Feature Optimization for Long-Range Visual Homing in Changing Environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qidan Zhu

2014-02-01

Full Text Available This paper introduces a feature optimization method for robot long-range feature-based visual homing in changing environments. To cope with the changing environmental appearance, the optimization procedure is introduced to distinguish the most relevant features for feature-based visual homing, including the spatial distribution, selection and updating. In the previous research on feature-based visual homing, less effort has been spent on the way to improve the feature distribution to get uniformly distributed features, which are closely related to homing performance. This paper presents a modified feature extraction algorithm to decrease the influence of anisotropic feature distribution. In addition, the feature selection and updating mechanisms, which have hardly drawn any attention in the domain of feature-based visual homing, are crucial in improving homing accuracy and in maintaining the representation of changing environments. To verify the feasibility of the proposal, several comprehensive evaluations are conducted. The results indicate that the feature optimization method can find optimal feature sets for feature-based visual homing, and adapt the appearance representation to the changing environments as well.

Degraded visual environment image/video quality metrics

Science.gov (United States)

Baumgartner, Dustin D.; Brown, Jeremy B.; Jacobs, Eddie L.; Schachter, Bruce J.

2014-06-01

A number of image quality metrics (IQMs) and video quality metrics (VQMs) have been proposed in the literature for evaluating techniques and systems for mitigating degraded visual environments. Some require both pristine and corrupted imagery. Others require patterned target boards in the scene. None of these metrics relates well to the task of landing a helicopter in conditions such as a brownout dust cloud. We have developed and used a variety of IQMs and VQMs related to the pilot's ability to detect hazards in the scene and to maintain situational awareness. Some of these metrics can be made agnostic to sensor type. Not only are the metrics suitable for evaluating algorithm and sensor variation, they are also suitable for choosing the most cost effective solution to improve operating conditions in degraded visual environments.

Auditory-visual integration of emotional signals in a virtual environment for cynophobia.

Science.gov (United States)

Taffou, Marine; Chapoulie, Emmanuelle; David, Adrien; Guerchouche, Rachid; Drettakis, George; Viaud-Delmon, Isabelle

2012-01-01

Cynophobia (dog phobia) has both visual and auditory relevant components. In order to investigate the efficacy of virtual reality (VR) exposure-based treatment for cynophobia, we studied the efficiency of auditory-visual environments in generating presence and emotion. We conducted an evaluation test with healthy participants sensitive to cynophobia in order to assess the capacity of auditory-visual virtual environments (VE) to generate fear reactions. Our application involves both high fidelity visual stimulation displayed in an immersive space and 3D sound. This specificity enables us to present and spatially manipulate fearful stimuli in the auditory modality, the visual modality and both. Our specific presentation of animated dog stimuli creates an environment that is highly arousing, suggesting that VR is a promising tool for cynophobia treatment and that manipulating auditory-visual integration might provide a way to modulate affect.

COVE: a visual environment for ocean observatory design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grochow, K; Lazowska, E; Stoermer, M; Kelley, D; Delaney, J

2008-01-01

Physical, chemical, and biological ocean processes play a crucial role in determining Earth's environment. Unfortunately, our knowledge of these processes is limited because oceanography is carried out today largely the way it was a century ago: as expeditionary science, going to sea in ships and measuring a relatively small number of parameters (e.g., temperature, salinity, and pressure) as time and budget allow. The NSF Ocean Observatories Initiative is a US$330 million project that will help transform oceanography from a data-poor to a data-rich science. A cornerstone of this project is the deep water Regional Scale Nodes (RSN) that will be installed off the coasts of Washington and Oregon. The RSN will include 1500 km of fiber optic cable providing power and bandwidth to the seafloor and throughout the water column. Thousands of sensors will be deployed to stream data and imagery to shore, where they will be available in real time for ocean scientists and the public at large. The design of the RSN is a complex undertaking, requiring a combination of many different interactive tools and areas of visualization: geographic visualization to see the available seafloor bathymetry, scientific visualization to examine existing geospatially located datasets, layout tools to place the sensors, and collaborative tools to communicate across the team during the design. COVE, the Common Observatory Visualization Environment, is a visualization environment designed to meet all these needs. COVE has been built by computer scientists working closely with the engineering and scientific teams who will build and use the RSN. This paper discusses the data and activities of cabled observatory design, the design of COVE, and results from its use across the team

Self-motivated visual scanning predicts flexible navigation in a virtual environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elisabeth Jeannette Ploran

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The ability to navigate flexibly (e.g., reorienting oneself based on distal landmarks to reach a learned target from a new position may rely on visual scanning during both initial experiences with the environment and subsequent test trials. Reliance on visual scanning during navigation harkens back to the concept of vicarious trial and error, a description of the side-to-side head movements made by rats as they explore previously traversed sections of a maze in an attempt to find a reward. In the current study, we examined if visual scanning predicted the extent to which participants would navigate to a learned location in a virtual environment defined by its position relative to distal landmarks. Our results demonstrated a significant positive relationship between the amount of visual scanning and participant accuracy in identifying the trained target location from a new starting position as long as the landmarks within the environment remain consistent with the period of original learning. Our findings indicate that active visual scanning of the environment is a deliberative attentional strategy that supports the formation of spatial representations for flexible navigation.

Environment report 1990 of the Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Protection and Reactor Safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

The 'Environment Report 1990' describes the environmental situation in the Federal Republic of Germany; draws a balance of environmental policy measures taken and introduced; gives information on future fields of action in environmental policy. The 'Environment Report 1990' also deals with the 'Environment Expert Opinion 1987', produced by the board of experts on environmental questions. It contains surveys of the following sectors: Protection against hazardous materials air pollution abatement, water management, waste management, nature protection and preservation of the countryside, soil conservation, noise abatement, radiation protection, reactor safety. A separate part of the 'Environment Report 1990' deals with the progress made in 'interdisciplinary fields' (general law on the protection of the environment, instruments of environmental policy, environmental information and environmental research, transfrontier environmental policy). (orig./HP) [de

The case against protecting the environment from ionising radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, J.T.

2004-01-01

The objective of this paper is to present the (rarely heard) argument in favour of retention of the present system of radiation protection of the environment. There has been a recent trend in the radioecological and radiation protection community towards greater regulation of the effects of ionising radiations on biota. In particular, the often quoted International Commission on Radiation Protection (ICRP) hypothesis that: If humans are protected from the effects of ionising radiation, then flora and fauna are also adequately protected has been criticised as being too anthropocentric and not adequate for protection of the environment. In this paper I will challenge this view, arguing firstly that this statement is almost always quoted out of its proper context, and secondly that the ICRP hypothesis does adequately protect the environment from the effects of ionising radiations. In view of the relatively insignificant effect of regulated releases of ionising radiation on the environment, the economic cost of further regulation will not result in a significant environmental benefit. Whilst empirical research to test the ICRP hypothesis should continue, until there is clear evidence against it, this simple and cost-effective approach should be retained. This would benefit the environment by directing scarce resources to more urgent environmental problems. (author)

Environment protection and other political spheres of the European Community

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rengeling, H.W.

1993-01-01

It has long been known that environment protection is largely a cross-sectional task. The provision of Article 130 r Section 2 Clause 2 of the EEC Treaty that states that environment protection forms an integral part of all the other polticial spheres of the Community is not only a plank in the platform of the Community but also a juridical innovation. Time will tell what concrete legal claims can be derived from this provision, particularly on the part of the European Court of Justice. The lectures relate amongst others to the following topics: Environment protection and competition politics, environment protection and energy poltics, environment protection and development aid politics. Eight of the lectures were abstracted individually. (orig./HSCH) [de

AWE: Aviation Weather Data Visualization Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Spirkovska, Lilly; Lodha, Suresh K.; Norvig, Peter (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Weather is one of the major causes of aviation accidents. General aviation (GA) flights account for 92% of all the aviation accidents, In spite of all the official and unofficial sources of weather visualization tools available to pilots, there is an urgent need for visualizing several weather related data tailored for general aviation pilots. Our system, Aviation Weather Data Visualization Environment AWE), presents graphical displays of meteorological observations, terminal area forecasts, and winds aloft forecasts onto a cartographic grid specific to the pilot's area of interest. Decisions regarding the graphical display and design are made based on careful consideration of user needs. Integral visual display of these elements of weather reports is designed for the use of GA pilots as a weather briefing and route selection tool. AWE provides linking of the weather information to the flight's path and schedule. The pilot can interact with the system to obtain aviation-specific weather for the entire area or for his specific route to explore what-if scenarios and make "go/no-go" decisions. The system, as evaluated by some pilots at NASA Ames Research Center, was found to be useful.

Protection of the natural environment and internationally accepted practice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Linsley, G.

1996-01-01

This paper reviews the present approach to protecting the environment against ionizing radiations in international standards and guidance. This approach is based on the assumption that protecting humans will provide adequate protection for the environment. The extent to which the assumption can and has been justified is examined. Possible reasons for wishing to reconsider or elaborate the approach and to develop specific criteria for protecting other species are discussed

Integration of today's digital state with tomorrow's visual environment

Science.gov (United States)

Fritsche, Dennis R.; Liu, Victor; Markandey, Vishal; Heimbuch, Scott

1996-03-01

New developments in visual communication technologies, and the increasingly digital nature of the industry infrastructure as a whole, are converging to enable new visual environments with an enhanced visual component in interaction, entertainment, and education. New applications and markets can be created, but this depends on the ability of the visual communications industry to provide market solutions that are cost effective and user friendly. Industry-wide cooperation in the development of integrated, open architecture applications enables the realization of such market solutions. This paper describes the work being done by Texas Instruments, in the development of its Digital Light ProcessingTM technology, to support the development of new visual communications technologies and applications.

Remote Online Visualization Environment for Researchers, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Many scientists have the common need of visualizing data in a collaborative and interactive manner. In a modern environment, these data are often stored across a...

Do we need radiation protection for the living environment?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hefner, A.; Voelkle, H.

2003-01-01

The protection of the living environment, i.e. non human species or non human organisms, is a condition for the long term human survival. This certainly is true also for radioactivity and ionizing radiation. The ICRP statement that fauna und flora are sufficiently protected if man is protected is valid in many cases but not in every one. The article gives some reflections on this subject from the point of view of practical radiation protection and some suggestions on how, if necessary, protection of the living environment could be put into practice. (orig.) [de

Simulating Visual Attention Allocation of Pilots in an Advanced Cockpit Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Frische, F.; Osterloh, J.-P.; Luedtke, A.

2011-01-01

This paper describes the results of experiments conducted with human line pilots and a cognitive pilot model during interaction with a new 40 Flight Management System (FMS). The aim of these experiments was to gather human pilot behavior data in order to calibrate the behavior of the model. Human behavior is mainly triggered by visual perception. Thus, the main aspect was to setup a profile of human pilots' visual attention allocation in a cockpit environment containing the new FMS. We first performed statistical analyses of eye tracker data and then compared our results to common results of familiar analyses in standard cockpit environments. The comparison has shown a significant influence of the new system on the visual performance of human pilots. Further on, analyses of the pilot models' visual performance have been performed. A comparison to human pilots' visual performance revealed important improvement potentials.

