API recommendation for event-driven Android application development

Ministry of Education, Singapore under its Academic Research Funding Tier

MIMN-DPP: Maximum-information and minimum-noise determinantal point processes for unsupervised hyperspectral band selection

Band selection plays an important role in hyperspectral imaging for reducing the data and improving the efficiency of data acquisition and analysis whilst significantly lowering the cost of the imaging system. Without the category labels, it is challenging to select an effective and low-redundancy band subset. In this paper, a new unsupervised band selection algorithm is proposed based on a new band search criterion and an improved Determinantal Point Processes (DPP). First, to preserve the original information of hyperspectral image, a novel band search criterion is designed for searching the bands with high information entropy and low noise. Unfortunately, finding the optimal solution based on the search criteria to select a low-redundancy band subset is a NP-hard problem. To solve this problem, we consider the correlation of bands from both original hyperspectral image and its spatial information to construct a double-graph model to describe the relationship between spectral bands. Besides, an improved DPP algorithm is proposed for the approximate search of a low-redundancy band subset from the double-graph model. Experiment results on several well-known datasets show that the proposed optical band selection algorithm achieves better performance than many other state-of-the-art methods

On the topological surface states of the intrinsic magnetic topological insulator Mn-Bi-Te family

We review recent progress in the electronic structure study of intrinsic magnetic topological insulators (MnBi$_2$Te$_4$)(Bi$_2$Te$_3$)$_n$ ($n=0,1,2,3$) family. Specifically, we focus on the ubiquitously (nearly) gapless behavior of the topological surface state Dirac cone observed by photoemission spectroscopy, even though a large Dirac gap is expected because of surface ferromagnetic order. The dichotomy between experiment and theory concerning this gap behavior is perhaps the most critical and puzzling question in this frontier. We discuss various proposals accounting for the lack of magnetic effect on the topological surface state Dirac cone, which are mainly categorized into two pictures, magnetic reconfiguration, and topological surface state redistribution. Band engineering towards opening a magnetic gap of topological surface states provides great opportunities to realize quantized topological transport and axion electrodynamics at higher temperatures

Disparity analysis and its application to three-dimensional autoradiography

Quantitative autoradiography has enormous application potential for many areas of medical research. Three dimensional (3D) reconstruction (representation) of autoradiographic images provides a mechanism for observing and analysing 3D data. Conventional methods, based on tedious manual methods, can sample and analyse only a small portion of this information. Feature correspondence methods in medical image alignment do not perform well for noisy images. Correlation schemes measure the similarities between images; however, they cannot take into consideration size differences. In this paper, we introduce a new approach to image alignment by using disparity function. The function is defined by considering the geometry, and the function parameters are estimated simultaneously from the computation of shape disparity by relaxation method. The decomposition of the disparity function parameters reveals the object rotation, deformation, scaling, and translation in a three dimensional space. The alignment computation is initially based on measured boundary information and intensity changes. Since the computation utilizes all available information and the disparity function is estimated by a least square error criterion, the algorithm is relatively insensitive to noise. 3D reconstructions of two sequences of rat brains are studied, and experiments on alignment and disparities caused by rotation, translation and shape change (deformation and scaling) are presented. The computer reconstruction system provides researchers with a method for 3D data analysis. The scheme can also be employed for other types of medical images

TUES Type 2 Project: Development and Application of MITS/DATS Courseware: Advancement, Success, Concern, and Weakness

