• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.63-66
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• 2009

Purpose: ACR (American College of Radiology) offers variable parameters to PET/CT quality control by using ACR Phantom. ACR Phantom was made to evaluate parameters which are uniformity, attenuation, scatter, contrast and resolution. Manual analysis method wasn't good for the use of QC because values of parameter were changed as it may user and it takes long time to analysis. Ki-Chun Lim, a nuclear scientist in AMC, developed program that automatically analysis values of parameter by using ACR Phantom to overcome above problems. In this study, we evaluated automatic analysis program's usability, through the comparing SUV of each method, reproducibility of SUV when repeated analysis and the time required. Materials and Methods: Using Flangeless Esser PET Phantom, the ideal ratio of 4 : 1 hot cylinder and BKG but it actually showed a ratio of 3.89 to 1 hot cylinder and BKG. SIEMENS Biograph True Point 40 was used in this study. We obtained images using ACR phantom at Fusion WB PET Scan condition (2 min/bed) and 120 kV, 100 mAs CT condition. Using True X method, 3 iterations, 14 subsets, Gaussian filter, FWHM 4 mm and Zoom Factor 1.0, $168{\times}168$ image size. We obtained Max. & Min. SUV and SUV Mean values at Cylinder (8, 12, 16, 25 mm, Air, Bone, Water, BKG) by automatic program and obtained SUV by manual method. After that, we compared manual and automatic method. we estimate the time required from opened the image data to final work sheet was completed. Results: Automatic program always showed same result and same the time required. At 8, 12, 16 and 25 m cylinder, manual method showed 6.69, 3.46, 2.59, 1.24 CV values. The larger cylinder size became, the smaller CV became. In manual method, bone, air, water's CV were over 9.9 except BKG (2.32). Obtained CV of Mean SUV showed BKG was low (0.85) and bone was high (7.52). The time required was 45 second, 882 second respectably. Conclusions: As a result of difference automatic method and manual method, automatic method showed always same result, manual method showed that the smaller hot cylinders became, the lager CV became. Hot cylinders mean region size, the smaller hot cylinder size becomes we had some trouble in doing ROI poison setting. And it means increase in variation of SUV. The Study showed the time required of automatic method was shorten then manual method.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.715-723
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• 2020

Cross-talk artifacts occur in two adjacent groups of axial imaging of lesions lumbar 4-5 and sacrum 1 in lumbar spine MRI. This causes problems in reading lesions in areas corresponding to the posterior vertebra. In this study, we are going to completely remove the cross-talk artifacts through optimal concatenation TR. The region of interested were measured by averaging them into fat (ROI1), erector spinal muscle(lateral tract: iliocostalis lumborum muscle) (ROI2), erector spinal muscle(lateral tract: longissimus muscle) (ROI3), and spinous process (ROI4). The mean signal intensity (SI) was 163.43 ± 25.08 at C4 for ROI1, ROI 2 and ROI 3 at C6, 67.89 ± 11.75 and 69.99 ± 10.91 and ROI4 at C5, respectively (p<0.000). The mean signal to noise ratio (SNR) was 135.45 ± 35.90, 56.92 ± 15.90, 58.77 ± 15.59, and 54.91 ± 118.95 for SNR 1, 2, 3 and 4 (p<0.000). The contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was CNR1 78.52 ± 24.11, CNR2 was 76.67 ± 24.38 and CNR3 was 80.54 ± 26.33 in concatenation 6, respectively (p<0.000). The SNR, CNR, and the most efficient concatenation TR value over time are 6, and it is considered to help reduce cross-talk artifact if this is applied to T1 axial images.

• Journal of Environmental Policy
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.3-25
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• 2011

Recently, a number of local governments as well as private organizations have spearheaded the release of animals into the natural ecosystem in Korea. In 2002, most of these animals released were mammals and birds, but the parameter was gradually expanded to include fish, amphibians, and invertebrates in addition to mammals and birds in 2007, with an increased overall number of animals released. Such increase has not only posed ecological, economic, and public health risks, but also yielded an increase in damages incurred by releasing animals historically or ecologically alien to a given region without thorough risk assessment. The most significant cause of such risks was a critical lack of risk management and regulatory schemes addressing the release of animals into the natural ecosystem. In stark contrast, developed countries long before established the requisite risk management and regulatory schemes either by complying with the IUCN/SSC's Guidelines for Re-Introductions or devising them independently. In this context, the current study has examined the release of animals into the natural ecosystem in Korea and, based on the investigation, asserted a strong need for proper risk management. Moreover, the study has presented systematic risk management and regulatory schemes suitable for the Korean milieu based on a comparative analysis of those employed in developed countries.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.1345-1352
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• 2016