Visualization environment and its utilization in the ITBL building

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yasuhara, Yuko

2004-12-01

In recent years, visualization techniques have become more and more important in various fields. Especially in scientific fields, a large amount of numerical output data crucially needs to be changed into visualized form, because computations have grown to larger and larger scales as well as have become more complicated, so that computed results must be intuitively comprehensible by using various visualization techniques like 3D or stereo image construction. In the visualization room in the ITBL building, a 3-screen Virtual Reality system, a Portable Virtual Reality system, a Mixed Reality system, and Visualization tools like alchemy etc. are installed for the above-mentioned use. These devices enable us to easily change numerical data into visualized images of a virtual reality world with the use of eye-glasses or a head-mount-display device. This article describes the visualization environment in the ITBL building, it's use, and the tasks to be solved. (author)

Visual Landmarks Facilitate Rodent Spatial Navigation in Virtual Reality Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Youngstrom, Isaac A.; Strowbridge, Ben W.

2012-01-01

Because many different sensory modalities contribute to spatial learning in rodents, it has been difficult to determine whether spatial navigation can be guided solely by visual cues. Rodents moving within physical environments with visual cues engage a variety of nonvisual sensory systems that cannot be easily inhibited without lesioning brain…

Eye movements, visual search and scene memory, in an immersive virtual environment.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dmitry Kit

Full Text Available Visual memory has been demonstrated to play a role in both visual search and attentional prioritization in natural scenes. However, it has been studied predominantly in experimental paradigms using multiple two-dimensional images. Natural experience, however, entails prolonged immersion in a limited number of three-dimensional environments. The goal of the present experiment was to recreate circumstances comparable to natural visual experience in order to evaluate the role of scene memory in guiding eye movements in a natural environment. Subjects performed a continuous visual-search task within an immersive virtual-reality environment over three days. We found that, similar to two-dimensional contexts, viewers rapidly learn the location of objects in the environment over time, and use spatial memory to guide search. Incidental fixations did not provide obvious benefit to subsequent search, suggesting that semantic contextual cues may often be just as efficient, or that many incidentally fixated items are not held in memory in the absence of a specific task. On the third day of the experience in the environment, previous search items changed in color. These items were fixated upon with increased probability relative to control objects, suggesting that memory-guided prioritization (or Surprise may be a robust mechanisms for attracting gaze to novel features of natural environments, in addition to task factors and simple spatial saliency.

Eye movements, visual search and scene memory, in an immersive virtual environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Kit, Dmitry; Katz, Leor; Sullivan, Brian; Snyder, Kat; Ballard, Dana; Hayhoe, Mary

2014-01-01

Visual memory has been demonstrated to play a role in both visual search and attentional prioritization in natural scenes. However, it has been studied predominantly in experimental paradigms using multiple two-dimensional images. Natural experience, however, entails prolonged immersion in a limited number of three-dimensional environments. The goal of the present experiment was to recreate circumstances comparable to natural visual experience in order to evaluate the role of scene memory in guiding eye movements in a natural environment. Subjects performed a continuous visual-search task within an immersive virtual-reality environment over three days. We found that, similar to two-dimensional contexts, viewers rapidly learn the location of objects in the environment over time, and use spatial memory to guide search. Incidental fixations did not provide obvious benefit to subsequent search, suggesting that semantic contextual cues may often be just as efficient, or that many incidentally fixated items are not held in memory in the absence of a specific task. On the third day of the experience in the environment, previous search items changed in color. These items were fixated upon with increased probability relative to control objects, suggesting that memory-guided prioritization (or Surprise) may be a robust mechanisms for attracting gaze to novel features of natural environments, in addition to task factors and simple spatial saliency.

A common approach for radiological protection of humans and the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holm, L.-E.

2004-01-01

Protection of the environment is developing rapidly at the national and international level, but there are still no internationally agreed recommendations as to how radiological protection of the environment should be carried out. The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) is currently reviewing its existing recommendations for human protection. It has set up a task group with the aim of developing a protection policy for, and suggesting a framework of, the protection of the environment that could feed into its recommendations at the start of the 21st century. The task group will propose a framework for the protection of the environment from harmful effects of radiation, harmonising with the principles for the protection of humans. Although the task group has not yet finalised on the objectives for the environment, these might be to safeguard the environment by preventing or reducing the frequency of effects likely to cause early mortality, reduced reproductive success, or the occurrence of scorable DNA damage in individual fauna and flora to a level where they would have a negligible impact on conservation of species, maintenance of biodiversity, or the health and status of natural habitats or communities. To achieve these objectives, a set of reference dose models, reference dose per unit intake and reference organisms will be required

On the Radiation Protection of the Environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soberhart, L. J.; Clausse, A.; D'Amato, E.

2004-01-01

Over the last decade, substantial advances in what is know as legal protection of the environment, -as a different matter from human being protection- have been made. Some national legislations include serious penalties against environmental damage. It is becoming customary to consider a serious offence any excess in the prescribed limits of radioactive materials release to the environment. What these limits mean, however, is not completely clear nowadays. According to the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) the standards of environmental control needed to protect man to the degree currently thought desirable will ensure that other species are not put at risk, although, occasionally, individual members of non human species might be harmed. However the use of limits of radioactive releases resulting from the direct application of ICRP recommend limits as legal references for the applicable offences in environmental protection is certainly a misconception. In this paper a conceptual framework for the calculation of legal limits for environmental radioprotection are presented. The approach is based on an ecosystem perspective, assessing the impact of radioactive releases on the ecosystem dynamics and equilibrium. The method is based on functional groups models -i.e. groups of species that are selected from a number of criteria such as play similar rules in the chain of nutrients or have the same radiosensitivity- providing the basis for prescribed limits of the radioactive material release to the environment. The methodology is applied to a system of three functional groups in equilibrium, with is affected by radioactive intrusion. Different impacts on the equilibrium can be identified, depending on the amount of radioactive material released to the environment. It is shown how the concept of equilibrium breakdown can be applied in order to assess the radiological impact. (Author) 8 refs

Integrated Visualization Environment for Science Mission Modeling, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The proposed work will provide NASA with an integrated visualization environment providing greater insight and a more intuitive representation of large technical...

Possibilities for a constitutional embodiment of environment protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hattenberger, D.

1991-03-01

The main topic is the question of adequacy and desirability of a constitutional rule for the protection of the environment with regard to the specific Austrian situation and the extensive discussion about this topic in German. As variants are discussed a human right of environment, objective categories of constitutional rules (constitutional aims of state's policy) and procedural or organisational rules. It begins with an explanation of the general responsibility of states in the field of environment protection and a determination of the term 'environment '. In respect of a human right first already guaranteed rights are examined for their relevance in the field of conservation with regard to the change in the understanding of human rights. Then arguments pro and against a specific right to environment are mentioned and appraised. With regard to the counter-arguments a subjective right should not be incorporated. A revision of the present concept of human rights would be necessary. Similar arguments are mentioned against the constitution of an objective norm in respect of some judicial decisions of the Austrian Constitutional Court. The problem of the protection of the environment will not be solved with a constitutional rule. It would raise new problems, which would damage the constitution as a fundamental order of human living together. (author)

Visual attention for a desktop virtual environment with ambient scent

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander eToet

2013-11-01

Full Text Available In the current study participants explored a desktop virtual environment (VE representing a suburban neighborhood with signs of public disorder (neglect, vandalism and crime, while being exposed to either room air (control group, or subliminal levels of tar (unpleasant; typically associated with burned or waste material or freshly cut grass (pleasant; typically associated with natural or fresh material ambient odor. They reported all signs of disorder they noticed during their walk together with their associated emotional response. Based on recent evidence that odors reflexively direct visual attention to (either semantically or affectively congruent visual objects, we hypothesized that participants would notice more signs of disorder in the presence of ambient tar odor (since this odor may bias attention to unpleasant and negative features, and less signs of disorder in the presence of ambient grass odor (since this odor may bias visual attention towards the vegetation in the environment and away from the signs of disorder. Contrary to our expectations the results show that the presence of an ambient odor did not affect the participants’ visual attention for signs of disorder or their emotional response. We conclude that a closer affective, semantic or spatiotemporal link between the contents of a desktop VE and ambient scents may be required to effectively establish diagnostic associations that guide a user’s attention. In the absence of these direct links, ambient scent may be more diagnostic for the physical environment of the observer as a whole than for the particular items in that environment (or, in this case, items represented in the VE.

NECTAR: Simulation and Visualization in a 3D Collaborative Environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Law, Y.W.; Chan, K.Y.

For simulation and visualization in a 3D collaborative environment, an architecture called the Nanyang Experimental CollaboraTive ARchitecture (NECTAR) has been developed. The objective is to support multi-user collaboration in a virtual environment with an emphasis on cost-effectiveness and

Using the 'protective environment' framework to analyse children's protection needs in Darfur.

Science.gov (United States)

Ager, Alastair; Boothby, Neil; Bremer, Megan

2009-10-01

A major humanitarian concern during the continuing crisis in Darfur, Sudan, has been the protection of children, although there has been little in the way of comprehensive analysis to guide intervention. Founded on a situational analysis conducted between October 2005 and March 2006, this paper documents the significant threats to children's well-being directly linked to the political conflict. It demonstrates the role of non-conflict factors in exacerbating these dangers and in promoting additional protection violations, and it uses the 'protective environment' framework (UNICEF Sudan, 2006a) to identify systematic features of the current environment that put children at risk. This framework is shown to provide a coherent basis for assessment and planning, prompting broad, multidisciplinary analysis, concentrating on preventive and protective action, and fostering a systemic approach (rather than placing an undue focus on the discrete needs of 'vulnerable groups'). Constraints on its present utility in emergency settings are also noted.

A perspective on the ICRP approach to Radiation protection of the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mossman, K.L.

2003-01-01

The ICRP, in response to concerns by the environmental community, has begun the process of addressing radiation protection of non-human species. Concerns have been raised that the current framework for radiation protection fails to adequately protect the environment. Although most everyone agrees that some change to the ICRP radiation protection framework is called for, the extent of the revision is debatable. In May 2000, the ICRP set up a Task Group to provide advice on the development of a policy for the protection of the environment and to suggest a framework for environmental protection based on scientific, ethical, and philosophical principles. Based on Task Group input, ICRP intends to develop a framework for protection of the environment that can be integrated into an overall system of protection. This paper explores four major issues that serve to identify questions that ICRP should consider in its 2005 recommendations regarding radiation protection of the environment: (1) the role of ICRP, (2) defining the environment and criteria for protection, (3) the framework for environmental protection, and (4) risk management. (author)

Protection of the Abiotic Environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michel, R.; Hutmacher, K. E.; Landfermann, H. H.

