An Analysis of Rigid Image Alignment Computer Vision Algorithms

Computer vision is a field of computer science that includes methods for acquiring, processing, and analyzing images. Image registration is one of the methods used in the computer vision field to transform different sets of data into one coordinate system to align images. Registration is important in order to be able to compare or integrate the data obtained from multiple measurements. Rigid image alignment is a type of image registration technique used to align two two-dimensional images into a common coordinate system based on two transformation parameters, translation and rotation. Before any comparative studies can be performed on two images acquired at different times, it is crucial to align the two images for correct processing later on. In our research study, we are analyzing the accuracy of registering images using two rigid image alignment algorithms, namely the Principal Axes algorithm and the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) based phase correlation algorithm. The software for registering images using these two methods is written in MATLAB R2011a. We also compared our results with alignments achieved for the same images using an existing Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM8) package for registration. Image registration algorithms have been used in many applications and accordingly, algorithms are adopted to suit a particular application. Images used for registration can be derived from different capturing devices like camera, scanner, satellite sensors, etc. Our registration software is based on work with images acquired from a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner and especially for images taken of a quality assurance (QA) phantom. A QA phantom is used to test the quality of images acquired by measuring different QA parameters on images acquired over a period of time. Images acquired from the MRI scanner at different times are geometrically transformed by rotation and translation. In practice, the maximum angle by which the phantom will get rotated at different times due to varying positioning in the scanner will not be greater than 50 degrees and the maximum displacement will always be less than 50 pixels based on our experience while scanning. By comparing future phantom images with the first image in the series, we can perform a series of Quality Assurance steps to measure any degradation in the MRI device. The QA results can then be used to apply inverse transformations to new customer images to improve their quality. The first step in the QA process is image registration, which is the topic of this thesis. To test the implementations, we rotated and translated known images then we applied the two algorithms and compared the results to the known translation and rotation values. Our analysis shows that the Principal Axes method could successfully register 17 of the 22 non-aligned test images, the FFT method registered 21 test images successfully whereas SPM8 with default settings showed correct alignments for only 9 images in our case study as per our requirement. The Principal Axes algorithm performed better image alignment when the two images were displaced by a larger distance, and the FFT based algorithm performed better for larger rotation angle differences among images. Hence, we conclude that our algorithms have the potential for inclusion in the new QA process

Dentin Sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) Gene-Silencing Inhibits Key Tumorigenic Activities in Human Oral Cancer Cell Line, OSC2

We determined recently that dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP), a member of the SIBLING (Small integrin-binding ligand N-linked glycoproteins) family of phosphoglycoproteins, is highly upregulated in human oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs) where upregulation is associated with tumor aggressiveness. To investigate the effects of DSPP-silencing on the tumorigenic profiles of the oral cancer cell line, OSC2, short-hairpin RNA (shRNA) interference was employed to silence DSPP in OSC2 cells.Multiple regions of DSPP transcript were targeted for shRNA interference using hDSP-shRNA lentiviral particles designed to silence DSPP gene expression. Control shRNA plasmid encoding a scrambled sequence incapable of degrading any known cellular mRNA was used for negative control. Following puromycin selection of stable lines of DSSP-silenced OSC2 cells, phenotypic hallmarks of oral carcinogenesis were assayed by western blot and RT-PCR analyses, MTT (cell-viability), colony-formation, modified Boyden-Chamber (migration and invasion), and flow cytometry (cell-cycle and apoptosis) analyses. DSPP-silenced OSC2 cells showed altered cell morphology, reduced viability, decreased colony-formation ability, decreased migration and invasion, G0/G1 cell-cycle arrest, and increased tumor cell sensitivity to cisplatin-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-9, VEGF, Ki-67, p53, and EGFR were down-regulated. There was a direct correlation between the degree of DSPP-silencing and MMP suppression, as indicated by least squares regression: MMP-2 {(y = 0.850x, p<0.001) (y = 1.156x, p<0.001)}, MMP-3 {(y = 0.994x, p<0.001) (y = 1.324x, p = 0.004)}, and MMP-9 {(y = 1.248x, p = 0.005, y = 0.809, p = 0.013)}.DSPP-silencing in OSC2 cell decreased salient hallmarks of oral tumorigenesis and provides the first functional evidence of a potential key role for DSPP in oral cancer biology. The down-regulation of MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-9, p53 and VEGF in DSPP-silenced OSC2 cells provides a significant functional/molecular framework for deciphering the mechanisms of DSPP activities in oral cancer biology

PKG Movement Recording System Use Shows Promise in Routine Clinical Care of Patients With Parkinsons Disease.

