The SPECT radiopharmaceuticals labeled with I-123 for dopamine transporter imaging have been used to measure dopamine transporters in patients with movement disorders. However, a cyclotron produced I-123 limits its availiability and ease of use as a radioisotope to be labeled with pharmaceuticals in routine clinical diagnostic procedures. Recently, new radiopharmaceuticals for Tc-99m which has optimal characteristic for SPECT imaging have been developed to overcome the limits of using I-123. The purpose of this study was to compare the quality of [Tc-99m]TRODAT-1 with [I-123]IPT SPECT data and then to evaluate the usefulness of [Tc-99m]TRODAT-I SPECT by using three noninvasive simplified quantitative methods. TRODAT-1 labeled with Tc-99m(15.93+/-0.82 mCi) and IPT labeled with I-123(6.60+/-0.11 mCi) were injected into five normal controls. Dynamic [Tc-99m] TRODAT-I SPECT scans of brain were performed for 10 minutes each over 180 minnutes, and for 20 minutes at 4 hrs and 5 hrs. [I-123IPT SPECT scans were performed for 5 minutes each over 120 minutes. Time activity curves were generated for the left basal ganglia(LBG), right basal ganglia(RBG), and occipital cortex(OCC). Dopamine transporter parameters were obtained using (BG-OCC)/OCC, graphical method(Rv), and area ratio method(RA). TRODAT-1 and IPT SPECT imaging showed high uptake at the level of the basal ganglia. (BG-OCC)/OCC ratios for TRODAT-1 and IPT were 0.80+/-0.14, and 3.22+/-0.81, Rvs were 0.62+/-0.12, and 2.30+/-0.35, and RAs were 0.37+/-0.08 and 1.73+/-0.31, respectively. In conclusion, further improvement of [Tc-99m]TRODAT-I imaging characteris- tics may be required to estimate the dopamine transporter concentrations in human brains although it shows clear BG localization.
Basal Ganglia ; Brain ; Cyclotrons ; Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins* ; Dopamine* ; Humans ; Movement Disorders ; Radiopharmaceuticals ; Tics ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

Dynamic strategy(DS) is a fast threshold algorithm for the Octopus 101 perimeter. To analyze the efficiency of DS, we compared the results of visual field measurements using DS and conventional normal strategy(NS). Subjects comprised 60 eyes of 30 normal individuals in the 3rd decade who has not experienced perimetry before. Program G2 was performed on all subjects at random and enough intervals between the two tests(more than 1 hour). Mean testing time was 1047.63+/-219.38 seconds in NS and 684.98+/-130.95 seconds in DS. Testing time reduction rate was 32.69+/-14.35% on average. Mean defect(MD) was 2.80+/-1.02dB, 2.15+/-0.94dB in the two strategies, respectively. Corrected loss variance(CLV) was 1.31+/-0.50dB2 and 1.03+/-0.61dB2 in each test. There was significant difference in MD and CLV statistically(P<0.01). Mean short term fluctuation(SF) was 1.38+/-0.49dB and 1.45+/-0.50 dB; mean reliability factor(RF) was 2.05+/-2.73% and 1.98+/-2.80% in the two strategies, respectively. There was no significant difference in SF and RF statistically(P>0.01). It took less time with DS than NS in Octopus 101 perimeter, but further study will be needed for clinical application of DS.
Octopodiformes* ; Visual Field Tests ; Visual Fields

The authors report a case of monostotic eosinophilic granuloma which occured in the skull. A 37 year-old woman was presented with headache and soft mass in the occipital region. Plain skull X-ray showed a "punched out" osteolytic lesion in the right paramedian posterior parietal bone. Computed tomography shows a soft tissue mass and irregular bone destruction in corresponding region. On magnetic resonance image, the mass was of high signal intensity, with subgaleal extension and looks like a shirt stud or "collar button" on T2-weighted image. Total excision of the tumor and postoperative radiotherapy(1000cGy) were performed. The woman had no headache complains nor showed any focal neurologic deficit during the six months follow-up period. We report a case of monostotic eosinophilic granuloma of the skull with review of the pertinent literatures.
Adult ; Eosinophilic Granuloma* ; Eosinophils* ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Headache ; Humans ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Parietal Bone ; Skull*

