• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.241-246
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to investigate the problems of low signal-to-noise ratio(SNR) of single-shot turbo spin echo(SS-TSE) by quantifying numerically decreased signal to noise ratio. Thirty five patients without brain disease underwent diffusion MRI in 3T scanner from July to October in 2015. Single shot echo planar imaging(SS-EPI) which is conventionally used in MRI was taken to compared SS-TSE in SNR of medulla oblongata. As a result, SNR of SS-TSE diffusion(b0=$314.41{\pm}42.96$, b1000=$117.33{\pm}14.04$) is than SS-EPI diffusion(b0=$514.84{\pm}48.97$, b=$208.65{\pm}25.70$) lower in b=0 image(38.9%) and b=1,000 image(43.8%). Thus, diffusion MR using SS-EPI of MS-EPI should be taken for diagnosis of disease in brain stem due to decreased SNR of diffusion using SS-TSE.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.66-72
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• 1999

Purpose : To evaluate the usefulness of Dual Echo in Steady State(DESS) image in the diagnosis of chondromalacia of the knee compared with turbo spin-echo MR images Materials and Methods : We included 26 patients with chondromalacia of the knee. MR imaging was obtained with a 1.5T imager. Sagittal and coronal double echo T2 weighted images(TR/TE 3000-4200/16-96msec, FOV $140-160{\times}140-160mm$, matrix size $180{\times}256$, slice thickness 4.0mm, interslice gap 0.5mm), and sagittal DESS image(TR/TE 25.4/9.0msec, flip angle $35-45^{\circ}$, FOV $150-160{\times}150-160mm,{\;}matrix{\;}size{\;}192{\times}256$, effective slice thickness 1.5mm) were obtained. Cartilage lesions were staged according to a modified scheme proposed by Outerbirdge: grade 0, normal; grade 1, softening or/and swelling; grade 2, mild surface fibrillation or/and less than 50% of cartilage thickness; grade 3, severe surface fibrillation or/and loss of more than 50% of cartilage thickness but without exposure of subchondral bone; and grade 4, complete loss of cartilage with subchondral bone exposure. Gradings were determined by two readers with consensus, and patellofemoral, medial and lateral tibiofemoral compartments were evaluated. Results : Arthroscopic findings revealed grade 1 in seven cases, grade 2 in 21 cases, grade 3 in six cases, and grade 4 in 18 cases. Sensitivity of turbo spin-echo MR image was as follows; 0%, 14%, 0%, 61% in each grade, and sensitivity of DESS image was as follows; 0%, 33%, 50%, 67%, in each grade(p=0.001). In the detection of chondromalacic lesions regardless of gradings, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of conventional MR image were 59.6% 88.6% 78.8%, and of DESS image, 73.1% 88.4%, 82.2%(p=0.007). Conclusion : For chondromalacia of knee joints, DESS images showed higher sensitivity than turbo spin-echo MR images. Therefore, DESS images will be helpful for diagnosis of chondromalacia of knee joints.

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.343-346
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• 2005

In this study, a basic concept of wavelet encoding and its advantages over Fourier based phase encoding application. Wavelet encoding has been proposed as an alternative way to Fourier based phase encoding in magnetic resonance imaging. In wavelet encoding, the RF pulse is designed to generate wavelet-shaped excitation profile of spins. From the resulting echo signals, the wavelet transform coefficients of spin distribution are acquired and an original spin density is reconstructed from wavelet expansion. Wavelet encoding has several advantages over phase encoding. By minimizing redundancy of the data acquisition in a dynamic series of images, we can avoid some encoding steps without serious loss of quality in reconstructed image. This strategy may be regarded as data compression during imaging. Although there are some limitations in wavelet encoding, it is a promising scheme in a dynamic imaging.

