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Bezdek, James C.

Publications and source records attributed to Bezdek, James C..

Two generalizations of Kohonen clustering

The relationship between the sequential hard c-means (SHCM), learning vector quantization (LVQ), and fuzzy c-means (FCM) clustering algorithms is discussed. LVQ and SHCM suffer from several major problems. For example, they depend heavily on initialization. If the initial values of the cluster centers are outside the convex hull of the input data, such algorithms, even if they terminate, may not produce meaningful results in terms of prototypes for cluster representation. This is due in part to the fact that they update only the winning prototype for every input vector. The impact and interaction of these two families with Kohonen's self-organizing feature mapping (SOFM), which is not a clustering method, but which often leads ideas to clustering algorithms is discussed. Then two generalizations of LVQ that are explicitly designed as clustering algorithms are presented; these algorithms are referred to as generalized LVQ = GLVQ; and fuzzy LVQ = FLVQ. Learning rules are derived to optimize an objective function whose goal is to produce 'good clusters'. GLVQ/FLVQ (may) update every node in the clustering net for each input vector. Neither GLVQ nor FLVQ depends upon a choice for the update neighborhood or learning rate distribution - these are taken care of automatically. Segmentation of a gray tone image is used as a typical application of these algorithms to illustrate the performance of GLVQ/FLVQ.

Bezdek, James C.

Image segmentation using fuzzy LVQ clustering networks

In this note we formulate image segmentation as a clustering problem. Feature vectors extracted from a raw image are clustered into subregions, thereby segmenting the image. A fuzzy generalization of a Kohonen learning vector quantization (LVQ) which integrates the Fuzzy c-Means (FCM) model with the learning rate and updating strategies of the LVQ is used for this task. This network, which segments images in an unsupervised manner, is thus related to the FCM optimization problem. Numerical examples on photographic and magnetic resonance images are given to illustrate this approach to image segmentation.

Tsao, Eric Chen-Kuo

A comparison of neural network and fuzzy clustering techniques in segmenting magnetic resonance images of the brain

Magnetic resonance (MR) brain section images are segmented and then synthetically colored to give visual representations of the original data with three approaches: the literal and approximate fuzzy c-means unsupervised clustering algorithms and a supervised computational neural network, a dynamic multilayered perception trained with the cascade correlation learning algorithm. Initial clinical results are presented on both normal volunteers and selected patients with brain tumors surrounded by edema. Supervised and unsupervised segmentation techniques provide broadly similar results. Unsupervised fuzzy algorithms were visually observed to show better segmentation when compared with raw image data for volunteer studies. However, for a more complex segmentation problem with tumor/edema or cerebrospinal fluid boundary, where the tissues have similar MR relaxation behavior, inconsistency in rating among experts was observed.

Hall, Lawrence O.

Classification of posture maintenance data with fuzzy clustering algorithms

Sensory inputs from the visual, vestibular, and proprioreceptive systems are integrated by the central nervous system to maintain postural equilibrium. Sustained exposure to microgravity causes neurosensory adaptation during spaceflight, which results in decreased postural stability until readaptation occurs upon return to the terrestrial environment. Data which simulate sensory inputs under various sensory organization test (SOT) conditions were collected in conjunction with Johnson Space Center postural control studies using a tilt-translation device (TTD). The University of West Florida applied the fuzzy c-meams (FCM) clustering algorithms to this data with a view towards identifying various states and stages of subjects experiencing such changes. Feature analysis, time step analysis, pooling data, response of the subjects, and the algorithms used are discussed.

Bezdek, James C.

Classification of posture maintenance data with fuzzy clustering algorithms

Sensory inputs from the visual, vestibular, and proprioreceptive systems are integrated by the central nervous system to maintain postural equilibrium. Sustained exposure to microgravity causes neurosensory adaptation during spaceflight, which results in decreased postural stability until readaptation occurs upon return to the terrestrial environment. Data which simulate sensory inputs under various conditions were collected in conjunction with JSC postural control studies using a Tilt-Translation Device (TTD). The University of West Florida proposed applying the Fuzzy C-Means Clustering (FCM) Algorithms to this data with a view towards identifying various states and stages. Data supplied by NASA/JSC were submitted to the FCM algorithms in an attempt to identify and characterize cluster substructure in a mixed ensemble of pre- and post-adaptational TTD data. Following several unsuccessful trials with FCM using a full 11 dimensional data set, a set of two channels (features) were found to enable FCM to separate pre- from post-adaptational TTD data. The main conclusions are that: (1) FCM seems able to separate pre- from post-TTD subject no. 2 on the one trial that was used, but only in certain subintervals of time; and (2) Channels 2 (right rear transducer force) and 8 (hip sway bar) contain better discrimination information than other supersets and combinations of the data that were tried so far.

Bezdek, James C.

Self-organization and clustering algorithms

Kohonen's feature maps approach to clustering is often likened to the k or c-means clustering algorithms. Here, the author identifies some similarities and differences between the hard and fuzzy c-Means (HCM/FCM) or ISODATA algorithms and Kohonen's self-organizing approach. The author concludes that some differences are significant, but at the same time there may be some important unknown relationships between the two methodologies. Several avenues of research are proposed.

Bezdek, James C.