Development of the Visual Word Form Area Requires Visual Experience: Evidence from Blind Braille Readers.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Judy S; Kanjlia, Shipra; Merabet, Lotfi B; Bedny, Marina

2017-11-22

Learning to read causes the development of a letter- and word-selective region known as the visual word form area (VWFA) within the human ventral visual object stream. Why does a reading-selective region develop at this anatomical location? According to one hypothesis, the VWFA develops at the nexus of visual inputs from retinotopic cortices and linguistic input from the frontotemporal language network because reading involves extracting linguistic information from visual symbols. Surprisingly, the anatomical location of the VWFA is also active when blind individuals read Braille by touch, suggesting that vision is not required for the development of the VWFA. In this study, we tested the alternative prediction that VWFA development is in fact influenced by visual experience. We predicted that in the absence of vision, the "VWFA" is incorporated into the frontotemporal language network and participates in high-level language processing. Congenitally blind ( n = 10, 9 female, 1 male) and sighted control ( n = 15, 9 female, 6 male), male and female participants each took part in two functional magnetic resonance imaging experiments: (1) word reading (Braille for blind and print for sighted participants), and (2) listening to spoken sentences of different grammatical complexity (both groups). We find that in blind, but not sighted participants, the anatomical location of the VWFA responds both to written words and to the grammatical complexity of spoken sentences. This suggests that in blindness, this region takes on high-level linguistic functions, becoming less selective for reading. More generally, the current findings suggest that experience during development has a major effect on functional specialization in the human cortex. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The visual word form area (VWFA) is a region in the human cortex that becomes specialized for the recognition of written letters and words. Why does this particular brain region become specialized for reading? We

MEG reveals a fast pathway from somatosensory cortex to occipital areas via posterior parietal cortex in a blind subject.

Science.gov (United States)

Ioannides, Andreas A; Liu, Lichan; Poghosyan, Vahe; Saridis, George A; Gjedde, Albert; Ptito, Maurice; Kupers, Ron

2013-01-01

Cross-modal activity in visual cortex of blind subjects has been reported during performance of variety of non-visual tasks. A key unanswered question is through which pathways non-visual inputs are funneled to the visual cortex. Here we used tomographic analysis of single trial magnetoencephalography (MEG) data recorded from one congenitally blind and two sighted subjects after stimulation of the left and right median nerves at three intensities: below sensory threshold, above sensory threshold and above motor threshold; the last sufficient to produce thumb twitching. We identified reproducible brain responses in the primary somatosensory (S1) and motor (M1) cortices at around 20 ms post-stimulus, which were very similar in sighted and blind subjects. Time-frequency analysis revealed strong 45-70 Hz activity at latencies of 20-50 ms in S1 and M1, and posterior parietal cortex Brodmann areas (BA) 7 and 40, which compared to lower frequencies, were substantially more pronounced in the blind than the sighted subjects. Critically, at frequencies from α-band up to 100 Hz we found clear, strong, and widespread responses in the visual cortex of the blind subject, which increased with the intensity of the somatosensory stimuli. Time-delayed mutual information (MI) revealed that in blind subject the stimulus information is funneled from the early somatosensory to visual cortex through posterior parietal BA 7 and 40, projecting first to visual areas V5 and V3, and eventually V1. The flow of information through this pathway occurred in stages characterized by convergence of activations into specific cortical regions. In sighted subjects, no linked activity was found that led from the somatosensory to the visual cortex through any of the studied brain regions. These results provide the first evidence from MEG that in blind subjects, tactile information is routed from primary somatosensory to occipital cortex via the posterior parietal cortex.

Wide-Area Haptic Guidance: Taking the User by the Hand

OpenAIRE

Pérez Arias, Antonia; Hanebeck, Uwe D.

2010-01-01

In this paper, we present a novel use of haptic information in extended range telepresence, the wide-area haptic guidance. It consists of force and position signals applied to the user's hand in order to improve safety, accuracy, and speed in some telepresent tasks. Wide-area haptic guidance assists the user in reaching a desired position in a remote environment of arbitrary size without degrading the feeling of presence. Several methods for haptic guidance are analyzed. With active haptic gu...

Architecture and Fault Identification of Wide-area Protection System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuxue Wang

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Wide-area protection system (WAPS is widely studied for the purpose of improvng the performance of conventional backup protection. In this paper, the system architecture of WAPS is proposed and its key technologies are discussed in view of engineering projects. So a mixed structurecentralized-distributed structure which is more suitable for WAPS in limited power grid region, is obtained based on the advantages of the centralized structure and distributed structure. Furthermore, regional distance protection algorithm was taken as an example to illustrate the functions of the constituent units. Faulted components can be detected based on multi-source imformation fuse in the algorithm. And the algorithm cannot only improve the selectivity, the rapidity, and the reliability of relaying protection but also has high fault tolerant capability. A simulation of 220 kV grid systems in Easter Hubei province shows the effectiveness of the wide-area protection system presented by this paper.

An Architecture for a Wide Area Distributed System

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Homburg, P.; Steen, M.R. van; Tanenbaum, A.S.

1996-01-01

Distributed systems provide sharing of resources and information over a computer network. A key design issue that makes these systems attractive is that all aspects related to distribution are transparent to users. Unfortunately, general-purpose wide area distributed systems that allow users to

Finding Objects for Assisting Blind People

OpenAIRE

Yi, Chucai; Flores, Roberto W.; Chincha, Ricardo; Tian, YingLi

2013-01-01

Computer vision technology has been widely used for blind assistance, such as navigation and wayfinding. However, few camera-based systems are developed for helping blind or visually-impaired people to find daily necessities. In this paper, we propose a prototype system of blind-assistant object finding by camera-based network and matching-based recognition. We collect a dataset of daily necessities and apply Speeded-Up Robust Features (SURF) and Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) featu...

Wide area stability analysis and control of interconnected power systems with HVDC and FACTS devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Yong

2012-11-01

In order to damp low-frequency oscillations and improve the overall stability of large-scale interconnected power systems, this book investigates the wide-area stability analysis and control methods from different perspectives. The flexible and fast control capability of high-voltage (FACTS) is investigated in detail to implement a wide-area measurement based damping control. A sequential and global mixed optimization method is proposed to simultaneously optimize local and wide area damping controllers. A wide-area robust coordination method is presented to coordinate multiple wide-area damping controllers (WADC). A delay-dependent robust design method is also proposed to handle time-varying delays commonly existing in wide-area signal communication. A closed-loop hardware experiment is used to validate the damping performance. The research activities of this book include power system stability analysis and control, wide-area damping control as well as HVDC and FACTS technologies.

The development of area wide traffic management scenarios

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Zuylen, H.J.; Lu, S.; Li, J.; Yusen, C.

2014-01-01

Traffic management in cities with congestion is a big challenge with still unused opportunities. Intersection control is a corner stone but this should be done in an area-wide context. The dominant traffic process on urban roads is the traffic flow on the intersections. Spill back is a most

MEG reveals a fast pathway from somatosensory cortex to occipital areas via posterior parietal cortex in a blind subject

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreas A Ioannides

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Cross-modal activity in visual cortex of blind subjects has been reported during performance of variety of non-visual tasks. A key unanswered question is through which pathways non-visual inputs are funneled to the visual cortex. Here we used tomographic analysis of single trial magnetoencephalography (MEG data recorded from one congenitally blind and two sighted subjects after stimulation of the left and right median nerves at three intensities: below sensory threshold, above sensory threshold and above motor threshold; the last sufficient to produce thumb twitching. We identified reproducible brain responses in the primary somatosensory (S1 and motor (M1 cortices at around 20 ms post-stimulus, which were very similar in sighted and blind subjects. Time-frequency analysis revealed strong 45 to 70 Hz activity at latencies of 20 to 50 ms in S1 and M1, and posterior parietal cortex Brodmann areas (BA 7 and 40, which compared to lower frequencies, were substantially more pronounced in the blind than the sighted subjects. Critically, at frequencies from α-band up to 100 Hz we found clear, strong and widespread responses in the visual cortex of the blind subject, which increased with the intensity of the somatosensory stimuli. Time-delayed mutual information (MI revealed that in blind subject the stimulus information is funneled from the early somatosensory to visual cortex through posterior parietal BA 7 and 40, projecting first to visual areas V5 and V3, and eventually V1. The flow of information through this pathway occured in stages characterized by convergence of activations into specific cortical regions. In sighted subjects, no linked activity was found that led from the somatosensory to the visual cortex through any of the studied brain regions. These results provide the first evidence from MEG that in blind subjects, tactile information is routed from primary somatosensory to occipital cortex via the posterior parietal cortex.

Simulation studies of a wide area health care network.

Science.gov (United States)

McDaniel, J. G.

1994-01-01

There is an increasing number of efforts to install wide area health care networks. Some of these networks are being built to support several applications over a wide user base consisting primarily of medical practices, hospitals, pharmacies, medical laboratories, payors, and suppliers. Although on-line, multi-media telecommunication is desirable for some purposes such as cardiac monitoring, store-and-forward messaging is adequate for many common, high-volume applications. Laboratory test results and payment claims, for example, can be distributed using electronic messaging networks. Several network prototypes have been constructed to determine the technical problems and to assess the effectiveness of electronic messaging in wide area health care networks. Our project, Health Link, developed prototype software that was able to use the public switched telephone network to exchange messages automatically, reliably and securely. The network could be configured to accommodate the many different traffic patterns and cost constraints of its users. Discrete event simulations were performed on several network models. Canonical star and mesh networks, that were composed of nodes operating at steady state under equal loads, were modeled. Both topologies were found to support the throughput of a generic wide area health care network. The mean message delivery time of the mesh network was found to be less than that of the star network. Further simulations were conducted for a realistic large-scale health care network consisting of 1,553 doctors, 26 hospitals, four medical labs, one provincial lab and one insurer. Two network topologies were investigated: one using predominantly peer-to-peer communication, the other using client-server communication.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) PMID:7949966

Fault Identification Algorithm Based on Zone-Division Wide Area Protection System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaojun Liu

2014-04-01

Full Text Available As the power grid becomes more magnified and complicated, wide-area protection system in the practical engineering application is more and more restricted by the communication level. Based on the concept of limitedness of wide-area protection system, the grid with complex structure is divided orderly in this paper, and fault identification and protection action are executed in each divided zone to reduce the pressure of the communication system. In protection zone, a new wide-area protection algorithm based on positive sequence fault components directional comparison principle is proposed. The special associated intelligent electronic devices (IEDs zones which contain buses and transmission lines are created according to the installation location of the IEDs. When a fault occurs, with the help of the fault information collecting and sharing from associated zones with the fault discrimination principle defined in this paper, the IEDs can identify the fault location and remove the fault according to the predetermined action strategy. The algorithm will not be impacted by the load changes and transition resistance and also has good adaptability in open phase running power system. It can be used as a main protection, and it also can be taken into account for the back-up protection function. The results of cases study show that, the division method of the wide-area protection system and the proposed algorithm are effective.

Concept definition of traffic flow wide-area surveillance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allgood, G.O.; Ferrell, R.K.; Kercel, S.W.

1994-07-01

Traffic management can be thought of as a stochastic queuing process where the serving time at one of its control points is dynamically linked to the global traffic pattern, which is, in turn, dynamically linked to the control point. For this closed-loop system to be effective, the traffic management system must sense and interpret large spatial projections of data originating from multiple sensor suites. The intent of the Wide-Area Surveillance (WAS) Project is to build upon this concept and define the operational specifications and characteristics of a Traffic Flow Wide-Area Surveillance (TFWAS) system in terms of traffic management and control. In doing so, the functional capabilities of a TFWAS will be mapped onto an operational profile that is consistent with the Federal Highway Administration`s Intelligent Vehicle Highway System. This document provides the underlying foundation of this work by offering a concept definition for the TFWAS system. It concentrates on answering the question: ``What is the system?`` In doing so, the report develops a hierarchy of specialized definitions.

Prevalence and causes of low vision and blindness worldwide

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.O . Oduntan

2005-12-01

Full Text Available A recent review of the causes and prevalence of low vision and blindness world wide is lack-ing. Such review is important for highlighting the causes and prevalence of visual impairment in the different parts of the world. Also, it is important in providing information on the types and magnitude of eye care programs needed in different parts of the world. In this article, the causes and prevalence of low vision and blind-ness in different parts of the world are reviewed and  the  socio-economic  and  psychological implications are briefly discussed. The review is based on an extensive review of the litera-ture using computer data bases combined with review of available national, regional and inter-national journals. Low vision and blindness are more prevalent in the developing countries than in the developed ones. Generally, the causes and prevalence of the conditions vary widely in different parts of the world and even within the same country. World wide, cataract is the most common cause of blindness and low vision among adults and elderly. Infectious diseases such as trachoma and onchocerciasis result-ing in low vision and blindness are peculiar to Africa, Asia and South America. Hereditary and congenital conditions are the most common causes of low vision and blindness among chil-dren worldwide.

Area-wide traffic calming for preventing traffic related injuries.

Science.gov (United States)

Bunn, F; Collier, T; Frost, C; Ker, K; Roberts, I; Wentz, R

2003-01-01

It is estimated that by 2020 road traffic crashes will have moved from ninth to third in the world disease burden ranking, as measured in disability adjusted life years, and second in developing countries. The identification of effective strategies for the prevention of traffic related injuries is of global health importance. Area-wide traffic calming schemes that discourage through traffic on residential roads is one such strategy. To evaluate the effectiveness of area-wide traffic calming in preventing traffic related crashes, injuries, and deaths. We searched the following electronic databases: Cochrane Injuries Group's Specialised Register, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, MEDLINE, EMBASE and TRANSPORT (NTIS, TRIS, TRANSDOC). We searched the web sites of road safety organisations, handsearched conference proceedings, checked reference lists of relevant papers and contacted experts in the area. The search was not restricted by language or publication status. Randomised controlled trials, and controlled before-after studies of area-wide traffic calming schemes. Two reviewers independently extracted data on type of study, characteristics of intervention and control areas, and length of data collection periods. Before and after data were collected on the total number of road traffic crashes, all road user deaths and injuries, pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions and road user deaths. The statistical package STATA was used to calculate rate ratios for each study, which were then pooled to give an overall estimate using a random effects model. We found no randomised controlled trials, but 16 controlled before-after trials met our inclusion criteria. Seven studies were done in Germany, six in the UK, two in Australia and one in the Netherlands. There were no studies in low or middle income countries. Eight trials reported the number of road traffic crashes resulting in deaths. The pooled rate ratio was 0.63 (0.14, 2.59 95% CI). Sixteen studies reported the number

Integration of the White Sands Complex into a Wide Area Network

Science.gov (United States)

Boucher, Phillip Larry; Horan, Sheila, B.

1996-01-01

The NASA White Sands Complex (WSC) satellite communications facility consists of two main ground stations, an auxiliary ground station, a technical support facility, and a power plant building located on White Sands Missile Range. When constructed, terrestrial communication access to these facilities was limited to copper telephone circuits. There was no local or wide area communications network capability. This project incorporated a baseband local area network (LAN) topology at WSC and connected it to NASA's wide area network using the Program Support Communications Network-Internet (PSCN-I). A campus-style LAN is configured in conformance with the International Standards Organization (ISO) Open Systems Interconnect (ISO) model. Ethernet provides the physical and data link layers. Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) are used for the network and transport layers. The session, presentation, and application layers employ commercial software packages. Copper-based Ethernet collision domains are constructed in each of the primary facilities and these are interconnected by routers over optical fiber links. The network and each of its collision domains are shown to meet IEEE technical configuration guidelines. The optical fiber links are analyzed for the optical power budget and bandwidth allocation and are found to provide sufficient margin for this application. Personal computers and work stations attached to the LAN communicate with and apply a wide variety of local and remote administrative software tools. The Internet connection provides wide area network (WAN) electronic access to other NASA centers and the world wide web (WWW). The WSC network reduces and simplifies the administrative workload while providing enhanced and advanced inter-communications capabilities among White Sands Complex departments and with other NASA centers.

Finding Objects for Assisting Blind People.

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, Chucai; Flores, Roberto W; Chincha, Ricardo; Tian, Yingli

2013-07-01

Computer vision technology has been widely used for blind assistance, such as navigation and wayfinding. However, few camera-based systems are developed for helping blind or visually-impaired people to find daily necessities. In this paper, we propose a prototype system of blind-assistant object finding by camera-based network and matching-based recognition. We collect a dataset of daily necessities and apply Speeded-Up Robust Features (SURF) and Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) feature descriptors to perform object recognition. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our prototype system.

Development of Autonomous Magnetometer Rotorcraft For Wide Area Assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mark D. McKay; Matthew O. Anderson

2011-08-01

Large areas across the United States and internationally are potentially contaminated with unexploded ordinance (UXO), with some ranges encompassing tens to hundreds of thousands of acres. Technologies are needed which will allow for cost effective wide area scanning with (1) near 100% coverage and (2) near 100% detection of subsurface ordnance or features indicative of subsurface ordnance. The current approach to wide area assessment is a multi-level one, in which medium - altitude fixed wing optical imaging is used for an initial site assessment. This assessment is followed with low altitude manned helicopter based magnetometry. Subsequent to this wide area assessment targeted surface investigations are performed using either towed geophysical sensor arrays or man portable sensors. In order to be an effective tool for small UXO detection, the sensing altitude for magnetic site investigations needs to be on the order of 1 to 3 meters. These altitude requirements mean that manned helicopter surveys will generally only be feasible in large, open and relatively flat terrains. While such surveys are effective in mapping large areas relatively fast there are substantial mobilization/demobilization, staffing and equipment costs associated with these surveys, resulting in costs of approximately $100-$150/acre. In addition, due to the low altitude there are substantial risks to pilots and equipment. Surface towed arrays provide highresolution maps but have other limitations, e.g. in their ability to navigate rough terrain effectively. Thus there is a need for other systems, which can be used for effective data collection. An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) magnetometer platform is an obvious alternative. The motivation behind such a system is that it reduces risk to operators, is lower in initial and Operational and Maintenance (O&M) costs (and can thus potentially be applied to smaller sites) and has the potential of being more effective in terms of detection and possibly

MSAT wide-area fleet management: End-user requirements and applications

Science.gov (United States)

Pedersen, Allister

1995-01-01

MSAT (Mobile SATellite) Services will become a reality in North America in 1995. MSAT will provide wide-area voice, data and fax services to land, marine and aeronautical mobile users anywhere in North America including 200 nautical miles off the coasts and into the Arctic waters. MSAT will also convey GPS position information from mobiles to dispatch centers. One broad application of MSAT is Wide Area Fleet Management (WAFM). This paper defines WAFM, outlines end-user requirements and identifies potential applications of MSAT WAFM. The paper draws from information obtained in several preMSAT WAFM field trials in land, marine and aeronautical mobile environments. The paper concludes with an outline of the potential benefits of MSAT WAFM.

Prevalence and causes of blindness and visual impairment and their associated risk factors, in three tribal areas of Andhra Pradesh, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Nakul; Eeda, Shiva Shankar; Gudapati, Bala Krishna; Reddy, Srinivasa; Kanade, Pushkar; Shantha, Ghanshyam Palamaner Subash; Rani, Padmaja Kumari; Chakrabarti, Subhabrata; Khanna, Rohit C

2014-01-01

To assess the prevalence of blindness and visual impairment (VI), their associated causes and underlying risk factors in three tribal areas of Andhra Pradesh, India and compare this data in conjunction with data from other countries with low and middle income settings. Using a validated Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness methodology, a two stage sampling survey was performed in these areas involving probability proportionate to size sampling and compact segment sampling methods. Blindness, VI and severe visual impairment (SVI) were defined as per the WHO guidelines and Indian definitions. Based on a prior enumeration, 7281 (97.1%) subjects were enrolled (mean age = 61.0+/-7.9 years). Based on the presenting visual acuity (PVA), the prevalences of VI, SVI and blindness were 16.9% (95% CI: 15.7-18.1), 2.9% (95% CI: 2.5-3.4), and 2.3% (95% CI: 1.9-2.7), respectively. When based on the Pinhole corrected visual acuity (PCVA), the prevalences were lower in VI (6.2%, 95% CI: 5.4-6.9), SVI (1.5%, 95% CI: 1.2-1.9) and blindness (2.1%, 95% CI: 1.7-2.5). Refractive error was the major cause of VI (71.4%), whereas, cataract was the major cause of SVI and blindness (70.3%). Based on the PVA, the odds ratio (OR) of blindness increased in the age groups of 60-69 years (OR = 3.8, 95% CI: 2.8, 5.1), 70-79 years (OR = 10.6, 95% CI: 7.2, 15.5) and 80 years and above (OR = 30.7, 95% CI: 19.2, 49). The ORs were relatively higher in females (OR = 1.3, 95% CI: 1.0, 1.6) and illiterate subjects (OR = 4.3, 95% CI: 2.2, 8.5), but lower in those wearing glasses (OR = 0.2, 95% CI: 0.1, 0.4). This is perhaps the first study to assess the prevalence of blindness and VI in these tribal regions and the majority of the causes of blindness and SVI were avoidable (88.5%). These findings may be useful for planning eye care services in these underserved regions.

High-Performance Visible-Blind UV Phototransistors Based on n-Type Naphthalene Diimide Nanomaterials.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Inho; Lee, Seung-Chul; Shang, Xiaobo; Ahn, Jaeyong; Jung, Hoon-Joo; Jeong, Chan-Uk; Kim, Sang-Wook; Yoon, Woojin; Yun, Hoseop; Kwon, O-Pil; Oh, Joon Hak

2018-04-11

This study investigates the performance of single-crystalline nanomaterials of wide-band gap naphthalene diimide (NDI) derivatives with methylene-bridged aromatic side chains. Such materials are found to be easily used as high-performance, visible-blind near-UV light detectors. NDI single-crystalline nanoribbons are assembled using a simple solution-based process (without solvent-inclusion problems), which is then applied to organic phototransistors (OPTs). Such OPTs exhibit excellent n-channel transistor characteristics, including an average electron mobility of 1.7 cm 2 V -1 s -1 , sensitive UV detection properties with a detection limit of ∼1 μW cm -2 , millisecond-level responses, and detectivity as high as 10 15 Jones, demonstrating the highly sensitive organic visible-blind UV detectors. The high performance of our OPTs originates from the large face-to-face π-π stacking area between the NDI semiconducting cores, which is facilitated by methylene-bridged aromatic side chains. Interestingly, NDI-based nanoribbon OPTs exhibit a distinct visible-blind near-UV detection with an identical detection limit, even under intense visible light illumination (for example, 10 4 times higher intensity than UV light intensity). Our findings demonstrate that wide-band gap NDI-based nanomaterials are highly promising for developing high-performance visible-blind UV photodetectors. Such photodetectors could potentially be used for various applications including environmental and health-monitoring systems.

Prevalence and causes of blindness in an urban area of Paraguay

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernando Yaacov-Peña

2012-10-01

Full Text Available PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence and causes of blindness in Piribebuy, Paraguay. METHODS: A population based study was conducted from September to November 2007 in Piribebuy, Paraguay. Based on the city map, seven clusters were randomly selected, containing 22 to 36 squares (423 to 578 houses each, where all subjects > 40 years old who agreed to participate were included in the study. Presenting vision acuity (VA was obtained for each eye, with 'E' Snellen charts 6 meters far from the patient with appropriate light. Eyes with VA<20/60 were also tested with the pinhole. Objective and subjective refraction was performed, followed by examination of anterior segment under the slit-lamp, Goldmann applanation tonometry, and pupil dilatation with 0.5% tropicamide plus 0.5% phenylephrine, followed by evaluation of the posterior pole. Best corrected visual acuity was used to classify the patients as follows: blindness was defined as visual acuity of the better eye <20/400, low vision as 20/400 Blindness studies, in patients presenting more than one eye disease equally contributing to visual loss, only the most treatable or avoidable cause was recorded. RESULTS: 402 subjects received ophthalmological evaluation (92.2% of the original sample. Prevalence of blindness and low vision adjusted for gender and age was 1.0% (95% CI: 0.3-2.7 and 4.5% (95% CI: 2.8-7.1, respectively. Cataract was the only cause of blindness and the main cause of low vision (77.8% of the cases, followed by age-related macular degeneration (11.1%, pterygium (5.6% and bilateral macular scar (5.6%. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of blindness in Piribebuy was 1% and the main cause was cataract.

Field and long-term demonstration of a wide area quantum key distribution network.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shuang; Chen, Wei; Yin, Zhen-Qiang; Li, Hong-Wei; He, De-Yong; Li, Yu-Hu; Zhou, Zheng; Song, Xiao-Tian; Li, Fang-Yi; Wang, Dong; Chen, Hua; Han, Yun-Guang; Huang, Jing-Zheng; Guo, Jun-Fu; Hao, Peng-Lei; Li, Mo; Zhang, Chun-Mei; Liu, Dong; Liang, Wen-Ye; Miao, Chun-Hua; Wu, Ping; Guo, Guang-Can; Han, Zheng-Fu

2014-09-08

A wide area quantum key distribution (QKD) network deployed on communication infrastructures provided by China Mobile Ltd. is demonstrated. Three cities and two metropolitan area QKD networks were linked up to form the Hefei-Chaohu-Wuhu wide area QKD network with over 150 kilometers coverage area, in which Hefei metropolitan area QKD network was a typical full-mesh core network to offer all-to-all interconnections, and Wuhu metropolitan area QKD network was a representative quantum access network with point-to-multipoint configuration. The whole wide area QKD network ran for more than 5000 hours, from 21 December 2011 to 19 July 2012, and part of the network stopped until last December. To adapt to the complex and volatile field environment, the Faraday-Michelson QKD system with several stability measures was adopted when we designed QKD devices. Through standardized design of QKD devices, resolution of symmetry problem of QKD devices, and seamless switching in dynamic QKD network, we realized the effective integration between point-to-point QKD techniques and networking schemes.

High-Speed Optical Wide-Area Data-Communication Network

Science.gov (United States)

Monacos, Steve P.

1994-01-01

Proposed fiber-optic wide-area network (WAN) for digital communication balances input and output flows of data with its internal capacity by routing traffic via dynamically interconnected routing planes. Data transmitted optically through network by wavelength-division multiplexing in synchronous or asynchronous packets. WAN implemented with currently available technology. Network is multiple-ring cyclic shuffle exchange network ensuring traffic reaches its destination with minimum number of hops.

Wide-area-distributed storage system for a multimedia database

Science.gov (United States)

Ueno, Masahiro; Kinoshita, Shigechika; Kuriki, Makato; Murata, Setsuko; Iwatsu, Shigetaro

1998-12-01

We have developed a wide-area-distribution storage system for multimedia databases, which minimizes the possibility of simultaneous failure of multiple disks in the event of a major disaster. It features a RAID system, whose member disks are spatially distributed over a wide area. Each node has a device, which includes the controller of the RAID and the controller of the member disks controlled by other nodes. The devices in the node are connected to a computer, using fiber optic cables and communicate using fiber-channel technology. Any computer at a node can utilize multiple devices connected by optical fibers as a single 'virtual disk.' The advantage of this system structure is that devices and fiber optic cables are shared by the computers. In this report, we first described our proposed system, and a prototype was used for testing. We then discussed its performance; i.e., how to read and write throughputs are affected by data-access delay, the RAID level, and queuing.

Design of Weighted Wide Area Damping Controller (WWADC Based PSS for Damping Inter-Area Low Frequency Oscillations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saleh M. Bamasak

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Wide Area Measurement System (WAMS can extend and effectively improve the power system stabilizers (PSS capability in damping the inter-area low frequency oscillations in interconnected bulk power systems. This paper proposes the implementation of Weighted Wide Area Damping Controller (WWADC in which weighted factors are introduced for each remote feedback signals. Modal analysis approach is implemented for the purpose of identifying the optimal location as well as the input signals’ optimal combination of WWADC. Based on the linearized model, Differential Evolution (DE algorithm is applied to search for optimal controller parameters and optimal weighted factors. The successful application of the proposed approach is achieved in two power networks; the two-area 4-machine system and the IEEE-39 bus 10-machine system. The analysis of the eigenvalue and non-linear time domain simulations indicate that damping the inter-area oscillations and improving the system stability irrespective of the severity and the location of the disturbances can be effectively achieved by WADC

Demonstration of Airborne Wide Area Assessment Technologies at the Toussaint River, Ohio

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Foley, Jack; Wright, David

2007-01-01

...) technology, a wide area assessment technology, to assist in the characterization of the shore and shallow areas in and around the Toussaint River relative to munitions contamination from historical...

Multiagents-based wide area protection with best-effort adaptive strategy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhu, Yongli; Wang, Dewen [North China Electric Power University, Baoding (China); Song, Shaoqun [Fuzhou Electric Power Industry Bureau, Fujian Province (China)

2009-02-15

Abstract - Multi-trips of circuit breakers often occur within a short period in a severe blackout, and the tripping usually relates to relays' mal-operations. In fact, when two ore more electric primary devices are isolated by circuit breakers, the settings of most relays to protect their power system are getting infeasible and uncoordinated. Adaptive settings are needed to prevent them from wrong operation. This paper presents an adaptive protection scheme based on wide area information with best-effort protection strategy, and the outline of multiagents and WAN Based Adaptive Protection System (MAWAPS). In the scheme, the best-effort adaptive strategy is used to guarantee the adaptive settings to operate safely and effectively in most situations. The IP/SDH-based wide area network (WAN) is used to realize real-time wide area information exchange in the proposed protection scheme. Adaptive setting algorithms for the second stage zero-sequence current and phase overcurrent relays are proposed, which can provide larger line coverage than traditional relays. Moreover, multiagent techniques and IEC 61850 are employed to realize the fast communication between different agents, and MMS plays a prominent role in real-time remote communication. A simulating system has been developed according to the above ideas and approaches, and the experimental results show that the proposed adaptive protection scheme is feasible from the view of protective performance including the executing time. (author)

Area-wide integrated pest management and the sterile insect technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klassen, W.

2005-01-01

Area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) focuses on the preventive management of pest populations throughout the ecosystem. It seeks to treat all habitats of the pest population so that none produces migrants to re-establish significant infestations in areas of concern. In contrast, the conventional strategy focuses narrowly on defending the valued entity (crop, livestock, people, buildings, etc.) from direct attack by pests. AW-IPM requires multiyear planning, and an organization dedicated exclusively to its implementation, whereas conventional pest management involves minimal forward planning, tends to be reactive, and is implemented independently by individual producers, businesses, or households. AW-IPM tends to utilize advanced technologies, whereas the conventional strategy tends to rely on traditional tactics and tools. The sterile insect technique (SIT) is a species-specific form of birth control imposed on the pest population. It is a powerful tool for 'mopping up' sparse pest populations, and is most efficient when applied as a tactic in a system deployed on an area-wide basis. On environmental, economic and biological grounds, the case for the SIT is compelling. (author)

Economics of area-wide sit control programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Enkerlin, Walther

2003-01-01

The economic feasibility of using the sterile insect technique (SIT) to control certain key insect pests has been demonstrated clearly. The successful implementation of a number of area-wide and large-scale SIT programs has produced substantial economic benefits for the beneficiaries of the technology. The economic advantages of this technology will become more evident as indirect benefits of SIT application are incorporated into total program benefit estimates. Awareness of the technical and economic advantages of the SIT, and market forces favoring the use of environmentally clean pest control methods, will encourage private investment in this technology. (author)

Psychological and social adjustment to blindness: understanding from two groups of blind people in Ilorin, Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Tunde-Ayinmode, Mosunmola F; Akande, Tanimola M; Ademola-Popoola, Dupe S

2011-01-01

Blindness can cause psychosocial distress leading to maladjustment if not mitigated. Maladjustment is a secondary burden that further reduces quality of life of the blind. Adjustment is often personalized and depends on nature and quality of prevailing psychosocial support and rehabilitation opportunities. This study was aimed at identifying the pattern of psychosocial adjustment in a group of relatively secluded and under-reached totally blind people in Ilorin, thus sensitizing eye doctors to psychosocial morbidity and care in the blind. A cross-sectional descriptive study using 20-item Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ) and a pro forma designed by the authors to assess the psychosocial problems and risk factors in some blind people in Ilorin metropolis. The study revealed that most of the blind people were reasonably adjusted in key areas of social interaction, marriage, and family. Majority were considered to be poorly adjusted in the areas of education, vocational training, employment, and mobility. Many were also considered to be psychologically maladjusted based on the high rate of probable psychological disorder of 51%, as determined by SRQ. Factors identified as risk factors of probable psychological disorder were poor educational background and the presence of another medical disorder. Most of the blind had no access to formal education or rehabilitation system, which may have contributed to their maladjustment in the domains identified. Although their prevailing psychosocial situation would have been better prevented yet, real opportunity still exists to help this group of people in the area of social and physical rehabilitation, meeting medical needs, preventive psychiatry, preventive ophthalmology, and community health. This will require the joint efforts of medical community, government and nongovernment organizations to provide the framework for delivery of these services directly to the communities.

Damping of Inter-Area Low Frequency Oscillation Using an Adaptive Wide-Area Damping Controller

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yao, Wei; Jiang, L.; Fang, Jiakun

2013-01-01

This paper presents an adaptive wide-area damping controller (WADC) based on generalized predictive control (GPC) and model identification for damping the inter-area low frequency oscillations in large-scale inter-connected power system. A recursive least-squares algorithm (RLSA) with a varying...... forgetting factor is applied to identify online the reduced-order linearlized model which contains dominant inter-area low frequency oscillations. Based on this linearlized model, the generalized predictive control scheme considering control output constraints is employed to obtain the optimal control signal...... conditions and different disturbances, but also has better robustness against to the time delay existing in the remote signals. The comparison studies with the conventional lead-lag WADC are also provided....

Area-wide integrated pest management of fruit flies in the Asia-Pacific region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allwood, Allan; Vueti, Ema Tora

2003-01-01

Fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) are recognised as one of the most important pests of fruits and vegetables. The importance of an Integrated Pest Management approach to fruit fly suppression or eradication has been emphasized over the past 30 years. Integrated Pest Management has, in some instance, a narrow focus on the crop or the orchard or farm, but not adopting an area-wide approach, where much of the activity may be outside the crop or production unit. All of the techniques used to manage fruit flies at the on-farm level may be used on an area-wide basis, preferably in combination to maximise the impact of each technique. There are some techniques, which are better suited to the area-wide approach, but can be used on-farm as well. Techniques include physical control (e.g., bagging), cultural control (e.g., production when fly numbers are low, resistant varieties, crop hygiene, early harvesting, growing refuge crops), biological control, behavioral control (e.g., protein bait spray application technique and male annihilation technique), sterile insect technique, and chemical control. In adopting an area-wide approach, very effective collaboration between many stakeholders is essential. (author)

Wide area continuous offender monitoring

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoshen, J. [Lucent Technologies (United States); Drake, G. [New Mexico Dept. of Corrections, Santa Fe, NM (United States); Spencer, D. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

1996-11-01

The corrections system in the U.S. is supervising over five million offenders. This number is rising fast and so are the direct and indirect costs to society. To improve supervision and reduce the cost of parole and probation, first generation home arrest systems were introduced in 1987. While these systems proved to be helpful to the corrections system, their scope is rather limited because they only cover an offender at a single location and provide only a partial time coverage. To correct the limitations of first-generation systems, second-generation wide area continuous electronic offender monitoring systems, designed to monitor the offender at all times and locations, are now on the drawing board. These systems use radio frequency location technology to track the position of offenders. The challenge for this technology is the development of reliable personal locator devices that are small, lightweight, with long operational battery life, and indoors/outdoors accuracy of 100 meters or less. At the center of a second-generation system is a database that specifies the offender`s home, workplace, commute, and time the offender should be found in each. The database could also define areas from which the offender is excluded. To test compliance, the system would compare the observed coordinates of the offender with the stored location for a given time interval. Database logfiles will also enable law enforcement to determine if a monitored offender was present at a crime scene and thus include or exclude the offender as a potential suspect.

The Evolving Wide Area Network Infrastructure in the LHC era

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2004-01-01

The global network is more than ever taking its role as the great "enabler" for many branches of science and research. Foremost amongst such science drivers is of course the LHC/LCG programme, although there are several other sectors with growing demands of the network. Common to all of these is the realisation that a straightforward over provisioned best efforts wide area IP service is probably not enough for the future. This talk will summarise the needs of several science sectors, and the advances being made to exploit the current best efforts infrastructure. It will then describe current projects aimed as provisioning "better than best efforts" services (such bandwidth on demand), the global optical R&D testbeds and the strategy of the research network providers to move towards hybrid multi-service networks for the next generation of the global wide area production network.

Area-wide integration of lepidopteran F1 sterility and augmentative biological control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carpenter, James E.

2000-01-01

Area-wide pest management (APM) and integrated pest management (IPM) originated from two different efforts to combine two or more control techniques into programmes in which each method could synergise the effectiveness of others and thus create a level of pest control that was greater than that of a single technique (Perkins 1982). Since then, the concept of APM has evolved to include many aspects of IPM and often is now referred to as area-wide IPM. Still, the element of total population management is central to this approach of insect pest management. In support of APM, Knipling (1998) stated that of the insect pests that were of major concern to agriculture before the newer classes of insecticides were available, most are still pests today, the major exceptions being the screw-worm fly and the boll weevil in the southeastern US cotton growing region. Knipling also noted that both of these pest species were subjected to area-wide suppression programmes. In response to the USDA IPM Initiative (USDA 1993, 1994) which seeks to achieve the national goal of having 75% of the crop acres under IPM by the year 2000, the Agricultural Research Service developed an Area-wide IPM Programme. This programme combines environmentally-sound pest control techniques with the advantages of APM and develops partnerships with other federal, state, local and private sector entities. Technologies such as the integration of lepidopteran F 1 sterility and augmentative biological control may be considered for future programmes

Blindness and cataract in children in developing countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parikshit Gogate

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Blindness in children is considered a priority area for VISION 2020, as visually impaired children have a lifetime of blindness ahead of them. Various studies across the globe show that one-third to half of childhood blindness is either preventable or treatable1 and that cataract is the leading treatable cause of blindness in children.The 8th General Assembly of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB provided an opportunity to be acquainted with recent research and programme development work in the prevention of childhood blindness.

Interim Consequence Management Guidance for a Wide-Area Biological Attack

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Raber, Ellen [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Kirvel, Robert [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); MacQueen, Don [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Love, Adam [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Dombroski, Matthew [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); McGrann, Thomas [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Richards, John [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Melius, Carl [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Bunt, Thomas [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Hibbard, Wilthea [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Greenwalt, Robert [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Miles, Robin [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Dillon, Michael [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Mancieri, Sav [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Harris, Steve [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Michalik, Richard [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Wheeler, Richard [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Hoppes, Bill [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Tucker, Mark [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Krauter, Paula [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Knowlton, Robert [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Yang, Lynn [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Franco, Dave [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Einfeld, Wayne [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Brockman, John [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Betty, Rita [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2011-05-17

The Interagency Biological Restoration Demonstration (IBRD) program is a collaborative, interagency effort co-chaired by the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense aimed at improving the nation‘s ability to respond to and recover from a large-scale, wide-area, domestic attack involving the release of an environmentally persistent biological warfare agent. The program is focused on understanding interactions between the civilian and military sectors, and in building mutual support to carry out such remediations. This Interim Consequence Management Guidance document provides guidance for decisionmakers in executing activities required to respond to and recover from a biological incident affecting a wide urban area insofar as information is currently available. The spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis is discussed as the biological agent of primary concern because it is the most difficult of known bioterrorism agents to inactivate and is considered to be one of the key threat agents. Most other biological threat agents are much easier to remediate, and in many cases, inactivation would occur naturally within days as a result of environmental exposure; however, the framework and operational questions that need to be addressed are expected to remain the same. The guidance in this document is applicable to (1) enclosed facilities, such as commercial, residential, and continental U.S. military facilities; (2) semi-enclosed facilities, such as subways and public transit facilities; (3) outdoor areas (both localized and wide area), such as building exteriors, streets, parks, and other open spaces; (4) drinking water facilities; and (5) drinking water sources. This document follows an interagency framework [Planning Guidance for Recovery Following Biological Incidents (DHS and EPA 2009)]—which considered Raber et al. (2002) in its development—but takes the framework to a more operational level and provides guidance at key action and decision

Wide-area service water information management system; Koiki suido joho kanri system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-01-10

A wide-area service water system is required to be more resistant to emergency situations, e.g., drought and hazards, and meet consumers' diversifying needs in each area, while stably supplying water at ordinary times by utilizing purification plants located in places within its system and piping networks in the water area. Fuji Electric is providing information management systems for wide-area service water systems, developed based on the company's abundant system know-hows accumulated for a long time and latest techniques. They are characterized by (1) Web monitoring, aided by an intranet system, (2) high-speed data transmission by a digital transmission system, (3) open network environments, and (4) emergency calling of the staff, and management of stock materials. The system allows to monitor operating conditions within the area on real time, needless to say, and business administration with civil minimum taken into consideration, e.g., stabilizing water quality by coordinating the purification plants within the system. (translated by NEDO)

Analysis of area-wide management of insect pests based on sampling

Science.gov (United States)

David W. Onstad; Mark S. Sisterson

2011-01-01

The control of invasive species greatly depends on area-wide pest management (AWPM) in heterogeneous landscapes. Decisions about when and where to treat a population with pesticide are based on sampling pest abundance. One of the challenges of AWPM is sampling large areas with limited funds to cover the cost of sampling. Additionally, AWPM programs are often confronted...

Area-wide pest management of fruit flies in Hawaiian fruits and vegetables

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vargas, Roger I.; Jang, Eric B.; Klungness, L. Michael

2003-01-01

Four economically important fruit flies have been accidentally introduced into Hawaii: melon fly, Mediterranean fruit fly, oriental fruit fly, and the so-called Malaysian (solanaceous) fruit fly. Over 400 different host fruits are attacked. These fruit flies inhibit development of a diversified tropical fruit and vegetable industry, require that commercial fruits undergo quarantine treatment prior to export, and in Hawaii provide a breeding reservoir for their introduction into the continental United States. These exotic pests a serious threat of establishment into new areas with movement of people and commodities throughout the U.S. and the world. For example, if the Mediterranean fruit fly became established in California, projected losses would exceed $1 billion per year due to trade embargoes, loss of jobs, increased pesticide use, and direct crop loss. Present fruit fly control measures in Hawaii relay heavily on the application of organophosphate and carbamate insecticides to crops. Overuse of these insecticides has been implicated with secondary pest outbreaks, negative effects on beneficial insects, environmental contamination and adverse effects on human health. In 1999 a 5 year Area-wide Pest Management (AWPM) program was funded (for FY2000) for management of fruit flies in Hawaii. The goal of the Fruit Fly AWPM program is to develop and integrate biologically based pest management approaches that will result in area-wide suppression and control of fruit flies throughout selected agricultural areas of Hawaii. The IPM program will integrate two or more technologies into a comprehensive package that is economically viable, environmentally acceptable and sustainable. The program will result in a reduction in the use of organophosphate insecticides, and further growth and development of diversified agriculture in Hawaii. The technologies include: 1) field sanitation, 2) protein bait sprays and/or traps, 3) male annihilation with male lures and attractants, 4

On imitation among young and blind children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Rita Campello Rodrigues

2016-07-01

Full Text Available This article investigates the imitation among young and blind children. The survey was conducted as a mosaic in the time since the field considerations were taken from two areas: a professional experience with early stimulation of blind babies and a workshop with blind and low vision young between 13-18 years. By statingthe situated trace of knowledge, theresearch indicates that imitation among blind young people can be one of the ways of creating a common world among young blind and sighted people. Imitation among blind young is a multi-sensory process that requires a body experience, including both blind and people who see. The paper concludes with an indication of the unique character of imitation and at the same time, with the affirmation of its relevance to the development and inclusion process of both the child and the young blind.

MAP Fault Localization Based on Wide Area Synchronous Phasor Measurement Information

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yagang; Wang, Zengping

2015-02-01

In the research of complicated electrical engineering, the emergence of phasor measurement units (PMU) is a landmark event. The establishment and application of wide area measurement system (WAMS) in power system has made widespread and profound influence on the safe and stable operation of complicated power system. In this paper, taking full advantage of wide area synchronous phasor measurement information provided by PMUs, we have carried out precise fault localization based on the principles of maximum posteriori probability (MAP). Large numbers of simulation experiments have confirmed that the results of MAP fault localization are accurate and reliable. Even if there are interferences from white Gaussian stochastic noise, the results from MAP classification are also identical to the actual real situation.

Optimal Control of Sensor Threshold for Autonomous Wide Area Search Munitions

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Kish, Brian A; Jacques, David R; Pachter, Meir

2005-01-01

The optimal employment of autonomous wide area search munitions is addressed. The scenario considered involves an airborne munition searching a battle space for stationary targets in the presence of false targets...

A Smart Infrared Microcontroller-Based Blind Guidance System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amjed S. Al-Fahoum

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Blindness is a state of lacking the visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors. The partial blindness represents the lack of integration in the growth of the optic nerve or visual centre of the eye, and total blindness is the full absence of the visual light perception. In this work, a simple, cheap, friendly user, smart blind guidance system is designed and implemented to improve the mobility of both blind and visually impaired people in a specific area. The proposed work includes a wearable equipment consists of head hat and mini hand stick to help the blind person to navigate alone safely and to avoid any obstacles that may be encountered, whether fixed or mobile, to prevent any possible accident. The main component of this system is the infrared sensor which is used to scan a predetermined area around blind by emitting-reflecting waves. The reflected signals received from the barrier objects are used as inputs to PIC microcontroller. The microcontroller is then used to determine the direction and distance of the objects around the blind. It also controls the peripheral components that alert the user about obstacle's shape, material, and direction. The implemented system is cheap, fast, and easy to use and an innovative affordable solution to blind and visually impaired people in third world countries.

Summary of the Seattle Urban Area Consequence Management Guidance for a Wide-Area Biological Attack

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kirvel, R

2010-09-13

A terrorist attack involving a release of biological warfare agent in the Seattle urban area would require decision-makers to make a host of important, and sometimes untested, choices concerning how best to respond and recover. This technical supplement supports the Puget Sound Regional Biological Attack Recovery Plan Annex to the Regional Catastrophic Plan, which structures the region’s response and recovery approach, by providing technical details on how to conduct a biological remediation. More specifically, the technical supplement identifies the principal issues that must be addressed following a wide-area release of aerosolized Bacillus anthracis (B. anthracis) spores; explains the resources that are available to address the release; sets forth strategies to reduce the time required for consequence management; and focuses on remediation options, procedures, and tools that can be implemented today should such an incident occur. The content is intended to be used with the Interim Consequence Management Guidance for a Wide-Area Biological Attack (LLNL 2009). A second and related purpose of this technical supplement is to serve as a detailed guide for other geographical regions interested in formulating their own consequence management plans. This technical supplement is funded by, and was developed as part of, the Interagency Biological Restoration Demonstration (IBRD) program—a collaborative effort among Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, and numerous other Federal, state, and local agencies—to improve the nation’s ability to respond to and recover from a wide-area biological incident. Content of the technical supplement follows the six-phase diagram for responding to and recovering from a biological contamination incident (see Figure 1 on the next page), which represents a consensus scheme developed after multi-agency review and approval. Whereas the focus of the document is on remediation/cleanup activities, the topics of response

Corn rootworm area-wide management across the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chandler, Laurence D.; Coppedge, James R.; Richard Edwards, C.; Tollefson, Jon J.; Wilde, Gerald E.

2000-01-01

The western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, northern corn rootworm, D. barberi Smith and Lawrence, and Mexican corn rootworm, D. virgifera zeae Krysan and Smith are among the most economically and environmentally important pests of United States maize (Zea mays L.) production systems (Metcalf 1986). Annually, 8 to 10 million hectares of maize are treated with soil applied insecticides to protect the crop from larval feeding damage. Crop rotation, however, is also widely used to minimise the need for soil insecticide applications. Insecticides for adult rootworm management are also frequently used. Numerous problems are currently associated with corn rootworm management approaches. Soil insecticides are normally used to protect maize roots from larval feeding damage. However, they are ineffective in controlling the management of corn rootworm populations (Gray et al. 1992, Sutter et al. 1991). It is not uncommon for large numbers of rootworms to develop within treated fields. Thus, when maize is grown in the same field year after year (continuous cropping), soil insecticide applications must be used to protect the plant. These applications are generally made without knowledge (prophylactic) of the rootworm population levels within the field due to the difficulty of sampling for immature life stages. Western corn rootworm resistance to chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides has been extensively documented (Ball and Weekman 1962). Recently, two distinct populations of western corn rootworms in Nebraska were found to be resistant to carbaryl and methyl parathion which are commonly used for adult control (Meinke et al. 1998). Although the occurrence of resistance has not spread outside of these areas, the potential for increased tolerance of western corn rootworm populations to carbamate and organophosphate insecticides across the region does exist. In response to many of the management problems discussed above, scientists with the USDA Agricultural

Summary of the 2012 Wide Area Recovery and Resiliency Program (WARRP) Waste Management Workshop

Science.gov (United States)

Workshop advanced the planning of federal, state and local officials in the area of waste management following a chemical, biological or radiological wide-area incident in the Denver, Colorado urban area.

Wide area monitoring study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wogman, N.A.; Holdren, G.R. Jr.

1999-01-01

Environmental sampling can be used to complement the safeguarding of nuclear material, especially in the detection of undeclared nuclear activities. Routine monitoring of nuclear installations has provided valuable information about the fate of key signature materials within different environmental settings. The approach collates information regarding the generation of individual radiochemical signatures within different nuclear processes, the potential for release of these signatures to the environment and, the chemical form and mobility of the signatures in environmental media along which the material could migrate. Meteorological, geological and hydrological information is used to determine where to sample, what to sample, and how often to sample to provide the greatest likelihood for detection. Multiple strategies can be used to implement wide area monitoring for safeguards purposes. The most complex, and expensive of these, involves establishing extensive networks of fixed location sampling sites. The sites would be operated continuously, and would be instrumented with automated sampling, analysis, and communication equipment to relay information regarding potential anomalies to control centers in near-real time. Alternative strategies can be used to supplement fixed location monitoring equipment, especially in regions that cannot support (financially or logistically) the fixed stations. Through combinations of these various strategies, using a variety of environmental media to monitor a region, we believe that a competent network, one with a quantifiable probability for detecting undeclared nuclear activities, can be designed. While this approach cannot and should not replace other inspection and monitoring activities, it can potentially contribute valuable information to an international safeguards system. (author)

Designing for Wide-Area Situation Awareness in Future Power Grid Operations

Science.gov (United States)

Tran, Fiona F.

Power grid operation uncertainty and complexity continue to increase with the rise of electricity market deregulation, renewable generation, and interconnectedness between multiple jurisdictions. Human operators need appropriate wide-area visualizations to help them monitor system status to ensure reliable operation of the interconnected power grid. We observed transmission operations at a control centre, conducted critical incident interviews, and led focus group sessions with operators. The results informed a Work Domain Analysis of power grid operations, which in turn informed an Ecological Interface Design concept for wide-area monitoring. I validated design concepts through tabletop discussions and a usability evaluation with operators, earning a mean System Usability Scale score of 77 out of 90. The design concepts aim to support an operator's complete and accurate understanding of the power grid state, which operators increasingly require due to the critical nature of power grid infrastructure and growing sources of system uncertainty.

Ten years left to eliminate blinding trachoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haddad D.

2010-09-01

Full Text Available n 1997, the World Health Organization formed the Global Alliance to Eliminate Blinding Trachoma by 2020 (GET 2020, a coalition of governmental, non-governmental, research, and pharmaceutical partners. In 1998, the World Health Assembly urged member states to map blinding trachoma in endemic areas, implement the SAFE strategy (which stands for surgery for trichiasis, antibiotics, facial-cleanliness and environmental change, such as clean water and latrines and collaborate with the global alliance in its work to eliminate blinding trachoma.

A Weak Quantum Blind Signature with Entanglement Permutation

Science.gov (United States)

Lou, Xiaoping; Chen, Zhigang; Guo, Ying

2015-09-01

Motivated by the permutation encryption algorithm, a weak quantum blind signature (QBS) scheme is proposed. It involves three participants, including the sender Alice, the signatory Bob and the trusted entity Charlie, in four phases, i.e., initializing phase, blinding phase, signing phase and verifying phase. In a small-scale quantum computation network, Alice blinds the message based on a quantum entanglement permutation encryption algorithm that embraces the chaotic position string. Bob signs the blinded message with private parameters shared beforehand while Charlie verifies the signature's validity and recovers the original message. Analysis shows that the proposed scheme achieves the secure blindness for the signer and traceability for the message owner with the aid of the authentic arbitrator who plays a crucial role when a dispute arises. In addition, the signature can neither be forged nor disavowed by the malicious attackers. It has a wide application to E-voting and E-payment system, etc.

Prevalence and causes of corneal blindness.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Haijing; Zhang, Yaoguang; Li, Zhijian; Wang, Tiebin; Liu, Ping

2014-04-01

The study aimed to assess the prevalence and causes of corneal blindness in a rural northern Chinese population. Cross-sectional study. The cluster random sampling method was used to select the sample. This population-based study included 11 787 participants of all ages in rural Heilongjiang Province, China. These participants underwent a detailed interview and eye examination that included the measurement of visual acuity, slit-lamp biomicroscopy and direct ophthalmoscopy. An eye was considered to have corneal blindness if the visual acuity was blindness and low vision. Among the 10 384 people enrolled in the study, the prevalence of corneal blindness is 0.3% (95% confidence interval 0.2-0.4%). The leading cause was keratitis in childhood (40.0%), followed by ocular trauma (33.3%) and keratitis in adulthood (20.0%). Age and illiteracy were found to be associated with an increased prevalence of corneal blindness. Blindness because of corneal diseases in rural areas of Northern China is a significant public health problem that needs to be given more attention. © 2013 Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists.

