• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 2014

Purpose: The goal of this study is to determine whether the magnitude of overlap between planning target volume (PTV) and rectum ($Rectum_{overlap}$) or PTV and bladder ($Bladder_{overlap}$) in prostate cancer volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) is predictive of the dose-volume relationships achieved after optimization, and to identify predictive equations and cutoff values using these overlap volumes beyond which the Quantitative Analyses of Normal Tissue Effects in the Clinic (QUANTEC) dose-volume constraints are unlikely to be met. Materials and Methods: Fifty-seven patients with prostate cancer underwent VMAT planning using identical optimization conditions and normalization. The PTV (for the 50.4 Gy primary plan and 30.6 Gy boost plan) included 5 to 10 mm margins around the prostate and seminal vesicles. Pearson correlations, linear regression analyses, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to correlate the percentage overlap with dose-volume parameters. Results: The percentage $Rectum_{overlap}$ and $Bladder_{overlap}$ correlated with sparing of that organ but minimally impacted other dose-volume parameters, predicted the primary plan rectum $V_{45}$ and bladder $V_{50}$ with $R^2$ = 0.78 and $R^2$ = 0.83, respectively, and predicted the boost plan rectum $V_{30}$ and bladder $V_{30}$ with $R^2$ = 0.53 and $R^2$ = 0.81, respectively. The optimal cutoff value of boost $Rectum_{overlap}$ to predict rectum $V_{75}$ >15% was 3.5% (sensitivity 100%, specificity 94%, p < 0.01), and the optimal cutoff value of boost $Bladder_{overlap}$ to predict bladder $V_{80}$ >10% was 5.0% (sensitivity 83%, specificity 100%, p < 0.01). Conclusion: The degree of overlap between PTV and bladder or rectum can be used to accurately guide physicians on the use of interventions to limit the extent of the overlap region prior to optimization.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.107-111
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• 2002

Purpose : To compare the accuracy of digital subtraction images acquired by two different methods different in positioning four reference points for geometrical standardization. Materials and Methods : A total of 36 digital radiographic images of 6 volunteers were taken at the areas of the incisor, premolar, and molar of both the maxilla and mandible using the Digora system. Each image was moved 4 mm vertically and horizontally. Four oral and maxillofacial radiologists performed digital subtraction radiography between the paired images before and after movement using Emago (Oral Diagnostic Systems, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) and Sunny (Biomedisys Co., Seoul, Korea). The standard deviation of the internal gray value in Region of Interest (ROI) was statistically analyzed between the two programs using the paired t-test. Results : The standard deviation of pixel gray values from the digital subtraction images using the Sunny program were lower than that of the Emago program (p<0.05). All observers showed significant differences between each other when the Sunny program was used (p<0.05), but one observer showed a significantly higher score than other observers when they used Emago (p<0.05). The standard deviations of premolar area from both Sunny and Emago programs were significantly higher than those of anterior and molar regions (p<0.05). Conclusion: The subtracted images using the Sunny program were more accurate and sensitive than those taken using the Emago program.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.35-43
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• 2009

Objectives: Seminal concentration of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-${\alpha}$) relevant to sperm nuclear DNA integrity has not been studied. The present study aimed to evaluate seminal concentration of TNF-${\alpha}$ in correlation with sperm parameters and nuclear DNA integrity in asymptomatic healthy donors. Methods: Semen samples were obtained by masturbation from forty-five healthy donors. Results: Sperm quality was assessed by computer-assisted semen analysis and nuclear DNA integrity measured by the TUNEL assay in raw semen. TNF-${\alpha}$ concentrations were measured by ELISA in frozen-thawed seminal plasmas. Sperm DNA fragmentation rates were ranged between 1.9% and 53.0% (mean${\pm}$SD, 12.4${\pm}$9.6%). Univariate analysis revealed that DNA fragmentation rate was not associated with sperm concentration or motility but had a correlation with linearity negatively (r=-0.325, p=0.03) and age positively (r=0.484, p=0.001). The mean seminal concentration of TNF-${\alpha}$ was 4.9 pg/mL with a range from 1.1 to 22.6 pg/mL. The TNF-${\alpha}$ concentration had no correlation with clinically relevant parameters of sperm quality or nuclear DNA fragmentation rate. Conclusion: Our results indicate that sperm nuclear DNA fragmentation may be not associated with seminal TNF-${\alpha}$ level or sperm quality in asymptomatic healthy donors.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.56-64
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• 2007

