Editorial: Frontiers in development of intelligent applications for medical imaging processing and computer vision
It is well known that medical image processing has succeeded in bringing about a paradigm shift in health care delivery. The main focus of this special issue is to describe a few cutting edge research projects in this area and also highlight their contribution to the improvement in healthcare delivery. This aforementioned improvement mainly focuses on automating many of the manual processes such as analyzing an internal wound, treatments for neuro-degeneration, and many other such inventions and discoveries [1 –5]. (Source: Computers in Biology and Medicine)
Source: Computers in Biology and Medicine - June 9, 2017 Category: Bioinformatics Authors: Roshan J. Martis, Hong Lin, Varadraj P. Gurupur, Steven L. Fernandes Tags: Editorial Source Type: research
A segmentation method for myocardial ischemia/infarction applicable in heart photos
The myocardial infarction, known as heart attack, is the ultimate result of a prolonged/untreated cardiac ischemia. The accurate segmentation of the myocardial infarction or ischemia in images obtained from diversified sources, such as Magnetic Resonance Images or Echocardiograph, is worthwhile for the medical area or the animal experimentation. An alternative image source for ischemia/infarction segmentation is the photo, which can depict the actual heart image. This work presents a method for ischemia segmentation in rat heart photos. (Source: Computers in Biology and Medicine)
Source: Computers in Biology and Medicine - June 7, 2017 Category: Bioinformatics Authors: Salety Ferreira Baracho, Daniel Jos é Lins Leal Pinheiro, Carlos Marcelo Gurjão de Godoy, Regina Célia Coelho Source Type: research
QRS complex detection in ECG signals using locally adaptive weighted total variation denoising
The QRS complex is the most prominent feature in the electrocardiogram (ECG), therefore, its detection is required for delineation of other waves and segments in the ECG and derivation of additional clinically useful information. QRS detection is complicated by factors like varying QRS morphologies, noise, artefacts and interference from tall and pointed P- and T-waves. In this paper, we propose a novel technique for QRS detection by preprocessing the ECG using weighted total variation (WTV) denoising. (Source: Computers in Biology and Medicine)
Source: Computers in Biology and Medicine - June 6, 2017 Category: Bioinformatics Authors: Tanushree Sharma, Kamalesh Kumar Sharma Source Type: research
MarkoLAB: A simulator to study ionic channel's stochastic behavior
Mathematical models of the cardiac cell have started to include markovian representations of the ionic channels instead of the traditional Hodgkin& Huxley formulations. There are many reasons for this: Markov models are not restricted to the idea of independent gates defining the channel, they allow more complex description with specific transitions between open, closed or inactivated states, and more importantly those states can be closely related to the underlying channel structure and conformational changes. (Source: Computers in Biology and Medicine)
Source: Computers in Biology and Medicine - June 6, 2017 Category: Bioinformatics Authors: Robson Rodrigues da Silva, Daniel Gustavo Goroso, Donald M. Bers, Jos é Luis Puglisi Source Type: research
Computing dispersion curves of elastic/viscoelastic transversely-isotropic bone plates coupled with soft tissue and marrow using semi-analytical finite element (SAFE) method
We present a semi-analytical finite element scheme (SAFE) for accurately computing the velocity dispersion and attenuation in a trilayered system consisting of a transversely-isotropic (TI) cortical bone plate sandwiched between the soft tissue and marrow layers. The soft tissue and marrow are mimicked by two fluid layers of finite thickness. A Kelvin-Voigt model accounts for the absorption of all three biological domains. The simulated dispersion curves are validated by the results from the commercial software DISPERSE and published literature. (Source: Computers in Biology and Medicine)
Source: Computers in Biology and Medicine - June 6, 2017 Category: Bioinformatics Authors: Vu-Hieu Nguyen, Tho N.H.T. Tran, Mauricio D. Sacchi, Salah Naili, Lawrence H. Le Source Type: research
Classification of ECG heartbeats using nonlinear decomposition methods and support vector machine
Classifying electrocardiogram (ECG) heartbeats for arrhythmic risk prediction is a challenging task due to minute variations in the amplitude, duration and morphology of the ECG signal. In this paper, we propose two feature extraction approaches to classify five types of heartbeats: normal, premature ventricular contraction, atrial premature contraction, left bundle branch block and right bundle branch block. In the first approach, ECG beats are decomposed into intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) using ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD). (Source: Computers in Biology and Medicine)
Source: Computers in Biology and Medicine - June 6, 2017 Category: Bioinformatics Authors: Kandala N.V.P.S. Rajesh, Ravindra Dhuli Source Type: research
Biomechanical study of different fixation techniques for the treatment of sacroiliac joint injuries using finite element analyses and biomechanical tests
The pelvis is one of the most stressed areas of the human musculoskeletal system due to the transfer of truncal loads to the lower extremities. Sacroiliac joint injury may lead to abnormal joint mechanics and an unstable pelvis. Various fixation techniques have been evaluated and discussed. However, it may be difficult to investigate each technique due to variations in bone quality, bone anatomy, fracture pattern, and fixation location. Additionally, the finite element method is one useful technology that avoids these variations. (Source: Computers in Biology and Medicine)
Source: Computers in Biology and Medicine - June 6, 2017 Category: Bioinformatics Authors: Chian-Her Lee, Ching-Chi Hsu, Po-Yuang Huang Source Type: research
A semantic interoperability approach to support integration of gene expression and clinical data in breast cancer
