A fully automated scheme for mammographic segmentation and classification based on breast density and asymmetry

This paper presents a fully automated segmentation and classification scheme for mammograms, based on breast density estimation and detection of asymmetry. First, image preprocessing and segmentation techniques are applied, including a breast boundary extraction algorithm and an improved version of a pectoral muscle segmentation scheme. Features for breast density categorization are extracted, including a new fractal dimension-related feature, and support vector machines (SVMs) are employed for classification, achieving accuracy of up to 85.7%. Most of these properties are used to extract a new set of statistical features for each breast; the differences among these feature values from the two images of each pair of mammograms are used to detect breast asymmetry, using an one-class SVM classifier, which resulted in a success rate of 84.47%. This composite methodology has been applied to the miniMIAS database, consisting of 322 (MLO) mammograms -including 15 asymmetric pairs of images-, obtained via a (noisy) digitization procedure. The results were evaluated by expert radiologists and are very promising, showing equal or higher success rates compared to other related works, despite the fact that some of them used only selected portions of this specific mammographic database. In contrast, our methodology is applied to the complete miniMIAS database and it exhibits the reliability that is normally required for clinical use in CAD systems.     

High-resolution multispectral techniques for mapping former Little Ice Age terrestrial ice cover in the Canadian High Arctic

Multispectral classification approaches were applied to high-resolution ASTER (15 m) and ETM+ (30 m) imagery for the purpose of developing new techniques for mapping recently deglaciated LIA perennial ice cover in the Canadian Arctic. Four areas in the Queen Elizabeth Islands, with dissimilar surficial geology and diverse topographic complexity, were selected to test the efficacy of both sensors for mapping these subtle landscape features. Automated classification (band calculation) methods were found to be most effective on quartzitic sandstone and siliceous crystalline bedrock, whereas, semi-automated (supervised classification) techniques were most successful on substrates comprised primarily of carbonate lithologies. ASTER's superior spatial resolution yielded higher accuracies in topographically complex areas; however, ETM+ was more effective over a wider variety of substrate lithologies and topographic settings, with a mean overall accuracy of 91% (mean κ statistic = 0.71), compared to 87% (mean κ statistic = 0.60) for ASTER.     

Automated detection of breast tumors using the asymmetry approach

A method for automated detection of breast tumors in mammograms is presented. The method uses the asymmetry principle: Strong structural asymmetries between corresponding regions in the left and right breast are taken as evidence for the possible presence of a tumor in that region. Asymmetry detection is achieved in two steps. First, mammograms are aligned, compensating for possible differences in size and shape between the two breasts. Second, asymmetry between corresponding positions is determined using a combination of several asymmetry measures, each responding to different types of asymmetries. Results obtained with a set of mammograms indicate that this method can improve the sensitivity and reliability of systems for automated detection of breast tumors.     

Breast density classification to reduce false positives in CADe systems

This paper describes a novel weighted voting tree classification scheme for breast density classification. Breast parenchymal density is an important risk factor in breast cancer. Moreover, it is known that mammogram interpretation is more difficult when dense tissue is involved. Therefore, automated breast density classification may aid in breast lesion detection and analysis. Several classification methods have been compared and a novel hierarchical classification procedure of combined classifiers with linear discriminant analysis (LDA) is proposed as the best solution to classify the mammograms into the four BIRADS tissue classes. The classification scheme is based on 298 texture features. Statistical analysis to test the normality and homoscedasticity of the data was carried out for feature selection. Thus, only features that are influenced by the tissue type were considered. The novel classification techniques have been incorporated into a CADe system to drive the detection algorithms and tested with 1459 images. The results obtained on the 322 screen-film mammograms (SFM) of the mini-MIAS dataset show that 99.75% of samples were correctly classified. On the 1137 full-field digital mammograms (FFDM) dataset results show 91.58% agreement. The results of the lesion detection algorithms were obtained from modules integrated within the CADe system developed by the authors and show that using breast tissue classification prior to lesion detection leads to an improvement of the detection results. The tools enhance the detectability of lesions and they are able to distinguish their local attenuation without local tissue density constraints.     

