WorldWideScience

Sample records for group figure 2a

  1. Rapid visual grouping and figure-ground processing using temporally structured displays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheadle, Samuel; Usher, Marius; Müller, Hermann J

    2010-08-23

    We examine the time course of visual grouping and figure-ground processing. Figure (contour) and ground (random-texture) elements were flickered with different phases (i.e., contour and background are alternated), requiring the observer to group information within a pre-specified time window. It was found this grouping has a high temporal resolution: less than 20ms for smooth contours, and less than 50ms for line conjunctions with sharp angles. Furthermore, the grouping process takes place without an explicit knowledge of the phase of the elements, and it requires a cumulative build-up of information. The results are discussed in relation to the neural mechanism for visual grouping and figure-ground segregation. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Edge-Region Grouping in Figure-Ground Organization and Depth Perception

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palmer, Stephen E.; Brooks, Joseph L.

    2008-01-01

    Edge-region grouping (ERG) is proposed as a unifying and previously unrecognized class of relational information that influences figure-ground organization and perceived depth across an edge. ERG occurs when the edge between two regions is differentially grouped with one region based on classic principles of similarity grouping. The ERG hypothesis…

  3. Grouping puts figure-ground assignment in context by constraining propagation of edge assignment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brooks, Joseph L; Brook, Joseph L; Driver, Jon

    2010-05-01

    Figure-ground organization involves the assignment of edges to a figural shape on one or the other side of each dividing edge. Established visual cues for edge assignment primarily concern relatively local rather than contextual factors. In the present article, we show that an assignment for a locally unbiased edge can be affected by an assignment of a remote contextual edge that has its own locally biased assignment. We find that such propagation of edge assignment from the biased remote context occurs only when the biased and unbiased edges are grouped. This new principle, whereby grouping constrains the propagation of figural edge assignment, emerges from both subjective reports and an objective short-term edge-matching task. It generalizes from moving displays involving grouping by common fate and collinearity, to static displays with grouping by similarity of edge-contrast polarity, or apparent occlusion. Our results identify a new contextual influence on edge assignment. They also identify a new mechanistic relation between grouping and figure-ground processes, whereby grouping between remote elements can constrain the propagation of edge assignment between those elements. Supplemental materials for this article may be downloaded from http://app.psychonomic-journals.org/content/supplemental.

  4. Figure S1 Figure S2

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    WINTEC

    6.8. 7.0. 7.2. 7.4. 7.6. 7.8. 8.0. 8.2. 8.4. 8.6. 8.8 ppm. 0.0. 1.8. 9.7. 5.4. 6.9. 8.1. 9.0. 10.8. 3.2. 10.3. Figure S3. NMR titration of DAN-Ia acid with NDI at 30% MeOH in CDCl3. The numbers represent the mole ratios of the DAN-acid to the repeat unit.

  5. Figure_2_data

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Data for Figure 2. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Sarwar, G., D. Kang, K. Foley, D. Schwede, B. Gantt, and R. Mathur. Technical note:...

  6. Modeling Perceptual Grouping and Figure-Ground Segregation by Means of Active Reentrant Connections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sporns, Olaf; Tononi, Giulio; Edelman, Gerald M.

    1991-01-01

    The segmentation of visual scenes is a fundamental process of early vision, but the underlying neural mechanisms are still largely unknown. Theoretical considerations as well as neurophysiological findings point to the importance in such processes of temporal correlations in neuronal activity. In a previous model, we showed that reentrant signaling among rhythmically active neuronal groups can correlate responses along spatially extended contours. We now have modified and extended this model to address the problems of perceptual grouping and figure-ground segregation in vision. A novel feature is that the efficacy of the connections is allowed to change on a fast time scale. This results in active reentrant connections that amplify the correlations among neuronal groups. The responses of the model are able to link the elements corresponding to a coherent figure and to segregate them from the background or from another figure in a way that is consistent with the so-called Gestalt laws.

  7. Modeling perceptual grouping and figure-ground segregation by means of active reentrant connections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sporns, O; Tononi, G; Edelman, G M

    1991-01-01

    The segmentation of visual scenes is a fundamental process of early vision, but the underlying neural mechanisms are still largely unknown. Theoretical considerations as well as neurophysiological findings point to the importance in such processes of temporal correlations in neuronal activity. In a previous model, we showed that reentrant signaling among rhythmically active neuronal groups can correlate responses along spatially extended contours. We now have modified and extended this model to address the problems of perceptual grouping and figure-ground segregation in vision. A novel feature is that the efficacy of the connections is allowed to change on a fast time scale. This results in active reentrant connections that amplify the correlations among neuronal groups. The responses of the model are able to link the elements corresponding to a coherent figure and to segregate them from the background or from another figure in a way that is consistent with the so-called Gestalt laws.

  8. Cortical Dynamics of Figure-Ground Separation in Response to 2D Pictures and 3D Scenes: How V2 Combines Border Ownership, Stereoscopic Cues, and Gestalt Grouping Rules

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grossberg, Stephen

    2016-01-01

    The FACADE model, and its laminar cortical realization and extension in the 3D LAMINART model, have explained, simulated, and predicted many perceptual and neurobiological data about how the visual cortex carries out 3D vision and figure-ground perception, and how these cortical mechanisms enable 2D pictures to generate 3D percepts of occluding and occluded objects. In particular, these models have proposed how border ownership occurs, but have not yet explicitly explained the correlation between multiple properties of border ownership neurons in cortical area V2 that were reported in a remarkable series of neurophysiological experiments by von der Heydt and his colleagues; namely, border ownership, contrast preference, binocular stereoscopic information, selectivity for side-of-figure, Gestalt rules, and strength of attentional modulation, as well as the time course during which such properties arise. This article shows how, by combining 3D LAMINART properties that were discovered in two parallel streams of research, a unified explanation of these properties emerges. This explanation proposes, moreover, how these properties contribute to the generation of consciously seen 3D surfaces. The first research stream models how processes like 3D boundary grouping and surface filling-in interact in multiple stages within and between the V1 interblob—V2 interstripe—V4 cortical stream and the V1 blob—V2 thin stripe—V4 cortical stream, respectively. Of particular importance for understanding figure-ground separation is how these cortical interactions convert computationally complementary boundary and surface mechanisms into a consistent conscious percept, including the critical use of surface contour feedback signals from surface representations in V2 thin stripes to boundary representations in V2 interstripes. Remarkably, key figure-ground properties emerge from these feedback interactions. The second research stream shows how cells that compute absolute disparity

  9. Cortical Dynamics of Figure-Ground Separation in Response to 2D Pictures and 3D Scenes: How V2 Combines Border Ownership, Stereoscopic Cues, and Gestalt Grouping Rules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grossberg, Stephen

    2015-01-01

    The FACADE model, and its laminar cortical realization and extension in the 3D LAMINART model, have explained, simulated, and predicted many perceptual and neurobiological data about how the visual cortex carries out 3D vision and figure-ground perception, and how these cortical mechanisms enable 2D pictures to generate 3D percepts of occluding and occluded objects. In particular, these models have proposed how border ownership occurs, but have not yet explicitly explained the correlation between multiple properties of border ownership neurons in cortical area V2 that were reported in a remarkable series of neurophysiological experiments by von der Heydt and his colleagues; namely, border ownership, contrast preference, binocular stereoscopic information, selectivity for side-of-figure, Gestalt rules, and strength of attentional modulation, as well as the time course during which such properties arise. This article shows how, by combining 3D LAMINART properties that were discovered in two parallel streams of research, a unified explanation of these properties emerges. This explanation proposes, moreover, how these properties contribute to the generation of consciously seen 3D surfaces. The first research stream models how processes like 3D boundary grouping and surface filling-in interact in multiple stages within and between the V1 interblob-V2 interstripe-V4 cortical stream and the V1 blob-V2 thin stripe-V4 cortical stream, respectively. Of particular importance for understanding figure-ground separation is how these cortical interactions convert computationally complementary boundary and surface mechanisms into a consistent conscious percept, including the critical use of surface contour feedback signals from surface representations in V2 thin stripes to boundary representations in V2 interstripes. Remarkably, key figure-ground properties emerge from these feedback interactions. The second research stream shows how cells that compute absolute disparity in

  10. Patients with schizophrenia do not preserve automatic grouping when mentally re-grouping figures: shedding light on an ignored difficulty

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anne eGiersch

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Looking at a pair of objects is easy when automatic grouping mechanisms bind these objects together, but visual exploration can also be more flexible. It is possible to mentally ‘re-group’ two objects that are not only separate but belong to different pairs of objects. ‘Re-grouping’ is in conflict with automatic grouping, since it entails a separation of each item from the set it belongs to. This ability appears to be impaired in patients with schizophrenia. Here we check if this impairment is selective, which would suggest a dissociation between grouping and ‘re-grouping’, or if it impacts on usual, automatic grouping, which would call for a better understanding of the interactions between automatic grouping and ‘re-grouping’. Sixteen outpatients with schizophrenia and healthy controls had to identify two identical and contiguous target figures within a display of circles and squares alternating around a fixation point. Eye-tracking was used to check central fixation. The target pair could be located in the same or separate hemifields. Identical figures were grouped by a connector (grouped automatically or not (to be re-grouped. Attention modulation of automatic grouping was tested by manipulating the proportion of connected and unconnected targets, thus prompting subjects to focalize on either connected or unconnected pairs. Both groups were sensitive to automatic grouping in most conditions, but patients were unusually slowed down for connected targets while focalizing on unconnected pairs. In addition, this unusual effect occurred only when target were presented within the same hemifield. Patients and controls differed on this asymmetry between within- and across-hemifield presentation, suggesting that patients with schizophrenia do not re-group figures in the same way as controls do. We discuss possible implications on how ‘re-grouping’ ties in with ongoing, automatic perception in healthy volunteers.

  11. A Century of Gestalt Psychology in Visual Perception I. Perceptual Grouping and Figure-Ground Organization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagemans, Johan; Elder, James H.; Kubovy, Michael; Palmer, Stephen E.; Peterson, Mary A.; Singh, Manish; von der Heydt, Rüdiger

    2012-01-01

    In 1912, Max Wertheimer published his paper on phi motion, widely recognized as the start of Gestalt psychology. Because of its continued relevance in modern psychology, this centennial anniversary is an excellent opportunity to take stock of what Gestalt psychology has offered and how it has changed since its inception. We first introduce the key findings and ideas in the Berlin school of Gestalt psychology, and then briefly sketch its development, rise, and fall. Next, we discuss its empirical and conceptual problems, and indicate how they are addressed in contemporary research on perceptual grouping and figure-ground organization. In particular, we review the principles of grouping, both classical (e.g., proximity, similarity, common fate, good continuation, closure, symmetry, parallelism) and new (e.g., synchrony, common region, element and uniform connectedness), and their role in contour integration and completion. We then review classic and new image-based principles of figure-ground organization, how it is influenced by past experience and attention, and how it relates to shape and depth perception. After an integrated review of the neural mechanisms involved in contour grouping, border-ownership, and figure-ground perception, we conclude by evaluating what modern vision science has offered compared to traditional Gestalt psychology, whether we can speak of a Gestalt revival, and where the remaining limitations and challenges lie. A better integration of this research tradition with the rest of vision science requires further progress regarding the conceptual and theoretical foundations of the Gestalt approach, which will be the focus of a second review paper. PMID:22845751

  12. A century of Gestalt psychology in visual perception: I. Perceptual grouping and figure-ground organization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagemans, Johan; Elder, James H; Kubovy, Michael; Palmer, Stephen E; Peterson, Mary A; Singh, Manish; von der Heydt, Rüdiger

    2012-11-01

    In 1912, Max Wertheimer published his paper on phi motion, widely recognized as the start of Gestalt psychology. Because of its continued relevance in modern psychology, this centennial anniversary is an excellent opportunity to take stock of what Gestalt psychology has offered and how it has changed since its inception. We first introduce the key findings and ideas in the Berlin school of Gestalt psychology, and then briefly sketch its development, rise, and fall. Next, we discuss its empirical and conceptual problems, and indicate how they are addressed in contemporary research on perceptual grouping and figure-ground organization. In particular, we review the principles of grouping, both classical (e.g., proximity, similarity, common fate, good continuation, closure, symmetry, parallelism) and new (e.g., synchrony, common region, element and uniform connectedness), and their role in contour integration and completion. We then review classic and new image-based principles of figure-ground organization, how it is influenced by past experience and attention, and how it relates to shape and depth perception. After an integrated review of the neural mechanisms involved in contour grouping, border ownership, and figure-ground perception, we conclude by evaluating what modern vision science has offered compared to traditional Gestalt psychology, whether we can speak of a Gestalt revival, and where the remaining limitations and challenges lie. A better integration of this research tradition with the rest of vision science requires further progress regarding the conceptual and theoretical foundations of the Gestalt approach, which is the focus of a second review article.

  13. Cortical dynamics of figure-ground separation in response to 2D pictures and 3D scenes:How V2 combines border ownership, stereoscopic cues, and Gestalt grouping rules

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stephen eGrossberg

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The FACADE model, and its laminar cortical realization and extension in the 3D LAMINART model, have explained, simulated, and predicted many perceptual and neurobiological data about how the visual cortex carries out 3D vision and figure-ground perception, and how these cortical mechanisms enable 2D pictures to generate 3D percepts of occluding and occluded objects. In particular, these models have proposed how border ownership occurs, but have not yet explicitly explained the correlation between multiple properties of border ownership neurons in cortical area V2 that were reported in a remarkable series of neurophysiological experiments by von der Heydt and his colleagues; namely, border ownership, contrast preference, binocular stereoscopic information, selectivity for side-of-figure, Gestalt rules, and strength of attentional modulation, as well as the time course during which such properties arise. This article shows how, by combining 3D LAMINART properties that were discovered in two parallel streams of research, a unified explanation of these properties emerges. This explanation proposes, moreover, how these properties contribute to the generation of consciously seen 3D surfaces. The first research stream models how processes like 3D boundary grouping and surface filling-in interact in multiple stages within and between the V1 interblob – V2 interstripe – V4 cortical stream and the V1 blob – V2 thin stripe – V4 cortical stream, respectively. Of particular importance for understanding figure-ground separation is how these cortical interactions convert computationally complementary boundary and surface mechanisms into a consistent conscious percept, including the critical use of surface contour feedback signals from surface representations in V2 thin stripes to boundary representations in V2 interstripes. Remarkably, key figure-ground properties emerge from these feedback interactions. The second research stream shows how cells that

  14. Presenting Fake Figures: A Tool to Teach Effective Scientific Figure Design

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Veronica A. Segarra

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available As trained scientists, we become adept not only at analyzing and understanding figures in the scientific literature, but also at designing figures to effectively represent our own data and findings. As educators, we strive to pass on these skills to our students, some of whom will ultimately become scientists themselves. Conveying the principles of effective figure design can be challenging, particularly when students have had little exposure to the process of reading scientific literature, much less writing a piece of scientific literature. Improvisational activities in the classroom reinforce teaching goals such as spontaneity, risk-taking, creativity, communication skills, team-building, and critical thinking (2. Indeed, improv training for scientists is becoming more common, helping scientists to communicate more spontaneously about their work and connect with their audience (1. In this article, we present an improvisational game that can aid in the teaching of effective scientific figure design. This “Present-a-Fake-Figure Exercise” is applicable to both the classroom and laboratory settings. In this learning activity, students improvise presenting fake scientific figures to an audience of their peers. These fake figures are prepared beforehand by the instructor and exemplify the do’s and don’ts of scientific figure design. Some of the learning outcomes of the activity include (1 identifying what makes a scientific figure cohesive, easy to analyze, and reader-friendly, and (2 identifying strategies that are useful in the design of a multi-panel figure to convey a scientific story.

  15. The watercolor effect: a new principle of grouping and figure-ground organization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinna, Baingio; Werner, John S; Spillmann, Lothar

    2003-01-01

    The watercolor effect is perceived when a dark (e.g., purple) contour is flanked by a lighter chromatic contour (e.g., orange). Under these conditions, the lighter color will assimilate over the entire enclosed area. This filling-in determines figure-ground organization when it is pitted against the classical Gestalt factors of proximity, good continuation, closure, symmetry, convexity, as well as amodal completion, and past experience. When it is combined with a given Gestalt factor, the resulting effect on figure-ground organization is stronger than for each factor alone. When the watercolor effect is induced by a dark red edge instead of an orange edge, its figural strength is reduced, but still stronger than without it. Finally, when a uniform surface is filled physically using the color of the orange fringe, figure-ground organization is not different from that for the purple contour only. These findings show that the watercolor effect induced by the edge could be an independent factor, different from the classical Gestalt factors of figure-ground organization. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.

  16. Figure 1. T. tor species. Figure 2. Long PCR products of ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Annam

    Figure 2. Long PCR products of mitochondrial DNA from the fish T. tor. Lane 1, amplified product using L-12321-Leu and S-LA-16S-H primers. Lane 2, amplified product using H-12321 –Leu and S-LA-16S-L primers. Lane M, 1-Kb DNA ladder. 8 kb ...

  17. 16 CFR Figure 2 to Subpart A of... - Test Frame

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Test Frame 2 Figure 2 to Subpart A of Part 1201 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY ACT REGULATIONS... Subpart A of Part 1201—Test Frame EC03OC91.005 ...

  18. Figure output program for JFT-2M experimental data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miura, Yukitoshi; Mori, Masahiro; Matsuda, Toshiaki; Takada, Susumu.

    1991-11-01

    The software for the figure output of JFT-2M experimental data is reported. Since the configuration of a figure is determined by some easy input parameters, then any format of each experimental output is configured freely by this software. (author)

  19. Figure-ground segregation in a recurrent network architecture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roelfsema, Pieter R; Lamme, Victor A F; Spekreijse, Henk; Bosch, Holger

    2002-05-15

    Here we propose a model of how the visual brain segregates textured scenes into figures and background. During texture segregation, locations where the properties of texture elements change abruptly are assigned to boundaries, whereas image regions that are relatively homogeneous are grouped together. Boundary detection and grouping of image regions require different connection schemes, which are accommodated in a single network architecture by implementing them in different layers. As a result, all units carry signals related to boundary detection as well as grouping of image regions, in accordance with cortical physiology. Boundaries yield an early enhancement of network responses, but at a later point, an entire figural region is grouped together, because units that respond to it are labeled with enhanced activity. The model predicts which image regions are preferentially perceived as figure or as background and reproduces the spatio-temporal profile of neuronal activity in the visual cortex during texture segregation in intact animals, as well as in animals with cortical lesions.

  20. Figure-ground assignment in pigeons: evidence for a figural benefit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lazareva, Olga E; Castro, Leyre; Vecera, Shaun P; Wasserman, Edward A

    2006-07-01

    Four pigeons discriminated whether a target spot appeared on a colored figural shape or on a differently colored background by first pecking the target and then reporting its location: on the figure or the background. We recorded three dependent variables: target detection time, choice response time, and choice accuracy. The birds were faster to detect the target, to report its location, and to learn the correct response on figure trials than on background trials. Later tests suggested that the pigeons might have attended to the figural region as a whole rather than using local properties in performing the figure-background discrimination. The location of the figural region did not affect figure-ground assignment. Finally, when 4 other pigeons had to detect and peck the target without making a choice report, no figural advantage emerged in target detection time, suggesting that the birds' attention may not have been automatically summoned to the figural region.

  1. Human figure drawing distinguishes Alzheimer's patients: a cognitive screening test study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stanzani Maserati, Michelangelo; D'Onofrio, Renato; Matacena, Corrado; Sambati, Luisa; Oppi, Federico; Poda, Roberto; De Matteis, Maddalena; Naldi, Ilaria; Liguori, Rocco; Capellari, Sabina

    2018-05-01

    To study human figure drawing in a group of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and compare it with a group of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and controls. We evaluated consecutive outpatients over a one-year period. Patients were classified as affected by AD or by MCI. All patients and controls underwent a simplified version of the human-figure drawing test and MMSE. A qualitative and quantitative analysis of all human figures was obtained. 112 AD, 100 MCI patients and 104 controls were enrolled. AD patients drew human figures poor in details and globally smaller than MCI patients and controls. Human figures drawn by MCI patients are intermediate in body height between those of the AD patients and the healthy subjects. The head-to-body ratio of human figures drawn by AD patients is greater than controls and MCI patients, while the human figure size-relative-to-page space index is significantly smaller. Body height is an independent predictor of cognitive impairment correlating with its severity and with the number of the figure's details. Human figures drawn by AD patients are different from those drawn by healthy subjects and MCI patients. Human figure drawing test is a useful tool for orienting cognitive impairment's diagnosis.

  2. PUBLIK FIGUR DALAM IKLAN TESTIMONIAL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Deddi Duto Hartanto

    2000-01-01

    Full Text Available Testimonial advertising seemingly identical with famous figure such as artist%2C sportmen or others. They are all branded as "public figure" because they are well known by public. A lot of advertising creators using public figure in order to gain a high brand awareness. Is the use of public figure in testimonial advertising more profitable? Is their able quite representative for the products they represent ? Abstract in Bahasa Indonesia : Iklan testimonial identik dengan tokoh terkenal%2C baik itu artis%2C tokoh masyarakat%2C olahragawan%2C atau yang lainnya. Semuanya di cap sebagai "publik figur%2C" karena sudah dikenal masyarakat.Banyak kreator iklan menggunakan publik figur dengan harapan dapat mencapai brand awareness yang tinggi. Apakah penggunaan publik figur dalam iklan testimonial lebih menguntungkan ?%2C Apakah peran publik figur (sudah mewakili produk yang dibawakan?. testimonial advertising%2C public figure

  3. Automatic figure ranking and user interfacing for intelligent figure search.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hong Yu

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Figures are important experimental results that are typically reported in full-text bioscience articles. Bioscience researchers need to access figures to validate research facts and to formulate or to test novel research hypotheses. On the other hand, the sheer volume of bioscience literature has made it difficult to access figures. Therefore, we are developing an intelligent figure search engine (http://figuresearch.askhermes.org. Existing research in figure search treats each figure equally, but we introduce a novel concept of "figure ranking": figures appearing in a full-text biomedical article can be ranked by their contribution to the knowledge discovery.We empirically validated the hypothesis of figure ranking with over 100 bioscience researchers, and then developed unsupervised natural language processing (NLP approaches to automatically rank figures. Evaluating on a collection of 202 full-text articles in which authors have ranked the figures based on importance, our best system achieved a weighted error rate of 0.2, which is significantly better than several other baseline systems we explored. We further explored a user interfacing application in which we built novel user interfaces (UIs incorporating figure ranking, allowing bioscience researchers to efficiently access important figures. Our evaluation results show that 92% of the bioscience researchers prefer as the top two choices the user interfaces in which the most important figures are enlarged. With our automatic figure ranking NLP system, bioscience researchers preferred the UIs in which the most important figures were predicted by our NLP system than the UIs in which the most important figures were randomly assigned. In addition, our results show that there was no statistical difference in bioscience researchers' preference in the UIs generated by automatic figure ranking and UIs by human ranking annotation.The evaluation results conclude that automatic figure ranking and user

  4. Figure and ground in the visual cortex: v2 combines stereoscopic cues with gestalt rules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiu, Fangtu T; von der Heydt, Rüdiger

    2005-07-07

    Figure-ground organization is a process by which the visual system identifies some image regions as foreground and others as background, inferring 3D layout from 2D displays. A recent study reported that edge responses of neurons in area V2 are selective for side-of-figure, suggesting that figure-ground organization is encoded in the contour signals (border ownership coding). Here, we show that area V2 combines two strategies of computation, one that exploits binocular stereoscopic information for the definition of local depth order, and another that exploits the global configuration of contours (Gestalt factors). These are combined in single neurons so that the "near" side of the preferred 3D edge generally coincides with the preferred side-of-figure in 2D displays. Thus, area V2 represents the borders of 2D figures as edges of surfaces, as if the figures were objects in 3D space. Even in 3D displays, Gestalt factors influence the responses and can enhance or null the stereoscopic depth information.

  5. How does the color influence figure and shape formation, grouping, numerousness and reading? The role of chromatic wholeness and fragmentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinna, Baingio; Uccula, Arcangelo; Tanca, Maria

    2010-09-01

    In this work it is suggested that color induces phenomenal wholeness, part-whole organization and fragmentation. The phenomenal wholeness subsumes the set of its main attributes: homogeneity, continuity, univocality, belongingness, and oneness. If color induces wholeness, it can also induce fragmentation. Therefore, in order to understand the role played by color within the process of part-whole organization, color is used both as a wholeness and as a fragmentation tool, thus operating synergistically or antagonistically with other wholeness processes. Therefore, color is expected to influence figure-ground segregation, grouping, shape formation and other visual processes that are related to the phenomenal wholeness. The purpose of this study is to rate the influence of color in inducing whole and part-whole organization and, consequently, in determining the perception of figure-ground segregation, grouping, shape formation, numerousness evaluation and time reading. We manipulated experimental conditions by using equiluminant colors to favor or break (parcel-out) the wholeness of objects like geometrical composite figures and words. The results demonstrated that color is aimed, among other psychological and biological purposes, at: (1) relating each chromatic component of an object, thus favoring the emergence of the whole object; (2) eliciting a part-whole organization, whose components are interdependent; (3) eliciting fragments and then breaking up the whole and favoring the emergence of single components. Wholeness, part-whole organization and fragmentation can be considered as three further purposes of color. © 2010 The Authors, Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics © 2010 The College of Optometrists.

  6. Figure 2 from Integrative Genomics Viewer: Visualizing Big Data | Office of Cancer Genomics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grouping and sorting genomic data in IGV. The IGV user interface displaying 202 glioblastoma samples from TCGA. Samples are grouped by tumor subtype (second annotation column) and data type (first annotation column) and sorted by copy number of the EGFR locus (middle column). Adapted from Figure 1; Robinson et al. 2011

  7. Figure and Ground in the Visual Cortex: V2 Combines Stereoscopic Cues with Gestalt Rules

    OpenAIRE

    Qiu, Fangtu T.; von der Heydt, Rüdiger

    2005-01-01

    Figure-ground organization is a process by which the visual system identifies some image regions as foreground and others as background, inferring three-dimensional (3D) layout from 2D displays. A recent study reported that edge responses of neurons in area V2 are selective for side-of-figure, suggesting that figure-ground organization is encoded in the contour signals (border-ownership coding). Here we show that area V2 combines two strategies of computation, one that exploits binocular ster...

  8. The watercolor effect: A new principle of grouping and figure-ground organization

    OpenAIRE

    Pinna, B; Werner, JS; Spillmann, L

    2003-01-01

    The watercolor effect is perceived when a dark (e.g., purple) contour is flanked by a lighter chromatic contour (e.g., orange). Under these conditions, the lighter color will assimilate over the entire enclosed area. This filling-in determines figure-ground organization when it is pitted against the classical Gestalt factors of proximity, good continuation, closure, symmetry, convexity, as well as amodal completion, and past experience. When it is combined with a given Gestalt factor, the res...

  9. Figure-ground segregation in a recurrent network architecture

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lamme, V.A.F.; Roelfsema, P.R.; Spekreijse, H.; Bosch, H.

    2002-01-01

    Proposes a model of how the visual brain segregate textured scenes into figures and background. During texture segregation, locations where the properties of texture elements change abruptly are assigned to boundaries, whereas image regions that are relatively homogeneous are grouped together

  10. Figure-ground segregation in a recurrent network architecture

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Roelfsema, Pieter R.; Lamme, Victor A. F.; Spekreijse, Henk; Bosch, Holger

    2002-01-01

    Here we propose a model of how the visual brain segregates textured scenes into figures and background. During texture segregation, locations where the properties of texture elements change abruptly are assigned to boundaries, whereas image regions that are relatively homogeneous are grouped

  11. EEG signatures accompanying auditory figure-ground segregation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tóth, Brigitta; Kocsis, Zsuzsanna; Háden, Gábor P; Szerafin, Ágnes; Shinn-Cunningham, Barbara G; Winkler, István

    2016-11-01

    In everyday acoustic scenes, figure-ground segregation typically requires one to group together sound elements over both time and frequency. Electroencephalogram was recorded while listeners detected repeating tonal complexes composed of a random set of pure tones within stimuli consisting of randomly varying tonal elements. The repeating pattern was perceived as a figure over the randomly changing background. It was found that detection performance improved both as the number of pure tones making up each repeated complex (figure coherence) increased, and as the number of repeated complexes (duration) increased - i.e., detection was easier when either the spectral or temporal structure of the figure was enhanced. Figure detection was accompanied by the elicitation of the object related negativity (ORN) and the P400 event-related potentials (ERPs), which have been previously shown to be evoked by the presence of two concurrent sounds. Both ERP components had generators within and outside of auditory cortex. The amplitudes of the ORN and the P400 increased with both figure coherence and figure duration. However, only the P400 amplitude correlated with detection performance. These results suggest that 1) the ORN and P400 reflect processes involved in detecting the emergence of a new auditory object in the presence of other concurrent auditory objects; 2) the ORN corresponds to the likelihood of the presence of two or more concurrent sound objects, whereas the P400 reflects the perceptual recognition of the presence of multiple auditory objects and/or preparation for reporting the detection of a target object. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  12. EEG signatures accompanying auditory figure-ground segregation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tóth, Brigitta; Kocsis, Zsuzsanna; Háden, Gábor P.; Szerafin, Ágnes; Shinn-Cunningham, Barbara; Winkler, István

    2017-01-01

    In everyday acoustic scenes, figure-ground segregation typically requires one to group together sound elements over both time and frequency. Electroencephalogram was recorded while listeners detected repeating tonal complexes composed of a random set of pure tones within stimuli consisting of randomly varying tonal elements. The repeating pattern was perceived as a figure over the randomly changing background. It was found that detection performance improved both as the number of pure tones making up each repeated complex (figure coherence) increased, and as the number of repeated complexes (duration) increased – i.e., detection was easier when either the spectral or temporal structure of the figure was enhanced. Figure detection was accompanied by the elicitation of the object related negativity (ORN) and the P400 event-related potentials (ERPs), which have been previously shown to be evoked by the presence of two concurrent sounds. Both ERP components had generators within and outside of auditory cortex. The amplitudes of the ORN and the P400 increased with both figure coherence and figure duration. However, only the P400 amplitude correlated with detection performance. These results suggest that 1) the ORN and P400 reflect processes involved in detecting the emergence of a new auditory object in the presence of other concurrent auditory objects; 2) the ORN corresponds to the likelihood of the presence of two or more concurrent sound objects, whereas the P400 reflects the perceptual recognition of the presence of multiple auditory objects and/or preparation for reporting the detection of a target object. PMID:27421185

  13. Figure-Ground Processing: A Reassessment of Gelb and Granit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelson, Rolf; Hebda, Nicholas

    2018-03-01

    In 1923, Adhemar Gelb and Ragnar Granit, two prominent researchers in early Gestalt perceptual theory, reported a lower threshold for detection of a target (a small colored dot) on the ground region of an image than on an adjacent figural region. Although their results had a wide influence on the understanding of figure-ground perception, they are at odds with more recent investigations in which figural regions appear to have a processing advantage over ground regions. The two present studies replicated Gelb and Granit's experiment using a similar figure-ground stimulus albeit with a two-alternative forced choice procedure rather than their original method of adjustment. Experiment 1 found that, contrary to Gelb and Granit's findings, a detection advantage was found for the figural over the ground region. Experiment 2 indicated that explicit contours might have played a role in detection.

  14. Figures6&7_Tables2&3

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — This file contains three netCDF formatted files containing simulation model results used to produce Figures 6 and 7 and tables 3 and 4. These data can be accessed...

  15. SO(4,1) as a structure group of a fibre bundle and SO(3,2) as a relativistic spectrum-generating group

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bohm, A.

    1979-12-01

    A collective model for hadrons is presented that has two aspects: the description of nonlocal objects and the construction of spectrum-generating groups in a relativistic theory. The experimental data for this model are the mass and spin spectrum of hadron towers; each tower is characterized by a system constant α. The mass formula derived is m 2 = lambda 22 - 9/4) + lambda 2 s(s+1), where R = 1/lambda is the radius of micro-de Sitter spaces. The subject is treated under the following topics: relativistic spectrum-generating SO(3,2); nonlocal objects and SO(4,1); the SO(4,1) constraint relation for the relativistic spectrum-generating SO(3,2); and generalization of the remarkable representation and generalization of the de Sitter fiber bundle - the general relativistic rotator. 1 figure, 1 table

  16. The electrophysiological correlate of saliency: evidence from a figure-detection task.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Straube, Sirko; Fahle, Manfred

    2010-01-11

    Although figure-ground segregation in a natural environment usually relies on multiple cues, we experience a coherent figure without usually noticing the individual single cues. It is still unclear how various cues interact to achieve this unified percept and whether this interaction depends on task demands. Studies investigating the effect of cue combination on the human EEG are still lacking. In the present study, we combined psychophysics, ERP and time-frequency analysis to investigate the interaction of orientation and spatial frequency as visual cues in a figure detection task. The figure was embedded in a matrix of Gabor elements, and we systematically varied figure saliency by changing the underlying cue configuration. We found a strong correlation between the posterior P2 amplitude and the perceived saliency of the figure: the P2 amplitude decreased with increasing saliency. Analogously, the power of the theta-band decreased for more salient figures. At longer latencies, the posterior P3 component was modulated in amplitude and latency, possibly reflecting increased decision confidence at higher saliencies. In conclusion, when the cue composition (e.g. one or two cues) or cue strength is changed in a figure detection task, first differences in the electrophysiological response reflect the perceived saliency and not directly the underlying cue configuration.

  17. Effects of orientation on Rey complex figure performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferraro, F Richard; Grossman, Jennifer; Bren, Amy; Hoverson, Allysa

    2002-10-01

    An experiment was performed that examined the impact of stimulus orientation on performance on the Rey complex figure. A total of 48 undergraduates (24 men, 24 women) were randomly assigned to one of four Rey figure orientation groups (0 degrees, 90 degrees, 180 degrees, and 270 degrees ). Participants followed standard procedures for the Rey figure, initially copying it in whatever orientation group they were assigned to. Next, all participants performed a 15-20 min lexical decision experiment, used as a filler task. Finally, and unbeknownest to them, participants were asked to recall as much of the figure as they could. As expected, results revealed a main effect of Task (F = 83.92, p orientation was not significant, nor did orientation interact with task (Fs .57). The results are important from an applied setting, especially if testing conditions are less than optimal and a fixed stimulus position is not possible (e.g., testing at the bedside).

  18. A neural model of figure-ground organization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Craft, Edward; Schütze, Hartmut; Niebur, Ernst; von der Heydt, Rüdiger

    2007-06-01

    Psychophysical studies suggest that figure-ground organization is a largely autonomous process that guides--and thus precedes--allocation of attention and object recognition. The discovery of border-ownership representation in single neurons of early visual cortex has confirmed this view. Recent theoretical studies have demonstrated that border-ownership assignment can be modeled as a process of self-organization by lateral interactions within V2 cortex. However, the mechanism proposed relies on propagation of signals through horizontal fibers, which would result in increasing delays of the border-ownership signal with increasing size of the visual stimulus, in contradiction with experimental findings. It also remains unclear how the resulting border-ownership representation would interact with attention mechanisms to guide further processing. Here we present a model of border-ownership coding based on dedicated neural circuits for contour grouping that produce border-ownership assignment and also provide handles for mechanisms of selective attention. The results are consistent with neurophysiological and psychophysical findings. The model makes predictions about the hypothetical grouping circuits and the role of feedback between cortical areas.

  19. a preliminary study of blood groups among students in bayelsa state

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    honey

    2014-03-31

    Mar 31, 2014 ... The various blood groups and their distribution among the student population are as shown in table 1 and figure 1. Equally, the distribution of the Rhesus status among the student population is displayed in figure 2. Table 1: Distribution of ABO blood groups. Blood types. Frequency. Percentage. O. A. B. AB.

  20. Figure-ground segregation: A fully nonlocal approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dimiccoli, Mariella

    2016-09-01

    We present a computational model that computes and integrates in a nonlocal fashion several configural cues for automatic figure-ground segregation. Our working hypothesis is that the figural status of each pixel is a nonlocal function of several geometric shape properties and it can be estimated without explicitly relying on object boundaries. The methodology is grounded on two elements: multi-directional linear voting and nonlinear diffusion. A first estimation of the figural status of each pixel is obtained as a result of a voting process, in which several differently oriented line-shaped neighborhoods vote to express their belief about the figural status of the pixel. A nonlinear diffusion process is then applied to enforce the coherence of figural status estimates among perceptually homogeneous regions. Computer simulations fit human perception and match the experimental evidence that several cues cooperate in defining figure-ground segregation. The results of this work suggest that figure-ground segregation involves feedback from cells with larger receptive fields in higher visual cortical areas. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Exogenous spatial attention influences figure-ground assignment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vecera, Shaun P; Flevaris, Anastasia V; Filapek, Joseph C

    2004-01-01

    In a hierarchical stage account of vision, figure-ground assignment is thought to be completed before the operation of focal spatial attention. Results of previous studies have supported this account by showing that unpredictive, exogenous spatial precues do not influence figure-ground assignment, although voluntary attention can influence figure-ground assignment. However, in these studies, attention was not summoned directly to a region in a figure-ground display. In three experiments, we addressed the relationship between figure-ground assignment and visuospatial attention. In Experiment 1, we replicated the finding that exogenous precues do not influence figure-ground assignment when they direct attention outside of a figure-ground stimulus. In Experiment 2, we demonstrated that exogenous attention can influence figure-ground assignment if it is directed to one of the regions in a figure-ground stimulus. In Experiment 3, we demonstrated that exogenous attention can influence figure-ground assignment in displays that contain a Gestalt figure-ground cue; this result suggests that figure-ground processes are not entirely completed prior to the operation of focal spatial attention. Exogenous spatial attention acts as a cue for figure-ground assignment and can affect the outcome of figure-ground processes.

  2. Figure-ground discrimination in the avian brain: the nucleus rotundus and its inhibitory complex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acerbo, Martin J; Lazareva, Olga F; McInnerney, John; Leiker, Emily; Wasserman, Edward A; Poremba, Amy

    2012-10-01

    In primates, neurons sensitive to figure-ground status are located in striate cortex (area V1) and extrastriate cortex (area V2). Although much is known about the anatomical structure and connectivity of the avian visual pathway, the functional organization of the avian brain remains largely unexplored. To pinpoint the areas associated with figure-ground segregation in the avian brain, we used a radioactively labeled glucose analog to compare differences in glucose uptake after figure-ground, color, and shape discriminations. We also included a control group that received food on a variable-interval schedule, but was not required to learn a visual discrimination. Although the discrimination task depended on group assignment, the stimulus displays were identical for all three experimental groups, ensuring that all animals were exposed to the same visual input. Our analysis concentrated on the primary thalamic nucleus associated with visual processing, the nucleus rotundus (Rt), and two nuclei providing regulatory feedback, the pretectum (PT) and the nucleus subpretectalis/interstitio-pretecto-subpretectalis complex (SP/IPS). We found that figure-ground discrimination was associated with strong and nonlateralized activity of Rt and SP/IPS, whereas color discrimination produced strong and lateralized activation in Rt alone. Shape discrimination was associated with lower activity of Rt than in the control group. Taken together, our results suggest that figure-ground discrimination is associated with Rt and that SP/IPS may be a main source of inhibitory control. Thus, figure-ground segregation in the avian brain may occur earlier than in the primate brain. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Nuclear phaseout: a battle over figures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coloma, T.

    2012-01-01

    It is very difficult to assess the cost of abandoning nuclear energy in France because a lot of relevant figures are not published. The Court of Auditors is due to publish in 2012 a report of the costs of nuclear energy. In the case of nuclear phase out 2 costs have to be considered the dismantling cost and the cost of processing wastes and their disposal. As for the dismantling cost, official assessments in Great-Britain or Germany give a figure around 3 billions pounds per dismantled unit. In France the law imposes to EDF to put by 18 billions euros by 2016 for the future reactor dismantling. Concerning the cost of wastes, it could reach 35 billions euros for dealing with all the radioactive wastes produced till 2030. (A.C.)

  4. Learning to rank figures within a biomedical article.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Feifan Liu

    Full Text Available Hundreds of millions of figures are available in biomedical literature, representing important biomedical experimental evidence. This ever-increasing sheer volume has made it difficult for scientists to effectively and accurately access figures of their interest, the process of which is crucial for validating research facts and for formulating or testing novel research hypotheses. Current figure search applications can't fully meet this challenge as the "bag of figures" assumption doesn't take into account the relationship among figures. In our previous study, hundreds of biomedical researchers have annotated articles in which they serve as corresponding authors. They ranked each figure in their paper based on a figure's importance at their discretion, referred to as "figure ranking". Using this collection of annotated data, we investigated computational approaches to automatically rank figures. We exploited and extended the state-of-the-art listwise learning-to-rank algorithms and developed a new supervised-learning model BioFigRank. The cross-validation results show that BioFigRank yielded the best performance compared with other state-of-the-art computational models, and the greedy feature selection can further boost the ranking performance significantly. Furthermore, we carry out the evaluation by comparing BioFigRank with three-level competitive domain-specific human experts: (1 First Author, (2 Non-Author-In-Domain-Expert who is not the author nor co-author of an article but who works in the same field of the corresponding author of the article, and (3 Non-Author-Out-Domain-Expert who is not the author nor co-author of an article and who may or may not work in the same field of the corresponding author of an article. Our results show that BioFigRank outperforms Non-Author-Out-Domain-Expert and performs as well as Non-Author-In-Domain-Expert. Although BioFigRank underperforms First Author, since most biomedical researchers are either in- or

  5. Learning to rank figures within a biomedical article.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Feifan; Yu, Hong

    2014-01-01

    Hundreds of millions of figures are available in biomedical literature, representing important biomedical experimental evidence. This ever-increasing sheer volume has made it difficult for scientists to effectively and accurately access figures of their interest, the process of which is crucial for validating research facts and for formulating or testing novel research hypotheses. Current figure search applications can't fully meet this challenge as the "bag of figures" assumption doesn't take into account the relationship among figures. In our previous study, hundreds of biomedical researchers have annotated articles in which they serve as corresponding authors. They ranked each figure in their paper based on a figure's importance at their discretion, referred to as "figure ranking". Using this collection of annotated data, we investigated computational approaches to automatically rank figures. We exploited and extended the state-of-the-art listwise learning-to-rank algorithms and developed a new supervised-learning model BioFigRank. The cross-validation results show that BioFigRank yielded the best performance compared with other state-of-the-art computational models, and the greedy feature selection can further boost the ranking performance significantly. Furthermore, we carry out the evaluation by comparing BioFigRank with three-level competitive domain-specific human experts: (1) First Author, (2) Non-Author-In-Domain-Expert who is not the author nor co-author of an article but who works in the same field of the corresponding author of the article, and (3) Non-Author-Out-Domain-Expert who is not the author nor co-author of an article and who may or may not work in the same field of the corresponding author of an article. Our results show that BioFigRank outperforms Non-Author-Out-Domain-Expert and performs as well as Non-Author-In-Domain-Expert. Although BioFigRank underperforms First Author, since most biomedical researchers are either in- or out

  6. Figure 7

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Two files provided. The ENS.tar file contains text data files (*.csv) used to create Figure 7 and Figure 8. The Figure7.txt is an R script that reads these files and...

  7. A method of shadow puppet figure modeling and animation

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Xiao-fang HUANG; Shou-qian SUN; Ke-jun ZHANG; Tian-ning XU; Jian-feng WU; Bin ZHU

    2015-01-01

    To promote the development of the intangible cultural heritage of the world, shadow play, many studies have focused on shadow puppet modeling and interaction. Most of the shadow puppet figures are still imaginary, spread by ancients, or carved and painted by shadow puppet artists, without consideration of real dimensions or the appearance of human bodies. This study proposes an algorithm to transform 3D human models to 2D puppet figures for shadow puppets, including automatic location of feature points, automatic segmentation of 3D models, automatic extraction of 2D contours, automatic clothes matching, and animation. Experiment proves that more realistic and attractive figures and animations of the shadow puppet can be generated in real time with this algorithm.

  8. Processing convexity and concavity along a 2-D contour: figure-ground, structural shape, and attention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bertamini, Marco; Wagemans, Johan

    2013-04-01

    Interest in convexity has a long history in vision science. For smooth contours in an image, it is possible to code regions of positive (convex) and negative (concave) curvature, and this provides useful information about solid shape. We review a large body of evidence on the role of this information in perception of shape and in attention. This includes evidence from behavioral, neurophysiological, imaging, and developmental studies. A review is necessary to analyze the evidence on how convexity affects (1) separation between figure and ground, (2) part structure, and (3) attention allocation. Despite some broad agreement on the importance of convexity in these areas, there is a lack of consensus on the interpretation of specific claims--for example, on the contribution of convexity to metric depth and on the automatic directing of attention to convexities or to concavities. The focus is on convexity and concavity along a 2-D contour, not convexity and concavity in 3-D, but the important link between the two is discussed. We conclude that there is good evidence for the role of convexity information in figure-ground organization and in parsing, but other, more specific claims are not (yet) well supported.

  9. Stochastic correlative firing for figure-ground segregation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Zhe

    2005-03-01

    Segregation of sensory inputs into separate objects is a central aspect of perception and arises in all sensory modalities. The figure-ground segregation problem requires identifying an object of interest in a complex scene, in many cases given binaural auditory or binocular visual observations. The computations required for visual and auditory figure-ground segregation share many common features and can be cast within a unified framework. Sensory perception can be viewed as a problem of optimizing information transmission. Here we suggest a stochastic correlative firing mechanism and an associative learning rule for figure-ground segregation in several classic sensory perception tasks, including the cocktail party problem in binaural hearing, binocular fusion of stereo images, and Gestalt grouping in motion perception.

  10. Are figure legends sufficient? Evaluating the contribution of associated text to biomedical figure comprehension.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Hong; Agarwal, Shashank; Johnston, Mark; Cohen, Aaron

    2009-01-06

    Biomedical scientists need to access figures to validate research facts and to formulate or to test novel research hypotheses. However, figures are difficult to comprehend without associated text (e.g., figure legend and other reference text). We are developing automated systems to extract the relevant explanatory information along with figures extracted from full text articles. Such systems could be very useful in improving figure retrieval and in reducing the workload of biomedical scientists, who otherwise have to retrieve and read the entire full-text journal article to determine which figures are relevant to their research. As a crucial step, we studied the importance of associated text in biomedical figure comprehension. Twenty subjects evaluated three figure-text combinations: figure+legend, figure+legend+title+abstract, and figure+full-text. Using a Likert scale, each subject scored each figure+text according to the extent to which the subject thought he/she understood the meaning of the figure and the confidence in providing the assigned score. Additionally, each subject entered a free text summary for each figure-text. We identified missing information using indicator words present within the text summaries. Both the Likert scores and the missing information were statistically analyzed for differences among the figure-text types. We also evaluated the quality of text summaries with the text-summarization evaluation method the ROUGE score. Our results showed statistically significant differences in figure comprehension when varying levels of text were provided. When the full-text article is not available, presenting just the figure+legend left biomedical researchers lacking 39-68% of the information about a figure as compared to having complete figure comprehension; adding the title and abstract improved the situation, but still left biomedical researchers missing 30% of the information. When the full-text article is available, figure comprehension

  11. Figure text extraction in biomedical literature.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daehyun Kim

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Figures are ubiquitous in biomedical full-text articles, and they represent important biomedical knowledge. However, the sheer volume of biomedical publications has made it necessary to develop computational approaches for accessing figures. Therefore, we are developing the Biomedical Figure Search engine (http://figuresearch.askHERMES.org to allow bioscientists to access figures efficiently. Since text frequently appears in figures, automatically extracting such text may assist the task of mining information from figures. Little research, however, has been conducted exploring text extraction from biomedical figures.We first evaluated an off-the-shelf Optical Character Recognition (OCR tool on its ability to extract text from figures appearing in biomedical full-text articles. We then developed a Figure Text Extraction Tool (FigTExT to improve the performance of the OCR tool for figure text extraction through the use of three innovative components: image preprocessing, character recognition, and text correction. We first developed image preprocessing to enhance image quality and to improve text localization. Then we adapted the off-the-shelf OCR tool on the improved text localization for character recognition. Finally, we developed and evaluated a novel text correction framework by taking advantage of figure-specific lexicons.The evaluation on 382 figures (9,643 figure texts in total randomly selected from PubMed Central full-text articles shows that FigTExT performed with 84% precision, 98% recall, and 90% F1-score for text localization and with 62.5% precision, 51.0% recall and 56.2% F1-score for figure text extraction. When limiting figure texts to those judged by domain experts to be important content, FigTExT performed with 87.3% precision, 68.8% recall, and 77% F1-score. FigTExT significantly improved the performance of the off-the-shelf OCR tool we used, which on its own performed with 36.6% precision, 19.3% recall, and 25.3% F1-score for

  12. Central Coherence in Eating Disorders: A Synthesis of Studies Using the Rey Osterrieth Complex Figure Test.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katie Lang

    Full Text Available Large variability in tests and differences in scoring systems used to study central coherence in eating disorders may lead to different interpretations, inconsistent findings and between study discrepancies. This study aimed to address inconsistencies by collating data from several studies from the same research group that used the Rey Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (Rey Figure in order to produce norms to provide benchmark data for future studies.Data was collated from 984 participants in total. Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, recovered Anorexia Nervosa, unaffected family members and healthy controls were compared using the Rey Figure.Poor global processing was observed across all current eating disorder sub-groups and in unaffected relatives. There was no difference in performance between recovered AN and HC groups.This is the largest dataset reported in the literature and supports previous studies implicating poor global processing across eating disorders using the Rey Figure. It provides robust normative data useful for future studies.

  13. Rumsey and Walker_AMT_2016_Figure 2.xlsx

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Figure summarizes uncertainty (error) in hourly gradient flux measurements by individual analyte. Flux uncertainty is derived from estimates of uncertainty in...

  14. Does strategy instruction on the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure task lead to transferred performance improvement on the Modified Taylor Complex Figure task? A randomized controlled trial in school-aged children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Resch, Christine; Keulers, Esther; Martens, Rosa; van Heugten, Caroline; Hurks, Petra

    2018-04-05

    Providing children with organizational strategy instruction on the Rey Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF) has previously been found to improve organizational and accuracy performance on this task. It is unknown whether strategy instruction on the ROCF would also transfer to performance improvement on copying and the recall of another complex figure. Participants were 98 typically developing children (aged 9.5-12.6 years, M = 10.6). Children completed the ROCF (copy and recall) as a pretest. Approximately a month later, they were randomized to complete the ROCF with strategy instruction in the form of a stepwise administration of the ROCF or again in the standard format. All children then copied and recalled the Modified Taylor Complex Figure (MTCF). All productions were assessed in terms of organization, accuracy and completion time. Organization scores for the MTCF did not differ for the two groups for the copy production, but did differ for the recall production, indicating transfer. Accuracy and completion times did not differ between groups. Performance on all measures, except copy accuracy, improved between pretest ROCF and posttest MTCF production for both groups, suggesting practice effects. Findings indicate that transfer of strategy instruction from one complex figure to another is only present for organization of recalled information. The increase in RCF-OSS scores did not lead to a higher accuracy or a faster copy or recall.

  15. 49 CFR Figure 2 to Subpart B of... - Example of a Multi-Level Car Complying with Window Location and Staggering Requirements-§§ 238...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Example of a Multi-Level Car Complying with Window Location and Staggering Requirements-§§ 238.113 and 238.114 2 Figure 2 to Subpart B of Part 238.... 238, Subpt. B, Fig. 2 Figure 2 to Subpart B of Part 238—Example of a Multi-Level Car Complying with...

  16. Figuring process of potassium dihydrogen phosphate crystal using ion beam figuring technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Furen; Xie, Xuhui; Tie, Guipeng; Hu, Hao; Zhou, Lin

    2017-09-01

    Currently, ion beam figuring (IBF) technology has presented many excellent performances in figuring potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) crystals, such as it is a noncontact figuring process and it does not require polishing fluid. So, it is a very clean figuring process and does not introduce any impurities. However, the ion beam energy deposited on KDP crystal will heat the KDP crystal and may generate cracks on it. So, it is difficult directly using IBF technology to figure KDP crystal, as oblique incident IBF (OI-IBF) has lower heat deposition, higher removal rate, and smoother surface roughness compared to normal incident IBF. This paper studied the process of using OI-IBF to figure KDP crystal. Removal rates and removal functions at different incident angles were first investigated. Then heat depositions on a test work piece were obtained through experiments. To validate the figuring process, a KDP crystal with a size of 200  mm×200  mm×12  mm was figured by OI-IBF. After three iterations using the OI-IBF process, the surface error decreases from the initial values with PV 1.986λ RMS 0.438λ to PV 0.215λ RMS 0.035λ. Experimental results indicate that OI-IBF is feasible and effective to figure KDP crystals.

  17. Children's drawings of significant figures for a peer or an adult audience

    OpenAIRE

    Burkitt, Esther; Watling, Dawn; Murray, Lucy

    2011-01-01

    The present study assessed if children would present different information in their drawings of emotion eliciting stimuli when they believed that an adult or a child audience would view their drawings. Seventy-five 6-year-olds (44 boys and 31 girls) were allocated to three groups: the reference group, the child audience group and the adult audience group. All children completed a drawing session where they first drew a neutral uncharacterised figure, followed by drawings of a sad and a happy ...

  18. Third quarter 2005 sales figures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2005-01-01

    With manufacturing facilities in over 40 countries and a sales network in over 100, AREVA offers customers technological solutions for nuclear power generation and electricity transmission and distribution. The group also provides interconnect systems to the telecommunications, computer and automotive markets. This document presents the sales figures of the group for the third quarter of 2005: sales revenues in the front end division, in the reactor and services division, in the back end division and in the transmission and distribution division

  19. Figure drawing as an expression of self-esteem.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coopersmith, S; Sakai, D; Beardslee, B; Coopersmith, A

    1976-08-01

    Figure drawings were obtained from 97 preadolescent males who differed in self and behavioral assessments of self-esteem. These subjects had been selected from a much larger sample and represented five different types of self-esteem. The figure drawings were scored for 15 variables, dealing with formal characteristics, content, and global-interpretations of the total drawings. Five significant differences were obtained, with the content and global-interpretative categories proving more differentiating between self-esteem groups than did the formal characteristics. Behavioral expressions of self-esteem were more associated with figure drawing characteristics than were subjective evaluations. Discussion focuses on the nature of self-concept and self-esteem in children as a sensorimotor rather than symbolic expression.

