• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.73-82
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• 1998

Purpose : A precise NMR technique for measuring the rate of water exchange and cell membrane permeability across the hepatocyte membrane using liver-specific MR contrast agent is described. Materials and Methods : The rat hepatocytes isolated by perfusion of the livers were used for the NMR measurements. All experiments were performed on an IBM field cycling relaxometer operating from 0.02MHz to 60 MHz proton Larmor frequency. spin-echo pulse sequence was empolyed to measure spin-lattice relaxation time, T1. The continuous distribution analysis of water proton T1 data from rat hepatocytes containing low concentrations of the liver specific contrast agent, Gd-EOB-DTPA, modeled by a general two compartment exchange model. Results : The mean residence time of water molecule inside the hepatocyte was approximately 250 msec. The lower limit for the permeability of the hepatocyte membrane was $(1.3{\pm}0.1){\;}{\times}{\;}10^{-3}cm/sec$. The CONTIN analysis, which seeks the natural distribution of relaxation times, reveals direct evidence of the effect of diffusive exchange. the diffusive water exchange is not small in the intracellular space in the case of hepatocytes. Conclusions : Gd-EOB-DTPA, when combined with continuous distribution analysis, provides a robust method to study water exchange and membrane permeability in hepatocytes. Water exchange in hepatocyte is much slower thatn that in red blood cells. Therefore, tissue-specific contrast agent may be used as a functional agent to give physiological information such as cell membrane permeability.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.76-87
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• 2015

Purpose: There is an ongoing search for a stent material that produces a reduced susceptibility artifact. This study evaluated the effect of manganese (Mn) content on the MRI susceptibility artifact of ferrous-manganese (Fe-Mn) alloys, and investigated the correlation between MRI findings and measurements of Fe-Mn microstructure on X-ray diffraction (XRD). Materials and Methods: Fe-Mn binary alloys were prepared with Mn contents varying from 10% to 35% by weight (i.e., 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, and 35%; designated as Fe-10Mn, Fe-15Mn, Fe-20Mn, Fe-25Mn, Fe-30Mn, and Fe-35Mn, respectively), and their microstructure was evaluated using XRD. Three-dimensional spoiled gradient echo sequences of cylindrical specimens were obtained in parallel and perpendicular to the static magnetic field (B0). In addition, T1-weighted spin echo, T2-weighted fast spin echo, and $T2^*$weighted gradient echo images were obtained. The size of the low-intensity area on MRI was measured for each of the Fe-Mn binary alloys prepared. Results: Three phases of ${\alpha}^{\prime}$-martensite, ${\gamma}$-austenite, and ${\varepsilon}$-martensite were seen on XRD, and their composition changed from ${\alpha}^{\prime}$-martensite to ${\gamma}$-austenite and/or ${\varepsilon}$-martensite, with increasing Mn content. The Fe-10Mn and Fe-15Mn specimens comprised ${\alpha}^{\prime}$-martensite, the Fe-20Mn and Fe-25Mn specimens comprised ${\gamma}+{\varepsilon}$ phases, and the Fe-30Mn and Fe-35Mn specimens exhibited a single ${\gamma}$ phase. The size of the low-intensity areas of Fe-Mn on MRI decreased relative to its microstructure on XRD with increasing Mn content. Conclusion: Based on these findings, proper conditioning of the Mn content in Fe-Mn alloys will improve its visibility on MR angiography, and a Mn content of more than 25% is recommended to reduce the magnetic susceptibility artifacts on MRI. A reduced artifact of Fe-Mn alloys on MRI is closely related to the paramagnetic constitution of ${\gamma}$-austenite and/or ${\varepsilon}$-martensite.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2008

We have manufactured and evaluated reference samples for the use of low magnetic moment measurements. Before the measurements, SQUID magnetometers were magnetically shielded from external magnetic noise. We considered the purity including magnetic impurities, the optimum thickness, the modification method, and the shape in the preparation of the samples. Three paramagnetic polycrystaline metal plates of Ti, W, and Al with the area of $4mm{\times}6mm$ were prepared finally. The magnetic moments of these three samples are measured very linear up to the field of 5 T without magnetic hysteresis. The temperature deviated ratios of the magnetic moments for Ti, Al, and W from 290 K to 310 K are 0.7, 1.5, and 0.1 %, respectively. The measured magnetic moments for Ti and W samples by our research team are very well agreeable with those by two SQUID magnetometers and a VSM at Quantum Design via international round robin test. The results suggest that the prepared reference samples are well suited for the use in the low magnetic moment measurement with SQUID based magnetometers.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.02a
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• pp.135-135
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• 2010

