• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.10-19
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• 2022

Purpose: To evaluate whether the added value of contrast leakage information from dynamic susceptibility contrast magnetic resonance imaging (DSC MRI) is a better prognostic imaging biomarker than the cerebral blood volume (CBV) value in distinguishing true progression from pseudoprogression in glioblastoma patients. Materials and Methods: Forty-nine glioblastoma patients who had undergone MRI after concurrent chemoradiotherapy with temozolomide were enrolled in this retrospective study. Twenty features were extracted from the normalized relative CBV (nCBV) and extraction fraction (EF) map of the contrast-enhancing region in each patient. After univariable analysis, we used multivariable stepwise logistic regression analysis to identify significant predictors for differentiating between pseudoprogression and true progression. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was employed to determine the best cutoff values for the nCBV and EF features. Finally, leave-one-out cross-validation was used to validate the best predictor in differentiating between true progression and pseudoprogression. Results: Multivariable stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that MGMT (O⁶-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase) and EF max were independent differentiating variables (P = 0.004 and P = 0.02, respectively). ROC analysis yielded the best cutoff value of 95.75 for the EF max value for differentiating the two groups (sensitivity, 61%; specificity, 84.6%; AUC, 0.681 ± 0.08; 95% CI, 0.524-0.837; P = 0.03). In the leave-one-out cross-validation of the EF max value, the cross-validated values for predicting true progression and pseudoprogression accuracies were 69.4% and 71.4%, respectively. Conclusion: We demonstrated that contrast leakage information parameter from DSC MRI showed significance in differentiating true progression from pseudoprogression in glioblastoma patients.

• International Journal of Heart Failure
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.119-126
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• 2024

Background and Objectives: Beta-blockers (BBs) improve prognosis in heart failure (HF), which is mediated by lowering heart rate (HR). However, HR has no prognostic implication in atrial fibrillation (AF) and also BBs have not been shown to improve prognosis in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) with AF. This study assessed the prognostic implication of BB in HFpEF with AF according to discharge HR. Methods: From the Korean Acute Heart Failure Registry, 687 patients with HFpEF and AF were selected. Study subjects were divided into 4 groups based on 75 beats per minute (bpm) of HR at discharge and whether or not they were treated with BB at discharge. Results: Of the 687 patients with HFpEF and AF, 128 (36.1%) were in low HR group and 121 (36.4%) were in high HR group among those treated with BB at discharge. In high HR group, HR at discharge was significantly faster in BB non-users (85.5±9.1 bpm vs. 89.2±12.5 bpm, p=0.005). In the Cox model, BB did not improve 60-day rehospitalization (hazard ratio, 0.93;95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.35-2.47) or mortality (hazard ratio, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.22-2.74) in low HR group. However, in high HR group, BB treatment at discharge was associated with 82% reduced 60-day HF rehospitalization (hazard ratio, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.04-0.81), but not with mortality (hazard ratio, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.20-2.98). Conclusions: In HFpEF with AF, in patients with HR over 75 bpm at discharge, BB treatment at discharge was associated with a reduced 60-day rehospitalization rate.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.81-86
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• 2018

Four isoforms of calcium binding proteins containing 2 EF hand motifs and a dynein light chain-like domain in the human liver fluke Opisthorchis viverrini, namely OvCaBP1, 2, 3, and 4, were characterized. They had molecular weights of 22.7, 21.6, 23.7, and 22.5 kDa, respectively and showed 37.2-42.1% sequence identity to CaBP22.8 of O. viverrini. All were detected in 2- and 4-week-old immature and mature parasites. Additionally, OvCaBP4 was found in newly excysted juveniles. Polyclonal antibodies against each isoform were generated to detect the native proteins in parasite extracts by Western blot analysis. All OvCaBPs were detected in soluble and insoluble crude worm extracts and in the excretory-secretory product, at approximate sizes of 21-23 kDa. The ion-binding properties of the proteins were analyzed by mobility shift assays with the divalent cations $Ca^{2+}$, $Mg^{2+}$, $Zn^{2+}$, and $Cu^{2+}$. All OvCaBPs showed mobility shifts with $Ca^{2+}$ and $Zn^{2+}$. OvCaBP1 showed also positive results with $Mg^{2+}$ and $Cu^{2+}$. As tegumental proteins, OvCaBP1, 2, and 3 are interesting drug targets for the treatment of opisthorchiasis.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.114-124
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• 2019

