• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.801-804
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• 2006

[ $GdAlO_3(GAO)$ ] buffer layer for $YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-{\delta}}(YBCO)$ coated superconductor wire was fabricated by sol-gel processing. Precursor solution was prepared by dissolving 1:1 stoichiometric quantaties of gadolinium nitrate hexahydrate and aluminum nitrate nonahydrate in methanol. The solution was spin-coated on $SrTiO_3(STO)$(100) single crystal substrates and heated at $1000^{\circ}C$ for 2h in wet $N_2-5%\; H_2$, atmosphere. A SEM(scanning electron microscopy) observation of the surface morphology of the GAO layer has shown that it has a faceted morphology indicating epitaxy. It was shown from x-ray diffraction(XRB) that GAO buffer layer was highly c-axis oriented epitaxial thin film with both good out-of-plane($FWHM=0.29^{\circ}$ for the (002) reflection) and in-plane ($FWHM=1.10^{\circ}$ for the {112} reflection) alignment.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.304-309
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• 2008

Cryptand series ion exchange resins were synthesized with 1-aza-12-crown-4 macrocyclic ligand attached to styrene (4 series dangerous matter) divinylbenzene (DVB) copolymer with crosslink of 1％, 2％, 4％ and 8％ by a substitution reaction. The synthesis of these resins was confirmed by content of chlorine, element analysis, electron micrograph, and IR-spectrum. The effects of pH, time, dielectric constant of solvent and crosslink on adsorption of uranium (${UO_2}^{2+}$) ion were investigated. The uranium ion showed a fast adsorption on the resins above pH 3. The optimum equilibrium time for adsorption of metallic ions was about two hours. The adsorption selectivity determined in ethanol was in increasing order uranium (${UO_2}^{2+}$) > nickel ($Ni^{2+}$) > gadolinium ($Gd^{3+}$) ion. The adsorption was in order of 1％, 2％, 4％, and 8％ crosslinked resin and adsorption of resin decreased in proportion to order of dielectric constant of solvents.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.43-47
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• 2005

We have developed a small bore x-ray CT for small animal imaging with a linear x-ray detector array and small-scale slip rings. The linear x-ray detector array consists of 1024 elements of 400□m×400□m with a gadolinium oxysulfide (GOS) scintillator on top of them. To avoid use of expensive large diameter slip rings for projection data transmission from the X­ray detector to the image reconstruction system, we used the wireless LAN technology. The projection data are temporally stored in the data acquisition system residing on the rotating gantry during the scan and they are transmitted to the image reconstruction system after the scan. With the wireless LAN technology, we only needed to use small-scale slip rings to deliver the AC electric power to the X-ray generator and the power supply on the rotating gantry. The performances of the small animal CT system, such as SNR, contrast, and spatial resolution, have been evaluated through experiments using various phantoms. It has been experimentally found that the SNR is almost linearly proportional to the tube current and tube voltage, and the minimum resolvable contrast is less than 30 CT numbers at 40kVp/3.0㎃. The spatial resolution of the small animal CT system has been found to be about 0.9Ip/㎜. Postmortem images of a piglet is also presented.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.226-229
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• 2014

We describe a rare case of intradural-extramedullary primary spinal cysticercosis. A 42-year-old man visited our institute for lower back pain. He denied having consumed raw meet. Magnetic resonance (MR) images revealed an intradural pure cystic mass at the L3-L4 level. A radiologic diagnosis of spinal arachnoid cyst was established. Three years later, he complained of aggravated back pain, and follow-up MR examination showed a markedly expanded cyst, occupying the subarachnoid space from the T11 to the S1 level. L2 hemilaminectomy was performed, and a yellowish infected cyst bulged out through the dural opening. The cyst was removed en bloc. The histopathological findings of the cyst were consistent with parasitic infection. Serum enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) confirmed the presence of spinal cysticercosis. As there was no intracranial lesion, the final diagnosis was primary spinal cysticercosis, which is very rare. MR imaging is a sensitive diagnostic tool for detecting cystic lesions in the spine; however, it is difficult to distinguish cysticercosis from non-infectious cysts such as an arachnoid cyst without using gadolinium enhancement. Clinicians treating spinal cysts with an unusual clinical course should include cysticercosis as a differential diagnosis. We recommend contrast-enhanced MR imaging and serum ELISA in the diagnostic work-up of such cases.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.90-97
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• 2020

