• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.178-185
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• 2008

Living donor liver transplantation is increasingly performed as an alternative to cadaveric transplantation. Preoperative screening of the donor candidates is very important. The quality, size, and vascular and biliary anatomy of the liver are best assessed with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging or computed tomography (CT). In particular, the volume of the potential graft must be measured to ensure sufficient liver function after surgery. Preoperative liver segmentation has proved useful for measuring the graft volume before living donor liver transplantations in previous studies. In these studies, the liver segments were manually delineated on each image section. The delineated areas were multiplied by the section thickness to obtain volumes and summed to obtain the total volume of the liver segments. This process is tedious and time consuming. To compensate for this problem, automatic segmentation techniques have been proposed with multiplanar CT images. These methods involve the use of sequences of thresholding, morphologic operations (ie, mathematic operations, such as image dilation, erosion, opening, and closing, that are based on shape), and 3D region growing methods. These techniques are complex but require a few computation times. We made a phantom for volume measurement with pig and evaluated actual volume of spleen and liver of phantom. The results represent that our semiautomatic volume measurement algorithm shows a good accuracy and repeatability with actual volume of phantom and possibility for clinical use to assist physician as a measuring tool.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.400-405
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• 2004

Biliary atresia is defined as a complete obstruction of bile flow owing to destruction or absence of all or part of the extrahepatic bile ducts. This disease is occurring in approximately 1:10,000 live births and moderate predominance of female is noted. The etiology of biliary atresia remained unsolved. The signs and symptoms are hyperbilirubinemla, jaundice, clay-colored stools, steatorrhea, dark yellow urine and hepatomegaly. Currently biliary atresia is best managed by hepatic portoenterostomy with or without liver transplantation. Biliary atresia patients with these cases showed staining of the teeth. The stains ranged in color from yellowish-brown to deep green. Enamel hypoplasia was all erupted teeth present. Patients had poor oral hygiene and rampant caries.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.151-156
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• 2010

Alginates are polysaccharides isolated from brown algae with gel-forming properties composed of 1,4-linked beta-D-mannuronic acid (M), alpha-L-guluronic acid (G), and alternating (MG) blocks. In this study, we have examined the toxic effects of high M-alginate to activate HepG2 human liver cells. Alginate enhanced the NO production and iNOS protein expression in HepG2 cells. In addition, alginates stimulated the HepG2 to induce IL-1 release and expression of TGF-beta1, which could influence the liver inflammation and chirrhosis. These findings suggest that high M-alginate form brown algae may have toxic effects on liver cells.