• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.8.1-8.8
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• 2023

Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate the parameters of bonding performance to root dentin, including push-out bond strength and dentinal tubular biomineralization, of a hydraulic bioceramic root-end filling material premixed with dimethyl sulfoxide (Endocem MTA Premixed) in comparison to a conventional powder-liquid-type cement (ProRoot MTA). Materials and Methods: The root canal of a single-rooted premolar was filled with either ProRoot MTA or Endocem MTA Premixed (n = 15). A slice of dentin was obtained from each root. Using the sliced specimen, the push-out bond strength was measured, and the failure pattern was observed under a stereomicroscope. The apical segment was divided into halves; the split surface was observed under a scanning electron microscope, and intratubular biomineralization was examined by observing the precipitates formed in the dentinal tubule. Then, the chemical characteristics of the precipitates were evaluated with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopic (EDS) analysis. The data were analyzed using the Student's t-test followed by the Mann-Whitney U test (p < 0.05). Results: No significant difference was found between the 2 tested groups in push-out bond strength, and cohesive failure was the predominant failure type. In both groups, flake-shaped precipitates were observed along dentinal tubules. The EDS analysis indicated that the mass percentage of calcium and phosphorus in the precipitate was similar to that found in hydroxyapatite. Conclusions: Regarding bonding to root dentin, Endocem MTA Premixed may have potential for use as an acceptable root-end filling material.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.11.1-11.11
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• 2021

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare smear layer removal by conventional application (CA), passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI), EasyClean (EC), and XP-Endo Finisher (XPF), using 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) after chemomechanical preparation, as evaluated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Materials and Methods: Forty-five single-rooted human mandibular premolars were selected for this study. After chemomechanical preparation, the teeth were randomly divided into 5 groups according to the protocol for smear layer removal, as follows: G1 (control): CA of distilled water; G2 (CA): CA of 17% EDTA; G3 (PUI): 17% EDTA activated by PUI; G4 (EC): 17% EDTA activated by EC; and G5 (XPF): 17% EDTA activated by XPF. SEM images (×1,000) were obtained from each root third and scored by 3 examiners. Data were evaluated using the Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn tests (p < 0.05). Results: In the apical third, there were no statistically significant differences among the groups (p > 0.05). In the cervical and middle thirds, the experimental groups performed better than the control group (p < 0.05); however, G2 presented better results than G3, G4, and G5 (p < 0.05), which showed no differences among one another (p > 0.05). Conclusions: No irrigation method was able to completely remove the smear layer, especially in the apical third. Using CA for the chelating solution performed better than any form of activation.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.303-314
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• 2023

This study aimed to assess the practical feasibility of advanced deformable image registration (DIR) algorithms in radiotherapy by employing two distinct datasets. The first dataset included 14 4D lung CT scans and 31 head and neck CT scans. In the 4D lung CT dataset, we employed the DIR algorithm to register organs at risk and tumors based on respiratory phases. The second dataset comprised pre-, mid-, and post-treatment CT images of the head and neck region, along with organ at risk and tumor delineations. These images underwent registration using the DIR algorithm, and Dice similarity coefficients (DSCs) were compared. In the 4D lung CT dataset, registration accuracy was evaluated for the spinal cord, lung, lung nodules, esophagus, and tumors. The average DSCs for the non-learning-based SyN and NiftyReg algorithms were 0.92±0.07 and 0.88±0.09, respectively. Deep learning methods, namely Voxelmorph, Cyclemorph, and Transmorph, achieved average DSCs of 0.90±0.07, 0.91±0.04, and 0.89±0.05, respectively. For the head and neck CT dataset, the average DSCs for SyN and NiftyReg were 0.82±0.04 and 0.79±0.05, respectively, while Voxelmorph, Cyclemorph, and Transmorph showed average DSCs of 0.80±0.08, 0.78±0.11, and 0.78±0.09, respectively. Additionally, the deep learning DIR algorithms demonstrated faster transformation times compared to other models, including commercial and conventional mathematical algorithms (Voxelmorph: 0.36 sec/images, Cyclemorph: 0.3 sec/images, Transmorph: 5.1 sec/images, SyN: 140 sec/images, NiftyReg: 40.2 sec/images). In conclusion, this study highlights the varying clinical applicability of deep learning-based DIR methods in different anatomical regions. While challenges were encountered in head and neck CT registrations, 4D lung CT registrations exhibited favorable results, indicating the potential for clinical implementation. Further research and development in DIR algorithms tailored to specific anatomical regions are warranted to improve the overall clinical utility of these methods.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.105-114
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• 2024