Background: To minimize damage to the ovarian reserve, it is necessary to evaluate the follicular density in the ovarian tissue surrounding endometriosis on preoperative imaging. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the usefulness of subtraction pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect ovarian reserve. Methods: A subtracted T1-weighted image (^subT1WI) was obtained by subtracting unenhanced T1WI from contrast-enhanced T1WI (^ceT1WI) with similar parameters in 22 patients with ovarian endometriosis. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in ovarian endometriosis, which was classified into the high signal intensity and iso-to-low signal intensity groups on the T2-weighted image, was compared to that in normal ovarian tissue. To evaluate the effect of contrast enhancement, a standardization map was obtained by dividing ^subT1WI by ^ceT1WI. Results: On visual assessment of 22 patients with ovarian endometriosis, 16 patients showed a high signal intensity, and 6 patients showed an iso-to-low signal intensity on T1WI. Although SNR in endometriosis with a high signal intensity was higher than that with an iso-to-low signal intensity, there was no difference in SNR after the subtraction (13.72±77.55 vs. 63.03±43.90, p=0.126). The area of the affected ovary was smaller than that of the normal ovary (121.10±22.48 vs. 380.51±75.87 ㎟, p=0.002), but the mean number of pixels in the viable remaining tissue of the affected ovary was similar to that of the normal ovary (0.53±0.09 vs. 0.47±0.09, p=0.682). Conclusion: The subtraction technique used with pelvic MRI could reveal the extent of endometrial invasion of the normal ovarian tissue and viable remnant ovarian tissue.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.12 no.7
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• pp.929-934
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• 2018

Studies for counting and detecting X-rays for the improvement of image quality and material analysis are active. In this work, the detector for X-ray photon counting was designed using Multi-pixel photon counter (MPPC) array and the detector characteristics were evaluated through simulation. Geant4 Application for Tomographic Emission (GATE) was used to obtain the position where the X-ray and the scintillation interacted, and this position was used as the light generation position of DETECT2000. 0.5 mm and 1 mm thick Gadolinium Aluminium Gallium Garnet (GAGG) scintillators were used and the light generated through a $4{\times}4$ array of MPPCs was acquired. The spatial resolution of the designed detector was evaluated by reconstructed image using the light signal acquired for each channel. We obtained images of more than 2 lp/mm in both 0.5 mm and 1 mm thick GAGG scintillation. When this detector is used in a X-ray system, a low-cost system capable of photon counting can be made.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.100-113
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• 2019

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem disease characterized by noncaseating granulomas. Cardiac involvement is known to have poor prognosis because it can manifest as a serious condition such as the conduction abnormality, heart failure, ventricular arrhythmia, or sudden cardiac death. Although early diagnosis and early treatment is critical to improve patient prognosis, the diagnosis of CS is challenging in most cases. Diagnosis usually relies on endomyocardial biopsy (EMB), but its diagnostic yield is low due to the incidence of patchy myocardial involvement. Guidelines for the diagnosis of CS recommend a combination of clinical, electrocardiographic, and imaging findings from various modalities, if EMB cannot confirm the diagnosis. Especially, the role of advanced imaging such as cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging and positron emission tomography (PET), has shown to be important not only for the diagnosis, but also for monitoring treatment response and prognostication. CMR can evaluate cardiac function and fibrotic scar with good specificity. Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in CMR shows a distinctive enhancement pattern for each disease, which may be useful for differential diagnosis of CS from other similar diseases. Effectively, T1 or T2 mapping techniques can be also used for early recognition of CS. In the meantime, PET can detect and quantify metabolic activity and can be used to monitor treatment response. Recently, the use of a hybrid CMR-PET has introduced to allow identify patients with active CS with excellent co-localization and better diagnostic accuracy than CMR or PET alone. However, CS may show various findings with a wide spectrum, therefore, radiologists should consider the possible differential diagnosis of CS including myocarditis, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, amyloidosis, and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. Radiologists should recognize the differences in various diseases that show the characteristics of mimicking CS, and try to get an accurate diagnosis of CS.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.241-251
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• 2019

