• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.152-157
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• 2002

Purpose : The differential diagnosis between Modic type I degenerative spine and infectious spondylitis sometimes is difficult, because the affected bone marrows in both disease show similar signal intensity on conventional MR imaging. We evaluate the usefulness of diffusion-wighted MR imaging for differential diagnosis between Modic type I degenerative spine and infectious spondylitis. Materials and methods : The spin-echo and diffusion-weighted MR images of eight patients with Modic type I degenerative spines and 14 patients with infectious spondylitis diagnosed by clinical findings or CT-guided biopsies we re analyzed. The diffusion-weighted imaging sequence was based on reversed fast imaging with steady-state precession (PSIF). Signal intensity changes of the vertebral bone marrow on conventional spin-echo and diffusion-weighted MR imaging were compared between degenerative spine and infectious spondylitis. Results : On T1-weighte d images, the affeted bone marrow in both disease showed hypointense signals. On T 2-weighted images, all of type I degenerative spine and 11 of infectious spondylitis showed hyperintensity, and three of infectious spondylitis showed heterogeneo us mixed signal intensity. On diffusion-weighted MR images, all of type I degenerative spine were hypointense with peripheral high signal intensity to normal vertebral body, but infectious spondylitis was hyperintense (n = 11) and hypointense (n=3). Conclusion : Diffusion-weighted MR imaging is useful to differentiate Modic type I degenerative spine from infectious spondylitis. On diffusion-weighted images, the high singal intensity of bone marrow suggests infectious spondylitis, whereas the low signal intensity of bone marrow with peripheral focal high signal intensity suggests type I degenerative spine.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2014

Purpose : To determine whether high-resolution contrast-enhanced three dimensional imaging with spoiled gradient-recalled sequence (HR-CE 3D-SPGR) plays a meaningful role in the assessment of intracranial vertebral artery (ICVA) and posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) in lateral medullary infarction (LMI). Materials and Methods: Twenty-five patients confirmed with LMI were retrospectively enrolled with approval by the IRB of our institute, and 3T MRI with HR-CE 3D-SPGR and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CE-MRA) were performed. Two radiologists who were blinded to clinical information and other brain MR images including diffusion weighted image independently evaluated arterial lesions in ICVA and PICA. The demographic characteristics, the area of LMI and cerebellar involvement were analyzed and compared between patients with arterial lesion in ICVA only and patients with arterial lesions in both ICVA and PICA on HR-CE 3D-SPGR. Results: Twenty-two of twenty-five LMI patients had arterial lesions in ICVA or PICA on HR-CE 3D SPGR. However twelve arterial lesions in PICA were not shown on CE-MRA. Concurrent cerebellar involvement appeared more in LMI patients with arterial lesion in ICVA and PICA than those with arterial lesion in ICVA alone (p = 0.069). Conclusion: HR-CE 3D-SPGR can help evaluate arterial lesions in ICVA and PICA for LMI patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.94-101
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• 2002

All kinds of tissue valves must be pretreated for the inactivation of immunologic properties and the strengthening of tissue before implantation. However, the tissue valves are gradually denatured with the calcification process and they eventually lose their functions. Recent reports have shown the existence of specific calcium binding non collagenous proteins in the calcified area of implanted biomaterials. This experiment was intended to confirm the effect of pretreatment with RGDS(Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser) tetrapeptide on the calcification of subcutaneously implanted bovine pericardium in rats. RGDS tetrapeptide has the same amino acid sequence of attachment site of specific calcium binding non collagenous proteins. Material and Method: All bovine pericardial pieces were fixed with 0.6% glutaraldehyde. The pretreatments were done using 5 different methods, groupI, with normal saline for 60 minutes, groupII, with 0.5% GRSD(Gly-Arg-Scr-Asp) tetrapeptide solution for 60 minutes, group III : with 0.5% RGDS(Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser) tctrapeptide for 30 minutes, group IV ; with 0.5% RGDS for 60 minutes, and group V : with 0.5% RGDS for 120 minutes. The pretreated bovine pericardial pieces were implanted subcutaneously at the abdominal sites of rats. 30 days after the implantation, the implanted bovine pericardial tissue were examined radiologically, biochemically, and histologically to measure the severity of calcification. Result: On the radiological examination, group I ; 68.42$\pm$3.06, group II , 64.25$\pm$5.58 showed significant difference with group III: 48.00$\pm$3.57, group IV; 43.67$\pm$2.31, and group V ; 2.58$\pm$2.47(p<0.05). There was no difference between group I and II(p=0.105). On the biochemical examination, the amount of calcium in group I was , 33.09$\pm$6.59 mg, in group II ; 28.12$\pm$5.50mg, in group III ; 25.42$\pm$7.67mg, in group Ⅵ ; 20.51$\pm$5.11mg, and in group V : 15.43$\pm$4.25mg.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.101-110
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• 2009