Segmentation and detection of breast cancer in mammograms combining wavelet analysis and genetic algorithm

In Brazil, the National Cancer Institute (INCA) reports more than 50,000 new cases of the disease, with risk of 51 cases per 100,000 women. Radiographic images obtained from mammography equipments are one of the most frequently used techniques for helping in early diagnosis. Due to factors related to cost and professional experience, in the last two decades computer systems to support detection (Computer-Aided Detection – CADe) and diagnosis (Computer-Aided Diagnosis – CADx) have been developed in order to assist experts in detection of abnormalities in their initial stages. Despite the large number of researches on CADe and CADx systems, there is still a need for improved computerized methods. Nowadays, there is a growing concern with the sensitivity and reliability of abnormalities diagnosis in both views of breast mammographic images, namely cranio-caudal (CC) and medio-lateral oblique (MLO). This paper presents a set of computational tools to aid segmentation and detection of mammograms that contained mass or masses in CC and MLO views. An artifact removal algorithm is first implemented followed by an image denoising and gray-level enhancement method based on wavelet transform and Wiener filter. Finally, a method for detection and segmentation of masses using multiple thresholding, wavelet transform and genetic algorithm is employed in mammograms which were randomly selected from the Digital Database for Screening Mammography (DDSM). The developed computer method was quantitatively evaluated using the area overlap metric (AOM). The mean ± standard deviation value of AOM for the proposed method was 79.2 ± 8%. The experiments demonstrate that the proposed method has a strong potential to be used as the basis for mammogram mass segmentation in CC and MLO views. Another important aspect is that the method overcomes the limitation of analyzing only CC and MLO views.     

基于Kmean和ELM的乳腺肿块检测方法

肿块是乳腺癌在X线图像上的一个主要表现。提出了一种肿块自动检测算法。该方法包括四个步骤：在图像预处理阶段,去除背景、标记、胸肌和噪声,图像分割和图像增强;利用Kmean方法找到感兴趣区域（ROI）;提取能够表征肿块的特征;利用极限学习机（Extreme Learning Machine,ELM）分类器去除假阳性,将图像中的肿块和非肿块分离开来。通过对MIAS数据库中乳腺X线图像的测试实验,得到的检测肿块的准确率为93.5%。     

Automated assessment of breast tissue density in digital mammograms

Mammographic density is known to be an important indicator of breast cancer risk. Classification of mammographic density based on statistical features has been investigated previously. However, in those approaches the entire breast including the pectoral muscle has been processed to extract features. In this approach the region of interest is restricted to the breast tissue alone eliminating the artifacts, background and the pectoral muscle. The mammogram images used in this study are from the Mini-MIAS digital database. Here, we describe the development of an automatic breast tissue classification methodology, which can be summarized in a number of distinct steps: (1) preprocessing, (2) feature extraction, and (3) classification. Gray level thresholding and connected component labeling is used to eliminate the artifacts and pectoral muscles from the region of interest. Statistical features are extracted from this region which signify the important texture features of breast tissue. These features are fed to the support vector machine (SVM) classifier to classify it into any of the three classes namely fatty, glandular and dense tissue.The classifier accuracy obtained is 95.44%.     

Segmentation of vessels from mammograms using a deformable model

Vessel extraction is a fundamental step in certain medical imaging applications such as angiograms. Different methods are available to segment vessels in medical images, but they are not fully automated (initial vessel points are required) or they are very sensitive to noise in the image. Unfortunately, the presence of noise, the variability of the background, and the low and varying contrast of vessels in many imaging modalities such as mammograms, makes it quite difficult to obtain reliable fully automatic or even semi-automatic vessel detection procedures. In this paper a fully automatic algorithm for the extraction of vessels in noisy medical images is presented and validated for mammograms. The main issue in this research is the negative influence of noise on segmentation algorithms. A two-stage procedure was designed for noise reduction. First, a global approach phase including edge detection and thresholding is applied. Then, the local approach phase performs vessel segmentation using a deformable model with a new energy term that reduces the noise still remaining in the image from the first stage. Experimental results on mammograms show that this method has an excellent performance level in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. The computation time also makes it suitable for real-time applications within a clinical environment.     

