Kil Joong Kim

HDR-VDP-2: a calibrated visual metric for visibility and quality predictions in all luminance conditions

Visual metrics can play an important role in the evaluation of novel lighting, rendering, and imaging algorithms. Unfortunately, current metrics only work well for narrow intensity ranges, and do not correlate well with experimental data outside these ranges. To address these issues, we propose a visual metric for predicting visibility (discrimination) and quality (mean-opinion-score). The metric is based on a new visual model for all luminance conditions, which has been derived from new contrast sensitivity measurements. The model is calibrated and validated against several contrast discrimination data sets, and image quality databases (LIVE and TID2008). The visibility metric is shown to provide much improved predictions as compared to the original HDR-VDP and VDP metrics, especially for low luminance conditions. The image quality predictions are comparable to or better than for the MS-SSIM, which is considered one of the most successful quality metrics. The code of the proposed metric is available on-line.

Appendiceal diverticulitis: diagnosis and differentiation from usual acute appendicitis using computed tomography.

Objective: To describe the computed tomographic findings of appendiceal diverticulitis. Methods: Computed tomography (n = 20) and clinical findings in 23 patients with appendiceal diverticulitis were retrospectively reviewed and compared with those in 23 patients with usual acute appendicitis. Results: Computed tomography visualized the inflamed diverticula (up to 4 per patient) mostly as small (median, 7.5 mm) round cystic outpouchings at the distal appendix with contrast enhancement at the cyst wall in 16 (80%) patients with appendiceal diverticulitis. In 50% of appendiceal diverticulitis patients, computed tomographic diagnosis of accompanying appendicitis was false positive. Appendicolith was rarely observed in the appendiceal diverticulitis group (5% vs 48%, P = 0.002). No significant difference was observed in the clinical findings except for the patient age (median, 45 vs 31 years; P = 0.001). Conclusions: Most appendiceal diverticulitis can be differentiated from usual acute appendicitis at computed tomography by visualization of the inflamed diverticulum.

Irreversible JPEG 2000 compression of abdominal CT for primary interpretation: assessment of visually lossless threshold

To estimate the visually lossless threshold for Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) 2000 compression of contrast-enhanced abdominal computed tomography (CT) images, 100 images were compressed to four different levels: a reversible (as negative control) and irreversible 5:1, 10:1, and 15:1. By alternately displaying the original and the compressed image on the same monitor, six radiologists independently determined if the compressed image was distinguishable from the original image. For each reader, we compared the proportion of the compressed images being rated distinguishable from the original images between the reversible compression and each of the three irreversible compressions using the exact test for paired proportions. For each reader, the proportion was not significantly different between the reversible (0–1%, 0/100 to 1/100) and irreversible 5:1 compression (0–3%). However, the proportion significantly increased with the irreversible 10:1 (95–99%) and 15:1 compressions (100%) versus reversible compression in all readers (P < 0.001); 100 and 95% of the 5:1 compressed images were rated indistinguishable from the original images by at least five of the six readers and all readers, respectively. Irreversibly 5:1 compressed abdominal CT images are visually lossless and, therefore, potentially acceptable for primary interpretation.

JPEG 2000 compression of abdominal CT: difference in tolerance between thin- and thick-section images

OBJECTIVE The purpose of our study was to compare the tolerance of Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) 2000 compression between thin- and thick-section abdominal CT images. MATERIALS AND METHODS One hundred 0.67-mm-thick and corresponding 5-mm-thick images were compressed to four different levels: reversible and irreversible 6:1, 10:1, and 15:1. Five radiologists determined if the compressed images were distinguishable from the originals. The percentage of distinguishable pairs and peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) were compared between the thin and thick sections. The visually lossless threshold was estimated by comparing the percentages of the distinguishable pairs between each irreversible compression and the reversible compression. Paired Students t tests and exact tests for paired proportions were used. RESULTS Thin sections had smaller PSNRs at each compression level (p < 0.001). According to the pooled responses, the percentages of distinguishable pairs for the thin and thick sections, respectively, were 0% (0/100) and 0% at reversible compression, 27% and 0% at 6:1 (p < 0.001), 100% and 80% at 10:1 (p < 0.001), and 100% and 100% at 15:1. Artifacts increased significantly (p < 0.001) at 6:1 or more for the thin sections and at 10:1 and 15:1 for the thick sections, indicating that the visually lossless thresholds were below 6:1 and between 6:1 and 10:1, respectively. CONCLUSION Thin-section abdominal CT images are less tolerant of compression, and a lower compression level should be used for the visually lossless threshold.