2004-01-01

Environmental protection against the dangers arising from ionizing radiation, radioactive materials, and other harmful substances is more than to avoid acute dangers or risks for humans or for non-human living organisms. To allow for a sustainable development the abiotic part of the environment must not be neglected in concepts of environmental protection. The environmental impact of some selected long-lived anthropogenic radionuclides is used to exemplify adverse effects for which a unified approach is needed. To this end, indicators are needed for the assessment of the human impact on the abiotic environment which allows to compare different human actions with respect to sustainability and to choose appropriate measures in the competition for a sustainable development. Such indicators have to account for the dynamics of the different environmental compartments. Using the long-lived radionuclides 14C, 36Cl, 85Kr, and 129I as examples, the importance to consider dynamical models and ecological lifetimes in quantifications of the human impact on the environment is emphasized. Particular problems arise from the natural occurrences and variability of radionuclides and other harmful substances. Suitable indicators for the assessment of human impact on the abiotic compartments air, water, and soil are discussed. (Author) 18 refs

Protection of the environment from ionising radiation. The development and application of a system of radiation protection for the environment. Proceedings of the third international symposium on the protection of the environment from ionising radiation (SPEIR 3). Unedited papers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2003-05-01

In recent years, awareness of the vulnerability of the environment has increased, as evidenced by new and developing international policies for environmental protection, starting with the Rio Declaration of 1992. In the context of ionizing radiation, the existing international approach is largely based on providing for the protection of humans, but this is being critically reviewed in several international fora. It is in this context that the Third International Symposium on Protection of the Environment from Ionising Radiation (SPEIR 3) was held between 22 and 26 July 2002, in Darwin, Australia. The symposium focused on issues related to the development and application of a system of radiation protection for the environment. The symposium programme included sessions dedicated to: ongoing research on the effects, responses and mechanisms of the interactions of ionizing radiation with biota; policy and ethical dimensions of the development of a framework for environmental radiation protection; and the development and use of methods and models for evaluating radiation as a stressor to the environment. Three workshops were held to allow for detailed discussion of each of these subjects. This symposium was the third in a series. The first International Symposium on Ionising Radiation: Protection of the Natural Environment, was held in Stockholm, Sweden, 20-24 May 1996. This symposium was organized jointly by the Swedish Radiation Protection Institute (SSI) and the Atomic Energy Control Board (AECB) of Canada, and the proceedings were published by the Akademitryck AB, Edsbruk, Sweden in 1996. The second International Symposium on Ionizing Radiation: Environmental Protection Approaches for Nuclear Facilities, was held in Ottawa, Canada, 10-14 May 1999, and was organized by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), the Supervising Scientists Group of Environment Australia, and the Swedish Radiation Protection Institute (SSI). The proceedings were published in April

Protection of the environment from ionising radiation. The development and application of a system of radiation protection for the environment. Proceedings of the third international symposium on the protection of the environment from ionising radiation (SPEIR 3). Unedited papers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

In recent years, awareness of the vulnerability of the environment has increased, as evidenced by new and developing international policies for environmental protection, starting with the Rio Declaration of 1992. In the context of ionizing radiation, the existing international approach is largely based on providing for the protection of humans, but this is being critically reviewed in several international fora. It is in this context that the Third International Symposium on Protection of the Environment from Ionising Radiation (SPEIR 3) was held between 22 and 26 July 2002, in Darwin, Australia. The symposium focused on issues related to the development and application of a system of radiation protection for the environment. The symposium programme included sessions dedicated to: ongoing research on the effects, responses and mechanisms of the interactions of ionizing radiation with biota; policy and ethical dimensions of the development of a framework for environmental radiation protection; and the development and use of methods and models for evaluating radiation as a stressor to the environment. Three workshops were held to allow for detailed discussion of each of these subjects. This symposium was the third in a series. The first International Symposium on Ionising Radiation: Protection of the Natural Environment, was held in Stockholm, Sweden, 20-24 May 1996. This symposium was organized jointly by the Swedish Radiation Protection Institute (SSI) and the Atomic Energy Control Board (AECB) of Canada, and the proceedings were published by the Akademitryck AB, Edsbruk, Sweden in 1996. The second International Symposium on Ionizing Radiation: Environmental Protection Approaches for Nuclear Facilities, was held in Ottawa, Canada, 10-14 May 1999, and was organized by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), the Supervising Scientists Group of Environment Australia, and the Swedish Radiation Protection Institute (SSI). The proceedings were published in April

Protection of the environment from ionising radiation: ethical issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oughton, D.

2002-01-01

The paper identifies some of the main ethical issues concerning the protection of the environment from radiation and suggests ways in which ethics can aid in developing a system of protection. After a presentation of background on ethical theory and environmental ethics, three main issues related to practical environmental protection are discussed: First, the question of who or what has moral standing; second the appropriate level of protection; and third compatibility with other environmental stressors. In summary, the paper argues that there are strong ethical grounds for efforts to provide for the protection of the environment and that, all other things being equal, there is no reason to treat ionising radiation differently to other environmental stressors. (author)

Protection of the environment from ionising radiation: ethical issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oughton, Deborah

2003-01-01

The paper identifies some of the main ethical issues concerning the protection of the environment from radiation and suggests ways in which ethics can aid in developing a system of protection. After a presentation of background on ethical theory and environmental ethics, three main issues related to environmental protection are discussed: First, the question of valuing the environment and implications for the definition of harm and monetary valuation of environmental goods; second, difficulties with scientific uncertainty and applications of the precautionary principle; and third, issues concerned with the distribution of risk and its relevance fo participation in decision-making. In summary, the paper argues that there are strong ethical grounds to provide for the protection of the environment and that, all other things being equal, there is no reason to treat ionising radiation differently to other environmental stressors

Protection of the environment from ionising radiation: ethical issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Oughton, Deborah

2003-01-01

The paper identifies some of the main ethical issues concerning the protection of the environment from radiation and suggests ways in which ethics can aid in developing a system of protection. After a presentation of background on ethical theory and environmental ethics, three main issues related to environmental protection are discussed: First, the question of valuing the environment and implications for the definition of harm and monetary valuation of environmental goods; second, difficulties with scientific uncertainty and applications of the precautionary principle; and third, issues concerned with the distribution of risk and its relevance for participation in decision-making. In summary, the paper argues that there are strong ethical grounds to provide for the protection of the environment and that, all other things being equal, there is no reason to treat ionising radiation differently to other environmental stressors. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Enhancements to VTK enabling Scientific Visualization in Immersive Environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O' Leary, Patrick; Jhaveri, Sankhesh; Chaudhary, Aashish; Sherman, William; Martin, Ken; Lonie, David; Whiting, Eric; Money, James

2017-04-01

Modern scientific, engineering and medical computational sim- ulations, as well as experimental and observational data sens- ing/measuring devices, produce enormous amounts of data. While statistical analysis provides insight into this data, scientific vi- sualization is tactically important for scientific discovery, prod- uct design and data analysis. These benefits are impeded, how- ever, when scientific visualization algorithms are implemented from scratch—a time-consuming and redundant process in im- mersive application development. This process can greatly ben- efit from leveraging the state-of-the-art open-source Visualization Toolkit (VTK) and its community. Over the past two (almost three) decades, integrating VTK with a virtual reality (VR) environment has only been attempted to varying degrees of success. In this pa- per, we demonstrate two new approaches to simplify this amalga- mation of an immersive interface with visualization rendering from VTK. In addition, we cover several enhancements to VTK that pro- vide near real-time updates and efficient interaction. Finally, we demonstrate the combination of VTK with both Vrui and OpenVR immersive environments in example applications.

Development of a visual programming environment for the solution of elliptic questions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rehman, M.U.

1999-01-01

Recent trend in programming is changing from text based programming to visual programming. In the text-based environment, major amount of time is spent on program development and debugging. Visual programming environment makes the process of modeling and simulation more intuitive and creative. In this case the user spends more time on actual model building and later on the analysis phase of the design. The aim of this project is to design and develop a visual programming environment for the solution of the elliptical partial differential equations. The main core of this software package is based on advanced data structures including graph theory representations and generic trees for fast data linking and processing. Various case studies have been performed. The results are compared with the exact results. (author)

Measurement Tools for the Immersive Visualization Environment: Steps Toward the Virtual Laboratory.

Science.gov (United States)

Hagedorn, John G; Dunkers, Joy P; Satterfield, Steven G; Peskin, Adele P; Kelso, John T; Terrill, Judith E

2007-01-01

This paper describes a set of tools for performing measurements of objects in a virtual reality based immersive visualization environment. These tools enable the use of the immersive environment as an instrument for extracting quantitative information from data representations that hitherto had be used solely for qualitative examination. We provide, within the virtual environment, ways for the user to analyze and interact with the quantitative data generated. We describe results generated by these methods to obtain dimensional descriptors of tissue engineered medical products. We regard this toolbox as our first step in the implementation of a virtual measurement laboratory within an immersive visualization environment.

Conference on soldiers, civilians and environment protection against contaminations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

The military and civil aspects of radiation protection have been discussed. The special emphasize has been done on contamination monitoring of environment, soldier radiological protection during hypothetical warfare, radiological health hazard assessment, post Chernobyl contamination control of environment and food products in Poland, dose equivalent estimation and radiometric control equipment used in military and civil service

The expenditure for the protection of the environment in 2012

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diel, Olivier

2014-11-01

Illustrated by several graphs, this publication comments the evolution of public expenditure for the protection of the environment, compares the current expenditure and the capital expenditure. It comments the share of waste management and wastewater sanitation with respect to the global expenditure (it represents 62 pc of it) and the evolutions of the expenditures for each domain of the environment (protection of the environment and ecosystems, waste management and struggle against noise pollution, research and development, public actions for regulation and administration). It comments the increase of prices of sanitation services and the decrease of consumed volumes of water, the increase of R and D expenditure, the influence of the legal context on the increase of industry investments for air protection. The expenditures for the protection of the environment in the European countries are indicated and compared

Visual attention for a desktop virtual environment with ambient scent.

Science.gov (United States)

Toet, Alexander; van Schaik, Martin G

2013-01-01

In the current study participants explored a desktop virtual environment (VE) representing a suburban neighborhood with signs of public disorder (neglect, vandalism, and crime), while being exposed to either room air (control group), or subliminal levels of tar (unpleasant; typically associated with burned or waste material) or freshly cut grass (pleasant; typically associated with natural or fresh material) ambient odor. They reported all signs of disorder they noticed during their walk together with their associated emotional response. Based on recent evidence that odors reflexively direct visual attention to (either semantically or affectively) congruent visual objects, we hypothesized that participants would notice more signs of disorder in the presence of ambient tar odor (since this odor may bias attention to unpleasant and negative features), and less signs of disorder in the presence of ambient grass odor (since this odor may bias visual attention toward the vegetation in the environment and away from the signs of disorder). Contrary to our expectations the results provide no indication that the presence of an ambient odor affected the participants' visual attention for signs of disorder or their emotional response. However, the paradigm used in present study does not allow us to draw any conclusions in this respect. We conclude that a closer affective, semantic, or spatiotemporal link between the contents of a desktop VE and ambient scents may be required to effectively establish diagnostic associations that guide a user's attention. In the absence of these direct links, ambient scent may be more diagnostic for the physical environment of the observer as a whole than for the particular items in that environment (or, in this case, items represented in the VE).

Unipedal balance in healthy adults: effect of visual environments yielding decreased lateral velocity feedback.

