• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.54 no.4
• /
• pp.302-308
• /
• 2013

Objective : MR perfusion and single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) are well known imaging studies to evaluate hemodynamic change between prior to and following superficial temporal artery (STA)-middle cerebral artery (MCA) anastomosis in moyamoya disease. But their side effects and invasiveness make discomfort to patients. We evaluated the ivy sign on MR fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images in adult patients with moyamoya disease and compared it with result of SPECT and MR perfusion images. Methods : We enrolled twelve patients (thirteen cases) who were diagnosed with moyamoya disease and underwent STA-MCA anastomosis at our medical institution during a period ranging from September of 2010 to December of 2012. The presence of the ivy sign on MR FLAIR images was classified as Negative (0), Minimal (1), and Positive (2). Regions were classified into four territories: the anterior cerebral artery (ACA), the anterior MCA, the posterior MCA and the posterior cerebral artery. Results : Ivy signs on preoperative and postoperative MR FLAIR were improved (8 and 4 in the ACA regions, 13 and 4 in the anterior MCA regions and 19 and 9 in the posterior MCA regions). Like this result, the cerebrovascular reserve (CVR) on SPECT was significantly increased in the sum of CVR in same regions after STA-MCA anastomosis. Conclusion : After STA-MCA anastomosis, ivy signs were decreased in the cerebral hemisphere. As compared with conventional diagnostic modalities such as SPECT and MR perfusion images, the ivy sign on MR FLAIR is considered as a useful indicator in detecting brain hemodynamic changes between preoperatively and postoperatively in adult moyamoya patients.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.54 no.2
• /
• pp.118-124
• /
• 2013

Objective : Subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective treatment of choice for patients with advanced idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) who have motor complication with medication. The objectives of this study are to analyze long-term follow-up data of STN DBS cases and to identify the factors related to outcomes. Methods : Fifty-two PD patients who underwent STN DBS were followed-up for more than 3 years. The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and other clinical profiles were assessed preoperatively and during follow-up. A linear regression model was used to analyze whether factors predict the results of STN DBS. We divided the study individuals into subgroups according to several factors and compared subgroups. Results : Preoperative activity of daily living (ADL) and the magnitude of preoperative levodopa response were shown to predict the improvement in UPDRS part II without medication, and preoperative ADL and levodopa equivalent dose (LED) were shown to predict the improvement in UPDRS part II with medication. In UPDRS part III with medication, the magnitude of preoperative levodopa response was a predicting factor. Conclusion : The intensity of preoperative levodopa response was a strong factor for motor outcome. And preoperative ADL and LED were strong factors for ADL improvement. More vigorous studies should be conducted to elucidate how levodopa-induced motor complications are ameliorated after STN DBS.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.33-38
• /
• 2003

The purpose of this study was to examine how lacunar infarction developed and what its characteristics were. As this disease had little noticeable clinical symptoms and is likely to draw less attention than other types of cerebrovascular diseases like panhemispheric infarction, it‘s difficult to make an early diagnosis of it or treat it successfully. The subjects in this study were 196 people who showed no clinical symptoms and took a MRI test. When the MRI test data were analyzed, signal intensity and the part where that disease was detected were primarily taken into account. As a result, it's found that 116 people had no lacunar infarction and 80 people suffered from that disease, including 13 with very mild lacunar infarction, 41 with mild lacunar infarction and 26 with lacunar infarction. However, very mild and mild lacunar infarction could not be viewed as clinically significant cases, and only 26 people, which accounted for 13 percent of the subjects, should be considered to be diagnosed with lacuanr infarction. The most common part where that disease was found was white matter and basal ganglia, regardless of gender. Accordingly, those who are exposed to health hazards such as hypertension or diabetes should take a MRI test to prevent cerebrovascular diseases that might be caused by those illnesses.

• Clinical Pain
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.65-69
• /
• 2019

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of high-voltage microcurrent therapy in patients with herniated lumbar disc (HLD) presenting radicular or back pain. Method: This is a retrospective study with 33 patients who are complaining pain with HLD findings on magnetic resonance image. Microcurrent therapy was applied to leg or paralumbar area. Treatment was conducted for seven minutes with 250~1000 uA intensity as high as the patients could tolerate via stimulating probe with roller type and the frequency was 60 Hz with a sine wave pulse. The visual analogue scale (VAS) was measured just before and after the treatment. Results: The degree of pain reduction (△VAS) was 1.6 points after treatment on average. The △VAS according to the diagnosis, stenosis, dermatome area, medication, pain site and caudal epidural block was not statistically significant. However, the △VAS according to the number of treatments (< 3, ≥ 3 times) showed a statistically significant difference (p=0.04). Conclusion: High-voltage microcurrent therapy may help reduce lumbar or lumbosacral radiating pain after the procedure. The effect was better when microcurrent was applied three times or more. This result suggests that the microcurrent would have cumulative effect on reducing radicular or back pain in patients with HLD.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.56 no.12
• /
• pp.657-662
• /
• 2023

Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by distinct protein aggregates, such as those of α-synuclein and tau. Lysosomal defect is a key contributor to the accumulation and propagation of aberrant protein aggregates in these diseases. The discoveries of common proteinopathies in multiple forms of lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) and the identification of some LSD genes as susceptible genes for those proteinopathies suggest causative links between LSDs and the proteinopathies. The present study hypothesized that defects in lysosomal genes will differentially affect the propagation of α-synuclein and tau proteins, thereby determining the progression of a specific proteinopathy. We established an imaging-based high-contents screening (HCS) system in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) model, by which the propagation of α-synuclein or tau is measured by fluorescence intensity. Using this system, we performed RNA interference (RNAi) screening to induce a wide range of lysosomal malfunction through knock down of 79 LSD genes, and to obtain the candidate genes with significant change in protein propagation. While some LSD genes commonly affected both α-synuclein and tau propagation, our study identified the distinct sets of LSD genes that differentially regulate the propagation of either α-synuclein or tau. The specificity and efficacy of these LSD genes were retained in the disease-related phenotypes, such as pharyngeal pumping behavior and life span. This study suggests that distinct lysosomal genes differentially regulate the propagation of α-synuclein and tau, and offer a steppingstone to understanding disease specificity.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.222-230
• /
• 1999

Obesity is an excessive increased state of total body fat, and diabetes is a disease lack or defect of insulin which controls blood sugar. The reason of obesity and diabetes are history, lack of exercise, overeating, stress and so forth. The principle of dietary modification in the obesity and diabetes are controling total calorie control, and taking orderly meals, and restricting high calorie food. General exercise guidance will recommend to take precedence over the medical diagnosis, case history test before the exercise begins, and the beginning of exercise. It start with light excercise, and gradually enhance intensity The fundamental and effective cure of obesity and diabetes is aerobic exercise (as jogging, swimming, playing tennis, aerobic dancing). It is reasonable for exercise intensity to be 60~80$\%$ HRmax(50~70$\%$ $Vo_2$ max) and for the duration to be 15~60minutes a day and frequency to be 3~6 times a week. Especially the exercise intensity may be changeable according to the, pattern of diabetes. The snack that contains carbohydrate during exercise will discontinue the exercise when insulin activity is reached on high peak, and it is a proper way taking 15~20g's carbohydrate contained food against possibility of the low blood sugar occurance after exercise, At last, it is much effective the exercise therapy is combined with the diet therapy for best diabetes treatment.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.159-166
• /
• 2008

This research was carried out to test and analyze capacity of the long distance sprayer fan in large livestock farmhouses. Long distance sprayer was manufactured to be able to spray a lot of water, which was a solvent for agricultural chemicals and black dye with the maximum spraying distance of 140 m and the effective spraying distance of 100 m. The spraying quantity and the distance were measured the intensity values of images within A4 papers, which absorbed the agricultural chemicals by spraying by binary image processing. These A4 papers were fixed upon the height of 1 m from soil ground at regular 10 m interval. After the A4 papers were collected and analyzed the intensity values of gray level. Gray level was ranged from 0 to 255, where 0 was black and 255 was white. A4 paper was fallen down from the stick at 10 m distance, because there were too large amount of sprayed water with black dye. Also, the paper showed low gray level at distance 30 m because of dropping lots of black water. The intensity value of gray level was showed almost less than 200 on the A4 papers between the distance 20 m and 100 m, which meant equality of spraying quantity. Additionally, it was possible to spay agricultural chemicals of until 180 m. Throughout this research, long distance sprayer could apply for preventing hoof-and-mouth disease in large livestock farmhouses.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.12
• /
• pp.6257-6261
• /
• 2012

