• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.468-475
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• 2018

In medical ultrasound imaging, frequency-dependent attenuation downshifts and reduces a center frequency and a frequency bandwidth of received echo signals, respectively. This causes considerable errors in quadrature demodulation (QDM), result in lowering signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast resolution (CR). To address this problem, adaptive dynamic QDM (ADQDM) that estimates center frequencies along depth was introduced. However, the ADQDM often fails when imaging regions contain hypoechoic regions. In this paper, we introduce a valid region-based ADQDM (VR-ADQDM) method to reject the misestimated center frequencies to further improve SNR and CR. The valid regions are regions where the center frequency decreases monotonically along depth. In addition, as a low-pass filter of QDM, Gaussian wavelet based dynamic filtering was adopted. From the phantom experiments, average SNR improvements of the ADQDM and the VR-ADQDM over the traditional QDM were 1.22 and 5.27 dB, respectively, and the corresponding maximum SNR improvements were 2.56 and 10.58 dB. The contrast resolution of the VR-ADQDM was also improved by 0.68 compared to that of the ADQDM. Similar results were obtained from in vivo experiments. These results indicate that the proposed method would offer promises for imaging technically-difficult patients due to its capability in improving SNR and CR.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.1941-1947
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• 2014

Document image binarization is largely used as previous stage of document recognition. And the result of document recognition is much affected from the result of document image binarization. There were many studies to binarize document images. The results of previous studies for document image binarization is varied according to the state of document images. In this paper, we propose a technique for document image binarization using MSER that is applied to extract objects from an image. At first, raw MSER objects are extracted from a document image. Because the raw MSER objects cannot be used for document image binarization, the extracted raw MSER objects are modified. Then the final MSER objects are used for document image binarization with the contrast image that is extracted from the document image. Experimental results show that the proposed technique is useful for document image binarization.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.833-848
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• 2022

The objective of this study was to characterize the meat quality traits that affect the texture and savory taste of Ufipa indigenous chickens by comparing the proximate composition, physical characteristics, collagen, and nucleic acid contents with those of commercial broilers. It was found that Ufipa chicken breast and thigh meat had a higher protein content (p<0.05) than broiler chicken meat, whereas the fat content was lower (p<0.01). The moisture content of thigh meat was lower in Ufipa chicken meat than in broiler chicken meat (p<0.05). Regarding meat color, broiler chickens had considerably higher L^* and b^* than Ufipa chickens in both the breast and the thigh meat, except for a^* (p<0.01). Regarding water holding capacity, Ufipa chicken breast exhibited higher drip loss but lower thawing and cooking losses than broiler chicken (p<0.01). In contrast, its thigh meat had a much lower drip and thawing losses but higher cooking losses (p<0.01). The shear force of Ufipa chickens' breasts and thighs was higher than that of broiler chickens (p<0.05), while the amount of total collagen in the thigh meat was higher than that of broiler chickens (p<0.05). Additionally, the inosine-5'-monophosphate (IMP) of Ufipa chicken breast and thigh meat was higher than that of broiler meat (p<0.05). The principal component analysis of meat quality traits provides a correlation between the proximate and physical-chemical prosperties of both breeds with some contrast. In conclusion, the present study provides information on healthy food with good-tasting Ufipa indigenous chickens, which offer a promising market due to consumers' preferences.

• Clinical Pain
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.59-64
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• 2019

Objective: This study evaluated the feasibility of ultrasound-guided lumbar nerve root block (LNRB) and S1 nerve root block by identifying spread patterns via fluoroscopy in cadavers. Method: A total of 48 ultrasound-guided injections were performed in 4 fresh cadavers from L1 to S1 roots. The target point of LNRB was the midpoint between the lower border of the transverse process and the facet joint at each level. The target point of S1 nerve root block was the S1 foramen, which can be visualized between the median sacral crest and the posterior superior iliac spine, below the L5-S1 facet joint. The injection was performed via an in-plane approach under real-time axial view ultrasound guidance. Fluoroscopic validation was performed after the injection of 2 cc of contrast agent. Results: The needle placements were correct in all injections. Fluoroscopy confirmed an intra-foraminal contrast spreading pattern following 41 of the 48 injections (85.4%). The other 7 injections (14.6%) yielded typical neurograms, but also resulted in extra-foraminal patterns that occurred evenly in each nerve root, including S1. Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided injection may be an option for the delivery of injectate into the S1 nerve root, as well as lumbar nerve root area.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.295-301
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• 2023

