• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.338-343
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• 2007

BOLD T2*-weighted MR images reflects cortical blood flow and oxygenation alterations. fMRI study relies on the detection of localized changes in BOLD signal intensity. Since fMRI measures the very small modulations in BOLD signal intensity that occur during changes in brain activity, it is also very sensitive to small signal intensity variations caused by physiologic noise during the scan. Due to the complexity of movement of various organs associated with heart beat, it is important to reduce cardiac related noise rather than other physiological noise which could be required with relatively simple method. Therefore, a number of methods have been developed for the estimation and reduction of cardiac noise in fMRI study. But, each method has limitation. In this study, we proposed a new estimation method for brain activities influenced by blood pulsation effect using regression analysis with blood pulsation signal and the correspond slice of fMRI. We could find out that the right anterior cingulate cortex and right olfactory cortex and left olfactory cortex were largely influenced by blood pulsation effect for new method. These observed areas are mostly on the structure of anterior cerebral artery in the brain. That is convinced with that our method would be valid and our new method is easier to apply in practice and reduce computational burden than the retrospective method.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.296-315
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• 2019

Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is widely used in many areas of cardiovascular disease assessment. This is a practical, standard CMR protocol for beginners that is designed to be easy to follow and implement. This protocol guideline is based on previously reported CMR guidelines and includes sequence terminology used by vendors, essential MR physics, imaging planes, field strength considerations, MRI-conditional devices, drugs for stress tests, various CMR modules, and disease/symptom-based protocols based on a survey of cardiologists and various appropriate-use criteria. It will be of considerable help in planning and implementing tests. In addressing CMR usage and creating this protocol guideline, we particularly tried to include useful tips to overcome various practical issues and improve CMR imaging. We hope that this document will continue to standardize and simplify a patient-based approach to clinical CMR and contribute to the promotion of public health.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.781-786
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• 1995

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE) was performed in a 61 year old male patient with hepatocellular carcinoma with 10 cc of Lipiodol and 50 mg of doxorubicin. Three days later, he complained of dyspnea and dry cough. The arterial blood gas study revealed moderate hypoxemia and hypocarbia. The chest PA showed acute pulmonary edema with bilateral pleural effusion. To rule out the possibilities of acute respiratory failure caused by infection, pulmonary embolism or congestive heart failure, we performed several laboratory studies. The blood and sputum culture studies revealed negative results for bacterial growth. The echocardiogram was normal. The abdominal CT scan and MR imaging revealed no thrombus or mass lesion in the inferior vena cava. So we concluded pulmonary oil embolism induced by lipiodol as the cause of acute lung injury. Four weeks later, clinical symptoms and chest x-ray were markedly improved with conservative care. We report a case of acute lung injury after TACE with lipiodol and doxorubicin, with review of literatures.

• English & American cultural studies
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.89-110
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• 2016

Since he was an exile, Henry James himself was well aware of agonies as an outsider in either Europe or America. Such an anguish is deftly depicted in the character of Felix Young with James's unique ironic tone. Unlike James, however, Felix is neither affluent nor distinguished as an artist. Nor is he supported by any patron. Furthermore, at first, he doesn't seem to survive the strict joyless environment in New England, but he possesses his own survival value. His unique esthetic value and his beautiful smile enable him to win Gertrude's heart. His adroit balance between pleasure-seeker and respect for American serious culture without hostility ultimately ends up with his marrying Gertrude. His arrival in Boston might pose a threat as Mr. Wentworth fears. Actually he subverts the traditional idea of an artist. He is armed with amiability and frankness, which are incongruous with a stereotypical idea of an artist: a willful, freakish, and self-righteous person. Felix here suggests to us that a new kind of modern art be possible. Gertrude is also a new woman who opposes to staying put under the patriarchal society. She is always wavering in and out of the house, searching for opportunities to quench her curiosity to see the world by breaking the bond of New England. Her ceaseless quest for independent values results in fortuitous encounter with a new species of artist Felix. Unlike Henry James's other novels, in which male characters assume a role of sophisticated "fortune-hunter," the union of Felix and Gertrude in The Europeans represents the compromise between two different cultures. According to Nietzsche, the birth of superman is possible by the union of Athens and Jerusalem. In other words, the matrimony of Felix and Gertrude means the commingling of his liberal arts and Gertrude's moral seriousness might contribute to the birth of the new culture.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.51-57
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• 2016