Objective: To investigate the safety and efficacy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE), combined with portal vein embolization (PVE), and high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) sequential therapy in treating patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: Patients with inoperative HCC were treated by two methods: in the study group with TACE first, then PVE a week later, and then TACE+PVE every two months as a cycle, after 2~3 cycles finally HIFU was given; in the control group only TACE+PVE was given. Response (CR+PR), and disease control rate (CR+PR+SD), side effects, overall survival and time to progress were calculated. Results: Main side effects of both groups were nausea and vomiting. No treatment related death occurred. In the study group, 32 patients received TACE for overall 67 times, PVE 64 times, and HIFU 99 times; on average 2.1, 2 and 3.1 times for each patient, respectively. In the control group, 36 patients were given TACE 78 times and PVE 74 times, averaging 2.2 and 2.1 times per patient. Effective rate: 25.0% in study group and 8.3% in control group (p>0.05). Disease control rates were 71.9% and 44.4%, respectively (p<0.05). In patients with portal vein tumor thrombus, the rate reduced over 1/2 after treatment was 69.2%(9/13) in the study and 21.4%(3/14) in the control group (p<0.05). Rate of AFP reversion or decrease over 1/2 was 66.7%(16/24) in study and 37%(10/27) (p<0.05) in control group. Median survival time: 16 months in study and 10 months in control group. PFS was 7months in study and 3 months in control group. Log-rank test suggested that statistically significant difference exists between two groups (p=0.024). 1-, 2- and 3-year survival rates were 56.3%, 18.8% and 9.3% in study, while 30.6%, 5.6% and 0 in control group, respectively, with statistically significant difference between two groups (by Log-rank, p = 0.014). Conclusions: The treatment of TACE+PVE+HIFU sequential therapy for HCC increases response rate, prolong survival, and could thus be a safe and effective treatment for advanced cases.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 2020.12a
• /
• pp.62-62
• /
• 2020

Ginseng is a shade-plant cultivated using shading facilities. However, at too low light levels, root growth is poor, and at high light levels, the destruction of chlorophyll reduces the photosynthesis efficiency due to leaf burn and early fall leaves. The ginseng has a lightsaturation point of 12,000~15,000 lux when grown at 15 to 20℃ and 9,500 lux at 25℃. This study was conducted to select the optimal light intensity of 3-year-old ginseng grown in blue-white film plastic house. The seeds were planted in the blue-white film plastic house with different light receiving rate (March 17, 2020). Between April and September, the average air temperature in the house was 20.4-20.7℃. Average soil temperature was 18.3℃-18.5℃. The chemical properties of the test soil was as follows. The pH level was 7.0-7.4, EC was 0.5-0.6 dS/m, OM was at the levels of 33.6-37.7 g/kg, P₂O₅ was 513.0-590.8 mg/kg, slightly higher than the allowable 400 mg/kg. The amount of light intensity, illuminance, and solar radiation in the blue-white film house was increased as the light-receiving rate increased and the amount of light intensity was found to be 9-14% compared to the open field, 8-13% illuminance and 9-14% solar irradiation respectively. The photosynthesis rate was the lowest at 3.1 µmolCO²/m²/s in the 9% light blue-white plastic house and 4.2 and 4.0 µmolCO²/m²/s in the 12% and 14% light blue-white plastic house, respectively. These results generally indicate that the photosynthesis of plants increases with the amount of light, but the ginseng has a lower light saturation point at high temperatures, and the higher the amount of light, the lower the photosynthetic efficiency. The SPAD (chlorophyll content) value decreased as the increase of light-receiving rate, and was the highest at 32.7 in 9% light blue-white plastic house. Ginseng germination started on April 11 and took 13-15 days to germinate. The overall germination rate was 82.9-85.8%. The plant height and length of stem were long in the 9% light-receiving plastic house. The diameter of stem was thick in the 12-14% light-receiving plastic house. In the 12% and 14% light-receiving plastic house, the length and diameter of taproot was long and thick, so the fresh weight of root per plant was 20 g or more, which was heavier than 16.9 g of the 9% light-receiving plastic house. The disease incidence (Alternaria blight, Gray mold and Damping-off etc.) rate were 0.9-2.7%. The incidence of Sclerotinia rot disease was 7.5-8.4%, and root rot was 0-20.0%. The incidence ratio of rusty root ginseng was 34.4-38.7% level, which was an increase from the previous year's 15% level.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.98-108
• /
• 2015

Purpose: The outcomes of locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients treated with concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) using intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with/without neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) were evaluated. Materials and Methods: Eighty-three patients who underwent NCT followed by CCRT (49%) or CCRT with/without adjuvant chemotherapy (51%) were reviewed. To the gross tumor, 67.5 Gy was prescribed. Weekly cisplatin was used as concurrent chemotherapy. Results: With a median follow-up of 49.4 months, the 5-year local control, regional control, distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival rates were 94.7%, 89.3%, 77.8%, 68.0%, and 81.8%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, the American Joint Committee on Cancer stage (p = 0.016) and N stage (p = 0.001) were negative factors for DMFS and DFS, respectively. Overall, NCT demonstrated no benefit and an increased risk of severe hematologic toxicity. However, compared to patients treated with CCRT alone, NCT showed potential of improving DMFS in stage IV patients. Conclusion: CCRT using IMRT resulted in excellent local control and survival outcome. Without evidence of survival benefit from phase III randomized trials, NCT should be carefully administered in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients who are at high-risk of developing distant metastasis and radiotherapy-related mucositis. The results of ongoing trials are awaited.