Science.gov (United States)

Deyer, T W; Ashton-Miller, J A

1999-09-01

To test the (null) hypotheses that the reliability of unipedal balance is unaffected by the attenuation of visual velocity feedback and that, relative to baseline performance, deterioration of balance success rates from attenuated visual velocity feedback will not differ between groups of young men and older women, and the presence (or absence) of a vertical foreground object will not affect balance success rates. Single blind, single case study. University research laboratory. Two volunteer samples: 26 healthy young men (mean age, 20.0yrs; SD, 1.6); 23 healthy older women (mean age, 64.9 yrs; SD, 7.8). Normalized success rates in unipedal balance task. Subjects were asked to transfer to and maintain unipedal stance for 5 seconds in a task near the limit of their balance capabilities. Subjects completed 64 trials: 54 trials of three experimental visual scenes in blocked randomized sequences of 18 trials and 10 trials in a normal visual environment. The experimental scenes included two that provided strong velocity/weak position feedback, one of which had a vertical foreground object (SVWP+) and one without (SVWP-), and one scene providing weak velocity/strong position (WVSP) feedback. Subjects' success rates in the experimental environments were normalized by the success rate in the normal environment in order to allow comparisons between subjects using a mixed model repeated measures analysis of variance. The normalized success rate was significantly greater in SVWP+ than in WVSP (p = .0001) and SVWP- (p = .013). Visual feedback significantly affected the normalized unipedal balance success rates (p = .001); neither the group effect nor the group X visual environment interaction was significant (p = .9362 and p = .5634, respectively). Normalized success rates did not differ significantly between the young men and older women in any visual environment. Near the limit of the young men's or older women's balance capability, the reliability of transfer to unipedal

Radiological protection of the environment from the Swedish point of view

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holm, Lars-Erik; Hubbard, Lynn; Larsson, Carl-Magnus; Sundell-Bergman, Synnoeve

2002-01-01

The current system of radiological protection is aimed at protecting human health, and largely neglects both the effects of radiation on the environment and the managerial aspects of environmental protection. The Swedish Radiation Protection Act was revised in 1988 and includes environmental protection as one of its aims. In practice, little guidance had been given in the regulations based on the Act until 1998, when the Swedish Radiation Protection Authority (SSI) formulated environmental aims in its regulations concerning protection of human health and the environment in connection to the final management of spent nuclear fuel and waste. These regulations focus on protection of biodiversity and biological resources, based on ecosystem characterisation. In a broader perspective, the Swedish Parliament established 15 national environmental quality objectives in 1999, covering all aspects of protecting the environment, including the effects of radiation. This paper reviews the background for radiological protection of the environment from both an international and a Swedish perspective, describing the aims and current activities in establishing a system for assessing environmental effects and their consequences that can be used in decision-making. Such activities are largely a result of the European Union research project FASSET (Framework for Assessment of Environmental Impact), carried out under the 5th Framework Programme of the Union. This work is complemented at the Swedish national level by government support to initiate a national environmental monitoring and assessment programme for characterising the radiation environment, which will provide the foundation for decision-making. (review)

Australia's proactive approach to radiation protection of the environment: how integrated is it with radiation protection of humans?

Science.gov (United States)

Hirth, G A; Grzechnik, M; Tinker, R; Larsson, C M

2018-01-01

Australia's regulatory framework has evolved over the past decade from the assumption that protection of humans implies protection of the environment to the situation now where radiological impacts on non-human species (wildlife) are considered in their own right. In an Australian context, there was a recognised need for specific national guidance on protection of non-human species, for which the uranium mining industry provides the major backdrop. National guidance supported by publications of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (Radiation Protection Series) provides clear and consistent advice to operators and regulators on protection of non-human species, including advice on specific assessment methods and models, and how these might be applied in an Australian context. These approaches and the supporting assessment tools provide a mechanism for industry to assess and demonstrate compliance with the environmental protection objectives of relevant legislation, and to meet stakeholder expectations that radiological protection of the environment is taken into consideration in accordance with international best practice. Experiences from the past 5-10 years, and examples of where the approach to radiation protection of the environment has been well integrated or presented some challenges will be discussed. Future challenges in addressing protection of the environment in existing exposure situations will also be discussed.

Interactive Visual Intervention Planning: Interactive Visualization for Intervention Planning in Particle Accelerator Environments with Ionizing Radiation

CERN Document Server

Fabry, Thomas; Feral, Bruno

2013-01-01

Intervention planning is crucial for maintenance operations in particle accelerator environments with ionizing radiation, during which the radiation dose contracted by maintenance workers should be reduced to a minimum. In this context, we discuss the visualization aspects of a new software tool, which integrates interactive exploration of a scene depicting an accelerator facility augmented with residual radiation level simulations, with the visualization of intervention data such as the followed trajectory and maintenance tasks. The visualization of each of these aspects has its effect on the final predicted contracted radiation dose. In this context, we explore the possible benefits of a user study, with the goal of enhancing the visual conditions in which the intervention planner using the software tool is minimizing the radiation dose.

Radiological protection of the environment from an NGO perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carroll, S.

2008-01-01

Non-governmental environmental organisations (environmental NGOs) may consider the issue of radiological protection of the environment differently to other interested parties such as regulators or industry. While environmental NGOs are broadly positive towards the current emphasis and engagement on radiological protection of the environment per se, there remain concerns about the precise meaning of the term and the ultimate objectives of the current initiatives. Various strategies are studied and discussed. The disposal of radioactive waste at sea is discussed and a case study presented. What the environmental NGOs are looking for is focused upon and various environmental protection systems are discussed (tk)

40 CFR 202.23 - Visual tire inspection.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Visual tire inspection. 202.23 Section... Visual tire inspection. No motor carrier subject to these regulations shall at any time operate any motor vehicle of a type to which this regulation is applicable on a tire or tires having a tread pattern which...

Protection of the disabled in the work environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jovanović Predrag P.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The disabled enjoy special protection at work (in the work environment. The importance of this protection essentially determines the status of the disabled in the society, because it is connected with the work of the disabled with which get the means of life, but they are also brought into an equal position with other persons that do not have disability and whose working abilities are not reduced. There is a lot of vagueness in terms of terminological and meaning determination of the concept of disability, both in the international and the domestic law. We tried to elaborate the issue of disability in the paper firstly in the terminological and meaning sense and then to present international legal and domestic platform of their protection at work connected with the work, too (the work environment. Special emphasis was put on the concept of the disabled worker and their equal protection, with a critic review on the existing solutions in the effective law.

Analysing the physics learning environment of visually impaired students in high schools

Science.gov (United States)

Toenders, Frank G. C.; de Putter-Smits, Lesley G. A.; Sanders, Wendy T. M.; den Brok, Perry

2017-07-01

Although visually impaired students attend regular high school, their enrolment in advanced science classes is dramatically low. In our research we evaluated the physics learning environment of a blind high school student in a regular Dutch high school. For visually impaired students to grasp physics concepts, time and additional materials to support the learning process are key. Time for teachers to develop teaching methods for such students is scarce. Suggestions for changes to the learning environment and of materials used are given.

Issues around radiological protection of the environment and its integration with protection of humans: promoting debate on the way forward

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brownless, G P

2007-01-01

This paper explores issues to consider around integrating direct, explicit protection of the environment into the current system of radiological protection, which is focused on the protection of humans. Many issues around environmental radiological protection have been discussed, and ready-to-use toolboxes have been constructed for assessing harm to non-human biota, but it is not clear how (or even if) these should be fitted into the current system of protection. Starting from the position that the current approach to protecting the environment (namely that it follows from adequately protecting humans) is generally effective, this paper considers how explicit radiological protection of the environment can be integrated with the current system, through developing a 'worked example' of how this could be done and highlighting issues peculiar to protection of the environment. The aim of the paper is to promote debate on this topic, with the ultimate aim of ensuring that any changes to the system are consensual and robust

Protection of the environment against emissions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wentzel, K F

1966-05-01

Gas exposure experiments with plants do not reflect their relative resistance to air pollutants in nature. For example, such experiments showed that vegetables are the plants most sensitive to air pollutants. If the environment is observed closely, however, it will be found that deciduous trees show symptoms of air pollution damage much earlier. This can be explained by the fact that vegetables are frequently protected by buildings or trees. Thus, plant resistance cannot be evaluated correctly without taking the environment into account. With this approach, it can be concluded that coniferous trees are hardest hit by air pollution. If they grow in the vicinity of a deciduous forest, they will disappear first. However, crops and deciduous trees can still be grown in industrial areas. There are three ways to protect coniferous trees in an industrial area: by good stack gas dispersion using high stacks; by cleaning the raw material or by using non-toxic material; and by removing dust and pollutants from the emissions. Despite such measures, a minimum of air pollution will remain. In view of this fact, pollution-resistant plants ought to be selected for cultivation in such areas; their growth conditions (soil, water supply, etc.) must be optimized, and a belt of protective plants must be created. 24 references, 4 figures.

Radiological protection of the environment: the path forward to a new policy?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

The international system of radiological protection is currently being revised with the aim of making it more coherent and concise. During the revision process, particular attention is being given to the development of an explicit system for the radiological protection of the environment in addition to that of human beings. In order to support the ongoing discussions of the international community of radiological protection experts, these proceedings try to answer the questions: Is there an international rationale behind the wish to protect the environment from radiation? Do we have enough scientific information to develop and define a broadly accepted policy? What are the socio-political dynamics, beyond science, that will influence policy on radiological protection of the environment? What are the characteristics of the process for developing a system of radiological protection of the environment? These proceedings comprise the views of a broad range of invited speakers, including policy makers, regulators, radiological protection and environmental protection professionals, industry, social scientists and representatives of both non-governmental and intergovernmental organisations. (author)

Understanding the visual skills and strategies of train drivers in the urban rail environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Naweed, Anjum; Balakrishnan, Ganesh

2014-01-01

Due to the growth of information in the urban rail environment, there is a need to better understand the ergonomics profile underpinning the visual behaviours in train drivers. The aim of this study was to examine the tasks and activities of urban/metropolitan passenger train drivers in order to better understand the nature of the visual demands in their task activities. Data were collected from 34 passenger train drivers in four different Australian states. The research approach used a novel participative ergonomics methodology that fused interviews and observations with generative tools. Data analysis was conducted thematically. Results suggested participants did not so much drive their trains, as manage the intensity of visually demanding work held in their environment. The density of this information and the opacity of the task, invoked an ergonomics profile more closely aligned with diagnostic and error detection than actual train regulation. The paper discusses the relative proportion of strategies corresponding with specific tasks, the visual-perceptual load in substantive activities, and the requisite visual skills behoving navigation in the urban rail environment. These findings provide the basis for developing measures of complexity to further specify the visual demands in passenger train driving.

Analysing the physics learning environment of visually impaired students in high schools

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Toenders, F.G.C.; de Putter - Smits, L.G.A.; Sanders, W.T.M.; den Brok, P.J.

2017-01-01

Although visually impaired students attend regular high school, their enrolment in advanced science classes is dramatically low. In our research we evaluated the physics learning environment of a blind high school student in a regular Dutch high school. For visually impaired students to grasp

Integration of the environment into the system of radiation protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Higley, K.