Blind MuseumTourer: A System for Self-Guided Tours in Museums and Blind Indoor Navigation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Apostolos Meliones

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Notably valuable efforts have focused on helping people with special needs. In this work, we build upon the experience from the BlindHelper smartphone outdoor pedestrian navigation app and present Blind MuseumTourer, a system for indoor interactive autonomous navigation for blind and visually impaired persons and groups (e.g., pupils, which has primarily addressed blind or visually impaired (BVI accessibility and self-guided tours in museums. A pilot prototype has been developed and is currently under evaluation at the Tactual Museum with the collaboration of the Lighthouse for the Blind of Greece. This paper describes the functionality of the application and evaluates candidate indoor location determination technologies, such as wireless local area network (WLAN and surface-mounted assistive tactile route indications combined with Bluetooth low energy (BLE beacons and inertial dead-reckoning functionality, to come up with a reliable and highly accurate indoor positioning system adopting the latter solution. The developed concepts, including map matching, a key concept for indoor navigation, apply in a similar way to other indoor guidance use cases involving complex indoor places, such as in hospitals, shopping malls, airports, train stations, public and municipality buildings, office buildings, university buildings, hotel resorts, passenger ships, etc. The presented Android application is effectively a Blind IndoorGuide system for accurate and reliable blind indoor navigation.

Crossmodal recruitment of the ventral visual stream in congenital blindness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ptito, Maurice; Matteau, Isabelle; Zhi Wang, Arthur

2012-01-01

We used functional MRI (fMRI) to test the hypothesis that blind subjects recruit the ventral visual stream during nonhaptic tactile-form recognition. Congenitally blind and blindfolded sighted control subjects were scanned after they had been trained during four consecutive days to perform......, inferotemporal (IT), cortex, lateral occipital tactile vision area (LOtv), and fusiform gyrus. Control subjects activated area LOtv and precuneus but not cuneus, IT and fusiform gyrus. These results indicate that congenitally blind subjects recruit key regions in the ventral visual pathway during nonhaptic...

Development of autonomous magnetometer rotorcraft for wide area assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roelof Versteeg; Matt Anderson; Les Beard; Eric Corban; Darryl Curley; Jeff Gamey; Ross Johnson; Dwight Junkin; Mark McKay; Jared Salzmann; Mikhail Tchernychev; Suraj Unnikrishnan; Scott Vinson

2010-04-01

Large areas across the United States are potentially contaminated with UXO, with some ranges encompassing tens to hundreds of thousands of acres. Technologies are needed which will allow for cost effective wide area scanning with 1) near 100 % coverage and 2) near 100 % detection of subsurface ordnance or features indicative of subsurface ordnance. The current approach to wide area assessment is a multi-level one, in which medium - altitude fixed wing optical imaging is used for an initial site assessment. This assessment is followed with low altitude manned helicopter based magnetometry. Subsequent to this wide area assessment targeted surface investigations are performed using either towed geophysical sensor arrays or man portable sensors. In order to be an effective tool for small UXO detection, the sensing altitude for magnetic site investigations needs to be on the order of 1 – 3 meters. These altitude requirements mean that manned helicopter surveys will generally only be feasible in large, open and relatively flat terrains. While such surveys are effective in mapping large areas relatively fast there are substantial mobilization/demobilization, staffing and equipment costs associated with these surveys (resulting in costs of approximately $100-$150/acre). In addition, due to the low altitude there are substantial risks to pilots and equipment. Surface towed arrays provide high resolution maps but have other limitations, e.g. in their ability to navigate rough terrain effectively. There is thus a need for other systems which can be used for effective data collection. An UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) magnetometer platform is an obvious alternative. The motivation behind such a system is that it reduces risk to operators, is lower in initial and Operational and Maintenance (O&M) costs (and can thus potentially be applied to smaller sites) and has the potential of being more effective in terms of detection and possibly characterization (through the use of

Accuracy of deep learning, a machine-learning technology, using ultra-wide-field fundus ophthalmoscopy for detecting rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohsugi, Hideharu; Tabuchi, Hitoshi; Enno, Hiroki; Ishitobi, Naofumi

2017-08-25

Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) is a serious condition that can lead to blindness; however, it is highly treatable with timely and appropriate treatment. Thus, early diagnosis and treatment of RRD is crucial. In this study, we applied deep learning, a machine-learning technology, to detect RRD using ultra-wide-field fundus images and investigated its performance. In total, 411 images (329 for training and 82 for grading) from 407 RRD patients and 420 images (336 for training and 84 for grading) from 238 non-RRD patients were used in this study. The deep learning model demonstrated a high sensitivity of 97.6% [95% confidence interval (CI), 94.2-100%] and a high specificity of 96.5% (95% CI, 90.2-100%), and the area under the curve was 0.988 (95% CI, 0.981-0.995). This model can improve medical care in remote areas where eye clinics are not available by using ultra-wide-field fundus ophthalmoscopy for the accurate diagnosis of RRD. Early diagnosis of RRD can prevent blindness.

Emerging Technologies and Techniques for Wide Area Radiological Survey and Remediation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sutton, M. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Zhao, P. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2016-03-24

Technologies to survey and decontaminate wide-area contamination and process the subsequent radioactive waste have been developed and implemented following the Chernobyl nuclear power plant release and the breach of a radiological source resulting in contamination in Goiania, Brazil. These civilian examples of radioactive material releases provided some of the first examples of urban radiological remediation. Many emerging technologies have recently been developed and demonstrated in Japan following the release of radioactive cesium isotopes (Cs-134 and Cs-137) from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in 2011. Information on technologies reported by several Japanese government agencies, such as the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) and the National Institute for Environmental Science (NIES), together with academic institutions and industry are summarized and compared to recently developed, deployed and available technologies in the United States. The technologies and techniques presented in this report may be deployed in response to a wide area contamination event in the United States. In some cases, additional research and testing is needed to adequately validate the technology effectiveness over wide areas. Survey techniques can be deployed on the ground or from the air, allowing a range of coverage rates and sensitivities. Survey technologies also include those useful in measuring decontamination progress and mapping contamination. Decontamination technologies and techniques range from non-destructive (e.g., high pressure washing) and minimally destructive (plowing), to fully destructive (surface removal or demolition). Waste minimization techniques can greatly impact the long-term environmental consequences and cost following remediation efforts. Recommendations on technical improvements to address technology gaps are presented together with observations on remediation in Japan.

Crossmodal Recruitment of the Ventral Visual Stream in Congenital Blindness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maurice Ptito

2012-01-01

Full Text Available We used functional MRI (fMRI to test the hypothesis that blind subjects recruit the ventral visual stream during nonhaptic tactile-form recognition. Congenitally blind and blindfolded sighted control subjects were scanned after they had been trained during four consecutive days to perform a tactile-form recognition task with the tongue display unit (TDU. Both groups learned the task at the same rate. In line with our hypothesis, the fMRI data showed that during nonhaptic shape recognition, blind subjects activated large portions of the ventral visual stream, including the cuneus, precuneus, inferotemporal (IT, cortex, lateral occipital tactile vision area (LOtv, and fusiform gyrus. Control subjects activated area LOtv and precuneus but not cuneus, IT and fusiform gyrus. These results indicate that congenitally blind subjects recruit key regions in the ventral visual pathway during nonhaptic tactile shape discrimination. The activation of LOtv by nonhaptic tactile shape processing in blind and sighted subjects adds further support to the notion that this area subserves an abstract or supramodal representation of shape. Together with our previous findings, our data suggest that the segregation of the efferent projections of the primary visual cortex into a dorsal and ventral visual stream is preserved in individuals blind from birth.

Wide Area Coordinated Control of Multi-FACTS Devices to Damp Power System Oscillations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shiyun Xu

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Aiming at damping the inter-area oscillations of power systems, the present study proposes a wide-area decentralized coordinated control framework, where the upper-level controller is designed to coordinate the lower-level multiple FACTS devices. Based on the polytopic differential inclusion method, the derived controller adopts a decentralized structure and it is guaranteed to be robust to meet the demand of operation under multiple operating conditions. Since time delay of wide area signal transmission is inevitable, in what follows, the quantum evolution algorithm (QEA method is introduced to find an optimal solution of the time-delay coordinated controller. In this regard, the stability of the system with a prescribed time delay is guaranteed and the system damping ratio is increased. Effectiveness and applicability of the proposed controller design methods have been demonstrated through numerical simulations.

Study of the wide area of a lake with remote sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Lazaridou, Maria A.; Karagianni, Aikaterini C.

2016-08-01

Water bodies are particularly important for environment and development issues. Their study requires multiple information. Remote sensing has been proven useful in the above study. This paper concerns the wide area of Lake Orestiada in the region of Western Macedonia in Greece. The area is of particular interest because Lake Orestiada is included in the Natura 2000 network and is surrounded by diverse landcovers as built up areas and agricultural land. Multispectral and thermal Landsat 5 satellite images of two time periods are being used. Their processing is being done by Erdas Imagine software. The general physiognomy of the area and the lake shore are examined after image enhancement techniques and image interpretation. Directions of the study concern geomorphological aspects, land covers, estimation of surface temperature as well as changes through time.

Wide-area monitoring to detect undeclared nuclear facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wogman, N.

1994-09-01

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is committed to strengthening and streamlining the overall effectiveness of the IAEA safeguards system. The IAEA is investigating the use of environmental monitoring techniques to strengthen its capability to detect undeclared nuclear activities. The IAEA's Program 93+2 Initiative has been established to develop, test, and assess strengthening techniques and measures. Some of the techniques have been validated and are being implemented during routine safeguards inspections. The effectiveness of other techniques is being studied as a part of extensive field trials conducted at nuclear facilities of various Member States during 1993 and 1994. Proposals based on the results of these investigations and recommendations for new safeguards activities are expected to be presented to the March 1995 Board of Governors Meeting. The techniques in use or under study during IAEA field trials address various types of environmental monitoring applications as outlined under Program 93+2's Task 3, Environmental Monitoring Techniques for Safeguards Applications, namely, the use of short-range monitoring during inspections and visits to investigate sites of possible undeclared activities. With the exception of wide-area water sampling in Iraq, the use of long-range monitoring, in the absence of any indication of undeclared nuclear activities, remains largely unexamined by the IAEA. The efficacy of long-range monitoring depends on the availability of mobile signature isotopes or compounds and on the ability to distinguish the nuclear signatures from background signals and attributing them to a source. The scope of this paper is to provide technical information to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on possible wide-area survey techniques for the detection of undeclared nuclear activities. The primary focus is the detection of effluents from reprocessing activities

The blind leading the blind: use and misuse of blinding in randomized controlled trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Larry E; Stewart, Morgan E

2011-03-01

The use of blinding strengthens the credibility of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) by minimizing bias. However, there is confusion surrounding the definition of blinding as well as the terms single, double, and triple blind. It has been suggested that these terms should be discontinued due to their broad misinterpretation. We recommend that, instead of abandoning the use of these terms, explicit definitions of blinding should be adopted. We address herein the concept of blinding, propose standard definitions for the consistent use of these terms, and detail when different types of blinding should be utilized. Standardizing the definition of blinding and utilizing proper blinding methods will improve the quality and clarity of reporting in RCTs. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bayes-Based Fault Discrimination in Wide Area Backup Protection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

WANG, Z.

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Multivariate statistical analysis is an effective tool to finish the fault location for electric power system. In Bayesian discriminant analysis as a subbranch, by the research of several populations, one can calculate the conditional probability that some samples belong to these populations, and compare the corresponding probability. The sample will be classified as population with maximum probability. In this paper, based on Bayesian discriminant analysis principle, a great number of simulation examples have confirmed that the results of Bayesian fault discriminant in wide area backup protection are accurate and reliable.

Trade issues and area-wide pest management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Griffin, Robert L.

2000-01-01

Food security and economic security are unarguably desirable objectives for all nations - indeed for the world. Equally important is the sustainability of designs that achieve these objectives without disadvantaging others or damaging the environment. Considering area-wide pest management in the context of these interrelated global policy forces is essential to fully understand its role in both the protection of plant resources and in facilitation of trade. The case for food security begins with the realisation that there are currently about 800 million people in the world who are suffering from malnutrition due to lack of food. The World Food Summit, convened in November 1996, urgently called for coordinated world-wide action to ensure 'food for all'. A key strategy for realising this goal is reducing losses due to plant pests. In this light, area-wide pest management can be viewed as a valuable addition to the toolbox of pest management strategies. It can also be one of the most sustainable and cost-effective options to consider for pest management. However, just as the problem of world hunger is not solved by a single farmer, area-wide pest management cannot be successful at the individual level. It requires commitment and cooperation to make it feasible - the same type of commitment and cooperation that was expressed at the World Food Summit. Where economic security is concerned, one need not look far to see a world of growing economic integration and widening circles of development. As the World Trade Organisation celebrates the 50th anniversary of the rules-based trading system which began with the GATT after World War II, it is clear that globalisation and the liberalisation of trade have become permanent fixtures in international policy formulation and are integral to the economic security of all nations. Now, more than ever before, the world's prosperity rests on maintaining an open international economy based on commonly agreed rules. The significance of

Future trends in global blindness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Serge Resnikoff

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this review is to discuss the available data on the prevalence and causes of global blindness, and some of the associated trends and limitations seen. A literature search was conducted using the terms "global AND blindness" and "global AND vision AND impairment", resulting in seven appropriate articles for this review. Since 1990 the estimate of global prevalence of blindness has gradually decreased when considering the best corrected visual acuity definition: 0.71% in 1990, 0.59% in 2002, and 0.55% in 2010, corresponding to a 0.73% reduction per year over the 2002-2010 period. Significant limitations were found in the comparability between the global estimates in prevalence or causes of blindness or visual impairment. These limitations arise from various factors such as uncertainties about the true cause of the impairment, the use of different definitions and methods, and the absence of data from a number of geographical areas, leading to various extrapolation methods, which in turn seriously limit comparability. Seminal to this discussion on limitations in the comparability of studies and data, is that blindness has historically been defined using best corrected visual acuity.

Confabulation Based Real-time Anomaly Detection for Wide-area Surveillance Using Heterogeneous High Performance Computing Architecture

Science.gov (United States)

2015-06-01

CONFABULATION BASED REAL-TIME ANOMALY DETECTION FOR WIDE-AREA SURVEILLANCE USING HETEROGENEOUS HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTING ARCHITECTURE SYRACUSE...DETECTION FOR WIDE-AREA SURVEILLANCE USING HETEROGENEOUS HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTING ARCHITECTURE 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER FA8750-12-1-0251 5b. GRANT...processors including graphic processor units (GPUs) and Intel Xeon Phi processors. Experimental results showed significant speedups, which can enable

Wide area monitoring, protection and control systems the enabler for smarter grids

CERN Document Server

Vaccaro, Alfredo

2016-01-01

This book is designed to give electrical and electronic engineers involved in the design, operation and maintenance of electrical power networks, the knowledge and skills necessary to deploy synchronised measurement technology (SMT) in Wide Area Monitoring, Protection And Control (WAMPAC) applications.

Age and sex distribution of blindness in Ahoada East Local ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Differences exist in the impact of blindness by age and sex; the overall risk of death being higher for blind males than females. Aim: To describe the age and sex differences among the blind in Ahoada-East Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State, Nigeria. Methods: Age and sex data were analyzed for 24 ...

Blind I/Q imbalance and nonlinear ISI mitigation in Nyquist-SCM direct detection system with cascaded widely linear and Volterra equalizer

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Na; Ju, Cheng

2018-02-01

Nyquist-SCM signal after fiber transmission, direct detection (DD), and analog down-conversion suffers from linear ISI, nonlinear ISI, and I/Q imbalance, simultaneously. Theoretical analysis based on widely linear (WL) and Volterra series is given to explain the relationship and interaction of these three interferences. A blind equalization algorithm, cascaded WL and Volterra equalizer, is designed to mitigate these three interferences. Furthermore, the feasibility of the proposed cascaded algorithm is experimentally demonstrated based on a 40-Gbps data rate 16-quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) virtual single sideband (VSSB) Nyquist-SCM DD system over 100-km standard single mode fiber (SSMF) transmission. In addition, the performances of conventional strictly linear equalizer, WL equalizer, Volterra equalizer, and cascaded WL and Volterra equalizer are experimentally evaluated, respectively.

Demonstration of blind quantum computing.

Science.gov (United States)

Barz, Stefanie; Kashefi, Elham; Broadbent, Anne; Fitzsimons, Joseph F; Zeilinger, Anton; Walther, Philip

2012-01-20

Quantum computers, besides offering substantial computational speedups, are also expected to preserve the privacy of a computation. We present an experimental demonstration of blind quantum computing in which the input, computation, and output all remain unknown to the computer. We exploit the conceptual framework of measurement-based quantum computation that enables a client to delegate a computation to a quantum server. Various blind delegated computations, including one- and two-qubit gates and the Deutsch and Grover quantum algorithms, are demonstrated. The client only needs to be able to prepare and transmit individual photonic qubits. Our demonstration is crucial for unconditionally secure quantum cloud computing and might become a key ingredient for real-life applications, especially when considering the challenges of making powerful quantum computers widely available.

The NILE system architecture: fault-tolerant, wide-area access to computing and data resources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ricciardi, Aleta; Ogg, Michael; Rothfus, Eric

1996-01-01

NILE is a multi-disciplinary project building a distributed computing environment for HEP. It provides wide-area, fault-tolerant, integrated access to processing and data resources for collaborators of the CLEO experiment, though the goals and principles are applicable to many domains. NILE has three main objectives: a realistic distributed system architecture design, the design of a robust data model, and a Fast-Track implementation providing a prototype design environment which will also be used by CLEO physicists. This paper focuses on the software and wide-area system architecture design and the computing issues involved in making NILE services highly-available. (author)

An Overwhelming Desire to Be Blind: Similarities and Differences between Body Integrity Identity Disorder and the Wish for Blindness.

Science.gov (United States)

Gutschke, Katja; Stirn, Aglaja; Kasten, Erich

2017-01-01

The urge to be permanently blind is an extremely rare mental health disturbance. The underlying cause of this desire has not been determined yet, and it is uncertain whether the wish for blindness is a condition that can be included in the context of body integrity identity disorder, a condition where people feel an overwhelming need to be disabled, in many cases by amputation of a limb or through paralysis. The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that people with a desire for blindness suffer from a greater degree of visual stress in daily activities than people in a healthy visual control group. We created a Likert scale questionnaire to measure visual stress, covering a wide range of everyday situations. The wish for blindness is extremely rare and worldwide only 5 people with an urge to be blind were found to participate in the study (4 female, 1 male). In addition, a control group of 35 (28 female, 7 male) visually healthy people was investigated. Questions addressing issues that may be experienced by participants with a desire to be blind were integrated into the questionnaire. The hypothesis that people with a desire for blindness suffer from a significantly higher visual overload in activities of daily living than visually healthy subjects was confirmed; the significance of visual stress between these groups was p < 0.01. In addition, an interview with the 5 affected participants supported the causal role of visual overload. The desire for blindness seems to originate from visual overload caused by either ophthalmologic or organic brain disturbances. In addition, psychological reasons such as certain personal character traits may play an active role in developing, maintaining, and reinforcing one's desire to be blind.

An Overwhelming Desire to Be Blind: Similarities and Differences between Body Integrity Identity Disorder and the Wish for Blindness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katja Gutschke

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Background: The urge to be permanently blind is an extremely rare mental health disturbance. The underlying cause of this desire has not been determined yet, and it is uncertain whether the wish for blindness is a condition that can be included in the context of body integrity identity disorder, a condition where people feel an overwhelming need to be disabled, in many cases by amputation of a limb or through paralysis. Objective: The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that people with a desire for blindness suffer from a greater degree of visual stress in daily activities than people in a healthy visual control group. Method: We created a Likert scale questionnaire to measure visual stress, covering a wide range of everyday situations. The wish for blindness is extremely rare and worldwide only 5 people with an urge to be blind were found to participate in the study (4 female, 1 male. In addition, a control group of 35 (28 female, 7 male visually healthy people was investigated. Questions addressing issues that may be experienced by participants with a desire to be blind were integrated into the questionnaire. Results: The hypothesis that people with a desire for blindness suffer from a significantly higher visual overload in activities of daily living than visually healthy subjects was confirmed; the significance of visual stress between these groups was p < 0.01. In addition, an interview with the 5 affected participants supported the causal role of visual overload. Conclusions: The desire for blindness seems to originate from visual overload caused by either ophthalmologic or organic brain disturbances. In addition, psychological reasons such as certain personal character traits may play an active role in developing, maintaining, and reinforcing one’s desire to be blind.

Voltage control and protection in electrical power systems from system components to wide-area control

CERN Document Server

Corsi, Sandro

2015-01-01

Based on the author’s twenty years of experience, this book shows the practicality of modern, conceptually new, wide area voltage control in transmission and distribution smart grids, in detail. Evidence is given of the great advantages of this approach, as well as what can be gained by new control functionalities which modern technologies now available can provide. The distinction between solutions of wide area voltage regulation (V-WAR) and wide area voltage protection (V-WAP) are presented, demonstrating the proper synergy between them when they operate on the same power system as well as the simplicity and effectiveness of the protection solution in this case. The author provides an overview and detailed descriptions of voltage controls, distinguishing between generalities of underdeveloped, on-field operating applications and modern and available automatic control solutions, which are as yet not sufficiently known or perceived for what they are: practical, high-performance and reliable solutions. At th...

Drawing in the blind and the sighted as a probe of cortical reorganization

Science.gov (United States)

Likova, Lora T.

2010-02-01

In contrast to other arts, such as music, there is a very little neuroimaging research on visual art and in particular - on drawing. Drawing - from artistic to technical - involves diverse aspects of spatial cognition, precise sensorimotor planning and control as well as a rich set of higher cognitive functions. A new method for learning the drawing skill in the blind that we have developed, and the technological advances of a multisensory MR-compatible drawing system, allowed us to run for the first time a comparative fMRI study on drawing in the blind and the sighted. In each population, we identified widely distributed cortical networks, extending from the occipital and temporal cortices, through the parietal to the frontal lobe. This is the first neuroimaging study of drawing in blind novices, as well as the first study on the learning to draw in either population. We sought to determine the cortical reorganization taking place as a result of learning to draw, despite the lack of visual input to the brains of the blind. Remarkably, we found massive recruitment of the visual cortex on learning to draw, although our subjects had no previous experience, but only a short training with our new drawing method. This finding implies a rapid, learning-based plasticity mechanism. We further proposed that the functional level of the brain reorganization in the blind may still differ from that in the sighted even in areas that overlap between the two populations, such as in the visual cortex. We tested this idea in the framework of saccadic suppression. A methodological innovation allowed us to estimate the retinotopic regions locations in the blind brain. Although the visual cortex of both groups was greatly recruited, only the sighted experienced dramatic suppression in hMT+ and V1, while there was no sign of an analogous process in the blind. This finding has important implications and suggests that the recruitment of the visual cortex in the blind does not assure a

Traffic Flow Wide-Area Surveillance system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allgood, G.O.; Ferrell, R.K.; Kercel, S.W.; Abston, R.A.

1994-09-01

Traffic management can be thought of as a stochastic queuing process where the serving time at one of its control points is dynamically linked to the global traffic pattern, which is, in turn, dynamically linked to the control point. For this closed-loop system to be effective, the traffic management system must sense and interpret a large spatial projection of data originating from multiple sensor suites. This concept is the basis for the development of a Traffic Flow Wide-Area Surveillance (TFWAS) system. This paper presents the results of a study by Oak Ridge National Laboratory to define the operational specifications and characteristics, to determine the constraints, and to examine the state of technology of a TFWAS system in terms of traffic management and control. In doing so, the functions and attributes of a TFWAS system are mapped into an operational structure consistent with the Intelligent Vehicle Highway System (IVHS) concept and the existing highway infrastructure. This mapping includes identifying candidate sensor suites and establishing criteria, requirements, and performance measures by which these systems can be graded in their ability and practicality to meet the operational requirements of a TFWAS system. In light of this, issues such as system integration, applicable technologies, impact on traffic management and control, and public acceptance are addressed.

Traffic flow wide-area surveillance system

Science.gov (United States)

Allgood, Glenn O.; Ferrell, Regina K.; Kercel, Stephen W.; Abston, Ruth A.

1995-01-01

Traffic management can be thought of as a stochastic queuing process where the serving time at one of its control points is dynamically linked to the global traffic pattern, which is, in turn, dynamically linked to the control point. For this closed-loop system to be effective, the traffic management system must sense and interpret a large spatial projection of data originating from multiple sensor suites. This concept is the basis for the development of a traffic flow wide-area surveillance (TFWAS) system. This paper presents the results of a study by Oak Ridge National Laboratory to define the operational specifications and characteristics, to determine the constraints, and to examine the state of technology of a TFWAS system in terms of traffic management and control. In doing so, the functions and attributes of a TFWAS system are mapped into an operational structure consistent with the Intelligent Vehicle Highway System (IVHS) concept and the existing highway infrastructure. This mapping includes identifying candidate sensor suites and establishing criteria, requirements, and performance measures by which these systems can be graded in their ability and practicality to meet the operational requirements of a TFWAS system. In light of this, issues such as system integration, applicable technologies, impact on traffic management and control, and public acceptance are addressed.

Improvement and decline in vision with gene therapy in childhood blindness.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobson, Samuel G; Cideciyan, Artur V; Roman, Alejandro J; Sumaroka, Alexander; Schwartz, Sharon B; Heon, Elise; Hauswirth, William W

2015-05-14

Retinal gene therapy for Leber's congenital amaurosis, an autosomal recessive childhood blindness, has been widely considered to be safe and efficacious. Three years after therapy, improvement in vision was maintained, but the rate of loss of photoreceptors in the treated retina was the same as that in the untreated retina. Here we describe long-term follow-up data from three treated patients. Topographic maps of visual sensitivity in treated regions, nearly 6 years after therapy for two of the patients and 4.5 years after therapy for the third patient, indicate progressive diminution of the areas of improved vision. (Funded by the National Eye Institute; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00481546.).

Multi Agent System Based Wide Area Protection against Cascading Events

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Zhou; Chen, Zhe; Liu, Leo

2012-01-01

In this paper, a multi-agent system based wide area protection scheme is proposed in order to prevent long term voltage instability induced cascading events. The distributed relays and controllers work as a device agent which not only executes the normal function automatically but also can...... the effectiveness of proposed protection strategy. The simulation results indicate that the proposed multi agent control system can effectively coordinate the distributed relays and controllers to prevent the long term voltage instability induced cascading events....

Status of children in blind schools in the northern areas of Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Kazmi, Hasan Sajid; Shah, Ashfaq Ali; Awan, Abdul Aziz; Khan, Jaffar; Siddiqui, Noman

2007-01-01

Prevalence of blindness in Pakistan is estimated to be 0.9%, which comes to about 1.25 million persons. A significant number of these are persons under 20 years of age. To make these children useful citizens in future, special facilities are to be provided to these children for their education and training. A study was done to find out the visual status of the students studying in a blind school in Abbottabad, Pakistan, the only such facility in the region. A total of 50 patients were examined during our visit to the blind school in Abbottabad. Age of the patients ranged from 6 to 27 years (mean: 12.32 years). All the students, who were otherwise healthy, were included in the study. The most common disorder identified was malformed globe or traumatic eyes (16 cases, 32%), in most of the cases, leading to phthisis bulbi. Other conditions noticed were Retinitis Pigmentosa (10 cases, 20%), Keratoconus, Optic atrophy, Buphthalmos (6 cases each, 12%), corneal opacity (4 cases, 8%) and retinal detachment (2 cases 4%). We should work towards betterment of these schools by providing them with more funds, equipment and manpower. Regular visits of Ophthalmologists to these schools may be helpful. Genetic counselling should be arranged for the families.

Wide Area Protection Scheme Preventing Cascading Events Caused by Load Flow Transferring

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Zhou; Chen, Zhe; Sun, Haishun

2013-01-01

Load flow transferring after an initial contingency is regarded as one of the main reasons of causing unexpected cascading trips. A multi agent system (MAS) based wide area protection strategy is proposed in this paper to predict the load flow transferring from the point of view of impedance relays...

Wide Area Protection Scheme Preventing Cascading Events based on Improved Impedance relay

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Zhou; Chen, Zhe; Sun, Haishun

2013-01-01

Load flow transferring after an initial contingency is regarded as one of the main reasons of causing unexpected cascading trips. A multi agent system (MAS) based wide area protection strategy is proposed in this paper to predict the load flow transferring from the point of view of impedance relays...

Summary of field operations Technical Area I well PGS-1. Site-Wide Hydrogeologic Characterization Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fritts, J.E.; McCord, J.P.

1995-02-01

The Environmental Restoration (ER) Project at Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico is managing the project to assess and, when necessary, to remediate sites contaminated by the lab operations. Within the ER project, the site-wide hydrogeologic characterization task is responsible for the area-wide hydrogeologic investigation. The purpose of this task is to reduce the uncertainty about the rate and direction of groundwater flow beneath the area and across its boundaries. This specific report deals with the installation of PGS-1 monitoring well which provides information on the lithology and hydrology of the aquifer in the northern area of the Kirtland Air Force Base. The report provides information on the well design; surface geology; stratigraphy; structure; drilling, completion, and development techniques; and borehole geophysics information

Prevalence and Causes of Visual Impairment and Blindness in Shanxi Province, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Tong; Du, Liping; Du, Lingzhen

2015-01-01

To estimate the prevalence and causes of visual impairment and blindness in Shanxi Province, China. Data were obtained from the Second National Sampling Survey of Disability conducted in 2006. Blindness and visual impairment were defined as best corrected visual acuity Visual acuity (VA) was measured using a Standard Logarithmic Visual Acuity E chart (Snellen) for subjects aged 7 years and older. Participants younger than 7 years were examined using special experiments or the Childhood Graphical Visual Chart. The prevalence of visual impairment and blindness in Shanxi was estimated to be 0.6% (466/75,016) among persons up to 80 years old. The prevalence in rural areas (0.7%; 351/48,137) was significantly higher than that in urban areas (0.4%; 115/26,879) and was higher in females (0.8%; 298/36,933) than in males (0.4%; 168/38,083). The most common cause of visual impairment and blindness was cataract (44.9%), followed by retinopathy and choroidopathy (12.5%), hereditary and developmental disorders (10.3%), corneal disease (5.2%), and refractive error (4.9%). Prevalences of visual impairment and blindness in women and in rural areas were higher than in men and urban areas, and increased with age. Cataract was the most prevalent cause of visual impairment and blindness. Based on the findings from this study, we suggest that provision of support and welfare services should be organized.

Wide area data replication in an ITER-relevant data environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Centioli, C.; Iannone, F.; Panella, M.; Vitale, V.; Bracco, G.; Guadagni, R.; Migliori, S.; Steffe, M.; Eccher, S.; Maslennikov, A.; Mililotti, M.; Molowny, M.; Palumbo, G.; Carboni, M.

2005-01-01

The next generation of tokamak experiments will require a new way of approaching data sharing issues among fusion organizations. In the fusion community, many researchers at different worldwide sites will analyse data produced by International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), wherever it will be built. In this context, an efficient availability of the data in the sites where the computational resources are located becomes a major architectural issue for the deployment of ITER computational infrastructure. The approach described in this paper goes beyond the usual site-centric model mainly devoted to granting access exclusively to experimental data stored at the device sites. To this aim, we propose a new data replication architecture relying on a wide area network, based on a Master/Slave model and on synchronization techniques producing mirrored data sites. In this architecture, data replication will affect large databases (TB) as well as large UNIX-like file systems, using open source-based software components, namely MySQL, as database management system, and RSYNC and BBFTP for data transfer. A test-bed has been set up to evaluate the performance of the software components underlying the proposed architecture. The test-bed hardware layout deploys a cluster of four Dual-Xeon Supermicro each with a raid array of 1 TB. High performance network line (1 Gbit over 400 km) provides the infrastructure to test the components on a wide area network. The results obtained will be thoroughly discussed

Prevalence and associated factors of corneal blindness in Ningxia in northwest China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xun-Lun Sheng

2014-06-01

Full Text Available AIM:To describe the prevalence and demographic characteristics of corneal blindness in an urban and rural region of Ningxia, located in the northwest part of China.METHODS:A stratified, randomized sampling procedure was employed in the study, including urban and rural area of all age group. Visual acuity, anterior segment and ocular fundus were checked. Related factor of corneal disease, including age, gender, education status, ethnic group, location and occupation, were identified according to uniform customized protocol. An eye was defined to be corneal blindness if the visual acuity was <20/400 due to a corneal disease.RESULTS:Three thousand individuals (1290 from urban area and 1710 from rural area participated in the investigation, with a response rate of 80.380%. The prevalence of corneal blindness was 0.023% in both eyes and 0.733% in at least one eye. The blindness in at least one eye with varied causes was present in 106 participants (3.533% and in bilateral eyes in 34 participants (1.133%. The corneal diseases accounted for 20.754% of blindness in at least one eye and 20.588% of bilateral blindness. The prevalence of corneal disease was higher in older and Han ethnic group, especially those who occupied in agriculture and outdoor work. People with corneal blindness were more likely to be older and lower education. Rural population were more likely to suffer from bilateral corneal blindness than the urban population in ≥59-year group (χ2=6.716, P=0.019. Infectious, trauma and immune corneal disease were the three leading causes of corneal disease. Trauma corneal disease was more likely leading to blindness in one eye. However, infectious and immune corneal diseases make more contribution to the bilateral corneal blindness.CONCLUSION: Corneal blindness is a significant burden of in Ningxia population, encompassing a variety of corneal infections and trauma; the majority of those were avoidable. Health promotion strategies and good

A multicenter, longitudinal, interventional, double blind randomized clinical trial in hematopoietic cell transplant recipients residing in remote areas: Lessons learned from the late cytomegalovirus prevention trial

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Louise E. Kimball

2016-12-01

Conclusion: Complex randomized, double-blind, multicenter interventional trials with treatment decisions made at a central coordinating site can be conducted safely and effectively according to Good Clinical Practice (GCP guidelines over a large geographic area.

Blind prediction of interfacial water positions in CAPRI

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lensink, Marc F; Moal, Iain H; Bates, Paul A; Kastritis, Panagiotis L; Melquiond, Adrien S J; Karaca, Ezgi; Schmitz, Christophe; van Dijk, Marc; Bonvin, Alexandre M J J; Eisenstein, Miriam; Jiménez-García, Brian; Grosdidier, Solène; Solernou, Albert; Pérez-Cano, Laura; Pallara, Chiara; Fernández-Recio, Juan; Xu, Jianqing; Muthu, Pravin; Praneeth Kilambi, Krishna; Gray, Jeffrey J; Grudinin, Sergei; Derevyanko, Georgy; Mitchell, Julie C; Wieting, John; Kanamori, Eiji; Tsuchiya, Yuko; Murakami, Yoichi; Sarmiento, Joy; Standley, Daron M; Shirota, Matsuyuki; Kinoshita, Kengo; Nakamura, Haruki; Chavent, Matthieu; Ritchie, David W; Park, Hahnbeom; Ko, Junsu; Lee, Hasup; Seok, Chaok; Shen, Yang; Kozakov, Dima; Vajda, Sandor; Kundrotas, Petras J; Vakser, Ilya A; Pierce, Brian G; Hwang, Howook; Vreven, Thom; Weng, Zhiping; Buch, Idit; Farkash, Efrat; Wolfson, Haim J; Zacharias, Martin; Qin, Sanbo; Zhou, Huan-Xiang; Huang, Shen-You; Zou, Xiaoqin; Wojdyla, Justyna A; Kleanthous, Colin; Wodak, Shoshana J

We report the first assessment of blind predictions of water positions at protein-protein interfaces, performed as part of the critical assessment of predicted interactions (CAPRI) community-wide experiment. Groups submitting docking predictions for the complex of the DNase domain of colicin E2 and

Blind Quantum Signature with Blind Quantum Computation

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wei; Shi, Ronghua; Guo, Ying

2017-04-01

Blind quantum computation allows a client without quantum abilities to interact with a quantum server to perform a unconditional secure computing protocol, while protecting client's privacy. Motivated by confidentiality of blind quantum computation, a blind quantum signature scheme is designed with laconic structure. Different from the traditional signature schemes, the signing and verifying operations are performed through measurement-based quantum computation. Inputs of blind quantum computation are securely controlled with multi-qubit entangled states. The unique signature of the transmitted message is generated by the signer without leaking information in imperfect channels. Whereas, the receiver can verify the validity of the signature using the quantum matching algorithm. The security is guaranteed by entanglement of quantum system for blind quantum computation. It provides a potential practical application for e-commerce in the cloud computing and first-generation quantum computation.

Development of wide-area radiation monitor using an optical fiber

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawata, Naoki; Kato, Masatoshi; Baba, Mamoru; Yamadera, Akira; Miura, Takako

2002-01-01

We have developed a method for radiation distribution measurement by combining an optical fiber of wave-length shift type with a plastic scintillator, and studied its properties to apply as a wide-area radiation monitor. The detector employs two photomultipliers in both ends of the fiber and locate the radiation position by using the difference of light arrival time from scintillators. We tested the detector with gamma-rays and neutrons concerning with the position-response and pulse-height response of the detector. From the experiment, we confirmed the proper operation of the detector and position response with spatial resolution of 30-60 cm

Concepts and Criteria for Blind Quantum Source Separation and Blind Quantum Process Tomography

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Alain Deville

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Blind Source Separation (BSS is an active domain of Classical Information Processing, with well-identified methods and applications. The development of Quantum Information Processing has made possible the appearance of Blind Quantum Source Separation (BQSS, with a recent extension towards Blind Quantum Process Tomography (BQPT. This article investigates the use of several fundamental quantum concepts in the BQSS context and establishes properties already used without justification in that context. It mainly considers a pair of electron spins initially separately prepared in a pure state and then submitted to an undesired exchange coupling between these spins. Some consequences of the existence of the entanglement phenomenon, and of the probabilistic aspect of quantum measurements, upon BQSS solutions, are discussed. An unentanglement criterion is established for the state of an arbitrary qubit pair, expressed first with probability amplitudes and secondly with probabilities. The interest of using the concept of a random quantum state in the BQSS context is presented. It is stressed that the concept of statistical independence of the sources, widely used in classical BSS, should be used with care in BQSS, and possibly replaced by some disentanglement principle. It is shown that the coefficients of the development of any qubit pair pure state over the states of an orthonormal basis can be expressed with the probabilities of results in the measurements of well-chosen spin components.

Recruitment of the middle temporal area by tactile motion in congenital blindness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ptito, Maurice; Matteau, Isabelle; Gjedde, Albert

2009-01-01

We used positron emission tomography to investigate whether tactile motion discrimination activates the dorsal visual stream in congenitally blind (CB) participants compared with sighted controls. The tactile stimuli consisted of either static dots, dots moving coherently in one of two possible...

POSTERIOR SEGMENT CAUSES OF BLINDNESS AMONG CHILDREN IN BLIND SCHOOLS

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Sandhya

2015-09-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: It is estimated that there are 1.4 million irreversibly blind children in the world out of which 1 million are in Asia alone. India has the highest number of blind children than any other country. Nearly 70% of the childhood blindness is avoidable. There i s paucity of data available on the causes of childhood blindness. This study focuses on the posterior segment causes of blindness among children attending blind schools in 3 adjacent districts of Andhra Pradesh. MATERIAL & METHODS: This is a cross sectiona l study conducted among 204 blind children aged 6 - 16 years age. Detailed eye examination was done by the same investigator to avoid bias. Posterior segment examination was done using a direct and/or indirect ophthalmoscope after dilating pupil wherever nec essary. The standard WHO/PBL for blindness and low vision examination protocol was used to categorize the causes of blindness. A major anatomical site and underlying cause was selected for each child. The study was carried out during July 2014 to June 2015 . The results were analyzed using MS excel software and Epi - info 7 software version statistical software. RESULTS: Majority of the children was found to be aged 13 - 16 years (45.1% and males (63.7%. Family history of blindness was noted in 26.0% and consa nguinity was reported in 29.9% cases. A majority of them were belonged to fulfill WHO grade of blindness (73.0% and in majority of the cases, the onset of blindness was since birth (83.7%. The etiology of blindness was unknown in majority of cases (57.4% while hereditary causes constituted 25.4% cases. Posterior segment causes were responsible in 33.3% cases with retina being the most commonly involved anatomical site (19.1% followed by optic nerve (14.2%. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need for mandatory oph thalmic evaluation, refraction and assessment of low vision prior to admission into blind schools with periodic evaluation every 2 - 3 years

Camera Networks The Acquisition and Analysis of Videos over Wide Areas

CERN Document Server

Roy-Chowdhury, Amit K

2012-01-01

As networks of video cameras are installed in many applications like security and surveillance, environmental monitoring, disaster response, and assisted living facilities, among others, image understanding in camera networks is becoming an important area of research and technology development. There are many challenges that need to be addressed in the process. Some of them are listed below: - Traditional computer vision challenges in tracking and recognition, robustness to pose, illumination, occlusion, clutter, recognition of objects, and activities; - Aggregating local information for wide

Perception of blindness and blinding eye conditions in rural communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Ashaye, Adeyinka; Ajuwon, Ademola Johnson; Adeoti, Caroline

2006-01-01

PURPOSE: The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the causes and management of blindness and blinding eye conditions as perceived by rural dwellers of two Yoruba communities in Oyo State, Nigeria. METHODS: Four focus group discussions were conducted among residents of Iddo and Isale Oyo, two rural Yoruba communities in Oyo State, Nigeria. Participants consisted of sighted, those who were partially or totally blind and community leaders. Ten patent medicine sellers and 12 traditional healers were also interviewed on their perception of the causes and management of blindness in their communities. FINDINGS: Blindness was perceived as an increasing problem among the communities. Multiple factors were perceived to cause blindness, including germs, onchocerciasis and supernatural forces. Traditional healers believed that blindness could be cured, with many claiming that they had previously cured blindness in the past. However, all agreed that patience was an important requirement for the cure of blindness. The patent medicine sellers' reports were similar to those of the traditional healers. The barriers to use of orthodox medicine were mainly fear, misconception and perceived high costs of care. There was a consensus of opinion among group discussants and informants that there are severe social and economic consequences of blindness, including not been able to see and assess the quality of what the sufferer eats, perpetual sadness, loss of sleep and dependence on other persons for daily activities. CONCLUSION: Local beliefs associated with causation, symptoms and management of blindness and blinding eye conditions among rural Yoruba communities identified have provided a bridge for understanding local perspectives and basis for implementing appropriate primary eye care programs. PMID:16775910

Wide-Area Robust Decentralized Coordinated Control of HVDC Power System Based on Polytopic System Theory

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Shiyun Xu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The present study proposes a hierarchical wide-area decentralized coordinated control framework for HVDC power system that is robust to multiple operating conditions. The upper level wide-area coordinated controller is designed in the form of dynamic output feedback control that coordinates the lower level HVDC supplementary controller, PSS, and SVC. In order to enhance the robustness of the designed controller under various operating conditions, the polytopic model is introduced such that the closed-loop control system can be operated under strong damping mode in virtue of the stability criterion based on damping ratio. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed controller design algorithm is capable of enhancing the system damping over four different conditions.

On the role of visual experience in mathematical development: Evidence from blind mathematicians

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Marie Amalric

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Advanced mathematical reasoning, regardless of domain or difficulty, activates a reproducible set of bilateral brain areas including intraparietal, inferior temporal and dorsal prefrontal cortex. The respective roles of genetics, experience and education in the development of this math-responsive network, however, remain unresolved. Here, we investigate the role of visual experience by studying the exceptional case of three professional mathematicians who were blind from birth (n = 1 or became blind during childhood (n = 2. Subjects were scanned with fMRI while they judged the truth value of spoken mathematical and nonmathematical statements. Blind mathematicians activated the classical network of math-related areas during mathematical reflection, similar to that found in a group of sighted professional mathematicians. Thus, brain networks for advanced mathematical reasoning can develop in the absence of visual experience. Additional activations were found in occipital cortex, even in individuals who became blind during childhood, suggesting that either mental imagery or a more radical repurposing of visual cortex may occur in blind mathematicians. Keywords: Advanced mathematical development, Blindness, Functional MRI

What is Color Blindness?

Science.gov (United States)

... Color Blindness? Who Is at Risk for Color Blindness? Color Blindness Causes Color Blindness Diagnosis and Treatment How Color Blindness Is Tested What Is Color Blindness? Leer en Español: ¿Qué es el daltonismo? Written ...

Applied techniques for high bandwidth data transfers across wide area networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, J.; Gunter, D.; Tierney, B.; Allcock, B.; Bester, J.; Bresnahan, J.; Tuecke, S.

2001-01-01

Large distributed systems such as Computational/Data Grids require large amounts of data to be co-located with the computing facilities for processing. From their work developing a scalable distributed network cache, the authors have gained experience with techniques necessary to achieve high data throughput over high bandwidth Wide Area Networks (WAN). The authors discuss several hardware and software design techniques, and then describe their application to an implementation of an enhanced FTP protocol called GridFTP. The authors describe results from the Supercomputing 2000 conference

Four different ways of philanthropic aid to the blind in medieval eastern Christendom.

Science.gov (United States)

Diamandopoulou-Drummond, A H; Diamandopoulos, A A; Marketos, S G

1995-11-01

The care of the blind, either as medical treatment or as divine therapy, has probably been the most ancient form of help for ill people. However, it was during the Byzantine Empire (325-1453 AD) that the state organized a 'blindness relief' plan as part of a widespread public health system. Our sources for the subject include medical writings, state decrees, Saint's 'vitae' and representations of relevant works of art. Based on the above data we classify the health care for the blind in Byzantium as: (a) support of ophthalmological education as evidenced by an abundance of medical writings on the subject; (b) establishment of charitable institutions exclusively or partially for the blind, where there was not only medical care but also provision for a wide range of social aid - the most advanced being specially trained escorts for each blind person; and (c) support by the state of an extended chain of religious institutions where miraculous help for the blind was promised. We conclude that the public health policy in Byzantium made adequate and very early provision for the blind.

The global state of cataract blindness.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Cameron M; Afshari, Natalie A

2017-01-01

Cataracts are a significant cause of blindness and visual impairment worldwide. The present article reviews the literature and describes the current extent of cataracts globally, barriers to treatment, and recommendations for improving the treatment of cataracts. Prevalence and absolute number of blind because of cataracts remain high, although rates are declining in many areas globally. The age-standardized prevalence of blindness in adults older than 50 remains highest in western sub-Saharan Africa, with a rate of 6.0%. The greatest declines in age-standardized blindness because of cataracts in adults older than 50 between 1990 and 2010 were in East Asia, tropical Latin America, and western Europe. Recent studies have largely found higher rates of cataracts in women than in men. A new simulator for training ophthalmologists in manual small-incision cataract surgery holds promise for the future. The rates of cataract surgery are increasing and postoperative outcomes are improving worldwide, yet challenges to reducing the cataract burden further remain. Cost, an insufficient number of ophthalmologists, and low government funding remain significant barriers but investment in further eye care infrastructure and training of additional ophthalmologists would improve the current situation.

Beliefs and Attitude to Eye Disease and Blindness in Rural Anambra ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Abstract. Objectives: To determine (a) the beliefs and knowledge of the eye diseases/blindness; (b) the actions taken to alleviate eye diseases/blindness; (c) the disposition towards optical aids and surgery among adults in rural Anambra State, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: three villages in the onchocercal endemic area ...

Assessment of blinding success among dental implant clinical trials: A systematic review

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Jafar Kolahi

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: It is widely believed that blinding is a cornerstone of randomized clinical trials and that significant bias may result from unsuccessful blinding. However, it is not enough to claim that a clinical trial is single- or double-blinded and that assessment of the success of blinding is ideal. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of assessment of blinding success among dental implant clinical trials and to introduce methods of blinding assessment to the implant research community. Methods: In November 2014, PubMed was searched by blinded and experienced researchers with the query "implant AND (blindFNx01 OR maskFNx01" using the following filters: (1 Article type: clinical trial; (2 Journal categories: dental journals; (3 Field: title/abstract. Consequently, title/abstract was reviewed in all relevant articles to find any attempt to assess the success of blinding in dental implant clinical trials. Results: The PubMed search results yielded 86 clinical trials. The point of interest is that when "blindFNx01 OR maskFNx01" was deleted from the query, the number of results increased to 1688 clinical trials. This shows that only 5% of dental implant clinical trials tried to use blinding. Disappointingly, we could not find any dental implant clinical trial reporting any attempt to assess the success of blinding. Conclusion: The current status of turning a blind eye to unblinding in dental implant clinical trials is not tolerable and needs to be improved. Researchers, protocol reviewers, local ethical committees, journal reviewers, and editors should make a concerted effort to incorporate, report, and publish such information to understand its potential impact on study results.

An implementation and test platform for wide area stability assessment methods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wittrock, Martin Lindholm; Jóhannsson, Hjörtur

2013-01-01

Units (PMU) can be very time consuming, especially if the testing procedure is not carried out in a systematic and automatic manner. The test platform overcomes this problem by automatically importing system model parameters, topology and simulation output from a time domain simulation of an instability...... scenario and automatically generating synthetic PMU snapshots of the system conditions. To demonstrate the platform’s potential for supporting research and development of wide area algorithms, a method to detect voltage instability is implemented and tested, giving results consistent with results from...

Wide area 2D/3D imaging development, analysis and applications

CERN Document Server

Langmann, Benjamin

2014-01-01

Imaging technology is an important research area and it is widely utilized in a growing number of disciplines ranging from gaming, robotics and automation to medicine. In the last decade 3D imaging became popular mainly driven by the introduction of novel 3D cameras and measuring devices. These cameras are usually limited to indoor scenes with relatively low distances. Benjamin Langmann introduces medium and long-range 2D/3D cameras to overcome these limitations. He reports measurement results for these devices and studies their characteristic behavior. In order to facilitate the application o

Wide-Area Landslide Deformation Mapping with Multi-Path ALOS PALSAR Data Stacks: A Case Study of Three Gorges Area, China

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Xuguo Shi

2016-02-01

Full Text Available In recent years, satellite synthetic aperture radar interferometry (InSAR has been adopted as a spaceborne geodetic tool to successfully measure surface deformation of a few well-known landslides in the Three Gorges area. In consideration of the fact that most events of slope failure happened at places other than those famous landslides since the reservoir impoundment in 2003, focusing on a limited number of slopes is insufficient to meet the requirements of regional-scale landslide disaster prevention and early warning. As a result, it has become a vital task to evaluate the overall stability of slopes across the vast area of Three Gorges using wide-coverage InSAR datasets. In this study, we explored the approach of carrying out joint analysis of multi-path InSAR data stacks for wide-area landslide deformation mapping. As an example, three ALOS (Advanced Land Observing Satellite PALSAR (Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar data stacks of neighboring ascending paths covering the area along the Yangtze River from Fengjie to Zigui were analyzed. A key problem to be solved is the separation of the tropospheric signal from the interferometric phase, for which we employed a hybrid description model of the atmospheric phase screen (APS to improve APS estimation from time series interferograms. The estimated atmospheric phase was largely correlated with the seasonal rainfall in the temporal dimension. The experimental results show that about 30 slopes covering total areas of 48 km2 were identified to be landslides in active deformation and should be kept under routine surveillance. Analyses of time series displacement measurements revealed that most landslides in the mountainous area far away from Yangtze River suffered from linear deformation, whereas landslides located on the river bank were destabilized predominantly by the influences of reservoir water level fluctuation and rainfall.

First operation of the wide-area remote experiment system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Furukawa, Y.; Hasegawa, K.; Ueno, G.

2012-01-01

The Wide-area Remote Experiment System (WRES) at Spring-8 has been successfully developed. The system communicates with remote users on the basis of SSL/TLS with bi-directional authentication to avoid interference from unauthorized access to the system. The system has a message-filtering system to allow remote users access only to the corresponding beamline equipment and safety interlock system. This is to protect persons inside the experimental station from injury from any accidental motion of heavy equipment. The system also has a video streaming system to monitor samples or experimental equipment. We have tested the system from the point of view of safety, stability, reliability etc. and successfully performed the first experiment from a remote site, i.e., RIKEN's Wako campus, which is 480 km away from Spring-8, at the end of October 2010. (authors)

A sessional blind signature based on quantum cryptography

Science.gov (United States)

Khodambashi, Siavash; Zakerolhosseini, Ali

2014-01-01

In this paper, we present a sessional blind signature protocol whose security is guaranteed by fundamental principles of quantum physics. It allows a message owner to get his message signed by an authorized signatory. However, the signatory is not capable of reading the message contents and everyone can verify authenticity of the message. For this purpose, we took advantage of a sessional signature as well as quantum entangled pairs which are generated with respect to it in our proposed protocol. We describe our proposed blind signature through an example and briefly discuss about its unconditional security. Due to the feasibility of the protocol, it can be widely employed for e-payment, e-government, e-business and etc.

Some Knowledge Areas in Blindness Rehabilitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Giesen, J. Martin; Cavenaugh, Brenda S.; Johnson, Cherie A.

1998-01-01

Provides an outline of knowledge areas in rehabilitation counseling and rehabilitation teaching related to visual impairments such as: core areas; planning and delivery services; job development, placement, and follow-along; job engineering; Braille and other tactual systems; communication systems; computers for individuals with visual…

Causes of blindness in blind unit of the school for the handicapped ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

To describe the causes of blindness in pupils and staff in the blind unit of the School for the Handicapped in Kwara State. 2. To identify problems in the blind school and initiate intervention. All the blind or visually challenged people in the blind unit of the school for the handicapped were interviewed and examined using a ...

Odour discrimination and identification are improved in early blindness.

Science.gov (United States)

Cuevas, Isabel; Plaza, Paula; Rombaux, Philippe; De Volder, Anne G; Renier, Laurent

2009-12-01

Previous studies showed that early blind humans develop superior abilities in the use of their remaining senses, hypothetically due to a functional reorganization of the deprived visual brain areas. While auditory and tactile functions have been investigated for long, little is known about the effects of early visual deprivation on olfactory processing. However, blind humans make an extensive use of olfactory information in their daily life. Here we investigated olfactory discrimination and identification abilities in early blind subjects and age-matched sighted controls. Three levels of cuing were used in the identification task, i.e., free-identification (no cue), categorization (semantic cues) and multiple choice (semantic and phonological cues). Early blind subjects significantly outperformed the controls in odour discrimination, free-identification and categorization. In addition, the larger group difference was observed in the free-identification as compared to the categorization and the multiple choice conditions. This indicated that a better access to the semantic information from odour perception accounted for part of the improved olfactory performances in odour identification in the blind. We concluded that early blind subjects have both improved perceptual abilities and a better access to the information stored in semantic memory than sighted subjects.

The first rapid assessment of avoidable blindness (RAAB) in Thailand.