There are several manufacturing techniques for developing thermionic cathodes for vacuum ultraviolet(VUV) ionizers. The triple alkaline earth metal emitters(Ca-Sr-Ba) are formulated as efficient and reliable thermo-electron sources with a great many different compositions for the ionizing devices. We prepare two basic suspensions with different compositions: calcium, strontium and barium. After evaluating the electron-emitting performance for europium, gadolinium, and yttrium-based cathodes mixed with these suspensions, we selected the yttrium for its better performance. Next, another transition metal indium and a lanthanide metal neodymium salt is introduced to two base emitters. These final composite metal emitters are coated on the tungsten filament and then activated to the oxide cathodes by an intentionally programmed calcination process under an ultra-high vacuum(${\sim}10^{-6}torr$). The performance of electron emission of the cathodes is characterized by their anode currents with respect to the addition of each element, In and Nd, and their concentration of cathodes. Compared to both the base cathodes, the electron emission performance of the cathodes containing indium and neodymium decreases. The anode current of the Nd cathode is more markedly degraded than that with In.

• Journal of Ceramic Processing Research
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.372-377
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• 2018

MgO or gadolinium-doped ceria (GDC, $Ce_{0.9}Gd_{0.1}O_{2-{\delta}}$) was added as a promoter to improve the oxygen transfer kinetics of $MgMnO_3$ oxygen carrier material for chemical looping combustion. Neither MgO nor GDC reacted with $MgMnO_3$, even at the high temperature of $1100^{\circ}C$. The average oxygen transfer capacities of $MgMnO_3$, 5 wt% $MgO-MgMnO_3$, and 5 wt% $GDC-MgMnO_3$ were 8.74, 8.35, and 8.13 wt%, respectively. Although the addition of MgO or GDC decreased the oxygen transfer capacity, no further degradation was observed during their use in 5 redox cycles. The addition of GDC significantly improved the conversion rate for the reduction reaction of $MgMnO_3$ compared to the use of MgO due to an increase in the surface adsorption process of $CH_4$ via oxygen vacancies formed on the surface of GDC. On the other hand, the conversion rates for the oxidation reaction followed the order 5 wt% $GDC-MgMnO_3$ > 5 wt% $MgO-MgMnO_3$ >> $MgMnO_3$ due to morphological change. MgO or GDC particles suppressed the grain growth of the reduced $MgMnO_3$ (i.e., (Mg,Mn)O) and increased the specific surface area, thereby increasing the number of active reaction sites.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.65 no.4
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• pp.572-581
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• 2022

Objective : Compared to microscopes, exoscopes have advantages in field-depth, ergonomics, and educational value. Exoscopes are especially well-poised for adaptation into fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS) due to their excitation source, light path, and image processing capabilities. We evaluated the feasibility of near-infrared FGS using a 3-dimensional (3D), 4 K exoscope with near-infrared fluorescence imaging capability. We then compared it to the most sensitive, commercially-available near-infrared exoscope system (3D and 960 p). In-vitro and intraoperative comparisons were performed. Methods : Serial dilutions of indocyanine-green (1-2000 ㎍/mL) were imaged with the 3D, 4 K Olympus Orbeye (system 1) and the 3D, 960 p VisionSense Iridium (system 2). Near-infrared sensitivity was calculated using signal-to-background ratios (SBRs). In addition, three patients with brain tumors were administered indocyanine-green and imaged with system 1, with two also imaged with system 2 for comparison. Results : Systems 1 and 2 detected near-infrared fluorescence from indocyanine green concentrations of >250 ㎍/L and >31.3 ㎍/L, respectively. Intraoperatively, system 1 visualized strong near-infrared fluorescence from two, strongly gadolinium-enhancing meningiomas (SBR=2.4, 1.7). The high-resolution, bright images were sufficient for the surgeon to appreciate the underlying anatomy in the near-infrared mode. However, system 1 was not able to visualize fluorescence from a weakly-enhancing intraparenchymal metastasis. In contrast, system 2 successfully visualized both the meningioma and the metastasis but lacked high resolution stereopsis. Conclusion : Three-dimensional exoscope systems provide an alternative visualization platform for both standard microsurgery and near-infrared fluorescent guided surgery. However, when tumor fluorescence is weak (i.e., low fluorophore uptake, deep tumors), highly sensitive near-infrared visualization systems may be required.