• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.60-65
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• 1999

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the image quality, contrast characteristics, and possible clinical utility of Medium Tau Inversion Recovery(MTIR) sequence with white matter suppression in patients with brain cortical lesion. Materials and methods : Two normal volunteers and twenty-one patients with cortical lesion were scanned with MTIR as well as other MR imaging sequences. Gray-white matter contrast was evaluated objectively using region-of-interest calculations, including percent contrast and contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR). MTIR sequence was visually compared with other sequences in 21 patients with cortical lesion including conspicuity and detection rate. Results : MTIR sequence had the highest present contrast and CNR between the gray matter and white matter. In twenty-one cases of cortical lesion including cortical dysplasia, MTIR sequence improved delineation and conspicuity of lesion, but MTIR sequence could not detect new lesions. Conclusion : The MTIR sequence well delineated the cortical lesions, particularly in including cortical dysplasia. It may be used as an adjunctive imaging sequence in case of poor gray and white matter differentiation with conventional T1-weighted sequences.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.891-898
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• 2000

Objective : It is difficult to differentiate intramedullary spinal cord tumors preoperatively from non-neoplastic pathologies in patients presenting as non-compressive myelopathies in magnetic resonance imaging(MRI). In this report, the authors reviewed nonneoplastic intramedullary spinal cord lesions preoperatively diagnosed as tumors and discussed their clinical and radiological characteristics and usefulness of surgical intervention. Methods : From January, 1985 to January, 1999, authors experienced eight non-neoplastic pathologies mimicking intramedullary spinal cord tumors and analysed their medical records, radiological findings and histopathological specimens retrospectively. Results : There were five males and three females and the duration of symptoms were from two to 20 months(mean, 9.8 months). The location of lesions were four cervical, one cervicothoracic and three thoracic. All patients manifested sensory abnormality, seven motor weakness, and six bladder symptom. All cases had swollen spinal cords and increased signal intensities in spin-echo sequences. Six cases showed contrast enhancement : four cases were focal and two diffuse. Under the impression of intramedullary tumors, the patients were operated upon. Final diagnoses on the base of clinical and pathologic finding were : three subacute necrotizing myelopathies, two multiple scleroses, two myelopathy of unknown etiology. One case showed no gross abnormality in surgical field in spite of adequate exposure of the lesion, so biopsy was not performed. In that case, postoperative MRI revealed spontaneous resolution of the lesion. Conclusion : MRI is invaluable diagnostic tool in screening myelopathies. However, its high sensitivity and lack of specificity make difficulty in preoperative differential diagnosis of non-compressive myelopathies. Although no surgical morbidity occurred in our series, we sometimes failed to confirm definite diagnosis even with biopsy. In such a circumstance, long-term follow up is needed.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.40-46
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• 2013

For a case study of suspected paraquat intoxication, we developed a simple and rapid method of $^1H$ qNMR to determine the mili-molar amount of paraquat in postmortem blood samples. There were no interfering signals from endogenous compounds in the chemical shift of paraquat and diquat (internal standard). The amount of sample used ranged from 0.25 mM to 10.0 mM. Diquat, which has similar physicochemical properties with paraquat, was chosen as an internal standard. The NMR experimental conditions, relaxation delay time and CPMG spin-echo pulse sequence were optimized. The developed method was validated in terms of specificity, accuracy, precision, matrix effect, recovery, limit of detection (LOD), and low limit of quantification (LLOQ). The proposed qNMR method provided a simple and rapid assay for the identification and quantification of the quaternary ammonium herbicide, "paraquat" in postmortem blood samples. This method was tested by using the blood from the heart of a man who was intoxicated with paraquat. In this particular case, the level of paraquat was 1.07 mM in the blood. For the determination of quaternary ammonium herbicides, qNMR could also be used to provide a better understanding of the currently available techniques.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.101-107
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• 2000

Objectives : The evaluation of peripheral nerve injuries has traditionally relied on a clinical history, physical examination, and electrodiagnostic studies. The purpose of the present study was to examine serial magnetic resonance image(MRI) changes following acute muscle denervation under experimental conditions and to identify potential advantages and disadvantages of this use of MRI. Methods : An experimental transection of right sciatic nerve on Spargue-Dawley rats was performed. MRI was performed with T1-weighted spin-echo and STIR sequences. The imaging findings were compared with EMG in order to determine its sensitivity relative to this standard procedure. A simultaneous histopathological study provided information about the morphological basis of the imaging findings. Signal intensities were expressed as a ratio of abnormal to normal. Results : The signal intensity ratio of muscles with the STIR sequence was increased significantly at 2 weeks after sciatic nerve transection(p<0.05), although definite signal change was seen as early as 4 days postdenervation in one. EMG revealed significant denervation potential from 3 days after nerve transection. Diffuse cell atrophy was revealed hostologically at 2 weeks after transection, which was at the same time of significant signal change in MRI. Conclusion : MRI signal changes in denervated muscles secondary to nerve injury correlate with the degree of muscle atrophy on histologic examination. In addition to EMG, MRI can document the course of muscle atrophy and mesenchymal abnormalities in denervation. These results indicate that MRI can play a complementary role in the evaluation of patients with denervation.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.158-162
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• 2012