Approaches for automated detection and classification of masses in mammograms

Breast cancer continues to be a significant public health problem in the world. Early detection is the key for improving breast cancer prognosis. Mammography has been one of the most reliable methods for early detection of breast carcinomas. However, it is difficult for radiologists to provide both accurate and uniform evaluation for the enormous mammograms generated in widespread screening. The estimated sensitivity of radiologists in breast cancer screening is only about 75%, but the performance would be improved if they were prompted with the possible locations of abnormalities. Breast cancer CAD systems can provide such help and they are important and necessary for breast cancer control. Microcalcifications and masses are the two most important indicators of malignancy, and their automated detection is very valuable for early breast cancer diagnosis. Since masses are often indistinguishable from the surrounding parenchymal, automated mass detection and classification is even more challenging. This paper discusses the methods for mass detection and classification, and compares their advantages and drawbacks.     

A novel automatic suspicious mass regions identification using Havrda & Charvat entropy and Otsu's N thresholding

Mass detection is a very important process for breast cancer diagnosis and computer aided systems. It can be very complex when the mass is small or invisible because of dense breast tissue. Therefore, the extraction of suspicious mass region can be very challenging. This paper proposes a novel segmentation algorithm to identify mass candidate regions in mammograms. The proposed system includes three parts: breast region and pectoral muscle segmentation, image enhancement and suspicious mass regions identification. The first two parts have been examined in previous studies. In this study, we focused on suspicious mass regions identification using a combination of Havrda & Charvat entropy method and Otsu's N thresholding method. An open access Mammographic Image Analysis Society (MIAS) database, which contains 59 masses, was used for the study. The proposed system obtained a 93% sensitivity rate for suspicious mass regions identification in 56 abnormal and 40 normal images.     

Mammogram Learning System for Breast Cancer Diagnosis Using Deep Learning SVM

The most common form of cancer for women is breast cancer. Recent advances in medical imaging technologies increase the use of digital mammograms to diagnose breast cancer. Thus, an automated computerized system with high accuracy is needed. In this study, an efficient Deep Learning Architecture (DLA) with a Support Vector Machine (SVM) is designed for breast cancer diagnosis. It combines the ideas from DLA with SVM. The state-of-the-art Visual Geometric Group (VGG) architecture with 16 layers is employed in this study as it uses the small size of 3 × 3 convolution filters that reduces system complexity. The softmax layer in VGG assumes that the training samples belong to exactly only one class, which is not valid in a real situation, such as in medical image diagnosis. To overcome this situation, SVM is employed instead of the softmax layer in VGG. Data augmentation is also employed as DLA usually requires a large number of samples. VGG model with different SVM kernels is built to classify the mammograms. Results show that the VGG-SVM model has good potential for the classification of Mammographic Image Analysis Society (MIAS) database images with an accuracy of 98.67%, sensitivity of 99.32%, and specificity of 98.34%.     

基于子区域分类的乳腺密度估计

乳腺密度常用于乳腺癌早期诊断。提出了一种基于子区域分析的乳腺密度估计方法。该方法先将整幅钼靶X线图像中的乳腺区域分割为互不重叠的子区域,采用直方图矩描述各子区域的灰度分布,并结合支持向量机将各子区域分为高密度和低密度两类;通过计算高密度子区域占所有子区域的比例,最终得到钼靶图像中乳腺密度。实验表明,该方法对乳腺X线图像具有很好的分类效果。     

Approaches for semantic interoperability between domain ontologies

Abstract: Domain ontologies and knowledge-based systems have become very important in the agent and semantic web communities. As their use has increased, providing means of resolving semantic differences has also become very important. In this paper we survey the approaches that have been proposed for providing interoperability among domain ontologies. We also discuss some key issues that still need to be addressed if we are to move from semi-automated to fully automated approaches to providing consensus among heterogeneous ontologies.     