Purpose: We investigate biases in the assessments of left ventricular function (LVF), by compressed sensing (CS)-cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Materials and Methods: Cardiovascular cine images with short axis view, were obtained for 8 volunteers without CS. LVFs were assessed with subsampled data, with compression factors (CF) of 2, 3, 4, and 8. A semi-automatic segmentation program was used, for the assessment. The assessments by 3 CS methods (ITSC, FOCUSS, and view sharing (VS)), were compared to those without CS. Bland-Altman analysis and paired t-test were used, for comparison. In addition, real-time CS-cine imaging was also performed, with CF of 2, 3, 4, and 8 for the same volunteers. Assessments of LVF were similarly made, for CS data. A fixed compensation technique is suggested, to reduce the bias. Results: The assessment of LVF by CS-cine, includes bias and random noise. Bias appeared much larger than random noise. Median of end-diastolic volume (EDV) with CS-cine (ITSC or FOCUSS) appeared -1.4% to -7.1% smaller, compared to that of standard cine, depending on CF from (2 to 8). End-systolic volume (ESV) appeared +1.6% to +14.3% larger, stroke volume (SV), -2.4% to -16.4% smaller, and ejection fraction (EF), -1.1% to -9.2% smaller, with P < 0.05. Bias was reduced from -5.6% to -1.8% for EF, by compensation applied to real-time CS-cine (CF = 8). Conclusion: Loss of temporal resolution by adopting missing data from nearby cardiac frames, causes an underestimation for EDV, and an overestimation for ESV, resulting in underestimations for SV and EF. The bias is not random. Thus it should be removed or reduced for better diagnosis. A fixed compensation is suggested, to reduce bias in the assessment of LVF.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.65-71
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• 2024