Clinical laboratories endeavor to secure quality by establishing effective quality management systems. However, laboratory environments are complex, and single quality control procedures may inadequately detect many errors. Patient-based real-time quality control (PBRTQC) is a laboratory tool that monitors the testing process using algorithms such as Bull's algorithm and several variables, such as average of normal, moving median, moving average, and exponentially weighted moving average. PBRTQC has many advantages over conventional quality control, including low cost, commutability, continuous real-time performance monitoring, and sensitivity to pre-analytical errors. However, PBRTQC is not easily implemented as it requires statistical algorithm selection, the design of appropriate rules and protocols, and performance verification. This review describes the basic concepts, methods, and procedures of PBRTQC and presents guidelines for implementing a patient-based quality management system. Furthermore, we propose the combined use of PBRTQC when the performance of internal quality control is limited. However, clinical evaluations were not conducted during this review, and thus, future evaluation is required.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.81 no.3
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• pp.733-738
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• 2020

Aortic aneurysms infected by Klebsiella pneumoniae are rarely seen. We describe a 50-year-old man with infected aortic aneurysm that was successfully treated with endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). Diagnosis was confirmed using blood culture and computed tomography (CT). Intravenous antibiotics were immediately administered, with improvements in clinical findings and negative blood cultures before the procedure. Twenty-four months after the procedure, the patient was stable and serial CT revealed regression of the infected aortic aneurysm. Therefore, after controlling bacteremia and fever with targeted antibiotic therapy, EVAR can be considered as an alternative for patients who have serious comorbidities and are ineligible for conventional surgery.

• BMB Reports
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.71-78
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• 2024

Melanoma is one of the most aggressive skin tumors, and conventional treatment modalities are not effective in treating advanced melanoma. Although immunotherapy is an effective treatment for melanoma, it has disadvantages, such as a poor response rate and serious systemic immune-related toxic side effects. The main solution to this problem is the use of biological materials such as hydrogels to reduce these side effects and amplify the immune killing effect against tumor cells. Hydrogels have great advantages as local slow-release drug carriers, including the ability to deliver antitumor drugs directly to the tumor site, enhance the local drug concentration in tumor tissue, reduce systemic drug distribution and exhibit good degradability. Despite these advantages, there has been limited research on the application of hydrogels in melanoma treatment. Therefore, this article provides a comprehensive review of the potential application of hydrogels in melanoma immunotherapy. Hydrogels can serve as carriers for sustained drug delivery, enabling the targeted and localized delivery of drugs with minimal systemic side effects. This approach has the potential to improve the efficacy of immunotherapy for melanoma. Thus, the use of hydrogels as drug delivery vehicles for melanoma immunotherapy has great potential and warrants further exploration.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.84 no.3
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• pp.520-535
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• 2023

Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is not a single disease but a symptom and clinical manifestation of a broad spectrum of conditions in the GI tract. According to its clinical presentation, GI bleeding can be classified into overt, occult, and obscure types. Additionally, it can be divided into upper and lower GI bleeding based on the Treitz ligament. Variable disease entities, including vascular lesions, polyps, neoplasms, inflammation such as Crohn's disease, and heterotopic pancreatic or gastric tissue, can cause GI bleeding. CT and conventional angiographies and nuclear scintigraphy are all radiologic imaging modalities that can be used to evaluate overt bleeding. For the work-up of occult GI bleeding, CT enterography (CTE) can be the first imaging modality. For CTE, an adequate bowel distention is critical for obtaining acceptable diagnostic performance as well as minimizing false positives and negatives. Meckel's scintigraphy can be complementarily useful in cases where the diagnosis of CTE is suboptimal. For the evaluation of obscured GI bleeding, various imaging modalities can be used based on clinical status and providers' preferences.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.435-441
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• 2021

