• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.14 no.10
• /
• pp.4962-4969
• /
• 2013

The purpose of this experiment is to evaluate of optimized FS techniques for T2 weighted abdominal MRI compared of TSE-SPIR fat suppression and GE-PROSET fat suppression. All MR examinations were performed on a 1.5 T(Philips, Medical System, Achieva) scanner using 16 channel mult-coils. All images were performed in the axial plane using TSE-SPIR and GE-PROSET. The mean SNRs of the retroperitoneal and mesenteric fat for TSE-SPIR and GE-PROSET were 31.50, 4.15 and 32.39, 7.03. The mean CNRs of the bowel and retroperitoneal, mesenteric fat for TSE-SPIR and GE-PROSET were 52.69, 74.54 and 26.12, 68.78). The delineation of bowel wall margins with TSE-SPIR(2.4) and GE-PROSET(1.8) were significantly improved using TSE-SPIR. The delineation of pancreas wall with TSE-SPIR(1.90), GE-PROSET(2.80) were significantly improved using GE-PROSET. In conclusion, TSE-SPIR fat suppression was superior to GE-PROSET fat suppression in T2 WI FS abdominal MRI.

• Progress in Medical Physics
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.224-228
• /
• 2002

Myocardial tagging technique such as spatial modulation of magnetization (SPAMM) allows the study of myocardial motion with high accuracy. However, the accuracy of the estimation of tag intersection can be affected by tagline spacing. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between tagline spacing of SPAMM image and tagging contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) in in-vivo study. Two healthy volunteers were undergone electrocardiographically triggered MR imaging with SPAMM-based tagging pulse sequence at a 1.5T MR scanner. Horizontally modulated stripe patterns were imposed with a range from 3.6 to 9.6 mm of tagline spacing. Images of the left ventricle(LV) wall were acquired at the mid-ventricle level during cardiac cycle with FE-EPI (TR/TE = 5.8/2.2 msec, FA= 10$^{\circ}$. Tagging CNR for each image was calculated with a software which developed in our group. During contraction, tagging CNR was more rapidly decreased in case of narrow tagline spacing than in case of wide tagline spacing. In the same heart phase, CNR was increased corresponding with tagline spacing. Especially, at the fully contracted heart phase, CNR was more rapidly increased than the other heart phases as a function of tagline spacing. The results indicated that the optimization of tagline spacing provides better tagging CNR in order to analyze the myocardial motion more accurately.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.11
• /
• pp.4525-4530
• /
• 2015

Background: The MTHFR C677T polymorphism is a genetic alteration affecting an enzyme involved in folate metabolism, but its relationship to host susceptibility to prostate cancer remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and prostate cancer by performing a meta-analysis. Materials and Methods: Pubmed and Web of Science databases were searched for case-control studies investigating the association between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and prostate cancer. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were used to assess any link. Results: A total of 22 independent studies were identified, including 10,832 cases and 11,993 controls. Meta-analysis showed that there was no obvious association between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and risk of prostate cancer under all five genetic models. There was also no obvious association between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and risk of prostate cancer in the subgroup analyses of Caucasians. In contrast, MTHFR C677T polymorphism was associated with increased risk for prostate cancer in Asians with the allele model (C vs G: OR=1.299, 95 %CI =1.121-1.506, P=0.001, $P_{heterogeneity}=0.120$, $I^2=45%$), additive genetic model (CC vs TT: OR =1.925, 95 % CI= 1.340-2.265, P=0.00, $P_{heterogeneity}=0.587$, $I^2=0.00%$), recessive model (CC vs TT+TC: OR= 1.708, 95 % CI=1.233-2.367, P=0.001, $P_{heterogeneity}=0.716$, $I^2=0.00%$), and heterozygote genetic model (CT vs TT: OR=2.193, 95 % CI =1.510-3.186, P=0.000, $P_{heterogeneity}=0.462$, $I^2=0.00%$). Conclusions: These results suggest that the MTHFR C677T polymorphism does not contribute to the risk of prostate cancer from currently available evidence in populations overall and Caucasians. However, the meta analysis indicates that it may play a role in prostate cancer development in Asians.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.25-30
• /
• 2012