Acoustic noise during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the main source for patient discomfort. we report our preliminary experience with this technique in neuroimaging with regard to subjective and objective noise levels and image quality. 60 patients(29 males, 31 females, average age of 60.1) underwent routine brain MRI with 3.0 Tesla (MAGNETOM Tim Trio; Siemens, Germany) system and 12-channel head coil. Q-$T_2$ and $T_2$ sequence were performed. Measurement of sound pressure levels (SPL) and heart rate on Q-$T_2$ and $T_2$ was performed respectively. Quantitative analysis was carried out by measuring the SNR, CNR, and SIR values of Q-$T_2$, $T_2$ and a statistical analysis was performed using independent sample T-test. Qualitative analysis was evaluated by the eyes for the overall quality image of Q-$T_2$ and $T_2$. A 5-point evaluation scale was used, including excellent(5), good(4), fair(3), poor(2), and unacceptable(1). The average noise and peak noise decreased by $15dB_A$ and $10dB_A$ on $T_2$ and Q-$T_2$ test. Also, the average value of heartbeat rate was lower in Q-$T_2$ for 120 seconds in each test, but there was no statistical significance. The quantitative analysis showed that there was no significant difference between CNR and SIR, and there was a significant difference (p<0.05) as SNR had a lower average value on Q-$T_2$. According to the qualitative analysis, the overall quality image of 59 case $T_2$ and Q-$T_2$ was evaluated as excellent at 5 points, and 1 case was evaluated as good at 4 points due to a motion artifact. Q-$T_2$ is a promising technique for acoustic noise reduction and improved patient comfort.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.4704-4710
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• 2015

The purpose of this study is to obtain a useful diagnostic image by increasing the signal strength of the peripheral artery, was to use a T1 shortening effect of gadolinium contrast agents to improve the disadvantages of the phase image. From october to december 2014 thirty patients were underwent the MRI scanning, except for heart disease. Research method was evaluated comparing the image after gadolinium contrast MR image acquisition step before evaluating the difference between the signal intensity for T1 shortening effect. In frontal lobe 19.45%, temporal lobe 23.09%, occipital lobe 25.45%, parietal lobe 18.82%, cerebellum 20.93% after peripheral arterial signal strength results of gadolinium contrast agent injection was increased significantly after injection of gadolinium both statistically significant. After injecting a contrast agent gadolinium in SWI by increasing the signal strength of the T1 shortening effect can be obtained when using the phase image to give a useful image in diagnosis and treatment.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.444-448
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• 1996

Hemolytic anemia due to tiny prosthetic paravalvular leakage is one of a complication of prosthetic valve replacement. Mild Hemolysls usually occurs after aortic valve replacement with mechanical valve but rarely occurs in mitral valve position especially in case of tissue valve. Cardiac valves fabricated from biologic material are associated with a reduced incidence of hemolytic anemia. Hemolysis was reported in patients with an lonescu-Shiley bovine pericardial xenograft prosthesis in the aortic position but not in the mitral site. A 41-year-old female patient was admitted due to sudden development dark colored urine. About 10 years ago the patient was underwent MVR (Mitral Valve Re lacement) with fTmm lonescu-Shiley valve due to MR (Mitral regurgitation). Echocardiographic examination showed mild degree of mitral regurgitation with valvular thickening. However, there was no definitive evidence of paravalvular leakage. The peripheral blood smear showed nomochromic normocytic anemia, but the hematologic and urinary examination revealed severe hemolytic evidence. Mitral valve replacement with St. Jude Medical valve (27mm) was done and intraoperatively, a tiny paravalvular leakage was found which was regarded as the point of hemolysis. The hemolytic evidence completely disappeared. We are reporting a case of severe hemolytic anemia due to tiny prosthetic paravalvular leakage with a review of the literature.

