• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.118-130
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• 2021

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption in mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) patients with post-concussion syndrome (PCS) using dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and automatic whole brain segmentation. Materials and Methods: Forty-two consecutive mTBI patients with PCS who had undergone post-traumatic MR imaging, including DCE MR imaging, between October 2016 and April 2018, and 29 controls with DCE MR imaging were included in this retrospective study. After performing three-dimensional T1-based brain segmentation with FreeSurfer software (Laboratory for Computational Neuroimaging), the mean K^trans and v_p from DCE MR imaging (derived using the Patlak model and extended Tofts and Kermode model) were analyzed in the bilateral cerebral/cerebellar cortex, bilateral cerebral/cerebellar white matter (WM), and brainstem. K^trans values of the mTBI patients and controls were calculated using both models to identify the model that better reflected the increased permeability owing to mTBI (tendency toward higher K^trans values in mTBI patients than in controls). The Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman rank correlation test were performed to compare the mean K^trans and v_p between the two groups and correlate K^trans and v_p with neuropsychological tests for mTBI patients. Results: Increased permeability owing to mTBI was observed in the Patlak model but not in the extended Tofts and Kermode model. In the Patlak model, the mean K^trans in the bilateral cerebral cortex was significantly higher in mTBI patients than in controls (p = 0.042). The mean v_p values in the bilateral cerebellar WM and brainstem were significantly lower in mTBI patients than in controls (p = 0.009 and p = 0.011, respectively). The mean K^trans of the bilateral cerebral cortex was significantly higher in patients with atypical performance in the auditory continuous performance test (commission errors) than in average or good performers (p = 0.041). Conclusion: BBB disruption, as reflected by the increased K^trans and decreased v_p values from the Patlak model, was observed throughout the bilateral cerebral cortex, bilateral cerebellar WM, and brainstem in mTBI patients with PCS.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.75-82
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• 2010

A recent progress on the prediction of the thermal stability of a nanostructured exchange-coupled trilayer is reviewed. An analytical/numerical combined method is used to calculate its magnetic energy barrier and hence the thermal stability parameter. An important feature of the method is the use of an analytical equation for the total energy that contains the magnetostatic fields. Under an assumption of the single domain state, the effective values of all the magnetostatic fields can be obtained by averaging their nonuniform values over the entire magnetic volume. In an equilibrium state, however, it is not easy to calculate the magnetostatic fields at the saddle point due to the absence of suitable methods of the accessing its magnetic configuration. This difficulty is overcome with the use of equations that link the magnetostatic fields at the saddle point and critical fields. Since the critical fields can readily be obtained by micromagnetic simulation, the present method should provide accurate results for the thermal stability of a nanostructured exchange-coupled trilayer.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.186-191
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• 2006

Ferromagnetic amorphous $Ni_{16}Fe_{62}Si_8B_{14}$ and $Co_{70.5}Fe_{4.5}Si_{15}B_{10}$ layers have been devised and incorporated as free layers of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) to improve MRAM reading and writing performance. The NiFeSiB and CoFeSiB single-layer film exhibited a lower saturation magnetization ($Ms=800emu/cm^3,\;and\;560emu/cm^3$, respectively) compared to that of a $Co_{90}Fe_{10}(Ms=1400emu/cm^3)$. Because amorphous ferromagnetic materials have lower Ms than crystalline ones, the MTJs incorporating amorphous ferromagnetic materials offer lower switching field ($H_{sw}$) values than that of the traditional CoFe-based MTJ. The double-barrier MTJ with an amorphous NiFeSiB free layer offered smooth surface resulting in low bias voltage dependence, and high $V_h\;and\;V_{bd}$ compared with the values of the traditional CoFe-based MTJ.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.285-291
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• 2004

