• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.8
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• pp.1266-1278
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• 2021

Objective: We aimed to compare the aortic valve area (AVA) calculated using fast high-resolution three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance (MR) image acquisition with that of the conventional two-dimensional (2D) cine MR technique. Materials and Methods: We included 139 consecutive patients (mean age ± standard deviation [SD], 68.5 ± 9.4 years) with aortic valvular stenosis (AS) and 21 asymptomatic controls (52.3 ± 14.2 years). High-resolution T2-prepared 3D steady-state free precession (SSFP) images (2.0 mm slice thickness, 10 contiguous slices) for 3D planimetry (3DP) were acquired with a single breath hold during mid-systole. 2D SSFP cine MR images (6.0 mm slice thickness) for 2D planimetry (2DP) were also obtained at three aortic valve levels. The calculations for the effective AVA based on the MR images were compared with the transthoracic echocardiographic (TTE) measurements using the continuity equation. Results: The mean AVA ± SD derived by 3DP, 2DP, and TTE in the AS group were 0.81 ± 0.26 cm², 0.82 ± 0.34 cm², and 0.80 ± 0.26 cm², respectively (p = 0.366). The intra-observer agreement was higher for 3DP than 2DP in one observer: intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.95 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.94-0.97) and 0.87 (95% CI, 0.82-0.91), respectively, for observer 1 and 0.97 (95% CI, 0.96-0.98) and 0.98 (95% CI, 0.97-0.99), respectively, for observer 2. Inter-observer agreement was similar between 3DP and 2DP, with the ICC of 0.92 (95% CI, 0.89-0.94) and 0.91 (95% CI, 0.88-0.93), respectively. 3DP-derived AVA showed a slightly higher agreement with AVA measured by TTE than the 2DP-derived AVA, with the ICC of 0.87 (95% CI, 0.82-0.91) vs. 0.85 (95% CI, 0.79-0.89). Conclusion: High-resolution 3D MR image acquisition, with single-breath-hold SSFP sequences, gave AVA measurement with low observer variability that correlated highly with those obtained by TTE.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.301-306
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• 2017

Wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) process was evaluated to slice Silicon (Si) for various applications. Specifically, various Si workpieces with various resistances, such as single and multi crystalline Si bricks and wafers were used. As conventional slicing processes, such as slurry-on or diamond-on wire slicing, are based on mechanical abrasions between Si and abrasive, there is a limitation to decrease the wafer thickness as well as kerf-loss. Especially, when the wafer thickness is less than $150{\mu}m$, wafer breakage increases dramatically during the slicing process. Single crystalline P-type Si bricks and wafers were successively sliced with considerable slicing speed regardless of its growth direction. Also, typical defects, such as microcracks, craters, microholes, and debris, were introduced when Si was sliced by electrical discharge. Also, it was found that defect type is also dependent on resistance of Si. Consequently, this study confirmed the feasibility of slicing single crystalline Si by WEDM.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.11
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• pp.1634-1640
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• 2012

The objective of this study was to compare pork characteristics and to determine consumer acceptability of pork chops from antibiotic free Yorkshire crossbreds sired by Berkshire (BY), Large Black (LBY), Tamworth (TY) or Yorkshire (YY) boars and reared in hoop houses. The experiments were conducted at the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCA&TSU) Farm in Greensboro, NC and the Cherry Research Station Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) Alternative Swine Unit in Goldsboro, NC (source of antibiotic free Yorkshire sows used at both places). Twenty-four sows were artificially inseminated at each location in each of three trials. Litters were weaned at 4 wks old, and reared within deep-bedded outdoor hoop houses. To compare pork characteristics, 104 randomly selected animals were harvested at a USDA-inspected abattoir at approximately 200 d of age. Variables measured included pH, color score, $L^*$, $a^*$, $b^*$, marbling score, drip loss, hot carcass weight, backfat thickness (BF), loin muscle area (LMA), and slice shear force. Sensory panel tests were also conducted at two time periods. The data was analyzed with GLM in SAS 9.01 including location, trial, and sire breed as fixed effects. Backfat thickness, LMA, color score and $a^*$ were different among breeding groups (p<0.05). The LBY pigs had thicker backfat and smaller LMA than the other breed types. The TY and YY had less backfat than all other breed groups. Color score was lower for YY than BY and LBY but intermediate for TY. The $a^*$ was lower for TY than other breeds except LBY which was intermediate. For one sensory panel test, YY pork was more preferred overall as well as for juiciness and texture compared to BY and LBY (p<0.05), but no impact of breed type was noted for the other test, with values similar for BY, LBY, TY and YY pork. This information may help small farmers make decisions about breed types to use for outdoor production.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.239-245
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• 2010

