• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.113-122
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• 2018

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics of children diagnosed as cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS) in Korea. Methods: Diagnosis was made based on clinical features and confirmed by a mutation in the cold-induced autoinflammatory syndrome 1 (CIAS1) gene. Especially, osteocartilaginous overgrowth in the patella or distal femur was so characteristic that its presence warranted a diagnosis of chronic infantile neurologic cutaneous and articular/NOMID. Results: We observed the clinical features of 9 Korean CAPS patients. All the patients suffered from an urticarial rash with recurrent fever. Among the 9 patients, 6 presented with rash and 4 with fever on the 1st or 2nd days of birth. Eight patients showed myalgia, and 7 patients showed arthralgia in the joints, and 6 patients showed radiologic findings of arthropathy including cupping of the metaphysis, excessive growth of the epiphysis, osteopenia or overgrowth of the cartilage. Four patients showed brain atrophy, enlarged ventricles or leptomeningeal enhancement on magnetic resonance imaging. Intellectual disability was observed in 1 patient. Five patients had eye involvement as conjunctivitis, uveitis, chorioretinitis, avascular area or papillary edema, and 3 patients showed progressive hearing loss. All 9 patients showed increased C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Conclusions: All the patients carried a mutation on exon 3 of the CIAS1 gene. After the anakinra (interleukin-1 receptor antagonist) therapy, the fever and rash immediately disappeared, and CRP and ESR were improved.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.82-91
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• 2018

Objectives: Synchronous electroencephalogram (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been used to explore sleep stage dependent functional brain networks. Despite a growing number of sleep studies using EEG-fMRI, few studies have conducted network analysis on whole night sleep due to difficulty in data acquisition, artifacts, and sleep management within the MRI scanner. Methods: In order to perform network analysis for whole night sleep, we proposed experimental procedures and data processing techniques for EEG-fMRI. We acquired 6-7 hours of EEG-fMRI data per participant and conducted signal processing to reduce artifacts in both EEG and fMRI. We then generated a functional brain atlas with 68 brain regions using independent component analysis of sleep fMRI data. Using this functional atlas, we constructed sleep level dependent functional brain networks. Results: When we evaluated functional connectivity distribution, sleep showed significantly reduced functional connectivity for the whole brain compared to that during wakefulness. REM sleep showed statistically different connectivity patterns compared to non-REM sleep in sleep-related subcortical brain circuits. Conclusion: This study suggests the feasibility of exploring functional brain networks using sleep EEG-fMRI for whole night sleep via appropriate experimental procedures and signal processing techniques for fMRI and EEG.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.325-332
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• 2018

Carotid angiography covering the aortic arch includes contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CEA), which is applied to a large region and usually employs contrast media. However, the use of contrast media can be dangerous in infants, pregnant women, and patients with chronic renal failure (CRF). Follow-up patients informed of a lesion may also want to avoid constant exposure to contrast media. We aimed to apply time-of-flight (TOF) angiography to a large region and compare its usefulness with that of CEA. Ten patients (mean age, 58 years; range, 45~75 years) who visited our hospital for magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) participated in this study. A 3.0 Tesla Achieva magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system (Philips, Netherland) and the SENSE NeuroVascular 16-channel coil were employed for both methods. Both methods were applied simultaneously to the same patient. Three TOF stacks were connected to cover the aortic arch through the circle of Willis, and CEA was applied in the same manner. For the quantitative assessment, the acquired images were used to set the regions of interest (ROIs) in the common carotid artery (CCA) bifurcation, internal carotid artery, external carotid artery, middle cerebral artery, and vertebral artery, and to obtain the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) for the soft tissues. Three radiologists and one radiological resident performed the qualitative assessment on a 5-point scale - 1 point, "very bad"; 2 points, "bad"; 3 points, "average"; 4 points, "good"; and 5 points, "very good" - with regard to 4 items: (1) sharpness, (2) distortion, (3) vein contamination, and (4) expression of peripheral vessels. For the quantitative assessment, we estimated the mean SNR and CNR in each of the 5 ROIs. In general, the mean SNR was higher in TOF angiography (166.1, 205.2, 154.39, 172.23, and 161.95) than in CEA(92.05, 95.43, 84.76, 73.69, and 88.3). Both methods had a similar mean CNR: 67.62, 106.71, 55.9, 73.74, and 63.46 for TOF angiography, and 67.82, 71.19, 60.52, 49.45, and 64.07 for CEA. In all ROIs, the mean SNR was statistically significant (p<0.05), whereas the mean CNR was insignificant (p>0.05). The mean values of TOF angiography and CEA for each item in the qualitative assessment were 4.2 and 4.28, respectively for item 1; 2.93 and 4.55, respectively, for item 2; 4.6 and 3.13, respectively, for item 3; and 2.88 and 4.65, respectively, for item 4. Therefore, TOF angiography had a higher mean for item 3, and CEA had a higher mean for items 2 and 4; there was no significant difference between the two methods for item 1. The results for item 1 were statistically insignificant (p>0.05), whereas the results for items 2~4 were statistically significant (p<0.05). Both methods have advantages and disadvantages and they complement each other. However, CEA is usually applied to a large region covering the aortic arch. Time-of-flight angiography may be useful for people such as infants, pregnant women, CRF patients, and followup patients for whom the use of contrast media can be dangerous or unnecessary, depending on the circumstance.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.713-718
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• 2018

