• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.558-574
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• 2014

The number of fatty liver patients is sharply growing due to the rapid increase in the incidence of metabolic syndrome, which can lead to diseases such as abdominal obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. Early diagnosis requires examinations using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), wherein quantitative analyses are implemented through a professional water-fat separation method in many cases, as the intensity values of the areas of interest and non-interest are considerably similar or the same. However, such separation method generates inaccurate results in high magnetic fields, where the inhomogeneity of the fields increases. To overcome the limits of such conventional fat quantification methods, this paper proposes a field map estimation method that is effective in high magnetic fields. This method generates field maps through echo images that are obtained using the existing IDEAL sequences, and considers the wrapping degree of the field maps. Then clustering is performed to separate calibration areas, the least square fits based on the region growing method schema of the separated calibration areas, and the histograms are adjusted to separate the water from the fats. In experiment results, our proposed method had a superior fat detection rate of an average of 86.4%, compared to the ideal method with an average of 61.5% and Yu's method with an average of 62.6%. In addition, it was confirmed that the proposed method had a more accurate water detection rate of 98.4% on the average than the 88.6% average of the fat saturation method.

• Proceedings of the KSMRM Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.103-105
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• 2003

After fifteen years of development, Magnetic Resonance (MR) technology for human imaging and spectroscopy is reaching a refined state with FDA approved 3T clinical products from Siemens, GE, and Philips. Broker has cleared CE approval with a 4T system. Varian supports a 4T system platform as well. Shielded magnets are standard at 3T from GE, Oxford, Magnex, and IGC. A shielded 4T whole body magnet is available from Oxford. Stronger switched gradients and dynamic shim coils, desired at any field, areespecially useful at higher static magnetic fields B0. In addition to the higher currents required for higher resolution slice or volume selection afforded by higher SNR, whole body gradient coils will be driven at increasing slew rates to meet the needs of new cardiac applications and other requirements. For example 3T and 4T systems are now being equipped with 2kV, 500A gradient coils and amplifiers capable of generating 4G/cm in 200msec, over a 67+/-cm bore diameter. High field EPI applications require oscillation rates at 1 kHz and higher. To achieve a benchmark 0.2 ppm shim over a 30cm sphere in a high field magnet, at least four stages of shimming need to be considered. 1) A good high field magnet will be built to a homogeneity spec. falling in the range of 100 to 150 ppm over this 30cm spherical "sweet spot" 2) Most modern high field magnets will also have superconducting shim coils capable of finding 1.5 ppm by their adjustment during system installation. 3) Passive ferro-magnetic shimming combined with 4) active, high order room temperature shim coils (as many as five orders are now being recommended) will accomplish 0.2 ppm over the 30cm sphere, and 0.1 ppm over a human brain in even the highest field magnets for human studies. Safety concerns for strong, fast gradients at any B0 field include acoustic noise and peripheral nerve stimulation. One or more of the mechanical decoupling methods may lead to quieter gradients. Patient positioning relative to asymmetric or short gradient coils may limit peripheral nerve stimulation at higher slew rates. Gradient designs combining a short coil for local speed and strength with a longer coil for coverage are being developed for 3T systems. Local gradients give another approach to maximizing performance over a limited region while keeping within the physiologically imposed dB0/dt performance limits.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SC
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• v.44 no.4 s.316
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• pp.55-60
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• 2007

In high field (> 3 T) MR imaging, the magnetic field inhomogeneity in the target object increases due to the nonuniform electro-magnetic characteristics of the relatively high RF frequency. Especially in the body imaging, the effect causes more serious problems resulting in locally high SAR(Specific Absorption Ratio). In this paper, we propose an optimized parallel-transmission RF coil and show the utility of the coil by FDTD simulations to overcome the unwanted effects. Three types of TX coil elements are tested to maximize the efficiency and their driving patterns(amplitude and phase) optimized to have adequate field homogeneity, proper SAR level, and sufficient field strength. For the proposed coil element of $25cm{\times}8cm$ loop structure with 12 channels for a 3.0 T body coil, the field non-uniformity of more than 70% without optimization was reduced to about 26 % after the optimization of driving patterns. The experimental as well as simulation results show that the proposed parallel driving scheme is clinically useful for (ultra) high field MRI.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.154-161
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• 2013

