WorldWideScience

Sample records for cardiovascular image analysis

  1. Design and validation of Segment - freely available software for cardiovascular image analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heiberg, Einar; Sjögren, Jane; Ugander, Martin; Carlsson, Marcus; Engblom, Henrik; Arheden, Håkan

    2010-01-01

    Commercially available software for cardiovascular image analysis often has limited functionality and frequently lacks the careful validation that is required for clinical studies. We have already implemented a cardiovascular image analysis software package and released it as freeware for the research community. However, it was distributed as a stand-alone application and other researchers could not extend it by writing their own custom image analysis algorithms. We believe that the work required to make a clinically applicable prototype can be reduced by making the software extensible, so that researchers can develop their own modules or improvements. Such an initiative might then serve as a bridge between image analysis research and cardiovascular research. The aim of this article is therefore to present the design and validation of a cardiovascular image analysis software package (Segment) and to announce its release in a source code format. Segment can be used for image analysis in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET). Some of its main features include loading of DICOM images from all major scanner vendors, simultaneous display of multiple image stacks and plane intersections, automated segmentation of the left ventricle, quantification of MRI flow, tools for manual and general object segmentation, quantitative regional wall motion analysis, myocardial viability analysis and image fusion tools. Here we present an overview of the validation results and validation procedures for the functionality of the software. We describe a technique to ensure continued accuracy and validity of the software by implementing and using a test script that tests the functionality of the software and validates the output. The software has been made freely available for research purposes in a source code format on the project home page (http://segment.heiberg.se). Segment

  2. Machine learning based analysis of cardiovascular images

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wolterink, JM

    2017-01-01

    Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), including coronary artery disease (CAD) and congenital heart disease (CHD) are the global leading cause of death. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allow non-invasive imaging of cardiovascular structures. This thesis presents machine

  3. Computational medical imaging and hemodynamics framework for functional analysis and assessment of cardiovascular structures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Kelvin K L; Wang, Defeng; Ko, Jacky K L; Mazumdar, Jagannath; Le, Thu-Thao; Ghista, Dhanjoo

    2017-03-21

    Cardiac dysfunction constitutes common cardiovascular health issues in the society, and has been an investigation topic of strong focus by researchers in the medical imaging community. Diagnostic modalities based on echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging, chest radiography and computed tomography are common techniques that provide cardiovascular structural information to diagnose heart defects. However, functional information of cardiovascular flow, which can in fact be used to support the diagnosis of many cardiovascular diseases with a myriad of hemodynamics performance indicators, remains unexplored to its full potential. Some of these indicators constitute important cardiac functional parameters affecting the cardiovascular abnormalities. With the advancement of computer technology that facilitates high speed computational fluid dynamics, the realization of a support diagnostic platform of hemodynamics quantification and analysis can be achieved. This article reviews the state-of-the-art medical imaging and high fidelity multi-physics computational analyses that together enable reconstruction of cardiovascular structures and hemodynamic flow patterns within them, such as of the left ventricle (LV) and carotid bifurcations. The combined medical imaging and hemodynamic analysis enables us to study the mechanisms of cardiovascular disease-causing dysfunctions, such as how (1) cardiomyopathy causes left ventricular remodeling and loss of contractility leading to heart failure, and (2) modeling of LV construction and simulation of intra-LV hemodynamics can enable us to determine the optimum procedure of surgical ventriculation to restore its contractility and health This combined medical imaging and hemodynamics framework can potentially extend medical knowledge of cardiovascular defects and associated hemodynamic behavior and their surgical restoration, by means of an integrated medical image diagnostics and hemodynamic performance analysis framework.

  4. Digital imaging in cardiovascular radiology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heintzen, P.H.; Brennecke, R.

    1983-01-01

    The present book contains 27 papers presented at an international symposium on digital imaging in cardiovascular radiology held in Kiel in 1982. The main themes were as follows. Introductory reviews, digital systems for X-ray video imaging, quantitative X-ray image analysis, and clinical applications. (MG)

  5. Cardiovascular imaging environment: will the future be cloud-based?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawel-Boehm, Nadine; Bluemke, David A

    2017-07-01

    In cardiovascular CT and MR imaging large datasets have to be stored, post-processed, analyzed and distributed. Beside basic assessment of volume and function in cardiac magnetic resonance imaging e.g., more sophisticated quantitative analysis is requested requiring specific software. Several institutions cannot afford various types of software and provide expertise to perform sophisticated analysis. Areas covered: Various cloud services exist related to data storage and analysis specifically for cardiovascular CT and MR imaging. Instead of on-site data storage, cloud providers offer flexible storage services on a pay-per-use basis. To avoid purchase and maintenance of specialized software for cardiovascular image analysis, e.g. to assess myocardial iron overload, MR 4D flow and fractional flow reserve, evaluation can be performed with cloud based software by the consumer or complete analysis is performed by the cloud provider. However, challenges to widespread implementation of cloud services include regulatory issues regarding patient privacy and data security. Expert commentary: If patient privacy and data security is guaranteed cloud imaging is a valuable option to cope with storage of large image datasets and offer sophisticated cardiovascular image analysis for institutions of all sizes.

  6. Molecular cardiovascular imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schaefers, M.

    2007-01-01

    Although huge and long-lasting research efforts have been spent on the development of new diagnostic techniques investigating cardiovascular diseases, still fundamental challenges exist; the main challenge being the diagnosis of a suspected or known coronary artery disease or its consequences (myocardial infarction, heart failure etc.). Beside morphological techniques, functional imaging modalities are available in clinical diagnostic algorithms, whereas molecular cardiovascular imaging techniques are still under development. This review summarizes clinical-diagnostical challenges of modern cardiovascular medicine as well as the potential of new molecular imaging techniques to face these. (orig.)

  7. Cardiovascular Molecular Imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Kyung Han

    2009-01-01

    Molecular imaging strives to visualize processes in living subjects at the molecular level. Monitoring biochemical processes at this level will allow us to directly track biological processes and signaling events that lead to pathophysiological abnormalities, and help make personalized medicine a reality by allowing evaluation of therapeutic efficacies on an individual basis. Although most molecular imaging techniques emerged from the field of oncology, they have now gradually gained acceptance by the cardiovascular community. Hence, the availability of dedicated high-resolution small animal imaging systems and specific targeting imaging probes is now enhancing our understanding of cardiovascular diseases and expediting the development of newer therapies. Examples include imaging approaches to evaluate and track the progress of recent genetic and cellular therapies for treatment of myocardial ischemia. Other areas include in vivo monitoring of such key molecular processes as angiogenesis and apoptosis. Cardiovascular molecular imaging is already an important research tool in preclinical experiments. The challenge that lies ahead is to implement these techniques into the clinics so that they may help fulfill the promise of molecular therapies and personalized medicine, as well as to resolve disappointments and controversies surrounding the field

  8. Non-cardiovascular findings in clinical cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging in children

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghadimi Mahani, Maryam; Morani, Ajaykumar C.; Lu, Jimmy C.; Dorfman, Adam L.; Fazeli Dehkordy, Soudabeh; Jeph, Sunil; Agarwal, Prachi P.

    2016-01-01

    With increasing use of pediatric cardiovascular MRI, it is important for all imagers to become familiar with the spectrum of non-cardiovascular imaging findings that can be encountered. This study aims to ascertain the prevalence and nature of these findings in pediatric cardiovascular MRIs performed at our institution. We retrospectively evaluated reports of all cardiovascular MRI studies performed at our institute from January 2008 to October 2012 in patients younger than18 years. Most studies (98%) were jointly interpreted by a pediatric cardiologist and a radiologist. We reviewed the electronic medical records of all cases with non-cardiovascular findings, defined as any imaging finding outside the cardiovascular system. Non-cardiovascular findings were classified into significant and non-significant, based on whether they were known at the time of imaging or they required additional workup or a change in management. In 849 consecutive studies (mean age 9.7 ± 6.3 years), 145 non-cardiovascular findings were found in 140 studies (16.5% of total studies). Overall, 51.0% (74/145) of non-cardiovascular findings were in the abdomen, 30.3% (44/145) were in the chest, and 18.6% (27/145) were in the spine. A total of 19 significant non-cardiovascular findings were observed in 19 studies in individual patients (2.2% of total studies, 47% male, mean age 5.9 ± 6.7 years). Significant non-cardiovascular findings included hepatic adenoma, arterially enhancing focal liver lesions, asplenia, solitary kidney, pelvicaliectasis, renal cystic diseases, gastric distention, adrenal hemorrhage, lung hypoplasia, air space disease, bronchial narrowing, pneumomediastinum and retained surgical sponge. Non-cardiovascular findings were seen in 16.5% of cardiovascular MRI studies in children, of which 2.2% were clinically significant findings. Prevalence and nature of these non-cardiovascular findings are different from those reported in adults. Attention to these findings is important

  9. Non-cardiovascular findings in clinical cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging in children

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ghadimi Mahani, Maryam [University of Michigan Health System, C.S. Mott Children' s Hospital, Department of Radiology, Section of Pediatric Radiology, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Morani, Ajaykumar C. [The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Houston, TX (United States); Lu, Jimmy C.; Dorfman, Adam L. [University of Michigan Health System, C.S. Mott Children' s Hospital, Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Fazeli Dehkordy, Soudabeh [University of Michigan Health System, C.S. Mott Children' s Hospital, Department of Radiology, Section of Pediatric Radiology, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Providence Hospital and Medical Centers, Department of Graduate Medical Education, Southfield, MI (United States); Jeph, Sunil [The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Houston, TX (United States); Geisinger Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Danville, PA (United States); Agarwal, Prachi P. [University of Michigan Health System, Department of Radiology, Division of Cardiothoracic Radiology, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)

    2016-04-15

    With increasing use of pediatric cardiovascular MRI, it is important for all imagers to become familiar with the spectrum of non-cardiovascular imaging findings that can be encountered. This study aims to ascertain the prevalence and nature of these findings in pediatric cardiovascular MRIs performed at our institution. We retrospectively evaluated reports of all cardiovascular MRI studies performed at our institute from January 2008 to October 2012 in patients younger than18 years. Most studies (98%) were jointly interpreted by a pediatric cardiologist and a radiologist. We reviewed the electronic medical records of all cases with non-cardiovascular findings, defined as any imaging finding outside the cardiovascular system. Non-cardiovascular findings were classified into significant and non-significant, based on whether they were known at the time of imaging or they required additional workup or a change in management. In 849 consecutive studies (mean age 9.7 ± 6.3 years), 145 non-cardiovascular findings were found in 140 studies (16.5% of total studies). Overall, 51.0% (74/145) of non-cardiovascular findings were in the abdomen, 30.3% (44/145) were in the chest, and 18.6% (27/145) were in the spine. A total of 19 significant non-cardiovascular findings were observed in 19 studies in individual patients (2.2% of total studies, 47% male, mean age 5.9 ± 6.7 years). Significant non-cardiovascular findings included hepatic adenoma, arterially enhancing focal liver lesions, asplenia, solitary kidney, pelvicaliectasis, renal cystic diseases, gastric distention, adrenal hemorrhage, lung hypoplasia, air space disease, bronchial narrowing, pneumomediastinum and retained surgical sponge. Non-cardiovascular findings were seen in 16.5% of cardiovascular MRI studies in children, of which 2.2% were clinically significant findings. Prevalence and nature of these non-cardiovascular findings are different from those reported in adults. Attention to these findings is important

  10. Artificial intelligence as a diagnostic adjunct in cardiovascular nuclear imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duncan, J.S.

    1988-01-01

    The radiologist and/or nuclear medicine physician is literally bombarded with information from today's diagnostic imaging technologies. As a consequence of this, whereas a decade ago the emphasis in medical image analysis was on improving the extraction of diagnostic information by developing and using more sophisticated imaging modalities, today those working on the development of medical imaging technology are struggling to find ways to handle all gathered information effectively. This chapter gives an introduction to the area of artificial intelligence, with an emphasis on the research ongoing in cardiovascular nuclear imaging. This chapter has reviewed the place of artificial intelligence in cardiovascular nuclear imaging. It is intended to provide a general sense of this new and emerging field, an insight into some of its specific methodologies and applications, and a closer look at the several AI approaches currently being applied in cardiovascular nuclear imaging

  11. ECG gated magnetic resonance imaging in cardiovascular disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Jae Hyung; Im, Chung Kie; Han, Man Chung; Kim, Chu Wan

    1985-01-01

    Using KAIS 0.15 Tesla resistive magnetic imaging system, ECG gated magnetic resonance (MR) image of various cardiovascular disease was obtained in 10 patients. The findings of MR image of the cardiovascular disease were analysed and the results were as follows: 1. In 6 cases of acquired and congenital cardiac diseases, there were 2 cases of myocardial infarction, 1 case of mitral stenosis and 3 cases of corrected transportation of great vessels. The others were 3 cases of aortic disease and 1 case of pericardial effusion with lymphoma. 2. Myocardial thinning and left ventricular aneurysm were detected in MR images of myocardial infarction. The left atrium was well delineated and enlarged in the case of mitral stenosis. And segmental analysis was possible in the cases of corrected transposition since all cardiac structures were well delineated anatomically. 3. In aortic diseases, the findings of MR image were enlarged lumen, compressed cardiac chambers in ascending aortic aneurysm, intimal flap, enhanced false lumen in dissecting aneurysm and irregular narrowing of aorta with arterial obstruction in Takayasu's arteritis. 4. Pericardial effusion revealed a conspicuous contrast with neighboring mediastinal fat and cardiac wall due to it low signal encircling cardiac wall. 5. ECG gated MR image is an accurate non-invasive imaging modality for the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease and better results of its clinical application are expected in the future with further development in the imaging system and more clinical experiences

  12. Magnetic resonance imaging in cardiovascular disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eckel, C.G.; Mettler, F.A. Jr.; Wicks, J.D.; Stevens, G.F.

    1986-01-01

    How does magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) currently contribute in the evaluation of patients with suspected heart disease? What role will MRI play in the future in evaluation of cardiovascular disease? To understand better where MRI fits into the diagnostic algorithm of cardiovascular disease the authors first consider the characteristics that they would like to see in the ideal diagnostic test and then survey the available cardiac diagnostic tests to note the characteristics that limit or recommend a test. In the final analysis, the justification for expensive diagnostic tests such as MRI must be an overall improvement in survival or quality of life in those patients treated after diagnosis

  13. Machine Learning Approaches in Cardiovascular Imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henglin, Mir; Stein, Gillian; Hushcha, Pavel V; Snoek, Jasper; Wiltschko, Alexander B; Cheng, Susan

    2017-10-01

    Cardiovascular imaging technologies continue to increase in their capacity to capture and store large quantities of data. Modern computational methods, developed in the field of machine learning, offer new approaches to leveraging the growing volume of imaging data available for analyses. Machine learning methods can now address data-related problems ranging from simple analytic queries of existing measurement data to the more complex challenges involved in analyzing raw images. To date, machine learning has been used in 2 broad and highly interconnected areas: automation of tasks that might otherwise be performed by a human and generation of clinically important new knowledge. Most cardiovascular imaging studies have focused on task-oriented problems, but more studies involving algorithms aimed at generating new clinical insights are emerging. Continued expansion in the size and dimensionality of cardiovascular imaging databases is driving strong interest in applying powerful deep learning methods, in particular, to analyze these data. Overall, the most effective approaches will require an investment in the resources needed to appropriately prepare such large data sets for analyses. Notwithstanding current technical and logistical challenges, machine learning and especially deep learning methods have much to offer and will substantially impact the future practice and science of cardiovascular imaging. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

  14. The application of phase analysis of gated myocardial perfusion imaging to assess left ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony in cardiovascular disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Jianfeng; Wang Yuetao

    2013-01-01

    Left ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony is closely related to the severity of cardiovascular disease, it is essential to assess left ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony accurately for early prediction of adverse cardiac events and prognosis assessment of the cardiac resynchronization therapy. As a new technology to assess left ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony, the phase analysis of gated myocardial perfusion imaging (GMPI) can get both quantitative indicators of regional myocardial perfusion, evaluation of regional myocardial viability and scar tissue, as well as quantitative analysis of left ventricular function and left ventricular mechanical synchrony, it has broad application prospects in cardiovascular disease to assess left ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony and prognosis assessment. This review mainly described the applications of GMPI phase analysis in the cardiovascular disease. (authors)

  15. Molecular imaging by cardiovascular MR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cyrus, Tillmann; Lanza, Gregory M; Wickline, Samuel A

    2007-01-01

    Do molecularly-targeted contrast agents have what it takes to usher in a paradigm shift as to how we will image cardiovascular disease in the near future? Moreover, are non-invasive vulnerable plaque detection and preemptive treatments with these novel nanoparticulate agents within reach for clinical applications? In this article, we attempt to make a compelling case for how the advent of molecularly-targeted nanoparticle technology may change the way we detect atherosclerotic lesions, determine their clinical significance and even provide non-invasive treatments. Focusing on imaging with cardiovascular MR, an overview of the latest developments in this rapidly evolving field of so-called "intelligent" contrast agents that are able to interrogate the vascular wall and various complementary advanced imaging technologies are presented.

  16. Flow imaging of the cardiovascular system using magnetic resonance imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Imai, Hitoshi; Sakakibara, Makoto; Sunami, Yuko

    1988-01-01

    Blood flow images by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using a 0.25 T unit were evaluated for nine normal volunteers and 108 subjects with a variety of cardiovascular abnormalities. Using the non-gated short-spin echo (SE) technique, blood flow in the cardiovascular systems was not imaged in the normal volunteers. Using end-systolic and end-diastolic SE techniques for the normal subjects, blood flow in the cardiac chambers was not clearly imaged. Blood flow in the ascending aorta and aortic arch often did not appear in the gated SE images of the normal subjects. However, blood flow in the descending aorta was often observed in the gated SE images. Blood flow imaging was demonstrated by both non-gated and gated SE techniques in regions where blood flow was relatively slow; for example, in the left atrium of mitral stenosis, in an aortic aneurysm, in a false lumen of an aortic dissection, and in the left ventricle having old myocardial infarction. Using the non-gated inversion recovery (IR) technique, no blood flow was imaged in the cardiovascular system except in the left atrium of one case with mitral stenosis. Using the non-gated short SE technique, there was good correlation between the thrombus formation and the presence of blood flow images in the left atria of 17 patients with mitral stenosis, and in the aneurysmal portions of the aorta or in the false lumens of aortic dissection of 18 patients. It was suggested that mural thrombi in such diseases were related to the relatively slow blood flow. Blood flow imaging easily distinguished stagnant blood flow from mural thrombi using non-gated short SE, end-systolic SE, and IR techniques. Thus, blood flow imaging using MRI should become an important means of evaluating the cardiovascular system. (author)

  17. NMR imaging of the cardiovascular system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Canby, R.C.; Evanochko, W.T.; Pohost, G.M.

    1986-01-01

    Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging permits high-resolution tomographic and three-dimensional images of the human body to be obtained without exposure to ionizing radiation. Such imaging not only yields anatomic resolution comparable to X-ray examinations but also provides a potential means to discriminate between healthy tissue and diseased tissue. This potential is based on certain NMR properties known as relaxation times, which determine, in part, the signal intensity in an image. These properties are related to such factors as the sizes and concentrations of proteins and mobile lipids and the compartmentalization of the protons of water. Although NMR imaging (also called magnetic resonance imaging, MRI) is becoming widely available for clinical use, application to the cardiovascular system, though promising, remains primarily a research tool. Gated proton NMR imaging can generate cardiac images with excellent morphologic detail and contrast; however, its ultimate importance as a cardiovascular diagnostic modality will depend on the development of several unique applications. These applications are discussed in this paper

  18. Clinical advances in cardiovascular magnetic resonace imaging and angiography

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bosch, van den H.C.M.

    2018-01-01

    Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging is an important noninvasive imaging modality for the diagnosis, clinical work‐up and treatment planning in patients suspected for a wide range of cardiovascular pathology. CMR imaging is accurate and reliable, and provides invaluable information to evaluate

  19. The year 2012 in the European Heart Journal-Cardiovascular Imaging: Part I.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edvardsen, Thor; Plein, Sven; Saraste, Antti; Knuuti, Juhani; Maurer, Gerald; Lancellotti, Patrizio

    2013-06-01

    The new multi-modality cardiovascular imaging journal, European Heart Journal - Cardiovascular Imaging, was started in 2012. During its first year, the new Journal has published an impressive collection of cardiovascular studies utilizing all cardiovascular imaging modalities. We will summarize the most important studies from its first year in two articles. The present 'Part I' of the review will focus on studies in myocardial function, myocardial ischaemia, and emerging techniques in cardiovascular imaging.

  20. Cardiovascular Imaging: What Have We Learned From Animal Models?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arnoldo eSantos

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Cardiovascular imaging has become an indispensable tool for patient diagnosis and follow up. Probably the wide clinical applications of imaging are due to the possibility of a detailed and high quality description and quantification of cardiovascular system structure and function. Also phenomena that involve complex physiological mechanisms and biochemical pathways, such as inflammation and ischemia, can be visualized in a nondestructive way. The widespread use and evolution of imaging would not have been possible without animal studies. Animal models have allowed for instance, i the technical development of different imaging tools, ii to test hypothesis generated from human studies and finally, iii to evaluate the translational relevance assessment of in vitro and ex-vivo results. In this review, we will critically describe the contribution of animal models to the use of biomedical imaging in cardiovascular medicine. We will discuss the characteristics of the most frequent models used in/for imaging studies. We will cover the major findings of animal studies focused in the cardiovascular use of the repeatedly used imaging techniques in clinical practice and experimental studies. We will also describe the physiological findings and/or learning processes for imaging applications coming from models of the most common cardiovascular diseases. In these diseases, imaging research using animals has allowed the study of aspects such as: ventricular size, shape, global function and wall thickening, local myocardial function, myocardial perfusion, metabolism and energetic assessment, infarct quantification, vascular lesion characterization, myocardial fiber structure, and myocardial calcium uptake. Finally we will discuss the limitations and future of imaging research with animal models.

  1. Image analysis in x-ray cinefluorography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ikuse, J; Yasuhara, H; Sugimoto, H [Toshiba Corp., Kawasaki, Kanagawa (Japan)

    1979-02-01

    For the cinefluorographic image in the cardiovascular diagnostic system, the image quality is evaluated by means of MTF (Modulation Transfer Function), and object contrast by introducing the concept of x-ray spectrum analysis. On the basis of these results, further investigation is made of optimum X-ray exposure factors set for cinefluorography and the cardiovascular diagnostic system.

  2. The research progress of nuclear medicine on cardiovascular molecular imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yin Xiaohua; Zhang Yongxue

    2007-01-01

    Cardiovascular molecular imaging is a rapidly evolving discipline and its clinical application is promising. Nuclear medicine is playing a leading role in this field with its special superiority of noninvasive, quantifiability, high sensitivity and specificity. It provides broad opportunities for exploring the pathophysiologic process of cardiovascular diseases and monitoring its gene therapy in the molecular level. In this review, we mainly discuss some basic knowledge on cardiovascular molecular imaging, and then focus on the applied research prospect of nuclear medicine radionuclide imaging. (authors)

  3. Towards automatic quantitative analysis of cardiac MR perfusion images

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Breeuwer, M.; Quist, M.; Spreeuwers, Lieuwe Jan; Paetsch, I.; Al-Saadi, N.; Nagel, E.

    2001-01-01

    Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a powerful technique for imaging cardiovascular diseases. The introduction of cardiovascular MRI into clinical practice is however hampered by the lack of efficient and reliable automatic image analysis methods. This paper focuses on the automatic evaluation of

  4. Clinical applications of cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marcu, C.B.; Beek, A.M.; Van Rossum, A.C.

    2006-01-01

    Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has evolved from an effective research tool into a clinically proven, safe and comprehensive imaging modality. It provides anatomic and functional information in acquired and congenital heart disease and is the most precise technique for quantification of ventricular volumes, function and mass. Owing to its excellent interstudy reproducibility, cardiovascular MRI is the optimal method for assessment of changes in ventricular parameters after therapeutic intervention. Delayed contrast enhancement is an accurate and robust method used in the diagnosis of ischemic and nonischemic cardiomyopathies and less common diseases, such as cardiac sarcoidosis and myocarditis. First-pass magnetic contrast myocardial perfusion is becoming an alternative to radionuclide techniques for the detection of coronary atherosclerotic disease. In this review we outline the techniques used in cardiovascular MRI and discuss the most common clinical applications. (author)

  5. Cardiovascular fluid dynamics. Methods for flow and pressure field analysis from magnetic resonance imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ebbers, T.

    2001-01-01

    Cardiovascular blood flow is highly complex and incompletely understood. Blood flow patterns are expected to influence the opening and closing of normal and prosthetic heart valves, the efficiency of cardiac filling and ejection, and the resistance to thrombus formation within the heart. Conventional diagnostic techniques are poorly suited to the study of the three-dimensional (3D) blood flow patterns in the heart chambers and large vessels. Noninvasive methods have also been inadequate in studying intracardiac pressure differences, which are the driving force of flow and are critical in the evaluation of many cardiovascular abnormalities. This thesis focuses on the development of non-invasive methods for analysis of 3D cardiovascular blood flow. Simultaneous study of cardiovascular fluid dynamics allowed knowledge exchange across the two disciplines, facilitating the development process and broadening the applicability of the methods. A time-resolved 3D phase-contrast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technique was used to acquire the velocity vector field in a 3D volume encompassing the entire heart or a large vessel. Cardiovascular blood flow patterns were visualized by use of particle traces, which revealed, for instance, vortical flow patterns in the left atrium. By applying the Navier-Stokes equation along a user-defined line in the 3D velocity vector field, the relative pressure could be obtained as an excellent supplement to the flow pattern visualization. Using a delineation of the blood pool, the time-varying 3D relative pressure field in the human left ventricle was obtained from the velocity field by use of the pressure Poisson equation. A delineation of the heart muscle, a task that is almost impossible to perform on 3D MRI either automatically or manually, was also achieved by usage of particle traces. This segmentation allows automatic calculation of the 3D relative pressure field, as well as calculation of well-established parameters such as

  6. Cardiovascular fluid dynamics. Methods for flow and pressure field analysis from magnetic resonance imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ebbers, T

    2001-05-01

    Cardiovascular blood flow is highly complex and incompletely understood. Blood flow patterns are expected to influence the opening and closing of normal and prosthetic heart valves, the efficiency of cardiac filling and ejection, and the resistance to thrombus formation within the heart. Conventional diagnostic techniques are poorly suited to the study of the three-dimensional (3D) blood flow patterns in the heart chambers and large vessels. Noninvasive methods have also been inadequate in studying intracardiac pressure differences, which are the driving force of flow and are critical in the evaluation of many cardiovascular abnormalities. This thesis focuses on the development of non-invasive methods for analysis of 3D cardiovascular blood flow. Simultaneous study of cardiovascular fluid dynamics allowed knowledge exchange across the two disciplines, facilitating the development process and broadening the applicability of the methods. A time-resolved 3D phase-contrast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technique was used to acquire the velocity vector field in a 3D volume encompassing the entire heart or a large vessel. Cardiovascular blood flow patterns were visualized by use of particle traces, which revealed, for instance, vortical flow patterns in the left atrium. By applying the Navier-Stokes equation along a user-defined line in the 3D velocity vector field, the relative pressure could be obtained as an excellent supplement to the flow pattern visualization. Using a delineation of the blood pool, the time-varying 3D relative pressure field in the human left ventricle was obtained from the velocity field by use of the pressure Poisson equation. A delineation of the heart muscle, a task that is almost impossible to perform on 3D MRI either automatically or manually, was also achieved by usage of particle traces. This segmentation allows automatic calculation of the 3D relative pressure field, as well as calculation of well-established parameters such as

  7. Magnetic resonance imaging of the cardiovascular system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Masuda, Yoshiaki; Imai, Hiroshi; Watanabe, Sigeru; Inagaki, Yoshiaki; Tateno, Yukio; Ikehira, Hiroo.

    1990-01-01

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a new noninvasive technique for visualization of the cardiovascular system, and is used to evaluate tissue characteristics, cardiac function and blood flow abnormalities, as well as to obtain morphological information. In this paper we presented results of clinical and laboratory research obtained using conventional spin echo MRI with regard to cardiovascular anatomy, tissue characterization and physiology. Furthermore, experience with two new techniques, cine-MRI and volume-selected MR spectroscopy, and their potential clinical usefulness in detecting cardiovascular diseases are documented. (author)

  8. Echocardiography in the Era of Multimodality Cardiovascular Imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, Benoy Nalin

    2013-01-01

    Echocardiography remains the most frequently performed cardiac imaging investigation and is an invaluable tool for detailed and accurate evaluation of cardiac structure and function. Echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and cardiovascular-computed tomography comprise the subspeciality of cardiovascular imaging, and these techniques are often used together for a multimodality, comprehensive assessment of a number of cardiac diseases. This paper provides the general cardiologist and physician with an overview of state-of-the-art modern echocardiography, summarising established indications as well as highlighting advances in stress echocardiography, three-dimensional echocardiography, deformation imaging, and contrast echocardiography. Strengths and limitations of echocardiography are discussed as well as the growing role of real-time three-dimensional echocardiography in the guidance of structural heart interventions in the cardiac catheter laboratory. PMID:23878804

  9. Defining Quality in Cardiovascular Imaging: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaw, Leslee J; Blankstein, Ron; Jacobs, Jill E; Leipsic, Jonathon A; Kwong, Raymond Y; Taqueti, Viviany R; Beanlands, Rob S B; Mieres, Jennifer H; Flamm, Scott D; Gerber, Thomas C; Spertus, John; Di Carli, Marcelo F

    2017-12-01

    The aims of the current statement are to refine the definition of quality in cardiovascular imaging and to propose novel methodological approaches to inform the demonstration of quality in imaging in future clinical trials and registries. We propose defining quality in cardiovascular imaging using an analytical framework put forth by the Institute of Medicine whereby quality was defined as testing being safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, equitable, and efficient. The implications of each of these components of quality health care are as essential for cardiovascular imaging as they are for other areas within health care. Our proposed statement may serve as the foundation for integrating these quality indicators into establishing designations of quality laboratory practices and developing standards for value-based payment reform for imaging services. We also include recommendations for future clinical research to fulfill quality aims within cardiovascular imaging, including clinical hypotheses of improving patient outcomes, the importance of health status as an end point, and deferred testing options. Future research should evolve to define novel methods optimized for the role of cardiovascular imaging for detecting disease and guiding treatment and to demonstrate the role of cardiovascular imaging in facilitating healthcare quality. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

  10. Cardiovascular involvement by osteosarcoma: an analysis of 20 patients

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yedururi, Sireesha; Morani, Ajaykumar C.; Gladish, Gregory W. [The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Houston, TX (United States); Vallabhaneni, Srilakshmi [Medstar Harbor Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine, Baltimore, MD (United States); Anderson, Peter M. [Levine Children' s Hospital/Levine Cancer Institute, Department of Pediatrics Hematology/Oncology/BMT, Carolinas Healthcare System, Charlotte, NC (United States); Hughes, Dennis; Daw, Najat C. [The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Division of Pediatrics, Houston, TX (United States); Wang, Wei-Lien [The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Pathology, Houston, TX (United States)

    2016-01-15

    Although hematogenous spread of osteosarcoma is well known, the imaging findings of cardiovascular involvement by osteosarcoma are seldom reported and can be difficult to recognize. The enhanced resolution of modern CT and MRI scanners may lead to better detection of cardiovascular involvement. To describe the key imaging findings and clinical behavior of cardiovascular involvement by osteosarcoma. We retrospectively reviewed the imaging findings and clinical characteristics of 20 patients with cardiovascular involvement by osteosarcoma identified by two pediatric radiologists from a review of imaging studies at our institution from 2007 to 2013. At initial diagnosis, the median age of the patients was 15.1 years (range 4.8-24.6 years), and 7 (35%) patients had detectable metastases. Median time to detection of cardiovascular metastases was 1.8 years (range 0-7.3 years). Sixteen patients died of disease; 4 have survived a median of 7.4 years since initial diagnosis. The sites of cardiovascular involvement were the systemic veins draining the primary and metastatic osteosarcoma, pulmonary arteries, pulmonary veins draining the pulmonary metastases, and heart. A dilated and mineralized terminal pulmonary arteriole is an early sign of metastatic osteosarcoma in the lung. Unfamiliarity with the imaging features resulted in under-recognition and misinterpretation of intravascular tumor thrombus as bland thrombus. Knowledge of imaging findings in the era of modern imaging modalities has enhanced our ability to detect cardiovascular involvement and lung metastases early and avoid misinterpreting tumor thrombus in draining systemic veins or pulmonary arteries as bland thrombus. (orig.)

  11. Cardiovascular involvement by osteosarcoma: an analysis of 20 patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yedururi, Sireesha; Morani, Ajaykumar C.; Gladish, Gregory W.; Vallabhaneni, Srilakshmi; Anderson, Peter M.; Hughes, Dennis; Daw, Najat C.; Wang, Wei-Lien

    2016-01-01

    Although hematogenous spread of osteosarcoma is well known, the imaging findings of cardiovascular involvement by osteosarcoma are seldom reported and can be difficult to recognize. The enhanced resolution of modern CT and MRI scanners may lead to better detection of cardiovascular involvement. To describe the key imaging findings and clinical behavior of cardiovascular involvement by osteosarcoma. We retrospectively reviewed the imaging findings and clinical characteristics of 20 patients with cardiovascular involvement by osteosarcoma identified by two pediatric radiologists from a review of imaging studies at our institution from 2007 to 2013. At initial diagnosis, the median age of the patients was 15.1 years (range 4.8-24.6 years), and 7 (35%) patients had detectable metastases. Median time to detection of cardiovascular metastases was 1.8 years (range 0-7.3 years). Sixteen patients died of disease; 4 have survived a median of 7.4 years since initial diagnosis. The sites of cardiovascular involvement were the systemic veins draining the primary and metastatic osteosarcoma, pulmonary arteries, pulmonary veins draining the pulmonary metastases, and heart. A dilated and mineralized terminal pulmonary arteriole is an early sign of metastatic osteosarcoma in the lung. Unfamiliarity with the imaging features resulted in under-recognition and misinterpretation of intravascular tumor thrombus as bland thrombus. Knowledge of imaging findings in the era of modern imaging modalities has enhanced our ability to detect cardiovascular involvement and lung metastases early and avoid misinterpreting tumor thrombus in draining systemic veins or pulmonary arteries as bland thrombus. (orig.)

  12. Interdepartmental conflict management and negotiation in cardiovascular imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Otero, Hansel J; Nallamshetty, Leelakrishna; Rybicki, Frank J

    2008-07-01

    Although the relationship between cardiologists and radiologists has a thorny history, advanced cardiac imaging technology and the promise of cardiac computed tomography are forcing both specialties back to the negotiation table. These discussions represent an opportunity for better communication, collaboration, and resource allocation. The authors address the aspects of interdepartmental conflict management and negotiation through their radiology department's ongoing efforts to provide high-quality advanced noninvasive cardiovascular imaging services at a large academic institution. The definition and causes of conflict are defined, with a specific focus on noninvasive cardiovascular imaging, followed by a description of steps used in the negotiation process. The authors encourage radiologists to entertain an open dialogue with cardiology, because in many cases, both sides can benefit. The benefits of a negotiated outcome include minimizing internal competitors, incorporating cardiologists' expertise to cardiac imaging algorithms, and more effective training opportunities.

  13. Cardiovascular dysfunction in obesity and new diagnostic imaging techniques: the role of noninvasive image methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barbosa, José Augusto A; Rodrigues, Alexandre B; Mota, Cleonice Carvalho C; Barbosa, Márcia M; Simões e Silva, Ana C

    2011-01-01

    Obesity is a major public health problem affecting adults and children in both developed and developing countries. This condition often leads to metabolic syndrome, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. A large number of studies have been carried out to understand the pathogenesis of cardiovascular dysfunction in obese patients. Endothelial dysfunction plays a key role in the progression of atherosclerosis and the development of coronary artery disease, hypertension and congestive heart failure. Noninvasive methods in the field of cardiovascular imaging, such as measuring intima-media thickness, flow-mediated dilatation, tissue Doppler, and strain, and strain rate, constitute new tools for the early detection of cardiac and vascular dysfunction. These techniques will certainly enable a better evaluation of initial cardiovascular injury and allow the correct, timely management of obese patients. The present review summarizes the main aspects of cardiovascular dysfunction in obesity and discusses the application of recent noninvasive imaging methods for the early detection of cardiovascular alterations.

  14. Imaging of cardiovascular risk in patients with Turner's syndrome

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marin, A.; Weir-McCall, J.R.; Webb, D.J.; Beek, E.J.R. van; Mirsadraee, S.

    2015-01-01

    Turner's syndrome is a disorder defined by an absent or structurally abnormal second X chromosome and affects around 1 in 2000 newborn females. The standardised mortality ratio in Turner's syndrome is around three-times higher than in the general female population, mainly as a result of cardiovascular disorders. Most striking is the early age at which Turner's syndrome patients develop the life-threatening complications of cardiovascular disorders compared to the general population. The cardiovascular risk stratification in Turner's syndrome is challenging and imaging is not systematically used. The aim of this article is to review cardiovascular risks in this group of patients and discuss a systematic imaging approach for early identification of cardiovascular disorders in these patients

  15. IgG4-related cardiovascular disease. The emerging role of cardiovascular imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mavrogeni, Sophie; Markousis-Mavrogenis, George; Kolovou, Genovefa

    2017-01-01

    Immunoglobulin 4-related disease (IgG4-related disease) is a systemic inflammatory disease that presents with increases of serum IgG4. It may affect various systems, including the cardiovascular (CV) system. Assessment of serum IgG4 levels and involved organ biopsy are necessary for diagnosis. IgG4-related disease is characterized by fibrosclerosis, lymphocytic infiltration and presence of IgG4-positive plasma cells. The disease usually responds to treatment with corticosteroids and/or immunosuppressive medication. CV involvement may manifest as cardiac pseudotumors, inflammatory periaortitis, coronary arteritis and/or pericarditis. IgG4-related cardiovascular disorders can severely affect patient prognosis. Various imaging techniques, including echocardiography, Computed Tomography (CT), 18FDG-PET, Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR) and cardiac catheterisation, have been successfully used for early disease detection and follow-up. Echocardiography and vascular ultrasound are the most commonly used non-invasive, non-radiating imaging techniques for the evaluation of IgG4-related CV disease. Periaortitis/periarteritis can be also assessed by CT, showing a soft tissue thickening around arteries. Coronary artery aneurysms can be easily diagnosed by coronary CT. In case of active periarterial or coronary artery inflammation, 18FDG-PET will show FDG uptake at the area of the lesion. CMR, due to its capability to perform function and tissue characterisation, can offer an integrated imaging of aorta, coronary arteries and the heart, assessment of disease acuity, extent of fibrosis and guide further treatment. However, multimodality imaging may be necessary for assessment of disease activity and fibrosis extent in those cases with multifocal CV involvement. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Cardiovascular evaluation in Turner syndrome: utility of MR imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dawson-Falk, K.; Bakker, B.; Rosenfeld, R.G.

    1992-01-01

    Forty patients with karyotypically proven Turner syndrome were prospectively studied using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and echocardiography in order to determine the frequency of cardiovascular anomalies and to assess the utility of both imaging modalities as methods for cardiovascular evaluation in Turner syndrome. Cardiovascular anomalies were found in 45% of patients. A high absolute prevalence of bicuspid aortic valve (17.5%) and aortic coarctation (12.5%) were observed relative to comparable series. Of clinically significant abnormalities, three of five aortic coarctations and four of five ascending aortic dilatations were solely MRI detected and not evident at echocardiographic examination. MRI is thus seen as a valuable adjunct to echocardiography in the cardiovascular evaluation of Turner syndrome patients. The usefulness of MRI primarily relates to its ability to provide excellent visualisation of the entire thoracic aorta where a large proportion of clinically significant anomalies occur in Turner syndrome. 23 refs., 2 tabs., 5 figs

  17. Cardiovascular evaluation in Turner syndrome: utility of MR imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dawson-Falk, K; Bakker, B; Rosenfeld, R G [Stanford Univ., CA (United States). School of Medicine

    1992-08-01

    Forty patients with karyotypically proven Turner syndrome were prospectively studied using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and echocardiography in order to determine the frequency of cardiovascular anomalies and to assess the utility of both imaging modalities as methods for cardiovascular evaluation in Turner syndrome. Cardiovascular anomalies were found in 45% of patients. A high absolute prevalence of bicuspid aortic valve (17.5%) and aortic coarctation (12.5%) were observed relative to comparable series. Of clinically significant abnormalities, three of five aortic coarctations and four of five ascending aortic dilatations were solely MRI detected and not evident at echocardiographic examination. MRI is thus seen as a valuable adjunct to echocardiography in the cardiovascular evaluation of Turner syndrome patients. The usefulness of MRI primarily relates to its ability to provide excellent visualisation of the entire thoracic aorta where a large proportion of clinically significant anomalies occur in Turner syndrome. 23 refs., 2 tabs., 5 figs.

  18. The year 2013 in the European Heart Journal--Cardiovascular Imaging. Part I.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edvardsen, Thor; Plein, Sven; Saraste, Antti; Pierard, Luc A; Knuuti, Juhani; Maurer, Gerald; Lancellotti, Patrizio

    2014-07-01

    The new multimodality cardiovascular imaging journal, European Heart Journal - Cardiovascular Imaging, was created in 2012. Here, we summarize the most important studies from the journal's second year in two articles. Part I of the review will focus on studies in myocardial function, myocardial ischaemia, and emerging techniques in cardiovascular imaging, and Part II will focus on valvular heart diseases, heart failure, cardiomyopathies, and congenital heart diseases. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2014. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  19. The year 2013 in the European Heart Journal--Cardiovascular Imaging: Part II.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plein, Sven; Edvardsen, Thor; Pierard, Luc A; Saraste, Antti; Knuuti, Juhani; Maurer, Gerald; Lancellotti, Patrizio

    2014-08-01

    The new multi-modality cardiovascular imaging journal, European Heart Journal - Cardiovascular Imaging, was created in 2012. Here we summarize the most important studies from the journal's second year in two articles. Part I of the review has summarized studies in myocardial function, myocardial ischaemia, and emerging techniques in cardiovascular imaging. Part II is focussed on valvular heart diseases, heart failure, cardiomyopathies, and congenital heart diseases. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2014. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  20. IgG4-related cardiovascular disease. The emerging role of cardiovascular imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mavrogeni, Sophie, E-mail: soma13@otenet.gr; Markousis-Mavrogenis, George; Kolovou, Genovefa

    2017-01-15

    Highlights: • Assessment of serum IgG4 levels and involved organ biopsy are necessary for diagnosis of IgG4-related disease. • CV involvement may manifest as cardiac pseudotumors, inflammatory periaortitis, coronary arteritis and/or pericarditis. • Echocardiography and vascular ultrasound are the most commonly used non-invasive, non-radiating imaging techniques. • CT can assess periarteritis and coronary artery aneurysms, while 18FDG-PET shows FDG uptake at the area of the lesion. • CMR offers an integrated imaging of CV system, including assessment of disease acuity, extent of fibrosis and can guide further treatment. - Abstract: Immunoglobulin 4-related disease (IgG4-related disease) is a systemic inflammatory disease that presents with increases of serum IgG4. It may affect various systems, including the cardiovascular (CV) system. Assessment of serum IgG4 levels and involved organ biopsy are necessary for diagnosis. IgG4-related disease is characterized by fibrosclerosis, lymphocytic infiltration and presence of IgG4-positive plasma cells. The disease usually responds to treatment with corticosteroids and/or immunosuppressive medication. CV involvement may manifest as cardiac pseudotumors, inflammatory periaortitis, coronary arteritis and/or pericarditis. IgG4-related cardiovascular disorders can severely affect patient prognosis. Various imaging techniques, including echocardiography, Computed Tomography (CT), 18FDG-PET, Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR) and cardiac catheterisation, have been successfully used for early disease detection and follow-up. Echocardiography and vascular ultrasound are the most commonly used non-invasive, non-radiating imaging techniques for the evaluation of IgG4-related CV disease. Periaortitis/periarteritis can be also assessed by CT, showing a soft tissue thickening around arteries. Coronary artery aneurysms can be easily diagnosed by coronary CT. In case of active periarterial or coronary artery inflammation, 18

  1. IgG4-related cardiovascular disease. The emerging role of cardiovascular imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mavrogeni, Sophie; Markousis-Mavrogenis, George; Kolovou, Genovefa

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Assessment of serum IgG4 levels and involved organ biopsy are necessary for diagnosis of IgG4-related disease. • CV involvement may manifest as cardiac pseudotumors, inflammatory periaortitis, coronary arteritis and/or pericarditis. • Echocardiography and vascular ultrasound are the most commonly used non-invasive, non-radiating imaging techniques. • CT can assess periarteritis and coronary artery aneurysms, while 18FDG-PET shows FDG uptake at the area of the lesion. • CMR offers an integrated imaging of CV system, including assessment of disease acuity, extent of fibrosis and can guide further treatment. - Abstract: Immunoglobulin 4-related disease (IgG4-related disease) is a systemic inflammatory disease that presents with increases of serum IgG4. It may affect various systems, including the cardiovascular (CV) system. Assessment of serum IgG4 levels and involved organ biopsy are necessary for diagnosis. IgG4-related disease is characterized by fibrosclerosis, lymphocytic infiltration and presence of IgG4-positive plasma cells. The disease usually responds to treatment with corticosteroids and/or immunosuppressive medication. CV involvement may manifest as cardiac pseudotumors, inflammatory periaortitis, coronary arteritis and/or pericarditis. IgG4-related cardiovascular disorders can severely affect patient prognosis. Various imaging techniques, including echocardiography, Computed Tomography (CT), 18FDG-PET, Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR) and cardiac catheterisation, have been successfully used for early disease detection and follow-up. Echocardiography and vascular ultrasound are the most commonly used non-invasive, non-radiating imaging techniques for the evaluation of IgG4-related CV disease. Periaortitis/periarteritis can be also assessed by CT, showing a soft tissue thickening around arteries. Coronary artery aneurysms can be easily diagnosed by coronary CT. In case of active periarterial or coronary artery inflammation, 18

  2. Quantification of Imaging Biomarkers For Cardiovascular Disease in CT(A)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Shahzad, R.

    2013-01-01

    For better management of cardiovascular disease, it is of utmost importance to categorize the subjects into different risk groups. This categorization can be made based on cardiovascular risk factors including the family history of the subject. Imaging techniques play an increasing role in order to

  3. Cardiovascular dysfunction in obesity and new diagnostic imaging techniques: the role of noninvasive image methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barbosa JA

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available José Augusto A Barbosa¹, Alexandre B Rodrigues¹, Cleonice Carvalho C Mota¹, Márcia M Barbosa², Ana C Simões e Silva¹¹Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil; ²Ecocenter, Socor Hospital, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, BrazilAbstract: Obesity is a major public health problem affecting adults and children in both developed and developing countries. This condition often leads to metabolic syndrome, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. A large number of studies have been carried out to understand the pathogenesis of cardiovascular dysfunction in obese patients. Endothelial dysfunction plays a key role in the progression of atherosclerosis and the development of coronary artery disease, hypertension and congestive heart failure. Noninvasive methods in the field of cardiovascular imaging, such as measuring intima-media thickness, flow-mediated dilatation, tissue Doppler, and strain, and strain rate, constitute new tools for the early detection of cardiac and vascular dysfunction. These techniques will certainly enable a better evaluation of initial cardiovascular injury and allow the correct, timely management of obese patients. The present review summarizes the main aspects of cardiovascular dysfunction in obesity and discusses the application of recent noninvasive imaging methods for the early detection of cardiovascular alterations.Keywords: cardiovascular risk, endothelium dysfunction, obesity, strain and strain rate, tissue Doppler

  4. Cardiovascular molecular imaging of apoptosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wolters, S.L.; Reutelingsperger, C.P.M.; Corsten, M.F.; Hofstra, L.; Narula, J.

    2007-01-01

    Molecular imaging strives to visualise processes at the molecular and cellular level in vivo. Understanding these processes supports diagnosis and evaluation of therapeutic efficacy on an individual basis and thereby makes personalised medicine possible. Apoptosis is a well-organised mode of cell suicide that plays a role in cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Apoptosis is associated with loss of cardiomyocytes following myocardial infarction, atherosclerotic plaque instability, congestive heart failure and allograft rejection of the transplanted heart. Thus, apoptosis constitutes an attractive target for molecular imaging of CVD. Our current knowledge about the molecular players and mechanisms underlying apoptosis offers a rich palette of potential molecular targets for molecular imaging. However, only a few have been successfully developed so far. This review highlights aspects of the molecular machinery and biochemistry of apoptosis relevant to the development of molecular imaging probes. It surveys the role of apoptosis in four major areas of CVD and portrays the importance and future perspectives of apoptosis imaging. The annexin A5 imaging protocol is emphasised since it is the most advanced protocol to measure apoptosis in both preclinical and clinical studies. (orig.)

  5. Cardiovascular molecular imaging of apoptosis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wolters, S.L.; Reutelingsperger, C.P.M. [Maastricht University, Department of Biochemistry, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, Maastricht (Netherlands); Corsten, M.F.; Hofstra, L. [Maastricht University, Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, P.O. Box 616, Maastricht (Netherlands); Narula, J. [University of California Irvine, Department of Cardiology, Irvine (United States)

    2007-06-15

    Molecular imaging strives to visualise processes at the molecular and cellular level in vivo. Understanding these processes supports diagnosis and evaluation of therapeutic efficacy on an individual basis and thereby makes personalised medicine possible. Apoptosis is a well-organised mode of cell suicide that plays a role in cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Apoptosis is associated with loss of cardiomyocytes following myocardial infarction, atherosclerotic plaque instability, congestive heart failure and allograft rejection of the transplanted heart. Thus, apoptosis constitutes an attractive target for molecular imaging of CVD. Our current knowledge about the molecular players and mechanisms underlying apoptosis offers a rich palette of potential molecular targets for molecular imaging. However, only a few have been successfully developed so far. This review highlights aspects of the molecular machinery and biochemistry of apoptosis relevant to the development of molecular imaging probes. It surveys the role of apoptosis in four major areas of CVD and portrays the importance and future perspectives of apoptosis imaging. The annexin A5 imaging protocol is emphasised since it is the most advanced protocol to measure apoptosis in both preclinical and clinical studies. (orig.)

  6. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of congenital cardiovascular malformations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sakakibara, Makoto; Kobayashi, Shirou; Imai, Hitoshi; Watanabe, Shigeru; Masuda, Yoshiaki; Inagaki, Yoshiaki; Morita, Huminori; Uematsu, Sadao; Arimizu, Noboru

    1986-01-01

    In order to determine the value of MRI in diagnosing congenital cardiovascular malformations, MR Images were obtained in 25 adult patients with congenital cardiovascular malformations. Gated MRI detected all of 13 atrial septal defects, and all of 4 ventricular septal defects, but ungated MRI detected none of 3 atrial septal defects. Other congenital cardiovascular malformations (2 with Ebstein's disease, 1 with Fallot's pentalogy, and 1 with Pulmonary stenosis) were well visualized. Vascular malformations (1 with Patent ducts arteriosus, 1 with Supravalvelar aortic stenosis, 1 with Coarctation of Aorta, 1 with Right Aortic Arch) were well visualized in all of 7 patients by ungated MRI. MRI was a valuable noninvasive method of diagnosing congenital heart disease. (author)

  7. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging of hypoplastic left heart syndrome in children

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dillman, Jonathan R.; Hernandez, Ramiro J.; Dorfman, Adam L.; Attili, Anil K.; Agarwal, Prachi P.; Mueller, Gisela C.; Bell, Aaron

    2010-01-01

    Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) plays an important complementary role to echocardiography and conventional angiography in the evaluation of hypoplastic left heart syndrome. This imaging modality is particularly useful for assessing cardiovascular postsurgical changes, extracardiac vascular anatomy, ventricular and valvular function, and a variety of complications. The purpose of this article is to provide a contemporary review of the role of CMR in the management of untreated and surgically palliated hypoplastic left heart syndrome in children. (orig.)

  8. The year 2014 in the European Heart Journal – Cardiovascular Imaging. Part I.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edvardsen, Thor; Bucciarelli-Ducci, Chiara; Saraste, Antti; Pierard, Luc A; Knuuti, Juhani; Maurer, Gerald; Habib, Gilbert; Lancellotti, Patrizio

    2015-07-01

    The new multimodality cardiovascular imaging journal, European Heart Journal - Cardiovascular Imaging, was created in 2012. It has already gained an impressive impact factor of 3.669 during its first 2 years. In two articles, we will summarize the most important studies from the journal's third year. Part I of the review will focus on studies in myocardial function, myocardial ischaemia, and emerging techniques in cardiovascular imaging, and Part II will focus on valvular heart diseases, heart failure, cardiomyopathies, and congenital heart diseases. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2015. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  9. The future of the cardiovascular image

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Serna M, J.A.

    2007-01-01

    In this work the future of the cardiovascular image is presented, it is important to know the advantages and disadvantages of the current image methods to apply them in each case. The characteristics of the methods are presented: X R simple plate, the cardiac ultrasound, the image by magnetic resonance, the computed tomography, the helicoid tomography, the SPECT of myocardial perfusion, the PET and the PET/CT and the used radiopharmaceuticals. The SPECT of myocardial perfusion is the more used method around the world for the evacuation of the coronary illness. It has a high sensitivity (between 90 and 97%), it is a non-invasive treatment (morbidity of 0.01%), of relative low cost and it is useful in the diagnosis of ischemia in groups of high risk like diabetics, dyslipidemia, obese and hypertension. (Author)

  10. SQL based cardiovascular ultrasound image classification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nandagopalan, S; Suryanarayana, Adiga B; Sudarshan, T S B; Chandrashekar, Dhanalakshmi; Manjunath, C N

    2013-01-01

    This paper proposes a novel method to analyze and classify the cardiovascular ultrasound echocardiographic images using Naïve-Bayesian model via database OLAP-SQL. Efficient data mining algorithms based on tightly-coupled model is used to extract features. Three algorithms are proposed for classification namely Naïve-Bayesian Classifier for Discrete variables (NBCD) with SQL, NBCD with OLAP-SQL, and Naïve-Bayesian Classifier for Continuous variables (NBCC) using OLAP-SQL. The proposed model is trained with 207 patient images containing normal and abnormal categories. Out of the three proposed algorithms, a high classification accuracy of 96.59% was achieved from NBCC which is better than the earlier methods.

  11. The role of PET quantification in cardiovascular imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slomka, Piotr; Berman, Daniel S; Alexanderson, Erick; Germano, Guido

    2014-08-01

    Positron Emission Tomography (PET) has several clinical and research applications in cardiovascular imaging. Myocardial perfusion imaging with PET allows accurate global and regional measurements of myocardial perfusion, myocardial blood flow and function at stress and rest in one exam. Simultaneous assessment of function and perfusion by PET with quantitative software is currently the routine practice. Combination of ejection fraction reserve with perfusion information may improve the identification of severe disease. The myocardial viability can be estimated by quantitative comparison of fluorodeoxyglucose ( 18 FDG) and rest perfusion imaging. The myocardial blood flow and coronary flow reserve measurements are becoming routinely included in the clinical assessment due to enhanced dynamic imaging capabilities of the latest PET/CT scanners. Absolute flow measurements allow evaluation of the coronary microvascular dysfunction and provide additional prognostic and diagnostic information for coronary disease. Standard quantitative approaches to compute myocardial blood flow from kinetic PET data in automated and rapid fashion have been developed for 13 N-ammonia, 15 O-water and 82 Rb radiotracers. The agreement between software methods available for such analysis is excellent. Relative quantification of 82 Rb PET myocardial perfusion, based on comparisons to normal databases, demonstrates high performance for the detection of obstructive coronary disease. New tracers, such as 18 F-flurpiridaz may allow further improvements in the disease detection. Computerized analysis of perfusion at stress and rest reduces the variability of the assessment as compared to visual analysis. PET quantification can be enhanced by precise coregistration with CT angiography. In emerging clinical applications, the potential to identify vulnerable plaques by quantification of atherosclerotic plaque uptake of 18 FDG and 18 F-sodium fluoride tracers in carotids, aorta and coronary arteries

  12. The future of the cardiovascular image; El futuro de la imagen cardiovascular

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Serna M, J A [Hospital Angeles del Pedregal, Mexico D.F. (Mexico)

    2007-07-01

    In this work the future of the cardiovascular image is presented, it is important to know the advantages and disadvantages of the current image methods to apply them in each case. The characteristics of the methods are presented: X R simple plate, the cardiac ultrasound, the image by magnetic resonance, the computed tomography, the helicoid tomography, the SPECT of myocardial perfusion, the PET and the PET/CT and the used radiopharmaceuticals. The SPECT of myocardial perfusion is the more used method around the world for the evacuation of the coronary illness. It has a high sensitivity (between 90 and 97%), it is a non-invasive treatment (morbidity of 0.01%), of relative low cost and it is useful in the diagnosis of ischemia in groups of high risk like diabetics, dyslipidemia, obese and hypertension. (Author)

  13. The Role of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Heart Failure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterzan, Mark A; Rider, Oliver J; Anderson, Lisa J

    2016-11-01

    Cardiovascular imaging is key for the assessment of patients with heart failure. Today, cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging plays an established role in the assessment of patients with suspected and confirmed heart failure syndromes, in particular identifying aetiology. Its role in informing prognosis and guiding decisions around therapy are evolving. Key strengths include its accuracy; reproducibility; unrestricted field of view; lack of radiation; multiple abilities to characterise myocardial tissue, thrombus and scar; as well as unparalleled assessment of left and right ventricular volumes. T2* has an established role in the assessment and follow-up of iron overload cardiomyopathy and a role for T1 in specific therapies for cardiac amyloid and Anderson-Fabry disease is emerging.

  14. Highly accelerated cardiovascular MR imaging using many channel technology: concepts and clinical applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niendorf, Thoralf; Sodickson, Daniel K.

    2008-01-01

    Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CVMRI) is of proven clinical value in the non-invasive imaging of cardiovascular diseases. CVMRI requires rapid image acquisition, but acquisition speed is fundamentally limited in conventional MRI. Parallel imaging provides a means for increasing acquisition speed and efficiency. However, signal-to-noise (SNR) limitations and the limited number of receiver channels available on most MR systems have in the past imposed practical constraints, which dictated the use of moderate accelerations in CVMRI. High levels of acceleration, which were unattainable previously, have become possible with many-receiver MR systems and many-element, cardiac-optimized RF-coil arrays. The resulting imaging speed improvements can be exploited in a number of ways, ranging from enhancement of spatial and temporal resolution to efficient whole heart coverage to streamlining of CVMRI work flow. In this review, examples of these strategies are provided, following an outline of the fundamentals of the highly accelerated imaging approaches employed in CVMRI. Topics discussed include basic principles of parallel imaging; key requirements for MR systems and RF-coil design; practical considerations of SNR management, supported by multi-dimensional accelerations, 3D noise averaging and high field imaging; highly accelerated clinical state-of-the art cardiovascular imaging applications spanning the range from SNR-rich to SNR-limited; and current trends and future directions. (orig.)

  15. The HEART score is useful to predict cardiovascular risks and reduces unnecessary cardiac imaging in low-risk patients with acute chest pain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dai, Siping; Huang, Bo; Zou, Yunliang; Guo, Jianbin; Liu, Ziyong; Pi, Dangyu; Qiu, Yunhong; Xiao, Chun

    2018-06-01

    The present study was to investigate whether the HEART score can be used to evaluate cardiovascular risks and reduce unnecessary cardiac imaging in China.Acute coronary syndrome patients with the thrombosis in myocardial infarction risk score risk HEART score group and 2 patients (1.5%) in the high risk HEART score group had cardiovascular events. The sensitivity of HEART score to predict cardiovascular events was 100% and the specificity was 46.7%. The potential unnecessary cardiac testing was 46.3%. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis showed that per one category increase of the HEART score was associated with nearly 1.3-fold risk of cardiovascular events.In the low-risk acute chest pain patients, the HEART score is useful to physicians in evaluating the risk of cardiovascular events within the first 30 days. In addition, the HEART score is also useful in reducing the unnecessary cardiac imaging.

  16. The year 2014 in the European Heart Journal--Cardiovascular Imaging: part II.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerber, Bernhard L; Edvardsen, Thor; Pierard, Luc A; Saraste, Antti; Knuuti, Juhani; Maurer, Gerald; Habib, Gilbert; Lancellotti, Patrizio

    2015-11-01

    The European Heart Journal-Cardiovascular Imaging, created in 2012, has become a reference for publishing multimodality cardiovascular imaging scientific and review papers. The impressive 2014 impact factor of 4.105 confirms the important position of our journal. In this part, we summarize the most important studies from the journal's third year, with specific emphasis on cardiomyopathies, congenital heart diseases, valvular heart diseases, and heart failure. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2015. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  17. Acceleration of cardiovascular MRI using parallel imaging: basic principles, practical considerations, clinical applications and future directions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niendorf, T.; Sodickson, D.

    2006-01-01

    Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CVMR) imaging has proven to be of clinical value for non-invasive diagnostic imaging of cardiovascular diseases. CVMR requires rapid imaging; however, the speed of conventional MRI is fundamentally limited due to its sequential approach to image acquisition, in which data points are collected one after the other in the presence of sequentially-applied magnetic field gradients and radiofrequency coils to acquire multiple data points simultaneously, and thereby to increase imaging speed and efficiency beyond the limits of purely gradient-based approaches. The resulting improvements in imaging speed can be used in various ways, including shortening long examinations, improving spatial resolution and anatomic coverage, improving temporal resolution, enhancing image quality, overcoming physiological constraints, detecting and correcting for physiologic motion, and streamlining work flow. Examples of these strategies will be provided in this review, after some of the fundamentals of parallel imaging methods now in use for cardiovascular MRI are outlined. The emphasis will rest upon basic principles and clinical state-of-the art cardiovascular MRI applications. In addition, practical aspects such as signal-to-noise ratio considerations, tailored parallel imaging protocols and potential artifacts will be discussed, and current trends and future directions will be explored. (orig.)

  18. Cardiovascular imaging and image processing: Theory and practice - 1975; Proceedings of the Conference, Stanford University, Stanford, Calif., July 10-12, 1975

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harrison, D. C.; Sandler, H.; Miller, H. A.

    1975-01-01

    The present collection of papers outlines advances in ultrasonography, scintigraphy, and commercialization of medical technology as applied to cardiovascular diagnosis in research and clinical practice. Particular attention is given to instrumentation, image processing and display. As necessary concomitants to mathematical analysis, recently improved magnetic recording methods using tape or disks and high-speed computers of large capacity are coming into use. Major topics include Doppler ultrasonic techniques, high-speed cineradiography, three-dimensional imaging of the myocardium with isotopes, sector-scanning echocardiography, and commercialization of the echocardioscope. Individual items are announced in this issue.

  19. Molecular imaging in cardiovascular diseases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Botnar, R.M.; Ebersberger, H.; Noerenberg, D.

    2015-01-01

    Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in industrialized and developing countries. In clinical practice, the in-vivo identification of atherosclerotic lesions, which can lead to complications such as heart attack or stroke, remains difficult. Imaging techniques provide the reference standard for the detection of clinically significant atherosclerotic changes in the coronary and carotid arteries. The assessment of the luminal narrowing is feasible, while the differentiation of stable and potentially unstable or vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques is currently not possible using non-invasive imaging. With high spatial resolution and high soft tissue contrast, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a suitable method for the evaluation of the thin arterial wall. In clinical practice, native MRI of the vessel wall already allows the differentiation and characterization of components of atherosclerotic plaques in the carotid arteries and the aorta. Additional diagnostic information can be gained by the use of non-specific MRI contrast agents. With the development of targeted molecular probes, that highlight specific molecules or cells, pathological processes can be visualized at a molecular level with high spatial resolution. In this review article, the development of pathophysiological changes leading to the development of the arterial wall are introduced and discussed. Additionally, principles of contrast enhanced imaging with non-specific contrast agents and molecular probes will be discussed and latest developments in the field of molecular imaging of the vascular wall will be introduced.

  20. Cardiovascular outcomes after pharmacologic stress myocardial perfusion imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Douglas S; Husain, Mansoor; Wang, Xuesong; Austin, Peter C; Iwanochko, Robert M

    2016-04-01

    While pharmacologic stress single photon emission computed tomography myocardial perfusion imaging (SPECT-MPI) is used for noninvasive evaluation of patients who are unable to perform treadmill exercise, its impact on net reclassification improvement (NRI) of prognosis is unknown. We evaluated the prognostic value of pharmacologic stress MPI for prediction of cardiovascular death or non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI) within 1 year at a single-center, university-based laboratory. We examined continuous and categorical NRI of pharmacologic SPECT-MPI for prediction of outcomes beyond clinical factors alone. Six thousand two hundred forty patients (median age 66 years [IQR 56-74], 3466 men) were studied and followed for 5963 person-years. SPECT-MPI variables associated with increased risk of cardiovascular death or non-fatal MI included summed stress score, stress ST-shift, and post-stress resting left ventricular ejection fraction ≤50%. Compared to a clinical model which included age, sex, cardiovascular disease, risk factors, and medications, model χ(2) (210.5 vs. 281.9, P statistic (0.74 vs. 0.78, P stress score, stress ST-shift and stress resting left ventricular ejection fraction). SPECT-MPI predictors increased continuous NRI by 49.4% (P 3% annualized risk of cardiovascular death or non-fatal MI, yielded a 15.0% improvement in NRI (95% CI 7.6%-27.6%, P stress MPI substantially improved net reclassification of cardiovascular death or MI risk beyond that afforded by clinical factors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Magnetic resonance imaging of the cardiovascular system: present state of the art and future potential

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jacobson, H.G.

    1988-01-01

    State-of-the-art magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) generates high-resolution images of the cardiovascular system. Conventional MRI techniques provide images in six to ten minutes per tomographic slice. New strategies have substantially improved the speed of imaging. The technology is relatively expensive, and its cost-effectiveness remains to be defined in relation to other effective, less expensive, and noninvasive technologies, such as echocardiography and nuclear medicine. The ultimate role of MRI will depend on several factors, including the development of specific applications such as (1) noninvasive angiography, especially of the coronary arteries;(2) noninvasive, high-resolution assessment of regional myocardial blood flow distribution (e.g., using paramagnetic contrast agents); (3) characterization of myocardial diseases using proton-relaxation property changes; and (4) evaluation of in vivo myocardial biochemistry. The three-dimensional imaging capability and the ability to image cardiovascular structures without contrast material give MRI a potential advantage over existing noninvasive diagnostic imaging techniques. This report analyzes current applications of MRI to the cardiovascular system and speculates on their future

  2. Big heart data: advancing health informatics through data sharing in cardiovascular imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suinesiaputra, Avan; Medrano-Gracia, Pau; Cowan, Brett R; Young, Alistair A

    2015-07-01

    The burden of heart disease is rapidly worsening due to the increasing prevalence of obesity and diabetes. Data sharing and open database resources for heart health informatics are important for advancing our understanding of cardiovascular function, disease progression and therapeutics. Data sharing enables valuable information, often obtained at considerable expense and effort, to be reused beyond the specific objectives of the original study. Many government funding agencies and journal publishers are requiring data reuse, and are providing mechanisms for data curation and archival. Tools and infrastructure are available to archive anonymous data from a wide range of studies, from descriptive epidemiological data to gigabytes of imaging data. Meta-analyses can be performed to combine raw data from disparate studies to obtain unique comparisons or to enhance statistical power. Open benchmark datasets are invaluable for validating data analysis algorithms and objectively comparing results. This review provides a rationale for increased data sharing and surveys recent progress in the cardiovascular domain. We also highlight the potential of recent large cardiovascular epidemiological studies enabling collaborative efforts to facilitate data sharing, algorithms benchmarking, disease modeling and statistical atlases.

  3. Impact of chronic kidney disease and stress myocardial perfusion imaging as a predictor of cardiovascular events

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Furuhashi, Tatsuhiko; Joki, Nobuhiko; Hase, Hiroki; Masai, Hirofumi; Kunimasa, Taeko; Nakazato, Ryo; Fukuda, Hiroshi; Sugi, Kaoru; Moroi, Masao

    2011-01-01

    Stress myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) is an established means of predicting cardiovascular events and is suitable in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of CKD parameters and an abnormal stress MPI for cardiovascular events. A total of 495 patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) or history of CAD including 130 CKD patients not undergoing hemodialysis, underwent stress MPI (313 males, mean age 70 years) and were followed up for 14 months (mean period). CKD was defined as an estimated GFR of 2 and/or persistent proteinuria. Cardiovascular events were defined as sudden cardiac death, acute coronary syndrome and congestive heart failure requiring hospitalization. Cardiovascular events occurred in 41 (8.3%) patients. Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that CKD [hazard ratio (HR) =3.76, p<0.001] and a stress MPI summed difference score (SDS) of ≥2 (HR=3.78, p<0.001) were independent predictors of cardiovascular events; CKD plus abnormal stress MPI was also a strong predictor of cardiovascular events (non-CKD and SDS <2 vs. CKD and SDS ≥2, HR=15.9, p<0.001). Both CKD and myocardial ischemia detected by stress MPI are independent predictors for cardiovascular events. Coexistence of CKD and myocardial ischemia detected by stress MPI is more useful for short-term risk stratification of cardiovascular events. (author)

  4. Imaging of cardiovascular malformations in Williams syndrome

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Shiguo; Zhao Shihua; Jiang Shiliang; Huang Lianjun; Xu Zhongying; Ling Jian; Zheng Hong; Yan Chaowu; Lu Jinguo

    2008-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the imaging methods for cardiovascular malformations in Williams syndrome(WS). Methods: Thirteen cases of WS (7 males and 6 females) aged 10 months to 13 years were involved in this study. All patients underwent chest X-ray radiography, electrocardiography, echocardiography and physical examination. 3 cases underwent electronic beam computed tomography (EBCT), cardiac catheterization and angiography were performed in 8 cases. Results: Twelve patients were referred to our hospital for cardiac murmur and 1 case for cyanosis after birth. 7 patients were found with 'elfin-like' facial features, 6 patients with pulmonary arterial stenosis, 2 cases with patent ductus arteriosus, 2 cases with severe pulmonary hypertension and 1 case with total endocardial cushion defect. Sudden death occurred in 2 patients during and after catheterization, respectively. Conclusions: Conventional angiography is the golden standard for the diagnosis of cardiovascular malformations in WS. Noninvasive methods such as MSCT and MRI should be suggested because of the risk of sudden death in conventional angiography. (authors)

  5. Impact of long-term meditation practice on cardiovascular reactivity during perception and reappraisal of affective images.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pavlov, Sergei V; Reva, Natalia V; Loktev, Konstantin V; Korenyok, Vladimir V; Aftanas, Lyubomir I

    2015-03-01

    Meditation has been found to be an efficient strategy for coping with stress in healthy individuals and in patients with psychosomatic disorders. The main objective of the present study was to investigate the psychophysiological mechanisms of beneficial effects of meditation on cardiovascular reactivity. We examined effects of long-term Sahaja Yoga meditation on cardiovascular reactivity during affective image processing under "unregulated" and "emotion regulation" conditions. Twenty two experienced meditators and 20 control subjects participated in the study. Under "unregulated" conditions participants were shown neutral and affective images and were asked to attend to them. Under "emotion regulation" conditions they down-regulated negative affect through reappraisal of negative images or up-regulated positive affect through reappraisal of positive images. Under "unregulated" conditions while anticipating upcoming images meditators vs. controls did not show larger pre-stimulus total peripheral resistance and greater cardiac output for negative images in comparison with neutral and positive ones. Control subjects showed TPR decrease for negative images only when they consciously intended to reappraise them (i.e. in the "emotion regulation" condition). Both meditators and controls showed comparable cardiovascular reactivity during perception of positive stimuli, whereas up-regulating of positive affect was associated with more pronounced cardiac activation in meditators. The findings provide some insight into understanding the beneficial influence of meditation on top-down control of emotion and cardiovascular reactivity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Correlation of chronic kidney disease, diabetes and peripheral artery disease with cardiovascular events in patients using stress myocardial perfusion imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Furuhashi, Tatsuhiko; Masai, Hirofumi; Kunimasa, Taeko; Nakazato, Ryo; Fukuda, Hiroshi; Sugi, Kaoru; Moroi, Masao

    2011-01-01

    Normal stress myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) studies generally suggest an excellent prognosis for cardiovascular events. Chronic kidney disease (CKD), diabetes and peripheral artery disease (PAD) have been established as the risk factors for cardiovascular events. However, whether these risk factors significantly predict cardiovascular events in patients with normal stress MPI is unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of these risk factors in patients with normal stress MPI. Patients with normal stress MPI (n=372, male=215 and female=157, age=69 years, CKD without hemodialysis=95, diabetes=99, PAD=19, previous coronary artery disease=116) were followed up for 14 months. Normal stress MPI was defined as a summed stress score of 2 and/or persistent proteinuria. Cardiovascular events included cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure requiring hospitalization. Cardiovascular events occurred in 20 of 372 patients (5.4%). In univariate Cox regression analysis, PAD, diabetes, diabetic retinopathy, insulin use, anemia, hypoalbuminemia, CKD, left ventricular ejection fraction and pharmacological stress tests were significant predictors of cardiovascular events. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, PAD, diabetes and CKD were independent and significant predictors for cardiovascular events, and their number was the strongest predictor for cardiovascular events (hazard ratio=21.7, P<0.001). PAD, diabetes and CKD are coexisting, independent and significant risk factors for cardiovascular events, CKD being the strongest predictor. The number of coexisting risk factors is important in predicting cardiovascular events in patients with normal stress MPI. (author)

  7. The year 2012 in the European Heart Journal-Cardiovascular Imaging. Part II.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plein, Sven; Knuuti, Juhani; Edvardsen, Thor; Saraste, Antti; Piérard, Luc A; Maurer, Gerald; Lancellotti, Patrizio

    2013-07-01

    The part II of the best of the European Heart Journal - Cardiovascular Imaging in 2012 specifically focuses on studies of valvular heart diseases, heart failure, cardiomyopathies, and congenital heart diseases.