  20. Cortical Dynamics of Figure-Ground Separation in Response to 2D Pictures and 3D Scenes: How V2 Combines Border Ownership, Stereoscopic Cues, and Gestalt Grouping Rules

    OpenAIRE

    Grossberg, Stephen

    2016-01-01

    The FACADE model, and its laminar cortical realization and extension in the 3D LAMINART model, have explained, simulated, and predicted many perceptual and neurobiological data about how the visual cortex carries out 3D vision and figure-ground perception, and how these cortical mechanisms enable 2D pictures to generate 3D percepts of occluding and occluded objects. In particular, these models have proposed how border ownership occurs, but have not yet explicitly explained the correlation bet...

  1. Estimating data from figures with a Web-based program: Considerations for a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burda, Brittany U; O'Connor, Elizabeth A; Webber, Elizabeth M; Redmond, Nadia; Perdue, Leslie A

    2017-09-01

    Systematic reviewers often encounter incomplete or missing data, and the information desired may be difficult to obtain from a study author. Thus, systematic reviewers may have to resort to estimating data from figures with little or no raw data in a study's corresponding text or tables. We discuss a case study in which participants used a publically available Web-based program, called webplotdigitizer, to estimate data from 2 figures. We evaluated and used the intraclass coefficient and the accuracy of the estimates to the true data to inform considerations when using estimated data from figures in systematic reviews. The estimates for both figures were consistent, although the distribution of estimates in the figure of a continuous outcome was slightly higher. For the continuous outcome, the percent difference ranged from 0.23% to 30.35% while the percent difference of the event rate ranged from 0.22% to 8.92%. For both figures, the intraclass coefficient was excellent (>0.95). Systematic reviewers should consider and be transparent when estimating data from figures when the information cannot be obtained from study authors and perform sensitivity analyses of pooled results to reduce bias. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  2. The backfilling and sealing of radioactive waste repositories. V. 2. Figure - Tables - Appendices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1984-01-01

    The two volumes of this report present a review study about backfilling and sealing of radioactive waste repositories in granites, argillaceous and salt formations. Volume 2 contains all the figures, table and appendices A detailed account of candidate backfill materials is given in a standardized format

  3. Crystalline texture study of Zr-2.5%Nb pressure pipes by DRX pole figures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buioli, C P; Banchik, A D; Vizcaino, P; Samper, R; Testone, S

    2012-01-01

    This work presents the study of crystalline texture of Zr-2.5%Nb pressure tubes (A, B and C); structural components of CANDU nuclear power reactors [1]. The study of texture was made using the RX diffraction technique, making measurements of direct pole figures [2], in a Phillips diffractometer with pole goniometer (IFIR-CONICET). The texture was determined calculating the coefficients of JJ Kearns [3]. The samples used correspond to transversal sections of the tubes, front and back, and were characterized making de measurements of five pole figures with Miller index (001), (100), (101), (102) and (110), in order to represent in a complete way the texture in the material. The calculated Kearns coefficients were compared with the specifications given by the designer of pressure tubes AECL [4] (author)

  4. Drilling the near cortex with elongated figure-of-8 holes to reduce the stiffness of a locking compression plate construct.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jerry Yongqiang; Zhou, Zhihong; Ang, Benjamin Fu Hong; Yew, Andy Khye Soon; Chou, Siaw Meng; Chia, Shi-Lu; Koh, Joyce Suang Bee; Howe, Tet Sen

    2015-12-01

    To compare the stiffness of locking compression plate (LCP) constructs with or without drilling the near cortex with elongated figure-of-8 holes. 24 synthetic bones were sawn to create a 10-mm gap and were fixed with a 9-hole 4.5-mm narrow LCP. In 12 bones, the near cortex of the adjacent holes to the LCP holes was drilled to create elongated figure-of-8 holes before screw insertion. The stiffness of LCP constructs under axial loading or 4-point bending was assessed by (1) dynamic quasi-physiological testing for fatigue strength, (2) quasi-static testing for stiffness, and (3) testing for absolute strength to failure. None of the 24 constructs had subcatastrophic or catastrophic failure after 10 000 cycles of fatigue loading (p=1.000). The axial stiffness reduced by 16% from 613±62 to 517±44 N/mm (p=0.012) in the case group, whereas the bending stiffness was 16±1 Nm2 in both groups (p=1.000). The maximum axial load to catastrophic failure was 1596±84 N for the control group and 1627±48 N for the case group (p=0.486), whereas the maximum bending moment to catastrophic failure was 79±12 and 80±10 Nm, respectively (p=0.919). Drilling the near cortex with elongated figure-of-8 holes reduces the axial stiffness of the LCP construct, without compromising its bending stiffness or strength.

  5. Figure5

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — This is an R statistics package script that allows the reproduction of Figure 5. The script includes the links to large NetCDF files that the figures access for O3,...

  6. Brief report: human figure drawings by children with Asperger's syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Hui Keow; Slaughter, Virginia

    2008-05-01

    Twenty-nine children with Asperger's syndrome and 28 typically developing children, matched on gender, chronological age and nonverbal IQ, were asked to produce a free drawing, then requested to draw a person, a house and a tree. The drawings were scored using standardized procedures for assessing accuracy, detail and complexity. There were no differences between the diagnostic groups on the tree or house drawing scores. The human figure drawing scores of children with Asperger's syndrome were significantly lower than those of the typically developing children, and there was a positive correlation between human figure drawing scores and communication sub-scores on the Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales, for the Asperger's group. These results suggest that the selective deficit in generating human figure representations may derive from a relative lack of interest in the social world, and/or limited practice in drawing people.

  7. 16 CFR Figure 2 to Part 1203 - ISO Headform-Basic, Reference, and Median Planes

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false ISO Headform-Basic, Reference, and Median Planes 2 Figure 2 to Part 1203 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION CONSUMER PRODUCT... Headform-Basic, Reference, and Median Planes ER10MR98.002 ...

  8. Two critical periods in early visual cortex during figure-ground segregation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wokke, Martijn E; Sligte, Ilja G; Steven Scholte, H; Lamme, Victor A F

    2012-11-01

    The ability to distinguish a figure from its background is crucial for visual perception. To date, it remains unresolved where and how in the visual system different stages of figure-ground segregation emerge. Neural correlates of figure border detection have consistently been found in early visual cortex (V1/V2). However, areas V1/V2 have also been frequently associated with later stages of figure-ground segregation (such as border ownership or surface segregation). To causally link activity in early visual cortex to different stages of figure-ground segregation, we briefly disrupted activity in areas V1/V2 at various moments in time using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Prior to stimulation we presented stimuli that made it possible to differentiate between figure border detection and surface segregation. We concurrently recorded electroencephalographic (EEG) signals to examine how neural correlates of figure-ground segregation were affected by TMS. Results show that disruption of V1/V2 in an early time window (96-119 msec) affected detection of figure stimuli and affected neural correlates of figure border detection, border ownership, and surface segregation. TMS applied in a relatively late time window (236-259 msec) selectively deteriorated performance associated with surface segregation. We conclude that areas V1/V2 are not only essential in an early stage of figure-ground segregation when figure borders are detected, but subsequently causally contribute to more sophisticated stages of figure-ground segregation such as surface segregation.

  9. Contextual modulation revealed by optical imaging exhibits figural asymmetry in macaque V1 and V2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zarella, Mark D; Ts'o, Daniel Y

    2017-01-01

    Neurons in early visual cortical areas are influenced by stimuli presented well beyond the confines of their classical receptive fields, endowing them with the ability to encode fine-scale features while also having access to the global context of the visual scene. This property can potentially define a role for the early visual cortex to contribute to a number of important visual functions, such as surface segmentation and figure-ground segregation. It is unknown how extraclassical response properties conform to the functional architecture of the visual cortex, given the high degree of functional specialization in areas V1 and V2. We examined the spatial relationships of contextual activations in macaque V1 and V2 with intrinsic signal optical imaging. Using figure-ground stimulus configurations defined by orientation or motion, we found that extraclassical modulation is restricted to the cortical representations of the figural component of the stimulus. These modulations were positive in sign, suggesting a relative enhancement in neuronal activity that may reflect an excitatory influence. Orientation and motion cues produced similar patterns of activation that traversed the functional subdivisions of V2. The asymmetrical nature of the enhancement demonstrated the capacity for visual cortical areas as early as V1 to contribute to figure-ground segregation, and the results suggest that this information can be extracted from the population activity constrained only by retinotopy, and not the underlying functional organization.

  10. Figure analysis: A teaching technique to promote visual literacy and active Learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiles, Amy M

    2016-07-08

    Learning often improves when active learning techniques are used in place of traditional lectures. For many of these techniques, however, students are expected to apply concepts that they have already grasped. A challenge, therefore, is how to incorporate active learning into the classroom of courses with heavy content, such as molecular-based biology courses. An additional challenge is that visual literacy is often overlooked in undergraduate science education. To address both of these challenges, a technique called figure analysis was developed and implemented in three different levels of undergraduate biology courses. Here, students learn content while gaining practice in interpreting visual information by discussing figures with their peers. Student groups also make connections between new and previously learned concepts on their own while in class. The instructor summarizes the material for the class only after students grapple with it in small groups. Students reported a preference for learning by figure analysis over traditional lecture, and female students in particular reported increased confidence in their analytical abilities. There is not a technology requirement for this technique; therefore, it may be utilized both in classrooms and in nontraditional spaces. Additionally, the amount of preparation required is comparable to that of a traditional lecture. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 44(4):336-344, 2016. © 2016 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

  11. Figure-ground segregation can rely on differences in motion direction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kandil, Farid I; Fahle, Manfred

    2004-12-01

    If the elements within a figure move synchronously while those in the surround move at a different time, the figure is easily segregated from the surround and thus perceived. Lee and Blake (1999) [Visual form created solely from temporal structure. Science, 284, 1165-1168] demonstrated that this figure-ground separation may be based not only on time differences between motion onsets, but also on the differences between reversals of motion direction. However, Farid and Adelson (2001) [Synchrony does not promote grouping in temporally structured displays. Nature Neuroscience, 4, 875-876] argued that figure-ground segregation in the motion-reversal experiment might have been based on a contrast artefact and concluded that (a)synchrony as such was 'not responsible for the perception of form in these or earlier displays'. Here, we present experiments that avoid contrast artefacts but still produce figure-ground segregation based on purely temporal cues. Our results show that subjects can segregate figure from ground even though being unable to use motion reversals as such. Subjects detect the figure when either (i) motion stops (leading to contrast artefacts), or (ii) motion directions differ between figure and ground. Segregation requires minimum delays of about 15 ms. We argue that whatever the underlying cues and mechanisms, a second stage beyond motion detection is required to globally compare the outputs of local motion detectors and to segregate figure from ground. Since analogous changes take place in both figure and ground in rapid succession, this second stage has to detect the asynchrony with high temporal precision.

  12. Running the figure to the ground: figure-ground segmentation during visual search.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ralph, Brandon C W; Seli, Paul; Cheng, Vivian O Y; Solman, Grayden J F; Smilek, Daniel

    2014-04-01

    We examined how figure-ground segmentation occurs across multiple regions of a visual array during a visual search task. Stimuli consisted of arrays of black-and-white figure-ground images in which roughly half of each image depicted a meaningful object, whereas the other half constituted a less meaningful shape. The colours of the meaningful regions of the targets and distractors were either the same (congruent) or different (incongruent). We found that incongruent targets took longer to locate than congruent targets (Experiments 1, 2, and 3) and that this segmentation-congruency effect decreased when the number of search items was reduced (Experiment 2). Furthermore, an analysis of eye movements revealed that participants spent more time scrutinising the target before confirming its identity on incongruent trials than on congruent trials (Experiment 3). These findings suggest that the distractor context influences target segmentation and detection during visual search. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Auditory skills of figure-ground and closure in air traffic controllers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villar, Anna Carolina Nascimento Waack Braga; Pereira, Liliane Desgualdo

    2017-12-04

    To investigate the auditory skills of closure and figure-ground and factors associated with health, communication, and attention in air traffic controllers, and compare these variables with those of other civil and military servants. Study participants were sixty adults with normal audiometric thresholds divided into two groups matched for age and gender: study group (SG), comprising 30 air traffic controllers and control group (CG), composed of 30 other military and civil servants. All participants were asked a number of questions regarding their health, communication, and attention, and underwent the Speech-in-Noise Test (SIN) to assess their closure skills and the Synthetic Sentence Identification Test - Ipsilateral Competitive Message (SSI-ICM) in monotic listening to evaluate their figure-ground abilities. Data were compared using nonparametric statistical tests and logistic regression analysis. More individuals in the SG reported fatigue and/or burnout and work-related stress and showed better performance than that of individuals in the CG for the figure-ground ability. Both groups performed similarly and satisfactorily in the other hearing tests. The odds ratio for participants belonging in the SG was 5.59 and 1.24 times regarding work-related stress and SSI-ICM (right ear), respectively. Results for the variables auditory closure, self-reported health, attention, and communication were similar in both groups. The SG presented significantly better performance in auditory figure-ground compared with that of the CG. Self-reported stress and right-ear SSI-ICM were significant predictors of individuals belonging to the SG.

  14. Lower region: a new cue for figure-ground assignment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vecera, Shaun P; Vogel, Edward K; Woodman, Geoffrey F

    2002-06-01

    Figure-ground assignment is an important visual process; humans recognize, attend to, and act on figures, not backgrounds. There are many visual cues for figure-ground assignment. A new cue to figure-ground assignment, called lower region, is presented: Regions in the lower portion of a stimulus array appear more figurelike than regions in the upper portion of the display. This phenomenon was explored, and it was demonstrated that the lower-region preference is not influenced by contrast, eye movements, or voluntary spatial attention. It was found that the lower region is defined relative to the stimulus display, linking the lower-region preference to pictorial depth perception cues. The results are discussed in terms of the environmental regularities that this new figure-ground cue may reflect.

  15. Deficient motion-defined and texture-defined figure-ground segregation in amblyopic children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jane; Ho, Cindy S; Giaschi, Deborah E

    2007-01-01

    Motion-defined form deficits in the fellow eye and the amblyopic eye of children with amblyopia implicate possible direction-selective motion processing or static figure-ground segregation deficits. Deficient motion-defined form perception in the fellow eye of amblyopic children may not be fully accounted for by a general motion processing deficit. This study investigates the contribution of figure-ground segregation deficits to the motion-defined form perception deficits in amblyopia. Performances of 6 amblyopic children (5 anisometropic, 1 anisostrabismic) and 32 control children with normal vision were assessed on motion-defined form, texture-defined form, and global motion tasks. Performance on motion-defined and texture-defined form tasks was significantly worse in amblyopic children than in control children. Performance on global motion tasks was not significantly different between the 2 groups. Faulty figure-ground segregation mechanisms are likely responsible for the observed motion-defined form perception deficits in amblyopia.

  16. A figure control sensor for the Large Deployable Reflector (LDR)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartman, R.; Dubovitsky, S.

    1988-01-01

    A sensing and control system is required to maintain high optical figure quality in a segmented reflector. Upon detecting a deviation of the segmented surface from its ideal form, the system drives segment mounted actuators to realign the individual segments and thereby return the surface to its intended figure. When the reflector is in use, a set of figure sensors will determine positions of a number of points on the back surface of each of the reflector's segments, each sensor being assigned to a single point. By measuring the positional deviations of these points from previously established nominal values, the figure sensors provide the control system with the information required to maintain the reflector's optical figure. The optical lever, multiple wavelength interferometer, and electronic capacitive sensor, the most promising technologies for the development of the figure sensor, are illustrated. It is concluded that to select a particular implementation of the figure sensors, performance requirement will be refined and relevant technologies investigated further.

  17. Neurons forming optic glomeruli compute figure-ground discriminations in Drosophila.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aptekar, Jacob W; Keleş, Mehmet F; Lu, Patrick M; Zolotova, Nadezhda M; Frye, Mark A

    2015-05-13

    Many animals rely on visual figure-ground discrimination to aid in navigation, and to draw attention to salient features like conspecifics or predators. Even figures that are similar in pattern and luminance to the visual surroundings can be distinguished by the optical disparity generated by their relative motion against the ground, and yet the neural mechanisms underlying these visual discriminations are not well understood. We show in flies that a diverse array of figure-ground stimuli containing a motion-defined edge elicit statistically similar behavioral responses to one another, and statistically distinct behavioral responses from ground motion alone. From studies in larger flies and other insect species, we hypothesized that the circuitry of the lobula--one of the four, primary neuropiles of the fly optic lobe--performs this visual discrimination. Using calcium imaging of input dendrites, we then show that information encoded in cells projecting from the lobula to discrete optic glomeruli in the central brain group these sets of figure-ground stimuli in a homologous manner to the behavior; "figure-like" stimuli are coded similar to one another and "ground-like" stimuli are encoded differently. One cell class responds to the leading edge of a figure and is suppressed by ground motion. Two other classes cluster any figure-like stimuli, including a figure moving opposite the ground, distinctly from ground alone. This evidence demonstrates that lobula outputs provide a diverse basis set encoding visual features necessary for figure detection. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/357587-13$15.00/0.

  18. Figure-ground mechanisms provide structure for selective attention

    OpenAIRE

    Qiu, Fangtu T.; Sugihara, Tadashi; von der Heydt, Rüdiger

    2007-01-01

    Attention depends on figure-ground organization: figures draw attention, while shapes of the ground tend to be ignored. Recent research has demonstrated mechanisms of figure-ground organization in the visual cortex, but how they relate to the attention process remains unclear. Here we show that the influences of figure-ground organization and volitional (top-down) attention converge in single neurons of area V2. While assignment of border ownership was found for attended as well as for ignore...

  19. Figure-ground mechanisms provide structure for selective attention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiu, Fangtu T; Sugihara, Tadashi; von der Heydt, Rüdiger

    2007-11-01

    Attention depends on figure-ground organization: figures draw attention, whereas shapes of the ground tend to be ignored. Recent research has revealed mechanisms for figure-ground organization in the visual cortex, but how these mechanisms relate to the attention process remains unclear. Here we show that the influences of figure-ground organization and volitional (top-down) attention converge in single neurons of area V2 in Macaca mulatta. Although we found assignment of border ownership for attended and for ignored figures, attentional modulation was stronger when the attended figure was located on the neuron's preferred side of border ownership. When the border between two overlapping figures was placed in the receptive field, responses depended on the side of attention, and enhancement was generally found on the neuron's preferred side of border ownership. This correlation suggests that the neural network that creates figure-ground organization also provides the interface for the top-down selection process.

  20. A metaanalysis of perceptual organization in schizophrenia, schizotypy, and other high-risk groups based on variants of the Embedded Figures Task.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kirsten Rebecca Panton

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Current research on perceptual organization in schizophrenia frequently employs shapes with regularly sampled contours (fragmented stimuli, in noise fields composed of similar elements, to elicit visual abnormalities. However, perceptual organization is multi-factorial and, in earlier studies, continuous contours have also been employed in tasks assessing the ability to extract shapes from a background. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies using closed-contour stimuli, including the Embedded Figures Test (EFT and related tasks, both in people with schizophrenia and in healthy schizotypes and relatives, considered at increased risk for psychosis. Eleven studies met the selection criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis, including six that used a between-groups study design (i.e. perceptual organization abilities of schizophrenia/high-risk groups were compared to healthy or clinical controls, and five that treated schizophrenia symptoms or schizotypy traits and indices of perceptual organization as continuous variables. Effect sizes and heterogeneity statistics were calculated, and the risk of publication bias was explored. A significant, moderate effect for EFT performance was found with studies that compared performance of schizophrenia/high-risk groups to a healthy or patient comparison group (d = -.523, p<.001. However, significant heterogeneity was also found amongst the schizotypy, but not schizophrenia studies, as well as studies using accuracy, but not reaction time as a measure of performance. A non-significant correlation was found for the studies that examined schizophrenia symptoms or schizotypy traits as continuous variables (r = .012, p = .825. These results suggest that deficits in perceptual organization of non-fragmented stimuli are found when differences between schizophrenia/high-risk groups and comparison groups are maximized. These findings should motivate further investigation of perceptual

  1. A search asymmetry reversed by figure-ground assignment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Humphreys, G W; Müller, H

    2000-05-01

    We report evidence demonstrating that a search asymmetry favoring concave over convex targets can be reversed by altering the figure-ground assignment of edges in shapes. Visual search for a concave target among convex distractors is faster than search for a convex target among concave distractors (a search asymmetry). By using shapes with ambiguous local figure-ground relations, we demonstrated that search can be efficient (with search slopes around 10 ms/item) or inefficient (with search slopes around 30-40 ms/item) with the same stimuli, depending on whether edges are assigned to concave or convex "figures." This assignment process can operate in a top-down manner, according to the task set. The results suggest that attention is allocated to spatial regions following the computation of figure-ground relations in parallel across the elements present. This computation can also be modulated by top-down processes.

  2. Familiar shapes attract attention in figure-ground displays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelson, Rolf A; Palmer, Stephen E

    2007-04-01

    We report five experiments that explore the effect of figure-ground factors on attention. We hypothesized that figural cues, such as familiar shape, would draw attention to the figural side in an attentional cuing task using bipartite figure-ground displays. The first two experiments used faces in profile as the familiar shape and found a perceptual advantage for targets presented on the meaningful side of the central contour in detection speed (Experiment 1) and discrimination accuracy (Experiment 2). The third experiment demonstrated the figural advantage in response time (RT) with nine other familiar shapes (including a sea horse, a guitar, a fir tree, etc.), but only when targets appeared in close proximity to the contour. A fourth experiment obtained a figural advantage in a discrimination task with the larger set of familiar shapes. The final experiment ruled out eye movements as a possible confounding factor by replicating the RT advantage for targets on the figural side of face displays when all trials containing eye movements were eliminated. The results are discussed in terms of ecological influences on attention, and are cast within the framework of Yantis and Jonides's hypothesis that attention is exogenously drawn to the onset of new perceptual objects. We argue that the figural side constitutes an "object" whereas the ground side does not, and that figural cues such as shape familiarity are effective in determining which areas represent objects.

  3. Multiple cues add up in defining a figure on a ground.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Devinck, Frédéric; Spillmann, Lothar

    2013-01-25

    We studied the contribution of multiple cues to figure-ground segregation. Convexity, symmetry, and top-down polarity (henceforth called wide base) were used as cues. Single-cue displays as well as ambiguous stimulus patterns containing two or three cues were presented. Error rate (defined by responses to uncued stimuli) and reaction time were used to quantify the figural strength of a given cue. In the first experiment, observers were asked to report which of two regions, left or right, appeared as foreground figure. Error rate did not benefit from adding additional cues if convexity was present, suggesting that responses were based on convexity as the predominant figural determinant. However, reaction time became shorter with additional cues even if convexity was present. For example, when symmetry and wide base were added, figure-ground segregation was facilitated. In a second experiment, stimulus patterns were exposed for 150ms to rule out eye movements. Results were similar to those found in the first experiment. Both experiments suggest that under the conditions of our experiment figure-ground segregation is perceived more readily, when several cues cooperate in defining the figure. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. A feedback model of figure-ground assignment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Domijan, Drazen; Setić, Mia

    2008-05-30

    A computational model is proposed in order to explain how bottom-up and top-down signals are combined into a unified perception of figure and background. The model is based on the interaction between the ventral and the dorsal stream. The dorsal stream computes saliency based on boundary signals provided by the simple and the complex cortical cells. Output from the dorsal stream is projected to the surface network which serves as a blackboard on which the surface representation is formed. The surface network is a recurrent network which segregates different surfaces by assigning different firing rates to them. The figure is labeled by the maximal firing rate. Computer simulations showed that the model correctly assigns figural status to the surface with a smaller size, a greater contrast, convexity, surroundedness, horizontal-vertical orientation and a higher spatial frequency content. The simple gradient of activity in the dorsal stream enables the simulation of the new principles of the lower region and the top-bottom polarity. The model also explains how the exogenous attention and the endogenous attention may reverse the figural assignment. Due to the local excitation in the surface network, neural activity at the cued region will spread over the whole surface representation. Therefore, the model implements the object-based attentional selection.

  5. Neural dynamics of feedforward and feedback processing in figure-ground segregation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Layton, Oliver W; Mingolla, Ennio; Yazdanbakhsh, Arash

    2014-01-01

    Determining whether a region belongs to the interior or exterior of a shape (figure-ground segregation) is a core competency of the primate brain, yet the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Many models assume that figure-ground segregation occurs by assembling progressively more complex representations through feedforward connections, with feedback playing only a modulatory role. We present a dynamical model of figure-ground segregation in the primate ventral stream wherein feedback plays a crucial role in disambiguating a figure's interior and exterior. We introduce a processing strategy whereby jitter in RF center locations and variation in RF sizes is exploited to enhance and suppress neural activity inside and outside of figures, respectively. Feedforward projections emanate from units that model cells in V4 known to respond to the curvature of boundary contours (curved contour cells), and feedback projections from units predicted to exist in IT that strategically group neurons with different RF sizes and RF center locations (teardrop cells). Neurons (convex cells) that preferentially respond when centered on a figure dynamically balance feedforward (bottom-up) information and feedback from higher visual areas. The activation is enhanced when an interior portion of a figure is in the RF via feedback from units that detect closure in the boundary contours of a figure. Our model produces maximal activity along the medial axis of well-known figures with and without concavities, and inside algorithmically generated shapes. Our results suggest that the dynamic balancing of feedforward signals with the specific feedback mechanisms proposed by the model is crucial for figure-ground segregation.

  6. Neural dynamics of feedforward and feedback processing in figure-ground segregation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Layton, Oliver W.; Mingolla, Ennio; Yazdanbakhsh, Arash

    2014-01-01

    Determining whether a region belongs to the interior or exterior of a shape (figure-ground segregation) is a core competency of the primate brain, yet the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Many models assume that figure-ground segregation occurs by assembling progressively more complex representations through feedforward connections, with feedback playing only a modulatory role. We present a dynamical model of figure-ground segregation in the primate ventral stream wherein feedback plays a crucial role in disambiguating a figure's interior and exterior. We introduce a processing strategy whereby jitter in RF center locations and variation in RF sizes is exploited to enhance and suppress neural activity inside and outside of figures, respectively. Feedforward projections emanate from units that model cells in V4 known to respond to the curvature of boundary contours (curved contour cells), and feedback projections from units predicted to exist in IT that strategically group neurons with different RF sizes and RF center locations (teardrop cells). Neurons (convex cells) that preferentially respond when centered on a figure dynamically balance feedforward (bottom-up) information and feedback from higher visual areas. The activation is enhanced when an interior portion of a figure is in the RF via feedback from units that detect closure in the boundary contours of a figure. Our model produces maximal activity along the medial axis of well-known figures with and without concavities, and inside algorithmically generated shapes. Our results suggest that the dynamic balancing of feedforward signals with the specific feedback mechanisms proposed by the model is crucial for figure-ground segregation. PMID:25346703

  7. Nuclear Detection Figure Of Merit (NDFOM) Version 1.2 User's Guide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stroud, Phillip D.; Dufresne, Thomas A.

    2012-01-01

    NDFOM is a detector database and detector evaluation system, accessible as a web service. It runs on the same server as the Patriot service, but uses port 8081. In this user's guide, we will use the example case that the patriot service is running on http://patriot.lanl.gov. Then the NDFOM service would be accessible at the URL http://patriot.lanl.gov:8081/ndfom. In addition to local server installations, common server locations are 1) a patriot server running on a virtual machine (use the virtual machine URL with :8081/ndfom), and 2) a patriot server running on a local machine (use http://localhost:8081/ndfom or http://127.0.0.1:8081/ndfom). The home screen provides panels to select detectors, a scenario, and a figure-of-merit. It also has an 'analyze' button, which will evaluate the selected figure-of-merit for the selected detectors, for the scenario selected by the user. The detector effectiveness evaluations are presented through the browser in a ranked list of detectors. The user does not need to log in to perform analysis with pre-supplied detectors, scenarios, and FOMs. The homepage view is shown in Figure 1. The first panel displays a list of the detectors in the current detector database. The user can select one, some, or all detectors to evaluate. On the right of each listed detector, there is a star icon. Clicking that icon will open a panel that displays the details about that detector, such as detector material, dimensions, thresholds, etc. The center panel displays the pre-supplied scenarios that are in the database. A scenario specifies the source of interest, the spectrum of the radiation, the background radiation spectrum, the distance or distance of closest approach, the allowable false positive rate, and the dwell time or speed. Scenario details can be obtained by clicking the star to the right of a scenario. A scenario can be selected by clicking it.

  8. Key figures for the regional- and distribution grid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vikingstad, S.

    1996-02-01

    In Norway, improving the efficiency of the hydroelectric grid operation is a stated goal of the Energy Act. Several studies have identified potential profits of such improvement. This publication focuses on costs and improvement potentials. Publication of key figures may stimulate grid owners, boards and administrations to improve the operating efficiency of their grids. The publication shows key figures for the regional- and distribution grid and is based on accounting data for 1994. The key figures are divided into: (1) Cost structure: The key figures express the relative contributions of each cost component to the total income of the grid, (2) Costs and physical quantities: The key figures show the cost of delivering the transport services, (3) Physical quantities: The key figures describe the working conditions of the energy utility. It appears that the cost structure of the sector varies considerably. The same is true of the cost related to the delivery of grid services. 30 figs., 6 tabs

  9. 40 CFR Figure C-1 to Subpart C of... - Suggested Format for Reporting Test Results for Methods for SO 2, CO, O 3, NO 2

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... Results for Methods for SO 2, CO, O 3, NO 2 C Figure C-1 to Subpart C of Part 53 Protection of Environment... Pt. 53, Subpt. C, Fig. C-1 Figure C-1 to Subpart C of Part 53—Suggested Format for Reporting Test... Difference Table C-1 spec. Pass or fail Low 1 ____ ppm 2 to ____ ppm 3 4 5 6 Medium 1 ____ ppm 2 to ____ ppm...

  10. Figure mining for biomedical research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez-Esteban, Raul; Iossifov, Ivan

    2009-08-15

    Figures from biomedical articles contain valuable information difficult to reach without specialized tools. Currently, there is no search engine that can retrieve specific figure types. This study describes a retrieval method that takes advantage of principles in image understanding, text mining and optical character recognition (OCR) to retrieve figure types defined conceptually. A search engine was developed to retrieve tables and figure types to aid computational and experimental research. http://iossifovlab.cshl.edu/figurome/.

  11. Globally inconsistent figure/ground relations induced by a negative part.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Sung-Ho; Feldman, Jacob

    2009-09-10

    Figure/ground interpretation is a dynamic and complex process involving the cooperation and competition of a number of perceptual factors. Most research has assumed that figure/ground assignment is globally consistent along the entire contour of a single figure, meaning that the one side of each boundary is interpreted as figure along the entire length of the boundary, and the other side interpreted as ground. We investigated a situation that challenges this assumption, because local cues to figure/ground conflict with global cues: a "negative part," a contour region that appears locally convex but that the global form requires be concave. To measure figure/ground assignment, we use a new task based on local contour motion attribution that allows us to measure border ownership locally at points along the contour. The results from two experiments showed that the more salient a negative part is, the more border ownership tended to locally reverse within it, creating an inconsistency in figure/ground assignments along the contour. This suggests that border ownership assignment is not an all-or-none process, but rather a locally autonomous process that is not strictly constrained by global cues.

  12. Perceived body image in men and women with type 2 diabetes mellitus: correlation of body mass index with the figure rating scale

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fox Kathleen M

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Body mass index (BMI is often used as an objective surrogate estimate of body fat. Increased BMI is directly associated with an increase in metabolic disease, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM. The Stunkard Figure Rating Scale (FRS is a subjective measure of body fat, and self-perceptions of body image conceivably impact the development and treatment of T2DM. This study examined the self-perception of body image to various levels of BMI among those with T2DM. Methods Respondents (n = 13,887 to the US Study to Help Improve Early evaluation and management of risk factors Leading to Diabetes (SHIELD 2006 survey self-reported their weight and height for BMI calculation. On the gender-specific Stunkard FRS, respondents selected the figure most closely resembling their body image. Spearman correlation was computed between perceived body image and BMI for men and women separately. Student's t-test analysis compared the mean BMI differences between respondents with and without T2DM. Results Men with T2DM did not significantly differ from men without diabetes mellitus in mean BMI per body image figure except at the extremes in body figures. Women with T2DM had a significantly higher BMI for the same body figure compared with women without diabetes mellitus for most figures (p Conclusions Individuals, particularly women, with T2DM may differ in their perception of body image compared with those without diabetes mellitus. It is unclear if these perceived differences increase the risk of T2DM, or if the diagnosis of T2DM alters body image perceptions.

  13. 40 CFR Figure C-2 to Subpart C of... - Illustration of the Slope and Intercept Limits for Class II and Class III PM2.5 Candidate...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 5 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Illustration of the Slope and Intercept Limits for Class II and Class III PM2.5 Candidate Equivalent Methods C Figure C-2 to Subpart C of Part 53... Methods and Reference Methods Pt. 53, Subpt. C, Fig. C-2 Figure C-2 to Subpart C of Part 53—Illustration...

  14. Neural Dynamics of Feedforward and Feedback Processing in Figure-Ground Segregation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oliver W. Layton

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Determining whether a region belongs to the interior or exterior of a shape (figure-ground segregation is a core competency of the primate brain, yet the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Many models assume that figure-ground segregation occurs by assembling progressively more complex representations through feedforward connections, with feedback playing only a modulatory role. We present a dynamical model of figure-ground segregation in the primate ventral stream wherein feedback plays a crucial role in disambiguating a figure’s interior and exterior. We introduce a processing strategy whereby jitter in RF center locations and variation in RF sizes is exploited to enhance and suppress neural activity inside and outside of figures, respectively. Feedforward projections emanate from units that model cells in V4 known to respond to the curvature of boundary contours (curved contour cells, and feedback projections from units predicted to exist in IT that strategically group neurons with different RF sizes and RF center locations (teardrop cells. Neurons (convex cells that preferentially respond when centered on a figure dynamically balance feedforward (bottom-up information and feedback from higher visual areas. The activation is enhanced when an interior portion of a figure is in the RF via feedback from units that detect closure in the boundary contours of a figure. Our model produces maximal activity along the medial axis of well-known figures with and without concavities, and inside algorithmically generated shapes. Our results suggest that the dynamic balancing of feedforward signals with the specific feedback mechanisms proposed by the model is crucial for figure-ground segregation.

  15. Facts and figures: a graphical analysis of world energy up to 1991

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1992-01-01

    Various data are given in graphical form on primary energy production, consumption and on reserves. The energy carriers considered are: oil, gas, coal, hydro and nuclear (uranium). The subdivision of countries is done in categories like developing countries, OECD, Eastern Europe, OPEC or alternatively as geographical regions. On page 18 there is a section on 'nuclear power electricity generation capacity'. Another group of data are on non-energy figures like GPD and trade; here the partners are the groups 'developing countries' vs 'industrialized countries'

  16. A COMPARISON OF PAIRS FIGURE SKATERS IN REPEATED JUMPS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    William A. Sands

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Trends in pairs figure skating have shown that increasingly difficult jumps have become an essential aspect of high-level performance, especially in the latter part of a competitive program. We compared a repeated jump power index in a 60 s repeated jump test to determine the relationship of repeated jump test to competitive rank and to measure 2D hip, knee, and ankle angles and angular velocities at 0, 20, 40, and 60 s. Eighteen National Team Pairs Figure Skaters performed a 60 s repeated jump test on a large switch-mat with timing of flight and ground durations and digital video recording. Each 60-s period was divided into 6, 10-s intervals, with power indexes (W/kg calculated for each 10-s interval. Power index by 10-s interval repeated measures ANOVAs (RMANOVA showed that males exceeded females at all intervals, and the highest power index interval was during 10 to 20 s for both sexes. RMANOVAs of angles and angular velocities showed main effects for time only. Power index and jumping techniques among figure skaters showed rapid and steady declines over the test duration. Power index can predict approximately 50% of competitive rank variance, and sex differences in jumping technique were rare

  17. Local figure-ground cues are valid for natural images.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fowlkes, Charless C; Martin, David R; Malik, Jitendra

    2007-06-08

    Figure-ground organization refers to the visual perception that a contour separating two regions belongs to one of the regions. Recent studies have found neural correlates of figure-ground assignment in V2 as early as 10-25 ms after response onset, providing strong support for the role of local bottom-up processing. How much information about figure-ground assignment is available from locally computed cues? Using a large collection of natural images, in which neighboring regions were assigned a figure-ground relation by human observers, we quantified the extent to which figural regions locally tend to be smaller, more convex, and lie below ground regions. Our results suggest that these Gestalt cues are ecologically valid, and we quantify their relative power. We have also developed a simple bottom-up computational model of figure-ground assignment that takes image contours as input. Using parameters fit to natural image statistics, the model is capable of matching human-level performance when scene context limited.

  18. Karna Particle Size Dataset for Tables and Figures

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — This dataset contains 1) table of bulk Pb-XAS LCF results, 2) table of bulk As-XAS LCF results, 3) figure data of particle size distribution, and 4) figure data for...

  19. 16 CFR Figure 3 to Subpart A of... - Flooring Radiant Tester Schematic Side Elevation

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Flooring Radiant Tester Schematic Side Elevation 3 Figure 3 to Subpart A of Part 1209 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION.... 1209, Subpt. A, Fig. 3 Figure 3 to Subpart A of Part 1209—Flooring Radiant Tester Schematic Side...

  20. Figures in clinical trial reports: current practice & scope for improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pocock, Stuart J; Travison, Thomas G; Wruck, Lisa M

    2007-11-19

    Most clinical trial publications include figures, but there is little guidance on what results should be displayed as figures and how. To evaluate the current use of figures in Trial reports, and to make constructive suggestions for future practice. We surveyed all 77 reports of randomised controlled trials in five general medical journals during November 2006 to January 2007. The numbers and types of figures were determined, and then each Figure was assessed for its style, content, clarity and suitability. As a consequence, guidelines are developed for presenting figures, both in general and for each specific common type of Figure. Most trial reports contained one to three figures, mean 2.3 per article. The four main types were flow diagram, Kaplan Meier plot, Forest plot (for subgroup analyses) and repeated measures over time: these accounted for 92% of all figures published. For each type of figure there is a considerable diversity of practice in both style and content which we illustrate with selected examples of both good and bad practice. Some pointers on what to do, and what to avoid, are derived from our critical evaluation of these articles' use of figures. There is considerable scope for authors to improve their use of figures in clinical trial reports, as regards which figures to choose, their style of presentation and labelling, and their specific content. Particular improvements are needed for the four main types of figures commonly used.

  1. Figures in clinical trial reports: current practice & scope for improvement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Travison Thomas G

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Most clinical trial publications include figures, but there is little guidance on what results should be displayed as figures and how. Purpose To evaluate the current use of figures in Trial reports, and to make constructive suggestions for future practice. Methods We surveyed all 77 reports of randomised controlled trials in five general medical journals during November 2006 to January 2007. The numbers and types of figures were determined, and then each Figure was assessed for its style, content, clarity and suitability. As a consequence, guidelines are developed for presenting figures, both in general and for each specific common type of Figure. Results Most trial reports contained one to three figures, mean 2.3 per article. The four main types were flow diagram, Kaplan Meier plot, Forest plot (for subgroup analyses and repeated measures over time: these accounted for 92% of all figures published. For each type of figure there is a considerable diversity of practice in both style and content which we illustrate with selected examples of both good and bad practice. Some pointers on what to do, and what to avoid, are derived from our critical evaluation of these articles' use of figures. Conclusion There is considerable scope for authors to improve their use of figures in clinical trial reports, as regards which figures to choose, their style of presentation and labelling, and their specific content. Particular improvements are needed for the four main types of figures commonly used.

  2. Rumsey and Walker_AMT_2016_Figure 2.xlsx

    Science.gov (United States)

    Figure summarizes uncertainty (error) in hourly gradient flux measurements by individual analyte. Flux uncertainty is derived from estimates of uncertainty in chemical gradients and turbulent transfer velocity.This dataset is associated with the following publication:Rumsey, I. Application of an online ion chromatography-based instrument for gradient flux measurements of speciated nitrogen and sulfur. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY. American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, USA, 9(6): 2581-2592, (2016).

  3. Variations in relative age effects in individual sports: skiing, figure skating and gymnastics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker, Joseph; Janning, Christina; Wong, Harmonie; Cobley, Stephen; Schorer, Jörg

    2014-01-01

    In many sports, policy-makers and administrators employ annual cohorts to reduce differences between athletes during childhood and youth. Although well-intended, unintended relative age effects (RAEs) usually occur. RAEs refer to the specific selection, participation and attainment disadvantages associated with participants' birthdates relative to an arbitrary 'cutoff' date used to group participants within annual age groups. To date, we have little understanding of RAEs in individual sports. In this article, Study 1 considered the presence of RAEs in 1474 ski jumping, 7501 cross-country skiing, 15,565 alpine skiing, 4179 snowboarders and 713 Nordic combined athletes. Chi-square analyses revealed significant RAEs for most of these contexts across sexes. In Study 2, RAEs in the aesthetic sports of figure skating (n=502) and female gymnastics (n=612) were considered. There was no effect for the figure skaters and an atypical effect for the gymnasts. The significant effects across most ski sports coupled with the null effects in figure skating and atypical effect in gymnastics suggest that sport-specific contextual factors are important elements in understanding the mechanisms of RAEs, although further work is necessary to validate these findings.

  4. Un lieu pour les figures dans la théorie de l’argumentation A Place for Rhetorical Figures in Argumentation Theory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christian Plantin

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available A partir du traitement des figures dans le Traité de l’Argumentation (TA de Perelman et Olbrechts-Tyteca, cet article porte sur la question de la place des figures dans la théorie de l’argumentation. La première partie revient brièvement sur différentes formes de rhétorique, dont une rhétorique de l’ornement ayant pour instrument principal les figures. Une théorie moderne de l’argumentation orientée vers la recherche des fallacies établit une coupure radicale entre argumentation, instrument de recherche de la vérité et rhétorique ornée, que Locke caractérise comme « a powerful instrument of error and deceit ». Cette conception suppose l’usage d’un langage qu’on peut rapidement caractériser comme « artificiel », qui n’est pas celui de l’argumentation ordinaire. Avant d’être des « decorations » les figures sont des « instruments » de structuration de la parole ; et les topoi, instruments de l’argumentation, n’obéissent pas à d’autres mécanismes que les tropes, qui semblent toujours parler à côté et manquer leur objet. La seconde partie s’intéresse à une partie quelque peu délaissée du TA, l’usage qu’il fait des figures et la vision théorique, à la fois cavalière et décisive, qu’il en propose. Le TA ouvre la voie à une conception des figures non pas comme « vain ornement » mais comme une première sémantique du discours argumentatif ; c’est ce qu’on peut montrer sur le cas des « figures du choix, de la présence et de la communion ». En conséquence, la pensée des figures peut et doit être intégrée à une théorie de l’argumentation qui prend en compte le langage dans la parole, avec ses stratégies de construction des objets, du locuteur, de l’interlocuteur et de leurs émotions.This paper deals with the treatment of figures of speech in Perelman’s and Olbrechts-Tyteca’s Treatise on Argumentation (TA, and, more broadly, with the place of

  5. Figures

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — data for figures 1-8 in journal article "Assessment of port-related air quality impacts: geographic analysis of population", International Journal of Environment and...

  6. Feedback enhances feedforward figure-ground segmentation by changing firing mode.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Supèr, Hans; Romeo, August

    2011-01-01

    In the visual cortex, feedback projections are conjectured to be crucial in figure-ground segregation. However, the precise function of feedback herein is unclear. Here we tested a hypothetical model of reentrant feedback. We used a previous developed 2-layered feedforward spiking network that is able to segregate figure from ground and included feedback connections. Our computer model data show that without feedback, neurons respond with regular low-frequency (∼9 Hz) bursting to a figure-ground stimulus. After including feedback the firing pattern changed into a regular (tonic) spiking pattern. In this state, we found an extra enhancement of figure responses and a further suppression of background responses resulting in a stronger figure-ground signal. Such push-pull effect was confirmed by comparing the figure-ground responses with the responses to a homogenous texture. We propose that feedback controls figure-ground segregation by influencing the neural firing patterns of feedforward projecting neurons.

  7. Feedback enhances feedforward figure-ground segmentation by changing firing mode.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hans Supèr

    Full Text Available In the visual cortex, feedback projections are conjectured to be crucial in figure-ground segregation. However, the precise function of feedback herein is unclear. Here we tested a hypothetical model of reentrant feedback. We used a previous developed 2-layered feedforward spiking network that is able to segregate figure from ground and included feedback connections. Our computer model data show that without feedback, neurons respond with regular low-frequency (∼9 Hz bursting to a figure-ground stimulus. After including feedback the firing pattern changed into a regular (tonic spiking pattern. In this state, we found an extra enhancement of figure responses and a further suppression of background responses resulting in a stronger figure-ground signal. Such push-pull effect was confirmed by comparing the figure-ground responses with the responses to a homogenous texture. We propose that feedback controls figure-ground segregation by influencing the neural firing patterns of feedforward projecting neurons.

  8. Emotional indicators in children's human figure drawings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Catte, M; Cox, M V

    1999-06-01

    The human figure drawings of a group of emotionally-disturbed boys were compared with those of a group of well-adjusted boys closely matched for chronological age and another for mental age. A comparison based on Koppitz's (1968) original emotional indicators and another, based on new UK norms, showed that the emotionally-disturbed children included significantly more indicators in their drawings than their well-adjusted peers. Although this difference was statistically significant it is actually quite small. In addition, there were no differences among the groups in the kinds of indicators they exhibited. The usefulness of the Koppitz test as a tool for clinical use is questioned.

  9. Enhanced spatial resolution on figures versus grounds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hecht, Lauren N; Cosman, Joshua D; Vecera, Shaun P

    2016-07-01

    Much is known about the cues that determine figure-ground assignment, but less is known about the consequences of figure-ground assignment on later visual processing. Previous work has demonstrated that regions assigned figural status are subjectively more shape-like and salient than background regions. The increase in subjective salience of figural regions could be caused by a number of processes, one of which may be enhanced perceptual processing (e.g., an enhanced neural representation) of figures relative to grounds. We explored this hypothesis by having observers perform a perceptually demanding spatial resolution task in which targets appeared on either figure or ground regions. To rule out a purely attentional account of figural salience, observers discriminated targets on the basis of a region's color (red or green), which was equally likely to define the figure or the ground. The results of our experiments showed that targets appearing on figures were discriminated more accurately than those appearing in ground regions. In addition, targets appearing on figures were discriminated better than those presented in regions considered figurally neutral, but targets appearing within ground regions were discriminated more poorly than those appearing in figurally neutral regions. Taken together, our findings suggest that when two regions share a contour, regions assigned as figure are perceptually enhanced, whereas regions assigned as ground are perceptually suppressed.

  10. Enhanced spatial resolution on figures versus grounds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hecht, Lauren N.; Cosman, Joshua D.; Vecera, Shaun P.

    2016-01-01

    Much is known about the cues that determine figure-ground assignment, but less is known about the consequences of figure-ground assignment on later visual processing. Previous work has demonstrated that regions assigned figural status are subjectively more shape-like and salient than background regions. The increase in subjective salience of figural regions could be caused by a number of processes, one of which may be enhanced perceptual processing (e.g., an enhanced neural representation) of figures relative to grounds. We explored this hypothesis by having observers perform a perceptually demanding spatial resolution task in which targets appeared either on figure or ground regions. To rule out a purely attentional account of figural salience, observers discriminated targets on the basis of a region’s color (red or green), which was equally likely to define the figure or the ground. The results of our experiments show that targets appearing on figures were discriminated more accurately than those appearing in ground regions. In addition, targets appearing on figures were discriminated better than those presented in regions considered figurally neutral, but targets appearing within ground regions were discriminated more poorly than those appearing in figurally neutral regions. Taken together, our findings suggest that when two regions share a contour, regions assigned as figure are perceptually enhanced, whereas regions assigned as grounds are perceptually suppressed. PMID:27048441

  11. Facts and figures in 2004

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lavergne, R.; Meuric, L.; Scherrer, S.; Paquel, V.; Louati, S.; Thienard, H.

    2005-01-01

    This document gathers a series of articles dedicated to the situation of the energy sector in France at the end of 2004: -) the energy balance sheet, -) the trend concerning energy consumption since 1973, -) the energy bill, -) figures about electrical power, -) figures about natural gas, -) figures about solid fossil fuels, -) figures about oil, and -) figures about renewable energies. The important fact to note is that the energy bill has soared by 24.1% to reach 28.35 milliard euros which represents 1.75% of the gross national product (PIB). The evolution over the year 2004 of the factors that contribute to the level of the energy bill is: - the import-export energy quantity differential: +7.5%, - the import-export energy cost differential (in Usa dollar): +27.1%, and - the fall of the dollar: -9.1%. (A.C.)

  12. Figure-associated text summarization and evaluation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Balaji Polepalli Ramesh

    Full Text Available Biomedical literature incorporates millions of figures, which are a rich and important knowledge resource for biomedical researchers. Scientists need access to the figures and the knowledge they represent in order to validate research findings and to generate new hypotheses. By themselves, these figures are nearly always incomprehensible to both humans and machines and their associated texts are therefore essential for full comprehension. The associated text of a figure, however, is scattered throughout its full-text article and contains redundant information content. In this paper, we report the continued development and evaluation of several figure summarization systems, the FigSum+ systems, that automatically identify associated texts, remove redundant information, and generate a text summary for every figure in an article. Using a set of 94 annotated figures selected from 19 different journals, we conducted an intrinsic evaluation of FigSum+. We evaluate the performance by precision, recall, F1, and ROUGE scores. The best FigSum+ system is based on an unsupervised method, achieving F1 score of 0.66 and ROUGE-1 score of 0.97. The annotated data is available at figshare.com (http://figshare.com/articles/Figure_Associated_Text_Summarization_and_Evaluation/858903.

  13. Figure-associated text summarization and evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polepalli Ramesh, Balaji; Sethi, Ricky J; Yu, Hong

    2015-01-01

    Biomedical literature incorporates millions of figures, which are a rich and important knowledge resource for biomedical researchers. Scientists need access to the figures and the knowledge they represent in order to validate research findings and to generate new hypotheses. By themselves, these figures are nearly always incomprehensible to both humans and machines and their associated texts are therefore essential for full comprehension. The associated text of a figure, however, is scattered throughout its full-text article and contains redundant information content. In this paper, we report the continued development and evaluation of several figure summarization systems, the FigSum+ systems, that automatically identify associated texts, remove redundant information, and generate a text summary for every figure in an article. Using a set of 94 annotated figures selected from 19 different journals, we conducted an intrinsic evaluation of FigSum+. We evaluate the performance by precision, recall, F1, and ROUGE scores. The best FigSum+ system is based on an unsupervised method, achieving F1 score of 0.66 and ROUGE-1 score of 0.97. The annotated data is available at figshare.com (http://figshare.com/articles/Figure_Associated_Text_Summarization_and_Evaluation/858903).

  14. Metrics of Justice. A Sundial's Nomological Figuration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Behrmann, Carolin

    2015-01-01

    This paper examines a polyhedral dial from the British Museum made by the instrument maker Ulrich Schniep, and discusses the status of multifunctional scientific instruments. It discerns a multifaceted iconic meaning considering different dimensions such as scientific functionality (astronomy), the complex allegorical figure of Justice (iconography), and the representation of the sovereign (politics), the court and the Kunstkammer of Albrecht v of Bavaria. As a numen mixtum the figure of "Justicia" touches different fields that go far beyond pure astronomical measurement and represents the power of the ruler as well as the rules of economic justice.

  15. The edge complex: implicit memory for figure assignment in shape perception.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, Mary A; Enns, James T

    2005-05-01

    Viewing a stepped edge is likely to prompt the perceptual assignment of one side of the edge as figure. This study demonstrates that even a single brief glance at a novel edge gives rise to an implicit memory regarding which side was seen as figure; this edge complex enters into the figure assignment process the next time the edge is encountered, both speeding same-different judgments when the figural side is repeated and slowing these judgments when the new figural side is identical to the former ground side (Experiments 1A and 1B). These results were obtained even when the facing direction of the repeated edge was mirror reversed (Experiment 2). This study shows that implicit measures can reveal the effects of past experience on figure assignment, following a single prior exposure to a novel shape, and supports a competitive model of figure assignment in which past experience serves as one of many figural cues.

  16. A new principle of figure-ground segregation : The accentuation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pinna, Baingio; Reeves, Adam; Koenderink, Jan; van Doorn, Andrea; Deiana, Katia

    2018-01-01

    The problem of perceptual organization was studied by Gestalt psychologists in terms of figure-ground segregation. In this paper we explore a new principle of figure-ground segregation: accentuation. We demonstrate the effectiveness of accentuation relative to other Gestalt principles, and also

  17. Figure/Ground Segmentation via a Haptic Glance: Attributing Initial Finger Contacts to Objects or Their Supporting Surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pawluk, D; Kitada, R; Abramowicz, A; Hamilton, C; Lederman, S J

    2011-01-01

    The current study addresses the well-known "figure/ground" problem in human perception, a fundamental topic that has received surprisingly little attention from touch scientists to date. Our approach is grounded in, and directly guided by, current knowledge concerning the nature of haptic processing. Given inherent figure/ground ambiguity in natural scenes and limited sensory inputs from first contact (a "haptic glance"), we consider first whether people are even capable of differentiating figure from ground (Experiments 1 and 2). Participants were required to estimate the strength of their subjective impression that they were feeling an object (i.e., figure) as opposed to just the supporting structure (i.e., ground). Second, we propose a tripartite factor classification scheme to further assess the influence of kinetic, geometric (Experiments 1 and 2), and material (Experiment 2) factors on haptic figure/ground segmentation, complemented by more open-ended subjective responses obtained at the end of the experiment. Collectively, the results indicate that under certain conditions it is possible to segment figure from ground via a single haptic glance with a reasonable degree of certainty, and that all three factor classes influence the estimated likelihood that brief, spatially distributed fingertip contacts represent contact with an object and/or its background supporting structure.

