Recently, [I-123]IPT SPECT has been used for early diagnosis of Parkinson's patients(PP) by imaging dopamine transporters. The dynamic time activity curves in basal ganglia(BG) and occipital cortex(OCC) without blood samples were obtained for 2 hours. These data were then used to measure dopamine transporters by operationally defined ratio methods of (BG-OCC)/OCC at 2 hrs, binding potential Rv=k3/k4 using graphic method or RA= (ABBG-ABOCC)/ABOCC for 2 hrs, where ABBG represents accumulated binding activity in basal ganglia(integral 0 120minBG(t)dt) and ABOCC represents accumulated binding activity in occipital cortex(integral 0 120minBG(t)dt). The purpose of this study was to examine the IPT pharmacokinetics and investigate the usefulness of simplified methods of (BG-OCC)/OCC, RA, and RA which are often assumed that these values reflect the true values of k3/k4. The rate constants K1, k2, k3 and k4 to be used for simulations were derived using [I-123]IPT SPECT and aterialized blood data with a standard three compartmental model. The sensitivities and time activity curves in BG and OCC were computed by changing K1 and k3(only BG) for every 5min over 2 hours. The values (BG-OCC)/OCC, RA, and Rv were then computed from the time activity curves and the linear regression analysis was used to measure the accuracies of these methods. The rate constants K1, k2, k3, k4 at BG and OCC were 1.26+/-5.41%, 0.044+/-19.58%, 0.031+/-24.36%, 0.008+/-22.78% and 1.36+/-4.76%, 0.170+/-6.89%, 0.007+/-23.89%, 0.007+/-45.09%, respectively. The Sensitivities for ((delta S/S)/(delta k3/k3)) and ((delta S/delta S)/(delta K1/K1)) at 30min and 120min were measured as (0.19, 0.50) and (0.61, 0.23), respectively. The correlation coefficients and slopes of ((BG-OCC)/OCC, RA, and Rv) with k3/k4 were (0.98, 1.00, 0.99) and (1.76, 0.47, 1.25), respectively. These simulation results indicate that a late [1-123]IPT SPECT image may represent the distribution of the dopamine transporters. Good correlations were shown between (BG-OCC)/OCC, RA or Rv and true k3/k4,, although the slopes between them were not unity. Pharmacokinetic computer simulations may be very useful technique in studying dopamine transpoter systems.
Computer Simulation* ; Dopamine* ; Early Diagnosis ; Linear Models ; Pharmacokinetics ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the levels of adolescence parentification and identify its influence on adulthood depression in children of women with breast cancer. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional online survey. Data were collected from an online community comprising Korean women with breast cancer and their families. A total of 217 adult children of women with breast cancer completed the online questionnaire. Measurements included the Korean version of the Filial Responsibility ScaleAdult (FRS-A), Korean version of Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Inventory, Korean version of the Resilience Scale (RS14), and the Korean version of Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale. Results: The mean score for FRS-A was 2.27 out of 4 points. Adolescence parentification was significantly negatively correlated with adulthood self-esteem (r=-.74, p<.001) and resilience (r=-.72, p<.001), and significantly positively correlated with adulthood depression (r=.76, p<.001). Multiple regression analysis revealed that adolescence parentification was a significant factor associated with adulthood depression after adjusting for general characteristics, self-esteem, and resilience. Conclusion Our finding suggests that parentification can be stressful for adolescents living with a parent with cancer. Hence, a greater awareness regarding parentification is needed to prevent adolescents from developing depression in their adulthood.