  8. Cardiovascular CT angiography in neonates and children : Image quality and potential for radiation dose reduction with iterative image reconstruction techniques

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tricarico, Francesco; Hlavacek, Anthony M.; Schoepf, U. Joseph; Ebersberger, Ullrich; Nance, John W.; Vliegenthart, Rozemarijn; Cho, Young Jun; Spears, J. Reid; Secchi, Francesco; Savino, Giancarlo; Marano, Riccardo; Schoenberg, Stefan O.; Bonomo, Lorenzo; Apfaltrer, Paul

    To evaluate image quality (IQ) of low-radiation-dose paediatric cardiovascular CT angiography (CTA), comparing iterative reconstruction in image space (IRIS) and sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction (SAFIRE) with filtered back-projection (FBP) and estimate the potential for further dose

  9. Impact of Medical Therapy on Atheroma Volume Measured by Different Cardiovascular Imaging Modalities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamad C. N. Sinno

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Atherosclerosis is a systemic disease that affects most vascular beds. The gold standard of atherosclerosis imaging has been invasive intravascular ultrasound (IVUS. Newer noninvasive imaging modalities like B-mode ultrasound, cardiac computed tomography (CT, positron emission tomography (PET, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI have been used to assess these vascular territories with high accuracy and reproducibility. These imaging modalities have lately been used for the assessment of the atherosclerotic plaque and the response of its volume to several medical therapies used in the treatment of patients with cardiovascular disease. To study the impact of these medications on atheroma volume progression or regression, imaging modalities have been used on a serial basis providing a unique opportunity to monitor the effect these antiatherosclerotic strategies exert on plaque burden. As a result, studies incorporating serial IVUS imaging, quantitative coronary angiography (QCA, B-mode ultrasound, electron beam computed tomography (EBCT, and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging have all been used to evaluate the impact of therapeutic strategies that modify cholesterol and blood pressure on the progression/regression of atherosclerotic plaque. In this review, we intend to summarize the impact of different therapies aimed at halting the progression or even result in regression of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease evaluated by different imaging modalities.

  10. A joint procedural position statement on imaging in cardiac sarcoidosis : from the Cardiovascular and Inflammation & Infection Committees of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine, the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging, and the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Slart, Riemer H J A; Glaudemans, Andor W J M; Lancellotti, Patrizio; Hyafil, Fabien; Blankstein, Ron; Schwartz, Ronald G; Jaber, Wael A; Russell, Raymond; Gimelli, Alessia; Rouzet, François; Hacker, Marcus; Gheysens, Olivier; Plein, Sven; Miller, Edward J; Dorbala, Sharmila; Donal, Erwan

    2017-01-01

    This joint position paper illustrates the role and the correct use of echocardiography, radionuclide imaging with F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography, radionuclide myocardial perfusion imaging and cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging for the evaluation and management of

  11. A joint procedural position statement on imaging in cardiac sarcoidosis: from the Cardiovascular and Inflammation & Infection Committees of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine, the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging, and the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Slart, Riemer H. J. A.; Glaudemans, Andor W. J. M.; Lancellotti, Patrizio; Hyafil, Fabien; Blankstein, Ron; Schwartz, Ronald G.; Jaber, Wael A.; Russell, Raymond; Gimelli, Alessia; Rouzet, Francois; Hacker, Marcus; Gheysens, Olivier; Plein, Sven; Miller, Edward J.; Dorbala, Sharmila; Donal, Erwan; Sciagra, Roberto; Bucerius, Jan; Verberne, Hein J.; Lindner, Oliver; Uebleis, Christopher; Agostini, Denis; Signore, Alberto; Edvardsen, Thor; Neglia, Danilo; Beanlands, Rob S.; Di Carli, Marcelo; Chareonthaitawee, Panithaya; Dilsizian, Vasken; Soman, Prem; Habib, Gilbert

    2017-01-01

    This joint position paper illustrates the role and the correct use of echocardiography, radionuclide imaging with F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography, radionuclide myocardial perfusion imaging and cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging for the evaluation and management of

  12. Molecular imaging of in vivo calcium ion expression in area postrema of total sleep deprived rats: Implications for cardiovascular regulation by TOF-SIMS analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mai, Fu-Der; Chen, Li-You; Ling, Yong-Chien; Chen, Bo-Jung; Wu, Un-In; Chang, Hung-Ming

    2010-05-01

    Excessive calcium influx in chemosensitive neurons of area postrema (AP) is detrimental for sympathetic activation and participates in the disruption of cardiovascular activities. Since total sleep deprivation (TSD) is a stressful condition known to harm the cardiovascular function, the present study is aimed to determine whether the in vivo calcium expression in AP would significantly alter following TSD by the use of time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) and calretinin (a specific calcium sensor protein in AP neurons) immunohistochemistry. The results indicated that in normal rats, the calcium intensity was estimated to be 0.5 × 10 5 at m/ z 40.08. However, following TSD, the intensity for calcium ions was greatly increased to 1.2 × 10 5. Molecular imaging revealed that after TSD, various strongly expressed calcium signals were distributed throughout AP with clear identified profiles instead of randomly scattered within this region in normal rats. Immunohistochemical staining corresponded well with ionic image in which a majority of calcium-enriched gathering co-localized with calretinin positive neurons. The functional significance of TSD-induced calcium augmentation was demonstrated by increased heart rate and mean arterial pressure, clinical markers for cardiovascular dysfunction. Considering AP-mediated sympathetic activation is important for cardiovascular regulation, exaggerated calcium influx in AP would render this neurocircuitry more vulnerable to over-excitation, which might serve as the underlying mechanism for the development of TSD-relevant cardiovascular deficiency.

  13. Effect of endocardial trabeculae on left ventricular measurements and measurement reproducibility at cardiovascular MR imaging

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Papavassiliu, T.; Kuhl, H.P.; Schroder, M.; Suselbeck, T.; Bondarenko, O.; Bohm, C.K.; van de Beek, A.; Hofman, M.M.; van Rossum, A.C.

    2005-01-01

    PURPOSE: To prospectively assess the effect of including or excluding endocardial trabeculae in left ventricular (LV) measurements and the reproducibility of these measurements at cine cardiovascular magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with true fast imaging with steady-state precession (FISP).

  14. Cardiovascular nuclear medicine and MRI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reiber, J.H.C.; Wall, E.E. van der

    1992-01-01

    This book is based on a meeting of the Working Group on Nuclear Cardiology, which held March 22-23,1991 under the auspices of the European Society of Cardiology and the Interuniversity Cardiology Institute of the Netherlands, and on the Second International Symposium on Computer Applications in Nuclear Medicine and Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging, which was held March 20-22,1991 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. It covers almost every aspect of quantitative cardio-vascular nuclear medicine and magnetic resonance imaging. The main topics are: single photon emission computed tomography (technical aspects); new development in cardiovascular nuclear medicine; advances in cardiovascular imaging; cardiovascular clinical applications; and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. (A.S.). refs.; figs.; tabs

  15. Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance in Cardiology Practice: A Concise Guide to Image Acquisition and Clinical Interpretation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valbuena-López, Silvia; Hinojar, Rocío; Puntmann, Valentina O

    2016-02-01

    Cardiovascular magnetic resonance plays an increasingly important role in routine cardiology clinical practice. It is a versatile imaging modality that allows highly accurate, broad and in-depth assessment of cardiac function and structure and provides information on pertinent clinical questions in diseases such as ischemic heart disease, nonischemic cardiomyopathies, and heart failure, as well as allowing unique indications, such as the assessment and quantification of myocardial iron overload or infiltration. Increasing evidence for the role of cardiovascular magnetic resonance, together with the spread of knowledge and skill outside expert centers, has afforded greater access for patients and wider clinical experience. This review provides a snapshot of cardiovascular magnetic resonance in modern clinical practice by linking image acquisition and postprocessing with effective delivery of the clinical meaning. Copyright © 2015 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  16. A moving image system for cardiovascular nuclear medicine. A dedicated auxiliary device for the total capacity imaging system for multiple plane dynamic colour display

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iio, M.; Toyama, H.; Murata, H.; Takaoka, S.

    1981-01-01

    The recent device of the authors, the dedicated multiplane dynamic colour image display system for nuclear medicine, is discussed. This new device is a hardware-based auxiliary moving image system (AMIS) attached to the total capacity image processing system of the authors' department. The major purpose of this study is to develop the dedicated device so that cardiovascular nuclear medicine and other dynamic studies will include the ability to assess the real time delicate processing of the colour selection, edge detection, phased analysis, etc. The auxiliary system consists of the interface for image transferring, four IC refresh memories of 64x64 matrix with 10 bit count depth, a digital 20-in colour TV monitor, a control keyboard and a control panel with potentiometers. This system has five major functions for colour display: (1) A microcomputer board can select any one of 40 different colour tables preset in the colour transformation RAM. This key also provides edge detection at a certain level of the count by leaving the optional colour and setting the rest of the levels at 0 (black); (2) The arithmetic processing circuit performs the operation of the fundamental rules, permitting arithmetic processes of the two images; (3) The colour level control circuit is operated independently by four potentiometers for four refresh image memories, so that the gain and offset of the colour level can be manually and visually controlled to the satisfaction of the operator; (4) The simultaneous CRT display of the maximum four images with or without cinematic motion is possible; (5) The real time movie interval is also adjustable by hardware, and certain frames can be freezed with overlapping of the dynamic frames. Since this system of AMIS is linked with the whole capacity image processing system of the CPU size of 128kW, etc., clinical applications are not limited to cardiovascular nuclear medicine. (author)

  17. Measurement of cardiovascular function using a novel view-sharing PET reconstruction method and tracer kinetic analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paul R. Territo

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Recent advancements in PET instrumentation have made the non-invasive assessment of cardiovascular function in small animals a reality. The majority of small animal PET systems use stationary detector gantries, thus affording high temporal resolution imaging of cardiac function. Systems designed to maximize spatial resolution and detection sensitivity employing rotating gantry designs are suboptimal when high temporal resolution imaging is needed. To overcome this limitation, the current work developed a novel view-sharing data analysis scheme suitable for dynamic cardiac PET imaging using 18F-NaF as the tracer and tracer kinetic model analysis. This scheme was tested in a rat model of cardiovascular function where the relationship between direct transonic flow measures of cardiac output were highly correlated (f(x = 1.0216x − 24.233, R = 0.9158, p < 0.001 with the new model. Similarly, derived measures of stroke volume were also highly correlated (f(x = 0.9655x − 0.0428, R = 0.9453, p < 0.001 with the current approach. Administration of xylazine caused a statistically significant increase in stroke volume (0.32 ± 0.07 ml, p = 0.003, n = 4 and a significant decrease in both heart rate (−155 ± 7.1 beats/min, p < 0.001, n = 4 and cardiac output (−75.9 ± 23.0 ml/kg min, p = 0.01, n = 4. These findings suggest that the new sinogram binning and kinetic modeling methods produce reliable cardiac function measures suitable for longitudinal monitoring of cardiovascular function.

  18. Evaluation of an improved technique for automated center lumen line definition in cardiovascular image data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gratama van Andel, Hugo A.F.; Meijering, Erik; Vrooman, Henri A.; Stokking, Rik; Lugt, Aad van der; Monye, Cecile de

    2006-01-01

    The aim of the study was to evaluate a new method for automated definition of a center lumen line in vessels in cardiovascular image data. This method, called VAMPIRE, is based on improved detection of vessel-like structures. A multiobserver evaluation study was conducted involving 40 tracings in clinical CTA data of carotid arteries to compare VAMPIRE with an established technique. This comparison showed that VAMPIRE yields considerably more successful tracings and improved handling of stenosis, calcifications, multiple vessels, and nearby bone structures. We conclude that VAMPIRE is highly suitable for automated definition of center lumen lines in vessels in cardiovascular image data. (orig.)

  19. ASCI 2010 contrast media guideline for cardiac imaging: a report of the Asian Society of Cardiovascular Imaging cardiac computed tomography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging guideline working group

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kitagawa, Kakuya; Tsai, I-Chen; Chan, Carmen; Yu, Wei; Yong, Hwan Seok; Choi, Byoung Wook

    2010-01-01

    The use of contrast media for cardiac imaging becomes increasing as the widespread of cardiac CT and cardiac MR. A radiologist needs to carefully consider the indication and the injection protocol of contrast media to be used as well as the possibility of adverse effect. There are several guidelines for contrast media in western countries. However, these are focusing the adverse effect of contrast media. The Asian Society of Cardiovascular Imaging, the only society dedicated to cardiovascular imaging in Asia, formed a Working Group and created a guideline, which summarizes the integrated knowledge of contrast media for cardiac imaging. In cardiac imaging, coronary artery evaluation is feasible by non-contrast MR angiography, which can be an alternative examination in high risk patients for the use of iodine contrast media. Furthermore, the body habitus of Asian patients is usually smaller than that of their western counterparts. This necessitates modifications in the injection protocol and in the formula for calculation of estimated glomerular filtration rate. This guideline provided fundamental information for the use of contrast media for Asian patients in cardiac imaging. PMID:20931289

  20. Clinical application of nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (resistive type) on cardiovascular disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Imai, Hitoshi; Yoshida, Katsuya; Watanabe, Shigeru; Masuda, Yoshiaki; Inagaki, Yoshiaki; Ikehira, Hiroo; Fukuda, Nobuo; Tateno, Yukio.

    1984-01-01

    In order to evaluate the usefulness of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) imaging in diagnosing cardiovascular disease, 27 subjects were examined using a 0.1-Tesla resistive type (ASAHI MARK-J). In 10 normal subjects, four cardiac chambers, interventricular septum, aorta, pulmonary vessels and vena cava were clearly identified in NMR imaging. In two patients with old anteroseptal myocardial infarction, anteroseptal wall thinning and left ventricular aneurysm with mural thrombi were demonstrated. In two cases of antrolateral and posterolateral myocardial infarction, however, infarcted areas were not identified in NMR imaging. In one patient with congestive cardiomyopathy, enlarged left ventricle without hypertrophy was recognized. In two patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, NMR imaging disclosed thickened left ventricular wall associated with its narrowed cavity. A mural thrombus in the right ventricle was distinctly visualized in one patient with cardio-vascular Behcet's disease. In two patients with mitral valve stenosis, enlarged left atrium with a mural thrombus was clearly demonstrated in both cross and longitudinal sections. In three patients with thoratic aortic aneurysm, local dilatation of aorta and mural thrombi were recognized. In four patients with dissecting aortic aneurysm, double channels with an intimal flap in the aorta were visualized in NMR imaging. Mean T 1 values and standard deviations of left ventricle, left ventricular wall, and thrombi were 593+-89, 341+-20, 316+-84 msec, respectively. Mean T 1 values of thrombi were ordinally shorter than those of left ventricule. But some thrombi which might be expected fresh had longer T 1 values. (J.P.N.)

  1. New SPECT and PET Radiopharmaceuticals for Imaging Cardiovascular Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oyebola O. Sogbein

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Nuclear cardiology has experienced exponential growth within the past four decades with converging capacity to diagnose and influence management of a variety of cardiovascular diseases. Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI with technetium-99m radiotracers or thallium-201 has dominated the field; however new hardware and software designs that optimize image quality with reduced radiation exposure are fuelling a resurgence of interest at the preclinical and clinical levels to expand beyond MPI. Other imaging modalities including positron emission tomography (PET and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI continue to emerge as powerful players with an expanded capacity to diagnose a variety of cardiac conditions. At the forefront of this resurgence is the development of novel target vectors based on an enhanced understanding of the underlying pathophysiological process in the subcellular domain. Molecular imaging with novel radiopharmaceuticals engineered to target a specific subcellular process has the capacity to improve diagnostic accuracy and deliver enhanced prognostic information to alter management. This paper, while not comprehensive, will review the recent advancements in radiotracer development for SPECT and PET MPI, autonomic dysfunction, apoptosis, atherosclerotic plaques, metabolism, and viability. The relevant radiochemistry and preclinical and clinical development in addition to molecular imaging with emerging modalities such as cardiac MRI and PET-MR will be discussed.

  2. Cardiovascular disease risk among breast cancer survivors: an evolutionary concept analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vo JB

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Jacqueline B Vo,1 Timiya S Nolan,1 David E Vance,1 Patricia A Patrician,2 Karen Meneses1 1Office of Research and Scholarship, 2Department of Family, Community Health, and Systems, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing, Birmingham, AL, USA Background: More than 3.5 million breast cancer survivors are living in the US, and the overall five-year survival rate is approaching 90%. With increased survival and cancer treatment-related cardiotoxicities, there has been a rise in cardiovascular diseases among breast cancer survivors. Yet, cardiovascular disease risk among breast cancer survivors has not been well conceptualized. The purpose of this article was to analyze and define the concept of cardiovascular disease risk among breast cancer survivors. Methods: The databases CINAHL, EMBASE, and PubMed were used to identify articles that explored cardiovascular disease risk among breast cancer survivors. The search yielded 357 articles, which were reviewed for eligibility. Thirty articles were selected based on the inclusion/exclusion criteria. The concept of cardiovascular disease risk among breast cancer survivors was analyzed using Rodgers’ evolutionary concept analysis method. Results: The analysis suggests that cardiovascular disease risk among breast cancer survivors consists of several attributes: cancer treatment (chemotherapy, targeted therapies, radiation therapy, and endocrine therapy, modifiable risk factors (obesity, physical inactivity, poor diet, and smoking, and nonmodifiable risk factors (age, family history, and race. The antecedent identified includes breast cancer diagnosis and the consequence identified includes the development of cardiovascular disease. Conclusion: Findings suggest the need for increased education and understanding of ­cardiovascular disease risk among health care providers and patients. Survivorship care plans can incorporate cardiovascular disease risk monitoring and screening. Future research

  3. Ultra-small superparamagnetic particles of iron oxide in magnetic resonance imaging of cardiovascular disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stirrat CG

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Colin G Stirrat,1 Alex T Vesey,1 Olivia MB McBride,1 Jennifer MJ Robson,1 Shirjel R Alam,1 William A Wallace,2 Scott I Semple,1,3 Peter A Henriksen,1 David E Newby1 1British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; 2Department of Pathology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; 3Clinical Research Imaging Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK Abstract: Ultra-small superparamagnetic particles of iron oxide (USPIO are iron-oxide based contrast agents that enhance and complement in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI by shortening T1, T2, and T2* relaxation times. USPIO can be employed to provide immediate blood pool contrast, or to act as subsequent markers of cellular inflammation through uptake by inflammatory cells. They can also be targeted to specific cell-surface markers using antibody or ligand labeling. This review will discuss the application of USPIO contrast in MRI studies of cardiovascular disease. Keywords: cardiac, aortic, MRI, USPIO, carotid, vascular, molecular imaging

  4. Expert consensus for multi-modality imaging evaluation of cardiovascular complications of radiotherapy in adults

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lancellotti, Patrizio; Nkomo, Vuyisile T; Badano, Luigi P

    2013-01-01

    . A comprehensive review of potential cardiac complications related to radiotherapy is warranted. An evidence-based review of several imaging approaches used to detect, evaluate, and monitor RIHD is discussed. Recommendations for the early identification and monitoring of cardiovascular complications...

  5. What's new in cardiac imaging?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wall, E.E. van der; Niemeyer, M.G.

    1992-01-01

    Since the introduction of myocardial perfusion imaging and radionuclide angiography in mid-seventies, cardiovascular nuclear medicine has undergone an explosive growth. Use of nuclear cardiology techniques has become one of the cornerstones of noninvasive assessment of coronary artery disease. In the past 15 years, major steps were made from visual analysis to quantitative analysis, from planar imaging to tomographic imaging, from disease-detection to prognosis, and from separate evaluations of perfusion, metabolism and function to an integrated assessment of myocardial viability.In recent years, many more advances have been made in cardiovascular nuclear imaging, such as the development of new imaging agents, re-evaluation of existing procedures, and new clinical applications. This book describes most recent developments in nuclear cardiology and also addresses new contrast agents in MRI. This book will assist clinical cardiologist, cardiology fellow, nuclear medicine physician, and radiologist in understanding the most recent achievements in clinical cardiovascular nuclear imaging

  6. Whole body cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging to stratify symptomatic and asymptomatic atherosclerotic burden in patients with isolated cardiovascular disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weir-McCall, Jonathan R.; Duce, Suzanne L.; Gandy, Stephen J.; Matthew, Shona Z.; Martin, Patricia; Cassidy, Deirdre B.; McCormick, Lynne; Belch, Jill J. F.; Struthers, Allan D.; Colhoun, Helen M.; Houston, J. Graeme

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to use whole body cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (WB CVMR) to assess the heart and arterial network in a single examination, so as to describe the burden of atherosclerosis and subclinical disease in participants with symptomatic single site vascular disease. 64 patients with a history of symptomatic single site vascular disease (38 coronary artery disease (CAD), 9 cerebrovascular disease, 17 peripheral arterial disease (PAD)) underwent whole body angiogram and cardiac MR in a 3 T scanner. The arterial tree was subdivided into 31 segments and each scored according to the degree of stenosis. From this a standardised atheroma score (SAS) was calculated. Cine and late gadolinium enhancement images of the left ventricle were obtained. Asymptomatic atherosclerotic disease with greater than 50 % stenosis in arteries other than that responsible for their presenting complain was detected in 37 % of CAD, 33 % of cerebrovascular and 47 % of PAD patients. Unrecognised myocardial infarcts were observed in 29 % of PAD patients. SAS was significantly higher in PAD patients 24 (17.5-30.5) compared to CAD 4 (2–11.25) or cerebrovascular disease patients 6 (2-10) (ANCOVA p < 0.001). Standardised atheroma score positively correlated with age (β 0.36 p = 0.002), smoking status (β 0.34 p = 0.002), and LV mass (β -0.61 p = 0.001) on multiple linear regression. WB CVMR is an effective method for the stratification of cardiovascular disease. The high prevalence of asymptomatic arterial disease, and silent myocardial infarctions, particularly in the peripheral arterial disease group, demonstrates the importance of a systematic approach to the assessment of cardiovascular disease

  7. X-ray image intensifier for cardiovascular diagnosis. Development of RTP 9203 B-P4 and evaluation of image quality

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Obata, Y; Suzuki, A; Noji, T; Harao, N [Toshiba Corp., Kawasaki, Kanagawa (Japan)

    1979-07-01

    The high utility of 35-mm cine fluorography with high-quality X-ray image intensifier has recently been acknowledged in the field of cardiovascular diagnosis. The newly developed 9-inch dual-field X-ray image intensifier is particularly suitable for 35-mm cinefluorography. The main characteristics of this tube are the increased contrast, brightness and resolution of images and the reduced quantum noise. These characteristics are caused by the CsI input phosphor screen which has a ''light-guide effect'', a high-sensitivity photocathode and a dark output screen. The tube is equipped with a high-voltage power supply with high reliability.

  8. Value of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Noninvasive Risk Stratification in Tetralogy of Fallot

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bokma, Jouke P.; de Wilde, Koen C.; Vliegen, Hubert W.; van Dijk, Arie P.; van Melle, Joost P.; Meijboom, Folkert J.; Zwinderman, Aeilko H.; Groenink, Maarten; Mulder, Barbara J. M.; Bouma, Berto J.

    IMPORTANCE Adults late after total correction of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) are at risk for majorcomplications. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is recommended toquantify right ventricular (RV) and left ventricular (LV) function. However, a commonly usedrisk model by Khairy et al

  9. Non-contact assessment of obstructive sleep apnea cardiovascular biomarkers using photoplethysmography imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amelard, Robert; Pfisterer, Kaylen J.; Jagani, Shubh; Clausi, David A.; Wong, Alexander

    2018-02-01

    Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects 20% of the adult population, and is associated with cardiovascular and cognitive morbidities. However, it is estimated that up to 80% of treatable OSA cases remain undiagnosed. Cur- rent methods for diagnosing OSA are expensive, labor-intensive, and involve uncomfortable wearable sensors. This study explored the feasibility of non-contact biophotonic assessment of OSA cardiovascular biomarkers via photoplethysmography imaging (PPGI). In particular, PPGI was used to monitor the hemodynamic response to obstructive respiratory events. Sleep apnea onset was simulated using Muller's maneuver in which breathing was obstructed by a respiratory clamp. A custom PPGI system, coded hemodynamic imaging (CHI), was positioned 1 m above the bed and illuminated the participant's head with 850 nm light, providing non-intrusive illumination for night-time monitoring. A video was recorded before, during and following an apnea event at 60 fps, yielding 17 ms temporal resolution. Per-pixel absorbance signals were extracted using a Beer-Lambert derived light transport model, and subsequently denoised. The extracted hemodynamic signal exhibited dynamic temporal modulation during and following the apnea event. In particular, the pulse wave amplitude (PWA) decreased during obstructed breathing, indicating vasoconstriction. Upon successful inhalation, the PWA gradually increased toward homeostasis following a temporal phase delay. This temporal vascular tone modulation provides insight into autonomic and vascular response, and may be used to assess sleep apnea using non-contact biophotonic imaging.

  10. Cardiovascular assessment of patients with Ullrich-Turner's Syndrome on Doppler echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Castro Ana Valéria Barros de

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To assess the cardiovascular features of Ullrich-Turner's syndrome using echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging, and to correlate them with the phenotype and karyotype of the patients. The diagnostic concordance between the 2 methods was also assessed. METHODS: Fifteen patients with the syndrome were assessed by echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging (cardiac chambers, valves, and aorta. Their ages ranged from 10 to 28 (mean of 16.7 years. The karyotype was analyzed in 11 or 25 metaphases of peripheral blood lymphocytes, or both. RESULTS: The most common phenotypic changes were short stature and spontaneous absence of puberal development (100%; 1 patient had a cardiac murmur. The karyotypes detected were as follows: 45,X (n=7, mosaics (n=5, and deletions (n=3. No echocardiographic changes were observed. In regard to magnetic resonance imaging, coarctation and dilation of the aorta were found in 1 patient, and isolated dilation of the aorta was found in 4 patients. CONCLUSION: The frequencies of coarctation and dilation of the aorta detected on magnetic resonance imaging were similar to those reported in the literature (5.5% to 20%, and 6.3% to 29%, respectively. This confirmed the adjuvant role of magnetic resonance imaging to Doppler echocardiography for diagnosing cardiovascular alterations in patients with Ullrich-Turner's syndrome.

  11. cGMP Signaling in the Cardiovascular System—The Role of Compartmentation and Its Live Cell Imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bork, Nadja I.; Nikolaev, Viacheslav O.

    2018-01-01

    The ubiquitous second messenger 3′,5′-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) regulates multiple physiologic processes in the cardiovascular system. Its intracellular effects are mediated by stringently controlled subcellular microdomains. In this review, we will illustrate the current techniques available for real-time cGMP measurements with a specific focus on live cell imaging methods. We will also discuss currently accepted and emerging mechanisms of cGMP compartmentation in the cardiovascular system. PMID:29534460

  12. Risk stratification in cardiovascular disease primary prevention - scoring systems, novel markers, and imaging techniques.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Zannad, Faiez

    2012-04-01

    The aim of this paper is to review and discuss current methods of risk stratification for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention, emerging biomarkers, and imaging techniques, and their relative merits and limitations. This report is based on discussions that took place among experts in the area during a special CardioVascular Clinical Trialists workshop organized by the European Society of Cardiology Working Group on Cardiovascular Pharmacology and Drug Therapy in September 2009. Classical risk factors such as blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels remain the cornerstone of risk estimation in primary prevention but their use as a guide to management is limited by several factors: (i) thresholds for drug treatment vary with the available evidence for cost-effectiveness and benefit-to-risk ratios; (ii) assessment may be imprecise; (iii) residual risk may remain, even with effective control of dyslipidemia and hypertension. Novel measures include C-reactive protein, lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A(2) , genetic markers, and markers of subclinical organ damage, for which there are varying levels of evidence. High-resolution ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging to assess carotid atherosclerotic lesions have potential but require further validation, standardization, and proof of clinical usefulness in the general population. In conclusion, classical risk scoring systems are available and inexpensive but have a number of limitations. Novel risk markers and imaging techniques may have a place in drug development and clinical trial design. However, their additional value above and beyond classical risk factors has yet to be determined for risk-guided therapy in CVD prevention.

  13. Role of imaging techniques in the evaluation of cardiovascular drugs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sugishita, Yasuro; Matsuda, Mitsuo; Ajisaka, Ryuichi

    1985-01-01

    In order to investigate the role of imaging in the evaluation of medical treatment in heart diseases, radionuclide angiocardiography, echocardiography and Doppler echocardiography were applied in the cases of various kinds of heart diseases. Acute and chronic effects of antianginal drugs (nitrates, calcium antagonists and beta-blockers) could be evaluated by exercise radionuclide angiocardiography or exercise echocardiography in the cases of effort angina. The effects of the drugs changing myocardial contractility, preload or afterload could be evaluated by echocardiography in various kinds of heart diseases, including valvular heart biseases. The effect of calcium antagonists in improving diastolic function in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy could be evaluated by echocardiography or Doppler echocardiography. In conclusion, imaging techniqus are valuable and useful methods to evaluate the effects of cardiovascular drugs, by offering various informations. (author)

  14. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance in adults with previous cardiovascular surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    von Knobelsdorff-Brenkenhoff, Florian; Trauzeddel, Ralf Felix; Schulz-Menger, Jeanette

    2014-03-01

    Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is a versatile non-invasive imaging modality that serves a broad spectrum of indications in clinical cardiology and has proven evidence. Most of the numerous applications are appropriate in patients with previous cardiovascular surgery in the same manner as in non-surgical subjects. However, some specifics have to be considered. This review article is intended to provide information about the application of CMR in adults with previous cardiovascular surgery. In particular, the two main scenarios, i.e. following coronary artery bypass surgery and following heart valve surgery, are highlighted. Furthermore, several pictorial descriptions of other potential indications for CMR after cardiovascular surgery are given.

  15. Validation of an imaging based cardiovascular risk score in a Scottish population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kockelkoren, Remko; Jairam, Pushpa M; Murchison, John T; Debray, Thomas P A; Mirsadraee, Saeed; van der Graaf, Yolanda; Jong, Pim A de; van Beek, Edwin J R

    2018-01-01

    A radiological risk score that determines 5-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk using routine care CT and patient information readily available to radiologists was previously developed. External validation in a Scottish population was performed to assess the applicability and validity of the risk score in other populations. 2915 subjects aged ≥40 years who underwent routine clinical chest CT scanning for non-cardiovascular diagnostic indications were followed up until first diagnosis of, or death from, CVD. Using a case-cohort approach, all cases and a random sample of 20% of the participant's CT examinations were visually graded for cardiovascular calcifications and cardiac diameter was measured. The radiological risk score was determined using imaging findings, age, gender, and CT indication. Performance on 5-year CVD risk prediction was assessed. 384 events occurred in 2124 subjects during a mean follow-up of 4.25 years (0-6.4 years). The risk score demonstrated reasonable performance in the studied population. Calibration showed good agreement between actual and 5-year predicted risk of CVD. The c-statistic was 0.71 (95%CI:0.67-0.75). The radiological CVD risk score performed adequately in the Scottish population offering a potential novel strategy for identifying patients at high risk for developing cardiovascular disease using routine care CT data. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Position paper of the Cardiovascular Committee of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) on PET imaging of atherosclerosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bucerius, Jan; Hyafil, Fabien; Verberne, Hein J.; Slart, Riemer H.J.A.; Lindner, Oliver; Sciagra, Roberto; Agostini, Denis; Uebleis, Christopher; Gimelli, Alessia; Hacker, Marcus

    2016-01-01

    Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death not only in Europe but also in the rest of the World. Preventive measures, however, often fail and cardiovascular disease may manifest as an acute coronary syndrome, stroke or even sudden death after years of silent progression. Thus, there is a considerable need for innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to improve the quality of care and limit the burden of cardiovascular diseases. During the past 10 years, several retrospective and prospective clinical studies have been published using 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) to quantify inflammation in atherosclerotic plaques. However, the current variety of imaging protocols used for vascular (arterial) imaging with FDG PET considerably limits the ability to compare results between studies and to build large multicentre imaging registries. Based on the existing literature and the experience of the Members of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) Cardiovascular Committee, the objective of this position paper was to propose optimized and standardized protocols for imaging and interpretation of PET scans in atherosclerosis. These recommendations do not, however, replace the individual responsibility of healthcare professionals to make appropriate decisions in the circumstances of the individual study protocols used and the individual patient, in consultation with the patient and, where appropriate and necessary, the patient's guardian or carer. These recommendations suffer from the absence of conclusive evidence on many of the recommendations. Therefore, they are not intended and should not be used as ''strict guidelines'' but should, as already mentioned, provide a basis for standardized clinical atherosclerosis PET imaging protocols, which are subject to further and continuing evaluation and improvement. However, this EANM position paper might indeed be a first step towards &apos

  17. Position paper of the Cardiovascular Committee of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) on PET imaging of atherosclerosis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bucerius, Jan [Maastricht University Medical Center, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht (Netherlands); Maastricht University Medical Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht (Netherlands); University Hospital RWTH Aachen, RWTH Aachen, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Aachen (Germany); Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC), Department of Nuclear Medicine and Cardiovascular Research Institute (CARIM), P. Debyelaan 25, HX, Maastricht (Netherlands); Hyafil, Fabien [Bichat University Hospital, Inserm 1148, DHU FIRE, Assistance Publique - Hopitaux de Paris, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Paris (France); Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Munich (Germany); Verberne, Hein J. [University of Amsterdam, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Slart, Riemer H.J.A. [University of Groningen, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen (Netherlands); University of Twente, Department of Biomedical Photonic Imaging, Faculty of Science and Technology, Enschede (Netherlands); Lindner, Oliver [Heart and Diabetes Center NRW, Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Institute of Radiology, Bad Oeynhausen (Germany); Sciagra, Roberto [University of Florence, Nuclear Medicine Unit, Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, Florence (Italy); Agostini, Denis [Normandie Universite, Department of Nuclear Medicine, CHU Cote de Nacre, Caen (France); Uebleis, Christopher [Ludwig-Maximilians Universitaet Muenchen, Department of Clinical Radiology, Muenchen (Germany); Gimelli, Alessia [Fondazione Toscana Gabriele Monasterio, Pisa (Italy); Hacker, Marcus [Medical University Vienna, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided therapy, Vienna (Austria); Collaboration: on behalf of the Cardiovascular Committee of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM)

    2016-04-15

    Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death not only in Europe but also in the rest of the World. Preventive measures, however, often fail and cardiovascular disease may manifest as an acute coronary syndrome, stroke or even sudden death after years of silent progression. Thus, there is a considerable need for innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to improve the quality of care and limit the burden of cardiovascular diseases. During the past 10 years, several retrospective and prospective clinical studies have been published using {sup 18}F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) to quantify inflammation in atherosclerotic plaques. However, the current variety of imaging protocols used for vascular (arterial) imaging with FDG PET considerably limits the ability to compare results between studies and to build large multicentre imaging registries. Based on the existing literature and the experience of the Members of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) Cardiovascular Committee, the objective of this position paper was to propose optimized and standardized protocols for imaging and interpretation of PET scans in atherosclerosis. These recommendations do not, however, replace the individual responsibility of healthcare professionals to make appropriate decisions in the circumstances of the individual study protocols used and the individual patient, in consultation with the patient and, where appropriate and necessary, the patient's guardian or carer. These recommendations suffer from the absence of conclusive evidence on many of the recommendations. Therefore, they are not intended and should not be used as ''strict guidelines'' but should, as already mentioned, provide a basis for standardized clinical atherosclerosis PET imaging protocols, which are subject to further and continuing evaluation and improvement. However, this EANM position paper might indeed be a first step towards &apos

  18. Rosiglitazone evaluated for cardiovascular outcomes--an interim analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Home, Philip D; Pocock, Stuart J; Beck-Nielsen, Henning

    2007-01-01

    BACKGROUND: A recent meta-analysis raised concern regarding an increased risk of myocardial infarction and death from cardiovascular causes associated with rosiglitazone treatment of type 2 diabetes. METHODS: We conducted an unplanned interim analysis of a randomized, multicenter, open...... group). The primary end point was hospitalization or death from cardiovascular causes. RESULTS: Because the mean follow-up was only 3.75 years, our interim analysis had limited statistical power to detect treatment differences. A total of 217 patients in the rosiglitazone group and 202 patients...... in the control group had the adjudicated primary end point (hazard ratio, 1.08; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.89 to 1.31). After the inclusion of end points pending adjudication, the hazard ratio was 1.11 (95% CI, 0.93 to 1.32). There were no statistically significant differences between the rosiglitazone...

  19. Nuclear cardiology core syllabus of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gimelli, Alessia; Neglia, Danilo; Schindler, Thomas H; Cosyns, Bernard; Lancellotti, Patrizio; Kitsiou, Anastasia

    2015-04-01

    The European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) Core Syllabus for Nuclear Cardiology is now available online. The syllabus lists key elements of knowledge in nuclear cardiology. It represents a framework for the development of training curricula and provides expected knowledge-based learning outcomes to the nuclear cardiology trainees. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2015. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  20. Prognostic value of tissue Doppler imaging for predicting ventricular arrhythmias and cardiovascular mortality in ischaemic cardiomyopathy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Biering-Sørensen, Tor; Olsen, Flemming Javier; Storm, Katrine

    2016-01-01

    AIMS: Only 30% of patients receiving an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) for primary prevention receive appropriately therapy. We sought to investigate the value of tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) to predict ventricular tachycardia (VT), ventricular fibrillation (VF), and cardiovascular...

  1. ANALYSIS OF ABNORMALITIES IN COMMON CAROTID ARTERY IMAGES USING MULTIWAVELETS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R Nandakumar

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available According to the report given by World Health Organization, by 2030 almost 23.6 million people will die from cardiovascular diseases (CVD, mostly from heart disease and stroke. The main objective of this work is to develop a classifier for the diagnosis of abnormal Common Carotid Arteries (CCA. This paper proposes a new approach for the analysis of abnormalities in longitudinal B-mode ultrasound CCA images using multiwavelets. Analysis is done using HM and GHM multiwavelets at various levels of decomposition. Energy values of the coefficients of approximation, horizontal, vertical and diagonal details are calculated and plotted for different levels. Plots of energy values show high correlation with the abnormalities of CCA and offer the possibility of improved diagnosis of CVD. It is clear that the energy values can be used as an index of individual atherosclerosis and to develop a cost effective system for cardiovascular risk assessment at an early stage.

  2. Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Incremental Value in a Series of 361 Patients Demonstrating Cost Savings and Clinical Benefits: An Outcome-Based Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hegde, Vinayak A; Biederman, Robert Ww; Mikolich, J Ronald

    2017-01-01

    This study was designed to assess the clinical impact and cost-benefit of cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). In the face of current health care cost concerns, cardiac imaging modalities have come under focused review. Data related to CMR clinical impact and cost-benefit are lacking. Retrospective review of 361 consecutive patients (pts) who underwent CMR exams was conducted. Indications for CMR were tabulated for appropriateness criteria. Components of the CMR exam were identified along with evidence of clinical impact. The cost of each CMR exam was ascertained along with cost savings attributable to the CMR exam for calculation of an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio. A total of 354 of 361 pts (98%) had diagnostic quality studies. Of the 361 pts, 350 (97%) had at least 1 published Appropriateness Criterion for CMR. A significant clinical impact attributable to CMR exam results was observed in 256 of 361 pts (71%). The CMR exam resulted in a new diagnosis in 69 of 361 (27%) pts. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging results avoided invasive procedures in 38 (11%) pts and prevented additional diagnostic testing in 26 (7%) pts. Comparison of health care savings using CMR as opposed to current standards of care showed a net cost savings of $833 037, ie, per patient cost savings of $2308. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging provides diagnostic image quality in >98% of cases. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging findings have documentable clinical impact on patient management in 71% of pts undergoing the exam, in a cost beneficial manner.

  3. 5th German cardiodiagnostic meeting 2013 with the 6th Leipzig Symposium on non-invasive cardiovascular imaging. Challenges and limit of the non-invasive cardiac imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2013-01-01

    The proceedings on the German cardiodiagnostic meeting 2013 together with the 6th Leipzig Symposium on non-invasive cardiovascular imaging include abstracts concerning the following topics: Imaging in the rhythmology; adults with congenital cardiac defects; cardiac myopathies - myocarditis; cardiac valves (before and after transcutaneous valve replacement); coronary heart diseases; technical developments.

  4. Cardiovascular radiology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    VanAman, M.; Mueller, C.F.

    1985-01-01

    Soon after Roentgen documented the uses of x-rays in 1895, fluoroscopic and film evaluation of the heart began. Even today the chest roentgenogram remains one of the first and most frequently used studies for the evaluation of the normal and abnormal heart and great vessels. This chapter gives an overview of plain film evaluation of the cardiovascular system and follow up with comments on the newer imaging modalities of computed tomography, and digital subtraction angiography, in the cardiovascular disease workup. The authors present an evaluation of plain films of the chest, which remains their most cost effective, available, simple, and reliable initial screening tool in the evaluation of cardiovascular disease

  5. Korean Society of Cardiovascular Imaging Guidelines for Cardiac Computed Tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Young Jin; Choi, Byoung Wook; Choe, Kyu Ok; Yong, Hwan Seok; Kim, Yang Min; Choe, Yeon Hyeon; Lim, Tae Hwan; Park, Jae Hyung

    2011-01-01

    The Korean Society of Cardiovascular Imaging (KOCSI) has issued a guideline for the use of cardiac CT imaging in order to assist clinicians and patients in providing adequate level of medical service. In order to establish a guideline founded on evidence based medicine, it was designed based on comprehensive data such as questionnaires conducted in international and domestic hospitals, intensive journal reviews, and with experts in cardiac radiology. The recommendations of this guideline should not be used as an absolute standard and medical professionals can always refer to methods non-adherent to this guideline when it is considered more reasonable and beneficial to an individual patient's medical situation. The guideline has its limitation and should be revised appropriately with the advancement medical equipment technology and public health care system. The guideline should not be served as a measure for standard of care. KOCSI strongly disapproves the use of the guideline to be used as the standard of expected practice in medical litigation processes.

  6. Echocardiography and cardiovascular MRI entwined within the imaging domain; uniting the two. A compendium for the echocardiographer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, Moneal B; Doyle, Mark; Farah, Victor; Biederman, Robert W W

    2018-04-01

    A review of the unique and complementary roles echocardiography and cardiovascular MRI provide to the clinician. A focus on the physics of each modality as well as imaging of the left ventricle. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Cardiac imaging: working towards fully-automated machine analysis & interpretation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slomka, Piotr J; Dey, Damini; Sitek, Arkadiusz; Motwani, Manish; Berman, Daniel S; Germano, Guido

    2017-03-01

    Non-invasive imaging plays a critical role in managing patients with cardiovascular disease. Although subjective visual interpretation remains the clinical mainstay, quantitative analysis facilitates objective, evidence-based management, and advances in clinical research. This has driven developments in computing and software tools aimed at achieving fully automated image processing and quantitative analysis. In parallel, machine learning techniques have been used to rapidly integrate large amounts of clinical and quantitative imaging data to provide highly personalized individual patient-based conclusions. Areas covered: This review summarizes recent advances in automated quantitative imaging in cardiology and describes the latest techniques which incorporate machine learning principles. The review focuses on the cardiac imaging techniques which are in wide clinical use. It also discusses key issues and obstacles for these tools to become utilized in mainstream clinical practice. Expert commentary: Fully-automated processing and high-level computer interpretation of cardiac imaging are becoming a reality. Application of machine learning to the vast amounts of quantitative data generated per scan and integration with clinical data also facilitates a move to more patient-specific interpretation. These developments are unlikely to replace interpreting physicians but will provide them with highly accurate tools to detect disease, risk-stratify, and optimize patient-specific treatment. However, with each technological advance, we move further from human dependence and closer to fully-automated machine interpretation.

  8. Biomechanical analysis on stent materials used as cardiovascular implants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Vasantha; Ramesha, C. M.; Sajjan, Sudheer S.

    2018-04-01

    Atherosclerosis is the most common cause of death in the world, accounting for 48% of all deaths in the world. Atherosclerosis, also known as coronary artery disease occurs when excess cholesterol attaches itself to the walls of blood vessels. Coronary stent implantation is one of the most important procedures to treating coronary artery disease such atherosclerosis. Due to its efficiency, flexibility and simplicity, the use of coronary stents procedures has increased rapidly. In order to have better output of stent implantation, it is needed to study and analyze the biomechanical behavior of this device before manufacturing and put into use. Biomaterials are commonly used for medical application in cardiovascular stent implantation. A biomaterial is a non-viable material used as medical implant, so it is intended to interact with biological system. In this paper, an explicit dynamic analysis is used for analyzing the biomechanical behavior of cardiovascular stent by using finite element analysis tool, ABAQUS 6.10. Results showed that a best suitable biomaterial for cardiovascular stent implants, which exhibits an outstanding biocompatibility and biomechanical characteristics will be aimed at which will be quite useful to the human beings worldwide.

  9. Radiation dose reduction in cardiovascular CT angiography with iterative reconstruction (AIDR 3D) in a swine model: a model of paediatric cardiac imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao, Pengfei; Hou, Yang; Liu, Qin; Ma, Yue; Guo, Qiyong

    2016-01-01

    Aim: To investigate the potential dose reduction in cardiovascular computed tomography angiography (CTA) in a swine model using 320-detector volume CT with adaptive iterative dose reduction in three dimensions (AIDR 3D) reconstruction to maintain a comparable image quality (IQ) to that reconstructed by a conventional filtered back projection (FBP) algorithm. Methods and materials: Twenty-four mini-pigs underwent cardiovascular CTA four times at 80 KVp and different tube currents. An automatic exposure control (AEC) system was used and the noise index (NI) was predetermined at a standard deviation (SD) of 20 (Method A, routine dose), and 25, 30, 35 (Methods B–D) to reduce the dose gradually. Method A was reconstructed with FBP. Methods B–D were reconstructed using AIDR 3D (strong). Two radiologists graded IQ by reviewing both cardiac and vascular structures using a five-point scale. Quantitative IQ parameters of image noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were measured and compared. A receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to select a radiation reduction threshold and maintain comparable IQ (score ≥4). Results: Method B and C had significantly lower image noise (p<0.0001), higher CNR and SNR than Method A (p<0.0001). Compared with Method A (noise: 52.7±8.3; SNR: 11.7±2.8; and CNR: 9.9±2.7), Method C had comparable subjective IQ and higher objective IQ (noise: 38.9±6.1; SNR: 16.3±3.5; and CNR: 13.5±3.3). The results of the ROC curve showed that Method C (SD30) was the optimal dose threshold to maintain a comparable subjective IQ (AUC: 0.85, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.80–0.90). The effective dose (ED) of Method C was reduced by 49%, compared to that of Method A (0.33±0.08 mSv versus 0.65±0.15 mSv). Conclusion: AIDR 3D at a strong level combined with an AEC system can potentially reduce the ED by 49% and maintain an IQ comparable to that achieved using a routine-dose and FBP reconstruction

  10. Review of cardiovascular imaging in the journal of nuclear cardiology in 2015. Part 1 of 2: Plaque imaging, positron emission tomography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    AlJaroudi, Wael A; Hage, Fadi G

    2016-02-01

    In 2015, many original articles pertaining to cardiovascular imaging with impressive quality were published in the Journal of Nuclear Cardiology. In a set of 2 articles, we provide an overview of these contributions to facilitate for the interested reader a quick review of the advancements that occurred in the field over this year. In this first article, we focus on arterial plaque imaging, cardiac positron emission tomography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging.

  11. Tracers and contrast agents in cardiovascular imaging: present and future

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marmion, M.; Deutsch, E.

    1996-01-01

    This brief article addresses the current status and future potential of nuclear medicine, X-ray computed tomography (CT), ultrasound (US), and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases. The currently perceived advantages and disadvantages, as well as the possible future roles, of each of the modalities with regard to the evaluation of coronary artery disease are delineated. The certain advent of Mr and US myocardial contrast agents, combined with the inexorable pressures of health care reform, will alter the future usage patterns of all four modalities. Future debates about which modality should be used in which clinical situation will be based not on 'anatomy vs function', nor on the issues of cost effectiveness and patient outcomes

  12. Retinal Imaging and Image Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abràmoff, Michael D.; Garvin, Mona K.; Sonka, Milan

    2011-01-01

    Many important eye diseases as well as systemic diseases manifest themselves in the retina. While a number of other anatomical structures contribute to the process of vision, this review focuses on retinal imaging and image analysis. Following a brief overview of the most prevalent causes of blindness in the industrialized world that includes age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma, the review is devoted to retinal imaging and image analysis methods and their clinical implications. Methods for 2-D fundus imaging and techniques for 3-D optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging are reviewed. Special attention is given to quantitative techniques for analysis of fundus photographs with a focus on clinically relevant assessment of retinal vasculature, identification of retinal lesions, assessment of optic nerve head (ONH) shape, building retinal atlases, and to automated methods for population screening for retinal diseases. A separate section is devoted to 3-D analysis of OCT images, describing methods for segmentation and analysis of retinal layers, retinal vasculature, and 2-D/3-D detection of symptomatic exudate-associated derangements, as well as to OCT-based analysis of ONH morphology and shape. Throughout the paper, aspects of image acquisition, image analysis, and clinical relevance are treated together considering their mutually interlinked relationships. PMID:22275207

  13. Digital cardiovascular imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Myerowitz, P.D.; Mistretta, C.A.; Shaw, C.-G.; Van Lysel, M.S.; Swanson, D.K.; Lasser, T.A.; Dhanani, S.P.; Zarnstorff, W.C.; Vander Ark, C.R.; Dobbins, J.T.; Peppler, W.W.; Crummy, A.B.

    1982-01-01

    The authors have previously reported on real time digital fluoroscopic subtraction techniques developed in the laboratory during the past 10 years. This paper outlines basic apparatus configuration and imaging modes used for preliminary studies involving visualization of the canine and human heart. All of the techniques involve the use of real time digital subtraction processing of data from an image intensified television fluoroscopy system. Based on the configuration of the digital processing equipment a number of different imaging modalities are possible. A brief description of the apparatus and these imaging modes is given. (Auth.)

  14. TH-B-207B-02: Optimizing Pediatic Cardiovascular MRI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deng, J.

    2016-01-01

    This imaging educational program will focus on solutions to common pediatric image quality optimization challenges. The speakers will present collective knowledge on best practices in pediatric imaging from their experience at dedicated children’s hospitals. One of the most commonly encountered pediatric imaging requirements for the non-specialist hospital is pediatric CT in the emergency room setting. Thus, this educational program will begin with optimization of pediatric CT in the emergency department. Though pediatric cardiovascular MRI may be less common in the non-specialist hospitals, low pediatric volumes and unique cardiovascular anatomy make optimization of these techniques difficult. Therefore, our second speaker will review best practices in pediatric cardiovascular MRI based on experiences from a children’s hospital with a large volume of cardiac patients. Learning Objectives: To learn techniques for optimizing radiation dose and image quality for CT of children in the emergency room setting. To learn solutions for consistently high quality cardiovascular MRI of children

  15. TH-B-207B-02: Optimizing Pediatic Cardiovascular MRI

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Deng, J. [Ann & Robert H. Lurie Childrens Hospital, Chicago, IL (United States)

    2016-06-15

    This imaging educational program will focus on solutions to common pediatric image quality optimization challenges. The speakers will present collective knowledge on best practices in pediatric imaging from their experience at dedicated children’s hospitals. One of the most commonly encountered pediatric imaging requirements for the non-specialist hospital is pediatric CT in the emergency room setting. Thus, this educational program will begin with optimization of pediatric CT in the emergency department. Though pediatric cardiovascular MRI may be less common in the non-specialist hospitals, low pediatric volumes and unique cardiovascular anatomy make optimization of these techniques difficult. Therefore, our second speaker will review best practices in pediatric cardiovascular MRI based on experiences from a children’s hospital with a large volume of cardiac patients. Learning Objectives: To learn techniques for optimizing radiation dose and image quality for CT of children in the emergency room setting. To learn solutions for consistently high quality cardiovascular MRI of children.

  16. Artificial Intelligence Methods in Analysis of Morphology of Selected Structures in Medical Images

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ryszard Tadeusiewicz

    2001-01-01

    Full Text Available The goal of this paper is the presentation of the possibilities of application of syntactic method of computer image analysis for recognition of local stenoscs of coronary arteries lumen and detection of pathological signs in upper parts of ureter ducts and renal calyxes. Analysis of correct morphology of these structures is possible thanks to thc application of sequence and tree methods from the group of syntactic methods of pattern recognition. In the case of analysis of coronary arteries images the main objective is computer-aided early diagnosis of different form of ischemic cardiovascular diseases. Such diseases may reveal in the form of stable or unstable disturbances of heart rhythm or infarction. ln analysis of kidney radiograms the main goal is recognition of local irregularities in ureter lumens and examination of morphology of renal pelvis and calyxes.

  17. Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance T2-STIR Imaging is Unable to Discriminate Between Intramyocardial Haemorrhage and Microvascular Obstruction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Søvsø Szocska Hansen, Esben; Pedersen, Steen Fjord; Pedersen, Steen Bønløkke

    2015-01-01

    Recent studies have used cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) and T2-weighted short tau inversion recovery (T2-STIR) imaging to detect intramyocardial haemorrhage (IMH) as a measure of ischemic/reperfusion injury. We investigated the ability of T2-STIR to differentiate between microvascular...

  18. Cardiovascular imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1987-01-01

    Nuclear cardiology has grown exponentially over the past decade. The introduction of the gamma camera, the development of new radionuclides, and the implementation of computers have transformed the field of nuclear cardiology from largely research in the 1970s to routine clinical applications in the 1980s. At first, noninvasive nuclear imaging techniques were used predominantly to aid disease detection. In the ensuing years, emphasis has shifted to the functional assessment of patients with known disease. Widely available noninvasive techniques now allow the quantitative assessment of left and right ventricular function, one of the most important predictors of survival in patients with cardiac disease. Exercise radionuclide ventriculography provides valuable information on the myocardial reserve in patients with normal resting function. The serial measurement of the ventricular ejection fraction assists in the timing of valvular replacement therapy. In patients receiving doxorubicin, serial ejection fraction follow-up helps prevent the development of irreversible, drug-induced cardiomyopathy. It is now generally acknowledged that the detection of latent coronary disease is improved by the addition of 201 T1 imaging to the standard exercise electrocardiogram. Thallium imaging and infarct avid imaging with /sup 99m/Tc-pyrophosphate have proven useful in quantifying myocardial infarction size, and in assessing the value of therapy aimed at limiting infarction extent. In the evaluation of coronary artery disease, scintigraphy provides physiologic data that complements angiography, which is more anatomic. An angiographic lesion, read as a 70 percent narrowing, may not necessarily be flow-limiting, whereas one read as 40 percent, may, in fact, have physiologic consequences, if it is of sufficient length or eccentricity, or is in series with another insignificant stenosis

  19. Detection of myocardial ischemia by automated, motion-corrected, color-encoded perfusion maps compared with visual analysis of adenosine stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging at 3 T: a pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doesch, Christina; Papavassiliu, Theano; Michaely, Henrik J; Attenberger, Ulrike I; Glielmi, Christopher; Süselbeck, Tim; Fink, Christian; Borggrefe, Martin; Schoenberg, Stefan O

    2013-09-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare automated, motion-corrected, color-encoded (AMC) perfusion maps with qualitative visual analysis of adenosine stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging for detection of flow-limiting stenoses. Myocardial perfusion measurements applying the standard adenosine stress imaging protocol and a saturation-recovery temporal generalized autocalibrating partially parallel acquisition (t-GRAPPA) turbo fast low angle shot (Turbo FLASH) magnetic resonance imaging sequence were performed in 25 patients using a 3.0-T MAGNETOM Skyra (Siemens Healthcare Sector, Erlangen, Germany). Perfusion studies were analyzed using AMC perfusion maps and qualitative visual analysis. Angiographically detected coronary artery (CA) stenoses greater than 75% or 50% or more with a myocardial perfusion reserve index less than 1.5 were considered as hemodynamically relevant. Diagnostic performance and time requirement for both methods were compared. Interobserver and intraobserver reliability were also assessed. A total of 29 CA stenoses were included in the analysis. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy for detection of ischemia on a per-patient basis were comparable using the AMC perfusion maps compared to visual analysis. On a per-CA territory basis, the attribution of an ischemia to the respective vessel was facilitated using the AMC perfusion maps. Interobserver and intraobserver reliability were better for the AMC perfusion maps (concordance correlation coefficient, 0.94 and 0.93, respectively) compared to visual analysis (concordance correlation coefficient, 0.73 and 0.79, respectively). In addition, in comparison to visual analysis, the AMC perfusion maps were able to significantly reduce analysis time from 7.7 (3.1) to 3.2 (1.9) minutes (P < 0.0001). The AMC perfusion maps yielded a diagnostic performance on a per-patient and on a per-CA territory basis comparable with the visual analysis

  20. Effects of education and income on cardiovascular outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khaing, Win; Vallibhakara, Sakda A; Attia, John; McEvoy, Mark; Thakkinstian, Ammarin

    2017-07-01

    Objective Previous studies have reported discrepancy effects of education and income on cardiovascular diseases. This systematic review and meta-analysis was therefore conducted which aimed to summarize effects of education and income on cardiovascular diseases. Methods Studies were identified from Medline and Scopus until July 2016. Cohorts were eligible if they assessed associations between education/income and cardiovascular diseases, had at least one outcome including coronary artery diseases, cardiovascular events, strokes and cardiovascular deaths. A multivariate meta-analysis was applied to pool risk effects of these social determinants. Results Among 72 included cohorts, 39, 19, and 14 were studied in Europe, USA, and Asia. Pooled risk ratios of low and medium versus high education were 1.36 (95% confidence interval: 1.11-1.66) and 1.21 (1.06-1.40) for coronary artery diseases, 1.50 (1.17-1.92) and 1.27 (1.09-1.48) for cardiovascular events, 1.23 (1.06-1.43) and 1.17 (1.01-1.35) for strokes, and 1.39 (1.26-1.54) and 1.21 (1.12-1.30) for cardiovascular deaths. The effects of education on all cardiovascular diseases were still present in US and Europe settings, except in Asia this was present only for cardiovascular deaths. Effects of low and medium income versus high on these corresponding cardiovascular diseases were 1.49 (1.16-1.91) and 1.27 (1.10-1.47) for coronary artery diseases, 1.17 (0.96-1.44) and 1.05 (0.98-1.13) for cardiovascular events, 1.30 (0.99-1.72) and 1.24 (1.00-1.53) for strokes, and 1.76 (1.45-2.14) and 1.34 (1.17-1.54) for cardiovascular deaths. Conclusion Social determinants are risk factors of cardiovascular diseases in developed countries, although high heterogeneity in pooling. Data in Asia countries are still needed to update pooling.

  1. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance in congenital heart disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cazacu, A.; Ciubotaru, A.

    2010-01-01

    The increasing prevalence of congenital heart disease can be attributed to major improvements in diagnosis and treatment. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging plays an important role in the clinical management strategy of patients with congenital heart disease. The development of new cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) techniques allows comprehensive assessment of complex cardiac anatomy and function and provides information about the long-term residual post-operative lesions and complications of surgery. It overcomes many of the limitations of echocardiography and cardiac catheterization. This review evaluates the role of cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging modality in the management of subject with congenital heart disease (CHD). (authors)

  2. Preeclampsia and Future Cardiovascular Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Pensée; Haththotuwa, Randula; Kwok, Chun Shing; Babu, Aswin; Kotronias, Rafail A; Rushton, Claire; Zaman, Azfar; Fryer, Anthony A; Kadam, Umesh; Chew-Graham, Carolyn A; Mamas, Mamas A

    2017-02-01

    Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific disorder resulting in hypertension and multiorgan dysfunction. There is growing evidence that these effects persist after pregnancy. We aimed to systematically evaluate and quantify the evidence on the relationship between preeclampsia and the future risk of cardiovascular diseases. We studied the future risk of heart failure, coronary heart disease, composite cardiovascular disease, death because of coronary heart or cardiovascular disease, stroke, and stroke death after preeclampsia. A systematic search of MEDLINE and EMBASE was performed to identify relevant studies. We used random-effects meta-analysis to determine the risk. Twenty-two studies were identified with >6.4 million women including >258 000 women with preeclampsia. Meta-analysis of studies that adjusted for potential confounders demonstrated that preeclampsia was independently associated with an increased risk of future heart failure (risk ratio [RR], 4.19; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.09-8.38), coronary heart disease (RR, 2.50; 95% CI, 1.43-4.37), cardiovascular disease death (RR, 2.21; 95% CI, 1.83-2.66), and stroke (RR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.29-2.55). Sensitivity analyses showed that preeclampsia continued to be associated with an increased risk of future coronary heart disease, heart failure, and stroke after adjusting for age (RR, 3.89; 95% CI, 1.83-8.26), body mass index (RR, 3.16; 95% CI, 1.41-7.07), and diabetes mellitus (RR, 4.19; 95% CI, 2.09-8.38). Preeclampsia is associated with a 4-fold increase in future incident heart failure and a 2-fold increased risk in coronary heart disease, stroke, and death because of coronary heart or cardiovascular disease. Our study highlights the importance of lifelong monitoring of cardiovascular risk factors in women with a history of preeclampsia. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

  3. 2017 multimodality appropriate use criteria for noninvasive cardiac imaging: Export consensus of the Asian society of cardiovascular imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Beck, Kyong Min Sarah [Dept. of Radiology, Seoul St. Mary' s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jeong A [Dept. of Radiology, Ilsan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Goyang (Korea, Republic of); Choe, Yeon Hyeon [Dept. of Radiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); and others

    2017-11-15

    In 2010, the Asian Society of Cardiovascular Imaging (ASCI) provided recommendations for cardiac CT and MRI, and this document reflects an update of the 2010 ASCI appropriate use criteria (AUC). In 2016, the ASCI formed a new working group for revision of AUC for noninvasive cardiac imaging. A major change that we made in this document is the rating of various noninvasive tests (exercise electrocardiogram, echocardiography, positron emission tomography, single-photon emission computed tomography, radionuclide imaging, cardiac magnetic resonance, and cardiac computed tomography/angiography), compared side by side for their applications in various clinical scenarios. Ninety-five clinical scenarios were developed from eight selected pre-existing guidelines and classified into four sections as follows: 1) detection of coronary artery disease, symptomatic or asymptomatic; 2) cardiac evaluation in various clinical scenarios; 3) use of imaging modality according to prior testing; and 4) evaluation of cardiac structure and function. The clinical scenarios were scored by a separate rating committee on a scale of 1–9 to designate appropriate use, uncertain use, or inappropriate use according to a modified Delphi method. Overall, the AUC ratings for CT were higher than those of previous guidelines. These new AUC provide guidance for clinicians choosing among available testing modalities for various cardiac diseases and are also unique, given that most previous AUC for noninvasive imaging include only one imaging technique. As cardiac imaging is multimodal in nature, we believe that these AUC will be more useful for clinical decision making.

  4. Refinement of gamma-camera diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shejretova, E.; Garcheva, M.; Trindev, P.; Hadzhikostova, H.

    1989-01-01

    The following new methods of radionuclide diagnostic techniques were introduced: 1. Study of regional myocardial perfusion: a) Late (on hour 18) follow-up of the redistribution of 201 Tl images in the heart muscle; b) background correction and computer processing of early and late 201 Tl images in the heart muscle. 2. Study of the pump cardiac function: a) program for manual outlining of left ventricular contours; b) phase analysis; c) method for objective differention of the reight ventricle. The methods described have been used in 210 patients with cardiovascular diseases

  5. Cardiovascular involvement in myositis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Diederichsen, Louise P

    2017-01-01

    PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of this review is to provide an update on cardiovascular involvement in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM). Studies from the past 18 months are identified and reviewed. Finally, the clinical impact of these findings is discussed. RECENT FINDINGS: Epidemiological...... on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging suggests that CMR should be considered as a potentially viable diagnostic tool to evaluate the possibility of silent myocardial inflammation in IIM with normal routine noninvasive evaluation. SUMMARY: Updated literature on cardiovascular involvement in IIM has...... identified an increased risk for subclinical and clinical cardiovascular disease in these rare inflammatory muscle diseases....

  6. Image analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berman, M.; Bischof, L.M.; Breen, E.J.; Peden, G.M.

    1994-01-01

    This paper provides an overview of modern image analysis techniques pertinent to materials science. The usual approach in image analysis contains two basic steps: first, the image is segmented into its constituent components (e.g. individual grains), and second, measurement and quantitative analysis are performed. Usually, the segmentation part of the process is the harder of the two. Consequently, much of the paper concentrates on this aspect, reviewing both fundamental segmentation tools (commonly found in commercial image analysis packages) and more advanced segmentation tools. There is also a review of the most widely used quantitative analysis methods for measuring the size, shape and spatial arrangements of objects. Many of the segmentation and analysis methods are demonstrated using complex real-world examples. Finally, there is a discussion of hardware and software issues. 42 refs., 17 figs

  7. HEART: an automated beat-to-beat cardiovascular analysis package using Matlab.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schroeder, M J Mark J; Perreault, Bill; Ewert, D L Daniel L; Koenig, S C Steven C

    2004-07-01

    A computer program is described for beat-to-beat analysis of cardiovascular parameters from high-fidelity pressure and flow waveforms. The Hemodynamic Estimation and Analysis Research Tool (HEART) is a post-processing analysis software package developed in Matlab that enables scientists and clinicians to document, load, view, calibrate, and analyze experimental data that have been digitally saved in ascii or binary format. Analysis routines include traditional hemodynamic parameter estimates as well as more sophisticated analyses such as lumped arterial model parameter estimation and vascular impedance frequency spectra. Cardiovascular parameter values of all analyzed beats can be viewed and statistically analyzed. An attractive feature of the HEART program is the ability to analyze data with visual quality assurance throughout the process, thus establishing a framework toward which Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) compliance can be obtained. Additionally, the development of HEART on the Matlab platform provides users with the flexibility to adapt or create study specific analysis files according to their specific needs. Copyright 2003 Elsevier Ltd.

  8. Cardiovascular response to acute stress in freely moving rats: time-frequency analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loncar-Turukalo, Tatjana; Bajic, Dragana; Japundzic-Zigon, Nina

    2008-01-01

    Spectral analysis of cardiovascular series is an important tool for assessing the features of the autonomic control of the cardiovascular system. In this experiment Wistar rats ecquiped with intraarterial catheter for blood pressure (BP) recording were exposed to stress induced by blowing air. The problem of non stationary data was overcomed applying the Smoothed Pseudo Wigner Villle (SPWV) time-frequency distribution. Spectral analysis was done before stress, during stress, immediately after stress and later in recovery. The spectral indices were calculated for both systolic blood pressure (SBP) and pulse interval (PI) series. The time evolution of spectral indices showed perturbed sympathovagal balance.

  9. Prognostic value of combined CT angiography and myocardial perfusion imaging versus invasive coronary angiography and nuclear stress perfusion imaging in the prediction of major adverse cardiovascular events

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chen, Marcus Y.; Rochitte, Carlos E.; Arbab-Zadeh, Armin

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: To compare the prognostic importance (time to major adverse cardiovascular event [MACE]) of combined computed tomography (CT) angiography and CT myocardial stress perfusion imaging with that of combined invasive coronary angiography (ICA) and stress single photon emission CT myocardial p...

  10. The Various Applications of 3D Printing in Cardiovascular Diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El Sabbagh, Abdallah; Eleid, Mackram F; Al-Hijji, Mohammed; Anavekar, Nandan S; Holmes, David R; Nkomo, Vuyisile T; Oderich, Gustavo S; Cassivi, Stephen D; Said, Sameh M; Rihal, Charanjit S; Matsumoto, Jane M; Foley, Thomas A

    2018-05-10

    To highlight the various applications of 3D printing in cardiovascular disease and discuss its limitations and future direction. Use of handheld 3D printed models of cardiovascular structures has emerged as a facile modality in procedural and surgical planning as well as education and communication. Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a novel imaging modality which involves creating patient-specific models of cardiovascular structures. As percutaneous and surgical therapies evolve, spatial recognition of complex cardiovascular anatomic relationships by cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons is imperative. Handheld 3D printed models of cardiovascular structures provide a facile and intuitive road map for procedural and surgical planning, complementing conventional imaging modalities. Moreover, 3D printed models are efficacious educational and communication tools. This review highlights the various applications of 3D printing in cardiovascular diseases and discusses its limitations and future directions.

  11. Multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT imaging of cardiovascular effects of pulmonary embolism: What the radiologists need to know

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamed Aboul-fotouh E. Mourad

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Background: Patients with pulmonary embolism have high mortality and morbidity rate due to right heart failure and circulatory collapse leading to sudden death. Multi-detector computed tomography MDCT can efficiently evaluate the cardiovascular factors related to pulmonary embolism. Objectives: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT in differentiation of between sever and non-severe pulmonary embolism groups depending on the associated cardiovascular parameters and create a simple reporting system. Patients & methods: Prospective study contained 145 patients diagnosed clinically pulmonary embolism. All patients were examined by combined electrocardiographically gated computed tomography pulmonary angiography-computed tomography venography (ECG-CTPA-CTV using certain imaging criteria in a systematic manner. Results: Our study revealed 95 and 55 non-severe and severe pulmonary embolism groups respectively. Many cardiovascular parameters related to pulmonary embolism shows significant p value and can differentiate between sever and non-severe pulmonary embolism patients include pulmonary artery diameter, intraventricular septum flattening, bowing, superior vena cava and Azygos vein diameters, right and left ventricular diameters. Conclusion: Multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT can be valuable to assess the severity of pulmonary embolism using the related cardiovascular parameters and leading the management strategy aim for best outcome. Keywords: Pulmonary embolism, MDCT, Cardiovascular, Computed tomography venography

  12. Zebrafish models of cardiovascular diseases and their applications in herbal medicine research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seto, Sai-Wang; Kiat, Hosen; Lee, Simon M Y; Bensoussan, Alan; Sun, Yu-Ting; Hoi, Maggie P M; Chang, Dennis

    2015-12-05

    The zebrafish (Danio rerio) has recently become a powerful animal model for cardiovascular research and drug discovery due to its ease of maintenance, genetic manipulability and ability for high-throughput screening. Recent advances in imaging techniques and generation of transgenic zebrafish have greatly facilitated in vivo analysis of cellular events of cardiovascular development and pathogenesis. More importantly, recent studies have demonstrated the functional similarity of drug metabolism systems between zebrafish and humans, highlighting the clinical relevance of employing zebrafish in identifying lead compounds in Chinese herbal medicine with potential beneficial cardiovascular effects. This paper seeks to summarise the scope of zebrafish models employed in cardiovascular studies and the application of these research models in Chinese herbal medicine to date. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Enzymatic single-chain antibody tagging: a universal approach to targeted molecular imaging and cell homing in cardiovascular disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ta, H T; Prabhu, S; Leitner, E; Jia, F; von Elverfeldt, D; Jackson, Katherine E; Heidt, T; Nair, A K N; Pearce, H; von Zur Muhlen, C; Wang, X; Peter, K; Hagemeyer, C E

    2011-08-05

    Antibody-targeted delivery of imaging agents can enhance the sensitivity and accuracy of current imaging techniques. Similarly, homing of effector cells to disease sites increases the efficacy of regenerative cell therapy while reducing the number of cells required. Currently, targeting can be achieved via chemical conjugation to specific antibodies, which typically results in the loss of antibody functionality and in severe cell damage. An ideal conjugation technique should ensure retention of antigen-binding activity and functionality of the targeted biological component. To develop a biochemically robust, highly reproducible, and site-specific coupling method using the Staphylococcus aureus sortase A enzyme for the conjugation of a single-chain antibody (scFv) to nanoparticles and cells for molecular imaging and cell homing in cardiovascular diseases. This scFv specifically binds to activated platelets, which play a pivotal role in thrombosis, atherosclerosis, and inflammation. The conjugation procedure involves chemical and enzyme-mediated coupling steps. The scFv was successfully conjugated to iron oxide particles (contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging) and to model cells. Conjugation efficiency ranged between 50% and 70%, and bioactivity of the scFv after coupling was preserved. The targeting of scFv-coupled cells and nanoparticles to activated platelets was strong and specific as demonstrated in in vitro static adhesion assays, in a flow chamber system, in mouse intravital microscopy, and in in vivo magnetic resonance imaging of mouse carotid arteries. This unique biotechnological approach provides a versatile and broadly applicable tool for procuring targeted regenerative cell therapy and targeted molecular imaging in cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases and beyond.