  18. Feedback Enhances Feedforward Figure-Ground Segmentation by Changing Firing Mode

    Science.gov (United States)

    Supèr, Hans; Romeo, August

    2011-01-01

    In the visual cortex, feedback projections are conjectured to be crucial in figure-ground segregation. However, the precise function of feedback herein is unclear. Here we tested a hypothetical model of reentrant feedback. We used a previous developed 2-layered feedforwardspiking network that is able to segregate figure from ground and included feedback connections. Our computer model data show that without feedback, neurons respond with regular low-frequency (∼9 Hz) bursting to a figure-ground stimulus. After including feedback the firing pattern changed into a regular (tonic) spiking pattern. In this state, we found an extra enhancement of figure responses and a further suppression of background responses resulting in a stronger figure-ground signal. Such push-pull effect was confirmed by comparing the figure-ground responses withthe responses to a homogenous texture. We propose that feedback controlsfigure-ground segregation by influencing the neural firing patterns of feedforward projecting neurons. PMID:21738747

  19. Figure 3

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The Figure.tar.gz contains a directory for each WRF ensemble run. In these directories are *.csv files for each meteorology variable examined. These are comma...

  20. Mathematical Modeling: Challenging the Figured Worlds of Elementary Mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wickstrom, Megan H.

    2017-01-01

    This article is a report on a teacher study group that focused on three elementary teachers' perceptions of mathematical modeling in contrast to typical mathematics instruction. Through the theoretical lens of figured worlds, I discuss how mathematics instruction was conceptualized across the classrooms in terms of artifacts, discourse, and…

  1. Influential psychotherapy figures, authors, and books: An Internet survey of over 2,000 psychotherapists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cook, Joan M; Biyanova, Tatyana; Coyne, James C

    2009-03-01

    In a partial replication and extension of a survey conducted 25 years ago (Smith, 1982), over 2,400 North American psychotherapists completed a Web-based survey in which they identified prominent figures in the psychotherapy field who have most influenced their practice and the best psychotherapy books they had read in the past 3 years. There is a continued prominence to leaders of the field from 25 years ago but who are now deceased, notably the top-ranked Carl Rogers. Three books on the top-10 list represent empirically supported therapies (ESTs); two are treatment manuals for an EST, and one is a self-help book derived from an EST that has itself been shown to be efficacious bibliotherapy. Differences between psychologist and nonpsychologist therapists in the choice of influential figures, authors, and books are negligible. Implications are discussed in terms of the contemporary context into which therapeutic innovations are disseminated, as well as the conditions that may be necessary for successful dissemination. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).

  2. Tables and figures from JNDC Nuclear Data Library of fission products, version 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ihara, Hitoshi

    1989-11-01

    The content of JNDC (Japanese Nuclear Data Committee) FP (Fission Product) Nuclear Data Library version 2 for 1227 fission products is presented in the form of tables and figures. The library is inclusive of evaluated decay data such as decay constant, Q-value, average energies of beta, gamma and internal conversion electron, spin-parity, branching ratio of each decay mode and fission yield. The neutron capture cross-sections are also contained for 166 nuclides. The mass number of the fission product nuclides ranges from A = 66 to A = 172. (author)

  3. Student figures in friction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Gritt B.

    , students' room for participation in their own learning, influenced by demands for efficiency, flexibility and student-centred education. The thesis recasts the anthropological endeavour as one of ‘figuration work'. That is, ‘frictional events' are explored as moments when conflicting figures...

  4. The effect of recognizability on figure-ground processing: does it affect parsing or only figure selection?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Navon, David

    2011-03-01

    Though figure-ground assignment has been shown to be probably affected by recognizability, it appears sensible that object recognition must follow at least the earlier process of figure-ground segregation. To examine whether or not rudimentary object recognition could, counterintuitively, start even before the completion of the stage of parsing in which figure-ground segregation is done, participants were asked to respond, in a go/no-go fashion, whenever any out of 16 alternative connected patterns (that constituted familiar stimuli in the upright orientation) appeared. The white figure of the to-be-attended stimulus-target or foil-could be segregated from the white ambient ground only by means of a frame surrounding it. Such a frame was absent until the onset of target display. Then, to manipulate organizational quality, the greyness of the frame was either gradually increased from zero (in Experiment 1) or changed abruptly to a stationary level whose greyness was varied between trials (in Experiments 2 and 3). Stimulus recognizability was manipulated by orientation angle. In all three experiments the effect of recognizability was found to be considerably larger when organizational quality was minimal due to an extremely faint frame. This result is argued to be incompatible with any version of a serial thesis suggesting that processing aimed at object recognition starts only with a good enough level of organizational quality. The experiments rather provide some support to the claim, termed here "early interaction hypothesis", positing interaction between early recognition processing and preassignment parsing processes.

  5. String figures as mathematics? an anthropological approach to string figure-making in oral tradition societies

    CERN Document Server

    Vandendriessche, Eric

    2015-01-01

    This book addresses the mathematical rationality contained in the making of string figures. It does so by using interdisciplinary methods borrowed from anthropology, mathematics, history and philosophy of mathematics. The practice of string figure-making has long been carried out in many societies, and particularly in those of oral tradition. It consists in applying a succession of operations to a string (knotted into a loop), mostly using the fingers and sometimes the feet, the wrists or the mouth. This succession of operations is intended to generate a final figure. The book explores differ

  6. 46 CFR Appendix II to Part 150 - Explanation of Figure 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... COMPATIBILITY OF CARGOES Pt. 150, App. II Appendix II to Part 150—Explanation of Figure 1 Definition of a..., aromatic hydrocarbons or paraffins. Others will form hazardous combinations with many groups: For example...

  7. Graphics of polar figure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Macias B, L.R.

    1991-11-01

    The objective of this work, is that starting from a data file coming from a spectra that has been softened, and of the one that have been generated its coordinates to project it in stereographic form, to create the corresponding polar figure making use of the Cyber computer of the ININ by means of the GRAPHOS package. This work only requires a Beta, Fi and Intensity (I) enter data file. It starts of the existence of a softened spectra of which have been generated already with these data, making use of some language that in this case was FORTRAN for the Cyber computer, a program is generated supported in the Graphos package that allows starting of a reading of the Beta, Fi, I file, to generate the points in a stereographic projection and that it culminates with the graph of the corresponding polar figure. The program will request the pertinent information that is wanted to capture in the polar figure just as: date, name of the enter file, indexes of the polar figure, number of levels, radio of the stereographic projection (cms.), crystalline system to which belongs the sample, name the neuter graph file by create and to add the own general data. (Author)

  8. High room-temperature figure of merit of thin layers prepared by laser ablation from Bi2Te3 target

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walachova, J.; Zeipl, R.; Zelinka, J.; Malina, V.; Pavelka, M.; Jelinek, M.; Studnicka, V.; Lost'ak, P.

    2005-01-01

    The figure of merit ZT is measured by a Harman method on simple devices prepared on single thermoelectric layers of different thicknesses. The thermoelectric layers are prepared at different conditions by laser ablation from Bi 2 Te 3 target. The best measured figure of merit ZT is for our devices ZT=2.65. This result is comparable with the results obtained on superlattices. ZT oscillated with the thickness of the layers. On some devices the Seebeck coefficient is measured and using conductivity measurements along the thermoelectric layers the thermal conductivity is estimated from ZT. The low thermal conductivity of samples is explained by the quantum size effect and by existence of few phases of type Bi 2(m+n) Te 3n in the thermoelectric layers

  9. Figure-ground segmentation can occur without attention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kimchi, Ruth; Peterson, Mary A

    2008-07-01

    The question of whether or not figure-ground segmentation can occur without attention is unresolved. Early theorists assumed it can, but the evidence is scant and open to alternative interpretations. Recent research indicating that attention can influence figure-ground segmentation raises the question anew. We examined this issue by asking participants to perform a demanding change-detection task on a small matrix presented on a task-irrelevant scene of alternating regions organized into figures and grounds by convexity. Independently of any change in the matrix, the figure-ground organization of the scene changed or remained the same. Changes in scene organization produced congruency effects on target-change judgments, even though, when probed with surprise questions, participants could report neither the figure-ground status of the region on which the matrix appeared nor any change in that status. When attending to the scene, participants reported figure-ground status and changes to it highly accurately. These results clearly demonstrate that figure-ground segmentation can occur without focal attention.

  10. Figures and First Years: An Analysis of Calculus Students' Use of Figures in Technical Reports

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nathan J. Antonacci

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available This three-year study focused on first-year Calculus I students and their abilities to incorporate figures in technical reports. In each year, these calculus students wrote a technical report as part of the Polar Bear Module, an educational unit developed for use in partner courses in biology, computer science, mathematics, and physics as part of the Multidisciplinary Sustainability Education (MSE project at Ithaca College. In the first year of the project, students received basic technical report guidelines. In year two, the report guidelines changed to include explicit language on how to incorporate figures. In year three, a grading rubric was added to the materials provided to one of the two classes. In all three years, the students performed below expectations in their use of graphs in their reports. Reviews of the figures in the 78 technical reports written by the 106 students showed repeated deficiencies in the figures and how the students used them in the discussion sections and in evidence-based arguments. In year three the student’s quantitative literacy (QL skills were assessed using an extract from a QL assessment instrument published in Numeracy. The results indicated that the students could both read and interpret figures, suggesting that issues with QL were not the main contributor to student difficulty with written discussion about graphs. The study underscores the need that explicit instructional attention be given to developing student knowhow in the use of figures in technical reports.

  11. Separating figure from ground with a parallel network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kienker, P K; Sejnowski, T J; Hinton, G E; Schumacher, L E

    1986-01-01

    The differentiation of figure from ground plays an important role in the perceptual organization of visual stimuli. The rapidity with which we can discriminate the inside from the outside of a figure suggests that at least this step in the process may be performed in visual cortex by a large number of neurons in several different areas working together in parallel. We have attempted to simulate this collective computation by designing a network of simple processing units that receives two types of information: bottom-up input from the image containing the outlines of a figure, which may be incomplete, and a top-down attentional input that biases one part of the image to be the inside of the figure. No presegmentation of the image was assumed. Two methods for performing the computation were explored: gradient descent, which seeks locally optimal states, and simulated annealing, which attempts to find globally optimal states by introducing noise into the computation. For complete outlines, gradient descent was faster, but the range of input parameters leading to successful performance was very narrow. In contrast, simulated annealing was more robust: it worked over a wider range of attention parameters and a wider range of outlines, including incomplete ones. Our network model is too simplified to serve as a model of human performance, but it does demonstrate that one global property of outlines can be computed through local interactions in a parallel network. Some features of the model, such as the role of noise in escaping from nonglobal optima, may generalize to more realistic models.

  12. Energy: facts and figures in 2006

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lavergne, R.; Nanot, B.; Scherrer, S.; Paquel, V.; Louati, S.; Thienard, H.

    2007-01-01

    The consumption of final energy in France in 2006 increased slightly on the whole (+0.6%) and in all sectors except the industry (-0.7%). The final energy consumption is defined as the difference between the total consumption of primary energy and the consumption of the energy production sector. The evolution of the consumption of final energy is different according to the type of energy: +4.1% for coal (due to the strong demand in the iron and steel industry), +3.6% for renewable energies (due to specific development programs), +1.5% for electrical power and no change for oil and natural gas. Despite high prices, sales of car fuels rose by 0.4%, this figure hides the fact that the sales of fuels for diesel cars rose by 2.7% (because of the growing population of diesel cars) while those of grade petrol kept on plummeting (-5.9%). It is important to note that the releases of CO 2 due to energy went down by -1.4% in 2006. The energy bill increased by +18.5% to fetch 46.2*10 9 euros despite the decrease of the imported volumes. This articles details the energy figures for France in 2006 and sheds light particularly on 3 aspects: first, the annual trends in energy since 1973, secondly, the energy bill and thirdly the figures for electricity, natural gas, solid mineral fuels, hydrocarbons and renewable sources of energy. (A.C.)

  13. Evaluation of the pole figure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cabrera B, E.; Macias B, L.R.

    1984-01-01

    In the present work it's shown the possibility of obtaining a pole-figure from the data generated in a conventional X-ray equipment, with a commercial goniometer and no electronic device to process the data. The way to plot the pole-figure on-line is by means of measuring the diffractogram and plot manually the stereographic projections. The atainable precision is very low in such a cumbersome process. In this paper we substitute such method by storing the data in a punched tape from a conventional teletype. The data is processed in a computer and the pole-figure is recorded by a plotter attached to the computer. (author)

  14. Inhibitory competition in figure-ground perception: context and convexity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, Mary A; Salvagio, Elizabeth

    2008-12-15

    Convexity has long been considered a potent cue as to which of two regions on opposite sides of an edge is the shaped figure. Experiment 1 shows that for a single edge, there is only a weak bias toward seeing the figure on the convex side. Experiments 1-3 show that the bias toward seeing the convex side as figure increases as the number of edges delimiting alternating convex and concave regions increases, provided that the concave regions are homogeneous in color. The results of Experiments 2 and 3 rule out a probability summation explanation for these context effects. Taken together, the results of Experiments 1-3 show that the homogeneity versus heterogeneity of the convex regions is irrelevant. Experiment 4 shows that homogeneity of alternating regions is not sufficient for context effects; a cue that favors the perception of the intervening regions as figures is necessary. Thus homogeneity alone does not alone operate as a background cue. We interpret our results within a model of figure-ground perception in which shape properties on opposite sides of an edge compete for representation and the competitive strength of weak competitors is further reduced when they are homogeneous.

  15. 49 CFR Figure 2a to Subpart B of... - Example of an Intermediate Level Seating Area of a Multi-Level Car Complying With Window Location...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Example of an Intermediate Level Seating Area of a Multi-Level Car Complying With Window Location Requirements-§§ 238.113 and 238.114 2A Figure 2A to... Intermediate Level Seating Area of a Multi-Level Car Complying With Window Location Requirements—§§ 238.113 and...

  16. Metode Pembelajaran Terpadu untuk Mingkatkan Kreativas Verbal Dan Figural Pada Siswa Kelas Enam di SDN 2 Kenayang Tulungagung

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mentari Marwa

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui apakah dengan adanya metode pembelajaran terpadu dapat meningkatkan kreativitas verbal dan figural pada siswa kelas VI Penelitian ini menggunakan desain eksperimen Pretest-Posttest One Group Design. Metode pembelajaran terpadu yaitu suatu pembelajaran yang memadukan berbagai materi dalam satu sajian pembelajaran agar siswa memahami keterkaitan antara satu materi dengan materi lain atau antara satu mata pelajaran dengan mata pelajaran lain dan partisipasi aktif dari siswa akan membuat siswa lebih mudah untuk mengingat dan mengembangkan kognitif, dinamika afektif dan psikomotorik anak secara simultan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa terdapat pengaruh metode pembelajaran terpadu untuk meningkatkan kreativitas verbal pada anak kelas VI. Metode pembelajaran terpadu ternyata mampu meningkatkan kreativitas verbal siswa, dimana semua siswa mengalami peningkatan kreativitas verbal, dengan nilai Z = -2,041 dan p 0,05

  17. Novel figurative phrases and idioms: phrase characteristics over multiple presentations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schweigert, Wendy A; Cintron, Jennifer; Sullivan, Karin; Ilic, Emily; Ellis, Shannon; Dobrowits, Carrie; Roberts, Crystal

    2003-07-01

    In a series of three studies, characteristics of novel figurative phrases were compared with those of established idioms. Studies 1 and 2 found that certain correlations were found to be strong and in one direction for familiar idioms and comparably strong but in the opposite direction for novel figurative phrases, with the correlations for less familiar idioms usually falling partway between these extremes. Study 2 also noted that written or auditory presentation had minimal effects on characteristic ratings. In Study 3 the correlations among characteristics stayed relatively constant for familiar idioms after one, three, or six presentations, but for the novel figurative phrases, after multiple presentations the correlations changed in the direction of the established idioms.

  18. Intersectional Analysis in Critical Mathematics Education Research: A Response to Figure Hiding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bullock, Erika C.

    2018-01-01

    In this chapter, I use figure hiding as a metaphor representing the processes of exclusion and suppression that critical mathematics education (CME) seeks to address. Figure hiding renders identities and modes of thought in mathematics education and mathematics education research invisible. CME has a commitment to addressing figure hiding by…

  19. Hooke's figurations: a figural drawing attributed to Robert Hooke.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hunter, Matthew C

    2010-09-20

    The experimental philosopher Robert Hooke (1635-1703) is known to have apprenticed to the leading painter Peter Lely on his first arrival in London in the late 1640s. Yet the relevance of Hooke's artistic training to his mature draughtsmanship and identity has remained unclear. Shedding light on that larger interpretive problem, this article argues for the attribution to Hooke of a figural drawing now in Tate Britain (T10678). This attributed drawing is especially interesting because it depicts human subjects and bears Hooke's name functioning as an artistic signature, both highly unusual features for his draughtsmanship. From evidence of how this drawing was collected and physically placed alongside images by leading artists in the early eighteenth century, I suggest how it can offer new insight into the reception of Hooke and his graphic work in the early Enlightenment.

  20. [The spirometry figures of bronchoobstructive syndrome in concomitant intestinal parasitosis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aliyev, K; Aliyeva, G; Gadjiyeva, N

    2010-02-01

    The aim of research is to study of the spirometry figures of bronchoobstructive syndrome in concomitant intestinal parasitosis. There are 81 patients aged from 5 to 61 years (male 43, female 38) were examined. The patients were divided into 2 groups: 1 group - patients treated only with bronchodilator therapy (14 patients with protozoa, 14 - with helminth, 12 - with combination of parasitosis); 2 group - patients treated with bronchodilator therapy in common with anti-parasitic therapy (14 patients with protozoa, 17 - with helminth, 10 - with combination of parasitosis). There are 22 patients with bronchoobstructive syndrome without parasites were included in control group. Functional disorders at the initial examination are not significantly distinguished between patients with protozoa, helminth, with combined parasitosis and patients without parasites. Considerable differences manifested in dynamics after treatment: only bronchodilator therapy of patients infected with parasites is not lead to sufficient increase of the indices of external respiration function, even the decreasing of the most parameters were observed in patients with helminth. The least growth of spirometric indices were observed in patients from group 1 - 2,17/ 5,09% predicted volumes (-6,81min; 10,54max), the highest growth were observed in patients from group 2 - 20,26/ 12,45% p.v. (2,77min; 43,85max). The spirographic indicators increase after treatment in the control group was more moderate in comparison with 1 and 2 groups - 5,96/ 2,97% p.v. (0,39min; 9,59max). Thus, using antiparasitic therapy in common with bronchodilator therapy in treatment of patients with intestinal parasitosis (group 2) is lead to the reliably significant positive dynamic of spirometry parameters in comparison not only to 1 group (<0,05 for many parameters) but also to control group (<0,01 for many parameters).

  1. Enhanced thermoelectric figure of merit in strained Tl-doped Bi2Se3

    KAUST Repository

    Saeed, Y.

    2014-07-21

    We explain recent experimental findings on Tl-doped Bi2Se3 by determining the electronic and transport properties by first-principles calculations and semi-classical Boltzmann theory. Though Tl-doping introduces a momentum-dependent spin-orbit splitting, the effective mass of the carriers is essentially not modified, while the band gap is reduced. Tl is found to be exceptional in this respect as other dopants modify the dispersion, which compromises thermoelectricity. Moreover, we demonstrate that only after Tl-doping strain becomes an efficient tool for enhancing the thermoelectric performance. A high figure of merit of 0.86 is obtained for strong p-doping (7 × 10^20 cm^(−3), maximal power factor) at 500 K under 2% tensile strain.

  2. Criteria for eliminating items of a Test of Figural Analogies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Diego Blum

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes the steps taken to eliminate two of the items in a Test of Figural Analogies (TFA. The main guidelines of psychometric analysis concerning Classical Test Theory (CTT and Item Response Theory (IRT are explained. The item elimination process was based on both the study of the CTT difficulty and discrimination index, and the unidimensionality analysis. The a, b, and c parameters of the Three Parameter Logistic Model of IRT were also considered for this purpose, as well as the assessment of each item fitting this model. The unfavourable characteristics of a group of TFA items are detailed, and decisions leading to their possible elimination are discussed.

  3. 16 CFR Figure 1 to Part 1203 - Anatomical Planes

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Anatomical Planes 1 Figure 1 to Part 1203 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY ACT REGULATIONS SAFETY STANDARD FOR BICYCLE HELMETS Pt. 1203, Fig. 1 Figure 1 to Part 1203—Anatomical Planes ER10MR98.001 ...

  4. Public figure announcements about cancer and opportunities for cancer communication: a review and research agenda.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noar, Seth M; Willoughby, Jessica Fitts; Myrick, Jessica Gall; Brown, Jennifer

    2014-01-01

    Announcements by public figures and celebrities about cancer diagnosis or death represent significant events in public life. But what are the substantive effects of such events, if any? The purpose of this article is to systematically review studies that examined the impact of public figure cancer announcements on cancer-oriented outcomes. Using comprehensive search procedures, we identified k = 19 studies that examined 11 distinct public figures. The most commonly studied public figures were Jade Goody, Kylie Minogue, Nancy Reagan, and Steve Jobs, with the most common cancers studied being breast (53%), cervical (21%), and pancreatic (21%) cancer. Most studies assessed multiple outcome variables, including behavioral outcomes (k = 15), media coverage (k = 10), information seeking (k = 8), cancer incidence (k = 3), and interpersonal communication (k = 2). Results fairly consistently indicated that cancer announcements from public figures had meaningful effects on many, if not most, of these outcome variables. While such events essentially act as naturally occurring interventions, the effects tend to be relatively short term. Gaps in this literature include few contemporary studies of high-profile public figures in the United States and a general lack of theory-based research. Directions for future research as well as implications for cancer communication and prevention are discussed.

  5. Purely temporal figure-ground segregation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kandil, F I; Fahle, M

    2001-05-01

    Visual figure-ground segregation is achieved by exploiting differences in features such as luminance, colour, motion or presentation time between a figure and its surround. Here we determine the shortest delay times required for figure-ground segregation based on purely temporal features. Previous studies usually employed stimulus onset asynchronies between figure- and ground-containing possible artefacts based on apparent motion cues or on luminance differences. Our stimuli systematically avoid these artefacts by constantly showing 20 x 20 'colons' that flip by 90 degrees around their midpoints at constant time intervals. Colons constituting the background flip in-phase whereas those constituting the target flip with a phase delay. We tested the impact of frequency modulation and phase reduction on target detection. Younger subjects performed well above chance even at temporal delays as short as 13 ms, whilst older subjects required up to three times longer delays in some conditions. Figure-ground segregation can rely on purely temporal delays down to around 10 ms even in the absence of luminance and motion artefacts, indicating a temporal precision of cortical information processing almost an order of magnitude lower than the one required for some models of feature binding in the visual cortex [e.g. Singer, W. (1999), Curr. Opin. Neurobiol., 9, 189-194]. Hence, in our experiment, observers are unable to use temporal stimulus features with the precision required for these models.

  6. Figure6

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — R script for the reproduction of Figure6. This script accesses archived CMAQ and WRF model output on US EPA's HPC sol computer system and plots forward trajectories...

  7. Dissociation of color and figure-ground effects in the watercolor illusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Von der Heydt, Rüdiger; Pierson, Rachel

    2006-01-01

    Two phenomena can be observed in the watercolor illusion: illusory color spreading and figure-ground organization. We performed experiments to determine whether the figure-ground effect is a consequence of the color illusion or due to an independent mechanism. Subjects were tested with displays consisting of six adjacent compartments--three that generated the illusion alternating with three that served for comparison. In a first set of experiments, the illusory color was measured by finding the matching physical color in the alternate compartments. Figureness (probability of 'figure' responses, 2AFC) of the watercolor compartments was then determined with and without the matching color in the alternate compartments. The color match reduced figureness, but did not abolish it. There was a range of colors in which the watercolor compartments dominated as figures over the alternate compartments although the latter appeared more saturated in color. In another experiment, the effect of tinting alternate compartments was measured in displays without watercolor illusion. Figureness increased with color contrast, but its value at the equivalent contrast fell short of the figureness value obtained for the watercolor pattern. Thus, in both experiments, figureness produced by the watercolor pattern was stronger than expected from the color effect, suggesting independent mechanisms. Considering the neurophysiology, we propose that the color illusion follows from the principles of representation of surface color in the visual cortex, while the figure-ground effect results from two mechanisms of border ownership assignment, one that is sensitive to asymmetric shape of edge profile, the other to consistency of color borders.

  8. Executive Functioning and Figurative Language Comprehension in Learning Disabilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bishara, Saied; Kaplan, Shani

    2016-01-01

    The goal of the research was to examine executive functioning and figurative language comprehension among students with learning disabilities as compared to students without learning disabilities. As part of the research, we examined 20 students with learning disabilities and 21 students with no learning disabilities, both groups of students…

  9. 40 CFR Figure C-4 to Subpart C of... - Illustration of the Minimum Limits for Correlation Coefficient for PM2.5 and PM10−2.5 Class II...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 5 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Illustration of the Minimum Limits for Correlation Coefficient for PM2.5 and PM10â2.5 Class II and III Methods C Figure C-4 to Subpart C of Part 53... Methods and Reference Methods Pt. 53, Subpt. C, Fig. C-4 Figure C-4 to Subpart C of Part 53—Illustration...

  10. Full text and figure display improves bioscience literature search.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Divoli, Anna; Wooldridge, Michael A; Hearst, Marti A

    2010-04-14

    When reading bioscience journal articles, many researchers focus attention on the figures and their captions. This observation led to the development of the BioText literature search engine, a freely available Web-based application that allows biologists to search over the contents of Open Access Journals, and see figures from the articles displayed directly in the search results. This article presents a qualitative assessment of this system in the form of a usability study with 20 biologist participants using and commenting on the system. 19 out of 20 participants expressed a desire to use a bioscience literature search engine that displays articles' figures alongside the full text search results. 15 out of 20 participants said they would use a caption search and figure display interface either frequently or sometimes, while 4 said rarely and 1 said undecided. 10 out of 20 participants said they would use a tool for searching the text of tables and their captions either frequently or sometimes, while 7 said they would use it rarely if at all, 2 said they would never use it, and 1 was undecided. This study found evidence, supporting results of an earlier study, that bioscience literature search systems such as PubMed should show figures from articles alongside search results. It also found evidence that full text and captions should be searched along with the article title, metadata, and abstract. Finally, for a subset of users and information needs, allowing for explicit search within captions for figures and tables is a useful function, but it is not entirely clear how to cleanly integrate this within a more general literature search interface. Such a facility supports Open Access publishing efforts, as it requires access to full text of documents and the lifting of restrictions in order to show figures in the search interface.

  11. Full text and figure display improves bioscience literature search.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Divoli

    Full Text Available When reading bioscience journal articles, many researchers focus attention on the figures and their captions. This observation led to the development of the BioText literature search engine, a freely available Web-based application that allows biologists to search over the contents of Open Access Journals, and see figures from the articles displayed directly in the search results. This article presents a qualitative assessment of this system in the form of a usability study with 20 biologist participants using and commenting on the system. 19 out of 20 participants expressed a desire to use a bioscience literature search engine that displays articles' figures alongside the full text search results. 15 out of 20 participants said they would use a caption search and figure display interface either frequently or sometimes, while 4 said rarely and 1 said undecided. 10 out of 20 participants said they would use a tool for searching the text of tables and their captions either frequently or sometimes, while 7 said they would use it rarely if at all, 2 said they would never use it, and 1 was undecided. This study found evidence, supporting results of an earlier study, that bioscience literature search systems such as PubMed should show figures from articles alongside search results. It also found evidence that full text and captions should be searched along with the article title, metadata, and abstract. Finally, for a subset of users and information needs, allowing for explicit search within captions for figures and tables is a useful function, but it is not entirely clear how to cleanly integrate this within a more general literature search interface. Such a facility supports Open Access publishing efforts, as it requires access to full text of documents and the lifting of restrictions in order to show figures in the search interface.

  12. Central display system of figures in fire alarm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fang Shaohong; Zhu Zicheng; Zhu Liqun; Ren Yi; Yu Hongmei; Du Chengbao; Xie Guoxue

    1997-01-01

    A new type of 'central display system of figures in fire alarm' includes two parts: (1) software package of drawing picture; (2) real time processing and operate system (POS). Main function of the software package is to draw floor plane figures, fire-fighting facility signs and room numbers; and then all pictures are used in POS. Main functions of POS are to process fire alarm, faults and activation of fire fighting control facility, save and print reports, look over floor plane figures, look over concrete condition of fire fighting facilities, and to show appropriate prompt according to different case. This system realizes many functions, such as, control with mouse, operation with push-button, menu operation interface, flip windows to prompt, and chinese character. It have won acclaim for its amazing interface, its convenience to operate, its reliability and flexibility

  13. Shape Recognition Inputs to Figure-Ground Organization in Three-Dimensional Displays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, Mary A.; Gibson, Bradley S.

    1993-01-01

    Three experiments with 29 college students and 8 members of a university community demonstrate that shape recognition processes influence perceived figure-ground relationships in 3-dimensional displays when the edge between 2 potential figural regions is both a luminance contrast edge and a disparity edge. Implications for shape recognition and…

  14. Investigation of experimental pole-figure errors by simulation of individual spectra

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lychagina, T. A.; Nikolaev, D. I.

    2007-01-01

    The errors in measuring the crystallographic texture described by pole figures are studied. A set of diffraction spectra for a sample of the MA2-1 alloy (Mg + 4.5% Al + 1% Zn) are measured, simulation of individual spectra on the basis of which the pole figures were obtained is performed, and their errors are determined. The conclusion about the possibility of determining the effect of errors of the diffraction peak half-width on the pole figure errors that was drawn in our previous studies is confirmed

  15. STRESS FRACTURE PREVALENCE IN ELITE FIGURE SKATERS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sanda Dubravcic-Simunjak

    2008-09-01

    reported a stress fracture, which had occurred in the last years of their skating career. The site and the number of stress fractures in female and male junior and senior figure skaters throughout their skating disciplines are shown in Table 1. From all stress fractures reported, 21 (51% occurred in females and 12 (48% in male figure skaters during the competitive season, while 20 (49% stress fractures in females and 13 (52% in male figure skaters occurred during summer training. Of the investigated skaters 93% trained almost all year round with a 1-2 month break, after the end of a skating season. There were no differences in training duration between the groups of skaters that did and did not report a stress fracture, but all skaters with stress fractures reported changes to their training routine before the occurrence of stress fractures. The overall prevalence of stress fractures in the present study was 16.7% in female and 13.8% in male figure skaters with different prevalence among the figure skating disciplines that can be explained by their different training patterns. Single skaters spend most of their training time practicing different difficult jumps and their legs suffer great impact during the whole training session. In pair skaters the female counterpart has higher stress fracture prevalence than the male, which is comparable to ice dancers. This is probably because pair skaters not only do synchronous jumps but also use throw jumps where the female skater is thrown, while the men stays on the ice. Consequently the lower extremity of the female suffers repeated high impact during landing. Pair skaters and ice dancers practice on different kind of team elements, unison and synchrony. Their lower extremities are less exposed to excessive repetitive impacts compared to single figure skaters (Dubravcic-Simunjak et al., 2003; Moran, 2000, as confirmed by James et al, 2006. Concerning possible contributing factors to stress fractures, all female and male figure

  16. Retorical figures in advertising language

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Radenković-Šošić Bojana

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Promotional activities are very often based on advertising and diverse types of public relations. In order to attract consumers' attention and achieve communication goals set by the corporate strategy, advertisers frequently use rhetorical elements in advertising discourse. The advertisers try to convey a desired message and to communicate with the recipient of the message by using various rhetorical figures. It is argued that understanding the structure and function of rhetorical figures in advertising requires a "text- and reader-aware approach". The use of rhetorical figures in advertising has been overlooked in consumer research. This paper shows that the use of rhetorical elements in the advertising discourse is very frequent, but at the same time it is questioned if the function of the rhetorical figures is just a communication with the target market (which is a base of communication models and if the consequences of linguistic influences are much more serious. The complex nature of advertising language with various rhetorical figures (thropes and schemes do not just stimulate recipients to demonstrate a desirable behavior, but indirectly it constructs a concept of desirable lifestyle and it induces them to identify themselves with the explained model. Moreover, the analyzed corpus included advertising slogans of social responsible companies as well as advertising campaigns with elements of diverse ideologies. In the time of digitization and a rapid information flow, consumer's attention is less dedicated to the advertising messages. Therefore, it should be expected that in the future advertisers will have to adjust linguistic, audio and visual techniques to the unfocused message recipients.

  17. Figura ambígua e dislexia do desenvolvimento Ambiguous figure and developmental dyslexia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lílian Braga Alonso

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Avaliar o processamento visual de figuras ambíguas em indivíduos disléxicos e compará-lo a um grupo controle leitor normal. MÉTODOS: Survey comparativo onde foram selecionados aleatoriamente 39 escolares cursando entre a primeira e a quarta série do ensino fundamental. Deste total, 26 não apresentavam dificuldade de leitura ou mau rendimento escolar e constituíram o grupo controle. As outras 13 crianças (grupo de estudo eram portadoras de Dislexia do desenvolvimento. Foram apresentadas, pela ordem, uma figura de Boring, uma figura com vasos de Rubin e uma figura pato/coelho de Jastrow. RESULTADOS: Os resultados obtidos mostram que as crianças com diagnóstico de Dislexia do desenvolvimento perceberam número menor de figuras em relação às do grupo controle. CONCLUSÃO: O exame do processamento visual de crianças com Dislexia do desenvolvimento para figuras ambíguas é alterado quando comparado ao de crianças leitoras normais.OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the visual response of children with developmental dyslexia when ambiguous figure was presented in comparison with normal readers children. METHODS: 39 children from basic school was randomly chosen. 26 were normal readers. 13 were diagnosed developmental dyslexia.Were presented the Boring figure, Rubin vessels figure and Jastrow figure. RESULTS: Participants in the clinical group with dyslexia performed marginally less well than those in the control group. CONCLUSION: The visual response of children with developmental dyslexia when ambiguous figure was presented is less well in comparison with normal readers children.

  18. 16 CFR Figure 4 to Subpart A of... - Flooring Radiant Panel Tester Schematic Low Flux End, Elevation

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Flooring Radiant Panel Tester Schematic Low Flux End, Elevation 4 Figure 4 to Subpart A of Part 1209 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY... Standard Pt. 1209, Subpt. A, Fig. 4 Figure 4 to Subpart A of Part 1209—Flooring Radiant Panel Tester...

  19. Michigan transportation facts & figures : public transportation

    Science.gov (United States)

    2002-08-16

    This on-line document is part of a series, Transportation Facts & Figures, by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). The Public Transit section of Transportation Facts & Figures cover such topics as intercity bus service, intercity rail se...

  20. Adventures with Lissajous Figures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greenslade, Thomas B., Jr.

    2018-06-01

    Lissajous Figures are produced by combining two oscillations at right angles to each other. The figures, drawn by mechanical devices called harmonographs, have scientific uses, but are also enjoyed for their own beauty. The author has been working with harmonographs since his undergraduate days, building several of them, lecturing on them and has written articles about them. This book is intended for people who enjoy physics or art or both.

  1. Figural properties are prioritized for search under conditions of uncertainty: Setting boundary conditions on claims that figures automatically attract attention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, Mary A; Mojica, Andrew J; Salvagio, Elizabeth; Kimchi, Ruth

    2017-01-01

    Nelson and Palmer (2007) concluded that figures/figural properties automatically attract attention, after they found that participants were faster to detect/discriminate targets appearing where a portion of a familiar object was suggested in an otherwise ambiguous display. We investigated whether these effects are truly automatic and whether they generalize to another figural property-convexity. We found that Nelson and Palmer's results do generalize to convexity, but only when participants are uncertain regarding when and where the target will appear. Dependence on uncertainty regarding target location/timing was also observed for familiarity. Thus, although we could replicate and extend Nelson and Palmer's results, our experiments showed that figures do not automatically draw attention. In addition, our research went beyond Nelson and Palmer's, in that we were able to separate figural properties from perceived figures. Because figural properties are regularities that predict where objects lie in the visual field, our results join other evidence that regularities in the environment can attract attention. More generally, our results are consistent with Bayesian theories in which priors are given more weight under conditions of uncertainty.

  2. data for figures

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Figures 1-10 and Table 1. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Chang, S.Y., S. Arunachalam, A. Valencia, B. Naess, V. Isakov , M. Breen , T....

  3. Figures in Space, Figuring Space: Towards a Spatialsymbolic Framework for Understanding Youth Cultures and Identities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ravn, Signe; Demant, Jakob Johan

    2017-01-01

    (n = 80) in four different parts of Denmark. The interviews included a photo elicitation exercise and the analysis in this article focuses on one particular picture of two young ‘hipster’ men. By using the figure of the hipster as an analytical case, the article illustrates how individual and spatial...... of paying attention to structural inequalities....

  4. 3-D vision and figure-ground separation by visual cortex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grossberg, S

    1994-01-01

    A neural network theory of three-dimensional (3-D) vision, called FACADE theory, is described. The theory proposes a solution of the classical figure-ground problem for biological vision. It does so by suggesting how boundary representations and surface representations are formed within a boundary contour system (BCS) and a feature contour system (FCS). The BCS and FCS interact reciprocally to form 3-D boundary and surface representations that are mutually consistent. Their interactions generate 3-D percepts wherein occluding and occluded object parts are separated, completed, and grouped. The theory clarifies how preattentive processes of 3-D perception and figure-ground separation interact reciprocally with attentive processes of spatial localization, object recognition, and visual search. A new theory of stereopsis is proposed that predicts how cells sensitive to multiple spatial frequencies, disparities, and orientations are combined by context-sensitive filtering, competition, and cooperation to form coherent BCS boundary segmentations. Several factors contribute to figure-ground pop-out, including: boundary contrast between spatially contiguous boundaries, whether due to scenic differences in luminance, color, spatial frequency, or disparity; partially ordered interactions from larger spatial scales and disparities to smaller scales and disparities; and surface filling-in restricted to regions surrounded by a connected boundary. Phenomena such as 3-D pop-out from a 2-D picture, Da Vinci stereopsis, 3-D neon color spreading, completion of partially occluded objects, and figure-ground reversals are analyzed. The BCS and FCS subsystems model aspects of how the two parvocellular cortical processing streams that join the lateral geniculate nucleus to prestriate cortical area V4 interact to generate a multiplexed representation of Form-And-Color-And-DEpth, or FACADE, within area V4. Area V4 is suggested to support figure-ground separation and to interact with

  5. Maternal and perinatal mortality figures in 249 South African ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    the PMR for the black population is considerably hi9her than for the other ethnic groups. That said, perinatal mortality levels in South African blacks still compare favourably with figures from other African cQuntries.12. In conclusion, the MMRs and PMRs found in our survey of. 249 South African hospitals - though not truly.

  6. Figure Types in the AAS Journals: A Treasure Trove of Unmined Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwarz, Greg

    2013-01-01

    I present an analysis of the types of figures submitted to the AAS Journals as the prelude of a long term AAS project to capture more of the supporting data. Figures can be classified into 3 broad categories, diagrams, line art, and images. Diagrams are schematic, drawings, or illustrations and are meant to convey purely visual information. There is no intrinsic machine readable data underlying them. Line art and images, on the other hand, are snapshots of the larger underlying observational and model generated data sets. The advantages of including more data in a Virtual Observatory supported format is obvious for the reader but would also be an advantage for the author through greater visibility and thus higher citation counts. In this poster I present statistics from the August 2012 Astronomical Journal (V144 n2) and September 10th, 2012 Astrophysical Journal (v756 n2) issues and outline the near term challenges in capturing this "missing mass".

  7. A simple and effective figure caption detection system for old-style documents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Zongyi; Zhou, Hanning

    2011-01-01

    Identifying figure captions has wide applications in producing high quality e-books such as kindle books or ipad books. In this paper, we present a rule-based system to detect horizontal figure captions in old-style documents. Our algorithm consists of three steps: (i) segment images into regions of different types such as text and figures, (ii) search the best caption region candidate based on heuristic rules such as region alignments and distances, and (iii) expand caption regions identified in step (ii) with its neighboring text-regions in order to correct oversegmentation errors. We test our algorithm using 81 images collected from old-style books, with each image containing at least one figure area. We show that the approach is able to correctly detect figure captions from images with different layouts, and we also measure its performances in terms of both precision rate and recall rate.

  8. Figure-ground representation and its decay in primary visual cortex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strother, Lars; Lavell, Cheryl; Vilis, Tutis

    2012-04-01

    We used fMRI to study figure-ground representation and its decay in primary visual cortex (V1). Human observers viewed a motion-defined figure that gradually became camouflaged by a cluttered background after it stopped moving. V1 showed positive fMRI responses corresponding to the moving figure and negative fMRI responses corresponding to the static background. This positive-negative delineation of V1 "figure" and "background" fMRI responses defined a retinotopically organized figure-ground representation that persisted after the figure stopped moving but eventually decayed. The temporal dynamics of V1 "figure" and "background" fMRI responses differed substantially. Positive "figure" responses continued to increase for several seconds after the figure stopped moving and remained elevated after the figure had disappeared. We propose that the sustained positive V1 "figure" fMRI responses reflected both persistent figure-ground representation and sustained attention to the location of the figure after its disappearance, as did subjects' reports of persistence. The decreasing "background" fMRI responses were relatively shorter-lived and less biased by spatial attention. Our results show that the transition from a vivid figure-ground percept to its disappearance corresponds to the concurrent decay of figure enhancement and background suppression in V1, both of which play a role in form-based perceptual memory.

  9. Supplemental figures: Direct photon production at low transverse momentum in proton-proton collisions at $\\mathbf{\\sqrt{s}=2.76}$ and 8 TeV

    CERN Document Server

    2018-01-01

    This note provides supplemental figures for the paper ``Direct photon production at low transverse momentum in proton-proton collisions at $\\sqrt{s}=2.76$ and 8 TeV'' \\cite{Acharya:2018cpp}. The decay-photon simulation figures for $\\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV are provided as well as individual and combined correction factors of the inclusive photons for both reconstruction methods. In addition, plots of the inclusive photon spectra for both systems as well as standalone figures of the direct photon excess ratios or their corresponding theory calculations are provided. Furthermore, a comparison of $R_\\gamma$ between pp and Pb--Pb collisions in three centrality classes is made.

  10. INFLUENCE OF MUSICAL TONES, IN THE CLASSICAL CONDITIONING OF PREFERENCE OF GEOMETRICAL FIGURES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    WILSON LÓPEZ

    2004-07-01

    Full Text Available This research intended to create preferences on geometric figures using a classical conditioning procedurewhere 2 specific variations of musical structure were used -mayor and dissonant tones- as unconditionedstimulus. 24 university students with an age average of 23 years were exposed to stimular conditionswhere 2 geometric figures (CS+, were matched with mayor tones (UCS+ and other 2 (CS- withdissonant (UCS-; subsequently the figures were rated on a scale (where +10 = very pleasant and -10 =very unpleasant. According with the formulated hypothesis and the previous discoveries in both basicand applied research, three of the four conditions tested showed significant values using the Wilcoxonsign ranks test.

  11. Eocene Yegua Formation (Claiborne group) and Jackson group lignite deposits of Texas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hook, Robert W.; Warwick, Peter D.; Swanson, Sharon M.; Hackley, Paul C.; Warwick, Peter D.; Karlsen, Alexander K.; Merrill, Matthew D.; Valentine, Brett J.

    2011-01-01

    The lignite deposits within the upper Eocene Yegua Formation (Claiborne Group) and the overlying Jackson Group are among the coal resources that were not quantitatively assessed as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Coal Resource Assessment (NCRA) program in the Gulf Coastal Plain coal province. In the past, these lignite-bearing stratigraphic units often have been evaluated together because of their geographic and stratigraphic proximity (Fisher, 1963; Kaiser, 1974; Kaiser et al., 1980; Jackson and Garner, 1982; Kaiser, 1996) (Figures 1, 2). The term “Yegua-Jackson trend“ is used informally herein for the lignite-bearing outcrops of these Late Eocene deposits in Texas. Lignite beds in the Yegua-Jackson trend generally are higher both in ash yield and sulfur content than those of the underlying Wilcox Group (Figure 2). Recent studies (Senkayi et al., 1987; Ruppert et al., 1994; Warwick et al., 1996, 1997) have shown that some lignite beds within the Yegua-Jackson trend contain partings of volcanic ash and host elevated levels of trace elements that have been identified as potentially hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) in the United States Clean Air Amendments of 1990. Lignite beds within the Yegua Formation are thin (less than or equal to 6 ft) and laterally discontinuous in comparison with most Wilcox Group deposits (Ayers, 1989a); in contrast, the Jackson Group lignite beds range up to 12 ft in total thickness and are relatively continuous laterally, extending nearly 32 mi along strike.

  12. The precision segmented reflectors: Moderate mission figure control subsystem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sevaston, G.; Redding, D.; Lau, K.; Breckenridge, W.; Levine, B.; Nerheim, N.; Sirlin, S.; Kadogawa, H.

    1991-01-01

    A system concept for a space based segmented reflector telescope figure control subsystem is described. The concept employs a two phase architecture in which figure initialization and figure maintenance are independent functions. Figure initialization is accomplished by image sharpening using natural reference targets. Figure maintenance is performed by monitoring the relative positions and alignments of the telescope components using an optical truss. Actuation is achieved using precision positioners. Computer simulation results of figure initialization by pairwise segment coalignment/cophasing and simulated annealing are presented along with figure maintenance results using a wavefront error regulation algorithm. Both functions are shown to perform at acceptable levels for the class of submillimeter telescopes that are serving as the focus of this technology development effort. Component breadboard work as well as plans for a system testbed are discussed.

  13. Retorical figures in advertising language

    OpenAIRE

    Radenković-Šošić Bojana

    2012-01-01

    Promotional activities are very often based on advertising and diverse types of public relations. In order to attract consumers' attention and achieve communication goals set by the corporate strategy, advertisers frequently use rhetorical elements in advertising discourse. The advertisers try to convey a desired message and to communicate with the recipient of the message by using various rhetorical figures. It is argued that understanding the structure and function of rhetorical figur...

  14. The figure has a shape, but the ground does not: evidence from a priming paradigm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baylis, G C; Cale, E M

    2001-06-01

    In four experiments, the authors examined the extent to which the ground interpretation of an edge may receive a shape description. These experiments used the priming effect that shapes have on perceptual judgments on a subsequent trial. A robust reduction in error rates and reaction times was seen when the figural shape was the same as that on the previous trial. This repetition priming effect may be due to activation of the shape description of the figure that remained from the previous trial. In contrast, no priming by the shape of the ground was seen even when the contrast sign of the figure reversed between trials. Priming for figural shapes occurred at a relatively abstract level because it was robust across reversals of contrast and orientation. These data suggest that the figural interpretation of a shape receives a shape description but that the ground does not.

  15. 16 CFR Figure 6 to Part 1203 - Field of Vision

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Field of Vision 6 Figure 6 to Part 1203 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY ACT REGULATIONS SAFETY STANDARD FOR BICYCLE HELMETS Pt. 1203, Fig. 6 Figure 6 to Part 1203—Field of Vision ER10MR98.006 ...

  16. Deficit in figure-ground segmentation following closed head injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baylis, G C; Baylis, L L

    1997-08-01

    Patient CB showed a severe impairment in figure-ground segmentation following a closed head injury. Unlike normal subjects, CB was unable to parse smaller and brighter parts of stimuli as figure. Moreover, she did not show the normal effect that symmetrical regions are seen as figure, although she was able to make overt judgments of symmetry. Since she was able to attend normally to isolated objects, CB demonstrates a dissociation between figure ground segmentation and subsequent processes of attention. Despite her severe impairment in figure-ground segmentation, CB showed normal 'parallel' single feature visual search. This suggests that figure-ground segmentation is dissociable from 'preattentive' processes such as visual search.

  17. Figures of merit for surface plasmon waveguides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berini, Pierre

    2006-12-01

    Three figures of merit are proposed as quality measures for surface plasmon waveguides. They are defined as benefit-to-cost ratios where the benefit is confinement and the cost is attenuation. Three different ways of measuring confinement are considered, leading to three figures of merit. One of the figures of merit is connected to the quality factor. The figures of merit were then used to assess and compare the wavelength response of hree popular 1-D surface plasmon waveguides: the single metal-dielectric interface, the metal slab bounded by dielectric and the dielectric slab bounded by metal. Closed form expressions are given for the figures of merit of the single metal-dielectric interface.

  18. Using Figure and Concept Knowledge in Geometry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yavuz Karpuz

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available In this study, we aim to investigate how students build interaction between concepts and figure in geometry. For this purpose we developed two type data collection tool. First one called shapely is formed eight open ended question which has concepts and figure. Second one called shapeless is formed eight open ended question which has only concepts. To prepare this data collection tools’ difficulty level we took two math teachers’ opinions. Developed data collection tools were applied 120 students at 9th grade and 11th grade in Trabzon Gazi Anatolian High School. First of all we applied shapeless questions. One month later we applied shapely questions. We investigated students’ answer and the data showed that students more succeed in shapely questions than shapeless questions. We concluded that the difficulty of solving shapeless question result from students didn’t manage to draw figure representing concept knowledge or draw wrong figure, figure drawn by students can’t fulfıl generalizability condition and students who have little knowledge of concept in geometry is under the influence of prototype figure.Key Words:    Figural concepts theory, geometrical reasoning, geometry teaching

  19. The role of attention in figure-ground segregation in areas V1 and V4 of the visual cortex

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Poort, J.; Raudies, F.; Wannig, A.; Lamme, V.A.F.; Neumann, H.; Roelfsema, P.R.

    2012-01-01

    Our visual system segments images into objects and background. Figure-ground segregation relies on the detection of feature discontinuities that signal boundaries between the figures and the background and on a complementary region-filling process that groups together image regions with similar

  20. Figure-ground: history and practice of a planning technique

    OpenAIRE

    Hebbert, M.

    2016-01-01

    Figure-ground plans show the footprints of buildings and the pattern of unbuilt voids in urban space. Compared historically they reveal the erosion of the public realm over time and provide an analytical basis for tissue repair. The paper traces the communicative power of figure-ground technique to its roots in gestalt psychology, and follows its revival from Colin Rowe’s studio at Cornell through to controversies in post-reunification Berlin. The impact of computerisation is discussed and th...

  1. 16 CFR Figures 1 and 2 to Part 1204 - Suggested Instrumentation for Current Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Suggested Instrumentation for Current Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility 1 Figures 1 and 2 to Part 1204 Commercial Practices CONSUMER... Instrumentation for Current Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility EC03OC91.008 ...

  2. Early stages of figure-ground segregation during perception of the face-vase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pitts, Michael A; Martínez, Antígona; Brewer, James B; Hillyard, Steven A

    2011-04-01

    The temporal sequence of neural processes supporting figure-ground perception was investigated by recording ERPs associated with subjects' perceptions of the face-vase figure. In Experiment 1, subjects continuously reported whether they perceived the face or the vase as the foreground figure by pressing one of two buttons. Each button press triggered a probe flash to the face region, the vase region, or the borders between the two. The N170/vertex positive potential (VPP) component of the ERP elicited by probes to the face region was larger when subjects perceived the faces as figure. Preceding the N170/VPP, two additional components were identified. First, when the borders were probed, ERPs differed in amplitude as early as 110 msec after probe onset depending on subjects' figure-ground perceptions. Second, when the face or vase regions were probed, ERPs were more positive (at ∼ 150-200 msec) when that region was perceived as figure versus background. These components likely reflect an early "border ownership" stage, and a subsequent "figure-ground segregation" stage of processing. To explore the influence of attention on these stages of processing, two additional experiments were conducted. In Experiment 2, subjects selectively attended to the face or vase region, and the same early ERP components were again produced. In Experiment 3, subjects performed an identical selective attention task, but on a display lacking distinctive figure-ground borders, and neither of the early components were produced. Results from these experiments suggest sequential stages of processing underlying figure-ground perception, each which are subject to modifications by selective attention.

  3. Figure-ground segregation at contours: a neural mechanism in the visual cortex of the alert monkey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baumann, R; van der Zwan, R; Peterhans, E

    1997-06-01

    An important task of vision is the segregation of figure and ground in situations of spatial occlusion. Psychophysical evidence suggests that the depth order at contours is defined early in visual processing. We have analysed this process in the visual cortex of the alert monkey. The animals were trained on a visual fixation task which reinforced foveal viewing. During periods of active visual fixation, we recorded the responses of single neurons in striate and prestriate cortex (areas V1, V2, and V3/V3A). The stimuli mimicked situations of spatial occlusion, usually a uniform light (or dark) rectangle overlaying a grating texture of opposite contrast. The direction of figure and ground at the borders of these rectangles was defined by the direction of the terminating grating lines (occlusion cues). Neuronal responses were analysed with respect to figure-ground direction and contrast polarity at such contours. Striate neurons often failed to respond to such stimuli, or were selective for contrast polarity; others were non-selective. Some neurons preferred a certain combination of figure-ground direction and contrast polarity. These neurons were rare both in striate and prestriate cortex. The majority of neurons signalled figure-ground direction independent of contrast polarity. These neurons were only found in prestriate cortex. We explain these responses in terms of a model which also explains neuronal signals of illusory contours. These results suggest that occlusion cues are used at an early level of processing to segregate figure and ground at contours.