In addition to protocol adjustments during CT examinations, the height of the CT table can also affect image quality. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the change in image quality depending on the height of the table in brain CT, which accounts for a large proportion of CT examinations, by measuring signal to contrast to noise ratio (CNR) and noise power spectrum (NPS) using the head phantom and evaluating them. The head phantom images were acquired using Philips Brilliance iCT 256. When the image was acquired, the table height was adjusted to 815, 865, 915, 965, 1015, and 1030 mm, respectively, and each scan was performed 3 times for each height. The CNR result showed the highest value at 965 mm, which is the height adjacent to the center of the head phantom. NPS showed the lowest NPS at 915 mm, the center of the head phantom in the low frequency region. From these results, it can be seen that the height of the table in CT examination is closely related to the image quality, and it can be seen the characteristics of image quality according to CT table through quantitative evaluation methods such as CNR and NPS.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.29-37
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• 2024

This study aims to evaluate the performance of the U-Net based learning model that may vary depending on the histogram equalization algorithm. The subject of the experiment were 17 radiology students of this college, and 1,727 data sets in which the region of interest was set in the thyroid after acquiring ultrasound image data were used. The training set consisted of 1,383 images, the validation set consisted of 172 and the test data set consisted of 172. The equalization algorithm was divided into Histogram Equalization(HE) and Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization(CLAHE), and according to the clip limit, it was divided into CLAHE8-1, CLAHE8-2. CLAHE8-3. Deep Learning was learned through size control, histogram equalization, Z-score normalization, and data augmentation. As a result of the experiment, the Attention U-Net showed the highest performance from CLAHE8-2 to 0.8355, and the U-Net and BSU-Net showed the highest performance from CLAHE8-3 to 0.8303 and 0.8277. In the case of mIoU, the Attention U-Net was 0.7175 in CLAHE8-2, the U-Net was 0.7098 and the BSU-Net was 0.7060 in CLAHE8-3. This study attempted to confirm the effects of U-Net, Attention U-Net, and BSU-Net models when histogram equalization is performed on ultrasound images. The increase in Clip Limit can be expected to increase the ROI match with the prediction mask by clarifying the boundaries, which affects the improvement of the contrast of the thyroid area in deep learning model learning, and consequently affects the performance improvement.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.23 no.7
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• pp.697-719
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• 2022

