Subject: How do I know what APD disk onto which to acquire my (APD) fMRI data to today???? And, how do I change disks if the current disk is over 80% full at the start of my scanning session????

Ralph... 7/7/98 If it¹s Tuesday, it must be Œapd4¹

This is a note of interest to all of those researchers who acquire fMRI data on the BMD 3T- MRI scanner.


We have installed another 4 GIG of disk space on the APD fMRI system. The available memory for acquisition of fMRI data (on the ANMR EPI/Signa system) is now divided into 4 partitions at 1 GIG each.

SO... from now on we will be scanning on disk apd3 until it gets 80% full, then switching to disk apd4 until it gets 80% full, then disk apd5, disk apd6, and back to disk apd3, etc..

The down side of YOUR not scanning to the proper day¹s disk is the fact that your data then runs a good chance of being deleted, without backup, when the rest of the (already backedup) data on that disk is routinely deleted at the end of the week. (So, this is a one trial learning task for all of us). YOU, the researcher (the one who is acquiring the data) are responsible for seeing that the fNRI scans that you acquire is being acquired onto the correct ANMR disk partition.

QUICK CHECK:
To do a quick check of what disk the last user has left the scanner set to (e.g., before you start acquiring) is to do double check what disk selection comes up when you review the Œfile ---> open-database ----> selection¹ area from the APD-II screen (see directions below).
SET THE DISK-O-THE-DAY

1- open the APD II window
----- Use the mouse button (on the ANMR computer) to select Œinstascan APD II¹ (the 6th idem from the top) from the pull down menu (and wait a full minute or more for the window to open).

2- select ŒFILE¹ ----> Œopen database¹
----- Go to the ŒFILE¹ pull down menu (upper Lt. side of APD II window) and select Œopen database¹ (the top item). If the database id correct, i.e., apd3 when you want to be scanning to apd3, select [cancel] and move on to scanning. If not... move to step 3 below.

3- modify acquisition disk name (e.g., Œ/apd3/anmr_scans/¹ or whatever)
----- After selecting Œopen database¹ the open-database-subscreen should pop-up almost immediately. The subscreen is divided into 3 main sections (filter, directories, and selection).
----- The bottom line, the Œselection¹ area, contains the name of the disk you will be scanning to. If the name listed is the correct one for the day of the week on which you are acquiring the data, then simply click the Œcancel¹ box (to close the open-database- subscreen) and move directly to step ?????????????????.
----- If the disk name listed is NOT the correct one for the day of the week on which you are acquiring the data, then either type in the correct pathway or double click the 3rd line down in the directories area of the screen and modify that pre-typed text to point to the correct disk. Hit the ŒOK¹ button on the screen.
----- (e.g., change the default text of Œ/apd_data/anmr_scans/¹ to read Œ/apd3/anmr_scans/¹ or Œ/apd6/anmr_scans/¹ or Œ/apd_data2/anmr_scans/¹ ... then accept it by hitting OK)

4- modify shim disk name (e.g., Œ/apd3¹ or whatever)
----- Select the Œshim tool¹ option from the APD II Œutilities¹ pull- down menu.
----- The shim-window should come up almost immediately. Click the Œmanual/auto status¹ box. The auto-shim-window should pop-up.
----- Change the Œimage file path:¹ line read the correct day¹s disk (e.g., look in the lower left corner of the screen and modify the text from Œ/apd_data¹ to Œ/apd3¹ or whatever) and hit ³done² to exit the window.

5- scan as usual

Ralph, UCLA 3T MRI lab 4/23/98

From original by: Ralph Lee
Edited&posted to how2 page 7/7/98, R. Lee