The hindgut of horses is an anaerobic fermentative chamber for a complex and dynamic microbial population, which plays a critical role in health and energy requirements. Research on the gut microbiota of Mongolian horses has not been reported until now as far as we know. Mongolian horse is a major local breed in China. We performed high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA genes V4 hypervariable regions from gut fecal material to characterize the gut microbiota of Mongolian horses and compare them to the microbiota in Thoroughbred horses. Fourteen Mongolian and 19 Thoroughbred horses were used in the study. A total of 593,678 sequence reads were obtained from 33 samples analyzed, which were found to belong to 16 phyla and 75 genera. The bacterial community compositions were similar for the two breeds. Firmicutes (56% in Mongolian horses and 53% in Thoroughbred horses) and Bacteroidetes (33% and 32% respectively) were the most abundant and predominant phyla followed by Spirochaete, Verrucomicrobia, Proteobacteria, and Fibrobacteres. Of these 16 phyla, five (Synergistetes, Planctomycetes, Proteobacteria, TM7, and Chloroflexi) were significantly different (p<0.05) between the two breeds. At the genus level, Treponema was the most abundant genus (43% in Mongolian horses vs 29% in Thoroughbred horses), followed by Ruminococcus, Roseburia, Pseudobutyrivibrio, and Anaeroplasma, which were detected in higher distribution proportion in Mongolian horses than in Thoroughbred horses. In contrast, Oscillibacter, Fibrobacter, Methanocorpusculum, and Succinivibrio levels were lower in Mongolian horses. Among 75 genera, 30 genera were significantly different (p<0.05) between the two breeds. We found that the environment was one of very important factors that influenced horse gut microbiota. These findings provide novel information about the gut microbiota of Mongolian horses and a foundation for future investigations of gut bacterial factors that may influence the development and progression of gastrointestinal disease in horses.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.13
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• pp.5449-5454
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• 2014

Although genetic characteristics are considered to be a factor influencing the geographic variation in the prevalence of gallbladder cancer (GBC), they have not been well studied in Bolivia, which has a high prevalence rate of GBC. The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency of TP53 and K-ras mutations in Bolivian patients with GBC and to compare them with our previous data obtained in other high-GBC-prevalence countries, namely Japan, Chile, and Hungary. DNA was extracted from cancer sites in paraffin-embedded tissue from 36 patients using a microdissection technique. TP53 mutations at exons 5 to 8 and K-ras mutations at codons 12, 13 and 61 were examined using direct sequencing techniques. The data obtained were compared with those in the other high-GBC-prevalence countries. Of the 36 patients, 18 (50.0%) had a TP53 mutation (one mutation in each of 17 patients and three mutations in one patient), and only one (2.8%) had a K-ras mutation. Of the 20 TP53 mutations, 12 were of the transition type (60.0%). This rate was significantly lower than that in Chile (12/12, P<0.05). In addition, three mutations were of the CpG transition type (15.0%), which is a feature of endogenous mutation. All three were found in the hot spot region of the TP53 gene. In contrast, G:C to T:A transversion was found in Bolivia, suggesting the presence of exogenous carcinogens. Our findings suggest that the development of GBC in Bolivia is associated with both exogenous carcinogens and endogenous mechanisms. The identification of an environmental risk factor for GBC is needed to confirm these findings.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.25-41
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• 1985