Science.gov (United States)

Isipradit, Saichin; Sirimaharaj, Maytinee; Charukamnoetkanok, Puwat; Thonginnetra, Oraorn; Wongsawad, Warapat; Sathornsumetee, Busaba; Somboonthanakij, Sudawadee; Soomsawasdi, Piriya; Jitawatanarat, Umapond; Taweebanjongsin, Wongsiri; Arayangkoon, Eakkachai; Arame, Punyawee; Kobkoonthon, Chinsuchee; Pangputhipong, Pannet

2014-01-01

The majority of vision loss is preventable or treatable. Population surveys are crucial for planning, implementation, and monitoring policies and interventions to eliminate avoidable blindness and visual impairments. This is the first rapid assessment of avoidable blindness (RAAB) study in Thailand. A cross-sectional study of a population in Thailand age 50 years old or over aimed to assess the prevalence and causes of blindness and visual impairments. Using the Thailand National Census 2010 as the sampling frame, a stratified four-stage cluster sampling based on a probability proportional to size was conducted in 176 enumeration areas from 11 provinces. Participants received comprehensive eye examination by ophthalmologists. The age and sex adjusted prevalence of blindness (presenting visual acuity (VA) blindness. Cataract surgical coverage in persons was 95.1% for cut off VA of 20/400. Refractive errors, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and corneal opacities were responsible for 6.0%, 5.1%, 4.0%, and 2.0% of blindness respectively. Thailand is on track to achieve the goal of VISION 2020. However, there is still much room for improvement. Policy refinements and innovative interventions are recommended to alleviate blindness and visual impairments especially regarding the backlog of blinding cataract, management of non-communicative, chronic, age-related eye diseases such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy, prevention of childhood blindness, and establishment of a robust eye health information system.

Representing vision and blindness.

Science.gov (United States)

Ray, Patrick L; Cox, Alexander P; Jensen, Mark; Allen, Travis; Duncan, William; Diehl, Alexander D

2016-01-01

There have been relatively few attempts to represent vision or blindness ontologically. This is unsurprising as the related phenomena of sight and blindness are difficult to represent ontologically for a variety of reasons. Blindness has escaped ontological capture at least in part because: blindness or the employment of the term 'blindness' seems to vary from context to context, blindness can present in a myriad of types and degrees, and there is no precedent for representing complex phenomena such as blindness. We explore current attempts to represent vision or blindness, and show how these attempts fail at representing subtypes of blindness (viz., color blindness, flash blindness, and inattentional blindness). We examine the results found through a review of current attempts and identify where they have failed. By analyzing our test cases of different types of blindness along with the strengths and weaknesses of previous attempts, we have identified the general features of blindness and vision. We propose an ontological solution to represent vision and blindness, which capitalizes on resources afforded to one who utilizes the Basic Formal Ontology as an upper-level ontology. The solution we propose here involves specifying the trigger conditions of a disposition as well as the processes that realize that disposition. Once these are specified we can characterize vision as a function that is realized by certain (in this case) biological processes under a range of triggering conditions. When the range of conditions under which the processes can be realized are reduced beyond a certain threshold, we are able to say that blindness is present. We characterize vision as a function that is realized as a seeing process and blindness as a reduction in the conditions under which the sight function is realized. This solution is desirable because it leverages current features of a major upper-level ontology, accurately captures the phenomenon of blindness, and can be

Design and Development of a Mobile Sensor Based the Blind Assistance Wayfinding System

Science.gov (United States)

Barati, F.; Delavar, M. R.

2015-12-01

The blind and visually impaired people are facing a number of challenges in their daily life. One of the major challenges is finding their way both indoor and outdoor. For this reason, routing and navigation independently, especially in urban areas are important for the blind. Most of the blind undertake route finding and navigation with the help of a guide. In addition, other tools such as a cane, guide dog or electronic aids are used by the blind. However, in some cases these aids are not efficient enough in a wayfinding around obstacles and dangerous areas for the blind. As a result, the need to develop effective methods as decision support using a non-visual media is leading to improve quality of life for the blind through their increased mobility and independence. In this study, we designed and implemented an outdoor mobile sensor-based wayfinding system for the blind. The objectives of this study are to guide the blind for the obstacle recognition and the design and implementation of a wayfinding and navigation mobile sensor system for them. In this study an ultrasonic sensor is used to detect obstacles and GPS is employed for positioning and navigation in the wayfinding. This type of ultrasonic sensor measures the interval between sending waves and receiving the echo signals with respect to the speed of sound in the environment to estimate the distance to the obstacles. In this study the coordinates and characteristics of all the obstacles in the study area are already stored in a GIS database. All of these obstacles were labeled on the map. The ultrasonic sensor designed and constructed in this study has the ability to detect the obstacles in a distance of 2cm to 400cm. The implementation and the results obtained from the interview of a number of blind persons who employed the sensor verified that the designed mobile sensor system for wayfinding was very satisfactory.

DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF A MOBILE SENSOR BASED THE BLIND ASSISTANCE WAYFINDING SYSTEM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Barati

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The blind and visually impaired people are facing a number of challenges in their daily life. One of the major challenges is finding their way both indoor and outdoor. For this reason, routing and navigation independently, especially in urban areas are important for the blind. Most of the blind undertake route finding and navigation with the help of a guide. In addition, other tools such as a cane, guide dog or electronic aids are used by the blind. However, in some cases these aids are not efficient enough in a wayfinding around obstacles and dangerous areas for the blind. As a result, the need to develop effective methods as decision support using a non-visual media is leading to improve quality of life for the blind through their increased mobility and independence. In this study, we designed and implemented an outdoor mobile sensor-based wayfinding system for the blind. The objectives of this study are to guide the blind for the obstacle recognition and the design and implementation of a wayfinding and navigation mobile sensor system for them. In this study an ultrasonic sensor is used to detect obstacles and GPS is employed for positioning and navigation in the wayfinding. This type of ultrasonic sensor measures the interval between sending waves and receiving the echo signals with respect to the speed of sound in the environment to estimate the distance to the obstacles. In this study the coordinates and characteristics of all the obstacles in the study area are already stored in a GIS database. All of these obstacles were labeled on the map. The ultrasonic sensor designed and constructed in this study has the ability to detect the obstacles in a distance of 2cm to 400cm. The implementation and the results obtained from the interview of a number of blind persons who employed the sensor verified that the designed mobile sensor system for wayfinding was very satisfactory.

Solar-blind ultraviolet band-pass filter based on metal—dielectric multilayer structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Tian-Jiao; Xu Wei-Zong; Lu Hai; Ren Fang-Fang; Chen Dun-Jun; Zhang Rong; Zheng You-Dou

2014-01-01

Solar-blind ultraviolet (UV) band-pass filter has significant value in many scientific, commercial, and military applications, in which the detection of weak UV signal against a strong background of solar radiation is required. In this work, a solar-blind filter is designed based on the concept of “transparent metal”. The filter consisting of Al/SiO 2 multilayers could exhibit a high transmission in the solar-blind wavelength region and a wide stopband extending from near-ultraviolet to infrared wavelength range. The central wavelength, bandwidth, Q factor, and rejection ratio of the passband are numerically studied as a function of individual layer thickness and multilayer period. (electromagnetism, optics, acoustics, heat transfer, classical mechanics, and fluid dynamics)

Asymmetrical color filling-in from the nasal to the temporal side of the blind spot

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Hui; Luo, Junxiang; Lu, Yiliang; Kan, Janis; Spillmann, Lothar; Wang, Wei

2014-01-01

The physiological blind spot, corresponding to the optic disk in the retina, is a relatively large (6 × 8°) area in the visual field that receives no retinal input. However, we rarely notice the existence of it in daily life. This is because the blind spot fills in with the brightness, color, texture, and motion of the surround. The study of filling-in enables us to better understand the creative nature of the visual system, which generates perceptual information where there is none. Is there any retinotopic rule in the color filling-in of the blind spot? To find out, we used mono-colored and bi-colored annuli hugging the boundary of the blind spot. We found that mono-colored annuli filled in the blind spot uniformly. By contrast, bi-colored annuli, where one half had a given color, while the other half had a different one, filled in the blind spot asymmetrically. Specifically, the color surrounding the nasal half typically filled in about 75% of the blind spot area, whereas the color surrounding the temporal half filled in only about 25%. This asymmetry was dependent on the relative size of the half rings, but not the two colors used, and was absent when the bi-colored annulus was rotated by 90°. Here, the two colors on the upper and lower sides of the blind spot filled in the enclosed area equally. These results suggest that the strength of filling-in decreases with distance from the fovea consistent with the decrease of the cortical magnification factor. PMID:25100977

On the role of visual experience in mathematical development: Evidence from blind mathematicians.

Science.gov (United States)

Amalric, Marie; Denghien, Isabelle; Dehaene, Stanislas

2018-04-01

Advanced mathematical reasoning, regardless of domain or difficulty, activates a reproducible set of bilateral brain areas including intraparietal, inferior temporal and dorsal prefrontal cortex. The respective roles of genetics, experience and education in the development of this math-responsive network, however, remain unresolved. Here, we investigate the role of visual experience by studying the exceptional case of three professional mathematicians who were blind from birth (n=1) or became blind during childhood (n=2). Subjects were scanned with fMRI while they judged the truth value of spoken mathematical and nonmathematical statements. Blind mathematicians activated the classical network of math-related areas during mathematical reflection, similar to that found in a group of sighted professional mathematicians. Thus, brain networks for advanced mathematical reasoning can develop in the absence of visual experience. Additional activations were found in occipital cortex, even in individuals who became blind during childhood, suggesting that either mental imagery or a more radical repurposing of visual cortex may occur in blind mathematicians. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Navigation Problems in Blind-to-Blind Pedestrians Tele-assistance Navigation

OpenAIRE

Balata , Jan; Mikovec , Zdenek; Maly , Ivo

2015-01-01

International audience; We raise a question whether it is possible to build a large-scale navigation system for blind pedestrians where a blind person navigates another blind person remotely by mobile phone. We have conducted an experiment, in which we observed blind people navigating each other in a city center in 19 sessions. We focused on problems in the navigator’s attempts to direct the traveler to the destination. We observed 96 problems in total, classified them on the basis of the typ...

Communication Development in Young Children with Deaf-Blindness: Literature Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Bullis, Michael, Ed.; Fielding, Glen, Ed.

This review summarizes and discusses literature relevant to the communication development of young children (0-5 years) with deaf-blindness. The review is divided into topical areas. The topical areas and the contributors for each area are as follows: "Perspectives on Communication Assessment" (Charity Rowland); "Research in Tactile…

How does experience modulate auditory spatial processing in individuals with blindness?

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Qian; Chan, Chetwyn C H; Luo, Yue-jia; Li, Jian-jun; Ting, Kin-hung; Wang, Jun; Lee, Tatia M C

2015-05-01

Comparing early- and late-onset blindness in individuals offers a unique model for studying the influence of visual experience on neural processing. This study investigated how prior visual experience would modulate auditory spatial processing among blind individuals. BOLD responses of early- and late-onset blind participants were captured while performing a sound localization task. The task required participants to listen to novel "Bat-ears" sounds, analyze the spatial information embedded in the sounds, and specify out of 15 locations where the sound would have been emitted. In addition to sound localization, participants were assessed on visuospatial working memory and general intellectual abilities. The results revealed common increases in BOLD responses in the middle occipital gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, precuneus, and precentral gyrus during sound localization for both groups. Between-group dissociations, however, were found in the right middle occipital gyrus and left superior frontal gyrus. The BOLD responses in the left superior frontal gyrus were significantly correlated with accuracy on sound localization and visuospatial working memory abilities among the late-onset blind participants. In contrast, the accuracy on sound localization only correlated with BOLD responses in the right middle occipital gyrus among the early-onset counterpart. The findings support the notion that early-onset blind individuals rely more on the occipital areas as a result of cross-modal plasticity for auditory spatial processing, while late-onset blind individuals rely more on the prefrontal areas which subserve visuospatial working memory.

The incidence of color blindness among some school children of Pokhara, Western Nepal.

Science.gov (United States)

Niroula, D R; Saha, C G

2010-03-01

The incidence of color blindness varies from race to race and different in different geographical area. Since, there is no such report about the prevalence of color blindness in the western part of Nepal, the present study had been conducted to find out the incidence of color blindness among school children of Pokhara city, western Nepal. Participant's (n=964, 474 boys, 490 girls, age group 10 to 19 years) color vision was tested by using Ishihara chart (38 plates). Among 474 boys, 18 boys were color blind with the prevalence of 3.8%. None of girls were found to be color blind. Out of 18 color blind boys, nine, six and three boys were the victims of deuteranopia, deuteranomaly and protanomaly respectively. The incidence of color blindness were more amongst the Darji (14.3%) and Newar (9.1%) ethnic groups.

Morphometric changes of the corpus callosum in congenital blindness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tomaiuolo, Francesco; Campana, Serena; Collins, D Louis

2014-01-01

We examined the effects of visual deprivation at birth on the development of the corpus callosum in a large group of congenitally blind individuals. We acquired high-resolution T1-weighted MRI scans in 28 congenitally blind and 28 normal sighted subjects matched for age and gender....... There was no overall group effect of visual deprivation on the total surface area of the corpus callosum. However, subdividing the corpus callosum into five subdivisions revealed significant regional changes in its three most posterior parts. Compared to the sighted controls, congenitally blind individuals showed a 12......% reduction in the splenium, and a 20% increase in the isthmus and the posterior part of the body. A shape analysis further revealed that the bending angle of the corpus callosum was more convex in congenitally blind compared to the sighted control subjects. The observed morphometric changes in the corpus...

Regular Topologies for Gigabit Wide-Area Networks. Volume 1

Science.gov (United States)

Shacham, Nachum; Denny, Barbara A.; Lee, Diane S.; Khan, Irfan H.; Lee, Danny Y. C.; McKenney, Paul

1994-01-01

In general terms, this project aimed at the analysis and design of techniques for very high-speed networking. The formal objectives of the project were to: (1) Identify switch and network technologies for wide-area networks that interconnect a large number of users and can provide individual data paths at gigabit/s rates; (2) Quantitatively evaluate and compare existing and proposed architectures and protocols, identify their strength and growth potentials, and ascertain the compatibility of competing technologies; and (3) Propose new approaches to existing architectures and protocols, and identify opportunities for research to overcome deficiencies and enhance performance. The project was organized into two parts: 1. The design, analysis, and specification of techniques and protocols for very-high-speed network environments. In this part, SRI has focused on several key high-speed networking areas, including Forward Error Control (FEC) for high-speed networks in which data distortion is the result of packet loss, and the distribution of broadband, real-time traffic in multiple user sessions. 2. Congestion Avoidance Testbed Experiment (CATE). This part of the project was done within the framework of the DARTnet experimental T1 national network. The aim of the work was to advance the state of the art in benchmarking DARTnet's performance and traffic control by developing support tools for network experimentation, by designing benchmarks that allow various algorithms to be meaningfully compared, and by investigating new queueing techniques that better satisfy the needs of best-effort and reserved-resource traffic. This document is the final technical report describing the results obtained by SRI under this project. The report consists of three volumes: Volume 1 contains a technical description of the network techniques developed by SRI in the areas of FEC and multicast of real-time traffic. Volume 2 describes the work performed under CATE. Volume 3 contains the source

Wide area methane emissions mapping with airborne IPDA lidar

Science.gov (United States)

Bartholomew, Jarett; Lyman, Philip; Weimer, Carl; Tandy, William

2017-08-01

Methane emissions from natural gas production, storage, and transportation are potential sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Methane leaks also constitute revenue loss potential from operations. Since 2013, Ball Aerospace has been developing advanced airborne sensors using integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) LIDAR instrumentation to identify methane, propane, and longer-chain alkanes in the lowest region of the atmosphere. Additional funding has come from the U.S. Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration (PHMSA) to upgrade instrumentation to a broader swath coverage of up to 400 meters while maintaining high spatial sampling resolution and geolocation accuracy. Wide area coverage allows efficient mapping of emissions from gathering and distribution networks, processing facilities, landfills, natural seeps, and other distributed methane sources. This paper summarizes the benefits of advanced instrumentation for aerial methane emission mapping, describes the operating characteristics and design of this upgraded IPDA instrumentation, and reviews technical challenges encountered during development and deployment.

Activity and function recognition for moving and static objects in urban environments from wide-area persistent surveillance inputs

Science.gov (United States)

Levchuk, Georgiy; Bobick, Aaron; Jones, Eric

2010-04-01

In this paper, we describe results from experimental analysis of a model designed to recognize activities and functions of moving and static objects from low-resolution wide-area video inputs. Our model is based on representing the activities and functions using three variables: (i) time; (ii) space; and (iii) structures. The activity and function recognition is achieved by imposing lexical, syntactic, and semantic constraints on the lower-level event sequences. In the reported research, we have evaluated the utility and sensitivity of several algorithms derived from natural language processing and pattern recognition domains. We achieved high recognition accuracy for a wide range of activity and function types in the experiments using Electro-Optical (EO) imagery collected by Wide Area Airborne Surveillance (WAAS) platform.

Prevalence of Cataract Blindness in Rural Ethiopia

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Bernt Lindtjørn

Background: Over three-quarter of all blindness worldwide are preventable and usually caused by cataract and trachoma. Objective: To assess the ... Ophthalmologists from other areas conduct cataract operations once or twice each ... Some patients may have two eyes disorder causing visual impairment. The accepted ...

Acceptance factors for the use of video call via smartphone by blind people

OpenAIRE

Tamanit Chanjaraspong

2017-01-01

Using video call via smartphones is a new technology for blind people which can be applied to facilitate their daily lives. This video call technology is different from old technology and the technology acceptance has changed users' behavior in society, culture, and especially attitude toward using new technology. This research studied the intention and the need to use video call via smartphone by blind people according to the Technology Acceptance Model, a famous and widely-accepted theory f...

Sociocultural theory and blind taste-tests

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James Paul Gee

2010-05-01

Full Text Available In his entertaining 1986 book, The Real Coke, the Real Story, Thomas Oliver tells the story of the now infamous “New Coke”, a story retold in Malcolm Gladwell’s (2005 best-seller Blink. In the early 1980s, Pepsi began running commercials in which people took a sip from two glasses, not knowing which was Coke and which Pepsi. The majority preferred Pepsi. The Coca-Cola Company replicated these blind taste-tests and found the same result. Losing market share, Coke—long the dominant brand—changed its old formula and came out with “New Coke”, a soda made to a new formula, one that in a new round of blind taste-tests came out above Pepsi. But New Coke was a disaster.Consumers hated it. Coke not only returned to its old formula, but Pepsi never did overtake Coke, which remains today the dominant brand world-wide.

Probing hot-electron effects in wide area plasmonic surfaces using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ayas, Sencer; Cupallari, Andi; Dana, Aykutlu, E-mail: aykutlu@unam.bilkent.edu.tr [UNAM Institute of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Bilkent University, 06800 Ankara (Turkey)

2014-12-01

Plasmon enhanced hot carrier formation in metallic nanostructures increasingly attracts attention due to potential applications in photodetection, photocatalysis, and solar energy conversion. Here, hot-electron effects in nanoscale metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structures are investigated using a non-contact X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy based technique using continuous wave X-ray and laser excitations. The effects are observed through shifts of the binding energy of the top metal layer upon excitation with lasers of 445, 532, and 650 nm wavelength. The shifts are polarization dependent for plasmonic MIM grating structures fabricated by electron beam lithography. Wide area plasmonic MIM surfaces fabricated using a lithography free route by the dewetting of evaporated Ag on HfO{sub 2} exhibit polarization independent optical absorption and surface photovoltage. Using a simple model and making several assumptions about the magnitude of the photoemission current, the responsivity and external quantum efficiency of wide area plasmonic MIM surfaces are estimated as 500 nA/W and 11 × 10{sup −6} for 445 nm illumination.

Multimodal MR-imaging reveals large-scale structural and functional connectivity changes in profound early blindness

Science.gov (United States)

Bauer, Corinna M.; Hirsch, Gabriella V.; Zajac, Lauren; Koo, Bang-Bon; Collignon, Olivier

2017-01-01

In the setting of profound ocular blindness, numerous lines of evidence demonstrate the existence of dramatic anatomical and functional changes within the brain. However, previous studies based on a variety of distinct measures have often provided inconsistent findings. To help reconcile this issue, we used a multimodal magnetic resonance (MR)-based imaging approach to provide complementary structural and functional information regarding this neuroplastic reorganization. This included gray matter structural morphometry, high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI) of white matter connectivity and integrity, and resting state functional connectivity MRI (rsfcMRI) analysis. When comparing the brains of early blind individuals to sighted controls, we found evidence of co-occurring decreases in cortical volume and cortical thickness within visual processing areas of the occipital and temporal cortices respectively. Increases in cortical volume in the early blind were evident within regions of parietal cortex. Investigating white matter connections using HARDI revealed patterns of increased and decreased connectivity when comparing both groups. In the blind, increased white matter connectivity (indexed by increased fiber number) was predominantly left-lateralized, including between frontal and temporal areas implicated with language processing. Decreases in structural connectivity were evident involving frontal and somatosensory regions as well as between occipital and cingulate cortices. Differences in white matter integrity (as indexed by quantitative anisotropy, or QA) were also in general agreement with observed pattern changes in the number of white matter fibers. Analysis of resting state sequences showed evidence of both increased and decreased functional connectivity in the blind compared to sighted controls. Specifically, increased connectivity was evident between temporal and inferior frontal areas. Decreases in functional connectivity were observed

Detecting Signage and Doors for Blind Navigation and Wayfinding.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shuihua; Yang, Xiaodong; Tian, Yingli

2013-07-01

Signage plays a very important role to find destinations in applications of navigation and wayfinding. In this paper, we propose a novel framework to detect doors and signage to help blind people accessing unfamiliar indoor environments. In order to eliminate the interference information and improve the accuracy of signage detection, we first extract the attended areas by using a saliency map. Then the signage is detected in the attended areas by using a bipartite graph matching. The proposed method can handle multiple signage detection. Furthermore, in order to provide more information for blind users to access the area associated with the detected signage, we develop a robust method to detect doors based on a geometric door frame model which is independent to door appearances. Experimental results on our collected datasets of indoor signage and doors demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposed method.

The Role of Auditory Cues in the Spatial Knowledge of Blind Individuals

Science.gov (United States)

Papadopoulos, Konstantinos; Papadimitriou, Kimon; Koutsoklenis, Athanasios

2012-01-01

The study presented here sought to explore the role of auditory cues in the spatial knowledge of blind individuals by examining the relation between the perceived auditory cues and the landscape of a given area and by investigating how blind individuals use auditory cues to create cognitive maps. The findings reveal that several auditory cues…

Point-Source and Area-Wide Field Studies of Pyriproxyfen Autodissemination Against Urban Container-Inhabiting Mosquitoes

Science.gov (United States)

2014-04-05

in 50 L trash cans. Oak leaves of Quercus alba (L.) and Q. rubra (L.) were used because this infusion elicits oviposition responses from container...105 ha in area (Fig. 2), whereas, the control site was in Union Beach , NJ (40.2650 lat., - 74.71026 long.) and spanned 181 ha. Both the treatment and...people/km2) than Union Beach (1384.7 people/km2). We initially intended to assess pyriproxyfen-based area-wide autodissemination by treating 25% of an

Wide-Area Publish/Subscribe Mobile Resource Discovery Based on IPv6 GeoNetworking

OpenAIRE

Noguchi, Satoru; Matsuura, Satoshi; Inomata, Atsuo; Fujikawa, Kazutoshi; Sunahara, Hideki

2013-01-01

Resource discovery is an essential function for distributed mobile applications integrated in vehicular communication systems. Key requirements of the mobile resource discovery are wide-area geographic-based discovery and scalable resource discovery not only inside a vehicular ad-hoc network but also through the Internet. While a number of resource discovery solutions have been proposed, most of them have focused on specific scale of network. Furthermore, managing a large number of mobile res...

Childhood blindness at a school for the blind in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Science.gov (United States)

Kotb, Amgad A; Hammouda, Ehab F; Tabbara, Khalid F

2006-02-01

To determine the major causes of eye diseases leading to visual loss and blindness among children attending a school for the blind in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A total of 217 school children with visual disabilities attending a school for the blind in Riyadh were included. All children were brought to The Eye Center, Riyadh, and had complete ophthalmologic examinations including visual acuity testing, biomicroscopy, ophthalmoscopy, tonometry and laboratory investigations. In addition, some patients were subjected to electroretinography (ERG), electrooculography (EOG), measurement of visual evoked potentials (VEP), and laboratory work-up for congenital disorders. There were 117 male students with an age range of 6-19 years and a mean age of 16 years. In addition, there were 100 females with an age range of 6-18 years and a mean age of 12 years. Of the 217 children, 194 (89%) were blind from genetically determined diseases or congenital disorders and 23 (11%) were blind from acquired diseases. The major causes of bilateral blindness in children were retinal degeneration, congenital glaucoma, and optic atrophy. The most common acquired causes of childhood blindness were infections and trauma. The etiological pattern of childhood blindness in Saudi Arabia has changed from microbial keratitis to genetically determined diseases of the retina and optic nerve. Currently, the most common causes of childhood blindness are genetically determined causes. Consanguineous marriages may account for the autosomal recessive disorders. Public education programs should include information for the prevention of trauma and genetic counseling. Eye examinations for preschool and school children are mandatory for the prevention and cure of blinding disorders.

Designing a stable feedback control system for blind image deconvolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Shichao; Liu, Risheng; Fan, Xin; Luo, Zhongxuan

2018-05-01

Blind image deconvolution is one of the main low-level vision problems with wide applications. Many previous works manually design regularization to simultaneously estimate the latent sharp image and the blur kernel under maximum a posterior framework. However, it has been demonstrated that such joint estimation strategies may lead to the undesired trivial solution. In this paper, we present a novel perspective, using a stable feedback control system, to simulate the latent sharp image propagation. The controller of our system consists of regularization and guidance, which decide the sparsity and sharp features of latent image, respectively. Furthermore, the formational model of blind image is introduced into the feedback process to avoid the image restoration deviating from the stable point. The stability analysis of the system indicates the latent image propagation in blind deconvolution task can be efficiently estimated and controlled by cues and priors. Thus the kernel estimation used for image restoration becomes more precision. Experimental results show that our system is effective on image propagation, and can perform favorably against the state-of-the-art blind image deconvolution methods on different benchmark image sets and special blurred images. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On Data Transfers Over Wide-Area Dedicated Connections

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rao, Nageswara S. [ORNL; Liu, Qiang [ORNL

2018-01-01

Dedicated wide-area network connections are employed in big data and high-performance computing scenarios, since the absence of cross-traffic promises to make it easier to analyze and optimize data transfers over them. However, nonlinear transport dynamics and end-system complexity due to multi-core hosts and distributed file systems make these tasks surprisingly challenging. We present an overview of methods to analyze memory and disk file transfers using extensive measurements over 10 Gbps physical and emulated connections with 0–366 ms round trip times (RTTs). For memory transfers, we derive performance profiles of TCP and UDT throughput as a function of RTT, which show concave regions in contrast to entirely convex regions predicted by previous models. These highly desirable concave regions can be expanded by utilizing large buffers and more parallel flows. We also present Poincar´e maps and Lyapunov exponents of TCP and UDT throughputtraces that indicate complex throughput dynamics. For disk file transfers, we show that throughput can be optimized using a combination of parallel I/O and network threads under direct I/O mode. Our initial throughput measurements of Lustre filesystems mounted over long-haul connections using LNet routers show convex profiles indicative of I/O limits.

Blind I/Q imbalance compensation technique for direct-conversion digital radio transceivers

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

De Witt, JJ

2009-05-01

Full Text Available . Digital signal processing techniques have widely been proposed to compensate for these mixer imperfections. Of these techniques, the class of blind compensation techniques seems very attractive since no test signals are required. This paper presents a...

Applied techniques for high bandwidth data transfers across wide area networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jason; Gunter, Dan; Tierney, Brian; Allcock, Bill; Bester, Joe; Bresnahan, John; Tuecke, Steve

2001-01-01

Large distributed systems such as Computational/Data Grids require large amounts of data to be co-located with the computing facilities for processing. Ensuring that the data is there in time for the computation in today's Internet is a massive problem. From our work developing a scalable distributed network cache, we have gained experience with techniques necessary to achieve high data throughput over high bandwidth Wide Area Networks (WAN). In this paper, we discuss several hardware and software design techniques and issues, and then describe their application to an implementation of an enhanced FTP protocol called GridFTP. We also describe results from two applications using these techniques, which were obtained at the Supercomputing 2000 conference

Brain mapping in a patient with congenital blindness – a case for multimodal approaches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jarod L Roland

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Recent advances in basic neuroscience research across a wide range of methodologies have contributed significantly to our understanding of human cortical electrophysiology and functional brain imaging. Translation of this research into clinical neurosurgery has opened doors for advanced mapping of functionality that previously was prohibitively difficult, if not impossible. Here we present the case of a unique individual with congenital blindness and medically refractory epilepsy who underwent neurosurgical treatment of her seizures. Pre-operative evaluation presented the challenge of accurately and robustly mapping the cerebral cortex for an individual with a high probability of significant cortical re-organization. Additionally, a blind individual has unique priorities in one’s ability to read Braille by touch and sense the environment primarily by sound than the non-vision impaired person. For these reasons we employed additional measures to map sensory, motor, speech, language, and auditory perception by employing a number of cortical electrophysiologic mapping and functional magnetic resonance imaging methods. Our data show promising results in the application of these adjunctive methods in the pre-operative mapping of otherwise difficult to localize, and highly variable, functional cortical areas.

Tsunami risk assessment for facility group over a wide area using inundation assessment method considering energy conservation law

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukutani, Yo; Imamura, Fumihiko; Tokunaga, Takeshi; Sato, Ichiro

2015-01-01

We propose a quantitative evaluation method of overall tsunami risk that the entire facility group over a wide area holds. We considerably reduced the calculation cost for tsunami inundation depth by adopting the evaluation method using energy conservation law as compared with the evaluation method using non-linear long wave equation. For financial institutions such as banks and insurance companies with contractors over a wide area and business companies with multiple their assets and facilities in various places, the proposed evaluation method in this study could be a useful approach to implement their risk-based management decisions for tsunami risk. (author)

Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness in Western Rwanda: Blindness in a Postconflict Setting

OpenAIRE

Mathenge, Wanjiku; Nkurikiye, John; Limburg, Hans; Kuper, Hannah

2007-01-01

Editors' Summary Background. VISION 2020, a global initiative that aims to eliminate avoidable blindness, has estimated that 75% of blindness worldwide is treatable or preventable. The WHO estimates that in Africa, around 9% of adults aged over 50 are blind. Some data suggest that people living in regions affected by violent conflict are more likely to be blind than those living in unaffected regions. Currently no data exist on the likely prevalence of blindness in Rwanda, a central African c...

Global data on blindness.

Science.gov (United States)

Thylefors, B.; Négrel, A. D.; Pararajasegaram, R.; Dadzie, K. Y.

1995-01-01

Globally, it is estimated that there are 38 million persons who are blind. Moreover, a further 110 million people have low vision and are at great risk of becoming blind. The main causes of blindness and low vision are cataract, trachoma, glaucoma, onchocerciasis, and xerophthalmia; however, insufficient data on blindness from causes such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration preclude specific estimations of their global prevalence. The age-specific prevalences of the major causes of blindness that are related to age indicate that the trend will be for an increase in such blindness over the decades to come, unless energetic efforts are made to tackle these problems. More data collected through standardized methodologies, using internationally accepted (ICD-10) definitions, are needed. Data on the incidence of blindness due to common causes would be useful for calculating future trends more precisely. PMID:7704921

Grid-optimized Web 3D applications on wide area network

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Frank; Helian, Na; Meng, Lingkui; Wu, Sining; Zhang, Wen; Guo, Yike; Parker, Michael Andrew

2008-08-01

Geographical information system has come into the Web Service times now. In this paper, Web3D applications have been developed based on our developed Gridjet platform, which provides a more effective solution for massive 3D geo-dataset sharing in distributed environments. Web3D services enabling web users could access the services as 3D scenes, virtual geographical environment and so on. However, Web3D services should be shared by thousands of essential users that inherently distributed on different geography locations. Large 3D geo-datasets need to be transferred to distributed clients via conventional HTTP, NFS and FTP protocols, which often encounters long waits and frustration in distributed wide area network environments. GridJet was used as the underlying engine between the Web 3D application node and geo-data server that utilizes a wide range of technologies including the one of paralleling the remote file access, which is a WAN/Grid-optimized protocol and provides "local-like" accesses to remote 3D geo-datasets. No change in the way of using software is required since the multi-streamed GridJet protocol remains fully compatible with existing IP infrastructures. Our recent progress includes a real-world test that Web3D applications as Google Earth over the GridJet protocol beats those over the classic ones by a factor of 2-7 where the transfer distance is over 10,000 km.

Cost-benefit analysis of an area-wide pest management program to control Asian tiger mosquito in New Jersey

Science.gov (United States)

Area-wide pest management (AWPM) is recommended to control urban mosquitoes, such as Aedes albopictus (Asian tiger mosquito), which limit outdoor activities. We conducted a cost-benefit analysis for an AWPM in Mercer and Monmouth counties, New Jersey, as part of a controlled design with matched area...

Tsetse flies: their biology and control using area-wide integrated pest management approaches.

Science.gov (United States)

Vreysen, Marc J B; Seck, Momar Talla; Sall, Baba; Bouyer, Jérémy

2013-03-01

Tsetse flies are the cyclical vectors of trypanosomes, the causative agents of 'sleeping sickness' or human African trypanosomosis (HAT) in humans and 'nagana' or African animal trypanosomosis (AAT) in livestock in Sub-saharan Africa. Many consider HAT as one of the major neglected tropical diseases and AAT as the single greatest health constraint to increased livestock production. This review provides some background information on the taxonomy of tsetse flies, their unique way of reproduction (adenotrophic viviparity) making the adult stage the only one easily accessible for control, and how their ecological affinities, their distribution and population dynamics influence and dictate control efforts. The paper likewise reviews four control tactics (sequential aerosol technique, stationary attractive devices, live bait technique and the sterile insect technique) that are currently accepted as friendly to the environment, and describes their limitations and advantages and how they can best be put to practise in an IPM context. The paper discusses the different strategies for tsetse control i.e. localised versus area-wide and focusses thereafter on the principles of area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) and the phased-conditional approach with the tsetse project in Senegal as a recent example. We argue that sustainable tsetse-free zones can be created on Africa mainland provided certain managerial and technical prerequisites are in place. Copyright © 2012 International Atomic Energy Agency. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Political liberalism and religious claims: Four blind spots.

Science.gov (United States)

Stoeckl, Kristina

2017-01-01

This article gives an overview of 4 important lacunae in political liberalism and identifies, in a preliminary fashion, some trends in the literature that can come in for support in filling these blind spots, which prevent political liberalism from a correct assessment of the diverse nature of religious claims. Political liberalism operates with implicit assumptions about religious actors being either 'liberal' or 'fundamentalist' and ignores a third, in-between group, namely traditionalist religious actors and their claims. After having explained what makes traditionalist religious actors different from liberal and fundamentalist religious actors, the author develops 4 areas in which political liberalism should be pushed further theoretically in order to correctly theorize the challenge which traditional religious actors pose to liberal democracy. These 4 areas (blind spots) are: (1) the context of translation; (2) the politics of exemptions; (3) the multivocality of theology; and (4) the transnational nature of norm-contestation.

On the design of a Radio Numerology for 5G Wide Area

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Berardinelli, Gilberto; Pedersen, Klaus Ingemann; Frederiksen, Frank

2015-01-01

A 5th Generation (5G) radio access technology is expected to cope with the relentless increase of the data traffic demand and is meant to accommodate a plethora of services with different requirements. In this paper, we elaborate on the design of the radio numerology for a 5G wide area system...... operating at carrier frequencies below 6 GHz. The main requirements are identified, and their inevitable conflicts are addressed. The proposed numerology options enable low latency with tolerable overhead, while maintaining a common clock with the Long Term Evolution (LTE) radio technology and robustness...

KOLAM: a cross-platform architecture for scalable visualization and tracking in wide-area imagery

Science.gov (United States)

Fraser, Joshua; Haridas, Anoop; Seetharaman, Guna; Rao, Raghuveer M.; Palaniappan, Kannappan

2013-05-01

KOLAM is an open, cross-platform, interoperable, scalable and extensible framework supporting a novel multi- scale spatiotemporal dual-cache data structure for big data visualization and visual analytics. This paper focuses on the use of KOLAM for target tracking in high-resolution, high throughput wide format video also known as wide-area motion imagery (WAMI). It was originally developed for the interactive visualization of extremely large geospatial imagery of high spatial and spectral resolution. KOLAM is platform, operating system and (graphics) hardware independent, and supports embedded datasets scalable from hundreds of gigabytes to feasibly petabytes in size on clusters, workstations, desktops and mobile computers. In addition to rapid roam, zoom and hyper- jump spatial operations, a large number of simultaneously viewable embedded pyramid layers (also referred to as multiscale or sparse imagery), interactive colormap and histogram enhancement, spherical projection and terrain maps are supported. The KOLAM software architecture was extended to support airborne wide-area motion imagery by organizing spatiotemporal tiles in very large format video frames using a temporal cache of tiled pyramid cached data structures. The current version supports WAMI animation, fast intelligent inspection, trajectory visualization and target tracking (digital tagging); the latter by interfacing with external automatic tracking software. One of the critical needs for working with WAMI is a supervised tracking and visualization tool that allows analysts to digitally tag multiple targets, quickly review and correct tracking results and apply geospatial visual analytic tools on the generated trajectories. One-click manual tracking combined with multiple automated tracking algorithms are available to assist the analyst and increase human effectiveness.

Performability indicators for the traffic analysis of wide area networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsopelas, Panagiotis; Platis, Agapios

2003-01-01

In connecting computing networks, reliability term is strongly related to the availability of connections of Wide Area networks (WANs) or Local Area networks (LANs). In this paper we will examine the network connections activity of a Greek University in order to provide two sources of information: The Quantity of Information Not Delivered (QIND) and the Information Flow Interruption (IFI). These indicators will provide us with the inference of information from observable characteristics of data flow(s), even when the data is encrypted or otherwise not directly available (traffic), which is lost due to failures or upgrades inside this network. The reliability analysis is obtained by collecting the network failures data (duration and frequency) and traffic (total and average) for a specified period of 1 year. It is assumed that the numerical analysis is based on the fact that the lifetime follows and exponential distribution (here as we are working on discrete time the distribution must be the geometric distribution). Hence a Markov chain model seems suitable for modelling the functioning of this system. An algorithm concentrates the results in a transition probability matrix and calculates the reward functions for the QIND/IFI indicators with the use of the power method. Finally, the application part provides an example of how final results can be used to evaluate the observed network

Development of wide area reaction system for Reel-to-Reel TFA-MOD process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nomoto, Sukeharu; Aoki, Yuji; Teranishi, Ryo; Sato, Akihiro; Izumi, Teruo; Shiohara, Yuh

2006-01-01

The previously developed numerical simulation method for the TFA-MOD process, which calculated the YBCO growth kinetics, gas element diffusion and gas flow, was applied to study the suitable gas flow mode for a multi-turning Reel-to-Reel tape conveyance system of a long YBCO coated conductors. The high YBCO production rate with uniform J c distribution among tape lines is desired in the system. It was found by the numerical simulation for the vertical gas flow onto the tape surface to realize the above demands even in a wider reaction area. We developed a new wide area reaction tube for the Reel-to-Reel TFA-MOD process according to the numerically designed gas flow configuration. The demand for the new tube was confirmed to be satisfied by experiments

The design of delay-dependent wide-area DOFC with prescribed degree of stability α for damping inter-area low-frequency oscillations in power system.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Miaoping; Nian, Xiaohong; Dai, Liqiong; Guo, Hua

2017-05-01

In this paper, the delay-dependent wide-area dynamic output feedback controller (DOFC) with prescribed degree of stability is proposed for interconnected power system to damp inter-area low-frequency oscillations. Here, the prescribed degree of stability α is used to maintain all the poles on the left of s=-α in the s-plane. Firstly, residue approach is adopted to select input-output control signals and the schur balanced truncation model reduction method is utilized to obtain the reduced power system model. Secondly, based on Lyapunov stability theory and transformation operation in complex plane, the sufficient condition of asymptotic stability for closed-loop power system with prescribed degree of stability α is derived. Then, a novel method based on linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) is presented to obtain the parameters of DOFC and calculate delay margin of the closed-loop system considering the prescribed degree of stability α. Finally, case studies are carried out on the two-area four-machine system, which is controlled by classical wide-area power system stabilizer (WAPSS) in reported reference and our proposed DOFC respectively. The effectiveness and advantages of the proposed method are verified by the simulation results under different operating conditions. Copyright © 2017 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Color blindness defect and medical laboratory technologists: unnoticed problems and the care for screening.

Science.gov (United States)

Dargahi, Hossein; Einollahi, Nahid; Dashti, Nasrin

2010-01-01

Color-blindness is the inability to perceive differences between some color that other people can distinguish. Using a literature search, the results indicate the prevalence of color vision deficiency in the medical profession and its on medical skills. Medical laboratory technicians and technologists employees should also screen for color blindness. This research aimed to study color blindness prevalence among Hospitals' Clinical Laboratories' Employees and Students in Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS). A cross-sectional descriptive and analytical study was conducted among 633 TUMS Clinical Laboratory Sciences' Students and Hospitals' Clinical Laboratories' Employees to detect color-blindness problems by Ishihara Test. The tests were first screened with certain pictures, then compared to the Ishihara criteria to be possible color defective were tested further with other plates to determine color - blindness defects. The data was saved using with SPSS software and analyzed by statistical methods. This is the first study to determine the prevalence of color - blindness in Clinical Laboratory Sciences' Students and Employees. 2.4% of TUMS Medical Laboratory Sciences Students and Hospitals' Clinical Laboratories' Employees are color-blind. There is significant correlation between color-blindness and sex and age. But the results showed that there is not significant correlation between color-blindness defect and exposure to chemical agents, type of job, trauma and surgery history, history of familial defect and race. It would be a wide range of difficulties by color blinded students and employees in their practice of laboratory diagnosis and techniques with a potentially of errors. We suggest color blindness as a medical conditions should restrict employment choices for medical laboratory technicians and technologists job in Iran.

Blindness and severe visual impairment in pupils at schools for the blind in Burundi.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruhagaze, Patrick; Njuguna, Kahaki Kimani Margaret; Kandeke, Lévi; Courtright, Paul

2013-01-01

To determine the causes of childhood blindness and severe visual impairment in pupils attending schools for the blind in Burundi in order to assist planning for services in the country. All pupils attending three schools for the blind in Burundi were examined. A modified WHO/PBL eye examination record form for children with blindness and low vision was used to record the findings. Data was analyzed for those who became blind or severely visually impaired before the age of 16 years. Overall, 117 pupils who became visually impaired before 16 years of age were examined. Of these, 109 (93.2%) were blind or severely visually impaired. The major anatomical cause of blindness or severe visual impairment was cornea pathology/phthisis (23.9%), followed by lens pathology (18.3%), uveal lesions (14.7%) and optic nerve lesions (11.9%). In the majority of pupils with blindness or severe visual impairment, the underlying etiology of visual loss was unknown (74.3%). More than half of the pupils with lens related blindness had not had surgery; among those who had surgery, outcomes were generally poor. The causes identified indicate the importance of continuing preventive public health strategies, as well as the development of specialist pediatric ophthalmic services in the management of childhood blindness in Burundi. The geographic distribution of pupils at the schools for the blind indicates a need for community-based programs to identify and refer children in need of services.

Blind Analysis in Particle Physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roodman, A

2003-01-01

A review of the blind analysis technique, as used in particle physics measurements, is presented. The history of blind analyses in physics is briefly discussed. Next the dangers of and the advantages of a blind analysis are described. Three distinct kinds of blind analysis in particle physics are presented in detail. Finally, the BABAR collaboration's experience with the blind analysis technique is discussed

The prevalence of visual impairment and blindness in underserved rural areas: a crucial issue for future.

Science.gov (United States)

Hashemi, H; Yekta, A; Jafarzadehpur, E; Doostdar, A; Ostadimoghaddam, H; Khabazkhoob, M

2017-08-01

PurposeTo determine the prevalence of visual impairment and blindness in underserved Iranian villages and to identify the most common cause of visual impairment and blindness.Patients and methodsMultistage cluster sampling was used to select the participants who were then invited to undergo complete examinations. Optometric examinations including visual acuity, and refraction were performed for all individuals. Ophthalmic examinations included slit-lamp biomicroscopy and ophthalmoscopy. Visual impairment was determined according to the definitions of the WHO and presenting vision.ResultsOf 3851 selected individuals, 3314 (86.5%) participated in the study. After using the exclusion criteria, the present report was prepared based on the data of 3095 participants. The mean age of the participants was 37.6±20.7 years (3-93 years). The prevalence of visual impairment and blindness was 6.43% (95% confidence interval (CI): 3.71-9.14) and 1.18% (95% CI: 0.56-1.79), respectively. The prevalence of visual impairment varied from 0.75% in participants aged less than 5 years to 38.36% in individuals above the age of 70 years. Uncorrected refractive errors and cataract were the first and second leading causes of visual impairment; moreover, cataract and refractive errors were responsible for 35.90 and 20.51% of the cases of blindness, respectively.ConclusionThe prevalence of visual impairment was markedly high in this study. Lack of access to health services was the main reason for the high prevalence of visual impairment in this study. Cataract and refractive errors are responsible for 80% of visual impairments which can be due to poverty in underserved villages.

A Unified Model for BDS Wide Area and Local Area Augmentation Positioning Based on Raw Observations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rui Tu

2017-03-01

Full Text Available In this study, a unified model for BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS wide area and local area augmentation positioning based on raw observations has been proposed. Applying this model, both the Real-Time Kinematic (RTK and Precise Point Positioning (PPP service can be realized by performing different corrections at the user end. This algorithm was assessed and validated with the BDS data collected at four regional stations from Day of Year (DOY 080 to 083 of 2016. When the users are located within the local reference network, the fast and high precision RTK service can be achieved using the regional observation corrections, revealing a convergence time of about several seconds and a precision of about 2–3 cm. For the users out of the regional reference network, the global broadcast State-Space Represented (SSR corrections can be utilized to realize the global PPP service which shows a convergence time of about 25 min for achieving an accuracy of 10 cm. With this unified model, it can not only integrate the Network RTK (NRTK and PPP into a seamless positioning service, but also recover the ionosphere Vertical Total Electronic Content (VTEC and Differential Code Bias (DCB values that are useful for the ionosphere monitoring and modeling.

The Sokoto blind beggars: causes of blindness and barriers to rehabilitation services.

Science.gov (United States)

Balarabe, Aliyu Hamza; Mahmoud, Abdulraheem O; Ayanniyi, Abdulkabir Ayansiji

2014-01-01

To determine the causes of blindness and the barriers to accessing rehabilitation services (RS) among blind street beggars (bsb) in Sokoto, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey of 202 bsb (VA blindness were diagnosed by clinical ophthalmic examination. There were 107 (53%) males and 95 (47%) females with a mean age of 49 years (SD 12.2). Most bsb 191 (94.6%) had non-formal education. Of 190 (94.1%) irreversibly bsb, 180/190 (94.7%) had no light perception (NPL) bilaterally. The major causes of blindness were non-trachomatous corneal opacity (60.8%) and trachoma corneal opacity (12.8%). There were 166 (82%) blind from avoidable causes and 190 (94.1%) were irreversibly blind with 76.1% due to avoidable causes. The available sub-standard RS were educational, vocational and financial support. The barriers to RS in the past included non-availability 151 (87.8%), inability to afford 2 (1.2%), unfelt need 4 (2.3%), family refusal 1 (0.6), ignorance 6 (3.5%) and being not linked 8 (4.7%). The barriers to RS during the study period included inability of 72 subjects (35.6%) to access RS and 59 (81.9%) were due to lack of linkage to the existing services. Corneal opacification was the major cause of blindness among bsb. The main challenges to RS include the inadequate services available, societal and users factors. Renewed efforts are warranted toward the prevention of avoidable causes of blindness especially corneal opacities. The quality of life of the blind street beggar should be improved through available, accessible and affordable well-maintained and sustained rehabilitation services.

Wide area Hyperspectral Motion Imaging

Science.gov (United States)

2017-02-03

detection at a manageable false alarm rate using the adaptive coherence estimator algorithm. A radiance spectrum was calculated with MODTRAN at 5km...1mHz. In order to meet SNR and update rate, the area coverage is reduced to less than the size of a football stadium. An interferometer has

Functional connectivity of visual cortex in the blind follows retinotopic organization principles.

Science.gov (United States)

Striem-Amit, Ella; Ovadia-Caro, Smadar; Caramazza, Alfonso; Margulies, Daniel S; Villringer, Arno; Amedi, Amir

2015-06-01

Is visual input during critical periods of development crucial for the emergence of the fundamental topographical mapping of the visual cortex? And would this structure be retained throughout life-long blindness or would it fade as a result of plastic, use-based reorganization? We used functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging based on intrinsic blood oxygen level-dependent fluctuations to investigate whether significant traces of topographical mapping of the visual scene in the form of retinotopic organization, could be found in congenitally blind adults. A group of 11 fully and congenitally blind subjects and 18 sighted controls were studied. The blind demonstrated an intact functional connectivity network structural organization of the three main retinotopic mapping axes: eccentricity (centre-periphery), laterality (left-right), and elevation (upper-lower) throughout the retinotopic cortex extending to high-level ventral and dorsal streams, including characteristic eccentricity biases in face- and house-selective areas. Functional connectivity-based topographic organization in the visual cortex was indistinguishable from the normally sighted retinotopic functional connectivity structure as indicated by clustering analysis, and was found even in participants who did not have a typical retinal development in utero (microphthalmics). While the internal structural organization of the visual cortex was strikingly similar, the blind exhibited profound differences in functional connectivity to other (non-visual) brain regions as compared to the sighted, which were specific to portions of V1. Central V1 was more connected to language areas but peripheral V1 to spatial attention and control networks. These findings suggest that current accounts of critical periods and experience-dependent development should be revisited even for primary sensory areas, in that the connectivity basis for visual cortex large-scale topographical organization can develop without any

Blindness and visual impairment in the Americas and the Caribbean.

Science.gov (United States)

Muñoz, B; West, S K

2002-05-01

To summarise available data on the prevalence and causes of visual impairment and blindness in the Americas and the Caribbean. The published literature was searched in Medline and LILACS using the following key words: blindness, visual impairment, prevalence. Articles were reviewed, and the references of the articles were also searched for relevant articles, which were also reviewed. Using the mortality in children under the age of 5 as an indicator, the overall prevalence of childhood blindness (in the under age 15 group) for the region was estimated at 0.45/1000, with the majority (67%) living in countries with mortality of children under age 5 above 30/1000 live births. Corneal opacities were more common in countries where the under 5 year mortality are above 30/1000 live births and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) was an important cause in countries with intermediate death rates. For adults, overall blindness rates were not estimated because of the social, economic, and ethnic diversity in the region. The primary causes of visual loss in adults in the Americas were age related eye diseases, notably cataract and glaucoma in the African-American and Hispanic populations, and age related macular degeneration in the white population. Uncorrected refractive error was a significant cause of decreased vision across ages, ethnic groups, and countries. More data are needed on the magnitude and causes of visual loss for the Caribbean and Latin American countries. Rates of blindness and visual loss from available data within these countries are widely disparate. Prevention and control of avoidable blindness needs to be an ongoing focus in this region.

Economic evaluation of area-wide pest management program to control asian tiger mosquito in New Jersey

Science.gov (United States)

Area-wide pest management (AWPM) is recommended to control urban mosquitoes, such as Aedes albopictus, which limit outdoor activities. While several evaluations of effectiveness exist, information on costs is lacking. Economic evaluation of such a program is important to help inform policy makers an...

The first rapid assessment of avoidable blindness (RAAB in Thailand.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saichin Isipradit

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The majority of vision loss is preventable or treatable. Population surveys are crucial for planning, implementation, and monitoring policies and interventions to eliminate avoidable blindness and visual impairments. This is the first rapid assessment of avoidable blindness (RAAB study in Thailand. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of a population in Thailand age 50 years old or over aimed to assess the prevalence and causes of blindness and visual impairments. Using the Thailand National Census 2010 as the sampling frame, a stratified four-stage cluster sampling based on a probability proportional to size was conducted in 176 enumeration areas from 11 provinces. Participants received comprehensive eye examination by ophthalmologists. RESULTS: The age and sex adjusted prevalence of blindness (presenting visual acuity (VA <20/400, severe visual impairment (VA <20/200 but ≥20/400, and moderate visual impairment (VA <20/70 but ≥20/200 were 0.6% (95% CI: 0.5-0.8, 1.3% (95% CI: 1.0-1.6, 12.6% (95% CI: 10.8-14.5. There was no significant difference among the four regions of Thailand. Cataract was the main cause of vision loss accounted for 69.7% of blindness. Cataract surgical coverage in persons was 95.1% for cut off VA of 20/400. Refractive errors, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and corneal opacities were responsible for 6.0%, 5.1%, 4.0%, and 2.0% of blindness respectively. CONCLUSION: Thailand is on track to achieve the goal of VISION 2020. However, there is still much room for improvement. Policy refinements and innovative interventions are recommended to alleviate blindness and visual impairments especially regarding the backlog of blinding cataract, management of non-communicative, chronic, age-related eye diseases such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy, prevention of childhood blindness, and establishment of a robust eye health information system.

Blind prediction exercise on modeling of PHWR fuel at extended burnup

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sah, D.N.; Viswanathan, U.K.; Viswanadham, C.S.; Unnikrishnan, K.; Rath, B.N.

2008-01-01

A blind prediction exercise was organised on Indian Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) fuel to investigate the predictive capability of existing codes for their application at extended burnup and to identify areas of improvement. The blind problem for this exercise was based on a PHWR fuel bundle irradiated in Kakrapar Atomic Power Station-I (KAPS-I) up to about 15 000 MWd/tU and subjected to detailed post-irradiation examination (PIE) in the hot cells facility at BARC. Eleven computer codes from seven countries participated in this exercise. The participants provided blind predictions of fuel temperature, fission gas release, internal gas pressure and other performance parameters for the fuel pins. The predictions were compared with the experimental PIE data which included fuel temperature derived from fuel restructuring, fission gas release measured by fuel pin puncturing, internal gas pressure in pin, cladding oxidation and fuel microstructural data. The details of the blind problem and an analysis of the results of blind predictions by the codes vis-a-vis measured data are provided in this paper

Sensing Structures Inspired by Blind Cave Fish

Science.gov (United States)

McConney, Michael E.; Chen, Nannan; Lu, David; Anderson, Kyle D.; Hu, Huan; Liu, Chang; Tsukruk, Vladimir V.