In Mn-Ge equilibrium phase diagram, many Mn-Ge intermetallic phases can be formed with difference structures and magnetic properties. The MnGe has the cubic structure and antiferromagnetic(AFM) with Neel temperature of 197 K. The calculation predicted that the $MnGe_2$ with $Al_2Cu$-type is hard to separate between the paramagnetic(PM) states and the AFM states because this compound displays PM and AFM configuration swith similar energy. Mn-doped Ge showed the FM with Currie temperature of 285 K for bulk samples and 116 K for thin films. In addition, the $Mn_5Ge_3$ compound has hexagonal structure and FM with Curie temperature around 296K. The $Mn_{11}Ge_8$ compound has the orthorhombic structure and Tc is low at 274 K and spin flopping transition is near to 140 K. While the bulk $Mn_3Ge_2$ exhibited tetragonal structure ($a=5.745{\AA}$;$c=13.89{\AA}$) with the FM near to 300K and AFM below 150K. However, amorphous $Mn_3Ge_2$ ($a-Mn_3Ge_2$) was reported to show spin glass behavior with spin-glass transition temperature (Tg) of 53 K. In addition, the transition of crystalline $Mn_3Ge_2$ shifts under high pressure. At the atmospheric pressure, $Mn_3Ge_2$ undergoes the magnetic phase transition from AFM to FM at 158 K. The pressure dependence of the phase transition in $Mn_3Ge_2$ has been determined up to 1 GPa. The transition was found to occur at 1 GPa and 155 K with dT/dP=-0.3K/0.1 GPa. Here report that Ferromagnetic $Mn_3Ge_2$ thin films were successfully grown on GaAs(001) and GaSb(001) substrates using molecular beam epitaxy. Our result revealed that the substrate facilitates to modify magnetic and electrical properties due to tensile/compressive strain effect. The spin-flopping transition around 145 K remained for samples grown on GaSb(001) while it completely disappeared for samples grown on GaAs(001). The antiferromagnetism below 145K changed to ferromagnetism and remained upto 327K. The saturation magnetization was found to be 1.32 and $0.23\;{\mu}B/Mn$ at 5 K for samples grown on GaAs(001) and GaSb(001), respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.76-82
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• 2004

Crystallographic and magnetic properties for Brownmillerite-type oxides $Ca_{1-x}$Sr$_{x}$FeO$_{2.5}$ (x = 0, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 1.0) were investigated using x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Mossbauer spectroscopy. Polycrystalline samples were prepared by conventional solid-state reaction method. Information on exact crystalline structures, lattice parameters, bond lengths and bond angles were obtained by refining their XRD profiles using a Rietveld method. The crystal structures were found to be all orthorhombic with space group Icmm (x = 0, 0.3) and Icmm (x = 0.5, 0.7, 1.0) The lattice parameters increased monotonically with increasing Sr concentration. Both the tetrahedral and the octahedral sites were considerably distorted and elongated along b-axis. While bond lengths and bond angles O-Fe-O tend to increase minutely with the increase of Sr content, bond angles Fe-O-Fe decreased accordingly. The Mossbauer spectra showed two sets of sharp sextets originating from ferric ions occupying the tetrahedral and the octahedral sites under the magnetic transition temperature T$_{N}$. Regardless of the compositions x, the electric quadrupole splittings were -0.3 mm/s and 0.4 mm/s for the octahedral and the tetrahedral site, respectively. Above T$_{N}$, the Mossbauer spectra showed the paramagnetic doublets whose electric quadrupole splittings were about 1.6 mm/s, irrespective of compositions x. T$_{N}$ was found to decrease monotonically with the increase of Sr concentration. Ratios of absorption area for the two sites were almost 1:1 up to as high as 0.95 T$_{N}$ for all x. The result of the Debye temperature indicated that the inter-atomic binding force for the Fe atoms in the tetrahedral site was stronger than that for the octahedral site.hedral site.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.35-40
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• 2002

