Background: Estimating the left ventricular (LV) volumes at the different cardiac phases is necessary for evaluating the cardiac global function. In cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, accurate estimation of the LV volumes requires the processing a relatively large number of parallel short-axis cross-sectional images of the LV (typically from 9 to 12). Nevertheless, it is inevitable sometimes to estimate the volume from a small number of cross-sectional images, which can lead to a significant reduction of the volume estimation accuracy. This usually encountered when a number of cross-sectional

Robots nowadays, are introduced to many domains and fields. One of these fields is education. We introduce integrating robots and games in education. We have designed a humanoid robot tutoring biology. Our robot is interacting with a student to play a game to enhance and examine the student's knowledge. In our game, we developed cognitive capabilities for the robot. We analyzed the features that both the robot and the game have to possess, and we developed a system for organ detection and recognition with the highest possible accuracy and lowest processing time. Our game introduces a multi

Often in real world applications only a small number of labeled data is available while unlabeled data is abundant. Therefore, it is important to make use of unlabeled data. Co-training is a popular semi-supervised learning technique that uses a small set of labeled data and enough unlabeled data to create more accurate classification models. A key feature for successful co-training is to split the features among more than one view. In this paper we propose new splitting criteria based on the confidence of the views, the diversity of the views, and compare them to random and natural splits. We

In this study, we propose a novel data acquisition and image reconstruction method for parallel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The proposed method improves the GRAPPA algorithm by simultaneously collecting data using the body coil in addition to localized surface coils. The body coil data is included in the GRAPPA reconstruction as an additional coil. The reconstructed body coil image shows greater uniformity over the field of view than the conventional sum-of-squares (SoS) reconstruction that is conventionally used with GRAPPA. The body coil image can also be used to correct for spatial

RNA interference (RNAi) is a post-transcriptional gene silencing mechanism that mediates the sequence-specific degradation of targeted RNA and thus provides a tremendous opportunity for development of oligonucleotide-based drugs. Here, we report on the design and validation of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) targeting highly conserved regions of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome. To aim for therapeutic applications by optimizing the RNAi efficacy and reducing potential side effects, we considered different factors such as target RNA variations, thermodynamics and accessibility of the siRNA

Evaluation of cardiac functions using Strain Encoded (SENC) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is a powerful tool for imaging the deformation of left and right ventricles. However, automated analysis of SENC images is hindered due to the low signal-to-noise ratio SENC images. In this work, the authors propose a method to segment the left and right ventricles myocardium simultaneously in SENC-MR short-axis images. In addition, myocardium seed points are automatically selected using skeletonisation algorithm and used as hard constraints for the graph-cut optimization algorithm. The method is based

Despite the important role of object tracking using the Optical Flow (OF) in computer graphics applications, it has a limited role in segmenting speckle-free medical images such as magnetic resonance images of the heart. In this work, we propose a novel solution of the OF equation that allows incorporating additional constraints of the shape of the segmented object. We formulate a cost function that include the OF constraint in addition to myocardial contour properties such as smoothness and elasticity. The method is totally different from the common naïve combination of OF estimation within

Wireless sensor networks open up a new realm of ubiquitous computing applications based on distributed large-scale data collection by embedded sensor nodes that are wirelessly connected and seamlessly integrated within the environment. 3D visualization of sensory data is a challenging issue, however, due to the large number of sensors used in typical deployments, continuous data streams, and constantly varying network topology. This paper describes a practical approach for interactive 3D visualization of wireless sensor network data. A regular 3D grid is reconstructed using scattered sensor

Although many cross platform mobile development software used a trans-compiler-based approach, it was very difficult to generalize it to work in both directions. For example, to convert between Java for Android Development and Swift for iOS development and vice versa. This is due to the need of writing a specific parser for each source language, and a specific code generator for each destination language. Neural network-based models are used successfully to translate between natural languages, including English, French, German any many others by providing enough datasets and without the need

Information Centric Networks (ICNs) overcome the current IP-based networks weakness and aim to ensure efficient data distribution. The Main ICN features are location-independent naming, in-network caching, name-based routing, built-in security, and high mobility. ICN vehicular networks stratify the ICN architecture on the Vehicular Ad hoc Networks (VANETs) to reinforce a massive amount of data transmission and handle the critical time interests inside the vehicular networks while taking into consideration the vehicles’ high mobility. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) gather the real-time