2009-03-01

Blind cave fish, with degenerated non-functioning eyes, have evolved to ``see'' their hydrodynamic environment by using the flow receptors of the lateral line system. The hair-cell receptors are encapsulated in a hydrogel-like material, called a cupula, which increases the sensitivity of the hair-cell receptors by coupling their motion to the surrounding flowing media. We characterized the viscoelastic properties and of blind cave fish cupulae by using colloidal-probe spectroscopy in fluid. A photo-patternable hydrogel with similar properties was developed to mimic the fish receptor coupling structure. Flow-based measurements indicated that the hydrogels enhance drag through increased surface area, but also inherent material properties. These bio-inspired structures endowed micro-fabricated flow sensors with sensitivities rivaling that of fish.

Postural control in blind subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Soares, Antonio Vinicius; Oliveira, Cláudia Silva Remor de; Knabben, Rodrigo José; Domenech, Susana Cristina; Borges Junior, Noe Gomes

2011-12-01

To analyze postural control in acquired and congenitally blind adults. A total of 40 visually impaired adults participated in the research, divided into 2 groups, 20 with acquired blindness and 20 with congenital blindness - 21 males and 19 females, mean age 35.8 ± 10.8. The Brazilian version of Berg Balance Scale and the motor domain of functional independence measure were utilized. On Berg Balance Scale the mean for acquired blindness was 54.0 ± 2.4 and 54.4 ± 2.5 for congenitally blind subjects; on functional independence measure the mean for acquired blind group was 87.1 ± 4.8 and 87.3 ± 2.3 for congenitally blind group. Based upon the scale used the results suggest the ability to control posture can be developed by compensatory mechanisms and it is not affected by visual loss in congenitally and acquired blindness.

Stochastic Characterization of Communication Network Latency for Wide Area Grid Control Applications.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ameme, Dan Selorm Kwami [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Guttromson, Ross [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2017-10-01

This report characterizes communications network latency under various network topologies and qualities of service (QoS). The characterizations are probabilistic in nature, allowing deeper analysis of stability for Internet Protocol (IP) based feedback control systems used in grid applications. The work involves the use of Raspberry Pi computers as a proxy for a controlled resource, and an ns-3 network simulator on a Linux server to create an experimental platform (testbed) that can be used to model wide-area grid control network communications in smart grid. Modbus protocol is used for information transport, and Routing Information Protocol is used for dynamic route selection within the simulated network.

Decentralized Gauss-Newton method for nonlinear least squares on wide area network

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Lanchao; Ling, Qing; Han, Zhu

2014-10-01

This paper presents a decentralized approach of Gauss-Newton (GN) method for nonlinear least squares (NLLS) on wide area network (WAN). In a multi-agent system, a centralized GN for NLLS requires the global GN Hessian matrix available at a central computing unit, which may incur large communication overhead. In the proposed decentralized alternative, each agent only needs local GN Hessian matrix to update iterates with the cooperation of neighbors. The detail formulation of decentralized NLLS on WAN is given, and the iteration at each agent is defined. The convergence property of the decentralized approach is analyzed, and numerical results validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

Highball: A high speed, reserved-access, wide area network

Science.gov (United States)

Mills, David L.; Boncelet, Charles G.; Elias, John G.; Schragger, Paul A.; Jackson, Alden W.

1990-01-01

A network architecture called Highball and a preliminary design for a prototype, wide-area data network designed to operate at speeds of 1 Gbps and beyond are described. It is intended for applications requiring high speed burst transmissions where some latency between requesting a transmission and granting the request can be anticipated and tolerated. Examples include real-time video and disk-disk transfers, national filestore access, remote sensing, and similar applications. The network nodes include an intelligent crossbar switch, but have no buffering capabilities; thus, data must be queued at the end nodes. There are no restrictions on the network topology, link speeds, or end-end protocols. The end system, nodes, and links can operate at any speed up to the limits imposed by the physical facilities. An overview of an initial design approach is presented and is intended as a benchmark upon which a detailed design can be developed. It describes the network architecture and proposed access protocols, as well as functional descriptions of the hardware and software components that could be used in a prototype implementation. It concludes with a discussion of additional issues to be resolved in continuing stages of this project.

Sharing waste management data over a wide area computer network

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Menke, W.; Friberg, P.

1992-01-01

In this paper the authors envision a time when waste management professionals from any institution will be able to access high quality data, regardless of where this data may actually be archived. They will not have to know anything about where the data actually resides or what format it is stored in. They will only have to specify the type of data and the workstation software will handle the rest of the details of finding them and accessing them. A method - now in use at the Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory of Columbia University and several other institutions - of achieving this vision is described in this paper. Institutions make views of their databases publicly available to users of the wide-area network (e.g. Internet), using database serving software that runs on one of their computers. This software completely automates the process of finding out what kind of data are available and of retrieving them

A Novel Wide-Area Backup Protection Based on Fault Component Current Distribution and Improved Evidence Theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhe Zhang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In order to solve the problems of the existing wide-area backup protection (WABP algorithms, the paper proposes a novel WABP algorithm based on the distribution characteristics of fault component current and improved Dempster/Shafer (D-S evidence theory. When a fault occurs, slave substations transmit to master station the amplitudes of fault component currents of transmission lines which are the closest to fault element. Then master substation identifies suspicious faulty lines according to the distribution characteristics of fault component current. After that, the master substation will identify the actual faulty line with improved D-S evidence theory based on the action states of traditional protections and direction components of these suspicious faulty lines. The simulation examples based on IEEE 10-generator-39-bus system show that the proposed WABP algorithm has an excellent performance. The algorithm has low requirement of sampling synchronization, small wide-area communication flow, and high fault tolerance.

A Novel Wide-Area Backup Protection Based on Fault Component Current Distribution and Improved Evidence Theory

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhe; Kong, Xiangping; Yin, Xianggen; Yang, Zengli; Wang, Lijun

2014-01-01

In order to solve the problems of the existing wide-area backup protection (WABP) algorithms, the paper proposes a novel WABP algorithm based on the distribution characteristics of fault component current and improved Dempster/Shafer (D-S) evidence theory. When a fault occurs, slave substations transmit to master station the amplitudes of fault component currents of transmission lines which are the closest to fault element. Then master substation identifies suspicious faulty lines according to the distribution characteristics of fault component current. After that, the master substation will identify the actual faulty line with improved D-S evidence theory based on the action states of traditional protections and direction components of these suspicious faulty lines. The simulation examples based on IEEE 10-generator-39-bus system show that the proposed WABP algorithm has an excellent performance. The algorithm has low requirement of sampling synchronization, small wide-area communication flow, and high fault tolerance. PMID:25050399

Postural control in blind subjects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio Vinicius Soares

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Objective: To analyze postural control in acquired and congenitally blind adults. Methods: A total of 40 visually impaired adults participated in the research, divided into 2 groups, 20 with acquired blindness and 20 with congenital blindness - 21 males and 19 females, mean age 35.8 ± 10.8. The Brazilian version of Berg Balance Scale and the motor domain of functional independence measure were utilized. Results: On Berg Balance Scale the mean for acquired blindness was 54.0 ± 2.4 and 54.4 ± 2.5 for congenitally blind subjects; on functional independence measure the mean for acquired blind group was 87.1 ± 4.8 and 87.3 ± 2.3 for congenitally blind group. Conclusion: Based upon the scale used the results suggest the ability to control posture can be developed by compensatory mechanisms and it is not affected by visual loss in congenitally and acquired blindness.

Neuroplasticity associated with tactile language communication in a deaf-blind subject

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Souzana Obretenova

2010-01-01

Full Text Available A longstanding debate in cognitive neuroscience pertains to the innate nature of language development and the underlying factors that determine this faculty. We explored the neural correlates associated with language processing in a unique individual who is early blind, congenitally deaf, and possesses a high level of language function. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI, we compared the neural networks associated with the tactile reading of words presented in Braille, Print on Palm (POP, and a haptic form of American Sign Language (haptic ASL or hASL. With all three modes of tactile communication, indentifying words was associated with robust activation within occipital cortical regions as well as posterior superior temporal and inferior frontal language areas (lateralized within the left hemisphere. In a normally sighted and hearing interpreter, identifying words through hASL was associated with left-lateralized activation of inferior frontal language areas however robust occipital cortex activation was not observed. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI-based tractography revealed differences consistent with enhanced occipital-temporal connectivity in the deaf-blind subject. Our results demonstrate that in the case of early onset of both visual and auditory deprivation, tactile-based communication is associated with an extensive cortical network implicating occipital as well as posterior superior temporal and frontal associated language areas. The cortical areas activated in this deaf-blind subject are consistent with characteristic cortical regions previously implicated with language. Finally, the resilience of language function within the context of early and combined visual and auditory deprivation may be related to enhanced connectivity between relevant cortical areas.

Causes and emerging trends of childhood blindness: findings from schools for the blind in Southeast Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Aghaji, Ada; Okoye, Obiekwe; Bowman, Richard

2015-06-01

To ascertain the causes severe visual impairment and blindness (SVI/BL) in schools for the blind in southeast Nigeria and to evaluate temporal trends. All children who developed blindness at schools for the blind in southeast Nigeria were examined. All the data were recorded on a WHO/Prevention of Blindness (WHO/PBL) form entered into a Microsoft Access database and transferred to STATA V.12.1 for analysis. To estimate temporal trends in causes of blindness, older (>15 years) children were compared with younger (≤15 years) children. 124 children were identified with SVI/BL. The most common anatomical site of blindness was the lens (33.9%). Overall, avoidable blindness accounted for 73.4% of all blindness. Exploring trends in SVI/BL between children ≤15 years of age and those >15 years old, this study shows a reduction in avoidable blindness but an increase in cortical visual impairment in the younger age group. The results from this study show a statistically significant decrease in avoidable blindness in children ≤15 years old. Corneal blindness appears to be decreasing but cortical visual impairment seems to be emerging in the younger age group. Appropriate strategies for the prevention of avoidable childhood blindness in Nigeria need to be developed and implemented. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Acceptance factors for the use of video call via smartphone by blind people

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tamanit Chanjaraspong

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Using video call via smartphones is a new technology for blind people which can be applied to facilitate their daily lives. This video call technology is different from old technology and the technology acceptance has changed users' behavior in society, culture, and especially attitude toward using new technology. This research studied the intention and the need to use video call via smartphone by blind people according to the Technology Acceptance Model, a famous and widely-accepted theory for the indication of the intention to use technology. The survey data collected from a sample of 30 blind people who lived in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region and used smartphones in their daily life were analyzed using Pearson's Correlation Coefficient. The results found the perceived ease of use factor and the perceived usefulness factor have similar direction and relation. These two factors also have similar roles and relation to the attitude toward using and behavioral intention to use video call via smartphone in the daily life of blind people. The group of blind people who had not experienced using video call via smartphone had similar direction and relation in technology acceptance at a higher level than the group of blind people who had experienced except for the relation between the attitude toward using factor and the behavioral intention to use factor.

World History on the World Wide Web: A Student Satisfaction Survey and a Blinding Flash of the Obvious

Science.gov (United States)

Longhurst, James

2003-01-01

A colleague of the author once observed that papers from first-year history students often feature blinding flashes of the obvious: (1) sweeping declarations that war is bad; (2) social inequality is unfair; or (3) that China is a big place. These sorts of papers sometimes begin with mind-boggling generalizations like "Throughout history, all…

Fair quantum blind signatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian-Yin, Wang; Qiao-Yan, Wen

2010-01-01

We present a new fair blind signature scheme based on the fundamental properties of quantum mechanics. In addition, we analyse the security of this scheme, and show that it is not possible to forge valid blind signatures. Moreover, comparisons between this scheme and public key blind signature schemes are also discussed. (general)

[Visual impairment and blindness in children in a Malawian school for the blind].

Science.gov (United States)

Schulze Schwering, M; Nyrenda, M; Spitzer, M S; Kalua, K

2013-08-01

The aim of this study was to determine the anatomic sites of severe visual impairment and blindness in children in an integrated school for the blind in Malawi, and to compare the results with those of previous Malawian blind school studies. Children attending an integrated school for the blind in Malawi were examined in September 2011 using the standard WHO/PBL eye examination record for children with blindness and low vision. Visual acuity [VA] of the better eye was classified using the standardised WHO reporting form. Fifty-five pupils aged 6 to 19 years were examined, 39 (71 %) males, and 16 (29 %) females. Thirty eight (69%) were blind [BL], 8 (15 %) were severely visually impaired [SVI], 8 (15 %) visually impaired [VI], and 1 (1.8 %) was not visually impaired [NVI]. The major anatomic sites of visual loss were optic nerve (16 %) and retina (16 %), followed by lens/cataract (15 %), cornea (11 %) and lesions of the whole globe (11 %), uveal pathologies (6 %) and cortical blindness (2 %). The exact aetiology of VI or BL could not be determined in most children. Albinism accounted for 13 % (7/55) of the visual impairments. 24 % of the cases were considered to be potentially avoidable: refractive amblyopia among pseudophakic patients and corneal scaring. Optic atrophy, retinal diseases (mostly albinism) and cataracts were the major causes of severe visual impairment and blindness in children in an integrated school for the blind in Malawi. Corneal scarring was now the fourth cause of visual impairment, compared to being the commonest cause 35 years ago. Congenital cataract and its postoperative outcome were the commonest remedial causes of visual impairment. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Definition of blindness under National Programme for Control of Blindness: Do we need to revise it?

Science.gov (United States)

Vashist, Praveen; Senjam, Suraj Singh; Gupta, Vivek; Gupta, Noopur; Kumar, Atul

2017-02-01

A review appropriateness of the current definition of blindness under National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB), Government of India. Online search of peer-reviewed scientific published literature and guidelines using PubMed, the World Health Organization (WHO) IRIS, and Google Scholar with keywords, namely blindness and visual impairment, along with offline examination of reports of national and international organizations, as well as their cross-references was done until December 2016, to identify relevant documents on the definition of blindness. The evidence for the historical and currently adopted definition of blindness under the NPCB, the WHO, and other countries was reviewed. Differences in the NPCB and WHO definitions were analyzed to assess the impact on the epidemiological status of blindness and visual impairment in India. The differences in the criteria for blindness under the NPCB and the WHO definitions cause an overestimation of the prevalence of blindness in India. These variations are also associated with an over-representation of refractive errors as a cause of blindness and an under-representation of other causes under the NPCB definition. The targets for achieving elimination of blindness also become much more difficult to achieve under the NPCB definition. Ignoring differences in definitions when comparing the global and Indian prevalence of blindness will cause erroneous interpretations. We recommend that the appropriate modifications should be made in the NPCB definition of blindness to make it consistent with the WHO definition.

Definition of blindness under National Programme for Control of Blindness: Do we need to revise it?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Praveen Vashist

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A review appropriateness of the current definition of blindness under National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB, Government of India. Online search of peer-reviewed scientific published literature and guidelines using PubMed, the World Health Organization (WHO IRIS, and Google Scholar with keywords, namely blindness and visual impairment, along with offline examination of reports of national and international organizations, as well as their cross-references was done until December 2016, to identify relevant documents on the definition of blindness. The evidence for the historical and currently adopted definition of blindness under the NPCB, the WHO, and other countries was reviewed. Differences in the NPCB and WHO definitions were analyzed to assess the impact on the epidemiological status of blindness and visual impairment in India. The differences in the criteria for blindness under the NPCB and the WHO definitions cause an overestimation of the prevalence of blindness in India. These variations are also associated with an over-representation of refractive errors as a cause of blindness and an under-representation of other causes under the NPCB definition. The targets for achieving elimination of blindness also become much more difficult to achieve under the NPCB definition. Ignoring differences in definitions when comparing the global and Indian prevalence of blindness will cause erroneous interpretations. We recommend that the appropriate modifications should be made in the NPCB definition of blindness to make it consistent with the WHO definition.

The Campi Flegrei Blind Test: Evaluating the Imaging Capability of Local Earthquake Tomography in a Volcanic Area

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Priolo

2012-01-01

Full Text Available During the 1982–1984 bradyseismic crises in the Campi Flegrei area (Italy, the University of Wisconsin deployed a network of seismological stations to record local earthquakes. In order to analyse the potential of the recorded data in terms of tomographic imaging, a blind test was recently set up and carried out in the framework of a research project. A model representing a hypothetical 3D structure of the area containing the Campi Flegrei caldera was also set up, and a synthetic dataset of time arrivals was in turn computed. The synthetic dataset consists of several thousand P- and S-time arrivals, computed at about fourteen stations. The tomographic inversion was performed by four independent teams using different methods. The teams had no knowledge of either the input velocity model or the earthquake hypocenters used to create the synthetic dataset. The results obtained by the different groups were compared and analysed in light of the true model. This work provides a thorough analysis of the earthquake tomography potential of the dataset recording the seismic activity at Campi Flegrei in the 1982–1984 period. It shows that all the tested earthquake tomography methods provide reliable low-resolution images of the background velocity field of the Campi Flegrei area, but with some differences. However, none of them succeeds in detecting the hypothetical structure details (i.e. with a size smaller than about 1.5–2 km, such as a magmatic chamber 4 km deep and especially the smaller, isolated bodies, which represent possible magmatic chimneys and intrusions.

Visual discrimination training improves Humphrey perimetry in chronic cortically induced blindness.

Science.gov (United States)

Cavanaugh, Matthew R; Huxlin, Krystel R

2017-05-09

To assess if visual discrimination training improves performance on visual perimetry tests in chronic stroke patients with visual cortex involvement. 24-2 and 10-2 Humphrey visual fields were analyzed for 17 chronic cortically blind stroke patients prior to and following visual discrimination training, as well as in 5 untrained, cortically blind controls. Trained patients practiced direction discrimination, orientation discrimination, or both, at nonoverlapping, blind field locations. All pretraining and posttraining discrimination performance and Humphrey fields were collected with online eye tracking, ensuring gaze-contingent stimulus presentation. Trained patients recovered ∼108 degrees 2 of vision on average, while untrained patients spontaneously improved over an area of ∼16 degrees 2 . Improvement was not affected by patient age, time since lesion, size of initial deficit, or training type, but was proportional to the amount of training performed. Untrained patients counterbalanced their improvements with worsening of sensitivity over ∼9 degrees 2 of their visual field. Worsening was minimal in trained patients. Finally, although discrimination performance improved at all trained locations, changes in Humphrey sensitivity occurred both within trained regions and beyond, extending over a larger area along the blind field border. In adults with chronic cortical visual impairment, the blind field border appears to have enhanced plastic potential, which can be recruited by gaze-controlled visual discrimination training to expand the visible field. Our findings underscore a critical need for future studies to measure the effects of vision restoration approaches on perimetry in larger cohorts of patients. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American Academy of Neurology.

BlindSense: An Accessibility-inclusive Universal User Interface for Blind People

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Khan

2018-04-01

Full Text Available A large number of blind people use smartphone-based assistive technology to perform their common activities. In order to provide a better user experience the existing user interface paradigm needs to be revisited. A new user interface model has been proposed in this paper. A simplified, semantically consistent, and blind-friendly adaptive user interface is provided. The proposed solution is evaluated through an empirical study on 63 blind people leveraging an improved user experience in performing common activities on a smartphone.

FAO/IAEA international conference on area-wide control of insect pests: Integrating the sterile insect and related nuclear and other techniques. Book of extended synopses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

The successful implementation of area-wide pest control programmes integrating the use of sterile insects with other control technologies against a number of key veterinary, medical and plant insect pests, such as various fruit flies, moths, screwworms, and tsetse species, clearly demonstrates a peaceful application of nuclear technology. Over the last 40 years, FAO and IAEA have played, and they will continue to play, a critical role in supporting their Member States in the development and application of these environment-friendly pest control methods. The concept of area-wide integrated pest management, in which the total population of a pest in an area or region is targeted, is central to the effective application of the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) and is increasingly being considered for related genetic, biological and other pest control technologies. Insect movement, occurring sometimes over long distances, is generally underestimated. As a consequence, most conventional pest control can be described as localized, un-coordinated action against segments of a pest population, resulting very often in an unsustainable spiral of insecticide application and eventual resistance. However, an area-wide integrated approach adopts a preventive rather than a reactive tactic, whereby all individuals of the pest population are targeted, requiring fewer inputs and resulting in more cost effective and sustainable control. In June 1998 FAO and IAEA sponsored the First International Conference on Area-Wide Control of Insect Pests Integrating the Sterile Insect and Related Nuclear and other Techniques in Penang, Malaysia with the participation of almost 300 participants from 63 Member States and 5 international organizations. This Conference greatly increased awareness concerning the area-wide approach for insect pest control programmes. Since then, many new technical innovations have been introduced and a better regulatory framework is being developed for integrating SIT

FAO/IAEA international conference on area-wide control of insect pests: Integrating the sterile insect and related nuclear and other techniques. Book of extended synopses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2005-07-01

The successful implementation of area-wide pest control programmes integrating the use of sterile insects with other control technologies against a number of key veterinary, medical and plant insect pests, such as various fruit flies, moths, screwworms, and tsetse species, clearly demonstrates a peaceful application of nuclear technology. Over the last 40 years, FAO and IAEA have played, and they will continue to play, a critical role in supporting their Member States in the development and application of these environment-friendly pest control methods. The concept of area-wide integrated pest management, in which the total population of a pest in an area or region is targeted, is central to the effective application of the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) and is increasingly being considered for related genetic, biological and other pest control technologies. Insect movement, occurring sometimes over long distances, is generally underestimated. As a consequence, most conventional pest control can be described as localized, un-coordinated action against segments of a pest population, resulting very often in an unsustainable spiral of insecticide application and eventual resistance. However, an area-wide integrated approach adopts a preventive rather than a reactive tactic, whereby all individuals of the pest population are targeted, requiring fewer inputs and resulting in more cost effective and sustainable control. In June 1998 FAO and IAEA sponsored the First International Conference on Area-Wide Control of Insect Pests Integrating the Sterile Insect and Related Nuclear and other Techniques in Penang, Malaysia with the participation of almost 300 participants from 63 Member States and 5 international organizations. This Conference greatly increased awareness concerning the area-wide approach for insect pest control programmes. Since then, many new technical innovations have been introduced and a better regulatory framework is being developed for integrating SIT

Causes of blindness and career choice among pupils in a blind ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

available eye care services Furthermore there is need for career talk in schools for the blind to ... career where their potential can be fully maximized. .... tropicamide 1% eye drops. .... Foster A, Gilbert C. Epidemiology of childhood blindness.

Efficient Multiclass Object Detection: Detecting Pedestrians and Bicyclists in a Truck’s Blind Spot Camera

OpenAIRE

Van Beeck, Kristof; Goedemé, Toon

2015-01-01

In this paper we propose an efficient detection and tracking framework targeting vulnerable road users in the blind spot camera images of a truck. Existing non-vision based safety solutions are not able to handle this problem completely. Therefore we aim to develop an active safety system, based solely on the vision input of the blind spot camera. This is far from trivial: vulnerable road users are a diverse class and consist of a wide variety of poses and appearances. Evidently we need to ac...

Magnitude and Determinants of the Ratio between Prevalence of Low Vision and Blindness in Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness Surveys.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaphle, Dinesh; Lewallen, Susan

2017-10-01

To determine the magnitude and determinants of the ratio between prevalence of low vision and prevalence of blindness in rapid assessment of avoidable blindness (RAAB) surveys globally. Standard RAAB reports were downloaded from the repository or requested from principal investigators. Potential predictor variables included prevalence of uncorrected refractive error (URE) as well as gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, health expenditure per capita of the country across World Bank regions. Univariate and multivariate linear regression were used to investigate the correlation between potential predictor variables and the ratio. The results of 94 surveys from 43 countries showed that the ratio ranged from 1.35 in Mozambique to 11.03 in India with a median value of 3.90 (Interquartile range 3.06;5.38). Univariate regression analysis showed that prevalence of URE (p = 0.04), logarithm of GDP per capita (p = 0.01) and logarithm of health expenditure per capita (p = 0.03) were significantly associated with the higher ratio. However, only prevalence of URE was found to be significant in multivariate regression analysis (p = 0.03). There is a wide variation in the ratio of the prevalence of low vision to the prevalence of blindness. Eye care service utilization indicators such as the prevalence of URE may explain some of the variation across the regions.

Models for the blind

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsén, Jan-Eric

2014-01-01

person to touch them in their historical context. And yet these objects are all about touch, from the concrete act of touching something to the norms that assigned touch a specific pedagogical role in nineteenth-century blind schools. The aim of this article is twofold. First, I provide a historical......When displayed in museum cabinets, tactile objects that were once used in the education of blind and visually impaired people, appear to us, sighted visitors, as anything but tactile. We cannot touch them due to museum policies and we can hardly imagine what it would have been like for a blind...... background to the tactile objects of the blind. When did they appear as a specific category of pedagogical aid and how did they help determine the relation between blindness, vision, and touch? Second, I address the tactile objects from the point of view of empirical sources and historical evidence. Material...

Use of geographic information systems and spatial analysis in area-wide integrated pest management programmes that integrate the sterile insect technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cox, J.St.H.; Vreysen, M.J.B.

2005-01-01

The advantages that geographic information systems (GIS) and associated technologies can offer, in terms of the design and implementation of area-wide programmes of insect and/or disease suppression, are becoming increasingly recognised, even if the realization of this potential has not been fully exploited and for some area-wide programmes adoption appears to be progressing slowly. This chapter provides a basic introduction to the science of GIS, Global Positioning System (GPS), and satellite remote sensing (RS), and reviews the principal ways in which these technologies can be used to assist various stages of development of the sterile insect technique (SIT) as part of area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) programmes - from the selection of project sites, and feasibility assessments and planning of pre-intervention surveys, to the monitoring and analysis of insect suppression programmes, and the release of sterile insects. Potential barriers to the successful deployment of GIS tools are also discussed. (author)

From perception to metacognition: Auditory and olfactory functions in early blind, late blind, and sighted individuals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stina Cornell Kärnekull

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Although evidence is mixed, studies have shown that blind individuals perform better than sighted at specific auditory, tactile, and chemosensory tasks. However, few studies have assessed blind and sighted individuals across different sensory modalities in the same study. We tested early blind (n = 15, late blind (n = 15, and sighted (n = 30 participants with analogous olfactory and auditory tests in absolute threshold, discrimination, identification, episodic recognition, and metacognitive ability. Although the multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA showed no overall effect of blindness and no interaction with modality, follow-up between-group contrasts indicated a blind-over-sighted advantage in auditory episodic recognition, that was most pronounced in early blind individuals. In contrast to the auditory modality, there was no empirical support for compensatory effects in any of the olfactory tasks. There was no conclusive evidence for group differences in metacognitive ability to predict episodic recognition performance. Taken together, the results showed no evidence of an overall superior performance in blind relative sighted individuals across olfactory and auditory functions, although early blind individuals exceled in episodic auditory recognition memory. This observation may be related to an experience-induced increase in auditory attentional capacity.

Real Time Wide Area Radiation Surveillance System

Science.gov (United States)

Biafore, M.

2012-04-01

We present the REWARD project, financed within the FP7 programme, theme SEC-2011.1.5-1 (Development of detection capabilities of difficult to detect radioactive sources and nuclear materials - Capability Project). Within this project, we propose a novel mobile system for real time, wide area radiation surveillance. The system is based on the integration of new miniaturized solid-state radiation sensors: a CdZnTe detector for gamma radiation and a high efficiency neutron detector based on novel silicon technologies. The sensing unit will include a wireless communication interface to send the data remotely to a monitoring base station which also uses a GPS system to calculate the position of the tag. The system will also incorporate middleware and high level software to provide web-service interfaces for the exchange of information, and that will offer top level functionalities as management of users, mobile tags and environment data and alarms, database storage and management and a web-based graphical user interface. Effort will be spent to ensure that the software is modular and re-usable across as many architectural levels as possible. Finally, an expert system will continuously analyze the information from the radiation sensor and correlate it with historical data from the tag location in order to generate an alarm when an abnormal situation is detected. The system will be useful for many different scenarios, including such lost radioactive sources and radioactive contamination. It will be possible to deploy in emergency units and in general in any type of mobile or static equipment. The sensing units will be highly portable thanks to their low size and low energy consumption. The complete system will be scalable in terms of complexity and cost and will offer very high precision on both the measurement and the location of the radiation. The modularity and flexibility of the system will allow for a realistic introduction to the market. Authorities may start with a

Novel approach for all-optical packet switching in wide-area networks

Science.gov (United States)

Chlamtac, Imrich; Fumagalli, Andrea F.; Wedzinga, Gosse

1998-09-01

All-optical Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) networks are believed to be a fundamental component in future high speed backbones. However, while wavelength routing made circuit switching in WDM feasible the reality of extant optical technology does not yet provide the necessary devices to achieve individual optical packet switching. This paper proposes to achieve all-optical packet switching in WDM Wide Area Networks (WANs) via a novel technique, called slot routing. Using slot routing, entire slots, each carrying multiple packets on distinct wavelengths, are switched transparently and individually. As a result packets can be optically transmitted and switched in the network using available fast and wavelength non-sensitive devices. The proposed routing technique leads to an optical packet switching solution, that is simple, practical, and unique as it makes it possible to build a WDM all-optical WAN with optical devices based on proven technologies.

Prospects for the introduction of Wide Area Monitoring Using Environmental Sampling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wogman, N.A.

2013-01-01

Nuclear proliferation signatures released to the environment must be collected and distinguished from primordial and man-made backgrounds in soils, sediments, air, and surface and underground water. The delay time between the nuclear proliferation emissions and the date of the Wide-Area Environmental Sampling (WAES) analysis will determine which radionuclides would be analyzed based upon their half-lives. Various sampling and analysis technologies have been considered here for application to a WAES. Sampling procedures and equipment discussed are aimed at aquatic, airborne particulate, gas, vegetation, sediment and/or soil, and fauna media. Specific procedures must be selected based upon the application scenario; for example, sampling in the northern latitudes under freezing conditions, sampling at the equator under tropical rain-forest conditions, sampling in the mid-latitudes under desert conditions, and sampling in the marine environment require different equipment and procedures. The paper is followed by the slides of the presentation

TWENTIES Project. Wind power for wide-area control of the grid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perez, Juan Carlos; Combarros, Clara; Veguillas, Roberto; Hermosa, Mikel Joseba [Iberdrola Renovables, Madrid (Spain); Rubio, David [Iberdrola Ingenieria y Construccion (Spain); Egido, Ignacio [Comillas Univ. (ES). Inst. de Investigacion Tecnologica (IIT)

2011-07-01

Europe faces a great challenge with the 2020 scenario in which the renewable energy installed capacity in Europe should increase from its present value of approximately 80 GW to 230 GW in 2020. The future high penetration levels of wind and other renewable energies in the power system require decision makers and stakeholders of the electrical sector to work together to develop new ancillary services and to make the necessary changes to the grid infrastructure in Europe. This background is in line with the SYSERWIND demonstration lead by Iberdrola Renovables and included in the TWENTIES project, with three more partners taking part in this package: Red Electrica de Espana (REE), IIT and Gamesa Eolica. This paper introduces a first phase of preliminary work to define, install and test a Secondary Frequency Control and a Voltage Management System in a wide area, along a transport line. (orig.)

Leaf Area Index (LAI Estimation of Boreal Forest Using Wide Optics Airborne Winter Photos

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pauline Stenberg

2009-12-01

Full Text Available A new simple airborne method based on wide optics camera is developed for leaf area index (LAI estimation in coniferous forests. The measurements are carried out in winter, when the forest floor is completely snow covered and thus acts as a light background for the hemispherical analysis of the images. The photos are taken automatically and stored on a laptop during the flights. The R2 value of the linear regression of the airborne and ground based LAI measurements was 0.89.

Widely Linear Blind Adaptive Equalization for Transmitter IQ-Imbalance/Skew Compensation in Multicarrier Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Porto da Silva, Edson; Zibar, Darko

2016-01-01

Simple analytical widely linear complex-valued models for IQ-imbalance and IQ-skew effects in multicarrier transmitters are presented. To compensate for such effects, a 4×4 MIMO widely linear adaptive equalizer is proposed and experimentally validated....

Blinded trials taken to the test

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hróbjartsson, A; Forfang, E; Haahr, M T

2007-01-01

Blinding can reduce bias in randomized clinical trials, but blinding procedures may be unsuccessful. Our aim was to assess how often randomized clinical trials test the success of blinding, the methods involved and how often blinding is reported as being successful....

A Mixed WLS Power System State Estimation Method Integrating a Wide-Area Measurement System and SCADA Technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tao Jin

2018-02-01

Full Text Available To address the issue that the phasor measurement units (PMUs of wide area measurement system (WAMS are not sufficient for static state estimation in most existing power systems, this paper proposes a mixed power system weighted least squares (WLS state estimation method integrating a wide-area measurement system and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA technology. The hybrid calculation model is established by incorporating phasor measurements (including the node voltage phasors and branch current phasors and the results of the traditional state estimator in a post-processing estimator. The performance assessment is discussed through setting up mathematical models of the distribution network. Based on PMU placement optimization and bias analysis, the effectiveness of the proposed method was proved to be accurate and reliable by simulations of different cases. Furthermore, emulating calculation shows this method greatly improves the accuracy and stability of the state estimation solution, compared with the traditional WLS state estimation.

Postictal blindness in adults.

OpenAIRE

Sadeh, M; Goldhammer, Y; Kuritsky, A

1983-01-01

Cortical blindness following grand mal seizures occurred in five adult patients. The causes of seizures included idiopathic epilepsy, vascular accident, brain cyst, acute encephalitis and chronic encephalitis. Blindness was permanent in one patients, but the others recovered within several days. Since most of the patients were either unaware of or denied their blindness, it is possible that this event often goes unrecognised. Cerebral hypoxia is considered the most likely mechanism.

INTRODUCTION Childhood blindness is increasingly becoming a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

number of blind years resulting from blindness in children is also equal to the number of blind years due to age related cataract.10 The burden of disability in terms of blind years in these children represents a major. CAUSES OF BLINDNESS AND VISUAL IMPAIRMENT AT THE SCHOOL FOR THE. BLIND OWO, NIGERIA.

A comparative study of simple auditory reaction time in blind (congenitally) and sighted subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Gandhi, Pritesh Hariprasad; Gokhale, Pradnya A; Mehta, H B; Shah, C J

2013-07-01

Reaction time is the time interval between the application of a stimulus and the appearance of appropriate voluntary response by a subject. It involves stimulus processing, decision making, and response programming. Reaction time study has been popular due to their implication in sports physiology. Reaction time has been widely studied as its practical implications may be of great consequence e.g., a slower than normal reaction time while driving can have grave results. To study simple auditory reaction time in congenitally blind subjects and in age sex matched sighted subjects. To compare the simple auditory reaction time between congenitally blind subjects and healthy control subjects. STUDY HAD BEEN CARRIED OUT IN TWO GROUPS: The 1(st) of 50 congenitally blind subjects and 2(nd) group comprises of 50 healthy controls. It was carried out on Multiple Choice Reaction Time Apparatus, Inco Ambala Ltd. (Accuracy±0.001 s) in a sitting position at Government Medical College and Hospital, Bhavnagar and at a Blind School, PNR campus, Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India. Simple auditory reaction time response with four different type of sound (horn, bell, ring, and whistle) was recorded in both groups. According to our study, there is no significant different in reaction time between congenital blind and normal healthy persons. Blind individuals commonly utilize tactual and auditory cues for information and orientation and they reliance on touch and audition, together with more practice in using these modalities to guide behavior, is often reflected in better performance of blind relative to sighted participants in tactile or auditory discrimination tasks, but there is not any difference in reaction time between congenitally blind and sighted people.

Wearable Assistive Devices for the Blind

OpenAIRE

Velazquez, Ramiro

2016-01-01

Assistive devices are a key aspect in wearable systems for biomedical applications, as they represent potential aids for people with physical and sensory disabilities that might lead to improvements in the quality of life. This chapter focuses on wearable assistive devices for the blind. It intends to review the most significant work done in this area, to present the latest approaches for assisting this population and to understand universal design concepts for the development of wearable ass...

Specifics of psychomotor development in group of congenital blind children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zbyněk Janečka

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Ontogenesis of the psychomotor development in group of congenital blind children has its own specifics. Visual defect is influenced by many things. In the period from birth to two years of age occur in children, significant changes in cognitive, psychomotor and social development. Compared with the normal sighted population go the development of congenital blind children in all these areas slower. Visual deprivation also influenced on development of body posture. More important is whether the development proceeds in stages that correspond to the development of normal vision child. If development proceeds in the right direction is the temporal aspect criterion rather orientation. For blind children is also important to strengthen the ability to correctly identify their own body through somatognosy. Stereognosy in turn determines the degree of contact with the outer world and focus it in relation to the physical schema.

PDCI Wide-Area Damping Control: PSLF Simulations of the 2016 Open and Closed Loop Test Plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wilches Bernal, Felipe [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Pierre, Brian Joseph [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Elliott, Ryan Thomas [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Schoenwald, David A. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Byrne, Raymond H. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Neely, Jason C. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Trudnowski, Daniel J. [Montana Tech of the Univ. of Montana, Butte, MT (United States); Donnelly, Matthew K. [Montana Tech of the Univ. of Montana, Butte, MT (United States)

2017-03-01

To demonstrate and validate the performance of the wide-are a damping control system, the project plans to conduct closed-loop tests on the PDCI in summer/fall 2016. A test plan details the open and closed loop tests to be conducted on the P DCI using the wide-area damping control system. To ensure the appropriate level of preparedness, simulations were performed in order to predict and evaluate any possible unsafe operations before hardware experiments are attempted. This report contains the result s from these simulations using the power system dynamics software PSLF (Power System Load Flow, trademark of GE). The simulations use the WECC (Western Electricity Coordinating Council) 2016 light summer and heavy summer base cases.

Performance of asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) local area and wide area networks for medical imaging transmission in clinical environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, H K; Wong, A W; Zhu, X

1997-01-01

Asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) technology emerges as a leading candidate for medical image transmission in both local area network (LAN) and wide area network (WAN) applications. This paper describes the performance of an ATM LAN and WAN network at the University of California, San Francisco. The measurements were obtained using an intensive care unit (ICU) server connecting to four image workstations (WS) at four different locations of a hospital-integrated picture archiving and communication system (HI-PACS) in a daily regular clinical environment. Four types of performance were evaluated: magnetic disk-to-disk, disk-to-redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID), RAID-to-memory, and memory-to-memory. Results demonstrate that the transmission rate between two workstations can reach 5-6 Mbytes/s from RAID-to-memory, and 8-10 Mbytes/s from memory-to-memory. When the server has to send images to all four workstations simultaneously, the transmission rate to each WS is about 4 Mbytes/s. Both situations are adequate for radiologic image communications for picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) and teleradiology applications.

Farmer education and organization in the Hawaii area-wide fruit fly pest management program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mau, Ronald F.L.; Sugano, J.S.; Jang, Eric

2003-01-01

A critical component of successful area wide pest management (AWPM) programs are organized, coordinated and comprehensive outreach educational programs. The Hawaii area wide fruit fly pest management (HAW-FLYPM) program's educational program, a part of a USDA AWPM program in Hawaii, utilized the 'logic model' approach to organize, plan, execute and evaluate farmer and community educational programs statewide. The logic model approach was an outcome-driven rather than activity based method that employed a linear sequence that developed relationships between program inputs, outputs and outcomes. This model was utilized extensively to transfer sustainable, science-based technologies to suppress tephritid fruit fly pests. HAW-FLYPM's educational program targeted growers and community door yard growers, three teaching curricula aimed at elementary through high school students, and a statewide awareness program for the pubic at large. Additional key components of the HAW-FLYPM education program was the development of implementation schedules used to track program progress, a comprehensive media matrix developed to ensure educational materials met the needs of target audience groups, and a sustainability calculator to assess the likelihood of program sustainability after the initial five year funding cycle. The model served as a 'blue print' for ensuring program elements were planned, delivered and executed on a timely basis. Utilization of the logic model to organize efforts and manage diverse, multi agency programs such as the HAW-FLYPM program has shown to be a successful method of program advancement and outcome achievement. (author)

Childhood Fears among Children Who Are Blind: The Perspective of Teachers Who Are Blind

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Zboon, Eman

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate childhood fears in children who are blind from the perspective of teachers who are blind. The study was conducted in Jordan. Forty-six teachers were interviewed. Results revealed that the main fear content in children who are blind includes fear of the unknown; environment-, transportation- and…

Social inequalities in blindness and visual impairment: A review of social determinants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Rius

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Health inequities are related to social determinants based on gender, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, living in a specific geographic region, or having a specific health condition. Such inequities were reviewed for blindness and visual impairment by searching for studies on the subject in PubMed from 2000 to 2011 in the English and Spanish languages. The goal of this article is to provide a current review in understanding how inequities based specifically on the aforementioned social determinants on health influence the prevalence of visual impairment and blindness. With regards to gender inequality, women have a higher prevalence of visual impairment and blindness, which cannot be only reasoned based on age or access to service. Socioeconomic status measured as higher income, higher educational status, or non-manual occupational social class was inversely associated with prevalence of blindness or visual impairment. Ethnicity and race were associated with visual impairment and blindness, although there is general confusion over this socioeconomic position determinant. Geographic inequalities and visual impairment were related to income (of the region, nation or continent, living in a rural area, and an association with socioeconomic and political context was suggested. While inequalities related to blindness and visual impairment have rarely been specifically addressed in research, there is still evidence of the association of social determinants and prevalence of blindness and visual impairment. Additional research should be done on the associations with intermediary determinants and socioeconomic and political context.

Social inequalities in blindness and visual impairment: A review of social determinants

Science.gov (United States)

Ulldemolins, Anna Rius; Lansingh, Van C; Valencia, Laura Guisasola; Carter, Marissa J; Eckert, Kristen A

2012-01-01

Health inequities are related to social determinants based on gender, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, living in a specific geographic region, or having a specific health condition. Such inequities were reviewed for blindness and visual impairment by searching for studies on the subject in PubMed from 2000 to 2011 in the English and Spanish languages. The goal of this article is to provide a current review in understanding how inequities based specifically on the aforementioned social determinants on health influence the prevalence of visual impairment and blindness. With regards to gender inequality, women have a higher prevalence of visual impairment and blindness, which cannot be only reasoned based on age or access to service. Socioeconomic status measured as higher income, higher educational status, or non-manual occupational social class was inversely associated with prevalence of blindness or visual impairment. Ethnicity and race were associated with visual impairment and blindness, although there is general confusion over this socioeconomic position determinant. Geographic inequalities and visual impairment were related to income (of the region, nation or continent), living in a rural area, and an association with socioeconomic and political context was suggested. While inequalities related to blindness and visual impairment have rarely been specifically addressed in research, there is still evidence of the association of social determinants and prevalence of blindness and visual impairment. Additional research should be done on the associations with intermediary determinants and socioeconomic and political context. PMID:22944744

DISCOVERY OF NINE GAMMA-RAY PULSARS IN FERMI LARGE AREA TELESCOPE DATA USING A NEW BLIND SEARCH METHOD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pletsch, H. J.; Allen, B.; Aulbert, C.; Fehrmann, H. [Albert-Einstein-Institut, Max-Planck-Institut fuer Gravitationsphysik, D-30167 Hannover (Germany); Guillemot, L.; Kramer, M.; Barr, E. D.; Champion, D. J.; Eatough, R. P.; Freire, P. C. C. [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Radioastronomie, Auf dem Huegel 69, D-53121 Bonn (Germany); Ray, P. S. [Space Science Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375-5352 (United States); Belfiore, A.; Dormody, M. [Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics, Department of Physics and Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Camilo, F. [Columbia Astrophysics Laboratory, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 (United States); Caraveo, P. A. [INAF-Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica, I-20133 Milano (Italy); Celik, Oe.; Ferrara, E. C. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Hessels, J. W. T. [Astronomical Institute ' Anton Pannekoek' , University of Amsterdam, Postbus 94249, 1090 GE Amsterdam (Netherlands); Keith, M. [CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science, Australia Telescope National Facility, Epping NSW 1710 (Australia); Kerr, M., E-mail: holger.pletsch@aei.mpg.de, E-mail: guillemo@mpifr-bonn.mpg.de [W. W. Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Department of Physics and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 (United States); and others

2012-01-10

We report the discovery of nine previously unknown gamma-ray pulsars in a blind search of data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT). The pulsars were found with a novel hierarchical search method originally developed for detecting continuous gravitational waves from rapidly rotating neutron stars. Designed to find isolated pulsars spinning at up to kHz frequencies, the new method is computationally efficient and incorporates several advances, including a metric-based gridding of the search parameter space (frequency, frequency derivative, and sky location) and the use of photon probability weights. The nine pulsars have spin frequencies between 3 and 12 Hz, and characteristic ages ranging from 17 kyr to 3 Myr. Two of them, PSRs J1803-2149 and J2111+ 4606, are young and energetic Galactic-plane pulsars (spin-down power above 6 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 35} erg s{sup -1} and ages below 100 kyr). The seven remaining pulsars, PSRs J0106+4855, J0622+3749, J1620-4927, J1746-3239, J2028+3332, J2030+4415, and J2139+4716, are older and less energetic; two of them are located at higher Galactic latitudes (|b| > 10 Degree-Sign ). PSR J0106+4855 has the largest characteristic age (3 Myr) and the smallest surface magnetic field (2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 11} G) of all LAT blind-search pulsars. PSR J2139+4716 has the lowest spin-down power (3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 33} erg s{sup -1}) among all non-recycled gamma-ray pulsars ever found. Despite extensive multi-frequency observations, only PSR J0106+4855 has detectable pulsations in the radio band. The other eight pulsars belong to the increasing population of radio-quiet gamma-ray pulsars.

Blind MuseumTourer: A System for Self-Guided Tours in Museums and Blind Indoor Navigation

OpenAIRE

Apostolos Meliones; Demetrios Sampson

2018-01-01

Notably valuable efforts have focused on helping people with special needs. In this work, we build upon the experience from the BlindHelper smartphone outdoor pedestrian navigation app and present Blind MuseumTourer, a system for indoor interactive autonomous navigation for blind and visually impaired persons and groups (e.g., pupils), which has primarily addressed blind or visually impaired (BVI) accessibility and self-guided tours in museums. A pilot prototype has been developed and is curr...

A rapid assessment of avoidable blindness in Southern Zambia.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert Lindfield

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: A rapid assessment of avoidable blindness (RAAB was conducted in Southern Zambia to establish the prevalence and causes of blindness in order to plan effective services and advocate for support for eye care to achieve the goals of VISION 2020: the right to sight. METHODS: Cluster randomisation was used to select villages in the survey area. These were further subdivided into segments. One segment was selected randomly and a survey team moved from house to house examining everyone over the age of 50 years. Each individual received a visual acuity assessment and simple ocular examination. Data was recorded on a standard proforma and entered into an established software programme for analysis. RESULTS: 2.29% of people over the age of 50 were found to be blind (VA <3/60 in the better eye with available correction. The major cause of blindness was cataract (47.2% with posterior segment disease being the next main cause (18.8%. 113 eyes had received cataract surgery with 30.1% having a poor outcome (VA <6/60 following surgery. Cataract surgical coverage showed that men (72% received more surgery than women (65%. DISCUSSION: The results from the RAAB survey in Zambia were very similar to the results from a similar survey in Malawi, where the main cause of blindness was cataract but posterior segment disease was also a significant contributor. Blindness in this part of Zambia is mainly avoidable and there is a need for comprehensive eye care services that can address both cataract and posterior segment disease in the population if the aim of VISION 2020 is to be achieved. Services should focus on quality and gender equity of cataract surgery.

Causes of blindness and career choice among pupils in a blind school; South Western Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Fadamiro, Christianah Olufunmilayo

2014-01-01

The causes of Blindness vary from place to place with about 80% of it been avoidable. Furthermore Blind people face a lot of challenges in career choice thus limiting their economic potential and full integration into the society. This study aims at identifying the causes of blindness and career choice among pupils in a school for the blind in South -Western Nigeria. This is a descriptive study of causes of blindness and career choice among 38 pupils residing in a school for the blind at Ikere -Ekiti, South Western Nigeria. Thirty eight pupils comprising of 25 males (65.8%) and 13 females (34.2%) with age range from 6-39 years were seen for the study, The commonest cause of blindness was cataract with 14 cases (36.84%) while congenital glaucoma and infection had an equal proportion of 5 cases each (13.16%). Avoidable causes constituted the greatest proportion of the causes 27 (71.05%) while unavoidable causes accounted for 11 (28.9%). The law career was the most desired profession by the pupils 11 (33.3%) followed by Teaching 9 (27.3%), other desired profession includes engineering, journalism and farming. The greatest proportion of causes of blindness identified in this study is avoidable. There is the need to create public awareness on some of the notable causes particularly cataract and motivate the community to utilize available eye care services Furthermore there is need for career talk in schools for the blind to enable them choose career where their potential can be fully maximized.

Wide Area Network Access to CMS Data Using the Lustre Filesystem

CERN Document Server

Rodríguez, J L; Prescott, C; Wu, Y; Kim, B; Fu, Y; Bourilkov, D; Avery, P

2009-01-01

In this paper, we explore the use of the Lustre cluster filesystem over the wide area network to access Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) data stored on physical devices located hundreds of kilometres away. We describe the experimental testbed and report on the I/O performance of applications writing and reading data on the distributed Lustre filesystem established across the WAN. We compare the I/O performance of a CMS application to the performance obtained with IOzone, a standard benchmark tool. We then examine the I/O performance of the CMS application running multiple processes on a single server. And compare the Lustre results to results obtained on data stored on local filesystems. Our measurements reveal that the IOzone benchmark tool, accessing data sequentially, can saturate the Gbps network link that connects our Lustre client in Miami Florida to the Lustre storage located in Gainesville, Florida. We also find that the I/O rates of the CMS application is significantly less than what can be obtained with ...

A survey of visual impairment and blindness in children attending seven schools for the blind in Myanmar.

Science.gov (United States)

Muecke, James; Hammerton, Michael; Aung, Yee Yee; Warrier, Sunil; Kong, Aimee; Morse, Anna; Holmes, Martin; Yapp, Michael; Hamilton, Carolyn; Selva, Dinesh

2009-01-01

To determine the causes of visual impairment and blindness amongst children in schools for the blind in Myanmar; to identify the avoidable causes of visual impairment and blindness; and to provide spectacles, low vision aids, orientation and mobility training and ophthalmic treatment where indicated. Two hundred and eight children under 16 years of age from all 7 schools for the blind in Myanmar were examined and the data entered into the World Health Organization Prevention of Blindness Examination Record for Childhood Blindness (WHO/PBL ERCB). One hundred and ninety nine children (95.7%) were blind (BL = Visual Acuity [VA] schools for the blind in Myanmar had potentially avoidable causes of SVI/BL. With measles being both the commonest identifiable and commonest avoidable cause, the data supports the need for a measles immunization campaign. There is also a need for a dedicated pediatric eye care center with regular ophthalmology visits to the schools, and improved optometric, low vision and orientation and mobility services in Myanmar.

Multiagent System-Based Wide-Area Protection and Control Scheme against Cascading Events

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Zhou; Chen, Zhe; Sun, Haishun

2015-01-01

In this paper, a multi agent system (MAS) based wide area protection and control scheme is proposed to deal with the long term voltage instability induced cascading trips. Based on sensitivity analysis between the relay operation margin and power system state variables, an optimal emergency control...... strategy is defined to adjust the emergency states timely and prevent the unexpected relay trips. In order to supervise the control process and further minimize the load loss, an agent based process control is adopted to monitor the states of distributed controllers and adjust the emergency control...... strategy. A hybrid simulation platform based on LabVIEW and real time digital simulator (RTDS) is set up to simulate a blackout case in the power system of Eastern Denmark and to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed MAS based protection strategy....

Integration of singularity and zonality methods for prospectivity map of blind mineralization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

samaneh safari

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Singularity based on fractal and multifractal is a technique for detection of depletion and enrichment for geochemical exploration, while the index of vertical geochemical zonality (Vz of Pb.Zn/Cu.Ag is a practical method for exploration of blind porphyry copper mineralization. In this study, these methods are combined for recognition, delineation, and enrichment of Vz in Jebal- Barez in the south of Iran. The studied area is located in the Shar-E-Babak–Bam ore field in the southern part of the Central Iranian volcano–plutonic magmatic arc. The region has a semiarid climate, mountainous topography, and poor vegetation cover. Seven hundreds samples of stream sedimentary were taken from the region. Geochemical data subset represent a total drainage basin area. Samples are analyzed for Cu, Zn, Ag, Pb, Au, W, As, Hg, Ba, Bi by atomic absorption method. Prospectivity map for blind mineralization is represented in this area. The results are in agreement with previous studies which have been focused in this region. Kerver is detected as the main blind mineralization in Jebal- Barz which had been previously intersected by drilled borehole for exploration purposes. In this research, it has been demonstrated that employing the singularity of geochemical zonality anomalies method, as opposed to using singularity of elements, improves mapping of mineral prospectivity.

Blindness and visual impairment in opera.

Science.gov (United States)

Aydin, Pinar; Ritch, Robert; O'Dwyer, John

2018-01-01

The performing arts mirror the human condition. This study sought to analyze the reasons for inclusion of visually impaired characters in opera, the cause of the blindness or near blindness, and the dramatic purpose of the blindness in the storyline. We reviewed operas from the 18 th century to 2010 and included all characters with ocular problems. We classified the cause of each character's ocular problem (organic, nonorganic, and other) in relation to the thematic setting of the opera: biblical and mythical, blind beggars or blind musicians, historical (real or fictional characters), and contemporary or futuristic. Cases of blindness in 55 characters (2 as a choir) from 38 operas were detected over 3 centuries of repertoire: 11 had trauma-related visual impairment, 5 had congenital blindness, 18 had visual impairment of unknown cause, 9 had psychogenic or malingering blindness, and 12 were symbolic or miracle-related. One opera featured an ophthalmologist curing a patient. The research illustrates that visual impairment was frequently used as an artistic device to enhance the intent and situate an opera in its time.

