• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.99-106
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• 2019

Amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) allows early and accurate diagnosis in suspected cases of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and contributes to future treatment plans. In the present study, a method of implementing a diagnostic system to distinguish ${\beta}$-Amyloid ($A{\beta}$) positive from $A{\beta}$ negative with objectiveness and accuracy was proposed using a machine learning approach, such as the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Support Vector Machine (SVM). $^{18}F$-Florbetaben (FBB) brain PET images were arranged in control and patients (total n = 176) with mild cognitive impairment and AD. An SVM was used to classify the slices of registered PET image using PET template, and a system was created to diagnose patients comprehensively from the output of the trained model. To compare the per-slice classification, the PCA-SVM model observing the whole brain (WB) region showed the highest performance (accuracy 92.38, specificity 92.87, sensitivity 92.87), followed by SVM with gray matter masking (GMM) (accuracy 92.22, specificity 92.13, sensitivity 92.28) for $A{\beta}$ positivity. To compare according to per-subject classification, the PCA-SVM with WB also showed the highest performance (accuracy 89.21, specificity 71.67, sensitivity 98.28), followed by PCA-SVM with GMM (accuracy 85.80, specificity 61.67, sensitivity 98.28) for $A{\beta}$ positivity. When comparing the area under curve (AUC), PCA-SVM with WB was the highest for per-slice classifiers (0.992), and the models except for SVM with WM were highest for the per-subject classifier (1.000). We can classify $^{18}F$-Florbetaben amyloid brain PET image for $A{\beta}$ positivity using PCA-SVM model, with no additional effects on GMM.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.114-133
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• 2003

Objective : The meridian theory in oriental medicine explains that Sp9(Yinlingquan) has been considered very important for gynecological disorders, spleen and stomach disorders, and water metabolic disorders. Functional MRI is the best method of showing the evidences of the effect of the Electro-acupuncture treatment through scientific methods. On this supposition, Electro-acupuncture stimulation on Sp9(Yinlingquan) was carried out on six healthy volunteers, using the gradient echo sequence with the 3.0T whole-body MRI system(ISOL). Methods : Electro-acupuncture stimulation on Sp9(Yinlingquan), the experiment was carried out on six healthy volunteers, using the gradient echo sequence with the 3.0T whole-body MRI system(ISOL). After the needle insertion on right Sp9(Yinlingquan), 2Hz of electric stimulation was given for 30 seconds, repeated five times, with 30 seconds' intervals. The Image analysis including motion correction, talairach transformation, and smoothing was done using SPM99. Results : The electro-acupuncture stimulation on Sp9(Yinlingquan) activates Brodmann Area 13, 19, 22, 39, 40, 47 which may be the central pathways of the electro-acupuncture stimulation on Sp9(Yinlingquan). We also hypothesize that those brain areas may be directly or indirectly related with the mechanism of the effect of electro-acupuncture stimulation on Sp9(Yinlingquan).

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.399-404
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• 2013

Objective : The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study to determine prognostic factors and treatment outcomes of brain metastases (BM) from breast cancer (BC) after Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKS). Methods : Pathologic and clinical features, and outcomes were analyzed in a cohort of 62 patients with BM from BC treated by GKS. The Kaplan- Meier method, the log-rank test, and Cox's proportional hazards model were used to assess prognostic factors. Results : Median survival after GKS was 73.0 weeks (95% confidence interval, 46.0-100.1). HER2+ [hazard ratio (HR) 0.441; p=0.045], Karnofsky performance scale (KPS) ${\geq}70$ (RR 0.416; p=0.050) and systemic chemotherapy after GKS (RR 0.282; p=0.001) were found to be a favorable prognostic factor of overall survival. Actuarial local control (LC) rate were $89.5{\pm}4.5%$ and $70.5{\pm}6.9%$ at 6 and 12 months after GKS, respectively. No prognostic factors were found to affect LC rate. Uni- and multivariate analysis revealed that the distant control (DC) rate was higher in patients with; a small number (${\leq}3$) of metastasis (HR 0.300; p=0.045), no known extracranial metastasis (p=0.013, log-rank test), or the HER2+ subtype (HR 0.267; p=0.027). Additional whole brain radiation therapy and metastasis volume were not found to be significantly associated with LC, DC, or overall survival. Conclusion : The treatment outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed BM from BC treated with GKS could be affected primarily by intrinsic subtype, KPS, and systemic chemotherapy. Therapeutic strategy and prognosis scoring system should be individualized based on considerations of intrinsic subtype in addition to traditionally known parameters related to stereotactic radiosurgery.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.41-47
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• 2023