  14. Postmortem cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging in fetuses and children: a masked comparison study with conventional autopsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Andrew M; Sebire, Neil J; Ashworth, Michael T; Schievano, Silvia; Scott, Rosemary J; Wade, Angie; Chitty, Lyn S; Robertson, Nikki; Thayyil, Sudhin

    2014-05-13

    Perinatal and pediatric autopsies have declined worldwide in the past decade. We compared the diagnostic accuracy of postmortem, cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging with conventional autopsy and histopathology assessment in fetuses and children. We performed postmortem magnetic resonance imaging in 400 fetuses and children, using a 1.5-T Siemens Avanto magnetic resonance scanner before conventional autopsy. A pediatric CMR imager reported the CMR images, masked to autopsy information. The pathologists were masked to the information from CMR images. The institutional research ethics committee approved the study, and parental consent was obtained. Assuming a diagnostic accuracy of 50%, 400 cases were required for a 5% precision of estimate. Three cases were excluded from analysis, 2 with no conventional autopsy performed and 1 with insufficient CMR sequences performed. Thirty-eight CMR data sets were nondiagnostic (37 in fetuses ≤24 weeks; 1 in a fetus >24 weeks). In the remaining 359 cases, 44 cardiac abnormalities were noted at autopsy. Overall sensitivity and specificity (95% confidence interval) of CMR was 72.7% (58.2-83.7%) and 96.2% (93.5-97.8%) for detecting any cardiac pathology, with positive and negative predictive values of 72.7% (58.2-83.7%) and 96.2% (93.5-97.8%), respectively. Higher sensitivity of 92.6% (76.6-97.9%), specificity of 99.1% (97.4-99.7%), positive predictive value of 89.3% (72.8-96.3%), and negative predictive value of 99.4% (97.8-99.8%) were seen for major structural heart disease. Postmortem CMR imaging may be a useful alternative to conventional cardiac autopsy in fetuses and children for detecting cardiac abnormalities. http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01417962.

  15. Evolving, innovating, and revolutionary changes in cardiovascular imaging: We've only just begun!

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaw, Leslee J; Hachamovitch, Rory; Min, James K; Di Carli, Marcelo; Mieres, Jennifer H; Phillips, Lawrence; Blankstein, Ron; Einstein, Andrew; Taqueti, Viviany R; Hendel, Robert; Berman, Daniel S

    2018-06-01

    In this review, we highlight the need for innovation and creativity to reinvent the field of nuclear cardiology. Revolutionary ideas brought forth today are needed to create greater value in patient care and highlight the need for more contemporary evidence supporting the use of nuclear cardiology practices. We put forth discussions on the need for disruptive innovation in imaging-guided care that places the imager as a central force in care coordination. Value-based nuclear cardiology is defined as care that is both efficient and effective. Novel testing strategies that defer testing in lower risk patients are examples of the kind of innovation needed in today's healthcare environment. A major focus of current research is the evolution of the importance of ischemia and the prognostic significance of non-obstructive atherosclerotic plaque and coronary microvascular dysfunction. Embracing novel paradigms, such as this, can aid in the development of optimal strategies for coronary disease management. We hope that our article will spurn the field toward greater innovation and focus on transformative imaging leading the way for new generations of novel cardiovascular care.

  16. Quantitative Myocardial Perfusion Imaging Versus Visual Analysis in Diagnosing Myocardial Ischemia: A CE-MARC Substudy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biglands, John D; Ibraheem, Montasir; Magee, Derek R; Radjenovic, Aleksandra; Plein, Sven; Greenwood, John P

    2018-05-01

    This study sought to compare the diagnostic accuracy of visual and quantitative analyses of myocardial perfusion cardiovascular magnetic resonance against a reference standard of quantitative coronary angiography. Visual analysis of perfusion cardiovascular magnetic resonance studies for assessing myocardial perfusion has been shown to have high diagnostic accuracy for coronary artery disease. However, only a few small studies have assessed the diagnostic accuracy of quantitative myocardial perfusion. This retrospective study included 128 patients randomly selected from the CE-MARC (Clinical Evaluation of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Coronary Heart Disease) study population such that the distribution of risk factors and disease status was proportionate to the full population. Visual analysis results of cardiovascular magnetic resonance perfusion images, by consensus of 2 expert readers, were taken from the original study reports. Quantitative myocardial blood flow estimates were obtained using Fermi-constrained deconvolution. The reference standard for myocardial ischemia was a quantitative coronary x-ray angiogram stenosis severity of ≥70% diameter in any coronary artery of >2 mm diameter, or ≥50% in the left main stem. Diagnostic performance was calculated using receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis. The area under the curve for visual analysis was 0.88 (95% confidence interval: 0.81 to 0.95) with a sensitivity of 81.0% (95% confidence interval: 69.1% to 92.8%) and specificity of 86.0% (95% confidence interval: 78.7% to 93.4%). For quantitative stress myocardial blood flow the area under the curve was 0.89 (95% confidence interval: 0.83 to 0.96) with a sensitivity of 87.5% (95% confidence interval: 77.3% to 97.7%) and specificity of 84.5% (95% confidence interval: 76.8% to 92.3%). There was no statistically significant difference between the diagnostic performance of quantitative and visual analyses (p = 0.72). Incorporating rest myocardial

  17. Diagnostic performance of dual-energy CT stress myocardial perfusion imaging: direct comparison with cardiovascular MRI.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ko, Sung Min; Song, Meong Gun; Chee, Hyun Kun; Hwang, Hweung Kon; Feuchtner, Gudrun Maria; Min, James K

    2014-12-01

    The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic performance of stress perfusion dual-energy CT (DECT) and its incremental value when used with coronary CT angiography (CTA) for identifying hemodynamically significant coronary artery disease. One hundred patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease without chronic myocardial infarction detected with coronary CTA underwent stress perfusion DECT, stress cardiovascular perfusion MRI, and invasive coronary angiography (ICA). Stress perfusion DECT and cardiovascular stress perfusion MR images were used for detecting perfusion defects. Coronary CTA and ICA were evaluated in the detection of ≥50% coronary stenosis. The diagnostic performance of coronary CTA for detecting hemo-dynamically significant stenosis was assessed before and after stress perfusion DECT on a per-vessel basis with ICA and cardiovascular stress perfusion MRI as the reference standard. The performance of stress perfusion DECT compared with cardiovascular stress perfusion MRI on a per-vessel basis in the detection of perfusion defects was sensitivity, 89%; specificity, 74%; positive predictive value, 73%; negative predictive value, 90%. Per segment, these values were sensitivity, 76%; specificity, 80%; positive predictive value, 63%; and negative predictive value, 88%. Compared with ICA and cardiovascular stress perfusion MRI per vessel territory the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of coronary CTA were 95%, 61%, 61%, and 95%. The values for stress perfusion DECT were 92%, 72%, 68%, and 94%. The values for coronary CTA and stress perfusion DECT were 88%, 79%, 73%, and 91%. The ROC AUC increased from 0.78 to 0.84 (p=0.02) with the use of coronary CTA and stress perfusion DECT compared with coronary CTA alone. Stress perfusion DECT plays a complementary role in enhancing the accuracy of coronary CTA for identifying hemodynamically significant coronary stenosis.

  18. Bibliometric analysis of the top 100 cited cardiovascular articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shuaib, Waqas; Khan, Muhammad S; Shahid, Hassan; Valdes, Emilio A; Alweis, Richard

    2015-04-01

    The number of citations an article receives is an important indication of its impact and contribution to the clinical world. There is a paucity of literature concerning top article citations in cardiology. The main objective of this investigation was to bridge this gap and to provide readers a practical guide in evaluating the cardiovascular literature. Scopus Library database was searched to determine the citations of all published cardiovascular articles. One hundred two journals were included in our investigation under the Institute of Science Information Web of Science subject category "cardiology, cardiovascular, and heart." We did not apply any time or study-type restriction in our search. The top 100 cited articles were selected and analyzed by 2 independent investigators. The journal with the highest number of top 100 cited articles was Circulation with 36, followed by 28 in the European Heart Journal. A statistically significant association was found between the journal impact factor and the number of top 100 cited articles (p journals such as The Lancet (n = 4) and The New England Journal of Medicine (n = 1) contributed only 5 articles to the list despite their extremely high impact factors. In conclusion, our analysis provides an insight on the citation frequency of top cited articles published in cardiovascular medicine to help recognize the quality of the works, discoveries, and the trends steering cardiology. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Evaluation of radiolabelled annexin A5 for scintigraphic imaging of cell processes (necrosis/apoptosis) in cardiovascular diseases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sarda-Mantel, L.

    2007-03-01

    Annexin A5, a 35KDa protein, specifically binds with high affinity to phosphatidylserine (P.S.) which is actively redistributed to the external leaflet of plasmic membranes in apoptotic cells and activated platelets. Annexin A5 radiolabelled with 99m Tc( 99m Tc-ANX5) was developed by Strauss (stanford, Usa) to image apoptosis in vivo: tumours cells apoptosis induced by chemo-radiotherapy, ischemia/reperfusion lesions in animals and patients, graft rejection. Additionally, many in vitro data suggest that annexin A5 also stains necrosis (membrane disruption), which occurs in all types of cell death. This preclinical work aimed to evaluate the potential interest of 99m Tc-ANX5 imaging as a clinical tool in cardiovascular diseases. Four studies performed in rat models of myocardial infarction by coronary ligation and ischemia-reperfusion, and in rat models of subacute and acute (isoproterenol-induced) myocarditis show the ability of 99m Tc-ANX5 to detect in vivo cardio myocytes death by apoptosis and necrosis. Another study demonstrates that 99m Tc-ANX5 is highly accurate to evaluate in vivo the biological activity of parietal thrombus in a rat model of elastase-induced abdominal aortic aneurysm. These results suggest that 99m Tc-ANX5 imaging could be used in patients for non invasive diagnosis, prognostic evaluation in acute myocarditis and in various thrombotic cardiovascular diseases. (author)

  20. Cardiovascular CT angiography in neonates and children: Image quality and potential for radiation dose reduction with iterative image reconstruction techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tricarico, Francesco; Hlavacek, Anthony M.; Schoepf, U.J.; Ebersberger, Ullrich; Nance, John W.; Vliegenthart, Rozemarijn; Cho, Young Jun; Spears, J.R.; Secchi, Francesco; Savino, Giancarlo; Marano, Riccardo; Bonomo, Lorenzo; Schoenberg, Stefan O.; Apfaltrer, Paul

    2013-01-01

    To evaluate image quality (IQ) of low-radiation-dose paediatric cardiovascular CT angiography (CTA), comparing iterative reconstruction in image space (IRIS) and sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction (SAFIRE) with filtered back-projection (FBP) and estimate the potential for further dose reductions. Forty neonates and children underwent low radiation CTA with or without ECG synchronisation. Data were reconstructed with FBP, IRIS and SAFIRE. For ECG-synchronised studies, half-dose image acquisitions were simulated. Signal noise was measured and IQ graded. Effective dose (ED) was estimated. Mean absolute and relative image noise with IRIS and full-dose SAFIRE was lower than with FBP (P < 0.001), while SNR and CNR were higher (P < 0.001). Image noise was also lower and SNR and CNR higher in half-dose SAFIRE studies compared with full-and half-dose FBP studies (P < 0.001). IQ scores were higher for IRIS, full-dose SAFIRE and half-dose SAFIRE than for full-dose FBP and higher for half-dose SAFIRE than for half-dose FBP (P < 0.05). Median weight-specific ED was 0.3 mSv without and 1.36 mSv with ECG synchronisation. The estimated ED of half-dose SAFIRE studies was 0.68 mSv. IR improves image noise, SNR, CNR and subjective IQ compared with FBP in low-radiation-dose paediatric CTA and allows further dose reductions without compromising diagnostic IQ. (orig.)

  1. Cardiovascular CT angiography in neonates and children: Image quality and potential for radiation dose reduction with iterative image reconstruction techniques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tricarico, Francesco [Medical University of South Carolina, Ashley River Tower, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, ' ' A. Gemelli' ' Hospital, Department of Bioimaging and Radiological Sciences, Rome (Italy); Hlavacek, Anthony M. [Medical University of South Carolina, Ashley River Tower, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); Children' s Hospital, Medical University of South Carolina, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Charleston, SC (United States); Schoepf, U.J. [Medical University of South Carolina, Ashley River Tower, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); Children' s Hospital, Medical University of South Carolina, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Charleston, SC (United States); Medical University of South Carolina, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Charleston, SC (United States); Ebersberger, Ullrich [Medical University of South Carolina, Ashley River Tower, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); Heart Centre Munich-Bogenhausen, Department of Cardiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Munich (Germany); Nance, John W. [Medical University of South Carolina, Ashley River Tower, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); Johns Hopkins Hospital, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Baltimore, MD (United States); Vliegenthart, Rozemarijn [Medical University of South Carolina, Ashley River Tower, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); University Medical Centre Groningen/University of Groningen, Centre for Medical Imaging - North East Netherlands, Department of Radiology, Groningen (Netherlands); Cho, Young Jun [Medical University of South Carolina, Ashley River Tower, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); Konyang University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Spears, J.R. [Medical University of South Carolina, Ashley River Tower, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); Secchi, Francesco [Medical University of South Carolina, Ashley River Tower, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); University of Milan School of Medicine IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Radiology Unit, Milan (Italy); Savino, Giancarlo; Marano, Riccardo; Bonomo, Lorenzo [Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, ' ' A. Gemelli' ' Hospital, Department of Bioimaging and Radiological Sciences, Rome (Italy); Schoenberg, Stefan O. [University Medical Centre Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim - Heidelberg University, Institute of Clinical Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Mannheim (Germany); Apfaltrer, Paul [Medical University of South Carolina, Ashley River Tower, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); University Medical Centre Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim - Heidelberg University, Institute of Clinical Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Mannheim (Germany)

    2013-05-15

    To evaluate image quality (IQ) of low-radiation-dose paediatric cardiovascular CT angiography (CTA), comparing iterative reconstruction in image space (IRIS) and sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction (SAFIRE) with filtered back-projection (FBP) and estimate the potential for further dose reductions. Forty neonates and children underwent low radiation CTA with or without ECG synchronisation. Data were reconstructed with FBP, IRIS and SAFIRE. For ECG-synchronised studies, half-dose image acquisitions were simulated. Signal noise was measured and IQ graded. Effective dose (ED) was estimated. Mean absolute and relative image noise with IRIS and full-dose SAFIRE was lower than with FBP (P < 0.001), while SNR and CNR were higher (P < 0.001). Image noise was also lower and SNR and CNR higher in half-dose SAFIRE studies compared with full-and half-dose FBP studies (P < 0.001). IQ scores were higher for IRIS, full-dose SAFIRE and half-dose SAFIRE than for full-dose FBP and higher for half-dose SAFIRE than for half-dose FBP (P < 0.05). Median weight-specific ED was 0.3 mSv without and 1.36 mSv with ECG synchronisation. The estimated ED of half-dose SAFIRE studies was 0.68 mSv. IR improves image noise, SNR, CNR and subjective IQ compared with FBP in low-radiation-dose paediatric CTA and allows further dose reductions without compromising diagnostic IQ. (orig.)

  2. Hybrid cardiac imaging using PET/MRI: a joint position statement by the European Society of Cardiovascular Radiology (ESCR) and the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nensa, Felix; Bamberg, Fabian; Rischpler, Christoph; Menezes, Leon; Poeppel, Thorsten D; la Fougère, Christian; Beitzke, Dietrich; Rasul, Sazan; Loewe, Christian; Nikolaou, Konstantin; Bucerius, Jan; Kjaer, Andreas; Gutberlet, Matthias; Prakken, Niek H; Vliegenthart, Rozemarijn; Slart, Riemer H J A; Nekolla, Stephan G; Lassen, Martin L; Pichler, Bernd J; Schlosser, Thomas; Jacquier, Alexis; Quick, Harald H; Schäfers, Michael; Hacker, Marcus

    2018-05-02

    Positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have both been used for decades in cardiovascular imaging. Since 2010, hybrid PET/MRI using sequential and integrated scanner platforms has been available, with hybrid cardiac PET/MR imaging protocols increasingly incorporated into clinical workflows. Given the range of complementary information provided by each method, the use of hybrid PET/MRI may be justified and beneficial in particular clinical settings for the evaluation of different disease entities. In the present joint position statement, we critically review the role and value of integrated PET/MRI in cardiovascular imaging, provide a technical overview of cardiac PET/MRI and practical advice related to the cardiac PET/MRI workflow, identify cardiovascular applications that can potentially benefit from hybrid PET/MRI, and describe the needs for future development and research. In order to encourage its wide dissemination, this article is freely accessible on the European Radiology and European Journal of Hybrid Imaging web sites. • Studies and case-reports indicate that PET/MRI is a feasible and robust technology. • Promising fields of application include a variety of cardiac conditions. • Larger studies are required to demonstrate its incremental and cost-effective value. • The translation of novel radiopharmaceuticals and MR-sequences will provide exciting new opportunities.

  3. Hydra: A web-based system for cardiovascular analysis, diagnosis and treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Novo, J; Hermida, A; Ortega, M; Barreira, N; Penedo, M G; López, J E; Calvo, C

    2017-02-01

    Cardiovascular (CV) risk stratification is a highly complex process involving an extensive set of clinical trials to support the clinical decision-making process. There are many clinical conditions (e.g. diabetes, obesity, stress, etc.) that can lead to the early diagnosis or establishment of cardiovascular disease. In order to determine all these clinical conditions, a complete set of clinical patient analyses is typically performed, including a physical examination, blood analysis, electrocardiogram, blood pressure (BP) analysis, etc. This article presents a web-based system, called Hydra, which integrates a full and detailed set of services and functionalities for clinical decision support in order to help and improve the work of clinicians in cardiovascular patient diagnosis, risk assessment, treatment and monitoring over time. Hydra integrates a number of different services: a service for inputting all the information gathered by specialists (physical examination, habits, BP, blood analysis, electrocardiogram, etc.); a tool to automatically determine the CV risk stratification, including well-known standard risk stratification tables; and, finally, various tools to incorporate, analyze and graphically present the records of the ambulatory BP monitoring that provides BP analysis over a given period of time (24 or 48 hours). In addition, the platform presents a set of reports derived from all the information gathered from the patient in order to support physicians in their clinical decisions. Hydra was tested and validated in a real domain. In particular, internal medicine specialists at the Hypertension Unit of the Santiago de Compostela University Hospital (CHUS) validated the platform and used it in different clinical studies to demonstrate its utility. It was observed that the platform increased productivity and accuracy in the assessment of patient data yielding a cost reduction in clinical practice. This paper proposes a complete platform that includes

  4. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging in the assessment of carcinoid heart disease

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sandmann, H.; Pakkal, M. [Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham (United Kingdom); Steeds, R. [Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham (United Kingdom)], E-mail: rick.steeds@uhb.nhs.uk

    2009-08-15

    Carcinoid disease arises from a low-grade neuroendocrine tumour derived from serotonin-producing enterochromaffin cells. It is the most common tumour affecting the small bowel. The majority of patients who progress to carcinoid syndrome develop cardiac disease selectively involving the right side of the heart, whereas left heart disease is unusual. The most common cause of death is dilatation and dysfunction of the right ventricle. Right ventricular dysfunction is largely secondary to pathological endocardial fibrosis of the tricuspid and pulmonary valves, presenting with regurgitation and stenosis. Average survival falls to only 11 months with the onset of symptoms, but recent evidence suggests that survival can be improved by early surgery in selected individuals. This article reviews the particular role that cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging has in the management of carcinoid heart disease.

  5. Global cardiovascular research output, citations, and collaborations: a time-trend, bibliometric analysis (1999-2008).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huffman, Mark D; Baldridge, Abigail; Bloomfield, Gerald S; Colantonio, Lisandro D; Prabhakaran, Poornima; Ajay, Vamadevan S; Suh, Sarah; Lewison, Grant; Prabhakaran, Dorairaj

    2013-01-01

    Health research is one mechanism to improve population-level health and should generally match the health needs of populations. However, there have been limited data to assess the trends in national-level cardiovascular research output, even as cardiovascular disease [CVD] has become the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. We performed a time trends analysis of cardiovascular research publications (1999-2008) downloaded from Web of Knowledge using a iteratively-tested cardiovascular bibliometric filter with >90% precision and recall. We evaluated cardiovascular research publications, five-year running actual citation indices [ACIs], and degree of international collaboration measured through the ratio of the fractional count of addresses from one country against all addresses for each publication. Global cardiovascular publication volume increased from 40 661 publications in 1999 to 55 284 publications in 2008, which represents a 36% increase. The proportion of cardiovascular publications from high-income, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development [OECD] countries declined from 93% to 84% of the total share over the study period. High-income, OECD countries generally had higher fractional counts, which suggest less international collaboration, than lower income countries from 1999-2008. There was an inverse relationship between cardiovascular publications and age-standardized CVD morbidity and mortality rates, but a direct, curvilinear relationship between cardiovascular publications and Human Development Index from 1999-2008. Cardiovascular health research output has increased substantially in the past decade, with a greater share of citations being published from low- and middle-income countries. However, low- and middle-income countries with the higher burdens of cardiovascular disease continue to have lower research output than high-income countries, and thus require targeted research investments to improve cardiovascular health.

  6. Cardiovascular coupling analysis with high-resolution joint symbolic dynamics in patients suffering from acute schizophrenia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schulz, Steffen; Tupaika, Nadine; Voss, Andreas; Berger, Sandy; Bär, Karl-Jürgen; Haueisen, Jens

    2013-01-01

    Besides the well-known cardiac risk factors for schizophrenia, increasing concerns have been raised regarding the cardiac side-effects of antipsychotic medications. A bivariate analysis of autonomic regulation, based on cardiovascular coupling, can provide additional information about heart rate (HR) and blood pressure regulatory patterns within the complex interactions of the cardiovascular system. We introduce a new high-resolution coupling analysis method (HRJSD) based on joint symbolic dynamics (JSD), which is characterized by three symbols, a threshold (individual dynamic variability, physiological) for time series transformation and eight coupling pattern families. This is based on a redundancy reduction strategy used to quantify and characterize cardiovascular couplings. In this study, short-term (30 min) HR and systolic blood pressure (SP) time series of 42 unmedicated (UNMED) and 42 medicated patients (MED) suffering from acute schizophrenia were analysed to establish the suitability of the new method for quantifying the effects of antipsychotics on cardiovascular couplings. We were able to demonstrate that HRJSD, applying the threshold based on spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) estimation, revealed eight significant pattern families that were able to quantify the anti-cholinergic effects of antipsychotics and the related changes of cardiovascular regulation (coupling) in MED in comparison to UNMED. This was in contrast to the simple JSD, BRS (sequence method) and only partly to standard linear HR variability indices. HRJSD provides strong evidence that autonomic regulation in MED seems to be, to some extent, predominated by invariable HR responses in combination with alternating SP values in contrast to UNMED, indicating an impairment of the baroreflex control feedback loop in MED. Surrogate data analysis was applied to test for the significance and nonlinearity of cardiovascular couplings in the original data due to medical treatment with

  7. 3D printing from cardiovascular CT: a practical guide and review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Birbara, Nicolette S.; Hussain, Tarique; Greil, Gerald; Foley, Thomas A.; Pather, Nalini

    2017-01-01

    Current cardiovascular imaging techniques allow anatomical relationships and pathological conditions to be captured in three dimensions. Three-dimensional (3D) printing, or rapid prototyping, has also become readily available and made it possible to transform virtual reconstructions into physical 3D models. This technology has been utilised to demonstrate cardiovascular anatomy and disease in clinical, research and educational settings. In particular, 3D models have been generated from cardiovascular computed tomography (CT) imaging data for purposes such as surgical planning and teaching. This review summarises applications, limitations and practical steps required to create a 3D printed model from cardiovascular CT. PMID:29255693

  8. Computational chemical imaging for cardiovascular pathology: chemical microscopic imaging accurately determines cardiac transplant rejection.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saumya Tiwari

    Full Text Available Rejection is a common problem after cardiac transplants leading to significant number of adverse events and deaths, particularly in the first year of transplantation. The gold standard to identify rejection is endomyocardial biopsy. This technique is complex, cumbersome and requires a lot of expertise in the correct interpretation of stained biopsy sections. Traditional histopathology cannot be used actively or quickly during cardiac interventions or surgery. Our objective was to develop a stain-less approach using an emerging technology, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR spectroscopic imaging to identify different components of cardiac tissue by their chemical and molecular basis aided by computer recognition, rather than by visual examination using optical microscopy. We studied this technique in assessment of cardiac transplant rejection to evaluate efficacy in an example of complex cardiovascular pathology. We recorded data from human cardiac transplant patients' biopsies, used a Bayesian classification protocol and developed a visualization scheme to observe chemical differences without the need of stains or human supervision. Using receiver operating characteristic curves, we observed probabilities of detection greater than 95% for four out of five histological classes at 10% probability of false alarm at the cellular level while correctly identifying samples with the hallmarks of the immune response in all cases. The efficacy of manual examination can be significantly increased by observing the inherent biochemical changes in tissues, which enables us to achieve greater diagnostic confidence in an automated, label-free manner. We developed a computational pathology system that gives high contrast images and seems superior to traditional staining procedures. This study is a prelude to the development of real time in situ imaging systems, which can assist interventionists and surgeons actively during procedures.

  9. Cardiovascular events in Japanese asymptomatic patients with type 2 diabetes: a 1-year interim report of a J-ACCESS 2 investigation using myocardial perfusion imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nakajima, Kenichi [Kanazawa University Hospital, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Kanazawa (Japan); Yamasaki, Yoshimitsu [Osaka University, Center for Advanced Science and Innovation, Osaka (Japan); Kusuoka, Hideo [National Hospital Organization Osaka National Hospital, Osaka (Japan); Izumi, Tohru [Kitasato University, Department of Cardiology and Internal Medicine, Sagamihara (Japan); Kashiwagi, Atsunori [Shiga University of Medical Science, Department of Medicine, Ohtsu (Japan); Kawamori, Ryuzo [Juntendo University, Department of Medicine, Metabolism and Endocrinology, School of Medicine, Tokyo (Japan); Shimamoto, Kazuaki [Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Second Department of Internal Medicine, Sapporo (Japan); Yamada, Nobuhiro [University of Tsukuba, Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tsukuba (Japan); Nishimura, Tsunehiko [Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, 465 Kajii-cho, Kawara-machi, Hirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto (Japan)

    2009-12-15

    Diabetic patients have a high risk for cardiovascular events. The role of myocardial perfusion imaging was investigated in asymptomatic diabetic patients to evaluate short-term prognosis in a Japanese population. A total of 506 asymptomatic patients {>=}50 years of age who had carotid artery maximum intima-media thickness {>=}1.1 mm, urinary albumin excretion of {>=}30 mg/g creatinine, with additional criteria of abdominal obesity, low HDL cholesterol, high triglyceride level, and hypertension were enrolled and followed up over a 3-year period. Gated SPECT with stress-rest protocol was performed and analyzed by summed defect scores and QGS software. One-year cardiovascular events were analyzed. Myocardial ischemia was observed in 17% of patients, and abnormal perfusion findings of ischemia and/or scar were observed in 32% of patients. By the end of the 1-year follow-up, 33 (6.5%) cardiovascular events occurred including 6 all-cause deaths. Patients with summed stress score (SSS) >8 had a higher incidence of either death or cardiovascular events. Event-free survival rates for SSS 0-3, 4-8, 9-13, and {>=}14 were 0.96, 0.95, 0.82, and 0.76, respectively. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that significant variables were SSS, history of cerebrovascular accident, and electrocardiographic abnormality at rest. The 1-year interim summary showed that cardiovascular events were significantly higher in patients with SPECT abnormality, although hard cardiac event rate was relatively low. Targeted treatment strategy is required for asymptomatic but potentially high-risk diabetic patients. (orig.)

  10. Cardiovascular events in Japanese asymptomatic patients with type 2 diabetes: a 1-year interim report of a J-ACCESS 2 investigation using myocardial perfusion imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakajima, Kenichi; Yamasaki, Yoshimitsu; Kusuoka, Hideo; Izumi, Tohru; Kashiwagi, Atsunori; Kawamori, Ryuzo; Shimamoto, Kazuaki; Yamada, Nobuhiro; Nishimura, Tsunehiko

    2009-01-01

    Diabetic patients have a high risk for cardiovascular events. The role of myocardial perfusion imaging was investigated in asymptomatic diabetic patients to evaluate short-term prognosis in a Japanese population. A total of 506 asymptomatic patients ≥50 years of age who had carotid artery maximum intima-media thickness ≥1.1 mm, urinary albumin excretion of ≥30 mg/g creatinine, with additional criteria of abdominal obesity, low HDL cholesterol, high triglyceride level, and hypertension were enrolled and followed up over a 3-year period. Gated SPECT with stress-rest protocol was performed and analyzed by summed defect scores and QGS software. One-year cardiovascular events were analyzed. Myocardial ischemia was observed in 17% of patients, and abnormal perfusion findings of ischemia and/or scar were observed in 32% of patients. By the end of the 1-year follow-up, 33 (6.5%) cardiovascular events occurred including 6 all-cause deaths. Patients with summed stress score (SSS) >8 had a higher incidence of either death or cardiovascular events. Event-free survival rates for SSS 0-3, 4-8, 9-13, and ≥14 were 0.96, 0.95, 0.82, and 0.76, respectively. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that significant variables were SSS, history of cerebrovascular accident, and electrocardiographic abnormality at rest. The 1-year interim summary showed that cardiovascular events were significantly higher in patients with SPECT abnormality, although hard cardiac event rate was relatively low. Targeted treatment strategy is required for asymptomatic but potentially high-risk diabetic patients. (orig.)

  11. Ultrasonic image analysis and image-guided interventions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noble, J Alison; Navab, Nassir; Becher, H

    2011-08-06

    The fields of medical image analysis and computer-aided interventions deal with reducing the large volume of digital images (X-ray, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography and ultrasound (US)) to more meaningful clinical information using software algorithms. US is a core imaging modality employed in these areas, both in its own right and used in conjunction with the other imaging modalities. It is receiving increased interest owing to the recent introduction of three-dimensional US, significant improvements in US image quality, and better understanding of how to design algorithms which exploit the unique strengths and properties of this real-time imaging modality. This article reviews the current state of art in US image analysis and its application in image-guided interventions. The article concludes by giving a perspective from clinical cardiology which is one of the most advanced areas of clinical application of US image analysis and describing some probable future trends in this important area of ultrasonic imaging research.

  12. Computational design analysis for deployment of cardiovascular stents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tammareddi, Sriram; Sun Guangyong; Li Qing

    2010-01-01

    Cardiovascular disease has become a major global healthcare problem. As one of the relatively new medical devices, stents offer a minimally-invasive surgical strategy to improve the quality of life for numerous cardiovascular disease patients. One of the key associative issues has been to understand the effect of stent structures on its deployment behaviour. This paper aims to develop a computational model for exploring the biomechanical responses to the change in stent geometrical parameters, namely the strut thickness and cross-link width of the Palmaz-Schatz stent. Explicit 3D dynamic finite element analysis was carried out to explore the sensitivity of these geometrical parameters on deployment performance, such as dog-boning, fore-shortening, and stent deformation over the load cycle. It has been found that an increase in stent thickness causes a sizeable rise in the load required to deform the stent to its target diameter, whilst reducing maximum dog-boning in the stent. An increase in the cross-link width showed that no change in the load is required to deform the stent to its target diameter, and there is no apparent correlation with dog-boning but an increased fore-shortening with increasing cross-link width. The computational modelling and analysis presented herein proves an effective way to refine or optimise the design of stent structures.

  13. Integration of an optical coherence tomography (OCT) system into an examination incubator to facilitate in vivo imaging of cardiovascular development in higher vertebrate embryos under stable physiological conditions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Happel, Christoph M.; Thrane, Lars; Thommes, Jan

    2011-01-01

    High-resolution in vivo imaging of higher vertebrate embryos over short or long time periods under constant physiological conditions is a technically challenging task for researchers working on cardiovascular development. In chick embryos, for example, various studies have shown that without...... significance, should be documented under physiological conditions. However, previous studies were mostly carried out outside of an incubator or under suboptimal environmental conditions. Here we present, to the best of our knowledge, the first detailed description of an optical coherence tomography (OCT......) system integrated into an examination incubator to facilitate real-time in vivo imaging of cardiovascular development under physiological environmental conditions. We demonstrate the suitability of this OCT examination incubator unit for use in cardiovascular development studies by examples of proof...

  14. Detection of hydroxyapatite in calcified cardiovascular tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jae Sam; Morrisett, Joel D; Tung, Ching-Hsuan

    2012-10-01

    The objective of this study is to develop a method for selective detection of the calcific (hydroxyapatite) component in human aortic smooth muscle cells in vitro and in calcified cardiovascular tissues ex vivo. This method uses a novel optical molecular imaging contrast dye, Cy-HABP-19, to target calcified cells and tissues. A peptide that mimics the binding affinity of osteocalcin was used to label hydroxyapatite in vitro and ex vivo. Morphological changes in vascular smooth muscle cells were evaluated at an early stage of the mineralization process induced by extrinsic stimuli, osteogenic factors and a magnetic suspension cell culture. Hydroxyapatite components were detected in monolayers of these cells in the presence of osteogenic factors and a magnetic suspension environment. Atherosclerotic plaque contains multiple components including lipidic, fibrotic, thrombotic, and calcific materials. Using optical imaging and the Cy-HABP-19 molecular imaging probe, we demonstrated that hydroxyapatite components could be selectively distinguished from various calcium salts in human aortic smooth muscle cells in vitro and in calcified cardiovascular tissues, carotid endarterectomy samples and aortic valves, ex vivo. Hydroxyapatite deposits in cardiovascular tissues were selectively detected in the early stage of the calcification process using our Cy-HABP-19 probe. This new probe makes it possible to study the earliest events associated with vascular hydroxyapatite deposition at the cellular and molecular levels. This target-selective molecular imaging probe approach holds high potential for revealing early pathophysiological changes, leading to progression, regression, or stabilization of cardiovascular diseases. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Delta space plot analysis of cardiovascular coupling in vasovagal syncope during orthostatic challenge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reulecke, S; Charleston-Villalobos, S; Voss, A; Gonzalez-Camarena, R; Gaitan-Gonzalez, M; Gonzalez-Hermosillo, J; Hernandez-Pacheco, G; Aljama-Corrales, T

    2016-08-01

    In this work, a graphical method to study cardiovascular coupling, called delta space plot analysis (DSPA), was introduced. The graphical representation is susceptible to be parameterized in shape and orientation. The usefulness of this technique was studied on cardiovascular data from patients with vasovagal syncope (VVS) and from controls. The study included 15 female patients diagnosed with VVS and 11 age-matched healthy female subjects. All subjects were enrolled in a head-up tilt (HUT) test, breathing normally, including 5 minutes of supine position (baseline) and 18 minutes of 70° orthostatic phase. The DSPA parameters were obtained at different times during the HUT test, i.e., at baseline, early (first 5 min) and late (10-15 min) orthostatic phases. In baseline there were no considerable differences between female controls and female patients. During the late orthostatic phase, parameters from DSPA showed highly significantly (p=0.000003) reduced cardiovascular coupling in patients. Findings indicated a loss of control on cardiovascular coupling in female patients susceptible to vasovagal syncope during orthostatic challenge. In addition, this study provided promising results for a new graphical method to investigate cardiovascular coupling.

  16. Incremental value of PET and MRI in the evaluation of cardiovascular abnormalities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chalian, Hamid; O'Donnell, James K; Bolen, Michael; Rajiah, Prabhakar

    2016-08-01

    The cardiovascular system is affected by a wide range of pathological processes, including neoplastic, inflammatory, ischemic, and congenital aetiology. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) are state-of-the-art imaging modalities used in the evaluation of these cardiovascular disorders. MRI has good spatial and temporal resolutions, tissue characterization and multi-planar imaging/reconstruction capabilities, which makes it useful in the evaluation of cardiac morphology, ventricular and valvar function, disease characterization, and evaluation of myocardial viability. FDG-PET provides valuable information on the metabolic activity of the cardiovascular diseases, including ischemia, inflammation, and neoplasm. MRI and FDG-PET can provide complementary information on the evaluation of several cardiovascular disorders. For example, in cardiac masses, FDG-PET provides the metabolic information for indeterminate cardiac masses. MRI can be used for localizing and characterizing abnormal hypermetabolic foci identified incidentally on PET scan and also for local staging. A recent advance in imaging technology has been the development of integrated PET/MRI systems that utilize the advantages of PET and MRI in a single examination. The goal of this manuscript is to provide a comprehensive review on the incremental value of PET and MRI in the evaluation of cardiovascular diseases. • MRI has good spatial and temporal resolutions, tissue characterization, and multi-planar reconstruction • FDG-PET provides valuable information on the metabolic activity of cardiovascular disorders • PET and MRI provide complementary information on the evaluation of cardiovascular disorders.

  17. Prognostic Value of Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate for Patients With Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Ting-Ting; Chen, Yuan; Zhou, Yun; Adi, Dilare; Zheng, Ying-Ying; Liu, Fen; Ma, Yi-Tong; Xie, Xiang

    2017-05-05

    The aim of the present study was to estimate the impact of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) on the prognosis of patients with cardiovascular disease by performing a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, and WanFang databases were searched up to September 5, 2016, to identify eligible studies. The quality of each study was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The association between DHEAS, either on admission or at discharge, and cardiovascular disease outcomes were reviewed. The overall risk ratio for the effect of DHEAS on all-cause mortality and fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events was pooled using a fixed-effects or a random-effects model. The publication bias was evaluated using funnel plots. Twenty-five studies were included for systematic review. The follow-up duration ranged from 1 to 19 years. Eighteen studies were included in the meta-analysis. We found that lower DHEAS levels indicated a significant increased risk for all-cause mortality (risk ratio, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.38-1.56 [ P <0.00001]), fatal cardiovascular event (risk ratio, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.30-1.91 [ P <0.00001]), and nonfatal cardiovascular event (risk ratio, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.24-1.62 [ P <0.0001]) in patients with cardiovascular disease. Patients with cardiovascular disease who have lower DHEAS levels may have poorer prognosis than those with higher DHEAS levels. © 2017 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.

  18. Image formation and image analysis in electron microscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heel, M. van.

    1981-01-01

    This thesis covers various aspects of image formation and image analysis in electron microscopy. The imaging of relatively strong objects in partially coherent illumination, the coherence properties of thermionic emission sources and the detection of objects in quantum noise limited images are considered. IMAGIC, a fast, flexible and friendly image analysis software package is described. Intelligent averaging of molecular images is discussed. (C.F.)

  19. Biomedical Imaging and Computational Modeling in Biomechanics

    CERN Document Server

    Iacoviello, Daniela

    2013-01-01

    This book collects the state-of-art and new trends in image analysis and biomechanics. It covers a wide field of scientific and cultural topics, ranging from remodeling of bone tissue under the mechanical stimulus up to optimizing the performance of sports equipment, through the patient-specific modeling in orthopedics, microtomography and its application in oral and implant research, computational modeling in the field of hip prostheses, image based model development and analysis of the human knee joint, kinematics of the hip joint, micro-scale analysis of compositional and mechanical properties of dentin, automated techniques for cervical cell image analysis, and iomedical imaging and computational modeling in cardiovascular disease.   The book will be of interest to researchers, Ph.D students, and graduate students with multidisciplinary interests related to image analysis and understanding, medical imaging, biomechanics, simulation and modeling, experimental analysis.

  20. Cardiovascular disease prediction: do pulmonary disease-related chest CT features have added value?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jairam, Pushpa M.; Jong, Pim A. de; Mali, Willem P.T.M.; Isgum, Ivana; Graaf, Yolanda van der

    2015-01-01

    Certain pulmonary diseases are associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Therefore we investigated the incremental predictive value of pulmonary, mediastinal and pleural features over cardiovascular imaging findings. A total of 10,410 patients underwent diagnostic chest CT for non-cardiovascular indications. Using a case-cohort approach, we visually graded CTs from the cases and from an approximately 10 % random sample of the baseline cohort (n = 1,203) for cardiovascular, pulmonary, mediastinal and pleural findings. The incremental value of pulmonary disease-related CT findings above cardiovascular imaging findings in cardiovascular event risk prediction was quantified by comparing discrimination and reclassification. During a mean follow-up of 3.7 years (max. 7.0 years), 1,148 CVD events (cases) were identified. Addition of pulmonary, mediastinal and pleural features to a cardiovascular imaging findings-based prediction model led to marginal improvement of discrimination (increase in c-index from 0.72 (95 % CI 0.71-0.74) to 0.74 (95 % CI 0.72-0.75)) and reclassification measures (net reclassification index 6.5 % (p < 0.01)). Pulmonary, mediastinal and pleural features have limited predictive value in the identification of subjects at high risk of CVD events beyond cardiovascular findings on diagnostic chest CT scans. (orig.)

  1. Cardiovascular disease prediction: do pulmonary disease-related chest CT features have added value?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jairam, Pushpa M. [University Medical Center Utrecht, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, Utrecht (Netherlands); University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Radiology, Utrecht (Netherlands); Jong, Pim A. de; Mali, Willem P.T.M. [University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Radiology, Utrecht (Netherlands); Isgum, Ivana [University Medical Center Utrecht, Image Sciences Institute, Utrecht (Netherlands); Graaf, Yolanda van der [University Medical Center Utrecht, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, Utrecht (Netherlands); Collaboration: PROVIDI study-group

    2015-06-01

    Certain pulmonary diseases are associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Therefore we investigated the incremental predictive value of pulmonary, mediastinal and pleural features over cardiovascular imaging findings. A total of 10,410 patients underwent diagnostic chest CT for non-cardiovascular indications. Using a case-cohort approach, we visually graded CTs from the cases and from an approximately 10 % random sample of the baseline cohort (n = 1,203) for cardiovascular, pulmonary, mediastinal and pleural findings. The incremental value of pulmonary disease-related CT findings above cardiovascular imaging findings in cardiovascular event risk prediction was quantified by comparing discrimination and reclassification. During a mean follow-up of 3.7 years (max. 7.0 years), 1,148 CVD events (cases) were identified. Addition of pulmonary, mediastinal and pleural features to a cardiovascular imaging findings-based prediction model led to marginal improvement of discrimination (increase in c-index from 0.72 (95 % CI 0.71-0.74) to 0.74 (95 % CI 0.72-0.75)) and reclassification measures (net reclassification index 6.5 % (p < 0.01)). Pulmonary, mediastinal and pleural features have limited predictive value in the identification of subjects at high risk of CVD events beyond cardiovascular findings on diagnostic chest CT scans. (orig.)

  2. Insulin resistance and risk of incident cardiovascular events in adults without diabetes: meta-analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karin B Gast

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Glucose, insulin and Homeostasis Model Assessment Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR are markers of insulin resistance. The objective of this study is to compare fasting glucose, fasting insulin concentrations and HOMA-IR in strength of association with incident cardiovascular disease. METHODS: We searched the PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, ScienceDirect and Cochrane Library databases from inception to March, 2011, and screened reference lists. Cohort studies or nested case-control studies that investigated the association between fasting glucose, fasting insulin or HOMA-IR and incident cardiovascular disease, were eligible. Two investigators independently performed the article selection, data extraction and risk of bias assessment. Cardiovascular endpoints were coronary heart disease (CHD, stroke or combined cardiovascular disease. We used fixed and random-effect meta-analyses to calculate the pooled relative risk for CHD, stroke and combined cardiovascular disease, comparing high to low concentrations of glucose, insulin or HOMA-IR. Study heterogeneity was calculated with the I(2 statistic. To enable a comparison between cardiovascular disease risks for glucose, insulin and HOMA-IR, we calculated pooled relative risks per increase of one standard deviation. RESULTS: We included 65 studies (involving 516,325 participants in this meta-analysis. In a random-effect meta-analysis the pooled relative risk of CHD (95% CI; I(2 comparing high to low concentrations was 1.52 (1.31, 1.76; 62.4% for glucose, 1.12 (0.92, 1.37; 41.0% for insulin and 1.64 (1.35, 2.00; 0% for HOMA-IR. The pooled relative risk of CHD per one standard deviation increase was 1.21 (1.13, 1.30; 64.9% for glucose, 1.04 (0.96, 1.12; 43.0% for insulin and 1.46 (1.26, 1.69; 0.0% for HOMA-IR. CONCLUSIONS: The relative risk of cardiovascular disease was higher for an increase of one standard deviation in HOMA-IR compared to an increase of one standard deviation in fasting

  3. Cardiovascular safety of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: network meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trelle, Sven; Reichenbach, Stephan; Wandel, Simon; Hildebrand, Pius; Tschannen, Beatrice; Villiger, Peter M; Egger, Matthias; Jüni, Peter

    2011-01-11

    To analyse the available evidence on cardiovascular safety of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Network meta-analysis. Bibliographic databases, conference proceedings, study registers, the Food and Drug Administration website, reference lists of relevant articles, and reports citing relevant articles through the Science Citation Index (last update July 2009). Manufacturers of celecoxib and lumiracoxib provided additional data. All large scale randomised controlled trials comparing any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug with other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or placebo. Two investigators independently assessed eligibility. The primary outcome was myocardial infarction. Secondary outcomes included stroke, death from cardiovascular disease, and death from any cause. Two investigators independently extracted data. 31 trials in 116 429 patients with more than 115 000 patient years of follow-up were included. Patients were allocated to naproxen, ibuprofen, diclofenac, celecoxib, etoricoxib, rofecoxib, lumiracoxib, or placebo. Compared with placebo, rofecoxib was associated with the highest risk of myocardial infarction (rate ratio 2.12, 95% credibility interval 1.26 to 3.56), followed by lumiracoxib (2.00, 0.71 to 6.21). Ibuprofen was associated with the highest risk of stroke (3.36, 1.00 to 11.6), followed by diclofenac (2.86, 1.09 to 8.36). Etoricoxib (4.07, 1.23 to 15.7) and diclofenac (3.98, 1.48 to 12.7) were associated with the highest risk of cardiovascular death. Although uncertainty remains, little evidence exists to suggest that any of the investigated drugs are safe in cardiovascular terms. Naproxen seemed least harmful. Cardiovascular risk needs to be taken into account when prescribing any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug.

  4. The deleterious effects of arteriovenous fistula-creation on the cardiovascular system: a longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dundon BK

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Benjamin K Dundon,1–3 Kim Torpey,3 Adam J Nelson,1 Dennis TL Wong,1,2 Rae F Duncan,1 Ian T Meredith,2 Randall J Faull,1,3 Stephen G Worthley,1,4 Matthew I Worthley1,4 1Cardiology Department, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Central Adelaide Local Health Network, Discipline of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia; 2Monash Cardiovascular Research Centre, MonashHEART, Monash Health, Melbourne, Vic, Australia; 3Central Northern Renal and Transplantation Service, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Central Adelaide Local Health Network, Adelaide, SA, Australia; 4South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia Aim: Arteriovenous fistula-formation remains critical for the provision of hemodialysis in end-stage renal failure patients. Its creation results in a significant increase in cardiac output, with resultant alterations in cardiac stroke volume, systemic blood flow, and vascular resistance. The impact of fistula-formation on cardiac and vascular structure and function has not yet been evaluated via "gold standard" imaging techniques in the modern era of end-stage renal failure care. Methods: A total of 24 patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease undergoing fistula-creation were studied in a single-arm pilot study. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging was undertaken at baseline, and prior to and 6 months following fistula-creation. This gold standard imaging modality was used to evaluate, via standard brachial flow-mediated techniques, cardiac structure and function, aortic distensibility, and endothelial function. Results: At follow up, left ventricular ejection fraction remained unchanged, while mean cardiac output increased by 25.0% (P<0.0001. Significant increases in left and right ventricular end-systolic volumes (21% [P=0.014] and 18% [P<0.01], left and right atrial area (11% [P<0.01] and 9% [P<0.01], and left ventricular mass were observed (12.7% increase (P<0.01. Endothelial

  5. The use of echocardiography in acute cardiovascular care

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lancellotti, Patrizio; Price, Susanna; Edvardsen, Thor

    2014-01-01

    Echocardiography is one of the most powerful diagnostic and monitoring tools available to the modern emergency/critical care practitioner. Currently, there is a lack of specific European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging/Acute Cardiovascular Care Association recommendations for the use...... of echocardiography in acute cardiovascular care. In this document, we describe the practical applications of echocardiography in patients with acute cardiac conditions, in particular with acute chest pain, acute heart failure, suspected cardiac tamponade, complications of myocardial infarction, acute valvular heart...

  6. The use of echocardiography in acute cardiovascular care

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lancellotti, Patrizio; Price, Susanna; Edvardsen, Thor

    2015-01-01

    Echocardiography is one of the most powerful diagnostic and monitoring tools available to the modern emergency/ critical care practitioner. Currently, there is a lack of specific European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging/Acute Cardiovascular Care Association recommendations for the use...... of echocardiography in acute cardiovascular care. In this document, we describe the practical applications of echocardiography in patients with acute cardiac conditions, in particular with acute chest pain, acute heart failure, suspected cardiac tamponade, complications of myocardial infarction, acute valvular heart...

  7. The use of echocardiography in acute cardiovascular care

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lancellotti, Patrizio; Price, Susanna; Edvardsen, Thor

    2015-01-01

    Echocardiography is one of the most powerful diagnostic and monitoring tools available to the modern emergency/critical care practitioner. Currently, there is a lack of specific European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging/Acute Cardiovascular Care Association recommendations for the use...... of echocardiography in acute cardiovascular care. In this document, we describe the practical applications of echocardiography in patients with acute cardiac conditions, in particular with acute chest pain, acute heart failure, suspected cardiac tamponade, complications of myocardial infarction, acute valvular heart...

  8. High PRF ultrafast sliding compound doppler imaging: fully qualitative and quantitative analysis of blood flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Jinbum; Jang, Won Seuk; Yoo, Yangmo

    2018-02-01

    Ultrafast compound Doppler imaging based on plane-wave excitation (UCDI) can be used to evaluate cardiovascular diseases using high frame rates. In particular, it provides a fully quantifiable flow analysis over a large region of interest with high spatio-temporal resolution. However, the pulse-repetition frequency (PRF) in the UCDI method is limited for high-velocity flow imaging since it has a tradeoff between the number of plane-wave angles (N) and acquisition time. In this paper, we present high PRF ultrafast sliding compound Doppler imaging method (HUSDI) to improve quantitative flow analysis. With the HUSDI method, full scanline images (i.e. each tilted plane wave data) in a Doppler frame buffer are consecutively summed using a sliding window to create high-quality ensemble data so that there is no reduction in frame rate and flow sensitivity. In addition, by updating a new compounding set with a certain time difference (i.e. sliding window step size or L), the HUSDI method allows various Doppler PRFs with the same acquisition data to enable a fully qualitative, retrospective flow assessment. To evaluate the performance of the proposed HUSDI method, simulation, in vitro and in vivo studies were conducted under diverse flow circumstances. In the simulation and in vitro studies, the HUSDI method showed improved hemodynamic representations without reducing either temporal resolution or sensitivity compared to the UCDI method. For the quantitative analysis, the root mean squared velocity error (RMSVE) was measured using 9 angles (-12° to 12°) with L of 1-9, and the results were found to be comparable to those of the UCDI method (L  =  N  =  9), i.e.  ⩽0.24 cm s-1, for all L values. For the in vivo study, the flow data acquired from a full cardiac cycle of the femoral vessels of a healthy volunteer were analyzed using a PW spectrogram, and arterial and venous flows were successfully assessed with high Doppler PRF (e.g. 5 kHz at L

  9. High PRF ultrafast sliding compound doppler imaging: fully qualitative and quantitative analysis of blood flow.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Jinbum; Jang, Won Seuk; Yoo, Yangmo

    2018-02-09

    Ultrafast compound Doppler imaging based on plane-wave excitation (UCDI) can be used to evaluate cardiovascular diseases using high frame rates. In particular, it provides a fully quantifiable flow analysis over a large region of interest with high spatio-temporal resolution. However, the pulse-repetition frequency (PRF) in the UCDI method is limited for high-velocity flow imaging since it has a tradeoff between the number of plane-wave angles (N) and acquisition time. In this paper, we present high PRF ultrafast sliding compound Doppler imaging method (HUSDI) to improve quantitative flow analysis. With the HUSDI method, full scanline images (i.e. each tilted plane wave data) in a Doppler frame buffer are consecutively summed using a sliding window to create high-quality ensemble data so that there is no reduction in frame rate and flow sensitivity. In addition, by updating a new compounding set with a certain time difference (i.e. sliding window step size or L), the HUSDI method allows various Doppler PRFs with the same acquisition data to enable a fully qualitative, retrospective flow assessment. To evaluate the performance of the proposed HUSDI method, simulation, in vitro and in vivo studies were conducted under diverse flow circumstances. In the simulation and in vitro studies, the HUSDI method showed improved hemodynamic representations without reducing either temporal resolution or sensitivity compared to the UCDI method. For the quantitative analysis, the root mean squared velocity error (RMSVE) was measured using 9 angles (-12° to 12°) with L of 1-9, and the results were found to be comparable to those of the UCDI method (L  =  N  =  9), i.e.  ⩽0.24 cm s -1 , for all L values. For the in vivo study, the flow data acquired from a full cardiac cycle of the femoral vessels of a healthy volunteer were analyzed using a PW spectrogram, and arterial and venous flows were successfully assessed with high Doppler PRF (e.g. 5 kHz at L

  10. Spinal imaging and image analysis

    CERN Document Server

    Yao, Jianhua

    2015-01-01

    This book is instrumental to building a bridge between scientists and clinicians in the field of spine imaging by introducing state-of-the-art computational methods in the context of clinical applications.  Spine imaging via computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and other radiologic imaging modalities, is essential for noninvasively visualizing and assessing spinal pathology. Computational methods support and enhance the physician’s ability to utilize these imaging techniques for diagnosis, non-invasive treatment, and intervention in clinical practice. Chapters cover a broad range of topics encompassing radiological imaging modalities, clinical imaging applications for common spine diseases, image processing, computer-aided diagnosis, quantitative analysis, data reconstruction and visualization, statistical modeling, image-guided spine intervention, and robotic surgery. This volume serves a broad audience as  contributions were written by both clinicians and researchers, which reflects the inte...

  11. Image Analysis for X-ray Imaging of Food

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Einarsdottir, Hildur

    for quality and safety evaluation of food products. In this effort the fields of statistics, image analysis and statistical learning are combined, to provide analytical tools for determining the aforementioned food traits. The work demonstrated includes a quantitative analysis of heat induced changes......X-ray imaging systems are increasingly used for quality and safety evaluation both within food science and production. They offer non-invasive and nondestructive penetration capabilities to image the inside of food. This thesis presents applications of a novel grating-based X-ray imaging technique...... and defect detection in food. Compared to the complex three dimensional analysis of microstructure, here two dimensional images are considered, making the method applicable for an industrial setting. The advantages obtained by grating-based imaging are compared to conventional X-ray imaging, for both foreign...

  12. Analysis of the effectiveness of moderate levels of physical activity to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, A Meta-analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christian Martin Garcia

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: a. The determination of the efficacy of physical activity in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease; b. The Analysis of the relative changes in the levels of cardiovascular disease risk according to different intensities of physical activity (low-moderate. Methodology: The search was performed for studies with PUBMED data base. Then, the mean effect size of the studies included in the meta-analysis was calculated and Egger's test was applied to rule out any possible publication bias. Upon detection of heterogeneity, we proceeded to an analysis of the moderating variables. Results: A mean effect size of 0.762 (95% confidence interval 0678-0857 was obtained. Then The Egger test was applied which yielded a p-value of 0.67 (CI 0.95, such that the absence of publication bias was confirmed. The analysis of the moderating variables determined that the ensuing years (p = 0.000, 95% CI and the countries of study (p = 0.0096; 95% CI in part explain the heterogeneity detected. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the practice of physical activity at moderate intensities provides a protective effect on the individuals who make physical activity by reducing the risk these individuals to cardiovascular diseases.

  13. Cardiovascular Risk, Drugs and Erectile Function -A Systematic Analysis

    OpenAIRE

    Baumhäkel , Magnus; Schlimmer , Nils; Kratz , Mario; Hackett , Geoffrey; Jackson , Graham; Böhm , Michael

    2011-01-01

    Abstract Aims Erectile dysfunction is a major problem with an increasing prevalence in cardiovascular high-risk patients due to the association with cardiovascular risk factors. Drugs used for evidenced based treatment of cardiovascular diseases have been reported to decrease erectile function, but possible mechanisms are poorly characterized. Methods MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Registry search was performed including manuscripts until January 2010. Searching terms are: ...

  14. High-frequency ultrasonographic imaging of avian cardiovascular development.

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    McQuinn, T. C.; Bratoeva, M.; Dealmeida, A.; Remond, M.; Thompson, R.P.; Sedmera, David

    2007-01-01

    Roč. 236, - (2007), s. 3503-3513 ISSN 1058-8388 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50450515 Keywords : chick embryo * echocardiography * heart development Subject RIV: FA - Cardiovascular Diseases incl. Cardiotharic Surgery Impact factor: 3.084, year: 2007

  15. Imaging focal and interstitial fibrosis with cardiovascular magnetic resonance in athletes with left ventricular hypertrophy: implications for sporting participation.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Waterhouse, Deirdre F

    2012-11-01

    Long-term high-intensity physical activity is associated with morphological changes, termed as the \\'athlete\\'s heart\\'. The differentiation of physiological cardiac adaptive changes in response to high-level exercise from pathological changes consistent with an inherited cardiomyopathy is imperative. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging allows definition of abnormal processes occurring at the tissue level, including, importantly, myocardial fibrosis. It is therefore vital in accurately making this differentiation. In this review, we will review the role of CMR imaging of fibrosis, and detail CMR characterisation of myocardial fibrosis in various cardiomyopathies, and the implications of fibrosis. Additionally, we will outline advances in imaging fibrosis, in particular T1 mapping. Finally we will address the role of CMR in pre-participation screening.

  16. Economic conditions, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease: analysis of the Icelandic economic collapse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Birgisdóttir, Kristín Helga; Jónsson, Stefán Hrafn; Ásgeirsdóttir, Tinna Laufey

    2017-12-01

    Previous research has found a positive short-term relationship between the 2008 collapse and hypertension in Icelandic males. With Iceland's economy experiencing a phase of economic recovery, an opportunity to pursue a longer-term analysis of the collapse has emerged. Using data from a nationally representative sample, fixed-effect estimations and mediation analyses were performed to explore the relationship between the Icelandic economic collapse in 2008 and the longer-term impact on hypertension and cardiovascular health. A sensitivity analysis was carried out with pooled logit models estimated as well as an alternative dependent variable. Our attrition analysis revealed that results for cardiovascular diseases were affected by attrition, but not results from estimations on the relationship between the economic crisis and hypertension. When compared to the boom year 2007, our results point to an increased probability of Icelandic women having hypertension in the year 2012, when the Icelandic economy had recovered substantially from the economic collapse in 2008. This represents a deviation from pre-crisis trends, thus suggesting a true economic-recovery impact on hypertension.

  17. Cardiovascular dynamics of Canadian Indigenous peoples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foulds, Heather J A; Bredin, Shannon S D; Warburton, Darren E R

    2018-12-01

    Limited understanding of Indigenous adults' cardiovascular structure and function exists despite high rates of cardiovascular disease. This investigation characterised cardiovascular structure and function among young Indigenous adults and compared to age- and sex-matched European descendants. Echocardiographic assessments included apical two- and four-chamber images, parasternal short-axis images and Doppler. Analyses included cardiac volumes, dimensions, velocities and strains. Cardiovascular structure and function were similar between Indigenous (n=10, 25 ± 3 years, 4 women) and European-descendant (n=10, 24 ± 4 years, 4 women,) adults, though European descendants demonstrated greater systemic vascular resistance (18.19 ± 3.94 mmHg∙min -1 ∙L -1 vs. 15.36 ± 2.97 mmHg∙min -1 ∙L -1 , p=0.03). Among Indigenous adults, women demonstrated greater arterial elastance (0.80 ± 0.15 mmHg·mL -1 ·m -2 vs. 0.55 ± 0.17 mmHg·mL -1 ·m -2 , p=0.02) and possibly greater systemic vascular resistance (17.51 ± 2.20 mmHg∙min -1 ∙L -1 vs. 13.93 ± 2.61 mmHg∙min -1 ∙L -1 , p=0.07). Indigenous men had greater cardiac size, dimensions and output, though body size differences accounted for cardiac size differences. Similar cardiac rotation and strains were observed across sexes. Arterial elastance and cardiac size were different between Indigenous men and women while cardiovascular structure and function may be similar between Indigenous and European descendants.

  18. The Cardiovascular Research Grid (CVRG)

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — The CardioVascular Research Grid (CVRG) project is creating an infrastructure for sharing cardiovascular data and data analysis tools. CVRG tools are developed using...

  19. Small-animal SPECT and SPECT/CT: application in cardiovascular research

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Golestani, Reza; Dierckx, Rudi A.J.O. [University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Groningen (Netherlands); Wu, Chao [University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Groningen (Netherlands); University Medical Center Utrecht, Image Sciences Institute and Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neurosciences, Utrecht (Netherlands); Tio, Rene A. [University Medical Center Groningen, Thorax Center, Department of Cardiology, Groningen (Netherlands); University Medical Center Groningen, Cardiovascular Imaging Group, P.O. Box 30001, Groningen (Netherlands); Zeebregts, Clark J. [University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Surgery, Division of Vascular Surgery, Groningen (Netherlands); University Medical Center Groningen, Cardiovascular Imaging Group, P.O. Box 30001, Groningen (Netherlands); Petrov, Artiom D. [University of California, Irvine, Division of Cardiology, School of Medicine, Irvine, California (United States); Beekman, Freek J. [University Medical Center Utrecht, Image Sciences Institute and Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neurosciences, Utrecht (Netherlands); Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Section Radiation Detection and Medical Imaging, Delft (Netherlands); MILabs, Utrecht (Netherlands); Boersma, Hendrikus H. [University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Groningen (Netherlands); University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Clinical and Hospital Pharmacy, Hanzeplein 1, P.O. Box 30001, Groningen (Netherlands); University Medical Center Groningen, Cardiovascular Imaging Group, P.O. Box 30001, Groningen (Netherlands); Slart, Riemer H.J.A. [University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Groningen (Netherlands); University Medical Center Groningen, Cardiovascular Imaging Group, P.O. Box 30001, Groningen (Netherlands)

    2010-09-15

    Preclinical cardiovascular research using noninvasive radionuclide and hybrid imaging systems has been extensively developed in recent years. Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is based on the molecular tracer principle and is an established tool in noninvasive imaging. SPECT uses gamma cameras and collimators to form projection data that are used to estimate (dynamic) 3-D tracer distributions in vivo. Recent developments in multipinhole collimation and advanced image reconstruction have led to sub-millimetre and sub-half-millimetre resolution SPECT in rats and mice, respectively. In this article we review applications of microSPECT in cardiovascular research in which information about the function and pathology of the myocardium, vessels and neurons is obtained. We give examples on how diagnostic tracers, new therapeutic interventions, pre- and postcardiovascular event prognosis, and functional and pathophysiological heart conditions can be explored by microSPECT, using small-animal models of cardiovascular disease. (orig.)

  20. Small-animal SPECT and SPECT/CT: application in cardiovascular research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Golestani, Reza; Dierckx, Rudi A.J.O.; Wu, Chao; Tio, Rene A.; Zeebregts, Clark J.; Petrov, Artiom D.; Beekman, Freek J.; Boersma, Hendrikus H.; Slart, Riemer H.J.A.

    2010-01-01

    Preclinical cardiovascular research using noninvasive radionuclide and hybrid imaging systems has been extensively developed in recent years. Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is based on the molecular tracer principle and is an established tool in noninvasive imaging. SPECT uses gamma cameras and collimators to form projection data that are used to estimate (dynamic) 3-D tracer distributions in vivo. Recent developments in multipinhole collimation and advanced image reconstruction have led to sub-millimetre and sub-half-millimetre resolution SPECT in rats and mice, respectively. In this article we review applications of microSPECT in cardiovascular research in which information about the function and pathology of the myocardium, vessels and neurons is obtained. We give examples on how diagnostic tracers, new therapeutic interventions, pre- and postcardiovascular event prognosis, and functional and pathophysiological heart conditions can be explored by microSPECT, using small-animal models of cardiovascular disease. (orig.)

  1. Deployment of an Advanced Electrocardiographic Analysis (A-ECG) to Detect Cardiovascular Risk in Career Firefighters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dolezal, B. A.; Storer, T. W.; Abrazado, M.; Watne, R.; Schlegel, T. T.; Batalin, M.; Kaiser, W.; Smith, D. L.; Cooper, C. B.

    2011-01-01

    INTRODUCTION Sudden cardiac death is the leading cause of line of duty death among firefighters, accounting for approximately 45% of fatalities annually. Firefighters perform strenuous muscular work while wearing heavy, encapsulating personal protective equipment in high ambient temperatures, under chaotic and emotionally stressful conditions. These factors can precipitate sudden cardiac events like myocardial infarction, serious dysrhythmias, or cerebrovascular accidents in firefighters with underlying cardiovascular disease. Screening for cardiovascular risk factors is recommended but not always followed in this population. PHASER is a project charged with identifying and prioritizing risk factors in emergency responders. We have deployed an advanced ECG (A-ECG) system developed at NASA for improved sensitivity and specificity in the detection of cardiac risk. METHODS Forty-four professional firefighters were recruited to perform comprehensive baseline assessments including tests of aerobic performance and laboratory tests for fasting lipid profiles and glucose. Heart rate and conventional 12-lead ECG were obtained at rest and during incremental treadmill exercise testing (XT). In addition, a 5-min resting 12-lead A-ECG was obtained in a subset of firefighters (n=18) and transmitted over a secure networked system to a physician collaborator at NASA for advanced-ECG analysis. This A-ECG system has been proven, using myocardial perfusion and other imaging, to accurately identify a number of cardiac pathologies including coronary artery disease (CAD), left ventricular hypertrophy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, and ischemic cardiomyopathy. RESULTS Subjects mean (SD) age was 43 (8) years, weight 91 (13) kg, and BMI of 28 (3) kg/square meter. Maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) was 39 (9) ml/kg/min. This compares with the 45th %ile in healthy reference values and a recommended standard of 42 ml/kg/min for firefighters. The metabolic threshold (VO

  2. Human gene therapy and imaging: cardiology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Joseph C.; Yla-Herttuala, Seppo

    2005-01-01

    This review discusses the basics of cardiovascular gene therapy, the results of recent human clinical trials, and the rapid progress in imaging techniques in cardiology. Improved understanding of the molecular and genetic basis of coronary heart disease has made gene therapy a potential new alternative for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Experimental studies have established the proof-of-principle that gene transfer to the cardiovascular system can achieve therapeutic effects. First human clinical trials provided initial evidence of feasibility and safety of cardiovascular gene therapy. However, phase II/III clinical trials have so far been rather disappointing and one of the major problems in cardiovascular gene therapy has been the inability to verify gene expression in the target tissue. New imaging techniques could significantly contribute to the development of better gene therapeutic approaches. Although the exact choice of imaging modality will depend on the biological question asked, further improvement in image resolution and detection sensitivity will be needed for all modalities as we move from imaging of organs and tissues to imaging of cells and genes. (orig.)

  3. Atlas-based analysis of cardiac shape and function: correction of regional shape bias due to imaging protocol for population studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Medrano-Gracia, Pau; Cowan, Brett R; Bluemke, David A; Finn, J Paul; Kadish, Alan H; Lee, Daniel C; Lima, Joao A C; Suinesiaputra, Avan; Young, Alistair A

    2013-09-13

    Cardiovascular imaging studies generate a wealth of data which is typically used only for individual study endpoints. By pooling data from multiple sources, quantitative comparisons can be made of regional wall motion abnormalities between different cohorts, enabling reuse of valuable data. Atlas-based analysis provides precise quantification of shape and motion differences between disease groups and normal subjects. However, subtle shape differences may arise due to differences in imaging protocol between studies. A mathematical model describing regional wall motion and shape was used to establish a coordinate system registered to the cardiac anatomy. The atlas was applied to data contributed to the Cardiac Atlas Project from two independent studies which used different imaging protocols: steady state free precession (SSFP) and gradient recalled echo (GRE) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). Shape bias due to imaging protocol was corrected using an atlas-based transformation which was generated from a set of 46 volunteers who were imaged with both protocols. Shape bias between GRE and SSFP was regionally variable, and was effectively removed using the atlas-based transformation. Global mass and volume bias was also corrected by this method. Regional shape differences between cohorts were more statistically significant after removing regional artifacts due to imaging protocol bias. Bias arising from imaging protocol can be both global and regional in nature, and is effectively corrected using an atlas-based transformation, enabling direct comparison of regional wall motion abnormalities between cohorts acquired in separate studies.

  4. Shape analysis in medical image analysis

    CERN Document Server

    Tavares, João

    2014-01-01

    This book contains thirteen contributions from invited experts of international recognition addressing important issues in shape analysis in medical image analysis, including techniques for image segmentation, registration, modelling and classification, and applications in biology, as well as in cardiac, brain, spine, chest, lung and clinical practice. This volume treats topics such as, anatomic and functional shape representation and matching; shape-based medical image segmentation; shape registration; statistical shape analysis; shape deformation; shape-based abnormity detection; shape tracking and longitudinal shape analysis; machine learning for shape modeling and analysis; shape-based computer-aided-diagnosis; shape-based medical navigation; benchmark and validation of shape representation, analysis and modeling algorithms. This work will be of interest to researchers, students, and manufacturers in the fields of artificial intelligence, bioengineering, biomechanics, computational mechanics, computationa...

  5. Fall-Risk-Increasing Drugs: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: I. Cardiovascular Drugs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Vries, Max; Seppala, Lotta J; Daams, Joost G; van de Glind, Esther M M; Masud, Tahir; van der Velde, Nathalie

    2018-04-01

    Use of certain medications is recognized as a major and modifiable risk factor for falls. Although the literature on psychotropic drugs is compelling, the literature on cardiovascular drugs as potential fall-risk-increasing drugs is conflicting. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to provide a comprehensive overview of the associations between cardiovascular medications and fall risk in older adults. Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Medline, Embase, and PsycINFO. Key search concepts were "fall," "aged," "causality," and "medication." Studies that investigated cardiovascular medications as risk factors for falls in participants ≥60 years old or participants with a mean age of 70 or older were included. A meta-analysis was performed using the generic inverse variance method, pooling unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) separately. In total, 131 studies were included in the qualitative synthesis. Meta-analysis using adjusted ORs showed significant results (pooled OR [95% confidence interval]) for loop diuretics, OR 1.36 (1.17, 1.57), and beta-blocking agents, OR 0.88 (0.80, 0.97). Meta-analysis using unadjusted ORs showed significant results for digitalis, OR 1.60 (1.08, 2.36); digoxin, OR 2.06 (1.56, 2.74); and statins, OR 0.80 (0.65, 0.98). Most of the meta-analyses resulted in substantial heterogeneity that mostly did not disappear after stratification for population and setting. In a descriptive synthesis, consistent associations were not observed. Loop diuretics were significantly associated with increased fall risk, whereas beta-blockers were significantly associated with decreased fall risk. Digitalis and digoxin may increase the risk of falling, and statins may reduce it. For the majority of cardiovascular medication groups, outcomes were inconsistent. Furthermore, recent studies indicate that specific drug properties, such as selectivity of beta-blockers, may affect fall risk, and drug-disease interaction also may play

  6. Retinal imaging and image analysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Abramoff, M.D.; Garvin, Mona K.; Sonka, Milan

    2010-01-01

    Many important eye diseases as well as systemic diseases manifest themselves in the retina. While a number of other anatomical structures contribute to the process of vision, this review focuses on retinal imaging and image analysis. Following a brief overview of the most prevalent causes of

  7. Cardiovascular screening in Turner syndrome

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dawson, K.L.; Wright, A.M.; Pitlick, P.T.