Gadoxetate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used in clinical practice for liver imaging. For optimal use, we must understand both its advantages and limitations. This article is the outcome of an online advisory board meeting and subsequent discussions by a multidisciplinary group of experts on liver diseases across the Asia-Pacific region, first held on September 28, 2020. Here, we review the technical considerations for the use of gadoxetate, its current role in the management of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and its relevance in consensus guidelines for HCC imaging diagnosis. In the latter part of this review, we examine recent evidence evaluating the impact of gadoxetate on clinical outcomes on a continuum from diagnosis to treatment decision-making and follow-up. In conclusion, we outline the potential future roles of gadoxetate MRI based on an evolving understanding of the clinical utility of this contrast agent in the management of patients at risk of, or with, HCC.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.345-352
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to needed basis of measure MRI CAD development for signal to noise ratio (SNR) by pulse sequence analysis from region of interest (ROI) in brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast. We examined images of brain MRI contrast enhancement of 117 patients, from January 2005 to December 2015 in a University-affiliated hospital, Seoul, Korea. Diagnosed as one of two brain diseases such as meningioma and cysts SNR for each patient's image of brain MRI were calculated by using Image J. Differences of SNR among two brain diseases were tested by SPSS Statistics21 ANOVA test for there was statistical significance (p < 0.05). We have analysis socio-demographical variables, SNR according to sequence disease, 95% confidence according to SNR of sequence and difference in a mean of SNR. Meningioma results, with the quality of distributions in the order of T1CE, T2 and T1, FLAIR. Cysts results, with the quality of distributions in the order of T2 and T1, T1CE and FLAIR. SNR of MRI sequences of the brain would be useful to classify disease. Therefore, this study will contribute to evaluate brain diseases, and be a fundamental to enhancing the accuracy of CAD development.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.67-82
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the function and the safety of an additional weight shoe developed for the improvement of aerobic capacity, and to improve some problems found by subject's test for an additional weight shoe. The subjects employed for this study were 10 college students. 4 video cameras, AMTI force platform and Pedar insole pressure distribution measurement device were used to analyze foot motions. The results of the study were as follows: 1 The initial achilles tendon angle and initial rearfoot pronation angle of an additional weight shoe during walking were 183.7 deg and 2.33 deg, respectively, and smaller than a barefoot condition. Maximum achilles tendon angle and the angular displacement of achilles tendon angle were 185.35 deg and 4.21 deg respectively, and smaller than barefoot condition. Thus rearfoot stability variables were within the permission value for safety. 2. Maximal anterior posterior ground reaction force of additional weight shoe was appeared to be 1.01-1.2 B.W., and was bigger than a barefoot condition. The time to MAPGRF of an additional weight shoe was longer than a barefoot condition. Maximal vertical ground reaction force of additional weight shoe was appeared to be 2.3-2.7 B.W., and was bigger than a barefoot condition in propulsive force region. But A barefoot condition was bigger in braking force region. The time to MVGRF of an additional weight shoe was longer than a barefoot condition. 3. Regional peak pressure was bigger in medial region than in lateral region in contrast to conventional running shoes. The instant of regional peak pressure was M1-M2-M7-M4-M6-M5 -M3, and differed form conventional running shoes. Regional Impulse was shown to be abnormal patterns. There were no evidences that an additional weight shoe would have function and safety problems through the analysis of rearfoot control and ground reaction force during walking. However, There appeared to have small problem in pressure distribution. It was considered that it would be possible to redesign the inner geometry. This study could not find out safety on human body and exercise effects because of short term research period. Therefore long term study on subject's test would be necessary in the future study.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.79-84
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• 2011

This study was performed to identify the differentially methylated region (DMR) and to examine the mRNA expression of the imprinted H19 gene in day 35 of SCNT pig fetuses. The fetus and placenta at day 35 of gestation fetuses after natural mating (Control) or of cloned pig by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) were isolated from a uterus. To investigate the mRNA expression and methylation patterns of H19 gene, tissues from fetal liver and placenta including endometrial and extraembryonic tissues were collected. The mRNA expression was evaluated by real-time PCR and methylation pattern was analyzed by bisulfite sequencing method. Bisulfite analyses demonstrated that the differentially methylated region (DMR) was located between -1694 bp to -1338 bp upstream from translation start site of the H19 gene. H19 DMR (-1694 bp to -1338 bp) exhibits a normal mono allelic methylation pattern, and heavily methylated in sperm, but not in oocyte. In contrast to these finding, the analysis of the endometrium and/or extraembryonic tissues from SCNT embryos revealed a complex methylation pattern. The DNA methylation status of DMR Region In porcine H19 gene upstream was hypo methylated in SCNT tissues but hypermethylated in control tissues. Furthermore, the mRNA expression of H19 gene in liver, endometrium, and extraembryonic tissues was significantly higher in SCNT than those of control (p<0.05). These results suggest that the aberrant mRNA expression and the abnormal methylation pattern of imprinted H19 gene might be closely related to the inadequate fetal development of a cloned fetus, contributing to the low efficiency of genomic reprogramming.