• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
• /
• v.40 no.3
• /
• pp.169-176
• /
• 2006

Purpose: According to the development of CT scanner in PET/CT system, the role of CT unit as a diagnostic tool has been more important. To improve the diagnostic ability of CT scanner, it is a key aspect that CT scanning has to be performed with high dose energy and intravenous (IV) contrast. So we investigated the effect of IV contrast media on the maximum SUV (maxSUV) of normal tissues and pathologic lesions using PET/CT scanner with high dose CT scanning. Materials & Methods: The study enrolled 13 patients who required PET/CT evaluation. At first, the patients were performed whole body non-contrast CT (NCCT-120 kVp, 130 mAs) scan. Then contrast enhanced CT (CECT) scan was performed immediately. Finally PET scan was followed. The PET omission data were reconstructed twice, once with the NCCT and again with the CECT. We measured the maxSUV of 10 different body regions that were considered as normal in ail patients. Also pathologic lesions were investigated. Results: There were not seen focal artifacts in PET images based on CT with IV contrast agent. Firstly, 130 normal regions in 13 patients were evaluated. The maxSUV was significantly different between two PET images (p<0.00)). The maxSUV was $1.1{\pm}0.5$ in PET images with CECT-corrected attenuation and $1.0{\pm}0.5$ in PET images with NCCI-corrected attenuation. The limit of agreement was $0.1{\pm}0.3$ in Bland-Altman analysis. Especially there were significant differences in 6 of 10 regions, apex and base of the right lung, ascending aorta, segment 6 & segment 8 of the liver and spleen (p<0.05). Secondly, 39 pathologic lesions were evaluated. The maxSUV was significantly different between two PET images (p<0.001). The maxSUV was $4.7{\pm}2.0$ in PET images with CECT-corrected attenuation and $4.4{\pm}2.0$ in PET images with NCCT-corrected attenuation. The limit of agreement was $0.4{\pm}0.8$ in Bland-Altman analysis. Conclusion: Although there were increases of maxSUVs in the PET images based on CT with IV contrast agent, it was very narrow in the range of limit of agreement. So there was no significant effect to clinical interpretation for PET images that were corrected attenuation with high dose CT using IV contrast.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
• /
• v.46 no.2
• /
• pp.169-174
• /
• 2008

Statement of problem: Changes of the marginal bone around dental implants have significance not only for the functional maintenance but also for the esthetic success of the implant. It was proposed that bone-retention elements such as microthreads at the coronal part of implant might help maintain the marginal bone level. Purpose: This study was designed to evaluate the effect of microthread configuration within the marginal coronal portion of the implant fixture at the marginal bone changes after loading around two different external hex implants. Material and methods: Twenty-four patients were included and randomly assigned to treatment with $Br{{\aa}}nemark$ system implants (Group 1, rough-surfaced implants, n=20) and Oneplant system implants (Group 2, rough-surfaced neck with microthreads, n=20). Clinical and radiographic examinations were conducted at baseline (implant loading) and 1 year postloading. Data analysis was performed by the SAS statistical package version 9.1.3 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC, USA) and the final model was calculated by the MIXED procedure (three-level ANCOVA) for marginal bone change of each test group at baseline and 1 year follow-up. Results: Comparing to baseline, significant differences were noted in marginal bone level changes for the 2 groups at 1 year follow-up (P<0.05). Group 1 had a mean crestal bone level changes of $0.83{\pm}0.31mm$; Group 2 had a mean crestal bone level changes of $0.44{\pm}0.36mm$. Rough-surfaced with microthreads implants showed significantly less marginal bone loss than rough surfaced neck without microthread implants. Conclusion: A rough surface with microthreads at the implant was beneficial design to maintain the marginal bone level against functional loading.

• Development and Reproduction
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.1-11
• /
• 2009