    1990-01-01

    This paper determines the utility of MR imaging as a cardiovascular screening method in patients with Turner syndrome and to compare its utility with that of echocardiography. Forty females with karytotypically proved Turner syndrome were prospectively evaluated with MR imaging and echocardiography. A 0.38-T resistive magnet was used to obtain ECG-gated axial and off-sagittal oblique images through the thorax with a spin-echo pulse sequence and TR 400--600 msec, TE 15--30 msec. Two-dimensional, M-mode, and Doppler echocardiography were performed and standard echocardiographic views were obtained

  8. Healthcare Policy Statement on the Utility of Coronary Computed Tomography for Evaluation of Cardiovascular Conditions and Preventive Healthcare: From the Health Policy Working Group of the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slim, Ahmad M; Jerome, Scott; Blankstein, Ron; Weigold, Wm Guy; Patel, Amit R; Kalra, Dinesh K; Miller, Ryan; Branch, Kelley; Rabbat, Mark G; Hecht, Harvey; Nicol, Edward D; Villines, Todd C; Shaw, Leslee J

    The rising cost of healthcare is prompting numerous policy and advocacy discussions regarding strategies for constraining growth and creating a more efficient and effective healthcare system. Cardiovascular imaging is central to the care of patients at risk of, and living with, heart disease. Estimates are that utilization of cardiovascular imaging exceeds 20 million studies per year. The Society of Cardiovascular CT (SCCT), alongside Rush University Medical Center, and in collaboration with government agencies, regional payers, and industry healthcare experts met in November 2016 in Chicago, IL to evaluate obstacles and hurdles facing the cardiovascular imaging community and how they can contribute to efficacy while maintaining or even improving outcomes and quality. The summit incorporated inputs from payers, providers, and patients' perspectives, providing a platform for all voices to be heard, allowing for a constructive dialogue with potential solutions moving forward. This article outlines the proceedings from the summit, with a detailed review of past hurdles, current status, and potential solutions as we move forward in an ever-changing healthcare landscape. Copyright © 2017 Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography. All rights reserved.

  9. Cardiorespiratory and cardiovascular interactions in cardiomyopathy patients using joint symbolic dynamic analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giraldo, Beatriz F; Rodriguez, Javier; Caminal, Pere; Bayes-Genis, Antonio; Voss, Andreas

    2015-01-01

    Cardiovascular diseases are the first cause of death in developed countries. Using electrocardiographic (ECG), blood pressure (BP) and respiratory flow signals, we obtained parameters for classifying cardiomyopathy patients. 42 patients with ischemic (ICM) and dilated (DCM) cardiomyopathies were studied. The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was used to stratify patients with low risk (LR: LVEF>35%, 14 patients) and high risk (HR: LVEF≤ 35%, 28 patients) of heart attack. RR, SBP and TTot time series were extracted from the ECG, BP and respiratory flow signals, respectively. The time series were transformed to a binary space and then analyzed using Joint Symbolic Dynamic with a word length of three, characterizing them by the probability of occurrence of the words. Extracted parameters were then reduced using correlation and statistical analysis. Principal component analysis and support vector machines methods were applied to characterize the cardiorespiratory and cardiovascular interactions in ICM and DCM cardiomyopathies, obtaining an accuracy of 85.7%.

  10. Prognostic value of heart valve calcifications for cardiovascular events in a lung cancer screening population

    OpenAIRE

    Willemink, Martin J.; Takx, Richard A. P.; I?gum, Ivana; de Koning, Harry J.; Oudkerk, Matthijs; Mali, Willem P. Th. M.; Budde, Ricardo P. J.; Leiner, Tim; Vliegenthart, Rozemarijn; de Jong, Pim A.

    2015-01-01

    textabstractTo assess the prognostic value of aortic valve and mitral valve/annulus calcifications for cardiovascular events in heavily smoking men without a history of cardiovascular disease. Heavily smoking men without a cardiovascular disease history who underwent non-contrast-enhanced low-radiation-dose chest CT for lung cancer screening were included. Non-imaging predictors (age, smoking status and pack-years) were collected and imaging-predictors (calcium volume of the coronary arteries...

  11. Hyperspectral image analysis. A tutorial

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amigo, José Manuel; Babamoradi, Hamid; Elcoroaristizabal, Saioa

    2015-01-01

    This tutorial aims at providing guidelines and practical tools to assist with the analysis of hyperspectral images. Topics like hyperspectral image acquisition, image pre-processing, multivariate exploratory analysis, hyperspectral image resolution, classification and final digital image processing will be exposed, and some guidelines given and discussed. Due to the broad character of current applications and the vast number of multivariate methods available, this paper has focused on an industrial chemical framework to explain, in a step-wise manner, how to develop a classification methodology to differentiate between several types of plastics by using Near infrared hyperspectral imaging and Partial Least Squares – Discriminant Analysis. Thus, the reader is guided through every single step and oriented in order to adapt those strategies to the user's case. - Highlights: • Comprehensive tutorial of Hyperspectral Image analysis. • Hierarchical discrimination of six classes of plastics containing flame retardant. • Step by step guidelines to perform class-modeling on hyperspectral images. • Fusion of multivariate data analysis and digital image processing methods. • Promising methodology for real-time detection of plastics containing flame retardant.

  12. Multimodality cardiac imaging in Turner syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mortensen, Kristian H; Gopalan, Deepa; Nørgaard, Bjarne L; Andersen, Niels H; Gravholt, Claus H

    2016-06-01

    Congenital and acquired cardiovascular diseases contribute significantly to the threefold elevated risk of premature death in Turner syndrome. A multitude of cardiovascular anomalies and disorders, many of which deleteriously impact morbidity and mortality, is frequently left undetected and untreated because of poor adherence to screening programmes and complex clinical presentations. Imaging is essential for timely and effective primary and secondary disease prophylaxis that may alleviate the severe impact of cardiovascular disease in Turner syndrome. This review illustrates how cardiovascular disease in Turner syndrome manifests in a complex manner that ranges in severity from incidental findings to potentially fatal anomalies. Recommendations regarding the use of imaging for screening and surveillance of cardiovascular disease in Turner syndrome are made, emphasising the key role of non-invasive and invasive cardiovascular imaging to the management of all patients with Turner syndrome.

  13. A novel high resolution, high sensitivity SPECT detector for molecular imaging of cardiovascular diseases

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cusanno, F.; Argentieri, A.; Baiocchi, M.; Colilli, S.; Cisbani, E.; De Vincentis, G.; Fratoni, R.; Garibaldi, F.; Giuliani, F.; Gricia, M.; Lucentini, M.; Magliozzi, M. L.; Majewski, S.; Marano, G.; Musico, P.; Musumeci, M.; Santavenere, F.; Torrioli, S.; Tsui, B. M. W.; Vitelli, L.; Wang, Y.

    2010-05-01

    Cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death in western countries. Understanding the rupture of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques and monitoring the effect of innovative therapies of heart failure is of fundamental importance. A flexible, high resolution, high sensitivity detector system for molecular imaging with radionuclides on small animal models has been designed for this aim. A prototype has been built using tungsten pinhole and LaBr3(Ce) scintillator coupled to Hamamatsu Flat Panel PMTs. Compact individual-channel readout has been designed, built and tested. Measurements with phantoms as well as pilot studies on mice have been performed, the results show that the myocardial perfusion in mice can be determined with sufficient precision. The detector will be improved replacing the Hamamatsu Flat Panel with Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) to allow integration of the system with MRI scanners. Application of LaBr3(Ce) scintillator coupled to photosensor with high photon detection efficiency and excellent energy resolution will allow dual-label imaging to monitor simultaneously the cardiac perfusion and the molecular targets under investigation during the heart therapy.

  14. Space-Time Analysis to Identify Areas at Risk of Mortality from Cardiovascular Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Poliany C. O. Rodrigues

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed at identifying areas that were at risk of mortality due to cardiovascular disease in residents aged 45 years or older of the cities of Cuiabá and Várzea Grande between 2009 and 2011. We conducted an ecological study of mortality rates related to cardiovascular disease. Mortality rates were calculated for each census tract by the Local Empirical Bayes estimator. High- and low-risk clusters were identified by retrospective space-time scans for each year using the Poisson probability model. We defined the year and month as the temporal analysis unit and the census tracts as the spatial analysis units adjusted by age and sex. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the socioeconomic and environmental variables by risk classification. High-risk clusters showed higher income ratios than low-risk clusters, as did temperature range and atmospheric particulate matter. Low-risk clusters showed higher humidity than high-risk clusters. The Eastern region of Várzea Grande and the central region of Cuiabá were identified as areas at risk of mortality due to cardiovascular disease in individuals aged 45 years or older. High mortality risk was associated with socioeconomic and environmental factors. More high-risk clusters were observed at the end of the dry season.

  15. Medical image registration for analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petrovic, V.

    2006-01-01

    Full text: Image registration techniques represent a rich family of image processing and analysis tools that aim to provide spatial correspondences across sets of medical images of similar and disparate anatomies and modalities. Image registration is a fundamental and usually the first step in medical image analysis and this paper presents a number of advanced techniques as well as demonstrates some of the advanced medical image analysis techniques they make possible. A number of both rigid and non-rigid medical image alignment algorithms of equivalent and merely consistent anatomical structures respectively are presented. The algorithms are compared in terms of their practical aims, inputs, computational complexity and level of operator (e.g. diagnostician) interaction. In particular, the focus of the methods discussion is placed on the applications and practical benefits of medical image registration. Results of medical image registration on a number of different imaging modalities and anatomies are presented demonstrating the accuracy and robustness of their application. Medical image registration is quickly becoming ubiquitous in medical imaging departments with the results of such algorithms increasingly used in complex medical image analysis and diagnostics. This paper aims to demonstrate at least part of the reason why

  16. Does anaesthesia with nitrous oxide affect mortality or cardiovascular morbidity? A systematic review with meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Imberger, G; Orr, A; Thorlund, K; Wetterslev, J; Myles, P; Møller, A M

    2014-03-01

    The role of nitrous oxide in modern anaesthetic practice is contentious. One concern is that exposure to nitrous oxide may increase the risk of cardiovascular complications. ENIGMA II is a large randomized clinical trial currently underway which is investigating nitrous oxide and cardiovascular complications. Before the completion of this trial, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis, using Cochrane methodology, on the outcomes that make up the composite primary outcome. We used conventional meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis (TSA). We reviewed 8282 abstracts and selected 138 that fulfilled our criteria for study type, population, and intervention. We attempted to contact the authors of all the selected publications to check for unpublished outcome data. Thirteen trials had outcome data eligible for our outcomes. We assessed three of these trials as having a low risk of bias. Using conventional meta-analysis, the relative risk of short-term mortality in the nitrous oxide group was 1.38 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.22-8.71] and the relative risk of long-term mortality in the nitrous oxide group was 0.94 (95% CI 0.80-1.10). In both cases, TSA demonstrated that the data were far too sparse to make any conclusions. There were insufficient data to perform meta-analysis for stroke, myocardial infarct, pulmonary embolus, or cardiac arrest. This systematic review demonstrated that we currently do not have robust evidence for how nitrous oxide used as part of general anaesthesia affects mortality and cardiovascular complications.

  17. The Digital Image Processing And Quantitative Analysis In Microscopic Image Characterization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ardisasmita, M. Syamsa

    2000-01-01

    Many electron microscopes although have produced digital images, but not all of them are equipped with a supporting unit to process and analyse image data quantitatively. Generally the analysis of image has to be made visually and the measurement is realized manually. The development of mathematical method for geometric analysis and pattern recognition, allows automatic microscopic image analysis with computer. Image processing program can be used for image texture and structure periodic analysis by the application of Fourier transform. Because the development of composite materials. Fourier analysis in frequency domain become important for measure the crystallography orientation. The periodic structure analysis and crystal orientation are the key to understand many material properties like mechanical strength. stress, heat conductivity, resistance, capacitance and other material electric and magnetic properties. In this paper will be shown the application of digital image processing in microscopic image characterization and analysis in microscopic image

  18. [Screening for atherosclerosis to prevent cardiovascular risk : a pro-contra debate].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nanchen, David; Genest, Jacques

    2018-02-28

    Detecting atherosclerosis using imaging techniques is the subject of intense debate in the scientific community. Among the arguments in favor of screening, a better identification or better stratification of cardiovascular risk is mentioned, compared to cardiovascular risk scores based solely on traditional risk factors, such as blood pressure or cholesterol levels. Imaging techniques are also used to monitor the progression of atherosclerosis among patients using lipid-lowering or antihypertensive drugs in primary prevention. However, several experts in recent years have challenged the clinical utility of these imaging techniques in asymptomatic adults. This article proposes a debate « for or against » to describe the main arguments for or against the use of imaging for screening for atherosclerosis.

  19. Digital subtraction angiography in the assessment of cardiovascular disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harrington, D.P.; Boxt, L.M.

    1985-01-01

    Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) is a new radiographic method for evaluating the cardiovascular system. It represents another in a continuing series of computer-assisted diagnostic imaging modalities. The advantages of this technique are its relatively noninvasive nature combined with diagnostically acceptable angiographic images of a variety of cardiovascular structures. Major clinical applications of DSA include its use in imaging of localized regions of peripheral arterial disease and as a screening procedure in evaluating extracranial carotid and vertebral artery disease and renovascular hypertension. Cardiac applications of DSA include assessment of ventricular function, recognition and quantification of intracardiac shunts, visualization of coronary artery bypass grafts, and the study of complex congenital cardiac malformations. Digital subtraction angiography may also be used to evaluate intracranial aneurysms and vascular tumors

  20. ECG gated NMR-CT for cardiovascular diseases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishikawa, J.; Machida, K.; Iio, M.; Yoshimoto, N.; Sugimoto, T.; Kawaguchi, H.; Mano, H.

    1984-01-01

    The authors applied NMR-CT to cardiac study with ECG gated technique to evaluate the left ventricular (LV) function and compared it with cardiovascular nuclear medicine study (NM). The NMR-CT machine has resistive air-core magnet with 0.15 Tesla. The saturation recovery image or inversion recovery image were obtained as 256 x 256 matrix and 15 mm in thickness. The study population was ten patients who were evaluated both by NMR image and by NM performed within one week interval. The heart muscle was able to be visualized without any contrast material nor radioisotopes in inversion recovery images, whereas saturation recovery images failed to separate heart muscle from blood pool. The wall motions of LV in both methods were well correlated except for inferior wall. The values of ejection fraction in NMR image were moderately low, but two modalities showed satisfactory correlation (r=0.85). The region of myocardial infarction was revealed as wall thinning and/or wall motion abnormality. It is still preliminary to draw a conclusion, however, it can be said that in the evaluation of LV function, method by NMR might be of equal value to those of NM. It can be certain that eventually gated NMR-CT will become more effective method for various aspects of cardiovascular evaluation

  1. Crowdfunding for cardiovascular research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krittanawong, Chayakrit; Zhang, HongJu Janet; Aydar, Mehmet; Wang, Zhen; Sun, Tao

    2018-01-01

    The competition for public cardiovascular research grants has recently increased. Independent researchers are facing increasing competition for public research grant support and ultimately may need to seek alternative funding sources. Crowdfunding, a financing method of raising funds online by pooling together small donations from the online community to support a specific initiative, seems to have significant potential. However, the feasibility of crowdfunding for cardiovascular research remains unknown. Here, we performed exploratory data analysis of the feasibility of online crowdfunding in cardiovascular research. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Noninvasive quantification of myocardial perfusion heterogeneity by Markovian analysis in SPECT nuclear imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pons, G.

    2011-01-01

    Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality worldwide, and third of these deaths are caused by coronary artery disease and rupture of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques. The heterogeneous alteration of the coronary microcirculation is an early phenomenon associated with many cardiovascular risk factors that can strongly predict the subsequent development of coronary artery disease, and lead to the appearance of myocardial perfusion heterogeneity. Nuclear medicine allows the study of myocardial perfusion in clinical routine through scintigraphic scans performed after injection of a radioactive tracer of coronary blood flow. Analysis of scintigraphic perfusion images currently allows the detection of myocardial ischemia, but the ability of the technique to measure the perfusion heterogeneity in apparently normally perfused areas is unknown. The first part of this thesis focuses on a retrospective clinical study to determine the feasibility of myocardial perfusion heterogeneity quantification measured by Thallium-201 single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in diabetic patients compared with healthy subjects. The clinical study has demonstrated the ability of routine thallium-201 SPECT imaging to quantify greater myocardial perfusion heterogeneity in diabetic patients compared with normal subjects. The second part of this thesis tests the hypothesis that the myocardial perfusion heterogeneity could be quantified in small animal SPECT imaging by Thallium-201 and/or Technetium-99m-MIBI in an experimental study using two animal models of diabetes, and is correlated with histological changes. The lack of difference in myocardial perfusion heterogeneity between control and diabetic animals suggests that animal models are poorly suited, or that the technology currently available does not seem satisfactory to obtain similar results as the clinical study. (author)

  3. Oncological image analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brady, Sir Michael; Highnam, Ralph; Irving, Benjamin; Schnabel, Julia A

    2016-10-01

    Cancer is one of the world's major healthcare challenges and, as such, an important application of medical image analysis. After a brief introduction to cancer, we summarise some of the major developments in oncological image analysis over the past 20 years, but concentrating those in the authors' laboratories, and then outline opportunities and challenges for the next decade. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Gabor Analysis for Imaging

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Ole; Feichtinger, Hans G.; Paukner, Stephan

    2015-01-01

    , it characterizes a function by its transform over phase space, which is the time–frequency plane (TF-plane) in a musical context or the location–wave-number domain in the context of image processing. Since the transition from the signal domain to the phase space domain introduces an enormous amount of data...... of the generalities relevant for an understanding of Gabor analysis of functions on Rd. We pay special attention to the case d = 2, which is the most important case for image processing and image analysis applications. The chapter is organized as follows. Section 2 presents central tools from functional analysis......, the application of Gabor expansions to image representation is considered in Sect. 6....

  5. Artificial intelligence and medical imaging. Expert systems and image analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wackenheim, A.; Zoellner, G.; Horviller, S.; Jacqmain, T.

    1987-01-01

    This paper gives an overview on the existing systems for automated image analysis and interpretation in medical imaging, especially in radiology. The example of ORFEVRE, the system for the analysis of CAT-scan images of the cervical triplet (c3-c5) by image analysis and subsequent expert-system is given and discussed in detail. Possible extensions are described [fr

  6. Structural identifiability analysis of a cardiovascular system model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pironet, Antoine; Dauby, Pierre C; Chase, J Geoffrey; Docherty, Paul D; Revie, James A; Desaive, Thomas

    2016-05-01

    The six-chamber cardiovascular system model of Burkhoff and Tyberg has been used in several theoretical and experimental studies. However, this cardiovascular system model (and others derived from it) are not identifiable from any output set. In this work, two such cases of structural non-identifiability are first presented. These cases occur when the model output set only contains a single type of information (pressure or volume). A specific output set is thus chosen, mixing pressure and volume information and containing only a limited number of clinically available measurements. Then, by manipulating the model equations involving these outputs, it is demonstrated that the six-chamber cardiovascular system model is structurally globally identifiable. A further simplification is made, assuming known cardiac valve resistances. Because of the poor practical identifiability of these four parameters, this assumption is usual. Under this hypothesis, the six-chamber cardiovascular system model is structurally identifiable from an even smaller dataset. As a consequence, parameter values computed from limited but well-chosen datasets are theoretically unique. This means that the parameter identification procedure can safely be performed on the model from such a well-chosen dataset. Thus, the model may be considered suitable for use in diagnosis. Copyright © 2016 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. MC225, a Novel Probe for P-glycoprotein PET Imaging at the Blood-brain Barrier: In Vitro Cardiovascular Safety Evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fusi, Fabio; Durante, Miriam; Gorelli, Beatrice; Perrone, Maria Grazia; Colabufo, Nicola Antonio; Saponara, Simona

    2017-12-01

    The P-glycoprotein (P-gp) substrate MC225, at concentrations ≤10 nM, is a valuable radiotracer for positron emission tomography imaging of P-gp function in rats and mice. The aim of this study was to evaluate its potential toxic hazard toward the cardiovascular system through an in-depth analysis of its effects on rat aorta rings, on CaV1.2 channel current (ICa1.2) of A7r5 cells and on Langendorff-perfused rat heart. In aortic rings, MC225 relaxed phenylephrine-induced contraction in a concentration-dependent and endothelium-independent manner, with an IC50 value of about 1 μM. At concentrations ≥3 μM, it antagonized the response to cumulative concentrations of K. MC225, 1 and 10 μM, inhibited ICa1.2 by 15% and 31%, respectively, without affecting either current activation or inactivation kinetics. In Langendorff-perfused rat hearts, only 10 μM MC225 significantly decreased left ventricular pressure and increased coronary perfusion pressure while reducing heart rate and prolonging the cardiac cycle length as well as the atrioventricular conduction time (PQ interval) on the electrocardiogram. Lower concentrations of the drug were ineffective. These findings demonstrate that MC225-induced cardiovascular effects took place at concentrations that are at least 2 orders of magnitude higher than those allowing in vivo measurement of P-gp function. Therefore, MC225 represents a promising positron emission tomography tool for in vivo straightforward P-gp quantification.

  8. Microscopy image segmentation tool: Robust image data analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Valmianski, Ilya, E-mail: ivalmian@ucsd.edu; Monton, Carlos; Schuller, Ivan K. [Department of Physics and Center for Advanced Nanoscience, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093 (United States)

    2014-03-15

    We present a software package called Microscopy Image Segmentation Tool (MIST). MIST is designed for analysis of microscopy images which contain large collections of small regions of interest (ROIs). Originally developed for analysis of porous anodic alumina scanning electron images, MIST capabilities have been expanded to allow use in a large variety of problems including analysis of biological tissue, inorganic and organic film grain structure, as well as nano- and meso-scopic structures. MIST provides a robust segmentation algorithm for the ROIs, includes many useful analysis capabilities, and is highly flexible allowing incorporation of specialized user developed analysis. We describe the unique advantages MIST has over existing analysis software. In addition, we present a number of diverse applications to scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, magnetic force microscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, and fluorescent confocal laser scanning microscopy.

  9. Microscopy image segmentation tool: Robust image data analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valmianski, Ilya; Monton, Carlos; Schuller, Ivan K.

    2014-03-01

    We present a software package called Microscopy Image Segmentation Tool (MIST). MIST is designed for analysis of microscopy images which contain large collections of small regions of interest (ROIs). Originally developed for analysis of porous anodic alumina scanning electron images, MIST capabilities have been expanded to allow use in a large variety of problems including analysis of biological tissue, inorganic and organic film grain structure, as well as nano- and meso-scopic structures. MIST provides a robust segmentation algorithm for the ROIs, includes many useful analysis capabilities, and is highly flexible allowing incorporation of specialized user developed analysis. We describe the unique advantages MIST has over existing analysis software. In addition, we present a number of diverse applications to scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, magnetic force microscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, and fluorescent confocal laser scanning microscopy.

  10. Microscopy image segmentation tool: Robust image data analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Valmianski, Ilya; Monton, Carlos; Schuller, Ivan K.

    2014-01-01

    We present a software package called Microscopy Image Segmentation Tool (MIST). MIST is designed for analysis of microscopy images which contain large collections of small regions of interest (ROIs). Originally developed for analysis of porous anodic alumina scanning electron images, MIST capabilities have been expanded to allow use in a large variety of problems including analysis of biological tissue, inorganic and organic film grain structure, as well as nano- and meso-scopic structures. MIST provides a robust segmentation algorithm for the ROIs, includes many useful analysis capabilities, and is highly flexible allowing incorporation of specialized user developed analysis. We describe the unique advantages MIST has over existing analysis software. In addition, we present a number of diverse applications to scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, magnetic force microscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, and fluorescent confocal laser scanning microscopy

  11. Cardiovascular calcification. An inflammatory disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    New, S.E.P.; Aikawa, E.

    2011-01-01

    Cardiovascular calcification is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. This disease of dysregulated metabolism is no longer viewed as a passive degenerative disease, but instead as an active process triggered by pro-inflammatory cues. Furthermore, a positive feedback loop of calcification and inflammation is hypothesized to drive disease progression in arterial calcification. Both calcific aortic valve disease and atherosclerotic arterial calcification may possess similar underlying mechanisms. Early histopathological studies first highlighted the contribution of inflammation to cardiovascular calcification by demonstrating the accumulation of macrophages and T lymphocytes in 'early' lesions within the aortic valves and arteries. A series of in vitro work followed, which gave a mechanistic insight into the stimulation of smooth muscle cells to undergo osteogenic differentiation and mineralization. The emergence of novel technology, in the form of animal models and more recently molecular imaging, has enabled accelerated progression of this field, by providing strong evidence regarding the concept of this disorder as an inflammatory disease. Although there are still gaps in our knowledge of the mechanisms behind this disorder, this review discusses the various studies that have helped form the concept of the inflammation-dependent cardiovascular calcification paradigm. (author)

  12. Diagnostic and Prognostic Value of Long-Axis Strain and Myocardial Contraction Fraction Using Standard Cardiovascular MR Imaging in Patients with Nonischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arenja, Nisha; Riffel, Johannes H; Fritz, Thomas; André, Florian; Aus dem Siepen, Fabian; Mueller-Hennessen, Matthias; Giannitsis, Evangelos; Katus, Hugo A; Friedrich, Matthias G; Buss, Sebastian J

    2017-06-01

    Purpose To assess the utility of established functional markers versus two additional functional markers derived from standard cardiovascular magnetic resonance (MR) images for their incremental diagnostic and prognostic information in patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM). Materials and Methods Approval was obtained from the local ethics committee. MR images from 453 patients with NIDCM and 150 healthy control subjects were included between 2005 and 2013 and were analyzed retrospectively. Myocardial contraction fraction (MCF) was calculated by dividing left ventricular (LV) stroke volume by LV myocardial volume, and long-axis strain (LAS) was calculated from the distances between the epicardial border of the LV apex and the midpoint of a line connecting the origins of the mitral valve leaflets at end systole and end diastole. Receiver operating characteristic curve, Kaplan-Meier method, Cox regression, and classification and regression tree (CART) analyses were performed for diagnostic and prognostic performances. Results LAS (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] = 0.93, P < .001) and MCF (AUC = 0.92, P < .001) can be used to discriminate patients with NIDCM from age- and sex-matched control subjects. A total of 97 patients reached the combined end point during a median follow-up of 4.8 years. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, only LV ejection fraction (EF) and LAS independently indicated the combined end point (hazard ratio = 2.8 and 1.9, respectively; P < .001 for both). In a risk stratification approach with classification and regression tree analysis, combined LV EF and LAS cutoff values were used to stratify patients into three risk groups (log-rank test, P < .001). Conclusion Cardiovascular MR-derived MCF and LAS serve as reliable diagnostic and prognostic markers in patients with NIDCM. LAS, as a marker for longitudinal contractile function, is an independent parameter for outcome and offers incremental

  13. Nanoimaging in cardiovascular diseases: Current state of the art

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suryyani Deb

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Nanotechnology has been integrated into healthcare system in terms of diagnosis as well as therapy. The massive impact of imaging nanotechnology has a deeper intervention in cardiology i.e. as contrast agents , to target vulnerable plaques with site specificity and in a theranostic approach to treat these plaques, stem cell delivery in necrotic myocardium, etc. Thus cardiovascular nanoimaging is not limited to simple diagnosis but also can help real time tracking during therapy as well as surgery. The present review provides a comprehensive description of the molecular imaging techniques for cardiovascular diseases with the help of nanotechnology and the potential clinical implications of nanotechnology for future applications.

  14. Simple motion correction strategy reduces respiratory-induced motion artifacts for k-t accelerated and compressed-sensing cardiovascular magnetic resonance perfusion imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Ruixi; Huang, Wei; Yang, Yang; Chen, Xiao; Weller, Daniel S; Kramer, Christopher M; Kozerke, Sebastian; Salerno, Michael

    2018-02-01

    Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) stress perfusion imaging provides important diagnostic and prognostic information in coronary artery disease (CAD). Current clinical sequences have limited temporal and/or spatial resolution, and incomplete heart coverage. Techniques such as k-t principal component analysis (PCA) or k-t sparcity and low rank structure (SLR), which rely on the high degree of spatiotemporal correlation in first-pass perfusion data, can significantly accelerate image acquisition mitigating these problems. However, in the presence of respiratory motion, these techniques can suffer from significant degradation of image quality. A number of techniques based on non-rigid registration have been developed. However, to first approximation, breathing motion predominantly results in rigid motion of the heart. To this end, a simple robust motion correction strategy is proposed for k-t accelerated and compressed sensing (CS) perfusion imaging. A simple respiratory motion compensation (MC) strategy for k-t accelerated and compressed-sensing CMR perfusion imaging to selectively correct respiratory motion of the heart was implemented based on linear k-space phase shifts derived from rigid motion registration of a region-of-interest (ROI) encompassing the heart. A variable density Poisson disk acquisition strategy was used to minimize coherent aliasing in the presence of respiratory motion, and images were reconstructed using k-t PCA and k-t SLR with or without motion correction. The strategy was evaluated in a CMR-extended cardiac torso digital (XCAT) phantom and in prospectively acquired first-pass perfusion studies in 12 subjects undergoing clinically ordered CMR studies. Phantom studies were assessed using the Structural Similarity Index (SSIM) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE). In patient studies, image quality was scored in a blinded fashion by two experienced cardiologists. In the phantom experiments, images reconstructed with the MC strategy had higher

  15. Hyperspectral image analysis. A tutorial

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Amigo Rubio, Jose Manuel; Babamoradi, Hamid; Elcoroaristizabal Martin, Saioa

    2015-01-01

    This tutorial aims at providing guidelines and practical tools to assist with the analysis of hyperspectral images. Topics like hyperspectral image acquisition, image pre-processing, multivariate exploratory analysis, hyperspectral image resolution, classification and final digital image processi...... to differentiate between several types of plastics by using Near infrared hyperspectral imaging and Partial Least Squares - Discriminant Analysis. Thus, the reader is guided through every single step and oriented in order to adapt those strategies to the user's case....... will be exposed, and some guidelines given and discussed. Due to the broad character of current applications and the vast number of multivariate methods available, this paper has focused on an industrial chemical framework to explain, in a step-wise manner, how to develop a classification methodology...

  16. Blood pressure-lowering treatment based on cardiovascular risk: a meta-analysis of individual patient data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-08-16

    We aimed to investigate whether the benefits of blood pressure-lowering drugs are proportional to baseline cardiovascular risk, to establish whether absolute risk could be used to inform treatment decisions for blood pressure-lowering therapy, as is recommended for lipid-lowering therapy. This meta-analysis included individual participant data from trials that randomly assigned patients to either blood pressure-lowering drugs or placebo, or to more intensive or less intensive blood pressure-lowering regimens. The primary outcome was total major cardiovascular events, consisting of stroke, heart attack, heart failure, or cardiovascular death. Participants were separated into four categories of baseline 5-year major cardiovascular risk using a risk prediction equation developed from the placebo groups of the included trials (21%). 11 trials and 26 randomised groups met the inclusion criteria, and included 67,475 individuals, of whom 51,917 had available data for the calculation of the risk equations. 4167 (8%) had a cardiovascular event during a median of 4·0 years (IQR 3·4-4·4) of follow-up. The mean estimated baseline levels of 5-year cardiovascular risk for each of the four risk groups were 6·0% (SD 2·0), 12·1% (1·5), 17·7% (1·7), and 26·8% (5·4). In each consecutive higher risk group, blood pressure-lowering treatment reduced the risk of cardiovascular events relatively by 18% (95% CI 7-27), 15% (4-25), 13% (2-22), and 15% (5-24), respectively (p=0·30 for trend). However, in absolute terms, treating 1000 patients in each group with blood pressure-lowering treatment for 5 years would prevent 14 (95% CI 8-21), 20 (8-31), 24 (8-40), and 38 (16-61) cardiovascular events, respectively (p=0·04 for trend). Lowering blood pressure provides similar relative protection at all levels of baseline cardiovascular risk, but progressively greater absolute risk reductions as baseline risk increases. These results support the use of predicted baseline cardiovascular

  17. Tracking of stem cells for treatment in cardiovascular disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, Won Jun

    2005-01-01

    Various stem cells or progenitor cells are being used to treat cardiovascular disease. In ischemic heart disease, stem cell therapy is expected to regenerate damaged myocardium. To evaluate effects of stem cell treatment, the method to image stem cell location, distribution and differentiation is necessary. Optical imaging, MRI, nuclear imaging methods have been used for tracking stem cells. The methods and problems of each imaging technique are reviewed

  18. Left ventricular hypertrophy: The relationship between the electrocardiogram and cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bacharova, Ljuba; Ugander, Martin

    2014-11-01

    Conventional assessment of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) using the electrocardiogram (ECG), for example, by the Sokolow-Lyon, Romhilt-Estes or Cornell criteria, have relied on assessing changes in the amplitude and/or duration of the QRS complex of the ECG to quantify LV mass. ECG measures of LV mass have typically been validated by imaging with echocardiography or cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). However, LVH can be the result of diverse etiologies, and LVH is also characterized by pathological changes in myocardial tissue characteristics on the genetic, molecular, cellular, and tissue level beyond a pure increase in the number of otherwise normal cardiomyocytes. For example, slowed conduction velocity through the myocardium, which can be due to diffuse myocardial fibrosis, has been shown to be an important determinant of conventional ECG LVH criteria regardless of LV mass. Myocardial tissue characterization by CMR has emerged to not only quantify LV mass, but also detect and quantify the extent and severity of focal or diffuse myocardial fibrosis, edema, inflammation, myocarditis, fatty replacement, myocardial disarray, and myocardial deposition of amyloid proteins (amyloidosis), glycolipids (Fabry disease), or iron (siderosis). This can be undertaken using CMR techniques including late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), T1 mapping, T2 mapping, T2* mapping, extracellular volume fraction (ECV) mapping, fat/water-weighted imaging, and diffusion tensor CMR. This review presents an overview of current and emerging concepts regarding the diagnostic possibilities of both ECG and CMR for LVH in an attempt to narrow gaps in our knowledge regarding the ECG diagnosis of LVH. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. Imaging mass spectrometry statistical analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Emrys A; Deininger, Sören-Oliver; Hogendoorn, Pancras C W; Deelder, André M; McDonnell, Liam A

    2012-08-30

    Imaging mass spectrometry is increasingly used to identify new candidate biomarkers. This clinical application of imaging mass spectrometry is highly multidisciplinary: expertise in mass spectrometry is necessary to acquire high quality data, histology is required to accurately label the origin of each pixel's mass spectrum, disease biology is necessary to understand the potential meaning of the imaging mass spectrometry results, and statistics to assess the confidence of any findings. Imaging mass spectrometry data analysis is further complicated because of the unique nature of the data (within the mass spectrometry field); several of the assumptions implicit in the analysis of LC-MS/profiling datasets are not applicable to imaging. The very large size of imaging datasets and the reporting of many data analysis routines, combined with inadequate training and accessible reviews, have exacerbated this problem. In this paper we provide an accessible review of the nature of imaging data and the different strategies by which the data may be analyzed. Particular attention is paid to the assumptions of the data analysis routines to ensure that the reader is apprised of their correct usage in imaging mass spectrometry research. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Analysis on Outcome of 3537 Patients with Coronary Artery Disease: Integrative Medicine for Cardiovascular Events

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhu-ye Gao

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Aims. To investigate the treatment of hospitalized patients with coronary artery disease (CAD and the prognostic factors in Beijing, China. Materials and Methods. A multicenter prospective study was conducted through an integrative platform of clinical and research at 12 hospitals in Beijing, China. The clinical information of 3537 hospitalized patients with CAD was collected from September 2009 to May 2011, and the efficacy of secondary prevention during one-year followup was evaluated. In addition, a logistic regression analysis was performed to identify some factors which will have independent impact on the prognosis. Results. The average age of all patients was 64.88 ± 11.97. Of them, 65.42% are males. The medicines for patients were as follows: antiplatelet drugs accounting for 91.97%, statins accounting for 83.66%, β-receptor blockers accounting for 72.55%, ACEI/ARB accounting for 58.92%, and revascularization (including PCI and CABG accounting for 40.29%. The overall incidence of cardiovascular events was 13.26% (469/3537. The logistic stepwise regression analysis showed that heart failure (OR, 3.707, 95% CI = 2.756–4.986, age ≥ 65 years old (OR, 2.007, 95% CI = 1.587–2.53, and myocardial infarction (OR, 1.649, 95% CI = 1.322–2.057 were the independent risk factors of others factors for cardiovascular events that occurred during followup of one-year period. Integrative medicine (IM therapy showed the beneficial tendency for decreasing incidence of cardiovascular events, although no statistical significance was found (OR, 0.797, 95% CI = 0.613~1.036. Conclusions. Heart failure, age ≥ 65 years old, and myocardial infarction were associated with an increase in incidence of cardiovascular events, and treatment with IM showed a tendency for decreasing incidence of cardiovascular events.

  1. Socioeconomic Status and Cardiovascular Responses to Standardized Stressors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boylan, Jennifer Morozink; Cundiff, Jenny M; Matthews, Karen A

    2018-04-01

    Disparities in cardiovascular health by socioeconomic status (SES) are a pressing public health concern. Hypothesized mechanisms linking low SES to poor health are large cardiovascular responses to and delayed recovery from psychological stress. The current study presents a meta-analysis of the literature on the association of SES with blood pressure and heart rate reactivity to and recovery from acute stress tasks. The PubMed database was searched, and 26 unique studies with relevant data were identified (k = 25 reactivity [n = 14,617], k = 6 recovery [n = 1,324]). Using random-effects models, no significant association between SES and cardiovascular reactivity to stress emerged (r = .008, 95% confidence interval = -.02 to .04), although higher SES was associated with better recovery from stress (r = -.14, 95% confidence interval -.23 to -.05). Stressor type moderated the reactivity effect, wherein higher SES was associated with greater reactivity to cognitive stressors (r = .036, p = .024), not with reactivity to interpersonal stressors (r = -.02, p = .62), but was associated with lower reactivity to tasks with combinations of cognitive, interpersonal, and physical challenges (r = -.12, p = .029). Accounting for publication bias revealed a significant association between SES and reactivity in the opposite direction of hypotheses. Cardiovascular recovery from acute stress, but not reactivity to stress, may be a key pathway between low SES and risk for cardiovascular diseases. Heterogeneity in effect size and direction, challenges related to working across temporal dynamics, and recommendations for future research are discussed.

  2. Analysis of Medical Tourism for Cardiovascular Diseases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Catalina Liliana Andrei

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Increasing costs of treatments have led to the apparition of the medical tourism. Patients in high-income countries seek to solve their health problems in developing countries where the cost of medical treatment is much lower. This cost difference has led to the medical tourism industry that is currently estimated with an annual growth rate of about 20%. Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of death worldwide. The high cost of treating these diseases cause many patients to seek treatment options abroad. This paper presents an analysis of the medical tourism industry highlighting the factors that led to its development, barriers to medical tourism, and the economic impact of this industry. Although Romania has highly appreciated doctors it hasn’t achieved yet the high level of other developing countries where medical tourism is more intense. Spa tourism is still far from Romania’s potential in this area due to the very small investments and the lack of necessary infrastructure. Using statistical and econometric techniques we examined key health indicators in Romania showing the lack of correlation between the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, the development of the endowment of the health system in Romania, expenditures on health care and evolution of the number of foreign tourists coming to Romania to treat these diseases. We used statistical data series provided by N.S.I. that were processed using Eviews. We also tested whether there is a causal relationship in the Granger sense between the percentage of GDP allocated to the health care system and the number of nights spent by foreign tourists in resorts in Romania or the number of arrivals of foreign tourists.

  3. Present and future of clinical cardiovascular PET imaging in Europe - a position statement by the European Council of Nuclear Cardiology (ECNC)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Le Guludec, D.; Lautamaeki, R.; Bengel, F.M.; Knuuti, J.; Bax, J.J.

    2008-01-01

    This position statement was prepared by the European Council of Nuclear Cardiology and summarises the current and future potential of PET as a clinical cardiovascular diagnostic imaging tool. The first section describes how methodological developments have positively influenced the transition of PET from a research tool towards a clinical diagnostic test. In the second section, evidence in support of its superior diagnostic accuracy, its value to guide decision making and to predict outcome and its cost effectiveness is summarised. The third section finally outlines new PET-based approaches and concepts, which will likely influence clinical cardiovascular medicine in the future. The notion that integration of cardiac PET into healthcare systems and disease management algorithms will advance quality of care is increasingly supported by the literature highlighted in this statement. (orig.)

  4. Incidence of cardiovascular events and associated risk factors in kidney transplant patients: a competing risks survival analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seoane-Pillado, María Teresa; Pita-Fernández, Salvador; Valdés-Cañedo, Francisco; Seijo-Bestilleiro, Rocio; Pértega-Díaz, Sonia; Fernández-Rivera, Constantino; Alonso-Hernández, Ángel; González-Martín, Cristina; Balboa-Barreiro, Vanesa

    2017-03-07

    The high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors among the renal transplant population accounts for increased mortality. The aim of this study is to determine the incidence of cardiovascular events and factors associated with cardiovascular events in these patients. An observational ambispective follow-up study of renal transplant recipients (n = 2029) in the health district of A Coruña (Spain) during the period 1981-2011 was completed. Competing risk survival analysis methods were applied to estimate the cumulative incidence of developing cardiovascular events over time and to identify which characteristics were associated with the risk of these events. Post-transplant cardiovascular events are defined as the presence of myocardial infarction, invasive coronary artery therapy, cerebral vascular events, new-onset angina, congestive heart failure, rhythm disturbances, peripheral vascular disease and cardiovascular disease and death. The cause of death was identified through the medical history and death certificate using ICD9 (390-459, except: 427.5, 435, 446, 459.0). The mean age of patients at the time of transplantation was 47.0 ± 14.2 years; 62% were male. 16.5% had suffered some cardiovascular disease prior to transplantation and 9.7% had suffered a cardiovascular event. The mean follow-up period for the patients with cardiovascular event was 3.5 ± 4.3 years. Applying competing risk methodology, it was observed that the accumulated incidence of the event was 5.0% one year after transplantation, 8.1% after five years, and 11.9% after ten years. After applying multivariate models, the variables with an independent effect for predicting cardiovascular events are: male sex, age of recipient, previous cardiovascular disorders, pre-transplant smoking and post-transplant diabetes. This study makes it possible to determine in kidney transplant patients, taking into account competitive events, the incidence of post-transplant cardiovascular events and

  5. The future of cardiovascular imaging and non-invasive diagnosis. A joint statement from the European Association of Echocardiography, the Working Groups on Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, Computers in Cardiology, and Nuclear Cardiology, of the European Society of Cardiology, the European Association of Nuclear Medicine and the Association for European Paediatric Cardiology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fraser, Alan G.; Nihoyannopoulos, Petros; Buser, Peter T.; Schwitter, Juerg; Bax, Jeroen J.; Knuuti, Juhani M.; Dassen, Willem R.; Hoeher, Martin; Bengel, Frank; Szatmari, Andras

    2006-01-01

    Advances in medical imaging now make it possible to investigate any patient with cardiovascular disease using multiple methods which vary widely in their technical requirements, benefits, limitations and costs. The appropriate use of alternative tests requires their integration into joint clinical diagnostic services where experts in all methods collaborate. This statement summarises the principles that should guide developments in cardiovascular diagnostic services. (orig.)

  6. The future of cardiovascular imaging and non-invasive diagnosis. A joint statement from the European Association of Echocardiography, the Working Groups on Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, Computers in Cardiology, and Nuclear Cardiology, of the European Society of Cardiology, the European Association of Nuclear Medicine and the Association for European Paediatric Cardiology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fraser, Alan G; Buser, Peter T; Bax, Jeroen J; Dassen, Willem R; Nihoyannopoulos, Petros; Schwitter, Jürg; Knuuti, Juhani M; Höher, Martin; Bengel, Frank; Szatmári, András

    2006-08-01

    Advances in medical imaging now make it possible to investigate any patient with cardiovascular disease using multiple methods which vary widely in their technical requirements, benefits, limitations and costs. The appropriate use of alternative tests requires their integration into joint clinical diagnostic services where experts in all methods collaborate. This statement summarises the principles that should guide developments in cardiovascular diagnostic services.

  7. Image analysis and modeling in medical image computing. Recent developments and advances.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Handels, H; Deserno, T M; Meinzer, H-P; Tolxdorff, T

    2012-01-01

    Medical image computing is of growing importance in medical diagnostics and image-guided therapy. Nowadays, image analysis systems integrating advanced image computing methods are used in practice e.g. to extract quantitative image parameters or to support the surgeon during a navigated intervention. However, the grade of automation, accuracy, reproducibility and robustness of medical image computing methods has to be increased to meet the requirements in clinical routine. In the focus theme, recent developments and advances in the field of modeling and model-based image analysis are described. The introduction of models in the image analysis process enables improvements of image analysis algorithms in terms of automation, accuracy, reproducibility and robustness. Furthermore, model-based image computing techniques open up new perspectives for prediction of organ changes and risk analysis of patients. Selected contributions are assembled to present latest advances in the field. The authors were invited to present their recent work and results based on their outstanding contributions to the Conference on Medical Image Computing BVM 2011 held at the University of Lübeck, Germany. All manuscripts had to pass a comprehensive peer review. Modeling approaches and model-based image analysis methods showing new trends and perspectives in model-based medical image computing are described. Complex models are used in different medical applications and medical images like radiographic images, dual-energy CT images, MR images, diffusion tensor images as well as microscopic images are analyzed. The applications emphasize the high potential and the wide application range of these methods. The use of model-based image analysis methods can improve segmentation quality as well as the accuracy and reproducibility of quantitative image analysis. Furthermore, image-based models enable new insights and can lead to a deeper understanding of complex dynamic mechanisms in the human body

  8. Biochemical Cardiovascular Risk Factors After Hypertensive Pregnancy Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hermes, W.; Ket, J.C.; Pampus, M.G. van; Franx, A.; Veenendaal, M.V.; Kolster, C.; Tamsma, J.T.; Bloemenkamp, K.W.; Ponjee, G.; van der Hout, E.; Ten Horn, H.; Loix, S.; Mol, B.W.; Groot, C.J. de

    2012-01-01

    The objective of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies assessing biochemical cardiovascular risk factors in women with previous hypertensive pregnancy disorders and women with previous normotensive pregnancies. Data were collected from PubMed and EMBASE (from

  9. Biochemical Cardiovascular Risk Factors After Hypertensive Pregnancy Disorders : A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hermes, Wietske; Ket, Johannes C. F.; van Pampus, Maria G.; Franx, Arie; Veenendaal, Marjolein V. E.; Kolster, Clara; Tamsma, Jouke T.; Bloemenkamp, Kitty W. M.; Ponjee, Gabrielle; van der Hout, Evelien; ten Horn, Hilde; Loix, Stephanie; Mol, Ben Willem; de Groot, Christianne J. M.

    2012-01-01

    The objective of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies assessing biochemical cardiovascular risk factors in women with previous hypertensive pregnancy disorders and women with previous normotensive pregnancies. Data were collected from PubMed and EMBASE (from

  10. Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients treated with hemodialysis: Epidemiological analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Petrović Dejan

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aim. Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in patients treated with hemodialysis (HD. The annual cardiovascular mortality rate in these patients is 9%. Left ventricular (LV hypertrophy, ischemic heart disease and heart failure are the most prevalent cardiovascular causes of death. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of traditional and nontraditional risk factors for cardiovascular complications, to assess the prevalence of cardiovascular complications and overall and cardiovascular mortality rate in patients on HD. Methods. We investigated a total of 115 patients undergoing HD for at least 6 months. First, a cross-sectional study was performed, followed by a two-year follow-up study. Beside standard biochemical parameters, we also determined cardiac troponins and echocardiographic parameters of LV morphology and function (LV mass index, LV fractional shortening, LV ejection fraction. The results were analyzed using the Student's t test and Mann-Whitney U test. Results. The patients with adverse outcome had significantly lower serum albumin (p < 0.01 and higher serum homocystein, troponin I and T, and LV mass index (p < 0.01. Hyperhomocysteinemia, anemia, hypertriglyceridemia and uncontrolled hypertension had the highest prevalence (86.09%, 76.52%, 43.48% and 36.52%, respectively among all investigated cardiovascular risk factors. Hypertrophy of the LV was presented in 71.31% of the patients and congestive heart failure in 8.70%. Heart valve calcification was found in 48.70% of the patients, pericardial effusion in 25.22% and disrrhythmia in 20.87% of the investigated patients. The average annual overall mortality rate was 13.74%, while average cardiovascular mortality rate was 8.51%. Conclusion. Patients on HD have high risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

  11. Quantitative image analysis of synovial tissue

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Hall, Pascal O.; Kraan, Maarten C.; Tak, Paul Peter

    2007-01-01

    Quantitative image analysis is a form of imaging that includes microscopic histological quantification, video microscopy, image analysis, and image processing. Hallmarks are the generation of reliable, reproducible, and efficient measurements via strict calibration and step-by-step control of the

  12. Ambient carbon monoxide and cardiovascular mortality: a nationwide time-series analysis in 272 cities in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Cong; Yin, Peng; Chen, Renjie; Meng, Xia; Wang, Lijun; Niu, Yue; Lin, Zhijing; Liu, Yunning; Liu, Jiangmei; Qi, Jinlei; You, Jinling; Kan, Haidong; Zhou, Maigeng

    2018-01-01

    Evidence of the acute health effects of ambient carbon monoxide air pollution in developing countries is scarce and mixed. We aimed to evaluate short-term associations between carbon monoxide and daily cardiovascular disease mortality in China. We did a nationwide time-series analysis in 272 major cities in China from January, 2013, to December, 2015. We extracted daily cardiovascular disease mortality data from China's Disease Surveillance Points system. Data on daily carbon monoxide concentrations for each city were obtained from the National Urban Air Quality Real-time Publishing Platform. City-specific associations between carbon monoxide concentrations and daily mortality from cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, and stroke were estimated with over-dispersed generalised linear models. Bayesian hierarchical models were used to obtain national and regional average associations. Exposure-response association curves and potential effect modifiers were evaluated. Two-pollutant models were fit to evaluate the robustness of the effects of carbon monoxide on cardiovascular mortality. The average annual mean carbon monoxide concentration in these cities from 2013 to 2015 was 1·20 mg/m 3 , ranging from 0·43 mg/m 3 to 2·45 mg/m 3 . For a 1 mg/m 3 increase in average carbon monoxide concentrations on the present day and previous day (lag 0-1), we observed significant increments in mortality of 1·12% (95% posterior interval [PI] 0·42-1·83) from cardiovascular disease, 1·75% (0·85-2·66) from coronary heart disease, and 0·88% (0·07-1·69) from stroke. These associations did not vary substantially by city, region, and demographic characteristics (age, sex, and level of education), and the associations for cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease were robust to the adjustment of criteria co-pollutants. We did not find a threshold below which carbon monoxide exposure had no effect on cardiovascular disease mortality. This analysis is, to our

  13. Genetic influences on cardiovascular stress reactivity

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wu, Ting; Snieder, Harold; de Geus, Eco

    Individual differences in the cardiovascular response to stress play a central role in the reactivity hypothesis linking frequent exposure to psychosocial stress to adverse outcomes in cardiovascular health. To assess the importance of genetic factors, a meta-analysis was performed on all published

  14. Medical imaging technology reviews and computational applications

    CERN Document Server

    Dewi, Dyah

    2015-01-01

    This book presents the latest research findings and reviews in the field of medical imaging technology, covering ultrasound diagnostics approaches for detecting osteoarthritis, breast carcinoma and cardiovascular conditions, image guided biopsy and segmentation techniques for detecting lung cancer, image fusion, and simulating fluid flows for cardiovascular applications. It offers a useful guide for students, lecturers and professional researchers in the fields of biomedical engineering and image processing.

  15. ASCI 2010 appropriateness criteria for cardiac computed tomography: a report of the Asian Society of Cardiovascular Imaging Cardiac Computed Tomography and Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging Guideline Working Group.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsai, I-Chen; Choi, Byoung Wook; Chan, Carmen; Jinzaki, Masahiro; Kitagawa, Kakuya; Yong, Hwan Seok; Yu, Wei

    2010-02-01

    In Asia, the healthcare system, populations and patterns of disease differ from Western countries. The current reports on the criteria for cardiac CT scans, provided by Western professional societies, are not appropriate for Asian cultures. The Asian Society of Cardiovascular Imaging, the only society dedicated to cardiovascular imaging in Asia, formed a Working Group and invited 23 Technical Panel members representing a variety of Asian countries to rate the 51 indications for cardiac CT in clinical practice in Asia. The indications were rated as 'appropriate' (7-9), 'uncertain' (4-6), or 'inappropriate' (1-3) on a scale of 1-9. The median score was used for the final result if there was no disagreement. The final ratings for indications were 33 appropriate, 14 uncertain and 4 inappropriate. And 20 of them are highly agreed (19 appropriate and 1 inappropriate). Specifically, the Asian representatives considered cardiac CT as an appropriate modality for Kawasaki disease and congenital heart diseases in follow up and in symptomatic patients. In addition, except for some specified conditions, cardiac CT was considered to be an appropriate modality for one-stop shop ischemic heart disease evaluation due to its general appropriateness in coronary, structure and function evaluation. This report is expected to have a significant impact on the clinical practice, research and reimbursement policy in Asia.

  16. [Air pollution and cardiovascular disease in Trondheim].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mannsåker, Bård; Vikan, Torkel; Holme, Jonas

    2004-05-20

    There is some evidence linking air pollution to cardiovascular morbidity. Our aim was to examine whether there is a correlation between air pollution and cardiovascular morbidity in the city of Trondheim, Norway. We compared the mean daily number of admissions for cardiovascular disease to the St. Olav University hospital on days with relatively low and high levels of PM10 (1993-2001), PM2,5, NO, NO2, SO2, O3, toluene and paraxylene (1998-2001). A time series analysis was carried out to see how day-to-day variations in concentrations of air pollutants correlated with the number of hospitalizations for cardiovascular disease. In the bivariate analysis, the mean daily number of hospitalizations was found to be significantly higher (p < 0.05) on days with NO and NO2 levels above the 80 th percentile (57.6 microg/m3 and 43.1 microg/m3, respectively) than on days with pollutant levels below the 20th percentile (11.3 microg/m3 and 16.9 microg/m3, respectively). Time series analysis did not show any statistically significant correlation between day-to-day variations in air pollution and hospital admissions for cardiovascular disease. The findings regarding NO2 and NO indicate that exposure to gases and/or ultra-small particles from diesel exhaust may influence cardiovascular morbidity.

  17. Association between alcohol and cardiovascular disease : Mendelian randomisation analysis based on individual participant data

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Holmes, Michael V.; Dale, Caroline E.; Zuccolo, Luisa; Silverwood, Richard J.; Guo, Yiran; Ye, Zheng; Prieto-Merino, David; Dehghan, Abbas; Trompet, Stella; Wong, Andrew; Cavadino, Alana; Drogan, Dagmar; Padmanabhan, Sandosh; Li, Shanshan; Yesupriya, Ajay; Leusink, Maarten|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/357581164; Sundstrom, Johan; Hubacek, Jaroslav A.; Pikhart, Hynek; Swerdlow, Daniel I.; Panayiotou, Andrie G.; Borinskaya, Svetlana A.; Finan, Chris; Shah, Sonia; Kuchenbaecker, Karoline B.; Shah, Tina; Engmann, Jorgen; Folkersen, Lasse; Eriksson, Per; Ricceri, Fulvio; Melander, Olle; Sacerdote, Carlotta; Gamble, Dale M.; Rayaprolu, Sruti; Ross, Owen A.; McLachlan, Stela; Vikhireva, Olga; Sluijs, Ivonne; Scott, Robert A.; Adamkova, Vera; Flicker, Leon; Van Bockxmeer, Frank M.; Power, Christine; Marques-Vidal, Pedro; Meade, Tom; Marmot, Michael G.; Ferro, Jose M.; Paulos-Pinheiro, Sofia; Humphries, Steve E.; Talmud, Philippa J.; Leach, Irene Mateo; Verweij, Niek; Linneberg, Allan; Skaaby, Tea; Doevendans, Pieter A.; Cramer, Maarten J.; Van Der Harst, Pim; Klungel, Olaf H.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/181447649; Dowling, Nicole F.; Dominiczak, Anna F.; Kumari, Meena; Nicolaides, Andrew N.; Weikert, Cornelia; Boeing, Heiner; Ebrahim, Shah; Gaunt, Tom R.; Price, Jackie F.; Lannfelt, Lars; Peasey, Anne; Kubinova, Ruzena; Pajak, Andrzej; Malyutina, Sofia; Voevoda, Mikhail I.; Tamosiunas, Abdonas; Maitland-van Der Zee, Anke H.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/255164688; Norman, Paul E.; Hankey, Graeme J.; Bergmann, Manuela M.; Hofman, Albert; Franco, Oscar H.; Cooper, Jackie; Palmen, Jutta; Spiering, Wilko; De Jong, Pim A.; Kuh, Diana; Hardy, Rebecca; Uitterlinden, Andre G.; Ikram, M. Arfan; Ford, Ian; Hyppönen, Elina; Almeida, Osvaldo P.; Wareham, Nicholas J.; Khaw, Kay Tee; Hamsten, Anders; Husemoen, Lise Lotte N; Tjønneland, Anne; Tolstrup, Janne S.; Rimm, Eric; Beulens, Joline W J; Verschuren, W. M Monique; Onland-Moret, N. Charlotte; Hofker, Marten H.; Wannamethee, S. Goya; Whincup, Peter H.; Morris, Richard; Vicente, Astrid M.; Watkins, Hugh; Farrall, Martin; Jukema, J. Wouter; Meschia, James; Cupples, L. Adrienne; Sharp, Stephen J.; Fornage, Myriam; Kooperberg, Charles; LaCroix, Andrea Z.; Dai, James Y.; Lanktree, Matthew B.; Siscovick, David S.; Jorgenson, Eric; Spring, Bonnie; Coresh, Josef; Li, Yun R.; Buxbaum, Sarah G.; Schreiner, Pamela J.; Ellison, R. Curtis; Tsai, Michael Y.; Patel, Sanjay R.; Redline, Susan; Johnson, Andrew D.; Hoogeveen, Ron C.; Hakonarson, Hakon; Rotter, Jerome I.; Boerwinkle, Eric; De Bakker, Paul I W; Kivimaki, Mika; Asselbergs, Folkert W.; Sattar, Naveed; Lawlor, Debbie A.; Whittaker, John; Smith, George Davey; Mukamal, Kenneth; Psaty, Bruce M.; Wilson, James G.; Lange, Leslie A.; Hamidovic, Ajna; Nordestgaard, Børge G.; Bobak, Martin; Leon, David A.; Langenberg, Claudia; Palmer, Tom M.; Reiner, Alex P.; Keating, Brendan J.; Dudbridge, Frank; Casas, Juan P.

    2014-01-01

    Objective: To use the rs1229984 variant in the alcohol dehydrogenase 1B gene (ADH1B) as an instrument to investigate the causal role of alcohol in cardiovascular disease. Design: Mendelian randomisation meta-analysis of 56 epidemiological studies. Participants: 261 991 individuals of European

  18. Cardiovascular RiskprofilE - IMaging and gender-specific disOrders (CREw-IMAGO): rationale and design of a multicenter cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zoet, Gerbrand A; Meun, Cindy; Benschop, Laura; Boersma, Eric; Budde, Ricardo P J; Fauser, Bart C J M; de Groot, Christianne J M; van der Lugt, Aad; Maas, Angela H E M; Moons, Karl G M; Roeters van Lennep, Jeanine E; Roos-Hesselink, Jolien W; Steegers, Eric A P; van Rijn, Bas B; Laven, Joop S E; Franx, Arie; Velthuis, Birgitta K

    2017-08-07

    Reproductive disorders, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) and hypertensive pregnancy disorders (HPD) like pre-eclampsia (PE), are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Detection of early signs of cardiovascular disease (CVD), as well as identification of risk factors among women of reproductive age which improve cardiovascular risk prediction, is a challenge and current models might underestimate long-term health risks. The aim of this study is to assess cardiovascular disease in patients with a history of a reproductive disorder by low-dose computed tomography (CT). Women of 45 - 55 years, who experienced a reproductive disorder (PCOS, POI, HPD), are invited to participate in this multicenter, prospective, cohort study. Women will be recruited after regular cardiovascular screening, including assessment of classical cardiovascular risk factors. CT of the coronary arteries (both coronary artery calcium scoring (CACS), and contrast-enhanced coronary CT angiography (CCTA)) and carotid siphon calcium scoring (CSC) is planned in 300 women with HPD and 300 women with PCOS or POI. In addition, arterial stiffness (non-invasive pulse wave velocity (PWV)) measurement and cell-based biomarkers (inflammatory circulating cells) will be obtained. Initial inclusion is focused on women of 45 - 55 years. However, the age range (40 - 45 years and/or ≥ 55 years) and group composition may be adjusted based on the findings of the interim analysis. Participants can potentially benefit from information obtained in this study concerning their current cardiovascular health and expected future risk of cardiovascular events. The results of this study will provide insights in the development of CVD in women with a history of reproductive disorders. Ultimately, this study may lead to improved cardiovascular prediction models and will provide an opportunity for timely adjustment of preventive

  19. Meta-analysis of self-reported daytime napping and risk of cardiovascular or all-cause mortality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xiaokun; Zhang, Qi; Shang, Xiaoming

    2015-05-04

    Whether self-reported daytime napping is an independent predictor of cardiovascular or all-cause mortality remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate self-reported daytime napping and risk of cardiovascular or all-cause mortality by conducting a meta-analysis. A computerized literature search of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library was conducted up to May 2014. Only prospective studies reporting risk ratio (RR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) of cardiovascular or all-cause mortality with respect to baseline self-reported daytime napping were included. Seven studies with 98,163 subjects were included. Self-reported daytime napping was associated with a greater risk of all-cause mortality (RR 1.15; 95% CI 1.07-1.24) compared with non-nappers. Risk of all-cause mortality appeared to be more pronounced among persons with nap duration >60 min (RR 1.15; 95% CI 1.04-1.27) than persons with nap duration napping is a mild but statistically significant predictor for all-cause mortality, but not for cardiovascular mortality. However, whether the risk is attributable to excessive sleep duration or napping alone remains controversial. More prospective studies stratified by sleep duration, napping periods, or age are needed.

  20. Cardiovascular Sound and the Stethoscope, 1816 to 2016

    Science.gov (United States)

    Segall, Harold N.

    1963-01-01

    Cardiovascular sound escaped attention until Laennec invented and demonstrated the usefulness of the stethoscope. Accuracy of diagnosis using cardiovascular sounds as clues increased with improvement in knowledge of the physiology of circulation. Nearly all currently acceptable clinicopathological correlations were established by physicians who used the simplest of stethoscopes or listened with the bare ear. Certain refinements followed the use of modern methods which afford greater precision in timing cardiovascular sounds. These methods contribute to educating the human ear, so that those advantages may be applied which accrue from auscultation, plus the method of writing quantitative symbols to describe what is heard, by focusing the sense of hearing on each segment of the cardiac cycle in turn. By the year 2016, electronic systems of collecting and analyzing data about the cardiovascular system may render the stethoscope obsolete. ImagesFig. 1Fig. 2Fig. 3Fig. 5Fig. 8 PMID:13987676

  1. Medical image computing and computer-assisted intervention - MICCAI 2006. Pt. 1. Proceedings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Larsen, R. [Technical Univ. of Denmark, Lyngby (Denmark). Informatics and Mathematical Modelling; Nielsen, M. [IT Univ. of Copenhagen (Denmark); Sporring, J. (eds.) [Copenhagen Univ. (Denmark). Dept. of Computer Science

    2006-07-01

    The two-volume set LNCS 4190 and LNCS 4191 constitute the refereed proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention, MICCAI 2006, held in Copenhagen, Denmark in October 2006. The program committee carefully selected 39 revised full papers and 193 revised poster papers from 578 submissions for presentation in two volumes, based on a rigorous peer reviews. The first volume includes 114 contributions related to bone shape analysis, robotics and tracking, segmentation, analysis of diffusion tensor MRI, shape analysis and morphometry, simulation and interaction, robotics and intervention, cardio-vascular applications, image analysis in oncology, brain atlases and segmentation, cardiac motion analysis, clinical applications, and registration. The second volume collects 118 papers related to segmentation, validation and quantitative image analysis, brain image processing, motion in image formation, image guided clinical applications, registration, as well as brain analysis and registration. (orig.)

  2. Medical image computing and computer-assisted intervention - MICCAI 2006. Pt. 2. Proceedings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Larsen, R. [Technical Univ. of Denmark, Lyngby (Denmark). Informatics and Mathematical Modelling; Nielsen, M. [IT Univ. of Copenhagen (Denmark); Sporring, J. (eds.) [Copenhagen Univ. (Denmark). Dept. of Computer Science

    2006-07-01

    The two-volume set LNCS 4190 and LNCS 4191 constitute the refereed proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention, MICCAI 2006, held in Copenhagen, Denmark in October 2006. The program committee carefully selected 39 revised full papers and 193 revised poster papers from 578 submissions for presentation in two volumes, based on a rigorous peer reviews. The first volume includes 114 contributions related to bone shape analysis, robotics and tracking, segmentation, analysis of diffusion tensor MRI, shape analysis and morphometry, simulation and interaction, robotics and intervention, cardio-vascular applications, image analysis in oncology, brain atlases and segmentation, cardiac motion analysis, clinical applications, and registration. The second volume collects 118 papers related to segmentation, validation and quantitative image analysis, brain image processing, motion in image formation, image guided clinical applications, registration, as well as brain analysis and registration. (orig.)

  3. Medical image computing and computer-assisted intervention - MICCAI 2006. Pt. 2. Proceedings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Larsen, R.; Sporring, J.

    2006-01-01

    The two-volume set LNCS 4190 and LNCS 4191 constitute the refereed proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention, MICCAI 2006, held in Copenhagen, Denmark in October 2006. The program committee carefully selected 39 revised full papers and 193 revised poster papers from 578 submissions for presentation in two volumes, based on a rigorous peer reviews. The first volume includes 114 contributions related to bone shape analysis, robotics and tracking, segmentation, analysis of diffusion tensor MRI, shape analysis and morphometry, simulation and interaction, robotics and intervention, cardio-vascular applications, image analysis in oncology, brain atlases and segmentation, cardiac motion analysis, clinical applications, and registration. The second volume collects 118 papers related to segmentation, validation and quantitative image analysis, brain image processing, motion in image formation, image guided clinical applications, registration, as well as brain analysis and registration. (orig.)

  4. Medical image computing and computer-assisted intervention - MICCAI 2006. Pt. 1. Proceedings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Larsen, R.; Sporring, J.

    2006-01-01

    The two-volume set LNCS 4190 and LNCS 4191 constitute the refereed proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention, MICCAI 2006, held in Copenhagen, Denmark in October 2006. The program committee carefully selected 39 revised full papers and 193 revised poster papers from 578 submissions for presentation in two volumes, based on a rigorous peer reviews. The first volume includes 114 contributions related to bone shape analysis, robotics and tracking, segmentation, analysis of diffusion tensor MRI, shape analysis and morphometry, simulation and interaction, robotics and intervention, cardio-vascular applications, image analysis in oncology, brain atlases and segmentation, cardiac motion analysis, clinical applications, and registration. The second volume collects 118 papers related to segmentation, validation and quantitative image analysis, brain image processing, motion in image formation, image guided clinical applications, registration, as well as brain analysis and registration. (orig.)

  5. Stochastic geometry for image analysis

    CERN Document Server

    Descombes, Xavier

    2013-01-01

    This book develops the stochastic geometry framework for image analysis purpose. Two main frameworks are  described: marked point process and random closed sets models. We derive the main issues for defining an appropriate model. The algorithms for sampling and optimizing the models as well as for estimating parameters are reviewed.  Numerous applications, covering remote sensing images, biological and medical imaging, are detailed.  This book provides all the necessary tools for developing an image analysis application based on modern stochastic modeling.

  6. Prognostic association of depression following myocardial infarction with mortality and cardiovascular events : A meta-analysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Melle, JP; de Jonge, P; Spijkerman, TA; Tijssen, JGP; Ormel, J; van Veldhuisen, DJ; van den Brink, RHS; van den Berg, MP

    2004-01-01

    Objective: To assess the association of depression following myocardial infarction (MI) and cardiovascular prognosis. Methods: The authors performed a meta-analysis of references derived from MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PSYCINFO (1975-2003) combined with crossreferencing without language restrictions. The

  7. Transfer function analysis of radiographic imaging systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Metz, C.E.; Doi, K.

    1979-01-01

    The theoretical and experimental aspects of the techniques of transfer function analysis used in radiographic imaging systems are reviewed. The mathematical principles of transfer function analysis are developed for linear, shift-invariant imaging systems, for the relation between object and image and for the image due to a sinusoidal plane wave object. The other basic mathematical principle discussed is 'Fourier analysis' and its application to an input function. Other aspects of transfer function analysis included are alternative expressions for the 'optical transfer function' of imaging systems and expressions are derived for both serial and parallel transfer image sub-systems. The applications of transfer function analysis to radiographic imaging systems are discussed in relation to the linearisation of the radiographic imaging system, the object, the geometrical unsharpness, the screen-film system unsharpness, other unsharpness effects and finally noise analysis. It is concluded that extensive theoretical, computer simulation and experimental studies have demonstrated that the techniques of transfer function analysis provide an accurate and reliable means for predicting and understanding the effects of various radiographic imaging system components in most practical diagnostic medical imaging situations. (U.K.)

  8. PET imaging of the autonomic nervous system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    THACKERAY, James T.; BENGEL, Frank M.

    2016-01-01

    The autonomic nervous system is the primary extrinsic control of heart rate and contractility, and is subject to adaptive and maladaptive changes in cardiovascular disease. Consequently, noninvasive assessment of neuronal activity and function is an attractive target for molecular imaging. A myriad of targeted radiotracers have been developed over the last 25 years for imaging various components of the sympathetic and parasympathetic signal cascades. While routine clinical use remains somewhat limited, a number of larger scale studies in recent years have supplied momentum to molecular imaging of autonomic signaling. Specifically, the findings of the ADMIRE HF trial directly led to United States Food and Drug Administration approval of 123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) for Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) assessment of sympathetic neuronal innervation, and comparable results have been reported using the analogous PET agent 11C-meta-hydroxyephedrine (HED). Due to the inherent capacity for dynamic quantification and higher spatial resolution, regional analysis may be better served by PET. In addition, preliminary clinical and extensive preclinical experience has provided a broad foundation of cardiovascular applications for PET imaging of the autonomic nervous system. Recent years have witnessed the growth of novel quantification techniques, expansion of multiple tracer studies, and improved understanding of the uptake of different radiotracers, such that the transitional biology of dysfunctional subcellular catecholamine handling can be distinguished from complete denervation. As a result, sympathetic neuronal molecular imaging is poised to play a role in individualized patient care, by stratifying cardiovascular risk, visualizing underlying biology, and guiding and monitoring therapy.