In many previous studies, monte carlo simulation is used to produce lead-free shielding sheet, and the possibility of radiation shielding capability and weight reduction is presented. But it is difficult to simulation for binder and micro-pores because of In fact it does not provide sufficient information necessary for the commercialization process. Therefore, in this paper, the results of radiation shielding capability corresponding to filling factor was presented by using the screen printing method to provide information on gel-paste required for the commercialization process. In this study, the geometric setup for evaluate of radiation shielding ability was designed to comply with IEC 61331-1:2014 and KS A 4025. In addition, radiation irradiation conditions were 100 kVp filtered with 2.0 mmAl total filtration was applied according to KS A 4021 standard. In this study, Pb $1270{\mu}m$, $BaSO_4$ $3035{\mu}m$, $Bi_2O_3$ $1849{\mu}m$ and $WO_3$ $2631{\mu}m$ were analyzed based on ten value layer. Additionally, the filling factor was analyzed as $BaSO_4$ 38.6%, $Bi_2O_3$ 27.1%, $WO_3$ 30.15%. However, in the case of applying low-temperature high-pressure molding in the future, it is expected that the radiation shielding capability can be sufficiently improved by reducing the porosity while increasing the filling factor.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2014.10a
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• pp.981-984
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• 2014

Volumetric measurement of hippocampus using IBASPM, the 20's normal adults 10 people's brain images were acquired in order to assess the changes according to the type of the Atlas. Images was obtained using MPRAGE of a 3-D gradient echo pulse sequence on Head matrix coil of 1.5T MRI system. The results of Paired t-test using obtained volume of hippocampus depending on the type of the Atlas, Atlas69-Altas84, Atlas69-Atlas116(p=0.729, 0.729) in the left hippocampus and Atlas69-Atlas84, Atlas69-Atlas116(p=0.219, 0.219) in right hippocampal formation were no significant differences but in the area except this, there was significant difference(p=0.000). The volume of the hippocampus using Atlas84 and Atlas116, represented the same value and there was no significant difference. In the image analysis using the overlay of atlas image and original image, Atlas71 could be found that the area of hippocampus did mismatch. In the case of atlas used in this study, because it has been developed by the westerners, there are differences between brain of asian. It would be needed to development of new Atlas for high accuracy measurement of the volume of hippocampus.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.272-281
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• 2019

Background: Diabetic sensorineural damage is a complication of the sensory neural system, resulting from long-term hyperglycemia. Red ginseng (RG) has shown efficacy for treatment of various diseases, including diabetes mellitus; however, there is little research about its benefit for treating sensorineural damage. Therefore, we aim to evaluate RG efficacy in alloxan-induced diabetic neuromast (AIDN) zebrafish. Methods: In this study, we developed and validated an AIDN zebrafish model. To assess RG effectiveness, we observed morphological changes in live neuromast zebrafish. Also, zebrafish has been observed to have an ultrastructure of hair-cell cilia under scanning electron microscopy. Thus, we recorded these physiological traits to assess hair cell function. Finally, we confirmed that RG promoted neuromast recovery via nerve growth factor signaling pathway markers. Results: First, we established an AIDN zebrafish model. Using this model, we showed via live neuromast imaging that RG fostered recovery of sensorineural damage. Damaged hair cell cilia were recovered in AIDN zebrafish. Furthermore, RG rescued damaged hair cell function through cell membrane ion balance. Conclusion: Our data suggest that RG potentially facilitates recovery in AIDN zebrafish, and its mechanism seems to be promotion of the nerve growth factor pathway through increased expression of topomyosin receptor kinase A, transient receptor potential channel vanilloid subfamily type 1, and mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.991-1001
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• 2020

Supervised deep learning technologies for improving the image quality of computed tomography (CT) need a lot of training data. When input images have different characteristics with training images, the technologies cause structural distortion in output images. In this study, an imaging model based on the deep reinforcement learning (DRL) was developed for overcoming the drawbacks of the supervised deep learning technologies and reducing noise in CT images. The DRL model was consisted of shared, value and policy networks, and the networks included convolutional layers, rectified linear unit (ReLU), dilation factors and gate rotation unit (GRU) in order to extract noise features from CT images and improve the performance of the DRL model. Also, the quality of the CT images obtained by using the DRL model was compared to that obtained by using the supervised deep learning model. The results showed that the image accuracy for the DRL model was higher than that for the supervised deep learning model, and the image noise for the DRL model was smaller than that for the supervised deep learning model. Also, the DRL model reduced the noise of the CT images, which had different characteristics with training images. Therefore, the DRL model is able to reduce image noise as well as maintain the structural information of CT images.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.899-906
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• 2020

