Axial MR images of 65 lumbar disks with herniated nucleus pulposus imaged by gradient-refocused-echo (GRE) and spin-echo (SE) MR pulse sequences of 200-400/15 with a flip angle of 15-30 degrees was selected as optimal because of its high signal-to-noise ratio and good contrast between CSF, nucleus pulposus, and bone. The GRE technique was confirmed to be more sensitive in detecting prolapsed di...

This paper presents a study on the flexural behaviour of hybrid composite pipes reinforced with carbon and glass fibres. The progressive failure in three point bending was modelled numerically by Finite Element Analysis (FEA). FEA based model validated against experimental data. With this developed model, effects ply angle, fibre volume fraction hybridisation have been found. It is shown from r...

The idea of inhaling smoke from cigarettes is historically new, actually less than a century old. Consumption of tobacco has changed from chewing tobacco and pipe smoking to smoking cigarettes; smokeless tobaccos are growing tremendously in popularity. The modern smoker is confronted with a highly engineered, complex composite of specially designed paper, tobacco, tobacco additives, and a panop...

We investigated the antibiotic susceptibility of glycopeptide-resistant enterococci (GRE). Seventy consecutive GRE were tested. Sixty-two isolates were identified as Enterococcus faecium (88.6%), and 8 (11.4%) as Enterococcus faecalis. All strains were susceptible to linezolid and daptomycin, while 17.1% (12/70) and 11.4% (8/70) were resistant to quinupristin/dalfopristin (QD) and tigecycline, ...

Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) is a non-invasive technology that can be used for diagnosis and monitoring of cardiovascular disease; the number one cause of mortality worldwide. Hyperpolarized imaging agents provide signal enhancement of more than 10, 000 times, which implies large reduction in acquisition time and improved spatial resolution. We review the role of hyperpolarized 13C agen...

PURPOSE To evaluate meniscofibular ligament (MFibL) at the posterolateral corner of the knee joint on the magnetic resonance arthrography (MRA) with 70° knee flexion. MATERIALS AND METHODS The MRA of the knee joint was performed at 70° knee flexion. Eighteen patients (19 knee joints) underwent scanning of sagittal, coronal, and axial fat-suppressed T1 weighted images (T1FS), and coronal fat-s...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the advantages of gradient echo (GRE) sequences in the detection and characterization of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis compared to conventional magnetic resonance sequences. METHODS A total of 17 patients with cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) were evaluated using different magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences. The MRI sequences i...

Galla Rhois is formed by aphids, primarily Schlechtendalia chinensis Bell (Homoptera: Pemphigidae), on the leaf of sumac, Rhus javanica L. (Sapindales: Anacardiaceae). It is a tannin-rich herb that is widely used in traditional Korean medicine. Its various pharmacological effects, including its radical-scavenging effects, have been reported. The purpose of the current study was to determine if ...

Introduction. Functional MRI of the brainstem is complicated by: 1) small grey matter nuclei, 2) severe distortions due to susceptibility boundaries and 3) high levels of physiological noise, all of which make conventional GRE-EPI BOLD problematic. SSFP fMRI has the potential to produce high-resolution images with reduced distortions [1-3], and recent work reported reduced physiological noise f...

PURPOSE A novel phantom for image quality testing for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans is described. METHODS The cylindrical, rotatable, ~4.5L phantom, with eight wedge-shaped compartments, is used to simulate rest and activated states. The compartments contain NiCl2 doped agar gel with alternating concentrations of agar (1.4%, 1.6%) to produce T1 and T2 values approximating...