• Bulletin of the Korean Mathematical Society
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.347-355
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• 2001

Let ($X, \omega$) be a closed symplectic 4-manifold. Let a finite cyclic group G act semifreely, holomorphically on X as isometries with fixed point set $\Sigma$(may be empty) which is a 2-dimension submanifold. Then there is a smooth structure on the quotient X'=X/G such that the projection $\pi$:X$\rightarrow$X' is a Lipschitz map. Let L$\rightarrow$X be the Spin$^c$ -structure on X pulled back from a Spin$^c$-structure L'$\rightarrow$X' and b_2^$+(X')>1. If the Seiberg-Witten invariant SW(L')$\neq$0 of L' is non-zero and $L=E\bigotimesK^-1\bigotimesE$ then there is a G-invariant pseudo-holomorphic curve u:$C\rightarrowX$,/TEX> such that the image u(C) represents the fundamental class of the Poincare dual $c_1$(E). This is an equivariant version of the Taubes' Theorem.

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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• v.1992 no.05
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• pp.92-97
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• 1992

The pulsatile nature of blood flow makes artefacts in 2D Fourier transform image. Spatial presaturation is known to be effective in eliminating flow artefacts when the spin echo acquisition is employed. However. this method requires additional RF pulse and spoiling gradient for presaturation. In this paper a new flow saturation technique which does not require additional saturation-RF and gradient is proposed. The proposed technique is equivalent to the existing saturation technique but the elimination of the flow component is achieved by a pair of tailored $90^{\circ}-180^{\circ}$ RF pulses in tile spin echo sequence. By use of two tailored RF pulses with opposite phase polarity, a linear phase gradient is generated for those moving materials and consequently all the spins of moving materials become dephased thereby no signal is observable. Computer simulations and experimental results obtained using both a phantom and a human volunteer with a 2.0 T whole body system are also presented.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.105-114
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• 2016

In this study, For assessment of triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) injury, we acquired images by fat suppressed 3D fast spoiled gradient recalled T1 and fat suppressed Isotropic 3D fast spin echo T1 techniques. For quantitative evaluation, measured signal to noise ratio and contrast to noise ratio and verified statistical significance between two imaging techniques by Mann-Whitney U verification. And for qualitative evaluation, marked 4-grade scoring (0: non diagnostic, 1: poor, 2: adequate, 3: good) on shape of TFCC, artifacts by partial volumes, description of the lesions by two radiologist, verified coincidence between 2 observer using Kappa-value verification. We used 3.0 Tesla MR equipment and 8-channel RF coil for imaging acquisition. As quantitative evaluation results, signal to noise ratio and contrast to noise ratio value of Isotropic 3D fast spin echo T1 technique is higher in every image sections, also between two imaging techniques by Mann-Whitney U verification was statistically significant (p < 0.05). As qualitative results, observer 1, 2 marked a higher grade on Isotropic 3D FSE T1 technique, coincidence verification of evaluation results between two observers by Kappa-value verification was statistically significant (p < 0.05). As a result, during MRI examination on TFCC injury, fat suppressed Isotropic 3D fast spin echo T1 technique is considered offering more useful information about abnormal lesion of TFCC.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.595-597
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• 2015

LMC X-4 is an eclipsing high-mass X-ray binary exhibiting a superorbital modulation with a period of ~ 30:5 days. We present a detailed study of the variations of the superorbital modulation period with a time baseline of ~ 18 years. The period determined in the light curve collected by the Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image (MAXI) significantly deviates from that observed by the All Sky Monitor (ASM) onboard the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE). Using the data collected by RXTE/ASM, MAXI, and the Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) onboard Swift, we found a significant period derivative, $\dot{P}=(2.08{\pm}0.12){\times}10^{-5}$. Furthermore, the O{C residual shows complex short-term variations indicating that the superorbital modulation of LMC X-4 exhibits complicated unstable behaviors. In addition, we used archive data collected by the Proportional Counter Array (PCA) on RXTE to estimate the orbital and spin parameters. The detected pulse frequencies obtained in small time segments were fitted with a circular orbital Doppler shift model. In addition to orbital parameters and spin frequency for each observation, we found a spin frequency derivative of $\dot{v}=(6.482{\pm}0.011){\times}10^{-13}Hz{\cdot}s^{-1}$. More precise orbital and spin parameters will be evaluated by the pulse arrival time delay technique in the future.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.213-217
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• 2015