Purpose : To evaluate the NMR relaxation properties and imaging characteristics of tissue-specificity for a newly developed macromolecular MR agent. Materials and methods : Phthalocyanine (PC) was chelated with paramagnetic ion, Mn.2.01g (5.2 mmol) of Phthalocyanine was mixed with 0.37g (1.4 mmol) of Mn chloride at $310^{\circ}C$ for 36 hours and then purified by chromatography (CHC13/CH3OH 98/2 v/v, Rf, 0.76) to obtain 1.04g (46%) of MnPC (molecular weight= 2000d). The $T1}T2$ relaxivity of MnPC was measured in 1.5T(64 MHz) MR using 0.1 mM MnPC. The MR image characteristics of MnPC was evaluated using spin-echo (TR/TE=500/14 msec) and gradient-echo (FLASH) (TR/TE=80/4 msec, flip angle=60) techniques in 1.57 MR scanner. The images of rabbit liver were obtained every 10 minutes up to 4 hours. To study the effect of concentration on image, 20 mM, 50 mM, 100 mM of MnPC were tested. Results : The relaxivities of MnPC at 1.5T(64MHz) were Rl=7.28 $mM^{-1}S^{-1},{\;}R2=55.56mM^{-1}S^{-1}$. Compared to the values of Gd-DTPA (Rl[=4.8 $mM^{-1}S^{-1})$], R2[=5.2 $mM^{-1}S^{-1}])$]), both T1/T2 relaxivities of MnPC were higher than those of Gd-DTPA. For both of SE and FLASH techniques, the contrast enhancement reached maximum at 10 minutes after bolus injection and the enhancement continued for more than 2 hours. When compared with small molecular weight liver agents such as Gd-EOB-DTPA, Gd-BOPTA and MnDPDP, MnPC was characterized by more prolonged enhancement time. The time course of MR images also revealed biliary excretion of MnPC. Conclusion : We developed a new macromolecular MR agent, MnPC. The relaxivities of MnPC were higher than those of small molecular weight Gd-chelate. Hepatic uptake and biliary excretion of MnPC suggests that this agent is a new liver-specific MR agent.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.39-46
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• 2003

Purpose : To develop a theoretical model for magnetic relaxation behavior of the superparamagnetic nano-particle agent, which demonstrates multi-functionality such as liver- and lymp node-specificity. Based on the developed model, the computer simulation was performed to clarify the relationship between relaxation time and the applied magnetic field strength. Materials and Methods : The ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO) was encapsulated with biocompatiable polymer, to develop a relaxation model based on outsphere mechanism, which was resulting from diffusion and/or electron spin fluctuation. In addition, Brillouin function was introduced to describe the full magnetization by considering the fact that the low-field approximation, which was adapted in paramagnetic case, is no longer valid. The developed model describes therefore the T1 and T2 relaxation behavior of superparamagnetic iron oxide both in low-field and in high-field. Based on our model, the computer simulation was performed to test the relaxation behavior of superparamagnetic contrast agent over various magnetic fields using MathCad (MathCad, U.S.A.), a symbolic computation software. Results : For T1 and T2 magnetic relaxation characteristics of ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide, the theoretical model showed that at low field (<1.0 Mhz), $\tau_{S1}(\tau_{S2}$, in case of T2), which is a correlation time in spectral density function, plays a major role. This suggests that realignment of nano-magnetic particles is most important at low magnetic field. On the other hand, at high field, $\tau$, which is another correlation time in spectral density function, plays a major role. Since $\tau$ is closely related to particle size, this suggests that the difference in R1 and R2 over particle sizes, at high field, is resulting not from the realignment of particles but from the particle size itself. Within normal body temperature region, the temperature dependence of T1 and T2 relaxation time showed that there is no change in T1 and T2 relaxation times at high field. Especially, T1 showed less temperature dependence compared to T2. Conclusion : We developed a theoretical model of r magnetic relaxation behavior of ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO), which was reported to show clinical multi-functionality by utilizing physical properties of nano-magnetic particle. In addition, based on the developed model, the computer simulation was performed to investigate the relationship between relaxation time of USPIO and the applied magnetic field strength.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.8 no.11
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• pp.210-216
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• 2008

In this study, image comparisons were carried out using a MRI contrast medium which was derived by mixing a polyaminocarboxylic ligand and a gadolinium (III) transition metal which is paramagnetic and has good neutron absorbing capabilities with Gd-DTPA which is currently being used widely in the clinical setting. By using a 1.0T (Harmony, SIEMENS) MR equipment, phantoms of which 100cc of saline was diluted with a diethylenetriaminetriacetic acid derivative and Gd-DTPA were imaged. The amount of diethylenetriaminetriacetic acid and Gd-DTPA which was diluted into the 100cc of saline was 0.05mmol/L, 0.1mmol/L, 0.15mmol/L, 0.2mmol/L, 0.3mmol/L, 0.5mmol/L, 1.0mmol/L, 2.0mmol/L, 3.0mmol/L and 4.9mmol/L respectively. Head coils were used and while fixing the SE pulse sequence and image variable (as TE is 14ms, 1NEX with a 256x201 matrix), the signal intensity and simple contrast ratios according to changing concentrations and TR were compared with various TR at 300ms, 400ms, 500ms, 600ms, 700ms, 800ms, 900ms, 1000ms, 1200ms, 1400ms and 1600ms. According to the comparison results of the signal intensity of the image based on changes in contrast medium concentrations and TR, the differences in signal intensity between the two contrast mediums were found to be small at $1.0{\sim}2.0mmol/L$ when the highest signal intensity was achieved. However, at concentrations of 1.0mmol/L or less, the signal intensity was markedly higher in the Diethylenetriaminetriacetic acid derivative than in the Gd-DTPA complex. It was also found that the differences in the signal intensities demonstrated by the concentrations of the contrast mediums were affected by the TR. Accordingly, the efficacy of the Diethylenetriaminetriacetic acid derivative was shown to be better than the Gd-DTPA and also possible to get the optimum image quality by the use of an appropriate TR with appropriate concentrations of contrast medium.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.14-30
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• 1998

