• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.1760-1778
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• 2018

For image segmentation with intensity inhomogeneity, many region-based level set methods have been proposed. Some of them however can't get the relatively ideal segmentation results under the severe intensity inhomogeneity and weak edges, and without use of the image gradient information. To improve that, we propose a new level set method combined with local direction gradient in this paper. Firstly, based on two assumptions on intensity inhomogeneity to images, the relationships between segmentation objects and image gradients to local minimum and maximum around a pixel are presented, from which a new pixel classification method based on weight of Euclidian distance is introduced. Secondly, to implement the model, variational level set method combined with image spatial neighborhood information is used, which enhances the anti-noise capacity of the proposed gradient information based model. Thirdly, a new diffusion process with an edge indicator function is incorporated into the level set function to classify the pixels in homogeneous regions of the same segmentation object, and also to make the proposed method more insensitive to initial contours and stable numerical implementation. To verify our proposed method, different testing images including synthetic images, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and real-world images are introduced. The image segmentation results demonstrate that our method can deal with the relatively severe intensity inhomogeneity and obtain the comparatively ideal segmentation results efficiently.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.149-155
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• 2004

Purpose: To investigate the effects of tissue inhomogeneity corrections on the dose delivered to prostate cancer patients treated with Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT). Methods and Materials: For five prostate cancer patients, IMRT treatment plans were generated using 6 MV or 10 MV X-rays. In each plan, seven equally spaced ports of photon beams were directed to the isocenter, neglecting the tissue heterogeneity in the body. The dose at the isocenter, mean dose, maximum dose, minimum dose and volume that received more than 95% of the isocenter dose in the planning target volume ( $V_{p>95%}$) were measured. The maximum doses to the rectum and the bladder, and the volumes that received more than 50, 75 and 90% of the prescribed dose were measured. Treatment plans were then recomputed using tissue inhomogeneity correction maintaining the intensity profiles and monitor units of each port. The prescription point dose and other dosimetric parameters were remeasured. Results: The inhomogeneity correction reduced the prescription point dose by an average 4.9 and 4.0% with 6 and 10 MV X-rays, respectively. The average reductions of the $V_{p>95%}$ were 0.8 and 0.9% with the 6 and 10 MV X-rays, respectively. The mean doses in the PTV were reduced by an average of 4.2 and 3.4% with the 6 and 10 MV X-rays, respectively. The irradiated volume parameters in the rectum and bladder were less decreased; less than 2.1 % (1.2%) of the reduction in the rectum (bladder). The average reductions in the mean dose were 1.0 and 0.5% in the rectum and bladder, respectively. Conclusions: Neglect of tissue inhomogeneity in the IMRT treatment of prostate cancer gives rise to a notable overestimation of the dose delivered to the target, whereas the impact of tissue inhomogeneity correction to the surrounding critical organs is less significant.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.225-244
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• 2014

In this work, we discuss segmentation algorithms based on the level set method that incorporates shape prior knowledge. Fundamental segmentation models fail to segment desirable objects from a background when the objects are occluded by others or missing parts of their whole. To overcome these difficulties, we incorporate shape prior knowledge into a new segmentation energy that, uses global and local image information to construct the energy functional. This method improves upon other methods found in the literature and segments images with intensity inhomogeneity, even when images have missing or misleading information due to occlusions, noise, or low-contrast. We consider the case when the shape prior is placed exactly at the locations of the desired objects and the case when the shape prior is placed at arbitrary locations. We test our methods on various images and compare them to other existing methods. Experimental results show that our methods are not only accurate and computationally efficient, but faster than existing methods as well.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.51-55
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• 2017

To obtain Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) measurement of membrane protein, an NMR magnet is required to generate high intensity, homogeneity, and stability of field. A High-Temperature Superconducting (HTS) magnet is a promising alternative to a conventional Low-Temperature Superconducting (LTS) NMR magnet for high field, current density, and stability margin. Conventionally, an HTS coil has been wound by several winding techniques such as Single-Pancake (SP), Double-Pancake (DP), and layer-wound. The DP winding technique has been frequently used for a large magnet because long HTS wire is generally difficult to manufacture, and maintenance of magnet is convenient. However, magnetic field generated by the slanted turns and the splice leads to field inhomogeneity in Diameter of Spherical Volume (DSV). The field inhomogeneity degrades performance of NMR spectrometer and thus effect of the slanted turns and the splice should be analyzed. In this paper, field gradient of HTS double-pancake coils considering the slanted turns and the splice was calculated using Biot-Savart law and numerical integration. The calculation results showed that magnetic field produced by the slanted turns and the splice caused significant inhomogeneity of field.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.1120-1132
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• 2003

A problem of a circular elastic inhomogeneity interacting with a crack under uniform loadings (mechanical tension and heat flux at infinity) is solved. The singular. integral equations for edge and temperature dislocation distribution functions are constructed and solved numeric-ally, to obtain the stress intensity factors. The effects of the material property ratio on the stress intensity factor (SIF) are investigated. The computed SIFs are used to predict the kink angle of the crack when the crack grows.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.45-50
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• 2010

In this study, we compared the clinical usefulness of SPAIR (Spectral Adiabatic Inversion Recovery) and STIR (Short TI Inversion Recovery) to evaluate the fat tissues precisely. The images of brain axial (n = 20), lumber spine sagittal (n = 20), hip joint coronal (n = 17) and knee joint (n = 25) were obtained by turbo spin echo T2 weighted method on 3T magnetic resonance image. The signal intensity (SI) values were measured using region of interest in fat, muscle tissue, and background noise. The inhomogeneity values were measured using the standard deviation (SD) value divided by the mean values. SD signifies the amount of error which is similar to the imaging heterogeneity. In brain axial images, the SPAIR showed more superior SI and inhomogeneity results than the STIR. In spine, hip and knee images, STIR showed more excellent SI results, but poor inhomogeneity than the SPAIR.