Although 3.0T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has the advantages of a higher signal to noise ratio (SNR) and contrast than 1.5T MRI, there are limitations on the contrast between white and grey matter because of the long T1 recovery time when T1 images are obtained using the Spin Echo Technique. To overcome this, T1 weighted images are obtained occasionally using the inversion recovery (IR) technique, which employs a relatively long TR. The aim of this study was to determine the optimal TI in a brain examination when a T1 weighted image is obtained using the IR technique. Eight participants (male: 7, female: 1, average age: $34{\pm}14.11$) with a normal diagnosis were targeted from February 18, 2012 to February 27, 2012, and the contrast between white and grey matter as well as the contrast to noise ratio (CNRs) in each participant were measured. The CNRs of white matter and grey matter were highest at TI = 600, 650, 750, 900, 1050 and 1100 ms when the TR was 1100, 1400, 1700, 2000, 2300 and 2600 ms, respectively. Therefore, as the TIs were $44.425{\pm}0.877%$ of the TRs in the TR range of 1400-2300 ms, the optimal T1 weighted images that describe the contrast between white and grey matter can be obtained if the TIs are compensated for with $44.425{\pm}0.877%$ of the TRs in the time of setting TIs.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.93-107
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• 1997

Magnetic resonance imaging has been used in the temporomandibular joint(TMJ) primarily to define morphology and positional relationship of associating structures. This report examines signal intensity characteristics of the posterior attachment as they related to the severity of internal derangement. Fifty six joints in 35 patients with a history of TMJ dysfunction were imaged writ MR using $T_1$-weighted spin echo sequence. According to disk position, ability to reduction, and the presence of osteoarthritis, the joints were categorized into three groups. A group 1 was anterior disk displacement with reduction; a group 2 was anterior disk displacement without reduction; a group 3 was anterior disk displacement without reduction and condyle had osteoarthritic change. The control group was determined by the clinical absence of any signs or symptoms of current or past TMJ pain and dysfunction. Calculated the relative value of MR signal intensity in posterior attachment and disk to cerebral cortex of temporal lobe by means of computer program, we have compared them with each groups. The result showed statistically little significant difference of disk signal intensity among each groups. but, signal intensity from posterior attachment in group 2 and 3 were significantly(p<0.05) decreased than control group. this might reflect an fibrosis or hyalinization of posterior attachment, which was part of remodeling process that occurs in disk displacement without reduction. However, this study could not demonstrate histologic confirmation of the decreased signal intensity in the posterior attachment. So, further investigation could be needed to understand the association between them.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.275-280
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• 2009

The direct incorporation of vanadium into the three-dimensional(3-D) cubic Ia3d mesostructure designated as V-KIT-6 was carried out hydrothermally using a Pluronic P123 and n-butanol as the structure-directing mixture, tetraethylorthosilicate(TEOS) as the silica source and $NH_4VO_3$ as the vanadium source. The obtained V-KIT-6 showed a very high specific surface area ${\sim}1,000m^2/g$ with tunable pore diameters in narrow distribution of sizes ~6.0 nm. The coordination and nature of V sites in V-KIT-6 are characterized by $^{51}V$-spin-echo NMR analysis. The calcined V-KIT-6 materials showed excellent catalytic activity in the direct oxidation of styrene using tert-butyl hydroperoxide(TBHP) as an oxidant.

• Korean Journal of Digital Imaging in Medicine
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.51-57
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• 2009

The purpose of this study would evaluate if having clinical effects on diffusion image with quantitative analysis through ADC values of brain's normal tissue and lesions before and after contrast injections using a 3.0T. From November in 2007 until December in 2008, a total of 32 patient was performed on 3.0T(Signa Excite, GE Medical System, USA) with the normal or lesions in the patient who requests diffusion weighted image with 8channel head coil. The pulse sequence was used with spin echo EPI(TR: 10000msec, TE: 72.2 msec, Matrix: 128*128, FOV: 240 mm, NEX: 1, diffusion direction: 3, b-value: 1000). Measurement results of ADC values on lesions, CSF, white matter, gray matter, lesions after contrast injection were measured less 75% than before contrast injection, infarction: 100%, CSF: 78%(high), white matter: 71.4%(low), gray matter: 50%(high, low). The results of paired t-test on the deference of ADC values which statically is significant in three(lesions, CSF, white matter)regions except for white matter(p<0.05). Quantitative analysis of lesions, CSF, white matter, gray matter have difference on all regions. ADC values were low in lesions and white matter, normal CSF after contrast injection commonly is high than before contrast injection, ADC values which white matter were high and low (50:50) after contrast injection. 3.0T diffusion weighted image clinically supposed that performing DWI examination after contrast injection was not desirable because of having effects on brain tissue.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.45-50
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• 2010

In this study, we compared the clinical usefulness of SPAIR (Spectral Adiabatic Inversion Recovery) and STIR (Short TI Inversion Recovery) to evaluate the fat tissues precisely. The images of brain axial (n = 20), lumber spine sagittal (n = 20), hip joint coronal (n = 17) and knee joint (n = 25) were obtained by turbo spin echo T2 weighted method on 3T magnetic resonance image. The signal intensity (SI) values were measured using region of interest in fat, muscle tissue, and background noise. The inhomogeneity values were measured using the standard deviation (SD) value divided by the mean values. SD signifies the amount of error which is similar to the imaging heterogeneity. In brain axial images, the SPAIR showed more superior SI and inhomogeneity results than the STIR. In spine, hip and knee images, STIR showed more excellent SI results, but poor inhomogeneity than the SPAIR.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.11 no.11
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• pp.529-536
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to know clinical usefulness for fat suppression of the body curved portion compared with TSE-CHESS and TSE-SPAIR technique. A total of 25 normal volunteers without cervical spine disease were studied on a 3.0 T MRI scanner. As a quantitative analysis, PSNRs and CNRs were evaluated by using two methods for fat suppression of the body curved portion. As a results, PSNRs and CNRs for fat suppression were significantly greater for the TSE-SPAIR technique compared to TSE-CHESS technique. In conclusion, this study showed that a TSE-SPAIR technique has improved PSNRs and CNRs for evaluating of fat suppression in the body curved portion. These conclusions in the future will be provided information in diagnosis of fat suppression for the body curved portion.