Comparative analysis of the application of different Low Power Wide Area Network technologies in power grid

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hao; Sui, Hong; Liao, Xing; Li, Junhao

2018-03-01

Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) technologies developed rapidly in recent years, but the application principle of different LPWAN technologies in power grid is still not clear. This paper gives a comparative analysis of two mainstream LPWAN technologies including NB-IoT and LoRa, and gives an application suggestion of these two LPWAN technologies, which can guide the planning and construction of LPWAN in power grid.

Truck-mounted Area-wide Application of Pyriproxyfen Targeting Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus in Northeast Florida

Science.gov (United States)

2014-12-01

TRUCK-MOUNTED AREA-WIDE APPLICATION OF PYRIPROXYFEN TARGETING AEDES AEGYPTI AND AEDES ALBOPICTUS IN NORTHEAST FLORIDA1 CARL W. DOUD,2,3 ANTHONY M...truck-mounted ultra-low volume applications of pyriproxyfen against Aedes aegypti larvae in artificial water containers and wild adult Ae. albopictus...larval control, Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus INTRODUCTION Aedes albopictus (Skuse) (Asian tiger mosquito) and Ae. aegypti (L.) (yellow fever

"Color-Blind" Racism.

Science.gov (United States)

Carr, Leslie G.

Examining race relations in the United States from a historical perspective, this book explains how the constitution is racist and how color blindness is actually a racist ideology. It is argued that Justice Harlan, in his dissenting opinion in Plessy v. Ferguson, meant that the constitution and the law must remain blind to the existence of race…

42 CFR 436.531 - Determination of blindness.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Determination of blindness. 436.531 Section 436.531... Requirements for Medicaid Eligibility Blindness § 436.531 Determination of blindness. In determining blindness... determine on behalf of the agency— (1) Whether the individual meets the definition of blindness; and (2...

Is love blind? Sexual behavior and psychological adjustment of adolescents with blindness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kef, S.; Bos, H.

2006-01-01

In the present study, we examined sexual knowledge, sexual behavior, and psychological adjustment of adolescents with blindness. The sample included 36 Dutch adolescents who are blind, 16 males and 20 females. Results of the interviews revealed no problems regarding sexual knowledge or psychological

Internet-based wide area measurement applications in deregulated power systems

Science.gov (United States)

Khatib, Abdel-Rahman Amin

Since the deregulation of power systems was started in 1989 in the UK, many countries have been motivated to undergo deregulation. The United State started deregulation in the energy sector in California back in 1996. Since that time many other states have also started the deregulation procedures in different utilities. Most of the deregulation market in the United States now is in the wholesale market area, however, the retail market is still undergoing changes. Deregulation has many impacts on power system network operation and control. The number of power transactions among the utilities has increased and many Independent Power Producers (IPPs) now have a rich market for competition especially in the green power market. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) called upon utilities to develop the Regional Transmission Organization (RTO). The RTO is a step toward the national transmission grid. RTO is an independent entity that will operate the transmission system in a large region. The main goal of forming RTOs is to increase the operation efficiency of the power network under the impact of the deregulated market. The objective of this work is to study Internet based Wide Area Information Sharing (WAIS) applications in the deregulated power system. The study is the first step toward building a national transmission grid picture using information sharing among utilities. Two main topics are covered as applications for the WAIS in the deregulated power system, state estimation and Total Transfer Capability (TTC) calculations. As a first step for building this national transmission grid picture, WAIS and the level of information sharing of the state estimation calculations have been discussed. WAIS impacts to the TTC calculations are also covered. A new technique to update the TTC using on line measurements based on WAIS created by sharing state estimation is presented.

Poverty and Blindness in Nigeria: Results from the National Survey of Blindness and Visual Impairment.

Science.gov (United States)

Tafida, A; Kyari, F; Abdull, M M; Sivasubramaniam, S; Murthy, G V S; Kana, I; Gilbert, Clare E

2015-01-01

Poverty can be a cause and consequence of blindness. Some causes only affect the poorest communities (e.g. trachoma), and poor individuals are less likely to access services. In low income countries, cataract blind adults have been shown to be less economically active, indicating that blindness can exacerbate poverty. This study aims to explore associations between poverty and blindness using national survey data from Nigeria. Participants ≥40 years were examined in 305 clusters (2005-2007). Sociodemographic information, including literacy and occupation, was obtained by interview. Presenting visual acuity (PVA) was assessed using a reduced tumbling E LogMAR chart. Full ocular examination was undertaken by experienced ophthalmologists on all with PVA blind (PVA blindness were 8.5% (95% CI 7.7-9.5%), 2.5% (95% CI 2.0-3.1%), and 1.5% (95% CI 1.2-2.0%) in poorest, medium and affluent households, respectively (p = 0.001). Cause-specific prevalences of blindness from cataract, glaucoma, uncorrected aphakia and corneal opacities were significantly higher in poorer households. Cataract surgical coverage was low (37.2%), being lowest in females in poor households (25.3%). Spectacle coverage was 3 times lower in poor than affluent households (2.4% vs. 7.5%). In Nigeria, blindness is associated with poverty, in part reflecting lower access to services. Reducing avoidable causes will not be achieved unless access to services improves, particularly for the poor and women.

Will available bit rate (ABR) services give us the capability to offer virtual LANs over wide-area ATM networks?

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrandiz, Ana; Scallan, Gavin

1995-10-01

The available bit rate (ABR) service allows connections to exceed their negotiated data rates during the life of the connections when excess capacity is available in the network. These connections are subject to flow control from the network in the event of network congestion. The ability to dynamically adjust the data rate of the connection can provide improved utilization of the network and be a valuable service to end users. ABR type service is therefore appropriate for the transmission of bursty LAN traffic over a wide area network in a manner that is more efficient and cost effective than allocating bandwdith at the peak cell rate. This paper describes the ABR service and discusses if it is realistic to operate a LAN like service over a wide area using ABR.

Effectiveness of the Area-wide Pest Management Program to Control Asian Tiger Mosquito in New Jersey: Evidence from a Household Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Households’ behaviors can both mitigate and measure the spread of urban mosquitos. Beginning in 2009, a comprehensive area-wide pest management (AWPM) project to control Aedes albopictus was implemented in 4 areas in Monmouth and Mercer Counties, New Jersey. Including other activities, the project f...

Evidence from Blindness for a Cognitively Pluripotent Cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Bedny, Marina

2017-09-01

Cognitive neuroscience seeks to discover how cognitive functions are implemented in neural circuits. Studies of plasticity in blindness suggest that this mind-brain mapping is highly flexible during development. In blindness, 'visual' cortices take on higher-cognitive functions, including language and mathematics, becoming sensitive to the grammatical structure of spoken sentences and the difficulty of math equations. Visual cortex activity at rest becomes synchronized with higher-cognitive networks. Such repurposing is striking in light of the cognitive and evolutionary differences between vision, language, and mathematics. We propose that human cortices are cognitively pluripotent, that is, capable of assuming a wide range of cognitive functions. Specialization is driven by input during development, which is itself constrained by connectivity and experience. 'The child who methodically adds two numbers from right to left, carrying a digit when necessary, may be using the same algorithm that is implemented by the wires and transistors of the cash register in the neighborhood supermarket…' ▓▓Vision, 1982, David Marr. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The sensory construction of dreams and nightmare frequency in congenitally blind and late blind individuals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meaidi, Amani; Jennum, Poul; Ptito, Maurice

2014-01-01

and anxiety levels. RESULTS: All blind participants had fewer visual dream impressions compared to SC participants. In LB participants, duration of blindness was negatively correlated with duration, clarity, and color content of visual dream impressions. CB participants reported more auditory, tactile......OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess dream content in groups of congenitally blind (CB), late blind (LB), and age- and sex-matched sighted control (SC) participants. METHODS: We conducted an observational study of 11 CB, 14 LB, and 25 SC participants and collected dream reports over a 4-week period......, gustatory, and olfactory dream components compared to SC participants. In contrast, LB participants only reported more tactile dream impressions. Blind and SC participants did not differ with respect to emotional and thematic dream content. However, CB participants reported more aggressive interactions...

Blind Cat

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arka Chattopadhyay

2015-08-01

There’s no way to know whether he was blind from birth or blindness was something he had picked up from his fights with other cats. He wasn’t an urban cat. He lived in a little village, soaked in the smell of fish with a river running right beside it. Cats like these have stories of a different kind. The two-storied hotel where he lived had a wooden floor. It stood right on the riverbank and had more than a tilt towards the river, as if deliberately leaning on the water.

Effectiveness of the area wide pest management program to control asian tiger mosquito in New Jersey: evidence from a household survey

Science.gov (United States)

Households’ behaviors can both mitigate and measure the spread of urban mosquito species. Beginning in 2009, an area-wide pest management (AWPM) project to control Ae. Albopictus was implemented in 6 areas in Monmouth and Mercer counties, NJ. Including other activities, the project focused on increa...

The blind hens’ challenge

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sandøe, Peter; Hocking, Paul M.; Forkman, Björn

2014-01-01

about breeding blind hens. But we also argue that alternative views, which (for example) claim that it is important to respect the telos or rights of an animal, do not offer a more convincing solution to questions raised by the possibility of disenhancing animals for their own benefit.......Animal ethicists have recently debated the ethical questions raised by disenhancing animals to improve their welfare. Here, we focus on the particular case of breeding blind hens for commercial egg-laying systems, in order to benefit their welfare. Many people find breeding blind hens intuitively...

Comparison of two modalities: a novel technique, 'chromohysteroscopy', and blind endometrial sampling for the evaluation of abnormal uterine bleeding.

Science.gov (United States)

Alay, Asli; Usta, Taner A; Ozay, Pinar; Karadugan, Ozgur; Ates, Ugur

2014-05-01

The objective of this study was to compare classical blind endometrial tissue sampling with hysteroscopic biopsy sampling following methylene blue dyeing in premenopausal and postmenopausal patients with abnormal uterine bleeding. A prospective case-control study was carried out in the Office Hysteroscopy Unit. Fifty-four patients with complaints of abnormal uterine bleeding were evaluated. Data of 38 patients were included in the statistical analysis. Three groups were compared by examining samples obtained through hysteroscopic biopsy before and after methylene blue dyeing, and classical blind endometrial tissue sampling. First, uterine cavity was evaluated with office hysteroscopy. Methylene blue dye was administered through the hysteroscopic inlet. Tissue samples were obtained from stained and non-stained areas. Blind endometrial sampling was performed in the same patients immediately after the hysteroscopy procedure. The results of hysteroscopic biopsy from methylene blue stained and non-stained areas and blind biopsy were compared. No statistically significant differences were determined in the comparison of biopsy samples obtained from methylene-blue stained, non-stained areas and blind biopsy (P > 0.05). We suggest that chromohysteroscopy is not superior to endometrial sampling in cases of abnormal uterine bleeding. Further studies with greater sample sizes should be performed to assess the validity of routine use of endometrial dyeing. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research © 2014 Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Real-time, wide-area hyperspectral imaging sensors for standoff detection of explosives and chemical warfare agents

Science.gov (United States)

Gomer, Nathaniel R.; Tazik, Shawna; Gardner, Charles W.; Nelson, Matthew P.

2017-05-01

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is a valuable tool for the detection and analysis of targets located within complex backgrounds. HSI can detect threat materials on environmental surfaces, where the concentration of the target of interest is often very low and is typically found within complex scenery. Unfortunately, current generation HSI systems have size, weight, and power limitations that prohibit their use for field-portable and/or real-time applications. Current generation systems commonly provide an inefficient area search rate, require close proximity to the target for screening, and/or are not capable of making real-time measurements. ChemImage Sensor Systems (CISS) is developing a variety of real-time, wide-field hyperspectral imaging systems that utilize shortwave infrared (SWIR) absorption and Raman spectroscopy. SWIR HSI sensors provide wide-area imagery with at or near real time detection speeds. Raman HSI sensors are being developed to overcome two obstacles present in standard Raman detection systems: slow area search rate (due to small laser spot sizes) and lack of eye-safety. SWIR HSI sensors have been integrated into mobile, robot based platforms and handheld variants for the detection of explosives and chemical warfare agents (CWAs). In addition, the fusion of these two technologies into a single system has shown the feasibility of using both techniques concurrently to provide higher probability of detection and lower false alarm rates. This paper will provide background on Raman and SWIR HSI, discuss the applications for these techniques, and provide an overview of novel CISS HSI sensors focusing on sensor design and detection results.

A Wide Area Risk Assessment Framework for Underwater Military Munitions Response

Science.gov (United States)

Holland, K. T.; Calantoni, J.

2017-12-01

Our objective was to develop a prototype statistical framework supporting Wide Area Assessment and Remedial Investigation decisions relating to the risk of unexploded ordnance and other military munitions concentrated in underwater environments. Decision making involving underwater munitions is inherently complex due to the high degree of uncertainty in the environmental conditions that force munitions responses (burial, decay, migration, etc.) and associated risks to the public. The prototype framework provides a consistent approach to accurately delineating contaminated areas at underwater munitions sites through the estimation of most probable concentrations. We adapted existing deterministic models and environmental data services for use within statistical modules that allowed the estimation of munition concentration given historic site information and environmental attributes. Ultimately this risk surface can be used to evaluate costs associated with various remediation approaches (e.g. removal, monitoring, etc.). Unfortunately, evaluation of the assessment framework was limited due to the lack of enduser data services from munition site managers. Of the 450 U.S. sites identified as having potential contamination with underwater munitions, assessment of available munitions information (including historic firing or disposal records, and recent ground-truth munitions samples) indicated very limited information in the databases. Example data types include the most probable munition types, approximate firing / disposal dates and locations, and any supportive munition survey or sampling results. However the overall technical goal to integrate trained statistical belief networks with detailed geophysical knowledge of sites, of sensors and of the underwater environment was demonstrated and should allow probabilistic estimates of the most likely outcomes and tradeoffs while managing uncertainty associated with military munitions response.

Electronic white cane with GPS radar-based concept as blind mobility enhancement without distance limitation

Science.gov (United States)

Halim, Suharsono; Handafiah, Finna; Aprilliyani, Ria; Udhiarto, Arief

2018-02-01

The Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs, in July 2012, informed that the number of blind in Indonesia has been the largest among to the people with other disabilities. The most common tools utilized to help the blind was a conventional cane which has limited features and therefore it was difficult to be used as a mobilization tools. Moreover, the conventional cane cannot assist them or their family when the blind gets lost. In this research, we designed and implemented an electronic white cane with the concept of radar and global positioning system (GPS). The purpose of this research was to design and develop an electronic white cane which can enhance the mobility of the blind without distance coverage limitation. Utilizing ultrasonic sensors as a distance measurement and a servo motor as an actuator, the produced radar system is able to map an area with maximum distance and coverage angle of 5 meters and 180° respectively. The blind senses the obstacle around them from the vibration generated by five vibration motors. The vibration becomes more intense when the obstacle is detected closer. In addition, we implemented a GPS to monitor the blind's position and allow their family to find them easily when the blind need a help. Based on the tests performed, we have successfully developed an electronic white cane that can be a solution to improve the blind's mobility.

Semi-blind identification of wideband MIMO channels via stochastic sampling

OpenAIRE

Andrieu, Christophe; Piechocki, Robert J.; McGeehan, Joe P.; Armour, Simon M.

2003-01-01

In this paper we address the problem of wide-band multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channel (multidimensional time invariant FIR filter) identification using Markov chains Monte Carlo methods. Towards this end we develop a novel stochastic sampling technique that produces a sequence of multidimensional channel samples. The method is semi-blind in the sense that it uses a very short training sequence. In such a framework the problem is no longer analytically tractable; hence we resort to s...

Time-Dependent Statistical Analysis of Wide-Area Time-Synchronized Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. R. Messina

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Characterization of spatial and temporal changes in the dynamic patterns of a nonstationary process is a problem of great theoretical and practical importance. On-line monitoring of large-scale power systems by means of time-synchronized Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs provides the opportunity to analyze and characterize inter-system oscillations. Wide-area measurement sets, however, are often relatively large, and may contain phenomena with differing temporal scales. Extracting from these measurements the relevant dynamics is a difficult problem. As the number of observations of real events continues to increase, statistical techniques are needed to help identify relevant temporal dynamics from noise or random effects in measured data. In this paper, a statistically based, data-driven framework that integrates the use of wavelet-based EOF analysis and a sliding window-based method is proposed to identify and extract, in near-real-time, dynamically independent spatiotemporal patterns from time synchronized data. The method deals with the information in space and time simultaneously, and allows direct tracking and characterization of the nonstationary time-frequency dynamics of oscillatory processes. The efficiency and accuracy of the developed procedures for extracting localized information of power system behavior from time-synchronized phasor measurements of a real event in Mexico is assessed.

A method exploiting direct communication between phasor measurement units for power system wide-area protection and control algorithms.

Science.gov (United States)

Almas, Muhammad Shoaib; Vanfretti, Luigi

2017-01-01

Synchrophasor measurements from Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) are the primary sensors used to deploy Wide-Area Monitoring, Protection and Control (WAMPAC) systems. PMUs stream out synchrophasor measurements through the IEEE C37.118.2 protocol using TCP/IP or UDP/IP. The proposed method establishes a direct communication between two PMUs, thus eliminating the requirement of an intermediate phasor data concentrator, data mediator and/or protocol parser and thereby ensuring minimum communication latency without considering communication link delays. This method allows utilizing synchrophasor measurements internally in a PMU to deploy custom protection and control algorithms. These algorithms are deployed using protection logic equations which are supported by all the PMU vendors. Moreover, this method reduces overall equipment cost as the algorithms execute internally in a PMU and therefore does not require any additional controller for their deployment. The proposed method can be utilized for fast prototyping of wide-area measurements based protection and control applications. The proposed method is tested by coupling commercial PMUs as Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) with Opal-RT's eMEGAsim Real-Time Simulator (RTS). As illustrative example, anti-islanding protection application is deployed using proposed method and its performance is assessed. The essential points in the method are: •Bypassing intermediate phasor data concentrator or protocol parsers as the synchrophasors are communicated directly between the PMUs (minimizes communication delays).•Wide Area Protection and Control Algorithm is deployed using logic equations in the client PMU, therefore eliminating the requirement for an external hardware controller (cost curtailment)•Effortless means to exploit PMU measurements in an environment familiar to protection engineers.

Nonpainful wide-area compression inhibits experimental pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Honigman, Liat; Bar-Bachar, Ofrit; Yarnitsky, David; Sprecher, Elliot; Granovsky, Yelena

2016-09-01

Compression therapy, a well-recognized treatment for lymphoedema and venous disorders, pressurizes limbs and generates massive non-noxious afferent sensory barrages. The aim of this study was to study whether such afferent activity has an analgesic effect when applied on the lower limbs, hypothesizing that larger compression areas will induce stronger analgesic effects, and whether this effect correlates with conditioned pain modulation (CPM). Thirty young healthy subjects received painful heat and pressure stimuli (47°C for 30 seconds, forearm; 300 kPa for 15 seconds, wrist) before and during 3 compression protocols of either SMALL (up to ankles), MEDIUM (up to knees), or LARGE (up to hips) compression areas. Conditioned pain modulation (heat pain conditioned by noxious cold water) was tested before and after each compression protocol. The LARGE protocol induced more analgesia for heat than the SMALL protocol (P < 0.001). The analgesic effect interacted with gender (P = 0.015). The LARGE protocol was more efficient for females, whereas the MEDIUM protocol was more efficient for males. Pressure pain was reduced by all protocols (P < 0.001) with no differences between protocols and no gender effect. Conditioned pain modulation was more efficient than the compression-induced analgesia. For the LARGE protocol, precompression CPM efficiency positively correlated with compression-induced analgesia. Large body area compression exerts an area-dependent analgesic effect on experimental pain stimuli. The observed correlation with pain inhibition in response to robust non-noxious sensory stimulation may suggest that compression therapy shares similar mechanisms with inhibitory pain modulation assessed through CPM.

Sensor-Aware Recognition and Tracking for Wide-Area Augmented Reality on Mobile Phones

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jing; Cao, Ruochen; Wang, Yongtian

2015-01-01

Wide-area registration in outdoor environments on mobile phones is a challenging task in mobile augmented reality fields. We present a sensor-aware large-scale outdoor augmented reality system for recognition and tracking on mobile phones. GPS and gravity information is used to improve the VLAD performance for recognition. A kind of sensor-aware VLAD algorithm, which is self-adaptive to different scale scenes, is utilized to recognize complex scenes. Considering vision-based registration algorithms are too fragile and tend to drift, data coming from inertial sensors and vision are fused together by an extended Kalman filter (EKF) to achieve considerable improvements in tracking stability and robustness. Experimental results show that our method greatly enhances the recognition rate and eliminates the tracking jitters. PMID:26690439

Sensor-Aware Recognition and Tracking for Wide-Area Augmented Reality on Mobile Phones.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jing; Cao, Ruochen; Wang, Yongtian

2015-12-10

Wide-area registration in outdoor environments on mobile phones is a challenging task in mobile augmented reality fields. We present a sensor-aware large-scale outdoor augmented reality system for recognition and tracking on mobile phones. GPS and gravity information is used to improve the VLAD performance for recognition. A kind of sensor-aware VLAD algorithm, which is self-adaptive to different scale scenes, is utilized to recognize complex scenes. Considering vision-based registration algorithms are too fragile and tend to drift, data coming from inertial sensors and vision are fused together by an extended Kalman filter (EKF) to achieve considerable improvements in tracking stability and robustness. Experimental results show that our method greatly enhances the recognition rate and eliminates the tracking jitters.

Sensor-Aware Recognition and Tracking for Wide-Area Augmented Reality on Mobile Phones

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Chen

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Wide-area registration in outdoor environments on mobile phones is a challenging task in mobile augmented reality fields. We present a sensor-aware large-scale outdoor augmented reality system for recognition and tracking on mobile phones. GPS and gravity information is used to improve the VLAD performance for recognition. A kind of sensor-aware VLAD algorithm, which is self-adaptive to different scale scenes, is utilized to recognize complex scenes. Considering vision-based registration algorithms are too fragile and tend to drift, data coming from inertial sensors and vision are fused together by an extended Kalman filter (EKF to achieve considerable improvements in tracking stability and robustness. Experimental results show that our method greatly enhances the recognition rate and eliminates the tracking jitters.

Evaluation of children in six blind schools of Andhra Pradesh

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hornby Stella

2000-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: 1.To determine the anatomical site and underlying causes of severe visual impairment and blindness in children in special education in Andhra Pradesh, India. 2. To compare the causes of blindness in two different regions in the state. 3. To evaluate improvement with correction of refractive error and low-vision devices (LVDs Methods: Children in 6 schools for the blind and in 3 integrated education programmes were examined by one ophthalmologist, and were refracted and assessed for LVDs by an optometrist. The major anatomical site and underlying aetiology of severe visual impairment and blindness (SVI/BL; <6/60 in the better eye were recorded using the standardised WHO reporting form. Results: Two hundred and ninety one students under 16 years were examined, and after refraction, 267 (91.7% were classified as being severely visually impaired or blind. The most common anatomical sites of SVI/BL were retina in 31.1% children; cornea in 24.3%; and whole globe in 20.2%. The aetiology was unknown in 38.2%, hereditary in 34.8% and childhood causes in 24%. 114 children (39.2% had functional low vision (i.e. visual acuity <6/18 to light perception with navigational vision. In this group, 36 children improved with spectacles and 16 benefited by LVDs. 41 children (15.4% were able to read N10 point though they were studying Braille. Conclusion: Overall 37.4% of children had "avoidable" causes of blindness. The major avoidable causes were vitamin-A deficiency and cataract. Vitamin-A deficiency and congenital anomalies were more common in the dry plateau areas of the state. One in seven children could read normal print with optical support.

Acute effect of whole body vibration on postural control in congenitally blind subjects: a preliminary evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

di Cagno, Alessandra; Giombini, Arrigo; Iuliano, Enzo; Moffa, Stefano; Caliandro, Tiziana; Parisi, Attilio; Borrione, Paolo; Calcagno, Giuseppe; Fiorilli, Giovanni

2017-07-11

The purpose of this study was to investigate the acute effects of whole body vibration at optimal frequency, on postural control in blind subjects. Twenty-four participants, 12 congenital blind males (Experimental Group), and 12 non-disabled males with no visual impairment (Control Groups) were recruited. The area of the ellipse and the total distance of the center of pressure displacements, as postural control parameters, were evaluated at baseline (T0), immediately after the vibration (T1), after 10 min (T10) and after 20 min (T20). Whole body vibration protocol consisted into 5 sets of 1 min for each vibration, with 1 min rest between each set on a vibrating platform. The total distance of center of pressure showed a significant difference (p < 0.05) amongst groups, while the area remained constant. No significant differences were detected among times of assessments, or in the interaction group × time. No impairments in static balance were found after an acute bout of whole body vibration at optimal frequency in blind subjects and, consequently, whole body vibration may be considered as a safe application in individuals who are blind.

Plastic reorganization of neural systems for perception of others in the congenitally blind.

Science.gov (United States)

Fairhall, S L; Porter, K B; Bellucci, C; Mazzetti, M; Cipolli, C; Gobbini, M I

2017-09-01

Recent evidence suggests that the function of the core system for face perception might extend beyond visual face-perception to a broader role in person perception. To critically test the broader role of core face-system in person perception, we examined the role of the core system during the perception of others in 7 congenitally blind individuals and 15 sighted subjects by measuring their neural responses using fMRI while they listened to voices and performed identity and emotion recognition tasks. We hypothesised that in people who have had no visual experience of faces, core face-system areas may assume a role in the perception of others via voices. Results showed that emotions conveyed by voices can be decoded in homologues of the core face system only in the blind. Moreover, there was a specific enhancement of response to verbal as compared to non-verbal stimuli in bilateral fusiform face areas and the right posterior superior temporal sulcus showing that the core system also assumes some language-related functions in the blind. These results indicate that, in individuals with no history of visual experience, areas of the core system for face perception may assume a role in aspects of voice perception that are relevant to social cognition and perception of others' emotions. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cost-benefit analysis model: A tool for area-wide fruit fly management. Procedures manual

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Enkerlin, W.; Mumford, J.; Leach, A.

2007-03-01

The Generic Fruit Fly Cost-Benefit Analysis Model assists in economic decision making associated with area-wide fruit fly control options. The FRUIT FLY COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS PROGRAM (available on 1 CD-ROM from the Joint FAO/IAEA Programme of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture) is an Excel 2000 Windows based program, for which all standard Windows and Excel conventions apply. The Model is user friendly and thus largely self-explanatory. Nevertheless, it includes a procedures manual that has been prepared to guide the user, and thus should be used together with the software. Please note that the table presenting the pest management options in the Introductory Page of the model is controlled by spin buttons and click boxes. These controls are linked to macros that hide non relevant tables and boxes. N.B. it is important that the medium level of security is selected from the Tools menu of Excel, to do this go to Tools|Macros|Security| and select Medium. When the file is opened a form will appear containing three buttons, click on the middle button, 'Enable Macros', so that the macros may be used. Ideally the model should be used as a support tool by working groups aiming at assessing the economic returns of different fruit fly control options (suppression, eradication, containment and prevention). The working group should include professionals in agriculture with experience in area-wide implementation of integrated pest management programmes, an economist or at least someone with basic knowledge in economics, and if relevant, an entomologist with some background in the application of the sterile insect technique (SIT)

Sound lateralization test in adolescent blind individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Yabe, Takao; Kaga, Kimitaka

2005-06-21

Blind individuals require to compensate for the lack of visual information by other sensory inputs. In particular, auditory inputs are crucial to such individuals. To investigate whether blind individuals localize sound in space better than sighted individuals, we tested the auditory ability of adolescent blind individuals using a sound lateralization method. The interaural time difference discrimination thresholds of blind individuals were statistically significantly shorter than those of blind individuals with residual vision and controls. These findings suggest that blind individuals have better auditory spatial ability than individuals with visual cues; therefore, some perceptual compensation occurred in the former.

Strategic options in using sterile insects for area-wide integrated pest management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hendrichs, J.; Vreysen, M.J.B.; Enkerlin, W.R.; Cayol, J.P.

2005-01-01

The four strategic options, 'suppression', 'eradication', 'containment' and 'prevention', in which the sterile insect technique (SIT) can be deployed as part of area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) interventions, are defined and described in relation to the contexts in which they are applied against exotic or naturally occurring major insect pests. Advantages and disadvantages of these strategic options are analysed, and examples of successful programmes provided. Considerations of pest status, biology and distribution affecting decision-making in relation to strategy selection are reviewed and discussed in terms of feasibility assessment, and programme planning and implementation. Unrealistic expectations are often associated with applying the SIT, resulting in high political costs to change a strategy during implementation. The choice of strategy needs to be assessed carefully, and considerable baseline data obtained to prepare for the selected strategy, before embarking on an AW-IPM programme with an SIT component. (author)

Psychologica and social adjustment to blindness: Understanding ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Psychologica and social adjustment to blindness: Understanding from two groups of blind people in Ilorin, Nigeria. ... Background: Blindness can cause psychosocial distress leading to maladjustment if not mitigated. Maladjustment is a secondary burden that further reduces quality of life of the blind. Adjustment is often ...

How the blind "see" Braille: lessons from functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadato, Norihiro

2005-12-01

What does the visual cortex of the blind do during Braille reading? This process involves converting simple tactile information into meaningful patterns that have lexical and semantic properties. The perceptual processing of Braille might be mediated by the somatosensory system, whereas visual letter identity is accomplished within the visual system in sighted people. Recent advances in functional neuroimaging techniques, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging, have enabled exploration of the neural substrates of Braille reading. The primary visual cortex of early-onset blind subjects is functionally relevant to Braille reading, suggesting that the brain shows remarkable plasticity that potentially permits the additional processing of tactile information in the visual cortical areas.

Blinding for unanticipated signatures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

D. Chaum (David)

1987-01-01

textabstractPreviously known blind signature systems require an amount of computation at least proportional to the number of signature types, and also that the number of such types be fixed in advance. These requirements are not practical in some applications. Here, a new blind signature technique

Exploring the options for alternative means of livelihood for blind ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Aim: To explore the readiness of and the options for alternative means of livelihood for Blind Street beggars in Sokoto, Nigeria, with a view to achieving the millennium development goals. Materials and Methods: A cross.sectional study was conducted in a Local Government Area (LGA), in Sokoto State overa 6 weeks period ...

The sensory construction of dreams and nightmare frequency in congenitally blind and late blind individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Meaidi, Amani; Jennum, Poul; Ptito, Maurice; Kupers, Ron

2014-05-01

We aimed to assess dream content in groups of congenitally blind (CB), late blind (LB), and age- and sex-matched sighted control (SC) participants. We conducted an observational study of 11 CB, 14 LB, and 25 SC participants and collected dream reports over a 4-week period. Every morning participants filled in a questionnaire related to the sensory construction of the dream, its emotional and thematic content, and the possible occurrence of nightmares. We also assessed participants' ability of visual imagery during waking cognition, sleep quality, and depression and anxiety levels. All blind participants had fewer visual dream impressions compared to SC participants. In LB participants, duration of blindness was negatively correlated with duration, clarity, and color content of visual dream impressions. CB participants reported more auditory, tactile, gustatory, and olfactory dream components compared to SC participants. In contrast, LB participants only reported more tactile dream impressions. Blind and SC participants did not differ with respect to emotional and thematic dream content. However, CB participants reported more aggressive interactions and more nightmares compared to the other two groups. Our data show that blindness considerably alters the sensory composition of dreams and that onset and duration of blindness plays an important role. The increased occurrence of nightmares in CB participants may be related to a higher number of threatening experiences in daily life in this group. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Robust WLS Power System State Estimation Method Integrating a Wide-Area Measurement System and SCADA Technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tao Jin

2015-04-01

Full Text Available With the development of modern society, the scale of the power system is rapidly increased accordingly, and the framework and mode of running of power systems are trending towards more complexity. It is nowadays much more important for the dispatchers to know exactly the state parameters of the power network through state estimation. This paper proposes a robust power system WLS state estimation method integrating a wide-area measurement system (WAMS and SCADA technology, incorporating phasor measurements and the results of the traditional state estimator in a post-processing estimator, which greatly reduces the scale of the non-linear estimation problem as well as the number of iterations and the processing time per iteration. This paper firstly analyzes the wide-area state estimation model in detail, then according to the issue that least squares does not account for bad data and outliers, the paper proposes a robust weighted least squares (WLS method that combines a robust estimation principle with least squares by equivalent weight. The performance assessment is discussed through setting up mathematical models of the distribution network. The effectiveness of the proposed method was proved to be accurate and reliable by simulations and experiments.

42 CFR 435.530 - Definition of blindness.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Definition of blindness. 435.530 Section 435.530... ISLANDS, AND AMERICAN SAMOA Categorical Requirements for Eligibility Blindness § 435.530 Definition of blindness. (a) Definition. The agency must use the same definition of blindness as used under SSI, except...

Design and validation of a foldable and photovoltaic wide-field epiretinal prosthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferlauto, Laura; Airaghi Leccardi, Marta Jole Ildelfonsa; Chenais, Naïg Aurelia Ludmilla; Gilliéron, Samuel Charles Antoine; Vagni, Paola; Bevilacqua, Michele; Wolfensberger, Thomas J; Sivula, Kevin; Ghezzi, Diego

2018-03-08

Retinal prostheses have been developed to fight blindness in people affected by outer retinal layer dystrophies. To date, few hundred patients have received a retinal implant. Inspired by intraocular lenses, we have designed a foldable and photovoltaic wide-field epiretinal prosthesis (named POLYRETINA) capable of stimulating wireless retinal ganglion cells. Here we show that within a visual angle of 46.3 degrees, POLYRETINA embeds 2215 stimulating pixels, of which 967 are in the central area of 5 mm, it is foldable to allow implantation through a small scleral incision, and it has a hemispherical shape to match the curvature of the eye. We demonstrate that it is not cytotoxic and respects optical and thermal safety standards; accelerated ageing shows a lifetime of at least 2 years. POLYRETINA represents significant progress towards the improvement of both visual acuity and visual field with the same device, a current challenging issue in the field.

"VisionTouch Phone" for the Blind.

Science.gov (United States)

Yong, Robest

2013-10-01

Our objective is to enable the blind to use smartphones with touchscreens to make calls and to send text messages (sms) with ease, speed, and accuracy. We believe that with our proposed platform, which enables the blind to locate the position of the keypads, new games and education, and safety applications will be increasingly developed for the blind. This innovative idea can also be implemented on tablets for the blind, allowing them to use information websites such as Wikipedia and newspaper portals.

Implementing Virtual Private Networking for Enabling Lower Cost, More Secure Wide Area Communications at Sandia National Laboratories; TOPICAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MILLER, MARC M.; YONEK JR., GEORGE A.

2001-01-01

Virtual Private Networking is a new communications technology that promises lower cost, more secure wide area communications by leveraging public networks such as the Internet. Sandia National Laboratories has embraced the technology for interconnecting remote sites to Sandia's corporate network, and for enabling remote access users for both dial-up and broadband access

Deaf-Blindness: National Organizations and Resources. Reference Circular No. 93-1.

Science.gov (United States)

Library of Congress, Washington, DC. National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.

This circular lists national organizations and print and audiovisual resources on areas of service to persons with deaf blindness, including rehabilitation, education, information and referral, recreation, and sources for adaptive devices and products. Section I is an alphabetical list of 40 national organizations and resources, including…

Causes of Severe Visual Impairment and Blindness: Comparative Data From Bhutanese and Laotian Schools for the Blind.

Science.gov (United States)

Farmer, Lachlan David Mailey; Ng, Soo Khai; Rudkin, Adam; Craig, Jamie; Wangmo, Dechen; Tsang, Hughie; Southisombath, Khamphoua; Griffiths, Andrew; Muecke, James

2015-01-01

To determine and compare the major causes of childhood blindness and severe visual impairment in Bhutan and Laos. Independent cross-sectional surveys. This survey consists of 2 cross-sectional observational studies. The Bhutanese component was undertaken at the National Institute for Vision Impairment, the only dedicated school for the blind in Bhutan. The Laotian study was conducted at the National Ophthalmology Centre and Vientiane School for the Blind. Children younger than age 16 were invited to participate. A detailed history and examination were performed consistent with the World Health Organization Prevention of Blindness Eye Examination Record. Of the 53 children examined in both studies, 30 were from Bhutan and 23 were from Laos. Forty percent of Bhutanese and 87.1% of Laotian children assessed were blind, with 26.7% and 4.3%, respectively, being severely visually impaired. Congenital causes of blindness were the most common, representing 45% and 43.5% of the Bhutanese and Laotian children, respectively. Anatomically, the primary site of blinding pathology differed between the cohorts. In Bhutan, the lens comprised 25%, with whole globe at 20% and retina at 15%, but in Laos, whole globe and cornea equally contributed at 30.4%, followed by retina at 17.4%. There was an observable difference in the rates of blindness/severe visual impairment due to measles, with no cases observed in the Bhutanese children but 20.7% of the total pathologies in the Laotian children attributable to congenital measles infection. Consistent with other studies, there is a high rate of blinding disease, which may be prevented, treated, or ameliorated.

20 CFR 416.983 - How we evaluate statutory blindness.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false How we evaluate statutory blindness. 416.983... AGED, BLIND, AND DISABLED Determining Disability and Blindness Blindness § 416.983 How we evaluate statutory blindness. We will find that you are blind if you are statutorily blind within the meaning of...

Recognition Memory for Braille or Spoken Words: An fMRI study in Early Blind

OpenAIRE

Burton, Harold; Sinclair, Robert J.; Agato, Alvin

2011-01-01

We examined cortical activity in early blind during word recognition memory. Nine participants were blind at birth and one by 1.5 yrs. In an event-related design, we studied blood oxygen level-dependent responses to studied (“old”) compared to novel (“new”) words. Presentation mode was in Braille or spoken. Responses were larger for identified “new” words read with Braille in bilateral lower and higher tier visual areas and primary somatosensory cortex. Responses to spoken “new” words were la...

Causes of severe visual impairment and blindness in students in schools for the blind in Northwest Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Asferaw, Mulusew; Woodruff, Geoffrey; Gilbert, Clare

2017-01-01

To determine the causes of severe visual impairment and blindness (SVI/BL) among students in schools for the blind in Northwest Ethiopia and to identify preventable and treatable causes. Students attending nine schools for the blind in Northwest Ethiopia were examined and causes assigned using the standard WHO record form for children with blindness and low vision in May and June 2015. 383 students were examined, 357 (93%) of whom were severely visually impaired or blind (blind and four were SVI, total 104. The major anatomical site of visual loss among those 0-15 years was cornea/phthisis (47.1%), usually due to measles and vitamin A deficiency, followed by whole globe (22.1%), lens (9.6%) and uvea (8.7%). Among students aged 16 years and above, corneal/phthisis (76.3%) was the major anatomical cause, followed by lens (6.3%), whole globe (4.7%), uvea (3.6%) and optic nerve (3.2%). The leading underlying aetiology among students aged blindness, mainly as the result of measles and vitamin A deficiency, is still a public health problem in Northwest Ethiopia, and this has not changed as observed in other low-income countries. More than three-fourth of causes of SVI/BL in students in schools for the blind are potentially avoidable, with measles/vitamin A deficiency and cataract being the leading causes.

20 CFR 416.982 - Blindness under a State plan.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Blindness under a State plan. 416.982 Section..., BLIND, AND DISABLED Determining Disability and Blindness Blindness § 416.982 Blindness under a State... plan because of your blindness for the month of December 1973; and (c) You continue to be blind as...

Blindness and Insight in King Lear

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

岳元玉

2008-01-01

This paper intends to explore how William Shakespeare illustrates the theme of blindness and insight in his great tragedy "King Lear".Four characters’ deeds and their fate are used as a case study to examine what blindness is,what insight is,and the relationship between the two.The writer finds that by depicting the characters’ deeds and their fate in a double plot,Shakespeare renders the folly of blindness,the transition from blindness to insight,and the use of reason and thought to understand the truth.

42 CFR 436.530 - Definition of blindness.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Definition of blindness. 436.530 Section 436.530... Requirements for Medicaid Eligibility Blindness § 436.530 Definition of blindness. (a) Definition. The agency must use the definition of blindness that is used in the State plan for AB or AABD. (b) State plan...

Preserved sleep microstructure in blind individuals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aubin, Sébrina; Christensen, Julie A.E.; Jennum, Poul

2018-01-01

, as light is the primary zeitgeber of the master biological clock found in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus. In addition, a greater number of sleep disturbances is often reported in blind individuals. Here, we examined various electroencephalographic microstructural components of sleep, both...... during rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep and non-REM (NREM) sleep, between blind individuals, including both of early and late onset, and normal-sighted controls. During wakefulness, occipital alpha oscillations were lower, or absent in blind individuals. During sleep, differences were observed across...... electrode derivations between the early and late blind samples, which may reflect altered cortical networking in early blindness. Despite these differences in power spectra density, the electroencephalography microstructure of sleep, including sleep spindles, slow wave activity, and sawtooth waves, remained...

Blindness and the age of enlightenment: Diderot's letter on the blind.

Science.gov (United States)

Margo, Curtis E; Harman, Lynn E; Smith, Don B

2013-01-01

Several months after anonymously publishing an essay in 1749 with the title "Letter on the Blind for the Use of Those Who Can See," the chief editor of the French Encyclopédie was arrested and taken to the prison fortress of Vincennes just east of Paris, France. The correctly assumed author, Denis Diderot, was 35 years old and had not yet left his imprint on the Age of Enlightenment. His letter, which recounted the life of Nicolas Saunderson, a blind mathematician, was intended to advance secular empiricism and disparage the religiously tinged rationalism put forward by Rene Descartes. The letter's discussion of sensory perception in men born blind dismissed the supposed primacy of visual imagery in abstract thinking. The essay did little to resolve any philosophical controversy, but it marked a turning point in Western attitudes toward visual disability.

Reflectance of Biological Turbid Tissues under Wide Area Illumination: Single Backward Scattering Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guennadi Saiko

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Various scenarios of light propagation paths in turbid media (single backward scattering, multiple backward scattering, banana shape are discussed and their contributions to reflectance spectra are estimated. It has been found that a single backward or multiple forward scattering quasi-1D paths can be the major contributors to reflected spectra in wide area illumination scenario. Such a single backward scattering (SBS approximation allows developing of an analytical approach which can take into account refractive index mismatched boundary conditions and multilayer geometry and can be used for real-time spectral processing. The SBS approach can be potentially applied for the distances between the transport and reduced scattering domains. Its validation versus the Kubelka-Munk model, path integrals, and diffusion approximation of the radiation transport theory is discussed.

Trapping guidelines for area-wide fruit fly programmes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-11-01

Different traps and lures have been developed and used over decades to survey fruit fly populations. The first attractant for male fruit flies was methyl eugenol (ME) (for Bactrocera zonata, Howlett, 1912) followed by kerosene for Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, (medfly), Severin and Severin, 1913. In 1956, Angelica seed oil was used to trap medfly (Steiner et al, 1957). Beroza et al. (1961) discovered trimedlure (TML) to be effective for the same purpose. Beroza and Green, 1963, demonstrated cuelure to be an effective attractant for Bactrocera cucurbitae. Food baits based on protein solutions, fermenting sugar solutions, fruit juices, and vinegar have been used since 1918 for the capture of females of several species. The McPhail trap was the first device to be used with protein baits (McPhail, 1929). Steiner traps were developed in 1957 (Steiner et al., 1957) and Jackson traps in 1971 for TML (Harris et al., 1971). These traps are currently used in various countries for fruit fly surveys in support of control activities and eradication campaigns. The combination of a McPhail trap with a protein attractant, Jackson trap with TML, and the Steiner trap with ME or cuelure (CUE), has remained unchanged for several decades. Global trends in increasing food quality, revenue sources, and fruit and vegetable trade, has resulted in an increased worldwide movement of fruit fly species and requires refinement of survey systems. After years of validating trapping technology through coordinated research programmes (CRP's) and extensive technical assistance to member countries, the Joint Division FAO/IAEA proposes the use of proven technologies in improving trap sensitivity in area-wide fruit fly control programmes (IAEA 1996 and IAEA 1998). These proven technologies include the use of synthetic food lures such as female attractants that can be used for several species of Anastrepha, Bactrocera and Ceratitis. Other citations of information on these developments are

Trapping guidelines for area-wide fruit fly programmes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2003-11-01

Different traps and lures have been developed and used over decades to survey fruit fly populations. The first attractant for male fruit flies was methyl eugenol (ME) (for Bactrocera zonata, Howlett, 1912) followed by kerosene for Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, (medfly), Severin and Severin, 1913. In 1956, Angelica seed oil was used to trap medfly (Steiner et al, 1957). Beroza et al. (1961) discovered trimedlure (TML) to be effective for the same purpose. Beroza and Green, 1963, demonstrated cuelure to be an effective attractant for Bactrocera cucurbitae. Food baits based on protein solutions, fermenting sugar solutions, fruit juices, and vinegar have been used since 1918 for the capture of females of several species. The McPhail trap was the first device to be used with protein baits (McPhail, 1929). Steiner traps were developed in 1957 (Steiner et al., 1957) and Jackson traps in 1971 for TML (Harris et al., 1971). These traps are currently used in various countries for fruit fly surveys in support of control activities and eradication campaigns. The combination of a McPhail trap with a protein attractant, Jackson trap with TML, and the Steiner trap with ME or cuelure (CUE), has remained unchanged for several decades. Global trends in increasing food quality, revenue sources, and fruit and vegetable trade, has resulted in an increased worldwide movement of fruit fly species and requires refinement of survey systems. After years of validating trapping technology through coordinated research programmes (CRP's) and extensive technical assistance to member countries, the Joint Division FAO/IAEA proposes the use of proven technologies in improving trap sensitivity in area-wide fruit fly control programmes (IAEA 1996 and IAEA 1998). These proven technologies include the use of synthetic food lures such as female attractants that can be used for several species of Anastrepha, Bactrocera and Ceratitis. Other citations of information on these developments are

Analysis of RDSS positioning accuracy based on RNSS wide area differential technique

Science.gov (United States)

Xing, Nan; Su, RanRan; Zhou, JianHua; Hu, XiaoGong; Gong, XiuQiang; Liu, Li; He, Feng; Guo, Rui; Ren, Hui; Hu, GuangMing; Zhang, Lei

2013-10-01

The BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) provides Radio Navigation Service System (RNSS) as well as Radio Determination Service System (RDSS). RDSS users can obtain positioning by responding the Master Control Center (MCC) inquiries to signal transmitted via GEO satellite transponder. The positioning result can be calculated with elevation constraint by MCC. The primary error sources affecting the RDSS positioning accuracy are the RDSS signal transceiver delay, atmospheric trans-mission delay and GEO satellite position error. During GEO orbit maneuver, poor orbit forecast accuracy significantly impacts RDSS services. A real-time 3-D orbital correction method based on wide-area differential technique is raised to correct the orbital error. Results from the observation shows that the method can successfully improve positioning precision during orbital maneuver, independent from the RDSS reference station. This improvement can reach 50% in maximum. Accurate calibration of the RDSS signal transceiver delay precision and digital elevation map may have a critical role in high precise RDSS positioning services.

Blind Test of Physics-Based Prediction of Protein Structures

Science.gov (United States)

Shell, M. Scott; Ozkan, S. Banu; Voelz, Vincent; Wu, Guohong Albert; Dill, Ken A.

2009-01-01

We report here a multiprotein blind test of a computer method to predict native protein structures based solely on an all-atom physics-based force field. We use the AMBER 96 potential function with an implicit (GB/SA) model of solvation, combined with replica-exchange molecular-dynamics simulations. Coarse conformational sampling is performed using the zipping and assembly method (ZAM), an approach that is designed to mimic the putative physical routes of protein folding. ZAM was applied to the folding of six proteins, from 76 to 112 monomers in length, in CASP7, a community-wide blind test of protein structure prediction. Because these predictions have about the same level of accuracy as typical bioinformatics methods, and do not utilize information from databases of known native structures, this work opens up the possibility of predicting the structures of membrane proteins, synthetic peptides, or other foldable polymers, for which there is little prior knowledge of native structures. This approach may also be useful for predicting physical protein folding routes, non-native conformations, and other physical properties from amino acid sequences. PMID:19186130

Blinded trials taken to the test: an analysis of randomized clinical trials that report tests for the success of blinding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hróbjartsson, A; Forfang, E; Haahr, M T

2007-01-01

Blinding can reduce bias in randomized clinical trials, but blinding procedures may be unsuccessful. Our aim was to assess how often randomized clinical trials test the success of blinding, the methods involved and how often blinding is reported as being successful....

Implementing the Expanded Core Curriculum in Specialized Schools for the Blind

Science.gov (United States)

Lohmeier, Keri L.

2005-01-01

Historically, specialized schools for the blind were the only options for educational programming available to students with visual impairments. Throughout the 19th century and into the mid-20th century, the instruction in specialized schools consisted primarily of the core curriculum or academic areas (Zebehazy & Whitten, 1998). Current…

The spatiotopic 'visual' cortex of the blind

Science.gov (United States)

Likova, Lora

2012-03-01

Visual cortex activity in the blind has been shown in sensory tasks. Can it be activated in memory tasks? If so, are inherent features of its organization meaningfully employed? Our recent results in short-term blindfolded subjects imply that human primary visual cortex (V1) may operate as a modality-independent 'sketchpad' for working memory (Likova, 2010a). Interestingly, the spread of the V1 activation approximately corresponded to the spatial extent of the images in terms of their angle of projection to the subject. We now raise the questions of whether under long-term visual deprivation V1 is also employed in non-visual memory task, in particular in congenitally blind individuals, who have never had visual stimulation to guide the development of the visual area organization, and whether such spatial organization is still valid for the same paradigm that was used in blindfolded individuals. The outcome has implications for an emerging reconceptualization of the principles of brain architecture and its reorganization under sensory deprivation. Methods: We used a novel fMRI drawing paradigm in congenitally and late-onset blind, compared with sighted and blindfolded subjects in three conditions of 20s duration, separated by 20s rest-intervals, (i) Tactile Exploration: raised-line images explored and memorized; (ii) Tactile Memory Drawing: drawing the explored image from memory; (iii) Scribble: mindless drawing movements with no memory component. Results and Conclusions: V1 was strongly activated for Tactile Memory Drawing and Tactile Exploration in these totally blind subjects. Remarkably, after training, even in the memory task, the mapping of V1 activation largely corresponded to the angular projection of the tactile stimuli relative to the ego-center (i.e., the effective visual angle at the head); beyond this projective boundary, peripheral V1 signals were dramatically reduced or even suppressed. The matching extent of the activation in the congenitally blind

Reaching for the Stars: A New NASA-National Federation of the Blind Initiative

Science.gov (United States)

Maynard, N. G.; Riccobono, M. A.

2004-12-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) recently launched a unique new partnership which will inspire and empower blind youth to consider opportunities in science, technologies, engineering, and math related careers from which they have typically been excluded. This partnership presents a framework for successful cultivation of the next generation of scientists. By partnering with the NFB Jernigan Institute, a one of a kind research and training facility developed and directed by blind people, NASA has engaged the most powerful tool for tapping the potential of blind youth. By teaming NASA scientists and engineers with successful blind adults within a national organization, the NFB, this partnership has established an unparalleled pipeline of talent and imagination. The NASA/NFB partnership seeks to facilitate the means that will lead to increased science and technology employment opportunities for the blind, and particularly within NASA. The initiative is facilitating the development of education programs and products which will stimulate better educational opportunities and supports for blind youth in the STEM areas and better preparing them to enter the NASA employment path. In addition, the partnership brings the unique perspective of the blind to the continuing effort to develop improved space technologies, which may be applied for navigation and wayfinding, technologies for education and outreach, and technologies for improving access to information using nonvisual techniques. This presentation describes some of the activities accomplished in the first year of the partnership. Examples include the establishment of the first NFB Science Academy for Blind Youth which included two summer science camps supported by NASA. During the first camp session, twelve middle school age blind youth explored earth science concepts such as identification and characterization of soils, weather parameters, plants

Development of wide area environment accelerator operation and diagnostics method

Science.gov (United States)

Uchiyama, Akito; Furukawa, Kazuro

2015-08-01

Remote operation and diagnostic systems for particle accelerators have been developed for beam operation and maintenance in various situations. Even though fully remote experiments are not necessary, the remote diagnosis and maintenance of the accelerator is required. Considering remote-operation operator interfaces (OPIs), the use of standard protocols such as the hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) is advantageous, because system-dependent protocols are unnecessary between the remote client and the on-site server. Here, we have developed a client system based on WebSocket, which is a new protocol provided by the Internet Engineering Task Force for Web-based systems, as a next-generation Web-based OPI using the Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System Channel Access protocol. As a result of this implementation, WebSocket-based client systems have become available for remote operation. Also, as regards practical application, the remote operation of an accelerator via a wide area network (WAN) faces a number of challenges, e.g., the accelerator has both experimental device and radiation generator characteristics. Any error in remote control system operation could result in an immediate breakdown. Therefore, we propose the implementation of an operator intervention system for remote accelerator diagnostics and support that can obviate any differences between the local control room and remote locations. Here, remote-operation Web-based OPIs, which resolve security issues, are developed.

Development of wide area environment accelerator operation and diagnostics method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Akito Uchiyama

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Remote operation and diagnostic systems for particle accelerators have been developed for beam operation and maintenance in various situations. Even though fully remote experiments are not necessary, the remote diagnosis and maintenance of the accelerator is required. Considering remote-operation operator interfaces (OPIs, the use of standard protocols such as the hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP is advantageous, because system-dependent protocols are unnecessary between the remote client and the on-site server. Here, we have developed a client system based on WebSocket, which is a new protocol provided by the Internet Engineering Task Force for Web-based systems, as a next-generation Web-based OPI using the Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System Channel Access protocol. As a result of this implementation, WebSocket-based client systems have become available for remote operation. Also, as regards practical application, the remote operation of an accelerator via a wide area network (WAN faces a number of challenges, e.g., the accelerator has both experimental device and radiation generator characteristics. Any error in remote control system operation could result in an immediate breakdown. Therefore, we propose the implementation of an operator intervention system for remote accelerator diagnostics and support that can obviate any differences between the local control room and remote locations. Here, remote-operation Web-based OPIs, which resolve security issues, are developed.