• Journal of International Area Studies (JIAS)
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.345-368
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• 2009

Our research task have goal to describe a treaty rhetoric known as 『La Rhétorique ou L'Art de Parler』(1688) which corresponds to a very wide field of which the step is not yet dubious in our country. Thus to study the rhetoric of Lamy borrowed from the thought of Descartes, we left the concept d' origin of language in traditional rhetoric in connection with logic and grammar (in first part). Also the second part is devoted to the tropes and the figures that are modified and deteriorated by the language of passion called 'rhetoric of passion or psychological of figure', etc. And the third part interests in the body of the speech being the character of l' heart. Under the influence of the rhetoric of Lamy, French rhetoric at the 17th century is held for an essential text when one interests in the history of the ideas and rhetoric, marked in its specificity (passion). The project of Lamy registered in the concept of passion like 'manners of speaking'. To close this study, which does one have to retain? The first remark to note is that Lamy founds his rhetoric in opposition to traditional designs dating from the beginning of Aristote. Second remark is the idea that one finds based in famous the books of Dumarsais at the 18th century and Fontanier at the 19th century. Admittedly, Lamy is a true rhetorician, grammairien which interests in the question of passions in the speech forces to reconsider the idea spread since Mr. Foucault, and makes it possible to understand the passage of the Great century at the Century of Lumuères. Even if this opinion is not shared, it will be agreed that the work of Lamy on passions or the phenomena sensory and psychological in the center of the language deserves reflexion.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.1525-1536
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• 2021

Objective: To investigate the feasibility of cine three-dimensional (3D) balanced steady-state free precession (b-SSFP) imaging combined with a non-local means (NLM) algorithm for image denoising in evaluating cardiac function in children with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF). Materials and Methods: Thirty-five patients with rTOF (mean age, 12 years; range, 7-18 years) were enrolled to undergo cardiac cine image acquisition, including two-dimensional (2D) b-SSFP, 3D b-SSFP, and 3D b-SSFP combined with NLM. End-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV), stroke volume (SV), and ejection fraction (EF) of the two ventricles were measured and indexed by body surface index. Acquisition time and image quality were recorded and compared among the three imaging sequences. Results: 3D b-SSFP with denoising vs. 2D b-SSFP had high correlation coefficients for EDV, ESV, SV, and EF of the left (0.959-0.991; p < 0.001) as well as right (0.755-0.965; p < 0.001) ventricular metrics. The image acquisition time ± standard deviation (SD) was 25.1 ± 2.4 seconds for 3D b-SSFP compared with 277.6 ± 0.7 seconds for 2D b-SSFP, indicating a significantly shorter time with the 3D than the 2D sequence (p < 0.001). Image quality score was better with 3D b-SSFP combined with denoising than with 3D b-SSFP (mean ± SD, 3.8 ± 0.6 vs. 3.5 ± 0.6; p = 0.005). Signal-to-noise ratios for blood and myocardium as well as contrast between blood and myocardium were higher for 3D b-SSFP combined with denoising than for 3D b-SSFP (p < 0.05 for all but septal myocardium). Conclusion: The 3D b-SSFP sequence can significantly reduce acquisition time compared to the 2D b-SSFP sequence for cine imaging in the evaluation of ventricular function in children with rTOF, and its quality can be further improved by combining it with an NLM denoising method.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.8
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• pp.1253-1265
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• 2021

Objective: To investigate the prognostic value of preoperative cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for long-term major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) in patients undergoing tricuspid valve (TV) surgery for functional tricuspid regurgitation (TR). Materials and Methods: The preoperative cardiac MR images, New York Heart Association functional class, comorbidities, and clinical events of 78 patients (median [interquartile range], 59 [51-66.3] years, 28.2% male) who underwent TV surgery for functional TR were comprehensively reviewed. Cox proportional hazards analyses were performed to assess the associations of clinical and imaging parameters with MACCEs and all-cause mortality. Results: For the median follow-up duration of 5.4 years (interquartile range, 1.2-6.6), MACCEs and all-cause mortality were 51.3% and 23.1%, respectively. The right ventricular (RV) end-systolic volume index (ESVI) and the systolic RV mass index (RVMI) were higher in patients with MACCEs than those without them (77 vs. 68 mL/m², p = 0.048; 23.5 vs. 18.0%, p = 0.011, respectively). A high RV ESVI was associated with all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] per value of 10 higher ESVI = 1.10, p = 0.03). A high RVMI was also associated with all-cause mortality (HR per increase of 5 mL/m² RVMI = 1.75, p < 0.001). After adjusting for age and sex, only RVMI remained a significant predictor of MACCEs and all-cause mortality (p < 0.05 for both). After adjusting for multiple clinical variables, RVMI remained significantly associated with all-cause mortality (p = 0.005). Conclusion: RVMI measured on preoperative cardiac MRI was an independent predictor of long-term outcomes in patients who underwent TV surgery for functional TR.