Objective: To evaluate the usefulness of the ventricular volume percentage quantified using three-dimensional (3D) brain computed tomography (CT) data for interpreting serial changes in hydrocephalus. Materials and Methods: Intracranial and ventricular volumes were quantified using the semiautomatic 3D threshold-based segmentation approach for 113 brain CT examinations (age at brain CT examination ≤ 18 years) in 38 patients with hydrocephalus. Changes in ventricular volume percentage were calculated using 75 serial brain CT pairs (time interval 173.6 ± 234.9 days) and compared with the conventional assessment of changes in hydrocephalus (increased, unchanged, or decreased). A cut-off value for the diagnosis of no change in hydrocephalus was calculated using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. The reproducibility of the volumetric measurements was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient on a subset of 20 brain CT examinations. Results: Mean intracranial volume, ventricular volume, and ventricular volume percentage were 1284.6 ± 297.1 cm³, 249.0 ± 150.8 cm³, and 19.9 ± 12.8%, respectively. The volumetric measurements were highly reproducible (intraclass correlation coefficient = 1.0). Serial changes (0.8 ± 0.6%) in ventricular volume percentage in the unchanged group (n = 28) were significantly smaller than those in the increased and decreased groups (6.8 ± 4.3% and 5.6 ± 4.2%, respectively; p = 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively; n = 11 and n = 36, respectively). The ventricular volume percentage was an excellent parameter for evaluating the degree of hydrocephalus (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.975; 95% confidence interval, 0.948-1.000; p < 0.001). With a cut-off value of 2.4%, the diagnosis of unchanged hydrocephalus could be made with 83.0% sensitivity and 100.0% specificity. Conclusion: The ventricular volume percentage quantified using 3D brain CT data is useful for interpreting serial changes in hydrocephalus.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.133-141
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• 1992

We examined effects of co-culture with human oviduct epithelial cells (HOEC) on the development of mouse and human embryos from early embryonic· stage to late morula or blastocyst stage (LM or B). In human, embryos were transferred and pregnancy rate was investigated. The HOEC, collected from surgically removed fallopian tube, were cultured in medium-199 supplemented with 20 % fetal cord serum (FCS). The HOEC were characterized by using immunocytochemical staining with anticytokeratin antibody and then used for cultures of mouse and human embryos. Results obtained from co-culture system were as follows. Development rate of mouse embryos was improved by co-culture system at late developmental stage (p<0.025). Human supernumerary embryos remained after transfer, unsuitable for freezing because of their poor quality, were co-cultured for 72hrs. Co-culture (78.79%) or conditioned medium (78.26%) system improved the developmemt rate, significantly, in comparision with control (11.11%)(p<0.00l). Co-cultured (85.71%) human zygotes for 24hrs showed the better development rate in comparision with control (50.00%) (p<0.01). When we transferred embryos cultured with the HOEC to patients, we obtained one pregnancy. Co-cultured human zygotes for 24hrs showed the better quality and viability for the replacement in comparision with control (p<0.01). In addition, improved pregnancy rate was obtained. Our results suggest that the co-culture system can rescue early degenerating embryos by improving early development and yield a resonable number of blastocyst for the appropriate replacement. The effect provided by cultured HOEC is not species specific for the development of embryos and it can be used to overcome in vitro blocks for the development. And also the co-culture system offers the possibility to freeze embryos at blastocyst stage which is more sucessful stage for the freezing. The HOEC monolayer may provide some stimulus via specific factor, which is unknown, to the development of embryos. Our results showed that the co-culture system with HOEC can be an alternative to conventional culture system.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.199-207
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• 2001

Objective: The present study was undertaken to examine the effects of magnesium ion in the culture medium on the development of mouse fertilized oocytes either before or after pronuclear formation, and to investigate whether the effect of magnesium ion is related with the redistributional change of mitochondria. Methods : Fertilized oocytes obtained from the oviducts of mice at 15 hr after hCG injection before pronuclear formation (pre-PN) or 21 hr after hCG injection after pronuclear formation (post-PN) were used. The embryos were cultured for 3 days with basic T6 medium-magnesium free and various concentrations of magnesium ion, 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0 or 8.0 mM, respectively. After culture, the developmental stages of embryos and the number of nuclei were evaluated. To observe the effects of magnesium ion on the mitochondrial distribution, fertilized oocytes were collected at 21 hr after hCG injection and cultured for 6 hr with various concentration of magnesium ion. As a control, fertilized oocytes with pronuclei at 27 hr after hCG injection were used. Results: The concentration of magnesium ion to accelerate the in vitro development of mouse fertilized oocytes appeared to be at 2.0 mM for the pre-PN and the post-PN stage embryos. In the mitochondrial redistribution patterns, the embryos cultured in 2.0 mM concentration of magnesium ion showed the highest percentage (22.6%) of distinct perinuclear clustering pattern comparing to other experimental group. Conclusion: The effect of magnesium ion may be related to the cytoplasmic redistribution of mitochondria. This relationship seems to connect the developmental competence of preimplantation mouse embryos in vitro. These results can suggest that higher concentration of magnesium ion (2.0 mM) than those of conventional culture medium ($0.2{\sim}1.2\;mM$) is more suitable for in vitro culture of preimplantation mouse embryos.