|
Mariano Vazquez, Ruth Aris, Guillaume Hozeaux, R.Aubry, P.Villar, Jaume Garcia, et al. (2011). "A massively parallel computational electrophysiology model of the heart " . International Journal for Numerical Methods in Biomedical Engineering, 27, 1911–1929.
Abstract: This paper presents a patient-sensitive simulation strategy capable of using the most efficient way the high-performance computational resources. The proposed strategy directly involves three different players: Computational Mechanics Scientists (CMS), Image Processing Scientists and Cardiologists, each one mastering its own expertise area within the project. This paper describes the general integrative scheme but focusing on the CMS side presents a massively parallel implementation of computational electrophysiology applied to cardiac tissue simulation. The paper covers different angles of the computational problem: equations, numerical issues, the algorithm and parallel implementation. The proposed methodology is illustrated with numerical simulations testing all the different possibilities, ranging from small domains up to very large ones. A key issue is the almost ideal scalability not only for large and complex problems but also for medium-size meshes. The explicit formulation is particularly well suited for solving this highly transient problems, with very short time-scale.
Keywords: computational electrophysiology; parallelization; finite element methods
|
|
|
Debora Gil, Aura Hernandez-Sabate, Oriol Rodriguez, J. Mauri, & Petia Radeva. (2006). "Statistical Strategy for Anisotropic Adventitia Modelling in IVUS " . IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging, 25(6), 768–778.
Abstract: Vessel plaque assessment by analysis of intravascular ultrasound sequences is a useful tool for cardiac disease diagnosis and intervention. Manual detection of luminal (inner) and mediaadventitia (external) vessel borders is the main activity of physicians in the process of lumen narrowing (plaque) quantification. Difficult definition of vessel border descriptors, as well as, shades, artifacts, and blurred signal response due to ultrasound physical properties trouble automated adventitia segmentation. In order to efficiently approach such a complex problem, we propose blending advanced anisotropic filtering operators and statistical classification techniques into a vessel border modelling strategy. Our systematic statistical analysis shows that the reported adventitia detection achieves an accuracy in the range of interobserver variability regardless of plaque nature, vessel geometry, and incomplete vessel borders. Index Terms–-Anisotropic processing, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), vessel border segmentation, vessel structure classification.
Keywords: Corners; T-junctions; Wavelets
|
|
|
Debora Gil, & Petia Radeva. (2004). "Shape Restoration via a Regularized Curvature Flow " . Journal of Mathematical Imaging and Vision, 21(3), 205–223.
Abstract: Any image filtering operator designed for automatic shape restoration should satisfy robustness (whatever the nature and degree of noise is) as well as non-trivial smooth asymptotic behavior. Moreover, a stopping criterion should be determined by characteristics of the evolved image rather than dependent on the number of iterations. Among the several PDE based techniques, curvature flows appear to be highly reliable for strongly noisy images compared to image diffusion processes.
In the present paper, we introduce a regularized curvature flow (RCF) that admits non-trivial steady states. It is based on a measure of the local curve smoothness that takes into account regularity of the curve curvature and serves as stopping term in the mean curvature flow. We prove that this measure decreases over the orbits of RCF, which endows the method with a natural stop criterion in terms of the magnitude of this measure. Further, in its discrete version it produces steady states consisting of piece-wise regular curves. Numerical experiments made on synthetic shapes corrupted with different kinds of noise show the abilities and limitations of each of the current geometric flows and the benefits of RCF. Finally, we present results on real images that illustrate the usefulness of the present approach in practical applications.
|
|
|
Debora Gil, Oriol Rodriguez-Leor, Petia Radeva, & J. Mauri. (2008). "Myocardial Perfusion Characterization From Contrast Angiography Spectral Distribution " . IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging, 27(5), 641–649.
Abstract: Despite recovering a normal coronary flow after acute myocardial infarction, percutaneous coronary intervention does not guarantee a proper perfusion (irrigation) of the infarcted area. This damage in microcirculation integrity may detrimentally affect the patient survival. Visual assessment of the myocardium opacification in contrast angiography serves to define a subjective score of the microcirculation integrity myocardial blush analysis (MBA). Although MBA correlates with patient prognosis its visual assessment is a very difficult task that requires of a highly expertise training in order to achieve a good intraobserver and interobserver agreement. In this paper, we provide objective descriptors of the myocardium staining pattern by analyzing the spectrum of the image local statistics. The descriptors proposed discriminate among the different phenomena observed in the angiographic sequence and allow defining an objective score of the myocardial perfusion.
Keywords: Contrast angiography; myocardial perfusion; spectral analysis.
|
|
|
Enric Marti, Carme Julia, & Debora Gil. (2006). "A PBL Experience in the Teaching of Computer Graphics " . Computer Graphics Forum, 25(1), 95–103.
