from 12 months of age using an ultrasound equipment(HS-2000) at the 13th rib and lumber vertebra interface of left side. Significant differences of ADG was found mainly at $15{\sim}18$ month and $18{\sim}21$ month fattening stages(p<0.05). Marbling score(MS) was higher(p<0.05) in 12 heads group when compared with that of 4 and 8 heads groups after 18 months. Animals in 12 heads group had the lowest Average daily gain(ADG) but showed the highest longissimus muscle area(LMA) and marbling score(MS). In addition, Hanwoo steers in 12 heads group obtained a higher quality appearance(HQA) of 82.7% than that of other treatments. The results indicated that Hanwoo steers housed on large group size and pen size decreased their ADG but improved meat quality.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
• /
• v.15 no.11
• /
• pp.2321-2326
• /
• 2011

Cervical vertebrae are a complex structure and an important part of human body connecting the head and the trunk. In this paper, we propose a method to extract sternocleidomastoid muscle from ultrasonography images of cervical vertabrae automatically. In our method, Region of Interests(ROI) is extracted first from an ultrasonography image after removing unnecessary auxiliary information such as metrics. Then we apply Ends-in search stretching algorithm in order to enhance the contrast of brightness. Average binarization is then applied to those pixels which its brightness is sufficiently large. The noise part is removed by image processing algorithms. After extracting fascia encloses sternocleidomastoid muscle, target muscle object is extracted using the location information of fascia according to the number of objects in the fascia. When only one object is to be extracted, we search downward first to extract the target muscle area and then search from right to left to extract the area and merge them. If there are two target objects, we extract first from the upper-bound of higher object to the lower-bound of lower object and then remove the fascia of the target object area. Smearing technique is used to restore possible loss of the fat area in the process. The thickness of sternocleidomastoid muscle is then calculated as the maximum thickness of those extracted objects. In this experiment with 30 real world ultrasonography images, the proposed method verified its efficacy and accuracy by health professionals.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
• /
• v.5 no.4
• /
• pp.210-214
• /
• 2016

Objective: The aim of this study was to measure the muscle architectural parameters of abdominal muscles in healthy individuals by rehabilitative ultrasound imaging (RUSI) and to investigate their changes after bridging exercise in various environments. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: The study included 40 healthy participants (19 men, 21 women). Subjects were randomly allocated to a stable surface group (SG, n=20) or an unstable surface group (UG, n=20). The participants assumed three positions in rest, bridging exercise with knee flexion $60^{\circ}$, and bridging exercise with knee flexion $90^{\circ}$ for the measurement of abdominal muscle thickness by RUSI. For the resting position, the participants held the head neutral in a hook-lying position and the dominant side was measured. For contraction, the participants performed the bridging exercise with the knee joint in $60^{\circ}$ and $90^{\circ}$ of flexion for 10 seconds each. Results: For transversus abdominis, external oblique muscle thickness, within the stable surface group and the unstable surface group, no significant contraction difference was observed in both the $60^{\circ}$ and $90^{\circ}$ bridge exercise conditions. Contraction difference of internal oblique muscle was significantly larger at $90^{\circ}$ than at $60^{\circ}$ within the SG (p<0.05). But within the UG, no significant contraction difference was shown. There was no significant contraction difference between the surface group and the unstable SG at $60^{\circ}$ condition and at $90^{\circ}$ condition in all measured muscles. Conclusions: The contraction difference is different for each muscle during bridge exercise with knee flexion $60^{\circ}$ and bridging exercise with knee flexion $90^{\circ}$. Muscle contraction difference is generally large when exercised on an unstable surface than a stable surface, but these are not statistically significant when bridging exercise is performed using dynamic air cushion for unstable surface.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.90-95
• /
• 2008