The present study is about an efficient extraction of tunnel cross sections from huge point cloud achieved by a terrestrial laser scanner. A method, using a hash-based data structure, is introduced, by which point clouds, potentially composing cross sections, are extracted along a tunnel center line. The center line is estimated by linking points which are drawn in the middle of pseudo cross sections based on the hash-based data structure. Point clouds of a same thickness are extracted at a same interval along the center line. In result, it took less than 3 seconds and 124 MB of memory to extract, out of the 7.5 million points, the point clouds of 1 m interval and 0.1 m thickness. A manual operation, however, was needed to fix the outliers on the center line and to select both start and end points on it.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.173-178
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• 1999

Purpose : To evaluate the usefulness of functional MRI (fMRI) of visual cortex in patients with ischemic infarction in the occipital lobe. Materials and Methods : Four patients with the symptoms and signs of visual cortical ischemia were included. Functional MRI was performed by 2D-FLASH technique with the parameter of 90/56msec TR/TE, $40^{\circ}$ flip angle, $240{\times}240{\;}FOV,{\;}64{\times}128$ matrix number, 8.32 seconds acquisition time, 8mm slice thickness. An axial slice including both visual cortices was selected and alternative activation and resting of the visual cortex was performed using red color photostimulator. all patients undertook visual field test, and vascular abnormality was examined by MRA (n=4) and DSA (n=2). fMRI results were compared with the results of a visual field test, conventional MRI and cerebral angiography. Results : On fMRI, decreased activity of the visual cortex was found in the occipital lobe corresponding to stenosis of the posterior cerebral artery or its branch noted on angiogram. However, 2 of 4 patients showed no abnormal findings on conventional MRI. Visual field defect was noted in 3 patients, one and of whom showed no abnormality on conventional MRI and diffusion-weighted image, but revealed decreased activity in the corresponding visual cortex on fMRI. Conclusion : fMRI may be a sensitive method for detection of the status of decreased blood flow or vascular reserve which other methods can not.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.109-113
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• 1997

Purpose: To evaluate the differences of functional imaging patterns between conventional spoiled gradient echo (SPGR) and echo planar imaging (EPI) methods in cerebral motor cortex activation. Materials and Methods: Functional MR imaging of cerebral motor cortex activation was examined on a 1.5T MR unit with SPGR (TRfrE/flip angle=50ms/4Oms/$30^{\circ}$, FOV=300mm, matrix $size=256{\times}256$, slice thickness=5mm) and an interleaved single shot gradient echo EPI (TRfrE/flip angle = 3000ms/40ms/$90^{\circ}$, FOV=300mm, matrix $size=128{\times}128$, slice thickness=5mm) techniques in five male healthy volunteers. A total of 160 images in one slice and 960 images in 6 slices were obtained with SPGR and EPI, respectively. A right finger movement was accomplished with a paradigm of an 8 activation/ 8 rest periods. The cross-correlation was used for a statistical mapping algorithm. We evaluated any differences of the time series and the signal intensity changes between the rest and activation periods obtained with two techniques. Also, the locations and areas of the activation sites were compared between two techniques. Results: The activation sites in the motor cortex were accurately localized with both methods. In the signal intensity changes between the rest and activation periods at the activation regions, no significant differences were found between EPI and SPGR. Signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the time series data was higher in EPI than in SPGR by two folds. Also, larger pixels were distributed over small p-values at the activation sites in EPI. Conclusions: Good quality functional MR imaging of the cerebral motor cortex activation could be obtained with both SPGR and EPI. However, EPI is preferable because it provides more precise information on hemodynamics related to neural activities than SPGR due to high sensitivity.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.186-194
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• 2004