Abstract: Project-Based Learning (PBL) is an educational strategy to improve student’s learning capability that, in recent years, has had a progressive acceptance in undergraduate studies. This methodology is based on solving a problem or project in a student working group. In this way, PBL focuses on learning the necessary tools to correctly find a solution to given problems. Since the learning initiative is transferred to the student, the PBL method promotes students own abilities. This allows a better assessment of the true workload that carries out the student in the subject. It follows that the methodology conforms to the guidelines of the Bologna document, which quantifies the student workload in a subject by means of the European credit transfer system (ECTS). PBL is currently applied in undergraduate studies needing strong practical training such as medicine, nursing or law sciences. Although this is also the case in engineering studies, amazingly, few experiences have been reported. In this paper we propose to use PBL in the educational organization of the Computer Graphics subjects in the Computer Science degree. Our PBL project focuses in the development of a C++ graphical environment based on the OpenGL libraries for visualization and handling of different graphical objects. The starting point is a basic skeleton that already includes lighting functions, perspective projection with mouse interaction to change the point of view and three predefined objects. Students have to complete this skeleton by adding their own functions to solve the project. A total number of 10 projects have been proposed and successfully solved. The exercises range from human face rendering to articulated objects, such as robot arms or puppets. In the present paper we extensively report the statement and educational objectives for two of the projects: solar system visualization and a chess game. We report our earlier educational experience based on the standard classroom theoretical, problem and practice sessions and the reasons that motivated searching for other learning methods. We have mainly chosen PBL because it improves the student learning initiative. We have applied the PBL educational model since the beginning of the second semester. The student’s feedback increases in his interest for the subject. We present a comparative study of the teachers’ and students’ workload between PBL and the classic teaching approach, which suggests that the workload increase in PBL is not as high as it seems.
|
|
|
Maurizio Mencuccini, Jordi Martinez-Vilalta, Josep Piñol, Lasse Loepfe, Mireia Burnat, Xavier Alvarez, et al. (2010). "A quantitative and statistically robust method for the determination of xylem conduit spatial distribution " . American Journal of Botany, 97(8), 1247–1259.
Abstract: Premise of the study: Because of their limited length, xylem conduits need to connect to each other to maintain water transport from roots to leaves. Conduit spatial distribution in a cross section plays an important role in aiding this connectivity. While indices of conduit spatial distribution already exist, they are not well defined statistically. * Methods: We used point pattern analysis to derive new spatial indices. One hundred and five cross-sectional images from different species were transformed into binary images. The resulting point patterns, based on the locations of the conduit centers-of-area, were analyzed to determine whether they departed from randomness. Conduit distribution was then modeled using a spatially explicit stochastic model. * Key results: The presence of conduit randomness, uniformity, or aggregation depended on the spatial scale of the analysis. The large majority of the images showed patterns significantly different from randomness at least at one spatial scale. A strong phylogenetic signal was detected in the spatial variables. * Conclusions: Conduit spatial arrangement has been largely conserved during evolution, especially at small spatial scales. Species in which conduits were aggregated in clusters had a lower conduit density compared to those with uniform distribution. Statistically sound spatial indices must be employed as an aid in the characterization of distributional patterns across species and in models of xylem water transport. Point pattern analysis is a very useful tool in identifying spatial patterns.
Keywords: Geyer; hydraulic conductivity; point pattern analysis; Ripley; Spatstat; vessel clusters; xylem anatomy; xylem network
|
|
|
Oriol Rodriguez-Leor, A. Carol, H. Tizon, Eduard Fernandez-Nofrerias, J. Mauri, Vicente del Valle, et al. (2005)." Model estadístic-determinístic per la segmentació de l adventicia en imatges d ecografía intracoronaria" . Rev Societat Catalana Cardiologia, 5, 41.
|
|
|
Oriol Rodriguez-Leor, Debora Gil, & Eduard Fernandez-Nofrerias. (2006)." Analisis en los cambios en el nivel de gris en las secuencias angiograficas mediante descriptores estadisticos para determinar la perfusion miocardica" . Revista Española de Cardiología, 59 Supl 2-166(2), 128.
|
|
|
Oriol Rodriguez-Leor, J. Mauri, Eduard Fernandez-Nofrerias, C. Garcia, R. Villuendas, Vicente del Valle, et al. (2003)." Reconstruction of a spatio-temporal model of the intima layer from intravascular ultrasound sequences" . European Heart Journal, .
|
|
|
Oriol Rodriguez-Leor, J. Mauri, Eduard Fernandez-Nofrerias, Antonio Tovar, Vicente del Valle, Aura Hernandez-Sabate, et al. (2004)." Utilización de la Estructura de los Campos Vectoriales para la Detección de la Adventicia en Imágenes de Ecografía Intracoronaria" . Revista Internacional de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares Revista Española de Cardiología, 57(2), 100.
|
|