Purpose: We wanted to assess the accuracy of ultrasound for detecting abnormality of the long head of the biceps tendon in patients with rotator cuff disorders. Materials and Methods: Between January 2006 and March 2007, we reviewed the arthroscopic findings of biceps tendons in 67 patients with rotator cuff disorder and who underwent ultrasonography pre-operatively. The patients' average age was 58 years and there were 41 males and 26 females. The statuses of the biceps tendons were described as 'normal', 'dislocation', 'subluxation', 'partial or complete tears', and 'tendinopathy'. We investigated the correspondence between the arthroscopic and ultrasonographic findings. Results: On ultrasonography, the biceps tendons were 'normal' in 37 patients and 'abnormal' in 30 patients. On arthroscopy, 5 biceps tendons turned out to have partial tears, which were 'normal' on ultrasonography. On the other hand, 8 biceps tendons were 'normal' which were 'abnormal' on ultrasonography. Three dislocations and 4 complete tears of biceps tendons were identified on arthroscopy, and all of them were detected by ultrasonography. Of the 20 cases of 'tendinopathy' seen on ultrasonography, 15 patients had partial tears and the remaining 5 patients were normal on arthroscopy. Conclusion: Ultrasonography is accurate for detecting some biceps pathologies, such as dislocation or complete tear, but it is not accurate for the detection of partial tear.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.20
• /
• pp.8699-8703
• /
• 2014

18-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography ($^{18}F$-FDG PET/CT) scans are commonly used for the staging and restaging of various malignancies, such as head and neck, breast, colorectal and gynecological cancers. However, the value of FDG PET/CT for detecting prostate cancer is unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical value of incidental prostate $^{18}F$-FDG uptake on PET/CT scans. We reviewed $^{18}F$-FDG PET/CT scan reports from September 2009 to September 2013, and selected cases that reported focal/diffuse FDG uptake in the prostate. We analyzed the correlation between $^{18}F$-FDG PET/CT scan findings and data collected during evaluations such as serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, digital rectal examination (DRE), transrectal ultrasound (TRUS), and/or biopsy to confirm prostate cancer. Of a total of 18,393 cases, 106 (0.6%) exhibited abnormal hypermetabolism in the prostate. Additional evaluations were performed in 66 patients. Serum PSA levels were not significantly correlated with maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax) in all patients (rho 0.483, p=0.132). Prostate biopsies were performed in 15 patients, and prostate cancer was confirmed in 11. The median serum PSA level was 4.8 (0.55-7.06) ng/mL and 127.4 (1.06-495) ng/mL in the benign and prostate cancer groups, respectively. The median SUVmax was higher in the prostate cancer group (mean 10.1, range 3.8-24.5) than in the benign group (mean 4.3, range 3.1-8.8), but the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.078). There was no significant correlation between SUVmax and serum PSA, prostatic volume, or Gleason score. $^{18}F$-FDG PET/CT scans did not reliably differentiate malignant or benign from abnormal uptake lesions in the prostate, and routine prostate biopsy was not usually recommended in patients with abnormal FDG uptake. Nevertheless, patients with incidental prostate uptake on $^{18}F$-FDG PET/CT scans should not be ignored and should be undergo further clinical evaluations, such as PSA and DRE.

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.48-57
• /
• 2015

In a sodium-cooled fast reactor, which is a Generation-IV reactor, refueling is conducted by rotating, but not opening, the reactor head to prevent a reaction between the sodium, water and air. Therefore, an inspection technique that checks for the presence of any obstacles between the reactor core and the upper internal structure, which could disturb the rotation of the reactor head, is essential prior to the refueling of a sodium-cooled fast reactor. To this end, an ultrasound-based inspection technique should be employed because the opacity of the sodium prevents conventional optical inspection techniques from being applied to the monitoring of obstacles. In this study, a ranging inspection technique using a plate-type ultrasonic waveguide sensor was developed to monitor the presence of any obstacles between the reactor core and the upper internal structure in the opaque sodium. Because the waveguide sensor installs an ultrasonic transducer in a relatively cold region and transmits the ultrasonic waves into the hot radioactive liquid sodium through a long waveguide, it offers better reliability and is less susceptible to thermal or radiation damage. A 10 m horizontal beam waveguide sensor capable of radiating an ultrasonic wave horizontally was developed, and beam profile measurements and basic experiments were carried out to investigate the characteristics of the developed sensor. The beam width and propagation distance of the ultrasonic wave radiated from the sensor were assessed based on the experimental results. Finally, a feasibility test using cylindrical targets (corresponding to the shape of possible obstacles) was also conducted to evaluate the applicability of the developed ranging inspection technique to actual applications.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.290-298
• /
• 1992