It is important to initialize Image Plate (IP) completely for removing residual latent image by sodium lamp for reliability and repeatability of computed radiography (CR) system. The purpose of this study was to evaluate latent images of computed radiography (CR) images respect to delay time after erasure of foregone latent image and its effect, and erasure level. Erasure thoroughness for CR acceptance test from American Association of Physicist in Medicine (AAPM) Report 93 (2006) was also evaluated. Measurements were made on a CR (Agfa CR 25; Agfa, BELGIUM) system. Chest postero-anterior (PA), Hand PA, L-spine lateral radiographs were chosen for evaluation. Chest phantom (3D-torso; CIRS, USA) was used for Chest PA and L-spine lateral radiography. For Hand PA radiography, projections was done without phantom. Except Hand PA radiographs, noise was increased with delay time, and ghost image was appeared on overexposed area. Effect of delay after erasure on latent image was not seen on naked eye, but standard deviation (SD) of pixel value on overexposed area was relatively higher than that of other areas. On Hand PA and Chest PA radiographs, noise were not occurred by adjustment of erasure level. On L-spine lateral images at lower erasure level than standard level, noise including ghost image were occurred because of high tube current. Erasure thoroughness of CR system in our department was to be proved by these evaluation. The results of this study could be used as a baseline for IP initialization and reliability of CR images.
Eye ; Hand ; Noise ; Sodium ; Thorax

Ectopic breast tissue and male breast cancer are both very rare diseases with only a few reports in the literature. Here, we present the first case of ectopic male breast cancer in the perineum. The patient was a 70-year-old man with a palpable mass in the perineum. A wide local excision and inguinal lymph node dissection revealed invasive breast carcinoma of no special type involving the skin and subcutis, and inguinal lymph node metastases. Immunohistochemical staining showed that the tumor cells were strongly positive for estrogen and progesterone receptors and negative for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. Moreover, no p53 overexpression was observed. Herein, the clinical and pathologic features, as well as a review of ectopic male breast cancer are discussed.
Aged ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Breast Neoplasms, Male* ; Estrogens ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Male* ; Mammary Glands, Human ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Perineum* ; Rare Diseases ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Receptors, Progesterone ; Skin

BACKGROUND: Although both thyroid histology and serum concentrations of hormones are known to change with age, only a few reports exist on the relationship between the age-related structural and functional changes of the thyroid follicles in both mice and humans. Our objectives were to investigate age-related histological changes of the thyroid follicles and to determine whether these morphological changes were associated with the functional activity of the follicles. METHODS: The thyroid glands of mice at 18 weeks and at 6, 15, and 30 months of age were histologically examined, and the serum levels of thyroid hormones were measured in 11-week-old and 20-month-old mice. Samples of human thyroid tissue from 10 women over 70 years old and 10 women between 30 and 50 years of age were analyzed in conjunction with serum thyroid hormone level. RESULTS: The histological and functional changes observed in the thyroid follicles of aged mice and women were as follows: variable sizing and enlargement of the follicles; increased irregularity of follicles; Sanderson’s polsters in the wall of large follicles; a large thyroglobulin (Tg) globule or numerous small fragmented Tg globules in follicular lumens; oncocytic change in follicular cells; and markedly dilated follicles empty of colloid. Serum T3 levels in 20-month-old mice and humans were unremarkable. CONCLUSIONS: Thyroid follicles of aged mice and women show characteristic morphological changes, such as cystic atrophy, empty colloid, and Tg globules.
Aged ; Animals ; Atrophy ; Colloids ; Female ; Humans* ; Infant ; Mice ; Thyroglobulin ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Hormones

OBJECTIVE: Due to limited efficacy of medications, non-pharmacological interventions (NPI) are frequently co-administered to people with moderate to severe dementia (PWMSD). This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the effects of NPI on activities of daily living (ADL), behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), and cognition and quality of life (QoL) of PWMSD. METHODS: A literature search was conducted in the following databases: Cochrane CENTRAL, EMBASE, Medline, CIHNAL, PsycINFO, KoreaMED, KMbase, and KISS. We conducted a meta-analysis on randomized controlled trials and used the generic inverse variance method with a fixed-effects model to calculate the standardized mean difference (SMD). The protocol had been registered (CRD42017058020).
Activities of Daily Living ; Anxiety ; Cognition ; Dementia ; Depression ; Dihydroergotamine ; Methods ; Music Therapy ; Quality of Life