  4. Correcting Surface Figure Error in Imaging Satellites Using a Deformable Mirror

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-12-01

    Configuration for Collecting Influence Function Data ..................11 3. 4D Interferometer...24 3. Influence Function Using Interferometer ........................................25 4. Determining the Influence Matrix...10 Figure 12. Influence function configuration with flip mirror (from [6]). ..........................11 Figure 13. Interferometer

  5. Individual differences in the perception of biological motion and fragmented figures are not correlated

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eunice L Jung

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available We live in a cluttered, dynamic visual environment that poses a challenge for the visual system: for objects, including those that move about, to be perceived, information specifying those objects must be integrated over space and over time. Does a single, omnibus mechanism perform this grouping operation, or does grouping depend on separate processes specialized for different feature aspects of the object? To address this question, we tested a large group of healthy young adults on their abilities to perceive static fragmented figures embedded in noise and to perceive dynamic point-light biological motion figures embedded in dynamic noise. There were indeed substantial individual differences in performance on both tasks, but none of the statistical tests we applied to this data set uncovered a significant correlation between those performance measures. These results suggest that the two tasks, despite their superficial similarity, require different segmentation and grouping processes that are largely unrelated to one another. Whether those processes are embodied in distinct neural mechanisms remains an open question.

  6. A non-linear piezoelectric actuator calibration using N-dimensional Lissajous figure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albertazzi, A.; Viotti, M. R.; Veiga, C. L. N.; Fantin, A. V.

    2016-08-01

    Piezoelectric translators (PZTs) are very often used as phase shifters in interferometry. However, they typically present a non-linear behavior and strong hysteresis. The use of an additional resistive or capacitive sensor make possible to linearize the response of the PZT by feedback control. This approach works well, but makes the device more complex and expensive. A less expensive approach uses a non-linear calibration. In this paper, the authors used data from at least five interferograms to form N-dimensional Lissajous figures to establish the actual relationship between the applied voltages and the resulting phase shifts [1]. N-dimensional Lissajous figures are formed when N sinusoidal signals are combined in an N-dimensional space, where one signal is assigned to each axis. It can be verified that the resulting Ndimensional ellipsis lays in a 2D plane. By fitting an ellipsis equation to the resulting 2D ellipsis it is possible to accurately compute the resulting phase value for each interferogram. In this paper, the relationship between the resulting phase shift and the applied voltage is simultaneously established for a set of 12 increments by a fourth degree polynomial. The results in speckle interferometry show that, after two or three interactions, the calibration error is usually smaller than 1°.

  7. Construct validity of a figure rating scale for Brazilian adolescents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adami Fernando

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Figure rating scales were developed as a tool to determine body dissatisfaction in women, men, and children. However, it lacks in the literature the validation of the scale for body silhouettes previously adapted. We aimed to obtain evidence for construct validity of a figure rating scale for Brazilian adolescents. Methods The study was carried out with adolescent students attending three public schools in an urban region of the municipality of Florianopolis in the State of Santa Catarina (SC. The sample comprised 232 10-19-year-old students, 106 of whom are boys and 126 girls, from the 5th "series" (i.e. year of Primary School to the 3rd year of Secondary School. Data-gathering involved the application of an instrument containing 8 body figure drawings representing a range of children's and adolescents' body shapes, ranging from very slim (contour 1 to obese (contour 8. Weights and heights were also collected, and body mass index (BMI was calculated later. BMI was analyzed as a continuous variable, using z-scores, and as a dichotomous categorical variable, representing a diagnosis of nutritional status (normal and overweight including obesity. Results Results showed that both males and females with larger BMI z-scores chose larger body contours. Girls with higher BMI z-scores also show higher values of body image dissatisfaction. Conclusion We provided the first evidence of validity for a figure rating scale for Brazilian adolescents.

  8. Mitotic Figure Recognition: Agreement among Pathologists and Computerized Detector

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christopher Malon

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Despite the prognostic importance of mitotic count as one of the components of the Bloom – Richardson grade [3], several studies ([2, 9, 10] have found that pathologists’ agreement on the mitotic grade is fairly modest. Collecting a set of more than 4,200 candidate mitotic figures, we evaluate pathologists' agreement on individual figures, and train a computerized system for mitosis detection, comparing its performance to the classifications of three pathologists. The system’s and the pathologists’ classifications are based on evaluation of digital micrographs of hematoxylin and eosin stained breast tissue. On figures where the majority of pathologists agree on a classification, we compare the performance of the trained system to that of the individual pathologists. We find that the level of agreement of the pathologists ranges from slight to moderate, with strong biases, and that the system performs competitively in rating the ground truth set. This study is a step towards automatic mitosis count to accelerate a pathologist's work and improve reproducibility.

  9. 49 CFR Figure 2b to Subpart B of... - Example of an Intermediate Level Seating Area of a Multi-Level Car Complying With Window Location...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Example of an Intermediate Level Seating Area of a Multi-Level Car Complying With Window Location Requirements-§§ 238.113 and 238.114 2B Figure 2B to... Intermediate Level Seating Area of a Multi-Level Car Complying With Window Location Requirements—§§ 238.113 and...

  10. Attention and competition in figure-ground perception.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, Mary A; Salvagio, Elizabeth

    2009-01-01

    What are the roles of attention and competition in determining where objects lie in the visual field, a phenomenon known as figure-ground perception? In this chapter, we review evidence that attention and other high-level factors such as familiarity affect figure-ground perception, and we discuss models that implement these effects. Next, we consider the Biased Competition Model of Attention in which attention is used to resolve the competition for neural representation between two nearby stimuli; in this model the response to the stimulus that loses the competition is suppressed. In the remainder of the chapter we discuss recent behavioral evidence that figure-ground perception entails between-object competition in which the response to the shape of the losing competitor is suppressed. We also describe two experiments testing whether more attention is drawn to resolve greater figure-ground competition, as would be expected if the Biased Competition Model of Attention extends to figure-ground perception. In these experiments we find that responses to targets on the location of a losing strong competitor are slowed, consistent with the idea that the location of the losing competitor is suppressed, but responses to targets on the winning competitor are not speeded, which is inconsistent with the hypothesis that attention is used to resolve figure-ground competition. In closing, we discuss evidence that attention can operate by suppression as well as by facilitation.

  11. Polarization preservation and control in a figure-8 ring

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Derbenev, Yaroslav S. [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (TJNAF), Newport News, VA (United States); Morozov, Vasiliy [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (TJNAF), Newport News, VA (United States); Lin, Fanglei [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (TJNAF), Newport News, VA (United States); Zhang, Yuhong [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (TJNAF), Newport News, VA (United States); Kondratenko, A. M. [GOO Zaryad, Russkaya st., 41, Novosibirsk, 630058; Kondratenko, M. A. [GOO Zaryad, Russkaya st., 41, Novosibirsk, 630058; Filatov, Yuri [Joint Inst. for Nuclear Research (JINR), Dubna (Russian Federation); GOO Zaryad, Russkaya st., 41, Novosibirsk, 630058

    2016-02-01

    We present a complete scheme for managing the polarization of ion beams in Jefferson Lab's proposed Medium-energy Electron-Ion Collider (MEIC). It provides preservation of the ion polarization during all stages of beam acceleration and polarization control in the collider's experimental straights. We discuss characteristic features of the spin motion in accelerators with Siberian snakes and in accelerators of figure-8 shape. We propose 3D spin rotators for polarization control in the MEIC ion collider ring. We provide polarization calculations in the collider with the 3D rotator for deuteron and proton beams. The main polarization control features of the figure-8 design are summarized.

  12. 47 CFR Figure 3 to Subpart N of... - Example of Ideal EPIRB Spectrum

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Example of Ideal EPIRB Spectrum 3 Figure 3 to Subpart N of Part 2 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION GENERAL FREQUENCY ALLOCATIONS AND... Position Indicating Radiobeacons (EPIRBs) Pt. 2, Subpt. N, Fig. 3 Figure 3 to Subpart N of Part 2—Example...

  13. Figure and finish of grazing incidence mirrors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takacs, P.Z.; Church, E.L.

    1989-08-01

    Great improvement has been made in the past several years in the quality of optical components used in synchrotron radiation (SR) beamlines. Most of this progress has been the result of vastly improved metrology techniques and instrumentation permitting rapid and accurate measurement of the surface finish and figure on grazing incidence optics. A significant theoretical effort has linked the actual performance of components used as x-ray wavelengths to their topological properties as measured by surface profiling instruments. Next-generation advanced light sources will require optical components and systems to have sub-arc second surface figure tolerances. This paper will explore the consequences of these requirements in terms of manufacturing tolerances to see if the present manufacturing state-of-the-art is capable of producing the required surfaces. 15 refs., 14 figs., 2 tabs

  14. Visual processing in adolescents with autism spectrum disorders: Evidence from embedded figures and configural superiority tests

    OpenAIRE

    Dillen, Claudia; Steyaert, Jean; Op de Beeck, Hans; Boets, Bart

    2015-01-01

    The embedded figures test has often been used to reveal weak central coherence in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here, we administered a more standardized automated version of the embedded figures test in combination with the configural superiority task, to investigate the effect of contextual modulation on local feature detection in 23 adolescents with ASD and 26 matched typically developing controls. On both tasks both groups performed l...

  15. Masking interrupts figure-ground signals in V1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lamme, Victor A F; Zipser, Karl; Spekreijse, Henk

    2002-10-01

    In a backward masking paradigm, a target stimulus is rapidly (figure-ground segregation can be recorded. Here, we recorded from awake macaque monkeys, engaged in a task where they had to detect figures from background in a pattern backward masking paradigm. We show that the V1 figure-ground signals are selectively and fully suppressed at target-mask intervals that psychophysically result in the target being invisible. Initial response transients, signalling the features that make up the scene, are not affected. As figure-ground modulations depend on feedback from extrastriate areas, these results suggest that masking selectively interrupts the recurrent interactions between V1 and higher visual areas.

  16. Noise figure of amplified dispersive Fourier transformation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goda, Keisuke; Jalali, Bahram

    2010-01-01

    Amplified dispersive Fourier transformation (ADFT) is a powerful tool for fast real-time spectroscopy as it overcomes the limitations of traditional optical spectrometers. ADFT maps the spectrum of an optical pulse into a temporal waveform using group-velocity dispersion and simultaneously amplifies it in the optical domain. It greatly simplifies spectroscopy by replacing the diffraction grating and detector array in the conventional spectrometer with a dispersive fiber and single-pixel photodetector, enabling ultrafast real-time spectroscopic measurements. Following our earlier work on the theory of ADFT, here we study the effect of noise on ADFT. We derive the noise figure of ADFT and discuss its dependence on various parameters.

  17. Figuring Out Food Labels (For Kids)

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... First Aid & Safety Doctors & Hospitals Videos Recipes for Kids Kids site Sitio para niños How the Body Works ... English Español Figuring Out Food Labels KidsHealth / For Kids / Figuring Out Food Labels What's in this article? ...

  18. Human Figure Test in the research of psychopathological state of refugees and somatically traumatized

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Opalić Petar

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available Machover Human Figure Test was used to investigate eight clinical features in five diagnostic categories (neurosis, depression, schizophrenia, paranoid feature and aggressiveness and one symptom (motor deficiency through graphical features of human figure drawing. The test involved 201 subjects, out of whom 109 were refugees from refugee camp in Krnjača, 31 somatically traumatized patients from the Orthopedic Clinic, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, and 61 subjects from Belgrade denying any traumatic experience whatsoever. The following was determined in three tested subgroups: - Out of general psychopathological features, "thickened line of the drawing", "unclear medium line of the drawing" and "absence of an arm or a leg" were significantly most frequent in the group of somatically traumatized subjects, thus supporting the hypothesis that Machover Test examined projective aspects of disorder of the body scheme experience. - Out of eight diagnostic categories, only "motor deficiency" was significantly different - of course, in the group of somatically traumatized subjects, while "aggressiveness" was different in the group of refugees.

  19. Equilibrium figures in geodesy and geophysics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moritz, H.

    There is an enormous literature on geodetic equilibrium figures, but the various works have not always been interrelated, also for linguistic reasons (English, French, German, Italian, Russian). The author attempts to systematize the various approaches and to use the standard second-order theory for a study of the deviation of the actual earth and of the equipotential reference ellipsoid from an equilibrium figure.

  20. Remembering and knowing personality traits: figure/ground asymmetries in person-related retrieval experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wehr, Thomas

    2008-01-01

    In two experiments, the effect of category salience on retrieval experience was investigated. In Experiment 1, participants rated typicality or concreteness of personality traits that differed in stereotype reference (i.e., consistent, inconsistent, and neutral in relation to the age stereotype). More remember judgments were given for consistent and inconsistent traits in contrast to neutral traits, thereby indicating a figure/ground asymmetry. In Experiment 2, neutral traits were excluded and a classical figure/ground phenomenon was demonstrated for the retrieval experience of traits (i.e., reversibility of an ambiguous figure after typicality and untypicality ratings). Altogether, the results suggest that metacognitive trait representations depend on principles of figure/ground asymmetries rather than on functional principles of social information processing.

  1. KIAI: FIGUR ELITE PESANTREN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Takdir Ilahi

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available In a pesantren (Islamic boarding school, kiai is an strategic element. Javanese kiai mainly believe that a pesantren is a small palace where he becomes the ultimate source of power and authority. Even though he lives in a rural village, he becomes a member of elite group in social, politic and economic sides in the society. Kiai who leads big pesantren has successfully enlarged their power in term of nation so kiai could be accepted in national elite. The position of kiai is higher among all pesantren elements. The degree as an Islamic scholar is exactly a sacred degree in pesantren culture and tradition. Without his figure, it is impossible for a pesantren to develop and survive. Kiai holds an ultimate position on educate the behavior and morality of the santri (students to be qualified and compatible Muslims generation. Kiai is not only a leader but he is also the man behind the leadership itself in supporting the progress of Islamic education institution for Muslims generations.

  2. Contribution of Regional White Matter Integrity to Visuospatial Construction Accuracy, Organizational Strategy, and Memory for a Complex Figure in Abstinent Alcoholics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenbloom, Margaret J; Sassoon, Stephanie A; Pfefferbaum, Adolf; Sullivan, Edith V

    2009-12-01

    Visuospatial construction ability as used in drawing complex figures is commonly impaired in chronic alcoholics, but memory for such information can be enhanced by use of a holistic drawing strategy during encoding. We administered the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (ROCFT) to 41 alcoholic and 38 control men and women and assessed the contribution of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measures of integrity of selected white matter tracts to ROCFT copy accuracy, copy strategy, and recall accuracy. Although alcoholics copied the figure less accurately than controls, a more holistic strategy at copy was associated with better recall in both groups. Greater radial diffusivity, reflecting compromised myelin integrity, in occipital forceps and external capsule was associated with poorer copy accuracy in both groups. Lower FA, reflecting compromised fiber microstructure in the inferior cingulate bundle, which links frontal and medial temporal episodic memory systems, was associated with piecemeal copy strategy and poorer immediate recall in the alcoholics. The correlations were generally modest and should be considered exploratory. To the extent that the inferior cingulate was relatively spared in alcoholics, it may have provided an alternative pathway to the compromised frontal system for successful copy strategy and, by extension, aided recall.

  3. Surface reconstruction, figure-ground modulation, and border-ownership.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeurissen, Danique; Self, Matthew W; Roelfsema, Pieter R

    2013-01-01

    The Differentiation-Integration for Surface Completion (DISC) model aims to explain the reconstruction of visual surfaces. We find the model a valuable contribution to our understanding of figure-ground organization. We point out that, next to border-ownership, neurons in visual cortex code whether surface elements belong to a figure or the background and that this is influenced by attention. We furthermore suggest that there must be strong links between object recognition and figure-ground assignment in order to resolve the status of interior contours. Incorporation of these factors in neurocomputational models will further improve our understanding of surface reconstruction, figure-ground organization, and border-ownership.

  4. Facts and Figures

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Saves Lives Facts & Figures My Blood, Your Blood Blood Donation Types Did you know there is more than one type of blood donation? Learn more about blood donation types here. Blood Safety and Testing The blood supply ...

  5. Pharmacological manipulation of GABA activity in nucleus subpretectalis/interstitio-pretecto-subpretectalis (SP/IPS) impairs figure-ground discrimination in pigeons: Running head: SP/IPS in figure-ground segregation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acerbo, Martin J; Lazareva, Olga F

    2018-05-15

    Figure-ground segregation is a fundamental visual ability that allows an organism to separate an object from its background. Our earlier research has shown that nucleus rotundus (Rt), a thalamic nucleus processing visual information in pigeons, together with its inhibitory complex, nucleus subpretectalis/interstitio-pretecto-subpretectalis (SP/IPS), are critically involved in figure-ground discrimination (Acerbo et al., 2012; Scully et al., 2014). Here, we further investigated the role of SP/IPS by conducting bilateral microinjections of GABAergic receptor antagonist and agonists (bicuculline and muscimol, respectively) and non-NMDA glutamate receptor antagonist (CNQX) after the pigeons mastered figure-ground discrimination task. We used two doses of each drug (bicuculline: 0.1 mM and 0.05 mM; muscimol: 4.4 mM and 8.8 mM; CNQX: 2.15 mM and 4.6 mM) in a within-subject design, and alternated drug injections with baseline (ACSF). The order of injections was randomized across birds to reduce potential carryover effects. We found that a low dose of bicuculline produced a decrement on figure trials but not on background trials, whereas a high dose impaired performance on background trials but not on figure trials. Muscimol produced an equivalent, dose-dependent impairment on both types of trials. Finally, CNQX had no consistent effect at either dose. Together, these results further confirm our earlier hypothesis that inhibitory projections from SP to Rt modulate figure-ground discrimination, and suggest that the Rt and the SP/IPS provide a plausible substrate that could perform figure-ground segregation in avian brain. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Local spectral anisotropy is a valid cue for figure-ground organization in natural scenes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramenahalli, Sudarshan; Mihalas, Stefan; Niebur, Ernst

    2014-10-01

    An important step in the process of understanding visual scenes is its organization in different perceptual objects which requires figure-ground segregation. The determination of which side of an occlusion boundary is figure (closer to the observer) and which is ground (further away from the observer) is made through a combination of global cues, like convexity, and local cues, like T-junctions. We here focus on a novel set of local cues in the intensity patterns along occlusion boundaries which we show to differ between figure and ground. Image patches are extracted from natural scenes from two standard image sets along the boundaries of objects and spectral analysis is performed separately on figure and ground. On the figure side, oriented spectral power orthogonal to the occlusion boundary significantly exceeds that parallel to the boundary. This "spectral anisotropy" is present only for higher spatial frequencies, and absent on the ground side. The difference in spectral anisotropy between the two sides of an occlusion border predicts which is the figure and which the background with an accuracy exceeding 60% per patch. Spectral anisotropy of close-by locations along the boundary co-varies but is largely independent over larger distances which allows to combine results from different image regions. Given the low cost of this strictly local computation, we propose that spectral anisotropy along occlusion boundaries is a valuable cue for figure-ground segregation. A data base of images and extracted patches labeled for figure and ground is made freely available. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Brain bases for auditory stimulus-driven figure-ground segregation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teki, Sundeep; Chait, Maria; Kumar, Sukhbinder; von Kriegstein, Katharina; Griffiths, Timothy D

    2011-01-05

    Auditory figure-ground segregation, listeners' ability to selectively hear out a sound of interest from a background of competing sounds, is a fundamental aspect of scene analysis. In contrast to the disordered acoustic environment we experience during everyday listening, most studies of auditory segregation have used relatively simple, temporally regular signals. We developed a new figure-ground stimulus that incorporates stochastic variation of the figure and background that captures the rich spectrotemporal complexity of natural acoustic scenes. Figure and background signals overlap in spectrotemporal space, but vary in the statistics of fluctuation, such that the only way to extract the figure is by integrating the patterns over time and frequency. Our behavioral results demonstrate that human listeners are remarkably sensitive to the appearance of such figures. In a functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment, aimed at investigating preattentive, stimulus-driven, auditory segregation mechanisms, naive subjects listened to these stimuli while performing an irrelevant task. Results demonstrate significant activations in the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) and the superior temporal sulcus related to bottom-up, stimulus-driven figure-ground decomposition. We did not observe any significant activation in the primary auditory cortex. Our results support a role for automatic, bottom-up mechanisms in the IPS in mediating stimulus-driven, auditory figure-ground segregation, which is consistent with accumulating evidence implicating the IPS in structuring sensory input and perceptual organization.

  8. Can music be figurative? Exploring the possibility of crossmodal similarities between music and visual arts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Actis-Grosso Rossana

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available According to both experimental research and common sense, classical music is a better fit for figurative art than jazz. We hypothesize that similar fits may reflect underlying crossmodal structural similarities between music and painting genres. We present two preliminary studies aimed at addressing our hypothesis. Experiment 1 tested the goodness of the fit between two music genres (classical and jazz and two painting genres (figurative and abstract. Participants were presented with twenty sets of six paintings (three figurative, three abstract viewed in combination with three sound conditions: 1 silence, 2 classical music, or 3 jazz. While figurative paintings scored higher aesthetic appreciation than abstract ones, a gender effect was also found: the aesthetic appreciation of paintings in male participants was modulated by music genre, whilst music genre did not affect the aesthetic appreciation in female participants. Our results support only in part the notion that classical music enhances the aesthetic appreciation of figurative art. Experiment 2 aimed at testing whether the conceptual categories ‘figurative’ and ‘abstract’ can be extended also to music. In session 1, participants were first asked to classify 30 paintings (10 abstract, 10 figurative, 10 ambiguous that could fit either category as abstract or figurative and then to rate them for pleasantness; in session 2 participants were asked to classify 40 excerpts of music (20 classical, 20 jazz as abstract or figurative and to rate them for pleasantness. Paintings which were clearly abstract or figurative were all classified accordingly, while the majority of ambiguous paintings were classified as abstract. Results also show a gender effect for painting’s pleasantness: female participants rated higher ambiguous and abstract paintings. More interestingly, results show an effect of music genre on classification, showing that it is possible to classify music as figurative or

  9. A one-dimensional ion beam figuring system for x-ray mirror fabrication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Idir, Mourad; Huang, Lei; Bouet, Nathalie; Kaznatcheev, Konstantine; Vescovi, Matthew; Lauer, Ken; Conley, Ray; Rennie, Kent; Kahn, Jim; Nethery, Richard; Zhou, Lin

    2015-01-01

    We report on the development of a one-dimensional Ion Beam Figuring (IBF) system for x-ray mirror polishing. Ion beam figuring provides a highly deterministic method for the final precision figuring of optical components with advantages over conventional methods. The system is based on a state of the art sputtering deposition system outfitted with a gridded radio frequency inductive coupled plasma ion beam source equipped with ion optics and dedicated slit developed specifically for this application. The production of an IBF system able to produce an elongated removal function rather than circular is presented in this paper, where we describe in detail the technical aspect and present the first obtained results

  10. A one-dimensional ion beam figuring system for x-ray mirror fabrication

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Idir, Mourad, E-mail: midir@bnl.gov; Huang, Lei; Bouet, Nathalie; Kaznatcheev, Konstantine; Vescovi, Matthew; Lauer, Ken [NSLS-II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, P.O. Box 5000, Upton, New York 11973 (United States); Conley, Ray [Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States); Rennie, Kent; Kahn, Jim; Nethery, Richard [Kaufman & Robinson, Inc., 1330 Blue Spruce Drive, Fort Collins, Colorado 80524 (United States); Zhou, Lin [College of Mechatronics and Automation, National University of Defense Technology, 109 Deya Road, Changsha, Hunan 410073 (China); Hu’nan Key Laboratory of Ultra-precision Machining Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410073 (China)

    2015-10-15

    We report on the development of a one-dimensional Ion Beam Figuring (IBF) system for x-ray mirror polishing. Ion beam figuring provides a highly deterministic method for the final precision figuring of optical components with advantages over conventional methods. The system is based on a state of the art sputtering deposition system outfitted with a gridded radio frequency inductive coupled plasma ion beam source equipped with ion optics and dedicated slit developed specifically for this application. The production of an IBF system able to produce an elongated removal function rather than circular is presented in this paper, where we describe in detail the technical aspect and present the first obtained results.

  11. The accentuation principle of figure-ground segregation and the downbeat illusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinna, Baingio; Sirigu, Luca

    2016-10-01

    Pinna and Sirigu (2011) demonstrated a new principle of grouping, called the accentuation principle, stating that, all else being equal, elements tend to group in the same oriented direction of the discontinuous element placed within a whole set of continuous/homogeneous components. The discontinuous element behaves like an accent, i.e. a visual emphasis within the wholeness of components as shown in the next section. In this work, the accentuation principle has been extended to new visual domains. In particular, it is shown how this principle affects shape perception. Moreover several visual object attributes are also highlighted, among which orientation, spatial position, inner dynamics and apparent motion that determine the so-called organic segmentation and furthermore tend to induce figure-ground segregation. On the basis of the results of experimental phenomenology, the accentuation can be considered as a complex principle ruling grouping, figure-ground segregation, shape and meaning formation. Through a new musical illusion of downbeat, it is also demonstrated that this principle influences perceptual organization not only in space but also in time and, thus, in both visual and musical domains. This illusion can be heard in eight measures of Pagodes, a solo piano music by Claude Debussy (1862-1918), where a strong physical-perceptual discrepancy in terms of upbeats and downbeats inversion is strongly perceived in both staves. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. 16 CFR Figure 5 to Part 1610 - An Example of a Typical Gas Shield

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false An Example of a Typical Gas Shield 5 Figure 5 to Part 1610 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION FLAMMABLE FABRICS ACT... Example of a Typical Gas Shield ER25MR08.004 ...

  13. 16 CFR Figure 4 to Part 1610 - An Example of a Typical Indicator Finger

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false An Example of a Typical Indicator Finger 4 Figure 4 to Part 1610 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION FLAMMABLE FABRICS ACT... Example of a Typical Indicator Finger ER25MR08.003 ...

  14. Human figure drawings by children with Duchenne's muscular dystrophy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pope-Grattan, M M; Burnett, C N; Wolfe, C V

    1976-02-01

    Seventy-two human figure drawings by forty-three patients who had a diagnosis of Duchenne's muscular dystrophy were examined. The study includes a description of these human figure drawings according to eleven emotional indicators and according to directionality quadrants. When the human figure drawings were used as a projective tool, four personality traits of some of the children were identified: physical inadequacy, immaturity, body anxiety, and insecurity. Both the emotional indicators and the quadrant in which the figures appeared were examined in relation to stages of the disease process to see if the human figure drawings of the children might reflect more stress and anxiety at a particular stage of the disease. Suggestions for improvements and recommendations for future study are given.

  15. Bilingual and Monolingual Idiom Processing Is Cut from the Same Cloth: The Role of the L1 in Literal and Figurative Meaning Activation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beck, Sara D; Weber, Andrea

    2016-01-01

    The present study examines non-native (L2) and native (L1) listeners' access to figurative idiomatic meaning and literal constituent meaning in two cross-modal priming experiments. Proficient German learners of English (L2) and native speakers of American English (L1) responded to English target words preceded by English idioms embedded in non-biasing prime sentences in a lexical decision task. English idioms differed in levels of translatability: Lexical level idioms had word-for-word translation equivalents in German, while post-lexical level idioms had matching idiomatic concepts in German but could not be translated word for word. Target words either related to the figurative meaning of the idiom or related to the literal meaning of the final constituent word of the idiom (e.g., to pull someone's leg, literal target: walk, figurative target: joke). Both L1 and L2 listeners showed facilitatory priming for literally- and figuratively-related target words compared to unrelated control target words, with only marginal differences between the listener groups. No effect of translatability was found; that is, the existence of word-for-word translation equivalents in German neither facilitated nor hindered meaning activation for German L2 listeners. The results are interpreted in the context of L1 and L2 models of idiom processing as well as further relevant translation studies.

  16. Bilingual and monolingual idiom processing is cut from the same cloth: The role of the L1 in literal and figurative meaning activation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sara Donnell Beck

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The present study examines non-native (L2 and native (L1 listeners’ access to figurative idiomatic meaning and literal constituent meaning in two cross-modal priming experiments. Proficient German learners of English (L2 and native speakers of American English (L1 responded to English target words preceded by English idioms embedded in non-biasing prime sentences in a lexical decision task. English idioms differed in levels of translatability: Lexical level idioms had word-for-word translation equivalents in German, while post-lexical level idioms had matching idiomatic concepts in German but could not be translated word for word. Target words either related to the figurative meaning of the idiom or related to the literal meaning of the final constituent word of the idiom (e.g., to pull someone’s leg, literal target: walk, figurative target: joke. Both L1 and L2 listeners showed facilitatory priming for literally- and figuratively-related target words compared to unrelated control target words, with only marginal differences between the listener groups. No effect of translatability was found; that is, the existence of word-for-word translation equivalents in German neither facilitated nor hindered meaning activation for German L2 listeners. The results are interpreted in the context of L1 and L2 models of idiom processing as well as further relevant translation studies.

  17. Feature Assignment in Perception of Auditory Figure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gregg, Melissa K.; Samuel, Arthur G.

    2012-01-01

    Because the environment often includes multiple sounds that overlap in time, listeners must segregate a sound of interest (the auditory figure) from other co-occurring sounds (the unattended auditory ground). We conducted a series of experiments to clarify the principles governing the extraction of auditory figures. We distinguish between auditory…

  18. Figurative Language on Maya Angelou selected Poetries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Risma Hayani

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed to find out the kinds of figurative language in the five selected poetries of Maya Angelou, the titles are: Alone, Caged Bird, Old Folks Laugh, Phenomenal Woman, Still I Rise. The focus of this study is figurative language which involves: Metaphor, Personification, Hyperbole, Simile, Metonymy, Synecdoche, Irony, Antithesis, Symbolism, and Paradox. Qualitative approach with design of content analysis was used in this study. The researcher acted as the main instrument since she was the one who analyzed the figurative language. Moreover checklist was also used to support her data collection. The data was analyzed through three stages; 1. Data reduction, 2. Data representation, 3. Conclusion. The result of her study showed there were 40 sentences that containing figurative language in five selected poetries of Maya Angelou. They were; Metaphor (13 sentences, Personification (9 sentences, Hyperbole (1 sentence, Simile (8 sentences, Synecdoche (1 sentence, Antithesis (1 sentence, Symbolism (5 sentences, and Paradox (2 sentences. The researcher conclude, if the figurative language used by Angelou to compare, or even symbolize the sentences to bring the meaning come up with beautiful language. Mostly of her poetries told about her experience in the past that rooted to history of the discrimination of American-African.

  19. Figure 2. Representation of the technological dimension of privacy-Educational Research on the Technological Dimension of Private Life

    OpenAIRE

    Liliana Mâţă

    2010-01-01

    Following the development of new technologies in recent decades have been a number of innovative, but also privacy threats, elements: bank cards, personal computers, communication networks, internet, digital signature, email, surveillance systems for children. The structure of the technological dimension of private life can be represented by the following elements (Figure 2): personal objects technology (material itSelf), electronic identity, personal blog (personal Self), spec...

  20. Human Figure Drawings: Abusing the Abused.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bardos, Achilles N.

    1993-01-01

    Responds to previous article (Motta, Little, and Tobin, this issue) which reviewed data-based studies on figure drawings and found little support for their validity or use in assessing personality, behavior, emotion, or intellectual functioning. Notes recent approaches to interpretation of human figure drawings and cites flaws in argument against…

  1. Texture segregation, surface representation and figure-ground separation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grossberg, S; Pessoa, L

    1998-09-01

    A widespread view is that most texture segregation can be accounted for by differences in the spatial frequency content of texture regions. Evidence from both psychophysical and physiological studies indicate, however, that beyond these early filtering stages, there are stages of 3-D boundary segmentation and surface representation that are used to segregate textures. Chromatic segregation of element-arrangement patterns--as studied by Beck and colleagues--cannot be completely explained by the filtering mechanisms previously employed to account for achromatic segregation. An element arrangement pattern is composed of two types of elements that are arranged differently in different image regions (e.g. vertically on top and diagonally on the bottom). FACADE theory mechanisms that have previously been used to explain data about 3-D vision and figure-ground separation are here used to simulate chromatic texture segregation data, including data with equiluminant elements on dark or light homogeneous backgrounds, or backgrounds composed of vertical and horizontal dark or light stripes, or horizontal notched stripes. These data include the fact that segregation of patterns composed of red and blue squares decreases with increasing luminance of the interspaces. Asymmetric segregation properties under 3-D viewing conditions with the equiluminant elements close or far are also simulated. Two key model properties are a spatial impenetrability property that inhibits boundary grouping across regions with non-collinear texture elements and a boundary-surface consistency property that uses feedback between boundary and surface representations to eliminate spurious boundary groupings and separate figures from their backgrounds.

  2. Figure tolerance of a Wolter type I mirror for a soft-x-ray microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chon, Kwon Su; Namba, Yoshiharu; Yoon, Kwon-Ha

    2007-01-01

    The demand for an x-ray microscope has received much attention because of the desire to study living cells at a high resolution and in a hydrated environment. A Wolter type I mirror used for soft-x-ray microscope optics has many advantages. From the mirror fabrication point of view, it is necessary to perform tolerance analysis, particularly with respect to figure errors that considerably degrade the image quality.The figure tolerance of a Wolter type I mirror for a biological application in terms of the image quality and the state-of-the-art fabrication technology is discussed. The figure errors rapidly destroyed the image quality, and the required slope error depended on the detector used in the soft-x-ray microscope

  3. Figure-ground segregation requires two distinct periods of activity in V1: a transcranial magnetic stimulation study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heinen, Klaartje; Jolij, Jacob; Lamme, Victor A F

    2005-09-08

    Discriminating objects from their surroundings by the visual system is known as figure-ground segregation. This process entails two different subprocesses: boundary detection and subsequent surface segregation or 'filling in'. In this study, we used transcranial magnetic stimulation to test the hypothesis that temporally distinct processes in V1 and related early visual areas such as V2 or V3 are causally related to the process of figure-ground segregation. Our results indicate that correct discrimination between two visual stimuli, which relies on figure-ground segregation, requires two separate periods of information processing in the early visual cortex: one around 130-160 ms and the other around 250-280 ms.

  4. Shape recognition contributions to figure-ground reversal: which route counts?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, M A; Harvey, E M; Weidenbacher, H J

    1991-11-01

    Observers viewed upright and inverted versions of figure-ground stimuli, in which Gestalt variables specified that the center was figure. In upright versions, the surround was high in denotivity, in that most viewers agreed it depicted the same shape; in inverted versions, the surround was low in denotivity. The surround was maintained as figure longer and was more likely to be obtained as figure when the stimuli were upright rather than inverted. In four experiments, these effects reflected inputs to figure-ground computations from orientation-specific shape representations only. To account for these findings, a nonratiomorphic mechanism is proposed that enables shape recognition processes before figure-ground relationships are determined.

  5. "Blessed": Musical Talent, Smartness, & Figured Identities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffman, Adria R.

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to explore smartness and talent as social constructs. Drawing on Holland et al.'s (1998) figured identities, this article explores the figuring of abilities by elucidating the voices of African American high school chorus students. Critical Race Theory (CRT) helps to unpack normalized language and practices that…

  6. Figure ground discrimination in age-related macular degeneration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tran, Thi Ha Chau; Guyader, Nathalie; Guerin, Anne; Despretz, Pascal; Boucart, Muriel

    2011-03-01

    To investigate impairment in discriminating a figure from its background and to study its relation to visual acuity and lesion size in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Seventeen patients with neovascular AMD and visual acuity Figure/ground segregation is impaired in patients with AMD. A white space surrounding an object is sufficient to improve the object's detection and to facilitate figure/ground segregation. These results may have practical applications to the rehabilitation of the environment in patients with AMD.

  7. LevelScheme: A level scheme drawing and scientific figure preparation system for Mathematica

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caprio, M. A.

    2005-09-01

    LevelScheme is a scientific figure preparation system for Mathematica. The main emphasis is upon the construction of level schemes, or level energy diagrams, as used in nuclear, atomic, molecular, and hadronic physics. LevelScheme also provides a general infrastructure for the preparation of publication-quality figures, including support for multipanel and inset plotting, customizable tick mark generation, and various drawing and labeling tasks. Coupled with Mathematica's plotting functions and powerful programming language, LevelScheme provides a flexible system for the creation of figures combining diagrams, mathematical plots, and data plots. Program summaryTitle of program:LevelScheme Catalogue identifier:ADVZ Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University of Belfast, N. Ireland Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/ADVZ Operating systems:Any which supports Mathematica; tested under Microsoft Windows XP, Macintosh OS X, and Linux Programming language used:Mathematica 4 Number of bytes in distributed program, including test and documentation:3 051 807 Distribution format:tar.gz Nature of problem:Creation of level scheme diagrams. Creation of publication-quality multipart figures incorporating diagrams and plots. Method of solution:A set of Mathematica packages has been developed, providing a library of level scheme drawing objects, tools for figure construction and labeling, and control code for producing the graphics.

  8. Enhancing Thermoelectric Figure-of-Merit of Polycrystalline Na y CoO2 by a Combination of Non-stoichiometry and Co-substitution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mallick, Md. Mofasser; Vitta, Satish

    2018-06-01

    Co-oxides with a layered structure are of interest for high-temperature thermoelectric applications as they can be tuned to enhance their electrical conductivity while retaining their low thermal conductivity. The figure-of-merit of Na y CoO2 has been enhanced using the combined effects of Na-non-stoichiometry and non-isoelectronic Co-substitution. A series of compounds Na0.7Co1- x Ni x O2 with x ≤ 0.1 have been synthesized using conventional techniques. Structural analysis using x-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinement shows the formation of a γ-NaCoO2-type phase in all the compounds. The presence of a small amount of NiO for x > 0.05 indicates that the solubility limit of Ni in Na0.7CoO2 is 5 at.%. All the compounds have been found to be p-type with the thermopower reaching a maximum of 220 μV K-1 at 1023 K for x = 0.1. The thermopower has been found to vary linearly with temperature for all the compounds; a degenerate metallic behavior. The electrical resistivity varies between 3 and 10 mΩ cm at all temperatures and has a metallic temperature dependence in agreement with the thermopower results. The power factor for the x = 0.1 compound reaches a maximum value of 0.55 mW m-1 K-2 at ˜ 900 K compared to 0.45 mW m-1 K-2 for the compound with no substitution. The thermal conductivity at 1023 K decreases from 1.2 to 0.9 W m-1 K-1 for x = 0.1. These factors lead to an increase of the figure-of-merit, zT, to 0.58 at 1023 K for x = 0.1, an increase of 57% compared to the unsubstituted compound. The magnetic studies show that Na0.7CoO2 is paramagnetic with an antiferromagnetic transition at ˜ 36 K. Substitution of Ni2+ for Co3+ has been found to induce a ferromagnetic-like transition at ˜ 240 K which is suppressed at high fields.

  9. Epidemiology of Figure Skating Injuries: A Review of the Literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Julie S; Geminiani, Ellen T; Micheli, Lyle J

    2018-05-01

    As the popularity and technical demands of figure skating increase, so will the number of athletes presenting with sport-related problems. Searches were performed across PubMed from 1980 to 2017. The keywords searched were skating, skaters, incidence, and injuries. The search was limited to English-language articles and human participants. Relevant articles were cross-referenced. Clinical review. Level 5. Previous studies suggest an increase in incidence of figure skating injuries from 1982 to 2003. When combining all disciplines of figure skating, there is a similar proportion of acute and overuse injuries. Within disciplines, overuse injuries appear to be more common in singles skating, while acute injuries are more common in pairs skating, ice dancing, and synchronized skating. Lower extremity injuries are more common than upper extremity injuries in all disciplines, and pairs skating accounts for the majority of upper extremity injuries. Ankle sprains are the most common skating injury, and patellar tendinitis is the most common overuse injury across all disciplines. Stress fractures are the most common overuse injury in female singles skaters. The predominance of overuse injuries in singles disciplines reflects their increasing technical difficulty, with more difficult jumps and longer training hours. Partner disciplines are more likely to involve acute injuries and upper extremity injuries due to high-risk throws and lifts. Emphasis should be placed on properly fitting skating boots, intrinsic foot and ankle strengthening, and lower extremity flexibility, which may prevent many of the common lower extremity and back injuries in figure skating.

  10. Cue combination in a combined feature contrast detection and figure identification task.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meinhardt, Günter; Persike, Malte; Mesenholl, Björn; Hagemann, Cordula

    2006-11-01

    Target figures defined by feature contrast in spatial frequency, orientation or both cues had to be detected in Gabor random fields and their shape had to be identified in a dual task paradigm. Performance improved with increasing feature contrast and was strongly correlated among both tasks. Subjects performed significantly better with combined cues than with single cues. The improvement due to cue summation was stronger than predicted by the assumption of independent feature specific mechanisms, and increased with the performance level achieved with single cues until it was limited by ceiling effects. Further, cue summation was also strongly correlated among tasks: when there was benefit due to the additional cue in feature contrast detection, there was also benefit in figure identification. For the same performance level achieved with single cues, cue summation was generally larger in figure identification than in feature contrast detection, indicating more benefit when processes of shape and surface formation are involved. Our results suggest that cue combination improves spatial form completion and figure-ground segregation in noisy environments, and therefore leads to more stable object vision.

  11. Discharge Onset Voltage Prediction for a Gas-Insulated System Via the Figure-of-Merit Concept

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Crichton, George C; Vibholm, Svend

    1987-01-01

    The accuracy of discharge onset prediction via thefigur figure-of-merit concept for a strongly electronegative gas is examined. A coaxial system is employed, for which the inner electrode possesses a surface roughness of Ra=35 ¿m. With SF6 as the insulating medium a reference discharge......-onset characteristic is obtained for gas pressures up to 0.8 MPa. From a knowledge of this onset characteristic, the direct calculation of discharge onset voltages in other strongly electronegative gases is undertaken by utilizing thefigur figure-of-merit concept. For gas pressures in the range O.02...

  12. Evidence of a Flynn Effect in Children's Human Figure Drawings (1902-1968).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Genovese, Jeremy E C

    2018-05-25

    The Flynn effect is the long-term trend for scores on tests of cognitive ability to increase across cohorts. Several samples of children's human figure drawings, published in 1902, 1926, 1963, and 1968, are examined for evidence of a Flynn effect. Results show that larger percentages of children draw more complete human figures over the course of the 20th century.

  13. Thermal performance study of a box type solar cooker: evaluation of second figure of merit, F2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Subudh Kumar

    2006-01-01

    The thermal performance of a box type solar cooker can be evaluated through the determination of two figures of merit-F 1 and F 2 . The F 1 is defined as the ratio of optical efficiency factor (η o ) the overall heat loss coefficient (U L ) and F 2 relates to the effectiveness of heat exchange between cooker interiors and contents of the pots. The values of F 1 and F 2 can be found experimentally from the stagnation (no-load) and load (water) tests respectively. The sensible heating curve (a plot between pot water temperature and time) from the load test is used for determination of F 2 . An accurate determination of F 2 is necessary for making the correct and reliable assessment of solar cooker performance. In the present work, the thermal analysis has been carried out to simulate the sensible heating curves for different loads of water in the commercially available, fibre body double-glazed box type solar cooker (size 0.245 m 2 ) by using the heat balance equation. The comparison between the simulated and experimental sensible heating curves is presented. The close agreement in the results shows that the simulated heating curve can be employed for predicting the thermal performance (or F 2 ) of the solar cooker. The F 2 for different loads of water in the solar cooker have been obtained using the computer simulation, while considering the variable overall heat loss coefficient U L (a function of pot water temperature). The results indicate that F 2 increases linearly up to a load of 1.5 kg. Thereafter, the increase in the value of F 2 decreases gradually with the load

  14. The role of shape recognition in figure/ground perception in infancy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Hannah; Jubran, Rachel; Heck, Alison; Chroust, Alyson; Bhatt, Ramesh S

    2018-04-30

    In this study we sought to determine whether infants, like adults, utilize previous experience to guide figure/ground processing. After familiarization to a shape, 5-month-olds preferentially attended to the side of an ambiguous figure/ground test stimulus corresponding to that shape, suggesting that they were viewing that portion as the figure. Infants' failure to exhibit this preference in a control condition in which both sides of the test stimulus were displayed as figures indicated that the results in the experimental condition were not due to a preference between two figure shapes. These findings demonstrate for the first time that figure/ground processing in infancy is sensitive to top-down influence. Thus, a critical aspect of figure/ground processing is functional early in life.

  15. Figure-ground segregation modulates apparent motion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramachandran, V S; Anstis, S

    1986-01-01

    We explored the relationship between figure-ground segmentation and apparent motion. Results suggest that: static elements in the surround can eliminate apparent motion of a cluster of dots in the centre, but only if the cluster and surround have similar "grain" or texture; outlines that define occluding surfaces are taken into account by the motion mechanism; the brain uses a hierarchy of precedence rules in attributing motion to different segments of the visual scene. Being designated as "figure" confers a high rank in this scheme of priorities.

  16. Electrophysiological correlates of figure-ground segregation directly reflect perceptual saliency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Straube, Sirko; Grimsen, Cathleen; Fahle, Manfred

    2010-03-05

    In a figure identification task, we investigated the influence of different visual cue configurations (spatial frequency, orientation or a combination of both) on the human EEG. Combining psychophysics with ERP and time-frequency analysis, we show that the neural response at about 200ms reflects perceptual saliency rather than physical cue contrast. Increasing saliency caused (i) a negative shift of the posterior P2 coinciding with a power decrease in the posterior theta-band and (ii) an amplitude and latency increase of the posterior P3. We demonstrate that visual cues interact for a percept that is non-linearly related to the physical figure-ground properties.

  17. Forskerklummen: Figured Worlds of literacy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Møller, Hanne

    2017-01-01

    Figured worlds”, altså forestillede verdener, er et teoretisk begreb, som i øjeblikket dukker op i flere og flere forskningssammenhænge. Det bliver anvendt på mange forskellige måder både inden for uddannelsesforskning og i forskning i literacy.......”Figured worlds”, altså forestillede verdener, er et teoretisk begreb, som i øjeblikket dukker op i flere og flere forskningssammenhænge. Det bliver anvendt på mange forskellige måder både inden for uddannelsesforskning og i forskning i literacy....

  18. Biased figure-ground assignment affects conscious object recognition in spatial neglect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eramudugolla, Ranmalee; Driver, Jon; Mattingley, Jason B

    2010-09-01

    Unilateral spatial neglect is a disorder of attention and spatial representation, in which early visual processes such as figure-ground segmentation have been assumed to be largely intact. There is evidence, however, that the spatial attention bias underlying neglect can bias the segmentation of a figural region from its background. Relatively few studies have explicitly examined the effect of spatial neglect on processing the figures that result from such scene segmentation. Here, we show that a neglect patient's bias in figure-ground segmentation directly influences his conscious recognition of these figures. By varying the relative salience of figural and background regions in static, two-dimensional displays, we show that competition between elements in such displays can modulate a neglect patient's ability to recognise parsed figures in a scene. The findings provide insight into the interaction between scene segmentation, explicit object recognition, and attention.

  19. Edge effect correction using ion beam figuring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Bing; Xie, Xuhui; Li, Furen; Zhou, Lin

    2017-11-10

    The edge effect is regarded as one of the most difficult technical issues for fabricating large primary mirrors, as it can greatly reduce the key performance of the optical system. Ion beam figuring (IBF) has the advantage of no edge effect, so we can use it to remove high points on the edge and improve surface accuracy. The edge local correction method (ELCM) of IBF processes only the surface edge zone, and is very different from the current full caliber figuring method (FCFM). Therefore, it is necessary to study the ELCM of IBF. In this paper, the key factors of ELCM are analyzed, such as dwell time algorithm, edge data extension methods, and the outward dimension of the starting figuring point. At the same time, the distinctions between ELCM and FCFM are compared. Finally, a 142 mm diameter fused silica mirror is fabricated to verify the validity of the theoretical of ELCM. The experimental results indicate that the figuring precision and efficiency can be obviously improved by ELCM.

  20. Figures of Association and Sound in some Nigerian Proverbs ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Nekky Umera

    commending or reproving the person or thing to which it is applied, and often containing some ... association or the comparison of two things. 2. Figures of ..... to absorb the club while the peacemaker says he is as hard (difficult) as a piece of ...

  1. Hierarchical neural network model of the visual system determining figure/ground relation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kikuchi, Masayuki

    2017-07-01

    One of the most important functions of the visual perception in the brain is figure/ground interpretation from input images. Figural region in 2D image corresponding to object in 3D space are distinguished from background region extended behind the object. Previously the author proposed a neural network model of figure/ground separation constructed on the standpoint that local geometric features such as curvatures and outer angles at corners are extracted and propagated along input contour in a single layer network (Kikuchi & Akashi, 2001). However, such a processing principle has the defect that signal propagation requires manyiterations despite the fact that actual visual system determines figure/ground relation within the short period (Zhou et al., 2000). In order to attain speed-up for determining figure/ground, this study incorporates hierarchical architecture into the previous model. This study confirmed the effect of the hierarchization as for the computation time by simulation. As the number of layers increased, the required computation time reduced. However, such speed-up effect was saturatedas the layers increased to some extent. This study attempted to explain this saturation effect by the notion of average distance between vertices in the area of complex network, and succeeded to mimic the saturation effect by computer simulation.

  2. INFORMATIONAL MODEL OF MENTAL ROTATION OF FIGURES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. A. Lyakhovetskiy

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Subject of Study.The subject of research is the information structure of objects internal representations and operations over them, used by man to solve the problem of mental rotation of figures. To analyze this informational structure we considered not only classical dependencies of the correct answers on the angle of rotation, but also the other dependencies obtained recently in cognitive psychology. Method.The language of technical computing Matlab R2010b was used for developing information model of the mental rotation of figures. Such model parameters as the number of bits in the internal representation, an error probability in a single bit, discrete rotation angle, comparison threshold, and the degree of difference during rotation can be changed. Main Results.The model reproduces qualitatively such psychological dependencies as the linear increase of time of correct answers and the number of errors on the angle of rotation for identical figures, "flat" dependence of the time of correct answers and the number of errors on the angle of rotation for mirror-like figures. The simulation results suggest that mental rotation is an iterative process of finding a match between the two figures, each step of which can lead to a significant distortion of the internal representation of the stored objects. Matching is carried out within the internal representations that have no high invariance to rotation angle. Practical Significance.The results may be useful for understanding the role of learning (including the learning with a teacher in the development of effective information representation and operations on them in artificial intelligence systems.

  3. Empire as a Geopolitical Figure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Parker, Noel

    2010-01-01

    This article analyses the ingredients of empire as a pattern of order with geopolitical effects. Noting the imperial form's proclivity for expansion from a critical reading of historical sociology, the article argues that the principal manifestation of earlier geopolitics lay not in the nation...... but in empire. That in turn has been driven by a view of the world as disorderly and open to the ordering will of empires (emanating, at the time of geopolitics' inception, from Europe). One implication is that empires are likely to figure in the geopolitical ordering of the globe at all times, in particular...... after all that has happened in the late twentieth century to undermine nationalism and the national state. Empire is indeed a probable, even for some an attractive form of regime for extending order over the disorder produced by globalisation. Geopolitics articulated in imperial expansion is likely...

  4. Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Join the Cause alz.org >> Alzheimer's & Dementia >> Home Text size: A A A 2018 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures Download the full report: Download the Infographic: English Spanish Share the ...

  5. Gérard Genette : a escrita de Figures IV

    OpenAIRE

    Eiras, Pedro

    2012-01-01

    This article reflects on Genette's most recent work and his theorisation on his own work (its unity and heterogeneity) and the recent multiplication of the areas of study (from music to painting, from Stendhal to Proust). Note is also made of Genette's idiosyncrasy in Figures IV.

  6. Plotter of pole figure using data from x-ray diffraction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lima, A.F.

    1990-01-01

    Any polycrystalline aggregate normally has a preferred crystallographic orientation, or texture which depends on its thermal and or mechanical history. Preferred orientation is best described by means of a pole figure. A pole figure is a stereographic projection which shows the variation in pole density with pole orientation, for a selected set of crystal planes. In this work, computer programs was developed to plot pole figures. The corrected intensities are calculated and directly transmitted to the plotter. The different intensities levels are represented by different colors in the pole figure. (author)

  7. Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Dementia >> Home Text size: A A A 2018 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures Download the full report: ... twice as high. Invest in a world without Alzheimer's. Donate Caregivers Eighty-three percent of the help ...

  8. The Figures of Speech, "Ethos," and Aristotle: Notes toward a Rhetoric of Business Communication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kallendorf, Craig; Kallendorf, Carol

    1985-01-01

    Demonstrates that business writers rely far more heavily than expected on classical figures of speech. Uses Aristotle's "Rhetoric" to show that figures of speech offer a powerful tool for the persuasive function of modern business communication. (PD)

  9. Determination of the crystallite orientation distribution from direct pole figures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Araujo Gomes, P.A.M. de.

    1977-01-01

    A method is described which allows to calculate the crystallite orientation distribution in polycrystalline material, from direct pole figures data of its crystallographic planes (Roe's Method). The programme was applied to (1010), (0002), (1011) and (1120) complete pole figures data for a commercial, thin sheet Zircaloy-4 tubing specimen. A semi-automatic Rigaku-Denki texture goniometer, which scans the reciprocal lattice sphere pointwise outputting the data in a punched tape, was used to obtain the pole figures. This is consistent with the results obtained through direct conclusion from the pole figures. (author)

  10. Lighting, backlighting and watercolor illusions and the laws of figurality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinna, Baingio; Reeves, Adam

    2006-01-01

    We report some novel 'lighting' and 'backlighting' effects in plane figures similar to those which induce the 'watercolor illusion', that is, figures made with outlines composed of juxtaposed parallel lines varying in brightness and chromatic color. These new effects show 'illumination' as an emergent percept, and show how arrangements of 'dark and light' along the boundaries of various plane figures model the volume and strengthen the illusion of depth. To account for these various effects we propose several phenomenological 'laws of figurality' to add to the Gestalt laws of organization and figure-ground segregation. We offer a set of meta-laws which are speculative but which serve to integrate and organize the phenomenological laws. These laws indicate how luminance gradient profiles across boundary contours define both the 3D appearance of figures and the properties of the light reflected from their volumetric shapes.