The regulation of gene expression plays an important role in cell cycle controls. In this study, a novel $mas2^+$ (mitosis associated protein) gene, a homolog of human SMARCAD1 was isolated and characterized from a fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe (S. pombe) using gene-specific polymerase chain reaction. The isolated gene contained a complete open reading frame capable of encoding 922 amino acid residues with a typical promoter, as judged by nucleotide sequence analysis. It was also found that an SNF2 domain is located, which is involved in the chromosome remodeling. The quantitative analysis of the $mas2^+$ transcript against $adh1^+$ showed that the expression level of $mas2^+$ is high before septum formation in S. pombe. When $mas2^+$ null mutant cells were grown at 27 and $35^{\circ}C$, the cytokinesis of $mas2^+$ null mutant was greatly delayed and a large number of multi-septate and mis-segregated cells were produced. In addition, the number of multi-septate cells significantly increased. When cells were cultured in YES rich medium to increase proliferation, the abnormal phenotypes $mas2^+$ null mutant dramatically increased. These phenotypes could be rescued by an over-expression of the mast gene. The Mas2 protein localized in the nuclei of S. pombe, as evidenced by Mas2-EGFP signals. These results suggest that the $mas2^+$ is homologous to human SMARCAD1 gene and involved in septum formation and chromosome remodeling control.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.639-645
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• 1996

A 14-year-old male patient with previous surgical repair of tetralogy of Fallot was admitted with hemodynamically significant ventricular tachycardia (VT). On preoperative electrophysiologic study (EPS), the morphology of documented VT was RBBB of vertical axis with 320 msec cycle length. The endocardial mapping during VT delineated the origin of VT at right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT), where the patch was attached. The clinical VT had a clockwise reentry circuit around the patch with the earliest activation at the same site seen during the preoperative EPS. The previously placed right ventricular outflow patch and fibrous tissue were removed. During a postoperative EPS, it was no longer possible to induce the VT. Ventricular tachycardia following repair of tetralogy of Fallot seen in this patient was caused by a macro-reentry around the right ventricular outflow patch. We were able to ablate the VT with the aid of a detailed mapping of its epicardial activation sequence.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.320-329
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• 1997

Neuroanatomic substrate of autism has been the subjects of continuing investigation. Because previous studies had not demonstrated consistent and specific neuroimaging findings in autism and most studies comprised adults and school-aged children, we performed a retrospective review in search of common functional and anatomical abnormalities with brain SPECT using Tc-99m ECD and correlative MRI The patient population was composed of 18 children aged 28 to 89 months(mean age : 55 months) who met the diagnostic criteria of autism as defined in the DSM-IV and CARS. Brain SPECT was performed after intravenous injection of 185-370MBq of Tc-99m ECD using brain dedicated annular crystal gamma camera. MRI was performed in all patients including T1, T2 axial and T1 sagittal sequences. SPECT data were visually assessed. Thirteen patients had abnormal SPECT scan revealing focal areas of decreased perfusion. Decreased perfusion of cerebellar vermis(12/18), cerebellar hemisphere(11/18), thalami(13/18), basal ganglia(4/18), posterior parietal(7/18), and temporal(4/18) area were noted on brain SPECT. Whereas, only 3 patients had abnormal MR findings which were subtle volume loss of parieto-occipital white matter in 3 and mild thinning of posterior body of corpus callosum in 2 and slightly decreased volume of cerebellar vermis in 1. Comparison of the numbers of abnormal findings revealed that regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) abnormalities seen on SPECT were more numerous than anatomical abnormalities seen on MRI. In conclusion, extensive perfusion impairment involving cerebellum, thalami and parietal lobe were found in this study. SPECT may be more sensitive in reflecting pathophysiology of autism than MRI. However, further studies are mandatory to determine the significance of thalamic and parietal perfusion impairment in autism.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.161-174
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• 2013