간흡충증은 한국 및 동남아세아에 널리 분포되어 있는 중요한 풍토병의 하나로서 진단은 전통적으로 분변검사에 의존하여 오고 있다. 최근 들어 담관내 간흡충 및 이의 합병증의 진단을 위해 ERCP 및 contrast cholangiogram등이 시도되었으나 실제에 이용하기에는 많은 제약이 있다 하겠다. 저자는 간흡충증에 있어서 최근 소개된 $^{99m}Tc-DISIDA$ hepatobiliary scintigraphy의 진단적 의의를 규명하고자 1982년부터 1983년까지 고신의대 부속 복음병원에서 검진한 간흡충증 환자 90명을 대상으로 하여 $^{99m}Tc-DISIDA$ hepatobiliary scintigraphy와 formalin-ether 원침법에 의한 분변검사를 시행하였다. $^{99m}Tc-DISIDA$ scintigram소견은 간내 담관 bile flow 및 총수담관 bile flow defect, 그리고 간세포기능의 정도에 따라 자료를 분석하였고 그외 합병증의 진단은 병록 기록, 수술 소견, ERCP 등에 의존하여 결론을 얻었다. $^{99m}Tc-DISIDA$ scintigraphy는 특이한 양상의 bile flow dynamics를 나타내었으며 간내 주담관의 intermittent irregular focal bile flow defect 및 tile flow stasis를 나타내고 말초담관의 bile flow defect는 경미하고 60분 내에 담관 bile flow activity의 완전한 배설을 나타내는 경우를 mild pattern, 간내 담관의 심한 irregular bile flow dynamics 및 간내담관의 심한 irregularity (담관내벽의 심한 불규칙성), 총수담관, 간내 주담관 및 말초 담관까지 심하게 irregular bile flow stasis를 나타내며 bile flow activity의 완전 베설이 $60\sim90$분사이 혹은 90분이상까지 인지된 경우를 moderate-severe pattern으로 분류하였다. 1) 분변검사상 간흡충증은 95검사중 70검사(환자 86명중 67명)에서 양성을 보여 분변 충난검사의 양성율은 73.7%였고 음성율은 26.3%였다. 2) $^{99m}Tc-DISIDA$ hepatobiliary scintigraphy는 90명중 70명에서 특이한 Cs-bile flow양성을 보였으며 양성율은 77.8%였으며 음성율은 22.2%였다. 3) $^{99m}Tc-DISIDA$ hepatobiliary scintigram양성율을 나타낸 환자 70명중 11명은 mild pattern, 59명은 moderate-severe pattern을 나타냈으며 그중 21명은 여러가지 간세포 기능 및 담관에 영향을 미치는 질환과 합병했지만 특이한 Cs-bile flow pattern을 dominent하게 나타내었으며 합병된 여러 질환들도 bile flow pattern상 인지 할 수 있었다. 4) $^{99m}Tc-DISIDA$ hepatobiliary scintigram 음성율을 나타낸 환자 20명중 8명은 만성간염, 5명은 간경변증, 3명은 재발성 농양성담관염(recurrent pyogenic cholangitis)과 간내담도의 stricture 및 담관담석증이 합병되었으며 scintigram상 합병증의 pattern을 나타냈고 4명에서는 low CBD obstruction을 나타내었으며 후에 CBD stone, CBD carcinoma, gall bladder Ca.의 porta hepatis 전이 및 clonorchis worms의 cluster에 의한 obstruction이 operation 및 ERCP로서 진단 되었다. 5) $^{99m}Tc-DISIDA$ hepatobiliary scintigraphy pattern은 현재의 자각증상과 관계된 dominent disease를 나타내었으며, 공간 점유병소도 multiple project images를 시행하므로서 쉽게 발견할 수 있었다. 이와 같이 간흡충증에 있어서 $^{99m}Tc-DISIDA$ hepatobiliary scintigram은 환자의 자각증상과 관계된 질환을 규명하는 데 필요한 정보를 얻었을 수 있었으며 간내담관의 damage정도를 규명하는데 필요한 procedure임이 판명되었다.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.10
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• pp.1379-1387
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• 2013