Change Blindness in Pigeons (Columba livia: the Effects of Change Salience and Timing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Walter Troy Herbranson

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Change blindness is a well-established phenomenon in humans, in which plainly visible changes in the environment go unnoticed. Recently a parallel change blindness phenomenon has been demonstrated in pigeons. The reported experiment follows up on this finding by investigating whether change salience affects change blindness in pigeons the same way it affects change blindness in humans. Birds viewed alternating displays of randomly generated lines back-projected onto three response keys, with one or more line features on a single key differing between consecutive displays. Change salience was manipulated by varying the number of line features that changed on the critical response key. Results indicated that change blindness is reduced if a change is made more salient, and this matches previous human results. Furthermore, accuracy patterns indicate that pigeons’ effective search area expanded over the course of a trial to encompass a larger portion of the stimulus environment. Thus, the data indicate two important aspects of temporal cognition. First, the timing of a change has a profound influence on whether or not that change will be perceived. Second, pigeons appear to engage in a serial search for changes, in which additional time is required to search additional locations.

Prevalence and causes of low vision and blindness in the blind population supported by the Yazd Welfare Organization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F Ezoddini - Ardakani

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: In 1995, the World Health Organization (WHO estimated that there were 37.1 million blind people worldwide. It has subsequently been reported that 110 million people have severely impaired vision, hence are at great risk of becoming blind. Watkins predicted an annual increase of about two million blind worldwide. This study was designed to investigate the causes of blindness and low vision in the blind population supported by the welfare organization of Yazd, Iran. Methods: This clinical descriptive cross-sectional study was done from January to September, 2003. In total, 109 blind patients supported by the welfare organization were included in this study. All data was collected by standard methods using questionnaire, interview and specific examination. The data included; demographic characteristics, clinical states, ophthalmic examination, family history and the available prenatal information. The data were analyzed by SPSS software and chi square test. Results: Of total patients, 73 cases were male (67% and 36 were female (33%. The median age was 24.6 years (range one month to 60 years. More than half of the cases (53.2% could be diagnosed in children less than one year of age. In total, 79 patients (88.1% were legally blind of which 23 cases (29.1% had no light perception (NLP. The most common causes of blindness were retinitis pigmentosa (32.1% followed by ocular dysgenesis (16.5%. Conclusion: Our data showed that more than half of the blindness cases occur during the first year of life. The most common cause of blindness was retinitis pigmentosa followed by ocular dysgenesis, cataract and glaucoma, respectively.

Economic evaluation of an area-wide integrated pest management program to control the Asian tiger mosquito in New Jersey

Science.gov (United States)

Aedes albopictus is the most invasive mosquito in the world, an important disease vector, and a biting nuisance that limits outdoor activities. Area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) is the recommended control strategy. We conducted an economic evaluation of the AW-IPM project in Mercer and ...

Socio-Emotional Effects of the Transition from Sight to Blindness

Science.gov (United States)

Thurston, Mhairi; Thurston, Allen; McLeod, John

2010-01-01

The research examined the socio-emotional impact of sight loss on a sample of 18 blind and partially sighted adults from the east coast of Scotland (average age 64). The impact of sight loss in four core areas (mood, self-concept, social connectedness and loss) was explored. Data were collected using the mental health and social functioning…

A survey of severe visual impairment and blindness in children attending thirteen schools for the blind in sri lanka.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Zoe; Muecke, James; Edussuriya, Kapila; Dayawansa, Ranasiri; Hammerton, Michael; Kong, Aimee; Sennanayake, Saman; Senaratne, Tissa; Marasinghe, Nirosha; Selva, Dinesh

2011-02-01

To identify the causes of blindness and severe visual impairment (BL/SVI) in children attending schools for the blind in Sri Lanka, and to provide optical devices and ophthalmic treatment where indicated. Two hundred and six children under 16 years from 13 schools for the blind in Sri Lanka were examined by a team of ophthalmologists and optometrists. Data were entered in the World Health Organization Prevention of Blindness Eye Examination Record for Childhood Blindness (WHO/PBL ERCB). Of the 206 children, 83.5% were blind (BL = Visual acuity [VA] schools for the blind in Sri Lanka had potentially avoidable causes of BL/SVI. Vision could also be improved in a third of children. The data support the need to develop specialized pediatric ophthalmic services, particularly in the face of advancing neonatal life support in Sri Lanka, and the need for increased provision of optical support.

Modeling of solar transmission through multilayer glazing facade using shading blinds with arbitrary geometrical and surface optical properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo, Yongqiang; Zhang, Ling; Wu, Jing; Wang, Xiliang; Liu, Zhongbing; Wu, Zhenghong

2017-01-01

A system model that can accurately simulate the instantaneous solar transmittance through multilayer glazing façade (MGF) and shading device can provide a solid foundation for the thermal and daylighting performance calculation of MGF as well as indoor visual comfort evaluation. Traditional optical models for venetian blind and glazing façade meet with their limitations to analyze new prototype of shading blind like photovoltaic (PV) blind which has quite different surface optical properties compared with conventional venetian blind. The present study proposed a new system model for MGF using shading blind with arbitrary geometrical and optical features which is suitable for a wide range of applications. Three major calculation types for modeling of shading blinds cover all the possible situations in application. Guess Integer-Valued Function is adopted for delivering a general description on direct radiation transport. The direct-direct, direct-diffuse and diffuse-diffuse radiation transports are separately considered. A series of experiments were carried out to validate the model under various parameter settings and different weather conditions. Parametric study revealed some new findings in the evaluations of influence of ambient radiation situations, geometrical and optical features of blind space on both solar transmittance and solar absorption by blind layer. - Highlights: • Solar transport through glazing façades with PV blind with arbitrary geometry is simulated. • Ray-tracing and radiosity method are coupled in calculation. • Guess Integer-Valued Function is used in calculation of direct radiation transport. • Experiment and simulated data are compared for model validation. • Parametric study is conducted for evaluating the impact of different factors on the system.

Memory for environmental sounds in sighted, congenitally blind and late blind adults: evidence for cross-modal compensation.

Science.gov (United States)

Röder, Brigitte; Rösler, Frank

2003-10-01

Several recent reports suggest compensatory performance changes in blind individuals. It has, however, been argued that the lack of visual input leads to impoverished semantic networks resulting in the use of data-driven rather than conceptual encoding strategies on memory tasks. To test this hypothesis, congenitally blind and sighted participants encoded environmental sounds either physically or semantically. In the recognition phase, both conceptually as well as physically distinct and physically distinct but conceptually highly related lures were intermixed with the environmental sounds encountered during study. Participants indicated whether or not they had heard a sound in the study phase. Congenitally blind adults showed elevated memory both after physical and semantic encoding. After physical encoding blind participants had lower false memory rates than sighted participants, whereas the false memory rates of sighted and blind participants did not differ after semantic encoding. In order to address the question if compensatory changes in memory skills are restricted to critical periods during early childhood, late blind adults were tested with the same paradigm. When matched for age, they showed similarly high memory scores as the congenitally blind. These results demonstrate compensatory performance changes in long-term memory functions due to the loss of a sensory system and provide evidence for high adaptive capabilities of the human cognitive system.

Error Analysis of Fast Moving Target Geo-location in Wide Area Surveillance Ground Moving Target Indication Mode

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zheng Shi-chao

2013-12-01

Full Text Available As an important mode in airborne radar systems, Wide Area Surveillance Ground Moving Target Indication (WAS-GMTI mode has the ability of monitoring a large area in a short time, and then the detected moving targets can be located quickly. However, in real environment, many factors introduce considerable errors into the location of moving targets. In this paper, a fast location method based on the characteristics of the moving targets in WAS-GMTI mode is utilized. And in order to improve the location performance, those factors that introduce location errors are analyzed and moving targets are relocated. Finally, the analysis of those factors is proved to be reasonable by simulation and real data experiments.

Comparison of blind imaging performance of Fizeau and Michelson type arrays for a partially resolved object

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van der Avoort, C.; Den Herder, J.W.; Braat, J.

2005-01-01

This paper compares two well-known types of interferometer arrays for optical aperture synthesis. An analytical model for both types describes the expected output, in terms of photon counts. The goal is to characterize the performance of both types of array for blind imaging of a wide-field or

Mefloquine prophylaxis prevents malaria during pregnancy: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nosten, F.; ter Kuile, F.; Maelankiri, L.; Chongsuphajaisiddhi, T.; Nopdonrattakoon, L.; Tangkitchot, S.; Boudreau, E.; Bunnag, D.; White, N. J.

1994-01-01

A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of mefloquine antimalarial prophylaxis in pregnancy (> 20 weeks of gestation) was conducted in 339 Karen women living in an area of multidrug-resistant malaria transmission on the Thai-Burmese border. Mefloquine gave > or = 86% (95% confidence interval [CI],

Causes of blindness in a special education school.

Science.gov (United States)

Onakpoya, O H; Adegbehingbe, B O; Omotoye, O J; Adeoye, A O

2011-01-01

Blind children and young adults have to overcome a lifetime of emotional, social and economic difficulties. They employ non-vision dependent methods for education. To assess the causes of blindness in a special school in southwestern Nigeria to aid the development of efficient blindness prevention programmes. A cross-sectional survey of the Ekiti State Special Education School, Nigeria was conducted in May-June 2008 after approval from the Ministry of Education. All students in the blind section were examined for visual acuity, pen-torch eye examination and dilated fundoscopy in addition to taking biodata and history. Thirty blind students with mean age of 18±7.3 years and male: female ratio of 1.7:1 were examined. Blindness resulted commonly from cataract eight (26.7%), glaucoma six (20%) retinitis pigmentosa four (16.7%) and posttraumatic phthysis bulbi two (6.7%). Blindness was avoidable in 18 (61%) of cases. Glaucoma blindness was associated with redness, pain, lacrimation and photophobia in 15 (50%) and hyphaema in 16.7% of students; none of these students were on any medication at the time of study. The causes of blindness in rehabilitation school for the blind are largely avoidable and glaucoma-blind pupils face additional painful eye related morbidity during rehabilitation. While preventive measures and early intervention are needful against childhood cataract and glaucoma, regular ophthalmic consultations and medications are needed especially for glaucoma blind pupils.

Tactile Sensitivity and Braille Reading in People with Early Blindness and Late Blindness

Science.gov (United States)

Oshima, Kensuke; Arai, Tetsuya; Ichihara, Shigeru; Nakano, Yasushi

2014-01-01

Introduction: The inability to read quickly can be a disadvantage throughout life. This study focused on the associations of braille reading fluency and individual factors, such as the age at onset of blindness and number of years reading braille, and the tactile sensitivity of people with early and late blindness. The relationship between reading…

Enabling technologies to improve area-wide integrated pest management programmes for the control of screwworms.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, A S; Vreysen, M J B; Hendrichs, J; Feldmann, U

2009-06-01

The economic devastation caused in the past by the New World screwworm fly Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) to the livestock industry in the U.S.A., Mexico and the rest of Central America was staggering. The eradication of this major livestock pest from North and Central America using the sterile insect technique (SIT) as part of an area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) programme was a phenomenal technical and managerial accomplishment with enormous economic implications. The area is maintained screwworm-free by the weekly release of 40 million sterile flies in the Darien Gap in Panama, which prevents migration from screwworm-infested areas in Columbia. However, the species is still a major pest in many areas of the Caribbean and South America and there is considerable interest in extending the eradication programme to these countries. Understanding New World screwworm fly populations in the Caribbean and South America, which represent a continuous threat to the screwworm-free areas of Central America and the U.S.A., is a prerequisite to any future eradication campaigns. The Old World screwworm fly Chrysomya bezziana Villeneuve (Diptera: Calliphoridae) has a very wide distribution ranging from Southern Africa to Papua New Guinea and, although its economic importance is assumed to be less than that of its New World counterpart, it is a serious pest in extensive livestock production and a constant threat to pest-free areas such as Australia. In the 1980s repeated introductions and an expansion of Old World screwworm populations were reported in the Middle East; in the 1990s it invaded Iraq and since late 2007 it has been reported in Yemen, where a severe outbreak of myiasis occurred in 2008. Small-scale field trials have shown the potential of integrating the SIT in the control of this pest and various international organizations are considering using the release of sterile insects as part of an AW-IPM approach on a much wider scale

Area-Wide Suppression of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly, Ceratitis capitata, and the Oriental Fruit Fly, Bactrocera dorsalis, in Kamuela, Hawaii

OpenAIRE

Vargas, Roger I.; Pi?ero, Jaime C.; Mau, Ronald F. L.; Jang, Eric B.; Klungness, Lester M.; McInnis, Donald O.; Harris, Ernest B.; McQuate, Grant T.; Bautista, Renato C.; Wong, Lyle

2010-01-01

The United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service initiated an area-wide fruit fly management program in Hawaii in 2000. The first demonstration site was established in Kamuela, Hawaii, USA. This paper documents suppression of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), and the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae), in a 40 km2 area containing urban, rural and agricultural zones during a 6 year period. The suppressio...

In blind pursuit of racial equality?

Science.gov (United States)

Apfelbaum, Evan P; Pauker, Kristin; Sommers, Samuel R; Ambady, Nalini

2010-11-01

Despite receiving little empirical assessment, the color-blind approach to managing diversity has become a leading institutional strategy for promoting racial equality, across domains and scales of practice. We gauged the utility of color blindness as a means to eliminating future racial inequity--its central objective--by assessing its impact on a sample of elementary-school students. Results demonstrated that students exposed to a color-blind mind-set, as opposed to a value-diversity mind-set, were actually less likely both to detect overt instances of racial discrimination and to describe such events in a manner that would prompt intervention by certified teachers. Institutional messages of color blindness may therefore artificially depress formal reporting of racial injustice. Color-blind messages may thus appear to function effectively on the surface even as they allow explicit forms of bias to persist.

Visual impairment and blindness among the students of blind schools in Allahabad and its vicinity: A causal assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhalerao, Sushank Ashok; Tandon, Mahesh; Singh, Satyaprakash; Dwivedi, Shraddha; Kumar, Santosh; Rana, Jagriti

2015-03-01

Information on eye diseases in blind school children in Allahabad is rare and sketchy. A cross-sectional study was performed to identify causes of blindness (BL) in blind school children with an aim to gather information on ocular morbidity in the blind schools in Allahabad and in its vicinity. A cross-sectional study was carried out in all the four blind schools in Allahabad and its vicinity. The students in the blind schools visited were included in the study and informed consents from parents were obtained. Relevant ocular history and basic ocular examinations were carried out on the students of the blind schools. A total of 90 students were examined in four schools of the blind in Allahabad and in the vicinity. The main causes of severe visual impairment and BL in the better eye of students were microphthalmos (34.44%), corneal scar (22.23%), anophthalmos (14.45%), pseudophakia (6.67%), optic nerve atrophy (6.67%), buphthalmos/glaucoma (3.33%), cryptophthalmos (2.22%), staphyloma (2.22%), cataract (2.22%), retinal dystrophy (2.22%), aphakia (1.11%), coloboma (1.11%), retinal detachment (1.11%), etc. Of these, 22 (24.44%) students had preventable causes of BL and another 12 (13.33%) students had treatable causes of BL. It was found that hereditary diseases, corneal scar, glaucoma and cataract were the prominent causes of BL among the students of blind schools. Almost 38% of the students had preventable or treatable causes, indicating the need of genetical counseling and focused intervention.

Visual impairment and blindness among the students of blind schools in Allahabad and its vicinity: A causal assessment

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Sushank Ashok Bhalerao

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background/Aims: Information on eye diseases in blind school children in Allahabad is rare and sketchy. A cross-sectional study was performed to identify causes of blindness (BL in blind school children with an aim to gather information on ocular morbidity in the blind schools in Allahabad and in its vicinity. Study Design and Setting: A cross-sectional study was carried out in all the four blind schools in Allahabad and its vicinity. Materials and Methods: The students in the blind schools visited were included in the study and informed consents from parents were obtained. Relevant ocular history and basic ocular examinations were carried out on the students of the blind schools. Results: A total of 90 students were examined in four schools of the blind in Allahabad and in the vicinity. The main causes of severe visual impairment and BL in the better eye of students were microphthalmos (34.44%, corneal scar (22.23%, anophthalmos (14.45%, pseudophakia (6.67%, optic nerve atrophy (6.67%, buphthalmos/glaucoma (3.33%, cryptophthalmos (2.22%, staphyloma (2.22%, cataract (2.22%, retinal dystrophy (2.22%, aphakia (1.11%, coloboma (1.11%, retinal detachment (1.11%, etc. Of these, 22 (24.44% students had preventable causes of BL and another 12 (13.33% students had treatable causes of BL. Conclusion: It was found that hereditary diseases, corneal scar, glaucoma and cataract were the prominent causes of BL among the students of blind schools. Almost 38% of the students had preventable or treatable causes, indicating the need of genetical counseling and focused intervention.

Secure wide area network access to CMS analysis data using the Lustre filesystem

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Bourilkov, D.; Avery, P.; Cheng, M.; Fu, Y.; Kim, B.; Palencia, J.; Budden, R.; Benninger, K.; Rodriquez, J. L.; Dilascio, J.; Dykstra, D.; Seenu, N.

2012-12-01

This paper reports the design and implementation of a secure, wide area network (WAN), distributed filesystem by the ExTENCI project (Extending Science Through Enhanced National CyberInfrastructure), based on the Lustre filesystem. The system is used for remote access to analysis data from the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), and from the Lattice Quantum ChromoDynamics (LQCD) project. Security is provided by Kerberos authentication and authorization with additional fine grained control based on Lustre ACLs (Access Control List) and quotas. We investigate the impact of using various Kerberos security flavors on the I/O rates of CMS applications on client nodes reading and writing data to the Lustre filesystem, and on LQCD benchmarks. The clients can be real or virtual nodes. We are investigating additional options for user authentication based on user certificates.

Secure wide area network access to CMS analysis data using the Lustre filesystem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bourilkov, D; Avery, P; Cheng, M; Fu, Y; Kim, B; Palencia, J; Budden, R; Benninger, K; Rodriquez, J L; Dilascio, J; Dykstra, D; Seenu, N

2012-01-01

This paper reports the design and implementation of a secure, wide area network (WAN), distributed filesystem by the ExTENCI project (Extending Science Through Enhanced National CyberInfrastructure), based on the Lustre filesystem. The system is used for remote access to analysis data from the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), and from the Lattice Quantum ChromoDynamics (LQCD) project. Security is provided by Kerberos authentication and authorization with additional fine grained control based on Lustre ACLs (Access Control List) and quotas. We investigate the impact of using various Kerberos security flavors on the I/O rates of CMS applications on client nodes reading and writing data to the Lustre filesystem, and on LQCD benchmarks. The clients can be real or virtual nodes. We are investigating additional options for user authentication based on user certificates.

Genesis and sedimentary record of blind channel and islands of the anabranching river: An evolution model

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Leli, Isabel T.; Stevaux, José C.; Assine, Mário L.

2018-02-01

Blind channel (BC) is a fluvial feature formed by attachment of a lateral sand bar to an island or riverbank. It consists of a 10- to 20-m wide and hundreds to thousands meters long channel, parallel to the island or bank, closed at its upstream end by accretion to the island. It is an important feature in anabranching rivers that plays an important role in both the island formation and river ecology. This paper discusses the formation processes, functioning, evolution, and the sedimentary record of a blind channel, related landforms, and its context on island development in the Upper Paraná River. The evolution of this morphologic feature involves (1) formation of a lateral or attachment bar beside an island with the development of a channel in between; (2) vertical accretion of mud deposits during the flood and vegetal development on the bar; (3) the upstream channel closure that generates the blind channel; and (4) annexation of the blind channel to the island. A blind channel is semilotic to lentic, that is not totally integrated to the dynamics of the main active channel and that acts as a nursery for fingerlings and macrophytes. The sedimentary facies succession of BCs are relatively simple and characterized by cross-stratified sand covered by organic muddy sediments. Based on facies analysis of 12 cores, we identified a succession of environments that contribute to the formation of islands: channel bar, blind channel, pond, and swamp. Blind channel formation and its related bar-island attachment are relevant processes associated with the growing of large island evolution in some anabranching rivers.

Wide-area, real-time monitoring and visualization system

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Budhraja, Vikram S.; Dyer, James D.; Martinez Morales, Carlos A.

2013-03-19

A real-time performance monitoring system for monitoring an electric power grid. The electric power grid has a plurality of grid portions, each grid portion corresponding to one of a plurality of control areas. The real-time performance monitoring system includes a monitor computer for monitoring at least one of reliability metrics, generation metrics, transmission metrics, suppliers metrics, grid infrastructure security metrics, and markets metrics for the electric power grid. The data for metrics being monitored by the monitor computer are stored in a data base, and a visualization of the metrics is displayed on at least one display computer having a monitor. The at least one display computer in one said control area enables an operator to monitor the grid portion corresponding to a different said control area.

Phrenic nerve injury: An underrecognized and potentially preventable complication of pulmonary vein isolation using a wide-area circumferential ablation approach.

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Yong Ji, Sang; Dewire, Jane; Barcelon, Bernadette; Philips, Binu; Catanzaro, John; Nazarian, Saman; Cheng, Alan; Spragg, David; Tandri, Harikrishna; Bansal, Sandeep; Ashikaga, Hiroshi; Rickard, Jack; Kolandaivelu, Aravindan; Sinha, Sunil; Marine, Joseph E; Calkins, Hugh; Berger, Ronald

2013-10-01

Phrenic nerve injury (PNI) is a well-known, although uncommon, complication of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) using radiofrequency energy. Currently, there is no consensus about how to avoid or minimize this injury. The purpose of this study was to determine how often the phrenic nerve, as identified using a high-output pacing, lies along the ablation trajectory of a wide-area circumferential lesion set. We also sought to determine if PVI can be achieved without phrenic nerve injury by modifying the ablation lesion set so as to avoid those areas where phrenic nerve capture (PNC) is observed. We prospectively enrolled 100 consecutive patients (age 61.7 ± 9.2 years old, 75 men) who underwent RF PVI using a wide-area circumferential ablation approach. A high-output (20 mA at 2 milliseconds) endocardial pacing protocol was performed around the right pulmonary veins and the carina where a usual ablation lesion set would be made. A total of 30% of patients had PNC and required modification of ablation lines. In the group of patients with PNC, the carina was the most common site of capture (85%) followed by anterior right superior pulmonary vein (RSPV) (70%) and anterior right inferior pulmonary vein (RIPV) (30%). A total of 25% of PNC group had capture in all 3 (RSPV, RIPV, and carina) regions. There was no difference in the clinical characteristics between the groups with and without PNC. RF PVI caused no PNI in either group. High output pacing around the right pulmonary veins and the carina reveals that the phrenic nerve lies along a wide-area circumferential ablation trajectory in 30% of patients. Modification of ablation lines to avoid these sites may prevent phrenic nerve injury during RF PVI. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Causes of visual impairment and blindness in children at Instituto Benjamin Constant Blind School, Rio de Janeiro

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Daniela da Silva Verzoni

Full Text Available Abstract Objective: To determine the main causes of visual impairment and blindness in children enrolled at Instituto Benjamin Constant blind school (IBC in 2013, to aid in planning for the prevention and management of avoidable causes of blindness. Methods: Study design: cross-sectional observational study. Data was collected from medical records of students attending IBC in 2013. Causes of blindness were classified according to WHO/PBL examination record. Data were analyzed for those children aged less than 16 years using Stata 9 program. Results: Among 355 students attending IBC in 2013, 253 (73% were included in this study. Of these children, 190 (75% were blind and 63 (25% visually impaired. The major anatomical site of visual loss was retina (42%, followed by lesions of the globe (22%, optic nerve lesions (13.8%, central nervous system (8.8% and cataract/pseudophakia/aphakia (8.8%. The etiology was unknown in 41.9% and neonatal factors accounted for 30,9% of cases. Forty-eight percent of cases were potentially avoidable. Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP was the main cause of blindness and with microphthalmia, optic nerve atrophy, cataract and glaucoma accounted for more than 50% of cases. Conclusion: Provision and improvement of ROP, cataract and glaucoma screening and treatment and programs could prevent avoidable visual impairment and blindness.

Newly blind persons using virtual environment system in a traditional orientation and mobility rehabilitation program: a case study.

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Lahav, Orly; Schloerb, David W; Srinivasan, Mandayam A

2012-09-01

This paper presents a virtual reality system (the BlindAid) developed for orientation and mobility training of people who are newly blind. The BlindAid allows users to interact with different virtual structures and objects via auditory and haptic feedback. This case study aims to examine if and how the BlindAid, in conjunction with a traditional rehabilitation programme, can help people who are newly blind develop new orientation and mobility methods. Follow-up research based on this study, with a large experiment and control group, could contribute to the area of orientation and mobility rehabilitation training for the newly blind. The case study research focused on A., a woman who is newly blind, for 17 virtual sessions spanning ten weeks, during the 12 weeks of her traditional orientation and mobility rehabilitation programme. The research was implemented by using virtual environment (VE) exploration and orientation tasks in VE and physical spaces. The research methodology used both qualitative and quantitative methods, including interviews, questionnaire, videotape recording, and user computer logs. The results of this study helped elucidate several issues concerning the contribution of the BlindAid system to the exploration strategies and learning processes experienced by the participant in her encounters with familiar and unfamiliar physical surroundings. [Box: see text].

Choice blindness in financial decision making

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Owen McLaughlin

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Choice Blindness is an experimental paradigm that examines the interplay between individuals' preferences, decisions, and expectations by manipulating the relationship between intention and choice. This paper expands upon the existing Choice Blindness framework by investigating the presence of the effect in an economically significant decision context, specifically that of pension choice. In addition, it investigates a number of secondary factors hypothesized to modulate Choice Blindness, including reaction time, risk preference, and decision complexity, as well as analysing the verbal reports of non-detecting participants. The experiment was administered to 100 participants of mixed age and educational attainment. The principal finding was that no more than 37.2% of manipulated trials were detected over all conditions, a result consistent with previous Choice Blindness research. Analysis of secondary factors found that reaction time, financial sophistication and decision complexity were significant predictors of Choice Blindness detection, while content analysis of non-detecting participant responses found that 20% implied significant preference changes and 62% adhered to initial preferences. Implications of the Choice Blindness effect in the context of behavioural economics are discussed, and an agenda for further investigation of the paradigm in this context is outlined.

Sad Facial Expressions Increase Choice Blindness.

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Wang, Yajie; Zhao, Song; Zhang, Zhijie; Feng, Wenfeng

2017-01-01

Previous studies have discovered a fascinating phenomenon known as choice blindness-individuals fail to detect mismatches between the face they choose and the face replaced by the experimenter. Although previous studies have reported a couple of factors that can modulate the magnitude of choice blindness, the potential effect of facial expression on choice blindness has not yet been explored. Using faces with sad and neutral expressions (Experiment 1) and faces with happy and neutral expressions (Experiment 2) in the classic choice blindness paradigm, the present study investigated the effects of facial expressions on choice blindness. The results showed that the detection rate was significantly lower on sad faces than neutral faces, whereas no significant difference was observed between happy faces and neutral faces. The exploratory analysis of verbal reports found that participants who reported less facial features for sad (as compared to neutral) expressions also tended to show a lower detection rate of sad (as compared to neutral) faces. These findings indicated that sad facial expressions increased choice blindness, which might have resulted from inhibition of further processing of the detailed facial features by the less attractive sad expressions (as compared to neutral expressions).

Testing Children for Color Blindness

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... Stories Español Eye Health / News Testing Children for Color Blindness Leer en Español: Pruebas para Detectar Daltonismo en ... study shows that kids can be tested for color blindness as soon as age 4, finds Caucasian boys ...

Simulating Brown hare (Lepus europaeus Pallas dispersion: a tool for wildlife management of wide areas

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Andrea Amici

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The second half of the 20th century was characterised by intense processes of urbanisation, industrialisation and agricultural mechanisation, leading to a fragmentation of the agricultural and forest landscape. This, in turn, reduced the bio-permeability of the territory and affected the dispersion of many wild species. Brown hare (Lepus europeus dispersion is dramatically affected by habitat fragmentation, presence of predators, intense tillage and elevated hunting pressure. Consequently, the only stable populations of hare are often in no-hunting areas where wildlife management is efficient. It is necessary, therefore, to identify not only additional areas suitable for reproduction, but also the most suitable dispersion pathways for hares, in order to optimise management. In the present study, by means of a Geographic Information System (GIS, a deterministic hare suitability model was developed on the basis of a multicriterial approach and fuzzy logic. Subsequently, a friction surface was derived from the suitability map in order to describe the land bio-permeability. Finally, on the basis of species potential, the spread of hares from stable population areas (source areas to the remaining territory was simulated. The area of study was the province of Viterbo (central Italy. The suitability map showed good discrimination ability (ROC=0.705. The hare dispersion simulation map allowed the potential spreading of this species throughout the provincial territory to be analysed. Isolated or less connected zones were highlighted, allowing the distribution of habitat enhancements, and/or the institution of new no-hunting areas devoted to the reproduction and consequent spread of hares throughout the territory, to be localised. The presented flexible and reiterable methodology could prove useful for wildlife management and hunting planning over a wide area. It would thus provide an important contribution to reducing the importance of animal

Blind Braille readers mislocate tactile stimuli.

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Sterr, Annette; Green, Lisa; Elbert, Thomas

2003-05-01

In a previous experiment, we observed that blind Braille readers produce errors when asked to identify on which finger of one hand a light tactile stimulus had occurred. With the present study, we aimed to specify the characteristics of this perceptual error in blind and sighted participants. The experiment confirmed that blind Braille readers mislocalised tactile stimuli more often than sighted controls, and that the localisation errors occurred significantly more often at the right reading hand than at the non-reading hand. Most importantly, we discovered that the reading fingers showed the smallest error frequency, but the highest rate of stimulus attribution. The dissociation of perceiving and locating tactile stimuli in the blind suggests altered tactile information processing. Neuroplasticity, changes in tactile attention mechanisms as well as the idea that blind persons may employ different strategies for tactile exploration and object localisation are discussed as possible explanations for the results obtained.

User-centered Technologies For Blind Children

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Jaime Sánchez

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to review, summarize, and illustrate research work involving four audio-based games created within a user-centered design methodology through successive usability tasks and evaluations. These games were designed by considering the mental model of blind children and their styles of interaction to perceive and process data and information. The goal of these games was to enhance the cognitive development of spatial structures, memory, haptic perception, mathematical skills, navigation and orientation, and problem solving of blind children. Findings indicate significant improvements in learning and cognition from using audio-based tools specially tailored for the blind. That is, technologies for blind children, carefully tailored through user-centered design approaches, can make a significant contribution to cognitive development of these children. This paper contributes new insight into the design and implementation of audio-based virtual environments to facilitate learning and cognition in blind children.

Blindness in designing intelligent systems

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Denning, Peter J.

1988-01-01

New investigations of the foundations of artificial intelligence are challenging the hypothesis that problem solving is the cornerstone of intelligence. New distinctions among three domains of concern for humans--description, action, and commitment--have revealed that the design process for programmable machines, such as expert systems, is based on descriptions of actions and induces blindness to nonanalytic action and commitment. Design processes focusing in the domain of description are likely to yield programs like burearcracies: rigid, obtuse, impersonal, and unable to adapt to changing circumstances. Systems that learn from their past actions, and systems that organize information for interpretation by human experts, are more likely to be successful in areas where expert systems have failed.

Willingness-to-pay for an area-wide integrated Pest Managment Program to control the Asian Tiger Mosquito in New Jersey.

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Using contingent valuation, the perceived value of an area-wide, integrated pest management program for the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, implemented in Monmouth and Mercer Counties, New Jersey, was estimated. The residents’ maximum willingness-to-pay (WTP) and payment modality was estimat...

What It's Like to Be Color Blind

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... a green leaf might look tan or gray. Color Blindness Is Passed Down Color blindness is almost always an inherited (say: in-HER- ... Eye doctors (and some school nurses) test for color blindness by showing a picture made up of different ...

Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies identifies novel loci that influence cupping and the glaucomatous process

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Springelkamp, Henriët; Höhn, René; Mishra, Aniket; Hysi, Pirro G; Khor, Chiea-Chuen; Loomis, Stephanie J; Bailey, Jessica N Cooke; Gibson, Jane; Thorleifsson, Gudmar; Janssen, Sarah F; Luo, Xiaoyan; Ramdas, Wishal D; Vithana, Eranga; Nongpiur, Monisha E; Montgomery, Grant W; Xu, Liang; Mountain, Jenny E; Gharahkhani, Puya; Lu, Yi; Amin, Najaf; Karssen, Lennart C; Sim, Kar-Seng; van Leeuwen, Elisabeth M; Iglesias, Adriana I; Verhoeven, Virginie J M; Hauser, Michael A; Loon, Seng-Chee; Despriet, Dominiek D G; Nag, Abhishek; Venturini, Cristina; Sanfilippo, Paul G; Schillert, Arne; Kang, Jae H; Landers, John; Jonasson, Fridbert; Cree, Angela J; van Koolwijk, Leonieke M E; Rivadeneira, Fernando; Souzeau, Emmanuelle; Jonsson, Vesteinn; Menon, Geeta; Weinreb, Robert N; de Jong, Paulus T V M; Oostra, Ben A; Uitterlinden, André G; Hofman, Albert; Ennis, Sarah; Thorsteinsdottir, Unnur; Burdon, Kathryn P; Spector, Timothy D; Mirshahi, Alireza; Saw, Seang-Mei; Vingerling, Johannes R; Teo, Yik-Ying; Haines, Jonathan L; Wolfs, Roger C W; Lemij, Hans G; Tai, E-Shyong; Jansonius, Nomdo M; Jonas, Jost B; Cheng, Ching-Yu; Aung, Tin; Viswanathan, Ananth C; Klaver, Caroline C W; Craig, Jamie E; Macgregor, Stuart; Mackey, David A; Lotery, Andrew J; Stefansson, Kari; Bergen, Arthur A B; Young, Terri L; Wiggs, Janey L; Pfeiffer, Norbert; Wong, Tien-Yin; Pasquale, Louis R; Hewitt, Alex W; van Duijn, Cornelia M; Hammond, Christopher J

2014-01-01

Glaucoma is characterized by irreversible optic nerve degeneration and is the most frequent cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Here, the International Glaucoma Genetics Consortium conducts a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies of vertical cup-disc ratio (VCDR), an important

Cognitive and Neuroplasticity Mechanisms by Which Congenital or Early Blindness May Confer a Protective Effect Against Schizophrenia

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Silverstein, Steven M.; Wang, Yushi; Keane, Brian P.

2013-01-01

Several authors have noted that there are no reported cases of people with schizophrenia who were born blind or who developed blindness shortly after birth, suggesting that congenital or early (C/E) blindness may serve as a protective factor against schizophrenia. By what mechanisms might this effect operate? Here, we hypothesize that C/E blindness offers protection by strengthening cognitive functions whose impairment characterizes schizophrenia, and by constraining cognitive processes that exhibit excessive flexibility in schizophrenia. After briefly summarizing evidence that schizophrenia is fundamentally a cognitive disorder, we review areas of perceptual and cognitive function that are both impaired in the illness and augmented in C/E blindness, as compared to healthy sighted individuals. We next discuss: (1) the role of neuroplasticity in driving these cognitive changes in C/E blindness; (2) evidence that C/E blindness does not confer protective effects against other mental disorders; and (3) evidence that other forms of C/E sensory loss (e.g., deafness) do not reduce the risk of schizophrenia. We conclude by discussing implications of these data for designing cognitive training interventions to reduce schizophrenia-related cognitive impairment, and perhaps to reduce the likelihood of the development of the disorder itself. PMID:23349646

Cognitive and Neuroplasticity Mechanisms By Which Congenital or Early Blindness May Confer a Protective Effect Against Schizophrenia

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Steven eSilverstein

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Several authors have noted that there are no reported cases of people with schizophrenia who were born blind or who developed blindness shortly after birth, suggesting that congenital or early (C/E blindness may serve as a protective factor against schizophrenia. By what mechanisms might this effect operate? Here, we hypothesize that C/E blindness offers protection by strengthening cognitive functions whose impairment characterizes schizophrenia, and by constraining cognitive processes that exhibit excessive flexibility in schizophrenia. After briefly summarizing evidence that schizophrenia is fundamentally a cognitive disorder, we review areas of perceptual and cognitive function that are both impaired in the illness and augmented in C/E blindness, as compared to healthy sighted individuals. We next discuss: 1 the role of neuroplasticity in driving these cognitive changes in C/E blindness; 2 evidence that C/E blindness does not confer protective effects against other mental disorders; and 3 evidence that other forms of C/E sensory loss (e.g., deafness do not reduce the risk of schizophrenia. We conclude by discussing implications of these data for designing cognitive training interventions to reduce schizophrenia-related cognitive impairment, and perhaps to reduce the likelihood of the development of the disorder itself.

Ground target geolocation based on digital elevation model for airborne wide-area reconnaissance system

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Qiao, Chuan; Ding, Yalin; Xu, Yongsen; Xiu, Jihong

2018-01-01

To obtain the geographical position of the ground target accurately, a geolocation algorithm based on the digital elevation model (DEM) is developed for an airborne wide-area reconnaissance system. According to the platform position and attitude information measured by the airborne position and orientation system and the gimbal angles information from the encoder, the line-of-sight pointing vector in the Earth-centered Earth-fixed coordinate frame is solved by the homogeneous coordinate transformation. The target longitude and latitude can be solved with the elliptical Earth model and the global DEM. The influences of the systematic error and measurement error on ground target geolocation calculation accuracy are analyzed by the Monte Carlo method. The simulation results show that this algorithm can improve the geolocation accuracy of ground target in rough terrain area obviously. The geolocation accuracy of moving ground target can be improved by moving average filtering (MAF). The validity of the geolocation algorithm is verified by the flight test in which the plane flies at a geodetic height of 15,000 m and the outer gimbal angle is <47°. The geolocation root mean square error of the target trajectory is <45 and <7 m after MAF.

A blind test of nondestructive underground void detection by ground penetrating radar (GPR)

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Lai, Wallace W. L.; Chang, Ray K. W.; Sham, Janet F. C.

2018-02-01

Blind test/experiment is widely adopted in various scientific disciplines like medicine drug testing/clinical trials/psychology, but not popular in nondestructive testing and evaluation (NDTE) nor near-surface geophysics (NSG). This paper introduces a blind test of nondestructive underground void detection in highway/pavement using ground penetrating radar (GPR). Purpose of which is to help the Highways Department (HyD) of the Hong Kong Government to evaluate the feasibility of large-scale and nationwide application, and examine the ability of appropriate service providers to carry out such works. In the past failure case of such NDTE/NSG based on lowest bid price, it is not easy to know which part(s) in SWIMS (S - service provider, i.e. people; W - work procedure; I - instrumentation; M - materials in the complex underground; S - specifications by client) fails, and how it/they fail(s). This work attempts to carry out the blind test by burying fit balls (as voids) under a site with reinforced concrete road and paving block by PolyU team A. The blind test about the void centroid, spread and cover depth was then carried out by PolyU team B without prior information given. Then with this baseline, a marking scheme, acceptance criteria and passing mark were set to test six local commercial service providers, determine their scores and evaluate the performance. A pass is a prerequisite of the award of a service contract of similar nature. In this first attempt of the blind test, results were not satisfactory and it is concluded that 'S-service provider' and 'W-work procedure' amongst SWIMS contributed to most part of the unsatisfactory performance.+

What do colour-blind people really see?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hogervorst, M.A.; Alferdinck, J.W.A.M.

2008-01-01

Problem: colour perception of dichromats (colour-blind persons) Background: Various models have been proposed (e. g. Walraven & Alferdinck, 1997; Brettel et al. , 1997) to model reduced colour vision of colour-blind people. It is clear that colour-blind people cannot distinguish certain object

Causes of childhood blindness in Ghana: results from a blind school survey in Upper West Region, Ghana, and review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Huh, Grace J; Simon, Judith; Grace Prakalapakorn, S

2017-06-13

Data on childhood blindness in Ghana are limited. The objectives of this study were to determine the major causes of childhood blindness and severe visual impairment (SVI) at Wa Methodist School for the Blind in Northern Ghana, and to compare our results to those published from other studies conducted in Ghana. In this retrospective study, data from an eye screening at Wa Methodist School in November 2014 were coded according to the World Health Organization/Prevention of Blindness standardized reporting methodology. Causes of blindness/SVI were categorized anatomically and etiologically, and were compared to previously published studies. Of 190 students screened, the major anatomical causes of blindness/SVI were corneal scar/phthisis bulbi (CS/PB) (n = 28, 15%) and optic atrophy (n = 23, 12%). The major etiological causes of blindness/SVI were unknown (n = 114, 60%). Eighty-three (44%) students became blind before age one year. Of four published blind school surveys conducted in Ghana, CS/PB was the most common anatomical cause of childhood blindness. Over time, the prevalence of CS/PB within blind schools decreased in the north and increased in the south. Measles-associated visual loss decreased from 52% in 1987 to 10% in 2014 at Wa Methodist School. In a blind school in northern Ghana, CS/PB was the major anatomical cause of childhood blindness/SVI. While CS/PB has been the most common anatomical cause of childhood blindness reported in Ghana, there may be regional changes in its prevalence over time. Being able to identify regional differences may guide future public health strategies to target specific causes.

Blindness causes analysis of 1854 hospitalized patients in Xinjiang

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Tian-Zuo Wang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available AIM: To analyze the blindness causes of 1854 cases in our hospital hospitalized patients, and explore the strategy and direction of blindness prevention according to the different treatment efficacy.METHODS: Cluster sampling was used to select from September 2010 to August 2013 in our hospital department of ophthalmology patients 5 473 cases, in which total of 1 854 cases of blind patients, accounting for 33.88% of hospitalized patients. According to the WHO's criteria of blindness. The BCVA enacted RESULTS: In 1 854 cases of blind patients, including 728 people right-eye blinding, 767 people left-eyes blinding, 359 people total blinding, adding up to 2 213 eyes, aged from 60～80 years old were in the majority. The top three diseases resulting blindness were cataract, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. In 2 213 blind eyes, the eyes treated were 2 172, of which 1 762 eyes(81.12%were succeeded, 410 eyes(18.88%failed. In the failed cases, the first three diseases were diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and retinal detachment. CONCLUSION: In recent years, disease etiology of blinding eye has changed, but cataracts, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma are still high incidence of blindness due, so the treatment of diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and retinal detachment should be the emphasis for blindness prevention and treatment in the future.

Tactile spatial resolution in blind braille readers.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Boven, R W; Hamilton, R H; Kauffman, T; Keenan, J P; Pascual-Leone, A

2000-06-27

To determine if blind people have heightened tactile spatial acuity. Recently, studies using magnetic source imaging and somatosensory evoked potentials have shown that the cortical representation of the reading fingers of blind Braille readers is expanded compared to that of fingers of sighted subjects. Furthermore, the visual cortex is activated during certain tactile tasks in blind subjects but not sighted subjects. The authors hypothesized that the expanded cortical representation of fingers used in Braille reading may reflect an enhanced fidelity in the neural transmission of spatial details of a stimulus. If so, the quantitative limit of spatial acuity would be superior in blind people. The authors employed a grating orientation discrimination task in which threshold performance is accounted for by the spatial resolution limits of the neural image evoked by a stimulus. The authors quantified the psychophysical limits of spatial acuity at the middle and index fingers of 15 blind Braille readers and 15 sighted control subjects. The mean grating orientation threshold was significantly (p = 0.03) lower in the blind group (1.04 mm) compared to the sighted group (1.46 mm). The self-reported dominant reading finger in blind subjects had a mean grating orientation threshold of 0.80 mm, which was significantly better than other fingers tested. Thresholds at non-Braille reading fingers in blind subjects averaged 1.12 mm, which were also superior to sighted subjects' performances. Superior tactile spatial acuity in blind Braille readers may represent an adaptive, behavioral correlate of cortical plasticity.

Epidemiology of blindness in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Solebo, Ameenat Lola; Teoh, Lucinda; Rahi, Jugnoo

2017-09-01

An estimated 14 million of the world's children are blind. A blind child is more likely to live in socioeconomic deprivation, to be more frequently hospitalised during childhood and to die in childhood than a child not living with blindness. This update of a previous review on childhood visual impairment focuses on emerging therapies for children with severe visual disability (severe visual impairment and blindness or SVI/BL).For children in higher income countries, cerebral visual impairment and optic nerve anomalies remain the most common causes of SVI/BL, while retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and cataract are now the most common avoidable causes. The constellation of causes of childhood blindness in lower income settings is shifting from infective and nutritional corneal opacities and congenital anomalies to more resemble the patterns seen in higher income settings. Improvements in maternal and neonatal health and investment in and maintenance of national ophthalmic care infrastructure are the key to reducing the burden of avoidable blindness. New therapeutic targets are emerging for childhood visual disorders, although the safety and efficacy of novel therapies for diseases such as ROP or retinal dystrophies are not yet clear. Population-based epidemiological research, particularly on cerebral visual impairment and optic nerve hypoplasia, is needed in order to improve understanding of risk factors and to inform and support the development of novel therapies for disorders currently considered 'untreatable'. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Wide area network access to CMS data using the LustreTM filesystem

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez, J. L.; Avery, P.; Brody, T.; Bourilkov, D.; Fu, Y.; Kim, B.; Prescott, C.; Wu, Y.

2010-04-01

In this paper, we explore the use of the LustreTM cluster filesystem over the wide area network to access Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) data stored on physical devices located hundreds of kilometres away. We describe the experimental testbed and report on the I/O performance of applications writing and reading data on the distributed LustreTM filesystem established across the WAN. We compare the I/O performance of a CMS application to the performance obtained with IOzone, a standard benchmark tool. We then examine the I/O performance of the CMS application running multiple processes on a single server. And compare the Lustre results to results obtained on data stored on local filesystems. Our measurements reveal that the IOzone benchmark tool, accessing data sequentially, can saturate the Gbps network link that connects our Lustre client in Miami Florida to the Lustre storage located in Gainesville, Florida. We also find that the I/O rates of the CMS application is significantly less than what can be obtained with IOzone for sequential access to data.

Wide area network access to CMS data using the LustreTM filesystem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodriguez, J L; Brody, T; Avery, P; Bourilkov, D; Fu, Y; Kim, B; Wu, Y; Prescott, C

2010-01-01

In this paper, we explore the use of the Lustre TM cluster filesystem over the wide area network to access Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) data stored on physical devices located hundreds of kilometres away. We describe the experimental testbed and report on the I/O performance of applications writing and reading data on the distributed Lustre TM filesystem established across the WAN. We compare the I/O performance of a CMS application to the performance obtained with IOzone, a standard benchmark tool. We then examine the I/O performance of the CMS application running multiple processes on a single server. And compare the Lustre results to results obtained on data stored on local filesystems. Our measurements reveal that the IOzone benchmark tool, accessing data sequentially, can saturate the Gbps network link that connects our Lustre client in Miami Florida to the Lustre storage located in Gainesville, Florida. We also find that the I/O rates of the CMS application is significantly less than what can be obtained with IOzone for sequential access to data.

Blind topological measurement-based quantum computation.

Science.gov (United States)

Morimae, Tomoyuki; Fujii, Keisuke

2012-01-01

Blind quantum computation is a novel secure quantum-computing protocol that enables Alice, who does not have sufficient quantum technology at her disposal, to delegate her quantum computation to Bob, who has a fully fledged quantum computer, in such a way that Bob cannot learn anything about Alice's input, output and algorithm. A recent proof-of-principle experiment demonstrating blind quantum computation in an optical system has raised new challenges regarding the scalability of blind quantum computation in realistic noisy conditions. Here we show that fault-tolerant blind quantum computation is possible in a topologically protected manner using the Raussendorf-Harrington-Goyal scheme. The error threshold of our scheme is 4.3 × 10(-3), which is comparable to that (7.5 × 10(-3)) of non-blind topological quantum computation. As the error per gate of the order 10(-3) was already achieved in some experimental systems, our result implies that secure cloud quantum computation is within reach.

Touching Textures in Different Tasks by a Woman with Congenital Deaf-Blindness

Science.gov (United States)

Janssen, Marleen J.; Huisman, Mark; Van Dijk, Jan P. M.; Ruijssenaars, Wied A. J. J. M.

2012-01-01

Little is known about how persons with congenital deaf-blindness use hand movements efficiently for exploring different objects with different textures in different tasks. More knowledge in this area would contribute to the adaptations of educational strategies for encouraging touch and tactile exploration. The study presented in this article…

[Frequency and causes of blindness and visual impairment in schools for the blind in Yaoundé (Cameroon)].

Science.gov (United States)

Noche, Christelle Domngang; Bella, Assumpta Lucienne

2010-01-01

To determine the causes of blindness and visual impairment in students attending schools for the blind in Yaounde (Cameroon) and to estimate their frequencies. This study examined all 56 students at three schools for the blind in Yaoundé from September 15 through October 15, 2006. We collected data about their age, sex, medical and surgical history. Visual acuity was measured to determine their vision status according to the World Health Organization categories for blindness and visual impairment. All subjects underwent an ocular examination. Epi Info 3.5.1. was used for the statistical analysis of age, sex, visual acuity, causes of blindness and visual impairment, and etiologies. Fifty six people were examined: 37 men (66.1%) and 19 women (33.9%). Their mean age was 21.57 ± 10.53 years (min-max: 5-49), and 48.2% were in the 10-19 years age group (n = 27). In all, 87.5% were blind, 7.14% severely visually impaired, and 1.78% moderately visually impaired. The main causes of blindness and visual impairment in our sample were corneal disease (32.14%), optic nerve lesions (26.78%), cataract and its surgical complications (19.64%), retinal disorders (10.71%), glaucoma (8.92%, and malformations of the eyeball (1.78%). Their etiologies included congenital cataracts (19.64%), meningitis/fever (8.92%), glaucoma (7.14%), measles (5.35%), ocular trauma (5.35%), albinism (3.57%), Lyell syndrome (1.8%), and alcohol ingestion (1.8%). Etiology was unknown in 46.42%. Fifty per cent of these causes of blindness and visual impairment were treatable and/or preventable. Corneal lesions were the main cause of blindness and visual impairment in our sample. Fifty per cent of the causes found were treatable and/or preventable. Thus, substantial efforts are required to ensure access to better quality specialist ocular care. Furthermore, local authorities should create more centers specialised in the rehabilitation of the visual handicapped.

Blind Signal Classification via Spare Coding

Science.gov (United States)

2016-04-10

Blind Signal Classification via Sparse Coding Youngjune Gwon MIT Lincoln Laboratory gyj@ll.mit.edu Siamak Dastangoo MIT Lincoln Laboratory sia...achieve blind signal classification with no prior knowledge about signals (e.g., MCS, pulse shaping) in an arbitrary RF channel. Since modulated RF...classification method. Our results indicate that we can separate different classes of digitally modulated signals from blind sampling with 70.3% recall and 24.6

Environment and Blindness Situation in Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soraya Askari

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Objectives: The purpose of this study is to describe the experiences of adults with acquired blindness while performing the daily activities of normal life and to investigated the role of environmental factors in this process. Methods: A qualitative phenomenological method has been designed for this study. A sample of 22 adults with acquired blindness who were blind for more than 5 years of life were purposefully selected and semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with them. The interviews were transcribed verbatim, coded and analyzed using van Manen’s method. Results: The five clustered themes that emerged from the interviews included: 1 Products and technology-discusses the benefits and drawbacks of using advanced technology to promote independence, 2 Physical environment-“The streets are like an obstacle course”, 3 Support and relationships-refers to the assistance that blind people receive from family, friends, and society, 4 Attitudes-includes family and social attitudes toward blind people, 5 Services and policies-social security, supportive acts, economic factors, educational problems and providing services. Discusion: Findings identify how the daily living activities of blind people are affected by environmental factors and what those factors are. The results will enable occupational therapists and other health care professionals who are involved with blind people to become more competent during assessment, counseling, teaching, giving support, or other interventions as needed to assist blind people. Recommendations for further research include more studies of this population to identify other challenges over time. This would facilitate long-term goals in the care. Studies that include more diversity in demographic characteristics would provide greater generalization. Some characteristics such as adolescent age group, married and single, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status are particularly important to target.

Blind estimation of blur in hyperspectral images

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Mo; Vozel, Benoit; Chehdi, Kacem; Uss, Mykhail; Abramov, Sergey; Lukin, Vladimir

2017-10-01

Hyperspectral images acquired by remote sensing systems are generally degraded by noise and can be sometimes more severely degraded by blur. When no knowledge is available about the degradations present on the original image, blind restoration methods can only be considered. By blind, we mean absolutely no knowledge neither of the blur point spread function (PSF) nor the original latent channel and the noise level. In this study, we address the blind restoration of the degraded channels component-wise, according to a sequential scheme. For each degraded channel, the sequential scheme estimates the blur point spread function (PSF) in a first stage and deconvolves the degraded channel in a second and final stage by means of using the PSF previously estimated. We propose a new component-wise blind method for estimating effectively and accurately the blur point spread function. This method follows recent approaches suggesting the detection, selection and use of sufficiently salient edges in the current processed channel for supporting the regularized blur PSF estimation. Several modifications are beneficially introduced in our work. A new selection of salient edges through thresholding adequately the cumulative distribution of their corresponding gradient magnitudes is introduced. Besides, quasi-automatic and spatially adaptive tuning of the involved regularization parameters is considered. To prove applicability and higher efficiency of the proposed method, we compare it against the method it originates from and four representative edge-sparsifying regularized methods of the literature already assessed in a previous work. Our attention is mainly paid to the objective analysis (via ݈l1-norm) of the blur PSF error estimation accuracy. The tests are performed on a synthetic hyperspectral image. This synthetic hyperspectral image has been built from various samples from classified areas of a real-life hyperspectral image, in order to benefit from realistic spatial

Experiments and Analyses of Data Transfers Over Wide-Area Dedicated Connections

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rao, Nageswara S. [ORNL; Liu, Qiang [ORNL; Sen, Satyabrata [ORNL; Hanley, Jesse A. [ORNL; Foster, Ian [University of Chicago; Kettimuthu, R. [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL); Wu, Qishi [University of Memphis; Yun, Daqing [Harrisburg University; Towsley, Don [University of Massachusetts, Amherst; Vardoyan, Gayane [University of Massachusetts, Amherst

2017-08-01

Dedicated wide-area network connections are increasingly employed in high-performance computing and big data scenarios. One might expect the performance and dynamics of data transfers over such connections to be easy to analyze due to the lack of competing traffic. However, non-linear transport dynamics and end-system complexities (e.g., multi-core hosts and distributed filesystems) can in fact make analysis surprisingly challenging. We present extensive measurements of memory-to-memory and disk-to-disk file transfers over 10 Gbps physical and emulated connections with 0–366 ms round trip times (RTTs). For memory-to-memory transfers, profiles of both TCP and UDT throughput as a function of RTT show concave and convex regions; large buffer sizes and more parallel flows lead to wider concave regions, which are highly desirable. TCP and UDT both also display complex throughput dynamics, as indicated by their Poincare maps and Lyapunov exponents. For disk-to-disk transfers, we determine that high throughput can be achieved via a combination of parallel I/O threads, parallel network threads, and direct I/O mode. Our measurements also show that Lustre filesystems can be mounted over long-haul connections using LNet routers, although challenges remain in jointly optimizing file I/O and transport method parameters to achieve peak throughput.

