Video Image Analysis Research Articles

WHCtrend, an up-to-date method to measure water holding capacity in meat

An up-to-date procedure to standardize the measurement of the water holding capacity of meat, including new parameters and a new instrument, are proposed to simplify and standardize the use of the filter paper press method. The new instrument “WHCtrend instrument” employed Video Image Analysis, and a video camera placed above a compression system to measure the area formed by 250 mg of homogenized meat. For measurements, an image was acquired at time = 0 s, and every 15 s for 10 min after compression with a 500 N force. The meat total area was easily distinguishable from the white background. A dynamic measurement of fluid release over time was obtained and was called “WHCtrend”. The new procedure was tested on different meats and the Pearson correlation coefficients between meat quality parameters and WHCtrend parameters were found to be significant. The “WHCtrend instrument” could be useful to rapidly screen meat water holding capacity and improve meat quality control.

Assessing marbling scores of beef at the 10th rib vs. 12th rib of longissimus thoracis in the slaughter line using camera grading technology in Germany

Internationally, different Video Image Analysis Systems (VIAS) are established to enable categorization of beef carcasses according to a marbling score as determining part of trading categories. Different established standardized cutting positions of longissimus thoracis, among other reasons, hamper the use of VIAS in European countries. The objective of the study was to explore the potential of a VIAS-based grading system VBG 2000 for the estimation of marbling of carcasses cut according to German standards.The correlation coefficient between the camera assessed marbling scores (n = 354 halves of carcasses) at the 10th rib section at the left and right side achieved 0.89 (P < .01) and 0.80 (P < .01) for camera assessed marbling scores between the right 12th/13th and 10th/11th rib interface of longissmus thoracis. Thus, modification of the cut position towards the US standard provides comparable results, and assessing VIA based marbling scores at the 10th rib is correlated to the 12th rib.

Experimental assessment of flow distributors for falling-films over horizontal tube banks

Flow distributors are designed to evenly spread fluid along the length of horizontal tube banks used in falling-film heat and mass transfer components. This study comparatively assesses the performance of eight distributor designs described in previous studies under uniform conditions: water at 20 °C and atmospheric pressure with a distribution length of 203 mm over a film Reynolds number range of 12–495. Flow regimes from the droplet to sheet regime were observed, and the levels of maldistribution were quantified using a simple segmented collection system. Droplet and jet characteristics were measured using image analysis of high-speed video, with droplet volumes ranging from 20 mm3 to 540 mm3 and jet diameters ranging from 1.2 mm to 4 mm. Overall, the box-based distributor designs outperformed the tube-based distributors, but maldistribution was significant (>50%) for some flow rates in all the tested designs.

Granular surface flow on an asymmetric conical heap

We carry out an experimental study of the granular surface flow of nearly monodisperse glass beads on a conical heap formed on a rough circular disc by a narrow stream of the particles from a hopper, with the pouring point displaced from the centre of the disc. During the growth phase, an axisymmetric heap is formed, which grows either by periodic avalanches or by non-periodic avalanches that occur randomly over the azimuthal location of the heap, depending on the operating conditions and system properties. The dynamics of heap growth is characterized by the variation of the heap height, angle of repose and the angular velocity of the periodic avalanche with time, for different mass flow rates from the hopper. When the base of the heap reaches the edge of the disc closest to the pouring point, the heap stops growing and a steady surface flow of particles is developed on the heap surface, with particles flowing over the edge of the disc into a collection tray. The geometry is a unique example of a granular flow on an erodible bed without any bounding side walls. The corresponding steady state geometry of the asymmetric heap is characterized by means of surface contours and angles of repose. The streamwise and transverse surface velocities are measured using high-speed video photography and image analysis for different mass flow rates. The flowing layer thickness is measured by immersing a coated needle in the flow at different positions on the mid-line of the flow. The surface angle of the flowing layer is found to be significantly smaller than the angle of repose and to be independent of the mass flow rate. The velocity profiles at different streamwise positions for different mass flow rates are found to be geometrically similar and are well described by Gaussian functions. The flowing layer thickness is calculated from a model using the measured surface velocities. The predicted values match the measured values quite well.

