• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.111-119
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• 2009

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the clinical efficacy of clomiphene citrate (CC) and letrozole combined with gonadotropins for controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) in patients with CC-induced thin endometrium Methods: Fifty-one intrauterine insemination cycles performed in patients who previously had a thin endometrium (<8 mm) to ovulation induction using CC were included in this study. A CC 100 mg/day (CC+gonadotropin group, n=26) or letrozole 2.5 or 5 mg/day (letrozole+gonadotropin group, n=25) was administered on day 3~7 of the menstrual cycle, combined with gonadotropins at dose 75~150 IU every other day starting on day 5~7. We compared total dose of gonadotropin used, endometrial thickness, endometrial pattern, number of follicles ${\geq}14\;mm$ on hCG day, pregnancy rate and multiple pregnancy rate between the two groups, which were statistically analyzed using Mann-Whitney U test or Fisher's exact test, where appropriate. Results: There were no significant differences in clinical characteristics such as age, duration of infertility, number of previous IUI cycles, basal serum hormone levels and cause of infertility between the two groups. In both groups, the endometrium was significantly thicker than that of previous ovulation induction cycles using CC. No significant differences were found in the total dose of gonadotropin used, day of hCG administration, the rate of triple endometrium and pregnancy rate. The number of follicles ${\geq}14\;mm$ was significantly lower ($3.7{\pm}1.7$ vs. $2.8{\pm}1.7$, p=0.03) and the endometrium on hCG day was significantly thicker ($7.7{\pm}1.5$ vs. $9.1{\pm}1.7$, p=0.001) in letrozole+gonadotropin group compared to CC+gonadotropin group. Conclusion: The clomiphene citrate and letrozole combined with gonadotropins appear to avoid the undesirable effects on the endometrium frequently seen with CC for ovulation induction. However, in terms of adequate endometrial development or optimal follicular growth, letrozole may be more beneficial than CC for gonadotropin-combined COS in patients with CC-induced thin endometrium. Further prospective randomized controlled studies in a larger scale will be necessary to confirm our findings.

• The KIPS Transactions:PartA
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• v.14A no.2
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• pp.77-84
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• 2007

The intima media thickness(IMT) of the carotid artery from B mode ultrasound images has recently been proposed as the most useful index of individual atherosclerosis and can be used to predict major cardiovascular events. Ultrasonic measurements of the IMT are conventionally obtained by manually tracing interfaces between tissue layers. The drawbacks of this method are the inter and intra observer variability and its inefficiency. In this paper, we present a multiresolution snake method combined with the dynamic programming, which overcomes the various noises and sensitivity to initialization of conventional snake. First, an image pyramid is constructed using the Gaussian pyramid that maintains global edge information with smoothing in the images, and then the boundaries are automatically detected in the lowest resolution level by minimizing a cost function based on dynamic programming. The cost function includes cost terms which are representing image features and geometrical continuity of the vessel interfaces. Since the detected boundaries are selected as initial contour of the snake for the next level, this automated approach solves the problem of the initialization. Moreover, the proposed snake improves the problem of converging th the local minima by defining the external energy based on multiple image features. In this paper, our method has been validated by computing the correlation between manual and automatic measurements. This automated detection method has obtained more accurate and reproducible results than conventional edge detection by considering multiple image features.

• 대한예방의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.351-351
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• 2002

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Emotion and Sensibility Conference
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.125-127
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• 2007

심장질환과 혈관질환을 포함하는 심뇌혈관질환은 한국인 사망원인 1위이다. 대표적인 질환으로서의 뇌경색과 심근경색은 혈관이 막힌 후 6시간 이내에 뚫어주지 않으면 사망 또는 돌이킬 수 없는 상태에 이른다. 가족 중 이러한 환자가 있으면 환자가 사망할 때까지 수년간 환자 본인은 물론 가족 전체의 삶의 질이 크게 저하되며, 국내 심뇌혈관질환의 사회 경제적 비용은 5조 4천억원에 이른다. 따라서, 이와 같은 질환은 조기에 검출하는 것이 중요하다. 최근 경동맥 헐관벽 두께가 이러한 질환의 가능성과 상관성이 높다는 사실이 밝혀지면서 미국심장협회에서는 무증상이더라도 45세 이상이면 주기적으로 이 지표를 측정할 것을 권장함에 따라 이 분야의 연구가 전세계적으로 확산되고 있다. 본 연구에서는 경동맥의 내막과 중막 두께가 이러한 질환의 위험인자와 어떠한 상관성을 갖는지 밝힘으로써 궁극적으로는 삶의 질을 향상시키고자 한다.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.399-405
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• 2007