The Prevention of Blindness-Past, Present and Future

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Akira; Nakajima

1992-01-01

Prevention of blindness is the most important aim of ophthalmology. Prevention of blindness is related to many factors. It is related to many factors, such as science and technology, economy and social behavior. There are worldwide activities by WHO, NGOs and other functions to promote the prevention of blindness in the world. More than 90% of blind population lives in developing world. Cataract is the top causes of blindness which is curable. Onchocerciasis is an endemic disease in west Africa and cent...

Working memory for vibrotactile frequencies: comparison of cortical activity in blind and sighted individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Burton, Harold; Sinclair, Robert J; Dixit, Sachin

2010-11-01

In blind, occipital cortex showed robust activation to nonvisual stimuli in many prior functional neuroimaging studies. The cognitive processes represented by these activations are not fully determined, although a verbal recognition memory role has been demonstrated. In congenitally blind and sighted (10 per group), we contrasted responses to a vibrotactile one-back frequency retention task with 5-s delays and a vibrotactile amplitude-change task; both tasks involved the same vibration parameters. The one-back paradigm required continuous updating for working memory (WM). Findings in both groups confirmed roles in WM for right hemisphere dorsolateral prefrontal (DLPFC) and dorsal/ventral attention components of posterior parietal cortex. Negative findings in bilateral ventrolateral prefrontal cortex suggested task performance without subvocalization. In bilateral occipital cortex, blind showed comparable positive responses to both tasks, whereas WM evoked large negative responses in sighted. Greater utilization of attention resources in blind were suggested as causing larger responses in dorsal and ventral attention systems, right DLPFC, and persistent responses across delays between trials in somatosensory and premotor cortex. In sighted, responses in somatosensory and premotor areas showed iterated peaks matched to stimulation trial intervals. The findings in occipital cortex of blind suggest that tactile activations do not represent cognitive operations for nonverbal WM task. However, these data suggest a role in sensory processing for tactile information in blind that parallels a similar contribution for visual stimuli in occipital cortex of sighted. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Auditory motion in the sighted and blind: Early visual deprivation triggers a large-scale imbalance between auditory and "visual" brain regions.

Science.gov (United States)

Dormal, Giulia; Rezk, Mohamed; Yakobov, Esther; Lepore, Franco; Collignon, Olivier

2016-07-01

How early blindness reorganizes the brain circuitry that supports auditory motion processing remains controversial. We used fMRI to characterize brain responses to in-depth, laterally moving, and static sounds in early blind and sighted individuals. Whole-brain univariate analyses revealed that the right posterior middle temporal gyrus and superior occipital gyrus selectively responded to both in-depth and laterally moving sounds only in the blind. These regions overlapped with regions selective for visual motion (hMT+/V5 and V3A) that were independently localized in the sighted. In the early blind, the right planum temporale showed enhanced functional connectivity with right occipito-temporal regions during auditory motion processing and a concomitant reduced functional connectivity with parietal and frontal regions. Whole-brain searchlight multivariate analyses demonstrated higher auditory motion decoding in the right posterior middle temporal gyrus in the blind compared to the sighted, while decoding accuracy was enhanced in the auditory cortex bilaterally in the sighted compared to the blind. Analyses targeting individually defined visual area hMT+/V5 however indicated that auditory motion information could be reliably decoded within this area even in the sighted group. Taken together, the present findings demonstrate that early visual deprivation triggers a large-scale imbalance between auditory and "visual" brain regions that typically support the processing of motion information. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Unblinding the dark matter blind spots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Tao; Kling, Felix

2017-01-01

The dark matter (DM) blind spots in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) refer to the parameter regions where the couplings of the DM particles to the Z-boson or the Higgs boson are almost zero, leading to vanishingly small signals for the DM direct detections. In this paper, we carry out comprehensive analyses for the DM searches under the blind-spot scenarios in MSSM. Guided by the requirement of acceptable DM relic abundance, we explore the complementary coverage for the theory parameters at the LHC, the projection for the future underground DM direct searches, and the indirect searches from the relic DM annihilation into photons and neutrinos. We find that (i) the spin-independent (SI) blind spots may be rescued by the spin-dependent (SD) direct detection in the future underground experiments, and possibly by the indirect DM detections from IceCube and SuperK neutrino experiments; (ii) the detection of gamma rays from Fermi-LAT may not reach the desirable sensitivity for searching for the DM blind-spot regions; (iii) the SUSY searches at the LHC will substantially extend the discovery region for the blind-spot parameters. As a result, the dark matter blind spots thus may be unblinded with the collective efforts in future DM searches.

Prevalence and causes of blindness and visual impairment among school children in south-western Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Ajaiyeoba, A I; Isawumi, M A; Adeoye, A O; Oluleye, T S

2005-01-01

The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence and identify the causes of blindness and visual impairment in school children of Ilesa-East Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria. A total of 1144 school children in primary and secondary schools were selected using a 2-stage random sampling method and examined to determine the prevalence and causes of blindness and visual impairment. A total of 17 (1.48%) children were blind or visually impaired. These comprised of 11 (0.96%) children who were visually impaired and 4 (0.3%) who were severely visually impaired. Only 2 (0.15%) school children were blind. The causes of visual impairment were refractive error 10 (0.87%) and immature cataract 1 (0.08%), causes of severe visual impairment included corneal opacities 2 (0.2%), amblyopia leading to squint 1 (0.08%) and 1 cataract 1 (0.08%). The causes of blindness in school children were corneal scars presumed to be due to vitamin A deficiency 1 (0.08%) and keratoconus 1 (0.08%). Causes of blindness and visual impairment in children attending regular schools in Nigeria were treatable. Prevention, early recognition and prompt treatment of these diseases by regular screening of school children would definitely reduce unnecessary visual handicap in Nigerian school children so that they can attain their full potential in the course of their education. Also, information from this study is relevant for the purpose of planning eye care programmes for the prevention of blindness in Nigerian school children. This will go a long way in the prevention of unnecessary blindness and visual impairment in school children.

Deaf-Blind Perspectives, 2000-2001.

Science.gov (United States)

Malloy, Peggy, Ed.

2001-01-01

These three issues of "Deaf-Blind Perspectives" feature the following articles: (1) "A Group for Students with Usher Syndrome in South Louisiana" (Faye Melancon); (2) "Simply Emily," which discusses a budding friendship between a girl with deaf-blindness and a peer; (3) "Intervener Update" (Peggy Malloy and…

Wide-area decontamination in an urban environment after radiological dispersion: A review and perspectives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaminski, Michael D., E-mail: Kaminski@anl.gov [Nuclear Decontamination and Separations, Nuclear Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory (United States); Lee, Sang Don; Magnuson, Matthew [US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Homeland Security Research Center (United States)

2016-03-15

Highlights: • We review wide area, urban decontamination techniques for rapid response. • We examine historical data and its application to radiological terrorism scenario. • Data is insufficient to ensure a detailed, organized mitigation response. • Primary deficit is lessons-learned and relations to extrapolate a limited data set. • Research is needed to model a mitigation response and help guide data gathering. - Abstract: Nuclear or radiological terrorism in the form of uncontrolled radioactive contamination presents a unique challenge in the field of nuclear decontamination. Potential targets require an immediate decontamination response, or mitigation plan to limit the social and economic impact. To date, experience with urban decontamination of building materials – specifically hard, porous, external surfaces – is limited to nuclear weapon fallout and nuclear reactor accidents. Methods are lacking for performing wide-area decontamination in an urban environment so that in all release scenarios the area may be re-occupied without evaluation and/or restriction. Also lacking is experience in developing mitigation strategies, that is, methods of mitigating contamination and its resultant radiation dose in key areas during the immediate aftermath of an event and after lifesaving operations. To date, the tremendous strategy development effort primarily by the European community has focused on the recovery phase, which extends years beyond the release event. In this review, we summarize the methods and data collected over the past 70 years in the field of hard, external surface decontamination of radionuclide contaminations, with emphasis on methods suitable for response to radiological dispersal devices and their potentially unique physico-chemical characteristics. This review concludes that although a tremendous amount of work has been completed primarily by the European Community (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK), the few studies existing on each

Wide-area decontamination in an urban environment after radiological dispersion: A review and perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaminski, Michael D.; Lee, Sang Don; Magnuson, Matthew

2016-01-01

Highlights: • We review wide area, urban decontamination techniques for rapid response. • We examine historical data and its application to radiological terrorism scenario. • Data is insufficient to ensure a detailed, organized mitigation response. • Primary deficit is lessons-learned and relations to extrapolate a limited data set. • Research is needed to model a mitigation response and help guide data gathering. - Abstract: Nuclear or radiological terrorism in the form of uncontrolled radioactive contamination presents a unique challenge in the field of nuclear decontamination. Potential targets require an immediate decontamination response, or mitigation plan to limit the social and economic impact. To date, experience with urban decontamination of building materials – specifically hard, porous, external surfaces – is limited to nuclear weapon fallout and nuclear reactor accidents. Methods are lacking for performing wide-area decontamination in an urban environment so that in all release scenarios the area may be re-occupied without evaluation and/or restriction. Also lacking is experience in developing mitigation strategies, that is, methods of mitigating contamination and its resultant radiation dose in key areas during the immediate aftermath of an event and after lifesaving operations. To date, the tremendous strategy development effort primarily by the European community has focused on the recovery phase, which extends years beyond the release event. In this review, we summarize the methods and data collected over the past 70 years in the field of hard, external surface decontamination of radionuclide contaminations, with emphasis on methods suitable for response to radiological dispersal devices and their potentially unique physico-chemical characteristics. This review concludes that although a tremendous amount of work has been completed primarily by the European Community (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK), the few studies existing on each

WIDE-AREA BASED ON COORDINATED TUNING OF FUZZY PSS AND FACTS CONTROLLER IN MULTI-MACHINE ENVIRONMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Homayoun Ebrahimian

2016-03-01

Full Text Available In this paper coordination of fuzzy power system stabilizer (FPSS and flexible ac transmission systems (FACTS have been considered in a multi-machine power system. The proposed model, has been applied for a wide-area power system. The proposed FPSS presented with local, nonlinear feedbacks, and the corresponding control synthesis conditions are given in terms of solutions to a set of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs. For this model, in fuzzy control synthesis, the new proposed control design method is based on fewer fuzzy rules and less computational burden. Also, the parameters of FACTS controller have been evaluated by improved honey bee mating optimization (IHBMO. The effectiveness of the proposed method has been applied over two case studies of single-machine infinite-bus (SMIB and two areas four machine (TAFM Kundur’s power system. The obtained results demonstrate the superiority of proposed strategy.

42 CFR 435.531 - Determinations of blindness.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Determinations of blindness. 435.531 Section 435... ISLANDS, AND AMERICAN SAMOA Categorical Requirements for Eligibility Blindness § 435.531 Determinations of blindness. (a) Except as specified in paragraph (b) of this section, in determining blindness— (1) A...

Occupant satisfaction with two blind control strategies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karlsen, Line Røseth; Heiselberg, Per Kvols; Bryn, Ida

2015-01-01

Highlights •Occupant satisfaction with two blind control strategies has been studied. •Control based on cut-off position of slats was more popular than closed slats. •Results from the study are helpful in development of control strategies for blinds. •The results give indications of how blinds...

Glaucoma Blindness at a Tertiary Eye Care Center.

Science.gov (United States)

Stone, Jordan S; Muir, Kelly W; Stinnett, Sandra S; Rosdahl, Jullia A

2015-01-01

Glaucoma is an important cause of irreversible blindness. This study describes the characteristics of a large, diverse group of glaucoma patients and evaluates associations between demographic and clinical characteristics and blindness. Data were gathered via retrospective chart review of patients (N = 1,454) who were seen between July 2007 and July 2010 by glaucoma service providers at Duke Eye Center. Visual acuity and visual field criteria were used to determine whether patients met the criteria for legal blindness. Descriptive and comparative statistical analyses were performed on the glaucoma patients who were not blind (n = 1,258) and those who were blind (n = 196). A subgroup analysis of only those patients with primary open-angle glaucoma was also performed. In this tertiary care population, 13% (n = 196) of glaucoma patients met criteria for legal blindness, nearly one-half of whom (n = 94) were blind from glaucoma, and another one-third of whom (n = 69) had glaucoma-related blindness. The most common glaucoma diagnosis at all levels of vision was primary open-angle glaucoma. A larger proportion of black patients compared with white patients demonstrated vision loss; the odds ratio (OR) for blindness was 2.25 (95% CI, 1.6-3.2) for black patients compared with white patients. The use of systemic antihypertensive medications was higher among patients who were blind compared with patients who were not blind (OR = 2.1; 95% CI, 1.4-3.1). A subgroup analysis including only patients with primary open-angle glaucoma showed similar results for both black race and use of systemic antihypertensive medications. The relationship between use of systemic antihypertensive medications and blindness was not different between black patients and white patients (interaction P = .268). Data were based on chart review, and associations may be confounded by unmeasured factors. Treated systemic hypertension may be correlated with blindness, and the cause cannot be explained solely

2D PWV monitoring of a wide and orographically complex area with a low dense GNSS network

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrando, Ilaria; Federici, Bianca; Sguerso, Domenico

2018-04-01

This study presents an innovative procedure to monitor the precipitable water vapor (PWV) content of a wide and orographically complex area with low-density networks. The procedure, termed G4M (global navigation satellite system, GNSS, for Meteorology), has been developed in a geographic information system (GIS) environment using the free and open source GRASS GIS software (https://grass.osgeo.org). The G4M input data are zenith total delay estimates obtained from GNSS permanent stations network adjustment and pressure ( P) and temperature ( T) observations using existing infrastructure networks with different geographic distributions in the study area. In spite of the wide sensor distribution, the procedure produces 2D maps with high spatiotemporal resolution (up to 250 m and 6 min) based on a simplified mathematical model including data interpolation, which was conceived by the authors to describe the atmosphere's physics. In addition to PWV maps, the procedure provides ΔPWV and heterogeneity index maps: the former represents PWV variations with respect to a "calm" moment, which are useful for monitoring the PWV evolution; and the latter are promising indicators to localize severe meteorological events in time and space. This innovative procedure is compared with meteorological simulations in this paper; in addition, an application to a severe event that occurred in Genoa (Italy) is presented.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

The Lifestyles of Blind, Low Vision, and Sighted Youths: A Quantitative Comparison.

Science.gov (United States)

Wolffe, K.; Sacks, S. Z.

1997-01-01

Analysis of interviews and time-diary protocols with 48 students (16 blind, 16 low-vision, and 16 sighted), ages 15-21, and their parents focused on four lifestyle areas: academic involvement and performance, daily living and personal care activities, recreation and leisure activities, and work and vocational experiences. Similarities and…

45 CFR 233.70 - Blindness.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

...). Such physician is responsible for making the agency's decision that the applicant or recipient does or... XVI of the Social Security Act must: (1) Contain a definition of blindness in terms of ophthalmic measurement. The following definition is recommended: An individual is considered blind if he has central...

Epigenomics of Total Acute Sleep Deprivation in Relation to Genome-Wide DNA Methylation Profiles and RNA Expression

OpenAIRE

Nilsson, Emil K.; Bostr?m, Adrian E.; Mwinyi, Jessica; Schi?th, Helgi B.

2016-01-01

Abstract Despite an established link between sleep deprivation and epigenetic processes in humans, it remains unclear to what extent sleep deprivation modulates DNA methylation. We performed a within-subject randomized blinded study with 16 healthy subjects to examine the effect of one night of total sleep deprivation (TSD) on the genome-wide methylation profile in blood compared with that in normal sleep. Genome-wide differences in methylation between both conditions were assessed by applyin...

The Study on the Communication Network of Wide Area Measurement System in Electricity Grid

Science.gov (United States)

Xiaorong, Cheng; Ying, Wang; Yangdan, Ni

Wide area measurement system(WAMS) is a fundamental part of security defense in Smart Grid, and the communication system of WAMS is an important part of Electric power communication network. For a large regional network is concerned, the real-time data which is transferred in the communication network of WAMS will affect the safe operation of the power grid directly. Therefore, WAMS raised higher requirements for real-time, reliability and security to its communication network. In this paper, the architecture of WASM communication network was studied according to the seven layers model of the open systems interconnection(OSI), and the network architecture was researched from all levels. We explored the media of WAMS communication network, the network communication protocol and network technology. Finally, the delay of the network were analyzed.

Congenital color blindness in young Turkish men.

Science.gov (United States)

Citirik, Mehmet; Acaroglu, Golge; Batman, Cosar; Zilelioglu, Orhan

2005-04-01

We investigated a healthy population of men from different regions of Turkey for the presence of congenital red-green color blindness. Using Ishihara pseudoisochromatic plates, 941 healthy men from the Turkish army were tested for congenital red-green color blindness. The prevalence of red-green color blindness was 7.33 +/- 0.98% (5.10% protans and 2.23% deutans). These ratios were higher than other reported samples from Mediterranean Europe. Higher percentages of color blindness were found in regions with a lower education level and more consanguineous marriages.

10 CFR 26.168 - Blind performance testing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Blind performance testing. 26.168 Section 26.168 Energy... and Human Services § 26.168 Blind performance testing. (a) Each licensee and other entity shall submit blind performance test samples to the HHS-certified laboratory. (1) During the initial 90-day period of...

Direct phase retrieval in double blind Fourier holography.

Science.gov (United States)

Raz, Oren; Leshem, Ben; Miao, Jianwei; Nadler, Boaz; Oron, Dan; Dudovich, Nirit

2014-10-20

Phase measurement is a long-standing challenge in a wide range of applications, from X-ray imaging to astrophysics and spectroscopy. While in some scenarios the phase is resolved by an interferometric measurement, in others it is reconstructed via numerical optimization, based on some a-priori knowledge about the signal. The latter commonly use iterative algorithms, and thus have to deal with their convergence, stagnation, and robustness to noise. Here we combine these two approaches and present a new scheme, termed double blind Fourier holography, providing an efficient solution to the phase problem in two dimensions, by solving a system of linear equations. We present and experimentally demonstrate our approach for the case of lens-less imaging.

Analytic study of the Tadoma method: language abilities of three deaf-blind subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Chomsky, C

1986-09-01

This study reports on the linguistic abilities of 3 adult deaf-blind subjects. The subjects perceive spoken language through touch, placing a hand on the face of the speaker and monitoring the speaker's articulatory motions, a method of speechreading known as Tadoma. Two of the subjects, deaf-blind since infancy, acquired language and learned to speak through this tactile system; the third subject has used Tadoma since becoming deaf-blind at age 7. Linguistic knowledge and productive language are analyzed, using standardized tests and several tests constructed for this study. The subjects' language abilities prove to be extensive, comparing favorably in many areas with hearing individuals. The results illustrate a relatively minor effect of limited language exposure on eventual language achievement. The results also demonstrate the adequacy of the tactile sense, in these highly trained Tadoma users, for transmitting information about spoken language sufficient to support the development of language and learning to produce speech.

Midterm Stability Evaluation of Wide-area Power System by using Synchronized Phasor Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Ota, Yutaka; Ukai, Hiroyuki; Nakamura, Koichi; Fujita, Hideki

In recent years, the PMU (Phasor Measurement Unit) receives a great deal of attention as a synchronized measurement system of power systems. Synchronized phasor angles obtained by the PMU provide the effective information for evaluating the stability of a bulk power system. The aspect of instability phenomena during midterm tends to be more complicated, and the stability analysis using the synchronized phasor measurements is significant in order to keep a complicated power system stable. This paper proposes a midterm stability evaluation method of the wide-area power system by using the synchronized phasor measurements. By clustering and aggregating the power system to some coherent groups, the step-out is effectively predicted on the basis of the two-machine equivalent power system model. The midterm stability of a longitudinal power system model of Japanese 60Hz systems constructed by the PSA, which is a hybrid-type power system simulator, is practically evaluated using the proposed method.

Comparison of adaptive critic-based and classical wide-area controllers for power systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Ray, Swakshar; Venayagamoorthy, Ganesh Kumar; Chaudhuri, Balarko; Majumder, Rajat

2008-08-01

An adaptive critic design (ACD)-based damping controller is developed for a thyristor-controlled series capacitor (TCSC) installed in a power system with multiple poorly damped interarea modes. The performance of this ACD computational intelligence-based method is compared with two classical techniques, which are observer-based state-feedback (SF) control and linear matrix inequality LMI-H(infinity) robust control. Remote measurements are used as feedback signals to the wide-area damping controller for modulating the compensation of the TCSC. The classical methods use a linearized model of the system whereas the ACD method is purely measurement-based, leading to a nonlinear controller with fixed parameters. A comparative analysis of the controllers' performances is carried out under different disturbance scenarios. The ACD-based design has shown promising performance with very little knowledge of the system compared to classical model-based controllers. This paper also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of ACDs, SF, and LMI-H(infinity).

Causes of blindness among hospital outpatients in Ecuador.

Science.gov (United States)

Cass, Helene; Landers, John; Benitez, Paul

2006-03-01

There is a lack of published information on the causes of blindness in Ecuador and the Latin American region in general. This study is designed to enumerate the proportions of ocular conditions contributing to blindness in an outpatient population of an ophthalmology hospital in the coastal region of Ecuador. All cases presenting to an ophthalmology outpatient clinic over a 3-week period during September 2004 were reviewed (n = 802). Visual acuity was measured using a Snellen acuity chart and those who met the criteria for blindness were included in the study (n = 118). Blindness was defined under the World Health Organization protocol as visual acuity of glaucoma (15%). Among those considered to have bilateral blindness (n = 30), refraction was the most common cause (37%), followed by cataract (23%) and glaucoma (17%). The major causes of blindness found in this study reflected those in estimated data for the region. More studies are needed to improve the quality and quantity of epidemiological data on blindness in Ecuador and Latin America. Many obstacles to successful implementation of prevention of blindness programmes in South America still need to be overcome.

Rapid assessment of avoidable blindness and diabetic retinopathy in Republic of Moldova.

Science.gov (United States)

Zatic, Tatiana; Bendelic, Eugen; Paduca, Ala; Rabiu, Mansour; Corduneanu, Angela; Garaba, Angela; Novac, Victoria; Curca, Cristina; Sorbala, Inga; Chiaburu, Andrei; Verega, Florentina; Andronic, Victoria; Guzun, Irina; Căpăţină, Olga; Zamă-Mardari, Iulea

2015-06-01

To evaluate the prevalence and causes of blindness and visual impairment, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and diabetic retinopathy among people aged ≥50 years in the Republic of Moldova using Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness plus Diabetic Retinopathy ('RAAB+DR') techniques. 111 communities of people aged ≥50 years were randomly selected. In addition to standard RAAB procedures in all people with diabetes (previous history of the disease or with a random blood glucose level >11.1 mm/L (200 mg/dL)), a dilated fundus examination was performed to assess the presence and the degree of diabetic retinopathy using the Scottish DR grading system. 3877 (98%) people out of the 3885 eligible people were examined. The prevalence of blindness was 1.4% (95% CI 1.0% to 1.8%). The major causes of blindness and severe visual impairment were untreated cataract (58.2%), glaucoma (10.9%), and other posterior segment causes (10.9%). The estimated prevalence of diabetes was 11.4%. Among all people with diabetes, 55.9% had some form of retinopathy, and sight threatening diabetic retinopathy affected 14.6%. The RAAB+DR survey in the Republic of Moldova established that untreated cataract is the major cause of avoidable blindness in rural areas. This needs to be tackled by expanding the geographical coverage of cataract surgical services. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Adaptive changes in early and late blind: a fMRI study of Braille reading.

Science.gov (United States)

Burton, H; Snyder, A Z; Conturo, T E; Akbudak, E; Ollinger, J M; Raichle, M E

2002-01-01

Braille reading depends on remarkable adaptations that connect the somatosensory system to language. We hypothesized that the pattern of cortical activations in blind individuals reading Braille would reflect these adaptations. Activations in visual (occipital-temporal), frontal-language, and somatosensory cortex in blind individuals reading Braille were examined for evidence of differences relative to previously reported studies of sighted subjects reading print or receiving tactile stimulation. Nine congenitally blind and seven late-onset blind subjects were studied with fMRI as they covertly performed verb generation in response to reading Braille embossed nouns. The control task was reading the nonlexical Braille string "######". This study emphasized image analysis in individual subjects rather than pooled data. Group differences were examined by comparing magnitudes and spatial extent of activated regions first determined to be significant using the general linear model. The major adaptive change was robust activation of visual cortex despite the complete absence of vision in all subjects. This included foci in peri-calcarine, lingual, cuneus and fusiform cortex, and in the lateral and superior occipital gyri encompassing primary (V1), secondary (V2), and higher tier (VP, V4v, LO and possibly V3A) visual areas previously identified in sighted subjects. Subjects who never had vision differed from late blind subjects in showing even greater activity in occipital-temporal cortex, provisionally corresponding to V5/MT and V8. In addition, the early blind had stronger activation of occipital cortex located contralateral to the hand used for reading Braille. Responses in frontal and parietal cortex were nearly identical in both subject groups. There was no evidence of modifications in frontal cortex language areas (inferior frontal gyrus and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex). Surprisingly, there was also no evidence of an adaptive expansion of the somatosensory or

Blind I/Q Signal Separation-Based Solutions for Receiver Signal Processing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Visa Koivunen

2005-09-01

Full Text Available This paper introduces some novel digital signal processing (DSP-based approaches to some of the most fundamental tasks of radio receivers, namely, channel equalization, carrier synchronization, and I/Q mismatch compensation. The leading principle is to show that all these problems can be solved blindly (i.e., without training signals by forcing the I and Q components of the observed data as independent as possible. Blind signal separation (BSS is then introduced as an efficient tool to carry out these tasks, and simulation examples are used to illustrate the performance of the proposed approaches. The main application area of the presented carrier synchronization and I/Q mismatch compensation techniques is in direct-conversion type receivers, while the proposed channel equalization principles basically apply to any radio architecture.

Blind and semi-blind ML detection for space-time block-coded OFDM wireless systems

KAUST Repository

Zaib, Alam; Al-Naffouri, Tareq Y.

2014-01-01

This paper investigates the joint maximum likelihood (ML) data detection and channel estimation problem for Alamouti space-time block-coded (STBC) orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) wireless systems. The joint ML estimation and data detection is generally considered a hard combinatorial optimization problem. We propose an efficient low-complexity algorithm based on branch-estimate-bound strategy that renders exact joint ML solution. However, the computational complexity of blind algorithm becomes critical at low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) as the number of OFDM carriers and constellation size are increased especially in multiple-antenna systems. To overcome this problem, a semi-blind algorithm based on a new framework for reducing the complexity is proposed by relying on subcarrier reordering and decoding the carriers with different levels of confidence using a suitable reliability criterion. In addition, it is shown that by utilizing the inherent structure of Alamouti coding, the estimation performance improvement or the complexity reduction can be achieved. The proposed algorithms can reliably track the wireless Rayleigh fading channel without requiring any channel statistics. Simulation results presented against the perfect coherent detection demonstrate the effectiveness of blind and semi-blind algorithms over frequency-selective channels with different fading characteristics.

Spatial language processing in the blind: evidence for a supramodal representation and cortical reorganization.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marijn E Struiksma

Full Text Available Neuropsychological and imaging studies have shown that the left supramarginal gyrus (SMG is specifically involved in processing spatial terms (e.g. above, left of, which locate places and objects in the world. The current fMRI study focused on the nature and specificity of representing spatial language in the left SMG by combining behavioral and neuronal activation data in blind and sighted individuals. Data from the blind provide an elegant way to test the supramodal representation hypothesis, i.e. abstract codes representing spatial relations yielding no activation differences between blind and sighted. Indeed, the left SMG was activated during spatial language processing in both blind and sighted individuals implying a supramodal representation of spatial and other dimensional relations which does not require visual experience to develop. However, in the absence of vision functional reorganization of the visual cortex is known to take place. An important consideration with respect to our finding is the amount of functional reorganization during language processing in our blind participants. Therefore, the participants also performed a verb generation task. We observed that only in the blind occipital areas were activated during covert language generation. Additionally, in the first task there was functional reorganization observed for processing language with a high linguistic load. As the visual cortex was not specifically active for spatial contents in the first task, and no reorganization was observed in the SMG, the latter finding further supports the notion that the left SMG is the main node for a supramodal representation of verbal spatial relations.

Protanopia (red color-blindness) in medaka: a simple system for producing color-blind fish and testing their spectral sensitivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Homma, Noriko; Harada, Yumi; Uchikawa, Tamaki; Kamei, Yasuhiro; Fukamachi, Shoji

2017-02-06

Color perception is important for fish to survive and reproduce in nature. Visual pigments in the retinal photoreceptor cells are responsible for receiving light stimuli, but the function of the pigments in vivo has not been directly investigated in many animals due to the lack of color-blind lines and appropriate color-perception tests. In this study, we established a system for producing color-blind fish and testing their spectral sensitivity. First, we disrupted long-wavelength-sensitive (LWS) opsins of medaka (Oryzias latipes) using the CRISPR/Cas9 system to make red-color-blind lines. Single guide RNAs were designed using the consensus sequences between the paralogous LWSa and LWSb genes to simultaneously introduce double-frameshift mutations. Next, we developed a non-invasive and no-prior-learning test for spectral sensitivity by applying an optomotor response (OMR) test under an Okazaki Large Spectrograph (OLS), termed the O-O test. We constructed an electrical-rotary cylinder with black/white stripes, into which a glass aquarium containing one or more fish was placed under various monochromatic light conditions. The medaka were irradiated by the OLS every 10 nm, from wavelengths of 700 nm to 900 nm, and OMR was evaluated under each condition. We confirmed that the lws - medaka were indeed insensitive to red light (protanopia). While the control fish responded to wavelengths of up to 830 nm (λ = 830 nm), the lws - mutants responded up to λ = 740 nm; however, this difference was not observed after adaptation to dark: both the control and lws - fish could respond up to λ = 820 ~ 830 nm. These results suggest that the lws - mutants lost photopic red-cone vision, but retained scotopic rod vision. Considering that the peak absorption spectra (λ max ) of medaka LWSs are about 560 nm, but the light-adapted control medaka could respond behaviorally to light at λ = 830 nm, red-cone vision could cover an unexpectedly wide range of

The active blind spot camera: hard real-time recognition of moving objects from a moving camera

OpenAIRE

Van Beeck, Kristof; Goedemé, Toon; Tuytelaars, Tinne

2014-01-01

This PhD research focuses on visual object recognition under specific demanding conditions. The object to be recognized as well as the camera move, and the time available for the recognition task is extremely short. This generic problem is applied here on a specific problem: the active blind spot camera. Statistics show a large number of accidents with trucks are related to the so-called blind spot, the area around the vehicle in which vulnerable road users are hard to perceive by the truck d...

Blinded by Irrelevance: Pure Irrelevance Induced "Blindness"

Science.gov (United States)

Eitam, Baruch; Yeshurun, Yaffa; Hassan, Kinneret

2013-01-01

To what degree does our representation of the immediate world depend solely on its relevance to what we are currently doing? We examined whether relevance per se can cause "blindness," even when there is no resource limitation. In a novel paradigm, people looked at a colored circle surrounded by a differently colored ring--the task relevance of…

Wide area measurement system for smart grid applications involving hybrid energy sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amin, Mahmoud M.; Moussa, Heba B.; Mohammed, Osama A. [Florida International University, Energy Systems Research Laboratory, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Miami, FL (United States)

2012-03-15

This paper presents a model and experimental verification for a complete scenario of a proposed wide area measurement system (WAMS) based on synchronized phasor measurement units (PMUs). The proposed system is feasible for hybrid smart ac/dc power networks; such as grid-connected PV-power plants. The purpose is to increase the overall system reliability for all power stages via significant dependence on WAMS as distributed intelligence agents with improved monitoring, protection, and control capabilities of the power networks. The developed system is simulated in the Matlab/Simulink environment. The system was tested under two different cases; normal operation and fault state. Furthermore, the proposed WAMS was experimentally validated with results obtained from a reduced scale setup which built and tested in the laboratory based on the Hardware-in-the-loop concept. It was verified that the power system status can be easily monitored and controlled in real time by using the measured bus data in real time. This improves the overall system reliability and avoids cascaded blackout during fault occurrence. The simulation and experimental results confirm the validity of the proposed WAMS technology for smart grid applications. (orig.)

Monitoring sterile and wild insects in area-wide integrated pest management programmes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vreysen, M.J.B.

2005-01-01

Insect pest control programmes, which integrate the release of sterile insects, can be efficient only if the released insects have an optimal biological quality. Frequent monitoring of the quality of reared insects after being released in the field is an important but often neglected component of area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) programmes that integrate the sterile insect technique (SIT). Parameters of sterile insects, which should be monitored regularly, are sexual competitiveness of the released insects, and related components, e.g. survival, mobility, dispersal characteristics, and spatial occupation of the habitat. A well-balanced monitoring programme will, at any given time, provide essential feedback on the progress being made. This information is prerequisite to efficient implementation of the release and cost-efficient use of sterile insects. The type of monitoring to be done will be determined largely by the particular biology of the target insect species. The most important parameter in relation to the release of sterile insects is the rate of sterility induced in the wild insect pest population; it will provide the best evidence that any observed changes, e.g. in the density of the target insect, are caused by the release of sterile insects. (author)

Comparison of Quality of Life and Social Skills between Students with Visual Problems (Blind and Partially Blind) and Normal Students

OpenAIRE

Fereshteh Kordestani; Azam Daneshfar; Davood Roustaee

2014-01-01

This study aimed to compare the quality of life and social skills between students who are visually impaired (blind and partially blind) and normal students. The population consisted of all students with visual problems (blind and partially blind) and normal students in secondary schools in Tehran in the academic year 2013-2014. Using a multi-stage random sampling method, 40 students were selected from each group. The SF-36s quality of life questionnaire and Foster and Inderbitzen social skil...

Reduced taste sensitivity in congenital blindness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gagnon, Lea; Kupers, Ron; Ptito, Maurice

2013-01-01

behavioral results showed that compared with the normal sighted, blind subjects have increased thresholds for taste detection and taste identification. This finding is at odds with the superior performance of congenitally blind subjects in several tactile, auditory and olfactory tasks. Our psychometric data...... thresholds of the 5 basic tastants in 13 congenitally blind and 13 sighted control subjects. Participants also answered several eating habits questionnaires, including the Food Neophobia Scale, the Food Variety Seeking Tendency Scale, the Intuitive Eating Scale, and the Body Awareness Questionnaire. Our...

Working memory training in congenitally blind individuals results in an integration of occipital cortex in functional networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Gudi-Mindermann, Helene; Rimmele, Johanna M; Nolte, Guido; Bruns, Patrick; Engel, Andreas K; Röder, Brigitte

2018-08-01

The functional relevance of crossmodal activation (e.g. auditory activation of occipital brain regions) in congenitally blind individuals is still not fully understood. The present study tested whether the occipital cortex of blind individuals is integrated into a challenged functional network. A working memory (WM) training over four sessions was implemented. Congenitally blind and matched sighted participants were adaptively trained with an n-back task employing either voices (auditory training) or tactile stimuli (tactile training). In addition, a minimally demanding 1-back task served as an active control condition. Power and functional connectivity of EEG activity evolving during the maintenance period of an auditory 2-back task were analyzed, run prior to and after the WM training. Modality-specific (following auditory training) and modality-independent WM training effects (following both auditory and tactile training) were assessed. Improvements in auditory WM were observed in all groups, and blind and sighted individuals did not differ in training gains. Auditory and tactile training of sighted participants led, relative to the active control group, to an increase in fronto-parietal theta-band power, suggesting a training-induced strengthening of the existing modality-independent WM network. No power effects were observed in the blind. Rather, after auditory training the blind showed a decrease in theta-band connectivity between central, parietal, and occipital electrodes compared to the blind tactile training and active control groups. Furthermore, in the blind auditory training increased beta-band connectivity between fronto-parietal, central and occipital electrodes. In the congenitally blind, these findings suggest a stronger integration of occipital areas into the auditory WM network. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Causes of blindness and visual impairment among students in integrated schools for the blind in Nepal.

Science.gov (United States)

Shrestha, Jyoti Baba; Gnyawali, Subodh; Upadhyay, Madan Prasad

2012-12-01

To identify the causes of blindness and visual impairment among students in integrated schools for the blind in Nepal. A total of 778 students from all 67 integrated schools for the blind in Nepal were examined using the World Health Organization/Prevention of Blindness Eye Examination Record for Children with Blindness and Low Vision during the study period of 3 years. Among 831 students enrolled in the schools, 778 (93.6%) participated in the study. Mean age of students examined was 13.7 years, and the male to female ratio was 1.4:1. Among the students examined, 85.9% were blind, 10% had severe visual impairment and 4.1% were visually impaired. The cornea (22.8%) was the most common anatomical site of visual impairment, its most frequent cause being vitamin A deficiency, followed by the retina (18.4%) and lens (17.6%). Hereditary and childhood factors were responsible for visual loss in 27.9% and 22.0% of students, respectively. Etiology could not be determined in 46% of cases. Overall, 40.9% of students had avoidable causes of visual loss. Vision could be improved to a level better than 6/60 in 3.6% of students refracted. More than one third of students were visually impaired for potentially avoidable reasons, indicating lack of eye health awareness and eye care services in the community. The cause of visual impairment remained unknown in a large number of students, which indicates the need for introduction of modern diagnostic tools.

Demonstration of a Novel Synchrophasor-based Situational Awareness System: Wide Area Power System Visualization, On-line Event Replay and Early Warning of Grid Problems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosso, A.

2012-12-31

Since the large North Eastern power system blackout on August 14, 2003, U.S. electric utilities have spent lot of effort on preventing power system cascading outages. Two of the main causes of the August 14, 2003 blackout were inadequate situational awareness and inadequate operator training In addition to the enhancements of the infrastructure of the interconnected power systems, more research and development of advanced power system applications are required for improving the wide-area security monitoring, operation and planning in order to prevent large- scale cascading outages of interconnected power systems. It is critically important for improving the wide-area situation awareness of the operators or operational engineers and regional reliability coordinators of large interconnected systems. With the installation of large number of phasor measurement units (PMU) and the related communication infrastructure, it will be possible to improve the operators’ situation awareness and to quickly identify the sequence of events during a large system disturbance for the post-event analysis using the real-time or historical synchrophasor data. The purpose of this project was to develop and demonstrate a novel synchrophasor-based comprehensive situational awareness system for control centers of power transmission systems. The developed system named WASA (Wide Area Situation Awareness) is intended to improve situational awareness at control centers of the power system operators and regional reliability coordinators. It consists of following main software modules: • Wide-area visualizations of real-time frequency, voltage, and phase angle measurements and their contour displays for security monitoring. • Online detection and location of a major event (location, time, size, and type, such as generator or line outage). • Near-real-time event replay (in seconds) after a major event occurs. • Early warning of potential wide-area stability problems. The system has been

Sequential vs simultaneous encoding of spatial information: a comparison between the blind and the sighted.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruotolo, Francesco; Ruggiero, Gennaro; Vinciguerra, Michela; Iachini, Tina

2012-02-01

The aim of this research is to assess whether the crucial factor in determining the characteristics of blind people's spatial mental images is concerned with the visual impairment per se or the processing style that the dominant perceptual modalities used to acquire spatial information impose, i.e. simultaneous (vision) vs sequential (kinaesthesis). Participants were asked to learn six positions in a large parking area via movement alone (congenitally blind, adventitiously blind, blindfolded sighted) or with vision plus movement (simultaneous sighted, sequential sighted), and then to mentally scan between positions in the path. The crucial manipulation concerned the sequential sighted group. Their visual exploration was made sequential by putting visual obstacles within the pathway in such a way that they could not see simultaneously the positions along the pathway. The results revealed a significant time/distance linear relation in all tested groups. However, the linear component was lower in sequential sighted and blind participants, especially congenital. Sequential sighted and congenitally blind participants showed an almost overlapping performance. Differences between groups became evident when mentally scanning farther distances (more than 5m). This threshold effect could be revealing of processing limitations due to the need of integrating and updating spatial information. Overall, the results suggest that the characteristics of the processing style rather than the visual impairment per se affect blind people's spatial mental images. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Rudolph Tegner: The blind from Marrakech (1949-1950)].

Science.gov (United States)

Norn, M; Permin, H

1999-01-01

The Danish sculptor and painter Rudolph Tegner (1873-1950) has built his own Museum in Dronningmolle, where his sculptures enrich the unique landscape. His last and incomplete plaster on a simple, raw wooden scaffold sculpture The Blind from Marrakech (Fig. 1) show five persons moan about, carrying a dead body. All persons are missing their arms. Tegner had a number of years earlier been in Marrakech and had watched a funeral procession, where blind beggars had carried a dead old woman raised high above the bearers on a kind of pall. In a small version of the statue cast, later in bronze from 1963, showed 15 bearers, on both sides of the bier (Fig. 2 & 3). Nine and 15 bearers are looking up, two right in front, and the rest are looking down. Totally blind people can not see the light but can see up to the divine Heaven. Some blind have kept the gleam. The confusion with the eye direction shows that they really are blind. However 10 of the 15 blind people had hollow in the eye (excenteratio orbitae) in contrast to the dead woman. The dead woman had been the blinds' mistress. The last work The Blind in Marrakech may also be the despair of the artist.

College Students Who Are Deaf-Blind. Practice Perspectives--Highlighting Information on Deaf-Blindness. Number 7

Science.gov (United States)

Arndt, Katrina

2011-01-01

Imagine being in college and being deaf-blind. What opportunities might you have? What types of challenges would you face? This publication describes a study that begins to answer these questions. During the study, 11 college students with deaf-blindness were interviewed about their college experiences. They were like most college students in many…

Transient stability enhancement of modern power grid using predictive Wide-Area Monitoring and Control

Science.gov (United States)

Yousefian, Reza

This dissertation presents a real-time Wide-Area Control (WAC) designed based on artificial intelligence for large scale modern power systems transient stability enhancement. The WAC using the measurements available from Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) at generator buses, monitors the global oscillations in the system and optimally augments the local excitation system of the synchronous generators. The complexity of the power system stability problem along with uncertainties and nonlinearities makes the conventional modeling non-practical or inaccurate. In this work Reinforcement Learning (RL) algorithm on the benchmark of Neural Networks (NNs) is used to map the nonlinearities of the system in real-time. This method different from both the centralized and the decentralized control schemes, employs a number of semi-autonomous agents to collaborate with each other to perform optimal control theory well-suited for WAC applications. Also, to handle the delays in Wide-Area Monitoring (WAM) and adapt the RL toward the robust control design, Temporal Difference (TD) is proposed as a solver for RL problem or optimal cost function. However, the main drawback of such WAC design is that it is challenging to determine if an offline trained network is valid to assess the stability of the power system once the system is evolved to a different operating state or network topology. In order to address the generality issue of NNs, a value priority scheme is proposed in this work to design a hybrid linear and nonlinear controllers. The algorithm so-called supervised RL is based on mixture of experts, where it is initialized by linear controller and as the performance and identification of the RL controller improves in real-time switches to the other controller. This work also focuses on transient stability and develops Lyapunov energy functions for synchronous generators to monitor the stability stress of the system. Using such energies as a cost function guarantees the convergence

The Cortical Network for Braille Writing in the Blind.

Science.gov (United States)

Likova, Lora T; Tyler, Christopher W; Cacciamani, Laura; Mineff, Kristyo; Nicholas, Spero

2016-01-01

Fundamental forms of high-order cognition, such as reading and writing, are usually studied in the context of one modality - vision. People without sight, however, use the kinesthetic-based Braille writing, and haptic-based Braille reading. We asked whether the cognitive and motor control mechanisms underlying writing and reading are modality-specific or supramodal. While a number of previous functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) studies have investigated the brain network for Braille reading in the blind, such studies on Braille writing are lacking. Consequently, no comparative network analysis of Braille writing vs. reading exists. Here, we report the first study of Braille writing, and a comparison of the brain organization for Braille writing vs Braille reading. FMRI was conducted in a Siemens 3T Trio scanner. Our custom MRI-compatible drawing/writing lectern was further modified to provide for Braille reading and writing. Each of five paragraphs of novel Braille text describing objects, faces and navigation sequences was read, then reproduced twice by Braille writing from memory, then read a second time. During Braille reading, the haptic-sensing of the Braille letters strongly activated not only the early visual area V1 and V2, but some highly specialized areas, such as the classical visual grapheme area and the Exner motor grapheme area. Braille-writing-from-memory, engaged a significantly more extensive network in dorsal motor, somatosensory/kinesthetic, dorsal parietal and prefrontal cortex. However, in contrast to the largely extended V1 activation in drawing-from-memory in the blind after training (Likova, 2012), Braille writing from memory generated focal activation restricted to the most foveal part of V1, presumably reflecting topographically the focal demands of such a "pin-pricking" task.

Spatial navigation by congenitally blind individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Schinazi, Victor R; Thrash, Tyler; Chebat, Daniel-Robert

2016-01-01

Spatial navigation in the absence of vision has been investigated from a variety of perspectives and disciplines. These different approaches have progressed our understanding of spatial knowledge acquisition by blind individuals, including their abilities, strategies, and corresponding mental representations. In this review, we propose a framework for investigating differences in spatial knowledge acquisition by blind and sighted people consisting of three longitudinal models (i.e., convergent, cumulative, and persistent). Recent advances in neuroscience and technological devices have provided novel insights into the different neural mechanisms underlying spatial navigation by blind and sighted people and the potential for functional reorganization. Despite these advances, there is still a lack of consensus regarding the extent to which locomotion and wayfinding depend on amodal spatial representations. This challenge largely stems from methodological limitations such as heterogeneity in the blind population and terminological ambiguity related to the concept of cognitive maps. Coupled with an over-reliance on potential technological solutions, the field has diffused into theoretical and applied branches that do not always communicate. Here, we review research on navigation by congenitally blind individuals with an emphasis on behavioral and neuroscientific evidence, as well as the potential of technological assistance. Throughout the article, we emphasize the need to disentangle strategy choice and performance when discussing the navigation abilities of the blind population. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. © 2015 The Authors. WIREs Cognitive Science published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Multiple geophysical methods examining neotectonic blind structures in the Maradona valley, Central Precordillera (Argentina)

Science.gov (United States)

Lara, Gabriela; Klinger, Federico Lince; Perucca, Laura; Rojo, Guillermo; Vargas, Nicolás; Leiva, Flavia

2017-08-01

A high-resolution superficial geophysical study was carried out in an area of the retroarc region of the Andes mountains, located in the southwest of San Juan Province (31°45‧ S, 68°50‧ W), Central Precordillera of Argentina. The main objectives of this study were to confirm the presence of blind neotectonic structures and characterize them by observing variations in magnetic susceptibility, density and p-wave velocities. Geological evidence demonstrates the existence of a neotectonic fault scarps affecting Quaternary alluvial deposits in eastern piedmont of de Las Osamentas range, in addition to direct observation of the cinematic of this feature in several natural exposures. The Maradona valley is characterized by the imbricated eastern-vergence Maradona Fault System that uplifts Neogene sedimentary rocks (Albarracín Formation) over Quaternary (Late Pleistocene-Holocene) alluvial deposits. The combined application of different geophysical methods has allowed the characterization of a blind fault geometry also identified on a natural exposure. The magnetic data added to the gravimetric model, and its integration with a seismic profile clearly shows the existence of an anomalous zone, interpreted as uplifted blocks of Miocene sedimentary rocks of Formation Albarracín displaced over Quaternary deposits. The application and development of different geophysical methods, together with geological studies allow to significantly improving the knowledge of an area affected by Quaternary tectonic activity. Finally, this multidisciplinary study, applied in active blind structures is very relevant for future seismic hazard analysis on areas located very close to populated centers.

Sad Facial Expressions Increase Choice Blindness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yajie Wang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Previous studies have discovered a fascinating phenomenon known as choice blindness—individuals fail to detect mismatches between the face they choose and the face replaced by the experimenter. Although previous studies have reported a couple of factors that can modulate the magnitude of choice blindness, the potential effect of facial expression on choice blindness has not yet been explored. Using faces with sad and neutral expressions (Experiment 1 and faces with happy and neutral expressions (Experiment 2 in the classic choice blindness paradigm, the present study investigated the effects of facial expressions on choice blindness. The results showed that the detection rate was significantly lower on sad faces than neutral faces, whereas no significant difference was observed between happy faces and neutral faces. The exploratory analysis of verbal reports found that participants who reported less facial features for sad (as compared to neutral expressions also tended to show a lower detection rate of sad (as compared to neutral faces. These findings indicated that sad facial expressions increased choice blindness, which might have resulted from inhibition of further processing of the detailed facial features by the less attractive sad expressions (as compared to neutral expressions.

Shape Perception and Navigation in Blind Adults

Science.gov (United States)

Gori, Monica; Cappagli, Giulia; Baud-Bovy, Gabriel; Finocchietti, Sara

2017-01-01

Different sensory systems interact to generate a representation of space and to navigate. Vision plays a critical role in the representation of space development. During navigation, vision is integrated with auditory and mobility cues. In blind individuals, visual experience is not available and navigation therefore lacks this important sensory signal. In blind individuals, compensatory mechanisms can be adopted to improve spatial and navigation skills. On the other hand, the limitations of these compensatory mechanisms are not completely clear. Both enhanced and impaired reliance on auditory cues in blind individuals have been reported. Here, we develop a new paradigm to test both auditory perception and navigation skills in blind and sighted individuals and to investigate the effect that visual experience has on the ability to reproduce simple and complex paths. During the navigation task, early blind, late blind and sighted individuals were required first to listen to an audio shape and then to recognize and reproduce it by walking. After each audio shape was presented, a static sound was played and the participants were asked to reach it. Movements were recorded with a motion tracking system. Our results show three main impairments specific to early blind individuals. The first is the tendency to compress the shapes reproduced during navigation. The second is the difficulty to recognize complex audio stimuli, and finally, the third is the difficulty in reproducing the desired shape: early blind participants occasionally reported perceiving a square but they actually reproduced a circle during the navigation task. We discuss these results in terms of compromised spatial reference frames due to lack of visual input during the early period of development. PMID:28144226

Nasa Unveils Cosmic Images Book in Braille for Blind Readers

Science.gov (United States)

2008-01-01

at NASA Headquarters, Washington. "About 10 million visually impaired people live in the United States," Grice said. "I hope this book will be a unique resource for people who are sighted or blind to better understand the part of the universe that is invisible to all of us." The book will be available to the public through a wide variety of sources, including NASA libraries, the National Federation of the Blind, Library of Congress repositories, schools for the blind, libraries, museums, science centers and Ozone Publishing. "We wanted to show that the beauty and complexity of the universe goes far beyond what we can see with our eyes!" Daou said. "The study of the universe is a detective story, a cosmic 'CSI,' where clues to the inner workings of the universe are revealed by the amazing technology of modern telescopes," Steel said. "This book invites everyone to join in the quest to unlock the secrets of the cosmos." "One of the greatest challenges faced by blind students who are interested in scientific study is that certain kinds of information are not available to them in a non-visual form," said Marc Maurer, president of the National Federation of the Blind. "Books like this one are an invaluable resource because they allow the blind access to information that is normally presented through visual observation and media. Given access to this information, blind students can study and compete in scientific fields as well as their sighted peers." The prototype for this book was funded by an education grant from the Chandra mission and production was a collaborative effort by the NASA space science missions, which provide the images, and other agency sources.

Uniocular blindness in Delta State Teaching Hospital, Oghara, Nigeria

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Uniocular blindness causes loss of binocular single vision. People with uniocular blindness are potentially at risk of developing binocular blindness. Aim: To determine the prevalence rate, causes and risk factors for uniocular blindness in a teaching hospital in southern Nigeria over a one-year period. Methods: ...

34 CFR 395.11 - Training program for blind individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 34 Education 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Training program for blind individuals. 395.11 Section... BLIND ON FEDERAL AND OTHER PROPERTY The State Licensing Agency § 395.11 Training program for blind... be provided to blind individuals as vocational rehabilitation services under the Rehabilitation Act...

Considerations in the Treatment of the Adult Blind Patient.

Science.gov (United States)

Shulman, Dennis G.

1986-01-01

Contends that blindness is not a single clinical determinant, but, rather, that two groups of blind people exist. For those congenitally blind, lack of vision can cause developmental difficulties. For those who later acquire blindness, the premorbid psychodynamics and object relationships are most important in understanding the persons' reactions…

Visual and Motor Recovery After "Cognitive Therapeutic Exercises" in Cortical Blindness: A Case Study.

Science.gov (United States)

De Patre, Daniele; Van de Winckel, Ann; Panté, Franca; Rizzello, Carla; Zernitz, Marina; Mansour, Mariam; Zordan, Lara; Zeffiro, Thomas A; OʼConnor, Erin E; Bisson, Teresa; Lupi, Andrea; Perfetti, Carlo

2017-07-01

Spontaneous visual recovery is rare after cortical blindness. While visual rehabilitation may improve performance, no visual therapy has been widely adopted, as clinical outcomes are variable and rarely translate into improvements in activities of daily living (ADLs). We explored the potential value of a novel rehabilitation approach "cognitive therapeutic exercises" for cortical blindness. The subject of this case study was 48-year-old woman with cortical blindness and tetraplegia after cardiac arrest. Prior to the intervention, she was dependent in ADLs and poorly distinguished shapes and colors after 19 months of standard visual and motor rehabilitation. Computed tomographic images soon after symptom onset demonstrated acute infarcts in both occipital cortices. The subject underwent 8 months of intensive rehabilitation with "cognitive therapeutic exercises" consisting of discrimination exercises correlating sensory and visual information. Visual fields increased; object recognition improved; it became possible to watch television; voluntary arm movements improved in accuracy and smoothness; walking improved; and ADL independence and self-reliance increased. Subtraction of neuroimaging acquired before and after rehabilitation showed that focal glucose metabolism increases bilaterally in the occipital poles. This study demonstrates feasibility of "cognitive therapeutic exercises" in an individual with cortical blindness, who experienced impressive visual and sensorimotor recovery, with marked ADL improvement, more than 2 years after ischemic cortical damage.Video Abstract available for additional insights from the authors (see Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1, available at: http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A173).