A MS-SSIM Optimal JPEG 2000 Encoder

In this work, we present a SSIM optimal JPEG 2000 rate allocation algorithm. However, our aim is less improving the visual performance of JPEG 2000, but more the study of the performance of the SSIM full reference metric by means beyond correlation measurements.Full reference image quality metrics assign a quality index to a pair of a reference and distorted image. The performance of a metric is then measured by the degree of correlation between the scores obtained from the metric and those from subjective tests. It is the aim of a rate allocation algorithm to minimize the distortion created by a lossy image compression scheme under a rate constraint.Noting this relation between objective function and performance evaluation allows us now to define an alternative approach to evaluate the usefulness of a candidate metric: we want to judge the quality of a metric by its ability to define an objective function for rate control purposes, and evaluate images compressed in this scheme subjectively. It turns out that deficiencies of image quality metrics become much easier visible --- even in the literal sense --- than under traditional correlation experiments.Our candidate metric in this work is the SSIM index proposed by Sheik and Bovik which is both simple enough to be implemented efficiently in rate control algorithms, but yet correlates better to visual quality than MSE; our candidate compression scheme is the highly flexible JPEG 2000 standard.

Detection of the Normal Appendix with Low-Dose Unenhanced CT: Use of the Sliding Slab Averaging Technique

PURPOSE To determine the frequency of normal appendix visualization at low-dose (LD) unenhanced computed tomography (CT) performed with a 16- or 64-detector row scanner when images are reviewed by using the sliding slab averaging technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS The institutional review board approved the study and waived the informed consent requirement. A total of 259 patients, 37 (14.3%) of whom had previously undergone appendectomy, underwent LD unenhanced CT (mean effective dose, 1.7 mSv) performed with a 16- or 64-detector row scanner to assess urinary colic. Three readers used the sliding slab averaging technique to retrospectively review the thin-section (0.67- or 2.00-mm section thickness) images and grade the appendix as absent, unsurely or partly visualized, or clearly and entirely visualized. Interobserver agreement was measured with weighted kappa statistics. McNemar tests were used to compare sensitivity between the readers. Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the effects of body mass index, patient sex, and type of CT scanner on appendiceal visualization. RESULTS The kappa statistics for each reader pair were as follows: 0.97 for agreement between readers 1 and 2, 0.93 for agreement between readers 2 and 3, and 0.92 for agreement between readers 1 and 3. Each reader clearly identified the entire appendix in 213 (96.0%), 209 (94.1%), and 205 (92.3%) of the 222 patients without a history of appendectomy. When unsurely or partly visualized appendices were included, the frequencies increased to 99.1% (n = 220), 98.7% (n = 219), and 97.3% (n = 216), respectively, for readers 1, 2, and 3. These frequencies rarely differed between the readers. (P values ranged from .021 to greater than .99.) The three readers consistently reported that the appendix was not visualized in the 37 patients who had undergone appendectomy. None of the tested variables significantly affected appendix visualization. CONCLUSION Most normal appendices are visualized on thin-section LD unenhanced CT images reviewed with the sliding slab averaging technique.

The prevalence and characteristics of coronary atherosclerosis in asymptomatic subjects classified as low risk based on traditional risk stratification algorithm: assessment with coronary CT angiography

Objective To evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of coronary atherosclerosis in asymptomatic subjects classified as low risk by National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) guideline using coronary CT angiography (CCTA). Design An observational study. Setting A single tertiary referral centre. Patients 2133 (49.2%) subjects, who were classified as low risk by the NCEP guideline, of 4339 consecutive middle-aged asymptomatic subjects who underwent CCTA with 64-slice scanners as part of a general health evaluation. Main outcome measures The incidence of atherosclerosis plaques, significant stenosis. Results In the subjects at low risk, 11.4% (243 of 2133) of subjects had atherosclerosis plaques, 1.3% (28 of 2133) of subjects had significant stenosis, and 0.8% (18 of 2133) of subjects had significant stenosis caused by non-calcified plaque (NCP). Especially, 75.0% (21 of 28) of subjects with significant stenosis and 94.4% (17 of 18) of subjects with significant stenosis caused by NCP were young adults. Mid-term follow-up (29.3±14.9 months) revealed four subjects with cardiac events: three subjects with unstable angina requiring hospital stay and one subject with percutaneous coronary intervention. Conclusions Although an asymptomatic population classified as low risk by the NCEP guideline has been regarded as a minimal risk group, the prevalence of atherosclerosis plaques and significant stenosis were not negligible. However, considering very low event rate for those patients, CCTA should not be performed in low-risk asymptomatic subjects, although CCTA might have the potential for identification of high-risk groups in the selected subjects regarded as a minimal-risk group by NCEP guideline.