This study examined 202 patients who was diagnosed as arteriosclerosis obliterans around carotid artery caused by its increase in IMT and who have been tested by carotid artery sonography. The results are as follows : 1. Out of 202 research subjects, 120(59.4%) were male, 82(40.6%) female, and the average age was 58. 2. Among the subjects, 54(26.7%) were diagnosed as DM, 60(29.7%) with hyperlipidemia, 86(42.6%) with hypertension, 61(30.2%) with EGK. 3. There was more increase in the left IMT than in the right IMT, more increase in male subjects than female subjects, and more increase with age. 4. The relationship between IMT & MRA was that subjects tested by MRA showed greater statistically significant correlation than those not tested by MRA(p < 0.01). 5. The increase in IMT was correlated with DM and HTN, but not with EKG and hyperlipidemia. 6. Among subjects tested by MRA, those diagnosed with MCA stenosis showed increase upto 0.94 in the left IMT and 0.96 in the right IMT ; there was a significant correlation(p < 0.01). Thicker IMT was positively correlated with diagnosis of MCA stenosis after MRA test.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.597-606
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• 2023

This study retrospectively analyzed the test results of 235 patients who visited a medical institution in Busan from May 2022 and February 2023 and conducted both carotid ultrasonography and blood tests. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect on intima-media thickness and blood flow velocity by measuring the intima-media thickness and blood flow velocity through carotid ultrasonography and analyzing the factors influencing the subject's body mass index and metabolic syndrome. Correlation analysis between carotid intima-media thickness and body mass showed (p=0.000) confirming that there is a correlation. As a result Correlation analysis between blood flow velocity and body mass index (p=0.015) was found, comfirming that there was a correlation. Age (p= 0.000), fasting blood glucose (p=0.002) and alcohol consumption (p=0.006) were found to be correlated with carotid intima-media thickness. An increase in Carotid intima-media thicknesses causes an increase in events caused by cardiovascular disease. Therefore, efforts must be made to exclude factors that increase Carotid intima-media thicknesses, and it will be most important to prevent cardiovascular disease through research on various prediction methods and regular checkups.

• Korean Journal Plant Pathology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 1986

Negatively stained dip preparations from Euonymus showing vein clear symptoms revealed bacilliform particles. The particles tentatively referred to as the Euonymus vein clear virus(EVCV) have a relatively complex structure, measuring 230-280nm in length and 70-80nm in diameter. They have an envelope, 8-10nm thick, provided with evenly spaced beadlike projection about 5-6nm long. The inner tubular core which had no envelope showed helical structures, 200-220nm long, and 50-55nm in diameter. This inner tubular core is interpreted as the virus nucleocapsid. A striking association of virus particles with the nuclei of infected cells was apparent from sections which showed numberous virus particles at the nuclear periphery and in what appeared to be intranuclear virus particle inclusions. Careful examination of these apparent inclusions revealed the presence of the nuclear envelope surrounding them, in addition to cytoplasmic organelles within them. Such profiles were interpreted as having arisen when the sections passed through invaginations of the cytoplasm into the nucleus. In all the sections showing virus particles associated with the nucleus, large number of virus particles were found to be present in expanded areas between the two lamellae of the nuclear envelope. This location is suggested as a possible site of virus assembly. Serveal micrographs of particles found in this location suggested incorporation of the inner lamella of the nuclear envelope into the viral envelope. Various micrographs indicated a possible helical arrangement of certain components present in the virus core.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.33-39
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• 2007

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate whether serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) measured at ovulation triggering day reflect ovarian response in intrauterine insemination (IUI) cycles. Methods: Forty-nine fertile women who undergoing superovulation and IUI were included. Superovulation was performed using clomiphene citrate (100 mg/d on day 3$\sim$7) in combination with human menopausal gonadotropin (150 IU every other day starting on day 5). Serum samples were obtained on the day of hCG administration and the levels of VEGF-A and estradiol were measured. The numbers of mature follicle $\geq$17 mm in diameter were also counted. Results: Serum VEGF-A levels did not correlate with the numbers of mature follicle count nor serum estradiol levels. Serum estradiol level was positively associated with mature follicle count. Serum VEGF-A levels tended to be lower in women with mature follicle count less than three or women with more than five. Conclusion: Our results indicate that serum VEGF-A levels do not have an association with superovulation outcome in IUI cycles. However, a tendency of lower VEGF-A level in poor and high responder suggests that those with extreme response to superovulation may be related with abnormal angiogenesis. Further studies should be warranted in larger populations.