Micro-stereolithography is a newly proposed technology as a means that can fabricate a 3D micro-structure of free form. It makes a 3D micro-structure by dividing the shape into many slices of relevant thickness along horizontal surfaces, hardening each layer of slice with a focused laser beam, and stacking them up to a desired shape. In this technology, differently from the conventional stereolithography, scale effect is dominant. To realize micro-stereolithography technology, we developed the micro-stereolithography apparatus which is composed of an Ar+ laser, x-y-z stages. controllers. optical devices and scan path generation software. Related processes were developed, too. Using the system, a number of micro-structures were successfully fabricated. Some of these samples are shown for prove this system. Laser scan path generation algorithm and software considering photopolymer solidification phenomena as well as given 3D model were developed. Sample fabrication of developed software shows relatively high dimensional accuracy compared to the uncompensated result.

• Proceedings of the KSMRM Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.112-112
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• 2001

Purpose： We developed the software for diffusion tensor imaging and evaluated its feasibility in norm brains. Method： Five normal volunteers, aged from 25 to 29 years, were examined on a 1.5 T MR system. the diffusion tensor pulse sequence used a SE-EPI with 6 diffusion gradie directions of (1, 1, 0), (-1, 1,0), (1, 0, 1), (-1, 0, 1), (0, 1, 1), (0, 1, -1) and also with no diffusion gradient. A b-factor of 500 sec/mm2 was used. Measurement parameter were as follows； TR/TE=10000 ms/99 ms, FOV=240 mm, matrix=128$\times$128, slice thickness/gap=6 mm/0 mm, bandwidth=91 kHz and the number of total slices=20. Four repeated axial diffusion images were averaged for diffusion tensor imaging. A total scan 11 of 4 min 30 sec was used. Six full diffusion tensor components of Dxx, Dyy, Dzz, Dxy, Dxz and Dyz were obtained using two-point linear regression model from 7 diffusion-weight images at each pixel and fractional anisotropy and lattice index images was estimated fr their eigenvectors and eigenvalues. Our program was written on a platform of IDL. W evaluated the qualities of fractional anisotropy and lattice index images of normal brains a knew whether our software for diffusion tensor imaging may be feasible.

• Proceedings of the KSMRM Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.20-20
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• 2003

Purpose： To investigate the difference of fractional anisotropy (FA) values between 6- and 25-direction diffusion tensor images (DTI) in normal adult brain. Materials and Methods： DTI was peformed in 28 normal subjects (15 subjects with 6-direction, 13 subjects with 25-direction) in a 1.5 T MR system. DTI was done with SE-EPI sequence with TR/TE/NEX 10000/84/1, 5mm slice thickness and b=1000 s/mm2. FA values were measured from 8 different anatomical locations which included both cerebral peduncles, both posterior limbs of the internal capsules, both corona radiata, genu and splenium of the corpus callosum. Statistical difference of FA was tested between 6-and 25-direction DTI.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.93-99
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• 1997

A possibility of production of aluminium matrix composites by using the lost foam process was investigated. Silicon carbide particles, graphite particles, and stainless steel wires were used as reinforcement materials. The reinforcement materials were introduced to the polystyrene to form patterns via injection molding process. The results obtained from this experiment can be summarized as follows. In Al/SiCp system, the particles with the radius of $100{\mu}m$ and over were entrapped in the matrix in the case of upward freezing of which solidification direction was opposite to floating direction of the particles. And few particles were entrapped in the matrix in downward freezing. In Al/graphite system, almost no particles were entrapped in the matrix except the area chill attatched. When the thickness of polystyrene slice was 4mm in Al/stainless steel wire system, the floating tendency of fibers was observed to increase as the distance from the ingate was increased.