Lio Gonçalves

Abstract
Canine hip dysplasia (CHD) screening relies on radiographic assessment, but traditional scoring methods often lack consistency due to inter-rater variability. This study presents an AI-driven system for automated measurement of the femoral head center to dorsal acetabular edge (FHC/DAE) distance, a key metric in CHD evaluation. Unlike most AI models that directly classify CHD severity using convolutional neural networks, this system provides an interpretable, measurement-based output to support a more transparent evaluation. The system combines a keypoint regression model for femoral head center localization with a U-Net-based segmentation model for acetabular edge delineation. It was trained on 7967 images for hip joint detection, 571 for keypoints, and 624 for acetabulum segmentation, all from ventrodorsal hip-extended radiographs. On a test set of 70 images, the keypoint model achieved high precision (Euclidean Distance = 0.055 mm; Mean Absolute Error = 0.0034 mm; Mean Squared Error = 2.52 x 10-5 mm2), while the segmentation model showed strong performance (Dice Score = 0.96; Intersection over Union = 0.92). Comparison with expert annotations demonstrated strong agreement (Intraclass Correlation Coefficients = 0.97 and 0.93; Weighted Kappa = 0.86 and 0.79; Standard Error of Measurement = 0.92 to 1.34 mm). By automating anatomical landmark detection, the system enhances standardization, reproducibility, and interpretability in CHD radiographic assessment. Its strong alignment with expert evaluations supports its integration into CHD screening workflows for more objective and efficient diagnosis and CHD scoring.

Abstract
Riding a motorcycle involves risks that can be minimized through advanced sensing and response systems to assist the rider. The use of camera-collected images to monitor road conditions can aid in the development of tools designed to enhance rider safety and prevent accidents. This paper proposes a method for developing deep learning models designed to operate efficiently on embedded systems like the Raspberry Pi, facilitating real-time decisions that consider the road condition. Our research tests and compares several state-of-the-art convolutional neural network architectures, including EfficientNet and Inception, to determine which offers the best balance between inference time and accuracy. Specifically, we measured top-1 accuracy and inference time on a Raspberry Pi, identifying EfficientNetV2 as the most suitable model due to its optimal trade-off between performance and computational demand. The model's top-1 accuracy significantly outperformed other models while maintaining competitive inference speeds, making it ideal for real-time applications in traffic-dense urban settings.

Abstract
Radiography is the primary modality for diagnosing canine hip dysplasia (CHD), with visual assessment of radiographic features sometimes used for accurate diagnosis. However, these features typically constitute small regions of interest (ROI) within the overall image, yet they hold vital diagnostic information and are crucial for pathological analysis. Consequently, automated detection of ROIs becomes a critical preprocessing step in classification or segmentation systems. By correctly extracting the ROIs, the efficiency of retrieval and identification of pathological signs can be significantly improved. In this research study, we employed the most recent iteration of the YOLO (version 8) model to detect hip joints in a dataset of 133 pelvic radiographs. The best-performing model achieved a mean average precision (mAP50:95) of 0.81, indicating highly accurate detection of hip regions. Importantly, this model displayed feasibility for training on a relatively small dataset and exhibited promising potential for various medical applications.

Abstract
Canine hip dysplasia (CHD) screening relies on accurate positioning in the ventrodorsal hip extended (VDHE) view, as even mild pelvic rotation can affect CHD scoring and impact breeding decisions. This study aimed to assess the association between pelvic rotation and asymmetry in obturator foramina areas (AOFAs) and to develop a computer vision model for automated AOFA measurement. In the first part, 203 radiographs were analyzed to examine the relationship between pelvic rotation, assessed through asymmetry in iliac wing and obturator foramina widths (AOFWs), and AOFAs. A significant association was found between pelvic rotation and AOFA, with AOFW showing a stronger correlation (R-2 = 0.92, p < 0.01). AOFW rotation values were categorized into minimal (n = 71), moderate (n = 41), marked (n = 37), and extreme (n = 54) groups, corresponding to mean AOFA +/- standard deviation values of 33.28 +/- 27.25, 54.73 +/- 27.98, 85.85 +/- 41.31, and 160.68 +/- 64.20 mm(2), respectively. ANOVA and post hoc testing confirmed significant differences in AOFA across these groups (p < 0.01). In part two, the dataset was expanded to 312 images to develop the automated AOFA model, with 80% allocated for training, 10% for validation, and 10% for testing. On the 32 test images, the model achieved high segmentation accuracy (Dice score = 0.96; Intersection over Union = 0.93), closely aligning with examiner measurements. Paired t-tests indicated no significant differences between the examiner and model's outputs (p > 0.05), though the Bland-Altman analysis identified occasional discrepancies. The model demonstrated excellent reliability (ICC = 0.99) with a standard error of 17.18 mm(2). A threshold of 50.46 mm(2) enabled effective differentiation between acceptable and excessive pelvic rotation. With additional training data, further improvements in precision are expected, enhancing the model's clinical utility.

Abstract
Radiographic canine hip dysplasia (CHD) diagnosis is crucial for breeding selection and disease management, delaying progression and alleviating the associated pain. Radiography is the primary imaging modality for CHD diagnosis, and visual assessment of radiographic features is sometimes used for accurate diagnosis. Specifically, alterations in femoral neck shape are crucial radiographic signs, with existing literature suggesting that dysplastic hips have a greater femoral neck thickness (FNT). In this study we aimed to develop a three-stage deep learning-based system that can automatically identify and quantify a femoral neck thickness index (FNTi) as a key metric to improve CHD diagnosis. Our system trained a keypoint detection model and a segmentation model to determine landmark and boundary coordinates of the femur and acetabulum, respectively. We then executed a series of mathematical operations to calculate the FNTi. The keypoint detection model achieved a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.013 during training, while the femur segmentation results achieved a dice score (DS) of 0.978. Our three-stage deep learning-based system achieved an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.86 (95% confidence interval) and showed no significant differences in paired t-test compared to a specialist (p > 0.05). As far as we know, this is the initial study to thoroughly measure FNTi by applying computer vision and deep learning-based approaches, which can provide reliable support in CHD diagnosis. © The Author(s) 2024.