  9. Proton pump inhibitor monotherapy and the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with gastro-esophageal reflux disease: a meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, S; Cui, Z; Zhou, M; Li, R; Li, H; Zhang, S; Ba, Y; Cheng, G

    2017-02-01

    Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are commonly used as potent gastric acid secretion antagonists for gastro-esophageal disorders and their overall safety in patients with gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) is considered to be good and they are well-tolerated. However, recent studies have suggested that PPIs may be a potential independent risk factor for cardiovascular adverse events. The aim of our meta-analysis was to examine the association between PPI monotherapy and cardiovascular events in patients with GERD. A literature search involved examination of relevant databases up to July 2015 including PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and ClinicalTrial.gov, as well as selected randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting cardiovascular events with PPI exposure in GERD patients. In addition, the pooled risk ratio (RR) and heterogeneity were assessed based on a fixed effects model of the meta-analysis and the I 2 statistic, respectively. Seventeen RCTs covering 7540 patients were selected. The pooled data suggested that the use of PPIs was associated with a 70% increased cardiovascular risk (RR=1.70, 95% CI: [1.13-2.56], P=.01, I 2 =0%). Furthermore, higher risks of adverse cardiovascular events in the omeprazole subgroup (RR=3.17, 95% CI: [1.43-7.03], P=.004, I 2 =25%) and long-term treatment subgroup (RR=2.33, 95% CI: [1.33-4.08], P=.003, I 2 =0%) were found. PPI monotherapy can be a risk factor for cardiovascular adverse events. Omeprazole could significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular events and, so, should be used carefully. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Concept analysis of dietary biculturalism in Filipino immigrants within the context of cardiovascular risk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serafica, Reimund; Knurick, Jessica; Morris, Brendan Tran

    2018-04-01

    Dietary biculturalism is an emerging phenomenon among the Filipino immigrant population. Determining the concept of dietary biculturalism on this specific population will unravel some of the obscurities of emerging dietary patterns within the context of cardiovascular risk. The purpose of this article is to provide a concept analysis of dietary biculturalism within the health context of cardiovascular risk using Walker and Avant's method as an organizing framework. A detailed literature review was performed on the basis of population specificity (Filipinos) use of dietary patterns as variable and theoretical literary models of acculturation. The generalizability of published research on this issue is problematic since researchers have not addressed the unhealthy traditional foods component that one may consume in addition to the Western foods. Nurse researchers should focus on the detrimental effects of unhealthy traditional foods that may be relevant in explaining some of the cardiovascular risk factors affecting this population. Nurses and practitioners should take care to query not only about the frequency of ethnic food consumption, but also types, and amounts among their Filipino patients. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  11. Comparison of cardiovascular risk factors in maintenance hemodialysis patients based on phase angle of bioimpedance analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muzasti, R. A.; Lubis, H. R.

    2018-03-01

    Mortality and morbidity rate, especially from cardiovascular disease in hemodialysis patients in Indonesia is still quite high. One of indicator to assess the predictive value of mortality is the phase angle (PhA) of bioimpedance analysis (BIA) scan examination. Determining the comparison of BMI and laboratory data as cardiovascular risk factors in hemodialysis patients based on PhA.A cross-sectional analytical study was done on 155 outpatientsin RasyidaRenal Hospital, Medan in 2016. Patients were two groups, namely PhAcardiovascular risk factors of hemodialysis patients were determined by age, BMI, and hemoglobin.

  12. Pattern-based approach to fetal congenital cardiovascular anomalies using the transverse aortic arch view on prenatal cardiac MRI

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dong, Su-Zhen; Zhu, Ming [Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Shanghai Children' s Medical Center, Shanghai (China)

    2015-05-01

    Fetal echocardiography is the imaging modality of choice for prenatal diagnosis of congenital cardiovascular anomalies. However, echocardiography has limitations. Fetal cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has the potential to complement US in detecting congenital cardiovascular anomalies. This article draws on our experience; it describes the transverse aortic arch view on fetal cardiac MRI and important clues on an abnormal transverse view at the level of the aortic arch to the diagnosis of fetal congenital cardiovascular anomalies. (orig.)

  13. Pattern-based approach to fetal congenital cardiovascular anomalies using the transverse aortic arch view on prenatal cardiac MRI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dong, Su-Zhen; Zhu, Ming

    2015-01-01

    Fetal echocardiography is the imaging modality of choice for prenatal diagnosis of congenital cardiovascular anomalies. However, echocardiography has limitations. Fetal cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has the potential to complement US in detecting congenital cardiovascular anomalies. This article draws on our experience; it describes the transverse aortic arch view on fetal cardiac MRI and important clues on an abnormal transverse view at the level of the aortic arch to the diagnosis of fetal congenital cardiovascular anomalies. (orig.)

  14. Novel biomarkers with potential for cardiovascular risk reclassification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mallikethi-Reddy, Sagar; Briasoulis, Alexandros; Akintoye, Emmanuel; Afonso, Luis

    Precise estimation of the absolute risk for CVD events is necessary when making treatment recommendations for patients. A number of multivariate risk models have been developed for estimation of cardiovascular risk in asymptomatic individuals based upon assessment of multiple variables. Due to the inherent limitation of risk models, several novel risk markers including serum biomarkers have been studied in an attempt to improve the cardiovascular risk prediction above and beyond the established risk factors. In this review, we discuss the role of underappreciated biomarkers such as red cell distribution width (RDW), cystatin C (cysC), and homocysteine (Hcy) as well as imaging biomarkers in cardiovascular risk reclassification, and highlight their utility as additional source of information in patients with intermediate risk.

  15. Cardiovascular risk factors burden in Saudi Arabia: The Africa Middle East Cardiovascular Epidemiological (ACE) study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Amjad M; Hersi, Ahmad; Mashhoud, Walid; Arafah, Mohammed R; Abreu, Paula C; Al Rowaily, Mohammed Abdullah; Al-Mallah, Mouaz H

    2017-10-01

    Limited data exist on the epidemiology of cardiovascular risk factors in Saudi Arabia, particularly in relation to the differences between Saudi nationals and expatriates in Saudi Arabia. The aim of this analysis was to describe the current prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors among patients attending general practice clinics across Saudi Arabia. In this cross-sectional epidemiological analysis of the Africa Middle East Cardiovascular Epidemiological (ACE) study, the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, obesity, smoking, abdominal obesity) was evaluated in adults attending primary care clinics in Saudi Arabia. Group comparisons were made between patients of Saudi ethnicity (SA nationals) and patients who were not of Saudi ethnicity (expatriates). A total of 550 participants were enrolled from different clinics across Saudi Arabia [aged (mean ± standard deviation) 43 ± 11 years; 71% male]. Nearly half of the study cohort (49.8%) had more than three cardiovascular risk factors. Dyslipidemia was the most prevalent risk factor (68.6%). The prevalence of hypertension (47.5%) and dyslipidemia (75.5%) was higher among expatriates when compared with SA nationals (31.4% vs. 55.1%, p  = 0.0003 vs. p  Saudi Arabia. Improving primary care services to focus on risk factor control may ultimately decrease the incidence of coronary artery disease and improve overall quality of life. The ACE trial is registered under NCT01243138.

  16. Association between air pollution and cardiovascular mortality in Hefei, China: A time-series analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Chao; Ding, Rui; Xiao, Changchun; Xu, Yachun; Cheng, Han; Zhu, Furong; Lei, Ruoqian; Di, Dongsheng; Zhao, Qihong; Cao, Jiyu

    2017-10-01

    In recent years, air pollution has become an alarming problem in China. However, evidence on the effects of air pollution on cardiovascular mortality is still not conclusive to date. This research aimed to assess the short-term effects of air pollution on cardiovascular morbidity in Hefei, China. Data of air pollution, cardiovascular mortality, and meteorological characteristics in Hefei between 2010 and 2015 were collected. Time-series analysis in generalized additive model was applied to evaluate the association between air pollution and daily cardiovascular mortality. During the study period, the annual average concentration of PM 10, SO 2 , and NO 2 was 105.91, 20.58, and 30.93 μg/m 3 , respectively. 21,816 people (including 11,876 man, and 14,494 people over 75 years of age) died of cardiovascular diseases. In single pollutant model, the effects of multi-day exposure were greater than single-day exposure of the air pollution. For every increase of 10 μg/m 3 in SO 2 , NO 2 , and PM 10 levels, CVD mortality increased by 5.26% (95%CI: 3.31%-7.23%), 2.71% (95%CI: 1.23%-4.22%), and 0.68% (95%CI: 0.33%-1.04%) at a lag03, respectively. The multi-pollutant models showed that PM 10 and SO 2 remained associated with CVD mortality, although the effect estimates attenuated. However, the effect of NO 2 on CVD mortality decreased to statistically insignificant. Subgroup analyses further showed that women were more vulnerable than man upon air pollution exposure. These findings showed that air pollution could significantly increase the CVD mortality. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Cardiovascular cine imaging and flow evaluation using Fast Interrupted Steady-State (FISS) magnetic resonance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edelman, Robert R; Serhal, Ali; Pursnani, Amit; Pang, Jianing; Koktzoglou, Ioannis

    2018-02-19

    Existing cine imaging techniques rely on balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) or spoiled gradient-echo readouts, each of which has limitations. For instance, with bSSFP, artifacts occur from rapid through-plane flow and off-resonance effects. We hypothesized that a prototype cine technique, radial fast interrupted steady-state (FISS), could overcome these limitations. The technique was compared with standard cine bSSFP for cardiac function, coronary artery conspicuity, and aortic valve morphology. Given its advantageous properties, we further hypothesized that the cine FISS technique, in combination with arterial spin labeling (ASL), could provide an alternative to phase contrast for visualizing in-plane flow patterns within the aorta and branch vessels. The study was IRB-approved and subjects provided consent. Breath-hold cine FISS and bSSFP were acquired using similar imaging parameters. There was no significant difference in biplane left ventricular ejection fraction or cardiac image quality between the two techniques. Compared with cine bSSFP, cine FISS demonstrated a marked decrease in fat signal which improved conspicuity of the coronary arteries, while suppression of through-plane flow artifact on thin-slice cine FISS images improved visualization of the aortic valve. Banding artifacts in the subcutaneous tissues were reduced. In healthy subjects, dynamic flow patterns were well visualized in the aorta, coronary and renal arteries using cine FISS ASL, even when the slice was substantially thicker than the vessel diameter. Cine FISS demonstrates several benefits for cardiovascular imaging compared with cine bSSFP, including better suppression of fat signal and reduced artifacts from through-plane flow and off-resonance effects. The main drawback is a slight (~ 20%) decrease in temporal resolution. In addition, preliminary results suggest that cine FISS ASL provides a potential alternative to phase contrast techniques for in-plane flow

  18. An analysis of the effects of smoking and other cardiovascular risk factors on obliteration rates after arteriovenous malformation radiosurgery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bhatnagar, Ajay; Flickinger, John C.; Kondziolka, Douglas; Niranjan, Ajay; Lunsford, L. Dade

    2001-01-01

    Purpose: To assess the relationships of smoking and other cardiovascular disease risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and gender) to rates of radiosurgery-induced obliteration of arteriovenous malformations (AVM). Methods and Materials: We evaluated follow-up imaging and clinical data in 329 AVM patients who received gamma knife radiosurgery at the University of Pittsburgh between 1987 and 1994. There were 113 smokers, 29 hypertensives, 5 diabetics, 4 hypercholesterolemics, 159 male patients, and 170 female patients. All patients had regular clinical or imaging follow-up for a minimum of 3 years after radiosurgery. Results: Multivariate analysis showed that smoking had no effect on AVM obliteration (p>0.43). Hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia had no discernible effect on AVM obliteration in this study (p>0.78). However, females aged 12-49 had a statistically significant lower in-field obliteration rate than males (78% vs. 89%, p=0.0102). Conclusion: Smoking has no effect on AVM obliteration. Hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia had no discernible effect in this study. Further study is needed to establish whether estrogen has a vascular protective effect that could partially limit radiosurgical AVM obliteration, as suggested by this study

  19. Evaluation of malposition of the branch pulmonary arteries using cardiovascular computed tomography angiography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Hui; Juan, Yu-Hsiang; Wang, Qiushi; Huang, Hongfei; Yang, Lin; Xie, Zhaofeng; Chen, Jimei; Zhang, Xiaoshen; Liang, Changhong; Chung, Taylor; Kwong, Raymond Y.; Saboo, Sachin S.

    2014-01-01

    To analyze 15 cases of malposition of branch pulmonary arteries (MBPA) for the hospital-based prevalence, clinical information, surgical outcome, imaging findings, associated cardiovascular and airway abnormalities on cardiovascular computed tomography angiography (CCTA). We retrospectively searched for patients with MBPA from our database consisting of patients referred for CCTA due to known or suspected congenital heart disease and also from all patients receiving chest computed tomography (CT) during the same time period. We analyzed the hospital-based prevalence, image findings, associated cardiovascular anomalies, airway compression, and recorded the clinical information and surgical outcome. Our study showed 15 patients with MBPA (hospital-based prevalence: 0.33 % among patients with congenital heart disease and 0.06 % in all patients receiving chest CT or CCTA). Classic type was more common than lesser type (67 % versus 33 %). All patients had associated cardiovascular anomalies, including aortic arch abnormalities (80 %) and secondary airway compression (33 %). Surgery was performed in 67 % of cardiovascular anomalies and 60 % of airway stenoses. MBPA has a hospital-based prevalence of 0.33 % among patients with congenital heart disease and 0.06 % in all patients receiving either chest CT or CCTA. CCTA can delineate the anatomy of MBPA, associated cardiovascular and airway abnormalities for preoperative evaluation. (orig.)

  20. Evaluation of malposition of the branch pulmonary arteries using cardiovascular computed tomography angiography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Hui [Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Department of Radiology, Guangdong General Hospital, GuangZhou, GuangDong (China); Brigham and Women' s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cardiovascular Imaging Program, Department of Medicine (Division of Cardiovascular Medicine) and Radiology, Boston, MA (United States); Juan, Yu-Hsiang [Brigham and Women' s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cardiovascular Imaging Program, Department of Medicine (Division of Cardiovascular Medicine) and Radiology, Boston, MA (United States); Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou and Chang Gung University, Department of Medical Imaging and Intervention, Taoyuan (China); Wang, Qiushi; Huang, Hongfei; Yang, Lin [Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Department of Radiology, Guangdong General Hospital, GuangZhou, GuangDong (China); Xie, Zhaofeng [Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Guangdong General Hospital, GuangZhou, GuangDong (China); Chen, Jimei; Zhang, Xiaoshen [Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guangdong General Hospital, GuangZhou, GuangDong (China); Liang, Changhong [Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Department of Radiology, Guangdong General Hospital, GuangZhou, GuangDong (China); Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Department of Radiology, Guangdong General Hospital, Guangzhou (China); Chung, Taylor [Children' s Hospital and Research Center Oakland, Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Oakland, CA (United States); Kwong, Raymond Y.; Saboo, Sachin S. [Brigham and Women' s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cardiovascular Imaging Program, Department of Medicine (Division of Cardiovascular Medicine) and Radiology, Boston, MA (United States)

    2014-12-15

    To analyze 15 cases of malposition of branch pulmonary arteries (MBPA) for the hospital-based prevalence, clinical information, surgical outcome, imaging findings, associated cardiovascular and airway abnormalities on cardiovascular computed tomography angiography (CCTA). We retrospectively searched for patients with MBPA from our database consisting of patients referred for CCTA due to known or suspected congenital heart disease and also from all patients receiving chest computed tomography (CT) during the same time period. We analyzed the hospital-based prevalence, image findings, associated cardiovascular anomalies, airway compression, and recorded the clinical information and surgical outcome. Our study showed 15 patients with MBPA (hospital-based prevalence: 0.33 % among patients with congenital heart disease and 0.06 % in all patients receiving chest CT or CCTA). Classic type was more common than lesser type (67 % versus 33 %). All patients had associated cardiovascular anomalies, including aortic arch abnormalities (80 %) and secondary airway compression (33 %). Surgery was performed in 67 % of cardiovascular anomalies and 60 % of airway stenoses. MBPA has a hospital-based prevalence of 0.33 % among patients with congenital heart disease and 0.06 % in all patients receiving either chest CT or CCTA. CCTA can delineate the anatomy of MBPA, associated cardiovascular and airway abnormalities for preoperative evaluation. (orig.)

  1. Image Analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    The 19th Scandinavian Conference on Image Analysis was held at the IT University of Copenhagen in Denmark during June 15-17, 2015. The SCIA conference series has been an ongoing biannual event for more than 30 years and over the years it has nurtured a world-class regional research and development...... area within the four participating Nordic countries. It is a regional meeting of the International Association for Pattern Recognition (IAPR). We would like to thank all authors who submitted works to this year’s SCIA, the invited speakers, and our Program Committee. In total 67 papers were submitted....... The topics of the accepted papers range from novel applications of vision systems, pattern recognition, machine learning, feature extraction, segmentation, 3D vision, to medical and biomedical image analysis. The papers originate from all the Scandinavian countries and several other European countries...

  2. Burn mortality in patients with preexisting cardiovascular disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knowlin, Laquanda; Reid, Trista; Williams, Felicia; Cairns, Bruce; Charles, Anthony

    2017-08-01

    Burn shock, a complex process, which develops following burn leads to severe and unique derangement of cardiovascular function. Patients with preexisting comorbidities such as cardiovascular diseases may be more susceptible. We therefore sought to examine the impact of preexisting cardiovascular disease on burn outcomes. A retrospective analysis of patients admitted to a regional burn center from 2002 to 2012. Independent variables analyzed included basic demographics, burn mechanism, presence of inhalation injury, TBSA, pre-existing comorbidities, and length of ICU/hospital stay. Bivariate analysis was performed and Poisson regression modeling was utilized to estimate the incidence of being in the ICU and mortality. There were a total of 5332 adult patients admitted over the study period. 6% (n=428) had a preexisting cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease patients had a higher mortality rate (16%) compared to those without cardiovascular disease (3%, pwill likely be a greater number of individuals at risk for worse outcomes following burn. This knowledge can help with burn prognostication. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

  3. Evidence of arterial wall uptake of fluorodeoxyglucose on imaging can indicate recent or future cardiovascular events in high-risk patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paulmier, B.; Khayat, R.; Duet, M.; Pierquet-Ghazzar, N.; Maunoury, C.; Sauvaget, E.; Faraggi, M.; Laissy, J.P.

    2007-01-01

    With this study, we sought to identify plaque inflammation as assessed by 18 FDG uptake on positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) as an independent cardiovascular risk factor in patients at high risk for cardiovascular events. We compared 31 consecutive cancer patients presenting with visually enhanced 18 FDG uptake in arterial walls on PET/CT (Group 1) to a selection of 34 matched cancer patients not showing arterial uptake (Group 2). All patients were followed for two years before and six months after PET/CT... Cardiovascular events were classified as older (>6 months before PET/CT) or recent ( 18 FDG uptake was computed on non-attenuation corrected data by a AW/L ratio: mean Arterial Wall uptake/Lung uptake in a normal area, and by SUV on corrected data. A calcium score (CS) was also calculated. 18 FDG uptake and CS were higher in Group 1 than Group 2 (both p = 0.02), and older and recent cardiovascular events were significantly more frequent in Group 1 than Group 2 (p = 0.001 and p = 0.03. respectively). Among the following parameters: number of conventional risk factor, calcium score and presence of 18 FDG uptake, only the latter was significantly related to the occurrence of a recent event by multivariate analysis (p = 0.02). Patients with elevated arterial 18 FDG uptake have a high risk of immediate or future cardiovascular events. Arterial 18 FDG uptake is an indicator of evolving atherosclerotic process and can indicate future cardiovascular events. (authors)

  4. Footprint and imprint: an ecologic time-trend analysis of cardiovascular publications in general and specialty journals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baldridge, Abigail S; Huffman, Mark D; Bloomfield, Gerald S; Prabhakaran, Dorairaj

    2014-06-01

    Studies have demonstrated strong associations between publication source and citations, as well as investigatory analysis of collaboration effects, in general and medical literature, but are limited to specific journals or short duration of time. This study sought to analyze time trends in cardiovascular research publications in leading general and specialty journals and to determine the association between collaboration and citation index. Cardiovascular publications were retrieved from Web of Knowledge by a cardiovascular bibliometric filter, and annual publication volumes in 8 general and specialty journals were compared. Univariable linear regression models were used to determine global and journal-specific trends for overall publication, cardiovascular publication, proportion of cardiovascular publication, collaboration, and citations. Cardiovascular publications increased (1999 to 2008) by 36% and number of sources by 74%. Volume increased in European Heart Journal (beta: 18.4, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 10.6 to 26.3) and decreased in Circulation (beta: -42.9, 95% CI: -79.3 to -6.5), Annals of Internal Medicine (beta: -1.9, 95% CI: -3.5 to -0.3), and Lancet (beta: -11.2, 95% CI: -14.7 to -7.8). Number of contributing countries increased in 3 journals: BMJ (beta: 0.8, 95% CI: 0.2 to 1.5), European Heart Journal (beta: -1.2, 95% CI: 0.8 to 1.7), and New England Journal of Medicine (beta: 1.6, 95% CI: 0.6 to 2.7). Fraction of collaborative publications increased (beta: 1.1 to 2.9) in all but Annals of Internal Medicine. Collaboration was associated with a higher median actual citation index (p general and specialty journals. Contribution by country in selected journals was disproportionate and under-represents total cardiovascular research in low- and middle-income countries. Copyright © 2014 World Heart Federation (Geneva). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Clinical use of intracoronary imaging. Part 1: guidance and optimization of coronary interventions. An expert consensus document of the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions: Endorsed by the Chinese Society of Cardiology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Räber, Lorenz; Mintz, Gary S; Koskinas, Konstantinos C; Johnson, Thomas W; Holm, Niels R; Onuma, Yoshinubo; Radu, Maria D; Joner, Michael; Yu, Bo; Jia, Haibo; Menevau, Nicolas; de la Torre Hernandez, Jose M; Escaned, Javier; Hill, Jonathan; Prati, Francesco; Colombo, Antonio; di Mario, Carlo; Regar, Evelyn; Capodanno, Davide; Wijns, William; Byrne, Robert A; Guagliumi, Giulio

    2018-05-22

    This Consensus Document is the first of two reports summarizing the views of an expert panel organized by the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) on the clinical use of intracoronary imaging including intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT). The first document appraises the role of intracoronary imaging to guide percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) in clinical practice. Current evidence regarding the impact of intracoronary imaging guidance on cardiovascular outcomes is summarized, and patients or lesions most likely to derive clinical benefit from an imaging-guided intervention are identified. The relevance of the use of IVUS or OCT prior to PCI for optimizing stent sizing (stent length and diameter) and planning the procedural strategy is discussed. Regarding post-implantation imaging, the consensus group recommends key parameters that characterize an optimal PCI result and provides cut-offs to guide corrective measures and optimize the stenting result. Moreover, routine performance of intracoronary imaging in patients with stent failure (restenosis or stent thrombosis) is recommended. Finally, strengths and limitations of IVUS and OCT for guiding PCI and assessing stent failures and areas that warrant further research are critically discussed.

  6. SURGERY AND CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY JOURNALS ANALYSIS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schanaider, Alberto

    2015-01-01

    To analyze critically the effectiveness and value of bibliometric indicators in journals of Surgery or Cardiovacular Surgery in the context of the postgraduate programs of CAPES Medicine III. A sampling with 16 academic programs and one professional master of Medicine III, encompassing the General and Digestive System Surgery, Cardiovascular Surgery and Multidisciplinary courses with such contents, was evaluated. Thomson Reuters/ISI (JCR), Elsevier/Scopus (SJR), and also Scielo databases were used. Only in seven programs, the teachers had an average of Qualis A1 articles greater than the others strata. Eleven journals in the surgical area are in stratum A1 (5%) and it reaches 25% in Cardiovascular Surgery. Among the six journals with the largest number of publications Qualis A1 in area Medicine III, five are from non-specific areas. The Acta Cirúrgica Brasileira represented 58% of the publications in the stratum A2. There are some obstacles in the Qualis classification with little uniformity among the Medicine areas I, II and III. A permanent committee should be set to update the Qualis, composed by the three medical areas. It should be considered using other index databases and the unification of the Qualis criteria for journals in medicine. Rating criteria of multi and transdisciplinary journals need to be reviewed. It is essential an institutional financial support for national journals chosen by peers aiming to provide a full computerization process and a professional reviewer of the English language, in order to increase the impact factor. Analisar criticamente a eficácia e valor de indicadores bibliométricos dos periódicos da Cirurgia e Cirurgia Cardiovascular no contexto dos Programas de Pós-Graduação da área Medicina III da CAPES. Foi avaliada uma amostragem com 16 programas acadêmicos e um mestrado profissional da área de Medicina III, compreendendo a Cirurgia Geral e do Aparelho Digestivo, a Cirurgia Cardiovascular e Cursos Multidisciplinares

  7. Daytime Napping and the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and All-Cause Mortality: A Prospective Study and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamada, Tomohide; Hara, Kazuo; Shojima, Nobuhiro; Yamauchi, Toshimasa; Kadowaki, Takashi

    2015-12-01

    To summarize evidence about the association between daytime napping and the risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality, and to quantify the potential dose-response relation. Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Electronic databases were searched for articles published up to December 2014 using the terms nap, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality. We selected well-adjusted prospective cohort studies reporting risk estimates for cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality related to napping. Eleven prospective cohort studies were identified with 151,588 participants (1,625,012 person-years) and a mean follow-up period of 11 years (60% women, 5,276 cardiovascular events, and 18,966 all-cause deaths). Pooled analysis showed that a long daytime nap (≥ 60 min/day) was associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (rate ratio [RR]: 1.82 [1.22-2.71], P = 0.003, I(2) = 37%) compared with not napping. All-cause mortality was associated with napping for ≥ 60 min/day (RR: 1.27 [1.11-1.45], P napping. In contrast, napping for nap time and cardiovascular disease (P for nonlinearity = 0.01). The RR initially decreased from 0 to 30 min/day. Then it increased slightly until about 45 min/day, followed by a sharp increase at longer nap times. There was also a positive linear relation between nap time and all-cause mortality (P for non-linearity = 0.97). Nap time and cardiovascular disease may be associated via a J-curve relation. Further studies are needed to confirm the efficacy of a short nap. © 2015 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.

  8. Clinical evaluation of cardiovascular disease by gated-MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) in the operating field of 0.35 and 1.5 Tesla

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishimura, Tsunehiko; Naito, Hiroaki; Yamada, Yukinori; Kozuka, Takahiro

    1985-01-01

    To evaluate the clinical usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the cardiovascular disease, 21 patients were examined using 0.35 and 1.5 Tesla superconductive type (Magnetom, Siemens). In our study, all patients were performed using ECG-gated MRI. Therefore, the cardiac chambers were discriminated clearly from the myocardial wall compared to non-gated MRI. Gated-MRI was performed in 6 normal persons in the operating field at 0.35 and 1.5 Tesla. The image of the latter showed superior than that of the former because of high S/N ratio. In myocardial infarction, infarct area was demonstrated as the wall thinning in 4 of 5 patients. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy showed thickened left ventricle associated with its narrowed cavity in 7 patients. In the remaining such as congenital and valvular heart disease, global and regional cardiac morphology were assessed noninvasively by gated MRI. In addition, gated MRI was also applied to the diagnosis of peripheral vascular diseases. In dissecting aneurysm, double channels with an intimal flap in the aorta were clearly visualized. And in the aortitis syndrome, aortic dilatation and stenosis were also assessed noninvasively. In conclusion, gated MRI in diagnosing various abnormalities of cardiovascular disease was confirmed. (author)

  9. Isometric stress in cardiovascular magnetic resonance - a simple and easily replicable method of assessing cardiovascular differences not apparent at rest

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mortensen, Kristian H.; Jones, Alexander; Steeden, Jennifer A.; Taylor, Andrew M.; Muthurangu, Vivek

    2016-01-01

    Isometric exercise may unmask cardiovascular disease not evident at rest, and cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is proven for comprehensive resting assessment. This study devised a simple isometric exercise CMR methodology and assessed the hemodynamic response evoked by isometric exercise. A biceps isometric exercise technique was devised for CMR, and 75 healthy volunteers were assessed at rest, after 3-minute biceps exercise, and 5-minute of recovery using: (1) blood pressure (BP) and (2) CMR measured aortic flow and left ventricular function. Total peripheral resistance (SVR) and arterial compliance (TAC), cardiac output (CO), left ventricular volumes and function (ejection fraction, stroke volume, power output), blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and rate pressure product were assessed at all time points. Image quality was preserved during stress. During exercise there were increases in CO (+14.9 %), HR (+17.0 %), SVR (+9.8 %), systolic BP (+22.4 %), diastolic BP (+25.4 %) and mean BP (+23.2 %). In addition, there were decreases in TAC (-22.0 %) and left ventricular ejection fraction (-6.3 %). Age and body mass index modified the evoked response, even when resting measures were similar. Isometric exercise technique evokes a significant cardiovascular response in CMR, unmasking physiological differences that are not apparent at rest. (orig.)

  10. Isometric stress in cardiovascular magnetic resonance - a simple and easily replicable method of assessing cardiovascular differences not apparent at rest

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mortensen, Kristian H.; Jones, Alexander; Steeden, Jennifer A.; Taylor, Andrew M.; Muthurangu, Vivek [UCL Centre for Cardiovascular MR, UCL Institute of Cardiovascular Science, Level 6 Old Nurses Home, Cardiorespiratory Unit, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London (United Kingdom)

    2016-04-15

    Isometric exercise may unmask cardiovascular disease not evident at rest, and cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is proven for comprehensive resting assessment. This study devised a simple isometric exercise CMR methodology and assessed the hemodynamic response evoked by isometric exercise. A biceps isometric exercise technique was devised for CMR, and 75 healthy volunteers were assessed at rest, after 3-minute biceps exercise, and 5-minute of recovery using: (1) blood pressure (BP) and (2) CMR measured aortic flow and left ventricular function. Total peripheral resistance (SVR) and arterial compliance (TAC), cardiac output (CO), left ventricular volumes and function (ejection fraction, stroke volume, power output), blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and rate pressure product were assessed at all time points. Image quality was preserved during stress. During exercise there were increases in CO (+14.9 %), HR (+17.0 %), SVR (+9.8 %), systolic BP (+22.4 %), diastolic BP (+25.4 %) and mean BP (+23.2 %). In addition, there were decreases in TAC (-22.0 %) and left ventricular ejection fraction (-6.3 %). Age and body mass index modified the evoked response, even when resting measures were similar. Isometric exercise technique evokes a significant cardiovascular response in CMR, unmasking physiological differences that are not apparent at rest. (orig.)

  11. Thyroid disease and the cardiovascular system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Danzi, Sara; Klein, Irwin

    2014-06-01

    Thyroid hormones, specifically triiodothyronine (T3), have significant effects on the heart and cardiovascular system. Hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, subclinical thyroid disease, and low T3 syndrome each cause cardiac and cardiovascular abnormalities through both genomic and nongenomic effects on cardiac myocytes and vascular smooth muscle cells. In compromised health, such as occurs in heart disease, alterations in thyroid hormone metabolism may further impair cardiac and cardiovascular function. Diagnosis and treatment of cardiac disease may benefit from including analysis of thyroid hormone status, including serum total T3 levels. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Digital image analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Riber-Hansen, Rikke; Vainer, Ben; Steiniche, Torben

    2012-01-01

    Digital image analysis (DIA) is increasingly implemented in histopathological research to facilitate truly quantitative measurements, decrease inter-observer variation and reduce hands-on time. Originally, efforts were made to enable DIA to reproduce manually obtained results on histological slides...... reproducibility, application of stereology-based quantitative measurements, time consumption, optimization of histological slides, regions of interest selection and recent developments in staining and imaging techniques....

  13. Magnetic resonance imaging for evaluation of congenital heart disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niwa, Koichiro; Uchishiba, Mika; Tateno, Shigeru; Aotsuka, Hiroyuki; Nakatani, Hayao; Matsuo, Kozo; Fujiwara, Tadashi; Tashima, Kazuyuki.

    1992-01-01

    We applied the segmental analysis of cardiac MR images for evaluation of congenital heart diseases (CHD). One hundred and ninety-three patients with CHD, ranging in age from 20 days to 18 years old, were studied by MRI. This study compared the effectiveness of MRI with cardiac angiography and echocardiography for the evaluation of major diagnosis of CHD and all components of cardiovascular anatomy. ECG-gated MRI was performed by spin echo and gradient refocused imaging techniques operating at 0.5 tesla. In all the patients not only cardiovascular anatomies of CHD but all structures relevant to the identification of arrangement of organs were displayed. In diagnosing a total of 193 of major cardiac anomalies and 741 segments of the vein, the atrium, the ventricle and the great vessels by MRI and angiocardiogram and/or echocardiogram, descrepancies were found in 6 patients (3.1%), and only 18 segments (2.4%), respectively. For vascular and complex cardiac anatomies MRI was able to provide good anatomical details. Based on these findings, the segmental analysis of cardiac MR images was found useful for achieving a systematic diagnosis of CHD. (author)

  14. NMR techniques in the study of cardiovascular structure and functions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Osbakken, M.; Haselgrove, J.

    1987-01-01

    The chapter titles of this book are: Introduction to NMR Techniques;Theory of NMR Probe Design;Overview of Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Study the Cardiovascular System;Vascular Anatomy and Physiology Studied with NMR Techniques;Assessment of Myocardial Ischemia and Infarction by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging;The Use of MRI in Congenital Heart Disease;Cardiomyopathies and Myocarditis Studied with NMR Techniques;Determination of Myocardial Mechanical Function with Magnetic Resonance Imaging Techniques;Determination of Flow Using NMR Techniques;The Use of Contrast Agents in Cardiac MRI;Can Cardiovascular Disease Be Effectively Evaluated with NMR Spectroscopy? NMR Studies of ATP Synthesis Reactions in the Isolated Heart;Studies of Intermediary Metabolism in the Heart by 13C NMR Spectroscopy;23Na and 39K NMR Spectroscopic Studies of the Intact Beating Heart;and Evaluation of Skeletal Muscle Metabolism in Patients with Congestive Heart Failure Using Phosphorus Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

  15. Image sequence analysis

    CERN Document Server

    1981-01-01

    The processing of image sequences has a broad spectrum of important applica­ tions including target tracking, robot navigation, bandwidth compression of TV conferencing video signals, studying the motion of biological cells using microcinematography, cloud tracking, and highway traffic monitoring. Image sequence processing involves a large amount of data. However, because of the progress in computer, LSI, and VLSI technologies, we have now reached a stage when many useful processing tasks can be done in a reasonable amount of time. As a result, research and development activities in image sequence analysis have recently been growing at a rapid pace. An IEEE Computer Society Workshop on Computer Analysis of Time-Varying Imagery was held in Philadelphia, April 5-6, 1979. A related special issue of the IEEE Transactions on Pattern Anal­ ysis and Machine Intelligence was published in November 1980. The IEEE Com­ puter magazine has also published a special issue on the subject in 1981. The purpose of this book ...

  16. Stakeholder analysis for the development of a community pharmacy service aimed at preventing cardiovascular disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franco-Trigo, L; Hossain, L N; Durks, D; Fam, D; Inglis, S C; Benrimoj, S I; Sabater-Hernández, D

    Participatory approaches involving stakeholders across the health care system can help enhance the development, implementation and evaluation of health services. These approaches may be particularly useful in planning community pharmacy services and so overcome challenges in their implementation into practice. Conducting a stakeholder analysis is a key first step since it allows relevant stakeholders to be identified, as well as providing planners a better understanding of the complexity of the health care system. The main aim of this study was to conduct a stakeholder analysis to identify those individuals and organizations that could be part of a leading planning group for the development of a community pharmacy service (CPS) to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Australia. An experienced facilitator conducted a workshop with 8 key informants of the Australian health care system. Two structured activities were undertaken. The first explored current needs and gaps in cardiovascular care and the role of community pharmacists. The second was a stakeholder analysis, using both ex-ante and ad-hoc approaches. Identified stakeholders were then classified into three groups according to their relative influence on the development of the pharmacy service. The information gathered was analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The key informants identified 46 stakeholders, including (1) patient/consumers and their representative organizations, (2) health care providers and their professional organizations and (3) institutions and organizations that do not directly interact with patients but organize and manage the health care system, develop and implement health policies, pay for health care, influence funding for health service research or promote new health initiatives. From the 46 stakeholders, a core group of 12 stakeholders was defined. These were considered crucial to the service's development because they held positions that could drive or inhibit progress

  17. Advanced age, cardiovascular risk burden, and timed up and go test performance in Parkinson disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kotagal, Vikas; Albin, Roger L; Müller, Martijn L T M; Koeppe, Robert A; Studenski, Stephanie; Frey, Kirk A; Bohnen, Nicolaas I

    2014-12-01

    Cardiovascular comorbidities are a known risk factor for impaired mobility in elderly individuals. Motor impairments in Parkinson disease are conventionally ascribed to nigrostriatal dopaminergic denervation although progressive gait and balance impairments become more common with aging and often show limited response to dopaminergic replacement therapies. We explored the association between elevated cardiovascular risk factors and performance on the Timed Up and Go test in cross-sectional of Parkinson disease subjects (n = 83). Cardiovascular risk factor status was estimated using the Framingham General Cardiovascular Disease risk-scoring algorithm in order to dichotomize the cohort into those with and without elevated modifiable cardiovascular risk compared with normative scores for age and gender. All subjects underwent clinical and neuroimaging evaluations including a 3-m Timed Up and Go test, [(11)C]dihydrotetrabenazine positron emission tomography imaging to estimate nigrostriatal dopamine terminal loss, and an magnetic resonance imaging assessment of leukoaraiosis. A similar analysis was performed in 49 healthy controls. After adjusting for disease duration, leukoaraiosis, and nigrostriatal dopaminergic denervation, Parkinson disease subjects with elevated Framingham risk scores (n = 61) displayed slower Timed Up and Go test performance (β = 1.86, t = 2.41, p = .018) compared with subjects with normal range Framingham risk scores (n = 22). When age ≥65 was added to the model in a post hoc analysis, the strength of effect seen with older age (β = 1.51, t = 2.44, p = .017) was similar to that of elevated Framingham risk scoring (β = 1.87, t = 2.51, p = .014). In a multivariable regression model studying the healthy control population, advanced age (t = 2.15, p = .037) was a significant predictor of Timed Up and Go speed though striatal [(11)C]dihydrotetrabenazine (t = -1.30, p = .19) and elevated Framingham risk scores (t = 1.32, p = .19) were not

  18. Implementation of a Pilot ACO Payment Model and the Use of Discretionary and Non-Discretionary Cardiovascular Care

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colla, Carrie. H.; Goodney, Philip P.; Lewis, Valerie A.; Nallamothu, Brahmajee K.; Gottlieb, Daniel J.; Meara, Ellen R.

    2014-01-01

    Background Accountable care organizations (ACOs) seek to reduce growth in healthcare spending while ensuring high-quality care. We hypothesized that ACO implementation would selectively limit utilization of discretionary cardiovascular care (defined as care occurring in the absence of indications such as myocardial infarction or stroke), while maintaining high-quality care such as non-discretionary cardiovascular imaging and procedures. Methods and Results The intervention group was composed of fee-for-service Medicare patients (n=819,779) from 10 groups participating in a Medicare pilot ACO, the Physician Group Practice Demonstration (PGPD). Matched controls were patients (n=934,621) from non-participating groups in the same regions. We compared utilization of cardiovascular care before (2002-2004) and after (2005-2009) PGPD implementation, studying both discretionary and non-discretionary carotid and coronary imaging and procedures. Our main outcome measure was the difference in the proportion of patients treated with imaging and procedures, among patients of PGPD practices compared to patients in control practices, before and after PGPD implementation (difference-in-difference). For discretionary imaging, the difference-in-difference between PGPD practices and controls was not statistically significant for discretionary carotid imaging (0.17%; 95% CI -0.51% to 0.85%, p=0.595) or discretionary coronary imaging (-0.19%; 95% CI -0.73% to 0.35%, p=0.468). Similarly, the difference-in-difference was also minimal for discretionary carotid revascularization (0.003%; 95% CI -0.008% to 0.002%, p=0.705) and coronary revascularization (-0.02%, 95% CI -0.11% to 0.07%, p=0.06). The difference-in-difference associated with PGPD implementation was also essentially zero for non-discretionary cardiovascular imaging or procedures. Conclusions Implementation of a pilot ACO did not limit the utilization of discretionary or non-discretionary cardiovascular care in ten large health

  19. Inappropriateness of cardiovascular radiological imaging testing; a tertiary care referral center study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Clara Carpeggiani

    Full Text Available AIMS: Radiological inappropriateness in medical imaging leads to loss of resources and accumulation of avoidable population cancer risk. Aim of the study was to audit the appropriateness rate of different cardiac radiological examinations. METHODS AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: With a retrospective, observational study we reviewed clinical records of 818 consecutive patients (67 ± 12 years, 75% males admitted from January 1-May 31, 2010 to the National Research Council - Tuscany Region Gabriele Monasterio Foundation cardiology division. A total of 940 procedures were audited: 250 chest x-rays (CXR; 240 coronary computed tomographies (CCT; 250 coronary angiographies (CA; 200 percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI. For each test, indications were rated on the basis of guidelines class of recommendation and level of evidence: definitely appropriate (A, including class I, appropriate, and class IIa, probably appropriate, uncertain (U, class IIb, probably inappropriate, or inappropriate (I, class III, definitely inappropriate. Appropriateness was suboptimal for all tests: CXR (A = 48%, U = 10%, I = 42%; CCT (A = 58%, U = 24%, I = 18%; CA (A = 45%, U = 25%, I = 30%; PCI (A = 63%, U = 15%, I = 22%. Top reasons for inappropriateness were: routine on hospital admission (70% of inappropriate CXR; first line application in asymptomatic low-risk patients (42% of CCT or in patients with unchanged clinical status post-revascularization (20% of CA; PCI in patients either asymptomatic or with miscellaneous symptoms and without inducible ischemia on non-invasive testing (36% of inappropriate PCI. CONCLUSION AND SIGNIFICANCE: Public healthcare system--with universal access paid for with public money--is haemorrhaging significant resources and accumulating avoidable long-term cancer risk with inappropriate cardiovascular imaging prevention.

  20. TH-B-207B-00: Pediatric Image Quality Optimization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2016-01-01

    This imaging educational program will focus on solutions to common pediatric image quality optimization challenges. The speakers will present collective knowledge on best practices in pediatric imaging from their experience at dedicated children’s hospitals. One of the most commonly encountered pediatric imaging requirements for the non-specialist hospital is pediatric CT in the emergency room setting. Thus, this educational program will begin with optimization of pediatric CT in the emergency department. Though pediatric cardiovascular MRI may be less common in the non-specialist hospitals, low pediatric volumes and unique cardiovascular anatomy make optimization of these techniques difficult. Therefore, our second speaker will review best practices in pediatric cardiovascular MRI based on experiences from a children’s hospital with a large volume of cardiac patients. Learning Objectives: To learn techniques for optimizing radiation dose and image quality for CT of children in the emergency room setting. To learn solutions for consistently high quality cardiovascular MRI of children

  1. TH-B-207B-00: Pediatric Image Quality Optimization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2016-06-15

    This imaging educational program will focus on solutions to common pediatric image quality optimization challenges. The speakers will present collective knowledge on best practices in pediatric imaging from their experience at dedicated children’s hospitals. One of the most commonly encountered pediatric imaging requirements for the non-specialist hospital is pediatric CT in the emergency room setting. Thus, this educational program will begin with optimization of pediatric CT in the emergency department. Though pediatric cardiovascular MRI may be less common in the non-specialist hospitals, low pediatric volumes and unique cardiovascular anatomy make optimization of these techniques difficult. Therefore, our second speaker will review best practices in pediatric cardiovascular MRI based on experiences from a children’s hospital with a large volume of cardiac patients. Learning Objectives: To learn techniques for optimizing radiation dose and image quality for CT of children in the emergency room setting. To learn solutions for consistently high quality cardiovascular MRI of children.

  2. An image analysis system for near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence lymph imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jingdan; Zhou, Shaohua Kevin; Xiang, Xiaoyan; Rasmussen, John C.; Sevick-Muraca, Eva M.

    2011-03-01

    Quantitative analysis of lymphatic function is crucial for understanding the lymphatic system and diagnosing the associated diseases. Recently, a near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging system is developed for real-time imaging lymphatic propulsion by intradermal injection of microdose of a NIR fluorophore distal to the lymphatics of interest. However, the previous analysis software3, 4 is underdeveloped, requiring extensive time and effort to analyze a NIR image sequence. In this paper, we develop a number of image processing techniques to automate the data analysis workflow, including an object tracking algorithm to stabilize the subject and remove the motion artifacts, an image representation named flow map to characterize lymphatic flow more reliably, and an automatic algorithm to compute lymph velocity and frequency of propulsion. By integrating all these techniques to a system, the analysis workflow significantly reduces the amount of required user interaction and improves the reliability of the measurement.

  3. Introduction to Medical Image Analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Paulsen, Rasmus Reinhold; Moeslund, Thomas B.

    of the book is to present the fascinating world of medical image analysis in an easy and interesting way. Compared to many standard books on image analysis, the approach we have chosen is less mathematical and more casual. Some of the key algorithms are exemplified in C-code. Please note that the code...

  4. 5th German cardiodiagnostic meeting 2013 with the 6th Leipzig Symposium on non-invasive cardiovascular imaging. Challenges and limit of the non-invasive cardiac imaging; 5. Deutsche Kardiodiagnostik-Tage 2013 mit 6. Leipziger Symposium Nichtinvasive Kardiovaskulaere Bildgebung. Herausforderungen und Grenzen der nicht-invasiven kardialen Bildgebung

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2013-04-01

    The proceedings on the German cardiodiagnostic meeting 2013 together with the 6th Leipzig Symposium on non-invasive cardiovascular imaging include abstracts concerning the following topics: Imaging in the rhythmology; adults with congenital cardiac defects; cardiac myopathies - myocarditis; cardiac valves (before and after transcutaneous valve replacement); coronary heart diseases; technical developments.

  5. Wavefront analysis for plenoptic camera imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luan Yin-Sen; Xu Bing; Yang Ping; Tang Guo-Mao

    2017-01-01

    The plenoptic camera is a single lens stereo camera which can retrieve the direction of light rays while detecting their intensity distribution. In this paper, to reveal more truths of plenoptic camera imaging, we present the wavefront analysis for the plenoptic camera imaging from the angle of physical optics but not from the ray tracing model of geometric optics. Specifically, the wavefront imaging model of a plenoptic camera is analyzed and simulated by scalar diffraction theory and the depth estimation is redescribed based on physical optics. We simulate a set of raw plenoptic images of an object scene, thereby validating the analysis and derivations and the difference between the imaging analysis methods based on geometric optics and physical optics are also shown in simulations. (paper)

  6. Image-Based Computational Fluid Dynamics in Blood Vessel Models: Toward Developing a Prognostic Tool to Assess Cardiovascular Function Changes in Prolonged Space Flights

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chatzimavroudis, George P.; Spirka, Thomas A.; Setser, Randolph M.; Myers, Jerry G.

    2004-01-01

    One of NASA's objectives is to be able to perform a complete, pre-flight, evaluation of cardiovascular changes in astronauts scheduled for prolonged space missions. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has shown promise as a method for estimating cardiovascular function during reduced gravity conditions. For this purpose, MRI can provide geometrical information, to reconstruct vessel geometries, and measure all spatial velocity components, providing location specific boundary conditions. The objective of this study was to investigate the reliability of MRI-based model reconstruction and measured boundary conditions for CFD simulations. An aortic arch model and a carotid bifurcation model were scanned in a 1.5T Siemens MRI scanner. Axial MRI acquisitions provided images for geometry reconstruction (slice thickness 3 and 5 mm; pixel size 1x1 and 0.5x0.5 square millimeters). Velocity acquisitions provided measured inlet boundary conditions and localized three-directional steady-flow velocity data (0.7-3.0 L/min). The vessel walls were isolated using NIH provided software (ImageJ) and lofted to form the geometric surface. Constructed and idealized geometries were imported into a commercial CFD code for meshing and simulation. Contour and vector plots of the velocity showed identical features between the MRI velocity data, the MRI-based CFD data, and the idealized-geometry CFD data, with less than 10% differences in the local velocity values. CFD results on models reconstructed from different MRI resolution settings showed insignificant differences (less than 5%). This study illustrated, quantitatively, that reliable CFD simulations can be performed with MRI reconstructed models and gives evidence that a future, subject-specific, computational evaluation of the cardiovascular system alteration during space travel is feasible.

  7. Multimodality image analysis work station

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ratib, O.; Huang, H.K.

    1989-01-01

    The goal of this project is to design and implement a PACS (picture archiving and communication system) workstation for quantitative analysis of multimodality images. The Macintosh II personal computer was selected for its friendly user interface, its popularity among the academic and medical community, and its low cost. The Macintosh operates as a stand alone workstation where images are imported from a central PACS server through a standard Ethernet network and saved on a local magnetic or optical disk. A video digitizer board allows for direct acquisition of images from sonograms or from digitized cine angiograms. The authors have focused their project on the exploration of new means of communicating quantitative data and information through the use of an interactive and symbolic user interface. The software developed includes a variety of image analysis, algorithms for digitized angiograms, sonograms, scintigraphic images, MR images, and CT scans

  8. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance frontiers: Tissue characterisation with mapping

    OpenAIRE

    Schofield, R.; Bhuva, A.; Manacho, K.; Moon, J. C.

    2016-01-01

    The clinical use of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging has expanded rapidly over the last decade. Its role in cardiac morphological and functional assessment is established, with perfusion and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) imaging for scar increasingly used in day-to-day clinical decision making. LGE allows a virtual histological assessment of the myocardium, with the pattern of scar suggesting disease aetiology, and the extent of predicting risk. However, even combined, the ...

  9. Rapid Analysis and Exploration of Fluorescence Microscopy Images

    OpenAIRE

    Pavie, Benjamin; Rajaram, Satwik; Ouyang, Austin; Altschuler, Jason; Steininger, Robert J; Wu, Lani; Altschuler, Steven

    2014-01-01

    Despite rapid advances in high-throughput microscopy, quantitative image-based assays still pose significant challenges. While a variety of specialized image analysis tools are available, most traditional image-analysis-based workflows have steep learning curves (for fine tuning of analysis parameters) and result in long turnaround times between imaging and analysis. In particular, cell segmentation, the process of identifying individual cells in an image, is a major bottleneck in this regard.

  10. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and infiltrative cardiomyopathy

    OpenAIRE

    Schofield, Rebecca; Manacho, Katia; Castelletti, Silvia; Moon, James C.

    2016-01-01

    Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common inherited cardiac disease. Cardiac imaging plays a key role in the diagnosis and management, with cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) an important modality. CMR provides a number of different techniques in one examination: structure and function, flow imaging and tissue characterisation particularly with the late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) technique. Other techniques include vasodilator perfusion, mapping (especially T1 mapping and ex...

  11. Oral health and cardiovascular care: Perceptions of people with cardiovascular disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salamonson, Yenna; Ajwani, Shilpi; Bhole, Sameer; Bishop, Joshua; Lintern, Karen; Nolan, Samantha; Rajaratnam, Rohan; Redfern, Julie; Sheehan, Maria; Skarligos, Fiona; Spencer, Lissa; Srinivas, Ravi

    2017-01-01

    Main objective The aim of this study was to explore the perception of patients with cardiovascular disease towards oral health and the potential for cardiac care clinicians to promote oral health. Method A needs assessment was undertaken with twelve patients with cardiovascular disease attending cardiac rehabilitation between 2015 and 2016, in three metropolitan hospitals in Sydney, Australia. These patients participated in face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Data was analysed using thematic analysis. Results Results suggested that while oral health was considered relevant there was high prevalence of poor oral health among participants, especially those from socioeconomic disadvantaged background. Awareness regarding the importance of oral health care its impact on cardiovascular outcomes was poor among participants. Oral health issues were rarely discussed in the cardiac setting. Main barriers deterring participants from seeking oral health care included lack of awareness, high cost of dental care and difficulties in accessing the public dental service. Findings also revealed that participants were interested in receiving further information about oral health and suggested various mediums for information delivery. The concept of cardiac care clinicians, especially nurses providing education, assessment and referrals to ongoing dental care was well received by participants who felt the post-acute period was the most appropriate time to receive oral health care advice. The issues of oral health training for non-dental clinicians and how to address existing barriers were highlighted by participants. Relevance to clinical practice The lack of oral health education being provided to patients with cardiovascular disease offers an opportunity to improve care and potentially, outcomes. In view of the evidence linking poor oral health with cardiovascular disease, cardiac care clinicians, especially nurses, should be appropriately trained to promote oral health in

  12. Oral health and cardiovascular care: Perceptions of people with cardiovascular disease.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paula Sanchez

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to explore the perception of patients with cardiovascular disease towards oral health and the potential for cardiac care clinicians to promote oral health.A needs assessment was undertaken with twelve patients with cardiovascular disease attending cardiac rehabilitation between 2015 and 2016, in three metropolitan hospitals in Sydney, Australia. These patients participated in face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Data was analysed using thematic analysis.Results suggested that while oral health was considered relevant there was high prevalence of poor oral health among participants, especially those from socioeconomic disadvantaged background. Awareness regarding the importance of oral health care its impact on cardiovascular outcomes was poor among participants. Oral health issues were rarely discussed in the cardiac setting. Main barriers deterring participants from seeking oral health care included lack of awareness, high cost of dental care and difficulties in accessing the public dental service. Findings also revealed that participants were interested in receiving further information about oral health and suggested various mediums for information delivery. The concept of cardiac care clinicians, especially nurses providing education, assessment and referrals to ongoing dental care was well received by participants who felt the post-acute period was the most appropriate time to receive oral health care advice. The issues of oral health training for non-dental clinicians and how to address existing barriers were highlighted by participants.The lack of oral health education being provided to patients with cardiovascular disease offers an opportunity to improve care and potentially, outcomes. In view of the evidence linking poor oral health with cardiovascular disease, cardiac care clinicians, especially nurses, should be appropriately trained to promote oral health in their practice. Affordable and accessible

  13. Mesh Processing in Medical Image Analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    The following topics are dealt with: mesh processing; medical image analysis; interactive freeform modeling; statistical shape analysis; clinical CT images; statistical surface recovery; automated segmentation; cerebral aneurysms; and real-time particle-based representation....

  14. Protective effect of yerba mate intake on the cardiovascular system: a post hoc analysis study in postmenopausal women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    da Veiga, D T A; Bringhenti, R; Copes, R; Tatsch, E; Moresco, R N; Comim, F V; Premaor, M O

    2018-01-01

    The prevalence of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases is increased in postmenopausal women, which contributes to the burden of illnesses in this period of life. Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) is a native bush from Southern South America. Its leaves are rich in phenolic components, which may have antioxidant, vasodilating, hypocholesterolemic, and hypoglycemic proprieties. This post hoc analysis of the case-control study nested in the Obesity and Bone Fracture Cohort evaluated the consumption of yerba mate and the prevalence of hypertension, dyslipidemia, and coronary diseases in postmenopausal women. Ninety-five postmenopausal women were included in this analysis. A questionnaire was applied to evaluate the risk factors and diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases and consumption of yerba mate infusion. Student's t-test and chi-square test were used to assess significant differences between groups. The group that consumed more than 1 L/day of mate infusion had significantly fewer diagnoses of coronary disease, dyslipidemia, and hypertension (P<0.049, P<0.048, and P<0.016, respectively). Furthermore, the serum levels of glucose were lower in the group with a higher consumption of yerba mate infusion (P<0.013). The serum levels of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides were similar between the groups. This pragmatic study points out the benefits of yerba mate consumption for the cardiovascular and metabolic systems. The ingestion of more than 1 L/day of mate infusion was associated with fewer self-reported cardiovascular diseases and lower serum levels of glucose. Longitudinal studies are needed to evaluate the association between yerba mate infusion and reduction of cardiovascular diseases in postmenopausal women.

  15. The influence of lifestyle on cardiovascular risk factors. Analysis using a neural network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gueli, Nicoló; Piccirillo, Gianfanco; Troisi, Giovanni; Cicconetti, Paolo; Meloni, Fortunato; Ettorre, Evaristo; Verico, Paola; D'Arcangelo, Enzo; Cacciafesta, Mauro

    2005-01-01

    The cardiovascular pathologies are the most common causes of death in the elderly patient. To single out the main risk factors in order to effectively prevent the onset of the disease, the authors experimented a special computerized tool, the neural network, that works out a mathematical relation that can obtain certain data (defined as output) as a function of other data (defined as input). Data were processed from a sample of 276 subjects of both sexes aged 26-69 years old. The output data were: high/low cholesterolemia, HDL cholesterol, triglyceridemia with respect to an established cut-off; the input data were: sex, age, build, weight, married/single, number of children, number of cigarettes smoked/day, amount of wine and number of cups of coffee. We conclude that: (i) a relationship exists, deduced from a neural network, between a set of input variables and a dichotomous output variable; (ii) this relationship can be expressed as a mathematical function; (iii) a neural network, having learned the data on a sufficiently large population, can provide valid predictive data for a single individual with a high probability (up to 93.33%) that the response it gives is correct. In this study, such a result is found for two of the three cardiovascular risk indicators considered (cholesterol and triglycerides); (iv) the repetition of the neural network analysis of the cases in question after a "pruning" operation provided a somewhat less good performance; (v) a statistical analysis conducted on those same cases has confirmed the existence of a strong relationship between the input and the output variables. Therefore the neural network is a valid instrument for providing predictive in a single subject on cardiovascular pathology risks.

  16. The role of angiography in the congruence of cardiovascular measurements between autopsy and postmortem imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Troxler, Renaud; Minoiu, Costin; Vaucher, Paul; Michaud, Katarzyna; Doenz, Francesco; Ducrot, Kewin; Grabherr, Silke

    2018-01-01

    Postmortem CT angiography is the method of choice for the postmortem imaging investigations of the cardiovascular (CV) system. However, autopsy still remains the gold standard for CV measurement. Nevertheless, there are not any studies on CV measurements on the multi-phase postmortem angiography (MPMCTA) which includes comparisons with autopsy. Therefore, the aim of this study is to compare CV measurements between the native CT scan and the three phases of the MPMCTA to find out which of these modalities correlate the best with autopsy measurements. For this study, we selected retrospectively 50 postmortem cases that underwent both MPMCTA and autopsy. A comparison was carried out between the CV measurements obtained with imaging (aorta; heart cavities and cardiac wall thicknesses; maximum cardiac diameter and cardiothoracic ratio) and at the autopsy (aorta; cardiac valves, ventricular thicknesses, and weight). Our results show that the dynamic phase displays an advantage for the measurement of the aortas. However, the MPMCTA is not accurate to measure the cardiac wall thicknesses. The measurements of the heart cavities show no correlation with the heart valves. The cardiothoracic ratio measured by the MPMCTA shows no correlation with the heart weight. Nevertheless, the maximum cardiac diameter exhibits a correlation with the latter on the venous and dynamic phase. These results show that only few CV parameters measured with imaging correlate with measurement obtained at the autopsy. These results indicate that in order to better estimate values obtained at the autopsy, we need to define new reference values for the CV measurement on MPMCTA.

  17. Innovative parameters obtained for digital analysis of microscopic images to evaluate in vitro hemorheological action of anesthetics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alet, Analía. I.; Basso, Sabrina; Delannoy, Marcela; Alet, Nicolás. A.; D'Arrigo, Mabel; Castellini, Horacio V.; Riquelme, Bibiana D.

    2015-06-01

    Drugs used during anesthesia could enhance microvascular flow disturbance, not only for their systemic cardiovascular actions but also by a direct effect on the microcirculation and in particular on hemorheology. This is particularly important in high-risk surgical patients such as those with vascular disease (diabetes, hypertension, etc.). Therefore, in this work we propose a set of innovative parameters obtained by digital analysis of microscopic images to study the in vitro hemorheological effect of propofol and vecuronium on red blood cell from type 2 diabetic patients compared to healthy donors. Obtained innovative parameters allow quantifying alterations in erythrocyte aggregation, which can increase the in vivo risk of microcapillary obstruction.

  18. Cardiovascular System Sonographic Evaluation Algorithm: A New Sonographic Algorithm for Evaluation of the Fetal Cardiovascular System in the Second Trimester.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De León-Luis, Juan; Bravo, Coral; Gámez, Francisco; Ortiz-Quintana, Luis

    2015-07-01

    To evaluate the reproducibility and feasibility of the new cardiovascular system sonographic evaluation algorithm for studying the extended fetal cardiovascular system, including the portal, thymic, and supra-aortic areas, in the second trimester of pregnancy (19-22 weeks). We performed a cross-sectional study of pregnant women with healthy fetuses (singleton and twin pregnancies) attending our center from March to August 2011. The extended fetal cardiovascular system was evaluated by following the new algorithm, a sequential acquisition of axial views comprising the following (caudal to cranial): I, portal sinus; II, ductus venosus; III, hepatic veins; IV, 4-chamber view; V, left ventricular outflow tract; VI, right ventricular outflow tract; VII, 3-vessel and trachea view; VIII, thy-box; and IX, subclavian arteries. Interobserver agreement on the feasibility and exploration time was estimated in a subgroup of patients. The feasibility and exploration time were determined for the main cohort. Maternal, fetal, and sonographic factors affecting both features were evaluated. Interobserver agreement was excellent for all views except view VIII; the difference in the mean exploration time between observers was 1.5 minutes (95% confidence interval, 0.7-2.1 minutes; P cardiovascular system sonographic evaluation algorithm is a reproducible and feasible approach for exploration of the extended fetal cardiovascular system in a second-trimester scan. It can be used to explore these areas in normal and abnormal conditions and provides an integrated image of extended fetal cardiovascular anatomy. © 2015 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

  19. Cardiovascular risk assessment in the treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis: a secondary analysis of the MOZART trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Steven C; Ang, Brandon; Hernandez, Carolyn; Bettencourt, Ricki; Jain, Rashmi; Salotti, Joanie; Richards, Lisa; Kono, Yuko; Bhatt, Archana; Aryafar, Hamed; Lin, Grace Y; Valasek, Mark A; Sirlin, Claude B; Brouha, Sharon; Loomba, Rohit

    2016-03-01

    Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk and mortality. No US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved therapies for NASH are available; clinical trials to date have not yet systematically assessed for changes in cardiovascular risk. This study examines the prospective utility of cardiovascular risk assessments, the Framingham risk score (FRS) and coronary artery calcium (CAC) score, as endpoints in a NASH randomized clinical trial, and assesses whether histologic improvements lead to lower cardiovascular risk. Secondary analysis of a 24-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (MOZART) in which 50 biopsy-proven NASH patients received oral ezetimibe 10 mg daily (n = 25) versus placebo (n = 25). Biochemical profiling, FRS, CAC scores, liver biopsies were obtained at baseline and endpoint. Ezetimibe improved FRS whereas placebo did not (4.4 ± 6.2 to 2.9 ± 4.8, p = 0.038; 3.0 ± 4.4 to 2.9 ± 4.2, p = 0.794). CAC scores did not change with ezetimibe or placebo (180.4 ± 577.2 to 194.1 ± 623.9, p = 0.293; 151.4 ± 448.9 to 183.3 ± 555.7, p = 0.256). Ezetimibe improved FRS and CAC scores in more patients than placebo (48% versus 23%, p = 0.079, and 21% versus 0%, p = 0.090, respectively), though not significantly. No differences were noted in cardiovascular risk scores among histologic responders versus nonresponders. Ezetimibe improved FRS whereas placebo did not. FRS and CAC scores improved in a greater proportion of patients with ezetimibe; this trend did not reach significance. These findings indicate the utility and feasibility of monitoring cardiovascular risk in a NASH trial. The utility of CAC scores may be higher in trials of longer duration (⩾52 weeks) and with older patients (age ⩾45). ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT01766713.

  20. Implementation of a pilot accountable care organization payment model and the use of discretionary and nondiscretionary cardiovascular care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colla, Carrie H; Goodney, Philip P; Lewis, Valerie A; Nallamothu, Brahmajee K; Gottlieb, Daniel J; Meara, Ellen

    2014-11-25

    Accountable care organizations (ACOs) seek to reduce growth in healthcare spending while ensuring high-quality care. We hypothesized that accountable care organization implementation would selectively limit the use of discretionary cardiovascular care (defined as care occurring in the absence of indications such as myocardial infarction or stroke), while maintaining high-quality care, such as nondiscretionary cardiovascular imaging and procedures. The intervention group was composed of fee-for-service Medicare patients (n=819 779) from 10 groups participating in a Medicare pilot accountable care organization, the Physician Group Practice Demonstration (PGPD). Matched controls were patients (n=934 621) from nonparticipating groups in the same regions. We compared use of cardiovascular care before (2002-2004) and after (2005-2009) PGPD implementation, studying both discretionary and nondiscretionary carotid and coronary imaging and procedures. Our main outcome measure was the difference in the proportion of patients treated with imaging and procedures among patients of PGPD practices compared with patients in control practices, before and after PGPD implementation (difference-in-difference). For discretionary imaging, the difference-in-difference between PGPD practices and controls was not statistically significant for discretionary carotid imaging (0.17%; 95% confidence interval, -0.51% to 0.85%; P=0.595) or discretionary coronary imaging (-0.19%; 95% confidence interval, -0.73% to 0.35%; P=0.468). Similarly, the difference-in-difference was also minimal for discretionary carotid revascularization (0.003%; 95% confidence interval, -0.008% to 0.002%; P=0.705) and coronary revascularization (-0.02%; 95% confidence interval, -0.11% to 0.07%; P=0.06). The difference-in-difference associated with PGPD implementation was also essentially 0 for nondiscretionary cardiovascular imaging or procedures. Implementation of a pilot accountable care organization did not limit the

  1. Quantitative analysis of receptor imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fu Zhanli; Wang Rongfu

    2004-01-01

    Model-based methods for quantitative analysis of receptor imaging, including kinetic, graphical and equilibrium methods, are introduced in detail. Some technical problem facing quantitative analysis of receptor imaging, such as the correction for in vivo metabolism of the tracer and the radioactivity contribution from blood volume within ROI, and the estimation of the nondisplaceable ligand concentration, is also reviewed briefly

  2. Comparative cardiac imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brundage, B.H.

    1990-01-01

    This book is designed to compare all major cardiac imaging techniques. All major imaging techniques - including conventional angiography, digital angiography, echocardiography and Doppler imaging, conventional radioisotope techniques, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging - are covered in this text as they apply to the major cardiovascular disorders. There is brief coverage of positron emission tomography and an extensive presentation of ultrafast computed tomography

  3. Riesgo cardiovascular, una herramienta útil para la prevención de las enfermedades cardiovasculares Cardiovascular risk, a useful tool for prevention of cardiovascular diseases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorge Vega Abascal

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available El riesgo cardiovascular se define como la probabilidad de padecer un evento cardiovascular en un determinado período. Mejorar la exactitud en la predicción del riesgo requiere la evaluación y el tratamiento de múltiples factores de riesgo cardiovascular, los que tienen un efecto sinérgico, más que aditivo, sobre el riesgo cardiovascular total. El cálculo utilizando métodos cuantitativos es más preciso que el obtenido con métodos cualitativos. La predicción del riesgo cardiovascular ha constituido, en los últimos años, la piedra angular en las guías clínicas de prevención cardiovascular, y deviene una herramienta útil del Médico de Familia para establecer prioridades en la atención primaria, mejorando la atención a los pacientes y eligiendo más eficazmente la terapéutica a seguir, con el objetivo de acercarnos más a la realidad multifactorial de las enfermedades cardiovasculares y a su prevención.The cardiovascular risk is defined like a probability of suffering a cardiovascular event in a determined period. To improve the accuracy in risk prediction requires the assessment and treatment of different cardiovascular risk factors, which have a synergistic effect more than additive on the total cardiovascular risk. The calculus using quantitative methods is more accurate than that obtained with qualitative methods. The prediction of cardiovascular risk has been in past years the cornerstone in clinical guidances of cardiovascular prevention and becomes an useful tool for Family Physician to establish priorities in the primary care, improving the patients care and selecting in a more effective way the therapy to be followed to bring closer more to multifactor reality of cardiovascular diseases and its prevention.

  4. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2011-03-06

    Mar 6, 2011 ... Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging is becoming a routine diagnostic technique. BRUCE s sPOTTiswOOdE, PhD. MRC/UCT Medical Imaging Research Unit, University of Cape Town, and Division of Radiology, Stellenbosch University. Bruce Spottiswoode ...

  5. Cognitive dysfunction after cardiovascular surgery

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Funder, K S; Steinmetz, J; Rasmussen, L S

    2009-01-01

    This review describes the incidence, risk factors, and long-term consequences of cognitive dysfunction after cardiovascular surgery. Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is increasingly being recognized as an important complication, especially in the elderly. A highly sensitive neuropsychol......This review describes the incidence, risk factors, and long-term consequences of cognitive dysfunction after cardiovascular surgery. Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is increasingly being recognized as an important complication, especially in the elderly. A highly sensitive...... neuropsychological test battery must be used to detect POCD and a well-matched control group is very useful for the analysis and interpretation of the test RESULTS: Cardiovascular surgery is associated with a high incidence of POCD. Cardiopulmonary bypass was thought to explain this difference, but randomized...

  6. Analysis of Instantaneous Linear, Nonlinear and Complex Cardiovascular Dynamics from Videophotoplethysmography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valenza, Gaetano; Iozzia, Luca; Cerina, Luca; Mainardi, Luca; Barbieri, Riccardo

    2018-05-01

    There is a fast growing interest in the use of non-contact devices for health and performance assessment in humans. In particular, the use of non-contact videophotoplethysmography (vPPG) has been recently demonstrated as a feasible way to extract cardiovascular information. Nevertheless, proper validation of vPPG-derived heartbeat dynamics is still missing. We aim to an in-depth validation of time-varying, linear and nonlinear/complex dynamics of the pulse rate variability extracted from vPPG. We apply inhomogeneous pointprocess nonlinear models to assess instantaneous measures defined in the time, frequency, and bispectral domains as estimated through vPPG and standard ECG. Instantaneous complexity measures, such as the instantaneous Lyapunov exponents and the recently defined inhomogeneous point-process approximate and sample entropy, were estimated as well. Video recordings were processed using our recently proposed method based on zerophase principal component analysis. Experimental data were gathered from 60 young healthy subjects (age: 24±3 years) undergoing postural changes (rest-to-stand maneuver). Group averaged results show that there is an overall agreement between linear and nonlinear/complexity indices computed from ECG and vPPG during resting state conditions. However, important differences are found, particularly in the bispectral and complexity domains, in recordings where the subjects has been instructed to stand up. Although significant differences exist between cardiovascular estimates from vPPG and ECG, it is very promising that instantaneous sympathovagal changes, as well as time-varying complex dynamics, were correctly identified, especially during resting state. In addition to a further improvement of the video signal quality, more research is advocated towards a more precise estimation of cardiovascular dynamics by a comprehensive nonlinear/complex paradigm specifically tailored to the non-contact quantification. Schattauer GmbH.

  7. Information granules in image histogram analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wieclawek, Wojciech

    2018-04-01

    A concept of granular computing employed in intensity-based image enhancement is discussed. First, a weighted granular computing idea is introduced. Then, the implementation of this term in the image processing area is presented. Finally, multidimensional granular histogram analysis is introduced. The proposed approach is dedicated to digital images, especially to medical images acquired by Computed Tomography (CT). As the histogram equalization approach, this method is based on image histogram analysis. Yet, unlike the histogram equalization technique, it works on a selected range of the pixel intensity and is controlled by two parameters. Performance is tested on anonymous clinical CT series. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Introduction to Medical Image Analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Paulsen, Rasmus Reinhold; Moeslund, Thomas B.

    This book is a result of a collaboration between DTU Informatics at the Technical University of Denmark and the Laboratory of Computer Vision and Media Technology at Aalborg University. It is partly based on the book ”Image and Video Processing”, second edition by Thomas Moeslund. The aim...... of the book is to present the fascinating world of medical image analysis in an easy and interesting way. Compared to many standard books on image analysis, the approach we have chosen is less mathematical and more casual. Some of the key algorithms are exemplified in C-code. Please note that the code...

  9. Association between prediabetes and risk of cardiovascular disease and all cause mortality: systematic review and meta-analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Yuli; Cai, Xiaoyan; Mai, Weiyi; Li, Meijun

    2016-01-01

    Objectives To evaluate associations between different definitions of prediabetes and the risk of cardiovascular disease and all cause mortality. Design Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Data sources Electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar). Selection criteria Prospective cohort studies from general populations were included for meta-analysis if they reported adjusted relative risks with 95% confidence intervals for associations between the risk of composite cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, stroke, all cause mortality, and prediabetes. Review methods Two authors independently reviewed and selected eligible studies, based on predetermined selection criteria. Prediabetes was defined as impaired fasting glucose according to the criteria of the American Diabetes Association (IFG-ADA; fasting glucose 5.6-6.9 mmol/L), the WHO expert group (IFG-WHO; fasting glucose 6.1-6.9 mmol/L), impaired glucose tolerance (2 hour plasma glucose concentration 7.8-11.0 mmol/L during an oral glucose tolerance test), or raised haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) of 39-47 mmol/mol(5.7-6.4%) according to ADA criteria or 42-47 mmol/mol (6.0-6.4%) according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline. The relative risks of all cause mortality and cardiovascular events were calculated and reported with 95% confidence intervals. Results 53 prospective cohort studies with 1 611 339 individuals were included for analysis. The median follow-up duration was 9.5 years. Compared with normoglycaemia, prediabetes (impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose according to IFG-ADA or IFG-WHO criteria) was associated with an increased risk of composite cardiovascular disease (relative risk 1.13, 1.26, and 1.30 for IFG-ADA, IFG-WHO, and impaired glucose tolerance, respectively), coronary heart disease (1.10, 1.18, and 1.20, respectively), stroke (1.06, 1.17, and 1.20, respectively), and all cause mortality (1.13, 1.13 and 1

  10. Evaluation of three cardiovascular nuclear medicine procedures for the study of ischemic heart disease in the aged

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iio, M.; Nakai, K.; Murata, H.