This study assessed compared photon and proton treatment techniques, such as intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), uniform scanning proton therapy (USPT), and intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT), for a total of 10 prostate cancers. All treatment plans delivered 70 Gy to 95% of the planned target volume in 28 fractions. IMRT plans had 7 fields for the step and shoot technique, while USPT and IMPT plans employed two equally weighted, parallel-opposed lateral fields to deliver the prescribed dose to the planned target. Inverse planning was then incorporated to optimize IMPT. The homogeneity index (HI) and conformity index (CI) for the target and the normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) for organ at risk (OAR) were calculated. Although the mean HI and CI for target were not significantly different for each treatment techniques, the NTCP of the rectum was 2.233, 3.326, and 1.707 for IMRT, USPT, and IMPT, respectively. The NTCP of the bladder was 0.008, 0.003, and 0.002 respectively. The NTCP values at the rectum and bladder were significantly lower using IMPT. Our study shows that using proton therapy, particularly IMPT, to treat prostate cancer could be beneficial compared to 7-field IMRT with similar target coverage. Given these results, radiotherapy using protons, particularly optimized IMPT, is a worthwhile treatment option for prostate cancer.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.65-73
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• 2019

Purpose: We evaluated the motion-induced dosimetric effects on the field-in-field (FIF) technique for whole-breast irradiation (WBI) using actual patient organ motion data obtained from cine electronic portal imaging device (cine EPID) images during treatment. Materials and Methods: Ten breast cancer patients who received WBI after breast-conserving surgery were selected. The static FIF (SFIF) plan involved the application of two parallel opposing tangential and boost FIFs. To obtain the amplitude of the internal organ motion during treatment, cine EPID images were acquired five times for each patient. The outside contour of the breast (OCB) and chest wall (CW) contour were tracked using in-house motion analysis software. Intrafractional organ motion was analyzed. The dynamic FIF (DFIF) reflecting intrafractional organ motion incorporated into the SFIF plan was calculated and compared with the SFIF in terms of the dose homogeneity index (DHI_90/10) for the target and V₂₀ for the ipsilateral lung. Results: The average motion amplitudes along the X and Y directions were 1.84±1.09 mm and 0.69±0.50 mm for OCB and 1.88±1.07 mm and 1.66±1.49 mm for CW, respectively. The maximum motion amplitudes along the X and Y directions were 5.53 and 2.08 mm for OCB and 5.22 and 6.79 mm for CW, respectively. Significant differences in DHI_90/10 values were observed between SFIF and DFIF (0.94 vs 0.95, P<0.05) in statistical analysis. The average V₂₀ for the lung in the DFIF was slightly higher than that of the SFIF in statistical analysis (19.21 vs 19.00, P<0.05). Conclusion: Our findings indicate that the FIF technique can form a safe and effective treatment method for WBI. Regular monitoring using cine EPID images can be effective in reducing motion-induced dosimetric errors.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.307-314
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• 2006

Elevation differences within a paddy field relate strongly to plant health, crop homogeneity, and pest control. For precision agriculture (PA), the elevation within a field should be precisely controlled. We analyzed variation in elevation within two rice paddies over one crop cycle. The study took place in two rectangular plots (Field A and Field B, each $50m{\times}30m$). Elevations within the two plots were measured by a laser-equipped surveying instrument, that could determine elevations to precisions of 1 mm. The test fields were divided into grids with 30 squares; elevation was measured at the center of each $5{\times}10-m$ grid square. This study measured elevation during nine observation periods from pre-plowing to post-harvest. Descriptive statistics showed the highest elevations after plowing due to soil disturbance. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant elevation differences before and after plowing and transplanting, although elevations were similar over the period of crop growth. Comparison of pre-plowing and post-harvest data showed differences in elevations, indicating that elevation changes occurred during plowing, rice transplanting, plant growth, and harvesting. In summary, the above statistical analyses indicated that elevation changes occurred due to plowing but not during the plant growth season or due to harvesting.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.18-25
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• 2016

