Jesús M. Pérez Jiménez

Three-dimensional thinning algorithms on graphics processing units and multicore CPUs

Three‐dimensional curve skeletons are a very compact representation of three‐dimensional objects with many uses and applications in fields such as computer graphics, computer vision, and medical imaging. An important problem is that the calculation of the skeleton is a very time‐consuming process. Thinning is a widely used technique for calculating the curve skeleton because of the properties it ensures and the ease of implementation. In this paper, we present parallel versions of a thinning algorithm for efficient implementation in both graphics processing units and multicore CPUs. The parallel programming models used in our implementations are Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) and Open Computing Language (OpenCL). The speedup achieved with the optimized parallel algorithms for the graphics processing unit achieves 106.24x against the CPU single‐process version and more than 19x over the CPU multithreaded version. Copyright

A Web platform for the interactive visualization and analysis of the 3D fractal dimension of MRI data

This study presents a Web platform (http://3dfd.ujaen.es) for computing and analyzing the 3D fractal dimension (3DFD) from volumetric data in an efficient, visual and interactive way. The Web platform is specially designed for working with magnetic resonance images (MRIs) of the brain. The program estimates the 3DFD by calculating the 3D box-counting of the entire volume of the brain, and also of its 3D skeleton. All of this is done in a graphical, fast and optimized way by using novel technologies like CUDA and WebGL. The usefulness of the Web platform presented is demonstrated by its application in a case study where an analysis and characterization of groups of 3D MR images is performed for three neurodegenerative diseases: Multiple Sclerosis, Intrauterine Growth Restriction and Alzheimers disease. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first Web platform that allows the users to calculate, visualize, analyze and compare the 3DFD from MRI images in the cloud.

Fast box-counting algorithm on GPU

The box-counting algorithm is one of the most widely used methods for calculating the fractal dimension (FD). The FD has many image analysis applications in the biomedical field, where it has been used extensively to characterize a wide range of medical signals. However, computing the FD for large images, especially in 3D, is a time consuming process. In this paper we present a fast parallel version of the box-counting algorithm, which has been coded in CUDA for execution on the Graphic Processing Unit (GPU). The optimized GPU implementation achieved an average speedup of 28 times (28×) compared to a mono-threaded CPU implementation, and an average speedup of 7 times (7×) compared to a multi-threaded CPU implementation. The performance of our improved box-counting algorithm has been tested with 3D models with different complexity, features and sizes. The validity and accuracy of the algorithm has been confirmed using models with well-known FD values. As a case study, a 3D FD analysis of several brain tissues has been performed using our GPU box-counting algorithm.

Box-counting algorithm on GPU and multi-core CPU: an OpenCL cross-platform study

In this paper, we present the analysis and development of a cross-platform OpenCL implementation of the box-counting algorithm, which is one of the most widely-used methods for estimating the Fractal Dimension. The Fractal Dimension is a relevant image analysis method used in several disciplines, but computing it is in general a time consuming process, especially when working with 3D images. Unlike parallel programming models that strictly depend on the hardware type and manufacturer, like CUDA, OpenCL allows us to provide an implementation suitable for execution on both GPUs and multi-core CPUs, whatever the hardware manufacturer. Sorting is a key part of the fast box-counting algorithm and the final speedup is highly conditioned by the efficiency of the sorting algorithm used. Our study reveals that current OpenCL implementations of sorting algorithms are clearly slower when compared with both CUDA for GPU and specific multi-core CPU implementations. Our OpenCL algorithm has been specifically optimized according the type of the target device and the results show an average speedup of up to 7.46× and 4×, when executed on the GPU and the multi-core CPU respectively, both compared with the single-threaded (sequential) CPU implementation.

Optimizations with CUDA: A Case Study on 3D Curve-Skeleton Extraction from Voxelized Models

In this paper, we show how we have coded and optimized a complex and not trivially parallelizable case study: a 3D curve-skeleton calculation algorithm. For this we use NVIDIA CUDA, which allows the programmer to easily code algorithms for executing in a parallel way on NVIDIA GPU devices. However, when working with algorithms that have high data-sharing or data-dependence requirements, like the curve-skeleton calculation, it is not always a trivial task to achieve acceptable acceleration rates. So we detail step by step a comprehensive collection of optimizations to be considered in this class of algorithms, and in general in any CUDA implementation. Two different GPU architectures have been used to test the implications of each optimization, the NVIDIA GT200 architecture and the Fermi GF100. As a result, although the first direct CUDA implementation of our algorithm ran even slower than its CPU version, overall speedups of 19x (GT200) and 68x (Fermi GF100) were finally achieved.

