ObjectivesIn this paper, we proposed an algorithm for recognizing a rotator cuff supraspinatus tendon tear using a texture analysis based on a histogram, gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM), and gray level run length matrix (GLRLM).MethodsFirst, we applied a total of 57 features (5 first order descriptors, 40 GLCM features, and 12 GLRLM features) to each rotator cuff region of interest. Our results show that first order statistics (mean, skewness, entropy, energy, smoothness), GLCM (correlation, contrast, energy, entropy, difference entropy, homogeneity, maximum probability, sum average, sum entropy), and GLRLM features are helpful to distinguish a normal supraspinatus tendon and an abnormal supraspinatus tendon. The statistical significance of these features is verified using a t-test. The support vector machine classification showed accuracy using feature combinations. Support Vector Machine offers good performance with a small amount of training data. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy are used to evaluate performance of a classification test.ResultsFrom the results, first order statics features and GLCM and GLRLM features afford 95%, 85%, and 100% accuracy, respectively. First order statistics and GLCM and GLRLM features in combination provided 100% accuracy. Combinations that include GLRLM features had high accuracy. GLRLM features were confirmed as highly accurate features for classified normal and abnormal.ConclusionsThis algorithm will be helpful to diagnose supraspinatus tendon tear on ultrasound images.

Pulmonary artery intimal sarcoma is a rare highly lethal disease, with additional retrograde extension to pulmonic valve and right ventricle being an extremely rare condition. It is frequently mistaken for pulmonary thromboembolism. We report a case of 64-year-old woman with progressive dyspnea initially suspected and treated for pulmonary thromboembolism. Her helical chest CT scan with 3 dimensional (3D) reconstruction combined with echocardiography revealed a compacting main pulmonary artery mass extending to the right ventricular outflow tract and the right pulmonary artery. After excision of the mass, the patient's condition improved dramatically, and the pathologic findings revealed pulmonary intimal sarcoma. This report emphasizes that helical chest CT with 3D reconstruction can be an important tool to differentiate the characteristics of pulmonary artery lesions, such as intimal sarcoma and thromboembolism.

We prepared poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) films in the phase by a sol-gel method using PVDF solutions with different weight fractions. The electrical properties of PVDF films were studied for the possibility of using them in one-transistor (1-T)type ferroelectric random-access memories (FRAMs). In this research, the Au/PVDF/Si structure made from PVDF solution of 6 wt % concentration showed good ferroelectric and electrical properties. The memory window width and current density for the PVDF film from the 6 wt % PVDF solution were about 1.8 V and 10 À6 A/cm 2 for a bias voltage of 5 V, respectively. It is expected from these good ferroelectric properties that PVDF films will be suitable for low-cost 1-T-type FRAMs operating at a low voltage.

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In this work, we fabricated metal-ferroelectric-semiconductor (MFS) diodes with polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene (PVDF-TrFE) (51/49) thin films for application to one transistor-type (1T-type) ferroelectric random access memories (FeRAMs). The thin films, with various thicknesses, were prepared on a silicon substrate by using a spin-coating method. The β-phase crystallinity and the grain size of the PVDF-TrFE increased as the film-thickness increased. Typical ferroelectric hysteresis loops were obtained from the capacitance-voltage (C-V) curves. These loops might be considered to be due to the ferroelectric nature of the PVDF-TrFE films. The values of the memory window width for 50-nm-, 150-nm-, and 350-nm-thick PVDF-TrFE films were about 1.4, 2.0, and 3.5 V for a bias sweeping from −5 V to 5 V, respectively. The values of the leakage current density, at a sweeping range of ±5 V, were about 2.7 × 10 −5 A/cm 2 , 1.1 × 10 −5 A/cm 2 , and 5.6×10 −6 A/cm 2 for 50-nm-, 150-nm-, and 350-nm-thick films, respectively. These results are useful and promising for realizing 1T-type FeRAMs operating at a low voltage.