Implantation itself is governed by an array of endocrine, paracrine and autocrine modulators, of embryonic and maternal origin. Window of implantation is the unique temporal and spatial expression of factors allows the embryo to implant via signaling, appositioning, attachment, and invasion in a specific time frame of $2{\sim}4$ days. When the embryo has arrived in the uterine cavity, a preprogrammed sequence of events occurs, which involves the production and secretion of a multitude of biochemical factors such as cytokines, growth factors, and adhesion molecules by the endometrium and the embryo, thus leading to the formation of a receptive endometrium. Cytokines such as LIF, CSF-1, and IL-1 have all been shown to play important roles in the cascade of events that leads to implantation. Integrin, L-selectin ligands, glycodelin, mucin-1, HB-EGF and pinopodes are involved in appositioning and attachment. The embryo also produces cytokines and growth factors (ILs, VEGF) and receptors for endometrial signals such as LIF, CSF-1, IGF and HB-EGF. The immune system and angiogenesis play an important role. The usefulness of these factors to assess endometrial receptivity and to estimate the prognosis for pregnancy in natural and artificial cycles remains to be proven. Integrins, pinopodes, glycodelin and LIF (from biopsies) are promising candidates; from uterine flushings, glycodelin and LIF are also candidates. The ideal serum marker is not available, but VEGF, glycodelin and CSF have some clinical implications. Further evaluation that includes larger groups of infertile women and fertile controls are needed to elucidate whether their presence in plasma, flushing fluid, or endometrial samples can be used as some kind of a screening tool to assess endometrial function and prognosis for pregnancy before and after artificial reproductive therapy. A better understanding of their function in human implantation may lead to therapeutic intervention, thereby improving the success rate in reproduction treatment. New molecular techniques are becoming available for measuring both embryonic and endometrial changes prior to and during implantation. The use of predictive sets of markers may prove to be more reliable than a single marker. Ultimately, the aim is to use these tools to increase implantation in artificial cycles and consequently improve live-birth rates.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.265-272
• /
• 2011

Purpose: The clinical usefulness of rotation evaluation using objective refraction in toric soft lenses fitting was investigated. Methods: Toric soft lenses were fitted for 32 subjects (64 eyes; mean age of 24.69 ${\pm}$ 1.65 years) with astigmatism and both eyes of each subject were fitted with toric soft lenses. Objective refraction-based lenses rotation was evaluated from refraction and over-refraction data by indirect calculating technique. These calculated data were compared with the measured data from slit lamp with direct measuring technique. Results: Orientation of toric soft lenses around zero position (within ${\pm}$ 5$^{\circ}$ vertical line) was investigated. The orientations to the direction of nose of measured and calculated values were 69.78% and 63.64%, respectively, which showed similar values between two techniques. Agreement frequency between measured and calculated values in the magnitude of lenses rotation 54.69% and 82.82% for 10$^{\circ}$ and 20$^{\circ}$ of vertical line, respectively. The 95% limits of agreement between calculation and measurement were from -10.08$^{\circ}$ to 12.65$^{\circ}$, and mean difference was 1.29$^{\circ}$ within ${\pm}$ 10$^{\circ}$. The result showed there was no significant difference (p = 0.1984) and high correlation (r = 0.56, p = 0.0004) between two techniques. But the 95% limits of agreement was widen in ${\pm}$ 20$^{\circ}$ of vertical line. The magnitude of lens rotation between two methods was 9.66 ${\pm}$ 6.16$^{\circ}$, 16.17 ${\pm}$ 12.38$^{\circ}$ and 10.58 ${\pm}$ 12.02$^{\circ}$ for normal, loose and tight fitted conditions. Conclusions: From the results with smaller difference between two techniques, it was found that higher availability of subjective over-refraction data can be used as a supplementary tool for subjective refraction. An application using objective refraction with direct measuring could be provide high success in prescription on toric soft lenses.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine
• /
• v.29 no.6
• /
• pp.663-670
• /
• 2018

Objective: Radio-contrast abdomino-pelvic computed tomography (APCT) is considered the gold standard diagnostic tool for an acute abdomen in the emergency department. On the other hand, APCT has a risk of contrast-induced nephropathy. Emergency physicians evaluate the creatinine (Cr) level prior to taking a APCT for the above reason but it takes time to evaluation the serum Cr level. This study hypothesized that Cr measured by a point-of-care test (POCT) can shorten the time to making clinically important decisions for patients with an acute abdomen. Methods: This prospective randomized study was conducted between March 2017 and October 2017. The subjects were divided into two groups (Cr measured by laboratory vs. Cr measured by POCT). To analyze the clinical acceptability for creatinine, agreement was demonstrated graphically by Bland-Altman plots. This study compared the time to make a clinically important decision by physicians and the length of stay at the emergency department in both groups. Results: A total of 76 patients were eligible for the study, 38 patients were assigned to each group. There was no statistically significant difference in the time to the first medical examination (P=0.222) and emergency department stay time (P=0.802). On the other hand, the time to recognition of the Cr level (P<0.001), time to performing APCT (P<0.001), time to decision making (P<0.001), and time to initiation of treatment (P<0.001) were shortened significantly in the point-of-care creatinine group. Conclusion: In this study, the POCT for creatinine can allow rapid decision making by shortening the time to performing the radio-contrast APCT than the laboratory for patients with an acute abdomen.