Projection onto Epigraph Sets for Rapid Self-Tuning Compressed Sensing MRI.

The compressed sensing (CS) framework leverages the sparsity of MR images to reconstruct from the undersampled acquisitions. CS reconstructions involve one or more regularization parameters that weigh sparsity in transform domains against fidelity to acquired data. While parameter selection is critical for reconstruction quality, the optimal parameters are subject and dataset specific. Thus, commonly practiced heuristic parameter selection generalizes poorly to independent datasets. Recent studies have proposed to tune parameters by estimating the risk of removing significant image coefficients. Line searches are performed across the parameter space to identify the parameter value that minimizes this risk. Although effective, these line searches yield prolonged reconstruction times. Here, we propose a new self-tuning CS method that uses computationally efficient projections onto epigraph sets of the l1 and total-variation norms to simultaneously achieve parameter selection and regularization. In vivo demonstrations are provided for balanced steady-state free precession, time-of-flight, and T1-weighted imaging. The proposed method achieves an order of magnitude improvement in computational efficiency over line-search methods while maintaining near-optimal parameter selection.

Image classification of human carcinoma cells using complex wavelet-based covariance descriptors.

Cancer cell lines are widely used for research purposes in laboratories all over the world. Computer-assisted classification of cancer cells can alleviate the burden of manual labeling and help cancer research. In this paper, we present a novel computerized method for cancer cell line image classification. The aim is to automatically classify 14 different classes of cell lines including 7 classes of breast and 7 classes of liver cancer cells. Microscopic images containing irregular carcinoma cell patterns are represented by subwindows which correspond to foreground pixels. For each subwindow, a covariance descriptor utilizing the dual-tree complex wavelet transform (DT-[Formula: see text]WT) coefficients and several morphological attributes are computed. Directionally selective DT-[Formula: see text]WT feature parameters are preferred primarily because of their ability to characterize edges at multiple orientations which is the characteristic feature of carcinoma cell line images. A Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier with radial basis function (RBF) kernel is employed for final classification. Over a dataset of 840 images, we achieve an accuracy above 98%, which outperforms the classical covariance-based methods. The proposed system can be used as a reliable decision maker for laboratory studies. Our tool provides an automated, time- and cost-efficient analysis of cancer cell morphology to classify different cancer cell lines using image-processing techniques, which can be used as an alternative to the costly short tandem repeat (STR) analysis. The data set used in this manuscript is available as supplementary material through http://signal.ee.bilkent.edu.tr/cancerCellLineClassificationSampleImages.html.

Entropy-functional-based online adaptive decision fusion framework with application to wildfire detection in video.

In this paper, an entropy-functional-based online adaptive decision fusion (EADF) framework is developed for image analysis and computer vision applications. In this framework, it is assumed that the compound algorithm consists of several subalgorithms, each of which yields its own decision as a real number centered around zero, representing the confidence level of that particular subalgorithm. Decision values are linearly combined with weights that are updated online according to an active fusion method based on performing entropic projections onto convex sets describing subalgorithms. It is assumed that there is an oracle, who is usually a human operator, providing feedback to the decision fusion method. A video-based wildfire detection system was developed to evaluate the performance of the decision fusion algorithm. In this case, image data arrive sequentially, and the oracle is the security guard of the forest lookout tower, verifying the decision of the combined algorithm. The simulation results are presented.

Classification of multichannel ECoG related to individual finger movements with redundant spatial projections.

We tackle the problem of classifying multichannel electrocorticogram (ECoG) related to individual finger movements for a brain machine interface (BMI). For this particular aim we applied a recently developed hierarchical spatial projection framework of neural activity for feature extraction from ECoG. The algorithm extends the binary common spatial patterns algorithm to multiclass problem by constructing a redundant set of spatial projections that are tuned for paired and group-wise discrimination of finger movements. The groupings were constructed by merging the data of adjacent fingers and contrasting them to the rest, such as the first two fingers (thumb and index) vs. the others (middle, ring and little). We applied this framework to the BCI competition IV ECoG data recorded from three subjects. We observed that the maximum classification accuracy was obtained from the gamma frequency band (65200 Hz). For this particular frequency range the average classification accuracy over three subjects was 86.3%. These results indicate that the redundant spatial projection framework can be used successfully in decoding finger movements from ECoG for BMI.

A 2-D orientation-adaptive prediction filter in lifting structures for image coding.

Lifting-style implementations of wavelets are widely used in image coders. A two-dimensional (2-D) edge adaptive lifting structure, which is similar to Daubechies 5/3 wavelet, is presented. The 2-D prediction filter predicts the value of the next polyphase component according to an edge orientation estimator of the image. Consequently, the prediction domain is allowed to rotate +/-45 degrees in regions with diagonal gradient. The gradient estimator is computationally inexpensive with additional costs of only six subtractions per lifting instruction, and no multiplications are required.

Content-based retrieval of historical Ottoman documents stored as textual images.

There is an accelerating demand to access the visual content of documents stored in historical and cultural archives. Availability of electronic imaging tools and effective image processing techniques makes it feasible to process the multimedia data in large databases. In this paper, a framework for content-based retrieval of historical documents in the Ottoman Empire archives is presented. The documents are stored as textual images, which are compressed by constructing a library of symbols occurring in a document, and the symbols in the original image are then replaced with pointers into the codebook to obtain a compressed representation of the image. The features in wavelet and spatial domain based on angular and distance span of shapes are used to extract the symbols. In order to make content-based retrieval in historical archives, a query is specified as a rectangular region in an input image and the same symbol-extraction process is applied to the query region. The queries are processed on the codebook of documents and the query images are identified in the resulting documents using the pointers in textual images. The querying process does not require decompression of images. The new content-based retrieval framework is also applicable to many other document archives using different scripts.

Computationally efficient wavelet affine invariant functions for shape recognition.

An affine invariant function for object recognition is constructed from wavelet coefficients of the object boundary. In previous works, undecimated dyadic wavelet transform was used to construct affine invariant functions. In this paper, an algorithm based on decimated wavelet transform is developed to compute an affine invariant function. As a result computational complexity is reduced without decreasing recognition performance. Experimental results are presented.