Prediction of foal individual primal cuts yield using video image analysis

The aim of this work was to use video image analysis (VIA) technology to predict the individual primal cuts of the equine carcass. For this study, a total of 42 foal carcasses were dissected into eight primal cuts (shoulder, top blade, chuck tender, chuck, neck, blade, fore shank and brisket) from the forequarter (FQ) and eleven primal cuts (full plate, loin, tenderloin, topside, eye of round, hind shank, knuckle, flank steak, tri-tip, silverside and heel of round) from the hindquarter (HQ). The proportion of primal cuts in the total carcass ranged from 0.27% to 4.84% for the blade and shoulder in the FQ, and from 0.97% to 8.60% for the heel of round and full plate in the HQ, respectively. The neck and fore shank were the cuts for which the estimation models were most accurate in the models. These included cold carcass weight (CCW) and VIA measurements obtained in both views and had a prediction to deviation (RPD) values of 1.85 and 1.90, respectively. On the other hand, the prediction of the topside cut was the one that presented high accuracy (k-fold-R2 = 0.829) and precision (RMSEcv = 0.23%) with a RPD of 2.85, which suggests a very good predictive ability of the model. Finally, it can be concluded that it is possible to explain the variation of the primal cuts yield in foals with CCW and VIA measurements, and to use this technique as a prediction tool. Keywords : Cut yield, video image analysis, prediction, foal

An experimental study of flow boiling from downward-facing heated wall in inclined channels

On downward-facing heated wall in an inclined channel the bubble nucleation and departure behavior are affected by large bubbles near the heated wall as the vapor bubbles tend to slide along the upper heated wall. In order to investigate the boiling behavior in this geometry, an experiment was carried out with 1.2 m long rectangular channel, 0.06 m × 0.1 m of channel cross section. The channel was inclined by 10°, 20°, or 30° from the horizontal plane. The size of the heated wall was 0.06 m wide, 0.75 m long. The heat flux on the heated wall was provided by the Joule heating of the thin stainless steel plate bonded to the Teflon wall by DC electric current. The tests were conducted with near-saturated water at atmospheric pressure. The heat flux was varied in the range of 40–240 kW/m2 and the mass flux was in the range of 100–300 kg/m2 s. The temperatures of the heated surface were measured at five points and were used for calculating heat transfer coefficients. High speed video images showed that the bubbles were sliding along the heated wall, continuing to grow and combining with the bubbles growing at the nucleation sites in the downstream. These large bubbles continued to slide along the heated wall and formed elongated slug bubbles. The measured flow boiling heat transfer coefficients for the range of the test parameters were 5000–12,000 W/m2 K. By performing video image analyses, the length, velocity and frequency of slug bubbles sliding on the upper heated wall were measured as a function of wall heat flux, mass flux, and the inclination angle. These sliding bubble parameters were reduced to so-called Reduction Factor and an empirical correlation of the reduction factor is proposed. These sliding slug bubble parameters can be used to model wall boiling on inclined, downward-facing heated wall.

New technologies available for livestock carcass classification and grading.