Purpose: This study aimed to dosimetrically compare the technique of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D CRT), which is a traditional prophylactic cranial irradiation method, and the intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) techniques used in the last few decades with the dynamic conformal arc therapy (DCAT) technique. Methods: The 3D CRT, VMAT, IMRT, and DCAT plans were prepared with 25 Gy in 10 fractions in a Monaco planning system. The target volume and the critical organ doses were compared. A comparison of the body V₂, V₅, and V₁₀ doses, monitor unit (MU), and beam on-time values was also performed. Results: In planned target volume of the brain (PTV_Brain), the highest D99 dose value (P<0.001) and the most homogeneous (P=0.049) dose distribution according to the heterogeneity index were obtained using the VMAT technique. In contrast, the lowest values were obtained using the 3D CRT technique in the body V₂, V₅, and V₁₀ doses. The MU values were the lowest when DCAT (P=0.001) was used. These values were 0.34% (P=0.256) lower with the 3D CRT technique, 66% (P=0.001) lower with IMRT, and 72% (P=0.001) lower with VMAT. The beam on-time values were the lowest with the 3D CRT planning (P<0.001), 3.8% (P=0.008) lower than DCAT, 65% (P=0.001) lower than VMAT planning, and 76% (P=0.001) lower than IMRT planning. Conclusions: Without sacrificing the homogeneous dose distribution and the critical organ doses in IMRTs, three to four times less treatment time, less low-dose volume, less leakage radiation, and less radiation scattering could be achieved when the DCAT technique is used similar to conventional methods. In short, DCAT, which is applicable in small target volumes, can also be successfully planned in large target volumes, such as the whole-brain.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.103-108
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• 2011

Purpose: Opposing portal irradiation with helmet field shape that has been given to a patient with brain metastasis can cause excess dose in patient's scalp, resulting in hair loss. For this reason, this study is to quantitatively analyze scalp dose for effective prevention of hair loss by comparing opposing portal irradiation with scalp-shielding shape and tomotherapy designed to protect patient's scalp with conventional radiation therapy. Materials and Methods: Scalp dose was measured by using three therapies (HELMET, MLC, TOMO) after five thermo-luminescence dosimeters were positioned along center line of frontal lobe by using RANDO Phantom. Scalp dose and change in dose distribution were compared and analyzed with DVH after radiation therapy plan was made by using Radiation Treatment Planning System (Pinnacle3, Philips Medical System, USA) and 6 MV X-ray (Clinac 6EX, VARIAN, USA). Results: When surface dose of scalp by using thermo-luminescence dosimeters was measured, it was revealed that scalp dose decreased by average 87.44% at each point in MLC technique and that scalp dose decreased by average 88.03% at each point in TOMO compared with HELMET field therapy. In addition, when percentage of volume (V95%, V100%, V105% of prescribed dose) was calculated by using Dose Volume Histogram (DVH) in order to evaluate the existence or nonexistence of hotspot in scalp as to three therapies (HELMET, MLC, TOMO), it was revealed that MLC technique and TOMO plan had good dose coverage and did not have hot spot. Conclusion: Reducing hair loss of a patient who receives whole brain radiotherapy treatment can make a contribution to improve life quality of the patient. It is expected that making good use of opposing portal irradiation with scalp-shielding shape and tomotherapy to protect scalp of a patient based on this study will reduce hair loss of a patient.

• BMB Reports
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.238-243
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• 2022

Autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a behavioral syndrome characterized by persistent deficits in social interaction, and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities. The gene encoding Methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) is one of a few exceptional genes of established causal effect in ASD. Although genetically engineered mice studies may shed light on how MeCP2 loss affects synaptic activity patterns across the whole brain, such studies are not considered practical in ASD patients due to the overall level of impairment, and are technically challenging in mice. For the first time, we show that hippocampal MeCP2 knockdown produces behavioral abnormalities associated with autism-like traits in rats, providing a new strategy to investigate the efficacy of therapeutics in ASD. Ketamine, an N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) blocker, has been proposed as a possible treatment for autism. Using the MeCP2 knockdown rats in conjunction with a rat model of valproic acid (VPA)-induced ASD, we examined gene expression and ASD behaviors upon ketamine treatment. We report that the core symptoms of autism in MeCP2 knockdown rats with social impairment recovered dramatically following a single treatment with ketamine.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.194-208
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• 2003