2018-01-01

In 2005 the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) embarked on an effort to ensure that the system for environmental radiological protection would be reconcilable with that for radiological protection of man, and with the approaches used for protection of the environment from other potential hazards

Visual Climate Knowledge Discovery within a Grid Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Heitzler, Magnus; Kiertscher, Simon; Lang, Ulrich; Nocke, Thomas; Wahnes, Jens; Winkelmann, Volker

2013-04-01

The C3Grid-INAD project aims to provide a common grid infrastructure for the climate science community to improve access to climate related data and domain workflows via the Internet. To make sense of the heterogeneous, often large-sized or even dynamically generated and modified files originating from C3Grid, a highly flexible and user-friendly analysis software is needed to run on different high-performance computing nodes within the grid environment, when requested by a user. Because visual analysis tools directly address human visual perception and therefore are being considered to be highly intuitive, two distinct visualization workflows have been integrated in C3Grid-INAD, targeting different application backgrounds. First, a GrADS-based workflow enables the ad-hoc visualization of selected datasets in respect to data source, temporal and spatial extent, as well as variables of interest. Being low in resource demands, this workflow allows for users to gain fast insights through basic spatial visualization. For more advanced visual analysis purposes, a second workflow enables the user to start a visualization session via Virtual Network Computing (VNC) and VirtualGL to access high-performance computing nodes on which a wide variety of different visual analysis tools are provided. These are made available using the easy-to-use software system SimEnvVis. Considering metadata as well as user preferences and analysis goals, SimEnvVis evaluates the attached tools and launches the selected visual analysis tool by providing a dynamically parameterized template. This approach facilitates the selection of the most suitable tools, and at the same time eases the process of familiarization with them. Because of a higher demand for computational resources, SimEnvVis-sessions are restricted to a smaller set of users at a time. This architecture enables climate scientists not only to remotely access, but also to visually analyze highly heterogeneous data originating from C3

Integrated protection of humans and the environment: a view from Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakai, K

2018-01-01

Six and a half years after the accident at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, an area of existing exposure situation remains. One of the main concerns of people is the higher level of ionising radiation than before the accident, although this is not expected to have any discernible health effect. Since the accident, several 'abnormalities' in environmental organisms have been reported. It is still not clear if these abnormalities were induced by radiation. It appears that the impact of the released radioactivity has not been sufficient to threaten the maintenance of biological diversity, the conservation of species, or the health and status of natural habitats, which are the focus in environmental protection. This highlights a difference between the protection of humans and protection of the environment (individuals for humans and populations/species for the environment). The system for protection of the environment has been developed with a similar approach as the system for protection of humans. Reference Animals and Plants (RAPs) were introduced to connect exposure and doses in a way similar to that for Reference Male and Reference Female. RAPs can also be used as a tool to associate the level of radiation (dose rate) with the biological effects on an organism. A difference between the protection of humans and that of the environment was identified: an effect on humans is measured in terms of dose, and an effect on the environment is measured in terms of dose rate. In other words, protection criteria for humans are expressed in term of dose (as dose limits, dose constraints, and reference levels), whereas those for the environment are expressed in terms of dose rate (as derived consideration reference levels).

Geophysical methods in protected environments. Electrical resistivity tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rubio Sánchez-Aguililla, F.M.; Ramiro-Camacho, A.; Ibarra Torre, P.

2017-01-01

There is a strong interest in protecting the environment with the aim of its long term preservation. Sometimes the heritage value of these natural areas is related to their biodiversity as there are restricted ecosystems that depend directly on them. In other cases there a singular geological record might exist, essential for the understanding of certain processes affecting the planet, such as volcanic events or glacial periods. To achieve the protection and conservation of these areas it is necessary to generate knowledge about the distribution of geological materials and groundwater masses, to study the parameters that dominate the behaviour of these systems and then define those elements that require special protection or attention. In these protected environments, research methods with a minimal environmental impact should be used. Therefore, indirect methods, such as geophysical techniques, are reliable and complementary tools with a minimum environmental impact and are therefore useful for research these unique areas. The IGME has conducted several geophysical surveys in different protected environments in Spain with the aim of achieving a better understanding, and thus facilitate their preservation and exploitation in a sustainable manner. In this paper we present a review of some case studies where geophysical methods have been used. In all the cases electrical resistivity tomography has been the axis of the geophysical research and stands out due to its great effectiveness. The main objective of this communication is to divulgate and increase awareness of the important role that these geophysical methods can play in the sustainable study of these unique places. [es

Protection of environment. Orientation of I.R.S.N

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-04-01

The Institute of I.R.S.N. has the expertise and research missions in the following area: nuclear safety, reliability of radioactive and fissile materials transport, protection of man and environment against ionizing radiations; protection and monitoring of nuclear matters, protection of installations and transports of radioactive and fissile materials against malevolence. (N.C.)

Development of an environment for 3D visualization of riser dynamics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bernardes Junior, Joao Luiz; Martins, Clovis de Arruda [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), SP (Brazil). Escola Politecnica]. E-mails: joao.bernardes@poli.usp.br; cmartins@usp.br

2006-07-01

This paper describes the merging of Virtual Reality and Scientific Visualization techniques in the development of Riser View, a multi platform 3D environment for real time, interactive visualization of riser dynamics. Its features, architecture, unusual collision detection algorithm and how up was customized for the project are discussed. Using Open GL through VRK, the software is able to make use of the resources available in most modern Graphics. Acceleration Hardware to improve performance. IUP/LED allows for native loo-and-feel in MS-Windows or Linux platform. The paper discusses conflicts that arise between scientific visualization and aspects such as realism and immersion, and how the visualization is prioritized. (author)

Development and application of visual support module for remote operator in 3D virtual environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Kyung Hyun; Cho, Soo Jeong; Yang, Kyung Boo; Bae, Chang Hyun

2006-02-01

In this research, the 3D graphic environment was developed for remote operation, and included the visual support module. The real operation environment was built by employing a experiment robot, and also the identical virtual model was developed. The well-designed virtual models can be used to retrieve the necessary conditions for developing the devices and processes. The integration of 3D virtual models, the experimental operation environment, and the visual support module was used for evaluating the operation efficiency and accuracy by applying different methods such as only monitor image and with visual support module

Development and application of visual support module for remote operator in 3D virtual environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Kyung Hyun; Cho, Soo Jeong; Yang, Kyung Boo [Cheju Nat. Univ., Jeju (Korea, Republic of); Bae, Chang Hyun [Pusan Nat. Univ., Busan (Korea, Republic of)

2006-02-15

In this research, the 3D graphic environment was developed for remote operation, and included the visual support module. The real operation environment was built by employing a experiment robot, and also the identical virtual model was developed. The well-designed virtual models can be used to retrieve the necessary conditions for developing the devices and processes. The integration of 3D virtual models, the experimental operation environment, and the visual support module was used for evaluating the operation efficiency and accuracy by applying different methods such as only monitor image and with visual support module.

Differential Survival between Visual Environments Supports a Role of Divergent Sensory Drive in Cichlid Fish Speciation.

Science.gov (United States)

Maan, Martine E; Seehausen, Ole; Groothuis, Ton G G

2017-01-01

Identifying the selective forces that initiate ecological speciation is a major challenge in evolutionary biology. Sensory drive has been implicated in speciation in various taxa, largely based on phenotype-environment correlations and signatures of selection in sensory genes. Here, we present a reciprocal transplant experiment revealing species differences in performance in alternative visual environments, consistent with speciation by divergent sensory drive. The closely related cichlids Pundamilia pundamilia and Pundamilia nyererei inhabit different visual environments in Lake Victoria and show associated differences in visual system properties. Mimicking the two light environments in the laboratory, we find a substantial reduction in survival of both species when reared in the other species' visual environment. This implies that the observed differences in Pundamilia color vision are indeed adaptive and substantiates the implicit assumption in sensory drive speciation models that divergent environmental selection is strong enough to drive divergence in sensory properties.

Experience of Multisensory Environments in Public Space among People with Visual Impairment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gavin R. Jenkins

2015-07-01

Full Text Available This qualitative study explored the role of sensory characteristics embedded in the built environment and whether they support or hinder people with visual impairment in their use of public spaces. An online survey link was e-mailed to the presidents and committee members of each state’s chapters and associations of the National Federation of the Blind in the United States, resulting in 451 direct invitations to participate. Written responses of the survey questions from 48 respondents with visual impairment were analyzed. Three main themes: Barriers, Supporters, and Context-Dependence emerged from the respondents’ experience of multisensory characteristics within the built environment. The four subthemes subsumed in Barriers were: (1 Population specific design, (2 Extreme sensory backgrounds, (3 Uneven ground surfaces and objects, and (4 Inconsistent lighting. For Supporters, respondents provided specific examples of various sensory characteristics in built environments, including audible cues and echoes, smells, tactile quality of the ground surface, and temperature. Context-Dependence referred to the effects of sensory characteristics embedded in public spaces depending on one’s vision condition, the proximity to the sensory cues and the purpose of the activities one was performing at that moment. Findings provide occupational therapy practitioners an in-depth understanding of the transactional relationship between embedded sensory characteristics in the built environment, occupations, and people with visual impairment in order to make appropriate modifications or removal of barriers that affect occupational performance and engagement. Suggestions for occupational therapists as well as architects, designers, planners, policy makers/legislators related to functional sensory cues in the design of built environments were provided to increase accessibility in the use of public spaces by people with visual impairment.

Experience of Multisensory Environments in Public Space among People with Visual Impairment.

Science.gov (United States)

Jenkins, Gavin R; Yuen, Hon K; Vogtle, Laura K

2015-07-23

This qualitative study explored the role of sensory characteristics embedded in the built environment and whether they support or hinder people with visual impairment in their use of public spaces. An online survey link was e-mailed to the presidents and committee members of each state's chapters and associations of the National Federation of the Blind in the United States, resulting in 451 direct invitations to participate. Written responses of the survey questions from 48 respondents with visual impairment were analyzed. Three main themes: Barriers, Supporters, and Context-Dependence emerged from the respondents' experience of multisensory characteristics within the built environment. The four subthemes subsumed in Barriers were: (1) Population specific design, (2) Extreme sensory backgrounds, (3) Uneven ground surfaces and objects, and (4) Inconsistent lighting. For Supporters, respondents provided specific examples of various sensory characteristics in built environments, including audible cues and echoes, smells, tactile quality of the ground surface, and temperature. Context-Dependence referred to the effects of sensory characteristics embedded in public spaces depending on one's vision condition, the proximity to the sensory cues and the purpose of the activities one was performing at that moment. Findings provide occupational therapy practitioners an in-depth understanding of the transactional relationship between embedded sensory characteristics in the built environment, occupations, and people with visual impairment in order to make appropriate modifications or removal of barriers that affect occupational performance and engagement. Suggestions for occupational therapists as well as architects, designers, planners, policy makers/legislators related to functional sensory cues in the design of built environments were provided to increase accessibility in the use of public spaces by people with visual impairment.

Development of Techniques for Visualization of Scalar and Vector Fields in the Immersive Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Bidasaria, Hari B.; Wilson, John W.; Nealy, John E.

2005-01-01

Visualization of scalar and vector fields in the immersive environment (CAVE - Cave Automated Virtual Environment) is important for its application to radiation shielding research at NASA Langley Research Center. A complete methodology and the underlying software for this purpose have been developed. The developed software has been put to use for the visualization of the earth s magnetic field, and in particular for the study of the South Atlantic Anomaly. The methodology has also been put to use for the visualization of geomagnetically trapped protons and electrons within Earth's magnetosphere.

Specialized Computer Systems for Environment Visualization

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Oraiqat, Anas M.; Bashkov, Evgeniy A.; Zori, Sergii A.

2018-06-01

The need for real time image generation of landscapes arises in various fields as part of tasks solved by virtual and augmented reality systems, as well as geographic information systems. Such systems provide opportunities for collecting, storing, analyzing and graphically visualizing geographic data. Algorithmic and hardware software tools for increasing the realism and efficiency of the environment visualization in 3D visualization systems are proposed. This paper discusses a modified path tracing algorithm with a two-level hierarchy of bounding volumes and finding intersections with Axis-Aligned Bounding Box. The proposed algorithm eliminates the branching and hence makes the algorithm more suitable to be implemented on the multi-threaded CPU and GPU. A modified ROAM algorithm is used to solve the qualitative visualization of reliefs' problems and landscapes. The algorithm is implemented on parallel systems—cluster and Compute Unified Device Architecture-networks. Results show that the implementation on MPI clusters is more efficient than Graphics Processing Unit/Graphics Processing Clusters and allows real-time synthesis. The organization and algorithms of the parallel GPU system for the 3D pseudo stereo image/video synthesis are proposed. With realizing possibility analysis on a parallel GPU-architecture of each stage, 3D pseudo stereo synthesis is performed. An experimental prototype of a specialized hardware-software system 3D pseudo stereo imaging and video was developed on the CPU/GPU. The experimental results show that the proposed adaptation of 3D pseudo stereo imaging to the architecture of GPU-systems is efficient. Also it accelerates the computational procedures of 3D pseudo-stereo synthesis for the anaglyph and anamorphic formats of the 3D stereo frame without performing optimization procedures. The acceleration is on average 11 and 54 times for test GPUs.