    1979-01-01

    Three recent developments of cardiovascular nuclear medicine procedures were evaluated for the study of ischemic heart diseases in the aged. Regional analysis and global analysis was possible by the gated pool method and Tl-201 scanning. The temporal imaging method, even though limited to global function, was proven to be suitable for the dynamic analysis of the ejection fraction at rest and at stress. Therefore combination of these three procedures made it possible to analyse both regional and global functions of the left ventricle of the patient with IHD without any load on the patient and even under physiological conditions. (Auth.)

  11. Whole body MR imaging in diabetes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weckbach, Sabine; Schoenberg, Stefan O.

    2009-01-01

    Diabetes mellitus is a major cardiovascular risk factor and one of the major causes for morbidity and mortality worldwide. Diabetic complications have not only major impact on the quality of life of diabetic patients, but are also potentially life-threatening. Therefore prevention, diagnosis and therapy of these long-term complications are of high importance. However, diagnosis of the variety of complications from diabetes mellitus remains a diagnostic challenge and usually several diagnostic steps are necessary to diagnose or exclude these complications. In the last years whole body magnetic resonance imaging (WB-MRI) including whole body magnetic resonance angiography (WB-MRA) has been introduced for cardiovascular imaging and is now increasingly applied in clinical routine for the workup of patients with cardiovascular disease and for cardiovascular screening. The article summarizes rationales for WB-MRI in diabetes mellitus, technical concepts of disease specific cardiovascular WB-MRI in diabetes mellitus and discusses potential clinical consequences.

  12. An analytical phantom for the evaluation of medical flow imaging algorithms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pashaei, A; Fatouraee, N

    2009-01-01

    Blood flow characteristics (e.g. velocity, pressure, shear stress, streamline and volumetric flow rate) are effective tools in diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerotic plaque, aneurism and cardiac muscle failure. Noninvasive estimation of cardiovascular blood flow characteristics is mostly limited to the measurement of velocity components by medical imaging modalities. Once the velocity field is obtained from the images, other flow characteristics within the cardiovascular system can be determined using algorithms relating them to the velocity components. In this work, we propose an analytical flow phantom to evaluate these algorithms accurately. The Navier-Stokes equations are used to derive this flow phantom. The exact solution of these equations obtains analytical expression for the flow characteristics inside the domain. Features such as pulsatility, incompressibility and viscosity of flow are included in a three-dimensional domain. The velocity domain of the resulted system is presented as reference images. These images could be employed to evaluate the performance of different flow characteristic algorithms. In this study, we also present some applications of the obtained phantom. The calculation of pressure domain from velocity data, volumetric flow rate, wall shear stress and particle trace are the characteristics whose algorithms are evaluated here. We also present the application of this phantom in the analysis of noisy and low-resolution images. The presented phantom can be considered as a benchmark test to compare the accuracy of different flow characteristic algorithms.

  13. Multispectral analysis of multimodal images

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kvinnsland, Yngve; Brekke, Njaal (Dept. of Surgical Sciences, Univ. of Bergen, Bergen (Norway)); Taxt, Torfinn M.; Gruener, Renate (Dept. of Biomedicine, Univ. of Bergen, Bergen (Norway))

    2009-02-15

    An increasing number of multimodal images represent a valuable increase in available image information, but at the same time it complicates the extraction of diagnostic information across the images. Multispectral analysis (MSA) has the potential to simplify this problem substantially as unlimited number of images can be combined, and tissue properties across the images can be extracted automatically. Materials and methods. We have developed a software solution for MSA containing two algorithms for unsupervised classification, an EM-algorithm finding multinormal class descriptions and the k-means clustering algorithm, and two for supervised classification, a Bayesian classifier using multinormal class descriptions and a kNN-algorithm. The software has an efficient user interface for the creation and manipulation of class descriptions, and it has proper tools for displaying the results. Results. The software has been tested on different sets of images. One application is to segment cross-sectional images of brain tissue (T1- and T2-weighted MR images) into its main normal tissues and brain tumors. Another interesting set of images are the perfusion maps and diffusion maps, derived images from raw MR images. The software returns segmentation that seem to be sensible. Discussion. The MSA software appears to be a valuable tool for image analysis with multimodal images at hand. It readily gives a segmentation of image volumes that visually seems to be sensible. However, to really learn how to use MSA, it will be necessary to gain more insight into what tissues the different segments contain, and the upcoming work will therefore be focused on examining the tissues through for example histological sections.

  14. Advanced cardiovascular imaging in Williams syndrome: Abnormalities, usefulness, and strategy for use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hills, Jordan A; Zarate, Yuri A; Danylchuk, Noelle R; Lepard, Tiffany; Chen, Jean Chi-Jen; Collins, Ronnie Thomas

    2017-05-01

    Extracardiac arterial stenoses are not uncommon in Williams syndrome (WS); however, data on the utility of advanced cardiovascular imaging (CVI) to assess these stenoses are lacking. We retrospectively reviewed the frequency, indication, and diagnostic outcomes of CVI modalities performed in patients with WS evaluated at a single institution between 2001 and 2014. Data were collected and analyzed from 34 patients (56% female) who underwent CVI during the study period. The median age was 10 years (range 1.8-33 years). Excluding echocardiograms, 78 CVI studies "advanced" were performed in the 34 patients (mean 2.3 studies/patient). The most common advanced CVI was renal ultrasound with Doppler (29/34, 85%), followed by computed tomographic angiography (13/34, 38%) and magnetic resonance angiography in (9/34, 26%). Abnormalities were detected in 62% of patients (21/34). For the 20 patients in whom advanced CVI were performed for defined clinical indications, the rate of abnormalities were 73, 70, 57, and 100% when performed for anatomic delineation (15 patients), hypertension (10 patients), bruits (7 patients), and/or decreased peripheral pulses (2 patients), respectively. Advanced CVI in patients with WS reveals abnormalities in the majority of cases, and physical exam findings frequently indicate abnormalities on advanced CVI. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. Imaging of systemic lupus erythematosus. Part I: CNS, cardiovascular, and thoracic manifestations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goh, Y.P.; Naidoo, P.; Ngian, G.S.

    2013-01-01

    Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, multisystem autoimmune disease that has a relapsing and remitting course. It has a wide range of non-specific symptoms with various organ manifestations. In 1982, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) published the revised criteria for the classification of SLE. The diagnosis of SLE may be made if four or more of the 11 ACR criteria are present, either serially or simultaneously, during any interval of observation. Whilst the diagnosis of SLE is based on clinical and laboratory features, with no universally accepted radiological diagnostic criteria, imaging is nonetheless useful for diagnosing specific organ manifestations, monitoring disease progression, and identifying complications secondary to immunosuppressive therapy. In this review, we describe the spectrum of radiological findings of SLE in various organ systems and compile a list of organ manifestations including the most frequently occurring diseases as well as the rare but not-to-be-missed diseases. This review aims to serve as a concise reference tool in an endeavour to assist clinicians and radiologists in the diagnosis and monitoring of this disease. This pictorial review presents the various radiological findings of CNS, cardiovascular and thoracic manifestation of SLE. The gastrointestinal, renal and musculoskeletal systems will be covered in part II.

  16. An Imaging And Graphics Workstation For Image Sequence Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mostafavi, Hassan

    1990-01-01

    This paper describes an application-specific engineering workstation designed and developed to analyze imagery sequences from a variety of sources. The system combines the software and hardware environment of the modern graphic-oriented workstations with the digital image acquisition, processing and display techniques. The objective is to achieve automation and high throughput for many data reduction tasks involving metric studies of image sequences. The applications of such an automated data reduction tool include analysis of the trajectory and attitude of aircraft, missile, stores and other flying objects in various flight regimes including launch and separation as well as regular flight maneuvers. The workstation can also be used in an on-line or off-line mode to study three-dimensional motion of aircraft models in simulated flight conditions such as wind tunnels. The system's key features are: 1) Acquisition and storage of image sequences by digitizing real-time video or frames from a film strip; 2) computer-controlled movie loop playback, slow motion and freeze frame display combined with digital image sharpening, noise reduction, contrast enhancement and interactive image magnification; 3) multiple leading edge tracking in addition to object centroids at up to 60 fields per second from both live input video or a stored image sequence; 4) automatic and manual field-of-view and spatial calibration; 5) image sequence data base generation and management, including the measurement data products; 6) off-line analysis software for trajectory plotting and statistical analysis; 7) model-based estimation and tracking of object attitude angles; and 8) interface to a variety of video players and film transport sub-systems.

  17. 2014 Korean guidelines for appropriate utilization of cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging: A joint report of the Korean Society of Cardiology and the Korean Society of Radiology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yoon, Yeon Yee E. [Dept. of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Hong, Yoo Jin; Choi, Eui Young [Dept. of Radiology, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); and others

    2015-04-15

    The use of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is increasing for the assessment of certain cardiovascular diseases, due to recent technical developments. CMR can give physicians information that cannot be found with other imaging modalities. However, there has been no guideline for the use of CMR in Korean people. Therefore, we have prepared a Korean guideline for the appropriate utilization of CMR to guide Korean physicians, imaging specialists, medical associates, and patients to improve the overall performances in medical system. By addressing CMR usage and creating these guidelines, we hope to contribute to the promotion of public health. This guideline is a joint report of the Korean Society of Cardiology and the Korean Society of Radiology.

  18. 2014 Korean Guidelines for Appropriate Utilization of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Joint Report of the Korean Society of Cardiology and the Korean Society of Radiology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yoon, Yeonyee E. [Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam 463-707 (Korea, Republic of); Hong, Yoo Jin [Department of Radiology, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 120-752 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hyung-Kwan [Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul 110-744 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jeong A [Department of Radiology, Ilsan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Goyang 411-706 (Korea, Republic of); Na, Jin Oh [Cardiovascular Center, Korea University Guro Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 152-703 (Korea, Republic of); Yang, Dong Hyun [Department of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 138-736 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Young Jin [Department of Radiology, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 120-752 (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Eui-Young [Division of Cardiology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 135-720 (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-07-01

    Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is now widely used in several fields of cardiovascular disease assessment due to recent technical developments. CMR can give physicians information that cannot be found with other imaging modalities. However, there is no guideline which is suitable for Korean people for the use of CMR. Therefore, we have prepared a Korean guideline for the appropriate utilization of CMR to guide Korean physicians, imaging specialists, medical associates and patients to improve the overall medical system performances. By addressing CMR usage and creating these guidelines we hope to contribute towards the promotion of public health. This guideline is a joint report of the Korean Society of Cardiology and the Korean Society of Radiology.

  19. 2014 Korean guidelines for appropriate utilization of cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging: A joint report of the Korean Society of Cardiology and the Korean Society of Radiology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoon, Yeon Yee E.; Hong, Yoo Jin; Choi, Eui Young

    2015-01-01

    The use of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is increasing for the assessment of certain cardiovascular diseases, due to recent technical developments. CMR can give physicians information that cannot be found with other imaging modalities. However, there has been no guideline for the use of CMR in Korean people. Therefore, we have prepared a Korean guideline for the appropriate utilization of CMR to guide Korean physicians, imaging specialists, medical associates, and patients to improve the overall performances in medical system. By addressing CMR usage and creating these guidelines, we hope to contribute to the promotion of public health. This guideline is a joint report of the Korean Society of Cardiology and the Korean Society of Radiology.

  20. Brain-inspired algorithms for retinal image analysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    ter Haar Romeny, B.M.; Bekkers, E.J.; Zhang, J.; Abbasi-Sureshjani, S.; Huang, F.; Duits, R.; Dasht Bozorg, Behdad; Berendschot, T.T.J.M.; Smit-Ockeloen, I.; Eppenhof, K.A.J.; Feng, J.; Hannink, J.; Schouten, J.; Tong, M.; Wu, H.; van Triest, J.W.; Zhu, S.; Chen, D.; He, W.; Xu, L.; Han, P.; Kang, Y.

    2016-01-01

    Retinal image analysis is a challenging problem due to the precise quantification required and the huge numbers of images produced in screening programs. This paper describes a series of innovative brain-inspired algorithms for automated retinal image analysis, recently developed for the RetinaCheck

  1. The cumulative verification image analysis tool for offline evaluation of portal images

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wong, John; Yan Di; Michalski, Jeff; Graham, Mary; Halverson, Karen; Harms, William; Purdy, James

    1995-01-01

    Purpose: Daily portal images acquired using electronic portal imaging devices contain important information about the setup variation of the individual patient. The data can be used to evaluate the treatment and to derive correction for the individual patient. The large volume of images also require software tools for efficient analysis. This article describes the approach of cumulative verification image analysis (CVIA) specifically designed as an offline tool to extract quantitative information from daily portal images. Methods and Materials: The user interface, image and graphics display, and algorithms of the CVIA tool have been implemented in ANSCI C using the X Window graphics standards. The tool consists of three major components: (a) definition of treatment geometry and anatomical information; (b) registration of portal images with a reference image to determine setup variation; and (c) quantitative analysis of all setup variation measurements. The CVIA tool is not automated. User interaction is required and preferred. Successful alignment of anatomies on portal images at present remains mostly dependent on clinical judgment. Predefined templates of block shapes and anatomies are used for image registration to enhance efficiency, taking advantage of the fact that much of the tool's operation is repeated in the analysis of daily portal images. Results: The CVIA tool is portable and has been implemented on workstations with different operating systems. Analysis of 20 sequential daily portal images can be completed in less than 1 h. The temporal information is used to characterize setup variation in terms of its systematic, random and time-dependent components. The cumulative information is used to derive block overlap isofrequency distributions (BOIDs), which quantify the effective coverage of the prescribed treatment area throughout the course of treatment. Finally, a set of software utilities is available to facilitate feedback of the information for

  2. Aortic pulse wave velocity and HeartSCORE: improving cardiovascular risk stratification. a sub-analysis of the EDIVA (Estudo de DIstensibilidade VAscular) project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pereira, T; Maldonado, J; Polónia, J; Silva, J A; Morais, J; Rodrigues, T; Marques, M

    2014-04-01

    HeartSCORE is a tool for assessing cardiovascular risk, basing its estimates on the relative weight of conventional cardiovascular risk factors. However, new markers of cardiovascular risk have been identified, such as aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV). The purpose of this study was to evaluate to what extent the incorporation of PWV in HeartSCORE increases its discriminative power of major cardiovascular events (MACE). This study is a sub-analysis of the EDIVA project, which is a prospective cohort, multicenter and observational study involving 2200 individuals of Portuguese nationality (1290 men and 910 women) aged between 18 and 91 years (mean 46.33 ± 13.76 years), with annual measurements of PWV (Complior). Only participants above 35 years old were included in the present re-analysis, resulting in a population of 1709 participants. All MACE - death, cerebrovascular accident, coronary accidents (coronary heart disease), peripheral arterial disease and renal failure - were recorded. During a mean follow-up period of 21.42 ± 10.76 months, there were 47 non-fatal MACE (2.1% of the sample). Cardiovascular risk was estimated in all patients based on the HeartSCORE risk factors. For the analysis, the refitted HeartSCORE and PWV were divided into three risk categories. The event-free survival at 2 years was 98.6%, 98.0% and 96.1%, respectively in the low-, intermediate- and high-risk categories of HeartSCORE (log-rank p factor model. The C statistics improved from 0.69 to 0.78 (adding PWV, p = 0.005). The net reclassification improvement (NRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) were also determined, and indicated further evidence of improvements in discrimination of the outcome when including PWV in the risk-factor model (NRI = 0.265; IDI = 0.012). The results clearly illustrate the benefits of integrating PWV in the risk assessment strategies, as advocated by HeartSCORE, insofar as it contributes to a better discriminative capacity of global

  3. The impact of different doses of clopidogrel used after percutaneous coronary intervention on cardiovascular events: a Meta-analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Diangeng; Chen Yao; Li Rongshan

    2011-01-01

    Objective: To make a comprehensive evaluation of the efficacy and safety of different doses of clopidogrel that was used after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in preventing the cardiovascular events in order to provide scientific basis for physician in making therapeutic strategic decision. Methods: The authors searched the electronic databases (PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CNKI and Wan Fan) and reference lists from original studies and reviewed the related articles.Statistical analysis was performed by using RevMan 4.2 software. Results: A total of 6 studies containing 1027 patients were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that significant differences in the rate of cardiovascular events [OR = 0.52, 95%CI (0.36, 0.77)] existed between higher clopidogrel maintenance dose and standard dose. No obvious difference was found in major or minor bleeding [OR=1.25, 95%CI(0.43, 3.63)] and [OR = 1.25, 95%CI (0.77, 2.02)]. Conclusion: A higher maintenance dose of clopidogrel employed in patients undergoing PCI can reduce the occurrence of cardiovascular events after PCI without increasing the bleeding risk. (J Intervent Radiol, 2011, 20 : 97-102) (authors)

  4. Cardiovascular Safety of Febuxostat or Allopurinol in Patients with Gout.

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, William B; Saag, Kenneth G; Becker, Michael A; Borer, Jeffrey S; Gorelick, Philip B; Whelton, Andrew; Hunt, Barbara; Castillo, Majin; Gunawardhana, Lhanoo

    2018-03-29

    Cardiovascular risk is increased in patients with gout. We compared cardiovascular outcomes associated with febuxostat, a nonpurine xanthine oxidase inhibitor, with those associated with allopurinol, a purine base analogue xanthine oxidase inhibitor, in patients with gout and cardiovascular disease. We conducted a multicenter, double-blind, noninferiority trial involving patients with gout and cardiovascular disease; patients were randomly assigned to receive febuxostat or allopurinol and were stratified according to kidney function. The trial had a prespecified noninferiority margin of 1.3 for the hazard ratio for the primary end point (a composite of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or unstable angina with urgent revascularization). In total, 6190 patients underwent randomization, received febuxostat or allopurinol, and were followed for a median of 32 months (maximum, 85 months). The trial regimen was discontinued in 56.6% of patients, and 45.0% discontinued follow-up. In the modified intention-to-treat analysis, a primary end-point event occurred in 335 patients (10.8%) in the febuxostat group and in 321 patients (10.4%) in the allopurinol group (hazard ratio, 1.03; upper limit of the one-sided 98.5% confidence interval [CI], 1.23; P=0.002 for noninferiority). All-cause and cardiovascular mortality were higher in the febuxostat group than in the allopurinol group (hazard ratio for death from any cause, 1.22 [95% CI, 1.01 to 1.47]; hazard ratio for cardiovascular death, 1.34 [95% CI, 1.03 to 1.73]). The results with regard to the primary end point and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in the analysis of events that occurred while patients were being treated were similar to the results in the modified intention-to-treat analysis. In patients with gout and major cardiovascular coexisting conditions, febuxostat was noninferior to allopurinol with respect to rates of adverse cardiovascular events. All-cause mortality and

  5. Image sequence analysis workstation for multipoint motion analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mostafavi, Hassan

    1990-08-01

    This paper describes an application-specific engineering workstation designed and developed to analyze motion of objects from video sequences. The system combines the software and hardware environment of a modem graphic-oriented workstation with the digital image acquisition, processing and display techniques. In addition to automation and Increase In throughput of data reduction tasks, the objective of the system Is to provide less invasive methods of measurement by offering the ability to track objects that are more complex than reflective markers. Grey level Image processing and spatial/temporal adaptation of the processing parameters is used for location and tracking of more complex features of objects under uncontrolled lighting and background conditions. The applications of such an automated and noninvasive measurement tool include analysis of the trajectory and attitude of rigid bodies such as human limbs, robots, aircraft in flight, etc. The system's key features are: 1) Acquisition and storage of Image sequences by digitizing and storing real-time video; 2) computer-controlled movie loop playback, freeze frame display, and digital Image enhancement; 3) multiple leading edge tracking in addition to object centroids at up to 60 fields per second from both live input video or a stored Image sequence; 4) model-based estimation and tracking of the six degrees of freedom of a rigid body: 5) field-of-view and spatial calibration: 6) Image sequence and measurement data base management; and 7) offline analysis software for trajectory plotting and statistical analysis.

  6. Principal component analysis of cardiovascular risk traits in three generations cohort among Indian Punjabi population

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Badaruddoza

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available The current study focused to determine significant cardiovascular risk factors through principal component factor analysis (PCFA among three generations on 1827 individuals in three generations including 911 males (378 from offspring, 439 from parental and 94 from grand-parental generations and 916 females (261 from offspring, 515 from parental and 140 from grandparental generations. The study performed PCFA with orthogonal rotation to reduce 12 inter-correlated variables into groups of independent factors. The factors have been identified as 2 for male grandparents, 3 for male offspring, female parents and female grandparents each, 4 for male parents and 5 for female offspring. This data reduction method identified these factors that explained 72%, 84%, 79%, 69%, 70% and 73% for male and female offspring, male and female parents and male and female grandparents respectively, of the variations in original quantitative traits. The factor 1 accounting for the largest portion of variations was strongly loaded with factors related to obesity (body mass index (BMI, waist circumference (WC, waist to hip ratio (WHR, and thickness of skinfolds among all generations with both sexes, which has been known to be an independent predictor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The second largest components, factor 2 and factor 3 for almost all generations reflected traits of blood pressure phenotypes loaded, however, in male offspring generation it was observed that factor 2 was loaded with blood pressure phenotypes as well as obesity. This study not only confirmed but also extended prior work by developing a cumulative risk scale from factor scores. Till today, such a cumulative and extensive scale has not been used in any Indian studies with individuals of three generations. These findings and study highlight the importance of global approach for assessing the risk and need for studies that elucidate how these different cardiovascular risk factors

  7. Principal component analysis of cardiovascular risk traits in three generations cohort among Indian Punjabi population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badaruddoza; Kumar, Raman; Kaur, Manpreet

    2015-09-01

    The current study focused to determine significant cardiovascular risk factors through principal component factor analysis (PCFA) among three generations on 1827 individuals in three generations including 911 males (378 from offspring, 439 from parental and 94 from grand-parental generations) and 916 females (261 from offspring, 515 from parental and 140 from grandparental generations). The study performed PCFA with orthogonal rotation to reduce 12 inter-correlated variables into groups of independent factors. The factors have been identified as 2 for male grandparents, 3 for male offspring, female parents and female grandparents each, 4 for male parents and 5 for female offspring. This data reduction method identified these factors that explained 72%, 84%, 79%, 69%, 70% and 73% for male and female offspring, male and female parents and male and female grandparents respectively, of the variations in original quantitative traits. The factor 1 accounting for the largest portion of variations was strongly loaded with factors related to obesity (body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist to hip ratio (WHR), and thickness of skinfolds) among all generations with both sexes, which has been known to be an independent predictor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The second largest components, factor 2 and factor 3 for almost all generations reflected traits of blood pressure phenotypes loaded, however, in male offspring generation it was observed that factor 2 was loaded with blood pressure phenotypes as well as obesity. This study not only confirmed but also extended prior work by developing a cumulative risk scale from factor scores. Till today, such a cumulative and extensive scale has not been used in any Indian studies with individuals of three generations. These findings and study highlight the importance of global approach for assessing the risk and need for studies that elucidate how these different cardiovascular risk factors interact with

  8. Prognostic value of heart valve calcifications for cardiovascular events in a lung cancer screening population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Willemink, Martin J; Takx, Richard A P; Išgum, Ivana; de Koning, Harry J; Oudkerk, Matthijs; Mali, Willem P Th M; Budde, Ricardo P J; Leiner, Tim; Vliegenthart, Rozemarijn; de Jong, Pim A

    2015-08-01

    To assess the prognostic value of aortic valve and mitral valve/annulus calcifications for cardiovascular events in heavily smoking men without a history of cardiovascular disease. Heavily smoking men without a cardiovascular disease history who underwent non-contrast-enhanced low-radiation-dose chest CT for lung cancer screening were included. Non-imaging predictors (age, smoking status and pack-years) were collected and imaging-predictors (calcium volume of the coronary arteries, aorta, aortic valve and mitral valve/annulus) were obtained. The outcome was the occurrence of cardiovascular events. Multivariable Cox proportional-hazards regression was used to calculate hazard-ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Subsequently, concordance-statistics were calculated. In total 3111 individuals were included, of whom 186 (6.0%) developed a cardiovascular event during a follow-up of 2.9 (Q1-Q3, 2.7-3.3) years. If aortic (n = 657) or mitral (n = 85) annulus/valve calcifications were present, cardiovascular event incidence increased to 9.0% (n = 59) or 12.9% (n = 11), respectively. HRs of aortic and mitral valve/annulus calcium volume for cardiovascular events were 1.46 (95% CI, 1.09-1.84) and 2.74 (95% CI, 0.92-4.56) per 500 mm(3). The c-statistic of a basic model including age, pack-years, current smoking status, coronary and aorta calcium volume was 0.68 (95% CI, 0.63-0.72), which did not change after adding heart valve calcium volume. Aortic valve calcifications are predictors of future cardiovascular events. However, there was no added prognostic value beyond age, number of pack-years, current smoking status, coronary and aorta calcium volume for short term cardiovascular events.

  9. In a Heartbeat: Light and Cardiovascular Physiology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarah L. Chellappa

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Light impinging on the retina fulfils a dual function: it serves for vision and it is required for proper entrainment of the endogenous circadian timing system to the 24-h day, thus influencing behaviors that promote health and optimal quality of life but are independent of image formation. The circadian pacemaker located in the suprachiasmatic nuclei modulates the cardiovascular system with an intrinsic ability to anticipate morning solar time and with a circadian nature of adverse cardiovascular events. Here, we infer that light exposure might affect cardiovascular function and provide evidence from existing research. Findings show a time-of-day dependent increase in relative sympathetic tone associated with bright light in the morning but not in the evening hours. Furthermore, dynamic light in the early morning hours can reduce the deleterious sleep-to-wake evoked transition on cardiac modulation. On the contrary, effects of numerous light parameters, such as illuminance level and wavelength of monochromatic light, on cardiac function are mixed. Therefore, in future research studies, light modalities, such as timing, duration, and its wavelength composition, should be taken in to account when testing the potential of light as a non-invasive countermeasure for adverse cardiovascular events.

  10. Image analysis enhancement and interpretation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Glauert, A.M.

    1978-01-01

    The necessary practical and mathematical background are provided for the analysis of an electron microscope image in order to extract the maximum amount of structural information. Instrumental methods of image enhancement are described, including the use of the energy-selecting electron microscope and the scanning transmission electron microscope. The problems of image interpretation are considered with particular reference to the limitations imposed by radiation damage and specimen thickness. A brief survey is given of the methods for producing a three-dimensional structure from a series of two-dimensional projections, although emphasis is really given on the analysis, processing and interpretation of the two-dimensional projection of a structure. (Auth.)

  11. Data Analysis Strategies in Medical Imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parmar, Chintan; Barry, Joseph D; Hosny, Ahmed; Quackenbush, John; Aerts, Hugo Jwl

    2018-03-26

    Radiographic imaging continues to be one of the most effective and clinically useful tools within oncology. Sophistication of artificial intelligence (AI) has allowed for detailed quantification of radiographic characteristics of tissues using predefined engineered algorithms or deep learning methods. Precedents in radiology as well as a wealth of research studies hint at the clinical relevance of these characteristics. However, there are critical challenges associated with the analysis of medical imaging data. While some of these challenges are specific to the imaging field, many others like reproducibility and batch effects are generic and have already been addressed in other quantitative fields such as genomics. Here, we identify these pitfalls and provide recommendations for analysis strategies of medical imaging data including data normalization, development of robust models, and rigorous statistical analyses. Adhering to these recommendations will not only improve analysis quality, but will also enhance precision medicine by allowing better integration of imaging data with other biomedical data sources. Copyright ©2018, American Association for Cancer Research.

  12. The ImageJ ecosystem: An open platform for biomedical image analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schindelin, Johannes; Rueden, Curtis T; Hiner, Mark C; Eliceiri, Kevin W

    2015-01-01

    Technology in microscopy advances rapidly, enabling increasingly affordable, faster, and more precise quantitative biomedical imaging, which necessitates correspondingly more-advanced image processing and analysis techniques. A wide range of software is available-from commercial to academic, special-purpose to Swiss army knife, small to large-but a key characteristic of software that is suitable for scientific inquiry is its accessibility. Open-source software is ideal for scientific endeavors because it can be freely inspected, modified, and redistributed; in particular, the open-software platform ImageJ has had a huge impact on the life sciences, and continues to do so. From its inception, ImageJ has grown significantly due largely to being freely available and its vibrant and helpful user community. Scientists as diverse as interested hobbyists, technical assistants, students, scientific staff, and advanced biology researchers use ImageJ on a daily basis, and exchange knowledge via its dedicated mailing list. Uses of ImageJ range from data visualization and teaching to advanced image processing and statistical analysis. The software's extensibility continues to attract biologists at all career stages as well as computer scientists who wish to effectively implement specific image-processing algorithms. In this review, we use the ImageJ project as a case study of how open-source software fosters its suites of software tools, making multitudes of image-analysis technology easily accessible to the scientific community. We specifically explore what makes ImageJ so popular, how it impacts the life sciences, how it inspires other projects, and how it is self-influenced by coevolving projects within the ImageJ ecosystem. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. Cardiac remodeling following percutaneous mitral valve repair - initial results assessed by cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Radunski, U K; Franzen, O; Barmeyer, A

    2014-01-01

    PURPOSE: Percutaneous mitral valve repair with the MitraClip device (Abbott Vascular, Redwood City, California, USA) is a novel therapeutic option in patients with mitral regurgitation. This study evaluated the feasibility of cardiac volume measurements by cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging...... (CMR) to assess reverse myocardial remodeling in patients after MitraClip implantation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 12 patients underwent CMR at baseline (BL) before and at 6 months follow-up (FU) after MitraClip implantation. Cine-CMR was performed in short- and long-axes for the assessment of left...... end-systolic (48 [42 - 80] vs. 51 [40 - 81] ml/m(2); p = 0.48), and LA (87 [55 - 124] vs. 92 [48 - 137] ml/m(2); p = 0.20) volume indices between BL and FU. CONCLUSION: CMR enables the assessment of cardiac volumes in patients after MitraClip implantation. Our CMR findings indicate that percutaneous...

  14. Extensive impact of saturated fatty acids on metabolic and cardiovascular profile in rats with diet-induced obesity: a canonical analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oliveira Junior, Silvio A; Padovani, Carlos R; Rodrigues, Sergio A; Silva, Nilza R; Martinez, Paula F; Campos, Dijon Hs; Okoshi, Marina P; Okoshi, Katashi; Dal-Pai, Maeli; Cicogna, Antonio C

    2013-04-15

    Although hypercaloric interventions are associated with nutritional, endocrine, metabolic, and cardiovascular disorders in obesity experiments, a rational distinction between the effects of excess adiposity and the individual roles of dietary macronutrients in relation to these disturbances has not previously been studied. This investigation analyzed the correlation between ingested macronutrients (including sucrose and saturated and unsaturated fatty acids) plus body adiposity and metabolic, hormonal, and cardiovascular effects in rats with diet-induced obesity. Normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats were submitted to Control (CD; 3.2 Kcal/g) and Hypercaloric (HD; 4.6 Kcal/g) diets for 20 weeks followed by nutritional evaluation involving body weight and adiposity measurement. Metabolic and hormonal parameters included glycemia, insulin, insulin resistance, and leptin. Cardiovascular analysis included systolic blood pressure profile, echocardiography, morphometric study of myocardial morphology, and myosin heavy chain (MHC) protein expression. Canonical correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relationships between dietary macronutrients plus adiposity and metabolic, hormonal, and cardiovascular parameters. Although final group body weights did not differ, HD presented higher adiposity than CD. Diet induced hyperglycemia while insulin and leptin levels remained unchanged. In a cardiovascular context, systolic blood pressure increased with time only in HD. Additionally, in vivo echocardiography revealed cardiac hypertrophy and improved systolic performance in HD compared to CD; and while cardiomyocyte size was unchanged by diet, nuclear volume and collagen interstitial fraction both increased in HD. Also HD exhibited higher relative β-MHC content and β/α-MHC ratio than their Control counterparts. Importantly, body adiposity was weakly associated with cardiovascular effects, as saturated fatty acid intake was directly associated with most cardiac remodeling

  15. Optimization of shearography image quality analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rafhayudi Jamro

    2005-01-01

    Shearography is an optical technique based on speckle pattern to measure the deformation of the object surface in which the fringe pattern is obtained through the correlation analysis from the speckle pattern. Analysis of fringe pattern for engineering application is limited for qualitative measurement. Therefore, for further analysis that lead to qualitative data, series of image processing mechanism are involved. In this paper, the fringe pattern for qualitative analysis is discussed. In principal field of applications is qualitative non-destructive testing such as detecting discontinuity, defect in the material structure, locating fatigue zones and etc and all these required image processing application. In order to performed image optimisation successfully, the noise in the fringe pattern must be minimised and the fringe pattern itself must be maximise. This can be achieved by applying a filtering method with a kernel size ranging from 2 X 2 to 7 X 7 pixels size and also applying equalizer in the image processing. (Author)

  16. Cardiovascular whole-body MRI

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kramer, Harald [Department of Clinical Radiology, University Hospitals Munich - Grosshadern Campus, Ludwig Maxmilians University Munich, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377 Munich (Germany)], E-mail: harald.kramer@med.uni-muenchen.de; Nikolaou, Konstantin; Reiser, Maximilian F. [Department of Clinical Radiology, University Hospitals Munich - Grosshadern Campus, Ludwig Maxmilians University Munich, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377 Munich (Germany)

    2009-06-15

    Cardiovascular diseases still rank number one in mortality statistics in the industrialized world. In these countries the five most common causes of death are associated to atherosclerotic changes of the arterial vasculature. Due to its often long lasting treatment and the possible loss of ability to work atherosclerotic disease constitutes an economic factor which should not be disregarded. Thus screening for atherosclerotic disease seems to be reasonable because as known the potential to influence atherosclerotic changes is higher in an early stage of the disease. Not in every case it is possible to cure the disease but sometimes progression can be controlled and decelerated. Imaging of the arterial vasculature was limited to invasive procedures associated with ionizing radiation for a long time. Non-invasive exams like the 'ankle-brachial-index' (ABI) can indicate the presence of PAOD, an exact localization of the pathologic changes is only possible with imaging methods. For cardiac imaging likewise the only non-invasive exams have been ECG and auscultation. Certainly echocardiography is an excellent technique to access cardiac function but it depends very much on both, the examining physician and the patient. MRI constitutes a non-invasive imaging modality without ionizing radiation offering excellent reproducible image quality.

  17. Cardiovascular whole-body MRI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kramer, Harald; Nikolaou, Konstantin; Reiser, Maximilian F.

    2009-01-01

    Cardiovascular diseases still rank number one in mortality statistics in the industrialized world. In these countries the five most common causes of death are associated to atherosclerotic changes of the arterial vasculature. Due to its often long lasting treatment and the possible loss of ability to work atherosclerotic disease constitutes an economic factor which should not be disregarded. Thus screening for atherosclerotic disease seems to be reasonable because as known the potential to influence atherosclerotic changes is higher in an early stage of the disease. Not in every case it is possible to cure the disease but sometimes progression can be controlled and decelerated. Imaging of the arterial vasculature was limited to invasive procedures associated with ionizing radiation for a long time. Non-invasive exams like the 'ankle-brachial-index' (ABI) can indicate the presence of PAOD, an exact localization of the pathologic changes is only possible with imaging methods. For cardiac imaging likewise the only non-invasive exams have been ECG and auscultation. Certainly echocardiography is an excellent technique to access cardiac function but it depends very much on both, the examining physician and the patient. MRI constitutes a non-invasive imaging modality without ionizing radiation offering excellent reproducible image quality.

  18. Advancing Cardiovascular, Neurovascular and Renal Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Small Rodents Using Cryogenic Radiofrequency Coil Technology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thoralf eNiendorf

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Research in pathologies of the brain, heart and kidney have gained immensely from the plethora of studies that have helped shape new methods in magnetic resonance (MR for characterizing preclinical disease models. Methodical probing into preclinical animal models by MR is invaluable since it allows a careful interpretation and extrapolation of data derived from these models to human disease. In this review we will focus on the applications of cryogenic radiofrequency (RF coils in small animal MR as a means of boosting image quality (e.g. by supporting MR microscopy and making data acquisition more efficient (e.g. by reducing measuring time; both being important constituents for thorough investigational studies on animal models of disease. This review attempts to make the (biomedical imaging, molecular medicine and pharmaceutical communities aware of this productive ferment and its outstanding significance for anatomical and functional MR in small rodents. The goal is to inspire a more intense interdisciplinary collaboration across the fields to further advance and progress non-invasive MR methods that ultimately support thorough (pathophysiological characterization of animal disease models. In this review, current and potential future applications for the RF coil technology in cardiovascular, neurovascular and renal disease will be discussed.

  19. Preditores cardiovasculares da mortalidade em idosos longevos Cardiovascular mortality predictors in the oldest old

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luiz Pedro Marafon

    2003-06-01

    Full Text Available O objetivo deste trabalho é investigar a associação entre fatores de risco e morbidade cardiovascular com mortalidade em idosos longevos. Noventa e um por cento da população com idade ³ 80 anos (n = 193 de Veranópolis, Rio Grande do Sul, no ano de 1996, foram avaliados para a detecção de fatores de risco e morbidade cardiovascular. Acompanhou-se esta população durante 3 anos e registraram-se os casos de óbitos. Os dados foram analisados por análise univariada e multivariada por regressão logística. Ocorreram 41 (21% óbitos (20 homens e 21 mulheres. As mortes foram distribuídas ao longo do período estudado como se segue: 3 (7,3% no primeiro ano, 8 (19,5% no segundo ano e 30 (73,2% no terceiro ano. Observou-se associação significativa de óbito com as seguintes características: pressão arterial diastólica (PAD, colesterol total (CT, LDL-C, ApoA-I, acidente vascular encefálico prévio (AVC, bloqueio do ramo direito (BRD e hipertrofia ventricular esquerda (HVE ao ECG. Os sobreviventes apresentaram níveis mais elevados de PAD, CT, LDL-C e ApoA-I. AVC, BRD e HVE. A análise multivariada mostrou que as variáveis eram fatores de risco independentes. Os fatores de risco cardiovascular parecem atuar de forma diferenciada em longevos.This article investigates the association between cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the oldest old. In 1996, 91% of the population ³ 80 years of age from Veranópolis, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, were evaluated to detect cardiovascular risk factors and morbidity. The sample was followed up for three years, with the assessment of deaths. The analysis was done using univariate statistics and multivariate logistic regression analysis. There were 41 deaths (21%: 20 men and 21 women. Deaths were distributed by year as follow: 03 (7.3% in the first year, 08 (19.5% in the second, and 30 (73.2% in the third. There was a significant and independent association

  20. Psoriasis and cardiovascular events

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Raaby, Line; Ahlehoff, Ole; de Thurah, Annette

    2017-01-01

    So far, systematic reviews have suggested an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in psoriatic patients, though some results have been conflicting. The aim of this study was to update the current level of evidence through a systematic search in MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Central...... Register databases. In total, 13 high-quality observational studies estimating the incidence of CVD were included. Patients with mild psoriasis had an increased risk of stroke [Hazard ratio (HR) = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.0-1.19] and myocardial infarction (MI) (HR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.06-1.35), but not cardiovascular...... death. The risks of both stroke (HR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.20-1.60), MI (HR = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.18-2.43) and cardiovascular death (HR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.13-1.67) were increased in patients with severe psoriasis. In conclusion, this updated meta-analysis confirmed that patients with psoriasis have an increased...

  1. Comparative effectiveness of oral antidiabetic drugs in preventing cardiovascular mortality and morbidity: A network meta-analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gyeongsil Lee

    Full Text Available In the Guidance for Industry from the Food and Drug Administration in 2008, excess cardiovascular risk should be ruled out in trials of all new antidiabetic drugs; however, relatively few studies have focused on cardiovascular safety with antidiabetic drug use. We aimed to examine mortality and cardiovascular risk using a network meta-analysis. We searched the Medline, Embase, Cochrane, and ClinicalTrials.gov registry databases in March 2016 to identify randomized controlled trials reporting cardiovascular risk with the following oral antidiabetic drugs: metformin, sulfonylureas, thiazolidinedione (TZD, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4 inhibitors, and sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2 inhibitors. We assessed the differences in the risks of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular-related mortality, acute coronary syndrome (ACS, and myocardial infarction (MI among antidiabetic drugs with fixed effect models for direct pairwise comparisons and Bayesian network meta-analyses to integrate direct and indirect comparisons. Of the 101,183 patients in 73 randomized controlled trials, 3,434 (3.4% died. The relative risks of all-cause mortality with SGLT2 inhibitor use were 0.68 (95% credible interval: 0.57-0.80, 0.74 (0.49-1.10, 0.63 (0.46-0.87, 0.71 (0.55-0.90, and 0.65 (0.54-0.78, compared with placebo, metformin, sulfonylurea, TZD, and DPP4 inhibitor, respectively. The relative risks of cardiovascular-related mortality with SGLT2 inhibitor use were 0.61 (0.50-0.76, 0.81(0.36-1.90, 0.52(0.31-0.88, 0.66(0.49-0.91, and 0.61(0.48-0.77, compared with placebo, metformin, sulfonylurea, TZD, and DPP4 inhibitor, respectively. The relative risks of ACS with SGLT2 inhibitor use was consistent with that of all-cause mortality. SGLT2 inhibitor use was associated with a lower risk of ACS than the other OADs and placebo. The relative risks of MI with SGLT2 inhibitor use were 0.77 (0.63-0.93 and 0.75 (0.60-0.94, compared with placebo and DPP4 inhibitor, respectively. The

  2. Dynamic Chest Image Analysis: Model-Based Perfusion Analysis in Dynamic Pulmonary Imaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kiuru Aaro

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available The "Dynamic Chest Image Analysis" project aims to develop model-based computer analysis and visualization methods for showing focal and general abnormalities of lung ventilation and perfusion based on a sequence of digital chest fluoroscopy frames collected with the dynamic pulmonary imaging technique. We have proposed and evaluated a multiresolutional method with an explicit ventilation model for ventilation analysis. This paper presents a new model-based method for pulmonary perfusion analysis. According to perfusion properties, we first devise a novel mathematical function to form a perfusion model. A simple yet accurate approach is further introduced to extract cardiac systolic and diastolic phases from the heart, so that this cardiac information may be utilized to accelerate the perfusion analysis and improve its sensitivity in detecting pulmonary perfusion abnormalities. This makes perfusion analysis not only fast but also robust in computation; consequently, perfusion analysis becomes computationally feasible without using contrast media. Our clinical case studies with 52 patients show that this technique is effective for pulmonary embolism even without using contrast media, demonstrating consistent correlations with computed tomography (CT and nuclear medicine (NM studies. This fluoroscopical examination takes only about 2 seconds for perfusion study with only low radiation dose to patient, involving no preparation, no radioactive isotopes, and no contrast media.

  3. Discontinued drugs in 2012: cardiovascular drugs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Hong-Ping; Jiang, Hong-Min; Xiang, Bing-Ren

    2013-11-01

    The continued high rate of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality has attracted wide concern and great attention of pharmaceutical industry. In order to reduce the attrition of cardiovascular drug R&D, it might be helpful recapitulating previous failures and identifying the potential factors to success. This perspective mainly analyses the 30 cardiovascular drugs dropped from clinical development in 2012. Reasons causing the termination of the cardiovascular drugs in the past 5 years are also tabulated and analysed. The analysis shows that the attrition is highest in Phase II trials and financial and strategic factors and lack of clinical efficacy are the principal reasons for these disappointments. To solve the four problems (The 'better than the Beatles' problem, the 'cautious regulator' problem, the 'throw money at it' tendency and the 'basic researchbrute force' bias) is recommended as the main measure to increase the number and quality of approvable products.

  4. Performance of uncertainty quantification methodologies and linear solvers in cardiovascular simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seo, Jongmin; Schiavazzi, Daniele; Marsden, Alison

    2017-11-01

    Cardiovascular simulations are increasingly used in clinical decision making, surgical planning, and disease diagnostics. Patient-specific modeling and simulation typically proceeds through a pipeline from anatomic model construction using medical image data to blood flow simulation and analysis. To provide confidence intervals on simulation predictions, we use an uncertainty quantification (UQ) framework to analyze the effects of numerous uncertainties that stem from clinical data acquisition, modeling, material properties, and boundary condition selection. However, UQ poses a computational challenge requiring multiple evaluations of the Navier-Stokes equations in complex 3-D models. To achieve efficiency in UQ problems with many function evaluations, we implement and compare a range of iterative linear solver and preconditioning techniques in our flow solver. We then discuss applications to patient-specific cardiovascular simulation and how the problem/boundary condition formulation in the solver affects the selection of the most efficient linear solver. Finally, we discuss performance improvements in the context of uncertainty propagation. Support from National Institute of Health (R01 EB018302) is greatly appreciated.

  5. Cost-effectiveness analysis of cardiovascular risk factor screening in women who experienced hypertensive pregnancy disorders at term

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Baaren, Gert-Jan; Hermes, Wietske; Franx, Arie; van Pampus, Maria G.; Bloemenkamp, Kitty W. M.; van der Post, Joris A.; Porath, Martina; Ponjee, Gabrielle A. E.; Tamsma, Jouke T.; Mol, Ben Willem J.; Opmeer, Brent C.; de Groot, Christianne J. M.

    2014-01-01

    Objectives: To assess the cost-effectiveness of post-partum screening on cardiovascular risk factors and subsequent treatment in women with a history of gestational hypertension or pre-eclampsia at term. Study design: Two separate Markov models evaluated the cost-effectiveness analysis of

  6. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) reveals characteristic pattern of myocardial damage in patients with mitochondrial myopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yilmaz, Ali; Gdynia, Hans-Jürgen; Ponfick, Matthias; Rösch, Sabine; Lindner, Alfred; Ludolph, Albert C; Sechtem, Udo

    2012-04-01

    Mitochondrial myopathy comprises various clinical subforms of neuromuscular disorders that are characterised by impaired mitochondrial energy metabolism due to dysfunction of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. No comprehensive and targeted cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) studies have been performed so far in patients with mitochondrial disorders. The present study aimed at characterising cardiac disease manifestations in patients with mitochondrial myopathy and elucidating the in vivo cardiac damage pattern of patients with different subforms of mitochondrial disease by CMR studies. In a prospective study, 37 patients with mitochondrial myopathy underwent comprehensive neurological and cardiac evaluations including physical examination, resting ECG and CMR. The CMR studies comprised cine-CMR, T2-weighted "edema" imaging and T1-weighted late-gadolinium-enhancement (LGE) imaging. Various patterns and degrees of skeletal myopathy were present in the participants of this study, whereas clinical symptoms such as chest pain symptoms (in eight (22%) patients) and various degrees of dyspnea (in 16 (43%) patients) were less frequent. Pathological ECG findings were documented in eight (22%) patients. T2-weighted "edema" imaging was positive in one (3%) patient with MELAS (mitochondrial encephalomyopathy with lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes) only. LGE imaging demonstrated the presence of non-ischemic LGE in 12 (32%) patients: 10 out of 24 (42%) patients with CPEO (chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia) or KSS (Kearns-Sayre syndrome) and 2 of 3 (67%) patients with MELAS were LGE positive. All 10 LGE-positive patients with CPEO or KSS demonstrated a potentially typical pattern of diffuse intramural LGE in the left-ventricular (LV) inferolateral segments. Cardiac involvement is a frequent finding in patients with mitochondrial myopathy. A potentially characteristic pattern of diffuse intramural LGE in the LV inferolateral segments was identified in

  7. Some developments in multivariate image analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kucheryavskiy, Sergey

    be up to several million. The main MIA tool for exploratory analysis is score density plot – all pixels are projected into principal component space and on the corresponding scores plots are colorized according to their density (how many pixels are crowded in the unit area of the plot). Looking...... for and analyzing patterns on these plots and the original image allow to do interactive analysis, to get some hidden information, build a supervised classification model, and much more. In the present work several alternative methods to original principal component analysis (PCA) for building the projection......Multivariate image analysis (MIA), one of the successful chemometric applications, now is used widely in different areas of science and industry. Introduced in late 80s it has became very popular with hyperspectral imaging, where MIA is one of the most efficient tools for exploratory analysis...

  8. Association between alcohol and cardiovascular disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Holmes, Michael V; Dale, Caroline E; Zuccolo, Luisa

    2014-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To use the rs1229984 variant in the alcohol dehydrogenase 1B gene (ADH1B) as an instrument to investigate the causal role of alcohol in cardiovascular disease. DESIGN: Mendelian randomisation meta-analysis of 56 epidemiological studies. PARTICIPANTS: 261 991 individuals of European...... descent, including 20 259 coronary heart disease cases and 10 164 stroke events. Data were available on ADH1B rs1229984 variant, alcohol phenotypes, and cardiovascular biomarkers. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Odds ratio for coronary heart disease and stroke associated with the ADH1B variant in all individuals...... disease than those without the genetic variant. This suggests that reduction of alcohol consumption, even for light to moderate drinkers, is beneficial for cardiovascular health....

  9. Rapid analysis and exploration of fluorescence microscopy images.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pavie, Benjamin; Rajaram, Satwik; Ouyang, Austin; Altschuler, Jason M; Steininger, Robert J; Wu, Lani F; Altschuler, Steven J

    2014-03-19

    Despite rapid advances in high-throughput microscopy, quantitative image-based assays still pose significant challenges. While a variety of specialized image analysis tools are available, most traditional image-analysis-based workflows have steep learning curves (for fine tuning of analysis parameters) and result in long turnaround times between imaging and analysis. In particular, cell segmentation, the process of identifying individual cells in an image, is a major bottleneck in this regard. Here we present an alternate, cell-segmentation-free workflow based on PhenoRipper, an open-source software platform designed for the rapid analysis and exploration of microscopy images. The pipeline presented here is optimized for immunofluorescence microscopy images of cell cultures and requires minimal user intervention. Within half an hour, PhenoRipper can analyze data from a typical 96-well experiment and generate image profiles. Users can then visually explore their data, perform quality control on their experiment, ensure response to perturbations and check reproducibility of replicates. This facilitates a rapid feedback cycle between analysis and experiment, which is crucial during assay optimization. This protocol is useful not just as a first pass analysis for quality control, but also may be used as an end-to-end solution, especially for screening. The workflow described here scales to large data sets such as those generated by high-throughput screens, and has been shown to group experimental conditions by phenotype accurately over a wide range of biological systems. The PhenoBrowser interface provides an intuitive framework to explore the phenotypic space and relate image properties to biological annotations. Taken together, the protocol described here will lower the barriers to adopting quantitative analysis of image based screens.

  10. UV imaging in pharmaceutical analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Østergaard, Jesper

    2018-01-01

    UV imaging provides spatially and temporally resolved absorbance measurements, which are highly useful in pharmaceutical analysis. Commercial UV imaging instrumentation was originally developed as a detector for separation sciences, but the main use is in the area of in vitro dissolution...

  11. Image Analysis of Eccentric Photorefraction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Dušek

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available This article deals with image and data analysis of the recorded video-sequences of strabistic infants. It describes a unique noninvasive measuring system based on two measuring methods (position of I. Purkynje image with relation to the centre of the lens and eccentric photorefraction for infants. The whole process is divided into three steps. The aim of the first step is to obtain video sequences on our special system (Eye Movement Analyser. Image analysis of the recorded sequences is performed in order to obtain curves of basic eye reactions (accommodation and convergence. The last step is to calibrate of these curves to corresponding units (diopter and degrees of movement.

  12. Knowledge-based image analysis: some aspects on the analysis of images using other types of information

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eklundh, J O

    1982-01-01

    The computer vision approach to image analysis is discussed from two aspects. First, this approach is constrasted to the pattern recognition approach. Second, how external knowledge and information and models from other fields of science and engineering can be used for image and scene analysis is discussed. In particular, the connections between computer vision and computer graphics are pointed out.

  13. Virtual medicine: Utilization of the advanced cardiac imaging patient avatar for procedural planning and facilitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shinbane, Jerold S; Saxon, Leslie A

    Advances in imaging technology have led to a paradigm shift from planning of cardiovascular procedures and surgeries requiring the actual patient in a "brick and mortar" hospital to utilization of the digitalized patient in the virtual hospital. Cardiovascular computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) and cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) digitalized 3-D patient representation of individual patient anatomy and physiology serves as an avatar allowing for virtual delineation of the most optimal approaches to cardiovascular procedures and surgeries prior to actual hospitalization. Pre-hospitalization reconstruction and analysis of anatomy and pathophysiology previously only accessible during the actual procedure could potentially limit the intrinsic risks related to time in the operating room, cardiac procedural laboratory and overall hospital environment. Although applications are specific to areas of cardiovascular specialty focus, there are unifying themes related to the utilization of technologies. The virtual patient avatar computer can also be used for procedural planning, computational modeling of anatomy, simulation of predicted therapeutic result, printing of 3-D models, and augmentation of real time procedural performance. Examples of the above techniques are at various stages of development for application to the spectrum of cardiovascular disease processes, including percutaneous, surgical and hybrid minimally invasive interventions. A multidisciplinary approach within medicine and engineering is necessary for creation of robust algorithms for maximal utilization of the virtual patient avatar in the digital medical center. Utilization of the virtual advanced cardiac imaging patient avatar will play an important role in the virtual health care system. Although there has been a rapid proliferation of early data, advanced imaging applications require further assessment and validation of accuracy, reproducibility, standardization, safety, efficacy, quality

  14. Malware analysis using visualized image matrices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, KyoungSoo; Kang, BooJoong; Im, Eul Gyu

    2014-01-01

    This paper proposes a novel malware visual analysis method that contains not only a visualization method to convert binary files into images, but also a similarity calculation method between these images. The proposed method generates RGB-colored pixels on image matrices using the opcode sequences extracted from malware samples and calculates the similarities for the image matrices. Particularly, our proposed methods are available for packed malware samples by applying them to the execution traces extracted through dynamic analysis. When the images are generated, we can reduce the overheads by extracting the opcode sequences only from the blocks that include the instructions related to staple behaviors such as functions and application programming interface (API) calls. In addition, we propose a technique that generates a representative image for each malware family in order to reduce the number of comparisons for the classification of unknown samples and the colored pixel information in the image matrices is used to calculate the similarities between the images. Our experimental results show that the image matrices of malware can effectively be used to classify malware families both statically and dynamically with accuracy of 0.9896 and 0.9732, respectively.

  15. Malware Analysis Using Visualized Image Matrices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    KyoungSoo Han

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper proposes a novel malware visual analysis method that contains not only a visualization method to convert binary files into images, but also a similarity calculation method between these images. The proposed method generates RGB-colored pixels on image matrices using the opcode sequences extracted from malware samples and calculates the similarities for the image matrices. Particularly, our proposed methods are available for packed malware samples by applying them to the execution traces extracted through dynamic analysis. When the images are generated, we can reduce the overheads by extracting the opcode sequences only from the blocks that include the instructions related to staple behaviors such as functions and application programming interface (API calls. In addition, we propose a technique that generates a representative image for each malware family in order to reduce the number of comparisons for the classification of unknown samples and the colored pixel information in the image matrices is used to calculate the similarities between the images. Our experimental results show that the image matrices of malware can effectively be used to classify malware families both statically and dynamically with accuracy of 0.9896 and 0.9732, respectively.

  16. Cardiovascular disease in the polycystic ovary syndrome: new insights and perspectives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cussons, Andrea J; Stuckey, Bronwyn G A; Watts, Gerald F

    2006-04-01

    The new millennium has brought intense focus of interest on the risk of cardiovascular disease in women. The polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder in women characterised by hyperandrogenism and oligomenorrhoea. Most women with PCOS also exhibit features of the metabolic syndrome, including insulin resistance, obesity and dyslipidaemia. While the association with type 2 diabetes is well established, whether the incidence of cardiovascular disease is increased in women with PCOS remains unclear. Echocardiography, imaging of coronary and carotid arteries, and assessments of both endothelial function and arterial stiffness have recently been employed to address this question. These studies have collectively demonstrated both structural and functional abnormalities of the cardiovascular system in PCOS. These alterations, however, appear to be related to the presence of individual cardiovascular risk factors, particularly insulin resistance, rather than to the presence of PCOS and hyperandrogenaemia per se. However, given the inferential nature of the evidence to date, more rigorous cohort studies of long-term cardiovascular outcomes and clinical trials of risk factor modification are required in women with PCOS.

  17. Left ventricular thrombus formation after acute myocardial infarction as assessed by cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Delewi, Ronak; Nijveldt, Robin; Hirsch, Alexander; Marcu, Constantin B.; Robbers, Lourens; Hassell, Marriela E.C.J.; Bruin, Rianne H.A. de; Vleugels, Jim; Laan, Anja M. van der; Bouma, Berto J.; Tio, René A.; Tijssen, Jan G.P.; Rossum, Albert C. van; Zijlstra, Felix; Piek, Jan J.

    2012-01-01

    Introduction: Left ventricular (LV) thrombus formation is a feared complication of myocardial infarction (MI). We assessed the prevalence of LV thrombus in ST-segment elevated MI patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and compared the diagnostic accuracy of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) to cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). Also, we evaluated the course of LV thrombi in the modern era of primary PCI. Methods: 200 patients with primary PCI underwent TTE and CMR, at baseline and at 4 months follow-up. Studies were analyzed by two blinded examiners. Patients were seen at 1, 4, 12, and 24 months for assessment of clinical status and adverse events. Results: On CMR at baseline, a thrombus was found in 17 of 194 (8.8%) patients. LV thrombus resolution occurred in 15 patients. Two patients had persistence of LV thrombus on follow-up CMR. On CMR at four months, a thrombus was found in an additional 12 patients. In multivariate analysis, thrombus formation on baseline CMR was independently associated with, baseline infarct size (g) (B = 0.02, SE = 0.02, p < 0.001). Routine TTE had a sensitivity of 21–24% and a specificity of 95–98% compared to CMR for the detection of LV thrombi. Intra- and interobserver variation for detection of LV thrombus were lower for CMR (κ = 0.91 and κ = 0.96) compared to TTE (κ = 0.74 and κ = 0.53). Conclusion: LV thrombus still occurs in a substantial amount of patients after PCI-treated MI, especially in larger infarct sizes. Routine TTE had a low sensitivity for the detection of LV thrombi and the interobserver variation of TTE was large.

  18. Left ventricular thrombus formation after acute myocardial infarction as assessed by cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Delewi, Ronak [Department of Cardiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Interuniversity Cardiology Institute of the Netherlands (Netherlands); Nijveldt, Robin [Department of Cardiology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Hirsch, Alexander [Department of Cardiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Marcu, Constantin B.; Robbers, Lourens [Department of Cardiology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Hassell, Marriela E.C.J.; Bruin, Rianne H.A. de; Vleugels, Jim; Laan, Anja M. van der; Bouma, Berto J. [Department of Cardiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Tio, René A. [Thorax Center, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen (Netherlands); Tijssen, Jan G.P. [Department of Cardiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Rossum, Albert C. van [Department of Cardiology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Zijlstra, Felix [Thorax Center, Department of Cardiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Piek, Jan J., E-mail: j.j.piek@amc.uva.nl [Department of Cardiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (Netherlands)

    2012-12-15

    Introduction: Left ventricular (LV) thrombus formation is a feared complication of myocardial infarction (MI). We assessed the prevalence of LV thrombus in ST-segment elevated MI patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and compared the diagnostic accuracy of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) to cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). Also, we evaluated the course of LV thrombi in the modern era of primary PCI. Methods: 200 patients with primary PCI underwent TTE and CMR, at baseline and at 4 months follow-up. Studies were analyzed by two blinded examiners. Patients were seen at 1, 4, 12, and 24 months for assessment of clinical status and adverse events. Results: On CMR at baseline, a thrombus was found in 17 of 194 (8.8%) patients. LV thrombus resolution occurred in 15 patients. Two patients had persistence of LV thrombus on follow-up CMR. On CMR at four months, a thrombus was found in an additional 12 patients. In multivariate analysis, thrombus formation on baseline CMR was independently associated with, baseline infarct size (g) (B = 0.02, SE = 0.02, p < 0.001). Routine TTE had a sensitivity of 21–24% and a specificity of 95–98% compared to CMR for the detection of LV thrombi. Intra- and interobserver variation for detection of LV thrombus were lower for CMR (κ = 0.91 and κ = 0.96) compared to TTE (κ = 0.74 and κ = 0.53). Conclusion: LV thrombus still occurs in a substantial amount of patients after PCI-treated MI, especially in larger infarct sizes. Routine TTE had a low sensitivity for the detection of LV thrombi and the interobserver variation of TTE was large.

  19. Rapid, low-cost, image analysis through video processing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Levinson, R.A.; Marrs, R.W.; Grantham, D.G.

    1976-01-01

    Remote Sensing now provides the data necessary to solve many resource problems. However, many of the complex image processing and analysis functions used in analysis of remotely-sensed data are accomplished using sophisticated image analysis equipment. High cost of this equipment places many of these techniques beyond the means of most users. A new, more economical, video system capable of performing complex image analysis has now been developed. This report describes the functions, components, and operation of that system. Processing capability of the new video image analysis system includes many of the tasks previously accomplished with optical projectors and digital computers. Video capabilities include: color separation, color addition/subtraction, contrast stretch, dark level adjustment, density analysis, edge enhancement, scale matching, image mixing (addition and subtraction), image ratioing, and construction of false-color composite images. Rapid input of non-digital image data, instantaneous processing and display, relatively low initial cost, and low operating cost gives the video system a competitive advantage over digital equipment. Complex pre-processing, pattern recognition, and statistical analyses must still be handled through digital computer systems. The video system at the University of Wyoming has undergone extensive testing, comparison to other systems, and has been used successfully in practical applications ranging from analysis of x-rays and thin sections to production of color composite ratios of multispectral imagery. Potential applications are discussed including uranium exploration, petroleum exploration, tectonic studies, geologic mapping, hydrology sedimentology and petrography, anthropology, and studies on vegetation and wildlife habitat

  20. Unmet needs for cardiovascular care in Indonesia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maharani, Asri; Tampubolon, Gindo

    2014-01-01

    In the past twenty years the heaviest burden of cardiovascular diseases has begun to shift from developed to developing countries. However, little is known about the real needs for cardiovascular care in these countries and how well those needs are being met. This study aims to investigate the prevalence and determinants of unmet needs for cardiovascular care based on objective assessment. Multilevel analysis is used to analyse the determinants of met needs and multilevel multiple imputation is applied to manage missing data. The 2008 Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS4) survey is the source of the household data used in this study, while district data is sourced from the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Finance. The data shows that nearly 70% of respondents with moderate to high cardiovascular risk failed to receive cardiovascular care. Higher income, possession of health insurance and residence in urban areas are significantly associated with met needs for cardiovascular care, while health facility density and physician density show no association with them. The prevalence of unmet needs for cardiovascular care is considerable in Indonesia. Inequality persists as a factor in meeting needs for cardiovascular care as the needs of people with higher incomes and those living in urban areas are more likely to be met. Alleviation of poverty, provision of health care insurance for the poor, and improvement in the quality of healthcare providers are recommended in order to meet this ever-increasing need.

  1. Unmet needs for cardiovascular care in Indonesia.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Asri Maharani

    Full Text Available In the past twenty years the heaviest burden of cardiovascular diseases has begun to shift from developed to developing countries. However, little is known about the real needs for cardiovascular care in these countries and how well those needs are being met. This study aims to investigate the prevalence and determinants of unmet needs for cardiovascular care based on objective assessment.Multilevel analysis is used to analyse the determinants of met needs and multilevel multiple imputation is applied to manage missing data. The 2008 Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS4 survey is the source of the household data used in this study, while district data is sourced from the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Finance. The data shows that nearly 70% of respondents with moderate to high cardiovascular risk failed to receive cardiovascular care. Higher income, possession of health insurance and residence in urban areas are significantly associated with met needs for cardiovascular care, while health facility density and physician density show no association with them.The prevalence of unmet needs for cardiovascular care is considerable in Indonesia. Inequality persists as a factor in meeting needs for cardiovascular care as the needs of people with higher incomes and those living in urban areas are more likely to be met. Alleviation of poverty, provision of health care insurance for the poor, and improvement in the quality of healthcare providers are recommended in order to meet this ever-increasing need.

  2. Microarray-based bioinformatics analysis of the combined effects of SiNPs and PbAc on cardiovascular system in zebrafish.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Hejing; Zhang, Yannan; Shi, Yanfeng; Feng, Lin; Duan, Junchao; Sun, Zhiwei

    2017-10-01

    With rapid development of nanotechnology and growing environmental pollution, the combined toxic effects of SiNPs and pollutants of heavy metals like lead have received global attentions. The aim of this study was to explore the cardiovascular effects of the co-exposure of SiNPs and lead acetate (PbAc) in zebrafish using microarray and bioinformatics analysis. Although there was no other obvious cardiovascular malformation except bleeding phenotype, bradycardia, angiogenesis inhibition and declined cardiac output in zebrafish co-exposed of SiNPs and PbAc at NOAEL level, significant changes were observed in mRNA and microRNA (miRNA) expression patterns. STC-GO analysis indicated that the co-exposure might have more toxic effects on cardiovascular system than that exposure alone. Key differentially expressed genes were discerned out based on the Dynamic-gene-network, including stxbp1a, ndfip2, celf4 and gsk3b. Furthermore, several miRNAs obtained from the miRNA-Gene-Network might play crucial roles in cardiovascular disease, such as dre-miR-93, dre-miR-34a, dre-miR-181c, dre-miR-7145, dre-miR-730, dre-miR-129-5p, dre-miR-19d, dre-miR-218b, dre-miR-221. Besides, the analysis of miRNA-pathway-network indicated that the zebrafish were stimulated by the co-exposure of SiNPs and PbAc, which might cause the disturbance of calcium homeostasis and endoplasmic reticulum stress. As a result, cardiac muscle contraction might be deteriorated. In general, our data provide abundant fundamental research clues to the combined toxicity of environmental pollutants and further in-depth verifications are needed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Automated image analysis of atomic force microscopy images of rotavirus particles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Venkataraman, S.; Allison, D.P.; Qi, H.; Morrell-Falvey, J.L.; Kallewaard, N.L.; Crowe, J.E.; Doktycz, M.J.

    2006-01-01

    A variety of biological samples can be imaged by the atomic force microscope (AFM) under environments that range from vacuum to ambient to liquid. Generally imaging is pursued to evaluate structural features of the sample or perhaps identify some structural changes in the sample that are induced by the investigator. In many cases, AFM images of sample features and induced structural changes are interpreted in general qualitative terms such as markedly smaller or larger, rougher, highly irregular, or smooth. Various manual tools can be used to analyze images and extract more quantitative data, but this is usually a cumbersome process. To facilitate quantitative AFM imaging, automated image analysis routines are being developed. Viral particles imaged in water were used as a test case to develop an algorithm that automatically extracts average dimensional information from a large set of individual particles. The extracted information allows statistical analyses of the dimensional characteristics of the particles and facilitates interpretation related to the binding of the particles to the surface. This algorithm is being extended for analysis of other biological samples and physical objects that are imaged by AFM

  4. Automated image analysis of atomic force microscopy images of rotavirus particles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Venkataraman, S. [Life Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831 (United States); Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 (United States); Allison, D.P. [Life Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831 (United States); Department of Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 (United States); Molecular Imaging Inc. Tempe, AZ, 85282 (United States); Qi, H. [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 (United States); Morrell-Falvey, J.L. [Life Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831 (United States); Kallewaard, N.L. [Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232-2905 (United States); Crowe, J.E. [Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232-2905 (United States); Doktycz, M.J. [Life Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831 (United States)]. E-mail: doktyczmj@ornl.gov

    2006-06-15

    A variety of biological samples can be imaged by the atomic force microscope (AFM) under environments that range from vacuum to ambient to liquid. Generally imaging is pursued to evaluate structural features of the sample or perhaps identify some structural changes in the sample that are induced by the investigator. In many cases, AFM images of sample features and induced structural changes are interpreted in general qualitative terms such as markedly smaller or larger, rougher, highly irregular, or smooth. Various manual tools can be used to analyze images and extract more quantitative data, but this is usually a cumbersome process. To facilitate quantitative AFM imaging, automated image analysis routines are being developed. Viral particles imaged in water were used as a test case to develop an algorithm that automatically extracts average dimensional information from a large set of individual particles. The extracted information allows statistical analyses of the dimensional characteristics of the particles and facilitates interpretation related to the binding of the particles to the surface. This algorithm is being extended for analysis of other biological samples and physical objects that are imaged by AFM.

  5. Image analysis for ophthalmological diagnosis image processing of Corvis ST images using Matlab

    CERN Document Server

    Koprowski, Robert

    2016-01-01

    This monograph focuses on the use of analysis and processing methods for images from the Corvis® ST tonometer. The presented analysis is associated with the quantitative, repeatable and fully automatic evaluation of the response of the eye, eyeball and cornea to an air-puff. All the described algorithms were practically implemented in MATLAB®. The monograph also describes and provides the full source code designed to perform the discussed calculations. As a result, this monograph is intended for scientists, graduate students and students of computer science and bioengineering as well as doctors wishing to expand their knowledge of modern diagnostic methods assisted by various image analysis and processing methods.

  6. [Clinical analysis of pregnancy and postpartum cardiovascular complications in Marfan syndrome].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Jin-sheng; Li, Bin; Sun, Yan-qing; Guan, Xin-liang; Xu, Bao-wei; Qiao, Zhi-yu

    2007-11-01

    To investigate the management of pregnancy and cardiovascular complications in women with Marfan syndrome (MFS). From October 1994 to September 2006, 30 patients with MFS undergoing cardiovascular surgery were studied retrospectively. In the labor of 46 offsprings given birth by 30 women, 5 cases (11%) were performed elective cesarean section because of the existence of aortic complication, and 12 (26%) were diagnosed as MFS. The gestation in two patients was terminated due to deterioration of aortic abnormalities during their third trimester, and they received surgical treatment with Bentall procedure. Two developed acute aortic dissection during labor and post delivery respectively. With the manipulation of anticoagulation peripartum, one who had the implantation with mechanical prosthesis went through pregnancy and delivery uneventfully. The average duration between delivery and cardiovascular surgery was (15 +/- 9) years. Vaginal delivery can be done safely in patients with the MFS who do not have or have mild cardiovascular system abnormalities, aortic dissection, or other important cardiac abnormalities, cesarean section should be the preferred method of delivery. Women with MFS are at increased risk for dissection and congestive heart failure during pregnancy and should be counseled before pregnancy about these risks, as well as the inheritance of the condition.

  7. Impact of the cardiovascular system-associated adipose tissue on atherosclerotic pathology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chistiakov, Dimitry A; Grechko, Andrey V; Myasoedova, Veronika A; Melnichenko, Alexandra A; Orekhov, Alexander N

    2017-08-01

    Cardiac obesity makes an important contribution to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. One of the important pathways of this contribution is the inflammatory process that takes place in the adipose tissue. In this review, we consider the role of the cardiovascular system-associated fat in atherosclerotic cardiovascular pathology and a non-atherosclerotic cause of coronary artery disease, such as atrial fibrillation. Cardiovascular system-associated fat not only serves as the energy store, but also releases adipokines that control local and systemic metabolism, heart/vascular function and vessel tone, and a number of vasodilating and anti-inflammatory substances. Adipokine appears to play an important protective role in cardiovascular system. Under chronic inflammation conditions, the repertoire of signaling molecules secreted by cardiac fat can be altered, leading to a higher amount of pro-inflammatory messengers, vasoconstrictors, profibrotic modulators. This further aggravates cardiovascular inflammation and leads to hypertension, induction of the pathological tissue remodeling and cardiac fibrosis. Contemporary imaging techniques showed that epicardial fat thickness correlates with the visceral fat mass, which is an established risk factor and predictor of cardiovascular disease in obese subjects. However, this correlation is no longer present after adjustment for other covariates. Nevertheless, recent studies showed that pericardial fat volume and epicardial fat thickness can probably serve as a better indicator for atrial fibrillation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Association of Traditional Cardiovascular Risk Factors with Venous Thromboembolism

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mahmoodi, Bakhtawar K; Cushman, Mary; Næss, Inger Anne

    2017-01-01

    Background: Much controversy surrounds the association of traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors with venous thromboembolism (VTE). Methods: We performed an individual level random-effect meta-analysis including 9 prospective studies with measured baseline cardiovascular disease risk...... factors and validated VTE events. Definitions were harmonized across studies. Traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors were modeled categorically and continuously using restricted cubic splines. Estimates were obtained for overall VTE, provoked VTE (ie, VTE occurring in the presence of 1 or more...