Purpose: Radiotherapy of the neck is known to cause carotid artery stenosis. We compared the carotid artery dose received between volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and conventional fixed-field intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) plans in patients with early glottic cancer. Materials and Methods: Twenty-one early glottic cancer patients who previously underwent definitive radiotherapy were selected for this study. For each patient, double arc VMAT, 8-field IMRT, 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT), and lateral parallel-opposed photon field radiotherapy (LPRT) plans were created. The 3DCRT plan was generated using lateral parallel-opposed photon fields plus an anterior photon field. VMAT and IMRT treatment plan optimization was performed under standardized conditions to obtain adequate target volume coverage and spare the carotid artery. Dose-volume specifications for the VMAT, IMRT, 3DCRT, and LPRT plans were calculated with radiotherapy planning system. Monitor units (MUs) and delivery time were measured to evaluate treatment efficiency. Results: Target volume coverage and homogeneity results were comparable between VMAT and IMRT; however, VMAT was superior to IMRT for carotid artery dose sparing. The mean dose to the carotid arteries in double arc VMAT was reduced by 6.8% compared to fixed-field IMRT (p < 0.001). The MUs for VMAT and IMRT were not significantly different (p = 0.089). VMAT allowed an approximately two-fold reduction in treatment delivery time in comparison to IMRT (3 to 5 minutes vs. 5 to 10 minutes). Conclusion: VMAT resulted in a lower carotid artery dose compared to conventional fixed-field IMRT, and maintained good target coverage in patients with early glottic cancer.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.12 no.7
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• pp.763-774
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• 2003

This study was conducted to design long and short forms of reliable and valid Likert-type scales to measure environmental attitudes of Korean junior high school students. 8 tests were applied to the construction of a 32-item long form and 8-item short form of the scale. Two scales were field tested on 469 respondents consisting of male and female students in urban and rural areas and students participating in environmental programs. The 32-item scale was revealed to be highly reliable, content and construct valid. Reliability and homogeneity of this scale were evidenced by 0.92 coefficient alpha and positive interitem correlation values ranging from 0.10 to 0.52. Factor analysis and known-group comparison showed the sufficient validity of long form scale. Reliability and validity of short form scale were also evidenced by good results of 8 test analyses. The long and short forms were strongly correlated, ${\gamma}$-value of 0.90. Consequently, both long form and short form scales were evidenced very reliable and valid in measuring environmental attitudes of junior high school students in Korea. They can be useful for a variety of survey conditions and constraints and testing environmental attitude.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.11 no.9
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• pp.829-842
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to design a reliable and valid Likert-type scale to measure nuclear energy attitudes of various groups. 8 tests were applied to the construction of a 26-item long form, a 12-item middle form, and a 6-item short form of the scale. Three scales were field tested on 760 respondents representing a diverse range of subjects. The 26-item scale appeared to be reliable, content valid and construct valid. Scale reliability and homogeneity were evidenced by 0.95 coefficient alpha and positive interitem correlations ranging from 0.18 to 0.74. The results of factor analysis and known-groups comparison revealed that this scale had high validity. Reliability of the middle form and short form were evidenced by coefficient alpha of 0.92 and 0.90 respectively. The long and middle forms were strongly correlated, r-value of 0.98 and the long and short forms were also highly correlated, r-value of 0.93. Consequently, long form, middle form and short form scales were evidenced very reliable and valid in measuring nuclear energy attitudes of various groups in general. They can be used for a variety of purpose of measuring and testing nuclear energy attitude.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.386-398
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• 2013

This study analyzes the effect of clothing involvement using meta-analysis. Metal-analysis (the analysis of analyses) is widely used in various academic areas to integrate individual empirical studies and generalize the knowledge of a specific research field. Previous studies regarding clothing involvement published since 1990 were researched from the KISS database using clothing involvement and fashion involvement as a keyword; subsequently, 127 articles were identified. Studies that had insufficient statistics or included clothing involvement as a moderating (or intervening variable) were eliminated; subsequently, 36 articles provided a total of 75 data sets that were used for the final analysis. Dependent variables were grouped into 10 categories to compare the differences between high and low involvement groups. The effect size of clothing involvement was large in non-personal information source; however, it was small in utility, brand royalty and quality. In the 7 categories of relational studies that showed homogeneity, the relation size regarding conformity was smaller than the personal information source.