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Wavelet-based scalable L-infinity-oriented compression.

Among the different classes of coding techniques proposed in literature, predictive schemes have proven their outstanding performance in near-lossless compression. However, these schemes are incapable of providing embedded L(infinity)-oriented compression, or, at most, provide a very limited number of potential L(infinity) bit-stream truncation points. We propose a new multidimensional wavelet-based L(infinity)-constrained scalable coding framework that generates a fully embedded L(infinity)-oriented bit stream and that retains the coding performance and all the scalability options of state-of-the-art L2-oriented wavelet codecs. Moreover, our codec instantiation of the proposed framework clearly outperforms JPEG2000 in L(infinity) coding sense.

Algorithms↗

On the use of 2-D coding techniques for ECG signals.

This paper discusses the convenience of using two-dimensional (2-D) coding techniques for the compression of electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. These signals present a very clear periodicity that can be exploited by the use of a 2-D time/frequency transform to decorrelate it as much as possible. A brief theoretical approach is given to justify the use of this technique, and a comparison is made between a 2-D and a one-dimensional (1-D) uniform quantization scenarios. The influence of the error as well as the frame size on the estimation of the fundamental period is studied.

Algorithms↗

Performance of a web-based, realtime, tele-ultrasound consultation system over high-speed commercial telecommunication lines.

A Web-based, realtime, tele-ultrasound consultation system was designed. The system employed ActiveX control, MPEG-4 coding of full-resolution ultrasound video (640 x 480 pixels at 30 frames/s) and H.320 videoconferencing. It could be used via a Web browser. The system was evaluated over three types of commercial line: a cable connection, ADSL and VDSL. Three radiologists assessed the quality of compressed and uncompressed ultrasound video-sequences from 16 cases (10 abnormal livers, four abnormal kidneys and two abnormal gallbladders). The radiologists' scores showed that, at a given frame rate, increasing the bit rate was associated with increasing quality; however, at a certain threshold bit rate the quality did not increase significantly. The peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR) was also measured between the compressed and uncompressed images. In most cases, the PSNR increased as the bit rate increased, and increased as the number of dropped frames increased. There was a threshold bit rate, at a given frame rate, at which the PSNR did not improve significantly. Taking into account both sets of threshold values, a bit rate of more than 0.6 Mbit/s, at 30 frames/s, is suggested as the threshold for the maintenance of diagnostic image quality.

Data Compression↗

[An improved motion estimation of medical image series via wavelet transform].

The compression of medical image series is very important in telemedicine. The motion estimation plays a key role in the video sequence compression. In this paper, an improved square-diamond search (SDS) algorithm is proposed for the motion estimation of medical image series. The improved SDS algorithm reduces the number of the searched points. This improved SDS algorithm is used in wavelet transformation field to estimate the motion of medical image series. A simulation experiment for digital subtraction angiography (DSA) is made. The experiment results show that the algorithm accuracy is higher than that of other algorithms in the motion estimation of medical image series.

Algorithms↗

Vector quality measure of lossy compressed medical images.

A numerical measure, which is able to predict diagnostic accuracy rather than subjective quality, is required for compressed medical image assessment. The objective of this study is to present a proposal for a new vector measure of image quality, reflecting diagnostic accuracy. Construction of such measure includes the formation of a diagnostic quality pattern based on the subjective ratings of local image features playing an essential role in the detection and classification of any lesion. Experimental results contain the opinions of 9 radiologists: 2 test designers and 7 observers who rated digital mammograms. The correlation coefficient between the numerical equivalent of the vector measure and subjective pattern is over 0.9.

Data Compression↗

Applying informed coding and embedding to design a robust high-capacity watermark.

We describe a new watermarking system based on the principles of informed coding and informed embedding. This system is capable of embedding 1380 bits of information in images with dimensions 240 x 368 pixels. Experiments on 2000 images indicate the watermarks are robust to significant valumetric distortions, including additive noise, low-pass filtering, changes in contrast, and lossy compression. Our system encodes watermark messages with a modified trellis code in which a given message may be represented by a variety of different signals, with the embedded signal selected according to the cover image. The signal is embedded by an iterative method that seeks to ensure the message will not be confused with other messages, even after addition of noise. Fidelity is improved by the incorporation of perceptual shaping into the embedding process. We show that each of these three components improves performance substantially.

Algorithms↗

Unconfined creep compression of chondrocytes.