Fuzzy-based simulation of real color blindness.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jinmi; dos Santos, Wellington P

2010-01-01

About 8% of men are affected by color blindness. That population is at a disadvantage since they cannot perceive a substantial amount of the visual information. This work presents two computational tools developed to assist color blind people. The first one tests color blindness and assess its severity. The second tool is based on Fuzzy Logic, and implements a method proposed to simulate real red and green color blindness in order to generate synthetic cases of color vision disturbance in a statistically significant amount. Our purpose is to develop correction tools and obtain a deeper understanding of the accessibility problems faced by people with chromatic visual impairment.

Behaviors of Sighted Individuals Perceived by Blind Persons as Hindrances to Self-Reliance in Blind Persons.

Science.gov (United States)

Rickelman, Bonnie L.; Blaylock, Jerry N.

1983-01-01

Situations in which sighted people behaved inappropiately toward blind individuals were recalled by 60 blind subjects, who described their reactions and feelings and offered suggestions for sighted people. A lack of knowledge and understanding of the skills, abilities, and feelings of visually impaired individuals were revealed. (SEW)

Ultra-low-energy wide electron exposure unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yonago, Akinobu; Oono, Yukihiko; Tokunaga, Kazutoshi; Kishimoto, Junichi; Wakamoto, Ikuo

2001-01-01

Heat and ultraviolet ray processes are used in surface dryness of paint, surface treatment of construction materials and surface sterilization of food containers. A process using a low-energy wide-area electron beam (EB) has been developed that features high speed and low drive cost. EB processing is not widespread in general industry, however, due to high equipment cost and difficult maintenance. We developed an ultra-low-energy wide-area electron beam exposure unit, the Mitsubishi Wide Electron Exposure Unit (MIWEL) to solve these problems. (author)

Wide Area Measurement Based Security Assessment & Monitoring of Modern Power System: A Danish Power System Case Study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rather, Zakir Hussain; Chen, Zhe; Thøgersen, Paul

2013-01-01

Power System security has become a major concern across the global power system community. This paper presents wide area measurement system (WAMS) based security assessment and monitoring of modern power system. A new three dimensional security index (TDSI) has been proposed for online security...... monitoring of modern power system with large scale renewable energy penetration. Phasor measurement unit (PMU) based WAMS has been implemented in western Danish Power System to realize online security monitoring and assessment in power system control center. The proposed security monitoring system has been...

Alterations of the visual pathways in congenital blindness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ptito, Maurice; Schneider, Fabien C G; Paulson, Olaf B

2008-01-01

/19 and the middle temporal cortex (MT) showing volume reductions of up to 20%. Additional significant white matter alterations were observed in the inferior longitudinal tract and in the posterior part of the corpus callosum, which links the visual areas of both hemispheres. Our data indicate that the afferent...... projections to the visual cortex in CB are largely atrophied. Despite the massive volume reductions in the occipital lobes, there is compelling evidence from the literature (reviewed in Noppeney 2007; Ptito and Kupers 2005) that blind subjects activate their visual cortex when performing tasks that involve...

Genome-wide meta-analyses of multiancestry cohorts identify multiple new susceptibility loci for refractive error and myopia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verhoeven, Virginie J. M.; Hysi, Pirro G.; Wojciechowski, Robert; Fan, Qiao; Guggenheim, Jeremy A.; Höhn, René; Macgregor, Stuart; Hewitt, Alex W.; Nag, Abhishek; Cheng, Ching-Yu; Yonova-Doing, Ekaterina; Zhou, Xin; Ikram, M. Kamran; Buitendijk, Gabriëlle H. S.; McMahon, George; Kemp, John P.; Pourcain, Beate St; Simpson, Claire L.; Mäkelä, Kari-Matti; Lehtimäki, Terho; Kähönen, Mika; Paterson, Andrew D.; Hosseini, S. Mohsen; Wong, Hoi Suen; Xu, Liang; Jonas, Jost B.; Pärssinen, Olavi; Wedenoja, Juho; Yip, Shea Ping; Ho, Daniel W. H.; Pang, Chi Pui; Chen, Li Jia; Burdon, Kathryn P.; Craig, Jamie E.; Klein, Barbara E. K.; Klein, Ronald; Haller, Toomas; Metspalu, Andres; Khor, Chiea-Chuen; Tai, E.-Shyong; Aung, Tin; Vithana, Eranga; Tay, Wan-Ting; Barathi, Veluchamy A.; Chen, Peng; Li, Ruoying; Liao, Jiemin; Zheng, Yingfeng; Bergen, Arthur A. B.; Chen, Wei

2013-01-01

Refractive error is the most common eye disorder worldwide and is a prominent cause of blindness. Myopia affects over 30% of Western populations and up to 80% of Asians. The CREAM consortium conducted genome-wide meta-analyses, including 37,382 individuals from 27 studies of European ancestry and

Investigation of the blindness status in Haimen of Jiangsu province

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dong-Bing Yuan

2017-06-01

Full Text Available AIM:To investigate the cause of blindness, except those caused by cataract, in Haimen city. METHODS:According to the WHO's criteria of blindness, the blindness level was decided through ophthalmic tests by associate chief or chief ophthalmologists who were trained especially for disability evaluation. The analysis of the the leading cause were taken too. RESULTS:Totally 3 266 persons were blindness, in which 2 118 were first level blindness, 1 148 persons were second lever blindness, and 1 308 persons were male, 1 958 were female. The leading cause of blindness were retina and uveitis diseases(31.58%, genetic diseases(23.47%, cornea disease(14.49%. CONCLUSION:The leading cause of blindness are retina and uveitis diseases, genetic diseases, cornea diseases in Haimen city of Jiangsu province. Early prevention and treatment should be strengthened to reduce the occurrence of blindness.

A population based eye survey of older adults in Tirunelveli district of south India: blindness, cataract surgery, and visual outcomes

Science.gov (United States)

Nirmalan, P K; Thulasiraj, R D; Maneksha, V; Rahmathullah, R; Ramakrishnan, R; Padmavathi, A; Munoz, S R; Ellwein, L B

2002-01-01

Aims: To assess the prevalence of vision impairment, blindness, and cataract surgery and to evaluate visual acuity outcomes after cataract surgery in a south Indian population. Methods: Cluster sampling was used to randomly select a cross sectional sample of people ≥50 years of age living in the Tirunelveli district of south India. Eligible subjects in 28 clusters were enumerated through a door to door household survey. Visual acuity measurements and ocular examinations were performed at a selected site within each of the clusters in early 2000. The principal cause of visual impairment was identified for eyes with presenting visual acuity India) was found in 11.0%, and in 4.6% with best correction. Presenting blindness was associated with older age, female sex, and illiteracy. Cataract was the principal cause of blindness in at least one eye in 70.6% of blind people. The prevalence of cataract surgery was 11.8%—with an estimated 56.5% of the cataract blind already operated on. Surgical coverage was inversely associated with illiteracy and with female sex in rural areas. Within the cataract operated sample, 31.7% had presenting visual acuity ≥6/18 in both eyes and 11.8% were <6/60; 40% were bilaterally operated on, with 63% pseudophakic. Presenting vision was <6/60 in 40.7% of aphakic eyes and in 5.1% of pseudophakic eyes; with best correction the percentages were 17.6% and 3.7%, respectively. Refractive error, including uncorrected aphakia, was the main cause of visual impairment in cataract operated eyes. Vision <6/18 was associated with cataract surgery in government, as opposed to that in non-governmental/private facilities. Age, sex, literacy, and area of residence were not predictors of visual outcomes. Conclusion: Treatable blindness, particularly that associated with cataract and refractive error, remains a significant problem among older adults in south Indian populations, especially in females, the illiterate, and those living in rural areas. Further

Childhood blindness in India: a population based perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Dandona, R; Dandona, L

2003-01-01

Aim: To estimate the prevalence and causes of blindness in children in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Methods: These data were obtained as part of two population based studies in which 6935 children ≤15 years of age participated. Blindness was defined as presenting distance visual acuity <6/60 in the better eye. Results: The prevalence of childhood blindness was 0.17% (95% confidence interval 0.09 to 0.30). Treatable refractive error caused 33.3% of the blindness, followed by 16.6% due to preventable causes (8.3% each due to vitamin A deficiency and amblyopia after cataract surgery). The major causes of the remaining blindness included congenital eye anomalies (16.7%) and retinal degeneration (16.7%). Conclusion: In the context of Vision 2020, the priorities for action to reduce childhood blindness in India are refractive error, cataract related amblyopia, and corneal diseases. PMID:12598433

Cyber-physical security of Wide-Area Monitoring, Protection and Control in a smart grid environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Ashok, Aditya; Hahn, Adam; Govindarasu, Manimaran

2014-07-01

Smart grid initiatives will produce a grid that is increasingly dependent on its cyber infrastructure in order to support the numerous power applications necessary to provide improved grid monitoring and control capabilities. However, recent findings documented in government reports and other literature, indicate the growing threat of cyber-based attacks in numbers and sophistication targeting the nation's electric grid and other critical infrastructures. Specifically, this paper discusses cyber-physical security of Wide-Area Monitoring, Protection and Control (WAMPAC) from a coordinated cyber attack perspective and introduces a game-theoretic approach to address the issue. Finally, the paper briefly describes how cyber-physical testbeds can be used to evaluate the security research and perform realistic attack-defense studies for smart grid type environments.

Cyber-physical security of Wide-Area Monitoring, Protection and Control in a smart grid environment

Science.gov (United States)

Ashok, Aditya; Hahn, Adam; Govindarasu, Manimaran

2013-01-01

Smart grid initiatives will produce a grid that is increasingly dependent on its cyber infrastructure in order to support the numerous power applications necessary to provide improved grid monitoring and control capabilities. However, recent findings documented in government reports and other literature, indicate the growing threat of cyber-based attacks in numbers and sophistication targeting the nation’s electric grid and other critical infrastructures. Specifically, this paper discusses cyber-physical security of Wide-Area Monitoring, Protection and Control (WAMPAC) from a coordinated cyber attack perspective and introduces a game-theoretic approach to address the issue. Finally, the paper briefly describes how cyber-physical testbeds can be used to evaluate the security research and perform realistic attack-defense studies for smart grid type environments. PMID:25685516

A functional neuroimaging study of sound localization: visual cortex activity predicts performance in early-blind individuals.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frédéric Gougoux

2005-02-01

Full Text Available Blind individuals often demonstrate enhanced nonvisual perceptual abilities. However, the neural substrate that underlies this improved performance remains to be fully understood. An earlier behavioral study demonstrated that some early-blind people localize sounds more accurately than sighted controls using monaural cues. In order to investigate the neural basis of these behavioral differences in humans, we carried out functional imaging studies using positron emission tomography and a speaker array that permitted pseudo-free-field presentations within the scanner. During binaural sound localization, a sighted control group showed decreased cerebral blood flow in the occipital lobe, which was not seen in early-blind individuals. During monaural sound localization (one ear plugged, the subgroup of early-blind subjects who were behaviorally superior at sound localization displayed two activation foci in the occipital cortex. This effect was not seen in blind persons who did not have superior monaural sound localization abilities, nor in sighted individuals. The degree of activation of one of these foci was strongly correlated with sound localization accuracy across the entire group of blind subjects. The results show that those blind persons who perform better than sighted persons recruit occipital areas to carry out auditory localization under monaural conditions. We therefore conclude that computations carried out in the occipital cortex specifically underlie the enhanced capacity to use monaural cues. Our findings shed light not only on intermodal compensatory mechanisms, but also on individual differences in these mechanisms and on inhibitory patterns that differ between sighted individuals and those deprived of vision early in life.

MEG reveals a fast pathway from somatosensory cortex to occipital areas via posterior parietal cortex in a blind subject

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ioannides, Andreas A; Liu, Lichan; Poghosyan, Vahe

2013-01-01

magnetoencephalography (MEG) data recorded from one congenitally blind and two sighted subjects after stimulation of the left and right median nerves at three intensities: below sensory threshold, above sensory threshold and above motor threshold; the last sufficient to produce thumb twitching. We identified...... reproducible brain responses in the primary somatosensory (S1) and motor (M1) cortices at around 20 ms post-stimulus, which were very similar in sighted and blind subjects. Time-frequency analysis revealed strong 45-70 Hz activity at latencies of 20-50 ms in S1 and M1, and posterior parietal cortex Brodmann...... of information through this pathway occurred in stages characterized by convergence of activations into specific cortical regions. In sighted subjects, no linked activity was found that led from the somatosensory to the visual cortex through any of the studied brain regions. These results provide the first...

Haptic orientation perception benefits from visual experience : Evidence from early-blind, late-blind, and sighted people

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Postma, Albert; Zuidhoek, Sander; Noordzij, Matthijs L.; Kappers, A. M L

2008-01-01

Early-blind, late-blind, and blindfolded sighted participants were presented with two haptic allocentric spatial tasks: a parallel-setting task, in an immediate and a 10-sec delay condition, and a task in which the orientation of a single bar was judged verbally. With respect to deviation size, the

Range-wide network of priority areas for greater sage-grouse - a design for conserving connected distributions or isolating individual zoos?

Science.gov (United States)

Crist, Michele R.; Knick, Steven T.; Hanser, Steven E.

2015-09-08

The network of areas delineated in 11 Western States for prioritizing management of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) represents a grand experiment in conservation biology and reserve design. We used centrality metrics from social network theory to gain insights into how this priority area network might function. The network was highly centralized. Twenty of 188 priority areas accounted for 80 percent of the total centrality scores. These priority areas, characterized by large size and a central location in the range-wide distribution, are strongholds for greater sage-grouse populations and also might function as sources. Mid-ranking priority areas may serve as stepping stones because of their location between large central and smaller peripheral priority areas. The current network design and conservation strategy has risks. The contribution of almost one-half (n = 93) of the priority areas combined for less than 1 percent of the cumulative centrality scores for the network. These priority areas individually are likely too small to support viable sage-grouse populations within their boundary. Without habitat corridors to connect small priority areas either to larger priority areas or as a clustered group within the network, their isolation could lead to loss of sage-grouse within these regions of the network. 

34 CFR 395.14 - The State Committee of Blind Vendors.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 34 Education 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false The State Committee of Blind Vendors. 395.14 Section... BLIND ON FEDERAL AND OTHER PROPERTY The State Licensing Agency § 395.14 The State Committee of Blind... Blind Vendors which, to the extent possible, shall be fully representative of all blind vendors in the...

Actual Performance aNalysis of Innovative Blinds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giedrius Šiupšinskas

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The paper analyses the innovative internal blinds, which allow to use the solar energy, received through a window for a heating, more efficiently and to ensure a greater air velocity due to the convection. Blinds are constructed that one side is covered with material, which absorbs the solar energy and the other side is reflective. Thus, there is an ability to control an amount of absorbed solar radiation and air supply temperature between the window and the blinds. In addition, the construction of the air to provide locating elements. The elements for air deflection are additionally foreseen in the construction. Due to the natural circulation cold air falls between the blinds and the window, then warms up and rises to the top. The paper presents an empirical and theoretical assessment of an operation of the blinds. In addition, the analysis of the experimental researches of an air flow intensity and a dependency of temperature increase from external (climatic conditions is performed.

Subcortical functional reorganization due to early blindness.

Science.gov (United States)

Coullon, Gaelle S L; Jiang, Fang; Fine, Ione; Watkins, Kate E; Bridge, Holly

2015-04-01

Lack of visual input early in life results in occipital cortical responses to auditory and tactile stimuli. However, it remains unclear whether cross-modal plasticity also occurs in subcortical pathways. With the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging, auditory responses were compared across individuals with congenital anophthalmia (absence of eyes), those with early onset (in the first few years of life) blindness, and normally sighted individuals. We find that the superior colliculus, a "visual" subcortical structure, is recruited by the auditory system in congenital and early onset blindness. Additionally, auditory subcortical responses to monaural stimuli were altered as a result of blindness. Specifically, responses in the auditory thalamus were equally strong to contralateral and ipsilateral stimulation in both groups of blind subjects, whereas sighted controls showed stronger responses to contralateral stimulation. These findings suggest that early blindness results in substantial reorganization of subcortical auditory responses. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

Enhanced tactile encoding and memory recognition in congenital blindness.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Angiulli, Amedeo; Waraich, Paul

2002-06-01

Several behavioural studies have shown that early-blind persons possess superior tactile skills. Since neurophysiological data show that early-blind persons recruit visual as well as somatosensory cortex to carry out tactile processing (cross-modal plasticity), blind persons' sharper tactile skills may be related to cortical re-organisation resulting from loss of vision early in their life. To examine the nature of blind individuals' tactile superiority and its implications for cross-modal plasticity, we compared the tactile performance of congenitally totally blind, low-vision and sighted children on raised-line picture identification test and re-test, assessing effects of task familiarity, exploratory strategy and memory recognition. What distinguished the blind from the other children was higher memory recognition and higher tactile encoding associated with efficient exploration. These results suggest that enhanced perceptual encoding and recognition memory may be two cognitive correlates of cross-modal plasticity in congenital blindness.

Tackling the high burden of blindness

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... care delivery, and tackling the five major eye conditions that contribute to most blindness could reduce the current burden of blindness. This would open the window for addressing glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and macula degeneration which are the new emerging global consequences of non-communicable diseases.

Blind image deconvolution methods and convergence

CERN Document Server

Chaudhuri, Subhasis; Rameshan, Renu

2014-01-01

Blind deconvolution is a classical image processing problem which has been investigated by a large number of researchers over the last four decades. The purpose of this monograph is not to propose yet another method for blind image restoration. Rather the basic issue of deconvolvability has been explored from a theoretical view point. Some authors claim very good results while quite a few claim that blind restoration does not work. The authors clearly detail when such methods are expected to work and when they will not. In order to avoid the assumptions needed for convergence analysis in the

Differences between early-blind, late-blind, and blindfolded-sighted people in haptic spatial-configuration learning and resulting memory traces.

Science.gov (United States)

Postma, Albert; Zuidhoek, Sander; Noordzij, Matthijs L; Kappers, Astrid M L

2007-01-01

The roles of visual and haptic experience in different aspects of haptic processing of objects in peripersonal space are examined. In three trials, early-blind, late-blind, and blindfolded-sighted individuals had to match ten shapes haptically to the cut-outs in a board as fast as possible. Both blind groups were much faster than the sighted in all three trials. All three groups improved considerably from trial to trial. In particular, the sighted group showed a strong improvement from the first to the second trial. While superiority of the blind remained for speeded matching after rotation of the stimulus frame, coordinate positional-memory scores in a non-speeded free-recall trial showed no significant differences between the groups. Moreover, when assessed with a verbal response, categorical spatial-memory appeared strongest in the late-blind group. The role of haptic and visual experience thus appears to depend on the task aspect tested.

The use of semiochemical-based devices and formulations in area-wide programmes - A commercial perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, Owen T.; Casagrande, Enzo D.

2000-01-01

It is now almost 40 years since the first insect pheromone was isolated and identified and many authors have referred over the years to their commercial potential. Although much progress has been made during those years in terms of scientific and technological advances related to semiochemicals, the 'progress' that has actually been made in the commercial exploitation of pheromones and other semiochemicals has been rather limited when viewed in terms of their share of the agrochemical market. Based on published data and unpublished information which has been made available to the authors, semiochemical-based products are estimated to have world-wide sales in the US$70-80 million range at the manufacturers' level. This compares with a world-wide insecticide market of nearly US$8 billion in 1995 so that it therefore constitutes less than 1% of that market. In terms of the biopesticide market (bacteria, viruses, botanical insecticides, entomopathogenic nematodes and beneficial insects) on the other hand, semiochemicals constitute a much higher percentage (ca. 30%) and probably are third in importance after bacterial and botanical products. The industry has taken over 20 years to achieve its current size and has been pioneered mostly by small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Several technical and biological factors have played a part in determining the rate at which semiochemical-based technology has been adopted commercially in the field but one factor in particular has greatly influenced this technology transfer process, namely, area-wide programmes. These have often been government-backed programmes that have demonstrated the effectiveness of the semiochemical-based technique being implemented and have convinced the farmers and growers of the benefits that these novel techniques can bring. Several strategies have been developed where semiochemicals have been used either alone or in combination with other control technologies but three in particular stands out

Ultra-wide field imaging system and traditional retinal examinations for screening fundus changes after cataract surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Jie; Zhang, Qi; Jin, Hai-Ying; Lu, Wu-Yi; Zhao, Pei-Quan

2016-01-01

To compare the results of non-mydriatic ultra-wide field imaging system, mydriatic slit-lamp lens (Volk +90 D) and mydriatic Goldmann three-mirror contact lens examinations in screening fundus lesions among patients after cataract surgery. Non-mydriatic images were obtained with an Optomap panoramic 200Tx (Optomap 200Tx) 3d after surgery and graded by a blinded ophthalmologist. A mydriatic slit-lamp lens examination was performed by another blinded retinal specialist on the same day. A third blinded retinal specialist examined patients two weeks after surgery using a Goldmann three-mirror contact lens. In total, 160 patients (184 eyes) were examined, and 66, 69, and 75 cases of retinal lesion(s) were identified using the Optomap 200Tx, slit-lamp lens, and Goldmann three-mirror contact lens, respectively. In 13 cases, fundus changes were sight-threatening. The results obtained by Optomap 200Tx examination and by mydriatic slit-lamp lens examination have good consistency (P=0.375, Kappa=0.942). The mydriatic Goldmann three-mirror lens examination revealed more fundus lesions but are consistent with Optomap 200Tx (P=0.004, Kappa=0.897) and mydriatic slit-lamp lens examination (P=0.031, Kappa=0.932). Early post-operative fundus screening in cataract patients is extremely important and necessary to prevent further vision loss. Wide-field imaging is a feasible and convenient tool for fundus examination that can be used as a primary screening method among patients after cataract surgery.

Metabolic changes in the visual cortex of binocular blindness macaque monkeys: a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lingjie Wu

Full Text Available PURPOSE: To evaluate proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1H-MRS in a study of cross-modal plasticity in the visual cortex of binocular blindness macaque monkeys. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four healthy neonatal macaque monkeys were randomly divided into 2 groups, with 2 in each group. Optic nerve transection was performed in both monkeys in the experimental group (group B to obtain binocular blindness. Two healthy macaque monkeys served as a control group (group A. After sixteen months post-procedure, (1H-MRS was performed in the visual cortex of all monkeys. We compared the peak areas of NAA, Cr, Cho, Glx and Ins and the ratios of NAA/Cr, Cho/Cr, Glx/Cr and Ins/Cr of each monkey in group B with group A. RESULTS: The peak area of NAA and the NAA/Cr ratio in the visual cortex of monkey 4 in group B were found to be dramatically decreased, the peak area of NAA slightly decreased and the NAA/Cr ratio clearly decreased in visual cortex of monkey 3 in group B than those in group A. The peak area of Ins and the Ins/Cr ratio in the visual cortex of monkey 4 in group B slightly increased. The peak area of Cho and the Cho/Cr ratio in the visual cortex of all monkeys in group B dramatically increased compared with group A. The peak area of Glx in the visual cortex of all monkeys in group B slightly increased compared with group A. CONCLUSIONS: (1H-MRS could detect biochemical and metabolic changes in the visual cortex and therefore this technique can be used to provide valuable information for investigating the mechanisms of cross-modal plasticity of binocular blindness in a macaque monkey model.

Blinde børn - integration eller isolation?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bengtsson, Steen; Cayuelas Mateu, Nuria; Høst, Anders

Blinde børn har i de senere årtier været integreret i den almindelige skole. Men betyder det, at de bliver bedre forberedt til et integreret liv som voksne? Det er langt fra sikkert, viser denne undersøgelse af blinde børn. Skolen sørger for, at de blinde børn har en støttelærer, så de får det he...

New treatments of hereditary blindness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bertelsen, Mette; Rosenberg, Thomas; Larsen, Michael

2013-01-01

Ongoing clinical trials are targeting several previously intractable hereditary causes of blindness of congenital, childhood or early adulthood onset, mainly in the optic nerve and retina. The intended stage of initiation of the new therapeutic approaches ranges from neonatal life and a structura......Ongoing clinical trials are targeting several previously intractable hereditary causes of blindness of congenital, childhood or early adulthood onset, mainly in the optic nerve and retina. The intended stage of initiation of the new therapeutic approaches ranges from neonatal life...... and a structurally intact retinal tissue to adult life with a complete loss of photoreceptors. It must be assumed that some of the trials will succeed in producing new therapies and action must be taken to refine and accelerate diagnostics and to preserve therapeutic potential in blind people....

Retrieval and phenomenology of autobiographical memories in blind individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Tekcan, Ali Í; Yılmaz, Engin; Kızılöz, Burcu Kaya; Karadöller, Dilay Z; Mutafoğlu, Merve; Erciyes, Aslı Aktan

2015-01-01

Although visual imagery is argued to be an essential component of autobiographical memory, there have been surprisingly few studies on autobiographical memory processes in blind individuals, who have had no or limited visual input. The purpose of the present study was to investigate how blindness affects retrieval and phenomenology of autobiographical memories. We asked 48 congenital/early blind and 48 sighted participants to recall autobiographical memories in response to six cue words, and to fill out the Autobiographical Memory Questionnaire measuring a number of variables including imagery, belief and recollective experience associated with each memory. Blind participants retrieved fewer memories and reported higher auditory imagery at retrieval than sighted participants. Moreover, within the blind group, participants with total blindness reported higher auditory imagery than those with some light perception. Blind participants also assigned higher importance, belief and recollection ratings to their memories than sighted participants. Importantly, these group differences remained the same for recent as well as childhood memories.

Calendar systems and communication of deaf-blind children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jablan Branka

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to explain the calendar systems and their role in teaching deaf-blind children. Deaf-blind persons belong to a group of multiple disabled persons. This disability should not be observed as a simple composite of visual and hearing impairments, but as a combination of sensory impairments that require special assistance in the development, communication and training for independent living. In our environment, deaf-blind children are being educated in schools for children with visual impairments or in schools for children with hearing impairments (in accordance with the primary impairment. However, deaf-blind children cannot be trained by means of special programs for children with hearing impairment, visual impairment or other programs for students with developmental disabilities without specific attention required by such a combination of sensory impairments. Deaf-blindness must be observed as a multiple impairment that requires special work methods, especially in the field of communication, whose development is severely compromised. Communication skills in deaf-blind people can be developed by using the calendar systems. They are designed in such a manner that they can be easily attainable to children with various sensory impairments. Calendars can be used to encourage and develop communication between adult persons and a deaf-blind child.

76 FR 65099 - Blind Americans Equality Day, 2011

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-20

... Americans Equality Day, 2011 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Generations of... inspiring as champions of sport. On Blind Americans Equality Day, we celebrate the achievements of blind and... interacted with the program's vendors. Though we have made progress in the march to equality for the blind...

Iterated Gate Teleportation and Blind Quantum Computation.

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez-Delgado, Carlos A; Fitzsimons, Joseph F

2015-06-05

Blind quantum computation allows a user to delegate a computation to an untrusted server while keeping the computation hidden. A number of recent works have sought to establish bounds on the communication requirements necessary to implement blind computation, and a bound based on the no-programming theorem of Nielsen and Chuang has emerged as a natural limiting factor. Here we show that this constraint only holds in limited scenarios, and show how to overcome it using a novel method of iterated gate teleportations. This technique enables drastic reductions in the communication required for distributed quantum protocols, extending beyond the blind computation setting. Applied to blind quantum computation, this technique offers significant efficiency improvements, and in some scenarios offers an exponential reduction in communication requirements.

Congenital blindness improves semantic and episodic memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Pasqualotto, Achille; Lam, Jade S Y; Proulx, Michael J

2013-05-01

Previous studies reported that congenitally blind people possess superior verb-generation skills. Here we tested the impact of blindness on capacity and the fidelity of semantic memory by using a false memory paradigm. In the Deese-Roediger-McDermott paradigm, participants study lists of words that are all semantically related to a lure that is not presented. Subsequently, participants frequently recall the missing lure. We found that congenitally blind participants have enhanced memory performance for recalling the presented words and reduced false memories for the lure. The dissociation of memory capacity and fidelity provides further evidence for enhanced verbal ability in the blind, supported by their broader structural and functional brain reorganisation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

33 CFR 117.861 - Blind Slough.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Blind Slough. 117.861 Section 117.861 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY BRIDGES DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS Specific Requirements Oregon § 117.861 Blind Slough. The draws of the Portland and...

A fully organic retinal prosthesis restores vision in a rat model of degenerative blindness

Science.gov (United States)

Maya-Vetencourt, José Fernando; Ghezzi, Diego; Antognazza, Maria Rosa; Colombo, Elisabetta; Mete, Maurizio; Feyen, Paul; Desii, Andrea; Buschiazzo, Ambra; di Paolo, Mattia; di Marco, Stefano; Ticconi, Flavia; Emionite, Laura; Shmal, Dmytro; Marini, Cecilia; Donelli, Ilaria; Freddi, Giuliano; Maccarone, Rita; Bisti, Silvia; Sambuceti, Gianmario; Pertile, Grazia; Lanzani, Guglielmo; Benfenati, Fabio

2017-06-01

The degeneration of photoreceptors in the retina is one of the major causes of adult blindness in humans. Unfortunately, no effective clinical treatments exist for the majority of retinal degenerative disorders. Here we report on the fabrication and functional validation of a fully organic prosthesis for long-term in vivo subretinal implantation in the eye of Royal College of Surgeons rats, a widely recognized model of retinitis pigmentosa. Electrophysiological and behavioural analyses reveal a prosthesis-dependent recovery of light sensitivity and visual acuity that persists up to 6-10 months after surgery. The rescue of the visual function is accompanied by an increase in the basal metabolic activity of the primary visual cortex, as demonstrated by positron emission tomography imaging. Our results highlight the possibility of developing a new generation of fully organic, highly biocompatible and functionally autonomous photovoltaic prostheses for subretinal implants to treat degenerative blindness.

Tactile maze solving in congenitally blind individuals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gagnon, Léa; Kupers, Ron; Schneider, Fabien C

2010-01-01

and environmental cues such as temperature and echolocation. We hypothesize that by limiting these cues, blind individuals will lose their advantage compared with controls in spatial navigation tasks. We therefore evaluated the performance of blind and sighted individuals in small-scale, tactile multiple T mazes....... Our results show that blindfolded sighted controls outperformed blind participants in the route-learning tasks. This suggests that, contrary to indoor large-scale spaces, navigational skills inside small-scale spaces benefit from visual experience....

Stochastic Blind Motion Deblurring

KAUST Repository

Xiao, Lei

2015-05-13

Blind motion deblurring from a single image is a highly under-constrained problem with many degenerate solutions. A good approximation of the intrinsic image can therefore only be obtained with the help of prior information in the form of (often non-convex) regularization terms for both the intrinsic image and the kernel. While the best choice of image priors is still a topic of ongoing investigation, this research is made more complicated by the fact that historically each new prior requires the development of a custom optimization method. In this paper, we develop a stochastic optimization method for blind deconvolution. Since this stochastic solver does not require the explicit computation of the gradient of the objective function and uses only efficient local evaluation of the objective, new priors can be implemented and tested very quickly. We demonstrate that this framework, in combination with different image priors produces results with PSNR values that match or exceed the results obtained by much more complex state-of-the-art blind motion deblurring algorithms.

Alterations in right posterior hippocampus in early blind individuals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chebat, Daniel-Robert; Chen, Jan-Kai; Schneider, Fabien

2007-01-01

This study compares hippocampal volumes of early blind and sex/age-matched sighted controls through volumetric and localization analyses. Early blind individuals showed a significantly smaller right posterior hippocampus compared with controls. No differences in total hippocampal volumes were fou...... of the posterior hippocampus in early blind individuals suggests the implication of this region in visual spatial memory. Udgivelsesdato: 2007-Mar-5......This study compares hippocampal volumes of early blind and sex/age-matched sighted controls through volumetric and localization analyses. Early blind individuals showed a significantly smaller right posterior hippocampus compared with controls. No differences in total hippocampal volumes were found...

Privacy Preserving Similarity Based Text Retrieval through Blind Storage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pinki Kumari

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Cloud computing is improving rapidly due to their more advantage and more data owners give interest to outsource their data into cloud storage for centralize their data. As huge files stored in the cloud storage, there is need to implement the keyword based search process to data user. At the same time to protect the privacy of data, encryption techniques are used for sensitive data, that encryption is done before outsourcing data to cloud server. But it is critical to search results in encryption data. In this system we propose similarity text retrieval from the blind storage blocks with encryption format. This system provides more security because of blind storage system. In blind storage system data is stored randomly on cloud storage.  In Existing Data Owner cannot encrypt the document data as it was done only at server end. Everyone can access the data as there was no private key concept applied to maintained privacy of the data. But In our proposed system, Data Owner can encrypt the data himself using RSA algorithm.  RSA is a public key-cryptosystem and it is widely used for sensitive data storage over Internet. In our system we use Text mining process for identifying the index files of user documents. Before encryption we also use NLP (Nature Language Processing technique to identify the keyword synonyms of data owner document. Here text mining process examines text word by word and collect literal meaning beyond the words group that composes the sentence. Those words are examined in API of word net so that only equivalent words can be identified for index file use. Our proposed system provides more secure and authorized way of recover the text in cloud storage with access control. Finally, our experimental result shows that our system is better than existing.

Blinding in randomized control trials: the enigma unraveled.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vartika Saxena

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The search for new treatments and testing of new ideas begins in the laboratory and then established in clinical research settings. Studies addressing the same therapeutic problem may produce conflicting results hence Randomised Clinical Trial is regarded as the most valid method for assessing the benefits and harms of healthcare interventions. The next challenge face by the medical community is the validity of such trials as theses tend to deviate from the truth because of various biases. For the avoidance of the same it has been suggested that the validity or quality of primary trials should be assessed under blind conditions. Thus blinding, is a crucial method for reducing bias in randomized clinical trials. Blinding can be defined as withholding information about the assigned interventions from people involved in the trial who may potentially be prejudiced by this knowledge. In this article we make an effort to define blinding, explain its chronology, hierarchy and discuss methods of blinding, its assessment, its possibility, un-blinding and finally the latest guidelines.

Perceptual, not memorial, disruption underlies emotion-induced blindness.

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, Briana L; Most, Steven B

2012-04-01

Emotion-induced blindness refers to impaired awareness of stimuli appearing in the temporal wake of an emotionally arousing stimulus (S. B. Most, Chun, Widders, & Zald, 2005). In previous emotion-induced blindness experiments, participants withheld target responses until the end of a rapid stream of stimuli, even though each target appeared in the middle of the stream. The resulting interval between the targets' offset and participants' initiation of a response leaves open the possibility that emotion-induced blindness reflects a failure to encode or maintain target information in memory rather than a failure of perception. In the present study, participants engaged in a typical emotion-induced blindness task but initiated a response immediately upon seeing each target. Emotion-induced blindness was nevertheless robust. This suggests that emotion-induced blindness is not attributable to the delay between awareness of a target and the initiation of a response, but rather reflects the disruptive impact of emotional distractors on mechanisms driving conscious perception. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).

Ask a Scientist: What is Color Blindness?

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... to blinding eye diseases, visual disorders, mechanisms of visual function, preservation of sight, and the special health problems and requirements of the blind.” ... Clinical Studies Publications Catalog Photos ...

A survey of severe visual impairment in children attending schools for the blind in a coastal district of Andhra Pradesh in South India.

Science.gov (United States)

Krishnaiah, S; Subba Rao, B; Lakshmi Narasamma, K; Amit, G

2012-08-01

To identify the major causes of severe childhood visual impairment and blindness among students attending schools for the blind in a coastal district of Andhra Pradesh (AP) in South India. Children ≤ 16 years of age attending six schools for the blind in the study area were interviewed and examined in the year 2009, and causes were classified according to the World Health Organization Program for Prevention of Blindness (WHO/PBL) childhood blindness proforma. A total of 113 children underwent a detailed eye examination by an experienced ophthalmologist. The major causes of blindness were congenital eye anomalies in 46 children (41.4; 95% confidence interval (CI): 32.3-50.6), followed by retinal disorders in 21 children (18.9%; 95% CI: 11.6-26.2), cataract in 9 children (9.7%; 95% CI: 2.9-12.9), and corneal conditions (scar and Staphyloma) in 8 children (7.1%; 95% CI: 2.4-11.8). More than half the children (56.6%) were blind due to conditions that could have been treated or prevented. Congenital anomalies were found to be the most common cause of blindness. The majority of the cases were due to avoidable causes of blindness. Therefore, robust screening measures may help reduce the burden of visual impairment in children.

Predictive Coding: A Possible Explanation of Filling-In at the Blind Spot

Science.gov (United States)

Raman, Rajani; Sarkar, Sandip

2016-01-01

Filling-in at the blind spot is a perceptual phenomenon in which the visual system fills the informational void, which arises due to the absence of retinal input corresponding to the optic disc, with surrounding visual attributes. It is known that during filling-in, nonlinear neural responses are observed in the early visual area that correlates with the perception, but the knowledge of underlying neural mechanism for filling-in at the blind spot is far from complete. In this work, we attempted to present a fresh perspective on the computational mechanism of filling-in process in the framework of hierarchical predictive coding, which provides a functional explanation for a range of neural responses in the cortex. We simulated a three-level hierarchical network and observe its response while stimulating the network with different bar stimulus across the blind spot. We find that the predictive-estimator neurons that represent blind spot in primary visual cortex exhibit elevated non-linear response when the bar stimulated both sides of the blind spot. Using generative model, we also show that these responses represent the filling-in completion. All these results are consistent with the finding of psychophysical and physiological studies. In this study, we also demonstrate that the tolerance in filling-in qualitatively matches with the experimental findings related to non-aligned bars. We discuss this phenomenon in the predictive coding paradigm and show that all our results could be explained by taking into account the efficient coding of natural images along with feedback and feed-forward connections that allow priors and predictions to co-evolve to arrive at the best prediction. These results suggest that the filling-in process could be a manifestation of the general computational principle of hierarchical predictive coding of natural images. PMID:26959812

Management of area-wide integrated pest management programmes that integrate the sterile insect technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dyck, V.A.; Vreysen, M.J.B.; Reyes Flores, J.; Regidor Fernandez, E.E.; Teruya, T.; Barnes, B.; Gomez Riera, P.; Lindquist, D.; Loosjes, M.

2005-01-01

Effective management of area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) programmes that integrate the sterile insect technique (SIT) is key to success. Programme planning includes collection of baseline data and a feasibility assessment. The optimal management structure is where the programme can be implemented effectively and flexibly, independent of government politics, bureaucracy, and even corruption that impede timely goal achievement. Ideally, programmes include both public and private management, and require strong and steady financial support. Governments and donors are the most common sources of funds, but a mixture of public, community, and private funds is now the trend. Interrupted cash flow severely restrains programme performance. Physical support of programme operations must be reliable, and led by a maintenance professional. It is essential to have full-time, well-paid, and motivated staff led by a programme manger with technical and management experience. Programme failure is usually due to poor management and inadequate public support, and not to poor technology. (author)

Demonstration of measurement-only blind quantum computing

Science.gov (United States)

Greganti, Chiara; Roehsner, Marie-Christine; Barz, Stefanie; Morimae, Tomoyuki; Walther, Philip

2016-01-01

Blind quantum computing allows for secure cloud networks of quasi-classical clients and a fully fledged quantum server. Recently, a new protocol has been proposed, which requires a client to perform only measurements. We demonstrate a proof-of-principle implementation of this measurement-only blind quantum computing, exploiting a photonic setup to generate four-qubit cluster states for computation and verification. Feasible technological requirements for the client and the device-independent blindness make this scheme very applicable for future secure quantum networks.

Individual differences in change blindness

OpenAIRE

Bergmann, Katharina Verena

2016-01-01

The present work shows the existence of systematic individual differences in change blindness. It can be concluded that the sensitivity for changes is a trait. That is, persons differ in their ability to detect changes, independent from the situation or the measurement method. Moreover, there are two explanations for individual differences in change blindness: a) capacity differences in visual selective attention that may be influenced by top-down activated attention helping to focus attentio...

RUDO: A Home Ambient Intelligence System for Blind People.

Science.gov (United States)

Hudec, Milan; Smutny, Zdenek

2017-08-22

The article introduces an ambient intelligence system for blind people which besides providing assistance in home environment also helps with various situations and roles in which blind people may find themselves involved. RUDO, the designed system, comprises several modules that mainly support or ensure recognition of approaching people, alerting to other household members' movement in the flat, work on a computer, supervision of (sighted) children, cooperation of a sighted and a blind person (e.g., when studying), control of heating and zonal regulation by a blind person. It has a unified user interface that gives the blind person access to individual functions. The interface for blind people offers assistance with work on a computer, including writing in Braille on a regular keyboard and specialized work in informatics and electronics (e.g., programming). RUDO can complement the standard aids used by blind people at home, it increases their independence and creates conditions that allow them to become fully involved. RUDO also supports blind people sharing a home with sighted people, which contributes to their feeling of security and greater inclusion in society. RUDO has been implemented in a household for two years, which allows an evaluation of its use in practice.

Impact of color blindness on recognition of blood in body fluids.

Science.gov (United States)

Reiss, M J; Labowitz, D A; Forman, S; Wormser, G P

2001-02-12

Color blindness is a common hereditary X-linked disorder. To investigate whether color blindness affects the ability to detect the presence of blood in body fluids. Ten color-blind subjects and 20 sex- and age-matched control subjects were shown 94 photographs of stool, urine, or sputum. Frank blood was present in 57 (61%) of the photographs. Surveys were done to determine if board-certified internists had ever considered whether color blindness would affect detection of blood and whether an inquiry on color blindness was included in their standard medical interview. Color-blind subjects were significantly less able to identify correctly whether pictures of body fluids showed blood compared with non-color-blind controls (P =.001); the lowest rate of correct identifications occurred with pictures of stool (median of 26 [70%] of 37 for color-blind subjects vs 36.5 [99%] of 37 for controls; Pcolor-blind subjects were significantly less accurate than those with less severe color deficiency (P =.009). Only 2 (10%) of the 21 physicians had ever considered the possibility that color blindness might affect the ability of patients to detect blood, and none routinely asked their patients about color blindness. Color blindness impairs recognition of blood in body fluids. Color-blind individuals and their health care providers need to be made aware of this limitation.

Establishing and Maintaining High Expectations for Deaf/Blind Students Using a Team Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Mockler, Kimberly

2014-01-01

As a teacher of the deaf as well as the classroom teacher, Kimberly Mockler works very closely with the teacher of the visually impaired. This involves sharing ideas, resources, and lesson plans for the deaf/blind students. Their lessons and goals are very similar and overlap in several areas. A major challenge for both of them is maintaining high…

Aetiology of blindness in Benin City, Nigeria | Omoti | Annals of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The major causes of binocular blindness were cataract (34.4%), glaucoma (25%) and age related macula degeneration (8.59%). The main causes of uniocular blindness were cataract (23.79%), glaucoma (22.58%) and trauma (11.69%). Conclusion: Avoidable causes of blindness remain the leading causes of blindness ...

[Causes of blindness in students at the school for blind children in Ilvesheim. Changes between 1885 and 2008].

Science.gov (United States)

Rohrschneider, K; Mackensen, I

2013-04-01

Since 1868, the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Heidelberg has been providing care for the pupils of the school for blind and visually handicapped children in Ilvesheim, Germany. Previous studies on the causes of low vision have demonstrated the effects of the advances in medicine and ophthalmology with an explicit decrease in the number of inflammatory corneal diseases, followed by a reduced number of students suffering from congenital cataract and glaucoma. The aim of the present study was to evaluate current data and to compare it to previous data. Ophthalmological data and additional disorders could be evaluated in 268 students visiting the special education school Schloßschule Ilvesheim between 2000 and 2008. The findings were compared to the results of previous studies concerning the degree of visual impairment and diagnosis. The children were divided according to German social law into blind, severely visually handicapped and visually handicapped. Out of the 268 students 83 (31.0%) were premature infants and 69 of these had additional disabilities, 130 were blind and 51 severely visually handicapped. Of the students 142 had additional learning, mental and/or motor handicaps. The most frequent cause of blindness or severe visual impairment was optic nerve atrophy (36.2 % and 37.3 %, respectively). The frequency of hereditary retinal diseases among the blind children was slightly higher with 24.6 % as compared to the data analysis from 1981 and was 15.7 % and 17.1 % among the severely visually handicapped and visually handicapped, respectively. Retinopathy of prematurity was diagnosed in approximately 20% of blind and severely visually handicapped children. As a result of the enormous advances of medical capabilities during the last decades the number of (formerly) premature infants has markedly increased. Most of these students are multiply handicapped and need extensive assistance. While the number of students suffering from hereditary

Lexical references to sensory modalities in verbal descriptions of people and objects by congenitally blind, late blind and sighted adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Chauvey, Valérie; Hatwell, Yvette; Verine, Bertrand; Kaminski, Gwenael; Gentaz, Edouard

2012-01-01

Some previous studies have revealed that while congenitally blind people have a tendency to refer to visual attributes ('verbalism'), references to auditory and tactile attributes are scarcer. However, this statement may be challenged by current theories claiming that cognition is linked to the perceptions and actions from which it derives. Verbal productions by the blind could therefore differ from those of the sighted because of their specific perceptual experience. The relative weight of each sense in oral descriptions was compared in three groups with different visual experience Congenitally blind (CB), late blind (LB) and blindfolded sighted (BS) adults. Participants were asked to give an oral description of their mother and their father, and of four familiar manually-explored objects. The number of visual references obtained when describing people was relatively high, and was the same in the CB and BS groups ("verbalism" in the CB). While references to touch were scarce in all groups, the CB referred to audition more frequently than the LB and the BS groups. There were, by contrast, no differences between groups in descriptions of objects, and references to touch dominated the other modalities. The relative weight of each modality varies according to the cognitive processes involved in each task. Long term memory, internal representations and information acquired through social communication, are at work in the People task, seem to favour visual references in both the blind and the sighted, whereas the congenitally blind also refer often to audition. By contrast, the perceptual encoding and working memory at work in the Objects task enhance sensory references to touch in a similar way in all groups. These results attenuate the impact of verbalism in blindness, and support (albeit moderately) the idea that the perceptual experience of the congenitally blind is to some extent reflected in their cognition.

Lexical references to sensory modalities in verbal descriptions of people and objects by congenitally blind, late blind and sighted adults.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valérie Chauvey

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Some previous studies have revealed that while congenitally blind people have a tendency to refer to visual attributes ('verbalism', references to auditory and tactile attributes are scarcer. However, this statement may be challenged by current theories claiming that cognition is linked to the perceptions and actions from which it derives. Verbal productions by the blind could therefore differ from those of the sighted because of their specific perceptual experience. The relative weight of each sense in oral descriptions was compared in three groups with different visual experience Congenitally blind (CB, late blind (LB and blindfolded sighted (BS adults. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Participants were asked to give an oral description of their mother and their father, and of four familiar manually-explored objects. The number of visual references obtained when describing people was relatively high, and was the same in the CB and BS groups ("verbalism" in the CB. While references to touch were scarce in all groups, the CB referred to audition more frequently than the LB and the BS groups. There were, by contrast, no differences between groups in descriptions of objects, and references to touch dominated the other modalities. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: The relative weight of each modality varies according to the cognitive processes involved in each task. Long term memory, internal representations and information acquired through social communication, are at work in the People task, seem to favour visual references in both the blind and the sighted, whereas the congenitally blind also refer often to audition. By contrast, the perceptual encoding and working memory at work in the Objects task enhance sensory references to touch in a similar way in all groups. These results attenuate the impact of verbalism in blindness, and support (albeit moderately the idea that the perceptual experience of the congenitally blind is to some extent

Visible-blind and solar-blind detection induced by defects in AlGaN high electron mobility transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Armstrong, Andrew M.; Klein, Brianna; Allerman, Andrew A.; Douglas, Erica A.; Baca, Albert G.; Crawford, Mary H.; Pickrell, Greg W.; Sanchez, Carlos A.

2018-03-01

Visible- and solar-blind detection was demonstrated using Al0.45Ga0.55N/Al0.30Ga0.70N and Al0.85Ga0.25N/Al0.70Ga0.30N high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs), respectively. Peak responsivities (S) of 3.9 × 106 A/W in the saturation mode and 6.2 × 104 A/W in the pinch-off mode were observed for the visible-blind Al0.45Ga0.55N/Al0.30Ga0.70N HEMT, and a peak S of 4.9 × 104 A/W was observed for the solar-blind Al0.85Ga0.15N/Al0.70Ga0.30N HEMT in the saturation mode. Spectrally resolved photocurrent investigation indicated that sub-bandgap absorption by defect states was the primary origin of the HEMTs' photoresponse. Defect-mediated responsivity caused slow photocurrent rise and fall times, but electrical pulsing was used to improve the bandwidth at the cost of optical gain. Operating HEMTs in this dynamic mode achieved a 25 Hz bandwidth with S = 2.9 × 105 A/W in accumulation and S = 2.0 × 104 A/W in pinch-off for visible-blind detection and S = 5.1 × 103 A/W for solar-blind detection.

Blind loop syndrome

Science.gov (United States)

... this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001146.htm Blind loop syndrome To use the sharing features on ... Clinical Professor of Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC. Also reviewed by David ...

Ask a Scientist: What is Color Blindness?

Science.gov (United States)

... video series. Dr. Sheldon Miller answers questions about color blindness, whether it can be treated, and how people ... an optical illusion? Click to Watch What is color blindness? Click to Watch How do I become a ...

20 CFR 404.1582 - A period of disability based on blindness.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false A period of disability based on blindness..., SURVIVORS AND DISABILITY INSURANCE (1950- ) Determining Disability and Blindness Blindness § 404.1582 A period of disability based on blindness. If we find that you are blind and you meet the insured status...

Visual impairment and blindness in Hungary.

Science.gov (United States)

Szabó, Dorottya; Sándor, Gábor László; Tóth, Gábor; Pék, Anita; Lukács, Regina; Szalai, Irén; Tóth, Georgina Zsófia; Papp, András; Nagy, Zoltán Zsolt; Limburg, Hans; Németh, János

2018-03-01

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and causes of blindness, severe visual impairment (SVI), moderate visual impairment (MVI), and early visual impairment (EVI) and its causes in an established market economy of Europe. A cross-sectional population-based survey. A sample size of 3675 was calculated using the standard Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) software in Hungary. A total of 105 clusters of 35 people aged 50 years or older were randomly selected with probability proportionate to size by the Hungarian Central Statistical Office. Households within the clusters were selected using compact segment sampling. Visual acuity (VA) was assessed with a Snellen tumbling E-chart with or without a pinhole in the households. The adjusted prevalences of bilateral blindness, SVI, MVI and EVI were 0.9% (95% CI: 0.6-1.2), 0.5% (95% CI: 0.2-0.7), 5.1% (95% CI: 4.3-5.9) and 6.9% (95% CI: 5.9-7.9), respectively. The major causes of blindness in Hungary were age-related macular degeneration (AMD; 27.3%) and other posterior segment diseases (27.3%), cataract (21.2%) and glaucoma (12.1%). Cataract was the main cause of SVI, MVI and EVI. Cataract surgical coverage (CSC) was 90.7%. Of all bilateral blindness in Hungary, 45.5% was considered avoidable. This study proved that RAAB methodology can be successfully conducted in industrialized countries, which often lack reliable epidemiologic data. The prevalence of blindness was relatively low, with AMD and other posterior segment diseases being the leading causes, and cataract is still a significant cause of visual impairment. © 2017 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Mentoring Transition-Age Youth with Blindness

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, Edward C.

2012-01-01

This article reports on a mentoring project designed for transition-age youth (ages 16-26) who are persons with legal blindness. Youth were matched with adult mentors who were also persons with blindness but who have achieved academic and career success. Results demonstrate that youth who participated in the project for 2 years had significant…

Demonstration of measurement-only blind quantum computing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greganti, Chiara; Roehsner, Marie-Christine; Barz, Stefanie; Walther, Philip; Morimae, Tomoyuki

2016-01-01

Blind quantum computing allows for secure cloud networks of quasi-classical clients and a fully fledged quantum server. Recently, a new protocol has been proposed, which requires a client to perform only measurements. We demonstrate a proof-of-principle implementation of this measurement-only blind quantum computing, exploiting a photonic setup to generate four-qubit cluster states for computation and verification. Feasible technological requirements for the client and the device-independent blindness make this scheme very applicable for future secure quantum networks. (paper)

The ideal of beauty in the building of recognition marks in ocularcentric societies: the building of the body in blind women in Metropolitan Area in Monterrey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brenda Araceli Bustos García

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is around the question: How do the blind women build the body image? Are they influenced by the hegemonic discourse of the ideal of beauty? At first we define the characteristics of an ocularcentric society. Than once we make a deconstruction of empirical research about the body building in blind women. Finally we present our proposed analysis, relying on narrative psychology, developing a perspective that interprets the building body in blind women as a narrative act through which marks recognition are used to evaluate and classify something as beautiful and attractive. In the analysis of the interviews we found that building of recognition marks has two variables: a one in which certain distrusts and even rejections in the opinions generated is shown by using senses such as smell , touch, etc. (b Other one in which a concept is constructed: tactile aesthetics. Distrust or acceptance of aesthetic tactile is generated mainly by aspects such as: (a age at which they lost the sight (b job they do (c blindness condition time.

34 CFR 395.33 - Operation of cafeterias by blind vendors.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 34 Education 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Operation of cafeterias by blind vendors. 395.33... BLIND ON FEDERAL AND OTHER PROPERTY Federal Property Management § 395.33 Operation of cafeterias by blind vendors. (a) Priority in the operation of cafeterias by blind vendors on Federal property shall be...