Abstract Livestock classification and grading systems are a key tool to evaluate carcass attributes and form the basis of trade amongst producers, packers and retailers. Also, these systems provide a better understanding of the products and market trends. One of the recurrent challenges in carcass classification and grading is the development of objective assessments for traits of economic value. Latest technology developments have improved the precision and accuracy of estimating carcass yields and predicting quality attributes and have the potential to be implemented as real-time management tools to optimize product fabrication and provide feedback to producers. This review outlines some of the most popular technologies available for classification and grading purposes in livestock, including those intended for carcass composition assessments, such as ultrasound, bioelectrical impedance analysis, optical probes, video image analysis, dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and computed tomography, and those for quality attributes evaluations, such as near infrared reflectance, hyperspectral imaging and Raman spectroscopy. The present review will also provide an overview of the recent research studies in the literature using these new technologies for carcass merit and quality assessments. Most of the technologies available are based on electromagnetic or mechanical energies that interact with the tissues at the atomic or molecular level, resulting in attenuated signals that can be detected and analysed quantitatively. Accuracy and repeatability along with cost, practicality and reliability will be important criteria in the successful uptake of these new technologies by the livestock industry. The complexity of the evaluations to place products in an optimum market pathway will eventually result in the deployment of a combination of technologies, working together to provide integral carcass attribute descriptions. Published reports and patents were also considered in the review process.

Impulse measurement and analysis using a smartphone accelerometer

In this research, we will learn about the concept, measurement and analysis of an impulse using a smartphone accelerometer. The impulse measurements were performed in several experimental conditions such as free-fall objects hitting a sand surface, two cars in collision and straight punching (boxing jab). During the experimental process, the acceleration of objects (such as children’s toys and smartphones) is measured using a smartphone accelerometer application. Then, the acceleration versus time data were analysed to determine the impulse characteristic, such as the time interval and area of the impulse, and it was compared with the motion analysis using video (image) analysis. We hope this alternative apparatus is a valuable, low-cost and straightforward experiment for physics laboratories or sports science analysis.

Mechanical behavior of PET fibers and textiles for Stent-Grafts using video extensometry and image analysis

In this paper, two kind of polyethylene terephthalate fibers and two woven textiles, taken from endovascular Stent-Grafts were analyzed by tensile tests. A non-contact video extensometer was used, which allowed precise strain measurements on material test samples. The technique used, allied with yarns image analysis, allowed to determine the yarn and textile stresses and to study their elastic/plastic deformation with much more accurate properties measurements. It was observed that the textiles present an anisotropic behavior although the textiles present similar weaving in the two woven directions. The yarns specimens were also analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry in order to study their crystallinity ratio, when subject to different stress levels. The properties measured are important for future performance analyses by finite element modeling and for defining improvements in devices design.

Architectural Dynamics of CaMKII-Actin Networks

Calcium-calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) has an important role in dendritic spine remodeling upon synaptic stimulation. Using fluorescence video microscopy and image analysis, we investigated the architectural dynamics of rhodamine-phalloidin stabilized filamentous actin (F-actin) networks cross-linked by CaMKII. We used automated image analysis to identify F-actin bundles and crossover junctions and developed a dimensionless metric to characterize network architecture. Similar networks were formed by three different CaMKII species with a 10-fold length difference in the linker region between the kinase domain and holoenzyme hub, implying linker length is not a primary determinant of F-actin cross-linking. Electron micrographs showed that at physiological molar ratios, single CaMKII holoenzymes cross-linked multiple F-actin filaments at random, whereas at higher CaMKII/F-actin ratios, filaments bundled. Light microscopy established that the random network architecture resisted macromolecular crowding with polyethylene glycol and blocked ATP-powered compaction by myosin-II miniature filaments. Importantly, the networks disassembled after the addition of calcium-calmodulin and were then spaced within 3 min into compacted foci by myosin motors or more slowly (30 min) aggregated by crowding. Single-molecule total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy showed CaMKII dissociation from surface-immobilized globular actin exhibited a monoexponential dwell-time distribution, whereas CaMKII bound to F-actin networks had a long-lived fraction, trapped at crossover junctions. Release of CaMKII from F-actin, triggered by calcium-calmodulin, was too rapid to measure with flow-cell exchange (<20 s). The residual bound fraction was reduced substantially upon addition of an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor peptide analog but not ATP. These results provide mechanistic insights to CaMKII-actin interactions at the collective network and single-molecule level. Our findings argue that CaMKII-actin networks in dendritic spines maintain spine size against physical stress. Upon synaptic stimulation, CaMKII is disengaged by calcium-calmodulin, triggering network disassembly, expansion, and subsequent compaction by myosin motors with kinetics compatible with the times recorded for the poststimulus changes in spine volume.

