• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.168-177
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• 2015

Purpose: Brain surface intensity model (BSIM)-based cortical thickness analysis does not require complicated 3D segmentation of brain gray/white matters. Instead, this technique uses the local intensity profile to compute cortical thickness. The aim of the present study was to evaluate intra-rater and inter-rater reliability of BSIM-based cortical thickness analysis using images from elderly participants. Materials and Methods: Fifteen healthy elderly participants (ages, 55-84 years) were included in this study. High-resolution 3D T1-spoiled gradient recalled-echo (SPGR) images were obtained using 3T MRI. BSIM-based processing steps included an inhomogeneity correction, intensity normalization, skull stripping, atlas registration, extraction of intensity profiles, and calculation of cortical thickness. Processing steps were automatic, with the exception of semiautomatic skull stripping. Individual cortical thicknesses were compared to a database indicating mean cortical thickness of healthy adults, in order to produce Z-score thinning maps. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated in order to evaluate inter-rater and intra-rater reliabilities. Results: ICCs for intra-rater reliability were excellent, ranging from 0.751-0.940 in brain regions except the right occipital, left anterior cingulate, and left and right cerebellum (ICCs = 0.65-0.741). Although ICCs for inter-rater reliability were fair to excellent in most regions, poor inter-rater correlations were observed for the cingulate and occipital regions. Processing time, including manual skull stripping, was $17.07{\pm}3.43min$. Z-score maps for all participants indicated that cortical thicknesses were not significantly different from those in the comparison databases of healthy adults. Conclusion: BSIM-based cortical thickness measurements provide acceptable intra-rater and inter-rater reliability. We therefore suggest BSIM-based cortical thickness analysis as an adjunct clinical tool to detect cortical atrophy.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.427-436
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• 2018

The objective of this study was to analyze the concurrent treatment effects of ursolic acid (UA) and low-intensity treadmill exercise and to confirm the effectiveness of UA as an exercise mimetic to safely improve muscle atrophy-related diseases using Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats with skeletal muscle atrophy. Significant muscle atrophy was induced in male SD rats through hind limb immobilization using casting for 10 days. The muscle atrophy-induced SD rats were group into four: SED, sedentary; UA, daily intraperitoneal UA injection, 5 mg/kg; EX, low-intensity (10-12 m/min, $0^{\circ}$ grade) treadmill exercise; and UEX, daily intraperitoneal UA injection, 5 mg/kg, and low-intensity (10-12 m/min, $0^{\circ}$ grade) treadmill exercise. After 8 weeks of treatment, endurance capacity was analyzed using a treadmill, and tissues were extracted for analysis of visceral fat mass, body weight, muscle mass, expression of muscle atrophy- and hypertrophy-related genes, and endurance capacity. Although the effects of body weight gain control, muscle mass increase, and endurance capacity improvement were inadequate in the UA group, significant results were confirmed in the UEX group. The UEX group had significantly reduced body weight and visceral fat, significantly improved mass of tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius muscles, and significantly decreased atrophy-related gene expression of MuRF1 and atrogin-1, but did not have significant change in hypertrophy-related gene expression of Akt and mTOR. The endurance capacity was significantly improved in the EX and UEX groups. These data suggest that concurrent treatment with low-intensity exercise and UA is effective for atrophy-related physical dysfunctions.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.181-186
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• 2018

