• Korean Journal of Radiology
• /
• v.25 no.5
• /
• pp.459-472
• /
• 2024

Hyperpolarized (HP) carbon-13 (¹³C) MRI represents an innovative approach for noninvasive, real-time assessment of dynamic metabolic flux, with potential integration into routine clinical MRI. The use of [1-¹³C]pyruvate as a probe and its conversion to [1-¹³C]lactate constitute an extensively explored metabolic pathway. This review comprehensively outlines the establishment of HP ¹³C-MRI, covering multidisciplinary team collaboration, hardware prerequisites, probe preparation, hyperpolarization techniques, imaging acquisition, and data analysis. This article discusses the clinical applications of HP ¹³C-MRI across various anatomical domains, including the brain, heart, skeletal muscle, breast, liver, kidney, pancreas, and prostate. Each section highlights the specific applications and findings pertinent to these regions, emphasizing the potential versatility of HP ¹³C-MRI in diverse clinical contexts. This review serves as a comprehensive update, bridging technical aspects with clinical applications and offering insights into the ongoing advancements in HP ¹³C-MRI.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.55 no.3
• /
• pp.239-242
• /
• 2022

Papillary muscle rupture with severe acute mitral regurgitation is a rare complication of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) that causes pulmonary congestion and cardiogenic shock. Moreover, it has a poor prognosis. Surgical intervention, including revascularization, is indicated; however, surgical mortality remains high. We report the case of an 85-year-old woman with cardiogenic shock from severe acute mitral regurgitation, in whom a hybrid intervention, combining percutaneous coronary intervention with mitral valve replacement via minithoracotomy, was performed after post-infarction papillary muscle rupture. She was discharged in a favorable clinical condition. We describe a novel hybrid intervention for treating a rare complication of AMI, which could minimize surgical invasion in elderly patients, prevent disuse syndrome after the intervention, and improve prognosis. However, mitral valve surgery via minithoracotomy for emergency cases requires technical proficiency, as well as collaboration with other healthcare professionals, and the choice to perform this procedure requires careful consideration.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.9-19
• /
• 2019

A recent survey of Australian directors conducted by the Financial Reporting Council found that directors require a detailed understanding of technical accounting issues. With the aim of understanding learner difficulties in learning and applying higher learning material relevant to directors, this study explores the transfer pricing topic taught as a case presentation in an undergraduate accounting program at an Australian university. Before intervention with improvements, this study invited 25 students to take part in the study after they had learned the topic and been given one week to understand it. By adopting a transfer pricing problem presented in their essential reading and interviewing those students to gain further insights, the study found that learners experienced conceptual difficulties at various stages in attempting to learn. Intervention to ease learning difficulties was addressed through instructor training. The intervention improvements included using guided workbooks to develop a better understanding of concepts among learners, and representing the problem at hand with diagrams. After intervention with improvements, this study repeated the same procedures with 25 students who had not taken part in the previous study and found that interventions increased the learning. Results have implications for most directors, who are novices to the detailed technical accounting issues of transfer pricing.

• Journal of Korea Game Society
• /
• v.7 no.3
• /
• pp.1-12
• /
• 2007

This paper attempts to pursue the internal characters of gambling games. After examining the concepts of gambling and arranging related theories, we found that gambling games have 3 factors of technical intervention, betting and ratio of payment. The betting is subdivided 3 factors of existence of betting, unit speed of betting and extendibility of betting. These factors may be used to a framework of conceptual analysis to gambling games. If social and cultural factors can be added to these factors, gambling games can be comprehensively and empirically analyzed.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.233-245
• /
• 2008

For historical masonry structures existing in the Mediterranean area, structural strengthening is of primary importance due to the continuous earthquake threat that is posed on them. Proper retrofitting of historical structures involves a thorough understanding of their structural pathology, before proceeding with any intervention measures. In this paper, a methodology is presented for the evaluation of the actual state of historical masonry structures, which can provide a useful tool for the seismic response assessment before and after the retrofitting. The methodology is mainly focused on the failure and vulnerability analysis of masonry structures using the finite element method. Using this methodology the retrofitting of historical structures with innovative techniques is investigated. The innovative technique presented here involves the exploitation of Shape Memory Alloy prestressed bars. This type of intervention is proposed because it ensures increased reversibility and minimization of interventions, in comparison with conventional retrofitting methods. In this paper, a case study is investigated for the demonstration of the proposed methodologies and techniques, which comprises a masonry Byzantine church and a masonry Cistern. Prestressed SMA alloy bars are placed into the load-bearing system of the structure. The seismic response of the non-retrofitted and the retrofitted finite element models are compared in terms of seismic energy dissipation and displacements diminution.