  9. Cardiovascular measurement and cardiac function analysis with electron beam computed tomography in health Chinese people (50 cases report)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu Bin; Dai Ruping; Zhang Shaoxiong; Bai Hua; Jing Baolian; Cao Cheng; He Sha; Ren Li

    1998-01-01

    Purpose: To quantitatively measure cardiovascular diameters and function parameters by using electron beam computed tomography, EBCT. Methods: Men 50 health Chinese people accepted EBCT common transverse and short-axis enhanced movie scan (27 men, 23 women, average age 47.7 years.). The transverse scan was used to measure the diameters of the ascending aorta, descending aorta, pulmonary artery and left atrium. The movie study was used to measure the left ventricular myocardium thickness and analysis global, sectional and segmental function of the right and left ventricles. Results: The cardiovascular diameters and cardiac functional parameters were calculated. The diameters and most functional parameters (end syspoble volume, syspole volume, ejection fraction, cardiac-output, cardiac index) of normal Chinese men were greater than those of women (P>0.05). However, the EDV and MyM(myocardium mass) of both ventricles were significant (p<0.01). Conclusion: EBCT is a minimally invasive method for cardiovascular measurement and cardiac function evaluation

  10. A comparative analysis of alternative approaches for quantifying nonlinear dynamics in cardiovascular system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yun; Yang, Hui

    2013-01-01

    Heart rate variability (HRV) analysis has emerged as an important research topic to evaluate autonomic cardiac function. However, traditional time and frequency-domain analysis characterizes and quantify only linear and stationary phenomena. In the present investigation, we made a comparative analysis of three alternative approaches (i.e., wavelet multifractal analysis, Lyapunov exponents and multiscale entropy analysis) for quantifying nonlinear dynamics in heart rate time series. Note that these extracted nonlinear features provide information about nonlinear scaling behaviors and the complexity of cardiac systems. To evaluate the performance, we used 24-hour HRV recordings from 54 healthy subjects and 29 heart failure patients, available in PhysioNet. Three nonlinear methods are evaluated not only individually but also in combination using three classification algorithms, i.e., linear discriminate analysis, quadratic discriminate analysis and k-nearest neighbors. Experimental results show that three nonlinear methods capture nonlinear dynamics from different perspectives and the combined feature set achieves the best performance, i.e., sensitivity 97.7% and specificity 91.5%. Collectively, nonlinear HRV features are shown to have the promise to identify the disorders in autonomic cardiovascular function.

  11. Automated retinal vessel type classification in color fundus images

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, H.; Barriga, S.; Agurto, C.; Nemeth, S.; Bauman, W.; Soliz, P.

    2013-02-01

    Automated retinal vessel type classification is an essential first step toward machine-based quantitative measurement of various vessel topological parameters and identifying vessel abnormalities and alternations in cardiovascular disease risk analysis. This paper presents a new and accurate automatic artery and vein classification method developed for arteriolar-to-venular width ratio (AVR) and artery and vein tortuosity measurements in regions of interest (ROI) of 1.5 and 2.5 optic disc diameters from the disc center, respectively. This method includes illumination normalization, automatic optic disc detection and retinal vessel segmentation, feature extraction, and a partial least squares (PLS) classification. Normalized multi-color information, color variation, and multi-scale morphological features are extracted on each vessel segment. We trained the algorithm on a set of 51 color fundus images using manually marked arteries and veins. We tested the proposed method in a previously unseen test data set consisting of 42 images. We obtained an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 93.7% in the ROI of AVR measurement and 91.5% of AUC in the ROI of tortuosity measurement. The proposed AV classification method has the potential to assist automatic cardiovascular disease early detection and risk analysis.

  12. Applications of stochastic geometry in image analysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lieshout, van M.N.M.; Kendall, W.S.; Molchanov, I.S.

    2009-01-01

    A discussion is given of various stochastic geometry models (random fields, sequential object processes, polygonal field models) which can be used in intermediate and high-level image analysis. Two examples are presented of actual image analysis problems (motion tracking in video,

  13. A report on digital image processing and analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, B.; Alex, J.; Haridasan, G.

    1989-01-01

    This report presents developments in software, connected with digital image processing and analysis in the Centre. In image processing, one resorts to either alteration of grey level values so as to enhance features in the image or resorts to transform domain operations for restoration or filtering. Typical transform domain operations like Karhunen-Loeve transforms are statistical in nature and are used for a good registration of images or template - matching. Image analysis procedures segment grey level images into images contained within selectable windows, for the purpose of estimating geometrical features in the image, like area, perimeter, projections etc. In short, in image processing both the input and output are images, whereas in image analyses, the input is an image whereas the output is a set of numbers and graphs. (author). 19 refs

  14. Advanced 3-D analysis, client-server systems, and cloud computing-Integration of cardiovascular imaging data into clinical workflows of transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schoenhagen, Paul; Zimmermann, Mathis; Falkner, Juergen

    2013-06-01

    Degenerative aortic stenosis is highly prevalent in the aging populations of industrialized countries and is associated with poor prognosis. Surgical valve replacement has been the only established treatment with documented improvement of long-term outcome. However, many of the older patients with aortic stenosis (AS) are high-risk or ineligible for surgery. For these patients, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has emerged as a treatment alternative. The TAVR procedure is characterized by a lack of visualization of the operative field. Therefore, pre- and intra-procedural imaging is critical for patient selection, pre-procedural planning, and intra-operative decision-making. Incremental to conventional angiography and 2-D echocardiography, multidetector computed tomography (CT) has assumed an important role before TAVR. The analysis of 3-D CT data requires extensive post-processing during direct interaction with the dataset, using advance analysis software. Organization and storage of the data according to complex clinical workflows and sharing of image information have become a critical part of these novel treatment approaches. Optimally, the data are integrated into a comprehensive image data file accessible to multiple groups of practitioners across the hospital. This creates new challenges for data management requiring a complex IT infrastructure, spanning across multiple locations, but is increasingly achieved with client-server solutions and private cloud technology. This article describes the challenges and opportunities created by the increased amount of patient-specific imaging data in the context of TAVR.

  15. APPLICATION OF PRINCIPAL COMPONENT ANALYSIS TO RELAXOGRAPHIC IMAGES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    STOYANOVA, R.S.; OCHS, M.F.; BROWN, T.R.; ROONEY, W.D.; LI, X.; LEE, J.H.; SPRINGER, C.S.

    1999-01-01

    Standard analysis methods for processing inversion recovery MR images traditionally have used single pixel techniques. In these techniques each pixel is independently fit to an exponential recovery, and spatial correlations in the data set are ignored. By analyzing the image as a complete dataset, improved error analysis and automatic segmentation can be achieved. Here, the authors apply principal component analysis (PCA) to a series of relaxographic images. This procedure decomposes the 3-dimensional data set into three separate images and corresponding recovery times. They attribute the 3 images to be spatial representations of gray matter (GM), white matter (WM) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) content

  16. An Ibm PC/AT-Based Image Acquisition And Processing System For Quantitative Image Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Yongmin; Alexander, Thomas

    1986-06-01

    In recent years, a large number of applications have been developed for image processing systems in the area of biological imaging. We have already finished the development of a dedicated microcomputer-based image processing and analysis system for quantitative microscopy. The system's primary function has been to facilitate and ultimately automate quantitative image analysis tasks such as the measurement of cellular DNA contents. We have recognized from this development experience, and interaction with system users, biologists and technicians, that the increasingly widespread use of image processing systems, and the development and application of new techniques for utilizing the capabilities of such systems, would generate a need for some kind of inexpensive general purpose image acquisition and processing system specially tailored for the needs of the medical community. We are currently engaged in the development and testing of hardware and software for a fairly high-performance image processing computer system based on a popular personal computer. In this paper, we describe the design and development of this system. Biological image processing computer systems have now reached a level of hardware and software refinement where they could become convenient image analysis tools for biologists. The development of a general purpose image processing system for quantitative image analysis that is inexpensive, flexible, and easy-to-use represents a significant step towards making the microscopic digital image processing techniques more widely applicable not only in a research environment as a biologist's workstation, but also in clinical environments as a diagnostic tool.

  17. CONTEXT BASED FOOD IMAGE ANALYSIS

    OpenAIRE

    He, Ye; Xu, Chang; Khanna, Nitin; Boushey, Carol J.; Delp, Edward J.

    2013-01-01

    We are developing a dietary assessment system that records daily food intake through the use of food images. Recognizing food in an image is difficult due to large visual variance with respect to eating or preparation conditions. This task becomes even more challenging when different foods have similar visual appearance. In this paper we propose to incorporate two types of contextual dietary information, food co-occurrence patterns and personalized learning models, in food image analysis to r...

  18. The Role of Decision Support System (DSS) in Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    R. Anchala (Raghupathy); M.P. Pinto (Maria); A. Shroufi (Amir); R. Chowdhury (Rajiv); J. Sanderson (Jean); L.A. Johnson (Laura); P. Blanco (Patricia); D. Prabhakaran (Dorairaj); O.H. Franco (Oscar)

    2012-01-01

    textabstractBackground: The potential role of DSS in CVD prevention remains unclear as only a few studies report on patient outcomes for cardiovascular disease. Methods and Results: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials and observational studies was done using

  19. The triple line pattern on carotid intima media thickness imaging and its relationship to cardiovascular risk factors in patients on lipid lowering therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Singh TA

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Tania A Singh,1 Todd C Villines,2 Allen J Taylor31Division of Cardiology, Medstar Georgetown University Hospital, 2Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, 3Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA Background: Carotid intima media thickness (CIMT infrequently identifies a triple line pattern (TLP in the visualization of the internal elastic lamina. We examined the prevalence and predictors of the TLP among a consecutive series of subjects enrolled in a CIMT clinical trial, and also the effects of lipid lowering therapy.Methods: Baseline CIMT studies of subjects with known heart disease, or high risk for heart disease, were evaluated from a single site of the Arterial Biology for the Investigation of the Treatment Effects of Reducing Cholesterol 6-HDL and LDL Treatment Strategies in Atherosclerosis trial (N=120. One sonographer obtained four views of the right and left far wall common CIMT, using a 13 MHz ultrasound probe. Images were blindly reviewed for the presence of the TLP. The TLP was defined as absent (0, possible (1, or definite (2. A composite score from all four views was calculated. A patient was defined as having the TLP if the composite score was ≥4. Univariate predictors of the TLP were explored. Follow-up ultrasounds at 14 months were also reviewed for presence of the TLP.Results: The prevalence of the TLP at baseline was 22.5%. Among cardiovascular risk variables, systolic blood pressure was significantly higher in subjects displaying the TLP (141.3±15.6 mmHg versus 133.1±18.4 mmHg; P=0.036. There were no differences among those with, and without, the TLP, with respect to other cardiovascular risk variables (age, sex, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, C-reactive protein, glucose, weight, waist girth, tobacco use, medications, quantitative CIMT, or image quality. During ongoing lipid lowering therapy, the prevalence of the TLP increased to 54

  20. Technological Innovations in Magnetic Resonance for Early Detection of Cardiovascular Diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santarelli, Maria F; Positano, Vincenzo; Martini, Nicola; Valvano, Giuseppe; Landini, Luigi

    2016-01-01

    Most recent technical innovations in cardiovascular MR imaging (CMRI) are presented in this review. They include hardware and software developments, and novelties in parametric mapping. All these recent improvements lead to high spatial and temporal resolution and quantitative information on the heart structure and function. They make it achievable ambitious goals in the field of magnetic resonance, such as the early detection of cardiovascular pathologies. In this review article, we present recent innovations in CMRI, emphasizing the progresses performed and the solutions proposed to some yet opened technical problems.

  1. Cardiovascular Risk Following Fertility Therapy: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dayan, Natalie; Filion, Kristian B; Okano, Marisa; Kilmartin, Caitlin; Reinblatt, Shauna; Landry, Tara; Basso, Olga; Udell, Jacob A

    2017-09-05

    The longer term cardiovascular effects of fertility therapy are unknown. The aim of this study was to summarize data linking fertility therapy with subsequent cardiovascular outcomes. We systematically searched published reports for studies addressing the question "does fertility therapy increase the risk of longer term cardiovascular outcomes?" We included: 1) human studies; 2) case control, cohort, or randomized designs with 3) exposure to fertility therapy and 4) cardiovascular outcomes clearly reported; 5) presence of comparison group; 6) minimum 1-year follow-up; and 7) adjustment for age. Two independent reviewers screened abstracts, titles, and full texts, and assessed study quality. We used the DerSimonian and Laird random-effects models to pool hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the following outcomes: acute cardiac event; stroke; venous thromboembolism; hypertension; and diabetes mellitus, comparing women who received fertility therapy with those who did not. Six observational studies met inclusion criteria including 41,910 women who received fertility therapy and 1,400,202 women who did not. There was no increased risk of a cardiac event (pooled HR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.67 to 1.25; I 2  = 36.6%), or diabetes mellitus (pooled HR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.87 to 1.001; I 2  = 0%). Results were not pooled for hypertension (I 2  = 95.0%) and venous thromboembolism (I 2  = 82.3%). There was a trend toward higher risk of stroke (pooled HR: 1.25; 95% CI: 0.96 to 1.63; I 2  = 0%). The small number of studies and significant heterogeneity precludes definitive reassurance about the longer term cardiovascular safety of these treatments, particularly stroke. Future studies are needed to address ongoing knowledge gaps in this area. Copyright © 2017 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Asociación de la neuropatía autonómica cardiovascular y el intervalo QT prolongado con la morbimortalidad cardiovascular en pacientes con diabetes mellitus tipo 2 Association of cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy and prolonged QT interval with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ray Ticse Aguirre

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Con el objetivo de evaluar la relación entre la neuropatía autonómica cardiovascular (NACV y el intervalo QT corregido (QTc con la morbimortalidad cardiovascular en pacientes con diabetes mellitus tipo 2, se realizó el seguimiento a 5 años de 67 pacientes que acudieron a consulta externa del Servicio de Endocrinología. Se presentaron eventos cardiovasculares en 16 pacientes; el 82% completó el seguimiento y se encontró que el intervalo QTc prolongado fue la única variable que se asoció de forma significativa a morbimortalidad cardiovascular en el análisis de regresión logística múltiple (RR: 13,56; IC 95%: 2,01-91,36 (p=0,0074.In order to evaluate the relationship between cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy and corrected QT interval (QTc with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, we followed up for 5 years 67 patients attending the outpatient Endocrinology Service. 82% completed follow-up and cardiovascular events occurred in 16 patients. We found that long QTc interval was the only variable significantly associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the multiple logistic regression analysis (RR: 13.56, 95% CI: 2.01-91.36 (p = 0.0074.

  3. Classification of cardiovascular tissues using LBP based descriptors and a cascade SVM.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mazo, Claudia; Alegre, Enrique; Trujillo, Maria

    2017-08-01

    Histological images have characteristics, such as texture, shape, colour and spatial structure, that permit the differentiation of each fundamental tissue and organ. Texture is one of the most discriminative features. The automatic classification of tissues and organs based on histology images is an open problem, due to the lack of automatic solutions when treating tissues without pathologies. In this paper, we demonstrate that it is possible to automatically classify cardiovascular tissues using texture information and Support Vector Machines (SVM). Additionally, we realised that it is feasible to recognise several cardiovascular organs following the same process. The texture of histological images was described using Local Binary Patterns (LBP), LBP Rotation Invariant (LBPri), Haralick features and different concatenations between them, representing in this way its content. Using a SVM with linear kernel, we selected the more appropriate descriptor that, for this problem, was a concatenation of LBP and LBPri. Due to the small number of the images available, we could not follow an approach based on deep learning, but we selected the classifier who yielded the higher performance by comparing SVM with Random Forest and Linear Discriminant Analysis. Once SVM was selected as the classifier with a higher area under the curve that represents both higher recall and precision, we tuned it evaluating different kernels, finding that a linear SVM allowed us to accurately separate four classes of tissues: (i) cardiac muscle of the heart, (ii) smooth muscle of the muscular artery, (iii) loose connective tissue, and (iv) smooth muscle of the large vein and the elastic artery. The experimental validation was conducted using 3000 blocks of 100 × 100 sized pixels, with 600 blocks per class and the classification was assessed using a 10-fold cross-validation. using LBP as the descriptor, concatenated with LBPri and a SVM with linear kernel, the main four classes of tissues were

  4. Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography predicts cardiovascular events after TIA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holzer, Katrin; Sadikovic, Suwad; Esposito, Lorena; Bockelbrink, Angelina; Sander, Dirk; Hemmer, Bernhard; Poppert, Holger

    2009-01-01

    Transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients are at high vascular risk. We assessed the value of extracranial (ECD) and transcranial (TCD) Doppler and duplex ultrasonography to predict clinical outcome after TIA. 176 consecutive TIA patients admitted to the Stroke Unit were recruited in the study. All patients received diffusion-weighted imaging, standardized ECD and TCD. At a median follow-up of 27 months, new vascular events were recorded. 22 (13.8%) patients experienced an ischemic stroke or TIA, 5 (3.1%) a myocardial infarction or acute coronary syndrome, and 5 (3.1%) underwent arterial revascularization. ECD revealed extracranial ≥ 50% stenosis or occlusions in 34 (19.3%) patients, TCD showed intracranial stenosis in 15 (9.2%) and collateral flow patterns due to extracranial stenosis in 5 (3.1%) cases. Multivariate analysis identified these abnormal ECD and TCD findings as predictors of new cerebral ischemic events (ECD: hazard ratio (HR) 4.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.75 to 10.57, P = 0.01; TCD: HR 4.73, 95% CI 1.86 to 12.04, P = 0.01). Abnormal TCD findings were also predictive of cardiovascular ischemic events (HR 18.51, 95% CI 3.49 to 98.24, P = 0.001). TIA patients with abnormal TCD findings are at high risk to develop further cerebral and cardiovascular ischemic events

  5. Tolerance analysis through computational imaging simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Birch, Gabriel C.; LaCasse, Charles F.; Stubbs, Jaclynn J.; Dagel, Amber L.; Bradley, Jon

    2017-11-01

    The modeling and simulation of non-traditional imaging systems require holistic consideration of the end-to-end system. We demonstrate this approach through a tolerance analysis of a random scattering lensless imaging system.

  6. Physics-based optimization of image quality in 3D X-ray flat-panel cone-beam imaging

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Snoeren, R.M.

    2012-01-01

    This thesis describes the techniques for modeling and control of 3D X-ray cardiovascular systems in terms of Image Quality and patient dose, aiming at optimizing the diagnostic quality. When aiming at maximum Image Quality (IQ), a cascaded system constituted from inter-dependent imaging components,

  7. Adenosine stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance with variable-density spiral pulse sequences accurately detects coronary artery disease: initial clinical evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salerno, Michael; Taylor, Angela; Yang, Yang; Kuruvilla, Sujith; Ragosta, Michael; Meyer, Craig H; Kramer, Christopher M

    2014-07-01

    Adenosine stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance perfusion imaging can be limited by motion-induced dark-rim artifacts, which may be mistaken for true perfusion abnormalities. A high-resolution variable-density spiral pulse sequence with a novel density compensation strategy has been shown to reduce dark-rim artifacts in first-pass perfusion imaging. We aimed to assess the clinical performance of adenosine stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance using this new perfusion sequence to detect obstructive coronary artery disease. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance perfusion imaging was performed during adenosine stress (140 μg/kg per minute) and at rest on a Siemens 1.5-T Avanto scanner in 41 subjects with chest pain scheduled for coronary angiography. Perfusion images were acquired during injection of 0.1 mmol/kg Gadolinium-diethylenetriaminepentacetate at 3 short-axis locations using a saturation recovery interleaved variable-density spiral pulse sequence. Significant stenosis was defined as >50% by quantitative coronary angiography. Two blinded reviewers evaluated the perfusion images for the presence of adenosine-induced perfusion abnormalities and assessed image quality using a 5-point scale (1 [poor] to 5 [excellent]). The prevalence of obstructive coronary artery disease by quantitative coronary angiography was 68%. The average sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 89%, 85%, and 88%, respectively, with a positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 93% and 79%, respectively. The average image quality score was 4.4±0.7, with only 1 study with more than mild dark-rim artifacts. There was good inter-reader reliability with a κ statistic of 0.67. Spiral adenosine stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance results in high diagnostic accuracy for the detection of obstructive coronary artery disease with excellent image quality and minimal dark-rim artifacts. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

  8. Uses of software in digital image analysis: a forensic report

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Mukesh; Jha, Shailendra

    2010-02-01

    Forensic image analysis is required an expertise to interpret the content of an image or the image itself in legal matters. Major sub-disciplines of forensic image analysis with law enforcement applications include photo-grammetry, photographic comparison, content analysis and image authentication. It has wide applications in forensic science range from documenting crime scenes to enhancing faint or indistinct patterns such as partial fingerprints. The process of forensic image analysis can involve several different tasks, regardless of the type of image analysis performed. Through this paper authors have tried to explain these tasks, which are described in to three categories: Image Compression, Image Enhancement & Restoration and Measurement Extraction. With the help of examples like signature comparison, counterfeit currency comparison and foot-wear sole impression using the software Canvas and Corel Draw.

  9. An image scanner for real time analysis of spark chamber images

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cesaroni, F.; Penso, G.; Locci, A.M.; Spano, M.A.

    1975-01-01

    The notes describes the semiautomatic scanning system at LNF for the analysis of spark chamber images. From the projection of the images on the scanner table, the trajectory in the real space is reconstructed

  10. Different anthropometric adiposity measures and their association with cardiovascular disease risk factors: a meta-analysis

    OpenAIRE

    van Dijk, S. B.; Takken, T.; Prinsen, E. C.; Wittink, H.

    2012-01-01

    Objectives To investigate which anthropometric adiposity measure has the strongest association with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in Caucasian men and women without a history of CVD. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods We searched databases for studies reporting correlations between anthropometric adiposity measures and CVD risk factors in Caucasian subjects without a history of CVD. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, waist-to-height ra...

  11. Cluster analysis of cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors in women of reproductive age.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tzeng, Chii-Ruey; Chang, Yuan-chin Ivan; Chang, Yu-chia; Wang, Chia-Woei; Chen, Chi-Huang; Hsu, Ming-I

    2014-05-01

    To study the association between endocrine disturbances and metabolic complications in women seeking gynecologic care. Retrospective study, cluster analysis. Outpatient clinic, university medical center. 573 women, including 384 at low risk and 189 at high risk of cardiometabolic disease. None. Cardiovascular and metabolic parameters and clinical and biochemical characteristics. Risk factors for metabolic disease are associated with a low age of menarche, high levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and liver enzymes, and low levels of sex hormone-binding globulin. Overweight/obese status, polycystic ovary syndrome, oligo/amenorrhea, and hyperandrogenism were found to increase the risk of cardiometabolic disease. However, hyperprolactinemia and premature ovarian failure were not associated with the risk of cardiometabolic disease. In terms of androgens, the serum total testosterone level and free androgen index but not androstenedione or dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) were associated with cardiometabolic risk. Although polycystic ovary syndrome is associated with metabolic risk, obesity was the major determinant of cardiometabolic disturbances in reproductive-aged women. Hyperprolactinemia and premature ovarian failure were not associated with the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. NCT01826357. Copyright © 2014 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. A Re-Engineered Software Interface and Workflow for the Open-Source SimVascular Cardiovascular Modeling Package.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lan, Hongzhi; Updegrove, Adam; Wilson, Nathan M; Maher, Gabriel D; Shadden, Shawn C; Marsden, Alison L

    2018-02-01

    Patient-specific simulation plays an important role in cardiovascular disease research, diagnosis, surgical planning and medical device design, as well as education in cardiovascular biomechanics. simvascular is an open-source software package encompassing an entire cardiovascular modeling and simulation pipeline from image segmentation, three-dimensional (3D) solid modeling, and mesh generation, to patient-specific simulation and analysis. SimVascular is widely used for cardiovascular basic science and clinical research as well as education, following increased adoption by users and development of a GATEWAY web portal to facilitate educational access. Initial efforts of the project focused on replacing commercial packages with open-source alternatives and adding increased functionality for multiscale modeling, fluid-structure interaction (FSI), and solid modeling operations. In this paper, we introduce a major SimVascular (SV) release that includes a new graphical user interface (GUI) designed to improve user experience. Additional improvements include enhanced data/project management, interactive tools to facilitate user interaction, new boundary condition (BC) functionality, plug-in mechanism to increase modularity, a new 3D segmentation tool, and new computer-aided design (CAD)-based solid modeling capabilities. Here, we focus on major changes to the software platform and outline features added in this new release. We also briefly describe our recent experiences using SimVascular in the classroom for bioengineering education.

  13. Application of automatic image analysis in wood science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Charles W. McMillin

    1982-01-01

    In this paper I describe an image analysis system and illustrate with examples the application of automatic quantitative measurement to wood science. Automatic image analysis, a powerful and relatively new technology, uses optical, video, electronic, and computer components to rapidly derive information from images with minimal operator interaction. Such instruments...

  14. Geometria da valva mitral derivada da ressonância magnética cardiovascular na avaliação da gravidade da regurgitação mitral Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging-derived mitral valve geometry in determining mitral regurgitation severity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andre Mauricio Fernandes

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available FUNDAMENTO: A regurgitação mitral é a doença valvar cardíaca mais comum em todo o mundo. A ressonância magnética pode ser uma ferramenta útil para analisar os parâmetros da valva mitral. OBJETIVO: diferenciar padrões geométricos da valva mitral em pacientes com diferentes gravidades por regurgitação mitral (RM com base na ressonância magnética cardiovascular. MÉTODOS: Sessenta e três pacientes foram submetidos à ressonância magnética cardiovascular. Os parâmetros da valva mitral analisados foram: área (mm2 e ângulo (graus de tenting, altura do ventrículo (mm, altura do tenting (mm, folheto anterior, comprimento posterior do folheto (leaflet e diâmetro do anulo (mm. Os pacientes foram divididos em dois grupos, um incluindo pacientes que necessitaram de cirurgia da valva mitral e o outro os que não. RESULTADOS: Trinta e seis pacientes apresentaram de RM discreta a leve (1-2+ e 27 RM de moderada a grave (3-4+. Dez (15,9% dos 63 pacientes foram submetidos à cirurgia. Pacientes com RM mais grave tiveram maior diâmetro sistólico final do ventrículo esquerdo (38,6 ± 10,2 vs. 45,4 ± 16,8, p BACKGROUND: Mitral regurgitation is the most common valvular heart disease worldwide. Magnetic resonance may be a useful tool to analyze mitral valve parameters. OBJECTIVE: To distinguish mitral valve geometric patterns in patients with different severities of mitral regurgitation (MR based on cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging. METHODS: Sixty-three patients underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging. Mitral valve parameters analyzed were: tenting area (mm2 and angle (degrees, ventricle height (mm, tenting height (mm, anterior leaflet, posterior leaflet length and annulus diameter (mm. Patients were divided into two groups, one including patients who required mitral valve surgery and another which did not. RESULTS: Thirty-six patients had trace to mild (1-2+ MR and 27 had moderate to severe MR (3-4+. Ten (15.9% out of

  15. Chemical imaging and solid state analysis at compact surfaces using UV imaging

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wu, Jian X.; Rehder, Sönke; van den Berg, Frans

    2014-01-01

    and excipients in a non-invasive way, as well as mapping the glibenclamide solid state form. An exploratory data analysis supported the critical evaluation of the mapping results and the selection of model parameters for the chemical mapping. The present study demonstrated that the multi-wavelength UV imaging......Fast non-destructive multi-wavelength UV imaging together with multivariate image analysis was utilized to visualize distribution of chemical components and their solid state form at compact surfaces. Amorphous and crystalline solid forms of the antidiabetic compound glibenclamide...

  16. Imaging CT findings in cases of subdural hematoma after cardiovascular surgery. Initial signs of SDH

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maruyama, Michiyuki; Kuriyama, Yoshihiro; Sawada, Tohru; Ogawa, Makoto; Kaneko, Takaji; Sakamoto, Akira; Kawazoe, Kouhei; Fujita, Tsuyoshi; Omae, Teruo

    1987-12-01

    A characteristic initial sign of CT findings, as seen in cases of subdural hematoma (SDH) after cardiovascular surgery, was reported. Central-nervous-system (CNS) complications after cardiovascular surgery have been thought to be due mainly to the ischemic brain damage caused by both reduced cerebral perfusion pressure and microembolism during extracorporeal circulation. However, we observed 8 cases of SDH in 39 patients suffering from major CNS complications after cardiovascular surgery. In view of these experiences, SDH was thought to be one of the most significant factors causing CNS complications after cardiovascular surgery. In the sequential CT scans of 8 cases of SDH, four exhibited a typical, small, spotty high-density area in the early period of SDH. The clinical courses of these four patients were relatively acute or subacute, and the initial small high-density area progressed to definite SDH findings in that region in the follow-up CT. These initial findings of CT scans were regarded as ''initial signs of SDH-ISS-''. Although there have been many reports concerning the sequential CT changes in SDH, there has been no report describing the above-mentioned finding. It was emphasized that ''ISS'' is of great importance in the early management for SDH.

  17. Dietary patterns, biomarkers of atherosclerosis, cardiovascular and all-cause mortality

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sijtsma, F.P.C.

    2015-01-01

    Summary belonging to the thesis entitled ‘Dietary patterns, biomarkers of atherosclerosis, cardiovascular and all-cause mortality’

    The long history of epidemiologic studies on diet and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has traditionally relied on analysis of specific nutrients

  18. Digital image processing and analysis human and computer vision applications with CVIPtools

    CERN Document Server

    Umbaugh, Scott E

    2010-01-01

    Section I Introduction to Digital Image Processing and AnalysisDigital Image Processing and AnalysisOverviewImage Analysis and Computer VisionImage Processing and Human VisionKey PointsExercisesReferencesFurther ReadingComputer Imaging SystemsImaging Systems OverviewImage Formation and SensingCVIPtools SoftwareImage RepresentationKey PointsExercisesSupplementary ExercisesReferencesFurther ReadingSection II Digital Image Analysis and Computer VisionIntroduction to Digital Image AnalysisIntroductionPreprocessingBinary Image AnalysisKey PointsExercisesSupplementary ExercisesReferencesFurther Read

  19. Ultra-Wideband Sensors for Improved Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cardiovascular Monitoring and Tumour Diagnostics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frank Seifert

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available The specific advantages of ultra-wideband electromagnetic remote sensing (UWB radar make it a particularly attractive technique for biomedical applications. We partially review our activities in utilizing this novel approach for the benefit of high and ultra-high field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI and other applications, e.g., for intensive care medicine and biomedical research. We could show that our approach is beneficial for applications like motion tracking for high resolution brain imaging due to the non-contact acquisition of involuntary head motions with high spatial resolution, navigation for cardiac MRI due to our interpretation of the detected physiological mechanical contraction of the heart muscle and for MR safety, since we have investigated the influence of high static magnetic fields on myocardial mechanics. From our findings we could conclude, that UWB radar can serve as a navigator technique for high and ultra-high field magnetic resonance imaging and can be beneficial preserving the high resolution capability of this imaging modality. Furthermore it can potentially be used to support standard ECG analysis by complementary information where sole ECG analysis fails. Further analytical investigations have proven the feasibility of this method for intracranial displacements detection and the rendition of a tumour’s contrast agent based perfusion dynamic. Beside these analytical approaches we have carried out FDTD simulations of a complex arrangement mimicking the illumination of a human torso model incorporating the geometry of the antennas applied.

  20. Ultra-wideband sensors for improved magnetic resonance imaging, cardiovascular monitoring and tumour diagnostics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thiel, Florian; Kosch, Olaf; Seifert, Frank

    2010-01-01

    The specific advantages of ultra-wideband electromagnetic remote sensing (UWB radar) make it a particularly attractive technique for biomedical applications. We partially review our activities in utilizing this novel approach for the benefit of high and ultra-high field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and other applications, e.g., for intensive care medicine and biomedical research. We could show that our approach is beneficial for applications like motion tracking for high resolution brain imaging due to the non-contact acquisition of involuntary head motions with high spatial resolution, navigation for cardiac MRI due to our interpretation of the detected physiological mechanical contraction of the heart muscle and for MR safety, since we have investigated the influence of high static magnetic fields on myocardial mechanics. From our findings we could conclude, that UWB radar can serve as a navigator technique for high and ultra-high field magnetic resonance imaging and can be beneficial preserving the high resolution capability of this imaging modality. Furthermore it can potentially be used to support standard ECG analysis by complementary information where sole ECG analysis fails. Further analytical investigations have proven the feasibility of this method for intracranial displacements detection and the rendition of a tumour's contrast agent based perfusion dynamic. Beside these analytical approaches we have carried out FDTD simulations of a complex arrangement mimicking the illumination of a human torso model incorporating the geometry of the antennas applied.

  1. ACC/AATS/AHA/ASE/ASNC/HRS/SCAI/SCCT/SCMR/STS 2017 Appropriate Use Criteria for Multimodality Imaging in Valvular Heart Disease : A Report of the American College of Cardiology Appropriate Use Criteria Task Force, American Association for Thoracic Surgery, American Heart Association, American Society of Echocardiography, American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, Heart Rhythm Society, Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography, Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, and Society of Thoracic Surgeons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doherty, John U; Kort, Smadar; Mehran, Roxana; Schoenhagen, Paul; Soman, Prem

    2017-12-01

    This document is 1 of 2 companion appropriate use criteria (AUC) documents developed by the American College of Cardiology, American Association for Thoracic Surgery, American Heart Association, American Society of Echocardiography, American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, Heart Rhythm Society, Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography, Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, and Society of Thoracic Surgeons. This document addresses the evaluation and use of multimodality imaging in the diagnosis and management of valvular heart disease, whereas the second, companion document addresses this topic with regard to structural heart disease. Although there is clinical overlap, the documents addressing valvular and structural heart disease are published separately, albeit with a common structure. The goal of the companion AUC documents is to provide a comprehensive resource for multimodality imaging in the context of valvular and structural heart disease, encompassing multiple imaging modalities.Using standardized methodology, the clinical scenarios (indications) were developed by a diverse writing group to represent patient presentations encountered in everyday practice and included common applications and anticipated uses. Where appropriate, the scenarios were developed on the basis of the most current American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines.A separate, independent rating panel scored the 92 clinical scenarios in this document on a scale of 1 to 9. Scores of 7 to 9 indicate that a modality is considered appropriate for the clinical scenario presented. Midrange scores of 4 to 6 indicate that a modality may be appropriate for the clinical scenario, and scores of 1 to 3 indicate that a modality is considered rarely appropriate for the clinical scenario.The primary objective of the AUC is to provide a framework for the assessment of these scenarios by practices that will

  2. Evaluation of the cardiovascular system by digital subtraction angiography in 246 patients

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Higuma, Kikuhiko; Ohta, Takashi; Hiroto, Seiji

    1987-07-01

    Usefulness of intravenous digital subtraction angiography (DSA) was examined in 246 patients with cardiovascular disorders. This examination was done by centrally intravenous DSA (CIVDSA) in all patients to reduce the risks and discomforts by peripheral intravenous DSA. 1) CIVDSA could be done safely in patients aged 18 to 81 years. 2) The good diagnostic quality by CIVDSA was obtained in 81.3% of patients. These images were classified into 7 groups according to the cardiovascular system, that is, the jugular arteries, the upper extremity arteries, the thoracic aorta, the left ventricle, the abnominal aorta, the renal arteries, and the lower extremity arteries, whose rate of good diagnostic quality were 100%, 70%, 67.7%, 79.5%, 84.8%, 87%, and 71.4% respectively. 3) The poor diagnostic quality was obtained in 18.7%. 4) The severe complications were not found in any case during this examination. Our results indicate that DSA is the safe, simple and useful method to obtain the diagnostic quality image of the cardiovascular system, especially, of the occulsive arterial disease, the aortic aneurisma, the renovascular stenosis and the cardiac function of postmyocardial infarction, even in aged patients.

  3. Evaluation of the cardiovascular system by digital subtraction angiography in 246 patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Higuma, Kikuhiko; Ohta, Takashi; Hiroto, Seiji

    1987-01-01

    Usefulness of intravenous digital subtraction angiography (DSA) was examined in 246 patients with cardiovascular disorders. This examination was done by centrally intravenous DSA (CIVDSA) in all patients to reduce the risks and discomforts by peripheral intravenous DSA. 1) CIVDSA could be done safely in patients aged 18 to 81 years. 2) The good diagnostic quality by CIVDSA was obtained in 81.3 % of patients. These images were classified into 7 groups according to the cardiovascular system, that is, the jugular arteries, the upper extremity arteries, the thoracic aorta, the left ventricle, the abnominal aorta, the renal arteries, and the lower extremity arteries, whose rate of good diagnostic quality were 100 %, 70 %, 67.7 %, 79.5 %, 84.8 %, 87 %, and 71.4 % respectively. 3) The poor diagnostic quality was obtained in 18.7 %. 4) The severe complications were not found in any case during this examination. Our results indicate that DSA is the safe, simple and useful method to obtain the diagnostic quality image of the cardiovascular system, especially, of the occulsive arterial disease, the aortic aneurisma, the renovascular stenosis and the cardiac function of postmyocardial infarction, even in aged patients. (author)

  4. Interpretation of medical images by model guided analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karssemeijer, N.

    1989-01-01

    Progress in the development of digital pictorial information systems stimulates a growing interest in the use of image analysis techniques in medicine. Especially when precise quantitative information is required the use of fast and reproducable computer analysis may be more appropriate than relying on visual judgement only. Such quantitative information can be valuable, for instance, in diagnostics or in irradiation therapy planning. As medical images are mostly recorded in a prescribed way, human anatomy guarantees a common image structure for each particular type of exam. In this thesis it is investigated how to make use of this a priori knowledge to guide image analysis. For that purpose models are developed which are suited to capture common image structure. The first part of this study is devoted to an analysis of nuclear medicine images of myocardial perfusion. In ch. 2 a model of these images is designed in order to represent characteristic image properties. It is shown that for these relatively simple images a compact symbolic description can be achieved, without significant loss of diagnostically importance of several image properties. Possibilities for automatic interpretation of more complex images is investigated in the following chapters. The central topic is segmentation of organs. Two methods are proposed and tested on a set of abdominal X-ray CT scans. Ch. 3 describes a serial approach based on a semantic network and the use of search areas. Relational constraints are used to guide the image processing and to classify detected image segments. In teh ch.'s 4 and 5 a more general parallel approach is utilized, based on a markov random field image model. A stochastic model used to represent prior knowledge about the spatial arrangement of organs is implemented as an external field. (author). 66 refs.; 27 figs.; 6 tabs

  5. Cardiovascular causes of syncope. Identifying and controlling trigger mechanisms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akhtar, M.; Jazayeri, M.; Sra, J.

    1991-01-01

    Syncope usually has a cardiovascular source, so neurologic evaluation has a low diagnostic yield in these patients. Cardiac arrhythmias in persons with or without structural heart disease can produce syncope. Neurocardiogenic dysfunction that results in diminished venous return and hypercontractility is another frequent cause. Postural hypotension or left ventricular outflow obstruction may also be to blame. Careful history taking and physical examination, head-up tilt testing, echocardiography or radionuclide isotope imaging, and electrophysiologic study are often diagnostic. However, syncope remains undiagnosed in some patients, and they may require periodic reassessment. Treatment options are available for most cardiovascular disorders, among them use of pharmacologic agents; catheter, surgical, or radio-frequency modification of certain tachycardias; and permanent pacing. 33 references

  6. Relationships of different types of event to cardiovascular death in trials of antihypertensive treatment: an aid to definition of total cardiovascular disease risk in hypertension.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zambon, Antonella; Arfè, Andrea; Corrao, Giovanni; Zanchetti, Alberto

    2014-03-01

    Guidelines for management of cardiovascular diseases stratify absolute cardiovascular risk into categories with a high-risk threshold defined at a 20% cardiovascular events risk in 10 years, but it is unclear whether only major events or the Framingham-extended definition should be considered. The 2013 ESH-ESC hypertension guidelines, instead, define cardiovascular risk as a risk of cardiovascular death in 10 years, as in the SCORE model, setting the threshold for high risk at the 5% level. It would be therefore convenient to know the quantitative relationship between the risks of the different outcomes adopted by the different guidelines, especially because some outcome definitions include serious nonfatal cardiovascular events relevant in cardiovascular prevention. We have therefore analysed these relationships in trials of antihypertensive therapy as an aid to defining total cardiovascular risk in hypertensive patients. Sixty-one trials were identified, and 51 retained for analysis of the relationship of cardiovascular death to the incidence of all-cause death, major cardiovascular events and inclusive (Framingham) cardiovascular events. The relationship between cardiovascular death rates and each type of event rates was explored by fitting flexible regression models. The included trials provided 15164 cardiovascular deaths and 1674427 patient-years. The relation of each event rate to cardiovascular death rate was best explained by a model considering the logarithm of each event rate as a dependent variable and the logarithm of cardiovascular death rate as a predictor. Mean patients' age and treatment were also predictors, but to a minor extent. The increase of the incidence rates of all types of events was less steep the higher the CV death rate: the rate ratios of all-cause death to cardiovascular death were 2.2, 1.9 and 1.8 at low-moderate (cardiovascular death hypertensive patients whose cardiovascular death risk is calculated by the SCORE model.

  7. Functional Principal Component Analysis and Randomized Sparse Clustering Algorithm for Medical Image Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Nan; Jiang, Junhai; Guo, Shicheng; Xiong, Momiao

    2015-01-01

    Due to the advancement in sensor technology, the growing large medical image data have the ability to visualize the anatomical changes in biological tissues. As a consequence, the medical images have the potential to enhance the diagnosis of disease, the prediction of clinical outcomes and the characterization of disease progression. But in the meantime, the growing data dimensions pose great methodological and computational challenges for the representation and selection of features in image cluster analysis. To address these challenges, we first extend the functional principal component analysis (FPCA) from one dimension to two dimensions to fully capture the space variation of image the signals. The image signals contain a large number of redundant features which provide no additional information for clustering analysis. The widely used methods for removing the irrelevant features are sparse clustering algorithms using a lasso-type penalty to select the features. However, the accuracy of clustering using a lasso-type penalty depends on the selection of the penalty parameters and the threshold value. In practice, they are difficult to determine. Recently, randomized algorithms have received a great deal of attentions in big data analysis. This paper presents a randomized algorithm for accurate feature selection in image clustering analysis. The proposed method is applied to both the liver and kidney cancer histology image data from the TCGA database. The results demonstrate that the randomized feature selection method coupled with functional principal component analysis substantially outperforms the current sparse clustering algorithms in image cluster analysis. PMID:26196383

  8. Twenty-Four-Hour Central Pulse Pressure for Cardiovascular Events Prediction in a Low-Cardiovascular-Risk Population: Results From the Bordeaux Cohort.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cremer, Antoine; Boulestreau, Romain; Gaillard, Prune; Lainé, Marion; Papaioannou, Georgios; Gosse, Philippe

    2018-02-23

    Central blood pressure (BP) is a promising marker to identify subjects with higher cardiovascular risk than expected by traditional risk factors. Significant results have been obtained in populations with high cardiovascular risk, but little is known about low-cardiovascular-risk patients, although the differences between central and peripheral BP (amplification) are usually greater in this population. The study aim was to evaluate central BP over 24 hours for cardiovascular event prediction in hypertensive subjects with low cardiovascular risk. Peripheral and central BPs were recorded during clinical visits and over 24 hours in hypertensive patients with low cardiovascular risk (Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation ≤5%). Our primary end point is the occurrence of a cardiovascular event during follow-up. To assess the potential interest in central pulse pressure over 24 hours, we performed Cox proportional hazard models analysis and comparison of area under the curves using the contrast test for peripheral and central BP. A cohort of 703 hypertensive subjects from Bordeaux were included. After the first 24 hours of BP measurement, the subjects were then followed up for an average of 112.5±70 months. We recorded 65 cardiovascular events during follow-up. Amplification was found to be significantly associated with cardiovascular events when added to peripheral 24-hour pulse pressure ( P =0.0259). The area under the curve of 24-hour central pulse pressure is significantly more important than area under the curve of office BP ( P =0.0296), and there is a trend of superiority with the area under the curve of peripheral 24-hour pulse pressure. Central pulse pressure over 24 hours improves the prediction of cardiovascular events for hypertensive patients with low cardiovascular risk compared to peripheral pulse pressure. © 2018 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.

  9. Magnetic resonance imaging - first human images in Australia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baddeley, H.; Doddrell, D.M.; Brooks, W.M.; Field, J.; Irving, M.; Williams, J.E.

    1986-01-01

    The use of magnetic resonance imaging, in the demonstration of internal human anatomy and in the diagnosis of disease, has the major advantages that the technique is non-invasive, does not require the use of ionizing radiation and that it can demonstrate neurological and cardiovascular lesions that cannot be diagnosed easily by other imaging methods. The first magnetic resonance images of humans were obtained in Australia in October 1985 on the research instrument of the Queensland Medical Magnetic Resonance Research Centre, which is based at the Mater Hospital in Brisbane

  10. Analysis of Medical Tourism for Cardiovascular Diseases

    OpenAIRE

    Andrei, Catalina Liliana; Tigu, Gabriela; Dragoescu, Raluca Mariana; Sinescu, Crina Julieta

    2014-01-01

    Increasing costs of treatments have led to the apparition of the medical tourism. Patients in high-income countries seek to solve their health problems in developing countries where the cost of medical treatment is much lower. This cost difference has led to the medical tourism industry that is currently estimated with an annual growth rate of about 20%. Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of death worldwide. The high cost of treating these diseases cause many patients to seek treatme...

  11. Wavelet analysis enables system-independent texture analysis of optical coherence tomography images

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lingley-Papadopoulos, Colleen A.; Loew, Murray H.; Zara, Jason M.

    2009-07-01

    Texture analysis for tissue characterization is a current area of optical coherence tomography (OCT) research. We discuss some of the differences between OCT systems and the effects those differences have on the resulting images and subsequent image analysis. In addition, as an example, two algorithms for the automatic recognition of bladder cancer are compared: one that was developed on a single system with no consideration for system differences, and one that was developed to address the issues associated with system differences. The first algorithm had a sensitivity of 73% and specificity of 69% when tested using leave-one-out cross-validation on data taken from a single system. When tested on images from another system with a different central wavelength, however, the method classified all images as cancerous regardless of the true pathology. By contrast, with the use of wavelet analysis and the removal of system-dependent features, the second algorithm reported sensitivity and specificity values of 87 and 58%, respectively, when trained on images taken with one imaging system and tested on images taken with another.

  12. Wavelet analysis enables system-independent texture analysis of optical coherence tomography images.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lingley-Papadopoulos, Colleen A; Loew, Murray H; Zara, Jason M

    2009-01-01

    Texture analysis for tissue characterization is a current area of optical coherence tomography (OCT) research. We discuss some of the differences between OCT systems and the effects those differences have on the resulting images and subsequent image analysis. In addition, as an example, two algorithms for the automatic recognition of bladder cancer are compared: one that was developed on a single system with no consideration for system differences, and one that was developed to address the issues associated with system differences. The first algorithm had a sensitivity of 73% and specificity of 69% when tested using leave-one-out cross-validation on data taken from a single system. When tested on images from another system with a different central wavelength, however, the method classified all images as cancerous regardless of the true pathology. By contrast, with the use of wavelet analysis and the removal of system-dependent features, the second algorithm reported sensitivity and specificity values of 87 and 58%, respectively, when trained on images taken with one imaging system and tested on images taken with another.

  13. Cine MR imaging of the cardiovascular system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishimura, Fumiaki; Yoshino, Yasushi; Mihara, Junji; Ichikawa, Seiichi; Kimura, Masahiko; Yano, Masao; Umeda, Masahiro; Oouchi, Toshihiro

    1990-01-01

    In recent years cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has developed as a high-speed imaging technique that provides a high intensity signal even at a short repetition time (20-30 msec) by using an excited pulse with a small flip angle according to the gradient echo method, enabling about 20 to 30 continuous images of the same section per one cardiac cycle to be taken. On cine display of these continuous images, information concerning blood flow shown by a high intensity signal in comparison with that of the myocardium and vascular wall is obtained with high temporal resolution along with anatomical information. The present study reports the clinical usefulness of cine MRI in today's situation, inculding the following: calculation of the left ventricular ejection fraction and pulmonary-to-systemic flow ratio in congenital shunt disease by integration of the area of multisections through application of Simpson's method; diagnosis of the severity of valvular regurgitation, evaluation of stenosal diseases, and diagnosis of inflow from the fissured entry of dissecting aortic aneurysm by evaluating of an area of low intensity signal, probably based on the high velocity or turbulent blood flow: and evaluation of patency of the internal mammary artery bypass graft of the basis of the possible visualization of even thin blood vessels because of the high intensity signal of blood flow. In particular, the characteristics of this procedures are described by comparing it with other technologies in the field of diseases of valvular regurgitation. (author)

  14. Cardiovascular risk associated with celecoxib or etoricoxib: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials which adopted comparison with placebo or naproxen

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vecchis, R. De; Baldi, C.; Biase, G. Di; Ariano, C.; Cioppa, C.; Giasi, A.; Valente, L.; Cantatrione, S.

    2014-01-01

    AIM: The present meta-analysis attempted to assess whether an unfavourable cardiovascular risk profile could be identified in the case of two COX2 selective inhibitors (COXIBs), namely celecoxib and etoricoxib. Based on the data from the literature, our meta-analysis aimed to assess the probability

  15. Influenza vaccines for preventing cardiovascular disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christine Clar

    Full Text Available ABSTRACTBACKGROUND: This is an update of the original review published in 2008. The risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes is increased with influenza-like infection, and vaccination against influenza may improve cardiovascular outcomes.OBJECTIVES: To assess the potential benefits of influenza vaccination for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.METHODS:Search methods:We searched the following electronic databases on 18 October 2013: The Cochrane Library (including Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE, Economic Evaluation Database (EED and Health Technology Assessment database (HTA, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Science Citation Index Expanded, Conference Proceedings Citation Index - Science and ongoing trials registers (www.controlled-trials.com/ and www.clinicaltrials.gov. We examined reference lists of relevant primary studies and systematic reviews. We performed a limited PubMed search on 20 February 2015, just before publication.Selection criteria:Randomised controlled trials (RCTs of influenza vaccination compared with placebo or no treatment in participants with or without cardiovascular disease, assessing cardiovascular death or non-fatal cardiovascular events.Data collection and analysis:We used standard methodological procedures as expected by The Cochrane Collaboration. We carried out meta-analyses only for cardiovascular death, as other outcomes were reported too infrequently. We expressed effect sizes as risk ratios (RRs, and we used random-effects models.MAIN RESULTS: We included eight trials of influenza vaccination compared with placebo or no vaccination, with 12,029 participants receiving at least one vaccination or control treatment. We included six new studies (n = 11,251, in addition to the two included in the previous version of the review. Four of these trials (n = 10,347 focused on prevention of influenza in the general or elderly population

  16. Analysis of PET hypoxia imaging in the quantitative imaging for personalized cancer medicine program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yeung, Ivan; Driscoll, Brandon; Keller, Harald; Shek, Tina; Jaffray, David; Hedley, David

    2014-01-01

    Quantitative imaging is an important tool in clinical trials of testing novel agents and strategies for cancer treatment. The Quantitative Imaging Personalized Cancer Medicine Program (QIPCM) provides clinicians and researchers participating in multi-center clinical trials with a central repository for their imaging data. In addition, a set of tools provide standards of practice (SOP) in end-to-end quality assurance of scanners and image analysis. The four components for data archiving and analysis are the Clinical Trials Patient Database, the Clinical Trials PACS, the data analysis engine(s) and the high-speed networks that connect them. The program provides a suite of software which is able to perform RECIST, dynamic MRI, CT and PET analysis. The imaging data can be assessed securely from remote and analyzed by researchers with these software tools, or with tools provided by the users and installed at the server. Alternatively, QIPCM provides a service for data analysis on the imaging data according developed SOP. An example of a clinical study in which patients with unresectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma were studied with dynamic PET-FAZA for hypoxia measurement will be discussed. We successfully quantified the degree of hypoxia as well as tumor perfusion in a group of 20 patients in terms of SUV and hypoxic fraction. It was found that there is no correlation between bulk tumor perfusion and hypoxia status in this cohort. QIPCM also provides end-to-end QA testing of scanners used in multi-center clinical trials. Based on quality assurance data from multiple CT-PET scanners, we concluded that quality control of imaging was vital in the success in multi-center trials as different imaging and reconstruction parameters in PET imaging could lead to very different results in hypoxia imaging. (author)

  17. The inter-arm systolic blood pressure difference and risk of cardiovascular mortality: A meta-analysis of cohort studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Ming; Gao, Zhen; Chen, Fei; Xu, Haijun; Dong, Xiao; Ma, Li

    2016-01-01

    The inter-arm systolic blood pressure difference (SBPD) is recommended to be in relation to potential cardiovascular disease (CVD). Previous studies yielded controversial results about the association between an inter-arm SBPD ≥ 10 mmHg or ≥15 mmHg and the risk of cardiovascular mortality. Therefore, we conducted this meta-analysis to investigate this association. We searched PubMed and Embase databases through December 31, 2014, and examined the references of retrieved articles to identify relevant cohort studies. We utilized Newcastle-Ottawa scale to assess the quality of included studies and calculated the summary risk estimates in a fixed/random-effect model. All data analyses were conducted using STATA version 11.0. A total of seven studies were identified. Compared with participants with an inter-arm SBPD arm SBPD ≥ 10 mmHg was 1.58 (95% CI: 1.3-1.93), and the pooled HR of cardiovascular mortality of participants with an inter-arm SBPD ≥ 15 mmHg versus those with an inter-arm SBPD arm SBPD may define a subpopulation at high risk of CVD events.

  18. Cardiovascular morbidity and the use of inhaled bronchodilators

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christine Macie

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available Christine Macie, Kate Wooldrage, Jure Manfreda, Nicholas AnthonisenDepartment of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, CanadaAbstract: We used the Manitoba Health database to examine the relationship between use of inhaled respiratory drugs in people with chronic obstructive respiratory diseases and cardiovascular hospitalizations from 1996 through 2000. The drugs examined were beta agonists [BA], ipratropium bromide IB, and inhaled steroids (ICS. End points were first hospitalizations for supraventricular tachycardia, myocardial infarction, heart failure or stroke. A nested case control analysis was employed comparing people with and without cardiovascular events. Cases and controls were matched for gender and age, and conditional logistic regression was used in multivariate analysis considering other respiratory drugs, respiratory diagnosis and visit frequency, non-respiratory, non-cardiac comorbidities, and receipt of drugs for cardiovascular disease. In univariate analyses, BA, IB and ICS were all associated with hospitalizations for cardiovascular disease, but in multivariate analyses ICS did not increase risk while both BA and IB did. There were interactions between respiratory and cardiac drugs receipt in that bronchodilator associated risks were higher in people not taking cardiac drugs; this was especially true for stroke. There were strong interactions with specific cardiac drugs; for example, both BA and IB substantially increased the risk of supraventricular tachycardia in patients not anti-arryhthmic agents, but not in the presence of such agents. We conclude that bronchodilator therapy for chronic obstructive diseases is associated with increased cardiovascular risk, especially in patients without previous cardiovascular diagnoses, and that this is unlikely due to the severity of the respiratory disease, since risk was not increased with ICS.Keywords: bronchodilator therapy, inhaled corticosteroids, nested case

  19. Nanotechnology and stem cell therapy for cardiovascular diseases: potential applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    La Francesca, Saverio

    2012-01-01

    The use of stem cell therapy for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases has generated significant interest in recent years. Limitations to the clinical application of this therapy center on issues of stem cell delivery, engraftment, and fate. Nanotechnology-based cell labeling and imaging techniques facilitate stem cell tracking and engraftment studies. Nanotechnology also brings exciting new opportunities to translational stem cell research as it enables the controlled engineering of nanoparticles and nanomaterials that can properly relate to the physical scale of cell-cell and cell-niche interactions. This review summarizes the most relevant potential applications of nanoscale technologies to the field of stem cell therapy for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

  20. GEOPOSITIONING PRECISION ANALYSIS OF MULTIPLE IMAGE TRIANGULATION USING LRO NAC LUNAR IMAGES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. Di

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents an empirical analysis of the geopositioning precision of multiple image triangulation using Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC Narrow Angle Camera (NAC images at the Chang’e-3(CE-3 landing site. Nine LROC NAC images are selected for comparative analysis of geopositioning precision. Rigorous sensor models of the images are established based on collinearity equations with interior and exterior orientation elements retrieved from the corresponding SPICE kernels. Rational polynomial coefficients (RPCs of each image are derived by least squares fitting using vast number of virtual control points generated according to rigorous sensor models. Experiments of different combinations of images are performed for comparisons. The results demonstrate that the plane coordinates can achieve a precision of 0.54 m to 2.54 m, with a height precision of 0.71 m to 8.16 m when only two images are used for three-dimensional triangulation. There is a general trend that the geopositioning precision, especially the height precision, is improved with the convergent angle of the two images increasing from several degrees to about 50°. However, the image matching precision should also be taken into consideration when choosing image pairs for triangulation. The precisions of using all the 9 images are 0.60 m, 0.50 m, 1.23 m in along-track, cross-track, and height directions, which are better than most combinations of two or more images. However, triangulation with selected fewer images could produce better precision than that using all the images.

  1. An application of image processing techniques in computed tomography image analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    McEvoy, Fintan

    2007-01-01

    number of animals and image slices, automation of the process was desirable. The open-source and free image analysis program ImageJ was used. A macro procedure was created that provided the required functionality. The macro performs a number of basic image processing procedures. These include an initial...... process designed to remove the scanning table from the image and to center the animal in the image. This is followed by placement of a vertical line segment from the mid point of the upper border of the image to the image center. Measurements are made between automatically detected outer and inner...... boundaries of subcutaneous adipose tissue along this line segment. This process was repeated as the image was rotated (with the line position remaining unchanged) so that measurements around the complete circumference were obtained. Additionally, an image was created showing all detected boundary points so...

  2. Neuroimaging, cardiovascular physiology, and functional outcomes in infants with congenital heart disease

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Claessens, Nathalie H. P.; Kelly, Christopher J; Counsell, Serena J.; Benders, Manon J. N. L.

    This review integrates data on brain dysmaturation and acquired brain injury using fetal and neonatal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including the contribution of cardiovascular physiology to differences in brain development, and the relationship between brain abnormalities and subsequent

  3. HIV and Cardiovascular Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Select a Language: Fact Sheet 652 HIV and Cardiovascular Disease HIV AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE WHY SHOULD PEOPLE WITH HIV CARE ABOUT CVD? ... OF CVD? WHAT ABOUT CHANGING MEDICATIONS? HIV AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE Cardiovascular disease (CVD) includes a group of problems ...

  4. Postirradiation cardiovascular dysfunction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hawkins, R.N.; Cockerham, L.G.

    1987-01-01

    Cardiovascular dysfunction may be defined as the inability of any element of the cardiovascular system to perform adequately upon demand, leading to inadequate performance and nutritive insufficiency of various parts of the body. Exposure to supralethal doses of radiation (accidental and therapeutic) has been show to induce significant alterations in cardiovascular function in man. These findings indicate that, after irradiation, cardiovascular function is a major determinant of continued performance and even survival. For the two persons who received massive radiation doses (45 and 88 Gy, respectively) in criticality accidents, the inability to maintain systematic arterial blood pressure (AP) was the immediate cause of death. In a study of cancer patients given partial-body irradiation, two acute lethalities were attributed to myocardial infarction after an acute hypotensive episode during the first few hours postexposure. Although radiation-induced cardiovascular dysfunction has been observed in many species, its severity, duration, and even etiology may vary with the species, level of exposure, and dose rate. For this reason, our consideration of the effects of radiation on cardiovascular performance is limited to the circulatory derangements that occur in rat, dog, and monkey after supralethal doses and lead to radiation-induced cardiovascular dysfunction in these experimental models. The authors consider other recent data as they pertain to the etiology of cardiovascular dysfunction in irradiated animals

  5. Advanced technologies of cardiovascular nuclear medicine and their evaluation in clinical practice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Murata, Hajime; Iio, Masahiro; Toyama, Hinako.

    1981-01-01

    Currently available advanced methods of cardiovascular nuclear medicine for the diagnosis of ischemic heart disease were studied. The methods included the multigate method by a large capacity gamma camera-computer (128 KW memory with multilayer disc) system which made it possible to acquire the data of either the first pass study or the equilibrium study in ''image mode''. Analyzed data were displayed on a color CRT using our moving image system (MIS) and dynamic image thus obtained serve to help for the high sensitive observation of the regional wall motion as well as the global function of the ventricles. Myocardial tomography by a 7 pinhole collimator designed by us was also reported. The myocardial tomogram obtained was proven to show more sensitivity than two dimensional myocardial scan by the conventional collimator to detect smaller lesion and the lesions at the inferior or posterior wall of the left ventricle. The cardiovascular nuclear medicine with recent advanced technologies was thought to be sensitive and useful method for the diagnosis of the ventricular performance and the myocardial ischemia. (author)

  6. Frequency domain analysis of knock images

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qi, Yunliang; He, Xin; Wang, Zhi; Wang, Jianxin

    2014-12-01

    High speed imaging-based knock analysis has mainly focused on time domain information, e.g. the spark triggered flame speed, the time when end gas auto-ignition occurs and the end gas flame speed after auto-ignition. This study presents a frequency domain analysis on the knock images recorded using a high speed camera with direct photography in a rapid compression machine (RCM). To clearly visualize the pressure wave oscillation in the combustion chamber, the images were high-pass-filtered to extract the luminosity oscillation. The luminosity spectrum was then obtained by applying fast Fourier transform (FFT) to three basic colour components (red, green and blue) of the high-pass-filtered images. Compared to the pressure spectrum, the luminosity spectra better identify the resonant modes of pressure wave oscillation. More importantly, the resonant mode shapes can be clearly visualized by reconstructing the images based on the amplitudes of luminosity spectra at the corresponding resonant frequencies, which agree well with the analytical solutions for mode shapes of gas vibration in a cylindrical cavity.

  7. ImageJ-MATLAB: a bidirectional framework for scientific image analysis interoperability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hiner, Mark C; Rueden, Curtis T; Eliceiri, Kevin W

    2017-02-15

    ImageJ-MATLAB is a lightweight Java library facilitating bi-directional interoperability between MATLAB and ImageJ. By defining a standard for translation between matrix and image data structures, researchers are empowered to select the best tool for their image-analysis tasks. Freely available extension to ImageJ2 ( http://imagej.net/Downloads ). Installation and use instructions available at http://imagej.net/MATLAB_Scripting. Tested with ImageJ 2.0.0-rc-54 , Java 1.8.0_66 and MATLAB R2015b. eliceiri@wisc.edu. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

  8. Fasting insulin, insulin resistance, and risk of cardiovascular or all-cause mortality in non-diabetic adults: a meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiaohong; Li, Jun; Zheng, Shuiping; Luo, Qiuyun; Zhou, Chunmei; Wang, Chaoyang

    2017-10-31

    Studies on elevated fasting insulin or insulin resistance (IR) and cardiovascular or all-cause mortality risk in non-diabetic individuals have yielded conflicting results. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the association of elevated fasting insulin levels or IR as defined by homeostasis model assessment of IR (HOMA-IR) with cardiovascular or all-cause mortality in non-diabetic adults. We searched for relevant studies in PubMed and Emabse databases until November 2016. Only prospective observational studies investigating the association of elevated fasting insulin levels or HOMA-IR with cardiovascular or all-cause mortality risk in non-diabetic adults were included. Risk ratio (RR) with its 95% confidence intervals (CIs) was pooled for the highest compared with the lowest category of fasting insulin levels or HOMA-IR. Seven articles involving 26976 non-diabetic adults were included. The pooled, adjusted RR of all-cause mortality comparing the highest with the lowest category was 1.13 (95% CI: 1.00-1.27; P =0.058) for fasting insulin levels and 1.34 (95% CI: 1.11-1.62; P =0.002) for HOMA-IR, respectively. When comparing the highest with the lowest category, the pooled adjusted RR of cardiovascular mortality was 2.11 (95% CI: 1.01-4.41; P =0.048) for HOMA-IR in two studies and 1.40 (95% CI: 0.49-3.96; P =0.526) for fasting insulin levels in one study. IR as measured by HOMA-IR but not fasting insulin appears to be independently associated with greater risk of cardiovascular or all-cause mortality in non-diabetic adults. However, the association of fasting insulin and HOMA-IR with cardiovascular mortality may be unreliable due to the small number of articles included. © 2017 The Author(s).

  9. Proteomic and genomic analysis of cardiovascular disease

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Van Eyk, Jennifer; Dunn, M. J

    2003-01-01

    ... to cardiovascular disease. By exploring the various strategies and technical aspects of both, using examples from cardiac or vascular biology, the limitations and the potential of these methods can be clearly seen. The book is divided into three sections: the first focuses on genomics, the second on proteomics, and the third provides an overview of the importance of these two scientific disciplines in drug and diagnostic discovery. The goal of this book is the transfer of their hard-earned lessons to the growing num...

  10. The MicroAnalysis Toolkit: X-ray Fluorescence Image Processing Software

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Webb, S. M.

    2011-01-01

    The MicroAnalysis Toolkit is an analysis suite designed for the processing of x-ray fluorescence microprobe data. The program contains a wide variety of analysis tools, including image maps, correlation plots, simple image math, image filtering, multiple energy image fitting, semi-quantitative elemental analysis, x-ray fluorescence spectrum analysis, principle component analysis, and tomographic reconstructions. To be as widely useful as possible, data formats from many synchrotron sources can be read by the program with more formats available by request. An overview of the most common features will be presented.

  11. Image sequence analysis in nuclear medicine: (1) Parametric imaging using statistical modelling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liehn, J.C.; Hannequin, P.; Valeyre, J.

    1989-01-01

    This is a review of parametric imaging methods on Nuclear Medicine. A Parametric Image is an image in which each pixel value is a function of the value of the same pixel of an image sequence. The Local Model Method is the fitting of each pixel time activity curve by a model which parameter values form the Parametric Images. The Global Model Method is the modelling of the changes between two images. It is applied to image comparison. For both methods, the different models, the identification criterion, the optimization methods and the statistical properties of the images are discussed. The analysis of one or more Parametric Images is performed using 1D or 2D histograms. The statistically significant Parametric Images, (Images of significant Variances, Amplitudes and Differences) are also proposed [fr

  12. New concepts in cardiac imaging 1985

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pohost, G.M.; Higgins, C.B.; Morganroth, J.; Ritchie, J.L.; Schelbert, H.R.

    1985-01-01

    This book presents 5 specialists work on reviewing and editing the area of applications for cardiac imaging: Contents: Ultrasound Methods; 1. Echocardiography in Valvular Heart Disease, 2. Echocardiography in Ischemic Heart Disease, 3. Current Status of Doppler Ultrasound for Assessing Regurgitant Valvular Lesions, Radionuclide Methods; 4. Cardiovascular Nuclear Medicine, 5. Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT): Validation and Application for Myocardial Perfusion Imaging, 6. Assessment of Regional Myocardial Perfusion with Positron Emission Tomography, 7. Assessment of Regional Myocardial Substrate Metabolism with Positron Emission Tomography, X-Ray Imaging Techniques; 8. The Evaluation of Left Ventricular Function in Ischemic Heart Disease by Digital Subtraction Angigraphy, 9. Digital Angiography in the Assessment of Coronary Artery Disease, 10. Cardiac Computed Tomography: Its Potential Use in Evaluation of Ischemic Heart Disease, Magnetic Methods; 11. NMR Evaluation of the Cardiovascular System, 12. Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Heart.

  13. New concepts in cardiac imaging 1985

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pohost, G.M.; Higgins, C.B.; Morganroth, J.; Ritchie, J.L.; Schelbert, H.R.

    1985-01-01

    This book presents 5 specialists work on reviewing and editing the area of applications for cardiac imaging: Contents: Ultrasound Methods; 1. Echocardiography in Valvular Heart Disease, 2. Echocardiography in Ischemic Heart Disease, 3. Current Status of Doppler Ultrasound for Assessing Regurgitant Valvular Lesions, Radionuclide Methods; 4. Cardiovascular Nuclear Medicine, 5. Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT): Validation and Application for Myocardial Perfusion Imaging, 6. Assessment of Regional Myocardial Perfusion with Positron Emission Tomography, 7. Assessment of Regional Myocardial Substrate Metabolism with Positron Emission Tomography, X-Ray Imaging Techniques; 8. The Evaluation of Left Ventricular Function in Ischemic Heart Disease by Digital Subtraction Angigraphy, 9. Digital Angiography in the Assessment of Coronary Artery Disease, 10. Cardiac Computed Tomography: Its Potential Use in Evaluation of Ischemic Heart Disease, Magnetic Methods; 11. NMR Evaluation of the Cardiovascular System, 12. Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Heart

  14. Multiplicative calculus in biomedical image analysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Florack, L.M.J.; Assen, van H.C.

    2011-01-01

    We advocate the use of an alternative calculus in biomedical image analysis, known as multiplicative (a.k.a. non-Newtonian) calculus. It provides a natural framework in problems in which positive images or positive definite matrix fields and positivity preserving operators are of interest. Indeed,

  15. Multi-parametric quantification of tricuspid regurgitation using cardiovascular magnetic resonance: A comparison to echocardiography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Medvedofsky, Diego [Department of Medicine, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL (United States); Jimenez, Javier Leon [Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Huelva, Huelva (Spain); Addetia, Karima; Singh, Amita; Lang, Roberto M. [Department of Medicine, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL (United States); Mor-Avi, Victor, E-mail: vmoravi@bsd.uchicago.edu [Department of Medicine, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL (United States); Patel, Amit R. [Department of Medicine, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL (United States)

    2017-01-15

    Background: Velocity-encoding is used to quantify tricuspid regurgitation (TR) by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR), but requires additional dedicated imaging. We hypothesized that size and signal intensity (SI) of the cross-sectional TR jet area in the right atrium in short-axis steady-state free-precession images could be used to assess TR severity. Methods: We studied 61 patients with TR, who underwent CMR and echocardiography within 24 h. TR severity was determined by vena contracta: severe (N = 20), moderate or mild (N = 41). CMR TR jet area and normalized SI were measured in the plane and frame that depicted maximum area. ROC analysis was performed in 21/61 patients to determine diagnostic accuracy of differentiating degrees of TR. Optimal cutoffs were independently tested in the remaining 40 patients. Results: Measurable regions of signal loss depicting TR jets were noted in 51/61 patients, while 9/10 remaining patients had mild TR by echocardiography. With increasing TR severity, jet area significantly increased (15 ± 14 to 38 ± 20 mm{sup 2}), while normalized SI decreased (57 ± 27 to 23 ± 11). ROC analysis showed high AUC values in the derivation group and good accuracy in the test group. Conclusion: TR can be quantified from short-axis CMR images in agreement with echocardiography, while circumventing additional image acquisition.

  16. Plaque Structural Stress Estimations Improve Prediction of Future Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events After Intracoronary Imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Adam J; Teng, Zhongzhao; Calvert, Patrick A; Rajani, Nikil K; Hennessy, Orla; Nerlekar, Nitesh; Obaid, Daniel R; Costopoulos, Charis; Huang, Yuan; Hoole, Stephen P; Goddard, Martin; West, Nick E J; Gillard, Jonathan H; Bennett, Martin R

    2016-06-01

    Although plaque rupture is responsible for most myocardial infarctions, few high-risk plaques identified by intracoronary imaging actually result in future major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Nonimaging markers of individual plaque behavior are therefore required. Rupture occurs when plaque structural stress (PSS) exceeds material strength. We therefore assessed whether PSS could predict future MACE in high-risk nonculprit lesions identified on virtual-histology intravascular ultrasound. Baseline nonculprit lesion features associated with MACE during long-term follow-up (median: 1115 days) were determined in 170 patients undergoing 3-vessel virtual-histology intravascular ultrasound. MACE was associated with plaque burden ≥70% (hazard ratio: 8.6; 95% confidence interval, 2.5-30.6; P<0.001) and minimal luminal area ≤4 mm(2) (hazard ratio: 6.6; 95% confidence interval, 2.1-20.1; P=0.036), although absolute event rates for high-risk lesions remained <10%. PSS derived from virtual-histology intravascular ultrasound was subsequently estimated in nonculprit lesions responsible for MACE (n=22) versus matched control lesions (n=22). PSS showed marked heterogeneity across and between similar lesions but was significantly increased in MACE lesions at high-risk regions, including plaque burden ≥70% (13.9±11.5 versus 10.2±4.7; P<0.001) and thin-cap fibroatheroma (14.0±8.9 versus 11.6±4.5; P=0.02). Furthermore, PSS improved the ability of virtual-histology intravascular ultrasound to predict MACE in plaques with plaque burden ≥70% (adjusted log-rank, P=0.003) and minimal luminal area ≤4 mm(2) (P=0.002). Plaques responsible for MACE had larger superficial calcium inclusions, which acted to increase PSS (P<0.05). Baseline PSS is increased in plaques responsible for MACE and improves the ability of intracoronary imaging to predict events. Biomechanical modeling may complement plaque imaging for risk stratification of coronary nonculprit lesions. © 2016

  17. Plant phenomics: an overview of image acquisition technologies and image data analysis algorithms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perez-Sanz, Fernando; Navarro, Pedro J; Egea-Cortines, Marcos

    2017-11-01

    The study of phenomes or phenomics has been a central part of biology. The field of automatic phenotype acquisition technologies based on images has seen an important advance in the last years. As with other high-throughput technologies, it addresses a common set of problems, including data acquisition and analysis. In this review, we give an overview of the main systems developed to acquire images. We give an in-depth analysis of image processing with its major issues and the algorithms that are being used or emerging as useful to obtain data out of images in an automatic fashion. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

  18. Fractal-Based Image Analysis In Radiological Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dellepiane, S.; Serpico, S. B.; Vernazza, G.; Viviani, R.