Purpose: This study investigated the effects of home-based exercise intensity on the aerobic capacity and 1 year re-hospitalization rate in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Methods: Forty seven patients with CHF (males 33, females 14, age $61.3{\pm}9.8years$) participated in this study. The patients were allocated randomly to 3 groups in accordance with home-based exercise intensity: no home based exercise (NHE, 40%, n=19), moderate intensity home-based exercise (MIHE, 43%, n=20), and high intensity home based exercise (HIHE, 17%, n=8). All patients completed the symptom-limited cardiopulmonary exercise (CPX) test safely at the cardiac rehabilitation hospital. Results: The NHE group significantly showed lower peak $VO_2$ and a higher $VE/VCO_2$ slope than the MIHE (p<0.05) and HIHE (p<0.01) groups. On the other hand, the NHE group did not show significant differences in the other hemodynamic responses, such as heart rate (HR) max, HR reserve, maximal systolic blood pressure (SBP), and SBP reserve. Nine out of 19 NHE patients (47%) were re-hospitalized related to heart disease and two out of 20 MIHE (10%) patients were re-hospitalized, but nobody in the HIHE group were re-hospitalized within 1 year from the CPX test. Conclusion: In patients with CHF, home-based self-exercise is one of the important factors for reducing the re-hospitalization rate. In addition, improved aerobic capacity is strongly associated with a lower re-hospitalization rate. In particular, re-hospitalized CHF patients showed significant differences in respiratory parameters and hemodynamic parameters compared to the non-re-hospitalized patients.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.59 no.1
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• pp.23-33
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• 2021

The infection status of zoonotic trematode metacercariae (ZTM) was surveyed in freshwater fishes from the water systems of Geum-gang (River) in the Republic of Korea (Korea). A total of 1,161 freshwater fishes from 6 local sites of Geum-gang were examined with the artificial digestion method for 4 years (2012-2015). Clonorchis sinensis metacercariae were detected in 122 (37.2%) out of 328 fishes in the positive fish species from 4 surveyed areas, and their mean intensity was 43 per fish infected. Metagonimus spp. metacercariae were found in 432 (51.7%) out of 835 fishes in the positive fish species from all 6 surveyed areas, and their mean intensity was 30 per fish infected. Centrocestus armatus metacercariae were detected in 285 (75.0%) out of 380 fishes in the positive fish species from 6 surveyed areas, and their mean intensity was 2,100 per fish infected. Echinostoma spp. metacercariae were found in 56 (19.7%) out of 284 fishes in the positive fish species from 5 surveyed areas, and their mean intensity was 10 per fish infected. Clinostomum complanatum metacercariae were detected in 98 (57.3%) out of 171 fishes in the positive fish species from only 2 surveyed areas, and their mean intensity was 11 per fish infected. Conclusively, the endemicity of ZTM is not so high in fishes from water systems of Geum-gang in Korea although it is more or less different by fish species, surveyed areas and ZTM species.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.42-45
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• 2019

Thromboelastography (TEG) analysis consists of ${\alpha}$, G, K, MA, and R types of values and tests the effectiveness of blood clotting, which can be assessed for platelet function, clotting strength, and fibrinolysis. Canine heartworm diseases caused by Dirofilaria immitis, a vascular nematode, can lead to hyperfibrinolysis and hypercoagulation. In this study, G and MA values showed a statistically significant decrease over time after treatment of heartworm disease. Additionally, the ${\alpha}-value$ showed a high correlation with G, K, MA, and R values. The G value showed a high correlation with K and MA values, while The K value showed a high correlation with MA and R values. This study clearly found a gradual decrease in G and MA values in dogs with heartworm disease over time, both before and after treatment. This suggests that the clot formation time is longer and that the intensity of clot formation is lowered and may improve the risk of thromboembolism in dogs with heartworm disease.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.271-284
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to analyse the EMG activity of selected muscles with balance taping treatment and blood fatigue makers which accumulated during exercise of progressive maximal intensity. Ten male college students who did not experience any cardiovascular and musculo-skeletal disease were participated in this study. Balance taping were applied to rectus femoris, vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, biceps femoris, semitendinous, semimembranous, and around knee joint. Isokinetic knee joint flexion/extension force, EMG activity, lactate and ammonia as blood fatigue makers during progressive maximal intensity exercise were measured for with/without applying balance taping. The results indicated that although flexion force of total work at $60^{\circ}/sec$ with taping was increased applied taping did not affect to the aerobic exercise ability parameters. Lactate level as blood fatigue makers during progressive maximal intensity exercise after taping was decreased but the ammonia level did not change with same treatment. In isokinetic knee joint test at the angular velocity of $60^{\circ}/sec$, $180^{\circ}/sec$, and $240^{\circ}/sec$ the taping treatment did not affect to any selected muscle EMG activities except maximal EMG of vastus lateralis at $240^{\circ}/sec$.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.380-385
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• 2012