Contribution to developing the environment radiation protection methodology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oudalova, A. [Institute of Atomic Power Engineering NRNU MEPhI (Russian Federation); Alexakhin, R.; Dubynina, M. [Russian Institute of Agricultural Radiology and Agroecology (Russian Federation)

2014-07-01

The environment sustainable development and biota protection, including the environment radiation protection are issues of nowadays interest in the society. An activity is ongoing on the development of a system of radiation protection for non-human biota. Anthropocentric and eco-centric principles are widely discussed. ICRP Publications 103, 108, 114 and many other reports and articles refer to the topic of environmental protection, reference animals and plants set, corresponding transfer parameters, dose models and derived consideration reference levels. There is still an open field for discussion of methods and approaches to get well-established procedure to assess environmental risks of radiation impacts to different organisms, populations and ecosystems. A huge work has been done by the ICRP and other organizations and research groups to develop and systematize approaches for this difficult subject. This activity, however, is not everywhere well-known and perceived, and more efforts are needed to bring ideas of eco-centric strategy in the environment radiation protection not only to public but to specialists in many countries as well. One of the main points of interest is an assessment of critical doses and doses rates for flora and fauna species. Some aspects of a possible procedure to find their estimates are studied in this work, including criteria for datasets of good quality, models of dose dependence, sensitivity of different umbrella endpoints and methods of original massive datasets treatment. Estimates are done based on information gathered in a database on radiation-induced effects in plants. Data on biological effects in plants (umbrella endpoints of reproductive potential, survival, morbidity, morphological, biochemical, and genetic effects) in dependence on dose and dose rates of ionizing radiation have been collected from reviewed publications and maintained in MS Access format. The database now contains about 7000 datasets and 25000 records

Distributed Computations Environment Protection Using Artificial Immune Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. V. Moiseev

2011-12-01

Full Text Available In this article the authors describe possibility of artificial immune systems applying for distributed computations environment protection from definite types of malicious impacts.

A visual assistance environment for cyclotron operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okamura, Tetsuya; Murakami, Tohru; Agematsu, Takashi; Okumura, Susumu; Arakawa, Kazuo.

1993-01-01

A computer-based operation system for a cyclotron which assists inexperienced operators has been developed. Cyclotron start-up operations require dozens of adjustable parameters to be finely tuned to maximize extracted beam current. The human interfaces of the system provide a visual environment designed to enhance beam parameter adjustments. First, the mental model of operators is analyzed. It is supposed to be composed of five partial mental models: beam behavior model, feasible setting regions model, parameter sensitivity model, parameter mutual relation model, and status map model. Next, based on these models, three visual interfaces are developed, i.e., (1) Beam trajectory is rapidly calculated and graphically displayed whenever the operators change the cyclotron parameters. (2) Feasible setting regions (FSR) of the parameters that satisfy the cyclotron's beam acceptance criteria are indicated. (3) Search traces, being a historical visual map of beam current values, are superimposed on the FSRs. Finally, to evaluate system effectiveness, the search time required to reach maximum beam current conditions was measured. In addition, system operability was evaluated using written questionnaires. Results of the experiment showed that the search time to reach specific beam conditions was reduced by approximately 65% using these interfaces. The written questionnaires survey showed the operators highly evaluate system operability. (author)

Visual operations control in administrative environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carson, M.L.; Levine, L.O.

1995-03-01

When asked what comes to mind when they think of ``controlling work`` in the office, people may respond with ``overbearing boss,`` ``no autonomy,`` or ``Theory X management.`` The idea of controlling work in white collar or administrative environments can have a negative connotation. However, office life is often chaotic and miserable precisely because the work processes are out of control, and managers must spend their time looking over people`s shoulders and fighting fires. While management styles and structures vary, the need for control of work processes does not. Workers in many environments are being reorganized into self-managed work teams. These teams are expected to manage their own work through increased autonomy and empowerment. However, even empowered work teams must manage their work processes because of process variation. The amount of incoming jobs vary with both expected (seasonal) and unexpected demand. The mixture of job types vary over time, changing the need for certain skills or knowledge. And illness and turnover affect the availability of workers with needed skills and knowledge. Clearly, there is still a need to control work, whether the authority for controlling work is vested in one person or many. Visual control concepts provide simple, inexpensive, and flexible mechanisms for managing processes in work teams and continuous improvement administrative environments.

Reaction time for processing visual stimulus in a computer-assisted rehabilitation environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez, Yerly; Pinzon, David; Zheng, Bin

2017-10-01

To examine the reaction time when human subjects process information presented in the visual channel under both a direct vision and a virtual rehabilitation environment when walking was performed. Visual stimulus included eight math problems displayed on the peripheral vision to seven healthy human subjects in a virtual rehabilitation training (computer-assisted rehabilitation environment (CAREN)) and a direct vision environment. Subjects were required to verbally report the results of these math calculations in a short period of time. Reaction time measured by Tobii Eye tracker and calculation accuracy were recorded and compared between the direct vision and virtual rehabilitation environment. Performance outcomes measured for both groups included reaction time, reading time, answering time and the verbal answer score. A significant difference between the groups was only found for the reaction time (p = .004). Participants had more difficulty recognizing the first equation of the virtual environment. Participants reaction time was faster in the direct vision environment. This reaction time delay should be kept in mind when designing skill training scenarios in virtual environments. This was a pilot project to a series of studies assessing cognition ability of stroke patients who are undertaking a rehabilitation program with a virtual training environment. Implications for rehabilitation Eye tracking is a reliable tool that can be employed in rehabilitation virtual environments. Reaction time changes between direct vision and virtual environment.

The development of the IAEA policy on the radiological protection of the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Linsley, G.

2002-01-01

Since its creation in 1957, and in accordance with its statute, the IAEA has established standards of safety for protection of health in the fields of nuclear installations safety, radiation protection, the transport of radioactive materials and radioactive waste management, including the control of radioactive releases to the environment. In this context, the IAEA has a long history of involvement in matters related not only to the protection of humans but also to the protection of other species from the effects of radioactivity in the environment. Concern about the environment has arisen for different reasons over the years, starting with questions about the potential effects on non-human species of fall-out from nuclear weapons testing and of radioactive discharges to atmosphere and the oceans. Later, the concern was focussed on the possible harm to non-human species caused by the dumping of solid waste at sea. The IAEA has responded to requests from other UN bodies and from international conventions to evaluate these potential hazards and to establish protection criteria. Social and political attitudes have gradually changed towards the environment mainly due to a growing realisation that the environment is vulnerable to the effects of human activities. This change has been reflected in the outcomes of major UN conferences on the environment in 1972 and 1992 and, accordingly, the emphasis of international and national policies towards the environment has increasingly shifted towards protective measures and strategies that include other species. Thus, the protection of the environment from the effects of ionising radiation has taken on a new importance. The IAEA, together with other relevant international organisations, is working to develop an agreed environmental protection strategy to counter the possible effects of ionising radiation, building on the work done over the last 30 years but taking due account of the new attitudes to the subject. The IAEA

Environment protection: The current challenge in radioecology

Science.gov (United States)

Bréchignac, F.

2012-04-01

Radioecology, a multifaceted scientific discipline which addresses environmental issues relevant to radioprotection, has for a long time been focused on environmental transfers through the environment to feed the needs of human radioprotection. This quite anthropocentric initial scope is now moving to a more ecocentric view capable of assessing ecological risk mediated by ionising radiation. The central issue consists in reaching an ability to understand the effects of radiation on the environment components, from individual organisms up to populations of species and ecosystems, together with their interaction with the abiotic compartments. Dominated by operational goals, the system of radiological protection of the environment which is under development emphasises a concept based upon reference organisms supported by traditional toxicological data on individual organisms. Whilst there are immediate advantages to this approach (pragmatism, consistency with other approaches in use for man and biota), there are also clear limitations which need to be acknowledged and further considered. The most important probably is to rely on effects data gathered almost exclusively for individual organisms to meet protection goals which are usually set at population and ecosystem levels. Overcoming this limitation leads to scientific and methodological approaches featuring the ecosystem concept.

Visualization in cryogenic environment: Application to two-phase studies

Science.gov (United States)

Rousset, Bernard; Chatain, Denis; Puech, Laurent; Thibault, Pierre; Viargues, François; Wolf, Pierre-Etienne

2009-10-01

This paper reviews recent technical developments devoted to the study of cryogenic two-phase fluids. These techniques span from simple flow visualization to quantitative measurements of light scattering. It is shown that simple flow pattern configurations are obtained using classical optical tools (CCD cameras, endoscopes), even in most severe environments (high vacuum, high magnetic field). Quantitative measurements include laser velocimetry, particle sizing, and light scattering analysis. In the case of magnetically compensated gravity boiling oxygen, optical access is used to control the poistioning of a bubble subject to buoyancy forces in an experimental cell. Flow visualization on a two-phase superfluid helium pipe-flow, performed as a support of LHC cooldown studies, leads to flow pattern characterization. Visualization includes stratified and atomized flows. Thanks to the low refractive index contrast between the liquid and its vapor, quantitative results on droplet densities can be obtained even in a multiple scattering regime.

Radiation protection of the environment: anthropocentric and eco-centric principles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alexakhin, R.M.; Fesenko, S.V.

2004-01-01

The second half of the 20. century was dominated in the field of radiation protection by the anthropocentric concept stated by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). According to this concept 'if radiation standards protect man then biota are also adequately protected from ionizing radiation'. At the end of the 20. beginning of the 21. centuries in the area of radiation protection of nature an eco-centric strategy is beginning to develop where emphasis has swung to the protection of biota in their environment. Inadequacy of ICRP's anthropocentric concept is reported. Issues are discussed such as ecological dosimetry, non-equi-dose irradiation of man and biota, criteria for estimating radiation induced changes in biota and man, as well as the need to harmonize permissible exposure doses to man and biota. An urgent need is stressed to develop a single (synthetic) concept of radiation protection which simultaneously ensures protection of human health and biota well-being in their environment. This concept is to be based on the recognition of the integrity of socio-natural ecosystems where man and biota are considered as a unity. (author)

Environment protection and energy politics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pernice, I.

1993-01-01

Three aspects make the issue of energy politics and environment protection in the European Community interesting: Questions of competence, international stipulations, and the concrete measures the Community implements or plans in fulfillment of its duty to integrate these two political spheres. At the international level impulses for an environmentally benign energy policy are given by the World Climate Convention, the Agenda 21 passed at the Rio Conference, and by the European Energy Charter and its consequential documents. (orig./HSCH) [de

A nursing home staff tool for the indoor visual environment : the content validity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sinoo, M.M.; Kort, H.S.M.; Loomans, M.G.L.C.; Schols, J.M.G.A.

