In medical diagnosis, cone beam CT increases the dose absorbed by a patient. However, the radiographic noise (such as quantum noise) in a CT image increases when radiation exposure is reduced. In this paper, we propose a method to improve the CT image degraded by the quantum mottle based on 2-D wavelet transform modulus sum (WTMS). The noise and regular parts of an image can be observed by tracing the evolution of its 2-D WTMS across scales. Our experimental results show that most of the quantum mottle in the 2-D projections is removed by the proposed method and the edges preserved well. We investigate the relation between the number of X-ray photons and the quality of the denoised images. The result shows the possibility that a patient's dose can be reduced about 10% with the same visual quality by our method.

A bi-directional and multi-channel wireless telemetry capsule, 11 mm in diameter, is presented that can transmit video images from inside the human body and receive a control signal from an external control unit. The proposed telemetry capsule includes transmitting and receiving antennas, a demodulator, decoder, four LEDs, and CMOS image sensor, along with their driving circuits. The receiver demodulates the received signal radiated from the external control unit. Next, the decoder receives the stream of control signals and interprets five of the binary digits as an address code. Thereafter, the remaining signal is interpreted as four bits of binary data. Consequently, the proposed telemetry module can demodulate external signals so as to control the behavior of the camera and four LEDs during the transmission of video images. The proposed telemetry capsule can simultaneously transmit a video signal and receive a control signal determining the behavior of the capsule itself. As a result, the total power consumption of the telemetry capsule can be reduced by turning off the camera power during dead time and separately controlling the LEDs for proper illumination of the intestine.

To improve the CT image degraded by radiographic noise (such as quantum mottle), we propose a method based on the wavelet transform modulus sum (WTMS). The noise and regular parts of a signal can be observed by tracing the evolution of its WTMS across scales. Our results show that most of the quantum mottle in the projections of Shepp-Logan phantom has been removed by the proposed method with the supposed cranium well preserved. The denoised CT images show good signal to noise ratio in the region of interest. We also have investigated the relation between the number of X-ray photons and the quality of images reconstructed from denoised projections. From experimental results, this method shows the possibility to reduce a patient's dose about 1/10 with the same visual quality.

An attempt to derive the lethal dose for mice was made at 2.45 GHz for whole body exposure. Based on a numerical dosimetry result and an experimental death rate investigation, the lethal dose was estimated to be a whole body averaged specific absorption rate (SAR) with a level at double the mouse's basal metabolic rate.

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks are a pressing problem on the Internet as demonstrated by recent attacks on major e-commerce servers and ISPs. Since the attack is highly distributed, an effective solution must be formulated with a distributed approach. Recently, some solutions, in which intermediate network nodes filter or shape congested traffic, have been proposed. These solutions may decrease the congested traffic, but they still cause "collateral victims problem," that is, legitimate packets may be discarded mistakenly. In this paper, we propose Active Countermeasure Platform to minimize traffic congestion and to address the collateral victim problem using the Active Networks paradigm, which incorporates programmability into intermediate network nodes. Our platform can prevent overloading of the target and consuming the network bandwidth of both the backbone and the protected site autonomously. In addition, it can improve the collateral victim problem based on user policy. This paper shows the concept of our platform, system design and evaluation of the effectiveness using a prototype.

The understanding of instruction set usage in typical DOS/Windows applications plays a very important role in designing high performance x86 compatible microprocessors. This paper presents the tools to such analysis, the analysis results, and their implications on the design of a RISC-based superscalar processor for efficient x86 instruction execution. The analyzed results are used to optimize the execution of frequently executed instructions and micro operations.

This letter proposes a 3-D stereo endoscopic image processing system. Whereas a conventional 3-D stereo endoscopic system has simple monitoring functions, the proposed system gives doctors exact depth feelings by providing them depth value information, visualization, and stereo PACS viewer to aid an education, accurate diagnosis, a surgical operation, and to further apply in a robotic surgery.

An efficient numerical source model is proposed to calculate the induced current densities in the human body from low-frequency inhomogeneous magnetic fields emitted by electronic devices. Due to the complex geometrical structure of electronic devices (e.g. household appliances, power tools), an efficient equivalent source model based on magnetic elementary dipoles is used instead of the real device or the approximated source model (current loop). Subsequently, the validity of the method proposed is confirmed.

In this manuscript, two key agreement protocols which are resistant to a denial-of-service attack are constructed from a key agreement protocol in [9] provably secure against passive and active attacks. The denial-of-service attack considered is the resource-exhaustion attack on a responder. By the resource-exhaustion attack, a malicious initiator executes a key agreement protocol simultaneously as many times as possible to exhaust the responder's resources and to disturb executions of it between honest initiators and the responder. The resources are the storage and the CPU. The proposed protocols are the first protocols resistant to both the storage-exhaustion attack and the CPU-exhaustion attack. The techniques used in the construction are stateless connection, weak key confirmation, and enforcement of heavy computation. The stateless connection is effective to enhancing the resistance to the storage-exhaustion attack. The weak key confirmation and the enforcement of heavy computation are effective to enhancing the resistance to the CPU-exhaustion attack.