Definition of compression ratio: difference between two commercial JPEG2000 program libraries

The objective was to demonstrate the difference in the definition of compression ratio between two popular commercial JPEG 2000 program libraries. An institutional review board approved this study and waived informed consent. Using each of two JPEG 2000 libraries (libraries A and B), 20 abdomen computed tomography images with 12-bit depth (from scanner 1) and 20 images with 16-bit depth (from scanner 2) were compressed to three different nominal compression ratios: 10:1, 15:1, and 20:1. Achieved compression ratios (the original image file size to the compressed size) were compared with the nominal compression ratios using one-sample t-test tests. At each nominal compression level, the achieved compression ratios for scanner 1 images compressed using library A were approximately 1.33-fold greater than the nominal compression ratio (p < 0.0001), while the achieved compression ratios for the remaining three scanner-library combinations (scanner 1-library B, scanner 2-library A, and scanner 2-library B) were approximately the same as the nominal compression ratio (p-value range, 0.22-0.93). The definition of compression ratio is different between commercial JPEG 2000 program libraries. The definition should be standardized to facilitate the adoption and communication of an acceptable compression level.

Summation or axial slab average intensity projection of abdominal thin-section CT datasets: can they substitute for the primary reconstruction from raw projection data?

We hypothesized that that the summation or axial slab average intensity projection (AIP) techniques can substitute for the primary reconstruction (PR) from a raw projection data for abdominal applications. To compare with PR datasets (5-mm thick, 20% overlap) in 150 abdominal studies, corresponding summation and AIP datasets were calculated from 2-mm thick images (50% overlap). The root-mean-square error between PR and summation images was significantly greater than that between PR and AIP images (9.55 [median] vs. 7.12, p < 0.0001, Wilcoxon signed-ranks test). Four radiologists independently compared 2,000 test images (PR [as control], summation, or AIP) and their corresponding PR images to prove that the identicalness of summation or AIP images to PR images was not 1% less than the assessed identicalness of PR images to themselves (Wald-type test for clustered matched-pair data in a non-inferiority design). For each reader, both summation and AIP images were not inferior to PR images in terms of being rated identical to PR (p < 0.05). Although summation and AIP techniques produce images that differ from PR images, these differences are not easily perceived by radiologists. Thus, the summation or AIP techniques can substitute for PR for the primary interpretation of abdominal CT.

Measurements of achromatic and chromatic contrast sensitivity functions for an extended range of adaptationluminance

Inspired by the ModelFest and ColorFest data sets, a contrast sensitivity function was measured for a wide range of adapting luminance levels. The measurements were motivated by the need to collect visual performance data for natural viewing of static images at a broad range of luminance levels, such as can be found in the case of high dynamic range displays. The detection of sine-gratings with Gaussian envelope was measured for achromatic color axis (black to white), two chromatic axes (green to red and yellow-green to violet) and two mixed chromatic and achromatic axes (dark-green to light-pink, and dark yellow to light-blue). The background luminance varied from 0.02 to 200 cd/m2. The spatial frequency of the gratings varied from 0.125 to 16 cycles per degree. More than four observers participated in the experiments and they individually determined the detection threshold for each stimulus using at least 20 trials of the QUEST method. As compared to the popular CSF models, we observed higher sensitivity drop for higher frequencies and significant differences in sensitivities in the luminance range between 0.02 and 2 cd/m2. Our measurements for chromatic CSF show a significant drop in sensitivity with luminance, but little change in the shape of the CSF. The drop of sensitivity at high frequencies is significantly weaker than reported in other studies and assumed in most chromatic CSF models.