A marker-based watershed method for X-ray image segmentation

Digital X-ray images are the most frequent modality for both screening and diagnosis in hospitals. To facilitate subsequent analysis such as quantification and computer aided diagnosis (CAD), it is desirable to exclude image background. A marker-based watershed segmentation method was proposed to segment background of X-ray images. The method consisted of six modules: image preprocessing, gradient computation, marker extraction, watershed segmentation from markers, region merging and background extraction. One hundred clinical direct radiograph X-ray images were used to validate the method. Manual thresholding and multiscale gradient based watershed method were implemented for comparison. The proposed method yielded a dice coefficient of 0.964 ± 0.069, which was better than that of the manual thresholding (0.937 ± 0.119) and that of multiscale gradient based watershed method (0.942 ± 0.098). Special means were adopted to decrease the computational cost, including getting rid of few pixels with highest grayscale via percentile, calculation of gradient magnitude through simple operations, decreasing the number of markers by appropriate thresholding, and merging regions based on simple grayscale statistics. As a result, the processing time was at most 6 s even for a 3072 × 3072 image on a Pentium 4 PC with 2.4 GHz CPU (4 cores) and 2G RAM, which was more than one time faster than that of the multiscale gradient based watershed method. The proposed method could be a potential tool for diagnosis and quantification of X-ray images.     

Computer-aided detection and classification of microcalcifications in mammograms: a survey

Breast cancer continues to be a significant public health problem in the world. Approximately, 182,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed and 46,000 women die of breast cancer each year in the United States. Even more disturbing is the fact that one out of eight women in US will develop breast cancer at some point during her lifetime. Primary prevention seems impossible since the causes of this disease still remain unknown. Early detection is the key to improving breast cancer prognosis. Mammography is one of the reliable methods for early detection of breast carcinomas. There are some limitations of human observers, and it is difficult for radiologists to provide both accurate and uniform evaluation for the enormous number of mammograms generated in widespread screening. The presence of microcalcification clusters (MCCs) is an important sign for the detection of early breast carcinoma. An early sign of 30–50% of breast cancer detected mammographically is the appearance of clusters of fine, granular microcalcification, and 60–80% of breast carcinomas reveal MCCs upon histological examinations. The high correlation between the appearance of the microcalcification clusters and the diseases show that the CAD (computer aided diagnosis) systems for automated detection/classification of MCCs will be very useful and helpful for breast cancer control. In this survey paper, we summarize and compare the methods used in various stages of the computer-aided detection systems (CAD). In particular, the enhancement and segmentation algorithms, mammographic features, classifiers and their performances are studied and compared. Remaining challenges and future research directions are also discussed.     

Characterizing forest ecological structure using pulse types and heights of airborne laser scanning

Characterizing forest structure is an important part of any comprehensive biodiversity assessment. However, current methods for measuring structural complexity require a laborious process that involves many logistically expensive point based measurements. An automated or semi-automated method would be ideal. In this study, the utility of airborne laser scanning (LiDAR; Light Detection and Ranging) for characterizing the ecological structure of a forest landscape is examined. The innovation of this paper is to use different laser pulse return properties from a full waveform LiDAR to characterize forest ecological structure. First the LiDAR dataset is stratified into four vertical layers: ground, low vegetation (0-1 m from the ground), medium vegetation (1-5 m from the ground) and high vegetation (> 5 m). Subsequently the “Type” of LiDAR return is analysed: Type 1 (singular returns); Type 2 (first of many returns); Type 3 (intermediate returns); and Type 4 (last of many returns). A forest characterization scheme derived from LiDAR point clouds is proposed. A validation of the scheme is then presented using a network of field sites that recorded commonly used metrics of biodiversity. The proposed forest characterization categories allow for quantification of gaps (above bare ground, low vegetation and medium vegetation), canopy cover and its vertical density as well as the presence of various canopy strata (low, medium and high). Regression analysis showed that LiDAR derived variables were good predictors of field recorded variables (R² = 0.82, P < 0.05 between LiDAR derived presence of low vegetation and field derived LAI for low vegetation). The proposed scheme clearly shows the potential of full waveform LiDAR to provide information on the complexity of habitat structure.     

面向小目标图像的快速核密度估计图像阈值分割算法

针对当前小目标图像阈值分割研究工作面临的难题,提出了快速核密 度估计图像阈值分割新方法.首先给出了基于加权核密度估计器的概率计算模 型,通过引入二阶Renyi熵作为阈值选取准则,提出了基于核密度估计的图像阈 值分割算法 (Kernel density estimator based image thresholding algorithm, KDET), 然后通过引入快速压缩集密度估计 (Fast reduced set density estimator, FRSDE)技术,得到核密度估计的 稀疏权系数表示形式,提出快速核密度估计图像阈值分割算法fastKDET,并从 理论上对相关性质进行了深入探讨.实验表明,本文算法对小目标图像 阈值分割问题具有更广泛的适应性,并且对参数变化不敏感.     