In a majority of mammals, male infants have heavier body mass and grow faster than female infants. Accordingly, male offspring nursing requires a much greater maternal energy contribution to lactation. It is possible that the maternal-fetal immunoendocrine dialog plays an important role in female preparation for lactation during pregnancy. Immune system genes are an integral part of gene regulatory networks in lactation and tumor necrosis factor alpha ($TNF{\alpha}$) is a proinflammatory cytokine that also plays an important role in normal mammary gland development. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the sex of calf and/or the -824A/G polymorphism in the promoter region of $TNF{\alpha}$ gene on milk performance traits in Black Pied cattle over the course of lactation. We also studied the allele frequency differences of -824A/G variants across several cattle breeds, which were bred in different climatic conditions. The G allele frequency decreased gradually over the course of lactation events in the Black Pied dairy cattle because of a higher culling rate of cows with the G/G genotype (p<0.001). In contrast to the genotypes A/A and A/G, cows with G/G genotype showed significant variability of milk and milk fat yield subject to sex of delivered calf. Milk yield and milk fat yield were significantly higher in the case of birth of a bull calf than with a heifer calf (p<0.03). The G allele frequency varies from 48% to 58% in Grey Ukrainian and Black Pied cattle to 77% in aboriginal Yakut cattle. Our results suggest that the $TNF{\alpha}$-824A/G gene polymorphism may have an influence on the reproductive efforts of cows over the course of lactation events depending on the sex of progeny. Allocation of resources according to sex of the calf allows optimizing the energy cost of lactation. This may be a probable reason for high G allele frequency in Yakut cattle breeding in extreme environmental conditions. Similarly, the dramatic fall in milk production after birth of a heifer calf increases the probability of culling for the cows with the G/G genotype in animal husbandry.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.1471-1477
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• 2017

Objective: Since athletic performance is a most importance trait in horses, most research focused on physiological and physical studies of horse athletic abilities. In contrast, the molecular analysis as well as the regulatory pathway studies remain insufficient for evaluation and prediction of horse athletic abilities. In our previous study, we identified AXL receptor tyrosine kinase (AXL) gene which was expressed as alternative spliced isoforms in skeletal muscle during exercise. In the present study, we validated two AXL alternative splicing transcripts (named as AXLa for long form and AXLb for short form) in equine skeletal muscle to gain insight(s) into the role of each alternative transcript during exercise. Methods: We validated two isoforms of AXL transcripts in horse tissues by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and then cloned the transcripts to confirm the alternative locus and its sequences. Additionally, we examined the expression patterns of AXLa and AXLb transcripts in horse tissues by quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR). Results: Both of AXLa and AXLb transcripts were expressed in horse skeletal muscle and the expression levels were significantly increased after exercise. The sequencing analysis showed that there was an alternative splicing event at exon 11 between AXLa and AXLb transcripts. 3-dimentional (3D) prediction of the alternative protein structures revealed that the structural distance of the connective region between fibronectin type 3 (FN3) and immunoglobin (Ig) domain was different between two alternative isoforms. Conclusion: It is assumed that the expression patterns of AXLa and AXLb transcripts would be involved in regulation of exercise-induced stress in horse muscle possibly through an $NF-{\kappa}B$ signaling pathway. Further study is necessary to uncover biological function(s) and significance of the alternative splicing isoforms in race horse skeletal muscle.

• Journal of Broadcast Engineering
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.544-553
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• 2008

With the development of video editing technology, there are growing uses of overlay text inserted into video contents to provide viewers with better visual understanding. Since the content of the scene or the editor's intention can be well represented by using inserted text, it is useful for video information retrieval and indexing. Most of the previous approaches are based on low-level features, such as edge, color, and texture information. However, existing methods experience difficulties in handling texts with various contrasts or inserted in a complex background. In this paper, we propose a novel framework to localize the overlay text in a video scene. Based on our observation that there exist transient colors between inserted text and its adjacent background a transition map is generated. Then candidate regions are extracted by using the transition map and overlay text is finally determined based on the density of state in each candidate. The proposed method is robust to color, size, position, style, and contrast of overlay text. It is also language free. Text region update between frames is also exploited to reduce the processing time. Experiments are performed on diverse videos to confirm the efficiency of the proposed method.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.23-32
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• 1999

Combined MRI and Relaxogram approach was introduced as a very useful tool for fat study. The phantoms simulating homogeneous mixture of fat and non-fat environments were measured with spin echo pulse sequence on a 0.15 T whole body imager. From 45 scans, the Tl values were obtained by fitting the data to continuous distribution (CONTIN) of relaxation time. This relaxogram gives broad distributions of relaxation time, which are characterized by a number of peaks with characteristic T1 values. Two distinct peaks in relaxogram were observed and identified as signals from com oil and gelatin gel. This model system can be served as simulating the distribution of fat in muscle. Also the relative ratio of two components, which is proportional to the area under the peak, is estimated and compared to nominal values. Based on the good agreement between two predictions, the values from our proposed method agreed with nominal values within $\pm$7 % error. The effects of different concentration of contrast agent and different region of interest are presented. To optimize total scan times, the minimum required data points and so further reduction in total scan times are discussed.