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With the development of Computer-aided Diagnosis (CAD) and image scanning techniques, Whole-slide Image (WSI) scanners are widely used in the field of pathological diagnosis. Therefore, WSI analysis has become the key to modern digital histopathology. Since 2004, WSI has been used widely in CAD. Since machine vision methods are usually based on semi-automatic or fully automatic computer algorithms, they are highly efficient and labor-saving. The combination of WSI and CAD technologies for segmentation, classification, and detection helps histopathologists to obtain more stable and quantitative results with minimum labor costs and improved diagnosis objectivity. This paper reviews the methods of WSI analysis based on machine learning. Firstly, the development status of WSI and CAD methods are introduced. Secondly, we discuss publicly available WSI datasets and evaluation metrics for segmentation, classification, and detection tasks. Then, the latest development of machine learning techniques in WSI segmentation, classification, and detection are reviewed. Finally, the existing methods are studied, and the application prospects of the methods in this field are forecasted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The image biomarkers standardization initiative (IBSI) was formed to address the standardization of extraction of quantifiable imaging metrics. Despite its effort, there remains a lack of consensus or established guidelines regarding radiomic feature terminology, the underlying mathematics and their implementation across various software programs. This creates a scenario where features extracted using different toolboxes cannot be used to build or validate the same model leading to a non-generalization of radiomic results. In this study, IBSI-established phantom and benchmark values were used to compare the variation of the radiomic features while using 6 publicly available software programs and 1 in-house radiomics pipeline. All IBSI-standardized features (11 classes, 173 in total) were extracted. The relative differences between the extracted feature values from the different software programs and the IBSI benchmark values were calculated to measure the inter-software agreement. To better understand the variations, features are further grouped into 3 categories according to their properties: 1) morphology, 2) statistic/histogram and 3)texture features. While a good agreement was observed for a majority of radiomics features across the various tested programs, relatively poor agreement was observed for morphology features. Significant differences were also found in programs that use different gray-level discretization approaches. Since these software programs do not include all IBSI features, the level of quantitative assessment for each category was analyzed using Venn and UpSet diagrams and quantified using two ad hoc metrics. Morphology features earned lowest scores for both metrics, indicating that morphological features are not consistently evaluated among software programs. We conclude that radiomic features calculated using different software programs may not be interchangeable. Further studies are needed to standardize the workflow of radiomic feature extraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiology and Enterprise Medical Imaging Extensions (REMIX) is a platform originally designed to both support the medical imaging-driven clinical and clinical research operational needs of Department of Radiology of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. REMIX accommodates the storage and handling of “big imaging data,” as needed for large multi-disciplinary cancer-focused programs. The evolving REMIX platform contains an array of integrated tools/software packages for the following: (1) server and storage management; (2) image reconstruction; (3) digital pathology; (4) de-identification; (5) business intelligence; (6) texture analysis; and (7) artificial intelligence. These capabilities, along with documentation and guidance, explaining how to interact with a commercial system (e.g., PACS, EHR, commercial database) that currently exists in clinical environments, are to be made freely available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An original parallel computional algorithm is developed for 3D tomographic reconstruction in a conic beam based on graphics processors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To develop a computer-aided image analysis (CAIA) algorithm for analyzing US features of focal hepatic lesions and to correlate the feature values of CAIA with radiologists' grading. Materials and Methods: Two abdominal radiologists, blinded to the final diagnosis, independently evaluated sonographic images of 51 focal hepatic lesions in 47 patients: hemangiomas (n = 19), hepatic simple cysts or cystic lesions (n = 14), hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 11), metastases (n = 6), and focal fat deposition (n = 1). All images were graded using a 3- to 5-point scale, in terms of border (roundness, sharpness, and the presence of peripheral rim), texture (echogenicity, homogeneity, and internal artifact), posterior enhancement, and lesion conspicuity. Using a CAIA, texture and morphological parameters representing radiologists' subjective evaluations were extracted. Correlations between the radiologists and the CAIA for assessing parameters in corresponding categories were computed by means of weighted kappa statistics and Spearman correlation test. Results: A good agreement was achieved between CAIA and radiologists for grading echogenicity (weighted kappa = 0.675) and the presence of hyper- or hypoechoic rim (weighted kappa = 0.743). Several CAIA-derived features representing homogeneity of the lesions showed good correlations (correlation coefficient (gamma) = 0.603 approximately 0.641) with radiologists' grading (P < 0.05). For internal artifact (gamma = 0.469-0.490) and posterior enhancement (gamma = -0.516) of the cyst and lesion conspicuity (gamma = 0.410), a fair correlation between CAIA and radiologists was obtained (P < 0.05). However, parameters representing lesions' border such as sharpness (gamma = 0.252-0.299) and roundness (gamma = -0.134-0.163) showed no significant correlation (P > 0.05). Conclusion: As a preliminary step in US computer-aided diagnosis for focal hepatic lesions, a CAIA algorithm was constructed with a good agreement and correlation with human observers in most US features. In addition, these features should be weighted highly when a computer-aided diagnosis for characterizing focal liver lesions on US is designed and developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a method of computer processing of images of cracks. To discern cracks on an image, a segmentation method which includes an analysis of the brightness density function and binary transformation is used. To determine orientations of a crack, we calculate the locus of points of its skeleton with their subsequent approximation by the method of least squares. As a measure of damage, the area of cracks within the boundaries of the analyzed region was used. We investigate images on the surface of a roll of a continuous billet casting machine. By the moment the roll was removed from service, it had been operated in 4500 heats (the weight of which was 350 t). The cause of its removal from service was the cracking of its working surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The face pattern is described by pairs of template-based histogram and Fisher projection orientation under the framework of AdaBoost learning in this paper. We assume that a set of templates are available first. To avoid making strong assumptions about distributional structure while still retaining good properties for estimation, the classical statistical model, histogram, is used to summarize the response of each template. By introducing a novel “Integral Histogram Image”, we can compute histogram rapidly. Then, we turn to Fisher linear discriminant for each template to project histogram from d-dimensional subspace to one-dimensional subspace. Best features, used to describe face pattern, are selected by AdaBoost learning. The results of experiments demonstrate that the selected features are much more powerful to represent the face pattern than the simple rectangle features used by Viola and Jones and some variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Texture synthesis has been an active research area in computer graphics, vision, and image processing. A hybrid texture synthesis approach that combines the strength of Ashikhmin?s [1] and Liang?s [11] algorithms is presented in this paper. Using patches from the input sample texture to extend the input itself, more suitable valid candidate pixels in the input sample can be more precisely determined. An extra original position array is used to record the valid pixel position in the extended region of input sample texture such that the candidate pixel can be retrieved efficiently. Pasting patches with more global information of texture features to initialize the output texture, the texture synthesis process tends to grow larger pieces in the output texture so that the perceptual similarity is reserved as much as possible. Many classes of textures have been used to test our approach. As the experimental results showed, the proposed hybrid approach effectively and efficiently synthesizes high-quality textures from a wide variety of textures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to analyze the influence of different segmentation techniques on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) CT (Computed Tomography) imaging histological feature extraction, Grow Cut method and Graph Cut method are used to segment hepatocellular carcinoma from arterial CT images of HCC patients, and the stability and repeatability of imaging histological features are studied. Meanwhile, hierarchical clustering method is used to reduce the redundancy of features. The results show that the repeatability and redundancy mainly depend on the method of tumor segmentation. Semi-automatic segmentation method can improve the repeatability of image features, and hierarchical clustering can reduce the redundancy of features. Different segmentation techniques have different effects on the extraction of histological features of CT images of HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]