  11. 'Breath figure' PLGA films as implant coatings for controlled drug release

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ponnusamy, Thiruselvam

    The breath figure method is a versatile and facile approach of generating ordered micro and nanoporous structures in polymeric materials. When a polymer solution (dissolved in a high vapor pressure organic solvent) is evaporated out in the presence of a moist air stream, the evaporative cooling effect causes the condensation and nucleation of water droplets onto the polymer solution surface. This leads to the formation of an imprinted porous structure upon removal of the residual solvent and water. The facile removal of the water droplet template leaving its structural imprint is a specifically appealing aspect of the breath figure film technology. The first part of the dissertation work involves the fabrication of drug loaded breath figure thin films and its utilization as a controlled drug release carrier and biomaterial scaffold. In a single fabrication step, single layer/multilayer porous thin films were designed and developed by combining the breath figure process and a modified spin or dip coating technique. Using biodegradable polymers such as poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG), drug loaded films were fabricated onto FDA approved medical devices (the Glaucoma drainage device and the Surgical hernia mesh). The porosity of the films is in the range of 2-4 microm as characterized by scanning electron microscope. The drug coated medical implants were characterized for their surface and bulk morphology, the degradation rate of the film, drug release rate and cell cytotoxicity. The results suggest that the use of breath figure morphologies in biodegradable polymer films adds an additional level of control to drug release. In comparison to non-porous films, the breath figure films showed an increased degradation and enhanced drug release. Furthermore, the porous nature of the film was investigated as a biomaterial scaffold to construct three dimensional in vitro tissue model systems. The breath figure film with interconnected

  12. A neurocomputational model of figure-ground discrimination and target tracking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, H; Liu, L; Guo, A

    1999-01-01

    A neurocomputational model is presented for figureground discrimination and target tracking. In the model, the elementary motion detectors of the correlation type, the computational modules of saccadic and smooth pursuit eye movement, an oscillatory neural-network motion perception module and a selective attention module are involved. It is shown that through the oscillatory amplitude and frequency encoding, and selective synchronization of phase oscillators, the figure and the ground can be successfully discriminated from each other. The receptive fields developed by hidden units of the networks were surprisingly similar to the actual receptive fields and columnar organization found in the primate visual cortex. It is suggested that equivalent mechanisms may exist in the primate visual cortex to discriminate figure-ground in both temporal and spatial domains.

  13. Third quarter 2005 sales figures; Chiffre d'affaires du 3. trimestre 2005

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2005-07-01

    With manufacturing facilities in over 40 countries and a sales network in over 100, AREVA offers customers technological solutions for nuclear power generation and electricity transmission and distribution. The group also provides interconnect systems to the telecommunications, computer and automotive markets. This document presents the sales figures of the group for the third quarter of 2005: sales revenues in the front end division, in the reactor and services division, in the back end division and in the transmission and distribution division.

  14. The Test of Inaccurate Position of Renography Detector to Relative UptakeFigure and Individual Excretion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bambang-Supardiyono; Prayitno

    2000-01-01

    Accuracy of detector position toward the kidney location (preciseposition) in renography will resulting the maximum count figure, detectorposition change from the precise point (inaccurate) will decreasing the countrate. Therefore for it had been simulated the influence of count figure ofright kidney (fixed left kidney count) ± 5 % to ± 20 % to relativeuptake figure and individual excretion. Based on the calculation it was foundthat the relation of detector position ± 0.5 cm to ± 2 cm from theprecise point will have effect to relative uptake figure ± (1.25 % to 5.00%), the fixed individual excretion figure. The change is still can beaccepted because the qualitative information with 10 % accuracy is stillacceptable. (author)

  15. Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Dementia >> Home Text size: A A A 2018 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures Download the full report: ... twice as high. Invest in a world without Alzheimer's. Donate Caregivers Eighty-three percent of the help ...

  16. The Analysis of Figurative Language Used in the Lyric of Firework by Katy Perry (a Study of Semantic)

    OpenAIRE

    Hariyanto, Hariyanto

    2017-01-01

    Figurative language is a part of semantic. This research analyzed the figurative language used in the lyric of firework by Katy Perry. The aims of this research are to find out the figurative languages used in the lyric of firework and to analyze the contextual meaning of figurative language used in that song. It is expected the result of this study will be useful for the reader especially in knowing what figurative language is and what kinds of figurative language are. The design of this res...

  17. On a group of the form 2 14 : Sp (6,2) | Basheer | Quaestiones ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The symplectic group Sp(6,2) has a 14-dimensional absolutely irreducible module over F2: Hence a split extension group of the form G = 214:Sp(6,2) does exist. In this paper we first determine the conjugacy classes of G using the coset analysis technique. The structures of inertia factor groups were determined. The inertia ...

  18. A semiotics of comedy: Moving figures and shifting grounds of Chapayeka ritual clown performance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Keisalo, Marianna Päivikki

    2016-01-01

    This article develops an analytic approach to comedic performance by examining the performance of the Chapayeka ritual clowns as a series of semiotic shifts and reversals: the Chapayekas play with images and contexts, introducing unpredictable figures to effectively shift the grounding conditions...... to function as both symbolic figures in the ritual and self-contained contextual grounds, which enables them to produce further signs and manipulate figure-ground relations within and beyond the ritual. The analytic view developed here is informed by the complex and multilayered semiotics of comedic...

  19. Categories children find easy and difficult to process in figural analogies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claire E Stevenson

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Analogical reasoning, the ability to learn about novel phenomena by relating it to structurally similar knowledge, develops with great variability in children. Furthermore, the development of analogical reasoning coincides with greater working memory efficiency and increasing knowledge of the objects and rules present in analogy problems. In figural matrices, a classical form of analogical reasoning assessment, some categories, such as color, appear easier for children to encode and infer than others, such as orientation. Yet, few studies have structurally examined differences in the difficulty of rule-types across different age-groups. This cross-sectional study of figural analogical reasoning examined which underlying rules in figural analogies were easier or more difficult for children to correctly process. School children (N=1422, M=7.0 years, SD=21 months, range 4.5-12.5 years were assessed in analogical reasoning using classical figural matrices and memory measures. The transformations the children had to induce and apply concerned the categories: animal, color, orientation, position, quantity and size. The role of age and memory span on the children’s ability to correctly process each type of transformation was examined using explanatory item response theory models. The results showed that with increasing age and/or greater memory span all transformations were processed more accurately. The what transformations animal, color, quantity and size were easiest, whereas the where transformations orientation and position were most difficult. However, animal, orientation and position became relatively easier with age and increased memory efficiency. The implications are discussed in terms of the development of visual processing in object recognition versus position and motion encoding, the ventral (what and dorsal (where pathways respectively.

  20. Competition-strength-dependent ground suppression in figure-ground perception.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salvagio, Elizabeth; Cacciamani, Laura; Peterson, Mary A

    2012-07-01

    Figure-ground segregation is modeled as inhibitory competition between objects that might be perceived on opposite sides of borders. The winner is the figure; the loser is suppressed, and its location is perceived as shapeless ground. Evidence of ground suppression would support inhibitory competition models and would contribute to explaining why grounds are shapeless near borders shared with figures, yet such evidence is scarce. We manipulated whether competition from potential objects on the ground side of figures was high (i.e., portions of familiar objects were potentially present there) or low (novel objects were potentially present). We predicted that greater competition would produce more ground suppression. The results of two experiments in which suppression was assessed via judgments of the orientation of target bars confirmed this prediction; a third experiment showed that ground suppression is short-lived. Our findings support inhibitory competition models of figure assignment, in particular, and models of visual perception entailing feedback, in general.

  1. Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Home Text size: A A A 2018 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures Download the full report: Download ... about memory loss? KNOW THE 10 SIGNS Alzheimer's Disease Facts in Each State The 2018 Alzheimer's Disease ...

  2. The figure of the villain Samaritan in the Qur´an: Q. 20:87-99

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sabih, Joshua

    The figure of the villain Samaritan in the Qur´an Q. 20:87-99 In the Qur´anic text, reference to other “mock texts” is re-presented through transtextual relations. In the several accounts about Moses and the sons of Israel, one accounts stands out, namely the account in the mekkan sura 20: 4...... reconstruction of the figure of the Samaritan the basis of two conflicting mock “narratives/texts”. Mock texts, in this context, do not necessarily stand for the Jewish and Samaritan canonised narratives about each group´s genealogy....

  3. Altered figure-ground perception in monkeys with an extra-striate lesion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Supèr, Hans; Lamme, Victor A F

    2007-11-05

    The visual system binds and segments the elements of an image into coherent objects and their surroundings. Recent findings demonstrate that primary visual cortex is involved in this process of figure-ground organization. In the primary visual cortex the late part of a neural response to a stimulus correlates with figure-ground segregation and perception. Such a late onset indicates an involvement of feedback projections from higher visual areas. To investigate the possible role of feedback in figure-ground perception we removed dorsal extra-striate areas of the monkey visual cortex. The findings show that figure-ground perception is reduced when the figure is presented in the lesioned hemifield and perception is normal when the figure appeared in the intact hemifield. In conclusion, our observations show the importance for recurrent processing in visual perception.

  4. Contextual effects on perceived contrast: figure-ground assignment and orientation contrast.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Self, Matthew W; Mookhoek, Aart; Tjalma, Nienke; Roelfsema, Pieter R

    2015-02-02

    Figure-ground segregation is an important step in the path leading to object recognition. The visual system segregates objects ('figures') in the visual scene from their backgrounds ('ground'). Electrophysiological studies in awake-behaving monkeys have demonstrated that neurons in early visual areas increase their firing rate when responding to a figure compared to responding to the background. We hypothesized that similar changes in neural firing would take place in early visual areas of the human visual system, leading to changes in the perception of low-level visual features. In this study, we investigated whether contrast perception is affected by figure-ground assignment using stimuli similar to those in the electrophysiological studies in monkeys. We measured contrast discrimination thresholds and perceived contrast for Gabor probes placed on figures or the background and found that the perceived contrast of the probe was increased when it was placed on a figure. Furthermore, we tested how this effect compared with the well-known effect of orientation contrast on perceived contrast. We found that figure-ground assignment and orientation contrast produced changes in perceived contrast of a similar magnitude, and that they interacted. Our results demonstrate that figure-ground assignment influences perceived contrast, consistent with an effect of figure-ground assignment on activity in early visual areas of the human visual system. © 2015 ARVO.

  5. Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Dementia >> Home Text size: A A A 2018 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures Download the full report: Download ... worried about memory loss? KNOW THE 10 SIGNS Alzheimer's Disease Facts in Each State The 2018 Alzheimer's Disease ...

  6. Temporal dynamics of figure-ground segregation in human vision.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neri, Peter; Levi, Dennis M

    2007-01-01

    The segregation of figure from ground is arguably one of the most fundamental operations in human vision. Neural signals reflecting this operation appear in cortex as early as 50 ms and as late as 300 ms after presentation of a visual stimulus, but it is not known when these signals are used by the brain to construct the percepts of figure and ground. We used psychophysical reverse correlation to identify the temporal window for figure-ground signals in human perception and found it to lie within the range of 100-160 ms. Figure enhancement within this narrow temporal window was transient rather than sustained as may be expected from measurements in single neurons. These psychophysical results prompt and guide further electrophysiological studies.

  7. Comprehension of figurative language in Taiwanese children with autism: The role of theory of mind and receptive vocabulary.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Su-Fen; Oi, Manabu; Taguchi, Aiko

    2015-01-01

    First-order theory of mind (ToM) is necessary for comprehension of metaphors, and second-order ToM is necessary for comprehension of irony. This study investigated the role of ToM and language ability in comprehending figurative language in 50 Taiwanese children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASDs) compared with 50 typically developing children. Results showed that the No-ToM HFASDs group performed worse than the first-order ToM HFASDs group and the second-order ToM HFASDs group in comprehension of metaphors, irony, sarcasm and indirect reproach, but not for indirect request. Receptive vocabulary correlated only with metaphor comprehension. The volatility of results seen among studies in terms of the relationship between ToM and figurative language comprehension is discussed.

  8. Figure-ground organization and object recognition processes: an interactive account.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vecera, S P; O'Reilly, R C

    1998-04-01

    Traditional bottom-up models of visual processing assume that figure-ground organization precedes object recognition. This assumption seems logically necessary: How can object recognition occur before a region is labeled as figure? However, some behavioral studies find that familiar regions are more likely to be labeled figure than less familiar regions, a problematic finding for bottom-up models. An interactive account is proposed in which figure-ground processes receive top-down input from object representations in a hierarchical system. A graded, interactive computational model is presented that accounts for behavioral results in which familiarity effects are found. The interactive model offers an alternative conception of visual processing to bottom-up models.

  9. Feed-forward segmentation of figure-ground and assignment of border-ownership.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hans Supèr

    Full Text Available Figure-ground is the segmentation of visual information into objects and their surrounding backgrounds. Two main processes herein are boundary assignment and surface segregation, which rely on the integration of global scene information. Recurrent processing either by intrinsic horizontal connections that connect surrounding neurons or by feedback projections from higher visual areas provide such information, and are considered to be the neural substrate for figure-ground segmentation. On the contrary, a role of feedforward projections in figure-ground segmentation is unknown. To have a better understanding of a role of feedforward connections in figure-ground organization, we constructed a feedforward spiking model using a biologically plausible neuron model. By means of surround inhibition our simple 3-layered model performs figure-ground segmentation and one-sided border-ownership coding. We propose that the visual system uses feed forward suppression for figure-ground segmentation and border-ownership assignment.

  10. Feed-forward segmentation of figure-ground and assignment of border-ownership.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Supèr, Hans; Romeo, August; Keil, Matthias

    2010-05-19

    Figure-ground is the segmentation of visual information into objects and their surrounding backgrounds. Two main processes herein are boundary assignment and surface segregation, which rely on the integration of global scene information. Recurrent processing either by intrinsic horizontal connections that connect surrounding neurons or by feedback projections from higher visual areas provide such information, and are considered to be the neural substrate for figure-ground segmentation. On the contrary, a role of feedforward projections in figure-ground segmentation is unknown. To have a better understanding of a role of feedforward connections in figure-ground organization, we constructed a feedforward spiking model using a biologically plausible neuron model. By means of surround inhibition our simple 3-layered model performs figure-ground segmentation and one-sided border-ownership coding. We propose that the visual system uses feed forward suppression for figure-ground segmentation and border-ownership assignment.

  11. Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: Facts and Figures Report

    Science.gov (United States)

    Each year EPA releases the Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: Facts and Figures report, formerly called Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: Facts and Figures. It includes information on Municipal Solid Waste generation, recycling, an

  12. Enhancement of the thermoelectric figure of merit in a quantum dot due to external ac field

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Qiao, E-mail: cqhy1127@yahoo.com.cn [Department of Maths and Physics, Hunan Institute of Engineering, Xiangtan 411104 (China); Wang, Zhi-yong, E-mail: wzyong@cqut.edu.cn [School of Optoelectronic Information, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing 400054 (China); Xie, Zhong-Xiang [Department of Mathematics and Physics, Hunan Institute of Technology, Hengyang 421002 (China)

    2013-08-15

    We investigate the figure of merit of a quantum dot (QD) system irradiated with an external microwave filed by nonequilibrium Green's function (NGF) technique. Results show that the frequency of microwave field influence the figure of merit ZT significantly. At low temperature, a sharp peak can be observed in the figure of merit ZT as the frequency of ac field increases. As the frequency varies, several zero points and resonant peaks emerge in the figure of merit ZT. By adjusting the frequency of the microwave field, we can obtain high ZT. The figure of merit ZT increases with the decreasing of linewidth function Γ. In addition, Wiedemann–Franz law does not hold, particularly in the low frequency region due to multi-photon emission and absorption. Some novel thermoelectric properties are also found in two-level QD system.

  13. Problems in Translating Figures of Speech: A Review of Persian Translations of Harry Potter Series

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fatemeh Masroor

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Due to the important role of figures of speech in prose, the present research tried to investigate the figures of speech in the novel, Harry Potter Series, and their Persian translations. The main goal of this research was to investigate the translators’ problems in translating figures of speech from English into Persian. To achieve this goal, the collected data were analyzed and compared with their Persian equivalents. Then, the theories of Newmark (1988 & 2001, Larson (1998, and Nolan (2005 were used in order to find the applied strategies for rendering the figures of speech by the translators. After identifying the applied translation strategies, the descriptive and inferential analyses were applied to answer the research question and test its related hypothesis. The results confirmed that the most common pitfalls in translating figures of speech from English into Persian based on Nolan (2005 were, not identifying of figures of speech, their related meanings and translating them literally. Overall, the research findings rejected the null hypothesis. The findings of present research can be useful for translators, especially beginners. They can be aware of the existing problems in translating figures of speech, so they can avoid committing the same mistakes in their works.

  14. Forces on a magnet moving past figure-eight coils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mulcahy, T.H.; He, Jianliang; Rote, D.M.; Rossing, T.D.

    1993-01-01

    For the first time, the lift, drag, and guidance forces acting on a permanent magnet are measured as the magnet passes over different arrays of figure-eight (null-flux) coils. The experimental results are in good agreement with the predictions of dynamic circuit theory, which is used to explain more optimal coil arrays

  15. The Role of Attention in Figure-Ground Segregation in Areas V1 and V4 of the Visual Cortex

    OpenAIRE

    Poort, Jasper; Raudies, Florian; Wannig, Aurel; Lamme, Victor A.F.; Neumann, Heiko; Roelfsema, Pieter R.

    2012-01-01

    Our visual system segments images into objects and background. Figure-ground segregation relies on the detection of feature discontinuities that signal boundaries between the figures and the background and on a complementary region-filling process that groups together image regions with similar features. The neuronal mechanisms for these processes are not well understood and it is unknown how they depend on visual attention. We measured neuronal activity in V1 and V4 in a task where monkeys e...

  16. Variable-spot ion beam figuring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Lixiang; Qiu, Keqiang; Fu, Shaojun

    2016-01-01

    This paper introduces a new scheme of ion beam figuring (IBF), or rather variable-spot IBF, which is conducted at a constant scanning velocity with variable-spot ion beam collimated by a variable diaphragm. It aims at improving the reachability and adaptation of the figuring process within the limits of machine dynamics by varying the ion beam spot size instead of the scanning velocity. In contrast to the dwell time algorithm in the conventional IBF, the variable-spot IBF adopts a new algorithm, which consists of the scan path programming and the trajectory optimization using pattern search. In this algorithm, instead of the dwell time, a new concept, integral etching time, is proposed to interpret the process of variable-spot IBF. We conducted simulations to verify its feasibility and practicality. The simulation results indicate the variable-spot IBF is a promising alternative to the conventional approach.

  17. 29 CFR Appendix A to Subpart W to... - Figures W-14 through W-28

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 8 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Figures W-14 through W-28 A Appendix A to Subpart W to part 1926 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION...; Overhead Protection Pt. 1926, Subpt. W, App. A Appendix A to Subpart W to part 1926—Figures W-14 through W...

  18. The Vanished Child: An inquiry into figures and their modes of appearance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bertrand Gervais

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Sophie Calle's texts are elaborate devices that facilitate the production of figures, of complex symbolic entities. In fact, her work enables us to better understand how figures emerge and unfold in the imaginary. Thus, we find in her Disparitions (Disappearances, a startling figure, which we can name the "Vanished Child". I will present this figure and explain how it stems from the description of a painting by Rembrandt, stolen at the Gardner Museum in Boston. I will start by identifying some of the essential processes implied in the identification of a figure, and, to do so, I will give two short examples, drawn from Witold Gombrowicz and Don DeLillo. Then, after having described in details the figure of the Vanished Child, I will argue, following the French art historian Georges Didi-Huberman in his reading of Walter Benjamin, that figures are auratic objects. Dans ses textes, Sophie Calle emploie des techniques détaillées qui facilitent la production de figures, d'entités symboliques complexes. Son œuvre nous permet effectivement de mieux comprendre comment les figures émergent et se déploient dans l'imaginaire. Ainsi, nous trouvons dans ses Disparitions (Disappearances une figure surprenante que nous pouvons désigner comme « l'enfant disparu ». Je présenterai cette figure en expliquant comment elle découle de la description d'un tableau de Rembrandt volé au musée Gardner à Boston. J'identifierai d'abord quelques-uns des procédés essentiels à l'identification d'une figure, et pour ce faire je donnerai deux exemples, tirés des œuvres de Witold Gombrowicz et Don DeLillo. Puis je décrirai de façon détaillée la figure de l'enfant disparu, avant de démontrer le caractère auratique des figures à partir de la lecture de Walter Benjamin qu'exécute l'historien de l'art français Georges Didi-Huberman.

  19. The equivalent width as a figure of merit for XPS narrow scans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, Bhupinder; Velázquez, Daniel; Terry, Jeff; Linford, Matthew R.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • We introduce a new figure of merit for XPS narrow scans: the equivalent width (EW XPS ). • EW XPS is less subjective and involves lesser user bias than traditional peak fitting. • EW XPS is responsive to changes in chemical states of materials. • EW XPS could be used for quality control and comparing spectra from similar samples. • EW XPS has the potential to be part of an expert software system for machine interpretation of spectra. - Abstract: X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) is a widely used surface analytical tool that provides information about the near surface regions of materials. And while indispensable for XPS data analysis, peak fitting of narrow scans is often a fairly subjective exercise. Herein we introduce the equivalent width (EW) as an additional and less subjective figure of merit for XPS narrow scans. We believe that this parameter will prove particularly useful for analyzing series of similar or nominally identical spectra, perhaps as a component of an expert software system for the machine interpretation of spectra. It also appears to be useful, shedding light on the chemical state of materials, when additional information about a sample is known. The EW XPS is simply defined as the area of a narrow scan divided by the height of the maximum of its peak envelope. To limit any ambiguity in EW XPS for a series of spectra, we may also list the peak position of the maximum of the envelope (PE max ). The potential usefulness and limitations of the EW XPS and PE max parameters are demonstrated by their application to the narrow scans of: (i) four sets of ozone-treated carbon nanotubes (EW XPS ∼ 2.11–2.16 eV for a Shirley background, and up to 2.88 eV for no background, PE max ∼ 284.4–284.5 eV), (ii) a series of silicon wafers with different oxide thicknesses (EW XPS ∼ 1.5–2.8 eV, PE max ∼ 99–103 eV), (iii) hydrogen-terminated silicon before and after derivatization with pentyl groups, and after annealing of

  20. Techniques Of Translating English Figurative Expressions In ‘Colours’ Magazine By Garuda Indonesia Into Indonesian

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ni Luh Putu Unix Sumartini

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available The article is aimed to find out the Techniques of Translating English Figurative Expression in ‘Colours’ Magazine by Garuda Indonesia into Indonesian. There are three problems are discussed in this study, namely (1 types of figurative expressions found in the English version of ‘Colours’ magazine and their translation’s equivalence into Indonesian and (2 kinds of translation techniques applied in translating the English figurative expression into Indonesian, This research belongs to qualitative research and the data used in this study were taken from the ‘Colours’ magazine by Garuda Indonesia. The main theory which is applied in this study is taken from the theory of Molina & Albir (2002 in their book entitled Translation Techniques Revisited; A Dynamic and Functionalist Approach. Another theory applied is taken from the theory of McArthur (1992 in his book entitled The Oxford Companion on The English Language. Other supporting theories which are used to support this study are the theory of Larson (1998 in her book entitled Meaning-Based Translation and some other books considered relevant to the topic. The result showed that there are eleven kinds of English figurative expressions found in the data. They are antithesis, euphemism, hyperbole, idioms, irony, metaphor, metonimy, personification, pleonasm, simile and synecdoche. In translating techniques, the translator applied ten translating techniques, they are; adaptation, borrowing, compensation, description, established equivalent, linguistic comprehension, literal technique, modulation, reduction and transposition. In translating a figurative expression from SL into TL, some of the results showed that an English figurative expression is translated into Indonesian figurative translation but some of them can not maintain its figurativeness in Indonesian, therefore the English figurative expression is translated into Indonesian non-figuratively.

  1. $2^\\infty$-Selmer groups, $2^\\infty$-class groups, and Goldfeld's conjecture

    OpenAIRE

    Smith, Alexander

    2017-01-01

    We prove that the $2^\\infty$-class groups of the imaginary quadratic fields have the distribution predicted by the Cohen-Lenstra heuristic. Given an elliptic curve E/Q with full rational 2-torsion and no rational cyclic subgroup of order four, we analogously prove that the $2^\\infty$-Selmer groups of the quadratic twists of E have distribution as predicted by Delaunay's heuristic. In particular, among the twists E^d with |d| < N, the number of curves with rank at least two is $o(N)$.

  2. Research as Art: Using figures to make science approachable

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rabinowitz, H. S.; Barth, A.; Russell, J. B.; Frischkorn, K.; Yehudai, M.

    2017-12-01

    As scientists, we spend a significant amount of time thinking about how best to express the results of our research through figures. These can range from graphs to microscope images to movies, but they all serve the purpose of communicating complicated ideas to our colleagues in the scientific community. One component of scientific data representation that is often overlooked is the aesthetic of the image. Many images produced for data communication and publication are visually engaging even to a lay audience, allowing them to serve as a point of entry to learning about scientific research for the non-specialist. To help researchers embrace this secondary goal of scientific figures, we have instituted an annual event at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University (LDEO) called Research as Art. For this event, scientists submit figures from their work that they see as artistic. These figures are displayed in a gallery-type exhibit for the community to appreciate. This year, the exhibit included movie and sculpture categories, allowing for attendees to interact with a broader range of scientific work. Each piece is accompanied by a brief, non-technical caption. Research as Art provides a gateway for scientists from a broad range of disciplines within the Earth Sciences to learn about work that is entirely unrelated to their own. After the event, attendees commented that they had never before thought about how a non-specialist would view their figures and that they would keep this in mind when making future figures. Thus, one of the biggest benefits of exhibits such as this is to teach scientists to view our work through a non-specialist's eyes. However, future plans for Research as Art include establishing a temporary exhibit at a local bar to expand the reach to a broader segment of the Columbia University area community. Our figures are art, and when we start to treat them that way, we open a world of possibilities for teaching the public about our

  3. How Iconic Figures Influence Thinking ? : Comparison of University and Lower Secondary Students

    OpenAIRE

    添田, 佳伸; 藤井, 良宜

    1992-01-01

    In learning geometry we often use iconic figures to give children conditions and questions in word problems. But the figure becomes an object of thinking after finishing plaing the role of giving some information. Children think the problem by using the given figure. If figures influence chidren's thinking, a rate of correct answer of each problem must be different according to being presented each figure. ### Thus we investigated the differences of rates of correct answer by using three type...

  4. Shape space figure-8 solution of three body problem with two equal masses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Guowei

    2017-06-01

    In a preprint by Montgomery (https://people.ucsc.edu/~rmont/Nbdy.html), the author attempted to prove the existence of a shape space figure-8 solution of the Newtonian three body problem with two equal masses (it looks like a figure 8 in the shape space, which is different from the famous figure-8 solution with three equal masses (Chenciner and Montgomery 2000 Ann. Math. 152 881-901)). Unfortunately there is an error in the proof and the problem is still open. Consider the α-homogeneous Newton-type potential, 1/rα, using action minimization method, we prove the existence of this solution, for α \\in (1, 2) ; for α=1 (the Newtonian potential), an extra condition is required, which unfortunately seems hard to verify at this moment.

  5. Analysis of nanostructuring in high figure-of-merit Ag{sub 1-x}Pb{sub m}SbTe{sub 2+m} thermoelectric materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cook, Bruce A; Harringa, Joel L [Materials and Engineering Physics Program, Ames Laboratory, Iowa State University Ames, IA (United States); Kramer, Matthew J [Materials Science and Engineering, Iowa State University Ames, IA (United States); Han, Mi-Kyung [Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University Evanston, IL (United States); Chung, Duck-Young [Material Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, IL (United States); Kanatzidis, Mercouri G [Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University Evanston, IL (United States); Material Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, IL (United States)

    2009-04-23

    Thermoelectric materials based on quaternary compounds Ag{sub 1-x}Pb{sub m}SbTe{sub 2+m} exhibit high dimensionless figure-of-merit values, ranging from 1.5 to 1.7 at 700 K. The primary factor contributing to the high figure of merit is a low lattice thermal conductivity, achieved through nanostructuring during melt solidification. As a consequence of nucleation and growth of a second phase, coherent nanoscale inclusions form throughout the material, which are believed to result in scattering of acoustic phonons while causing only minimal scattering of charge carriers. Here, characterization of the nanosized inclusions in Ag{sub 0.53}Pb{sub 18}Sb{sub 1.2}Te{sub 20} that shows a strong tendency for crystallographic orientation along the {l_brace}001{r_brace} planes, with a high degree of lattice strain at the interface, consistent with a coherent interfacial boundary is reported. The inclusions are enriched in Ag relative to the matrix, and seem to adopt a cubic, 96 atom per unit cell Ag{sub 2}Te phase based on the Ti{sub 2}Ni type structure. In-situ high-temperature synchrotron radiation diffraction studies indicated that the inclusions remain thermally stable to at least 800 K. (Abstract Copyright [2009], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

  6. Brand logo design: Examining consumer responses to figurativeness

    OpenAIRE

    Machado, J. C.; Vacas-Carvalho, Leonor; Costa, P.; Torres, A.

    2013-01-01

    In a previous investigation, aimed at studying brand identity preferences in a merger context, researchers found the most preferred logos are figurative ones. Additionally, results suggested the aesthetic appeal of the logo significantly influences consumers’ identity choices. These results find support in logo strategy literature. The main purpose of this study is to investigate more thoroughly the influence of logo design characteristics, and particularly of figurativeness, o...

  7. Bilateral lesions of nucleus subpretectalis/interstitio-pretecto-subpretectalis (SP/IPS) selectively impair figure-ground discrimination in pigeons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scully, Erin N; Acerbo, Martin J; Lazareva, Olga F

    2014-01-01

    Earlier, we reported that nucleus rotundus (Rt) together with its inhibitory complex, nucleus subpretectalis/interstitio-pretecto-subpretectalis (SP/IPS), had significantly higher activity in pigeons performing figure-ground discrimination than in the control group that did not perform any visual discriminations. In contrast, color discrimination produced significantly higher activity than control in the Rt but not in the SP/IPS. Finally, shape discrimination produced significantly lower activity than control in both the Rt and the SP/IPS. In this study, we trained pigeons to simultaneously perform three visual discriminations (figure-ground, color, and shape) using the same stimulus displays. When birds learned to perform all three tasks concurrently at high levels of accuracy, we conducted bilateral chemical lesions of the SP/IPS. After a period of recovery, the birds were retrained on the same tasks to evaluate the effect of lesions on maintenance of these discriminations. We found that the lesions of the SP/IPS had no effect on color or shape discrimination and that they significantly impaired figure-ground discrimination. Together with our earlier data, these results suggest that the nucleus Rt and the SP/IPS are the key structures involved in figure-ground discrimination. These results also imply that thalamic processing is critical for figure-ground segregation in avian brain.

  8. Digital Group Multiplexers (DGM). Volume 2. Section 3.0, 5.0, 7.0, 15.4

    Science.gov (United States)

    1980-02-01

    SCANNR WO REUA ORS -1. [IVE M.U DEMUX GROUP FRAMINC, GROUP MODEM DATAER INREI PATE ORDERWIRE S~U C ANNE RLOI GA T CICK BUSS RWE Bus ERIOR BUS ERPACE G...tIi 5’E CARD I I IDICOI 1 hi FUL VIAND 02OTCSL A ARE s~o N Th0T EXTIRMAL ENERGIME ( NOPAL ’ -z; 0NC Figure 5-14. LGM Alarm Implementation Block Diagram...all four wires placing a peak current threat to the unit of 5,000 amps per wire. As the primary protection we are using a Siemens gas filled surge

  9. Inhibitory Competition between Shape Properties in Figure-Ground Perception

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, Mary A.; Skow, Emily

    2008-01-01

    Theories of figure-ground perception entail inhibitory competition between either low-level units (edge or feature units) or high-level shape properties. Extant computational models instantiate the 1st type of theory. The authors investigated a prediction of the 2nd type of theory: that shape properties suggested on the ground side of an edge are…

  10. Review of particle properties. Particle Data Group

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1978-04-01

    This review of the properties of leptons, mesons, and baryons is an updating of Review of Particle Properties, Particle Data Group [Rev. Mod. Phys. 48 (1976) No. 2, Part II; and Supplement, Phys. Lett. 68B (1977) 1]. Data are evaluated, listed, averaged, and summarized in tables. Numerous tables, figures, and formulae of interest to particle physicists are also included. A data booklet is available

  11. A new principle of figure-ground segregation: The accentuation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinna, Baingio; Reeves, Adam; Koenderink, Jan; van Doorn, Andrea; Deiana, Katia

    2018-02-01

    The problem of perceptual organization was studied by Gestalt psychologists in terms of figure-ground segregation. In this paper we explore a new principle of figure-ground segregation: accentuation. We demonstrate the effectiveness of accentuation relative to other Gestalt principles, and also consider it autonomous as it can agree with or oppose them. We consider three dynamic aspects of the principle, namely: attraction, accentuation and assignment. Each creature needs to attract, fascinate, seduce, draw attention (e.g., a mate or a prey animal) or distract, refuse, dissuade, discourage, repulse (e.g., a predator). Similarly, each organism needs to accentuate, highlight, stress, underline, emphasize or distract from another. Thus, accentuation assigns meaning to a visual pattern such as a coat, a plumage or a flower. False eyes (ocelli) and dots (diematic patterns) demonstrate "deceiving camouflage by accentuation" that confuses predators/preys and hides or highlights vital body parts (butterflies/flowers). They also display the deceiving appearance and exhibition of biological fitness. The same accents may serve different or even opposite goals. We conclude that accentuation improves the adaptive fitness of organisms in multifarious ways. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Efficacy of deep rTMS for neuropathic pain in the lower limb: a randomized, double-blind crossover trial of an H-coil and figure-8 coil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shimizu, Takeshi; Hosomi, Koichi; Maruo, Tomoyuki; Goto, Yuko; Yokoe, Masaru; Kageyama, Yu; Shimokawa, Toshio; Yoshimine, Toshiki; Saitoh, Youichi

    2017-11-01

    OBJECTIVE Electrical motor cortex stimulation can relieve neuropathic pain (NP), but its use requires patients to undergo an invasive procedure. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the primary motor cortex (M1) using a figure-8 coil can relieve NP noninvasively, but its ability to relieve lower limb pain is still limited. Deep rTMS using an H-coil can effectively stimulate deep brain regions and has been widely used for the treatment of various neurological diseases; however, there have been no clinical studies comparing the effectiveness of figure-8 coils and H-coils. This study assessed the clinical effectiveness of 5 once-daily stimulations with H-coils and figure-8 coils in patients with NP. METHODS This randomized, double-blind, 3-way crossover trial examined 18 patients with NP who sequentially received 3 types of stimulations in the M1 for 5 consecutive days; each 5-day stimulation period was followed by a 17-day follow-up period before crossing over to the next type of stimulation. During each rTMS session, patients received a 5-Hz rTMS to the M1 region corresponding to the painful lower limb. The visual analog scale (VAS) and the Japanese version of the short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire 2 (SF-MPQ2-J) were used to measure pain intensity. The primary outcome was VAS score reduction immediately after and 1 hour after intervention. RESULTS Both the VAS and SF-MPQ2-J showed significant pain improvement immediately after deep rTMS with an H-coil as compared with the sham group (p H-coil (p = 0.004) but not 1 hour after rTMS using a figure-8 coil. None of the patients exhibited any serious adverse events. CONCLUSIONS The current findings suggest that the use of deep rTMS with an H-coil in the lower limb region of the M1 in patients with NP was tolerable and could provide significant short-term pain relief. Clinical trial registration no.: UMIN000010536 ( http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/ ).

  13. Two critical periods in early visual cortex during figure-ground segregation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wokke, M.E.; Sligte, I.G.; Scholte, H.S.; Lamme, V.A.F.

    2012-01-01

    .The ability to distinguish a figure from its background is crucial for visual perception. To date, it remains unresolved where and how in the visual system different stages of figure-ground segregation emerge. Neural correlates of figure border detection have consistently been found in early visual

  14. Facts and figures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1987-01-01

    Whereas most of the data are, naturally, about oil, a few figures concern nuclear energy. There is in Part 1 a flow chart of worldwide primary energy consumption by type, from 1974 to 1986, where nuclear energy consumption can be seen in relation to oil, gas, coal and hydro. The same is also given for the regions of the South. In section 3/18 the numbers of nuclear plants in construction and operation are listed separately for developing countries, centrally planned economies and industrialized countries, for 1986. (qui)

  15. Cortical dynamics of three-dimensional figure-ground perception of two-dimensional pictures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grossberg, S

    1997-07-01

    This article develops the FACADE theory of 3-dimensional (3-D) vision and figure-ground separation to explain data concerning how 2-dimensional pictures give rise to 3-D percepts of occluding and occluded objects. The model describes how geometrical and contrastive properties of a picture can either cooperate or compete when forming the boundaries and surface representation that subserve conscious percepts. Spatially long-range cooperation and spatially short-range competition work together to separate the boundaries of occluding figures from their occluded neighbors. This boundary ownership process is sensitive to image T junctions at which occluded figures contact occluding figures. These boundaries control the filling-in of color within multiple depth-sensitive surface representations. Feedback between surface and boundary representations strengthens consistent boundaries while inhibiting inconsistent ones. Both the boundary and the surface representations of occluded objects may be amodally completed, while the surface representations of unoccluded objects become visible through modal completion. Functional roles for conscious modal and amodal representations in object recognition, spatial attention, and reaching behaviors are discussed. Model interactions are interpreted in terms of visual, temporal, and parietal cortices.

  16. Logo design: examining consumer response to figurativeness across cultures

    OpenAIRE

    Machado, Joana César; Vacas de Carvalho, Leonor; Torres, Anna; Van de Velden, Michel; Costa, Patrício

    2014-01-01

    Literature concerned with logo strategy suggests that the aesthetic appeal of brand logo significantly influences consumer reactions. The main purpose of this research is to study the influence of the different categories of figurative logo designs on consumer response. Through two studies in three countries, this research sheds light on consumer logo preferences, by investigating the psychological properties of the figurativeness of logo design. Results showed that figurativeness is an essen...

  17. Toddlers' bias to look at average versus obese figures relates to maternal anti-fat prejudice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruffman, Ted; O'Brien, Kerry S; Taumoepeau, Mele; Latner, Janet D; Hunter, John A

    2016-02-01

    Anti-fat prejudice (weight bias, obesity stigma) is strong, prevalent, and increasing in adults and is associated with negative outcomes for those with obesity. However, it is unknown how early in life this prejudice forms and the reasons for its development. We examined whether infants and toddlers might display an anti-fat bias and, if so, whether it was influenced by maternal anti-fat attitudes through a process of social learning. Mother-child dyads (N=70) split into four age groups participated in a preferential looking paradigm whereby children were presented with 10 pairs of average and obese human figures in random order, and their viewing times (preferential looking) for the figures were measured. Mothers' anti-fat prejudice and education were measured along with mothers' and fathers' body mass index (BMI) and children's television viewing time. We found that older infants (M=11months) had a bias for looking at the obese figures, whereas older toddlers (M=32months) instead preferred looking at the average-sized figures. Furthermore, older toddlers' preferential looking was correlated significantly with maternal anti-fat attitudes. Parental BMI, education, and children's television viewing time were unrelated to preferential looking. Looking times might signal a precursor to explicit fat prejudice socialized via maternal anti-fat attitudes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Body figure preference in South African adolescent females: A cross ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Objective: The current study sought to explore body figure preference in a cross cultural South African sample, given the established relationship between body dissatisfaction and eating disorders. Methods: The sample comprised a community based, multi-racial adolescent population in both urban (n=1353) and rural ...

  19. Material removal and surface figure during pad polishing of fused silica

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Suratwala, T I; Feit, M D; Steele, W A

    2009-05-04

    The material removal and surface figure after ceria pad polishing of fused silica glass have been measured and analyzed as a function of kinematics, loading conditions, and polishing time. Also, the friction at the workpiece/lap interface, the slope of the workpiece relative to the lap plane, and lap viscoelastic properties have been measured and correlated to material removal. The results show that the relative velocity between the workpiece & lap (determined by the kinematics) and the pressure distribution determine the spatial and temporal material removal and hence the final surface figure of the workpiece. In the case where the applied loading and relative velocity distribution over the workpiece are spatially uniform, a significant non-uniform spatial material removal from the workpiece surface is observed. This is due to a non-uniform pressure distribution resulting from: (1) a moment caused by a pivot point and interface friction forces; (2) viscoelastic relaxation of the polyurethane lap; and (3) a physical workpiece/lap interface mismatch. Both the kinematics and these contributions to the pressure distribution are quantitatively described, and then combined to form a spatial and temporal Preston model & code for material removal (called Surface Figure or SurF{copyright}). The surface figure simulations are consistent with the experiment for a wide variety of polishing conditions. This study is an important step towards deterministic full-aperture polishing, which would allow optical glass fabrication to be performed in a more repeatable, less iterative, and hence more economical manner.

  20. Exact Solution of a Constraint Optimization Problem for the Thermoelectric Figure of Merit

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wolfgang Seifert

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available In the classical theory of thermoelectricity, the performance integrals for a fully self-compatible material depend on the dimensionless figure of merit zT. Usually these integrals are evaluated for constraints z = const. and zT = const., respectively. In this paper we discuss the question from a mathematical point of view whether there is an optimal temperature characteristics of the figure of merit. We solve this isoperimetric variational problem for the best envelope of a family of curves z(TT.

  1. Exact Solution of a Constraint Optimization Problem for the Thermoelectric Figure of Merit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seifert, Wolfgang; Pluschke, Volker

    2012-03-21

    In the classical theory of thermoelectricity, the performance integrals for a fully self-compatible material depend on the dimensionless figure of merit zT. Usually these integrals are evaluated for constraints z = const. and zT = const., respectively. In this paper we discuss the question from a mathematical point of view whether there is an optimal temperature characteristics of the figure of merit. We solve this isoperimetric variational problem for the best envelope of a family of curves z(T)T.

  2. Graphics of polar figure; Graficado de figura polar

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Macias B, L.R

    1991-11-15

    The objective of this work, is that starting from a data file coming from a spectra that has been softened, and of the one that have been generated its coordinates to project it in stereographic form, to create the corresponding polar figure making use of the Cyber computer of the ININ by means of the GRAPHOS package. This work only requires a Beta, Fi and Intensity (I) enter data file. It starts of the existence of a softened spectra of which have been generated already with these data, making use of some language that in this case was FORTRAN for the Cyber computer, a program is generated supported in the Graphos package that allows starting of a reading of the Beta, Fi, I file, to generate the points in a stereographic projection and that it culminates with the graph of the corresponding polar figure. The program will request the pertinent information that is wanted to capture in the polar figure just as: date, name of the enter file, indexes of the polar figure, number of levels, radio of the stereographic projection (cms.), crystalline system to which belongs the sample, name the neuter graph file by create and to add the own general data. (Author)

  3. Visual relations children find easy and difficult to process in figural analogies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stevenson, Claire E; Alberto, Rosa A; van den Boom, Max A; de Boeck, Paul A L

    2014-01-01

    Analogical reasoning, the ability to learn about novel phenomena by relating it to structurally similar knowledge, develops with great variability in children. Furthermore, the development of analogical reasoning coincides with greater working memory efficiency and increasing knowledge of the entities and relations present in analogy problems. In figural matrices, a classical form of analogical reasoning assessment, some features, such as color, appear easier for children to encode and infer than others, such as orientation. Yet, few studies have structurally examined differences in the difficulty of visual relations across different age-groups. This cross-sectional study of figural analogical reasoning examined which underlying rules in figural analogies were easier or more difficult for children to correctly process. School children (N = 1422, M = 7.0 years, SD = 21 months, range 4.5-12.5 years) were assessed in analogical reasoning using classical figural matrices and memory measures. The visual relations the children had to induce and apply concerned the features: animal, color, orientation, position, quantity and size. The role of age and memory span on the children's ability to correctly process each type of relation was examined using explanatory item response theory models. The results showed that with increasing age and/or greater memory span all visual relations were processed more accurately. The "what" visual relations animal, color, quantity and size were easiest, whereas the "where" relations orientation and position were most difficult. However, the "where" visual relations became relatively easier with age and increased memory efficiency. The implications are discussed in terms of the development of visual processing in object recognition vs. position and motion encoding in the ventral ("what") and dorsal ("where") pathways respectively.

  4. Figure Structure, Figure Action, and Framing in Drawings by American and Egyptian Children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Brent; Wilson, Marjorie

    1979-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to investigate the interaction of biological unfolding and culturally related factors on sequences of narrative figure drawings by American and Egyptian elementary students. Findings support hypotheses relating to the interaction of natural and nurtural influences on children's drawings. (Author/SJL)

  5. The age-related changes in figural perceptual abilities of pupils

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nešić Blagoje V.

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper is a part of a broader research in the field of development of different intellectual abilities in primary schools. Using a transverse - longitudinal research strategy, the pupils from nine to fifteen years of age are observed in order to find answers to the following questions: 1 Do the important developmental changes in the figural-perceptual abilities occur in this developmental period? 2 Is the pace of changes in these abilities the same at all ages, grades? 3 Do the developmental changes in these abilities depend on the type of tests, that is, mental operations which register the applied tests? Figural-perceptual abilities are defined as the ability to identify the elements in space, to imagine and transform the elements in space, the ability for spatial reasoning, perceptual shaping flexibility, the ability of eduction of relations and correlates, the ability to identify the elements that are injected into the right material, the ability to notice the difference in the forms and dimensions of the characters, speed observations of similarities and differences between elements in the field of perception. The measurement (assessment of these abilities was performed with the help of 11 tests of intellectual abilities of the figural content. The individual progresses as baseline data were used for the data analysis. The progresses of the subjects were compared with the analysis and the results are the following: 1 The pupils from third to eighth grade showed positive changes in the figurative perceptive abilities. This is shown in all the tests that were used and progresses are statistically significant in all tests 2 There is a tendency that the pupils in the sixth grade made the best progress, and the seventh-grade pupils made the least progress. 3 However, when the progresses are compared in certain tests, then significant differences in the pace of development of these abilities are determined. Namely, the pupils in the higher

  6. Edge-assignment and figure-ground segmentation in short-term visual matching.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Driver, J; Baylis, G C

    1996-12-01

    Eight experiments examined the role of edge-assignment in a contour matching task. Subjects judged whether the jagged vertical edge of a probe shape matched the jagged edge that divided two adjoining shapes in an immediately preceding figure-ground display. Segmentation factors biased assignment of this dividing edge toward a figural shape on just one of its sides. Subjects were faster and more accurate at matching when the probe edge had a corresponding assignment. The rapid emergence of this effect provides an on-line analog of the long-term memory advantage for figures over grounds which Rubin (1915/1958) reported. The present on-line advantage was found when figures were defined by relative contrast and size, or by symmetry, and could not be explained solely by the automatic drawing of attention toward the location of the figural region. However, deliberate attention to one region of an otherwise ambiguous figure-ground display did produce the advantage. We propose that one-sided assignment of dividing edges may be obligatory in vision.

  7. Satiation or availability? Effects of attention, memory, and imagery on the perception of ambiguous figures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horlitz, Krista L.; O'Leary, Ann

    1993-01-01

    The prolonged-inspection technique has been used to demonstrate effects of satiation on the perception of ambiguous figures. We propose that the inspection phase, in which subjects view an unambiguous version of the stimulus prior to observing the ambiguous figure, does not create neural fatigue but rather provides a context in which the alternative percept is apprehended and gains perceptual strength through processes such as imagination or memory. The consequent availability of the alternative organization drives the perceptual phenomena that have been thought to reflect satiation. In Experiment 1, we demonstrated that (1) preexperimental exposure to the target figures and (2) allocation of attention to the inspection figures were both necessary in order to obtain results similar to those predicted by the satiation model. In Experiment 2, we obtained similar results, finding that effects of prior inspection were greater the greater the amount and availability of information regarding the alternative percept during the inspection phase. Subjects who generated visual images of the noninspected alternative during inspection yielded results comparable to those from subjects to whom both versions were presented visually.

  8. Arsenene and Antimonene: Two-Dimensional Materials with High Thermoelectric Figures of Merit

    KAUST Repository

    Sharma, S.

    2017-10-25

    We study the thermoelectric properties of As and Sb monolayers (arsenene and antimonene) using density-functional theory and the semiclassical Boltzmann transport approach. The materials show large band gaps combined with low lattice thermal conductivities. Specifically, the small phonon frequencies and group velocities of antimonene lead to an excellent thermoelectric response at room temperature. We show that n-type doping enhances the figure of merit.

  9. Ego depletion in visual perception: Ego-depleted viewers experience less ambiguous figure reversal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wimmer, Marina C; Stirk, Steven; Hancock, Peter J B

    2017-10-01

    This study examined the effects of ego depletion on ambiguous figure perception. Adults (N = 315) received an ego depletion task and were subsequently tested on their inhibitory control abilities that were indexed by the Stroop task (Experiment 1) and their ability to perceive both interpretations of ambiguous figures that was indexed by reversal (Experiment 2). Ego depletion had a very small effect on reducing inhibitory control (Cohen's d = .15) (Experiment 1). Ego-depleted participants had a tendency to take longer to respond in Stroop trials. In Experiment 2, ego depletion had small to medium effects on the experience of reversal. Ego-depleted viewers tended to take longer to reverse ambiguous figures (duration to first reversal) when naïve of the ambiguity and experienced less reversal both when naïve and informed of the ambiguity. Together, findings suggest that ego depletion has small effects on inhibitory control and small to medium effects on bottom-up and top-down perceptual processes. The depletion of cognitive resources can reduce our visual perceptual experience.

  10. 40 CFR Figure C-3 to Subpart C of... - Illustration of the Slope and Intercept Limits for Class II and Class III PM10−2.5 Candidate...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 5 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Illustration of the Slope and Intercept Limits for Class II and Class III PM10â2.5 Candidate Equivalent Methods C Figure C-3 to Subpart C of Part... Candidate Methods and Reference Methods Pt. 53, Subpt. C, Fig. C-3 Figure C-3 to Subpart C of Part 53...

  11. A hypnotically mediated guided imagery intervention for intrusive imagery: creating ground for figure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Appel, P R

    1999-04-01

    Intrusive imagery can be seen as a cognitive dysfunction in the assimilation and accommodation of the psychological material represented by those images. From a gestalt psychological perspective, the intrusive image represents a figure without a ground that can provide meaning and context. Hypnotically mediated guided imagery interventions can be used to create a ground for the rogue image that metaphorically is an unassimilated figure; and thus allow for the creation of a new cognitive scheme. Four case examples are presented as well as a model for the intervention.

  12. FIGUR WANITA SEBAGAI PENARIK PANDANG DALAM IKLAN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrian D. Hagijanto

    2000-01-01

    Full Text Available In order to gain brand awareness effectively%2C advertiser use unusual and sometimes inappropriate form of creatifity to make their ads more memorable such method includes the use of women s sexual attractions which%2C on the other hand%2C causes in fraction of ethical norms. Will this be called a deviations in ads or a compromise approach to the audience taste? Abstract in Bahasa Indonesia : Untuk mencapai brand awareness yang lebih tinggi%2C pengiklan harus membuat iklannya menarik%2C lewat kreativitas yang tinggi. Ketika kreativitas itu menggunakan pendekatan yang terjebak oleh pelanggaran norma-norma etis kemasyarakatan -lewat eksploatasi figur wanita dan daya tarik yang melingkupinya-. Akankah kreativitas itu disebut sebagai penyimpangan dalam iklan? Ataukah sah-sah saja sebagai suatu bentuk pendekatan yang menuruti selera pasar. advertisement%2C women s sexual attractions%2C body language

  13. Quantitative Determination of Pole Figures with a Texture Goniometer by the Reflection Method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moeller, Manfred

    1962-03-15

    For different slit systems of a modern texture goniometer (type Siemens) the X-ray intensity reflected from textureless plane samples has been measured as function of the tilt angle {phi} and Bragg angle {theta}. The intensity curves obtained generally enable quantitative and almost complete pole figure determinations to be made with only one reflection recording, even for materials with high line density. Investigations on rolled uranium sheet with CuK{sub {alpha}} radiation showed that for reliable chart records up to {phi} {approx} 70 deg on reflections with an angular separation of only {delta}(2{theta}) = 0.7 deg, the vertical receiving slit must be limited to at least 1 mm when using a horizontal main slit of 0.5 mm, Though in this case the intensity drop off resulting from defocusing from the flat sample surface is considerable even at small tilt angles, a correction of intensity is possible also at large angles within an accuracy of {+-} 5 %. Moreover, different pole figures for one material can be compared quantitatively, without constant slit settings and recording conditions being necessary, if the intensity values of the contour lines are always referred to the background radiation.

  14. Feature-based attention in early vision for the modulation of figure-ground segregation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagatsuma, Nobuhiko; Oki, Megumi; Sakai, Ko

    2013-01-01

    We investigated psychophysically whether feature-based attention modulates the perception of figure-ground (F-G) segregation and, based on the results, we investigated computationally the neural mechanisms underlying attention modulation. In the psychophysical experiments, the attention of participants was drawn to a specific motion direction and they were then asked to judge the side of figure in an ambiguous figure with surfaces consisting of distinct motion directions. The results of these experiments showed that the surface consisting of the attended direction of motion was more frequently observed as figure, with a degree comparable to that of spatial attention (Wagatsuma et al., 2008). These experiments also showed that perception was dependent on the distribution of feature contrast, specifically the motion direction differences. These results led us to hypothesize that feature-based attention functions in a framework similar to that of spatial attention. We proposed a V1-V2 model in which feature-based attention modulates the contrast of low-level feature in V1, and this modulation of contrast changes directly the surround modulation of border-ownership-selective cells in V2; thus, perception of F-G is biased. The model exhibited good agreement with human perception in the magnitude of attention modulation and its invariance among stimuli. These results indicate that early-level features that are modified by feature-based attention alter subsequent processing along afferent pathway, and that such modification could even change the perception of object.