Sampling Stability And Processing Parameter-Dependent Characteristics Of The 3D Fractal Dimension As A Marker Of Structural Brain Complexity In Magnetic Resonance Images

Fractal analysis, i.e. the estimation of an object’s fractal dimension (FD) as a marker of its morphometric complexity, has attracted increasing interest as a versatile tool for the analysis of structural neuroimaging data in both health and disease. However, a number of important methodological questions regarding fractal analysis in magnetic resonance images have so far remained unaddressed. This includes the stability of the FD over repeated within-subject measurements, i.e. the susceptibility of fractal analysis to noise, a formal assessment of its sampling distribution, and the impact of image acquisition and processing parameters. Importantly, fractal analysis has not yet been explored in detail in T2 contrast images. To address these issues, we analyzed structural images from the recently published MASSIVE data set (Multiple Acquisitions for Standardization of Structural Imaging Validation and Evaluation). We conduct a fine-grained stratification of image parameters, leading to 32 distinct analysis groups as a combination of image contrast, spatial resolution, segmentation procedures, tissue type, and image complexity. We estimate 3D tissue models based on the thus obtained input volumes and compute the FDs as the box-counting regression on these models. Furthermore, we present a detailed deviation analysis including resampling methods, composite normality assessment, outlier detection, and multivariate comparisons to establish the susceptibility of the FD to noise. We find that in both T1 and T2 contrasts, the FD of gray matter (GM) segmentations was generally higher than in white matter volumes (WM). FDs in both image contrasts were sampled in comparable range and showed similar responses to processing parameters, e.g. as regards the effects of binary vs. partial volume segmentation and a decrease in FD by image skeletization. Lower spatial resolution invariably resulted in decreased FDs in unskeletized images, while the response depended on the segmentation procedure in image skeletons. Furthermore, in multiple measurements, the FD can be assumed to be sampled from an underlying normal distribution. We tested different options for a sensible within-group deviation criterion and found that outlier detection by Grubbs testing and a 2 standard-deviation interval around the sample mean performed very well in this regard. Even with the more conservative threshold, the overall robustness of the FD to noise was well above 90 %. Most deviations were found in T1-weighted images, and binarized image skeletons were most susceptible to deviations. Importantly, our analysis was able to detect sample-wise deviation clusters, and we identify image registration as a source of noise in fractal analysis. Interestingly, registration-induced deviations were limited to T1-weighted images, lending even further support for the usefulness of T2 contrast in fractal analysis. In conclusion, we provide detailed evidence for the stability of the FD as a marker of structural brain complexity and its parameter-dependent characteristics in magnetic resonance images and thus contribute to the development of fractal analysis as a scientifically and clinically useful neuroimaging tool.Fractal analysis represents a promising new approach to structural neuroimaging data, yet systematic evaluation of the fractal dimension (FD) as a marker of structural brain complexity is scarce. Here we present in-depth methodological assessment of FD estimation in structural brain MRI. On the computational side, we show that spatial scale optimization can significantly improve FD estimation accuracy, as suggested by simulation studies with known FD values. For empirical evaluation, we analyzed two recent open-access neuroimaging data sets (MASSIVE and Midnight Scan Club), stratified by fundamental image characteristics including registration, sequence weighting, spatial resolution, segmentation procedures, tissue type, and image complexity. Deviation analyses showed high repeated-acquisition stability of the FD estimates across both data sets, with differential deviation susceptibility according to image characteristics. While less frequently studied in the literature, FD estimation in T2-weighted images yielded robust outcomes. Importantly, we observed a significant impact of image registration on absolute FD estimates. Applying different registration schemes, we found that unbalanced registration induced i) repeated-measurement deviation clusters around the registration target, ii) strong bidirectional correlations among image analysis groups, and iii) spurious associations between the FD and an index of structural similarity, and these effects were strongly attenuated by reregistration in both data sets. Indeed, differences in FD between scans did not simply track differences in structure per se, suggesting that structural complexity and structural similarity represent distinct aspects of structural brain MRI. In conclusion, scale optimization can improve FD estimation accuracy, and empirical FD estimates are reliable yet sensitive to image characteristics.

Seasonal dietary shifts and selection of Iberian wild goat Capra pyrenaica Schinz, 1838 in Peneda-Gerês National Park (Portugal)

This study intended to know Iberian wild goat Capra pyrenaica Schinz, 1838 feeding strategy in two proximate mountains it recently recolonized, Geres and Amarela (Peneda-Geres National Park, PGNP, Portugal). For that purpose we studied species dietary composition using faecal diet microhistological determinations and also its diet selection. Albeit wild goat exhibited an intermediate browse - graze behaviour in the two areas, grazing was more pronounced in Geres while browsing in Amarela. Both areas presented a dietary shift in spring consisting in an increase on the consumption and preference for graminoids. This feeding strategy extended through summer only in Amarela. Results obtained are congruent with wild goat generalist feeding behaviour in other regions of the Iberian Peninsula and suggest that species feeding strategy in PGNP respond to spatial patterns of resources, specifically of graminoids, and to livestock stocking rates and management.