2016-01-01

In the Netherlands, over 40% of nursing home residents are estimated to have visual impairments. This results in the loss of basic visual abilities. The nursing home environment fits more or less to residents’ activities and social participation. This is referred to as environmental fit. To raise

A nursing home staff tool for the indoor visual environment: The content validity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marcel G.L.C. Loomans; Dr. H.S.M. Kort; Marianne M. Sinoo; Jos M.G.A Schols

2016-01-01

In the Netherlands, over 40% of nursing home residents are estimated to have visual impairments. This results in the loss of basic visual abilities. The nursing home environment fits more or less to residents’ activities and social participation. This is referred to as environmental fit. To raise

Objectives of radiological environment protection in nuclear facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oberhausen, E.

1976-01-01

The aim of the radiological environment protection is to avoid risks to the health of the population. But the risks from radiation can only be considered in connection with spontaneously occuring malignancies. The comparison shows that according to the maximum permissible doses in the German Ordinance of Radiation Protection the risks of radiation injury are so low that they cannot be detected relative to the spontaneous malignancies. (orig.) [de

Novel 3D/VR interactive environment for MD simulations, visualization and analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Doblack, Benjamin N; Allis, Tim; Dávila, Lilian P

2014-12-18

The increasing development of computing (hardware and software) in the last decades has impacted scientific research in many fields including materials science, biology, chemistry and physics among many others. A new computational system for the accurate and fast simulation and 3D/VR visualization of nanostructures is presented here, using the open-source molecular dynamics (MD) computer program LAMMPS. This alternative computational method uses modern graphics processors, NVIDIA CUDA technology and specialized scientific codes to overcome processing speed barriers common to traditional computing methods. In conjunction with a virtual reality system used to model materials, this enhancement allows the addition of accelerated MD simulation capability. The motivation is to provide a novel research environment which simultaneously allows visualization, simulation, modeling and analysis. The research goal is to investigate the structure and properties of inorganic nanostructures (e.g., silica glass nanosprings) under different conditions using this innovative computational system. The work presented outlines a description of the 3D/VR Visualization System and basic components, an overview of important considerations such as the physical environment, details on the setup and use of the novel system, a general procedure for the accelerated MD enhancement, technical information, and relevant remarks. The impact of this work is the creation of a unique computational system combining nanoscale materials simulation, visualization and interactivity in a virtual environment, which is both a research and teaching instrument at UC Merced.

Protecting the environment in a liberalised energy market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voss, A.

2000-01-01

The alleged conflicting situation between environmental protection and liberalisation can be resolved if we make both the market and competition serve the interests of environmental and climate protection to a greater extent. The exploitation of the allocation efficiency of markets for protecting the environment is legitimate according to the experience that the well-husbanded and efficient use of sparse resources is not achieved by government planning and control, but allowing market prices to form on functioning markets which reflect the shortage of such resources. This approach would also put into perspective the much debated conflict between economy and ecology. (orig.) [de

Environment Protection (Alligator Rivers Region) Act 1978, No.28

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-01-01

The main object of this Act is to provide for the appointment of a Supervising Scientist responsible for supervising protection of the environment in the Alligator Rivers Region of the Northern Territory from the effects of uranium mining operations. His functions include advising the competent Minister on the effects of uranium mining operations on the environment and on standards, practices and procedures for its protection and restoration. The Act also sets up a Co-ordinating Committee responsible for programmes for research into the environmental effects of such mining operations and also keeping under review standards, practices and procedures for environmental protection in relation thereto. Finally the Act provides for the establishment of a Research Institute managed by the Supervising Scientist, to promote and assist in research as well as to collect information on the environmental effects of uranium mining operations. (NEA) [fr

Visual Culture In The New Communication Environment: E-Government As A Case Study

OpenAIRE

Erdal, Cengiz

2012-01-01

Emerging of internet and broadband connection enabling large amount of information to be transferred from one point to another have caused many services to be transferred to virtual environment causing face to face communication is being replaced by screen to screen communication. Consequently, individuals encounter more and more visuals than ever before, which develops and forms the visual culture through new ICT tools. One of the conspicuous applications that shapes visual cu...

Space Ethics and Protection of the Space Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Williamson, Mark

2002-01-01

The construction of the International Space Station in low Earth orbit and the formulation of plans to search for life on Mars - one day by means of manned missions - indicate that mankind is intent on making the space environment part of its domain. Publicity surrounding space tourism, in-space `burials' and the sale of lunar `real estate' suggests that, some time in the 21st century, the space environment will become an extraterrestrial extension of our current business and domestic environment. This prompts the question of our collective attitude towards the space environment and the degree to which we should regulate its use and protect it for future generations. What, indeed, are the ethical considerations of space exploration and development? Ethics can be defined as "the philosophical study of the moral value of human conduct, and of the rules or principles that ought to govern it". More practically, it represents "an approved code of behaviour" adopted, for example, by a group or profession. If a set of ethics is to be developed for space, it is important that what we refer to as the `space community', or `space profession', is intimately involved. Indeed, if it is not, the profession risks having the job done for it, for example by politicians and members of the general public, who for their own reasons may wish to place restrictions on space development, or ban it altogether. The terrestrial nuclear power industry, for example, has already suffered this fate, while widespread ignorance of the subject has led to a moratorium on the use of RTGs in spacecraft. However, there is a danger in the discussion of ethics that consideration is confined to the philosophical aspects, thus excusing those involved from providing practical solutions to the problems that emerge. The fact that mankind has already affected, and arguably damaged, the space environment transports the discussion beyond the philosophical realm. This paper offers a pragmatic analysis of one

Outcomes of the IAEA programme on the radiological protection of the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robinson, C.

2002-01-01

Since the late 1990's the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), relating to the effects of radiation on species other than man, has been focused on defining and clarifying issues related to the development of an international framework to address the protection of the environment, or living elements within it, from the effects of ionising radiation. In 1999, IAEA-TECDOC-1091, entitled Protection of the Environment from the Effects of Ionising Radiation: A Report for Discussion, was published. This report explored the various issues and approaches that would need to be resolved in order to establish an environmental protection framework and associated criteria. Relevant principles, policies and regulatory approaches were reviewed and the factors that may affect future developments of a protection system were identified. The report concluded that, although improved information was required in several areas, there was sufficient knowledge of the effects of ionising radiation on organisms to move forward. Following publication of this report, IAEA activities have continued on: a) the elaboration of the ethics and principles underlying environmental protection, paying particular attention to their implications for the development of an approach for radiological protection of the environment; and, h) fostering information exchange by holding a series of Specialists Meetings on environmental radiation protection, the most recent of which took place in November 2001. The long-term aim of this work is to establish consensual IAEA Safety Standards on environmental radiation protection, in collaboration with other relevant international organisations. This paper will provide a summary of IAEA work to date on the development of a framework for protection of the environment from ionising radiation, paying particular attention to the recently published IAEA-TECDOC-1270 on Ethical Considerations in protecting the Environment front the Effects of Ionising

Adequacy of the Regular Early Education Classroom Environment for Students with Visual Impairment

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Cherylee M.; Packer, Tanya L.; Passmore, Anne

2013-01-01

This study describes the classroom environment that students with visual impairment typically experience in regular Australian early education. Adequacy of the classroom environment (teacher training and experience, teacher support, parent involvement, adult involvement, inclusive attitude, individualization of the curriculum, physical…

Digitization and Visualization of Greenhouse Tomato Plants in Indoor Environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dawei Li

2015-02-01

Full Text Available This paper is concerned with the digitization and visualization of potted greenhouse tomato plants in indoor environments. For the digitization, an inexpensive and efficient commercial stereo sensor—a Microsoft Kinect—is used to separate visual information about tomato plants from background. Based on the Kinect, a 4-step approach that can automatically detect and segment stems of tomato plants is proposed, including acquisition and preprocessing of image data, detection of stem segments, removing false detections and automatic segmentation of stem segments. Correctly segmented texture samples including stems and leaves are then stored in a texture database for further usage. Two types of tomato plants—the cherry tomato variety and the ordinary variety are studied in this paper. The stem detection accuracy (under a simulated greenhouse environment for the cherry tomato variety is 98.4% at a true positive rate of 78.0%, whereas the detection accuracy for the ordinary variety is 94.5% at a true positive of 72.5%. In visualization, we combine L-system theory and digitized tomato organ texture data to build realistic 3D virtual tomato plant models that are capable of exhibiting various structures and poses in real time. In particular, we also simulate the growth process on virtual tomato plants by exerting controls on two L-systems via parameters concerning the age and the form of lateral branches. This research may provide useful visual cues for improving intelligent greenhouse control systems and meanwhile may facilitate research on artificial organisms.

Modular Sensor Environment : Audio Visual Industry Monitoring Applications

OpenAIRE

Guillot, Calvin

2017-01-01

This work was made for Electro Waves Oy. The company specializes in Audio-visual services and interactive systems. The purpose of this work is to design and implement a modular sensor environment for the company, which will be used for developing automated systems. This thesis begins with an introduction to sensor systems and their different topologies. It is followed by an introduction to the technologies used in this project. The system is divided in three parts. The client, tha...

Effects of the office environment on health and productivity 1: Auditory and visual distraction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Korte, E. de; Kuijt-Evers, L.; Vink, P.

2007-01-01

A pilot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of visual or auditory distraction in an office environment on productivity, concentration and emotion. Ten subjects performed a simple, standardized computer task in five conditions (undisturbed, 3 variations of auditory distraction and visual

The IAA Cosmic Study 'Protecting the Environment of Celestial Bodies'

Science.gov (United States)

Rettberg, Petra; Hofmann, Mahulena; Williamson, Mark

The study group tasked with producing this International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) `Cosmic Study' on Protecting the Environment of Celestial Bodies was formed under the aus-pices of IAA Commission V (Space Policy, Law Economy). The members of the international, multidisciplinary team assembled to undertake the Study accept, as a premise, the Planetary Protection Policy guidelines developed by COSPAR, which differentiate the degree of protec-tion according to the type of space activity and the celestial body under investigation (such that fly-by missions have less stringent requirements than lander missions, while Mars is `better protected' than the Moon). However, this Study goes deliberately beyond the interpretation of `Planetary Protection' as a set of methods for protecting the planets from biological con-tamination and extends consideration to the geophysical, industrial and cultural realms. The Study concludes that, from the perspective of current and future activities in outer space, present measures aimed at protecting the space environment are insufficient. Deficiencies in-clude a lack of suitable in-situ methods of chemical and biological detection and the absence of a systematic record of radioactive contaminants. Other issues identified by the Study include an insufficient legal framework, a shortage of effective economic tools and a lack of political will to address these concerns. It is expected that new detection methods under development, and the resultant increase in microbiological knowledge of the planetary surfaces, will lead to changes in the COSPAR planetary protection guidelines and bioburden limits. It is important, however, that any new approaches should not hamper future exploration and exploitation of celestial bodies more than absolutely necessary. The Study addresses the need to find a balance between protection and freedom of action. From a legal perspective, the Study concludes that a general consensus on protection of the

The Oslo consensus conference on protection of the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oughton, D.H.; Strand, P.