Purpose : To compare the enhancement pattern of normal facial nerves on 3D-FLAIR and 3D-T1-FFE-F) sequences at 3.0 T MR units. Materials and Methods: We assessed 20 consecutive subjects without a history of facial nerve abnormalities who underwent temporal bone MRI with contrast enhancement between January 2008 and March 2009. Two neuroradiologists independently reviewed pre-/post-enhanced 3D-T1-FFE-FS and 3D-FLAIR images respectively with 2-week interval to assess the enhancement of normal facial nerves divided into five anatomical segments. The degree of enhancement in each segment was graded as none, mild or strong, and the results of 3D-FLAIR and 3D-T1-FFE-FS image sets were compared. Results: On 3D-FLAIR images, one of the two reviewers observed mild enhancement of the genu segment in two (10%) subjects. On 3D-T1-FFE-FS images, at least one segment of the facial nerve was enhanced in 13 (65%) subjects. At least one reviewer found that 17 of the 100 segments showed enhancement on 3D-T1-FFE-FS images, with the mastoid segment being the most commonly enhanced. Interobserver agreement on 3D-T1-FFE-FS images was good for enhancement of the normal facial nerve (${\kappa}$= 0.589). Conclusion: In contrast to 3D-T1-FFE-FS, normal facial nerve segments rarely showed enhancement on 3D-FLAIR images.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
• /
• v.49 no.5
• /
• pp.381-388
• /
• 2004

In Korea, production of super sweet corn has been economically feasible and is substituting for traditional sweet corn due to better flavor in recent years. Major limiting factors for super sweet corn production are low field emergence and low seedling vigor. The optimum water potential (WP) for the priming of normal and aged seeds of dent, sweet (su) and super sweet (sh2) corns was studied to improve low seed quality. Seeds were primed at 0, -0.3, -0.6, -0.9, and -1.2 MPa of polyethylene glycol (PEG) 8000 solution at $15^{\circ}C$ for 2 days. Priming effects differed depending on the type of corn, seed quality, and WP of PEG solution. Although WP of priming solution did not influence the emergence rate of extremely high quality normal dent corn seeds, it reduced time to $50\%$ emergence (T50) and increased plumule weight. In contrast, the emergence rate of aged field corn was improved by seed priming at 0 MPa and plumule weight and $\alpha-amylase$ activity was enhanced. The optimum WP for both normal and aged sweet and super sweet corn seeds was between -0.3 and -0.6 Mpa. At the optimum WP emergence rate, $\alpha-amylase$ activity, and content of DNA and soluble protein increased, while T50 and leakage of total sugars and electrolytes reduced.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.221-228
• /
• 2018

The osmolarity of a medium that is commonly used for in vitro culture (IVC) of oocytes and embryos is lower than that of oviductal fluid in pigs. In vivo oocytes and embryos can resist high osmolarities to some extent due to the presence of organic osmolytes such as glycine and alanine. These amino acids act as a protective shield to maintain the shape and viability in high osmotic environments. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of glycine or/and alanine in medium with two different osmolarities (280 and 320 mOsm) during IVC on embryonic development after parthenogenesis (PA) and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) in pigs. To this end, IVC was divided into two stages; the 0-2 and 3-7 days of IVC. In each stage, embryos were cultured in medium with 280, 320, or 360 mOsm and their combinations with or without glycine or/and alanine according to the experimental design. Treatment groups were termed as, for example, "T(osmolarity of a medium used in 0-2 days of IVC)-(osmolarity of a medium used in 3-7 days of IVC)" T280-280 was served as control. When PA embryos were cultured in medium with various osmolarities, T320-280 showed a significantly higher blastocyst formation (29.0%) than control (22.2%) and T360-360 groups (6.9%). Glycine treatment in T320-280 significantly increased blastocyst formation (50.4%) compared to T320-280 only (36.5%) while no synergistic was observed after treatment with glycine and alanine together in T320-280 (45.7%). In contrast to PA embryonic development, the stimulating effect by the culture in T320-280 was not observed in SCNT blastocyst development (27.6% and 23.7% in T280-280 and T320-280, respectively) whereas the number of inner cell mass cells was significantly increased in T320-280 (6.1 cells vs. 9.6 cells). Glycine treatment significantly improved blastocyst formation of SCNT embryos in both T280-280 (27.6% vs. 38.0%) and T320-280 (23.7% vs. 35.3%). Our results demonstrate that IVC in T320-280 and treatment with glycine improves blastocyst formation of PA and SCNT embryos in pigs.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.37 no.4
• /
• pp.431-446
• /
• 2020