PURPOSE: This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of subconjunctival retention of perfluoropropane gas on the success rates in trabeculectomized rabbits. METHODS: Fifthteen white rabbits were trabeculectomized by fornix-base conjunctival flap, full thickness sclerotomy and iridectomy. The right eye was control and the left eye was injected with 0.2 ml perfluoropropane gas(C3F8) into subconjunctival space through the 30 guage long needle. Each rabbit was examined for bleb morphology under slit-lamp microscope and measured for intraocular pressure by tonopen at preoperative, postoperative 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 6 weeks. The results were analyzed by Wilcoxon rank sum test in SAS release 6.12 program. RESULTS: Mean gas retention time was 15+/-2 days. Intraocular pressure measured at postoerpative 2 weeks was statistically significantly lower in gas injected group than control group. At postoperative 2 weeks, fibrovascularization was more prominent in control group than gas injected group. Fibroblast proliferation and collagen tissue formation were more prominent in control group than gas injected group at postoperative 6 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Subconjunctival perfluoropropane gas(C3F8) bubbles, via "spacer" effect, aid the maintenance of filtering blebs in the early postoperative period. This technique may be useful in augmenting or salvaging blebs at high risk of failure.
Blister ; Collagen ; Fibroblasts ; Intraocular Pressure ; Iridectomy ; Needles ; Postoperative Period ; Rabbits* ; Trabeculectomy*

The auther studied 54 lumbar spondylolisthesis patients diagnosed and treated with transpedicular screw fixation and bony fusion at our Hosptial between January 1990 and December 1994, and analysed the outcome. The results may be summarized as follows: 1) Of the 54 cases, 17 were degenerative spondylolisthesis and 37 were spondylolytic spondylolisthesis. Occurrence peaked during the fifth and sixth decades. 2) Posterolateral fusion(P.L.F) was performed in 37 cases and posterior lumbar interbody fusion(P.L.I.F) in eight ; P.L.F and P.L.I.F in combination was performed in nine cases. The mean follow-up period was 25 months. 3) In no patients was significant neurologic injury or functional root loss seen. Complications included two instrument failures and one wound infection. 4) Radiologic and clinical outcome was better in degenerative than in spondylolitic spondylolisthesis. 5) The radiologic and clinical outcome of bony fusion types P.L.F and P.L.I.F was the same. 6) The surgical result as evaluated by Mc.Nab's criteria was satisfactory in 81% of patients.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Spine* ; Spondylolisthesis* ; Wound Infection

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

To understand the expression of hoth TGF-beta l and II ligands and the receptors, artificial fracture was made on rat femur. Fracture callus and epiphyseul plate were stained immunohistochemically on 3rd. 7th, 14th, 21st, 42nd and 56th day after trauma. Polyclonal antibody was used to stain TGF-beta I and II ligands and receptors. At epiphyseal plate, both ligand and receptor were expressed from each cell in proliferating and maturing zone. But there was no difference between type I and II except expression time. TGF-beta II ligand and receptor were expressed earlier: they were expressed mostly by the cells at the zone of proliferating cartilage but TGF-beta1 ligand and receptor were expressed mostly hy the cells at zone of maturing cartilage. At fracture site, TGF-beta expression was observed from 3rd day after trauma and it reached its maximum intensity at 2 weeks. It decreased thereafter and disappeared at 6 weeks after trauma. In enchondral ossification area, TGF-beta expressing cells were scattered throughout the enchondral mass. In intramembranous ossification area, the ligands and receptors were expressed from the osteohlasts just heneath the periosteum. ln summary, TGF-beta ligands and receptors were expressed at epiphyseal plate and fracture callus. There was no difference between TGF-beta 1 and 2 expres.ion except the appearance time at epiphyseal plate. We could not draw any conclusion about ligand and rcceptor mechanism with this immunohistochemical staining.
Animals ; Bony Callus* ; Cartilage ; Femur ; Growth Plate* ; Ligands* ; Periosteum ; Rats ; Receptors, Artificial ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1

No abstract available.
Melanoma ; Nevus

The aim of this study was to investigate how implementation of direct nutrition education differs between nutrition teachers and dietitians in Gyeonggi Area. In this study, we collected data from 107 nutrition teachers and 129 dietitians in 2012. Among those who have answered they implemented direct nutrition education for the last one year, 36% were nutrition teachers and 10% were dietitians (p < 0.05). Among subjects who implemented direct education, a significantly greater percentage of nutrition teachers used a class as an education time to conduct creative hands-on-activity compare to dietitians (p < 0.05). However, for most dietitians, school meal time was more commonly used for direct nutrition education. When asked to make a suggestion regarding improvement for school nutrition education, the highest rate of people chose simplification of school administrative work (4.68 points) was needed. Developing nutrition education (4.55 points) showed the next highest rate. The rest of the answers were the following order; regular training of teaching methods (4.50 points), increasing awareness of school teachers (4.50 points), improving school facilities and financial support (4.47 points), preparing teaching plan (4.46 points), providing incentive for direct education (4.26 points), organizing regular class for nutrition education (4.17 points), and placing nutrition teachers (4.16 points). This study provides useful information including manageable workload of nutrition teachers and dietitians, capacity building and supportive school environment to be delivered with respect to nutrition education system in South Korea.
Capacity Building ; Financial Support ; Humans ; Meals ; Motivation ; Republic of Korea ; Teaching

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; Neoplasm Metastasis*