  15. The Use and Abuse of Human Figure Drawings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Motta, Robert W.; And Others

    1993-01-01

    Notes widespread use of human figure drawings to describe and predict psychological functioning. Reviews data-based studies on figure drawings and concludes that there is little support for their validity or for their use as devices to assess personality, behavior, emotion, or intellectual functioning. Presents ease of administration and anecdotal…

  16. Figure correction of multilayer coated optics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chapman; Henry N. , Taylor; John S.

    2010-02-16

    A process is provided for producing near-perfect optical surfaces, for EUV and soft-x-ray optics. The method involves polishing or otherwise figuring the multilayer coating that has been deposited on an optical substrate, in order to correct for errors in the figure of the substrate and coating. A method such as ion-beam milling is used to remove material from the multilayer coating by an amount that varies in a specified way across the substrate. The phase of the EUV light that is reflected from the multilayer will be affected by the amount of multilayer material removed, but this effect will be reduced by a factor of 1-n as compared with height variations of the substrate, where n is the average refractive index of the multilayer.

  17. Distinguishing between Realistic and Fantastical Figures in Iran

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davoodi, Telli; Corriveau, Kathleen H.; Harris, Paul L.

    2016-01-01

    Children in the United States come to distinguish historical from fictional story figures between the ages of 3 and 5 years, guided by the plausibility of the story events surrounding the figure (Corriveau, Kim, Schwalen, & Harris, 2009; Woolley & Cox, 2007). However, U.S. children vary in their reactions to stories that include…

  18. The 2-group of symmetries of a split chain complex

    OpenAIRE

    Elgueta, Josep

    2010-01-01

    We explicitly compute the 2-group of self-equivalences and (homotopy classes of) chain homotopies between them for any {\\it split} chain complex $A_{\\bullet}$ in an arbitrary $\\kb$-linear abelian category ($\\kb$ any commutative ring with unit). In particular, it is shown that it is a {\\it split} 2-group whose equivalence class depends only on the homology of $A_{\\bullet}$, and that it is equivalent to the trivial 2-group when $A_\\bullet$ is a split exact sequence. This provides a description ...

  19. The influence of wanting to look like media figures on adolescent physical activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taveras, Elsie M; Rifas-Shiman, Sheryl L; Field, Alison E; Frazier, A Lindsay; Colditz, Graham A; Gillman, Matthew W

    2004-07-01

    To examine the association of adolescents' wanting to look like figures in the media with physical activity levels. Cross-sectional mailed survey of 11,606 boys and girls, between the ages of 9 and 16 years, participating in the Growing Up Today Study in 1997. Participants reported detailed information on physical activities over the previous year, and the degree to which they were trying to look like same-sex images in television, movies, and magazines. We performed linear regression modeling to assess the independent effects of wanting to look like figures in the media on physical activity levels. Mean total weekly physical activity levels were 12.4 hours in girls and 15.2 hours in boys. 3019 (46%) girls and 1360 (27%) boys reported making at least some effort to look like figures in the media. Adjusted for age, body mass index, sexual maturity rating, and race/ethnicity, total physical activity levels were higher by 0.7 (95% CI 0.5-0.9) and 1.2 (95% CI 0.9-1.6) hours per week in girls and boys, respectively, for every 1 (out of 5) category increase in wanting to look like figures in the media. Adjustment for intrapersonal and social confounders modestly attenuated the associations. Wanting to look like figures in the media was associated with higher physical activity levels among older children and adolescents, independent of other personal and social influences. These data suggest that television, movie, and magazine industries should be encouraged to cultivate and reinforce realistic and healthy norms of physical activity and body image.

  20. The equivalent width as a figure of merit for XPS narrow scans

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Singh, Bhupinder [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, C-100 BNSN, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602 (United States); Velázquez, Daniel [Department of Physics, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL 60616 (United States); Terry, Jeff, E-mail: terryj@iit.edu [Department of Physics, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL 60616 (United States); Linford, Matthew R., E-mail: mrlinford@chem.byu.edu [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, C-100 BNSN, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602 (United States)

    2014-12-15

    Highlights: • We introduce a new figure of merit for XPS narrow scans: the equivalent width (EW{sub XPS}). • EW{sub XPS} is less subjective and involves lesser user bias than traditional peak fitting. • EW{sub XPS} is responsive to changes in chemical states of materials. • EW{sub XPS} could be used for quality control and comparing spectra from similar samples. • EW{sub XPS} has the potential to be part of an expert software system for machine interpretation of spectra. - Abstract: X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) is a widely used surface analytical tool that provides information about the near surface regions of materials. And while indispensable for XPS data analysis, peak fitting of narrow scans is often a fairly subjective exercise. Herein we introduce the equivalent width (EW) as an additional and less subjective figure of merit for XPS narrow scans. We believe that this parameter will prove particularly useful for analyzing series of similar or nominally identical spectra, perhaps as a component of an expert software system for the machine interpretation of spectra. It also appears to be useful, shedding light on the chemical state of materials, when additional information about a sample is known. The EW{sub XPS} is simply defined as the area of a narrow scan divided by the height of the maximum of its peak envelope. To limit any ambiguity in EW{sub XPS} for a series of spectra, we may also list the peak position of the maximum of the envelope (PE{sub max}). The potential usefulness and limitations of the EW{sub XPS} and PE{sub max} parameters are demonstrated by their application to the narrow scans of: (i) four sets of ozone-treated carbon nanotubes (EW{sub XPS} ∼ 2.11–2.16 eV for a Shirley background, and up to 2.88 eV for no background, PE{sub max} ∼ 284.4–284.5 eV), (ii) a series of silicon wafers with different oxide thicknesses (EW{sub XPS} ∼ 1.5–2.8 eV, PE{sub max} ∼ 99–103 eV), (iii) hydrogen-terminated silicon before

  1. Perception of illusory contour figures: Microgenetic analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gvozdenović Vasilije P.

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available Microgenetic analysis was used to investigate perception of illusory contour figures which represent whole, completed forms on the basis of segmented, incomplete stimulation. The analysis provided an experimental approach to this phenomenon which was standardly investigated phenomenologically. Experimental procedure consisted of two phases: a priming phase and b test phase which consisted of visual search task. Two types of visual search tasks were applied: (i classic detection, in which subjects were detecting presence or absence of the target stimuli and (ii two-alternative forced choice, 2AFC, in which subjects performed discrimination between two concurrent targets (target A vs. target B. Variation of exposition of prim stimuli was used as an indication of the percept formation period. Concepts like early vision, visual attention and feature binding were investigated. Four experiments were conducted. Their outcome showed that (i perception of amodal figure requires visual attention, (ii features binding precedes spatial attention and (iii time period of percept formation is dependent of task properties and varies between 50 - 150 ms. Some results obtained in this research could be explained by feature-integration theory (Treisman & Gelade, 1980; Treisman, 1986. Furthermore, percept formation period data comply with data acquired in Elliott & Müller's psychophysical research (1998.

  2. A neural model of visual figure-ground segregation from kinetic occlusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnes, Timothy; Mingolla, Ennio

    2013-01-01

    Freezing is an effective defense strategy for some prey, because their predators rely on visual motion to distinguish objects from their surroundings. An object moving over a background progressively covers (deletes) and uncovers (accretes) background texture while simultaneously producing discontinuities in the optic flow field. These events unambiguously specify kinetic occlusion and can produce a crisp edge, depth perception, and figure-ground segmentation between identically textured surfaces--percepts which all disappear without motion. Given two abutting regions of uniform random texture with different motion velocities, one region appears to be situated farther away and behind the other (i.e., the ground) if its texture is accreted or deleted at the boundary between the regions, irrespective of region and boundary velocities. Consequently, a region with moving texture appears farther away than a stationary region if the boundary is stationary, but it appears closer (i.e., the figure) if the boundary is moving coherently with the moving texture. A computational model of visual areas V1 and V2 shows how interactions between orientation- and direction-selective cells first create a motion-defined boundary and then signal kinetic occlusion at that boundary. Activation of model occlusion detectors tuned to a particular velocity results in the model assigning the adjacent surface with a matching velocity to the far depth. A weak speed-depth bias brings faster-moving texture regions forward in depth in the absence of occlusion (shearing motion). These processes together reproduce human psychophysical reports of depth ordering for key cases of kinetic occlusion displays. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Permutation 2-groups I: structure and splitness

    OpenAIRE

    Elgueta, Josep

    2013-01-01

    By a 2-group we mean a groupoid equipped with a weakened group structure. It is called split when it is equivalent to the semidirect product of a discrete 2-group and a one-object 2-group. By a permutation 2-group we mean the 2-group $\\mathbb{S}ym(\\mathcal{G})$ of self-equivalences of a groupoid $\\mathcal{G}$ and natural isomorphisms between them, with the product given by composition of self-equivalences. These generalize the symmetric groups $\\mathsf{S}_n$, $n\\geq 1$, obtained when $\\mathca...

  4. Figure/ground segregation from temporal delay is best at high spatial frequencies

    OpenAIRE

    Kojima, Haruyuki

    1998-01-01

    Two experiments investigated the role of spatial frequency in performance of a figure/ground segregation task based on temporal cues. Figure orientation was much easier to judge when figure and ground portions of the target were defined exclusively by random texture composed entirely of high spatial frequencies. When target components were defined by low spatial frequencies only, the task was nearly impossible except with long temporal delay between figure and ground. These results are incons...

  5. Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... 2018 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report contains data on the impact of this disease in every ... with third parties. Please read our security and privacy policy . Plan ahead Get help and support I ...

  6. Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... home care. Take action. Become an advocate SPECIAL REPORT: FINANCIAL AND PERSONAL BENEFITS OF EARLY DIAGNOSIS Early ... State The 2018 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report contains data on the impact of this disease ...

  7. Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... THE 10 SIGNS Alzheimer's Disease Facts in Each State The 2018 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report ... on the impact of this disease in every state across the nation. Click below to see the ...

  8. Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... 272.3900 Donate Alzheimer's & Dementia What Is Alzheimer's? Brain Tour Younger/Early Onset Risk Factors Genetics Myths ... Dementia Korsakoff Syndrome Related Conditions CTE MCI Traumatic Brain Injury Facts and Figures Know the 10 Signs ...

  9. FigSum: automatically generating structured text summaries for figures in biomedical literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agarwal, Shashank; Yu, Hong

    2009-11-14

    Figures are frequently used in biomedical articles to support research findings; however, they are often difficult to comprehend based on their legends alone and information from the full-text articles is required to fully understand them. Previously, we found that the information associated with a single figure is distributed throughout the full-text article the figure appears in. Here, we develop and evaluate a figure summarization system - FigSum, which aggregates this scattered information to improve figure comprehension. For each figure in an article, FigSum generates a structured text summary comprising one sentence from each of the four rhetorical categories - Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion (IMRaD). The IMRaD category of sentences is predicted by an automated machine learning classifier. Our evaluation shows that FigSum captures 53% of the sentences in the gold standard summaries annotated by biomedical scientists and achieves an average ROUGE-1 score of 0.70, which is higher than a baseline system.

  10. PHY∙FI: fast and easy online creation and manipulation of phylogeny color figures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fredslund, Jakob

    2006-01-01

    the phylogeny figure in some other general-purpose graphics program. PHY·FI is versatile, easy-to-use and fast, and supports comprehensive graphical control, several download image formats, and the possibility of dynamically collapsing groups of nodes into named subtrees (e.g. "Primates"). The user can create...... types of analysis, and hence they are available only for download and installing. Some online tools exist, too. Results This paper presents an online tool, PHY·FI, which encompasses all the qualities of existing online programs and adds functionality to hopefully eliminate the need for post-processing...... a color figure from any phylogeny, or other kind of tree, represented in the widely used parenthesized Newick format. Conclusion PHY·FI is fast and easy to use, yet still offers full color control, tree manipulation, and several image formats. It does not require any downloading and installing, and thus...

  11. The role of attention in figure-ground segregation in areas V1 and V4 of the visual cortex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poort, Jasper; Raudies, Florian; Wannig, Aurel; Lamme, Victor A F; Neumann, Heiko; Roelfsema, Pieter R

    2012-07-12

    Our visual system segments images into objects and background. Figure-ground segregation relies on the detection of feature discontinuities that signal boundaries between the figures and the background and on a complementary region-filling process that groups together image regions with similar features. The neuronal mechanisms for these processes are not well understood and it is unknown how they depend on visual attention. We measured neuronal activity in V1 and V4 in a task where monkeys either made an eye movement to texture-defined figures or ignored them. V1 activity predicted the timing and the direction of the saccade if the figures were task relevant. We found that boundary detection is an early process that depends little on attention, whereas region filling occurs later and is facilitated by visual attention, which acts in an object-based manner. Our findings are explained by a model with local, bottom-up computations for boundary detection and feedback processing for region filling. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. DelPhi web server v2: incorporating atomic-style geometrical figures into the computational protocol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Nicholas; Witham, Shawn; Sarkar, Subhra; Zhang, Jie; Li, Lin; Li, Chuan; Alexov, Emil

    2012-06-15

    A new edition of the DelPhi web server, DelPhi web server v2, is released to include atomic presentation of geometrical figures. These geometrical objects can be used to model nano-size objects together with real biological macromolecules. The position and size of the object can be manipulated by the user in real time until desired results are achieved. The server fixes structural defects, adds hydrogen atoms and calculates electrostatic energies and the corresponding electrostatic potential and ionic distributions. The web server follows a client-server architecture built on PHP and HTML and utilizes DelPhi software. The computation is carried out on supercomputer cluster and results are given back to the user via http protocol, including the ability to visualize the structure and corresponding electrostatic potential via Jmol implementation. The DelPhi web server is available from http://compbio.clemson.edu/delphi_webserver.

  13. Reduced cost and improved figure of sapphire optical components

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walters, Mark; Bartlett, Kevin; Brophy, Matthew R.; DeGroote Nelson, Jessica; Medicus, Kate

    2015-10-01

    Sapphire presents many challenges to optical manufacturers due to its high hardness and anisotropic properties. Long lead times and high prices are the typical result of such challenges. The cost of even a simple 'grind and shine' process can be prohibitive. The high precision surfaces required by optical sensor applications further exacerbate the challenge of processing sapphire thereby increasing cost further. Optimax has demonstrated a production process for such windows that delivers over 50% time reduction as compared to traditional manufacturing processes for sapphire, while producing windows with less than 1/5 wave rms figure error. Optimax's sapphire production process achieves significant improvement in cost by implementation of a controlled grinding process to present the best possible surface to the polishing equipment. Following the grinding process is a polishing process taking advantage of chemical interactions between slurry and substrate to deliver excellent removal rates and surface finish. Through experiments, the mechanics of the polishing process were also optimized to produce excellent optical figure. In addition to reducing the cost of producing large sapphire sensor windows, the grinding and polishing technology Optimax has developed aids in producing spherical sapphire components to better figure quality. In addition to reducing the cost of producing large sapphire sensor windows, the grinding and polishing technology Optimax has developed aids in producing spherical sapphire components to better figure quality. Through specially developed polishing slurries, the peak-to-valley figure error of spherical sapphire parts is reduced by over 80%.

  14. Figurativeness in the Sense of Distraction (Studies by Lithuanian Authors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laimutė Monginaitė

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The phenomenon of the sense of distraction and the feature of figurativeness in it are analysed with the help of phenomenological description, the concept of sense of Juozas Mureika and the conception of imagination of Kristupas Sabolius. The position is followed that the acts of sense and the being of those existing found in them cannot be known in a purely rational way. Knowing is reached with intuitive insights. The experiencing of distraction is approached as one of the norms or intentions of consciousness. The sense of distraction is acknowledged to be a basic value becoming more and more important in a modern stressful life. The article indicates that the intentional beings of the sense of distraction are expressed in really various human activities and are distinguished with mono-subjectivity and unrepeatable feeling. Figurativeness is perceived as the result of imaginary, creative activity of the imagination and aesthetical quality. The peculiarities of the formation of figurativeness are revealed through the phenomenological description of imagination by Sabolius. Four features of the act of visualisation, determining the quality of figurativeness, are emphasized: intentionality, power of transformation, relation with emotions and the symbolism of the image. The conclusion is made that figurativeness, being the result of the creative act (visualisation of imagination, appears as aesthetical quality or the ensemble of qualities. Figurativeness sharpens the sense of distraction and calls the wave of new experiences.

  15. Neural Dynamics of Feedforward and Feedback Processing in Figure-Ground Segregation

    OpenAIRE

    Oliver W. Layton; Ennio eMingolla; Arash eYazdanbakhsh

    2014-01-01

    Determining whether a region belongs to the interior or exterior of a shape (figure-ground segregation) is a core competency of the primate brain, yet the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Many models assume that figure-ground segregation occurs by assembling progressively more complex representations through feedforward connections, with feedback playing only a modulatory role. We present a dynamical model of figure-ground segregation in the primate ventral stream wherein feedba...

  16. Putting a face on the dark figure: Describing victims who don’t report crime

    OpenAIRE

    Fohring, Stephanie.

    2014-01-01

    Since the inception of large scale victimisation surveys a considerable amount of research has been conducted investigating the so called ‘dark figure’ of unreported crime. Although this figure has consistently hovered around 60% of all victims, recent research reveals little about those who choose not to pursue formal avenues of justice. This article thus seeks to open a dialogue which focuses on the actual people behind the dark figure. It uses examples f...

  17. Figure 1. Associations between pre-ART clinical and laboratory ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    First page Back Continue Last page Graphics. Figure 1. Associations between pre-ART clinical and laboratory characteristics with subsequent TB-IRIS events. Figure 1. Associations between pre-ART clinical and laboratory characteristics with subsequent TB-IRIS events.

  18. Graded effects in hierarchical figure-ground organization: reply to Peterson (1999).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vecera, S P; O'Reilly, R C

    2000-06-01

    An important issue in vision research concerns the order of visual processing. S. P. Vecera and R. C. O'Reilly (1998) presented an interactive, hierarchical model that placed figure-ground segregation prior to object recognition. M. A. Peterson (1999) critiqued this model, arguing that because it used ambiguous stimulus displays, figure-ground processing did not precede object processing. In the current article, the authors respond to Peterson's (1999) interpretation of ambiguity in the model and her interpretation of what it means for figure-ground processing to come before object recognition. The authors argue that complete stimulus ambiguity is not critical to the model and that figure-ground precedes object recognition architecturally in the model. The arguments are supported with additional simulation results and an experiment, demonstrating that top-down inputs can influence figure-ground organization in displays that contain stimulus cues.

  19. Urban Regeneration Partnerships: A Figurational Critique of Governmentality Theory

    OpenAIRE

    Lever, John

    2011-01-01

    This article provides a critique of governmentally inspired accounts of urban regeneration and partnership working. Drawing on the work of Norbert Elias and prominent figurational sociologists, it discusses the changes taking place within and through the many partnerships set up by New Labour around the notion of ‘community safety’. Although recognizing the important insights provided by accounts of urban regeneration emerging through studies of governmentality, the article argues that such a...

  20. Evaluation of Two Miniplate Systems and Figure-of-eight Bandages for Stabilization of Experimentally Induced Ulnar and Radial Fractures in Pigeons ( Columba livia ).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bennert, Beatrice M; Kircher, Patrick R; Gutbrod, Andreas; Riechert, Juliane; Hatt, Jean-Michel

    2016-06-01

    Although plate fixation has advantages over other fixation methods for certain indications, it is rarely used in avian surgery, especially in birds that weigh less than 1000 g. Exceptionally small plating systems for these birds are required, which are relatively expensive and difficult to insert. To study avian fracture healing after repair using miniplates, we evaluated 2 steel miniplate systems in 27 pigeons ( Columba livia ) divided into 4 groups. In each pigeon, the left ulna and radius were transected and the ulna was repaired with a bone plate. In groups A and B, a 1.3-mm adaption plate was applied without and with a figure-of-eight bandage; in groups C and D, a 1.0-mm compression plate was applied without and with a bandage, respectively. Healing was evaluated with radiographs after 3, 14, and 28 days; flight tests were conducted after 14, 21, and 28 days; and the wing was macroscopically examined after euthanasia of birds on day 28. Fractures healed without bending or distortion of the plate in all 27 birds, and no significant differences in healing were found between treatment groups. At the end of the study, 23 pigeons (85.2%) showed good or very good flight ability. Results show the 1.3-mm adaption plate and the 1.0-mm compression plate meet the requirements for avian osteosynthesis and can be recommended for fracture repair of the ulna or other long bones in birds weighing less than 500 g. The application of a figure-of-eight bandage might be beneficial in fracture healing.

  1. In a Manner of Speaking: Assessing Frequent Spoken Figurative Idioms to Assist ESL/EFL Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grant, Lynn E.

    2007-01-01

    This article outlines criteria to define a figurative idiom, and then compares the frequent figurative idioms identified in two sources of spoken American English (academic and contemporary) to their frequency in spoken British English. This is done by searching the spoken part of the British National Corpus (BNC), to see whether they are frequent…

  2. Figure/ground segregation from temporal delay is best at high spatial frequencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kojima, H

    1998-12-01

    Two experiments investigated the role of spatial frequency in performance of a figure/ground segregation task based on temporal cues. Figure orientation was much easier to judge when figure and ground portions of the target were defined exclusively by random texture composed entirely of high spatial frequencies. When target components were defined by low spatial frequencies only, the task was nearly impossible except with long temporal delay between figure and ground. These results are inconsistent with the hypothesis that M-cell activity is primarily responsible for figure/ground segregation from temporal delay. Instead, these results point to a distinction between temporal integration and temporal differentiation. Additionally, the present results can be related to recent work on the binding of spatial features over time.

  3. Figurative language processing in atypical populations: the ASD perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vulchanova, Mila; Saldaña, David; Chahboun, Sobh; Vulchanov, Valentin

    2015-01-01

    This paper is intended to provide a critical overview of experimental and clinical research documenting problems in figurative language processing in atypical populations with a focus on the Autistic Spectrum. Research in the comprehension and processing of figurative language in autism invariably documents problems in this area. The greater paradox is that even at the higher end of the spectrum or in the cases of linguistically talented individuals with Asperger syndrome, where structural language competence is intact, problems with extended language persist. If we assume that figurative and extended uses of language essentially depend on the perception and processing of more concrete core concepts and phenomena, the commonly observed failure in atypical populations to understand figurative language remains a puzzle. Various accounts have been offered to explain this issue, ranging from linking potential failure directly to overall structural language competence (Norbury, 2005; Brock et al., 2008) to right-hemispheric involvement (Gold and Faust, 2010). We argue that the dissociation between structural language and figurative language competence in autism should be sought in more general cognitive mechanisms and traits in the autistic phenotype (e.g., in terms of weak central coherence, Vulchanova et al., 2012b), as well as failure at on-line semantic integration with increased complexity and diversity of the stimuli (Coulson and Van Petten, 2002). This perspective is even more compelling in light of similar problems in a number of conditions, including both acquired (e.g., Aphasia) and developmental disorders (Williams Syndrome). This dissociation argues against a simple continuity view of language interpretation. PMID:25741261

  4. Figurative language processing in atypical populations: The ASD perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mila eVulchanova

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available This paper is intended to provide a critical overview of experimental and clinical research documenting problems in figurative language processing in atypical populations with a focus on the Autistic Spectrum. Research in the comprehension and processing of figurative language in autism invariably documents problems in this area. The greater paradox is that even at the higher end of the spectrum or in the cases of linguistically talented individuals with Asperger syndrome, where structural language competence is intact, problems with extended language persist. If we assume that figurative and extended uses of language essentially depend on the perception and processing of more concrete core concepts and phenomena, the commonly observed failure in atypical populations to understand figurative language remains a puzzle.Various accounts have been offered to explain this issue, ranging from linking potential failure directly to overall structural language competence (Brock et al., 2008; Norbury, 2005 to right-hemispheric involvement (Gold and Faust, 2010. We argue that the dissociation between structural language and figurative language competence in autism should be sought in more general cognitive mechanisms and traits in the autistic phenotype (e.g., in terms of weak central coherence, Vulchanova et al., 2012b, as well as failure at on-line semantic integration with increased complexity and diversity of the stimuli (Coulson and van Petten, 2002. This perspective is even more compelling in light of similar problems in a number of conditions, including both acquired (e.g., Aphasia and developmental disorders (Williams Syndrome. This dissociation argues against a simple continuity view of language interpretation.

  5. Figurative language processing in atypical populations: the ASD perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vulchanova, Mila; Saldaña, David; Chahboun, Sobh; Vulchanov, Valentin

    2015-01-01

    This paper is intended to provide a critical overview of experimental and clinical research documenting problems in figurative language processing in atypical populations with a focus on the Autistic Spectrum. Research in the comprehension and processing of figurative language in autism invariably documents problems in this area. The greater paradox is that even at the higher end of the spectrum or in the cases of linguistically talented individuals with Asperger syndrome, where structural language competence is intact, problems with extended language persist. If we assume that figurative and extended uses of language essentially depend on the perception and processing of more concrete core concepts and phenomena, the commonly observed failure in atypical populations to understand figurative language remains a puzzle. Various accounts have been offered to explain this issue, ranging from linking potential failure directly to overall structural language competence (Norbury, 2005; Brock et al., 2008) to right-hemispheric involvement (Gold and Faust, 2010). We argue that the dissociation between structural language and figurative language competence in autism should be sought in more general cognitive mechanisms and traits in the autistic phenotype (e.g., in terms of weak central coherence, Vulchanova et al., 2012b), as well as failure at on-line semantic integration with increased complexity and diversity of the stimuli (Coulson and Van Petten, 2002). This perspective is even more compelling in light of similar problems in a number of conditions, including both acquired (e.g., Aphasia) and developmental disorders (Williams Syndrome). This dissociation argues against a simple continuity view of language interpretation.

  6. Figures and information on nuclear safety and radiation protection on the Tricastin AREVA site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2010-01-01

    This report presents and briefly comments figures concerning the environment (water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, liquid releases in a canal, radioactive and hazardous industrial wastes), radiological impact and radiation protection (computed dose for a reference group, computed maximum dose for the reference group, radiological exposures of workers), nuclear safety (number of events, controls and audits), production (quantities of various materials) and transport (flows of radioactive products) for the whole Tricastin site for which only some general data are indicated, and more precisely the various installations and establishments it comprises: AREVA NC Pierrelatte, COMURHEX Pierrelatte, EURODIF Production, FBFC Pierrelatte, SET, SOCATRI

  7. Determining local and contextual features describing appearance of difficult to identify mitotic figures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gandomkar, Ziba; Brennan, Patrick C.; Mello-Thoms, Claudia

    2017-03-01

    Mitotic count is helpful in determining the aggressiveness of breast cancer. In previous studies, it was shown that the agreement among pathologists for grading mitotic index is fairly modest, as mitoses have a large variety of appearances and they could be mistaken for other similar objects. In this study, we determined local and contextual features that differ significantly between easily identifiable mitoses and challenging ones. The images were obtained from the Mitosis-Atypia 2014 challenge. In total, the dataset contained 453 mitotic figures. Two pathologists annotated each mitotic figure. In case of disagreement, an opinion from a third pathologist was requested. The mitoses were grouped into three categories, those recognized as "a true mitosis" by both pathologists ,those labelled as "a true mitosis" by only one of the first two readers and also the third pathologist, and those annotated as "probably a mitosis" by all readers or the majority of them. After color unmixing, the mitoses were segmented from H channel. Shape-based features along with intensity-based and textural features were extracted from H-channel, blue ratio channel and five different color spaces. Holistic features describing each image were also considered. The Kruskal-Wallis H test was used to identify significantly different features. Multiple comparisons were done using the rank-based version of Tukey-Kramer test. The results indicated that there are local and global features which differ significantly among different groups. In addition, variations between mitoses in different groups were captured in the features from HSL and LCH color space more than other ones.

  8. Figurative Language and Multicultural Education: Metaphors of Language Acquisition and Retention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erdmann, Susan

    2016-01-01

    Linguistics has long recognised that figurative language in the form of metaphorical expressions structures and communicates attitudes towards the ideas and concepts being expressed and that multilingual students also employ linguistic figures frequently in their writing. In this study, multilingual students use figurative language to both…

  9. 16 CFR Figure 3 to Part 1203 - Location of Reference Plane

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Location of Reference Plane 3 Figure 3 to Part 1203 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY ACT... Plane ER10MR98.003 ...

  10. Preserved local but disrupted contextual figure-ground influences in an individual with abnormal function of intermediate visual areas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brooks, Joseph L.; Gilaie-Dotan, Sharon; Rees, Geraint; Bentin, Shlomo; Driver, Jon

    2012-01-01

    Visual perception depends not only on local stimulus features but also on their relationship to the surrounding stimulus context, as evident in both local and contextual influences on figure-ground segmentation. Intermediate visual areas may play a role in such contextual influences, as we tested here by examining LG, a rare case of developmental visual agnosia. LG has no evident abnormality of brain structure and functional neuroimaging showed relatively normal V1 function, but his intermediate visual areas (V2/V3) function abnormally. We found that contextual influences on figure-ground organization were selectively disrupted in LG, while local sources of figure-ground influences were preserved. Effects of object knowledge and familiarity on figure-ground organization were also significantly diminished. Our results suggest that the mechanisms mediating contextual and familiarity influences on figure-ground organization are dissociable from those mediating local influences on figure-ground assignment. The disruption of contextual processing in intermediate visual areas may play a role in the substantial object recognition difficulties experienced by LG. PMID:22947116

  11. Ion beam figuring of CVD silicon carbide mirrors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gailly, P.; Collette, J.-P.; Fleury Frenette, K.; Jamar, C.

    2017-11-01

    Optical and structural elements made of silicon carbide are increasingly found in space instruments. Chemical vapor deposited silicon carbide (CVD-SiC) is used as a reflective coating on SiC optics in reason of its good behavior under polishing. The advantage of applying ion beam figuring (IBF) to CVD-SiC over other surface figure-improving techniques is discussed herein. The results of an IBF sequence performed at the Centre Spatial de Liège on a 100 mm CVD-SiC mirror are reported. The process allowed to reduce the mirror surface errors from 243 nm to 13 nm rms . Beside the surface figure, roughness is another critical feature to consider in order to preserve the optical quality of CVD-SiC . Thus, experiments focusing on the evolution of roughness were performed in various ion beam etching conditions. The roughness of samples etched at different depths down to 3 ≠m was determined with an optical profilometer. These measurements emphasize the importance of selecting the right combination of gas and beam energy to keep roughness at a low level. Kaufman-type ion sources are generally used to perform IBF but the performance of an end-Hall ion source in figuring CVD-SiC mirrors was also evaluated in this study. In order to do so, ion beam etching profiles obtained with the end-Hall source on CVD-SiC were measured and used as a basis for IBF simulations.

  12. Subjective figure reversal in two- and three-dimensional perceptual space.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radilová, J; Radil-Weiss, T

    1984-08-01

    A permanently illuminated pattern of Mach's truncated pyramid can be perceived according to the experimental instruction given, either as a three-dimensional reversible figure with spontaneously changing convex and concave interpretation (in one experiment), or as a two-dimensional reversible figure-ground pattern (in another experiment). The reversal rate was about twice as slow, without the subjects being aware of it, if it was perceived as a three-dimensional figure compared to the situation when it was perceived as two-dimensional. It may be hypothetized that in the three-dimensional case, the process of perception requires more sequential steps than in the two-dimensional one.

  13. Neural Correlates of Auditory Figure-Ground Segregation Based on Temporal Coherence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teki, Sundeep; Barascud, Nicolas; Picard, Samuel; Payne, Christopher; Griffiths, Timothy D; Chait, Maria

    2016-09-01

    To make sense of natural acoustic environments, listeners must parse complex mixtures of sounds that vary in frequency, space, and time. Emerging work suggests that, in addition to the well-studied spectral cues for segregation, sensitivity to temporal coherence-the coincidence of sound elements in and across time-is also critical for the perceptual organization of acoustic scenes. Here, we examine pre-attentive, stimulus-driven neural processes underlying auditory figure-ground segregation using stimuli that capture the challenges of listening in complex scenes where segregation cannot be achieved based on spectral cues alone. Signals ("stochastic figure-ground": SFG) comprised a sequence of brief broadband chords containing random pure tone components that vary from 1 chord to another. Occasional tone repetitions across chords are perceived as "figures" popping out of a stochastic "ground." Magnetoencephalography (MEG) measurement in naïve, distracted, human subjects revealed robust evoked responses, commencing from about 150 ms after figure onset that reflect the emergence of the "figure" from the randomly varying "ground." Neural sources underlying this bottom-up driven figure-ground segregation were localized to planum temporale, and the intraparietal sulcus, demonstrating that this area, outside the "classic" auditory system, is also involved in the early stages of auditory scene analysis." © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

  14. The Figured Worlds of High School Science Teachers: Uncovering Three-Dimensional Assessment Decisions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ewald, Megan

    As a result of recent mandates of the Next Generation Science Standards, assessments are a "system of meaning" amidst a paradigm shift toward three-dimensional assessments. This study is motivated by two research questions: 1) how do high school science teachers describe their processes of decision-making in the development and use of three-dimensional assessments and 2) how do high school science teachers negotiate their identities as assessors in designing three-dimensional assessments. An important factor in teachers' assessment decision making is how they identify themselves as assessors. Therefore, this study investigated the teachers' roles as assessors through the Sociocultural Identity Theory. The most important contribution from this study is the emergent teacher assessment sub-identities: the modifier-recycler , the feeler-finder, and the creator. Using a qualitative phenomenological research design, focus groups, three-series interviews, think-alouds, and document analysis were utilized in this study. These qualitative methods were chosen to elicit rich conversations among teachers, make meaning of the teachers' experiences through in-depth interviews, amplify the thought processes of individual teachers while making assessment decisions, and analyze assessment documents in relation to teachers' perspectives. The findings from this study suggest that--of the 19 participants--only two teachers could consistently be identified as creators and aligned their assessment practices with NGSS. However, assessment sub-identities are not static and teachers may negotiate their identities from one moment to the next within socially constructed realms of interpretation known as figured worlds. Because teachers are positioned in less powerful figured worlds within the dominant discourse of standardization, this study raises awareness as to how the external pressures from more powerful figured worlds socially construct teachers' identities as assessors. For teachers

  15. Energy in Sweden: Facts and figures 2009; Energilaeget 2009

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2009-12-15

    Energy in Sweden 2009: Facts and figures contains the tabular for most of the diagrams in the main publication (STEM-ET--2009-30). These data consist primarily of the results of the Agency's processing of basic data from Statistics Sweden. Statistics are of preliminary character for the two last published years (2007 and 2008). Breakdowns into certain types of fuels vary somewhat depending on whether preliminary or final data is used. Please note that the figures have been rounded up or down, therefore totals do not always comply with the sum of individual figures

  16. Correlates of figure-ground segregation in fMRI.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skiera, G; Petersen, D; Skalej, M; Fahle, M

    2000-01-01

    We investigated which correlates of figure-ground-segregation can be detected by means of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Five subjects were scanned with a Siemens Vision 1.5 T system. Motion, colour, and luminance-defined checkerboards were presented with alternating control conditions containing one of the two features of the checkerboard. We find a segregation-specific activation in V1 for all subjects and all stimuli and conclude that neural mechanisms exist as early as in the primary visual cortex that are sensitive to figure-ground segregation.

  17. Les figures de l'usager de Twitter

    OpenAIRE

    Domenget , Jean-Claude

    2016-01-01

    International audience; L’analyse des figures de l’usager de Twitter représente un enjeu de recherche pour comprendre la construction de ces représentations diverses. L’objectif de cet article est d’analyser la notion d’usager dans le cadre de ce dispositif et d’interroger ses relations avec les notions de public(s), d’audience(s) et de communautés. Les quatre principales figures distinguées (twitto, consommateur, abonné, expert) sont étudiées à partir de deuxcritères majeurs : les principes ...

  18. On-orbit figure sensing and figure correction control for 0.5 arc-second adjustable X-ray optics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reid, Paul

    This investigation seeks to develop the technology to directly monitor on-orbit changes to imaging performance of adjustable X-ray optics so as to be able to efficiently correct adverse changes at a level consistent with 0.5 arc-second X-ray telescope imaging. Adjustable X-ray optics employ thin film piezoelectric material deposited on the back of a thin glass Wolter mirror segment to introduce localized stresses in the mirror. These stresses are used in a deterministic way to improve mirror figure from 10 arc-sec, half power diameter (HPD), to 0.5 arc-sec, HPD, without the need for a heavy reaction structure. This is a realizable technology for potential future X-ray telescope missions with 0.5 arc-second resolution and several square meters effective area, such as SMART-X. We are pursuing such mirror development under an existing APRA grant. Here we propose a new investigation to accomplish the monitoring and control of the mirrors by monitoring the health of the piezoelectric actuators of the adjustable optics to a level consistent with 0.5 arcsec imaging. Such measurements are beyond the capability of conventional, thin metal film strain gauges using DC measurements. Instead, we propose to develop the technology to deposit different types of strain gauges (metal film, semiconductor) directly on the piezoelectric cells; to investigate the use of additional thin layers of piezoelectric materials such as lead zirconate titanate or zinc oxide as strain and temperature gauges; and to use AC measurement of strain gauges for precise measurement of piezoelectric adjuster performance. The intent is to use this information to correct changes in mirror shape by adjusting the voltages on the piezoelectric adjustors. Adjustable X-ray optics are designed to meet the challenge of large collecting area and high angular resolution. The mirrors are called adjustable rather than active as mirror figure error is corrected (adjusted) once or infrequently, as opposed to being

  19. Estimating the Volumes of Solid Figures with Curved Surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen, Donald

    1991-01-01

    Several examples of solid figures that calculus students can use to exercise their skills at estimating volume are presented. Although these figures are bounded by surfaces that are portions of regular cylinders, it is interesting to note that their volumes can be expressed as rational numbers. (JJK)

  20. Positive Feedback From Male Authority Figures Boosts Women's Math Outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Lora E; Kondrak, Cheryl L; Ward, Deborah E; Streamer, Lindsey

    2018-03-01

    People often search for cues in the environment to determine whether or not they will be judged or treated negatively based on their social identities. Accordingly, feedback from gatekeepers-members of majority groups who hold authority and power in a field-may be an especially important cue for those at risk of experiencing social identity threat, such as women in math settings. Across a series of studies, women who received positive ("Good job!") versus objective (score only) feedback from a male (vs. female) authority figure in math reported greater confidence; belonging; self-efficacy; more favorable Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) attitudes/identification/interest; and greater implicit identification with math. Men were affected only by the type of math feedback they received, not by the source of feedback. A meta-analysis across studies confirmed results. Together, these findings suggest that positive feedback from gatekeepers is an important situational cue that can improve the outcomes of negatively stereotyped groups.

  1. The reliability and clinical correlates of figure-ground perception in schizophrenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malaspina, Dolores; Simon, Naomi; Goetz, Raymond R; Corcoran, Cheryl; Coleman, Eliza; Printz, David; Mujica-Parodi, Lilianne; Wolitzky, Rachel

    2004-01-01

    Schizophrenia subjects are impaired in a number of visual attention paradigms. However, their performance on tests of figure-ground visual perception (FGP), which requires subjects to visually discriminate figures embedded in a rival background, is relatively unstudied. We examined FGP in 63 schizophrenia patients and 27 control subjects and found that the patients performed the FGP test reliably and had significantly lower FGP scores than the control subjects. Figure-ground visual perception was significantly correlated with other neuropsychological test scores and was inversely related to negative symptoms. It was unrelated to antipsychotic medication treatment. Figure-ground visual perception depends on "top down" processing of visual stimuli, and thus this data suggests that dysfunction in the higher-level pathways that modulate visual perceptual processes may also be related to a core defect in schizophrenia.

  2. Proyecto Bilingüe: Constructing a Figured World of Bilingual Education for Latina/o Bilingual Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ek, Lucila D.; Chávez, Guadalupe Domínguez

    2015-01-01

    Using theories of figured worlds, we demonstrate how Proyecto Bilingüe, a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction program, constructs a figured world of bilingual education for Latina/o bilingual teachers. We drew from a larger qualitative study to conduct a thematic analysis of interviews with Latina/o bilingual teachers, their written…

  3. Key Figures on Climate France and Worldwide 2011 Edition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2011-01-01

    Each year, CDC Climate Research publishes in partnership with the French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transport and Housing (MEDDTL) the Key Figures on Climate - France and Worldwide, in the Highlights Series. This publication aims at gathering all the relevant data relating the scientific analysis of climate change, greenhouses gas emissions, in particular CO 2 emissions linked to energy use, and the emissions reduction-targeted economic policies. Contents: Part 1 - Climate Change: The Greenhouse Effect - Humans and the Greenhouse Effect - Stocks and Flows of GHGs: The Example of CO 2 - Increase in Atmospheric GHG Levels - Concentrations and Temperatures - Global Warming - Warming Differentiated by Latitude - Consequences of Global Warming. Part 2 - Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Snapshot of Global GHG Emissions - European Panorama of GHGs - French Panorama of GHGs. Part 3 - Energy-related CO 2 Emissions in the World: Energy-related CO 2 emissions - CO 2 Emissions due to Electricity Production including CHP Plants - CO 2 Emission Factors. Part 4 - CO 2 Emissions by Sector in Europe and in France: Fuel Combustion: the Largest Emitter of CO 2 - CO 2 Emissions due to Energy Production and Conversion - Transportation-related CO 2 Emissions - Industry-related CO 2 Emissions - CO 2 Emissions in the Other Sectors - CO 2 Emissions excluding Fuel Combustion. Part 5 - Climate Policies: The Kyoto Protocol - The Tradable Permit Market - Project Mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol - Other Initiatives to Reduce Emissions - The European Union's Commitment - The European CO 2 Market (EU ETS) - The Carbon Price in the EU ETS - States Climate Policy: The Case of France. Practical information: CO 2 Key Figures - Glossary of Terms - Useful Links

  4. ITS2 data corroborate a monophyletic chlorophycean DO-group (Sphaeropleales

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dandekar Thomas

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Within Chlorophyceae the ITS2 secondary structure shows an unbranched helix I, except for the 'Hydrodictyon' and the 'Scenedesmus' clade having a ramified first helix. The latter two are classified within the Sphaeropleales, characterised by directly opposed basal bodies in their flagellar apparatuses (DO-group. Previous studies could not resolve the taxonomic position of the 'Sphaeroplea' clade within the Chlorophyceae without ambiguity and two pivotal questions remain open: (1 Is the DO-group monophyletic and (2 is a branched helix I an apomorphic feature of the DO-group? In the present study we analysed the secondary structure of three newly obtained ITS2 sequences classified within the 'Sphaeroplea' clade and resolved sphaeroplealean relationships by applying different phylogenetic approaches based on a combined sequence-structure alignment. Results The newly obtained ITS2 sequences of Ankyra judayi, Atractomorpha porcata and Sphaeroplea annulina of the 'Sphaeroplea' clade do not show any branching in the secondary structure of their helix I. All applied phylogenetic methods highly support the 'Sphaeroplea' clade as a sister group to the 'core Sphaeropleales'. Thus, the DO-group is monophyletic. Furthermore, based on characteristics in the sequence-structure alignment one is able to distinguish distinct lineages within the green algae. Conclusion In green algae, a branched helix I in the secondary structure of the ITS2 evolves past the 'Sphaeroplea' clade. A branched helix I is an apomorph characteristic within the monophyletic DO-group. Our results corroborate the fundamental relevance of including the secondary structure in sequence analysis and phylogenetics.

  5. Perceptual representation and effectiveness of local figure-ground cues in natural contours.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakai, Ko; Matsuoka, Shouhei; Kurematsu, Ken; Hatori, Yasuhiro

    2015-01-01

    A contour shape strongly influences the perceptual segregation of a figure from the ground. We investigated the contribution of local contour shape to figure-ground segregation. Although previous studies have reported local contour features that evoke figure-ground perception, they were often image features and not necessarily perceptual features. First, we examined whether contour features, specifically, convexity, closure, and symmetry, underlie the perceptual representation of natural contour shapes. We performed similarity tests between local contours, and examined the contribution of the contour features to the perceptual similarities between the contours. The local contours were sampled from natural contours so that their distribution was uniform in the space composed of the three contour features. This sampling ensured the equal appearance frequency of the factors and a wide variety of contour shapes including those comprised of contradictory factors that induce figure in the opposite directions. This sampling from natural contours is advantageous in order to randomly pickup a variety of contours that satisfy a wide range of cue combinations. Multidimensional scaling analyses showed that the combinations of convexity, closure, and symmetry contribute to perceptual similarity, thus they are perceptual quantities. Second, we examined whether the three features contribute to local figure-ground perception. We performed psychophysical experiments to judge the direction of the figure along the local contours, and examined the contribution of the features to the figure-ground judgment. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that closure was a significant factor, but that convexity and symmetry were not. These results indicate that closure is dominant in the local figure-ground perception with natural contours when the other cues coexist with equal probability including contradictory cases.

  6. Perceptual Representation and Effectiveness of Local Figure-Ground Cues in Natural Contours

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ko eSakai

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available A contour shape strongly influences the perceptual segregation of a figure from the ground. We investigated the contribution of local contour shape to figure-ground segregation. Although previous studies have reported local contour features that evoke figure-ground perception, they were often image features and not necessarily perceptual features. First, we examined whether contour features, specifically, convexity, closure, and symmetry, underlie the perceptual representation of natural contour shapes. We performed similarity tests between local contours, and examined the contribution of the contour features to the perceptual similarities between the contours. The local contours were sampled from natural contours so that their distribution was uniform in the space composed of the three contour features. This sampling ensured the equal appearance frequency of the factors and a wide variety of contour shapes including those comprised of contradictory factors that induce figure in the opposite directions. This sampling from natural contours is advantageous in order to randomly pickup a variety of contours that satisfy a wide range of cue combinations. Multidimensional scaling analyses showed that the combinations of convexity, closure, and symmetry contribute to perceptual similarity, thus they are perceptual quantities. Second, we examined whether the three features contribute to local figure-ground perception. We performed psychophysical experiments to judge the direction of the figure along the local contours, and examined the contribution of the features to the figure-ground judgment. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that closure was a significant factor, but that convexity and symmetry were not. These results indicate that closure is dominant in the local figure-ground perception with natural contours when the other cues coexist with equal probability including contradictory cases.

  7. Detection of mitotic figures in thin melanomas--immunohistochemistry does not replace the careful search for mitotic figures in hematoxylin-eosin stain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ottmann, Karl; Tronnier, Michael; Mitteldorf, Christina

    2015-10-01

    The mitotic rate is an important prognostic criterion in patients with thin melanoma ≤ 1 mm. The aim of this study was to investigate the reproducibility of the mitotic rate in thin melanoma in hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) stain and compare it with the detection of mitotic figures by immunohistochemistry. The number of mitoses stated in the routine diagnostic report in 190 pT1 melanomas was compared with the number gained from re-evaluation of H&E sections and the number detected after staining with the mitotic marker, phosphohistone H3 (PHH3). Two different approaches were used for choosing the "hot spot" for evaluation (dermal vs epidermal/dermal). Comparing routine H&E-stained slides with re-evaluation slides, the number of mitotic figures was slightly variable. However, findings did not result in a change of the tumor stage. In 34% of the tumors with dermal mitotic figures on H&E, mitoses could not be found in the corresponding PHH3 slide anymore. In 4% of the cases, stage relevant mitoses could only be found by PHH3 immunohistochemistry. This is a single center study. Immunohistochemical staining for mitotic figures does not replace a careful evaluation of H&E-stained slides. Immunohistochemical detection of mitosis is only an additional tool; the time-saving effect is therefore negligible. Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Sulfide precipitation method of separating uranium from Group II and Group III metal ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sundar, P.S.

    1977-01-01

    Uranium is separated from analytical Group II and Group III metal ions in an aqueous liquor containing uranyl ions. The liquor is extracted with a non-interfering, water-immiscible, organic solvent containing a reagent which will react with the uranyl ions to form a complex soluble in the solvent. If the liquor is acidic, the solvent is washed with water. Then to the solvent is added an aqueous solution containing about 0.5 to 1.0 mole per liter of (NH 4 ) 2 CO 3 or NH 4 HCO 3 ions and sufficient sulfide ions to precipitate the metal ions as sulfides. The solvent and the aqueous solution are separated and the sulfides filtered from the aqueous solution. The ammonium-uranyl-tricarbonate in the aqueous solution can then be precipitated by increasing the concentration of (NH 4 ) 2 CO 3 or NH 4 HCO 3 ions to about 1.5 to 2.5 moles per liter. The precipitate is filtered and calcined to obtain U 3 O 8 or UO 2 . 21 claims, 1 figure

  9. Fischer matrices of Dempwolff group $2^{5}{^{cdot}}GL(5,2$

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ayoub Basheer Mohammed Basheer

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available In cite{Demp2} Dempwolff proved the existence of a group of theform $2^{5}{^{cdot}}GL(5,2$ (a non split extension of theelementary abelian group $2^{5}$ by the general linear group$GL(5,2$. This group is the second largest maximal subgroup of thesporadic Thompson simple group $mathrm{Th}.$ In this paper wecalculate the Fischer matrices of Dempwolff group $overline{G} =2^{5}{^{cdot}}GL(5,2.$ The theory of projective characters isinvolved and we have computed the Schur multiplier together with aprojective character table of an inertia factor group. The fullcharacter table of $overline{G}$ is then can be calculated easily.

  10. Texture Segregation Causes Early Figure Enhancement and Later Ground Suppression in Areas V1 and V4 of Visual Cortex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poort, Jasper; Self, Matthew W; van Vugt, Bram; Malkki, Hemi; Roelfsema, Pieter R

    2016-10-01

    Segregation of images into figures and background is fundamental for visual perception. Cortical neurons respond more strongly to figural image elements than to background elements, but the mechanisms of figure-ground modulation (FGM) are only partially understood. It is unclear whether FGM in early and mid-level visual cortex is caused by an enhanced response to the figure, a suppressed response to the background, or both.We studied neuronal activity in areas V1 and V4 in monkeys performing a texture segregation task. We compared texture-defined figures with homogeneous textures and found an early enhancement of the figure representation, and a later suppression of the background. Across neurons, the strength of figure enhancement was independent of the strength of background suppression.We also examined activity in the different V1 layers. Both figure enhancement and ground suppression were strongest in superficial and deep layers and weaker in layer 4. The current-source density profiles suggested that figure enhancement was caused by stronger synaptic inputs in feedback-recipient layers 1, 2, and 5 and ground suppression by weaker inputs in these layers, suggesting an important role for feedback connections from higher level areas. These results provide new insights into the mechanisms for figure-ground organization. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

  11. Perceptual multistability in figure-ground segregation using motion stimuli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gori, Simone; Giora, Enrico; Pedersini, Riccardo

    2008-11-01

    In a series of experiments using ambiguous stimuli, we investigate the effects of displaying ordered, discrete series of images on the dynamics of figure-ground segregation. For low frame presentation speeds, the series were perceived as a sequence of discontinuous, static images, while for high speeds they were perceived as continuous. We conclude that using stimuli varying continuously along one parameter results in stronger hysteresis and reduces spontaneous switching compared to matched static stimuli with discontinuous parameter changes. The additional evidence that the size of the hysteresis effects depended on trial duration is consistent with the stochastic nature of the dynamics governing figure-ground segregation. The results showed that for continuously changing stimuli, alternative figure-ground organizations are resolved via low-level, dynamical competition. A second series of experiments confirmed these results with an ambiguous stimulus based on Petter's effect.

  12. Groups - Modular Mathematics Series

    CERN Document Server

    Jordan, David

    1994-01-01

    This text provides an introduction to group theory with an emphasis on clear examples. The authors present groups as naturally occurring structures arising from symmetry in geometrical figures and other mathematical objects. Written in a 'user-friendly' style, where new ideas are always motivated before being fully introduced, the text will help readers to gain confidence and skill in handling group theory notation before progressing on to applying it in complex situations. An ideal companion to any first or second year course on the topic.

  13. Configuration color vision tests: the interaction between aging and the complexity of figure-ground segregation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stanford, T; Pollack, R H

    1984-09-01

    A cross-sectional study comparing response time and the percentage of items correctly identified in three color vision tests (Pflügertrident, HRR-AO pseudoisochromatic plates, and AO pseudoisochromatic plates) was carried out on 72 women (12 in each decade) ranging from ages 20 to 79 years. Overall, time scores increased across the age groups. Analysis of the correctness scores indicated that the AO pseudoisochromatic plates requiring the identification of numbers was more difficult than the other tests which consisted of geometric forms or the letter E. This differential difficulty increased as a function of age. There was no indication of color defect per se which led to the conclusion that figure complexity may be the key variable determining performance. The results were similar to those obtained by Lee and Pollack (1978) in their study of the Embedded Figures Test.

  14. The use of rhetorical figures in political marketing in Turkey

    OpenAIRE

    İlgün, Ayşe

    2005-01-01

    ACKNOWLEDGMENTS, i -- SUMMARY, ii -- CONTENTS, vi -- LIST OF FIGURES, ix -- LIST OF T ABLES, x -- 1. INTRODUCTION, 1 -- 1.0. Overview, 1 -- 1.1. The Title of the Study, 1 -- 1.2. The Scope of the Study, 1 -- 1.3. The Purpose and Research Rationale, 1 -- 1.4. The Research Methodology, 2 -- 1.5. Sources of Data, 2 -- 1.6. Benefits Expected from the Thesis, 2 -- 1.7. Limits of the Thesis, 3 -- 1.8. Structure of the Thesis, 3 -- 2. POLITICAL MARKETING, 5 -- 2.0. Overview, 5 -- 2.1. Theoretical Ba...