The introduction of omics data and advances in technologies involved in clinical treatment has led to a broad range of approaches to represent clinical information. Within this context, patient stratification across health institutions due to omic profiling presents a complex scenario to carry out multi-center clinical trials. (Source: Computers in Biology and Medicine)
Source: Computers in Biology and Medicine - June 5, 2017 Category: Bioinformatics Authors: Raul Alonso-Calvo, Sergio Paraiso-Medina, David Perez-Rey, Enrique Alonso-Oset, Ruud van Stiphout, Sheng Yu, Marian Taylor, Francesca Buffa, Carlos Fernandez-Lozano, Alejandro Pazos, Victor Maojo Source Type: research
A laplace transform-based technique for solving multiscale and multidomain problems: Application to a countercurrent hemodialyzer model
An integral-based method was employed to evaluate the behavior of a countercurrent hemodialyzer model. Solute transfer from the blood into the dialysate was described by writing mass balance equations over a section of the device. The approach provided Laplace transform concentration profiles on both sides of the membrane. Applications of the final value theorem led to the development of the effective time constants and steady-state concentrations in the exit streams. Transient responses were derived by a numerical inversion algorithm. (Source: Computers in Biology and Medicine)
Source: Computers in Biology and Medicine - June 4, 2017 Category: Bioinformatics Authors: Laurent Simon Source Type: research
Tutoring math platform accessible for visually impaired people
There are many problems with teaching and assessing impaired students in higher education, especially in technical science, where the knowledge is represented mostly by structural information like: math formulae, charts, graphs, etc. Developing e-learning platform for distance education solves this problem only partially due to the lack of accessibility for the blind. (Source: Computers in Biology and Medicine)
Source: Computers in Biology and Medicine - June 3, 2017 Category: Bioinformatics Authors: Micha ł Sebastian Maćkowski, Piotr Franciszek Brzoza, Dominik Roland Spinczyk Source Type: research
Identification of QRS complex in non-stationary electrocardiogram of sick infants
Due to the high-frequency of routine interventions in an intensive care setting, electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings from sick infants are highly non-stationary, with recurrent changes in the baseline, alterations in the morphology of the waveform, and attenuations of the signal strength. Current methods lack reliability in identifying QRS complexes (a marker of individual cardiac cycles) in the non-stationary ECG. In the current study we address this problem by proposing a novel approach to QRS complex identification. (Source: Computers in Biology and Medicine)
Source: Computers in Biology and Medicine - June 2, 2017 Category: Bioinformatics Authors: S. Kota, C.B. Swisher, T. Al-Shargabi, N. Andescavage, A. du Plessis, R.B. Govindan Source Type: research
Fuzzy risk stratification and risk assessment model for clinical monitoring in the ICU
The decisions that clinicians make in intensive care units (ICUs) based on monitored parameters reflecting physiological deterioration are of major medical and biomedical engineering interest. These parameters have been investigated and assessed for their usefulness in risk assessment. (Source: Computers in Biology and Medicine)
Source: Computers in Biology and Medicine - June 2, 2017 Category: Bioinformatics Authors: Albion Dervishi Source Type: research
Cyclotorsion measurement using scleral blood vessels
Measurements of the cyclotorsional movement of the eye are crucial in refractive surgery procedures. The planned surgery pattern may vary substantially during an operation because of the position and eye movements of the patient. Since these factors affect the outcome of an operation, eye registration methods are applied in order to compensate for errors. While the majority of applications are based on features of the iris, we propose a registration method which uses scleral blood vessels. Unlike previous offline techniques, the proposed method is applicable during surgery. (Source: Computers in Biology and Medicine)
Source: Computers in Biology and Medicine - June 1, 2017 Category: Bioinformatics Authors: Ayd ın Kaya, Ali Seydi Keçeli, Ahmet Burak Can, Hasan Basri Çakmak Source Type: research
Mathematical modeling of diphtheria transmission in Thailand
In this work, a mathematical model for describing diphtheria transmission in Thailand is proposed. Based on the course of diphtheria infection, the population is divided into 8 epidemiological classes, namely, susceptible, symptomatic infectious, asymptomatic infectious, carrier with full natural-acquired immunity, carrier with partial natural-acquired immunity, individual with full vaccine-induced immunity, and individual with partial vaccine-induced immunity. Parameter values in the model were either directly obtained from the literature, estimated from available data, or estimated by means of sensitivity analysis. (Sour...
Source: Computers in Biology and Medicine - June 1, 2017 Category: Bioinformatics Authors: Kan Sornbundit, Wannapong Triampo, Charin Modchang Source Type: research
Left ventricle Hermite-based segmentation
In recent years, computed tomography (CT) has become a standard technique in cardiac imaging because it provides detailed information that may facilitate the diagnosis of the conditions that interfere with correct heart function. However, CT-based cardiac diagnosis requires manual segmentation of heart cavities, which is a difficult and time-consuming task. Thus, in this paper, we propose a novel technique to segment endocardium and epicardium boundaries based on a 2D approach. The proposal computes relevant information of the left ventricle and its adjacent structures using the Hermite transform. (Source: Computers in Biology and Medicine)
Source: Computers in Biology and Medicine - May 31, 2017 Category: Bioinformatics Authors: Jimena Olveres, Rodrigo Nava, Boris Escalante-Ram írez, Enrique Vallejo, Jan Kybic Source Type: research