Although early diagnosis of urinary tract infection is important, the radiologic evaluation is still controversial because of the low sensitivity and the lack of cost-effectiveness. This study was carried out to evaluate the clinical utility of high resolution triple head $^{99m}Tc-DMSA$ SPECT imaging in urinary tract infection. We prospectively performed $^{99m}Tc-DMSA$ planar and SPECT imaging, ultrasound of kidney (US), intravenous pyelography (IVP) and voiding cystourethrography (VCU) in all 60 adult patients with UTI [26 with first episode of acute pyelonephritis (APN), 22 with recurrent APN, and 12 persistent asymptomatic pyuria] and 25 normal persons. To assess reversibility of the renal cortical defect (RCD), $^{99m}Tc-DMSA$ SPECT was repeated 1 to 8 months later in those patients with abnormal initial findings. Overall detection rate of $^{99m}Tc-DMSA$ SPECT imaging was 83% (50/60), but planar, US, IVP and VCU showed abnormal findings in 68%, 28%, 32% and 13%, respectively. 25 out of 27 patients with normal or single RCD were all normal in other radioligic studies. Only two patients showed vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) on VCU (grade I) and mild hydronephrosis on IVP. But, high proportion of those with multiple RCD showed abnormal findings on US (17/33), IVP (18/33), and VCU (7/33): 67% in any of these 3 studies. Especially, 3 out 7 patients with VUR showed multiple RCD on $^{99m}Tc-DMSA$ SPECT without any abnormality on IVP or US. 25 normal persons showed normal findings in all studies except one false positive finding on $^{99m}Tc-DMSA$ SPECT imaging. Follow-up $^{99m}Tc-DMSA$ SPECT was done in 28 patients (13 with single RCD, 15 with multiple RCD). All 13 patients with single RCD showed improvement. Those with multiple RCD presented improvement in 4, no change in 10, and aggravation in 1 on follow-up studies. With these results, we conclude: 1) $^{99m}Tc-DMSA$ SPECT imaging is superior to planar imaging, US, IVP or VCU in detection of renal lesion in urinary tract infection. $^{99m}Tc-DMSA$ SPECT is useful as a initial diagnostic tool in adult patients with urinary tract infection. 2) The multiple RCD on $^{99m}Tc-DMSA$ SPECT represent the high probability of irreversible tissue change and need of extensive urological work-up.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.1-6
• /
• 2020

The chest wall, an organ directly affected by environmental particles through respiration, consists of ribs, a pleural layer and intercostal muscles. To diagnose early and treat disease in this body part, it is important to visualize the details of the chest wall, but the structure of the pleural layer cannot be seen by chest computed tomography or ultrasound. On the other hand, optical coherence tomography (OCT), with a high spatial resolution, is suited to observe pleural-layer response to talc, one of the fine materials. However, intensity-based OCT is weak in providing information to distinguish the detailed structure of the chest wall, and cannot distinguish the reaction of the pleural layer from the change in the muscle by the talc. Polarization-sensitive OCT (PS-OCT) takes advantage of the fact that specific tissues like muscle, which have optical birefringence, change the backscattered light's polarization state. Moreover, the birefringence of muscle associated with the arrangement of myofilaments indicates the muscle's condition, by measuring retardation change. The PS-OCT image is interpreted from three major perspectives for talc-exposure chest-wall imaging: a thickened pleural layer, a separation between pleural layer and muscle, and a phase-retardation measurement around lesions. In this paper, a rabbit chest wall after talc pleurodesis is investigated by PS-OCT. The PS-OCT images visualize the pleural layer and muscle, respectively, and this system shows different birefringence of normal and damaged lesions. Also, an analyisis based on phase-retardation slope supports results from the PS-OCT image and histology.