Objective : Recently, many studies have showed the evidences of the effect of acupuncture treatment through scientific methods. We performed electro-acupuncture on Taixi(K3) and observed the change of brain activity using fMRI. Methods : To see the effect of electro-acupuncture stimulation on Taixi(K3), the experiment was carried out on twelve healthy volunteers, using the gradient echo sequence with the 3.0T whole-body fMRI system(ISOL). After the needle insertion on K3, 2 Hz of electric stimulation was given for 30 seconds, repeated five times, with 30 seconds' intervals. Result & Conclusions : Unilateral electro-acupuncture stimulation on K3 increased the brain activity in Brodman Area 8, 6, 9, 13, 21, 22, 38, 40, 43, 2, 5, 10, 20, 24, 32, 34, 37, 39, 41, 42. and decreased the brain activity in Brodman Area 9, 13, 38, 22, 31, 3, 6, 10, 21, 25, 29, 30. Group Averaged Brain activity induced by Unilateral Electro-acupuncture Stimulation on K3 was increased in Brodman Area 10, 22, 42, 43, 44 and was decreased inn Brodman Area 6 and pyrogen test of Bee venom. Bilateral electro-acupuncture stimulation on k3 increased the brain activity in Brodman Area 22, 3, 19, 4, 13, 17, 21, 41, 42, 2, 5, 6, 7, 18, 23, 29, 30, 31, 40 and decreased the brain activity in Brodman Area 18, 6, 39, 4, 13, 2, 10, 19, 36, 40, 45, 46, 47. Group Averaged Brain activity induced by Bilateral Electro-acupuncture Stimulation on K3 was increased in Brodman Area 22, 13, 4, 3, 29, 38, 43 and was decreased in Brodman Area 18, 3, 19, 22, 39. Motor Stimulation activated Brodmann Area 6, 43, 18.

• KIPS Transactions on Software and Data Engineering
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.69-78
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• 2016

Ischemic stroke is a disease that the brain tissues cannot function by reducing blood flow due to thrombosis or embolisms. Due to the nature of the disease, it is most important to identify the status of cerebral vessel and the medical images are necessarily used for its diagnosis. Among many indicators, brain MRI is most widely utilized because experts can effectively obtain the semantic information such as cerebral anatomy aiding the diagnosis with it. However, in case of emergency diseases like ischemic stroke, even though a intelligent system is required for supporting the prompt diagnosis and treatment, the current systems have some difficulties to provide the information of medical images intuitively. In other words, as the current systems have managed the medical images based on the basic meta-data such as image name, ID and so on, they cannot consider semantic information inherent in medical images. Therefore, in this paper, to provide core information like cerebral anatomy contained in brain MRI, we suggest a template-driven medical images mapping method. The key idea of the method is defining the mapping characteristics between anatomic feature and representative images by using template images that can be representative of the whole brain MRI image set and revealing the semantic relations that only medical experts can check between images. With our method, it will be possible to manage the medical images based on semantic.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.466-474
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• 2013

Despite the reports on safety concerns regarding the relationship between aluminum salts and neurological and bone disease, many countries continue to use aluminum as phosphate binders among patients with renal failure. In search for a diet supplement that could reduce aluminum toxicity related to renal failure, we carried out this prospective animal study in which the fenugreek seeds were assessed for their effects on rats nephrotoxicity induced by aluminum chloride ($AlCl_3$). Oral $AlCl_3$ administration during 5 months (500 mg/kg bw i.g for one month then 1600 ppm via drinking water) led to plasma biochemical changes, an inhibition of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), a decrease of total antioxidant status (TAS), and an induction of lipid peroxidation (LPO) in the blood and brain, in addition to kidney atrophy and morphological alterations at the level of Bowman's capsule, the glomerulus and different sorts of tubules, reminiscent of some known kidney disease. The treatment with the whole fenugreek seed powder (FSP) (5% in the diet) during the last 2 months showed its effectiveness in restoring normal plasma values of urea, creatinine, ALP and glucose, as well as re-increasing the TAS, inhibiting LPO and alleviating histopathological changes in the injured kidneys. This study highlights the induced nephrotoxicicity, as well as the related toxicity in the brain and bone, by chronic oral ingestion of the aluminum salts. However, the maintenance of a diet supplemented with fenugreek seeds could offer protection for the kidney, bone and brain, at the same time.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.263-268
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• 2009

Gamma knife surgery (GKS) is used for the treatment of various human brain disorders. However, the biological effects of gamma ray irradiation on both the target area, and the surrounding tissues are not well studied. The effects of gamma ray exposure to both targeted and untargeted regions were therefore evaluated by monitoring gene expression changes in the unilateral irradiated (60 Gy) and contralateral un-irradiated striata in the rat. Striata of irradiated and control brains were dissected 16 hours post-irradiation for analysis using a whole genome 44K DNA oligo microarray approach. The results revealed 230 induced and 144 repressed genes in the irradiated striatum and 432 induced and 239 repressed genes in the unirradiated striatum. Out of these altered genes 39 of the induced and 16 of the reduced genes were common to both irradiated and un-irradiated tissue. Results of semiquantitative, confirmatory RT-PCR and western blot analyses suggested that ${\gamma}$-irradiation caused cellular damage, including oxidative stress, in the striata of both hemispheres of the brains of treated animals.