  15. Paleocene coal deposits of the Wilcox group, central Texas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hook, Robert W.; Warwick, Peter D.; SanFilipo, John R.; Schultz, Adam C.; Nichols, Douglas J.; Swanson, Sharon M.; Warwick, Peter D.; Karlsen, Alexander K.; Merrill, Matthew D.; Valentine, Brett J.

    2011-01-01

    Coal deposits in the Wilcox Group of central Texas have been regarded as the richest coal resources in the Gulf Coastal Plain. Although minable coal beds appear to be less numerous and generally higher in sulfur content (1 percent average, as-received basis; table 1) than Wilcox coal deposits in the Northeast Texas and Louisiana Sabine assessment areas (0.5 and 0.6 percent sulfur, respectively; table 1), net coal thickness in coal zones in central Texas is up to 32 ft thick and more persistent along strike (up to 15 mi) at or near the surface than coals of any other Gulf Coast assessment area. The rank of the coal beds in central Texas is generally lignite (table 1), but some coal ranks as great as subbituminous C have been reported (Mukhopadhyay, 1989). The outcrop of the Wilcox Group in central Texas strikes northeast, extends for approximately 140 mi between the Trinity and Colorado Rivers, and covers parts of Bastrop, Falls, Freestone, Lee, Leon, Limestone, Milam, Navarro, Robertson, and Williamson Counties (Figure 1). Three formations, in ascending order, the Hooper, Simsboro, and Calvert Bluff, are recognized in central Texas (Figure 2). The Wilcox Group is underlain conformably by the Midway Group, a mudstone-dominated marine sequence, and is overlain and scoured locally by the Carrizo Sand, a fluvial unit at the base of the Claiborne Group.

  16. FIGURES OF SPEECH MINANGKABAU LOCALITY IN CARITO MINANG KINI BY HAKIMAH RAHMAH S. IN PADANG EKSPRES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hasnul Fikri

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available The research aimed to describe the locality style of Minangkabau in anecdotal texts “Carito Minang Kini: Barinam jo Rosalina” by Hakimah Rahmah S. in Padang Ekspres (CMK: BJR, which includes rhetoric devices and figures of speech. The type of research is qualitative descriptive which applied content analysis method. The research data are words, phrases, clauses, or sentences that can be formulated as a locality style of Minangkabau. The data source of this research is anecdotal texts in CMK: BJR issued in January and February 2016 consisting of eight issues. The data analysis was conducted by: (1 classifying the locality style of Minangkabau found in a rhetorical assertion and figures of speech based on the theory, (2 analyzing the style according to the subcategory of rhetoric devices and figures of speech of Minangkabau locality style, (3 interpreting the trends of locality style of Minangkabau in texts CMK: BJR, and (4 concluding the study. The findings show that in the texts CMK: BJR there are: (1 the locality rhetoric devices which consist of: (a confirmation in the form of climax, redundancy, and hyperbole and (b disputes in the form of an antithesis; (2 the locality figures of speech that consist of (a a comparison in the form of metaphor and allusion, and (b satire in the form of sarcasm, cynicism and irony. Among the styles that were found, the dominant locality rhetoric device is affirmation in the form of hyperbole and the dominant figurative language style is satire in the form of sarcasm.

  17. The role of figure-ground segregation in change blindness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landman, Rogier; Spekreijse, Henk; Lamme, Victor A F

    2004-04-01

    Partial report methods have shown that a large-capacity representation exists for a few hundred milliseconds after a picture has disappeared. However, change blindness studies indicate that very limited information remains available when a changed version of the image is presented subsequently. What happens to the large-capacity representation? New input after the first image may interfere, but this is likely to depend on the characteristics of the new input. In our first experiment, we show that a display containing homogeneous image elements between changing images does not render the large-capacity representation unavailable. Interference occurs when these new elements define objects. On that basis we introduce a new method to produce change blindness: The second experiment shows that change blindness can be induced by redefining figure and background, without an interval between the displays. The local features (line segments) that defined figures and background were swapped, while the contours of the figures remained where they were. Normally, changes are easily detected when there is no interval. However, our paradigm results in massive change blindness. We propose that in a change blindness experiment, there is a large-capacity representation of the original image when it is followed by a homogeneous interval display, but that change blindness occurs whenever the changed image forces resegregation of figures from the background.

  18. Figure out the Rhythm

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Knakkergaard, Martin

    Thinking in numbers, figures and systems plays a central part in our - at least scientific – understanding of musical matters. The kind of pre-order that the numbers - and also the systemic thinking - bring along seem to facilitate the access to and dealings with what we understand as fundamental...... to reflect. By means of a critical resume of an earlier analysis of rhythmical implications in Michael Jackson's "Give In To Me" this paper discusses these matters further and reflects upon arithmetic's influences and relevance for our understanding of music....

  19. Pacific ethnic groups and frequent hospital presentation: A fair target?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Irvine, Zoe

    2016-06-01

    In New Zealand, Pacific health figures are traditionally presented for all Pacific ethnic groups combined. Use of EDs and urgent care clinics is high compared with Maori and non-Maori, non-Pacific (nMnP) use. By controlling for proximity to the hospital and socioeconomic status, we demonstrate greater variation between Pacific ethnic groups than between Pacific and nMnP, or between Maori and nMnP groups. We discuss the significance of subpopulation variation in use of urgent care services. © 2016 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

  20. Yoginī e Streghe: luoghi isolati, animali selvatici, figure femminili di confine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elisabetta Cangelosi

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available In the folklore some female figures are related to border situations. Women, less relevant in the social and cultural context, can take a relevant role in the traditional, mythic and religious imagery. These figures are strictly linked to irrational and mystery. The analysis compares a group of tantric semi-deities, called Yogini, with witches: they are both confined in a border condition under the religious and social point of view since they are considered dangerous as well as respectful; they fly (sometimes after a metamorphosis in wild and dangerous birds like, they dance in circle, they turn into terrestrial animals (like snakes and toads they prefer isolated places and trees. They can live close to cemeteries but they can also be attracted by places where new born children are, in a sort of relation with both birth and death, the limits of human life. Following a comparison between these two groups that are very far away one from the other some interesting aspects appear: a major characteristic is their ambiguity. They are positive and negative at the same time, they are dangerous but attractive (being usually beautiful and sensual and even dangerous because so attractive. They are part of a wild  world which clash with a tidy and urbanized world: the first one is inhabited by demons which are not included in the official religious and cultural dimension; in the second one, which considers Yogini and witches as dangerous  entities, a rational and male-influenced approach prevails.

  1. Fundamentals of figure control and fracture-'free' finishing for high aspect ratio laser optics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Suratwala, Tayyab [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

    2014-10-01

    The high level objectives of the this work were to: 1) scientifically understand critical phenomena affecting the surface figure during full aperture finishing; 2) utilize these fundamentals to more deterministically control the surface figure during finishing; 3) successfully polish under rogue particle-‘free’ environments during polishing by understanding/preventing key sources of rogue particles.

  2. Renewables in figures. National and international trends in 2014

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2015-08-01

    This publication provides information for the fields electricity / heat / fuels in detail on the expansion of renewable energies and illustrates this with tables and graphs. Basis of the data are the results of the Working Group on Renewable Energy Sources Statistics (AGEE-Stat), on behalf of the BMWi working out the balance of renewable energy in Germany. In addition you will also find information about Renewable Energy Law and to promote renewable Energy for heating purposes as well as for research and Development. In addition to the figures for Germany are also developments in the use of renewable energy in the European Union documented which also has set ambitious targets. Data for global Development are also included. [de

  3. Ion-selective electrodes in organic elemental and functional group analysis: a review

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Selig, W.

    1977-11-08

    The literature on the use of ion-selective electrodes in organic elemental and functional group analysis is surveyed in some detail. The survey is complete through Chemical Abstracts, Vol. 83 (1975). 40 figures, 52 tables, 236 references.

  4. Ion-selective electrodes in organic elemental and functional group analysis: a review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Selig, W.

    1977-01-01

    The literature on the use of ion-selective electrodes in organic elemental and functional group analysis is surveyed in some detail. The survey is complete through Chemical Abstracts, Vol. 83 (1975). 40 figures, 52 tables, 236 references

  5. Human Figure Drawings in Perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naglieri, Jack A.

    1993-01-01

    Responds to previous article (Motta, Little, and Tobin, this issue) which reviewed data-based studies on figure drawings and found little support for their validity or use in assessing personality, behavior, emotion, or intellectual functioning. Contends that article is unacceptable for publication in present form, with main criticism being that…

  6. Border-ownership-dependent tilt aftereffect in incomplete figures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sugihara, Tadashi; Tsuji, Yoshihisa; Sakai, Ko

    2007-01-01

    A recent physiological finding of neural coding for border ownership (BO) that defines the direction of a figure with respect to the border has provided a possible basis for figure-ground segregation. To explore the underlying neural mechanisms of BO, we investigated stimulus configurations that activate BO circuitry through psychophysical investigation of the BO-dependent tilt aftereffect (BO-TAE). Specifically, we examined robustness of the border ownership signal by determining whether the BO-TAE is observed when gestalt factors are broken. The results showed significant BO-TAEs even when a global shape was not explicitly given due to the ambiguity of the contour, suggesting a contour-independent mechanism for BO coding.

  7. Figure/ground analogy for integrated sustainability & planning

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Beyers, C

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available This article proposes a figure ground analogy as alternative way of conceptually integrating sustainability and planning. Within this framework planners are challenged to creatively consider planning practice and thought against a background...

  8. Figure-ground organization and the emergence of proto-objects in the visual cortex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    von der Heydt, Rüdiger

    2015-01-01

    A long history of studies of perception has shown that the visual system organizes the incoming information early on, interpreting the 2D image in terms of a 3D world and producing a structure that provides perceptual continuity and enables object-based attention. Recordings from monkey visual cortex show that many neurons, especially in area V2, are selective for border ownership. These neurons are edge selective and have ordinary classical receptive fields (CRF), but in addition their responses are modulated (enhanced or suppressed) depending on the location of a 'figure' relative to the edge in their receptive field. Each neuron has a fixed preference for location on one side or the other. This selectivity is derived from the image context far beyond the CRF. This paper reviews evidence indicating that border ownership selectivity reflects the formation of early object representations ('proto-objects'). The evidence includes experiments showing (1) reversal of border ownership signals with change of perceived object structure, (2) border ownership specific enhancement of responses in object-based selective attention, (3) persistence of border ownership signals in accordance with continuity of object perception, and (4) remapping of border ownership signals across saccades and object movements. Findings 1 and 2 can be explained by hypothetical grouping circuits that sum contour feature signals in search of objectness, and, via recurrent projections, enhance the corresponding low-level feature signals. Findings 3 and 4 might be explained by assuming that the activity of grouping circuits persists and can be remapped. Grouping, persistence, and remapping are fundamental operations of vision. Finding these operations manifest in low-level visual areas challenges traditional views of visual processing. New computational models need to be developed for a comprehensive understanding of the function of the visual cortex.

  9. ON THE EQUILIBRIUM FIGURE OF CLOSE-IN PLANETS AND SATELLITES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Correia, Alexandre C. M. [Departamento de Fisica, I3N, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro (Portugal); Rodriguez, Adrian [Insituto de Astronomia, Geofisica e Ciencias Atmosfericas, IAG-USP, Rua do Matao 1226, 05508-090 Sao Paulo (Brazil)

    2013-04-20

    Many exoplanets have been observed close to their parent stars with orbital periods of a few days. As for the major satellites of the Jovian planets, the figure of these planets is expected to be strongly shaped by tidal forces. However, contrary to solar system satellites, exoplanets may present high values for the obliquity and eccentricity due to planetary perturbations, and may also be captured in spin-orbit resonances different from the synchronous one. Here we give a general formulation of the equilibrium figure of those bodies that makes no particular assumption on the spin and/or orbital configurations. The gravity field coefficients computed here are well suited for describing the figure evolution of a body whose spin and orbit undergo substantial variations in time.

  10. DOWNER (version 79-1): group collapse cross section and transfer matrices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cullen, D.E.

    1979-01-01

    FORTRAN-callable subroutines are provided to allow a user to group-collapse cross sections and/or transfer matrices from any arbitrary initial group structure to any arbitrary final group structure. 3 figures

  11. Extremal edges: a powerful cue to depth perception and figure-ground organization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palmer, Stephen E; Ghose, Tandra

    2008-01-01

    Extremal edges (EEs) are projections of viewpoint-specific horizons of self-occlusion on smooth convex surfaces. An ecological analysis of viewpoint constraints suggests that an EE surface is likely to be closer to the observer than the non-EE surface on the other side of the edge. In two experiments, one using shading gradients and the other using texture gradients, we demonstrated that EEs operate as strong cues to relative depth perception and figure-ground organization. Image regions with an EE along the shared border were overwhelmingly perceived as closer than either flat or equally convex surfaces without an EE along that border. A further demonstration suggests that EEs are more powerful than classical figure-ground cues, including even the joint effects of small size, convexity, and surroundedness.

  12. Fading-Figure Tracing in Williams Syndrome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagai, Chiyoko; Inui, Toshio; Iwata, Makoto

    2011-01-01

    Williams syndrome (WS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by severe impairment of visuospatial abilities. Figure-drawing abilities, which are thought to reflect visuospatial abilities, have yet to be fully investigated in WS. The purpose of the present study was to clarify whether drawing abilities differ between WS individuals and…

  13. Figuring out’ in science and the humanities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giuseppe Martella

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this article is to enquire into the notion of change in figures of speech, concepts, topics, and technical instruments-models when they are “travelling” through different milieus, contexts, systems or disciplines. I conceive of this travelling as a basic exchange of energy/information, amounting to an event which can reshape a given field of experience. My argument is based on the premise that our experience happens at multiple levels and areas, and develops along different phases, which imperceptibly flow into each other and bear at times barely decipherable traces of the events that have constituted them. The processes happening at a different level from that of present perception can only be conceived of as infractions of the world tissue and of the related universe of discourse. Therefore in any field of enquiry the process of discovery can develop only through figures of discourse. My thesis is that, at the present stage of techno-science, Scriptural Figurality, which constitutes the basis of both Western epistemology and hermeneutics, is superseded and has to be replaced by a new hypermedial rhetoric, capable to cope with complexity, infraction and emergence, both in science and the humanities.

  14. Choreography Styles in Figure Skating

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moormann, Peter Paul

    2006-01-01

    Fifty-eight figure skating trainers from fifteen different countries acted as volunteers in this study on choreography styles. The styles were based on reports of artistic-creative strategies in composing music, drawing, writing poems or novels, and in making dances. The prevalence of the Mozartian (at the onset the choreographer already has a…

  15. School-age children's fears, anxiety, and human figure drawings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carroll, M K; Ryan-Wenger, N A

    1999-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to identify the fears of school-age children and determine the relationship between fear and anxiety. A descriptive, correlational, secondary analysis study was conducted using a convenience sample of 90 children between the ages of 8 and 12 years. Each child was instructed to complete the Revised Children's Anxiety Scale and then answer questions from a structured interview. On completion, each child was instructed to draw a human figure drawing. Frequency charts and correlational statistics were used to analyze the data. Findings indicated that the most significant fears of the boys were in the categories of animals, safety, school, and supernatural phenomena, whereas girls were more fearful of natural phenomena. High correlations existed between anxiety scores and the number of fears and emotional indicators on human figure drawings. Because human figure drawings are reliable tools for assessing anxiety and fears in children, practitioners should incorporate these drawings as part of their routine assessments of fearful children.

  16. Emotions and identity in the figured world of becoming a doctor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dornan, Tim; Pearson, Emma; Carson, Peter; Helmich, Esther; Bundy, Christine

    2015-02-01

    There is little room in clerkship curricula for students to express emotions, particularly those associated with the development of a caring identity. Yet it is recognised that competence, alone, does not make a good doctor. We therefore set out to explore the relationship between emotions and identity in clerkship education. Our exploration was conceptually oriented towards Figured Worlds theory, which is linked to Bakhtin's theory of dialogism. Nine female and one male member of a mixed student cohort kept audio-diaries and participated in both semi-structured and cognitive individual interviews. The researchers identified 43 emotionally salient utterances in the dataset and subjected them to critical discourse analysis. They applied Figured Worlds constructs to within-case and cross-case analyses, supporting one another's reflexivity and openness to different interpretations, and constantly comparing their evolving interpretation against the complete set of transcripts. Students' emotions were closely related to their identity development in the world of medicine. Patients were disempowered by their illnesses. Doctors were powerful because they could treat those illnesses. Students expressed positive emotions when they were granted positions in the world of medicine and were able to identify with the figures of doctors or other health professionals. They identified with doctors who behaved in caring and professionally appropriate ways towards patients and supportively towards students. Students expressed negative emotions when they were unable to develop their identities. Critical discourse analysis has uncovered a link between students' emotions and their identity development in the powerful world of becoming and being a doctor. At present, identity development, emotions and power are mostly tacit in undergraduate clinical curricula. We speculate that helping students to express emotions and exercise power in the most effective ways might help them to develop

  17. Constructions of the patient in healthcare communications: six patient figures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pors, Anja Svejgaard

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to examine how strategic, patient-centred communication plays a part in the discursive management of expectations posed to patients and healthcare organizations. The paper provides an analysis of four documents collected as part of an ethnographic case study regarding "The Perspective of the Patient" - a Danish Hospital's patient-centred communication programme. Mapping methods inspired by Grounded Theory are used to qualify the analysis. The paper shows that strategic patient-centred communication addresses both a care-oriented approach to the patient and deploys market perceptions of patients. Market and care is seen as co-existing organizing modes that entail expectations to the patient. In the communication programme the patient is constructed in six information-seeking patient figures: affective patient; target group patient; citizen with rights; patient as a competent resource; user as active partner; and consumer. As a result, the patient-centred communication programme renders the patient as a flexible figure able to fit organizational demands of both care orientation and market concerns. This study contributes to qualitative research in organizational health communication by combining two subfields - patient-centredness and health communication - in an empirical study of how market and care are intertwined in a patient-centred communication programme. The argument goes beyond the prevalent prescriptive approaches to patient-centredness and healthcare communication, instead providing a critical analytical perspective on strategic communication and patient-centredness and showing how expectations are posed to both patient and organization.

  18. Ion beam figuring of silicon aspheres

    Science.gov (United States)

    Demmler, Marcel; Zeuner, Michael; Luca, Alfonz; Dunger, Thoralf; Rost, Dirk; Kiontke, Sven; Krüger, Marcus

    2011-03-01

    Silicon lenses are widely used for infrared applications. Especially for portable devices the size and weight of the optical system are very important factors. The use of aspherical silicon lenses instead of spherical silicon lenses results in a significant reduction of weight and size. The manufacture of silicon lenses is more challenging than the manufacture of standard glass lenses. Typically conventional methods like diamond turning, grinding and polishing are used. However, due to the high hardness of silicon, diamond turning is very difficult and requires a lot of experience. To achieve surfaces of a high quality a polishing step is mandatory within the manufacturing process. Nevertheless, the required surface form accuracy cannot be achieved through the use of conventional polishing methods because of the unpredictable behavior of the polishing tools, which leads to an unstable removal rate. To overcome these disadvantages a method called Ion Beam Figuring can be used to manufacture silicon lenses with high surface form accuracies. The general advantage of the Ion Beam Figuring technology is a contactless polishing process without any aging effects of the tool. Due to this an excellent stability of the removal rate without any mechanical surface damage is achieved. The related physical process - called sputtering - can be applied to any material and is therefore also applicable to materials of high hardness like Silicon (SiC, WC). The process is realized through the commercially available ion beam figuring system IonScan 3D. During the process, the substrate is moved in front of a focused broad ion beam. The local milling rate is controlled via a modulated velocity profile, which is calculated specifically for each surface topology in order to mill the material at the associated positions to the target geometry. The authors will present aspherical silicon lenses with very high surface form accuracies compared to conventionally manufactured lenses.

  19. Flame figures in linear IgA bullous dermatosis: a novel histopathologic finding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fulton, E; Jan, F; Zimarowski, M J

    2017-11-15

    Linear IgA bullous dermatosis (LABD) is an autoimmune subepidermal blistering disease usually with a neutrophil rich inflammatory infiltrate, and characterized by linear IgA deposition at the basement membrane zone (BMZ), and neutrophil predominant dermal inflammation. We report a case of LABD with numerous eosinophils and flame figure formation, a unique histopathologic finding not previously reported. A 69-year-old woman presented with a rapidly progressive, intensely pruritic rash over forearms, breasts, axillae, hips, and thighs. Thelesions were comprised of annular vesicles and bullae with hemorrhagic crusts and erosions. The clinical differential diagnosis included bullous pemphigoid(BP), LABD, and epidermolysis bullosa aquisita (EBA). A biopsy from a bullous plaque on the wrist revealed a subepidermal blister with neutrophils and numerous eosinophils with flame figure formation.Direct immunofluorescent (DIF) microscopy revealed linear deposition of IgA at the BMZ. Although unusual, the combined findings supported a diagnosis of LABD. Increased eosinophils may be associated with drug-induced LABD and may explain the numerous eosinophils in our case. It is important to be aware of this finding as the pathology may easily be misdiagnosed as BP, or possibly bullousWells syndrome. This case emphasizes that combined clinical, pathologic, and DIF findings are essential in the diagnosis of bullous dermatoses.

  20. Metaphor-related figurative language comprehension in clinical populations: a critical review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maity Siqueira

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper aims to critically review current studies with respect to definitions,methods, and results on the comprehension of metaphor, metonymy,idioms, and proverbs under the following clinical conditions: aphasia,Alzheimer’s disease, autism, brain injuries, specific language impairment,and Williams Syndrome. A comprehensive search of experimentalpsycholinguistic research was conducted using EBSCOhost, PsychInfo,PUBMED, and Web of Science databases. Thirty-eight studies met thereview inclusion criteria. Results point to deficits in figurative languagecomprehension in all conditions considered, lack of clear definitions ofthe phenomena investigated, and varied methods throughout the sample.Patients’ difficulties are attributed to multiple factors, such as a lack ofTheory of Mind, executive dysfunctions, and poor semantic knowledge.The study of nonliteral aspects of language comprehension in clinicalpopulations reveals a range of disparate impairments. There was no specificfeature about metaphor-related phenomena identified that could, on its own,account for the difficulty some populations have to understand figurativelanguage. Rather, metaphor-related language comprehension difficultiesare often part of pragmatic, linguistic, and/or cognitive impairments.Keywords: Figurative language. Metaphor. Metonymy. Proverb. Clinicalpopulations

  1. Energy in Sweden. Facts and figures 2005

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2005-12-01

    Energy in Sweden. Facts and Figures 2005 contains the tabular data for most of the diagrams in the main publication. These data consist primarily of the results of the Agency's processing of basic data from Statistics Sweden. Facts and Figures is available at www.stem.se in pdf- and excel file formats. With effect from the 2001 edition, statistics are of preliminary character for the two preceding years (2003 and 2004). Breakdowns into certain types of fuels vary somewhat depending on whether preliminary or final data has been used. Further information about the statistics can be found in Energy in Sweden, chapter 8 Energy Facts

  2. Effect of microemulsion component purity on the chromatographic figures of merit in chiral microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kojtari, Adeline B; Foley, Joe P

    2009-04-17

    Numerous combinations of one-, two-, and three-chiral-component microemulsions have been previously prepared in our group, using N-dodecoxycarbonylvaline (DDCV), 2-hexanol, and ethyl acetate, dibutyl tartrate, or diethyl tartrate. A few results of the various formulations investigated suggested the possible presence of minor impurities in one or more components of the microemulsion. In this study, the purity of the current lots of R- and S-surfactant were measured, as was the subsequent effect of minor impurities on the relevant chromatographic figures of merit (CFOMs) that describe a chiral separation, i.e., efficiency, enantioselectivity, retention, migration window (elution range), and resolution. Two related methods are proposed for correcting enantioselectivities measured in the presence of chiral impurities in the chiral microemulsion.

  3. Opposing dorsal/ventral stream dynamics during figure-ground segregation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wokke, Martijn E; Scholte, H Steven; Lamme, Victor A F

    2014-02-01

    The visual system has been commonly subdivided into two segregated visual processing streams: The dorsal pathway processes mainly spatial information, and the ventral pathway specializes in object perception. Recent findings, however, indicate that different forms of interaction (cross-talk) exist between the dorsal and the ventral stream. Here, we used TMS and concurrent EEG recordings to explore these interactions between the dorsal and ventral stream during figure-ground segregation. In two separate experiments, we used repetitive TMS and single-pulse TMS to disrupt processing in the dorsal (V5/HMT⁺) and the ventral (lateral occipital area) stream during a motion-defined figure discrimination task. We presented stimuli that made it possible to differentiate between relatively low-level (figure boundary detection) from higher-level (surface segregation) processing steps during figure-ground segregation. Results show that disruption of V5/HMT⁺ impaired performance related to surface segregation; this effect was mainly found when V5/HMT⁺ was perturbed in an early time window (100 msec) after stimulus presentation. Surprisingly, disruption of the lateral occipital area resulted in increased performance scores and enhanced neural correlates of surface segregation. This facilitatory effect was also mainly found in an early time window (100 msec) after stimulus presentation. These results suggest a "push-pull" interaction in which dorsal and ventral extrastriate areas are being recruited or inhibited depending on stimulus category and task demands.

  4. 50 CFR Figure 4 to Part 223 - Georgia TED

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Georgia TED 4 Figure 4 to Part 223 Wildlife and Fisheries NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE MARINE MAMMALS THREATENED MARINE AND ANADROMOUS SPECIES Pt. 223, Fig. 4 Figure 4 to Part 223—Georgia TED EC01JY91.048 [52 FR...

  5. 50 CFR Figure 10 to Part 223 - Flounder TED

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Flounder TED 10 Figure 10 to Part 223 Wildlife and Fisheries NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE MARINE MAMMALS THREATENED MARINE AND ANADROMOUS SPECIES Pt. 223, Fig. 10 Figure 10 to Part 223—Flounder TED EC01JY91.056 [5...

  6. 50 CFR Figure 3 to Part 223 - Matagorda TED

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Matagorda TED 3 Figure 3 to Part 223 Wildlife and Fisheries NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE MARINE MAMMALS THREATENED MARINE AND ANADROMOUS SPECIES Pt. 223, Fig. 3 Figure 3 to Part 223—Matagorda TED EC01JY91.047 [52...

  7. Gradient cuts and extremal edges in relative depth and figure-ground perception.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghose, Tandra; Palmer, Stephen E

    2016-02-01

    Extremal edges (EEs) are borders consisting of luminance gradients along the projected edge of a partly self-occluding curved surface (e.g., a cylinder), with equiluminant contours (ELCs) that run approximately parallel to that edge. Gradient cuts (GCs) are similar luminance gradients with ELCs that intersect (are "cut" by) an edge that could be due to occlusion. EEs are strongly biased toward being seen as closer/figural surfaces (Palmer & Ghose, Psychological Science, 19(1), 77-83, 2008). Do GCs produce a complementary bias toward being seen as ground? Experiment 1 shows that, with EEs on the opposite side, GCs produce a ground bias that increases with increasing ELC angles between ELCs and the shared edge. Experiment 2 shows that, with flat surfaces on the opposite side, GCs do not produce a ground bias, suggesting that more than one factor may be operating. We suggest that two partially dissociable factors may operate for curved surfaces-ELC angle and 3-D surface convexity-that reinforce each other in the figural cues of EEs but compete with each other in GCs. Moreover, this figural bias is modulated by the presence of EEs and GCs, as specified by the ELC angle between ELCs and the shared contour.

  8. The Public/Private Figure Status of Corporate and Executive Libel Plaintiffs after "Gertz."

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drechsel, Robert E.; Moon, Deborah

    Since 1974, when the Supreme Court concluded in "Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc." that public figures and private figures deserve different treatment under libel law (with private figures needing a lower standard of proof), most lower courts have had to sort out the two categories. From the results in "Gertz" and other cases, three…

  9. Enhanced thermoelectric figure-of-merit in environmentally benign BaxSr2-xTiCoO6 double perovskites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saxena, Mandvi; Roy, Pinku; Acharya, Megha; Bose, Imon; Tanwar, Khagesh; Maiti, Tanmoy

    2016-12-01

    Environmental friendly, non-toxic double perovskite BaxSr2-xTiCoO6 compositions with 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.2 were synthesized using solid-state reaction route for high temperature thermoelectric (TE) applications. XRD and SEM studies confirmed the presence of single-phase solid solution with highly dense microstructure for all the oxide compositions. Temperature dependent electrical conductivity measurement showed semiconductor to metal (M-S) transition in these double perovskites. Incorporation of barium in Sr2TiCoO6 pushed M-S transition to higher temperature making it a potential candidate for high temperature TE applications. Conductivity behaviors of these oxides were explained by small polaron model. Furthermore, these oxides exhibit a glass like behavior resulting in low thermal conductivity. Low temperature dielectric measurement revealed relaxor ferroelectric behavior in these oxides below room temperature. Transition of these relaxors into a glassy state beyond Burns temperature (TD) was found responsible for having low thermal conductivity in these oxides. Maximum dimensionless TE figure-of-merit ZT = 0.29 at 1223 K was achieved for BaxSr2-xTiCoO6 composition with x = 0.2.

  10. Ga2O3 Schottky rectifiers with 1 ampere forward current, 650 V reverse breakdown and 26.5 MW.cm-2 figure-of-merit

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Jiancheng; Ren, F.; Tadjer, Marko; Pearton, S. J.; Kuramata, A.

    2018-05-01

    A key goal for Ga2O3 rectifiers is to achieve high forward currents and high reverse breakdown voltages. Field-plated β-Ga2O3 Schottky rectifiers with area 0.01 cm2, fabricated on 10 μm thick, lightly-doped drift regions (1.33 x 1016 cm-3) on heavily-doped (3.6 x 1018 cm-3) substrates, exhibited forward current density of 100A.cm-2 at 2.1 V, with absolute current of 1 A at this voltage and a reverse breakdown voltage (VB) of 650V. The on-resistance (RON) was 1.58 x 10-2 Ω.cm2, producing a figure of merit (VB2/RON) of 26.5 MW.cm-2. The Schottky barrier height of the Ni was 1.04 eV, with an ideality factor of 1.02. The on/off ratio was in the range 3.3 x 106 - 5.7 x 109 for reverse biases between 5 and 100V. The reverse recovery time was ˜30 ns for switching from +2V to -5V. The results show the capability of β-Ga2O3 rectifiers to achieve exceptional performance in both forward and reverse bias conditions.

  11. The classification of finite simple groups groups of characteristic 2 type

    CERN Document Server

    Aschbacher, Michael; Smith, Stephen D; Solomon, Ronald

    2011-01-01

    The book provides an outline and modern overview of the classification of the finite simple groups. It primarily covers the "even case", where the main groups arising are Lie-type (matrix) groups over a field of characteristic 2. The book thus completes a project begun by Daniel Gorenstein's 1983 book, which outlined the classification of groups of "noncharacteristic 2 type". However, this book provides much more. Chapter 0 is a modern overview of the logical structure of the entire classification. Chapter 1 is a concise but complete outline of the "odd case" with updated references, while Chapter 2 sets the stage for the remainder of the book with a similar outline of the "even case". The remaining six chapters describe in detail the fundamental results whose union completes the proof of the classification theorem. Several important subsidiary results are also discussed. In addition, there is a comprehensive listing of the large number of papers referenced from the literature. Appendices provide a brief but ...

  12. Genes influence young children's human figure drawings and their association with intelligence a decade later.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arden, Rosalind; Trzaskowski, Maciej; Garfield, Victoria; Plomin, Robert

    2014-10-01

    Drawing is ancient; it is the only childhood cognitive behavior for which there is any direct evidence from the Upper Paleolithic. Do genes influence individual differences in this species-typical behavior, and is drawing related to intelligence (g) in modern children? We report on the first genetically informative study of children's figure drawing. In a study of 7,752 pairs of twins, we found that genetic differences exert a greater influence on children's figure drawing at age 4 than do between-family environmental differences. Figure drawing was as heritable as g at age 4 (heritability of .29 for both). Drawing scores at age 4 correlated significantly with g at age 4 (r = .33, p drawing at age 4 and g at age 14 was .52, 95% confidence interval = [.31, .75]. Individual differences in this widespread behavior have an important genetic component and a significant genetic link with g. © The Author(s) 2014.

  13. Figurative framing: Shaping public discourse through metaphor, hyperbole and irony

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Burgers, C.F.; Konijn, E.A.; Steen, G.J.

    2016-01-01

    Framing is an important concept in communication, yet many framing studies set out to develop frames relevant to only one issue. We expand framing theory by introducing figurative framing. We posit that figurative language types like metaphor, hyperbole and irony are important in shaping public

  14. Figurative framing : Shaping public discourse through metaphor, hyperbole and irony

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Burgers, C.; Konijn, E.A.; Steen, G.J.

    2016-01-01

    Framing is an important concept in communication, yet many framing studies set out to develop frames relevant to only one issue. We expand framing theory by introducing figurative framing. We posit that figurative language types like metaphor, hyperbole and irony are important in shaping public

  15. CHANGES AND MODIFICATIONS OF THE TROUSERS PATENS FOR NON-STANDARD FIGURES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    SUDACEVSCHI SVETLANA

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Among the problems faced by the constructors of clothing goods are the non-standard figures of the human body. The present article examines the possibilities of modifying the curve of women’s trousers. The author proposes methods of chang­ing the basic drawing of the women’s trousers for figures with non-standard figures and to use these methods in the process of training in specialized educational institutions.

  16. Cutting solid figures by plane - analytical solution and spreadsheet implementation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benacka, Jan

    2012-07-01

    In some secondary mathematics curricula, there is a topic called Stereometry that deals with investigating the position and finding the intersection, angle, and distance of lines and planes defined within a prism or pyramid. Coordinate system is not used. The metric tasks are solved using Pythagoras' theorem, trigonometric functions, and sine and cosine rules. The basic problem is to find the section of the figure by a plane that is defined by three points related to the figure. In this article, a formula is derived that gives the positions of the intersection points of such a plane and the figure edges, that is, the vertices of the section polygon. Spreadsheet implementations of the formula for cuboid and right rectangular pyramids are presented. The user can check his/her graphical solution, or proceed if he/she is not able to complete the section.

  17. 16 CFR Figure 8 to Part 1633 - Jig for Setting Mattresses and Foundation Sides in Same Plane

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Jig for Setting Mattresses and Foundation Sides in Same Plane 8 Figure 8 to Part 1633 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION.... 8 Figure 8 to Part 1633—Jig for Setting Mattresses and Foundation Sides in Same Plane ER15MR06.007 ...

  18. Advancements in ion beam figuring of very thin glass plates (Conference Presentation)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Civitani, M.; Ghigo, M.; Hołyszko, J.; Vecchi, G.; Basso, S.; Cotroneo, V.; DeRoo, C. T.; Schwartz, E. D.; Reid, P. B.

    2017-09-01

    The high-quality surface characteristics, both in terms of figure error and of micro-roughness, required on the mirrors of a high angular resolution x-ray telescope are challenging, but in principle well suited with a deterministic and non-contact process like the ion beam figuring. This process has been recently proven to be compatible even with very thin (thickness around 0.4mm) sheet of glasses (like D263 and Eagle). In the last decade, these types of glass have been investigated as substrates for hot slumping, with residual figure errors of hundreds of nanometres. In this view, the mirrors segments fabrication could be envisaged as a simple two phases process: a first replica step based on hot slumping (direct/indirect) followed by an ion beam figuring which can be considered as a post-fabrication correction method. The first ion beam figuring trials, realized on flat samples, showed that the micro-roughness is not damaged but a deeper analysis is necessary to characterize and eventually control/compensate the glass shape variations. In this paper, we present the advancements in the process definition, both on flat and slumped glass samples.

  19. 2003 annual results of EdF group; Resultats annuels 2003 du groupe EDF

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2004-03-01

    The Electricite de France (EdF) group Board of Directors, meeting on March 11, 2004, under the Chairmanship of Francois Roussely, reviewed the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended 12/31/2003. This document presents the consolidated results of EdF group for 2003: consolidated financial statements, highlights of the year, focus on 2003 events, commercial results, EDF in Europe and worldwide, EDF France highlights, key figures. (J.S.)

  20. Generation of coordinates in PC for graphics of polar figure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Macias B, L.R.

    1991-10-01

    The preferential orientation, not alone it exists in metals, but also in minerals or in general in crystalline materials, notwithstanding in the metals it can be transformed by means of those processes of having mechanical worked such as laminate, wrapping, etc. To the preferable orientation of the crystals is also known as texture and since the properties of the crystalline materials lens depend on the orientation that present its glasses, it is important to know its texture. The difficulty for to represent and to describe the grade of preferential orientation in textured materials take to F. Weber to adapt the stereo graphic projection of a monocrystal to a poles figure. Later on, its appeared but methods to obtain the polar figure, among them, that of reflection of L. G. Schultz, but again a technique appears it specifies for its obtaining. In all the cases, the methodology is the following one: a) It is obtained by means of the diffraction process, the correspondent spectra in digitized form. b) it is applied process of having softened mathematician of the spectrum. c) there are determined the fi coordinates, beta and intensity for graph nts of the polar figure. d) Its are graph the points generated in c obtaining the polar figures. The objective of this work, is leaving of a softened spectra, to generate the coordinated fi, beta and corresponding intensity to proceed to their graph and generation of the polar figure. In this specific work, the methodology of Philips is used that consists in making a sweeping in hairspring form with the radiation to detect in these points the execution of the Bragg law. (Author)

  1. The neurophysiology of figure-ground segregation in primary visual cortex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lamme, V A

    1995-02-01

    The activity of neurons in the primary visual cortex of the awake macaque monkey was recorded while the animals were viewing full screen arrays of either oriented line segments or moving random dots. A square patch of the screen was made to perceptually pop out as a circumscribed figure by virtue of differences between the orientation or the direction of motion of the texture elements within that patch and the surround. The animals were trained to identify the figure patches by making saccadic eye movements towards their positions. Almost every cell gave a significantly larger response to elements belonging to the figure than to similar elements belonging to the background. The figure-ground response enhancement was present along the entire extent of the patch and was absent as soon as the receptive field was outside the patch. The strength of the effect had no relation with classical receptive field properties like orientation or direction selectivity or receptive field size. The response enhancement had a latency of 30-40 msec relative to the onset of the neuronal response itself. The results show that context modulation within primary visual cortex has a highly sophisticated nature, putting the image features the cells are responding to into their fully evaluated perceptual context.

  2. Beyond Parity in Figures: The Challenges in Reality of Municipal Women Councillors in Bolivia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edmé Dominguez R.

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Bolivia is a country that has advanced substantially regarding women’s representation in politics. In fact, at a global level, Bolivia rivals Rwanda at both the national and local representation levels. This is particularly true at the local level where several women from all social conditions and ethnicity groups have become the majority of municipal councillors, even though women mayors are still a rarity. However, parity in figures does not mean parity in reality. Many of these women councillors face hard realities impregnated with discrimination and harassment of all sorts. Moreover, some mechanisms—like the rotation principle designed to increase participation and democracy—have been turned against many of these women councillors. Based on a field work using interviews and participant observation as well as findings of previous relevant works, this article discusses these problems and offers an analysis as to the causes of such a situation where parity in figures is not reflected in shared power and equal respect in the daily realities at the local level.

  3. Differential Deposition for Surface Figure Corrections in Grazing Incidence X-Ray Optics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramsey, Brian D.; Kilaru, Kiranmayee; Atkins, Carolyn; Gubarev, Mikhail V.; Broadway, David M.

    2015-01-01

    Differential deposition corrects the low- and mid- spatial-frequency deviations in the axial figure of Wolter-type grazing incidence X-ray optics. Figure deviations is one of the major contributors to the achievable angular resolution. Minimizing figure errors can significantly improve the imaging quality of X-ray optics. Material of varying thickness is selectively deposited, using DC magnetron sputtering, along the length of optic to minimize figure deviations. Custom vacuum chambers are built that can incorporate full-shell and segmented Xray optics. Metrology data of preliminary corrections on a single meridian of full-shell x-ray optics show an improvement of mid-spatial frequencies from 6.7 to 1.8 arc secs HPD. Efforts are in progress to correct a full-shell and segmented optics and to verify angular-resolution improvement with X-ray testing.

  4. Figures on petroleum 1981

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1981-01-01

    This table taken out from the 1981 annual report 1981 contains an introductory remark on the reorganization of mineral oil statistics up to January 82. It is followed by the tables ranged as follows: refinery capacity and production, crude oil supply, GDR-coverings, import of petroleum products, petroleum consumption, export of petroleum products, transport, oil storage tanks, motor vehicle stock, taxes and tariffs, petroleum export trade, energy consumption and world petroleum numbers. In parts the tables contain comparative figures back to 1950.

  5. R&D figures 'distorted' by defence spending

    CERN Multimedia

    Coghlan, A

    1990-01-01

    A report published by the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology, claims that government figures for R&D spending are misleading. They apparently include military projects that are more concerned with product development than original research.

  6. Refining the Relationships among Historical Figures by Implementing Inference Rules in SWRL

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fajrin Ariyani, Nurul; Saralita, Madis; Sarwosri; Sarno, Riyanarto

    2018-03-01

    The biography of historical figures is often fascinating to be known. Everything about their character, work, invention, and personal life sometimes are presented in their biography. The social and family relationships among historical figures also put into concern, especially for political figures, heroes, kings or persons who have ever been ruled a monarchy in their past. Some biographies can be found in Wikipedia as articles. Most of the social and family relationship contents of these figures are not completely depicted due to a various article’s contributors and sources. Fortunately, the missing relatives of a person might reside in the other figures’ biography in different pages. Each Wikipedia article has metadata which represents its essential information of content. By processing the metadata obtained from DBpedia and composing the inferencing rules (in the form of ontology) to identify the relationships content, it can generate several new inferred facts that complement the existing relationships. This work proposes a methodology for finding missing relationships among historical figures using inference rules in an ontology. As a result, our method can present new facts about the relationships that absent in the existing Wikipedia articles.

  7. Computation of misalignment and primary mirror astigmatism figure error of two-mirror telescopes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Zhiyuan; Wang, Yang; Ju, Guohao; Yan, Changxiang

    2018-01-01

    Active optics usually uses the computation models based on numerical methods to correct misalignments and figure errors at present. These methods can hardly lead to any insight into the aberration field dependencies that arise in the presence of the misalignments. An analytical alignment model based on third-order nodal aberration theory is presented for this problem, which can be utilized to compute the primary mirror astigmatic figure error and misalignments for two-mirror telescopes. Alignment simulations are conducted for an R-C telescope based on this analytical alignment model. It is shown that in the absence of wavefront measurement errors, wavefront measurements at only two field points are enough, and the correction process can be completed with only one alignment action. In the presence of wavefront measurement errors, increasing the number of field points for wavefront measurements can enhance the robustness of the alignment model. Monte Carlo simulation shows that, when -2 mm ≤ linear misalignment ≤ 2 mm, -0.1 deg ≤ angular misalignment ≤ 0.1 deg, and -0.2 λ ≤ astigmatism figure error (expressed as fringe Zernike coefficients C5 / C6, λ = 632.8 nm) ≤0.2 λ, the misaligned systems can be corrected to be close to nominal state without wavefront testing error. In addition, the root mean square deviation of RMS wavefront error of all the misaligned samples after being corrected is linearly related to wavefront testing error.

  8. Preliminary grouping in a strong-current linear ion accelerator with a low injection energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Enal'skii, V.A.; Osipov, V.V.; Fedotov, A.P.; Shembel, B.K.

    1984-08-01

    The results of the numerical calculations show that, in strong-current accelerators with a low injection energy and a large increase in the velocity of the particles on the gaps: (1) the effect of the space charge, with grouping of the particles, may be weakened, to a considerable extent, by the utilization of large grouping voltages. In this case, the coefficient of grouping may exceed the corresponding values, given by the kinematic theory. (2) The spread of the velocities of the grouped particles, increased within certain limits, does not hinder the subsequent effective capture of the latter in a synchronous acceleration mode, because of the expanded region of capture, which is characteristic for a similar accelerator. (3) With small values of the generalized parameter of the space charge (q less than or equal to 0.3), one may, for calculation of the buncher, make use of the results of the kinematic theory with a known approximation. With values of q > 0.5, good results are provided by the theory of German and Kompaneets. In the intermediate range, for determination of the optimal drift length and the coefficient of grouping, it is necessary to utilize numerical methods of calculation. 9 references, 4 figures

  9. Energy in Sweden. Facts and figures 2007; Energilaeget 2007

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2007-12-15

    Energy in Sweden 2007: Facts and Figures contains the tabular for most of the diagrams in the main publication. These data consist primarily of the results of the Agency's processing of basic data from Statistics Sweden. 2001 statistics for the period 1983-1999 where revised compared to data for previous editions. With effect from the 2001 edition, statistics are of preliminary character for the two last published years (2005 and 2006). Breakdowns into certain types of fuels vary somewhat depending on whether preliminary or final data is used. Further information about the statistics can be found in Energy in Sweden, chapter 8 Energy Facts. Please note that the figures have been rounded up or down, therefore totals do not always comply with the sum of individual figures

  10. A recurrent neural model for proto-object based contour integration and figure-ground segregation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Brian; Niebur, Ernst

    2017-12-01

    Visual processing of objects makes use of both feedforward and feedback streams of information. However, the nature of feedback signals is largely unknown, as is the identity of the neuronal populations in lower visual areas that receive them. Here, we develop a recurrent neural model to address these questions in the context of contour integration and figure-ground segregation. A key feature of our model is the use of grouping neurons whose activity represents tentative objects ("proto-objects") based on the integration of local feature information. Grouping neurons receive input from an organized set of local feature neurons, and project modulatory feedback to those same neurons. Additionally, inhibition at both the local feature level and the object representation level biases the interpretation of the visual scene in agreement with principles from Gestalt psychology. Our model explains several sets of neurophysiological results (Zhou et al. Journal of Neuroscience, 20(17), 6594-6611 2000; Qiu et al. Nature Neuroscience, 10(11), 1492-1499 2007; Chen et al. Neuron, 82(3), 682-694 2014), and makes testable predictions about the influence of neuronal feedback and attentional selection on neural responses across different visual areas. Our model also provides a framework for understanding how object-based attention is able to select both objects and the features associated with them.

  11. A repertoire of comic figures of the antique theatre in miniatures of Byzantine Psalters with marginal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bemabò Massimo

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available Recent investigations on ninth-century Byzantine Psalters have focused mostly on the impact of the iconoclast controversy on the iconography of the marginal illustrations in these manuscripts. In fact this impact has been greatly exaggerated and the Psalter illustrations that can be connected to the debates on icon are less than a dozen out of a total of a few hundreds. The present article focuses on the iconography of figures illustrating social and moral types in the psalms. These figures cannot be considered as novel inventions of the ninth-century artists who painted our manuscripts. Their origin must be drawn back to late antique prototypes; in particular it is inferred that most of these figures represent characters that were originally modeled after the moral and social types acted on stage in late antique theater, mime and pantomime. A number of examples out of the miniatures in the Carolingian manuscripts of Terence and other media provides parallels to gestures, postures and features of the figures in the Psalter illustrations. The iconographical invention of these characters for the psalms must date from fourth to sixth century, a period during which theater was still very popular, notwithstanding the strong opposition of the Christian Fathers. Chroricius of Gaza' Apologia memoriam and other late antique writings witness the popularity of mime up to the middle sixth century and the ample variety of types that were acted on stage. The figures scissor out of marginal illustrations in the Byzantine Psalters are arranged in five plates collecting examples of, respectively, moral types, emotions caricatures, social types and professions, gods and devils.

  12. Implementation of Sample Graphic Patterns on Derived Scientific/Technologic Documentary Figures

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    MENG Xiang-bao; WANG Xiao-yu; WANG Lei

    2013-01-01

    The presenting work deals with implementation of sample graphic patterns derived from published scientific/technologic documentation figures on numeric simulation of multiphase flow and FEM analysis of thin walled mechanical structures. First, geometric plane patterns in rectangular/circular form were demonstrated in contrast to gradual change style in color and graphic configuration. Next, selected artistic/graphic sample patterns were implemented in logo conceptual design and visual innovation storming. The way in editing the above original figures is 2D symmetry, rectangular array geometrically, and converting them in inverse color in software like PS. The objective of this work is to cultivate, explore and discipline trainees’ visual ability in artistic/aesthetic appreciation, graphic communication and industrial design and application, thus laying ties closely among comprehensive university students from different majors on science, engineering, arts and humanity.

  13. Auditory Figure-Ground Segregation is Impaired by High Visual Load

    OpenAIRE

    Lavie, Nilli; Chait, Maria; Molloy, Katharine

    2017-01-01

    Figure-ground segregation is fundamental to listening in complex acoustic environments. An ongoing debate pertains to whether segregation requires attention or is 'automatic' and pre-attentive. In this magnetoencephalography (MEG) study we tested a prediction derived from Load Theory of attention (1) that segregation requires attention, but can benefit from the automatic allocation of any 'leftover' capacity under low load. Complex auditory scenes were modelled with Stochastic Figure Ground s...

  14. Spatio-temporal dynamics of impulse responses to figure motion in optic flow neurons.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu-Jen Lee

    Full Text Available White noise techniques have been used widely to investigate sensory systems in both vertebrates and invertebrates. White noise stimuli are powerful in their ability to rapidly generate data that help the experimenter decipher the spatio-temporal dynamics of neural and behavioral responses. One type of white noise stimuli, maximal length shift register sequences (m-sequences, have recently become particularly popular for extracting response kernels in insect motion vision. We here use such m-sequences to extract the impulse responses to figure motion in hoverfly lobula plate tangential cells (LPTCs. Figure motion is behaviorally important and many visually guided animals orient towards salient features in the surround. We show that LPTCs respond robustly to figure motion in the receptive field. The impulse response is scaled down in amplitude when the figure size is reduced, but its time course remains unaltered. However, a low contrast stimulus generates a slower response with a significantly longer time-to-peak and half-width. Impulse responses in females have a slower time-to-peak than males, but are otherwise similar. Finally we show that the shapes of the impulse response to a figure and a widefield stimulus are very similar, suggesting that the figure response could be coded by the same input as the widefield response.

  15. Mechanisms of time-based figure-ground segregation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kandil, Farid I; Fahle, Manfred

    2003-11-01

    Figure-ground segregation can rely on purely temporal information, that is, on short temporal delays between positional changes of elements in figure and ground (Kandil, F.I. & Fahle, M. (2001) Eur. J. Neurosci., 13, 2004-2008). Here, we investigate the underlying mechanisms by measuring temporal segregation thresholds for various kinds of motion cues. Segregation can rely on monocular first-order motion (based on luminance modulation) and second-order motion cues (contrast modulation) with a high temporal resolution of approximately 20 ms. The mechanism can also use isoluminant motion with a reduced temporal resolution of 60 ms. Figure-ground segregation can be achieved even at presentation frequencies too high for human subjects to inspect successive frames individually. In contrast, when stimuli are presented dichoptically, i.e. separately to both eyes, subjects are unable to perceive any segregation, irrespective of temporal frequency. We propose that segregation in these displays is detected by a mechanism consisting of at least two stages. On the first level, standard motion or flicker detectors signal local positional changes (flips). On the second level, a segregation mechanism combines the local activities of the low-level detectors with high temporal precision. Our findings suggest that the segregation mechanism can rely on monocular detectors but not on binocular mechanisms. Moreover, the results oppose the idea that segregation in these displays is achieved by motion detectors of a higher order (motion-from-motion), but favour mechanisms sensitive to short temporal delays even without activation of higher-order motion detectors.

  16. The 2-(acetoxymethyl)benzoyl (AMB) group as a new base-protecting group, designed for the protection of (phosphate) modified oligonucleotides.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kuijpers, W.H.A.; Huskens, J.; Boeckel, van C.A.A.

    1990-01-01

    The 2-(acetoxymethyl)benzoyl (AMB) group is a new base-protecting group that facilitates the synthesis of labile, modified nucleotides, since it can be rapidly cleaved under mild basic conditions. The 2-(acetoxymethyl)benzoyl (AMB) group is a new base-protecting group that facilitates the synthesis

  17. The unit group of group algebra $F_qSL(2;Z_3$

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Swati Maheshwari

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Let $\\F_q$ be a finite field of characteristic $p$ having $q$ elements, where $q = p^k$ and $p\\ge 5$. Let $ SL(2,\\Z_3$ be the special linear group of $2\\times2$ matrices with determinant $1$ over $\\Z_3$. In this note we establish the structure of the unit group of $\\F_q SL(2,\\Z_3$.

  18. New Highly Sensitive Real-Time PCR Assay for HIV-2 Group A and Group B DNA Quantification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bertine, Mélanie; Gueudin, Marie; Mélard, Adeline; Damond, Florence; Descamps, Diane; Matheron, Sophie; Collin, Fidéline; Rouzioux, Christine; Plantier, Jean-Christophe; Avettand-Fenoel, Véronique

    2017-09-01

    HIV-2 infection is characterized by a very low replication rate in most cases and low progression. This necessitates an approach to patient monitoring that differs from that for HIV-1 infection. Here, a new highly specific and sensitive method for HIV-2 DNA quantification was developed. The new test is based on quantitative real-time PCR targeting the long terminal repeat (LTR) and gag regions and using an internal control. Analytical performance was determined in three laboratories, and clinical performance was determined on blood samples from 63 patients infected with HIV-2 group A ( n = 35) or group B ( n = 28). The specificity was 100%. The 95% limit of detection was three copies/PCR and the limit of quantification was six copies/PCR. The within-run coefficients of variation were between 1.03% at 3.78 log 10 copies/PCR and 27.02% at 0.78 log 10 copies/PCR. The between-run coefficient of variation was 5.10%. Both manual and automated nucleic acid extraction methods were validated. HIV-2 DNA loads were detectable in blood cells from all 63 patients. When HIV-2 DNA was quantifiable, median loads were significantly higher in antiretroviral-treated than in naive patients and were similar for groups A and B. HIV-2 DNA load was correlated with HIV-2 RNA load ( r = 0.68; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.4 to 0.8; P < 0.0001). Our data show that this new assay is highly sensitive and quantifies the two main HIV-2 groups, making it useful for the diagnosis of HIV-2 infection and for pathogenesis studies on HIV-2 reservoirs. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

  19. The human figure drawing as related to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perets-Dubrovsky, Sharon; Kaveh, Michelle; Deutsh-Castel, Tsofia; Cohen, Ayala; Tirosh, Emanuel

    2010-06-01

    To assess the reliability and validity of the human figure drawing test among children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or learning disability, boys (n = 136) between the ages of 8 and 10 years, with either or both ADHD and learning disability, were included. Two drawings were used: person and house, tree and person. The drawings were analyzed using the Koppitz emotional and developmental scales. Conners teacher and parent rating scales and the Matching Familiar Figure Test were administered. High intertest reliability for the emotional scale and a significant negative correlation between the 2 scales were found. The reported anxiety and learning were significantly correlated with the cognitive score. A combination of cognitive and emotional items resulted in 67% correct classification of ADHD and learning disability. This test can be used as part of the assessment of ADHD/learning disability.

