Updates in metabolomics tools and resources: 2014-2015

Data processing and interpretation represent the most challenging and time-consuming steps in high-throughput metabolomic experiments, regardless of the analytical platforms (MS or NMR spectroscopy based) used for data acquisition. Improved machinery in metabolomics generates increasingly complex datasets that create the need for more and better processing and analysis software and in silico approaches to understand the resulting data. However, a comprehensive source of information describing the utility of the most recently developed and released metabolomics resources—in the form of tools, software, and databases—is currently lacking. Thus, here we provide an overview of freely-available, and open-source, tools, algorithms, and frameworks to make both upcoming and established metabolomics researchers aware of the recent developments in an attempt to advance and facilitate data processing workflows in their metabolomics research. The major topics include tools and researches for data processing, data annotation, and data visualization in MS and NMR-based metabolomics. Most in this review described tools are dedicated to untargeted metabolomics workflows; however, some more specialist tools are described as well. All tools and resources described including their analytical and computational platform dependencies are summarized in an overview Table

Hyperspectral Imaging and Their Applications in the Nondestructive Quality Assessment of Fruits and Vegetables

Over the past decade, hyperspectral imaging has been rapidly developing and widely used as an emerging scientific tool in nondestructive fruit and vegetable quality assessment. Hyperspectral imaging technique integrates both the imaging and spectroscopic techniques into one system, and it can acquire a set of monochromatic images at almost continuous hundreds of thousands of wavelengths. Many researches based on spatial image and/or spectral image processing and analysis have been published proposing the use of hyperspectral imaging technique in the field of quality assessment of fruits and vegetables. This chapter presents a detailed overview of the introduction, latest developments and applications of hyperspectral imaging in the nondestructive assessment of fruits and vegetables. Additionally, the principal components, basic theories, and corresponding processing and analytical methods are also reported in this chapter

PHM survey: implementation of signal processing methods for monitoring bearings and gearboxes

The reliability and safety of industrial equipments are one of the main objectives of companies to remain competitive in sectors that are more and more exigent in terms of cost and security. Thus, an unexpected shutdown can lead to physical injury as well as economic consequences. This paper aims to show the emergence of the Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) concept in the industry and to describe how it comes to complement the different maintenance strategies. It describes the benefits to be expected by the implementation of signal processing, diagnostic and prognostic methods in health-monitoring. More specifically, this paper provides a state of the art of existing signal processing techniques that can be used in the PHM strategy. This paper allows showing the diversity of possible techniques and choosing among them the one that will define a framework for industrials to monitor sensitive components like bearings and gearboxes

An Assessment on the Non-Invasive Methods for Condition Monitoring of Induction Motors

The ability to forecast motor mechanical faults at incipient stages is vital to reducing maintenance costs, operation downtime and safety hazards. This paper synthesized the progress in the research and development in condition monitoring and fault diagnosis of induction motors. The motor condition monitoring techniques are mainly classified into two categories that are invasive and non-invasive techniques. The invasive techniques are very basic, but they have some implementation difficulties and high cost. The non-invasive methods, namely MCSA, PVA and IPA, overcome the disadvantages associated to invasive methods. This book chapter reviews the various non-invasive condition monitoring methods for diagnosis of mechanical faults in induction motor and concludes that the instantaneous power analysis (IPA) and Park vector analysis (PVA) methods are best suitable for the diagnosis of small fault signatures associated to mechanical faults. Recommendations for the future research in these areas are also presented

Detecting abnormality in optic nerve head images using a feature extraction analysis

Imaging and evaluation of the optic nerve head (ONH) plays an essential part in the detection and clinical management of glaucoma. The morphological characteristics of ONHs vary greatly from person to person and this variability means it is difficult to quantify them in a standardized way. We developed and evaluated a feature extraction approach using shiftinvariant wavelet packet and kernel principal component analysis to quantify the shape features in ONH images acquired by scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (Heidelberg Retina Tomograph [HRT]). The methods were developed and tested on 1996 eyes from three different clinical centers. A shape abnormality score (SAS) was developed from extracted features using a Gaussian process to identify glaucomatous abnormality. SAS can be used as a diagnostic index to quantify the overall likelihood of ONH abnormality. Maps showing areas of likely abnormality within the ONH were also derived. Diagnostic performance of the technique, as estimated by ROC analysis, was significantly better than the classification tools currently used in the HRT software – the technique offers the additional advantage of working with all images and is fully automated

Adaptive Signal Decomposition Methods for Vibration Signals of Rotating Machinery

Vibration‐based condition monitoring and fault diagnosis are becoming more common in the industry to increase machine availability and reliability. Considerable research efforts have recently been directed towards the development of adaptive signal processing methods for fault diagnosis. Two adaptive signal decomposition methods, i.e. the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and the local mean decomposition (LMD), are widely used. This chapter is intended to summarize the recent developments mostly based on the authors’ works. It aims to provide a valuable reference for readers on the processing and analysis of vibration signals collected from rotating machinery