Background: Manganese (Mn) has been found to increase the signal intensity of the globus pallidus (GP) on T1-weighted magnetic resonance images (MRI). We performed this study in order to determine the features of liver disease that correlate with pallidal signal intensities. Methods: We assessed blood Mn levels and pallidal signals in T1-weighted MRI in 49 patients with liver cirrhosis and 23 healthy controls. Results: Increased signal intensity in the GP was observed in 30 of 49 (61.2%) patients with liver cirrhosis, with the pallidal index (PI) in patients with Child-Pugh classes B and C differing significantly from the PI in controls. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that blood Mn concentrations and Child-Pugh scores in cirrhotics were significantly associated with increased PI after controlling for other confounders (p<0.05 each). Conclusions: Pallidal signals on T1-weighted MRI are mainly observed in advanced liver cirrhosis. The present study suggests that advanced liver cirrhosis may be a human model for manganism.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.51-64
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• 2001

The purposes of this study were to examine and to predict the affecting factors on exercise participation of Rheumatoid arthritis Patients. The subjects were 161 adult out-patients who visited the hospital for rheumatic disease in H-university. Data were composed of self-reported questionnaire. The conceptual model of this study consisted of that personal characters(age, marriage, education, income), situational characters(pain intensity, fatigue, IADL, depression), behavioral characters(formerly exercise behavior, life-style), and cognitive-perceptional characters(perceived health status, perceived benefit, perceived barrier, perceived self-efficacy) affected directly to exercise participation. Logistic regression analysis was applied for testing model of this study. The results were as follows : 1. Personal characters(education), situational characters(pain intensity), behavioral characters(formerly exercise behavior, life-style), and cognitive characters(perceived barrier, perceived self-efficacy) were significant difference between current exercise participants(127subjects) and non-exercise participants(34). 2. Personal characters(income), situational characters(pain intensity), behavioral characters(life-style), and cognitive-perceptional characters(perceived barrier, perceived self-efficacy) were correlated to exercise participation. 3. Formerly exercise behavior, perceived barrier, and perceived self-efficacy were significant predictor of exercise participation. The logistic equation predicted overall 81.94% of this study subjects 161.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.30 no.9
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• pp.991-999
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• 2013

Lower limbs deformity is a congenital disease and can also be occurred by an acquired factor. This paper suggests a new technique for surgical planning of Corrective Osteotomy for Lower Limbs (COLL) using 2D-3D medical image registration. Converting to a 3D modeling data of lower limb based on CT (computed tomography) scan, and divide it into femur, tibia and fibula; which composing the lower limb. By rearranging the model based on the biplane 2D images of X-ray data, a 3D upright bone structure was acquired. There are two ways to array the 3D data on the 2D image: Intensity-based registration and feature-based registration. Even though registering Intensity-based method takes more time, this method will provide more precise results, and will improve the accuracy of surgical planning.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.211-216
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• 2007

Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) often show muscular disorder, internal derangement and degenerative change of articular surface of the condyle. It is important to choose adequate diagnostic method for obtaining data for the diagnosis and treatment. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has some advantages, because it shows good resolution image for the soft tissue and it is not invasive to the human body. We have performed serial research about the retrodiscal tissue of the TMJ according to the progress of the disease, using T2 weighted image, since 2002. In this study, we applicated resized observation area to compare signal intensity between the retrodiscal tissue of the TMJ and cerebral gray matter, using T2 weighted image.