    1987-10-01

    We present some preliminary results of a study aimed to assess the actual effectiveness of fractal theory and to define its limitations in the area of medical image analysis for texture description, in particular, in radiological applications. A general analysis to select appropriate parameters (mask size, tolerance on fractal dimension estimation, etc.) has been performed on synthetically generated images of known fractal dimensions. Moreover, we analyzed some radiological images of human organs in which pathological areas can be observed. Input images were subdivided into blocks of 6x6 pixels; then, for each block, the fractal dimension was computed in order to create fractal images whose intensity was related to the D value, i.e., texture behaviour. Results revealed that the fractal images could point out the differences between normal and pathological tissues. By applying histogram-splitting segmentation to the fractal images, pathological areas were isolated. Two different techniques (i.e., the method developed by Pentland and the "blanket" method) were employed to obtain fractal dimension values, and the results were compared; in both cases, the appropriateness of the fractal description of the original images was verified.

  19. Evaluation of the specificity of radionuclide myocardial imaging for detecting CAD

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Xiujie

    1992-01-01

    In order to evaluate the specificity of radionuclide myocardial perfusion imaging for detecting coronary artery disease (CAD), 50 patients with normal coronary arteriography and radionuclide myocardial perfusion scintigraphy were analysed. The results from 201 T1 (20 cases) and 99m Tc-MIBI (30 cases) studies showed that out of 33 patients with no organic cardiovascular disease, 29 had normal myocardial imaging, and the specificity of radionuclide myocardial imaging for detecting CAD was 87.8%. 4 normal young women had false positive myocardial imaging. Out of 17 patients with cardiovascular disease and normal coronary arteriography, 15 patients had abnormal myocardial imaging. The final clinical diagnoses of these 15 patients were: 4 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, 3 with old myocardial infarction, 2 with myocarditis, 3 with small coronary vessel disease, 1 with congestive cardiomyopathy, and 2 with other cardiac disorder. The points of differentiation between CAD and other cardiovascular disease using radionuclide techniques were discussed

  20. Blind source separation of ex-vivo aorta tissue multispectral images.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galeano, July; Perez, Sandra; Montoya, Yonatan; Botina, Deivid; Garzón, Johnson

    2015-05-01

    Blind Source Separation methods (BSS) aim for the decomposition of a given signal in its main components or source signals. Those techniques have been widely used in the literature for the analysis of biomedical images, in order to extract the main components of an organ or tissue under study. The analysis of skin images for the extraction of melanin and hemoglobin is an example of the use of BSS. This paper presents a proof of concept of the use of source separation of ex-vivo aorta tissue multispectral Images. The images are acquired with an interference filter-based imaging system. The images are processed by means of two algorithms: Independent Components analysis and Non-negative Matrix Factorization. In both cases, it is possible to obtain maps that quantify the concentration of the main chromophores present in aortic tissue. Also, the algorithms allow for spectral absorbance of the main tissue components. Those spectral signatures were compared against the theoretical ones by using correlation coefficients. Those coefficients report values close to 0.9, which is a good estimator of the method's performance. Also, correlation coefficients lead to the identification of the concentration maps according to the evaluated chromophore. The results suggest that Multi/hyper-spectral systems together with image processing techniques is a potential tool for the analysis of cardiovascular tissue.

  1. Digital image analysis of NDT radiographs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Graeme, W.A. Jr.; Eizember, A.C.; Douglass, J.

    1989-01-01

    Prior to the introduction of Charge Coupled Device (CCD) detectors the majority of image analysis performed on NDT radiographic images was done visually in the analog domain. While some film digitization was being performed, the process was often unable to capture all the usable information on the radiograph or was too time consuming. CCD technology now provides a method to digitize radiographic film images without losing the useful information captured in the original radiograph in a timely process. Incorporating that technology into a complete digital radiographic workstation allows analog radiographic information to be processed, providing additional information to the radiographer. Once in the digital domain, that data can be stored, and fused with radioscopic and other forms of digital data. The result is more productive analysis and management of radiographic inspection data. The principal function of the NDT Scan IV digital radiography system is the digitization, enhancement and storage of radiographic images

  2. Breast cancer histopathology image analysis: a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Veta, Mitko; Pluim, Josien P W; van Diest, Paul J; Viergever, Max A

    2014-05-01

    This paper presents an overview of methods that have been proposed for the analysis of breast cancer histopathology images. This research area has become particularly relevant with the advent of whole slide imaging (WSI) scanners, which can perform cost-effective and high-throughput histopathology slide digitization, and which aim at replacing the optical microscope as the primary tool used by pathologist. Breast cancer is the most prevalent form of cancers among women, and image analysis methods that target this disease have a huge potential to reduce the workload in a typical pathology lab and to improve the quality of the interpretation. This paper is meant as an introduction for nonexperts. It starts with an overview of the tissue preparation, staining and slide digitization processes followed by a discussion of the different image processing techniques and applications, ranging from analysis of tissue staining to computer-aided diagnosis, and prognosis of breast cancer patients.

  3. Image processing and analysis software development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shahnaz, R.

    1999-01-01

    The work presented in this project is aimed at developing a software 'IMAGE GALLERY' to investigate various image processing and analysis techniques. The work was divided into two parts namely the image processing techniques and pattern recognition, which further comprised of character and face recognition. Various image enhancement techniques including negative imaging, contrast stretching, compression of dynamic, neon, diffuse, emboss etc. have been studied. Segmentation techniques including point detection, line detection, edge detection have been studied. Also some of the smoothing and sharpening filters have been investigated. All these imaging techniques have been implemented in a window based computer program written in Visual Basic Neural network techniques based on Perception model have been applied for face and character recognition. (author)

  4. Forensic Analysis of Digital Image Tampering

    Science.gov (United States)

    2004-12-01

    analysis of when each method fails, which Chapter 4 discusses. Finally, a test image containing an invisible watermark using LSB steganography is...2.2 – Example of invisible watermark using Steganography Software F5 ............. 8 Figure 2.3 – Example of copy-move image forgery [12...used to embed the hidden watermark is Steganography Software F5 version 11+ discussed in Section 2.2. Original JPEG Image – 580 x 435 – 17.4

  5. Elemental analysis of some herbal plants used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases by NAA and AAS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rajurkar, N.S.; Damame, M.M.

    1997-01-01

    Elemental analysis of some herbal plants used in the ayurveda for curing of cardiovascular diseases has been performed using the techniques of neutron activation analysis and atomic absorption spectroscopy. The concentration of elements Mn, Na, K and Cl has been estimated by NAA using a 252 Cf neutron source and a high purity germanium detector coupled to a multichannel analyzer, while the elements, Ca, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Pb, Zn, Ni, Cd and Hg were analysed by ASS using a Perkin Elmer 3100 instrument. (author)

  6. Automated thermal mapping techniques using chromatic image analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buck, Gregory M.

    1989-01-01

    Thermal imaging techniques are introduced using a chromatic image analysis system and temperature sensitive coatings. These techniques are used for thermal mapping and surface heat transfer measurements on aerothermodynamic test models in hypersonic wind tunnels. Measurements are made on complex vehicle configurations in a timely manner and at minimal expense. The image analysis system uses separate wavelength filtered images to analyze surface spectral intensity data. The system was initially developed for quantitative surface temperature mapping using two-color thermographic phosphors but was found useful in interpreting phase change paint and liquid crystal data as well.

  7. A comparative meta-analysis of maximal aerobic metabolism of vertebrates: implications for respiratory and cardiovascular limits to gas exchange.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hillman, Stanley S; Hancock, Thomas V; Hedrick, Michael S

    2013-02-01

    Maximal aerobic metabolic rates (MMR) in vertebrates are supported by increased conductive and diffusive fluxes of O(2) from the environment to the mitochondria necessitating concomitant increases in CO(2) efflux. A question that has received much attention has been which step, respiratory or cardiovascular, provides the principal rate limitation to gas flux at MMR? Limitation analyses have principally focused on O(2) fluxes, though the excess capacity of the lung for O(2) ventilation and diffusion remains unexplained except as a safety factor. Analyses of MMR normally rely upon allometry and temperature to define these factors, but cannot account for much of the variation and often have narrow phylogenetic breadth. The unique aspect of our comparative approach was to use an interclass meta-analysis to examine cardio-respiratory variables during the increase from resting metabolic rate to MMR among vertebrates from fish to mammals, independent of allometry and phylogeny. Common patterns at MMR indicate universal principles governing O(2) and CO(2) transport in vertebrate cardiovascular and respiratory systems, despite the varied modes of activities (swimming, running, flying), different cardio-respiratory architecture, and vastly different rates of metabolism (endothermy vs. ectothermy). Our meta-analysis supports previous studies indicating a cardiovascular limit to maximal O(2) transport and also implicates a respiratory system limit to maximal CO(2) efflux, especially in ectotherms. Thus, natural selection would operate on the respiratory system to enhance maximal CO(2) excretion and the cardiovascular system to enhance maximal O(2) uptake. This provides a possible evolutionary explanation for the conundrum of why the respiratory system appears functionally over-designed from an O(2) perspective, a unique insight from previous work focused solely on O(2) fluxes. The results suggest a common gas transport blueprint, or Bauplan, in the vertebrate clade.

  8. [Quantitative data analysis for live imaging of bone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seno, Shigeto

    Bone tissue is a hard tissue, it was difficult to observe the interior of the bone tissue alive. With the progress of microscopic technology and fluorescent probe technology in recent years, it becomes possible to observe various activities of various cells forming bone society. On the other hand, the quantitative increase in data and the diversification and complexity of the images makes it difficult to perform quantitative analysis by visual inspection. It has been expected to develop a methodology for processing microscopic images and data analysis. In this article, we introduce the research field of bioimage informatics which is the boundary area of biology and information science, and then outline the basic image processing technology for quantitative analysis of live imaging data of bone.

  9. ACC/AATS/AHA/ASE/ASNC/HRS/SCAI/SCCT/SCMR/STS 2017 Appropriate Use Criteria for Multimodality Imaging in Valvular Heart Disease: A Report of the American College of Cardiology Appropriate Use Criteria Task Force, American Association for Thoracic Surgery, American Heart Association, American Society of Echocardiography, American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, Heart Rhythm Society, Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography, Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, and Society of Thoracic Surgeons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doherty, John U; Kort, Smadar; Mehran, Roxana; Schoenhagen, Paul; Soman, Prem; Dehmer, Greg J; Doherty, John U; Schoenhagen, Paul; Amin, Zahid; Bashore, Thomas M; Boyle, Andrew; Calnon, Dennis A; Carabello, Blase; Cerqueira, Manuel D; Conte, John; Desai, Milind; Edmundowicz, Daniel; Ferrari, Victor A; Ghoshhajra, Brian; Mehrotra, Praveen; Nazarian, Saman; Reece, T Brett; Tamarappoo, Balaji; Tzou, Wendy S; Wong, John B; Doherty, John U; Dehmer, Gregory J; Bailey, Steven R; Bhave, Nicole M; Brown, Alan S; Daugherty, Stacie L; Dean, Larry S; Desai, Milind Y; Duvernoy, Claire S; Gillam, Linda D; Hendel, Robert C; Kramer, Christopher M; Lindsay, Bruce D; Manning, Warren J; Mehrotra, Praveen; Patel, Manesh R; Sachdeva, Ritu; Wann, L Samuel; Winchester, David E; Wolk, Michael J; Allen, Joseph M

    2018-04-01

    This document is 1 of 2 companion appropriate use criteria (AUC) documents developed by the American College of Cardiology, American Association for Thoracic Surgery, American Heart Association, American Society of Echocardiography, American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, Heart Rhythm Society, Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography, Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, and Society of Thoracic Surgeons. This document addresses the evaluation and use of multimodality imaging in the diagnosis and management of valvular heart disease, whereas the second, companion document addresses this topic with regard to structural heart disease. Although there is clinical overlap, the documents addressing valvular and structural heart disease are published separately, albeit with a common structure. The goal of the companion AUC documents is to provide a comprehensive resource for multimodality imaging in the context of valvular and structural heart disease, encompassing multiple imaging modalities. Using standardized methodology, the clinical scenarios (indications) were developed by a diverse writing group to represent patient presentations encountered in everyday practice and included common applications and anticipated uses. Where appropriate, the scenarios were developed on the basis of the most current American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines. A separate, independent rating panel scored the 92 clinical scenarios in this document on a scale of 1 to 9. Scores of 7 to 9 indicate that a modality is considered appropriate for the clinical scenario presented. Midrange scores of 4 to 6 indicate that a modality may be appropriate for the clinical scenario, and scores of 1 to 3 indicate that a modality is considered rarely appropriate for the clinical scenario. The primary objective of the AUC is to provide a framework for the assessment of these scenarios by practices that will

  10. Cardiovascular risk profile: Cross-sectional analysis of motivational determinants, physical fitness and physical activity

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gerjo Kok; Drs. Barbara Sassen; Drs. Henri Kiers; Herman Schaalma; Prof. Dr. Luc L.E.M.J. Vanhees

    2010-01-01

    Background: Cardiovascular risk factors are associated with physical fitness and, to a lesser extent, physical activity. Lifestyle interventions directed at enhancing physical fitness in order to decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases should be extended. To enable the development of effective

  11. Flame analysis using image processing techniques

    Science.gov (United States)

    Her Jie, Albert Chang; Zamli, Ahmad Faizal Ahmad; Zulazlan Shah Zulkifli, Ahmad; Yee, Joanne Lim Mun; Lim, Mooktzeng

    2018-04-01

    This paper presents image processing techniques with the use of fuzzy logic and neural network approach to perform flame analysis. Flame diagnostic is important in the industry to extract relevant information from flame images. Experiment test is carried out in a model industrial burner with different flow rates. Flame features such as luminous and spectral parameters are extracted using image processing and Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). Flame images are acquired using FLIR infrared camera. Non-linearities such as thermal acoustic oscillations and background noise affect the stability of flame. Flame velocity is one of the important characteristics that determines stability of flame. In this paper, an image processing method is proposed to determine flame velocity. Power spectral density (PSD) graph is a good tool for vibration analysis where flame stability can be approximated. However, a more intelligent diagnostic system is needed to automatically determine flame stability. In this paper, flame features of different flow rates are compared and analyzed. The selected flame features are used as inputs to the proposed fuzzy inference system to determine flame stability. Neural network is used to test the performance of the fuzzy inference system.

  12. Image analysis for material characterisation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Livens, Stefan

    In this thesis, a number of image analysis methods are presented as solutions to two applications concerning the characterisation of materials. Firstly, we deal with the characterisation of corrosion images, which is handled using a multiscale texture analysis method based on wavelets. We propose a feature transformation that deals with the problem of rotation invariance. Classification is performed with a Learning Vector Quantisation neural network and with combination of outputs. In an experiment, 86,2% of the images showing either pit formation or cracking, are correctly classified. Secondly, we develop an automatic system for the characterisation of silver halide microcrystals. These are flat crystals with a triangular or hexagonal base and a thickness in the 100 to 200 nm range. A light microscope is used to image them. A novel segmentation method is proposed, which allows to separate agglomerated crystals. For the measurement of shape, the ratio between the largest and the smallest radius yields the best results. The thickness measurement is based on the interference colours that appear for light reflected at the crystals. The mean colour of different thickness populations is determined, from which a calibration curve is derived. With this, the thickness of new populations can be determined accurately.

  13. A pilot study on pupillary and cardiovascular changes induced by stereoscopic video movies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sugita Norihiro

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Taking advantage of developed image technology, it is expected that image presentation would be utilized to promote health in the field of medical care and public health. To accumulate knowledge on biomedical effects induced by image presentation, an essential prerequisite for these purposes, studies on autonomic responses in more than one physiological system would be necessary. In this study, changes in parameters of the pupillary light reflex and cardiovascular reflex evoked by motion pictures were examined, which would be utilized to evaluate the effects of images, and to avoid side effects. Methods Three stereoscopic video movies with different properties were field-sequentially rear-projected through two LCD projectors on an 80-inch screen. Seven healthy young subjects watched movies in a dark room. Pupillary parameters were measured before and after presentation of movies by an infrared pupillometer. ECG and radial blood pressure were continuously monitored. The maximum cross-correlation coefficient between heart rate and blood pressure, ρmax, was used as an index to evaluate changes in the cardiovascular reflex. Results Parameters of pupillary and cardiovascular reflexes changed differently after subjects watched three different video movies. Amplitudes of the pupillary light reflex, CR, increased when subjects watched two CG movies (movies A and D, while they did not change after watching a movie with the real scenery (movie R. The ρmax was significantly larger after presentation of the movie D. Scores of the questionnaire for subjective evaluation of physical condition increased after presentation of all movies, but their relationship with changes in CR and ρmax was different in three movies. Possible causes of these biomedical differences are discussed. Conclusion The autonomic responses were effective to monitor biomedical effects induced by image presentation. Further accumulation of data on multiple autonomic

  14. Mortality of mothers from cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular causes following pregnancy complications in first delivery

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lykke, Jacob Alexander; Langhoff-Roos, Jens; Lockwood, Charles J

    2010-01-01

    cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular causes following preterm delivery, small-for-gestational-age offspring and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. We found that preterm delivery and small-for-gestational-age were both associated with subsequent death of mothers from cardiovascular and non...... cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular causes, while hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are markers of early death of mothers from cardiovascular causes....

  15. Precision Statistical Analysis of Images Based on Brightness Distribution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muzhir Shaban Al-Ani

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Study the content of images is considered an important topic in which reasonable and accurate analysis of images are generated. Recently image analysis becomes a vital field because of huge number of images transferred via transmission media in our daily life. These crowded media with images lead to highlight in research area of image analysis. In this paper, the implemented system is passed into many steps to perform the statistical measures of standard deviation and mean values of both color and grey images. Whereas the last step of the proposed method concerns to compare the obtained results in different cases of the test phase. In this paper, the statistical parameters are implemented to characterize the content of an image and its texture. Standard deviation, mean and correlation values are used to study the intensity distribution of the tested images. Reasonable results are obtained for both standard deviation and mean value via the implementation of the system. The major issue addressed in the work is concentrated on brightness distribution via statistical measures applying different types of lighting.

  16. Methods for processing and analysis functional and anatomical brain images: computerized tomography, emission tomography and nuclear resonance imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mazoyer, B.M.

    1988-01-01

    The various methods for brain image processing and analysis are presented and compared. The following topics are developed: the physical basis of brain image comparison (nature and formation of signals intrinsic performance of the methods image characteristics); mathematical methods for image processing and analysis (filtering, functional parameter extraction, morphological analysis, robotics and artificial intelligence); methods for anatomical localization (neuro-anatomy atlas, proportional stereotaxic atlas, numerized atlas); methodology of cerebral image superposition (normalization, retiming); image networks [fr

  17. Cardiovascular risk profile: Cross-sectional analysis of motivational determinants, physical fitness and physical activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kiers Henri

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Cardiovascular risk factors are associated with physical fitness and, to a lesser extent, physical activity. Lifestyle interventions directed at enhancing physical fitness in order to decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases should be extended. To enable the development of effective lifestyle interventions for people with cardiovascular risk factors, we investigated motivational, social-cognitive determinants derived from the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB and other relevant social psychological theories, next to physical activity and physical fitness. Methods In the cross-sectional Utrecht Police Lifestyle Intervention Fitness and Training (UP-LIFT study, 1298 employees (aged 18 to 62 were asked to complete online questionnaires regarding social-cognitive variables and physical activity. Cardiovascular risk factors and physical fitness (peak VO2 were measured. Results For people with one or more cardiovascular risk factors (78.7% of the total population, social-cognitive variables accounted for 39% (p In addition to the prediction of intention to engage in physical activity and physical active behavior, we explored the impact of the intensity of physical activity. The intentsity of physical activity was only significantly related to physical active behavior (beta = .253, p 2 = .06, p 2 = .23, p For people with one or more cardiovascular risk factors, 39.9% had positive intentions to engage in physical activity and were also physically active, and 10.5% had a low intentions but were physically active. 37.7% had low intentions and were physically inactive, and about 11.9% had high intentions but were physically inactive. Conclusions This study contributes to our ability to optimize cardiovascular risk profiles by demonstrating an important association between physical fitness and social-cognitive variables. Physical fitness can be predicted by physical active behavior as well as by self-efficacy and the intensity of

  18. Computer-based image analysis in radiological diagnostics and image-guided therapy: 3D-Reconstruction, contrast medium dynamics, surface analysis, radiation therapy and multi-modal image fusion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beier, J.

    2001-01-01

    This book deals with substantial subjects of postprocessing and analysis of radiological image data, a particular emphasis was put on pulmonary themes. For a multitude of purposes the developed methods and procedures can directly be transferred to other non-pulmonary applications. The work presented here is structured in 14 chapters, each describing a selected complex of research. The chapter order reflects the sequence of the processing steps starting from artefact reduction, segmentation, visualization, analysis, therapy planning and image fusion up to multimedia archiving. In particular, this includes virtual endoscopy with three different scene viewers (Chap. 6), visualizations of the lung disease bronchiectasis (Chap. 7), surface structure analysis of pulmonary tumors (Chap. 8), quantification of contrast medium dynamics from temporal 2D and 3D image sequences (Chap. 9) as well as multimodality image fusion of arbitrary tomographical data using several visualization techniques (Chap. 12). Thus, the software systems presented cover the majority of image processing applications necessary in radiology and were entirely developed, implemented and validated in the clinical routine of a university medical school. (orig.) [de

  19. Applications Of Binary Image Analysis Techniques

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tropf, H.; Enderle, E.; Kammerer, H. P.

    1983-10-01

    After discussing the conditions where binary image analysis techniques can be used, three new applications of the fast binary image analysis system S.A.M. (Sensorsystem for Automation and Measurement) are reported: (1) The human view direction is measured at TV frame rate while the subject's head is free movable. (2) Industrial parts hanging on a moving conveyor are classified prior to spray painting by robot. (3) In automotive wheel assembly, the eccentricity of the wheel is minimized by turning the tyre relative to the rim in order to balance the eccentricity of the components.

  20. Analysis of licensed South African diagnostic imaging equipment ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Analysis of licensed South African diagnostic imaging equipment. ... Pan African Medical Journal ... Introduction: Objective: To conduct an analysis of all registered South Africa (SA) diagnostic radiology equipment, assess the number of equipment units per capita by imaging modality, and compare SA figures with published ...

  1. Sleep characteristics and cardiovascular events in a large Swedish cohort.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Westerlund, Anna; Bellocco, Rino; Sundström, Johan; Adami, Hans-Olov; Åkerstedt, Torbjörn; Trolle Lagerros, Ylva

    2013-06-01

    Limited evidence suggests that the association between sleep duration and cardiovascular events is strongest in individuals who also report sleep disturbances. We investigated sleep duration and insomnia symptoms in relation to incident cardiovascular events in the Swedish National March Cohort comprising 41,192 adults. Habitual sleep duration and difficulty falling asleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, early morning awakening, and nonrestorative sleep were self-reported in 1997. During 13.2 years of follow-up, we identified 4,031 events (myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, or death from cardiovascular disease) in the Swedish National Patient Register and the Cause of Death Register. After adjustment for potential confounders, short sleep duration (≤5 h) was associated with slightly increased risks of overall cardiovascular events and, specifically, myocardial infarction: hazard ratio, HR (95% confidence interval) 1.24 (1.06-1.44) and 1.42 (1.15-1.76), respectively. These HRs were attenuated as we included BMI, depressive symptoms and other relevant covariates in our analysis. Insomnia symptoms per se were unrelated to risk. However, in a joint analysis, there was some evidence that short sleepers who reported frequent insomnia symptoms had the highest HRs (1.26-1.39) of overall cardiovascular events. Short sleep or insomnia symptoms without the other conferred no increased risk. Our results suggest that symptoms of sleep disturbance should be taken into account when assessing the association between short sleep and cardiovascular disease.

  2. Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging—Incremental Value in a Series of 361 Patients Demonstrating Cost Savings and Clinical Benefits: An Outcome-Based Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hegde, Vinayak A; Biederman, Robert WW; Mikolich, J Ronald

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND This study was designed to assess the clinical impact and cost-benefit of cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). In the face of current health care cost concerns, cardiac imaging modalities have come under focused review. Data related to CMR clinical impact and cost-benefit are lacking. METHODS AND RESULTS Retrospective review of 361 consecutive patients (pts) who underwent CMR exams was conducted. Indications for CMR were tabulated for appropriateness criteria. Components of the CMR exam were identified along with evidence of clinical impact. The cost of each CMR exam was ascertained along with cost savings attributable to the CMR exam for calculation of an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio. A total of 354 of 361 pts (98%) had diagnostic quality studies. Of the 361 pts, 350 (97%) had at least 1 published Appropriateness Criterion for CMR. A significant clinical impact attributable to CMR exam results was observed in 256 of 361 pts (71%). The CMR exam resulted in a new diagnosis in 69 of 361 (27%) pts. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging results avoided invasive procedures in 38 (11%) pts and prevented additional diagnostic testing in 26 (7%) pts. Comparison of health care savings using CMR as opposed to current standards of care showed a net cost savings of $833 037, ie, per patient cost savings of $2308. CONCLUSIONS Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging provides diagnostic image quality in >98% of cases. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging findings have documentable clinical impact on patient management in 71% of pts undergoing the exam, in a cost beneficial manner. PMID:28579858

  3. Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging—Incremental Value in a Series of 361 Patients Demonstrating Cost Savings and Clinical Benefits: An Outcome-Based Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vinayak A Hegde

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Background: This study was designed to assess the clinical impact and cost-benefit of cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR. In the face of current health care cost concerns, cardiac imaging modalities have come under focused review. Data related to CMR clinical impact and cost-benefit are lacking. Methods and Results: Retrospective review of 361 consecutive patients (pts who underwent CMR exams was conducted. Indications for CMR were tabulated for appropriateness criteria. Components of the CMR exam were identified along with evidence of clinical impact. The cost of each CMR exam was ascertained along with cost savings attributable to the CMR exam for calculation of an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio. A total of 354 of 361 pts (98% had diagnostic quality studies. Of the 361 pts, 350 (97% had at least 1 published Appropriateness Criterion for CMR. A significant clinical impact attributable to CMR exam results was observed in 256 of 361 pts (71%. The CMR exam resulted in a new diagnosis in 69 of 361 (27% pts. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging results avoided invasive procedures in 38 (11% pts and prevented additional diagnostic testing in 26 (7% pts. Comparison of health care savings using CMR as opposed to current standards of care showed a net cost savings of $833 037, ie, per patient cost savings of $2308. Conclusions: Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging provides diagnostic image quality in >98% of cases. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging findings have documentable clinical impact on patient management in 71% of pts undergoing the exam, in a cost beneficial manner.

  4. The Prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease in the Lagos State, Nigeria

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The analysis, which examines the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (ICD 9: 390-459) in Lagos State of Nigeria, was based on records obtained from the register of deaths in four Local Government Areas of the State. The result shows that there is general increase in death rates due to cardiovascular diseases over the ...

  5. Application of Image Texture Analysis for Evaluation of X-Ray Images of Fungal-Infected Maize Kernels

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Orina, Irene; Manley, Marena; Kucheryavskiy, Sergey V.

    2018-01-01

    The feasibility of image texture analysis to evaluate X-ray images of fungal-infected maize kernels was investigated. X-ray images of maize kernels infected with Fusarium verticillioides and control kernels were acquired using high-resolution X-ray micro-computed tomography. After image acquisition...... developed using partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and accuracies of 67 and 73% were achieved using first-order statistical features and GLCM extracted features, respectively. This work provides information on the possible application of image texture as method for analysing X-ray images......., homogeneity and contrast) were extracted from the side, front and top views of each kernel and used as inputs for principal component analysis (PCA). The first-order statistical image features gave a better separation of the control from infected kernels on day 8 post-inoculation. Classification models were...

  6. Predictors of ischaemic mitral regurgitation recurrence in patients undergoing combined surgery: additional value of cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glaveckaite, Sigita; Uzdavinyte-Gateliene, Egle; Petrulioniene, Zaneta; Palionis, Darius; Valeviciene, Nomeda; Kalinauskas, Gintaras; Serpytis, Pranas; Laucevicius, Aleksandras

    2018-03-09

    We aimed to evaluate (i) the effectiveness of combined surgery (coronary artery bypass grafting with restrictive mitral valve annuloplasty) and (ii) the late gadolinium enhancement cardiovascular magnetic resonance-based predictors of ischaemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) recurrence. The prospective analysis included 40 patients with multivessel coronary artery disease, IMR >II° and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction undergoing combined surgery. The degree of IMR and LV parameters were assessed preoperatively by transthoracic echocardiography, 3D transoesophageal echocardiography and cardiovascular magnetic resonance and postoperatively by transthoracic echocardiography. The effective mitral valve repair group (n = 30) was defined as having recurrent ischaemic mitral regurgitation (RIMR) ≤II° at the end of follow-up (25 ± 11 months). The surgery was effective: freedom from RIMR >II° at 1 and 2 years after surgery was 80% and 75%, respectively. Using multivariable logistic regression, 2 independent predictors of RIMR >II° were identified: ≥3 non-viable LV segments (odds ratio 22, P = 0.027) and ≥1 non-viable segment in the LV posterior wall (odds ratio 11, P = 0.026). Using classification trees, the best combinations of cardiovascular magnetic resonance-based and 3D transoesophageal echocardiography-based predictors for RIMR >II° were (i) posterior mitral valve leaflet angle >40° and LV end-systolic volume index >45 ml/m2 (sensitivity 100%, specificity 89%) and (ii) scar transmurality >68% in the inferior LV wall and EuroSCORE II >8 (sensitivity 83%, specificity 78%). There is a clear relationship between the amount of non-viable LV segments, especially in the LV posterior and inferior walls, and the recurrence of IMR after the combined surgery.

  7. Pulmonary Hypertension, Mortality, and Cardiovascular Disease in CKD and ESRD Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Mengyao; Batty, Jonathan A; Lin, Chiayu; Fan, Xiaohong; Chan, Kevin E; Kalim, Sahir

    2018-02-08

    Pulmonary hypertension is common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and may be associated with poor outcomes. The magnitude of the association between pulmonary hypertension and mortality is uncertain due to the small size and variable findings of observational studies. Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies using subgroup analyses and metaregression. Patients with ESRD or earlier stages of CKD. Observational studies reporting clinical outcomes in patients with co-existing pulmonary hypertension and CKD or ESRD identified using a systematic search of PubMed and Embase. Pulmonary hypertension diagnosed by Doppler echocardiography. All-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and cardiovascular events. 16 studies, with 7,112 patients with an overall pulmonary hypertension prevalence of 23%, were included. Pulmonary hypertension was associated with increased risk for all-cause mortality among patients with CKD (relative risk [RR], 1.44; 95% CI, 1.17-1.76), with ESRD receiving maintenance dialysis (RR, 2.32; 95% CI, 1.91-2.83), and with a functioning kidney transplant (RR, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.35-3.20). Pulmonary hypertension was associated with increased risk for cardiovascular events in patients with CKD (RR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.07-2.60) and ESRD receiving dialysis (RR, 2.33; 95% CI, 1.76-3.08). There was an association between pulmonary hypertension and increased risk for cardiovascular mortality in patients with CKD or ESRD (RR, 2.20; 95% CI, 1.53-3.15). Heterogeneity of included studies, possibility of residual confounding, unavailability of individual patient-level data, and possibility of outcome reporting bias. Pulmonary hypertension is associated with a substantially increased risk for death and cardiovascular events in patients with CKD and ESRD. Risk is higher in patients with ESRD receiving dialysis compared with patients with CKD stages 1 to 5. Understanding the effect of interventions to lower

  8. Accelerated two-dimensional cine DENSE cardiovascular magnetic resonance using compressed sensing and parallel imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xiao; Yang, Yang; Cai, Xiaoying; Auger, Daniel A; Meyer, Craig H; Salerno, Michael; Epstein, Frederick H

    2016-06-14

    Cine Displacement Encoding with Stimulated Echoes (DENSE) provides accurate quantitative imaging of cardiac mechanics with rapid displacement and strain analysis; however, image acquisition times are relatively long. Compressed sensing (CS) with parallel imaging (PI) can generally provide high-quality images recovered from data sampled below the Nyquist rate. The purposes of the present study were to develop CS-PI-accelerated acquisition and reconstruction methods for cine DENSE, to assess their accuracy for cardiac imaging using retrospective undersampling, and to demonstrate their feasibility for prospectively-accelerated 2D cine DENSE imaging in a single breathhold. An accelerated cine DENSE sequence with variable-density spiral k-space sampling and golden angle rotations through time was implemented. A CS method, Block LOw-rank Sparsity with Motion-guidance (BLOSM), was combined with sensitivity encoding (SENSE) for the reconstruction of under-sampled multi-coil spiral data. Seven healthy volunteers and 7 patients underwent 2D cine DENSE imaging with fully-sampled acquisitions (14-26 heartbeats in duration) and with prospectively rate-2 and rate-4 accelerated acquisitions (14 and 8 heartbeats in duration). Retrospectively- and prospectively-accelerated data were reconstructed using BLOSM-SENSE and SENSE. Image quality of retrospectively-undersampled data was quantified using the relative root mean square error (rRMSE). Myocardial displacement and circumferential strain were computed for functional assessment, and linear correlation and Bland-Altman analyses were used to compare accelerated acquisitions to fully-sampled reference datasets. For retrospectively-undersampled data, BLOSM-SENSE provided similar or lower rRMSE at rate-2 and lower rRMSE at rate-4 acceleration compared to SENSE (p cine DENSE provided good image quality and expected values of displacement and strain. BLOSM-SENSE-accelerated spiral cine DENSE imaging with 2D displacement encoding can be

  9. Erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular events in diabetic men: a meta-analysis of observational studies.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomohide Yamada

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Several studies have shown that erectile dysfunction (ED influences the risk of cardiovascular events (CV events. However, a meta-analysis of the overall risk of CV events associated with ED in patients with diabetes has not been performed. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We searched MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library for pertinent articles (including references published between 1951 and April 22, 2012. English language reports of original observational cohort studies and cross-sectional studies were included. Pooled effect estimates were obtained by random effects meta-analysis. A total of 3,791 CV events were reported in 3 cohort studies and 9 cross-sectional studies (covering 22,586 subjects. Across the cohort studies, the overall odds ratio (OR of diabetic men with ED versus those without ED was 1.74 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.34-2.27; P0.05. Moreover, meta-regression analysis found no relationship between the method used to assess ED (questionnaire or interview, mean age, mean hemoglobin A(1c, mean body mass index, or mean duration of diabetes and the risk of CV events or CHD. In the cross-sectional studies, the OR of diabetic men with ED versus those without ED was 3.39 (95% CI: 2.58-4.44; P<0.001 for CV events (N = 9, 3.43 (95% CI: 2.46-4.77; P<0.001 for CHD (N = 7, and 2.63 (95% CI: 1.41-4.91; P = 0.002 for peripheral vascular disease (N = 5. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: ED was associated with an increased risk of CV events in diabetic patients. Prevention and early detection of cardiovascular disease are important in the management of diabetes, especially in view of the rapid increase in its prevalence.

  10. Hypertension Control in Adults With Diabetes Mellitus and Recurrent Cardiovascular Events: Global Results From the Trial Evaluating Cardiovascular Outcomes With Sitagliptin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Navar, Ann Marie; Gallup, Dianne S; Lokhnygina, Yuliya; Green, Jennifer B; McGuire, Darren K; Armstrong, Paul W; Buse, John B; Engel, Samuel S; Lachin, John M; Standl, Eberhard; Van de Werf, Frans; Holman, Rury R; Peterson, Eric D

    2017-11-01

    Systolic blood pressure (SBP) treatment targets for adults with diabetes mellitus remain unclear. SBP levels among 12 275 adults with diabetes mellitus, prior cardiovascular disease, and treated hypertension were evaluated in the TECOS (Trial Evaluating Cardiovascular Outcomes With Sitagliptin) randomized trial of sitagliptin versus placebo. The association between baseline SBP and recurrent cardiovascular disease was evaluated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards modeling with restricted cubic splines, adjusting for clinical characteristics. Kaplan-Meier curves by baseline SBP were created to assess time to cardiovascular disease and 2 potential hypotension-related adverse events: worsening kidney function and fractures. The association between time-updated SBP and outcomes was examined using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. Overall, 42.2% of adults with diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension had an SBP ≥140 mm Hg. The association between SBP and cardiovascular disease risk was U shaped, with a nadir ≈130 mm Hg. When the analysis was restricted to those with baseline SBP of 110 to 150 mm Hg, the adjusted association between SBP and cardiovascular disease risk was flat (hazard ratio per 10-mm Hg increase, 0.96; 95% confidence interval, 0.91-1.02). There was no association between SBP and risk of fracture. Above 150 mm Hg, higher SBP was associated with increasing risk of worsening kidney function (hazard ratio per 10-mm Hg increase, 1.10; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.18). Many patients with diabetes mellitus have uncontrolled hypertension. The U-shaped association between SBP and cardiovascular disease events was largely driven by those with very high or low SBP, with no difference in cardiovascular disease risk between 110 and 150 mm Hg. Lower SBP was not associated with higher risks of fractures or worsening kidney function. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

  11. Advances in cardiac magnetic resonance imaging of congenital heart disease

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Driessen, Mieke M.P. [University of Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Radiology, PO Box 85500, Utrecht (Netherlands); University of Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Cardiology, PO Box 85500, Utrecht (Netherlands); The Interuniversity Cardiology Institute of the Netherlands (ICIN) - Netherlands Heart Institute, PO Box 19258, Utrecht (Netherlands); Breur, Johannes M.P.J. [Wilhelmina Children' s Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Pediatric Cardiology, PO Box 85500, Utrecht (Netherlands); Budde, Ricardo P.J.; Oorschot, Joep W.M. van; Leiner, Tim [University of Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Radiology, PO Box 85500, Utrecht (Netherlands); Kimmenade, Roland R.J. van; Sieswerda, Gertjan Tj [University of Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Cardiology, PO Box 85500, Utrecht (Netherlands); Meijboom, Folkert J. [University of Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Cardiology, PO Box 85500, Utrecht (Netherlands); Wilhelmina Children' s Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Pediatric Cardiology, PO Box 85500, Utrecht (Netherlands)

    2015-01-01

    Due to advances in cardiac surgery, survival of patients with congenital heart disease has increased considerably during the past decades. Many of these patients require repeated cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging to assess cardiac anatomy and function. In the past decade, technological advances have enabled faster and more robust cardiovascular magnetic resonance with improved image quality and spatial as well as temporal resolution. This review aims to provide an overview of advances in cardiovascular magnetic resonance hardware and acquisition techniques relevant to both pediatric and adult patients with congenital heart disease and discusses the techniques used to assess function, anatomy, flow and tissue characterization. (orig.)

  12. Multi-spectral Image Analysis for Astaxanthin Coating Classification

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ljungqvist, Martin Georg; Ersbøll, Bjarne Kjær; Nielsen, Michael Engelbrecht

    2011-01-01

    Industrial quality inspection using image analysis on astaxanthin coating in aquaculture feed pellets is of great importance for automatic production control. In this study multi-spectral image analysis of pellets was performed using LDA, QDA, SNV and PCA on pixel level and mean value of pixels...

  13. A short introduction to image analysis - Matlab exercises

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Michael Adsetts Edberg

    2000-01-01

    This document contain a short introduction to Image analysis. In addition small exercises has been prepared in order to support the theoretical understanding.......This document contain a short introduction to Image analysis. In addition small exercises has been prepared in order to support the theoretical understanding....

  14. Vaccine Images on Twitter: Analysis of What Images are Shared

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dredze, Mark

    2018-01-01

    Background Visual imagery plays a key role in health communication; however, there is little understanding of what aspects of vaccine-related images make them effective communication aids. Twitter, a popular venue for discussions related to vaccination, provides numerous images that are shared with tweets. Objective The objectives of this study were to understand how images are used in vaccine-related tweets and provide guidance with respect to the characteristics of vaccine-related images that correlate with the higher likelihood of being retweeted. Methods We collected more than one million vaccine image messages from Twitter and characterized various properties of these images using automated image analytics. We fit a logistic regression model to predict whether or not a vaccine image tweet was retweeted, thus identifying characteristics that correlate with a higher likelihood of being shared. For comparison, we built similar models for the sharing of vaccine news on Facebook and for general image tweets. Results Most vaccine-related images are duplicates (125,916/237,478; 53.02%) or taken from other sources, not necessarily created by the author of the tweet. Almost half of the images contain embedded text, and many include images of people and syringes. The visual content is highly correlated with a tweet’s textual topics. Vaccine image tweets are twice as likely to be shared as nonimage tweets. The sentiment of an image and the objects shown in the image were the predictive factors in determining whether an image was retweeted. Conclusions We are the first to study vaccine images on Twitter. Our findings suggest future directions for the study and use of vaccine imagery and may inform communication strategies around vaccination. Furthermore, our study demonstrates an effective study methodology for image analysis. PMID:29615386

  15. Vaccine Images on Twitter: Analysis of What Images are Shared.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Tao; Dredze, Mark

    2018-04-03

    Visual imagery plays a key role in health communication; however, there is little understanding of what aspects of vaccine-related images make them effective communication aids. Twitter, a popular venue for discussions related to vaccination, provides numerous images that are shared with tweets. The objectives of this study were to understand how images are used in vaccine-related tweets and provide guidance with respect to the characteristics of vaccine-related images that correlate with the higher likelihood of being retweeted. We collected more than one million vaccine image messages from Twitter and characterized various properties of these images using automated image analytics. We fit a logistic regression model to predict whether or not a vaccine image tweet was retweeted, thus identifying characteristics that correlate with a higher likelihood of being shared. For comparison, we built similar models for the sharing of vaccine news on Facebook and for general image tweets. Most vaccine-related images are duplicates (125,916/237,478; 53.02%) or taken from other sources, not necessarily created by the author of the tweet. Almost half of the images contain embedded text, and many include images of people and syringes. The visual content is highly correlated with a tweet's textual topics. Vaccine image tweets are twice as likely to be shared as nonimage tweets. The sentiment of an image and the objects shown in the image were the predictive factors in determining whether an image was retweeted. We are the first to study vaccine images on Twitter. Our findings suggest future directions for the study and use of vaccine imagery and may inform communication strategies around vaccination. Furthermore, our study demonstrates an effective study methodology for image analysis. ©Tao Chen, Mark Dredze. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 03.04.2018.

  16. Non Hodgkin lymphoma metastasis to the heart detected by cardiovascular magnetic resonance; Metastasis cardiaca secundaria al linfoma de Hodgkin detectada por la resonancia magnetica cardiovascular

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martinez, Florange; Morales, Marisela; Pedreanez, Norma [Hospital Cardiologico Infantil Latinoamericano Dr Gilberto Rodriguez Ochoa, Carcacas (Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of); Pabon, Luz; Carrillo, Milton [Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV/HUC), Caracas (Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of). Instituto de Hematoncologia. Hospital Universitario; Fernandes, Juliano Lara [Universidade de Campinas (UNICAMP), SP (Brazil)

    2009-10-15

    Primary and secondary heart tumors are relatively rare occurrences but usually imply significant treatment decisions. The differential diagnosis among these tumors and other masses can sometimes be difficult and require the use of different imaging modalities to establish a confident verdict. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance CMR imaging is a very useful tool in these cases by allowing for the application of different strategies to better delineate masses, heart structures and adjacent tissues. In this case description, we present a woman with shortness of breath and a paracardiac mass showing how CMR can be applied. (author)

  17. Aspirin effect on the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ghali William A

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Aspirin has been recommended for the prevention of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE, composite of non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, and cardiovascular death in diabetic patients without previous cardiovascular disease. However, recent meta-analyses have prompted re-evaluation of this practice. The study objective was to evaluate the relative and absolute benefits and harms of aspirin for the prevention of incident MACE in patients with diabetes. Methods We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis on seven studies (N = 11,618 reporting on the use of aspirin for the primary prevention of MACE in patients with diabetes. Two reviewers conducted a systematic search of electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and BIOSIS and hand searched bibliographies and clinical trial registries. Reviewers extracted data in duplicate, evaluated the quality of the trials, and calculated pooled estimates. Results A total of 11,618 participants were included in the analysis. The overall risk ratio (RR for MACE was 0.91 (95% confidence intervals, CI, 0.82-1.00 with little heterogeneity among trials (I2 0.0%. Secondary outcomes of interest included myocardial infarction (RR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.66-1.10, stroke (RR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.64-1.11, cardiovascular death (RR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.71-1.27, and all-cause mortality (RR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.85-1.06. There were higher rates of hemorrhagic and gastrointestinal events. In absolute terms, these relative risks indicate that for every 10,000 diabetic patients treated with aspirin, 109 MACE may be prevented at the expense of 19 major bleeding events (with the caveat that the relative risk for the latter is not statistically significant. Conclusions The studies reviewed suggest that aspirin reduces the risk of MACE in patients with diabetes without cardiovascular disease, while also causing a trend toward higher rates of bleeding and gastrointestinal complications

  18. An approach for quantitative image quality analysis for CT

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahimi, Amir; Cochran, Joe; Mooney, Doug; Regensburger, Joe

    2016-03-01

    An objective and standardized approach to assess image quality of Compute Tomography (CT) systems is required in a wide variety of imaging processes to identify CT systems appropriate for a given application. We present an overview of the framework we have developed to help standardize and to objectively assess CT image quality for different models of CT scanners used for security applications. Within this framework, we have developed methods to quantitatively measure metrics that should correlate with feature identification, detection accuracy and precision, and image registration capabilities of CT machines and to identify strengths and weaknesses in different CT imaging technologies in transportation security. To that end we have designed, developed and constructed phantoms that allow for systematic and repeatable measurements of roughly 88 image quality metrics, representing modulation transfer function, noise equivalent quanta, noise power spectra, slice sensitivity profiles, streak artifacts, CT number uniformity, CT number consistency, object length accuracy, CT number path length consistency, and object registration. Furthermore, we have developed a sophisticated MATLAB based image analysis tool kit to analyze CT generated images of phantoms and report these metrics in a format that is standardized across the considered models of CT scanners, allowing for comparative image quality analysis within a CT model or between different CT models. In addition, we have developed a modified sparse principal component analysis (SPCA) method to generate a modified set of PCA components as compared to the standard principal component analysis (PCA) with sparse loadings in conjunction with Hotelling T2 statistical analysis method to compare, qualify, and detect faults in the tested systems.

  19. Reduced or modified dietary fat for preventing cardiovascular disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lee Hooper

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Reduction and modification of dietary fats have differing effects on cardiovascular risk factors (such as serum cholesterol, but their effects on important health outcomes are less clear. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of reduction and/or modification of dietary fats on mortality, cardiovascular mortality, cardiovascular morbidity and individual outcomes including myocardial infarction, stroke and cancer diagnoses in randomised clinical trials of at least 6 months duration. METHODS: Search methods: For this review update, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, Medline and Embase, were searched through to June 2010. References of Included studies and reviews were also checked. Selection criteria: Trials fulfilled the following criteria: 1 randomized with appropriate control group, 2 intention to reduce or modify fat or cholesterol intake (excluding exclusively omega-3 fat interventions, 3 not multi factorial, 4 adult humans with or without cardiovascular disease, 5 intervention at least six months, 6 mortality or cardiovascular morbidity data available. Data collection and analysis: Participant numbers experiencing health outcomes in each arm were extracted independently in duplicate and random effects meta-analyses, meta-regression, sub-grouping, sensitivity analyses and funnel plots were performed. MAIN RESULTS: This updated review suggested that reducing saturated fat by reducing and/or modifying dietary fat reduced the risk of cardiovascular events by 14% (RR 0.86, 95% CI 0.77 to 0.96, 24 comparisons, 65,508 participants of whom 7% had a cardiovascular event, I2 50%. Subgrouping suggested that this reduction in cardiovascular events was seen in studies of fat modification (not reduction - which related directly to the degree of effect on serum total and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, of at least two years duration and in studies of men (not of women. There were no clear effects of dietary fat

  20. Reduced or modified dietary fat for preventing cardiovascular disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hooper, Lee; Summerbell, Carolyn D; Thompson, Rachel; Sills, Deirdre; Roberts, Felicia G; Moore, Helen; Smith, George Davey

    2014-01-01

    Background Reduction and modification of dietary fats have differing effects on cardiovascular risk factors (such as serum cholesterol), but their effects on important health outcomes are less clear. Objectives To assess the effect of reduction and/or modification of dietary fats on mortality, cardiovascular mortality, cardiovascular morbidity and individual outcomes including myocardial infarction, stroke and cancer diagnoses in randomised clinical trials of at least 6 months duration. Search methods For this review update, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE and EMBASE, were searched through to June 2010. References of Included studies and reviews were also checked. Selection criteria Trials fulfilled the following criteria: 1) randomised with appropriate control group, 2) intention to reduce or modify fat or cholesterol intake (excluding exclusively omega-3 fat interventions), 3) not multi factorial, 4) adult humans with or without cardiovascular disease, 5) intervention at least six months, 6) mortality or cardiovascular morbidity data available. Data collection and analysis Participant numbers experiencing health outcomes in each arm were extracted independently in duplicate and random effects meta-analyses, meta-regression, sub-grouping, sensitivity analyses and funnel plots were performed. Main results This updated review suggested that reducing saturated fat by reducing and/or modifying dietary fat reduced the risk of cardiovascular events by 14% (RR 0.86, 95% CI 0.77 to 0.96, 24 comparisons, 65,508 participants of whom 7% had a cardiovascular event, I2 50%). Subgrouping suggested that this reduction in cardiovascular events was seen in studies of fat modification (not reduction - which related directly to the degree of effect on serum total and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides), of at least two years duration and in studies of men (not of women). There were no clear effects of dietary fat changes on total mortality (RR 0

  1. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance in carotid atherosclerotic disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chen Huijun

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Atherosclerosis is a chronic, progressive, inflammatory disease affecting many vascular beds. Disease progression leads to acute cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction, stroke and death. The diseased carotid alone is responsible for one third of the 700,000 new or recurrent strokes occurring yearly in the United States. Imaging plays an important role in the management of atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR of the carotid vessel wall is one promising modality in the evaluation of patients with carotid atherosclerotic disease. Advances in carotid vessel wall CMR allow comprehensive assessment of morphology inside the wall, contributing substantial disease-specific information beyond luminal stenosis. Although carotid vessel wall CMR has not been widely used to screen for carotid atherosclerotic disease, many trials support its potential for this indication. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge regarding carotid vessel wall CMR and its potential clinical application for management of carotid atherosclerotic disease.

  2. Chocolate and prevention of cardiovascular disease: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Eric L; Hutfless, Susan M; Ding, Xin; Girotra, Saket

    2006-01-03

    Consumption of chocolate has been often hypothesized to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) due to chocolate's high levels of stearic acid and antioxidant flavonoids. However, debate still lingers regarding the true long term beneficial cardiovascular effects of chocolate overall. We reviewed English-language MEDLINE publications from 1966 through January 2005 for experimental, observational, and clinical studies of relations between cocoa, cacao, chocolate, stearic acid, flavonoids (including flavonols, flavanols, catechins, epicatechins, and procynadins) and the risk of cardiovascular disease (coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke). A total of 136 publications were selected based on relevance, and quality of design and methods. An updated meta-analysis of flavonoid intake and CHD mortality was also conducted. The body of short-term randomized feeding trials suggests cocoa and chocolate may exert beneficial effects on cardiovascular risk via effects on lowering blood pressure, anti-inflammation, anti-platelet function, higher HDL, decreased LDL oxidation. Additionally, a large body of trials of stearic acid suggests it is indeed cholesterol-neutral. However, epidemiologic studies of serum and dietary stearic acid are inconclusive due to many methodologic limitations. Meanwhile, the large body of prospective studies of flavonoids suggests the flavonoid content of chocolate may reduce risk of cardiovascular mortality. Our updated meta-analysis indicates that intake of flavonoids may lower risk of CHD mortality, RR = 0.81 (95% CI: 0.71-0.92) comparing highest and lowest tertiles. Multiple lines of evidence from laboratory experiments and randomized trials suggest stearic acid may be neutral, while flavonoids are likely protective against CHD mortality. The highest priority now is to conduct larger randomized trials to definitively investigate the impact of chocolate consumption on long-term cardiovascular outcomes.

  3. Coronary fluorine-18-sodium fluoride uptake is increased in healthy adults with an unfavorable cardiovascular risk profile

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Blomberg, Björn A; Thomassen, Anders; de Jong, Pim A

    2017-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: Coronary artery fluorine-18-sodium fluoride (F-NaF) uptake reflects coronary artery calcification metabolism and is considered to be an early prognostic marker of coronary heart disease. This study evaluated the relationship between coronary artery F-NaF uptake and cardiovascular risk ...... adults at low cardiovascular risk and that an unfavorable cardiovascular risk profile is associated with a marked increase in coronary artery F-NaF uptake.......OBJECTIVE: Coronary artery fluorine-18-sodium fluoride (F-NaF) uptake reflects coronary artery calcification metabolism and is considered to be an early prognostic marker of coronary heart disease. This study evaluated the relationship between coronary artery F-NaF uptake and cardiovascular risk...... in healthy adults at low cardiovascular risk. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: Study participants underwent blood pressure measurements, blood analyses, and coronary artery F-NaF PET/CT imaging. In addition, the 10-year risk for the development of cardiovascular disease, on the basis of the Framingham Risk Score...

  4. Diabetes Drugs and Cardiovascular Safety

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ji Cheol Bae

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Diabetes is a well-known risk factor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and the beneficial effect of improved glycemic control on cardiovascular complications has been well established. However, the rosiglitazone experience aroused awareness of potential cardiovascular risk associated with diabetes drugs and prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to issue new guidelines about cardiovascular risk. Through postmarketing cardiovascular safety trials, some drugs demonstrated cardiovascular benefits, while some antidiabetic drugs raised concern about a possible increased cardiovascular risk associated with drug use. With the development of new classes of drugs, treatment options became wider and the complexity of glycemic management in type 2 diabetes has increased. When choosing the appropriate treatment strategy for patients with type 2 diabetes at high cardiovascular risk, not only the glucose-lowering effects, but also overall benefits and risks for cardiovascular disease should be taken into consideration.

  5. Multivariate statistical analysis for x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectral imaging: Effect of image acquisition time

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peebles, D.E.; Ohlhausen, J.A.; Kotula, P.G.; Hutton, S.; Blomfield, C.

    2004-01-01

    The acquisition of spectral images for x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is a relatively new approach, although it has been used with other analytical spectroscopy tools for some time. This technique provides full spectral information at every pixel of an image, in order to provide a complete chemical mapping of the imaged surface area. Multivariate statistical analysis techniques applied to the spectral image data allow the determination of chemical component species, and their distribution and concentrations, with minimal data acquisition and processing times. Some of these statistical techniques have proven to be very robust and efficient methods for deriving physically realistic chemical components without input by the user other than the spectral matrix itself. The benefits of multivariate analysis of the spectral image data include significantly improved signal to noise, improved image contrast and intensity uniformity, and improved spatial resolution - which are achieved due to the effective statistical aggregation of the large number of often noisy data points in the image. This work demonstrates the improvements in chemical component determination and contrast, signal-to-noise level, and spatial resolution that can be obtained by the application of multivariate statistical analysis to XPS spectral images

  6. An expert image analysis system for chromosome analysis application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Q.; Suetens, P.; Oosterlinck, A.; Van den Berghe, H.

    1987-01-01

    This paper reports a recent study on applying a knowledge-based system approach as a new attempt to solve the problem of chromosome classification. A theoretical framework of an expert image analysis system is proposed, based on such a study. In this scheme, chromosome classification can be carried out under a hypothesize-and-verify paradigm, by integrating a rule-based component, in which the expertise of chromosome karyotyping is formulated with an existing image analysis system which uses conventional pattern recognition techniques. Results from the existing system can be used to bring in hypotheses, and with the rule-based verification and modification procedures, improvement of the classification performance can be excepted

  7. Aspirin for Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer. A Benefit and Harm Analysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Stegeman, Inge; Bossuyt, Patrick M.; Yu, Tsung; Boyd, Cynthia; Puhan, Milo A.

    2015-01-01

    Aspirin is widely used for prevention of cardiovascular disease. In recent years randomized trials also suggested a preventive effect for various types of cancer. We aimed to assess, in a quantitative way, benefits and harms of aspirin for primary prevention of both cardiovascular disease and cancer

  8. Associations of Immigration Transition to Cardiovascular Symptoms Experienced in Menopausal Transition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Im, Eun-Ok; Ko, Young; Chee, Eunice; Chee, Wonshik

    The purpose of this study was to explore the associations of immigration transition to cardiovascular symptoms among 4 major racial/ethnic groups of 1054 midlife women in the United States. This was a secondary analysis of the data from 2 large national survey studies. The instruments included questions on background characteristics and immigration transition and the Cardiovascular Symptom Index for Midlife Women. The data were analyzed using inferential statistics including hierarchical multiple regressions. Immigrants reported fewer numbers (t = 5.268, P < .01) and lower severity scores (t = 5.493, P < .01) of cardiovascular symptoms compared with nonimmigrants. Self-reported racial/ethnic identify was a significant factor influencing cardiovascular symptoms (P < .01).

  9. Research of second harmonic generation images based on texture analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yao; Li, Yan; Gong, Haiming; Zhu, Xiaoqin; Huang, Zufang; Chen, Guannan

    2014-09-01

    Texture analysis plays a crucial role in identifying objects or regions of interest in an image. It has been applied to a variety of medical image processing, ranging from the detection of disease and the segmentation of specific anatomical structures, to differentiation between healthy and pathological tissues. Second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy as a potential noninvasive tool for imaging biological tissues has been widely used in medicine, with reduced phototoxicity and photobleaching. In this paper, we clarified the principles of texture analysis including statistical, transform, structural and model-based methods and gave examples of its applications, reviewing studies of the technique. Moreover, we tried to apply texture analysis to the SHG images for the differentiation of human skin scar tissues. Texture analysis method based on local binary pattern (LBP) and wavelet transform was used to extract texture features of SHG images from collagen in normal and abnormal scars, and then the scar SHG images were classified into normal or abnormal ones. Compared with other texture analysis methods with respect to the receiver operating characteristic analysis, LBP combined with wavelet transform was demonstrated to achieve higher accuracy. It can provide a new way for clinical diagnosis of scar types. At last, future development of texture analysis in SHG images were discussed.

  10. CALIPSO: an interactive image analysis software package for desktop PACS workstations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ratib, Osman M.; Huang, H. K.

    1990-07-01

    The purpose of this project is to develop a low cost workstation for quantitative analysis of multimodality images using a Macintosh II personal computer. In the current configuration the Macintosh operates as a stand alone workstation where images are imported either from a central PACS server through a standard Ethernet network or recorded through video digitizer board. The CALIPSO software developed contains a large variety ofbasic image display and manipulation tools. We focused our effort however on the design and implementation ofquantitative analysis methods that can be applied to images from different imaging modalities. Analysis modules currently implemented include geometric and densitometric volumes and ejection fraction calculation from radionuclide and cine-angiograms Fourier analysis ofcardiac wall motion vascular stenosis measurement color coded parametric display of regional flow distribution from dynamic coronary angiograms automatic analysis ofmyocardial distribution ofradiolabelled tracers from tomoscintigraphic images. Several of these analysis tools were selected because they use similar color coded andparametric display methods to communicate quantitative data extracted from the images. 1. Rationale and objectives of the project Developments of Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) in clinical environment allow physicians and radiologists to assess radiographic images directly through imaging workstations (''). This convenient access to the images is often limited by the number of workstations available due in part to their high cost. There is also an increasing need for quantitative analysis ofthe images. During thepast decade

  11. Bridging the gap between measurements and modelling: a cardiovascular functional avatar.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casas, Belén; Lantz, Jonas; Viola, Federica; Cedersund, Gunnar; Bolger, Ann F; Carlhäll, Carl-Johan; Karlsson, Matts; Ebbers, Tino

    2017-07-24

    Lumped parameter models of the cardiovascular system have the potential to assist researchers and clinicians to better understand cardiovascular function. The value of such models increases when they are subject specific. However, most approaches to personalize lumped parameter models have thus far required invasive measurements or fall short of being subject specific due to a lack of the necessary clinical data. Here, we propose an approach to personalize parameters in a model of the heart and the systemic circulation using exclusively non-invasive measurements. The personalized model is created using flow data from four-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging and cuff pressure measurements in the brachial artery. We term this personalized model the cardiovascular avatar. In our proof-of-concept study, we evaluated the capability of the avatar to reproduce pressures and flows in a group of eight healthy subjects. Both quantitatively and qualitatively, the model-based results agreed well with the pressure and flow measurements obtained in vivo for each subject. This non-invasive and personalized approach can synthesize medical data into clinically relevant indicators of cardiovascular function, and estimate hemodynamic variables that cannot be assessed directly from clinical measurements.

  12. Introduction to cardiac imaging in infants and children: Techniques, potential, and role in the imaging work-up of various cardiac malformations and other pediatric heart conditions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bailliard, Frederique [Centre for Cardiovascular MR, Cardiothoracic Unit, UCL Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London (United Kingdom); North Carolina Children' s Heart Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (United States); Hughes, Marina L. [Centre for Cardiovascular MR, Cardiothoracic Unit, UCL Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London (United Kingdom); Taylor, Andrew M. [Centre for Cardiovascular MR, Cardiothoracic Unit, UCL Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London (United Kingdom)], E-mail: a.taylor@ich.ucl.ac.uk

    2008-11-15

    The increasing prevalence of congenital heart disease (CHD) can be attributed to major improvements in diagnosis and treatment. Although echocardiography is the most commonly used imaging modality for diagnosis and follow-up of subjects with CHD, the evolution of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and increasingly computed tomography (CT) does offer new ways to visualize the heart and the great vessels. The development of cardiovascular MR techniques allows for a comprehensive assessment of cardiac anatomy and function. This provides information about the long-term sequlae of the underlying complex anatomy, hemodynamic assessment of residual post-operative lesions and complications of surgery. As much of the functional data in CHD patients is usually acquired with invasive X-ray angiography, non-invasive alternatives such as cardiovascular MR (and CT) are desirable. This review evaluates the role of MR imaging in the management of subjects with CHD, particularly detailing recent developments in imaging techniques as they relate to the various CHD diagnoses we commonly encounter in our practice.

  13. Cardiovascular risk and subclinical cardiovascular disease in polycystic ovary syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bajuk Studen, Katica; Jensterle Sever, Mojca; Pfeifer, Marija

    2013-01-01

    In addition to its effects on reproductive health, it is now well recognized that polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a metabolic disorder, characterized by decreased insulin sensitivity which leads to an excess lifetime risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. PCOS patients are often obese, hypertensive, dyslipidemic and insulin resistant; they have obstructive sleep apnea and have been reported to have higher aldosterone levels in comparison to normal healthy controls. These are all components of an adverse cardiovascular risk profile. Many studies exploring subclinical atherosclerosis using different methods (flow-mediated dilatation, intima media thickness, arterial stiffness, coronary artery calcification) as well as assessing circulating cardiovascular risk markers, point toward an increased cardiovascular risk and early atherogenesis in PCOS. The risk and early features of subclinical atherosclerosis can be reversed by non-medical (normalization of weight, healthy lifestyle) and medical (metformin, thiazolidinediones, spironolactone, and statins) interventions. However, the long-term risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality as well as the clinical significance of different interventions still need to be properly addressed in a large prospective study. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  14. Cardiovascular evaluation of lowland gorillas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Junge, R.E.; Mezei, L.E.; Muhlbauer, M.C.; Weber, M.

    1998-01-01

    To design a diagnostic protocol that uses appropriate techniques, including ultrasonography, to assess cardiovascular health and detect primary cardiac diseases in gorillas and to establish a database of reference values for cardiac measurements in clinically normal gorillas. Prospective study. 5 adult male lowland gorillas from 11 to 18 years old. A complete cardiac evaluation was performed on anesthetized gorillas, including physical examination, thoracic radiography, electrocardiography, echocardiography, blood pressure determination, CBC, serum biochemical analyses, and serologic assay for viral diseases. Standard cardiac measurements were made from images collected during ultrasonography. Cardiac measurements derived from ultrasonographic images were consistent with those considered normal in human beings. Results of other diagnostic tests were also considered normal. Cardiac disease is the primary cause of mortality in old captive gorillas. The technique used here provided excellent evaluation of cardiac function. Use of these techniques will allow early detection of cardiac disease, making treatment or medical management possible

  15. Digital image analysis of X-ray television with an image digitizer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mochizuki, Yasuo; Akaike, Hisahiko; Ogawa, Hitoshi; Kyuma, Yukishige

    1995-01-01

    When video signals of X-ray fluoroscopy were transformed from analog-to-digital ones with an image digitizer, their digital characteristic curves, pre-sampling MTF's and digital Wiener spectral could be measured. This method was advant ageous in that it was able to carry out data sampling because the pixel values inputted could be verified on a CRT. The system of image analysis by this method is inexpensive and effective in evaluating the image quality of digital system. Also, it is expected that this method can be used as a tool for learning the measurement techniques and physical characteristics of digital image quality effectively. (author)

  16. Relationships Between Glycemic Control and Cardiovascular Fitness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moxley, Elizabeth W; Smith, Donald; Quinn, Lauretta; Park, Chang

    2018-07-01

    Diabetes is a serious health problem affecting approximately 29.1 million individuals in the United States. Another 86 million have prediabetes. The development and implementation of lifestyle modifications such as physical activity for these persons are among the most effective methods for prevention and treatment. The aim of this study was to examine relationships between glycemic control (HbA1c) and cardiovascular fitness (peak maximal oxygen uptake [VO 2 peak] and ventilatory threshold [VT]) in overweight/obese subjects with and without type 2 diabetes (T2DM). In addition, the influences of body mass index (BMI) and insulin sensitivity (homeostasis model assessment [HOMA %S]) on the relationship between glycemic control and cardiovascular fitness were explored. Data were abstracted from a completed study that included 51 overweight or obese subjects with T2DM ( n = 18), impaired glucose tolerance ( n = 8), or normal glucose tolerance ( n = 25). Relationships between glycemic control (HbA1c) and cardiovascular fitness (VO 2 peak and VT) were determined using correlational analysis and multiple linear regression analyses. A statistically significant relationship was observed between HbA1c and cardiovascular fitness. However, BMI and HOMA %S did not influence the relationship between glycemic control and cardiovascular fitness. HbA1c contributes to VO 2 peak and VT in obese and overweight subjects across glucose tolerance categories. Significant results were achieved despite the fact that there was a limited range of HbA1c based on the study inclusion criteria. This finding suggests that even a mild decrease in glycemic control can negatively influence cardiovascular fitness.

  17. Toxic urban waste's assault on cardiovascular risk

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M.L. De Rosa

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available A cardiovascular health survey of 1203 persons in households located near the hazardous waste disposal sites and in a reference community, was conducted from 2009 until today to assess whether rates of adverse cardiovascular health outcomes were elevated among persons living near the sites. Data included medical records of reported cardiovascular disease certificates and hospital admission for cardiovascular diseases from hospital database. The study areas appeared similar with respect to mortality, cancer incidence, and pregnancy outcomes. In contrast, rate ratios were greater than 1.5 for 2 of 19 reported diseases, i.e., angina pectoris, and strokes. The apparent broad-based elevation in reported diseases and symptoms may reflect increased perception or recall of conditions by respondents living near the sites. Our study found that cardiovascular risk is associated only with PM2.5 concentrations, derived from uncontrolled burning of municipal solid waste in particular sites of our country. Their analysis demonstrated a relationship between increased levels of eventual fine particulate pollution and higher rates of death and complications from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Management of solid waste releases a number of toxic substances, most in small quantities and at extremely low levels. Because of the wide range of pollutants, the different pathways of exposure, long-term low-level exposure, and the potential for synergism among the pollutants, concerns remain about potential health effects but there are many uncertainties involved in the assessment. Future community-based health studies should include medical and psychosocial assessment instruments sufficient to distinguish between changes in health status and effects of resident reporting tendency.

  18. Cardiovascular disease in late survivors of tetralogy of fallot: a tertiary care center experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bradley, Elisa; Parker, Jeff; Novak, Eric; Ludbrook, Philip; Billadello, Joseph; Cedars, Ari

    2013-01-01

    Patients with tetralogy of Fallot can survive to late adulthood; however, there are few data on cardiovascular outcomes in this population. We conducted a single-center retrospective analysis of cardiovascular outcomes and risk factors in 208 patients with tetralogy of Fallot to better evaluate the burden of cardiovascular disease in this group. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the prevalence of relevant cardiovascular risk factors and outcomes, including a composite analysis of cardiovascular disease. Rates and mean values from the American Heart Association 2011 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Update were used as population estimates for comparison. In tetralogy of Fallot patients, cardiovascular disease prevalence was not different from that found in the general population (40% vs. 36%, P=0.3). However, there was significantly more cardiovascular disease in tetralogy of Fallot men aged 20 to 39 years (30% vs. 14%, P tetralogy of Fallot men aged 40 to 59 years (63% vs. 29%, P tetralogy of Fallot men aged 20 to 59 years. These data support the need to routinely screen young adult male survivors of tetralogy of Fallot for asymptomatic heart failure. Further studies are needed to determine the incidence, severity, and long-term effects of cardiovascular disease in the adult congenital heart disease population.

  19. Mesh Processing in Medical-Image Analysis-a Tutorial

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Levine, Joshua A.; Paulsen, Rasmus Reinhold; Zhang, Yongjie

    2012-01-01

    Medical-image analysis requires an understanding of sophisticated scanning modalities, constructing geometric models, building meshes to represent domains, and downstream biological applications. These four steps form an image-to-mesh pipeline. For research in this field to progress, the imaging...

  20. Nutraceuticals in cardiovascular prevention: lessons from studies on endothelial function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zuchi, Cinzia; Ambrosio, Giuseppe; Lüscher, Thomas F; Landmesser, Ulf

    2010-08-01

    An "unhealthy" diet is considered as a main cause of increased atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in the industrialized countries. There is a substantial interest in the potential cardiovascular protective effects of "nutraceuticals," that is food-derived substances that exert beneficial health effects. The correct understanding of cardiovascular effects of these compounds will have important implications for cardiovascular prevention strategies. Endothelial dysfunction is thought to play an important role in development and progression of atherosclerosis, and the characterization of the endothelial effects of several nutraceuticals may provide important insights into their potential role in cardiovascular prevention. At the same time, the analysis of the endothelial effects of nutraceuticals may also provide valuable insights into mechanisms of why certain nutraceuticals may not be effective in cardiovascular prevention, and it may aid in the identification of food-derived substances that may have detrimental cardiovascular effects. These findings further support the notion that nutraceuticals do need support from large clinical outcome trials with respect to their efficacy and safety profile for cardiovascular prevention, before their widespread use can be recommended. In fact, the term nutraceutical was coined to encourage an extensive and profound research activity in this field, and numerous large-scale clinical outcome trials to examine the effects of nutraceuticals on cardiovascular events have now been performed or are still ongoing. Whereas it is possible that single nutraceuticals may be effective in cardiovascular prevention, this field of research provides also valuable insights into which food components may be particularly important for cardiovascular prevention, to further advice the composition of a particularly healthy diet. The present review summarizes recent studies on the endothelial effects of several nutraceuticals, that have been