• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.67 no.4
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• pp.442-450
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• 2024

Objective : Cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome (CHS) manifests as a collection of symptoms brought on by heightened focal cerebral blood flow (CBF), afflicting nearly 30% of patients who have undergone superficial temporal artery (STA)-middle cerebral artery (MCA) anastomosis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the amalgamation of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) imaging via MRI can discern cerebral hyperemia after STA-MCA anastomosis surgery. Methods : A retrospective study was performed of patients who underwent STA-MCA anastomosis due to Moyamoya disease or atherosclerotic steno-occlusive disease. A protocol aimed at preventing CHS was instituted, leveraging the use of MRI FLAIR. Patients underwent MRI diffusion with FLAIR imaging 24 hours after STA-MCA anastomosis. A high signal on FLAIR images signified the presence of hyperemia at the bypass site, triggering a protocol of hyperemia care. All patients underwent hemodynamic evaluations, including perfusion MRI, single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and digital subtraction angiography, both before and after the surgery. If a high signal intensity is observed on MRI FLAIR within 24 hours of the surgery, a repeat MRI is performed to confirm the presence of hyperemia. Patients with confirmed hyperemia are managed according to a protocol aimed at preventing further progression. Results : Out of a total of 162 patients, 24 individuals (comprising 16 women and 8 men) exhibited hyperemia on their MRI FLAIR scans following the procedure. SPECT was conducted on 23 patients, and 11 of them yielded positive results. All 24 patients underwent perfusion MRI, but nine of them showed no significant findings. Among the patients, 10 displayed elevations in both CBF and cerebral blood volume (CBV), three only showed elevation in CBF, and two only showed elevation in CBV. Follow-up MRI FLAIR scans conducted 6 months later on these patients revealed complete normalization of the previously observed high signal intensity, with no evidence of ischemic injury. Conclusion : The study determined that the use of MRI FLAIR and ADC mapping is a competent means of early detection of hyperemia after STA-MCA anastomosis surgery. The protocol established can be adopted by other neurosurgical institutions to enhance patient outcomes and mitigate the hazard of permanent cerebral injury caused by cerebral hyperemia.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.239-248
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• 2024

VTS operators monitor movements of vessels within their jurisdiction and provide necessary information to ensure safe navigation. This involves communication with vessels within the VTS area. Contents of these communications are manually recorded in logbooks. However, manual logging faces limitations due to its inability to document details comprehensively and the challenge of constant recording amidst various duties. This study aimed to quantitatively analyze the workload associated with manual logkeeping by examining eye movements of VTS operators. Eye-tracking devices were used to measure gaze patterns of VTS operator at the Busan Port. Results indicated that approximately 65% of the VTS operators' gaze was directed towards the operation consoles, which were focal points for marine traffic information. In contrast, only about 9% of their gaze was directed towards logbooks. These findings suggest that while VTS operators predominantly focus on areas related to information gathering and dissemination, logbooks, being information-recording zones, receive minimal attention. For effective traffic management, the primary focus should be on information processing and provision rather than manual documentation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.81 no.1
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• pp.135-146
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• 2020

Purpose To describe magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in 10 cases of Toxocara canis myelitis and to analyze these findings to aid in the diagnosis of this condition. Materials and Methods From June 2015 to March 2018, we retrospectively analyzed the electronic medical records and MR images of patients who were diagnosed with Toxocara canis myelitis. The analysis of the MR images was based on a discussion between an experienced spinal radiologist and a radiology resident. Results This study classified MRI findings into the following two types. Type 1 was defined as central and diffuse T2 high signal intensity on the axial plane, which was observed in 50% of all cases. All lesions showed avid enhancement, mostly in the posterolateral or posterior region (4 cases, 80%). Type 2 was defined as wedge-shaped or focal T2 high signal intensity in the posterolateral or posterior region and corresponded to the remaining 50% of the cases. In this case, the extent of the lesion was relatively small and contrast enhancement was observed in only one case. Conclusion This study revealed that various imaging findings could be observed in cases of Toxocara canis myelitis, and the findings were classified into two types.