• The Journal of the Society of Stroke on Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.21-32
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• 2020

■ Objectives 당귀작약산 단회 복용으로 정상인의 총경동맥 탄력도에 미치는 영향을 평가하고자 하였다. ■ Methods 본 연구는 정상인 남성을 대상으로 한 전향적 무작위 대조군 교차시험연구다. 모든 대상자들은 임의로 당귀작약산 복용군과 비복용군인 대조군으로 나누어졌다. 1주일 간격으로 총 2회 방문하며, 첫 번째 방문 시에 당귀작약산 복용군은 당귀작약산 1포(2.5g)과 물을 제공받고, 대조군은 물만 제공받아 복용하였다. 두 번째 방문 시 첫 번째 방문과 반대로 당귀작약산을 복용했던 복용군은 물만 제공받고, 물만 복용했던 피험자들은 당귀작약산 1포와 물을 제공받았다. 물은 100 cc로 매번 동일하게 제공되었다. 모든 대상자들은 복용 직전과 복용 2시간, 4시간 후에 총경동맥 탄력도, 혈압, 총경동맥 내막-중막 두께와 맥박수를 측정하였다. ■ Results 총 20명의 정상인 남성이 모집되었으며, 시간에 따라 당귀작약산 복용 후의 총경동맥 탄력도가 대조군에 비하여 유의하게 상승한 것이 확인되었다. 내막-중막 두께, 혈압 및 맥압, 맥박은 유의한 변화가 나타나지 않았다. ■ Conclusion 당귀작약산의 단회 복용으로 총경동맥 탄력도가 즉시 개선되는 것을 확인하였고, 이로써 당귀작약산이 동맥 경직도 완화 및 탄성의 개선에 영향을 미친다는 것을 알 수 있었다.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.143-153
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• 2008

Objective: To investigate the effects of aromatase inhibitor on reproductive hormone profiles and evaluate it's ovulation inducing capability in anovulatory infertile women. Methods: We quantified the blood levels of reproductive hormones from 30 healthy normal cycling women in natural cycle (control) and letrozole medicated cycle (study). LH, FSH, estradiol, testosterone, DHEA-S were quantified on third, 11th, 21th day in both cycles, and on 21th day, progesterone was added. Sixth anovulatory infertile women received either letrozole or clomiphene citrate for ovulation induction (n=30 in each groups). We compared the clinical parameters such as ovulation rate, pregnancy rate, the day of LH surge, number of follicles and endometrial thickness, cervical mucus amount, spinnbarkeit, mean diameter of follicles on the day of LH surge. Results: Letrozole had no effect on the LH, FSH, estradiol, DHEA-S secretion but there were significant increase in testosterone level on day 11 and progesterone level on day 21 in letrozole medicated cycle compared than control cycle ($0.40{\pm}0.16$ vs $0.28{\pm}0.11\;ng/ml$, p=0.002, $18.18{\pm}13.07$ vs $8.38{\pm}7.64\;ng/ml$, p=0.001, respectively). In comparison between letrozole and clomiphene groups, there were no significant difference in ovulation rate, pregnancy rate, number of mature follicle, mean diameter of follicles, but showed earlier LH surge, thicker endometrium, more cervical mucus, and higher spinnbarkeit in letrozole group ($12.12{\pm}2.46$ vs $14.52{\pm}3.18$ days, p=0.006, $10.48{\pm}1.23$ vs $8.52{\pm}0.93\;mm$, p=0.000, $2.04{\pm}0.61$ vs $1.57{\pm}0.59$, p=0.012, $6.00{\pm}1.12$ vs $4.95{\pm}1.61\;cm$, p=0.003, respectively). Conclusion: Letrozole may augment folliculogenesis and improve the endometrial condition for implantation in normal cycling women. Ovulation efficacy of letrozole in anovulatory women was comparable to clomiphene citrate and letrozole may be more physiological in ovulation induction.