The study of single cell mechanics offers a valuable tool for understanding cellular milieus. Specific knowledge of chondrocyte biomechanics could lead to elucidation of disease etiologies and the biomechanical factors most critical to stimulating regenerative processes in articular cartilage. Recent studies in our laboratory have suggested that it may be acceptable to approximate the shape of a single chondrocyte as a disc. This geometry is easily utilized for generating models of unconfined compression. In this study, three continuum mechanics models of increasing complexity were formulated and used to fit unconfined compression creep data. Creep curves were obtained from middle/deep zone chondrocytes (n = 15) and separately fit using the three continuum models. The linear elastic solid model yielded a Young's modulus of 2.55+/-0.85 kPa. The viscoelastic model (adapted from the Kelvin model) generated an instantaneous modulus of 2.47+/-0.85 kPa, a relaxed modulus of 1.48+/-0.35 kPa, and an apparent viscosity of 1.92+/-1.80 kPa-s. Finally, a linear biphasic model produced an aggregate modulus of 2.58+/-0.87 kPa, a permeability of 2.57 x 10(-12)+/-3.09 m(4)/N-s, and a Poisson's ratio of 0.069+/-0.021. The results of this study demonstrate that similar values for the cell modulus can be obtained from three models of increasing complexity. The elastic model provides an easy method for determining the cell modulus, however, the viscoelastic and biphasic models generate additional material properties that are important for characterizing the transient response of compressed chondrocytes.

Animals↗

Compression of map images by multilayer context tree modeling.

We propose a method for compressing color map images by context tree modeling and arithmetic coding. We consider multicomponent map images with semantic layer separation and images that are divided into binary layers by color separation. The key issue in the compression method is the utilization of interlayer correlations, and to solve the optimal ordering of the layers. The interlayer dependencies are acquired by optimizing the context tree for every pair of image layers. The resulting cost matrix of the interlayer dependencies is considered as a directed spanning tree problem and solved by an algorithm based on the Edmond's algorithm for optimum branching and by the optimal selection and removal of the background color. The proposed method gives results 50% better than JBIG and 25% better than a single-layer context tree modeling.

Algorithms↗

Properties of encapsulated and hand-mixed zinc phosphate dental cement.

PURPOSE: Dental cements can be supplied as loose powder and liquid or as encapsulated syringes. This study assessed the compressive strength of a recently marketed zinc phosphate encapsulated cement compared with a hand-mixed system according to the American Dental Association Specification. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The mean fracture strength, standard deviations and associated Weibull Moduli (m) of the encapsulated and hand-mixed cements were determined by compressive fracturing 30 cylindrical specimens (height 6.0 +/- 0.1 mm, diameter 4.0 +/- 0.1 mm). Scanning electron microscopy was employed to assess crack growth from indentations and cement morphology. Image analysis was used to investigate the influence of mixing regime on pore distribution within the cement samples. RESULTS: The compressive strength data showed variation in magnitude and reliability ranging from 42 +/- 8 MPa (m = 5.2 +/- 1.0) for the encapsulated cement filled directly from the capsule to 71 +/- 11 MPa (m = 6.3 +/- 1.3) for the hand-mixed cement. The encapsulated cement matrix was extensively porous, consisting of pores between 0.1-0.5 microm diameter, compared with the non-porous hand-mixed cement matrix. Larger pores (over 18 microm diameter) were related to air entrapment in the encapsulated cement on mixing while small pores (0.1-0.5 microm diameter) were indicative of vaporization porosity commonly seen with exothermic reactions.