Fluorometric Quantification of Single-Cell Velocities to Investigate Cancer Metastasis.

Hematogenous metastasis is a multistep, selectin-regulated process whose mechanisms remain poorly understood. To investigate this biological pathway of cancer dissemination and better understand circulating cancer cells, we developed a high-throughput methodology that integrates organ-on-chip-like microfluidic and photoconvertible protein technologies. Our approach can ascribe single-cell velocity as a traceable cell property for off-chip analysis of the direct relationships between cell molecular profiles and adhesive phenotypes in the context of physiologically relevant fluid flow. We interrogate how natively expressed selectin ligands relate to colon cancer cell rolling frequencies and velocities and provide context for previously reported disparities in invitro and invivo models of selectin-mediated adhesion and metastasis. This integrated methodology represents a versatile approach for the development of anti-metastatic therapeutics as well as to generate and test mechanistic hypotheses regarding spatiotemporal processes that occur over timescales of seconds to hours with single-cell resolution.

Anti‐occlusion particle filter object‐tracking method based on feature fusion

A new anti-occlusion particle filter object-tracking method based on feature fusion is proposed in this study. Colour and local binary pattern features are extracted and additively fused with a deterministic coefficient, which is calculated based on the difference between the object features and the background. An integral cumulative histogram is proposed to reduce the computational cost of feature extraction. A new occlusion determination method is proposed, and corresponding tracking strategies are also put forward for various occlusion conditions; in the case of partial occlusion, block tracking is carried out, and in the case of serious occlusion, the least-square method is used to predict the object position. Context Aware Vision using Image-based Active Recognition (CAVIAR) and Video Image Retrieval and Analysis Tool (VIRAT) video libraries are used to validate the method. The experimental results show that the proposed method can describe an object effectively and improve tracking stability and robustness under the occlusion conditions.

Fragmentation of magnetic particle aggregates in turbulence

Particle aggregation is an ubiquitous phenomenon encountered in many natural and industrial environments. We describe here the equilibrium state of the ag-gregation/fragmentation process of inertial scale particles clustering in turbulence i.e. when the particles and the aggregates are larger than the Kolmogorov dissipa-tive scale η. For this purpose, we seeded a high Reynolds number turbulent von Karman flow with millimetric nearly neutrally buoyant magnetic particles. Each magnetic dipole imposes a torque and a force on the other magnets at the origin of the cohesion of the aggregates. On the contrary, turbulent fluctuations impose external stresses which tend to fragment the aggregates. Using video image analyses , we have performed the three-dimensional reconstruction of the aggregates and measured their characteristic sizes. The average number of particles inside each aggregate as a function of the intensity of turbulence can then be deduced. Assuming a Kolmogorov inertial scaling law for the turbulent velocity increments, we predict theoretically the aggregate mean size which is in agreement with our experimental results. 2 LED camera 1 camera 2 FIG. 1. Sketch of the turbulent von Karman flow setup.

Time-dependent variations in vertical fluxes of hydrothermal plumes at mid-ocean ridges

We investigated the short-period variations in vertical fluxes of hydrothermal plumes at mid-ocean ridges through quantitative analysis of digital video images of plumes using the particle image velocimetry method. The analyzed digital video images of hydrothermal plumes were selected from the V Vent and Biotransect Vent at the fast-spreading East Pacific Rise, the Grotto Mound of the Endeavour Segment at the intermediate fast-spreading Juan de Fuca Ridge, and the TAG vent at the slow-spreading Northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The PIV was able to track the motion of turbulent parcels instead of individual particles within a hydrothermal plume. The mean plume vertical flux was shown to increase with increasing height above the vent orifice, revealing significant turbulent disperse of the rising hydrothermal plumes. The dominant periods of oscillation in the mean vertical flux were observed to be within a relatively narrow band width of 0.5–5 s despite diverse geological settings. Such pervasive short-period variations in plume flux are hypothesized to be caused by the pressure-drop oscillation within a network of compressible two-phase fluid within a sub-seafloor hydrothermal source zone. It is further argued that both the period and amplitude of plume flux oscillation might increase with decreasing plume vertical flux. The relatively narrow band width of the observed oscillation periods might reflect common characteristics in the plume dynamics despite diverse geological settings.