To determine the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings and natural history of cerebral fat embolism in a cat model, and to correlate the MR imaging and histologic fmdings. Intemel carotid artery of 11 cats was injected with 0.1 ml of triolein. T2-weighted, T1-weighted and Gd-enhanced T1-weighted images were obtained serially for 2 hours, 1 days, 4 days, 1 week, 2 weeks and 3 weeks after embolization. Any abnormal signal intensity was evaluated. After MR imaging at 3 weeks, brain tissue was obtained for light microscopic (LM) examination using hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and Luxol fast blue staining, and for electron microscopic examination. The LM examination with HE staining revealed normal histological findings in the greater part of an embolized lesion. Cystic change was observed in the gray matter of 8 cats, while in the gray and white matter of 3 cats. At LM examination, Luxol fast blue, staining demonstrated demyelination around the cystic change occurring in the white matter, and EM examination of the embolized cortex revealed sporadic intracapillary fat vacuoles (n=11) and disruption of the blood-brain barrier (n=4). Most lesions were normal, however, and perivascular interstitial edema and cellular swelling were mild compared with the control side. The greater part of an embolized lesion showed reversible findings at MR and histological examination. Irreversible focal necrosis was, however, observed in gray and white matter at weeks 3.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.85-105
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• 1998

Prions cause neurodegenerative diseases in animals and humans. The scrapie prion protein (PrPSc) is the major-possibly only-component of the infectious prion and is generated from the cellular isoform (PrPC) by a conformational change. Limited proteolysis of PrPSc produces an polypeptide comprised primarily of residues 90 to 231, which retains infectivity. The three-dimensional structure of rPrP(90-231), a recombinant protein resembling PrPC with the Syrian hamster (SHa) sequence, was solved using multidimensional NMR. Low-resolution structures of rPrP(90-231), synthetic peptides up to 56 residues, a longer (29-231, full-length) protein with SHa sequence, and a short here further structure refinement of rPrP(90-231) and dynamic features of the protein. Consideration of these features in the context of published data suggests regions of conformational heterogeneity, structural elements involved in the PrPC\longrightarrowPrPSc transformation, and possible structural features related to a species barrier to transmission of prion diseases.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.17-21
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• 2005

We report the oscillation of the Josephson vortex-flow resistance in the rectangular stacks of $Bi_{2}Sr_{2}CaCu_{2}O_{8+x}$(Bi-2212) intrinsic Josephson junctions (IJJs). Apiece of Bi-2212 single crystal containing a few tens of IJJs was sandwiched between two gold electrodes and fabricated into a rectangular shape with the typical lateral size of about $1.5{\times}10\;{\mu}m^2$, using e-beam lithography and focused ion-beam etching techniques. In a tesla-range magnetic field applied in parallel with the junction planes, the oscillation of the Josephson vortex flow resistance was observed at temperatures near 60 K. The oscillation results from the interplay between the triangular Josephson vortex lattice and the potential barrier at the boundary of a single crystal. The oscillatory magnetoresistance for different bias currents, external magnetic fields, and the tilt-angles provides useful information on the dynamics of the coupled Josephson-vortex lattice system.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 1999.07a
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• pp.29-29
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• 1999

The synthesis of layered structures on the nanometer scale has become essential for continued improvements in the operation of various electronic and magnetic devices. Abrupt metal-metal interfaces are desired for applications ranging from metallization in semiconductor devices to fabrication of magnetoresistive tunnel junctions for read heads on magnetic disk drives. In particular, characterizing the interface structure between various transition metals (TM) and aluminum is desirable. We have used the techniques of MeV ion backscattering and channeling (HEIS), x-ray photoemission (ZPS), x-ray photoelectron diffraction(XPD), low-energy ion scattering (LEIS), and low-energy electron diffraction(LEED), together with computer simulations using embedded atom potentials, to study solid-solid interface structure for thin films of Ni, Fe, Co, Pd, Ti, and Ag on Al(001), Al(110) and Al(111) surfaces. Considerations of lattice matching, surface energies, or compound formation energies alone do not adequately predict our result, We find that those metals with metallic radii smaller than Al(e.g. Ni, Fe, Co, Pd) tend to form alloys at the TM-Al interface, while those atoms with larger atomic radii(e.g. Ti, Ag) form epitaxial overlayers. Thus we are led to consider models in which the strain energy associated with alloy formation becomes a kinetic barrier to alloying. Furthermore, we observe the formation of metastable fcc Ti up to a critical thickness of 5 monolayers on Al(001) and Al(110). For Ag films we observe arbitrarily thick epitaxial growth exceeding 30 monolayers with some Al alloying at the interface, possible driven by interface strain relief. Typical examples of these interface structures will be discussed.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.221-225
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• 2005

