Effects of Non-Local Diffusion on Structural MRI Preprocessing and Default Network Mapping: Statistical Comparisons with Isotropic/Anisotropic Diffusion

Neuroimaging community usually employs spatial smoothing to denoise magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data, e.g., Gaussian smoothing kernels. Such an isotropic diffusion (ISD) based smoothing is widely adopted for denoising purpose due to its easy implementation and efficient computation. Beyond these advantages, Gaussian smoothing kernels tend to blur the edges, curvature and texture of images. Researchers have proposed anisotropic diffusion (ASD) and non-local diffusion (NLD) kernels. We recently demonstrated the effect of these new filtering paradigms on preprocessing real degraded MRI images from three individual subjects. Here, to further systematically investigate the effects at a group level, we collected both structural and functional MRI data from 23 participants. We first evaluated the three smoothing strategies' impact on brain extraction, segmentation and registration. Finally, we investigated how they affect subsequent mapping of default network based on resting-state functional MRI (R-fMRI) data. Our findings suggest that NLD-based spatial smoothing maybe more effective and reliable at improving the quality of both MRI data preprocessing and default network mapping. We thus recommend NLD may become a promising method of smoothing structural MRI images of R-fMRI pipeline

팔진트리상에서 산재한 점군으로부터의 음함수 곡면 재구성과 음함수 곡면의 특징 탐지

학위논문 (박사)-- 서울대학교 대학원 : 수리과학부, 2013. 2. 강명주.In this thesis, we are concerned with reverse engineering process using implicit surface represented by level set. We consider two methods. One is to reconstruct implicit surface from scattered point data on octree and the other detects features such as edges and corners on the implicit surface. Our surface reconstruction method is based on the level set method using octree i.e. a kind of adaptive grid. We start with the surface reconstruction model proposed in Ye's where they considered the surface reconstruction process as an elliptic problem while most previous methods employed the time marching process from an initial surface to point cloud. However, as far as their method is implemented on uniform grid, it exposes inefficiency such as the high cost of memory. We improved it by adapting octree data structure to our problem and by introducing a new redistancing algorithm which is different from the existing one. We also address feature detection from 3D CT image which is a form of implicit surface. While laser scanner is accurate and has little noise, it can't examine the inside of object. So, CT scanner is recently becoming popular for non-destructive inspection of mechanical part. But for reverse engineering, we should transform 3D image data into B-spline surface data in order to use it on CAD software, that is, change from implicit surface to parametric surface. In that process, we need feature detection for parametrization of surface. But it has more artifacts such as noise and blur than laser scanner. Consequently, preprocess for reducing artifacts is required. We apply some existing denoising algorithms to CT image data and then extract edges and corners with our feature detection method.1. Introduction 2. Surface Reconstruction Method from Scattered Point Data on Octree 2.1 Previous work 2.1.1 History 2.1.2 Fast sweeping method 2.1.3 Basic finite difference methods on octree 2.1.4 Biconjugate gradient stabilized(BICGSTAB) algorithm 2.2 Mathematical models 2.3 Numerical method 2.3.1 Tree generation and splitting condition 2.3.2 Distance function 2.3.3 Initial guess of signed distance function 2.3.4 Numerical discretization of model (2.2.6) on octree 2.4 Results 2.4.1 Five-leafed clover 2.4.2 Bunny, Dragon, Happy buddha 3 Feature Detection on Implicit Surface 3.1 Related work and background 3.1.1 Segmentation with the level set method 3.1.2 Signed distance function 3.1.3 Nonlocal means filtering 3.2 Corner and sharp edge detection 3.2.1 Corner detection 3.2.2 Sharp edge detection 3.2.3 False feature removal 3.3 Results 4 Conclusion and Further WorkDocto

Geometric Surface Processing and Virtual Modeling

In this work we focus on two main topics "Geometric Surface Processing" and "Virtual Modeling". The inspiration and coordination for most of the research work contained in the thesis has been driven by the project New Interactive and Innovative Technologies for CAD (NIIT4CAD), funded by the European Eurostars Programme. NIIT4CAD has the ambitious aim of overcoming the limitations of the traditional approach to surface modeling of current 3D CAD systems by introducing new methodologies and technologies based on subdivision surfaces in a new virtual modeling framework. These innovations will allow designers and engineers to transform quickly and intuitively an idea of shape in a high-quality geometrical model suited for engineering and manufacturing purposes. One of the objective of the thesis is indeed the reconstruction and modeling of surfaces, representing arbitrary topology objects, starting from 3D irregular curve networks acquired through an ad-hoc smart-pen device. The thesis is organized in two main parts: "Geometric Surface Processing" and "Virtual Modeling". During the development of the geometric pipeline in our Virtual Modeling system, we faced many challenges that captured our interest and opened new areas of research and experimentation. In the first part, we present these theories and some applications to Geometric Surface Processing. This allowed us to better formalize and give a broader understanding on some of the techniques used in our latest advancements on virtual modeling and surface reconstruction. The research on both topics led to important results that have been published and presented in articles and conferences of international relevance