This study examined the influences of cognitive conflict and anxiety induced by a discrepant event and an alternative hypothesis, attention, and effort on conceptual change. Two hundred three students having misconceptions about density were selected from 462 seventh graders based on the results of a preconception test. Tests of cognitive responses and anxiety to a discrepant event were administered before and after presenting an alternative hypothesis. Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) was then provided to students as a conceptual change intervention. Tests assessing attention and effort allocated to the CAI, and conceptual understanding were administered as posttests. Cognitive conflict induced by a discrepant event was found to increase after presenting an alternative hypothesis. Pre-cognitive conflict induced by only a discrepant event exerted a direct effect on post-cognitive conflict induced by a discrepant event and an alternative hypothesis. Post-cognitive conflict had a direct effect on conceptual change. Pre-anxiety decreased after presenting an alternative hypothesis. Pre-anxiety influenced post-anxiety, and this influenced on conceptual change via effort negatively. Attention had a direct effect as well as an indirect effect on conceptual change via effort. These results suggest that the strategy presenting both a discrepant event and an alternative hypothesis to students in concept learning could facilitate conceptual change by inducing more cognitive conflict or active participation of students through the decrease of anxiety than that presenting a discrepant event only.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.540-545
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• 2012

Background Patients have anxiety and fear of complications due to general anesthesia. Through new instruments and local anesthetic drugs, a variety of anesthetic methods have been introduced. These methods keep hospital costs down and save time for patients. In particular, the target-controlled infusion (TCI) system maintains a relatively accurate level of plasma concentration, so the depth of anesthesia can be adjusted more easily. We conducted this study to examine whether intravenous anesthesia using the TCI system with propofol and remifentanil would be an effective method of anesthesia in breast augmentation. Methods This study recruited 100 patients who underwent breast augmentation surgery from February to August 2011. Intravenous anesthesia was performed with 10 mg/mL propofol and 50 ${\mu}g/mL$ remifentanil simultaneously administered using two separate modules of a continuous computer-assisted TCI system. The average target concentration was set at 2 ${\mu}g/mL$ and 2 ng/mL for propofol and remifentanil, respectively, and titrated against clinical effect and vital signs. Oxygen saturation, electrocardiography, and respiratory status were continuously measured during surgery. Blood pressure was measured at 5-minute intervals. Information collected includes total duration of surgery, dose of drugs administered during surgery, memory about surgery, and side effects. Results Intraoperatively, there was transient hypotension in two cases and hypoxia in three cases. However, there were no serious complications due to anesthesia such as respiratory difficulty, deep vein thrombosis, or malignant hypertension, for which an endotracheal intubation or reversal agent would have been needed. All the patients were discharged on the day of surgery and able to ambulate normally. Conclusions Our results indicate that anesthetic methods, where the TCI of propofol and remifentanil is used, might replace general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation in breast augmentation surgery.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.384-386
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• 2013

A two-year-old, female English bulldog was referred for breeding by artificial insemination with frozen semen of male English bulldog, a litter of female bulldog's grandfather. Intrauterine artificial insemination was done two days after the ovulation day. Sperm was evaluated after thawing by computer assisted sperm analyzer, and its motility was 89.8% with normal shape. Pregnancy bearing eight fetuses was diagnosed by ultrasonography and radiography. Cesarean section was performed sixty days after the artificial insemination. Eight pups were delivered with safe, but the entire pup had abnormalities including severe bow-legged malformations, cleft lip, cleft palate, and enlarged cranial part.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.372-381
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• 2016