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• v.12 no.9
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• pp.4336-4354
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• 2018

Fuzzy C-means (FCM) algorithm is a most usually technique for medical image segmentation. But conventional FCM fails to perform well enough on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data with the noise and intensity inhomogeneity (IIH). In the paper, we propose a Gamma correction conditional FCM algorithm with spatial information (GcsFCM) to solve this problem. Firstly, the pre-processing, Gamma correction, is introduced to enhance the details of images. Secondly, the spatial information is introduced to reduce the effect of noise. Then we introduce the effective neighborhood mechanism into the local space information to improve the robustness for the noise and inhomogeneity. And the mechanism describes the degree of participation in generating local membership values and building clusters. Finally, the adjustment mechanism and the spatial information are combined into the weighted membership function. Experimental results on four image volumes with noise and IIH indicate that the proposed GcsFCM algorithm is more effective and robust to noise and IIH than the FCM, sFCM and csFCM algorithms.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Telematics and Electronics D
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• v.35D no.3
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• pp.91-97
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• 1998

In a LiNbO$_{3}$ crystal, optical noise is caused by the inhomogeneity of crystal inside if the excess energy is incident on the crystal. In this paper, we experiemnt the influence of optical noise when it is applied for beam diffraction and optical information storage. And it is proposed the energy threshold level which is not affected by optical noise in Fe-LiNbO$_{3}$ crystal(0.02Wt.% doped, 10mm*10mm*10mm). The optical noise of crystal weremeasured as a function of the incident beam intensity(10mw, 5mw, 1mw, 0.5mw), direction in incident(orthogonal, left rotation, right rotation) and wavelength(514.5nm, 632.8nm).

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 1998.10a
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• pp.210-221
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• 1998

In the period from the year 1500 to 1980. at least 14 large earthquake with epicenters in the northeastern China and Yellow Sea were felt or destructive in the Korean Peninsula. The most sigmificant events among them were the 1668 July 25 Tancheng earthquake of mamnitude 8.5, and the 1975 Feb. 4 Haicheng earthquake of magnitude 7.3. The Haicheng earthquake of the year 1975 in am extraordinary one among those occurred in the northeastern China in the 20th century in the sense the Shake of the event affected all over the Korean Peninsula. The tremor was felt even at the southeastern tip of the Korea and northern part of Kyushu 700km far away from the epicenter. In order to see the variation and trend of the effect of the Haicheng earthquake on the Korean Peninsula, the two data sets of the northern and southern parts of the peninsula were merged into one combined data set. The spatial variation of intensity shows smooth decrease from the value 4 of the northwestern region near the source to the value 1 of the Cheju Island and Kjushu. However, there are four regions of locally high intensity value. They are the region along downstream of Abrok(Yalu) River with intensity 5, the region around Shinpo of intensity 4, the area comprising Seoul and Chuncheon Cities of intensity 4, and Pohang-Pusan area of intensity 3. We suppose that there might be three types of possible mechanisms. The first one is concerned with the lateral inhomogeneity of velocity in the crust caused by wide distribution of relatively fractured rock. The second one is related with reflections of surface waves caused by the crestal thinning effect at border regions of the Peninsular in contact with the Ulleung Basin and the Japan Basin. The third possibility is local site effect caused by thick Tertiary or Quaternary rocks and soil layers.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.168-177
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• 2015

Purpose: Brain surface intensity model (BSIM)-based cortical thickness analysis does not require complicated 3D segmentation of brain gray/white matters. Instead, this technique uses the local intensity profile to compute cortical thickness. The aim of the present study was to evaluate intra-rater and inter-rater reliability of BSIM-based cortical thickness analysis using images from elderly participants. Materials and Methods: Fifteen healthy elderly participants (ages, 55-84 years) were included in this study. High-resolution 3D T1-spoiled gradient recalled-echo (SPGR) images were obtained using 3T MRI. BSIM-based processing steps included an inhomogeneity correction, intensity normalization, skull stripping, atlas registration, extraction of intensity profiles, and calculation of cortical thickness. Processing steps were automatic, with the exception of semiautomatic skull stripping. Individual cortical thicknesses were compared to a database indicating mean cortical thickness of healthy adults, in order to produce Z-score thinning maps. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated in order to evaluate inter-rater and intra-rater reliabilities. Results: ICCs for intra-rater reliability were excellent, ranging from 0.751-0.940 in brain regions except the right occipital, left anterior cingulate, and left and right cerebellum (ICCs = 0.65-0.741). Although ICCs for inter-rater reliability were fair to excellent in most regions, poor inter-rater correlations were observed for the cingulate and occipital regions. Processing time, including manual skull stripping, was $17.07{\pm}3.43min$. Z-score maps for all participants indicated that cortical thicknesses were not significantly different from those in the comparison databases of healthy adults. Conclusion: BSIM-based cortical thickness measurements provide acceptable intra-rater and inter-rater reliability. We therefore suggest BSIM-based cortical thickness analysis as an adjunct clinical tool to detect cortical atrophy.