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Additional file 1. Histogram distribution of the image quality scores

The flow of marine debris in the ocean causes extensive damage to coastal environments. It is considered important to understand the flow of marine debris in the ocean for environmental research purposes. The small size of most marine debris in the ocean means that marine debris cannot be confirmed directly, even when a high-spatial-resolution satellite image is used. Thus, in order to extract candidate pixels containing possible marine debris, pixels with spectra that differ from those of the surrounding ocean and the wave crests were identified. As a first step towards monitoring marine debris, a method for identifying marine debris floating on the ocean was proposed that used a histogram showing the distance from the regression line of the scatter diagram of satellite spectral bands. In this paper, a new method using spectral angle mapper(SAM)in four or eight dimensional space corresponding to satellite spectral bands is proposed. And the validity of the method using SAM is also discussed.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The segmental arteries, which include the posterior intercostal, subcostal, and lumbar arteries, are gateways for performance of selective spinal arteriography of the thoracolumbar level. We performed a cadaveric study to clarify the anatomic relationship between the origins of the segmental arteries in the aorta and the vertebral column. METHODS: Five adult cadaveric aortas with intact thoracolumbar spines were dissected under magnification. In each specimen, nine pairs of posterior intercostal arteries, one pair of subcostal arteries, and four pairs of lumbar arteries were examined in detail. RESULTS: The origin of the posterior intercostal arteries in the upper thoracic level was situated at most about two levels caudal to the feeding level, whereas the origins in the lower levels were just caudal to the corresponding levels. The position of the bilateral orifices of the segmental arteries in the axial plane of the aorta was on the medial side at the thoracic levels, whereas it was on the dorsal side at the lumbar level. The horizontal distance between the orifices in the lumen of aorta was found to be wider at the thoracic level than the lumbar level, and the longitudinal distance was higher at the lower level, corresponding to the height of the vertebra. CONCLUSION: Understanding the 3D relationship of the initial segment of the segmental arteries with reference to the aorta and vertebral column is necessary for performance of the selective spinal arteriographic examination rationally by using a two-dimensional fluorescent display.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Recent advances in the equipment and technology for endovascular surgery have led to an increasing number of patients undergoing this procedure to treat various lesions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of early-stage endovascular surgery to treat growing acute epidural hematomas (AEDHs). METHODS: Over a period of 2.5 years, endovascular intervention was performed in nine patients with AEDHs, as shown by the extravasation of contrast medium and the recognition of growing hematomas on CT scans. Embolization was performed by using catheters superselectively advanced with a microguidewire until it reached the area just before the bleeding point. RESULTS: In all nine cases, bleeding from the middle meningeal artery ceased immediately after treatment, and further surgical intervention was avoided. In three of five patients with additional lesions, surgical intervention was also conducted to treat an acute subdural hematoma (two patients) or a contusion hematoma (one patient); in two cases, these lesions were located on the contralateral side. CONCLUSION: In patients with thin AEDHs in the early stage, angiography followed by endovascular intervention allows for conservative treatment. Notable clinical benefits can be achieved in patients with complicated, multiple lesions.

Summary: A 49-year-old woman had a small saccular aneurysm that was incompletely occluded with a Guglielmi detachable coil (GDC). She died from rupture of another aneurysm 42 days after the treatment. Autopsy for the embolized aneurysm revealed no neoendothelium at the aneurysmal neck, but an organized thrombus was observed limited to the periphery of the aneurysmal lumen. Although isolation of the aneurysm was not apparent, loose embolization with this method may help to reinforce the aneurysmal wall.

Hypothesis: We hypothesized that increased matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) activity could be associated with higher incidence of future cardiac events of patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), and evaluated the prognostic ability of serum MMPs compared with other prognostic predictors in DCM. Methods: We measured serum levels of MMP-2, MMP-3, and MMP-9 using ELISA in 35 patients with DCM and 20 healthy control subjects. Moreover, plasma levels of high sensitive C-reactive protein, norepinephrine, and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) were also measured. The primary end point was the composite incidence of cardiac death and hospitalizations for worsening heart failure. Results: Serum levels of MMP-2, MMP-3, and MMP-9 were significantly higher in patients with DCM than in control subjects (all p 55 ng/ml) than in low MMP-3 group (MMP-3 < 55 ng/ml) (p = 0.027). Conclusions: Our study may address the capability of serum MMP-3 for predicting the prognosis of patients with DCM.

