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Biomedical subjects

A Hoover

Publications and source records attributed to A Hoover.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Measurement of the midrapidity transverse energy distribution from square root of [(s)NN] = 130 GeV Au + Au collisions at RHIC.

The first measurement of energy produced transverse to the beam direction at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider at Brookhaven National Laboratory is presented. The midrapidity transverse energy density per participating nucleon rises steadily with the number of participants, closely paralleling the rise in charged-particle density, such that / remains relatively constant as a function of centrality. The energy density calculated via Bjorken's prescription for the 2% most central Au+Au collisions at square root[s(NN)] = 130 GeV is at least epsilon(Bj) = 4.6 GeV/fm(3), which is a factor of 1.6 larger than found at sqrt[s(NN)] = 17.2 GeV ( Pb+Pb at CERN).

Journal Article↗

Centrality dependence of charged particle multiplicity in Au-Au collisions at square root of (s)NN = 130 GeV.

We present results for the charged-particle multiplicity distribution at midrapidity in Au-Au collisions at square root of [s(NN)] = 130 GeV measured with the PHENIX detector at RHIC. For the 5% most central collisions we find dN(ch)/d eta(vertical line eta = 0) = 622+/-1(stat)+/-41(syst). The results, analyzed as a function of centrality, show a steady rise of the particle density per participating nucleon with centrality.

Journal Article↗

Locating blood vessels in retinal images by piecewise threshold probing of a matched filter response.

We describe an automated method to locate and outline blood vessels in images of the ocular fundus. Such a tool should prove useful to eye care specialists for purposes of patient screening, treatment evaluation, and clinical study. Our method differs from previously known methods in that it uses local and global vessel features cooperatively to segment the vessel network. We evaluate our method using hand-labeled ground truth segmentations of 20 images. A plot of the operating characteristic shows that our method reduces false positives by as much as 15 times over basic thresholding of a matched filter response (MFR), at up to a 75% true positive rate. For a baseline, we also compared the ground truth against a second hand-labeling, yielding a 90% true positive and a 4% false positive detection rate, on average. These numbers suggest there is still room for a 15% true positive rate improvement, with the same false positive rate, over our method. We are making all our images and hand labelings publicly available for interested researchers to use in evaluating related methods.

Algorithms↗

Locating blood vessels in retinal images by piece-wise threshold probing of a matched filter response.

We describe an automated method to locate and outline blood vessels in images of the ocular fundus. Such a tool should prove useful to eyecare specialists for purposes of patient screening, treatment evaluation, and clinical study. Our method differs from previously known methods in that it uses local and global vessel features cooperatively to segment the vessel network. A comparison of our method against hand-labeled ground truth segmentations of five images yielded 65% sensitivity and 81% specificity. A previously known technique yielded 69% sensitivity and 63% specificity. For a baseline, we also compared the ground truth against a second hand labeling, yielding 80% sensitivity and 90% specificity. These numbers indicate our method improves upon the previously known technique, but that further improvement is still possible.

Algorithms↗

A new objective digital computerized vision screening system.

PURPOSE: Fewer than 40% of children in the crucial younger-than-4 age group are evaluated for visual problems by pediatricians. This is due to impracticality from either a clinical or practice efficiency standpoint. Current photoscreening methods require trained readers and suffer from significant subjectivity and interobserver variability. We report a cross-sectional, double-masked study using new digital imaging with objective, automated, computerized image analysis. METHODS: Two-hundred six children aged 9 months to 16 years were prospectively studied in a University-based pediatric ophthalmology practice. Images were taken by volunteers with a modified digital camera which, when downloaded, were analyzed within 35 seconds by new image analysis software. The analysis was compared to a masked review of a complete pediatric ophthalmic exam. RESULTS: Overall agreement between physician and the objective computerized analysis was 86.9%. Positive predictive value was 91%, sensitivity was 89%, and specificity was 83%. CONCLUSIONS: This automated digital imaging screening system eliminates human bias and provides accurate and immediate results. The system requires no special expertise.

Adolescent↗