• The Journal of the Institute of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.189-196
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• 2024

Currently, it is almost impossible to move the focus of a previously taken photo to a different location. This paper challenges a technology that can move the focus of a captured photo to another location after shooting. To achieve this goal, this paper proposed and implemented a method for taking photos with various focuses at the moment the camera took pictures and storing them in a single JPEG file to extract photos focused on the user's preferred location. In this paper, two methods are implemented: taking various photos by quickly moving the focal length of the lens from close to far away, and taking various photos focused on each object by recognizing objects in the camera viewfinder. Various photos taken are stored in a single JPEG to maintain compatibility with traditional photo viewers. At this time, this JPEG file used the All-in-JPEG format proposed in previous research to store a variety of images. This paper verified its practicality by implementing these technologies in an Android app named OnePIC.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.83 no.3
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• pp.582-596
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• 2022

To accurately interpret knee MRI, it is important not only to know the basic meniscal anatomy but also to distinguish it from that under pathological conditions. Thus, it would be helpful to know the normal meniscus variants (false positives) that could be mistaken for meniscal tears, and tears that could easily be missed and incorrectly diagnosed as normal (false negatives). False positives include synovial recesses, meniscal flounce, the relationship between the popliteus tendon and lateral meniscus, transverse ligament, the anterior root of the meniscus, and meniscofemoral ligament. False negatives include focal radial tears, flap tears, posterior root tears, meniscocapsular separation, and discoid meniscal tears. In this pictorial essay, we reviewed the imaging data obtained in the aforementioned cases.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.374-383
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• 2024

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic performance and image quality of 1.5-mm slice thickness MRI with deep learningbased image reconstruction (1.5-mm MRI + DLR) compared to routine 3-mm slice thickness MRI (routine MRI) and 1.5-mm slice thickness MRI without DLR (1.5-mm MRI without DLR) for evaluating temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 117 MR image sets comprising 1.5-mm MRI + DLR, 1.5-mm MRI without DLR, and routine MRI from 117 consecutive patients (mean age, 41 years; 61 female; 34 patients with TLE and 83 without TLE). Two neuroradiologists evaluated the presence of hippocampal or temporal lobe lesions, volume loss, signal abnormalities, loss of internal structure of the hippocampus, and lesion conspicuity in the temporal lobe. Reference standards for TLE were independently constructed by neurologists using clinical and radiological findings. Subjective image quality, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were analyzed. Performance in diagnosing TLE, lesion findings, and image quality were compared among the three protocols. Results: The pooled sensitivity of 1.5-mm MRI + DLR (91.2%) for diagnosing TLE was higher than that of routine MRI (72.1%, P < 0.001). In the subgroup analysis, 1.5-mm MRI + DLR showed higher sensitivity for hippocampal lesions than routine MRI (92.7% vs. 75.0%, P = 0.001), with improved depiction of hippocampal T2 high signal intensity change (P = 0.016) and loss of internal structure (P < 0.001). However, the pooled specificity of 1.5-mm MRI + DLR (76.5%) was lower than that of routine MRI (89.2%, P = 0.004). Compared with 1.5-mm MRI without DLR, 1.5-mm MRI + DLR resulted in significantly improved pooled accuracy (91.2% vs. 73.1%, P = 0.010), image quality, SNR, and CNR (all, P < 0.001). Conclusion: The use of 1.5-mm MRI + DLR enhanced the performance of MRI in diagnosing TLE, particularly in hippocampal evaluation, because of improved depiction of hippocampal abnormalities and enhanced image quality.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.131-160
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• 2023

An amendment to Medical Law allowing permanent face-to-face treatment has been proposed in the 21st National Assembly, with five different bills introduced. However, each proposed amendment focuses on different aspects, and the issue is currently in a state of 'ongoing review' due to factors such as opposition from the medical profession and political considerations. However, from the perspective that the introduction of non-face-to-face treatment should be institutionalized and legislated prioritizing patient safety, certain directions are proposed. These include focusing on returning patients as the primary target, chronic diseases as the focal conditions, outpatient medical institutions as the implementing agencies, restricting non-face-to-face means primarily to video systems, and legally exempting healthcare professionals from responsibility for incidents beyond their control. The proposed directions also emphasize establishing the right to demand face-to-face treatment. It is suggested to legislate initial standards that ensure a minimum level of safety and gradually expand the scope of non-face-to-face treatment through future research, evaluation, and similar step-by-step approaches.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.123-135
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• 2024