Hypothesis: We hypothesized that myocardial microvascular abnormalities assessed by myocardial contrast echocardiogrpahy (MCE) and altered strain rate (SR) parameters could be predicted to cardiac events in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).Methods: Thirty-four patients with DCM were enrolled. MCE was performed with SONOS 5500 (Philips Medical Systems) and peak myocardial contrast intensity (PMCI) was measured as the value of microvascular integrity. Color tissue Doppler imaging was performed and strain or SR parameters were estimated. In addition, LV ejection fraction (EF), LV end-diastolic volume index (EDVI), transmitral E-wave decerelation time (DT) and mitral annular velocity during early diastole (Em) were also calculated. Cardiac events were defined as cardiac death and hospitalization for worsening heart failure.Results: PMCI was closely associated with systolic SR in patients with DCM (r = 0.688, p = 0.0011). In this study population, 7 patients had major cardiac events. Univariate analysis showed that PMCI, systolic strain and SR, EF, EDVI, and Em were significantly related to cardiac events in patients with DCM (p < 0.05 for all). According to the multivariate analysis, PMCI and systolic SR were the independent predictors for cardiac events in such patients (p = 0.0098 and p = 0.0072, respectively).Conclusion: Our study suggests that the PMCI and systolic SR may be the new powerful predictors for cardiac events in patients with DCM.

BackgroundFamilial hypercholesterolemia is typically caused by LDL receptor (LDLR) mutations that result in elevated levels of LDL cholesterol (LDL-C). In homozygous FH, the prevalence of aortic valve calcification (AoVC) reaches 100% and is often symptomatic.ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence, extent, and risk-modifiers of AoVC in heterozygous FH (he-FH) that are presently unknown.MethodsAsymptomatic patients with he-FH and 131 non-familial hypercholesterolemia controls underwent CT computed tomography calcium scoring. AoVC was defined as the presence of calcium at the aortic valve leaflets. The extent of AoVC was expressed in Agatston units, as the AoVC-score. We compared the prevalence and extent of AoVC between cases and controls. In addition, we investigated risk modifiers of AoVC, including the presence of LDLR mutations without residual function (LDLR-negative mutations), maximum untreated LDL-cholesterol (maxLDL), LDL-C, blood pressure, and coronary artery calcification (CAC).ResultsWe included 145 asymptomatic patients with he-FH (93 men; mean age 52 ± 8 years) and 131 non-familial hypercholesterolemia controls. The prevalence (%) and AoVC-score (median, IQR) were higher in he-FH patients than in controls: 41%, 51 (9–117); and 21%, 21 (3–49) (p < 0.001 and p = 0.007). Age, untreated maxLDL, CAC, and diastolic blood pressure were independently associated with AoVC. LDLR-negative mutational he-FH was the strongest predictor of the AoVC-score (OR: 4.81; 95% CI: 2.22 to 10.40; p =

Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the individual and combined accuracy of dynamic computed tomography (CT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) and computed tomography angiography (CTA) fractional flow reserve (FFR) for the identification of functionally relevant coronary artery disease (CAD). Background Coronary CTA has become an established diagnostic test for ruling out CAD, but it does not allow interpretation of the hemodynamic severity of stenotic lesions. Two recently introduced functional CT techniques are dynamic MPI and CTA FFR using computational fluid dynamics. Methods From 2 institutions, 74 patients (n = 62 men, mean age 61 years) planned for invasive angiography with invasive FFR measurement in 142 vessels underwent CTA imaging and dynamic CT MPI during adenosine vasodilation. A patient-specific myocardial blood flow index was calculated, normalized to remote myocardial global left ventricular blood flow. CTA FFR was computed using an on-site, clinician-operated application. Using binary regression, a single functional CT variable was created combining both CT MPI and CTA FFR. Finally, stepwise diagnostic work-up of CTA FFR with selective use of CT MPI was simulated. The diagnostic performance of CT MPI, CTA FFR, and CT MPI integrated with CTA FFR was evaluated using C statistics with invasive FFR, with a threshold of 0.80 as a reference. Results Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 73% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 61% to 86%), 68% (95% CI: 56% to 80%), and 70% (95% CI: 62% to 79%) for CT MPI and 82% (95% CI: 72% to 92%), 60% (95% CI: 48% to 72%), and 70% (63% to 80%) for CTA FFR. For CT MPI integrated with CTA FFR, diagnostic accuracy was 79% (95% CI: 71% to 87%), with improvement of the area under the curve from 0.78 to 0.85 (p Conclusions CT MPI and CTA FFR both identify functionally significant CAD, with comparable accuracy. Diagnostic performance can be improved by combining the techniques. A stepwise approach, reserving CT MPI for intermediate CTA FFR results, also improves diagnostic performance while omitting nearly one-half of the population from CT MPI examinations.