Air↗

MR diffusion tensor imaging and fiber tracking in spinal cord compression.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Spinal cord damage can result in major functional disability. Alteration of the spinal cord structural integrity can be assessed by using diffusion tensor imaging methods. Our objective is to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), fractional anisotropy (FA), and fiber tracking in both acute and slowly progressive spinal cord compressions. METHODS: Fifteen patients with clinical symptoms of acute (n = 2) or slowly progressive (n = 13) spinal cord compression and 11 healthy volunteers were prospectively selected. We performed T2-weighted fast spin echo (FSE) and diffusion tensor imaging by using a 1.5-T MR scanner. ADC and FA maps were computed. Regions of interest were placed at the cervical, upper and lower thoracic cord levels for the healthy subjects and on the area with abnormal T2-weighted signal intensity in the patients with cord compression. In three patients, we used fiber tracking to locate the areas of cord compression precisely. Data were analyzed by using a mixed model. The sensitivity (SE) and specificity (sp) of imaging (T2, ADC, and FA maps) in the detection of spinal cord abnormality were statistically evaluated. RESULTS: For the healthy subjects, averaged ADC values ranged from 0.96 10(-3) mm(2)/s to 1.05 10(-3) mm(2)/s and averaged FA values ranged from 0.745 to 0.751. Ten patients had decreased FA (0.67 +/- 0.087), and one had increased FA values (0.831); only two patients had increased ADC values (1.03 +/- 0.177). There was a statistically significant difference in the FA values between volunteers and patients (P = .012). FA had a much higher sensitivity (SE = 73.3%) and specificity (sp = 100%) in spinal cord abnormalities detection compared with T2-weighted FSE imaging (se = 46.7%, sp = 100%) and ADC (SE = 13.4%, sp = 80%). CONCLUSIONS: FA has the highest sensitivity and specificity in the detection of acute spinal cord abnormalities. Spinal cord fiber tracking is a useful tool to focus measurements on the compressed spinal cord.

Acute Disease↗

Context modeling based on context quantization with application in wavelet image coding.

Context modeling is widely used in image coding to improve the compression performance. However, with no special treatment, the expected compression gain will be cancelled by the model cost introduced by high order context models. Context quantization is an efficient method to deal with this problem. In this paper, we analyze the general context quantization problem in detail and show that context quantization is similar to a common vector quantization problem. If a suitable distortion measure is defined, the optimal context quantizer can be designed by a Lloyd style iterative algorithm. This context quantization strategy is applied to an embedded wavelet coding scheme in which the significance map symbols and sign symbols are directly coded by arithmetic coding with context models designed by the proposed quantization algorithm. Good coding performance is achieved.

Algorithms↗

Metastatic epidural spinal cord compression.

OBJECTIVES: To provide an overview on the presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC). DATA SOURCES: Published articles, book chapters, and research reports. CONCLUSIONS: MESCC is a common oncologic emergency that requires prompt recognition and emergency treatment to relieve pain and preserve neurologic function. The signs and symptoms of MESCC are easily detected and can be integral assessment components of the nursing care of any patient with a solid tumor. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Nurses can have a dramatic impact on preventing neurologic complications caused by this oncologic metastatic problem. When neurologic compromise is not prevented or reversed, nurses also can provide expert care to patients and families in the rehabilitation phase of MESCC.

Aged↗

Low-rate and flexible image coding with redundant representations.

New breakthroughs in image coding possibly lie in signal decomposition through nonseparable basis functions that can efficiently capture edge characteristics, present in natural images. The work proposed in this paper provides an adaptive way of representing images as a sum of two-dimensional features. It presents a low bit-rate image coding method based on a matching pursuit (MP) expansion, over a dictionary built on anisotropic refinement and rotation of contour-like atoms. This method is shown to provide, at low bit rates, results comparable to the state of the art in image compression, represented here by JPEG2000 and SPIHT, with generally a better visual quality in the MP scheme. The coding artifacts are less annoying than the ringing introduced by wavelets at very low bit rate, due to the smoothing performed by the basis functions used in the MP algorithm. In addition to good compression performances at low bit rates, the new coder has the advantage of producing highly flexible streams. They can easily be decoded at any spatial resolution, different from the original image, and the bitstream can be truncated at any point to match diverse bandwidth requirements. The spatial adaptivity is shown to be more flexible and less complex than transcoding operations generally applied to state of the art codec bitstreams. Due to both its ability for capturing the most important parts of multidimensional signals, and a flexible stream structure, the image coder proposed in this paper represents an interesting solution for low to medium rate image coding in visual communication applications.

Algorithms↗

Error resilient pre/post-filtering for DCT-based block coding systems.

Block coding based on the discrete cosine transform (DCT) is very popular in image and video compression. Pre/post-filtering can be attached to a DCT-based block coding system to improve coding efficiency as well as to mitigate blocking artifacts. Previously designed pre/post-filters are optimized to maximize coding efficiency solely. For image and video communication over unreliable channels, those pre/post-filters are sensitive to transmission errors. This paper addresses the problem of designing pre/post-filters which are more error resilient. Reconstruction performance is measured by how low the average reconstruction error is, and how uniformly the reconstruction error is distributed. A family of pre/post-filters is designed to provide desired tradeoffs between coding efficiency and robustness to transmission errors. Experiments show that these filtering operators can achieve superior reconstruction performance without sacrificing much coding performance.