The feather-sexing method is widely used commercially for chick sex identification. However, for feather-sexing to be industrially practical, the early-feathering (EF) and late-feathering (LF) genes must existed within the foundation stock, a suitable feather-sexing lines must be established, and the accuracy of sex identification by feather-sexing must be ensured. Therefore, this study introduces the method of constructing the Korean native chickens (KNC) feather-sexing lines using EF and LF genes and evaluates the effectiveness of feather sex determination on commercial chicks produced from the constructed KNC lines. The results showed that both EF and LF chickens existed within the foundation stock, with the frequency of LF genes ranging from 0 to 0.205. In feather-sexing line establishment, the paternal strain of the grandparent stock (GPS) was fixed as EF (kk) for both sexes, while the maternal strain was composed of males with LF homozygotes (Z^KZ^K) and females with EF (Z^kW). Thus, in the parent stock (PS), male breeder had EF (Z^kZ^k) and female breeder had LF (Z^KW), resulting in chicks produced from their crosses having LF (Z^KZ^k) for males and EF (Z^kW) for females, allowing sex determination based on feather development. Additionally, to evaluate the effectiveness of feather-sexing for the produced commercial chicks, a study was conducted on 1,000 samples of the produced chicks to investigate the concordance between vent-sexing and feather-sexing, showing a matching rate of 93.1%.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.417-423
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to compare two saddle height determination methods by the effectiveness of pedal reaction force. Ten male subjects (age: $24.0{\pm}2.4years$, height: $175.1{\pm}5.4cm$, weight: $69.3{\pm}11.1kg$, inseam: $77.8{\pm}4.5cm$) participated in three minutes, 60 rpm cycle pedaling tests with the same load and cadence. Subject's saddle height was determined by $25^{\circ}$ knee flexion angle (K25) when the pedal crank was at the 6 o'clock position (knee angle method) and 97% (T97), 100% (T100), 103% (T103) of trochanter height (trochanteric method). The RF (resultant force), EF (effective force), and IE (index of effectiveness) were compared by measuring 3D motion and 3-axis pedal reaction force data during 4 pedaling phases (phase1: $330^{\circ}-30^{\circ}$, phase2: $30^{\circ}-150^{\circ}$, phase3: $150^{\circ}-210$, phase4: $210^{\circ}-330^{\circ}$). Results showed that there were significant differences in EF at phase1 between T97 and K25, in EF at phase4 between T100 and T103, in IE at total phase between T97 and K25, between T100 and T103, in IE at phase1 & phase2 between T97 and K25. There was higher IE in the K25 than any other saddle heights, which means that K25 was better pedaling effectiveness than the trochanteric method. Therefore it was suggested the saddle height as 103.7% of trochanter height that converted from K25.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.13-21
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the concentrations of heavy metals in the marine sediments near the Masan bay and the Nakdong estuary, and to investigate the pollution intensity levels of six heavy metals using the existing pollution intensity assessment method. According to the US environmental protection agency, in the case of Cu, the B1 area was classified as severe pollution, while in Ni and Zn, it was classified as moderate pollution in some areas. According to the classification of Igeo, EF and PERF, the A and B regions were polluted by Cd. In particular, in the B1 region, Igeo, EF, and PERF values were the highest in all regions, and were regarded as serious pollution. According to the mean PEL quotient classification, which takes into account the effects of all six heavy metals, there is a 21% probability of toxicity from heavy metals in all regions. The highest concentration of Cd in the B1 region is 1.5 mg/kg. Therefore, the contamination of Cd contained in sediment near Masan Bay is serious, so it is necessary to clarify the cause and take careful approach to future treatment.

• International Journal of CAD/CAM
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.23-32
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• 2002

In this paper, a new technique of space deformation for parametric surfaces with so-called extension function (EF) is presented. Firstly, a special extension function is introduced. Then an operator matrix is constructed on the basis of EF. Finally the deformation of a surface is achieved through multiplying the equation of the surface by an operator matrix or adding the multiplication of some vector and the operator matrix to the equation. Interactively modifying control parameters, ideal deformation effect can be got. The implementation shows that the method is simple, intuitive and easy to control. It can be used in such fields as geometric modeling and computer animation.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.144-158
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• 2020

Quantitative reverse transcription PCR is used for gene expression analysis as the accurate and sensitive method. To analyze quantification of gene expression changes in apple plants, 10 housekeeping genes (ACT, CKL, EF-1α, GAPDH, MDH, PDI, THFs, UBC, UBC10, and WD40) were evaluated for their stability of expression during infection by Apple stem grooving virus (ASGV) or in cold-stress apple plant buds. Five reference-gene validation programs were used to establish the order of the most stable genes for ASGV as CKL>THFs>GAPDH>ACT, and the least stable genes WD40CKL>UBC10, and the least stable genes were ACT

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.99-106
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• 2012

The radioprotective effects of white ginseng and Entomopathogenic Fugi Extract on liver damage induced by X-ray were investigated. To one group of ICR male mice were given white ginseng(150 mg/kg/day for 7days, orally) and Entomopathogenic Fugi (200 mg/kg/day for 7days, orally) before X-ray irradiation. To another group were irradiated by 5 Gy(1.01 Gy/min) dose of X-ray. Contrast group were given with saline(0.1 ml). The levels of reduced(GSH) and oxidized(GSSG) glutathione in liver tissue were measured. The ratio of GSSG/total GSH was significantly decreased in the white ginseng and Entomopathogenic Fugi (200 mg/kg/day)(150 mg/kg/day) groups than irradiation group.