Although gemcitabine-based regimens are widely used as an effective treatment for pancreatic cancer, acquired resistance to gemcitabine has become an increasingly common problem. Therefore, a novel therapeutic strategy to treat gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer is urgently required. Piceamycin has been reported to exhibit antiproliferative activity against various cancer cells; however, its underlying molecular mechanism for anticancer activity in pancreatic cancer cells remains unexplored. Therefore, the present study evaluated the antiproliferation activity of piceamycin in a gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer cell line and patient-derived pancreatic cancer organoids. Piceamycin effectively inhibited the proliferation and suppressed the expression of alpha-actinin-4, a gene that plays a pivotal role in tumorigenesis and metastasis of various cancers, in gemcitabine-resistant cells. Long-term exposure to piceamycin induced cell cycle arrest at the G₀/G₁ phase and caused apoptosis. Piceamycin also inhibited the invasion and migration of gemcitabine-resistant cells by modulating focal adhesion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition biomarkers. Moreover, the combination of piceamycin and gemcitabine exhibited a synergistic antiproliferative activity in gemcitabine-resistant cells. Piceamycin also effectively inhibited patient-derived pancreatic cancer organoid growth and induced apoptosis in the organoids. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that piceamycin may be an effective agent for overcoming gemcitabine resistance in pancreatic cancer.

• Smart Media Journal
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.94-103
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• 2024

The eyeball input system is a text input system designed based on 'eye tracking technology' and 'virtual keyboard character-input technology'. The current virtual keyboard structure used is a rectangular QWERTY array optimized for a multi-input method that simultaneously utilizes all 10 fingers on both hands. However, since 'eye-tracking technology' is a single-input method that relies solely on eye movement, requiring only one focal point for input, problems arise when used in conjunction with a rectangular virtual keyboard structure designed for multi-input method. To solve this problem, first of all, previous studies on the shape, type, and movement of muscles connected to the eyeball were investigated. Through the investigation, it was identified that the principle of eye movement occurs in a circle rather than in a straight line. This study, therefore, proposes a new key arrangement wherein the keys are arranged in a circular structure suitable for rotational motion rather than the key arrangement of the current virtual keyboard which is arranged in a rectangular structure and optimized for both-hand input. In addition, compared to the existing rectangular key arrangement, a performance verification experiment was conducted on the circular key arrangement, and through the experiment, it was confirmed that the circular arrangement would be a good replacement for the rectangular arrangement for the virtual keyboard.

• Anatomy and Cell Biology
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.172-182
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• 2024

This study aimed to evaluate the superficial anatomy, kinesiology, and functions of the hand to reveal its morphometry and apply the findings in various fields such as prosthetic hand and protective hand support product design. We examined 51 young adults (32 females, 19 males) aged between 18-30. Hand photographs were taken, and measurements were conducted using ImageJ software. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to determine the relationship between personal information and the parameters. The results of the measurements showed the average lengths of finger segments: thumb (49.5±5.5 mm), index finger (63.9±4.1 mm), middle finger (70.7±5.2 mm), ring finger (65.5±4.8 mm), and little finger (53.3±4.3 mm). Both females and males, the left index finger was measured longer than the right index finger. The right ring finger was found to be longer than the left in both sexes. Additionally, length differences between fingers in extended and maximally adducted positions were determined: thumb-index finger (56.1±6.2 mm), index-middle finger (10.7±4.1 mm), middle-ring finger (10.8±1.4 mm), and ring-little finger (25.6±2.7 mm). Other findings included the average radial natural angle (56.4°±10.5°), ulnar natural angle (23.4°±7.1°), radial deviation angle (65.2°±8.2°), ulnar deviation angle (51.2°±9.6°), and grasping/gripping angle (49.1°±5.8°). The average angles between fingers in maximum abduction positions were also measured: thumb-index finger (53.4°±6.5°), index-middle finger (17.2°±2.6°), middle-ring finger (14.3°±2.3°), and ring-little finger (32.1°±7.0°). The study examined the variability in the positioning of proximal interphalangeal joints during maximum metacarpophalangeal and proximal interphalangeal flexion, coinciding with maximum distal interphalangeal extension movements. The focal points of our observations were the asymmetrical and symmetrical arches formed by these joints. This study provides valuable hand parameters in young adults, which can be utilized in various applications such as prosthetic design, ergonomic product development, and hand-related research. The results highlight the significance of considering individual factors when assessing hand morphology and function.