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of emotional labor, emotional intelligence and social support on job stress in clinical nurses. METHODS: Participants were 123 clinical nurses and data were collected from October to December, 2011 and analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple regression with SPSS 18.0. RESULTS: A positive correlation was found between job stress and emotional labor. Emotional labor showed a significant negative correlation with emotional intelligence and social support, whereas a positive correlation was found between emotional intelligence and social support. The strongest predictor of job stress was emotional labor. In addition, institution satisfaction (dissatisfaction) and the reason for selecting the job (opportunities for service) accounted for 21% of variance in job stress. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that it is important to manage emotional labor as well as to improve job satisfaction in order to reduce job stress in clinical nurses.
Emotional Intelligence ; Job Satisfaction

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to assess attenuation correction algorithms with the 137Cs point source for the brain positron emission tomography (PET) imaging process. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four different types of phantoms were used in this study for testing various types of the attenuation correction techniques. Transmission data of a 137Cs point source were acquired after infusing the emission source into phantoms and then the emission data were subsequently acquired in 3D acquisition mode. Scatter corrections were performed with a background tail-fitting algorithm. Emission data were then reconstructed using iterative reconstruction method with a measured (MAC), elliptical (ELAC), segmented (SAC) and remapping (RAC) attenuation correction, respectively. Reconstructed images were then both qualitatively and quantitatively assessed. In addition, reconstructed images of a normal subject were assessed by nuclear medicine physicians. Subtracted images were also compared. RESULTS: ELAC, SAC, and RAC provided a uniform phantom image with less noise for a cylindrical phantom. In contrast, a decrease in intensity at the central portion of the attenuation map was noticed at the result of the MAC. Reconstructed images of Jaszack and Hoffan phantoms presented better quality with RAC and SAC. The attenuation of a skull on images of the normal subject was clearly noticed and the attenuation correction without considering the attenuation of the skull resulted in artificial defects on images of the brain. CONCLUSION: the complicated and improved attenuation correction methods were needed to obtain the better accuracy of the quantitative brain PET images.
Brain ; Noise ; Nuclear Medicine ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Skull

No abstract available.
Animals ; Embryonic Structures* ; Gene Expression* ; Interleukin-1* ; Mice*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to establish optimal imaging acquisition conditions for the GE Advance(TM) PET imaging system by performing the acceptance tests designed by National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) protocol and General Electric Medical Systems (GEMS) test procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Performance tests were carried out with 18FDG radioactivity source and phantoms by using a standard acquisition mode. Transaxial resolution and scatter fraction tests were performed with a line source and axial resolution with a point source, respectively. A cylindrical phantom made of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) was used to measure sensitivity, count rate losses and randoms, uniformity correction, and attenuation inserts were added to measure remaining tests. The test results were acquired in a diagnostic acquisition mode and analyzed mainly on high sensitivity mode. RESULTS: Transaxial resolution and axial resolution were measured as average of 4.65 mm and 3.98 mm at 0 cm, and 6.02 mm and 6.71 mm at 20 cm on high sensitivity mode, respectively. Average scatter fraction was 9.87%, and sensitivity was 225.8 kcps/micronCi/cc of trues. Activity at 50% deadtime was 4.6 Ci/cc, and the error of count rate correction at that activity was from 1.49% to 3.83%. Average nonuniformity for total slice was 8.37%. The accuracy of scatter correction was -0.95%. The accuracies of attenuation correction were 5.68% for air, 0.04% for water and -6.51% for polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). CONCLUSION: The results satisfied most acceptance criteria, indicating that the GE AdvanceTM PET system can be optimally used for clinical applications.
Electrons* ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Polymethyl Methacrylate ; Polytetrafluoroethylene ; Positron-Emission Tomography* ; Radioactivity ; Water