Quantification of electrochromic kinetics by analysis of RGB digital video images

A new, rapid, and practical procedure to obtain quantitative kinetic information of electrochromic materials is proposed. When the transition between two colors on a colored electrode surface is monitorized by digital video, the analysis of pixel color intensity (I) in sequential RGB digital images allows us to precise the half-life time (t1/2) of the color change since a maximum value of the standard deviation of the pixel intensity (σ(I)) is reached. We simulated and analyzed the evolution of standard deviation during an electrochromic transition in different circumstances (kinetic and diffusion control). As an example of application, electrochromic transitions of a thin film model, the Prussian blue (PB), were digitally recorded during potential step chronoamperometry. From obtained t1/2, we calculated kinetic constants of the first order blue-to-transparent transition at different potential steps. The results suggest the great potential of this novel methodology to quantify the kinetics of electrochromic changes, even, in proof-of-concepts devices.

Nonlinear analysis and synthesis of video images using deep dynamic bottleneck neural networks for face recognition

Nonlinear components extracted from deep structures of bottleneck neural networks exhibit a great ability to express input space in a low-dimensional manifold. Sharing and combining the components boost the capability of the neural networks to synthesize and interpolate new and imaginary data. This synthesis is possibly a simple model of imaginations in human brain where the components are expressed in a nonlinear low dimensional manifold. The current paper introduces a novel Dynamic Deep Bottleneck Neural Network to analyze and extract three main features of videos regarding the expression of emotions on the face. These main features are identity, emotion and expression intensity that are laid in three different sub-manifolds of one nonlinear general manifold. The proposed model enjoying the advantages of recurrent networks was used to analyze the sequence and dynamics of information in videos. It is noteworthy to mention that this model also has also the potential to synthesize new videos showing variations of one specific emotion on the face of unknown subjects. Experiments on discrimination and recognition ability of extracted components showed that the proposed model has an average of 97.77% accuracy in recognition of six prominent emotions (Fear, Surprise, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, and Happiness), and 78.17% accuracy in the recognition of intensity. The produced videos revealed variations from neutral to the apex of an emotion on the face of the unfamiliar test subject which is on average 0.8 similar to reference videos in the scale of the SSIM method.

Benthic video image analysis facilitates monitoring of Dreissena populations across spatial scales.

In contrast to marine systems where remote sensing methods in studies of benthic organisms have been widely used for decades, these methods have experienced limited use in studies of freshwater benthos due to the general lack of large epifauna. The situation has changed with the introduction of dreissenid bivalves capable of creating visible aggregations on lake bottoms into North American freshwaters in the 1980s and 1990s. The need for assessment of Dreissena densities prompted exploration of videography as a potentially cost-effective tool. We developed a novel sampling method that analyzes video recorded using a GoPro camera mounted to a benthic sled to estimate Dreissena coverage, density, and biomass over relatively large areas of the lake bed in the Laurentian Great Lakes compared to traditional sampling methods. Using this method, we compared quagga mussel coverage, density, and biomass estimates based on three replicate Ponar grabs vs. 500 m-long video transects across 43 stations sampled in Lake Michigan in 2015. Our results showed that analysis of images from video transects dramatically increased the bottom area surveyed compared to Ponar grabs and increased the precision of Dreissena density and biomass estimations at monitoring stations. By substantially increasing the ability to detect relatively small (<20%) changes between years within a particular station, this method could be a useful and cost-effective addition for monitoring Dreissena populations in the Great Lakes and other freshwater systems where they occur.