The WSS lateral examination is important for diagnosing spinal disorders. Recently, long-length detectors for large-area diagnose have been popularized to effectively reduce the exposure dose and examination time. It can be applied very efficiently to examinations of patients with high risk of falls, children, and adolescents. However, since the image is acquired through a single irradiation, the volume of cervical vertebra is relatively smaller than the lumbar due to the geometrical anatomy of the spine. Therefore, this study intends to fabricate an additional filter using 3D printing technology and copper filament to obtain uniform image quality in the WSS lateral examination and to analyze the results. 3D printing technology is able to easily print a desired shape, so it is widely used in the entire industrial field, and recently, a copper filament has been developed to confirm the possibility as an additional filter. In the WSS lateral examination, CNR and SNR were excellently measured when the additional filter was applied, confirming the possibility of using the additional filter.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.191-202
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• 2021

Purpose: A near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging is a promising tool for cancer-specific image guided surgery. Human epidermal receptor 2 (HER2) is one of the candidate markers for gastric cancer. In this study, we aimed to synthesize HER2-specific NIR fluorescence probes and evaluate their applicability in cancer-specific image-guided surgeries using an animal model. Materials and Methods: An NIR dye emitting light at 800 nm (IRDye800CW; Li-COR) was conjugated to trastuzumab and an HER2-specific affibody using a click mechanism. HER2 affinity was assessed using surface plasmon resonance. Gastric cancer cell lines (NCI-N87 and SNU-601) were subcutaneously implanted into female BALB/c nu (6-8 weeks old) mice. After intravenous injection of the probes, biodistribution and fluorescence signal intensity were measured using Lumina II (Perkin Elmer) and a laparoscopic NIR camera (InTheSmart). Results: Trastuzumab-IRDye800CW exhibited high affinity for HER2 (K_D=2.093(3) pM). Fluorescence signals in the liver and spleen were the highest at 24 hours post injection, while the signal in HER2-positive tumor cells increased until 72 hours, as assessed using the Lumina II system. The signal corresponding to the tumor was visually identified and clearly differentiated from the liver after 72 hours using a laparoscopic NIR camera. Affibody-IRDye800CW also exhibited high affinity for HER2 (K_D=4.71 nM); however, the signal was not identified in the tumor, probably owing to rapid renal clearance. Conclusions: Trastuzumab-IRDye800CW may be used as a potential NIR probe that can be injected 2-3 days before surgery to obtain high HER2-specific signal and contrast. Affibody-based NIR probes may require modifications to enhance mobilization to the tumor site.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.645-653
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• 2021

With the recent development of precision medicine(Theranostics), interest and utilization of the quantitative function of SPECT/CT are increasing. This study aims to investigate the effect on the radioactivity concentration estimate by the increase or decrease in the total time of SPECT/CT imaging conditions. A standard image was obtained by the conditions of a total acquisition time of 600 sec(10 sec/f × 120 frames) by diluting ^99mTc 91.76 MBq in a cylindrical phantom filled with sterile water, and a comparative image was obtained by increasing the total acquisition time by -90%, -75%, -50%, -25%, +50%, +100%. The CNR, radioactive concentration estimate(cps/ml), and the variation rate(%) of the recovery coefficient(RC) were analyzed by measuring the overall coefficient of interest in each image. The results[CNR, Radiation Concentration, RC] by the change in the number of projections for each increase or decrease rate(-90%, -75%, -50%, -25%, +50%, +100%) of total acquisition time are as follows. [-89.5%, +3.90%, 1.04] at -90%, [-77.9%, +2.71%, 1.03] at -75%, [-55.6%, +1.85%, 1.02] at -50%, [-33.6%, +1.37%, 1.01] at -25%, [-33.7%, +0.71%, 1.01] at +50%, [+93.2%, +0.32%, 1.00] at +100%. and also The results[CNR, Radiation Concentration, RC] by the acquisition time change for each increase or decrease rate(-90%, -75%, -50%, -25%, +50%, +100%) of total acquisition time are as follows. [-89.3%, -3.55%, 0.96] at -90%, [-73.4%, -0.17%, 1.00] at -75%, [-49.6%, -0.34%, 1.00] at -50%, [-24.9%, 0.03%, 1.00] at -25%, [+49.3%, -0.04%, 1.00] at +50%, [+99.0%, +0.11%, 1.00] at +100%. Image quality(CNR) showed a pattern of change in proportion to the increase or decrease in the total acquisition time of SPECT/CT, but the result at quantitative evaluation showed a change of less than 5% in all experimental conditions, maintaining quantitative accuracy(RC less than 0.05) without much influence.