• Annals of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.49-55
• /
• 2023

Backgrounds/Aims: Data regarding outcomes of endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC) in liver transplant (LT) recipients with biliary-enteric (BE) anastomosis are limited. We report outcomes of ERC and percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) as first-line therapies in LT recipients with BE anastomosis. Methods: All LT recipients with Roux-BE anastomosis from 2001 to 2020 were divided into ERC and PTBD subgroups. Technical success was defined as the ability to cannulate the bile duct. Clinical success was defined as the ability to perform cholangiography and therapeutic interventions. Results: A total of 36 LT recipients (25 males, age 53.5 ± 13 years) with Roux-BE anastomosis who underwent biliary intervention were identified. The most common indications for a BE anastomosis were primary sclerosing cholangitis (n = 14) and duct size mismatch (n = 10). Among the 29 patients who initially underwent ERC, technical success and clinical success were achieved in 24 (82.8%) and 22 (75.9%) patients, respectively. The initial endoscope used for the ERC was a single balloon enteroscope in 16 patients, a double balloon enteroscope in 7 patients, a pediatric colonoscope in 5 patients, and a conventional reusable duodenoscope in 1 patient. Among the 7 patients who underwent PTBD as the initial therapy, six (85.7%) achieved technical and clinical success (p = 0.57). Conclusions: In LT patients with Roux-BE anastomosis requiring biliary intervention, ERC with a balloon-assisted enteroscope is safe with a success rate comparable to PTBD. Both ERC and PTBD can be considered as first-line therapies for LT recipients with a BE anastomosis.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.50 no.3
• /
• pp.459-473
• /
• 2020

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify the effects of a lifestyle intervention program on weight gain, dietary habits, fatigue and pregnancy stress, blood pressure, and neonatal birth weight, using Cox's interaction model of client health behavior for overweight and obese women. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental research with a non-equivalent control group pre-post test design. A total of 52 patients who met the selection criteria, including 25 in the experimental group and 27 in the control group, were the subjects of the study; they comprised overweight and obese pregnant women who were receiving prenatal care at A and B women's hospital in J province. The lifestyle intervention program ran for 12 weeks in total and consisted of interactions involving affective support, health information, and professional/technical competencies. The data collection period was from February 1, 2017 to August 31, 2017. Results: This study showed differences in the appropriate weight gain rate (χ²=6.17, p=.013), suppression of an increase in fatigue (t=-2.32, p=.012), and an increase in pregnancy stress (t=-1.87, p=.034). Yet, no differences in physical activity, dietary habits change, blood pressure, and neonatal birth weight (p>.05) were found. Conclusion: The study findings indicate that this program could be an effective intervention for the control of appropriate weight gain, fatigue, and pregnancy stress. Therefore, a lifestyle intervention program based on Cox's interaction model of client health behavior could be an efficient strategy for a positive health outcome of overweight and obesity pregnant women.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.123-133
• /
• 2009

Purpose: This study aimed to classify nursing interventions by developing a list of interventions for family nursing care. Methods: A new intervention list was confirmed after the researchers' discussion and professional consult. All possible interventions were re-organized. Results: Five grand categories were identified, which include health education, providing direct nursing care, utilization and referral of community resources, reinforcing family resources, and stress management. The category of health education consists of anticipatory guidance, training and education, providing information, and consult and motivation. The category of providing direct nursing care consists of identifying problem, providing technical nursing, providing family tailored nursing care, family contract, monitoring or evaluation, and collaboration with experts. The utilization and referral of community services includes utilization of health care facilities, utilization of social welfare facilities, use of neighbors, friends, and relatives, connecting to professionals or supporting groups, and utilization of other sources. Reinforcing family resources includes reinforcing economic resources, reinforcing physical resources, and reinforcing human resources. Stress management includes reorganization of perception, resolving conflicts, division of role, preparing communication strategies, time management, creating familiarity, supporting spirituality, and developing sense of humor. Conclusion: This study provides useful resources to promote nursing activities by identifying possible family nursing interventions.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
• /
• v.19 no.11
• /
• pp.65-74
• /
• 2002

This paper examines the usefulness of a Brake Steer System (BSS), which uses differential brake forces for steering intervention in the context of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). In order to help the car to turn, a yaw moment can be achieved by altering the left/right and front/rear brake distribution. This resulting yaw moment on the vehicle affects lateral position thereby providing a limited steering function. The steering function achieved through BSS can then be used to control lateral position in an unintended road departure system. A 8-DOF nonlinear vehicle model including STI tire model will be validated using the equations of motion of the vehicle. Then a controller will be developed. This controller, which will be a PID controller tuned by Ziegler-Nichols, will be designed to explore BSS feasibility by modifying the brake distribution through the control of the yaw rate of the vehicle.

• Gut and Liver
• /
• v.12 no.6
• /
• pp.722-727
• /
• 2018

Background/Aims: Although endoscopic bilateral stent-instent placement is challenging, many recent studies have reported promising outcomes regarding technical success and endoscopic re-intervention. This study aimed to evaluate the technical accessibility of stent-in-stent placement using large cell-type stents in patients with inoperable malignant hilar biliary obstruction. Methods: Forty-three patients with inoperable malignant hilar biliary obstruction from four academic centers were prospectively enrolled from March 2013 to June 2015. Results: Bilateral stent-in-stent placement using two large cell-type stents was successfully performed in 88.4% of the patients (38/43). In four of the five cases with technical failure, the delivery sheath of the second stent became caught in the hook-cross-type vertex of the large cell of the first stent, and subsequent attempts to pass a guidewire and stent assembly through the mesh failed. Functional success was achieved in all cases of technical success. Stent occlusion occurred in 63.2% of the patients (24/38), with a median patient survival of 300 days. The median stent patency was 198 days. The stent patency rate was 82.9%, 63.1%, and 32.1% at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively, respectively. Endoscopic re-intervention was performed in 14 patients, whereas 10 underwent percutaneous drainage. Conclusions: Large cell-type stents for endoscopic bilateral stent-in-stent placement had acceptable functional success and stent patency when technically successful. However, the technical difficulty associated with the entanglement of the second stent delivery sheath in the hook-cross-type vertex of the first stent may preclude large cell-type stents from being considered as a dedicated standard tool for stent-in-stent placement.