  20. High figure of merit and thermoelectric properties of Bi-doped Mg2Si0.4Sn0.6 solid solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Wei; Zhang, Qiang; Yin, Kang; Chi, Hang; Zhou, Xiaoyuan; Tang, Xinfeng; Uher, Ctirad

    2013-01-01

    The study of Mg 2 Si 1−x Sn x -based thermoelectric materials has received widespread attention due to a potentially high thermoelectric performance, abundant raw materials, relatively low cost of modules, and non-toxic character of compounds. In this research, Mg 2.16 (Si 0.4 Sn 0.6 ) 1−y Bi y solid solutions with the nominal Bi content of 0≤y≤0.03 are prepared using a two-step solid state reaction followed by spark plasma sintering consolidation. Within this range of Bi concentrations, no evidence of second phase segregation was found. Bi is confirmed to occupy the Si/Sn sites in the crystal lattice and behaves as an efficient n-type dopant in Mg 2 Si 0.4 Sn 0.6 . Similar to the effect of Sb, Bi doping greatly increases the electron density and the power factor, and reduces the lattice thermal conductivity of Mg 2.16 Si 0.4 Sn 0.6 solid solutions. Overall, the thermoelectric figure of merit of Bi-doped Mg 2.16 Si 0.4 Sn 0.6 solid solutions is improved by about 10% in comparison to values obtained with Sb-doped materials of comparable dopant content. This improvement comes chiefly from a marginally higher Seebeck coefficient of Bi-doped solid solutions. The highest ZT∼1.4 is achieved for the y=0.03 composition at 800 K. - Graphical abstract: (a)The relationship between electrical conductivity and power factor for Sb/Bi-doped Mg 2.16 (Si 0.4 Sn 0.6 ) 1−y (Sb/Bi) y (0 2.16 (Si 0.4 Sn 0.6 ) 1−y Bi y (0≤y≤0.03) solid solutions. (c)Temperature dependent dimensionless figure of merit ZT of Mg 2.16 (Si 0.4 Sn 0.6 ) 1−y Bi y (0≤y≤0.03) solid solutions. - Highlights: • Bi doped Mg 2.16 Si 0.4 Sn 0.6 showed 15% enhancement in the power factor as compared to Sb doped samples. • Bi doping reduced κ ph of Mg 2.16 Si 0.4 Sn 0.6 due to stronger point defect scattering. • The highest ZT=1.4 at 800 K was achieved for Mg 2.16 (Si 0.4 Sn 0.6 ) 0.97 Bi 0.03

  1. On the Long-Term "Hesitation Waltz" Between the Earth's Figure and Rotation Axes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Couhert, A.; Mercier, F.; Bizouard, C.

    2017-12-01

    The principal figure axis of the Earth refers to its axis of maximum inertia. In the absence of external torques, the latter should closely coincide with the rotation pole, when averaged over many years. However, because of tidal and non-tidal mass redistributions within the Earth system, the rotational axis executes a circular motion around the figure axis essentially at seasonal time scales. In between, it is not clear what happens at decadal time spans and how well the two axes are aligned. The long record of accurate Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) observations to Lageos makes possible to directly measure the long time displacement of the figure axis with respect to the crust, through the determination of the degree 2 order 1 geopotential coefficients for the 34-year period 1983-2017. On the other hand, the pole coordinate time series (mainly from GNSS and VLBI data) yield the motion of the rotation pole with even a greater accuracy. This study is focused on the analysis of the long-term behavior of the two time series, as well as the derivation of possible explanations for their discrepancies.

  2. AN ANALYSIS OF FIGURATIVE LANGUAGES USED IN COELHOS’S NOVEL ENTITLED “ALCHEMIST”

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Trisna Dinillah Harya

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The title of this study is, “An Analysis of Figurative Languages Used in Paulo Coelho’s novel Entitled “The Alchemist”. The objectives of the study are to describe the types of the figurative language found in the book and to identify the contextual meaning of the figurative language. The method used in collecting the data related to the subject of this research is documentation method because the researcher collected the data from novel. This study was conducted by collecting any relevant data and information about the topic or problem of the study from novels and internet that are available for the analysis. The data collection used the following steps: reading the novel, and then selecting the data that used the types of figurative language. While the steps to analyze the data are identifying the types of figurative language according to Leech, identifying the contextual meaning of the figurative language, and the last is interpreting the data.The result shows that there are 70 sentences that have figurative language. From all the sentences, there are 30 items or 42.9% of simile, 27 items or 38.6% of personification, 12 items or 17.1% of metaphor, and 1 item or 1.4% of hyperbole. It can be indicated that the dominant type of figurative language in the novel is simile. The author uses simile to explain circumstances, to describe the characters, to express emotion of the characters, and to make his writing more vivid and entertaining. It can be concluded that figurative language has important roles in this novel. That‘s why the author used so many sentences that have figurative language in this novel. Using figurative language makes the novel more interesting to read, and helps the readers to imagine the story, the character based on the illustration that the author has already given in the story.

  3. Adolescents' multiple versus single primary attachment figures, reorganization of attachment hierarchy, and adjustments: the important people interview approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Umemura, Tomotaka; Lacinová, Lenka; Kraus, Jakub; Horská, Eliška; Pivodová, Lenka

    2018-04-20

    Using 212 adolescents from a central-European country (mean age = 14.02, SD = 2.05, ranged from 11 to 18 years; females = 54%) and a multi-informant method to measure adolescents' behavioral and emotional adjustments, the present study explored three aspects regarding the attachment hierarchy. (1) The three types of behavioral systems of Rosenthal and Kobak's important people interview (IPI) were initially validated using an exploratory factor analysis with a US sample. Using a confirmatory factor analysis with a Czech sample, we replicated these three behavioral systems: attachment bond, support seeking, and affiliation. (2) We found that adolescents who developed attachment bond to multiple primary attachment figures were likely to score lower on both teacher-rated and parent-rated internalizing problems compared to those who had a single primary attachment figure. These multiple primary attachment figures tended to be family members (not peers). (3) Early adolescents who placed parents low in their attachment hierarchy scored higher on self-reported negative affect and lower on self-reported positive affect compared to early adolescents who placed parents high. The present study highlights multiple (vs. single) primary attachment figures as a protective factor and the premature reorganization of attachment hierarchy as a risk factor for adolescents' emotional and affective adjustments.

  4. Enhanced thermoelectric figure-of-merit in Bi-Sb-Te nanocomposites with homogenously dispersed oxide ceramic ZrO2 nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madavali, B.; Kim, H. S.; Lee, K. H.; Hong, S. J.

    2017-06-01

    In this research, p-type BiSbTe/ZrO2 nanocomposite powders were fabricated by high-energy ball milling. Different weight percentages of ZrO2 (2, 4, and 6 wt. %) nanoparticles were incorporated into the bulk (BiSbTe) matrix by consolidation of as-synthesized nanocomposites (NCs) powder by spark plasma sintering at 673 K. The phase and existence of ZrO2 nano-inclusions was confirmed by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy-selected area electron diffraction analysis. The Seebeck coefficient of the BiSbTe/ZrO2 NCs was significantly improved (˜36% for 4 wt. % added NCs) by a decrease in the carrier concentration and energy filtering effect, whereas the thermal conductivity was much reduced via strong scattering of carriers/phonons. The peak thermoelectric figure-of-merit (1.34 ± 0.06) was obtained for BiSbTe into which 2 wt. % ZrO2 was dispersed, which was approximately 20% greater than that of the undispersed sample. The hardness of the nanocomposites was significantly improved (˜27%) due to grain-boundary hardening and a dispersion strengthening mechanism.

  5. RHEED transmission mode and pole figures thin film and nanostructure texture analysis

    CERN Document Server

    Wang, Gwo-Ching

    2014-01-01

    This unique book covers the fundamental principle of electron diffraction, basic instrumentation of RHEED, definitions of textures in thin films and nanostructures, mechanisms and control of texture formation, and examples of RHEED transmission mode measurements of texture and texture evolution of thin films and nanostructures. Also presented is a new application of RHEED in the transmission mode called RHEED pole figure technique that can be used to monitor the texture evolution in thin film growth and nanostructures and is not limited to single crystal epitaxial film growth. Details of the construction of RHEED pole figures and the interpretation of observed pole figures are presented.  Materials covered include metals, semiconductors, and thin insulators. This book also: Presents a new application of RHEED in the transmission mode Introduces a variety of textures from metals, semiconductors, compound semiconductors, and their characteristics in RHEED pole figures Provides examples of RHEED measurements o...

  6. The Box-and-Dot Method: A Simple Strategy for Counting Significant Figures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stephenson, W. Kirk

    2009-01-01

    A visual method for counting significant digits is presented. This easy-to-learn (and easy-to-teach) method, designated the box-and-dot method, uses the device of "boxing" significant figures based on two simple rules, then counting the number of digits in the boxes. (Contains 4 notes.)

  7. Anthropometry, Physical Fitness and Coordination of Young Figure Skaters of Different Levels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mostaert, M; Deconinck, F; Pion, J; Lenoir, M

    2016-06-01

    The aim of the present study was to identify anthropometric, physical, coordinative and ice-skating specific characteristics that discriminate young elite ice skaters from non-elite skaters and their non-skating peers. 32 skaters aged 9-12 years old (11 elites and 21 non-elites) voluntarily participated in the study. They were submitted to 5 anthropometric, 7 physical, 3 coordination and 5 ice-skating specific tests. Reference values of a representative healthy non-skating sample were taken from the Flemish Sports Compass dataset. Figure skaters appeared to be predominantly average mature (93.8%), were lighter and leaner than the reference sample, and demonstrated better physical characteristics and motor coordination. There was no difference between the elite and non-elite group regarding maturity status and anthropometric or physical parameters. Still, elite skaters scored better than non-elites on the coordination tests jumping sideways and tended to do so on the moving sideways test. Profiles of figure skaters differ clearly from a reference population, while non-sport-specific motor coordination tests allow discrimination between elite and non-elite skaters. The relevance of these findings with respect to talent detection and identification in young ice skaters are discussed. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  8. Figure 1. Prediction of ScHP1 transmembrane domains I to XIV. (http ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Figure 2. Comparison of the ScHP1 amino acid sequence with H. +. -PPase from other species. The conserved domains GGG,. DVGADLVGKVE, DNVGDNVGD, EYYT and GNTTAA were found in the sequence alignment (shown in red boxes).

  9. Figuration of tourist personality and tourist travels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Đorđević Saša

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Quality of tourist travel is a relative category, because its success depends on the subjective perception of the personality of tourists on a tourist trip. For this reason, any tourist trip can be treated from the perspective of different types of figurative forms of tourists' personality, which also determine different quality of tourist travel, which, in turn, makes them different. Thus, any tourist trip, unto itself, has its own uniqueness, taking on the forms and content created, for the most part, by the tourists themselves, along with all other tourism stakeholders involved in this process. These forms and contents are primarily conditioned by the spiritual profile of tourists' personality and their psychological and motivational preferences, which is symbolically represented in the figurative context of a chess game. In addition to this, identification of essential characteristics of different spiritual profiles of tourist's personality, must be a starting point for the programming of overall content and especially of animation and cultural content.

  10. Human figure drawings and children's recall of touching.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruck, Maggie

    2009-12-01

    In 2 studies, children ages 3 to 7 years were asked to recall a series of touches that occurred during a previous staged event. The recall interview took place 1 week after the event in Study 1 and immediately after the event in Study 2. Each recall interview had 2 sections: In 1 section, children were given human figure drawings (HFDs) and were asked to show where the touching took place; in the other section, the same questions were asked without the HFDs (verbal condition). Children were randomly assigned to 2 different conditions: HFD 1st/verbal 2nd or verbal 1st/HFD 2nd. There were 2 major findings. First, HFDs elicited more errors than the verbal condition when used to probe for information that the child had already been asked. Second, regardless of interview method, children had poor recall of the touches even when these occurred minutes before the interview. It is suggested that cognitive mechanisms involving memory and semantics underlie children's poor recall of touching in both verbal and HFD conditions. Copyright 2009 APA

  11. Energy in Sweden. Facts and figures 2004

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-12-01

    Energy in Sweden 2004: Facts and Figures contains the tabular data for most of the diagrams in the main publication. These data consist primarily of the results of the Agency's processing of basic data from Statistics Sweden. Facts and Figures is available at www.stem.se in pdf- and excel file formats. Since the year 2001 statistics for the period 1983-1998 are revised compared to data for previous editions. With effect from the 2001 edition, statistics are of preliminary character for the two preceding years. Breakdowns into certain types of fuels vary somewhat depending on whether preliminary or final data has been used. Further information about the statistics can be found in Energy in Sweden, chapter 8 Energy Facts.

  12. Michelangelo, Leibniz and the Serpentine Figure

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    S. van Tuinen (Sjoerd)

    2011-01-01

    textabstractAbstract In his lectures from 1987, Deleuze draws an analogy between Michelangelo‟s figures and Leibnizian substances by claiming that neither are essences but rather sources of modifications or manners of being. The best way to explore this analogy, I argue, is by focusing on

  13. Equilibrium figures for beta Lyrae type disks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilson, R.E.

    1981-01-01

    Accumulated evidence for a geometrically and optically thick disk in the β Lyrae system has now established the disk's basic external configuration. Since the disk has been constant in its main properties over the historical interval of β Lyrae observations and also seems to have a basically well-defined photosphere, it is now time to being consideration of its sturcture. Here, we compute equilibrium figures for self-gravitating disks around stars in binary systems as a start toward eventual computation of complete disk models. A key role is played by centrifugally limited rotation of the central star, which would naturally arise late in the rapid phase of mass transfer. Beta Lyrae is thus postulated to be a double-contact binary, which makes possible nonarbitrary separation of star and disk into separate structures. The computed equilibrium figures are three-dimensional, as the gravitation of the second star is included. Under the approximation that the gravitational potential of the disk is that of a thin wire and that the local disk angular velocity is proportional to u/sup n/ (u = distance from rotation axis), we comptue the total potential and locate equipotential surfaces. The centrifugal potential is written in a particularly convenient form which permits one to change the rotation law discontinuously (for example, at the star-disk coupling point) while ensuring that centrifugal potential and centrifigual force are continuous functions of position. With such a one-parameter rotation law, one can find equilibrium disk figures with dimensions very similar to those found in β Lyrae, but considerations of internal consistency demand at least a two-parameter law

  14. Energy in Sweden: Facts and figures 2010; Energilaeget i siffror 2010

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2010-11-15

    Energy in Sweden: Facts and figures 2010 contains the tabular for most of the diagrams in the main publication (STEM-ET--2010-47). These data consist primarily of the results of the Agency's processing of basic data from Statistics Sweden. Facts and figures is also available at www.energimyndigheten.se in pdf and excel file formats. Energy statistics is published on short term basis and yearly basis. For the year 2009 only short term statistics is available. In Energy in Sweden 2010 yearly statistics is presented up to and including 2008. For 2009 short term statistics is used. Breakdowns into certain types of energy carriers vary somewhat depending on whether short term or yearly statistics is used. Please note that the figures have been rounded up or down, therefore totals do not always comply with the sum of individual figures

  15. Energy in Sweden: Facts and figures 2010; Energilaeget i siffror 2010

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2010-11-15

    Energy in Sweden: Facts and figures 2010 contains the tabular for most of the diagrams in the main publication (STEM-ET--2010-47). These data consist primarily of the results of the Agency's processing of basic data from Statistics Sweden. Facts and figures is also available at www.energimyndigheten.se in pdf and excel file formats. Energy statistics is published on short term basis and yearly basis. For the year 2009 only short term statistics is available. In Energy in Sweden 2010 yearly statistics is presented up to and including 2008. For 2009 short term statistics is used. Breakdowns into certain types of energy carriers vary somewhat depending on whether short term or yearly statistics is used. Please note that the figures have been rounded up or down, therefore totals do not always comply with the sum of individual figures

  16. The Figure in the Idiom

    OpenAIRE

    JONES, Willie

    1996-01-01

    The argument: every metaphor and metaphoric idiom grows out of and is nourished by a seminal metonymy. Since these germinating seeds-and the mineral elements which feed them-work under cover, we tend to overlook them when we feast off harvests cropped from the fields of metaphor: and we therefore forget to take into account the radical fecundity of the metonymic germ. This essay attempts to remedy such forgetfulness. At the same time, it also claims that metonymy (a figure of rhetoric) and im...

  17. Near-equilibrium dumb-bell-shaped figures for cohesionless small bodies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Descamps, Pascal

    2016-02-01

    In a previous paper (Descamps, P. [2015]. Icarus 245, 64-79), we developed a specific method aimed to retrieve the main physical characteristics (shape, density, surface scattering properties) of highly elongated bodies from their rotational lightcurves through the use of dumb-bell-shaped equilibrium figures. The present work is a test of this method. For that purpose we introduce near-equilibrium dumb-bell-shaped figures which are base dumb-bell equilibrium shapes modulated by lognormal statistics. Such synthetic irregular models are used to generate lightcurves from which our method is successfully applied. Shape statistical parameters of such near-equilibrium dumb-bell-shaped objects are in good agreement with those calculated for example for the Asteroid (216) Kleopatra from its dog-bone radar model. It may suggest that such bilobed and elongated asteroids can be approached by equilibrium figures perturbed be the interplay with a substantial internal friction modeled by a Gaussian random sphere.

  18. A computer vision-based automated Figure-8 maze for working memory test in rodents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pedigo, Samuel F; Song, Eun Young; Jung, Min Whan; Kim, Jeansok J

    2006-09-30

    The benchmark test for prefrontal cortex (PFC)-mediated working memory in rodents is a delayed alternation task utilizing variations of T-maze or Figure-8 maze, which requires the animals to make specific arm entry responses for reward. In this task, however, manual procedures involved in shaping target behavior, imposing delays between trials and delivering rewards can potentially influence the animal's performance on the maze. Here, we report an automated Figure-8 maze which does not necessitate experimenter-subject interaction during shaping, training or testing. This system incorporates a computer vision system for tracking, motorized gates to impose delays, and automated reward delivery. The maze is controlled by custom software that records the animal's location and activates the gates according to the animal's behavior and a control algorithm. The program performs calculations of task accuracy, tracks movement sequence through the maze, and provides other dependent variables (such as running speed, time spent in different maze locations, activity level during delay). Testing in rats indicates that the performance accuracy is inversely proportional to the delay interval, decreases with PFC lesions, and that animals anticipate timing during long delays. Thus, our automated Figure-8 maze is effective at assessing working memory and provides novel behavioral measures in rodents.

  19. Implicit memory for novel figure-ground displays includes a history of cross-border competition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, Mary A; Lampignano, Daniel W

    2003-08-01

    When configural cues specify that a figure lies on opposite sides of a repeated border in prime andprobe shapes, probe latencies are longer than when prime and probe borders are unrelated. Do such results reflect negative priming for the shape of the prime ground or cross-border competition from figure memory? The present study tested these alternatives by adding partial closure as a competing cue and reducing the similarity between the prime ground and the shape of the probe. Results supported the cross-border competition interpretation. Additional findings were that partial closure is a configural cue and that response effects can emerge from the potential shape on the ground side of a border. One prior experience was sufficient for these effects.

  20. Violation of contextual generalization of the Leggett–Garg inequality for recognition of ambiguous figures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Asano, Masanari; Hashimoto, Takahisa; Ohya, Masanori; Tanaka, Yoshiharu; Khrennikov, Andrei

    2014-01-01

    We interpret the Leggett–Garg (LG) inequality as a kind of contextual probabilistic inequality in which one combines data collected in experiments performed for three different contexts. In the original version of the inequality, these contexts have a temporal nature and they are represented by three pairs of instances of time, (t 1 ,t 2 ),(t 2 ,t 3 ),(t 3 ,t 4 ), where t 1 2 a general contextual framework. Our formulation is performed in purely probabilistic terms: the existence of the context-independent joint probability distribution P and the possibility of reconstructing the experimentally found marginal (two-dimensional) probability distributions from P. We derive an analog of the LG inequality, ‘contextual LG inequality’, and use it as a test of ‘quantum-likeness’ of statistical data collected in a series of experiments on the recognition of ambiguous figures. In our experimental study, the figure under recognition is the Schröder stair, which is shown with rotations for different angles. Contexts are encoded by dynamics of rotations: clockwise, anticlockwise and random. Our data demonstrated violation of the contextual LG inequality for some combinations of the aforementioned contexts. Since in quantum theory and experiments with quantum physical systems, this inequality is violated, e.g. in the form of the original LG-inequality, our result can be interpreted as a sign that the quantum-like models can provide a more adequate description of the data generated in the process of recognition of ambiguous figures. (paper)

  1. Design criteria for the 218-group criticality safety reference library

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Westfall, R.M.; Ford, W.E. III; Webster, C.C.

    1978-01-01

    The generation of a 218-group neutron cross-section library from ENDF/B-IV data is described. Experience in selecting broad-group subsets and applying them in the analysis of critical experiments is related. Recommendations on the use of the 218-group library are made. 3 figures, 5 tables

  2. Resonating-group method for nuclear many-body problems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tang, Y.C.; LeMere, M.; Thompson, D.R.

    1977-01-01

    The resonating-group method is a microscopic method which uses fully antisymmetric wave functions, treats correctly the motion of the total center of mass, and takes cluster correlation into consideration. In this review, the formulation of this method is discussed for various nuclear many-body problems, and a complex-generator-coordinate technique which has been employed to evaluate matrix elements required in resonating-group calculations is described. Several illustrative examples of bound-state, scattering, and reaction calculations, which serve to demonstrate the usefulness of this method, are presented. Finally, by utilization of the results of these calculations, the role played by the Pauli principle in nuclear scattering and reaction processes is discussed. 21 figures, 2 tables, 185 references

  3. "We All We Got": Describing and Connecting Football and Classroom Figured Worlds and Literacies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rudd, Lynn L.

    2013-01-01

    Adolescents use literacies in order to build identities in a variety of figured worlds. Some identities become more powerful than others as adolescents attempt to understand and successfully utilize the valuations and literacies of the diverse figured worlds in which they participate. The goals of this study were to describe the figured worlds of…

  4. Contextual effects on perceived contrast : Figure-ground assignment and orientation contrast

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Self, Matthew W; Mookhoek, Aart; Tjalma, Nienke; Roelfsema, Pieter R

    2015-01-01

    Figure-ground segregation is an important step in the path leading to object recognition. The visual system segregates objects ('figures') in the visual scene from their backgrounds ('ground'). Electrophysiological studies in awake-behaving monkeys have demonstrated that neurons in early visual

  5. Contextual effects on perceived contrast: Figure-ground assignment and orientation contrast

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Self, M.W.; Mookhoek, A.; Tjalma, N.; Roelfsema, P.R.

    2015-01-01

    Figure-ground segregation is an important step in the path leading to object recognition. The visual system segregates objects ('figures') in the visual scene from their backgrounds ('ground'). Electrophysiological studies in awake-behaving monkeys have demonstrated that neurons in early visual

  6. Genitalia in human figure drawings: childrearing practices and child sexual abuse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hibbard, R A; Hartman, G

    1990-05-01

    To replicate and explore the associations of drawing genitalia on a human figure, child-rearing practices, and a history of alleged sexual abuse, we designed a cross-sectional study of 109 alleged child sexual abuse victims, ages 3 through 8 years, and a group of 109 comparison children matched for age, sex, race, and socioeconomic status but with no history of abuse. A standardized format was used to collect drawings, administer the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, and gather background data on medical, developmental, and child-rearing issues. Seven alleged sexual abuse victims and one comparison child spontaneously drew genitalia (p = 0.02, one-tailed Fisher Exact Test, estimated relative risk 7.96). No differences in drawing maturity (Draw-A-Man score) were identified, although Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test scores were higher in comparison children (82.1 vs. 91.0, p less than 0.01). Neither drawing genitalia nor history of alleged sexual abuse were significantly associated with histories of medical problems, enuresis, encopresis, urinary tract infection, or child-rearing practices related to sleeping, nudity, bathing, sexual abuse education, or exposure to sexually explicit materials. The similar patterns of child-rearing practices in both samples should make professionals cautious in attributing allegations of abuse to specific child-rearing practices. This study confirms our previous report that the presence of genitalia spontaneously drawn on a child's drawing of a human figure is associated with alleged sexual abuse.

  7. Photovoltaic power production figures in 1992

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-01-01

    Worldwide figures of photovoltaic power production (in Mw) along 1992 are presented. Worldwide production of modules per manufacturing technology and per manufacturing companies in Europe, USA and Japan are provided as well. The review has used the following sources: ''PV News'', ''PV insider's report'' and ''systems solars''. (Author)

  8. Ambiguous Authorities: Vertigo and the Auteur Figure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Isabelle Licari-Guillaume

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available This article examines authorial performance in the context of DC’s Vertigo line. In the 1990s, Vertigo gained its reputation as an innovative and progressive imprint by promoting the work of British scriptwriters, who were hailed as true author figures, despite the inherently collaborative nature of the mainstream comics industry. In a manner reminiscent of “auteur theory”, writers such as Neil Gaiman, Warren Ellis or Grant Morrison developed attractive author personas which they consistently displayed through interviews, letter columns or social media, but also, more importantly, by inserting their avatars within the comics they scripted. Upon closer examination, however, it becomes clear that their work in fact simultaneously asserts and destabilizes writerly authority, in a manner that is consistent with Linda Hutcheon’s view of postmodernity. By multiplying author figures and playfully disseminating authority, Vertigo authors question their own authorial control over the text, asserting instead the crucial role played by the reader.

  9. Perceptual grouping and attention: not all groupings are equal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kimchi, Ruth; Razpurker-Apfeld, Irene

    2004-08-01

    We examined grouping under inattention using Driver, Davis, Russell, Turatto, & Freeman's (2001) method. On each trial, two successive displays were briefly presented, each comprising a central target square surrounded by elements. The task was to judge whether the two targets were the same or different. The organization of the background elements stayed the same or changed, independently of the targets. In different conditions, background elements grouped into columns/rows by color similarity, a shape (a triangle/arrow, a square/cross, or a vertical/horizontal line) by color similarity, and a shape with no other elements in the background. We measured the influence of the background on the target same-different judgments. The results imply that background elements grouped into columns/rows by color similarity and into a shape when no segregation from other elements was involved and the shape was relatively "good." In contrast, no background grouping was observed when resolving figure-ground relations for segregated units was required, as in grouping into a shape by color similarity. These results suggest that grouping is a multiplicity of processes that vary in their attentional demands. Regardless of attentional demands, the products of grouping are not available to awareness without attention.

  10. Figure-background in dichotic task and their relation to skills untrained.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cibian, Aline Priscila; Pereira, Liliane Desgualdo

    2015-01-01

    To evaluate the effectiveness of auditory training in dichotic task and to compare the responses of trained skills with the responses of untrained skills, after 4-8 weeks. Nineteen subjects, aged 12-15 years, underwent an auditory training based on dichotic interaural intensity difference (DIID), organized in eight sessions, each lasting 50 min. The assessment of auditory processing was conducted in three stages: before the intervention, after the intervention, and in the middle and at the end of the training. Data from this evaluation were analyzed as per group of disorder, according to the changes in the auditory processes evaluated: selective attention and temporal processing. Each of them was named selective attention group (SAG) and temporal processing group (TPG), and, for both the processes, selective attention and temporal processing group (SATPG). The training improved both the trained and untrained closing skill, normalizing all individuals. Untrained solving and temporal ordering skills did not reach normality for SATPG and TPG. Individuals reached normality for the trained figure-ground skill and for the untrained closing skill. The untrained solving and temporal ordering skills improved in some individuals but failed to reach normality.

  11. A figure of merit for selective absorbers in flat plate solar water heaters

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Roberts, DE

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available We derive from first principles an analytical expression for a figure of merit (FM) for a selective solar absorber in a single glazed flat plate water heater. We first show that the efficiency of a collector with an absorber with absorptance α...

  12. Students Learn about Chinese Culture through the Folktale "Yeh-Shen": Emphasizing Figurative Language Interpretation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palmer, Barbara C.; Sun, Lingzhi; Leclere, Judith T.

    2012-01-01

    This article will analyze the figurative language that reflects Chinese traditional society and culture in "Yeh-Shen." The authors will consider both the figures of speech and the figures of thought (to include symbolism) that provide insight into an understanding of the Chinese culture through a reading of "Yeh-Shen." This analysis can be used by…

  13. The Development of a Differential Deposition Technique for Figure Correction in Grazing Incidence Optics

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — We propose the development of a physical-vapor-deposition coating technique to correct residual figure errors in grazing-incidence optics. The process involves...

  14. Preliminary figures for 1991

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1992-01-01

    Neste Corporation's net sales during 1991 totalled USD 12.6 billion, an increase of 11 % over the figure for 1990. The largest growth in net sales took place in Neste Oil's trading activities and sales of in-house-produced crude oil. In the chemicals sector. particular growth was recorded in resins production. Gas, Shipping and Exploration and Production performed slightly better than during 1990. Oil's performance remained satisfactory. The performance of Chemicals, however, fell back considerably, primarily, as a result of the worldwide drop in prices in the petrochemicals and plastics industries. As a result, the Corporation's overall result was substantially below the good level recorded in 1990. The Corporation's operating margin totalled USD 650 million

  15. Thermoelectric figure of merit of chiral carbon nanotube

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mensah, N.G.; Nkrumah-Buandoh, G.K.; Mensah, S.Y.; Allotey, F.K.A.; Twum, A.K.

    2005-09-01

    We have investigated the thermoelectrical properties of chiral carbon nanotube and numerically evaluated the figure of merit. We observed that the properties are highly anisotropic and depend on the geometric chiral angle (GCA) θ h , temperature and the overlapping integrals (exchange energy) for the jumps along the tubular axis Δ z and the base helix Δ s . The thermopower α exhibited giant values with the peak occurring between 100 K and 150 K. The electron thermal conductivity showed unusually high value with the peaks shifting towards high temperature. We attribute the high peak values to electron-phonon interactions. Finally we noted that by changing the Δ s and Δ z it is possible to get a figure of merit greater than 1. (author)

  16. Triazatriangulene as binding group for molecular electronics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wei, Zhongming; Wang, Xintai; Borges, Anders

    2014-01-01

    The triazatriangulene (TATA) ring system was investigated as a binding group for tunnel junctions of molecular wires on gold surfaces. Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of TATA platforms with three different lengths of phenylene wires were fabricated, and their electrical conductance was recorded ...... with its high stability and directionality make this binding group very attractive for molecular electronic measurements and devices. (Figure Presented)....

  17. Emotional event-related potentials are larger to figures than scenes but are similarly reduced by inattention

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nordström Henrik

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In research on event-related potentials (ERP to emotional pictures, greater attention to emotional than neutral stimuli (i.e., motivated attention is commonly indexed by two difference waves between emotional and neutral stimuli: the early posterior negativity (EPN and the late positive potential (LPP. Evidence suggests that if attention is directed away from the pictures, then the emotional effects on EPN and LPP are eliminated. However, a few studies have found residual, emotional effects on EPN and LPP. In these studies, pictures were shown at fixation, and picture composition was that of simple figures rather than that of complex scenes. Because figures elicit larger LPP than do scenes, figures might capture and hold attention more strongly than do scenes. Here, we showed negative and neutral pictures of figures and scenes and tested first, whether emotional effects are larger to figures than scenes for both EPN and LPP, and second, whether emotional effects on EPN and LPP are reduced less for unattended figures than scenes. Results Emotional effects on EPN and LPP were larger for figures than scenes. When pictures were unattended, emotional effects on EPN increased for scenes but tended to decrease for figures, whereas emotional effects on LPP decreased similarly for figures and scenes. Conclusions Emotional effects on EPN and LPP were larger for figures than scenes, but these effects did not resist manipulations of attention more strongly for figures than scenes. These findings imply that the emotional content captures attention more strongly for figures than scenes, but that the emotional content does not hold attention more strongly for figures than scenes.

  18. Emotional event-related potentials are larger to figures than scenes but are similarly reduced by inattention

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Background In research on event-related potentials (ERP) to emotional pictures, greater attention to emotional than neutral stimuli (i.e., motivated attention) is commonly indexed by two difference waves between emotional and neutral stimuli: the early posterior negativity (EPN) and the late positive potential (LPP). Evidence suggests that if attention is directed away from the pictures, then the emotional effects on EPN and LPP are eliminated. However, a few studies have found residual, emotional effects on EPN and LPP. In these studies, pictures were shown at fixation, and picture composition was that of simple figures rather than that of complex scenes. Because figures elicit larger LPP than do scenes, figures might capture and hold attention more strongly than do scenes. Here, we showed negative and neutral pictures of figures and scenes and tested first, whether emotional effects are larger to figures than scenes for both EPN and LPP, and second, whether emotional effects on EPN and LPP are reduced less for unattended figures than scenes. Results Emotional effects on EPN and LPP were larger for figures than scenes. When pictures were unattended, emotional effects on EPN increased for scenes but tended to decrease for figures, whereas emotional effects on LPP decreased similarly for figures and scenes. Conclusions Emotional effects on EPN and LPP were larger for figures than scenes, but these effects did not resist manipulations of attention more strongly for figures than scenes. These findings imply that the emotional content captures attention more strongly for figures than scenes, but that the emotional content does not hold attention more strongly for figures than scenes. PMID:22607397

  19. Self-Esteem and Children's Human Figure Drawings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dalby, J. Thomas; Vale, Helen L.

    1977-01-01

    One hundred and fifteen students in Grade 5 made human figure drawings which were compared with their scores on the Coopersmith Self-esteem Inventory and on teachers' ratings of the students' self-esteem. (Author)

  20. Morse index for figure-eight choreographies of the planar equal mass three-body problem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fukuda, Hiroshi; Fujiwara, Toshiaki; Ozaki, Hiroshi

    2018-04-01

    We report on numerical calculations of the Morse index for figure-eight choreographic solutions to a system of three identical bodies in a plane interacting through the homogeneous potential, -1/r a , or through the Lennard-Jones-type (LJ) potential, 1/r12 - 1/r6 , where r is a distance between the bodies. The Morse index is a number of independent variational functions giving negative second variation S (2) of action functional S. We calculated three kinds of Morse indices, N, N c and N e, in the domain of the periodic, the choreographic and the figure-eight choreographic function, respectively. For the homogeneous system, we obtain N  =  4 for 0 ≤slant a index for the solution tending to the figure-eight solution of the a  =  6 homogeneous system for the period T \\to ∞ . We obtain N, N c and N e as monotonically increasing functions of T from T \\to ∞ , which start with N=N_c=N_e=0 , jump at the smallest T by 1, and reach N  =  12, N_c=4 , and N_e=1 for T \\to ∞ in the other branch.

  1. Revisiting the Lissajous figure as a tool to study bistable perception.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weilnhammer, V A; Ludwig, K; Sterzer, P; Hesselmann, G

    2014-05-01

    During bistable vision perception spontaneously "switches" between two mutually exclusive percepts despite constant sensory input. The endogenous nature of these perceptual transitions has motivated extensive research aimed at the underlying mechanisms, since spontaneous perceptual transitions of bistable stimuli should in principle allow for a dissociation of processes related to sensory stimulation from those related to conscious perception. However, transitions from one conscious percept to another are often not instantaneous, and participants usually report a considerable amount of mixed or unclear percepts. This feature of bistable vision makes it difficult to isolate transition-related visual processes. Here, we revisited an ambiguous depth-from-motion stimulus which was first introduced to experimental psychology more than 80 years ago. This rotating Lissajous figure might prove useful in complementing other bistable stimuli, since its perceptual transitions only occur at critical stimulus configurations and are virtually instantaneous, thus facilitating the construction of a perceptually equivalent replay condition. We found that three parameters of the Lissajous figure - complexity, line width, and rotational speed - differentially modulated its perceptual dominance durations and transition probabilities, thus providing experimenters with a versatile tool to study the perceptual dynamics of bistable vision. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Supplemental figure: Anisotropic flow of charged hadrons, pions and (anti-)protons measured at high transverse momentum in Pb-Pb collisions at $\\mathbf{\\sqrt{{\\textit s}_{\\rm NN}}}$ = 2.76 TeV

    CERN Document Server

    2015-01-01

    This note provides a supplemental figure for data on ``Anisotropic flow of charged hadrons, pions and (anti-)protons measured at high transverse momentum in Pb-Pb collisions $\\mathbf{\\sqrt{{\\textit s}_{\\rm NN}}}$ = 2.76~TeV" published in \\href{http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S037026931300004X}{Phys.\\ Lett.\\ B {\\bf 719}, 18 (2013)}, \\href{http://arxiv.org/abs/1205.5761}{arXiv:1205.5761}. The figure~(\\ref{fig:v2_pid}) presents the $v_2$ of charged pions and protons (particles and anti-particles are not distinguished in this analysis) from the event plane method as a function of transverse momentum for different centrality classes as reported in Fig. 5 of the \\href{http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S037026931300004X}{publication}. The proton $v_2$ is higher than that of pions out to $\\pt=8$~GeV/$c$ where the uncertainties become large.

  3. Vacuum-Flex Figuring of Primary Telescope Mirrors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albin, E. F. M.

    2004-12-01

    In the current investigation, details on the construction and performance of a vacuum-flexed (i.e., figured) 51 cm (20-inch) mirror, with a fast f/4 focal ratio, are presented. A vacuum has the chief advantage of being able to pull with a uniform or isotropic stress across a large surface area, which will naturally form a parabolic surface. The essence of the idea is to grind and polish a spherical mirror and then warp or flex it into a near perfect paraboloid, thus avoiding tedious figuring altogether. To date, telescope makers around the globe have experimented with small flexed mirrors with considerable success. In these instances, mirrors have been flexed by exerting tension on a bolt or sponge-pad adhered to the back of the mirror. The prototype mirror consists of two 51 cm disks of plate glass -- each slumped to an f/4 focal ratio. The front-plate (19 mm in thickness) is separated from the back-plate (13 mm in thickness) back a flexible 9.5 mm air filled gasket. Although the rubber gasket makes a fairly good vacuum seal, silicon cement was placed about the outer edge in order to produce a perfectly tight seal. A vacuum of 8 kPa on the back of the mirror resulted in approximately 164 kilograms of negative pressure, which is required to flex the mirror into the required paraboloid. Ronchi test show a nice smooth paraboloid free from astigmatism while foucault zonal measurements display a figure better than 1/20 wave. Preliminary star testing show promising results as well. Vacuum-flexed mirrors may have benefits for both amateur and professional telescope makers alike. A US patent is pending on the aforementioned design.

  4. Discrimination Features of Chromatic Figures in Various Background Characteristics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y A Chudina

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Visual recognition features of images with different figure-ground segregation have been considered in the article. The research was carried out within the framework of Sokolov and Izmaylov’s spherical model and was based on the construction of color objects discrimination models depending on the changes of background characteristics. The research has revealed the specific influence of the background on figure discrimination. The derived models reflect the mechanisms of the all-in-one perception of the visual space.

  5. Small groups, large profits: Calculating interest rates in community-managed microfinance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Ole Dahl

    2012-01-01

    Savings groups are a widely used strategy for women’s economic resilience – over 80% of members worldwide are women, and in the case described here, 72.5%. In these savings groups it is common to see the interest rate on savings reported as "20-30% annually". Using panel data from 204 groups...... in Malawi, I show that the right figure is likely to be at least twice this figure. For these groups, the annual return is 62%. The difference comes from sector-wide application of a non-standard interest rate calculations and unrealistic assumptions about the savings profile in the groups. As a result......, it is impossible to compare returns in savings groups with returns elsewhere. Moreover, the interest on savings is incomparable to the interest rate on loans. I argue for the use of a standardized comparable metric and suggest easy ways to implement it. Developments of new tools and standard along these lines...

  6. A Framework for Geometric Reasoning About Human Figures and Factors in Assembly Processes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Calton, Terri L.

    1999-07-20

    Automatic assembly sequencing and visualization tools are valuable in determining the best assembly sequences, but without Human Factors and Figure Models (HFFMs) it is difficult to evaluate or visualize human interaction. In industry, accelerating technological advances and shorter market windows have forced companies to turn to an agile manufacturing paradigm. This trend has promoted computerized automation of product design and manufacturing processes, such as automated assembly planning. However, all automated assembly planning software tools assume that the individual components fly into their assembled configuration and generate what appear to be perfectly valid operations, but in reality some operations cannot physically be carried out by a human. For example, the use of a ratchet may be reasoned feasible for an assembly operation; however, when a hand is placed on the tool the operation is no longer feasible, perhaps because of inaccessibility, insufficient strength or human interference with assembly components. Similarly, human figure modeling algorithms may indicate that assembly operations are not feasible and consequently force design modifications, however, if they had the capability to quickly generate alternative assembly sequences, they might have identified a feasible solution. To solve this problem, HFFMs must be integrated with automated assembly planning which allows engineers to quickly verify that assembly operations are possible and to see ways to make the designs even better. This paper presents a framework for integrating geometry-based assembly planning algorithms with commercially available human figure modeling software packages. Experimental results to selected applications along with lessons learned are presented.

  7. 47 CFR Figure 4 to Subpart N of... - Example of EPIRB Carrier Component

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Example of EPIRB Carrier Component 4 Figure 4 to Subpart N of Part 2 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION GENERAL FREQUENCY...—Example of EPIRB Carrier Component EC03JN91.008 ...

  8. 16 CFR Figure 5 to Part 1512 - Typical Handbrake Actuator Showing Grip Dimension

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Typical Handbrake Actuator Showing Grip Dimension 5 Figure 5 to Part 1512 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION FEDERAL HAZARDOUS... Actuator Showing Grip Dimension EC03OC91.072 ...

  9. PHY·FI: fast and easy online creation and manipulation of phylogeny color figures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fredslund Jakob

    2006-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The need to depict a phylogeny, or some other kind of abstract tree, is very frequently experienced by researchers from a broad range of biological and computational disciplines. Thousands of papers and talks include phylogeny figures, and often during everyday work, one would like to quickly get a graphical display of, e.g., the phylogenetic relationship between a set of sequences as calculated by an alignment program such as ClustalW or the phylogenetic package Phylip. A wealth of software tools capable of tree drawing exists; most are comprehensive packages that also perform various types of analysis, and hence they are available only for download and installing. Some online tools exist, too. Results This paper presents an online tool, PHY·FI, which encompasses all the qualities of existing online programs and adds functionality to hopefully eliminate the need for post-processing the phylogeny figure in some other general-purpose graphics program. PHY·FI is versatile, easy-to-use and fast, and supports comprehensive graphical control, several download image formats, and the possibility of dynamically collapsing groups of nodes into named subtrees (e.g. "Primates". The user can create a color figure from any phylogeny, or other kind of tree, represented in the widely used parenthesized Newick format. Conclusion PHY·FI is fast and easy to use, yet still offers full color control, tree manipulation, and several image formats. It does not require any downloading and installing, and thus any internet user regardless of computer skills, and computer platform, can benefit from it. PHY·FI is free for all and is available from this web address: http://cgi-www.daimi.au.dk/cgi-chili/phyfi/go

  10. The Production of Figurative Language in Typically Developing Children and Williams Syndrome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naylor, Lauren; Van Herwegen, Jo

    2012-01-01

    The current study investigated the development of figurative language production, including different types of figurative expressions, during a fictional narrative in 20 typically developing (TD) children and 20 children with Williams syndrome (WS) aged 7-18 years old. In contrast to previous studies, developmental trajectories showed that (1) the…

  11. Brief report: eye-movement patterns during an embedded figures test in children with ASD.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keehn, Brandon; Brenner, Laurie A; Ramos, Aurora I; Lincoln, Alan J; Marshall, Sandra P; Müller, Ralph-Axel

    2009-02-01

    The present study examined fixation frequency and duration during an Embedded Figures Test (EFT) in an effort to better understand the attentional and perceptual processes by which individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) achieve accelerated EFT performance. In particular, we aimed to elucidate differences in the patterns of eye-movement in ASD and typically developing (TD) children, thus providing evidence relevant to the competing theories of weak central coherence (WCC) and enhanced perceptual functioning. Consistent with prior EFT studies, we found accelerated response time (RT) in children with ASD. No group differences were seen for fixation frequency, but the ASD group made significantly shorter fixations compared to the TD group. Eye-movement results indicate that RT advantage in ASD is related to both WCC and enhanced perceptual functioning.

  12. Radioactive indium labelling of the figured elements of blood. Method, results, applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ducassou, D.; Nouel, J.P.

    Following the work of Thakur et al. the authors became interested in red corpuscle, leucocyte and platelet labelling with indium 111 or 113m (8 hydroxyquinolein-indium). For easier labelling of the figured elements of blood the technique described was modified. The chelate is prepared by simple contact at room temperature of indium 111 or 113m chloride and water-soluble 8 hydroxyquinolein sulphate, in the presence of 0.2M TRIS buffer. The figured element chosen suspended in physiological serum is added directly to the solution obtained, the platelets and leucocytes being separated out beforehand by differential centrifugation. While it gives results similar to those of Thabur et al. the method proposed avoids the chloroform extraction of the radioactive chelate and the use of alcohol, liable to impair the platelet regation capacity [fr

  13. Triplet transitions of neutral CO in the spectra of comets and the abundance of CO2 or molecules containing the CO group in comets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Biermann, L.

    1976-03-01

    The high-dispersion spectra of comet Mrkos (1957 V) taken at Mt. Palomar by J. L. Greenstein and remeasured by A. Woszczyk contain many unidentified weak lines. The possibility that some of these lines belong to transitions between triplet levels of neutral CO molecules is investigated. Their presence would suggest excitation related to the dissociative recombination of a parent containing the CO group, which is first ionized by solar uv. Of 31 CO lines (of the Asundi and Triplet systems), 14 are masked by known or by questionably identified lines as statistically expected. Of the remaining 17, 13 coincide within a few tenths of an Angstrom with an unidentified line and 4 do not. These results are contrary to statistical expectations. (Some members of the third positive system of CO, which might be present, have not been included in the figures.) Although these figures strongly favor the identification proposed, the numbers are not large enough to support entirely the argument of a small statistical probability (0.2 percent) of the observed state. Also, the rotational structure of the CO bands for the triplet systems needs further investigation. C. F. Lillie's observations of comet Bennett (1970 II) between 1200 and 1800 A, especially of the fourth positive system of CO, seem to favor a cometary atmosphere characterized by a large relative abundance of CO 2 and/or molecules containing the CO group. A model outlined for comet Bennett at 0.8 a.u. seems to be approximately consistent with observations. The chemical aspects, however, especially need further consideration. New observations, particularly of the Cameron bands of CO, are needed to settle the questions raised

  14. From the Generation Memory to the Group Identity: The Film "A Throat Full of Strawberries"

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nataša Delač

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available In the work entitled “From the generation memory to the group identity: the film "A Throat Full of Strawberries", the influence of personal and collective memory on generation identity is analyzed. The work is based on Jan Assmann and Aleida Assmann’s theory of memory, with a special review of the books “Cultural Memory” (Jan Assmann, and “Work on the National Memory” and “The Long Shadow of the Past” (Aleida Assmann. Firstly, the analysis includes the mapping, then the explanation of the memory figures which appear in the movie. Also, the thesis which I covered in the work refers to the difference between Halbwachs’s  term “the images of memory”, and “the figure of memory” introduced by Assmann: the figures of memory are complementary to the first term “because they include not only pictorial, but narrative forms as well.” (Assmann. In this paper, the relation between personal and collective memory is examined, as well as how individual memory influences the establishment of one’s group memory, and how memory and remembrance affect what we call generation identity. The Film “A Throat Full of Strawberries” (by Srdjan Karanovic, 1985 was chosen as my case study. This movie is a sequel to the series “The Unpicked Strawberries” (Srdjan Karanovic, 1976. It tells about a reunion of the group of people of the particular generation, who evoke the memories about the events during the 60’s (the time of their youth, so the topic this film is focused on represents the starting point for the study of the generation memory and its function. The aim of this paper is to prove that generation memory has the crucial role when it comes to the creation of one’s group identity

  15. 16 CFR Figure 3 to Part 1610 - Specimen Holder Supported in Specimen Rack

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Specimen Holder Supported in Specimen Rack 3 Figure 3 to Part 1610 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION FLAMMABLE FABRICS ACT... Holder Supported in Specimen Rack ER25MR08.002 ...

  16. COMMISSIONING AND DETECTOR PERFORMANCE GROUPS (DPG)

    CERN Multimedia

    L. Malgeri

    2011-01-01

    General Figure 2: Integrated luminosity delivered by LHC and recorded by CMS in 2010 and 2011. Since the last CMS Bulletin, an enormous amount of progress has been made. The LHC has been increasing the number of bunches stored in the machine to the record of 1236 bunches. On the way there they have achieved a peak instantaneous luminosity of 1.27x1033 cm-2s-1 making the LHC by far the highest luminosity hadron collider. The LHC has now delivered over 1 fb-1 to CMS. Figure 2 shows the delivered and recorded luminosity in the 2010 and 2011 run. In Figure 3 is shown the daily delivered and recorded luminosity during the 2011 run until mid-June. The LHC has now delivered over 50 pb-1 in one day.   Figure 3: The daily delivered and recorded luminosities during the 2011 run. Tracker The data collected by the Tracker is of very good quality, and is being constantly monitored offline by our Offline shift crew and our DQM team. These teams are also certifying the data, and it is seen that 99% of the da...

  17. 7 CFR 932.7 - Variety group 2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 8 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Variety group 2. 932.7 Section 932.7 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements... Regulating Handling Definitions § 932.7 Variety group 2. Variety group 2 means the following varieties and...

  18. A figurative proverb test for dementia: rapid detection of disinhibition, excuse and confabulation, causing discommunication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamaguchi, Haruyasu; Maki, Yohko; Yamaguchi, Tomoharu

    2011-12-01

    Communicative disability is regarded as a prominent symptom of demented patients, and many studies have been devoted to analyze deficits of lexical-semantic operations in demented patients. However, it is often observed that even patients with preserved lexical-semantic skills might fail in interactive social communication. Whereas social interaction requires pragmatic language skills, pragmatic language competencies in demented subjects have not been well understood. We propose here a brief stress-free test to detect pragmatic language deficits, focusing on non-literal understanding of figurative expression. We hypothesized that suppression of the literal interpretation was required for figurative language interpretation.  We examined 69 demented subjects, 13 subjects with mild cognitive impairment and 61 healthy controls aged 65 years or more. The subjects were asked the meaning of a familiar proverb categorized as a figurative expression. The answers were analyzed based on five factors, and scored from 0 to 5. To consider the influence of cognitive inhibition on proverb comprehension, the scores of the Stroop Colour-Word Test were compared concerning correct and incorrect answers for each factor, respectively. Furthermore, the characteristics of answers were considered in the light of excuse and confabulation qualitatively. The proverb comprehension scores gradually decreased significantly as dementia progressed. The literal interpretation of the proverb, which showed difficulties in figurative language comprehension, was related to disinhibition. The qualitative analysis showed that excuse and confabulation increased as the dementia stage progressed. Deficits in cognitive inhibition partly explains the difficulties in interactive social communication in dementia. With qualitative analysis, asking the meaning of a proverb can be a brief test applied in a clinical setting to evaluate the stage of dementia, and to illustrate disinhibition, confabulation and

  19. New patient with both xeroderma pigmentosum and Cockayne syndrome establishes the new xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group H

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moshell, A.N.; Ganges, M.B.; Lutzner, M.A.; Coon, H.G.; Barrett, S.F.; Dupuy, J.M.; Robbins, J.H.

    1983-01-01

    A second patient, XP-CS-2, has been discovered with both xeroderma pigmentosum and Cockayne syndrome. His fibroblasts have 30% of the normal rate of uv-induced unscheduled DNA synthesis. His fibroblasts were fused with those from each of the xeroderma pigmentosum groups A through G. His cells complemented every cell line, since in each case there were obtained multinucleate cells which had a normal amount of uv-induced unscheduled DNA synthesis. Since the XP-CS-2 cells complement all the currently established xeroderma pigmentosum complementation groups, this new XP-CS patient is in a new group which we designate group H. 10 references, 1 figure

  20. Comparing economic benefits and environmental impacts. A further explanation of differences in carbon dioxide emission figures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Haan, M.; Verduin, H.

    2000-01-01

    To assist the development of international climate policies, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has developed instructions which can be used to calculate and report the emissions of greenhouse gases for each individual country. Bunkering, i.e., refuelling aircraft and ships, is reported separately. However, the agreements on reductions for countries or regions laid down in the Kyoto protocol do not take pollution from international transport into consideration. The Dutch economy generates a substantial amount of pollution outside its national borders through international transport. In 1998, for example, 26 of the total of 203 billion kg carbon dioxide were emitted outside the national borders. In addition, IPCC regulations result in incompatibilities between emission figures and economic key figures (gross domestic product, employment) from the national accounts. This paper reviews the various definitions of emission figures that are used in the Netherlands and their interrelationships. Special attention is paid to the analytical advantages of harmonising environmental statistics with the system of national accounts. 4 refs