The geology of the weondong deposit area consists mainly of Cambro-Ordovician and Carboniferous-Triassic formations, and intruded quartz porphyry and dyke. The skarn mineralized zone in the weondong deposit is the most prospective region for the useful W-mineral deposits. To determine the skarn-mineralization age, U-Pb SHRIMP and K-Ar age dating methods were employed. The U-Pb zircon ages of quartz porphyry intrusion (WD-A) and feldspar porphyry dyke (WD-B) are 79.37 Ma and 50.64 Ma. The K-Ar ages of coarse-grained crystalline phlogopite (WD-1), massive phlogopite (WDR-1), phlogopite coexisted with skarn minerals (WD-M), and vein type illite (WD-2) were determined as $49.1{\pm}1.1$ Ma, $49.2{\pm}1.2$ Ma, $49.9{\pm}3.6$ Ma, and $48.3{\pm}1.1$ Ma, respectively. And the ages of the high uranium zircon of hydrothermally altered quartz porphyry (WD-C) range from 59.7 to 38.7 Ma, which dependson zircon's textures affected by hydrothermal fluids. It is regarded as the effect of some hydrothermal events, which may precipitate and overgrow the high-U zircons, and happen the zircon's metamictization and dissolution-reprecipitation reactions. Based on the K-Ar age datings for the skarn minerals and field evidences, we suggest that the timing of W-skarn mineralization in weondong deposit may be about 50 Ma. However, for the accurate timing of skarn mineralization in this area, the additional researches about the sequence of superposition at the skarn minerals and geological relationship between skarn deposits and dyke should be needed in the future.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.342-347
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• 2004

A bacterial strain YC4963 with antifungal activity against Colletotrichum orbiculare, a causal organism of cucumber anthracnose was isolated from the rhizosphere soil of Siegesbeckia pubescens Makino in Korea. Based on physiological and biochemical characteristics and 16S ribosomal DNA sequence analysis, the bac­terial strain was identified as Pseudomonas aurantiaca. The bacteria also inhibited mycelial growth of several plant fungal pathogens such as Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium oxysporum and Rhizoctonia solani on PDA and 0.1 TSA media. The antifungal activity was found from the culture filtrate of this isolate and the active compound was quantitatively bound to XAD adsorption resin. The antibiotic compound was purified and identified as phenazine-l-carboxylic acid on the basis of combined spectral and chemical analyses data. This is the first report on the production of phenazine-l-carboxylic acid by Pseudomonas aurantiaca.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.286-297
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• 2016

Clostridium perfringens is both a ubiquitous environmental bacterium and a major cause of human gastrointestinal disease, and C. perfringens food poisoning ranks among the most common gastrointestinal diseases in developed countries. 120 isolates of C. perfringens were obtained from food-poisoning outbreaks in 2013~2014, Gyeonggi-do. Using PCR, all 120 isolates were identified as C. perfringens type A. Of the tested isolates, 49 isolates carried the cpe gene, 71 isolates carried the cpb2 gene. The outbreak cases of cpb2 and cpe /cpb2 genes were 7 and 7, whereas the outbreak cases of cpe-gene were 2. The epidemiological relationship between C. perfringens isolates has previously been investigated chiefly by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multi-locus sequence typing (MLST). The genetics relatedness of the isolates raged from 53.5-100% and 75 district PFGE type were observed. The PFGE results revealed a wide genetic diversity among the 64 cpb2 carrying isolates (except 7 isolates), while 46 cpe-carrying isolates (except 3 isolates) showed a high genetic similarity. The MLST analysis revealed that 14 cpe isolates (cpe-chromosomal isolates) belong to a distinct cluster that is significantly distant from all the other cpb2 isolates (cpe-plasmid carrying and cpe-negative isolates). The isolates carrying a cpb2 appear to be rarely related, and are more variable than chromosomal cpe isolates. The results suggest that the cpe-positive outbreak isolates showed close genetic relation, whereas the cpb2-positive isolates revealed a wide genetic diversity.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.947-956
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• 2004

The primary role of lipoprotein lipase(LPL) is the hydrolysis of triglycerides(TG) from the core of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins such as chylomicrons and very low density lipoproteins in plasma. Fatty acids liberated by LPL on capillary endothelial surfaces are available for tissues as energy sources especially in muscles or for storage in the form of TG in adipose tissues. Therefore, as the candidate gene related to the carcass traits of the beef cattle, we have directly sequenced the exon 5${\sim}$exon 6 region in the bovine LPL gene for discovery of single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP) with 24 unrelated Hanwoo(Korean cattle). Novel eight sequence variants were detected: three loci on exon 5, three on intron 5 and two on exon 6. All SNPs identified were strongly linked each other, and one hundred twenty eight Hanwoo samples were genotyped one SNP on intron 5 using PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism method by digestion with Hae III restriction enzyme. The allele frequency of the polymorphism was 0.76 and 0.24. The effects of this polymorphism on the breeding values of the carcass weight, loin muscle area, back fat thickness and marbling score were analyzed using least square methods of SAS GLM. The marbling score of BB genotype was significantly higher than those of AA and AB genotypes(P<0.05). This result indicates that this polymorphism may be associated with the variation of marbling score. Further study is warranted to investigate the phenotypic association in Hanwoo.