Manganese is an essential element in the body. It is mainly deposited in the liver and to a lesser degree in the basal ganglia of the brain and eliminated through the bile duct. Rapid turnover of managanese in the body makes it difficult to evaluate the manganese exposure in workers, esecially in those with irregular or intermittent exposure, like welders. Therefore, conventional biomarkers, including blood and urine manganese can provide only a limited information about the long-tern or cumulative exposure to manganese. Introduction of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) made a progress in the assessment of manganese exposure in the medical conditions related to manganese accumulation, e. g. hepatic failure and long-term total parenteral nutrition. Manganese shortens spin-lattice(T1) relaxation time on MRI due to its paramagnetic property, resulting in high signal intensity (HSI) on T1-weighted image(T1W1) of MRI. Manganese deposition in the brain, therefore, can be visualizedas an HSI in the globus pallidus, the substantia nigra, the putamen and the pituitary. clinical and epidemiologic studies regarding the MRI findings in the cases of occupational and non-occupational manganese exposure were reviewed. relationships between HSI on T1W1 of MRI and age, gender, occupational manganese exposure, and neurological dysfunction were analysed. Relationships betwen biological exposure indices and HSI on MRE werealso reviewed. Literatures were reviewed to establish the relationships between HSI, Manganese deposition in the brain, pathologic findings, and neurological dysfunction. HSI on T1W1 of MRI reflects regional manganese deposition in the brain. This relationship enables an estimation of regional manganese deposition in the brain by analysing MR signal intensity. Manganese deposition in the brain can induce a neuronal loss in the basal ganglia but functional abnormality is supposed to be related to the cumulative exposure of manganese in the brain, use of brain MRI for the assessment of exposure in a group of workers seems to be hardly rationalized, while ti can be a useful adjunct for the evaluation of manganese exposure int he cases with suspected manganese-related health problems.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.581-588
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• 2019

MRI is superior when contrasted to help the organization generate artifacts resolution, but also affect the diagnosis and create a image that can not be read. Metal is inserted into the tooth, it is necessary to often be inhibited in imaging by causing the geometric distortion due to the majority and if the difference between the magnetic susceptibility of a ferromagnetic material or paramagnetic reducing them. The purpose of this study is to conduct a metal artefact in accordance with the analysis using a diamagnetic material. The magnetic material include a wire for the orthodontic bracket and a stainless steel was used as a diamagnetic material was used copper, zinc, bismuth. Testing equipment is sequenced using 1.5T, 3T was used was measured using a SE, TSE, GE, EPI. A self-produced phantom material was used for agarose gel (10%) to a uniform signal artifacts causing materials are stainless steel were tested by placing in the center of the phantom and cover inspection of the positive cube diamagnetic material of 10mm each length.After a measurement artefact artifact zone settings area was calculated using the Wand tool After setting the Low Threshold value of 10 in the image obtained by subtracting images, including magnetic material from a pure tool phantom images using Image J. Metal artifacts occur in stainless steel metal artifact reduction was greatest in the image with the bismuth diamagnetic materials of copper and zinc is slightly reduced, but the difference in degree will not greater. The reason for this is thought to be due to hayeotgi offset most of the susceptibility in bismuth diamagnetic susceptibility of most small ferromagnetic. Most came with less artifacts in image of bismuth in both 1.5T and 3T. Sequence-specific artifact reduction was most reduced artifacts from the TSE 1.5T 3T was reduced in the most artifacts from SE. Signal-to-noise ratio was the lowest SNR is low, appears in the implant, the 1.5T was the Implant + Bi Cu and Zn showed similar results to each other. Therefore, the results of artifacts variation of diamagnetic material, magnetic susceptibility (${\chi}$) is the most this shows the reduced aspect lower than the implant artificial metal artifacts criteria in the video using low bismuth susceptibility to low material the more metal artifacts It was found that the decrease. Therefore, based on the study on the increase, the metal artifacts reduction for the whole, as well as dental prosthesis future orthodontic materials in a way that can even reduce the artifact does not appear which has been pointed out as a disadvantage of the solutions of conventional metal artifact It is considered to be material.