To investigate the spectroscopic findings of embolized lesions induced with a fat-emulsion technique with magnetic resonance images (MRI). A fat emulsion was made with 0.1 ml of triolein and 20 ml of normal saline. In 12 cats, the internal carotid artery was infused with the fat emulsion. Contrast-enhanced T1-weighted MRI and multivoxel spectroscopy were obtained at 1 hour, 1 and 4 days, and 1 week after embolization. NAA (N-acetylaspartate), Cr (creatine) and Cho (choline) were evaluated on the spectroscopy. Statitistical analysis wsperformed at the embolized and contralateral normal hemisphere in the integral and amplitude of NAA, Cr and Nho in time course. Also NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr were compared in both hemisphere and in time course. The emboli zed lesions showed contrast enhance ments on Gd-enhanced Tl-weighted i~ages at 1 hour. This contrast enhancement was decreased at day 1, and id not appear agter day 4. In spectroscopy, the embolized hemisphere showed no statistical difference to the normal contralateral side at 1 hour and in time course. NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr were not significantly different in both hemispheres at 1 hour and in time course. Cerebral-fat embolism induced by a triolein emulsion in cats revealed no statistical difference on MR spectroscopy. Triolein-emulsion can be used in the study of blood-brain barrier.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2014

We calculated the resonance tunneling energy band in the BCS gap for Type-II superconductor in which periodic potential is generated by external magnetic flux. In this model, penetrating magnetic flux was assumed to be in a fixed lattice state which is not moving by an external force. We observed the existence of two subbands when we used the same parameters as for the $Nd_{1.85}Ce_{0.15}CuO_X$ thin film experiment. The voltages at which the regions of negative differential resistivity (NDR) started after the resonant tunneling ended were in a good agreement with the experimental data in the field region of 1 T - 2.2 T, but not in the high field regions. Discrepancy occurred in the high field region is considered to be caused by that the potential barrier could not be maintained because the current induced by resonant tunneling exceeds the superconducting critical current. In order to have better agreement in the low field region, more concrete designing of the potential rather than a simple square well used in the calculation might be needed. Based on this result, we can predict an occurrence of the electromagnetic radiation of as much difference of energy caused by the 2nd order resonant tunneling in which electrons transit from the 2nd band to the 1st band in the potential wells.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.76-80
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• 2001

We have fabricated YBa$_2$Cu$_3$$O_{7-x}$ (YBCO) ramp-edge Josephson junctions by modifying ramp edges of the base electrodes without depositing any artificial barrier layer. YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O/7-x//SrTiO$_3$ (YBCO/STO) films were deposited on SrTiO$_3$(100) by on-axis KrF laser deposition. After patterning the bottom YBCO/STO layer, the ramp edge was cleaned by ion-beam and then reacted with deionized water under various conditions prior to the deposition of counter-electrode layers. The top YBCO/STO layer was deposited and patterned by photolithography and ion milling. We measured current-voltage (I-V) characteristics, magnetic field modulation of the critical current at 77 K. Some showed resistively shunted junction (RSJ)-type I-V characteristics, while others exhibited flux-flow behaviors, depending on the dipping time of the ramp edge in deionized water. Junctions fabricated using optimized conditions showed fairly uniform distribution of junction parameters such as I$_{c}$R$_{n}$ values, which were about 0.16 mV at 77 K with 1$\sigma$~ 24%. We made a dc SQUID with the same deionized water treated junctions, and it showed the sinusoidal modulation under applied magnetic field at 77 K. 77 K.