Term

Description

ADNI Data set

The Alzheimer's Disease NeuroImaging Initiative (ADNI) data set was acquired over many years to study Alzheimer's. As part of the study MRI scans were acquired every six month's on Alzheimer'spatients. For comparison scans were also acquired on patients with possible Alzheimer's disease (MCI) and healthy controls.

Algorithm

A set of steps to accomplish a particular task. Examples include the Brain Extraction Tool (BET) and various registration algorithms. Maybe implemented in a single software step or a series of steps.

Cloud computing

A type of distributed computing infrastructure (DCI), cloud computing is a Web-based processing infrastructure, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices (such as smartphones) on demand over the Internet.

Dashboard

Part of the neuGRID Science Gateway, the Dashboard is a neuGRID web portal that displays statistics of neuGRID usage. For example number of CPU's currently in use and number of users current running jobs on neuGRID.

Data Set

Collection of 3D and 4D images usually acquired patients with a common condition. For example the Alzheimer's Disease NeuroImaging Initiative (ADNI) data set.

Data Set Quality Control

To check the quality of the 3D and 4D images in data sets so problematic data can be excluded or handled differently. For example deleting 3D and 4D MRI images where the subject has moved too much.

DCI

(Distributed computing infrastructure)

GRID, CLOUD and HPC are particular instances of DCI.

DICOM

(Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine)

A widely used file format standard for distributing almost any kind of medical images.

E-Learning

E-learning comprises all forms of electronically supported learning and teaching. The Information and communication systems, whether networked or not, serve as specific media to implement the learning process. The term will still most likely be utilized to reference out-of-classroom and in-classroom educational experiences via technology, even as advances continue in regard to devices and curriculum.

E-Science

Computationally intensive science that is carried out in highly distributed network environments, or science that uses immense data sets that require GRID computing; the term sometimes includes technologies that enable distributed collaboration, such as the Access GRID.

fMRI

(Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

fMRI is a type of MRI imaging. fMRI acquires 3D images of the human brain every few seconds yielding a 4D image over several minutes. The changes in the image intensity over time represent the haemodynamic response related to neural activity. It is one of the most recently developed forms of neuroimaging.

Grid Computing

A type of distributed computing infrastructure (DCI) where the system is created by forming a virtual organisation over geographically distributed heterogeneous clusters. Commonly used GRID middleware include gLite and Globus.

GUI

(Graphical User Interface)

GUI is a human-computer interface that uses windows, icons and menus and which can be manipulated by a mouse.

HPC

(High-Performance Computing)

HPC is a type of distributed computing infrastructure (DCI that uses supercomputers and computer clusters to solve advanced computation problems.

Imaging

In this document, imaging denotes a number of techniques providing visual representation of biological features of body organs (structure, metabolism, receptor density, etc.). E.g. computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, single photon emission computed tomography.

IPR

(Intellectual Property Rights)

Intellectual property (IP) is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which property rights are recognised—and the corresponding fields of law. Under intellectual property law, owners are granted certain exclusive rights to a variety of intangible assets, such as musical, literary, and artistic works; discoveries and inventions; and words, phrases, symbols, and designs. Common types of intellectual property include copyrights, trademarks, patents, industrial design rights and trade secrets in some jurisdictions.

Modality

Modality is used to describe the various classes of imaging devices used to image the internal structures of object. The modality is mostly differentiated by the physics used to create the image. For example Magnetic Resonance and Computed Tomogrphy are different modalities. (source http://www.angelfire.com/co2/whatdicom/yong.html.).

MRI

(Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

MRI is a medical imaging technique most commonly used in radiology to visualize the structure and function of the body. MR imaging uses a powerful magnetic field to align the nuclear magnetization of (usually) hydrogen atoms in water in the body. MRI is particularly good at imaging soft tissues in the body including the brain.

Pipeline

Also known as a Workflow, a pipeline is a software implementation with a well defined input and output. For example the input may be two 3D MRI images of a person's brain acquired 1 year apart and the output maybe a single number – the percentage change in the brain's volume over the year. A pipeline can consist of one or more algorithms and other software steps drawn from one or more toolkits that may also generate intermediate data.

Provenance

The complete history of an object. In a scientific context, provenance records all steps performed to arrive at a given result, in such detail as allows reproducibility of the experiment.

SOA

(Service Oriented Architecture)

SOA is an architecture that uses loosely coupled ad-hoc collection of independent services. Each service is self-contained and provides a specific piece of functionality. This architecture is popular in large-scale distributed systems, primarily because it is robust, scalable, extensible and potentially resistant to failure.

Toolkit

Software package with collection of algorithms and pipelines. Examples include FSL and FreeSurfer.

Virtual Research Community

A group of people, often researchers and students, who share multiple resources related to the scientific field, and whose main medium of communication is the internet.

Workflow

See Pipeline.

3D Image

Multiple 2D images usually collect in a sequence. For example an MPRAGE MRI scan of a person brain is often a 3D image.

4D Image

Multiple 3D images usually collected in a sequence often over time. For example fMRI acquires a 3D image of a persons brain every few seconds for several minutes.