Reliability,equivalence and respondent preference of computerized versus paper-and-pencil mental health questionnaires

The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability, equivalence and respondent preference of a computerized version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), Symptom Checklist (SCL-90-R), Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (MOSSSS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Utrecht Coping List (UCL) in comparison with the original version in a general adult population. Internal consistency, equivalence and preference between both administration modes was assessed in a group of participants (n = 130) who first completed the computerized questionnaire, followed by the traditional questionnaire and a post-assessment evaluation measure. Test–retest reliability was measured in a second group of participants (n = 115), who completed the computerized questionnaire twice. In both groups, the interval between first and second administration was set at one week. Reliability of the PC versions was acceptable to excellent; internal consistency ranged from α = 0.52–0.98, ICC’s for test–retest reliability ranged from 0.58–0.92. Equivalence was fair to excellent with ICC’s ranging from 0.54–0.91. Interestingly, more subjects preferred the computerized instead of the traditional questionnaires (computerized: 39.2%, traditional: 21.6%, no preference: 39.2%). These results support the use of computerized assessment for these five instruments in a general population of adults.     

RETRACTED ARTICLE: An improved data mining technique for classification and detection of breast cancer from mammograms

The high incidence of breast cancer in women has increased significantly in the recent years. Mammogram breast X-ray imaging is considered the most effective, low-cost, and reliable method in early detection of breast cancer. Although general rules for the differentiation between benign and malignant breast lesion exist, only 15–30% of masses referred for surgical biopsy are actually malignant. Physician experience of detecting breast cancer can be assisted by using some computerized feature extraction and classification algorithms. Computer-aided classification system was used to help in diagnosing abnormalities faster than traditional screening program without the drawback attribute to human factors. In this work, an approach is proposed to develop a computer-aided classification system for cancer detection from digital mammograms. The proposed system consists of three major steps. The first step is region of interest (ROI) extraction of 256 × 256 pixels size. The second step is the feature extraction; we used a set of 26 features, and we found that these features are capable of differentiating between normal and cancerous breast tissues in order to minimize the classification error. The third step is the classification process; we used the technique of the association rule mining to classify between normal and cancerous tissues. The proposed system was shown to have the large potential for cancer detection from digital mammograms.

     

The 3-D gravity inversion package GROWTH2.0 and its application to Tenerife Island, Spain

We present the gravity inversion software GROWTH2.0 and its application to recently obtained gravity data from the volcanic island of Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain) to inform on its subsurface density structure. GROWTH2.0 is an inversion tool which enables the user to obtain, in a nearly automatic and nonsubjective mode, a 3D model of the subsurface density anomalies based on observed gravity anomaly data. The package is composed of three parts: (a) GRID3D to generate a 3D partition of the subsurface volume into parallelepiped elements, (b) GROWTH to perform the inversion routine and to obtain a 3D anomalous density model, and (c) VIEW for visual representation of the input data, the inversion model, and modeling residuals. The current version of the tool has been developed from an earlier code (Camacho et al., 2002) and now incorporates several novelties: (1) a Graphical User Interface (GUI), (2) an optional automated routine for determination of parameter λ, which controls the balance between model fitness and smoothness, (3) optional determination of values for minimum density contrast, (4) a robust handling of outlier data, and (5) improved automated data reduction for terrain effects based on anticorrelation with topographic data. The new capabilities and applicability of GROWTH2.0 for 3-D gravity inversion are demonstrated by a case example using new gravity data from the volcanic island of Tenerife. In a nearly automatic approach, the software provides a 3-D model informing on the location and shape of the main structural building blocks of the island. Our model results allow us to shed light on the low-density structure of the islands dominant Pico Viejo-Pico Teide (PV-PT) volcanic complex and the identification of an intrusive structure (the east bulge volcano) embedded in Teide's east flank. A low-density body located at around 5.8 km depth beneath PT's summit may represent a current magma or hybrid reservoir.