Parkinsons disease (PD) is a debilitating, neurodegenerative disorder that affects nearly one million people. Its hallmark signs and symptoms include slow movements, rigidity, tremor, and unstable posture. Additionally, non-motor symptoms such as sleeplessness, depression, cognitive impairment, impulse control behaviors (ICB) have been reported. Today, treatment regimens to modify disease progression do not exist and as such, treatment is focused on symptom relief. Additionally, physicians are challenged to base their diagnoses and treatment plans on unreliable self-reported symptoms, even when used in conjunction to validated assessments such as the Unified Parkinsons Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and clinical exams. Wearable technology may provide clinicians objective measures of motor problems to supplement current subjective methods. Global Kinetics Corporation (GKC) has developed a watch-device called the Personal KinetiGraph (PKG) that records movements and provides patients medication dosing reminders. A separate clinician-use report supplies longitudinal motor and event data. The PKG was FDA-cleared in September 2016. We studied 63 PD patients during 85 routine care visits in 2 US academic institutions, evaluating the clinical utility of the PKG. Patients wore a PKG for 6 continuous days before their visit. Next, PKG data was uploaded to produce a report. In clinic, physicians discussed PD symptoms with patients and conducted a motor examination prior to reviewing the PKG report and comparing it to their initial assessments. Lastly, patient, caregiver and physician satisfaction surveys were conducted by each user. Across all visits when patients did not report bradykinesia or dyskinesia, the PKG reported these symptoms (50 and 33% of the time, respectively). The PKG provided insights for treatment plans in 50 (79%) patients across 71 (84%) visits. Physicians found improved patient dialogue in 50 (59%) visits, improved ability to assess treatment impact in 32 (38%) visits, and improved motor assessment in 28 (33%) visits. Patients stated in 82% of responses that they agreed or strongly agreed in PKG training, usability, performance, and satisfaction. In 39% of responses, they also reported a very valuable impact on their care. PKG use in 63 PD patients within our clinical practice showed clinically relevant utility in many areas

PKG Movement Recording System Use Shows Promise in Routine Clinical Care of Patients With Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a debilitating, neurodegenerative disorder that affects nearly one million people. It's hallmark signs and symptoms include slow movements, rigidity, tremor, and unstable posture. Additionally, non-motor symptoms such as sleeplessness, depression, cognitive impairment, impulse control behaviors (ICB) have been reported. Today, treatment regimens to modify disease progression do not exist and as such, treatment is focused on symptom relief. Additionally, physicians are challenged to base their diagnoses and treatment plans on unreliable self-reported symptoms, even when used in conjunction to validated assessments such as the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and clinical exams. Wearable technology may provide clinicians objective measures of motor problems to supplement current subjective methods. Global Kinetics Corporation (GKC) has developed a watch-device called the Personal KinetiGraph (PKG) that records movements and provides patients medication dosing reminders. A separate clinician-use report supplies longitudinal motor and event data. The PKG was FDA-cleared in September 2016. We studied 63 PD patients during 85 routine care visits in 2 US academic institutions, evaluating the clinical utility of the PKG. Patients wore a PKG for 6 continuous days before their visit. Next, PKG data was uploaded to produce a report. In clinic, physicians discussed PD symptoms with patients and conducted a motor examination prior to reviewing the PKG report and comparing it to their initial assessments. Lastly, patient, caregiver and physician satisfaction surveys were conducted by each user. Across all visits when patients did not report bradykinesia or dyskinesia, the PKG reported these symptoms (50 and 33% of the time, respectively). The PKG provided insights for treatment plans in 50 (79%) patients across 71 (84%) visits. Physicians found improved patient dialogue in 50 (59%) visits, improved ability to assess treatment impact in 32 (38%) visits, and improved motor assessment in 28 (33%) visits. Patients stated in 82% of responses that they agreed or strongly agreed in PKG training, usability, performance, and satisfaction. In 39% of responses, they also reported a very valuable impact on their care. PKG use in 63 PD patients within our clinical practice showed clinically relevant utility in many areas

Photochemotherapy For Widespread Psoriasis

Forty live psoriatics (40 chronic plaque, 5 stable erythrodermic) were treated with PUVA therapy. The psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) was used for evaluation. The average pretreatment PASI score was 14.6 (range 7.4-35.4) in chronic plaque psoriasis and 39.9 (22.3-52.2) in psoriatic erythroderma. Patients were given oral 8-methoxypsoralen (0.6mg/kg), thrice a week with initial UVA exposure of 3 joulrd/cm2 and increments of 1 joulrd/cm2 every week till complete clearance or up to 12 weeks whichever was earlier. After clearing, patients were put on maintenance therapy. The average response at the end of 8 weeks was 84.5&#x0025; reduction in PASI score in chronic plaque and 86.5&#x0025; in erythroderma. Patients received a cumulative dose of 186 and 165 joules/cm2 respectively. Based on the time required for clearance, patients could be divided into rapid responders (4 weeks, 14 cases), average responders (8 weeks, 21 cases), slow responders (12 weeks, 5 cases) and non-responders (5 cases). One patient of chronic plaque type developed pustular psoriasis. No other serious side effect was observed. Hence, systemic photochemotherapy is effective in inducing long-lasting remissions in plaque and even stable erythrodermic psoriasis. More than 70&#x0025; cases were maintained in remission at 6 months, 58&#x0025; at 1 year and 32&#x0025; at 2 years