The head tissue heterogeneity required in the spatial peak specific absorption rate (SAR) assessment for portable telephones was investigated by using the FDTD method in conjunction with an MRI-based human head model. The tissue heterogeneity of the head model was changed from one type of tissue to 17 types of tissue. The results showed that, at 900 MHz and 2 GHz, the homogeneous modeling results in an underestimate about 20% for the λ/2 monopole antenna portable telephones and an overestimate to the same extent for the λ/4 monopole or helical antenna portable telephones. A head model with a simple skin-fat-muscle-bone-brain structure seems to be sufficient to obtain a fairly accurate one-gram or ten-gram averaged spatial peak SAR value in computational dosimetry for portable telephone compliance.

This paper presents a dosimetric analysis in an anatomically realistic human head model for a helical antenna portable telephone by using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The head model, developed from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data of a Japanese adult head, consists of 530 thousand voxels, of 2 mm dimensions, segmented into 15 tissue types. The helical antenna was modeled as a stack of dipoles and loops with an adequate relative weight, whose validity was confirmed by comparing the calculated near magnetic fields with published measured data. SARs are given both for the spatial peak value in the whole head and the averages in various major organs.

In this article we present a survey of medical image processing with the stress on applications of image generation and pattern recognition / understanding to computer aided diagnosis (CAD) and surgery (CAS). First, topics and fields of research in medical image processing are summarized. Second the importance of the 3D image processing and the use of virtualized human body (VHB) is pointed out. Thirdly the visualization and the observation methods of the VHB are introduced. In the forth section the virtualized endoscope system is presented from the viewpoint of the observation of the VHB with the moving viewpoints. The fifth topic is the use of VHB with deformation such as the simulation of surgical operation, intra-operative aids and image overlay. In the seventh section several topics on image processing methodologies are introduced including model generation, registration, segmentation, rendering and the use of knowledge processing.

Recently several dosimetric assessment procedures have been proposed to demonstrate the compliance of handheld mobile telecommuications equipment (MTE) with safety limits. However, for none of these procedures has an estimation of the overall uncertainty in assessing the maximum exposure been provided for a reasonable cross-section of potential users. This paper presents a setup and procedure based on a high-precision dosimetric scanner combined with a new phantom derived from an anatomical study. This allows the assessment of the maximum spatial peak SAR values occurring in approximately 90% of all MTE users, including children, with a precision of better than 25%. This setup and procedure therefore satisfies the requirements of the FCC, as well as those drafted by a CENELEC working group mandated by the European Union.

A new application of the factorization method is reported for 3-D shape reconstruction from endoscope image sequences. The feasibility of the method is verified with some theoretical considerations and results of extensive experiments. This method was developed by Tomasi and Kanade, and improved by Poelman and Kanade, with the aim of achieving accurate shape reconstruction by using a large number of points and images, and robustly applying well-understood matrix computations. However, the latter stage of the method, called normalization, is not as easily understandable as the use of singular value decomposition in the first stage. In fact, as shown in this report, many choices are possible for this normalization and a variety of results have been obtained depending on the choice. This method is easy to understand, easy to implement, and provides sufficient accuracy when the approximation used for the optical system is reasonable. However, the details of the theoretical basis require further study.

In this paper we propose a new medical image processing system called Virtualized Endoscope System (VES)", which can examine the inside of a virtualized human body. The virtualized human body is a 3-D digital image which is taken by such as X-ray CT scanner or MRI scanner. VES consists of three modules; (1) imaging, (2) segmentation and reconstruction and (3) interactive operation. The interactive operation module has following thee major functions; (a) display of, (b) measurement from, and (c) manipulation to the virtualized human body. The user of the system can observe freely both the inside and the outside of a target organ from any point and any direction freely, and can perform necessary measurement interactively concerning angle and length at any time during observation. VES enables to observe repeatedly an area where the real endoscope can not enter without pain from any direction which the real endoscope can not. We applied this system to real 3-D X-ray CT images and obtained good result.

The biological effects of power frequency electric and magnetic fields have been a source of concern for the past many years, especially since 1979 when an epidemiological study report suggested a positive relationship between childhood cancer and exposure to power frequency electromagnetic fields from residential overhead power lines. The extensive studies of dosimetry and biological effects have since been carried out. It is believed that power frequency electromagnetic fields does induce biological effects (no serious threat to human health). The clear explanations for the possible interaction mechanisms remain to be identified. The problem with the study on dosimetry has been lack of theory that applies to the physical interaction of power frequency electric and magnetic fields with humans. At present, it seems to be widely accepted that the density of induced currents in the human body can be used as the decisive parameter in evaluating human exposure to these fields. In order to predict the distribution of induced current density inside a human body exposed to electric fields, magnetic fields, or electric and magnetic fields that coexist, the precise measurements of electromagnetic environments are necessary. According to necessity, the fields have to be characterized in terms of strength, orientation and phase angle. This paper presents: (1) Measurements of power frequency electromagnetic environments in 187kV substation yard and in the vicinity of the ground under 187 kV line using laboratory-made instruments; (2) Development of magnetic field exposure monitor; and (3) Review of state of the art of theoretical dosimetry for electric fields, magnetic fields and combined electric and magnetic fields, and evaluation method of human exposure for the future research.