The Investigation of Morphology Change Effects on Runup based on 2D Wave Flume Experiment

ABSTRACT Xu, Z.; Li, H.; Liang, B., and Lee, D.Y., 2018. The investigation of morphology change effects on run-up based on 2D wave flume experiment. In: Shim, J.-S.; Chun, I., and Lim, H.S. (eds.), Proceedings from the International Coastal Symposium (ICS) 2018 (Busan, Republic of Korea). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 85, pp. 1021–1025. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. The high speed swash motion and wave runup in swash zone induce high morphology dynamic change at the beach, which is closely related to dune erosion. In the present work, the process of wave runup was investigated through the analysis of laboratory experiment at 2D wave flume. The time variations of swash shape were recorded by using side-looking camera camera. Runup heights were obtained from the video image analysis. The wave resolving model, XBeach model, is also used to simulate wave runup height by preparing the input boundary conditions using the laboratory hydrodynamic data at offshore. Compared to the wave ...

Manipulation-free cultures of human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes offer a novel screening method for cardiotoxicity.

Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based cardiac regenerative medicine requires the efficient generation, structural soundness and proper functioning of mature cardiomyocytes, derived from the patient's somatic cells. The most important functional property of cardiomyocytes is the ability to contract. Currently available methods routinely used to test and quantify cardiomyocyte function involve techniques that are labor-intensive, invasive, require sophisticated instruments or can adversely affect cell vitality. We recently developed optical flow imaging method analyses and quantified cardiomyocyte contractile kinetics from video microscopic recordings without compromising cell quality. Specifically, our automated particle image velocimetry (PIV) analysis of phase-contrast video images captured at a high frame rate yields statistical measures characterizing the beating frequency, amplitude, average waveform and beat-to-beat variations. Thus, it can be a powerful assessment tool to monitor cardiomyocyte quality and maturity. Here we demonstrate the ability of our analysis to characterize the chronotropic responses of human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes to a panel of ion channel modulators and also to doxorubicin, a chemotherapy agent with known cardiotoxic side effects. We conclude that the PIV-derived beat patterns can identify the elongation or shortening of specific phases in the contractility cycle, and the obtained chronotropic responses are in accord with known clinical outcomes. Hence, this system can serve as a powerful tool to screen the new and currently available pharmacological compounds for cardiotoxic effects.

Nuclear parameters and chromatin remodeling in epithelial cells and lymphocytes from the palpebral conjunctiva of dogs with keratoconjunctivitis sicca.

To study parameters related to nuclear morphology and chromatin remodeling in epithelial cells and lymphocytes from the inferior palpebral conjunctiva of dogs with and without keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS). Thirty-two dogs (64 eyes) were included in the study. Based on the tear production measured by Schirmer tear test 1, the dogs were distributed into control and KCS groups. Epithelial cells and lymphocytes were collected by conjunctival brush cytology, fixed on glass slides, and subjected to the Feulgen reaction, a topochemical method specific for DNA/chromatin. Feulgen-stained cells were studied by microscopy and video image analysis to establish nuclear size (area and perimeter) and shape (relative nuclear roundness factor=RNRF), DNA content (ploidy), and compaction and texture of chromatin. Conjunctival samples in the KCS group showed infiltration of inflammatory and immune cells. Micronuclei, snake-like chromatin, aberrant chromosomes, and goblet cells were not detected. Compared with the controls, cells on the conjunctival surface of dogs with KCS showed altered nuclei. Conjunctival epithelial cells were more affected by KCS (changes in nuclear size, shape, DNA content, and chromatin compaction) than lymphocytes (changes in chromatin compaction, only). Significant chromatin decompaction was observed in both conjunctival epithelial cells and lymphocytes. Our results show that KCS promotes chromatin remodeling in epithelial cells and lymphocytes on the conjunctival surface of dogs. The changes described in this study are different from those reported for conjunctival cell nuclei of human KCS patients.