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between buccal bone thickness and gingival thickness by means of a noninvasive and relatively accurate digital registration method. Methods: In 20 periodontally healthy subjects, cone-beam computed tomographic images and intraoral scanned files were obtained. Measurements of buccal bone thickness and gingival thickness at the central incisors, lateral incisors, and canines were performed at points 0-5 mm from the alveolar crest on the superimposed images. The Friedman test was used to compare buccal bone and gingival thickness for each depth between the 3 tooth types. Spearman's correlation coefficient was calculated to assess the correlation between buccal bone thickness and gingival thickness. Results: Of the central incisors, 77% of all sites had a buccal thickness of 0.5-1.0 mm, and 23% had a thickness of 1.0-1.5 mm. Of the lateral incisors, 71% of sites demonstrated a buccal bone thickness <1.0 mm, as did 63% of the canine sites. For gingival thickness, the proportion of sites <1.0 mm was 88%, 82%, and 91% for the central incisors, lateral incisors, and canines, respectively. Significant differences were observed in gingival thickness at the alveolar crest level (G0) between the central incisors and canines (P=0.032) and between the central incisors and lateral incisors (P=0.013). At 1 mm inferior to the alveolar crest, a difference was found between the central incisors and canines (P=0.025). The lateral incisors and canines showed a significant difference for buccal bone thickness 5 mm under the alveolar crest (P=0.025). Conclusions: The gingiva and buccal bone of the anterior maxillary teeth were found to be relatively thin (<1 mm) overall. A tendency was found for gingival thickness to increase and bone thickness to decrease toward the root apex. Differences were found between teeth at some positions, although the correlation between buccal bone thickness and soft tissue thickness was generally not significant.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.10
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• pp.1417-1425
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• 2014

The selection of morphologically normal spermatozoa is critical to obtain high breeding performances in boar breeding farms and artificial insemination (AI) centers. Parameters for the selection of semen mainly include total sperm motility, concentration, and morphology. However, these primary parameters are often not reliable for discriminating between normal and abnormal, non-fertilizable spermatozoa. The present study was designed to compare the motion characteristics, fertilization ability using in vitro fertilization (IVF), and acrosome formation of the semen from boars having low (boar number 2012) and normal (boar number 2004 and 2023) breeding performances. The ultimate goal was to identify additional simple and easy criteria for the selection of normal sperm. There was no significant difference between boar 2004 and boar 2023 sperm total motility in computer assisted sperm analysis. However, boar number 2012 semen presented a significantly reduced population of rapid moving spermatozoa and an increased population of slow moving spermatozoa compared to boar numbers 2004 and 2023. Analysis of detailed motion characteristics revealed that sperm from boar number 2012 had significantly reduced motility in progressiveness, average path velocity, straight-line velocity (VSL), curvilinear velocity (VCL), straightness, and linearity. The assessment of the fertilizing ability by IVF also showed that sperm from boar number 2012 showed a fertility rate of 3.4%, whereas sperm from boar number 2023 had a fertility rate of 75.45%. Interestingly, most of the sperm nuclei were found on the peripheral area of the oocytes, suggesting that the sperm from boar number 2012 lacked penetration ability into the oocyte zonapellucida. The acrosome formation analysis using Pisum sativum agglutinin staining demonstrated that the sperm from boar number 2012 had a defect in acrosome formation. Consequently, primary parameters for selecting semen before AI such as motility are not sufficient to select normal and fertilizable spermatozoa. In conclusion, the present study suggests that the acrosome staining and detailed motion characteristics such as progressiveness, VCL, and VSL should be included in determining semen quality together with primary parameters for successful AI and high breeding performance in the swine industry.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.65-71
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• 2016