TUES Type 2 Project: Development and Application of MITS/DATS Courseware Advancement, Success, Concern, and Weakness After more than ten years of development and application of a web-based, interactive,dynamic track-able Medical Imaging courseware, we have gained extensive experience andknowledge about how students learn and how instructors deliver information in this specificSTEM education field. Medical imaging education is interdisciplinary training included by manyengineering programs, most typically Biomedical Engineering. Medical imaging techniquesinvolve physics principles, mathematical derivations, and engineering implementations for imagegeneration, reconstruction, instrumentation, and clinical application. Obstacles to medicalimaging education include 1) limited class hours to deliver interdisciplinary materials, 2)sophisticated and different math/physics/engineering principle and implementation for eachimaging system, 3) inaccessibility or local unavailability of the imaging devices. Finding anefficient way for instructors to deliver medical imaging knowledge and establishing an effectivelearning environment for students, especially at institutions without associated medical schoolsor hospitals, have long been goals for medical imaging educators. We were motivated by the pedagogical theory, “What you hear, you forget; what you see,you remember; what you do, you understand.” We proposed to develop an Internet accessible,interactive medical imaging teaching system serving the courseware for medical imaging courses.We wish to advance teaching efficiency and learning effectiveness through interaction withmedical imaging animations and simulations. Supported by a series of NSF CCLI/TUES grantsthrough stages of proof-of-concept, creation of prototype, and expansion of application, we havesuccessfully developed the courseware entitled “Medical Imaging Teaching Software (MITS)and Dynamic Assessment Tracking System (DATS)”. The MITS/DATS system providesbackground review, text description, figure illustration, interactive animation, dynamicsimulation, and application demonstration for teaching five commonly used medical imagingmodalities (X-ray, CT, MRI, PET, and Ultrasound). More than twenty institutions in the United States and in other countries have subscribedthe MITS/DATS system. Evaluations from our co-developers and participating colleges arepromising. The medical imaging animations or simulations are interfaced with user-adjustableparameters or settings so that the math/physics/engineering principles can be dynamicallydemonstrated. A “live” medical imaging device or component can be presented withoutaccessing the real equipment. We have created more than thirty animations/simulations coveringfive commonly used medical imaging modalities. The MITS/DATS system is integrated by theopen source MySQL database software that manages updating teaching materials and also tracksstudent’s learning gain through different assessments. Instructors receive instant feedback on thetopics delivered through their lectures when students work on the system. We are concerned withthe number of student participants in different institutions during this developing-testing phasedue to IRB regulations. A sustainable developing/adaptation plan need to be implemented. Abroader application of the MITS/DATS courseware will be the primary task in the next cycle ofthe project

Work in progress - Internet accessible, interactive teaching software and tracking system for Medical Imaging education

As a key training component in biomedical engineering programs, medical imaging education involves different physics principles and mathematical derivations for image generation, reconstruction, and instrumentation. We developed an Internet accessible and interactive teaching system, that provides background review, text/figure illustration, interactive animation, dynamic simulation, and application demonstration for teaching five commonly used medical imaging modalities (X-ray, CT, MRI, PET and ultrasound). Each imaging modality is taught or learned through five to six modules (topics). The system is also associated with a database that updates the teaching/learning materials and also tracks student's learning gain through different assessments. The instructor gets instant feedback on the topic delivered through his/her lecture when students work on the system. We have applied the teaching/tracking system in small size classes. The results are satisfactory, convincing and promising. We plan to complete all teaching/learning modules and to avail both systems for any instructor's teaching application

The Hopfield neural network model for solving affine transformation parameters in the correlation method

In this paper, we present the Hopfield neural network model to provide solution for affine transformation parameters in the correlation method. Affine transformation equation is derived to get the mean-square error. The model maps the mean-square error equation with the energy function. When the energy function reaches local minima, the mean-square error is minimized. Outputs of the model will be affine transformation parameters. These parameters are applied in the affine transformation equation to register the corresponding two images

Using fractal analysis to characterize cerebral blood flow and immunohistopathology for ischemic stroke research

This paper presents an application of fractal analysis to characterization of global cerebral blood flow and immunohistopathology for ischemic stroke research on animal experiments. A brain's vasculature has features of a branching tree and can be modeled as a fractal system. Fractal analysis can be then employed to assess cerebral blood flow and immuno-positives on a whole brain section. Fractal analysis on experimental data from three imaging modalities under ischemic and control status is presented in this paper. Statistic analysis and correlative study prove the effectiveness of fractal analysis. An analytical description of fractal parameters for experimental ischemic stroke has been achieved