Algorithms↗

Mediastinal vascular anomalies causing tracheal and esophageal compression and obstruction in childhood.

Over an 11-year period, 22 children have been operated upon at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, for vascular compression of the trachea and esophagus. Thirteen had a double aortic arch; three, a right aortic arch and left ligamentum arteriosum; three, an anomalous innominate artery; and one, an aberrant right subclavian artery. An unusual case of right aortic arch, aberrant left subclavian artery and left ligamentum arteriosum is reported for the first time. One child with an anomalous left pulmonary artery producing emphysema of the right lung is also described. One death occurred during the process of intubation, and three patients died postoperatively despite tracheotomy. These children were in serious condition, and the importance of rigid preoperative and postoperative care, avoiding tracheotomy if possible, is emphasized.

Aneurysm↗

A fast and efficient hybrid fractal-wavelet image coder.

The excellent visual quality and compression rate of fractal image coding have limited applications due to exhaustive inherent encoding time. This paper presents a new fast and efficient image coder that applies the speed of the wavelet transform to the image quality of the fractal compression. Fast fractal encoding using Fisher's domain classification is applied to the lowpass subband of wavelet transformed image and a modified set partitioning in hierarchical trees (SPIHT) coding, on the remaining coefficients. Furthermore, image details and wavelet progressive transmission characteristics are maintained, no blocking effects from fractal techniques are introduced, and the encoding fidelity problem common in fractal-wavelet hybrid coders is solved. The proposed scheme promotes an average of 94% reduction in encoding-decoding time comparing to the pure accelerated Fractal coding results. The simulations also compare the results to the SPIHT wavelet coding. In both cases, the new scheme improves the subjective quality of pictures for high-medium-low bitrates.

Algorithms↗

A wavelet-based two-stage near-lossless coder.

In this paper, we present a two-stage near-lossless compression scheme. It belongs to the class of "lossy plus residual coding" and consists of a wavelet-based lossy layer followed by arithmetic coding of the quantized residual to guarantee a given L(infinity) error bound in the pixel domain. We focus on the selection of the optimum bit rate for the lossy layer to achieve the minimum total bit rate. Unlike other similar lossy plus lossless approaches using a wavelet-based lossy layer, the proposed method does not require iteration of decoding and inverse discrete wavelet transform in succession to locate the optimum bit rate. We propose a simple method to estimate the optimal bit rate, with a theoretical justification based on the critical rate argument from the rate-distortion theory and the independence of the residual error.

Algorithms↗

Arbitrary waveform coded excitation using bipolar square wave pulsers in medical ultrasound.

This paper presents a new coded excitation scheme that efficiently synthesizes codes for arbitrary waveforms using a bipolar square wave pulser. In a coded excitation system, pulse compression is performed to restore the axial resolution. In order to maintain low range sidelobes, the system needs to transmit signals that have smooth spectra. However, such a transmitter requires the generation of arbitrary waveforms and, therefore, is more expensive. In other words, a trade-off is necessary between the compression performance and the transmitter cost. Here we propose a method that preserves the low-cost advantage of a bipolar pulser while achieving approximately the same compression performance as an arbitrary waveform generator. The key idea of the proposed method is the conversion of a nonbinary code (i.e., requiring an arbitrary waveform generator) with good compression performance into a binary code (i.e., requiring only a bipolar pulser) by code translation and code tuning. The code translation is implemented by sending the nonbinary code into a virtual one-bit, sigma-delta modulator, and the code tuning involves minimizing the root-mean-square error between the resultant binary code and the original nonbinary code by sequential and iterative tuning while taking the transducer response into account. Tukey-windowed chirps are known to have good compression performance. Such chirps of different durations (16, 20, and 24 micros), all with a taper ratio of 0.15, a center frequency of 2.5 MHz, and an equivalent bandwidth of 1.5 MHz, were converted into binary Tukey-windowed chirps that were compared with pseudochirps (i.e., direct binary approximations of the original chirp) over the same spectral band. The bit rate was 40 MHz. Simulation results show that the use of binary Tukey-windowed chirps can reduce the code duration by 20.6% or the peak sidelobe level by 6 dB compared to the commonly used pseudochirps. Experimental results obtained under the same settings were in agreement with the simulations. Our results demonstrate that arbitrary waveform coded excitation can be realized using bipolar square wave pulsers for applications in medical ultrasound.

Algorithms↗