This paper presents the flexural performance of double skin composite beams (DSCBs) at different Arctic low temperatures. 12 DSCBs were prepared and tested under two-point loading at different Arctic low temperatures of 20, -30, -50, and -70℃. The studied parameters include low-temperature level (T), steel-faceplate thickness (t), shear span ratio (λ), and spacing of headed studs (S). The experimental investigations under two-point loading tests showed that flexural failure occurred to all DSCBs, even including the specimen designed with the small λ ratio of 2.9. The ultimate strength behaviours of DSCBs were improved due to the improved mechanical properties of constructional materials and the confinement on shear connectors. The DSCB subjected to two-point loading and low temperatures exhibits a five-stage working mechanism. The stiffness and strength indexes of DSCBs increase linearly with temperature and t value increasing, while decreasing as shear span ratio boosts. In the contrast, the change of S value from 150 to 200 mm has little effect on the ultimate strength behavior of DSCB.

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
• /
• v.58 no.9
• /
• pp.556-562
• /
• 2020

Neurofibroma is a benign, heterogenous peripheral nerve sheath tumor arising from the connective tissue of peripheral nerve sheaths, especially the endoneurium. Its intraoral occurrence is uncommon and its occurrence within mandible is extremely rare. A case of solitary intraosseous neurofibroma of the mandible involving masticator space in a 8-year-old male is reported. He was referred from a private local clinic with a chief complaint of limitation in opening of the mouth. Panoramic and cone-beam computed tomographic images showed unilocular radiolucent lesion with scalloped border at the right mandibular ramus, connected posteriorly to the enlarged mandibular foramen and anteriorly to the mandibular canal. T1-weighted magnetic resonance images showed soft tissue mass of isointensity compared with muscles. Contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images showed peripheral enhancement and T2-weighted images showed the heterogeneous hyperintense mass with extension between lateral and medial pterygoid muscles. The tumor was surgically removed under general anesthesia and diagnosed to be neurofibroma at the biopsy.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.91-100
• /
• 1998

In magnetic resonance imaging, the fast spin echo imaging technique is a widely used clinical imaging method. since its scanning time is much shorter than the conventional spin echo imaging and it gives the almost same image quality. However, the fast spin echo technique has two times longer imaging time for the dual echo acquisition which can obtain a spin density image and a T-give the same qulity images at the single echo imaging time. T he proposed technique reduces the imaging time by overlapping most of were obtained at the 0.3T permanent MRI system are presented.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
• /
• v.34 no.5
• /
• pp.377-380
• /
• 2017

An 8-year-old, shih-tzu female dog was referred due to neurological signs including paraparesis and back pain. On the complete blood count, hematologic analysis showed elevated leukocytosis. Serum biochemical analysis revealed elevated serum alkaline phosphatase concentration and C-reactive protein concentration. On the neurologic exam, the dog was suspected to have thoracolumbar myelopathy. On magnetic resonance imaging, there were masses within the spinal canal at L1-3 intervertebral disc space that were located dorsal to spinal cord. It was hyperintense on T1-, T2-weighted magnetic resonance images, Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery, and fat suppression images. The contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images showed no enhancement. The lesions were well circumscribed. The spinal cord was compressed and displaced ventrally by the mass. After removal of the masses via L1-L3 dorsal laminectomy, pyogranulomatous inflammation was confirmed by histopathological examination. Six months after surgery, the dog recovered uneventfully and remained fully ambulatory with no neurological deficits. This case demonstrates the utility of magnetic resonance imaging for the diagnosis of spinal canal pyogranulomatous inflammation.