Although high mammographic density is one of the strongest predictors of breast cancer risk, X-ray based mammography cannot be performed before the recommended screening age, especially not in adolescents and young women. Therefore, new techniques for breast density measurement are of interest. In this pilot study in Guam and Hawaii, we evaluated a radiation-free, bioimpedance device called Electrical Breast Densitometer$^{TM}$ (EBD; senoSENSE Medical Systems, Inc., Ontario, Canada) for measuring breast density in 95 women aged 31-82 years and 41 girls aged 8-18 years. Percent density (PD) was estimated in the women's most recent mammogram using a computer-assisted method. Correlation coefficients and linear regression were applied for statistical analysis. In adult women, mean EBD and PD values of the left and right breasts were $230{\pm}52$ and $226{\pm}50{\Omega}$ and $23.7{\pm}15.1$ and $24.2{\pm}15.2%$, respectively. The EBD measurements were inversely correlated with PD ($r_{Spearman}=-0.52$, p<0.0001); the correlation was stronger in Caucasians ($r_{Spearman}=-0.70$, p<0.0001) than Asians ($r_{Spearman}=-0.54$, p<0.01) and Native Hawaiian/Chamorro/Pacific Islanders ($r_{Spearman}=-0.34$, p=0.06). Using 4 categories of PD (<10, 10-25, 26-50, 51-75%), the respective mean EBD values were $256{\pm}32$, $249{\pm}41$, $202{\pm}46$, and $178{\pm}43{\Omega}$ (p<0.0001). In girls, the mean EBD values in the left and right breast were $148{\pm}40$ and $155{\pm}54{\Omega}$; EBD values decreased from Tanner stages 1 to 4 ($204{\pm}14$, $154{\pm}79$, $136{\pm}43$, and $119{\pm}16{\Omega}$ for stages 1-4, respectively) but were higher at Tanner stage 5 ($165{\pm}30{\Omega}$). With further development, this bioimpedance method may allow for investigations of breast development among adolescent, as well as assessment of breast cancer risk early in life and in populations without access to mammography.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.1527-1533
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• 2001

Garole is a prolific, rare, less known and small size Indian sheep breed found in low and humid Sunderban region of West Bengal. Although information on stored Garole ram liquid semen upto 24 h is available, but there is a need to further investigate the short-term and long-term preservability of Garole ram semen for extensive utilization of this valuable germplasm by artificial insemination. The aim of the present study was to apply computer-assisted sperm analysis technique for assessing the motion characteristics of Garole ram semen stored (i) in liquid state at refrigeration temperature for short-term preservation upto 48 h and (ii) in frozen state at $-196^{\circ}C$ for long-term preservation after packaging in mini straws. Short-term preservation had a significant effect on motility (p<0.01) as the motility progressively decreased from 90.1% at 0 h to 85.5% and 73.2% after 24 and 48 h of storage, respectively. Although the decline in rapid moving sperms was also significant (p<0.01) on storage but the decrease was more pronounced at 48 h as compared to 24 h of storage period. Storage of chilled semen had also a significant effect on % linearity (p<0.05), % straightness (p<0.01), sperm velocities (p<0.01), amplitude of lateral head displacement (p<0.01) and beat frequency (pO.Ol) of spermatozoa. The replication had a significant effect for all the variables except average path and straight line velocity. However, the interactions of short-term storage and replication were non-significant for most of the variables except % of medium moving sperms, sperm velocities and beat frequency. On long-term preservation of Garole ram spermatozoa under controlled conditions the mean post-thaw recovery of 70.4 and 71.4% motile spermatozoa was achieved having 48.8 and 48.9% of rapidly motile spermatozoa, respectively in both the replicates. The effect of replication on cryopreservation was significant (p<0.05) on amplitude of lateral head displacement and beat frequency, but there was no significant effect on motility, rapidly motile spermatozoa, linearity, straightness and sperm velocities of frozen-thawed spermatozoa. It can be concluded from these results that an average 70% motility can be achieved on storage of Garole ram semen in chilled liquid state upto 48 h or in liquid nitrogen after freezing under controlled conditions in straws. However, further studies are required to evaluate the fertility of short-term and long-term preserved Garole ram semen for extensive use of this prolific sheep breed.