To report problems found in a patient who has implemented stent implantation and then conducted a perfusion MRI using ASL(Arterial Spin Labeling), in order to suggest a solution to them. The perfusion MRI was conducted, using pCASL among ASL methods. Data from pCASL(Pseudo Continuous Arterial Spin Labeling) was acquired together with the structural image simply by changing position(labeling gap 15 mm, 170 mm) of the labeling pulse to avoid stent. Data was processed through the ASLtbx. When perfusion MRI was acquired using pCASL, it showed that the position of the conventional labeling pulse (labeling gap 24 mm) was overlapped with that of stent, which made signal intensity in right brain tissue appear as if it were void. When the labeling pulse was positioned (labeling gap 15 mm) to avoid stent, high signal intensity images were acquired. In labeling pulse (labeling gap 170 mm), the signal intensity was more reduced due to relaxation before labeled blood arrived at the imaging slice. pCASL can be stably repeated measurements because it does not use a contrast agent. And it should be selected with the appropriate image acquisition parameters for the high quality image.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.42-51
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• 2000

Purpose: Projection-type Fast Spin Echo (PFSE) imaging is robust to patient motion or flow related artifact compared to conventional Fast Spin Echo (FSE) imaging, however, it has difficulty in controlling $T_2$ contrast. In this paper, Tz contrast in the PFSE method is analyzed and compared with those of the FSE method with various effective echo times by computer simulation. The contrasts in the FSE and PFSE methods are also compared by experiments with volunteers. From the analysis and simulation, it is shown that ${T_2}-weighted$ images can well be obtained by the PFSE method proposed. Materials and methods: Pulse sequence for the PFSE method is implemented at a 1.0 Tesla whole body MRI system and $T_2$ contrasts in the PFSE and FSE methods are analyzed by computer simulation and experiment with volunteers. For the simulation, a mathematical phantom composed of various $T_2$ values is devised and $T_2$ contrast in the reconstructed image by the PFSE is compared to those by the FSE method with various effective echo times. Multi-slice ${T_2}-weighted$ head images of the volunteers obtained by the PFSE method are also shown in comparison with those by the FSE method at a 1.0 Tesla whole body MRI system. Results: From the analysis, $T_2$ contrast by the PFSE method appears similar to those by the FSE method with the effective echo time in a range of SO-lOOms. Using a mathematical phantom, contrast in the PFSE image appears close to that by the FSE method with the effective echo time of 96ms. From experiment with volunteers, multi-slice $T_2-weighted$ images are obtained by the PFSE method having contrast similar to that of the FSE method with the effective echo time of 96ms. Reconstructed images by the PFSE method show less motion related artifact compared to those by the FSE method. Conclusion: The projection-type FSE imaging acquires multiple radial lines with different angles in polar coordinate in k space using multiple spin echoes. The PFSE method is robust to patient motion or flow, however, it has difficulty in controlling $T_2$ contrast compared to the FSE method. In this paper, it is shown that the PFSE method provides good $T_2$ contrast (${T_2}-weighted$ images) similar to the FSE method by both computer simulation and experiments with volunteers.

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• v.7 no.7
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• pp.1690-1704
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• 2013

An affine invariant descriptor is proposed, which is able to well represent the affine covariant regions. Estimating main orientation is still problematic in many existing method, such as SIFT (scale invariant feature transform) and SURF (speeded up robust features). Instead of aligning the estimated main orientation, in this paper ellipse orientation is directly used. According to ellipse orientation, affine covariant regions are firstly divided into 4 sub-regions with equal angles. Since affine covariant regions are divided from the ellipse orientation, the divided sub-regions are rotation invariant regardless the rotation, if any, of ellipse. Meanwhile, the affine covariant regions are normalized into a circular region. In the end, the gradients of pixels in the circular region are calculated and the partition-based descriptor is created by using the gradients. Compared with the existing descriptors including MROGH, SIFT, GLOH, PCA-SIFT and spin images, the proposed descriptor demonstrates superior performance according to extensive experiments.