Enhancing Interoperability & Usability of BrainImageJava for Morphometric Imaging

描述(由申请人提供)：神经成像研究的软件工具使研究人员能够为不断增长的人脑结构和功能的科学数据库提供大量信息。尽管取得了这些成就，但与软件功能、方法、用户可访问性和应用人群相关的问题继续对加快当前信息获取的速度施加限制。这些问题尤其适用于对发育中的(儿科)大脑的研究。为了解决这些限制，我们开发了一个软件工具BrainImageJava(BIJ)，用于三维交互式图像处理、可视化和分析。BIJ的特殊和独特的功能包括简单和实时的ROI创建、多种文件格式、算法、可视化和图像编辑、拖放界面和快速的数据库链接；基于Java的框架带来了可泛化、可扩展和可互操作的优势。项目为期一年的主要目标是(1)提高研究人员的可用性，完整地记录BIJ计划的功能，并满足NITRC的互操作性标准；(2)共享经过充分分析的独特儿科数据集，作为入门方法数据集和异常大脑的特定测试样本；以及(3)通过BIJ网站的下载和用户反馈，向科学界广泛分发BIJ、源代码和文档。为了实现这些目标，我们将与NITRC密切互动，协调当前和预期的互操作性标准，执行形态测量分析，准备和分享异常脑分析的样本程序。著名的神经影像研究人员将与我们的团队合作，利用BIJ，提供关于应用功能的系统反馈，并共享BIJ插件模块的源代码和编译程序。BIJ提供了独特的算法和交互式可视化工具，分析不寻常的MRI大脑数据始终需要这些工具-该软件包的使用已经对患有严重大脑疾病的儿童的神经结构和功能的差异产生了重要的见解。BIJ框架设计为可扩展和可互操作，可将现有工具用作插件，另外一个优势是，增强的可视化功能可以对其他自动或半自动成像管道中出现的任何结果进行全面质量审查。因此，BIJ既是一种直接的研究工具，也是对其他神经成像软件包的有价值的补充。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Software tools for neuroimaging research have allowed investigators to contribute considerable information to the growing scientific database of human brain structure and function. Despite these achievements, issues related to software functionality, methodology, user-accessibility, and applied populations continue to impose limitations for accelerating the current pace of information acquisition. These issues are particularly applicable to studies focusing on the developing (pediatric) brain. To address these limitations, we have developed a software tool, BrainImageJava (BIJ), for three-dimensional interactive image processing, visualization and analysis. BIJ's special and unique functionalities include simple and real-time ROI creation, multiple file formats, algorithms, visualization and image editing, drag-and-drop interfaces, and fast database links; the Java-based framework has led to generalizable, extensible and interoperable advantages. The primary objectives of the one year project period are (1) to improve usability for investigators, completely document BIJ program features, and meet NITRC interoperability standards; (2) to share fully analyzed, unique pediatric data sets as introductory methods data sets and specific test samples of abnormal brains; and (3) to broadly distribute BIJ, source code and documentation to the scientific community with downloads and user feedback mediated by a BIJ web site. To accomplish these objectives, we will closely interact with NITRC to coordinate current and anticipated interoperability standards, perform morphometric analyses, prepare and share sample procedures for abnormal brain analysis. Prominent neuroimaging researchers will collaborate with our team by utilizing BIJ, providing systematic feedback on applied functionality, and sharing source code and compiled programs for BIJ plugin modules. BIJ provides unique algorithms and interactive visualization tools that will always be required to analyze unusual MRI brain data - utilization of the package has already yielded important insights about differences in neural structure and function in children with serious brain disorders. The BIJ framework is designed to be extensible and interoperable to use existing tools as plug-ins, with the added advantage that the enhanced visualization capabilities enable full quality review of any results that occur in other automated or semi-automated imaging pipelines. Thus, BIJ is valuable both as a direct research tool and as a valuable complement to other neuroimaging packages.