2004-01-01

A number of international organisations are focussing on a revision of radiation protection policy from the existing system which addresses only effects on man, to one which also addresses effects on the wider environment. These developments are expected to effect a wide range of stakeholders, including industry, regulators, scientists, users and the public. With this in mind a 'Consensus Conference on Protection of the Environment' was arranged as part of an International Seminar on 'Radiation Protection in the 21st Century: Ethical, Philosophical and Environmental Issues' held at the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. The conference attracted 46 international experts representing various disciplines and affiliations including Environmental Science, Health Physics, Radioecology, Ethics and Philosophy and a wide spectrum of perspectives bearing on the question of radiation protection of the environment. The conference was novel in that the participants were professionals rather than laypersons, and the purpose of the consensus procedure was to identify areas of agreement as an input to the ongoing regulatory developments. The success and innovation of the model is reflected in the significant areas of agreement identified in the final consensus statement, and the subsequent interest at an international level. Participants also noted the need for furthering the debate through ongoing work. Notable issues were the harmonisation of standards for radiation with other environmental stressors, guidance for balancing different interests and values within practical management, and the need for assessment criteria

Protection of the natural environment - philosophy and criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larsson, Carl-Magnus; Sundell-Bergman, S.

1999-01-01

Nuclear operations give rise to small releases of radionuclides to the environment either under controlled conditions (immediate releases) or uncontrolled from waste repositories in the near or far future (delayed releases). The radiation doses to man from the discharges can be estimated using radioecological and dispersion modelling methods. The system for limiting exposure of individual members of the public is currently based on the recommendation by the ICRP. Their risk philosophy, which stems from the fact that the probability of cancer resulting from radiation will be linear with dose, has hitherto gained broad acceptances for setting authorised dose-limits for man. A discussion has recently emerged on the protection of the natural environment from harmful radiation effects. In this case there is concern for the viability of the population rather than the individuals. As our understanding of important mechanisms regarding the protection of the environment is limited it seems appropriate to adopt a precautionary approach. In matters where little is known about the risks the precautionary principle has a major role to play. Concomitantly, the best available technology (BAT), as stated in the precautionary principle, could be employed to minimise discharges of radionuclides. The development of a regulatory frame-work requires that an objective is set and that standards and indicators are derived in a multi-tiered approach. By applying the precautionary principle for environmental radiation protection the safety margins have to increase. However improving knowledge may in due time lead to more rational decision-making

Competent person for radiation protection. Practical radiation protection for base nuclear installations and installations classified for the environment protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pin, A.; Perez, S.; Videcoq, J.; Ammerich, M.

2008-01-01

This book corresponds to the practical module devoted to the base nuclear installations and to the installations classified for the environment protection, that is to say the permanent nuclear installations susceptible to present risks for the public, environment or workers. Complied with the legislation that stipulates this module must allow to apply the acquired theoretical training to practical situations of work, it includes seven chapters as follow: generalities on access conditions in regulated areas of nuclear installation,s or installations classified for environment protection and clothing against contamination; use of control devices and management of damaged situations; methodology of working place studies, completed by the application to a real case of a study on an intervention on a containment wall; a part entitled 'take stock of the situation' ends every chapter and proposes to the reader to check its understanding and acquisition of treated knowledge. (N.C.)

Real-time tracking of visually attended objects in virtual environments and its application to LOD.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sungkil; Kim, Gerard Jounghyun; Choi, Seungmoon

2009-01-01

This paper presents a real-time framework for computationally tracking objects visually attended by the user while navigating in interactive virtual environments. In addition to the conventional bottom-up (stimulus-driven) saliency map, the proposed framework uses top-down (goal-directed) contexts inferred from the user's spatial and temporal behaviors, and identifies the most plausibly attended objects among candidates in the object saliency map. The computational framework was implemented using GPU, exhibiting high computational performance adequate for interactive virtual environments. A user experiment was also conducted to evaluate the prediction accuracy of the tracking framework by comparing objects regarded as visually attended by the framework to actual human gaze collected with an eye tracker. The results indicated that the accuracy was in the level well supported by the theory of human cognition for visually identifying single and multiple attentive targets, especially owing to the addition of top-down contextual information. Finally, we demonstrate how the visual attention tracking framework can be applied to managing the level of details in virtual environments, without any hardware for head or eye tracking.

Environment radiation protection - Synthesis and perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-07-01

This document presents the principal progresses in the area of risk evaluation to environment in relation with radionuclides during the last five years. It is based on a comparison between the methods that exist for chemical products and this one in progress for radioactive products. The enlightened point concerns the methodologies developed at European scale. The basic concepts of the environmental risk assessment are presented and also its principal components. The knowledge relative to the criteria of environmental protection is presented. The differences between the chemical products and the radioactive products are taken into account. Finally, this document shows the feasibility of methods of risk assessment to ecosystems associated to the presence or release of radioactive substances i environment. (N.C.)

The nuclear energy for the environment protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souza, Jair A.M. de.

1992-01-01

The environmental question is currently the greater preoccupation all the world, particularly, the atmospheric pollution, generating the acid rains and the heater effect. The transportation, residential, agricultural, industrial and electric sectors contribute for the atmospheric pollution. In this work, the author analyzes important actions in Europe and United States of America in order to reduce this pollution. The paper intends to demystifies that the nuclear energy would be harmful to the environment, demonstrating exactly the contrary - due to the emission cares and controls coming from the nuclear power plants, this source of electric energy generation constitutes is an important factor of environment protection

Virtual environment to evaluate multimodal feedback strategies for augmented navigation of the visually impaired.

Science.gov (United States)

Hara, Masayuki; Shokur, Solaiman; Yamamoto, Akio; Higuchi, Toshiro; Gassert, Roger; Bleuler, Hannes

2010-01-01

This paper proposes a novel experimental environment to evaluate multimodal feedback strategies for augmented navigation of the visually impaired. The environment consists of virtual obstacles and walls, an optical tracking system and a simple device with audio and vibrotactile feedback that interacts with the virtual environment, and presents many advantages in terms of safety, flexibility, control over experimental parameters and cost. The subject can freely move in an empty room, while the position of head and arm are tracked in real time. A virtual environment (walls, obstacles) is randomly generated, and audio and vibrotactile feedback are given according to the distance from the subjects arm to the virtual walls/objects. We investigate the applicability of our environment using a simple, commercially available feedback device. Experiments with unimpaired subjects show that it is possible to use the setup to "blindly" navigate in an unpredictable virtual environment. This validates the environment as a test platform to investigate navigation and exploration strategies of the visually impaired, and to evaluate novel technologies for augmented navigation.

Development of a visual tool to analyze interactions in forums in an e-learning environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cláudio Filipe Tereso

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This article presents VAFAE – Forum Access Visualization on a Distance Learning Environment, a web tool that visually maps Universidade Aberta’s (UAb students’ interaction with a course available on the e-learning platform. Raw data is extracted from the log files that are then transformed to obtain the necessary format. Next, different visualization techniques are applied with the aim of improving and streamlining the underlying information. In a more specific way, VAFAE aims at helping teachers to better understand the level and quality of the interaction of the students with the modules of the learning units in UAb’s distance learning environment.

Visual Odometry and Place Recognition Fusion for Vehicle Position Tracking in Urban Environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Ouerghi, Safa; Boutteau, Rémi; Savatier, Xavier; Tlili, Fethi

2018-03-22

In this paper, we address the problem of vehicle localization in urban environments. We rely on visual odometry, calculating the incremental motion, to track the position of the vehicle and on place recognition to correct the accumulated drift of visual odometry, whenever a location is recognized. The algorithm used as a place recognition module is SeqSLAM, addressing challenging environments and achieving quite remarkable results. Specifically, we perform the long-term navigation of a vehicle based on the fusion of visual odometry and SeqSLAM. The template library for this latter is created online using navigation information from the visual odometry module. That is, when a location is recognized, the corresponding information is used as an observation of the filter. The fusion is done using the EKF and the UKF, the well-known nonlinear state estimation methods, to assess the superior alternative. The algorithm is evaluated using the KITTI dataset and the results show the reduction of the navigation errors by loop-closure detection. The overall position error of visual odometery with SeqSLAM is 0.22% of the trajectory, which is much smaller than the navigation errors of visual odometery alone 0.45%. In addition, despite the superiority of the UKF in a variety of estimation problems, our results indicate that the UKF performs as efficiently as the EKF at the expense of an additional computational overhead. This leads to the conclusion that the EKF is a better choice for fusing visual odometry and SeqSlam in a long-term navigation context.

Protecting Human Health in a Changing Environment: 2018 Summer Enrichment Program

Science.gov (United States)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Research Triangle Park, NC is offering a free 1-week Summer Enrichment Program to educate students about how the Agency protects human health and the environment.

Search 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR): Protection of the Environment

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Title 40 is the section of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) that deals with EPA's mission of protecting human health and the environment. This web page provides...

Visual Development Environment for Semantically Interoperable Smart Cities Applications

OpenAIRE

Roukounaki , Aikaterini; Soldatos , John; Petrolo , Riccardo; Loscri , Valeria; Mitton , Nathalie; Serrano , Martin

2015-01-01

International audience; This paper presents an IoT architecture for the semantic interoperability of diverse IoT systems and applications in smart cities. The architecture virtualizes diverse IoT systems and ensures their modelling and representation according to common standards-based IoT ontologies. Furthermore, based on this architecture, the paper introduces a first-of-a-kind visual development environment which eases the development of semantically interoperable applications in smart cit...

The Usability of a GeoVisual Analytics Environment for the Exploration and Analysis of Different Datasets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kveladze, Irma; Kraak, Menno-Jan; van Elzakker, C. P. J. M.

2017-01-01

for pattern recognition, decision-making or analytical reasoning. However, the question is whether those visual representations are suitable for visualization of different types of data to perform similar tasks. The limited usability studies that have been done on interactive analytical environments have...... failed to yield a definite answer. Therefore, this paper presents an evaluation experiment on how an interactive GVA environment can be designed that will effectively support similar task execution processes for different use cases. In the GVA environment investigated, four graphic representations...

Globalization and protection of environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panahandeh, M.

2003-01-01

In recent years two trends have come into conflict in the international arena. The first is the globalization of economy and the second is the increased public concern over the environmental impact of economic activities and awareness of the global dimensions of many environmental problems. Nowadays confrontation of the issue of globalization and economic liberalization and protect of the environment is a matter of heated debate and environmentalists see globalization posing a threat to environment standards. The effects of liberalization on environment in the developing world have been analyzed from the perspective of the pollution- have hypothesis. The hypothesis suggests that the liberalization encourages a spatial displacement of the so-called d irty o r pollution- intensive industries from the developed countries with stricter environmental regulations to their preferential location in developing countries which enjoy minimal environmental regulations or capacity for environmental monitoring and enforcement. It also suggests that economic policies which promote foreign investment in the natural resources of developing countries will increase rates of natural-resource extraction in the developing world. according to the theory, the translational firms will employ cheep technologies in developing countries which are not environmental sound and no longer permitted to use in the industrialized world

THE ORGANIC AGRICULTURE – A WAY TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

TABITA CORNELIA ADAMOV

2008-05-01

Full Text Available The future of the agriculture is a problem very frequently discussed by the specialists. During these debates, the organic agriculture has an advantage. The organic agriculture is taking into consideration two aspects: the human being and the environment. It is based on the prohibition of using chemicals like pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers. This will offer healthy and natural products, but also will protect the environment. The usage of chemicals harms the environment and they remain in the soil for a long time. The substances used to protect the crops destroy the biodiversity, killing the insects, not only the harmful ones. The preservation of the biodiversity and the quality of the environment is an important objective for the beginning of this millennium, extended by the concern for the population health, for food safety assurance and for the improvement of life conditions. The existence of the future human society depends on applying in practice the concept of lasting economical development.

Visual Reasoning in Computational Environment: A Case of Graph Sketching

Science.gov (United States)

Leung, Allen; Chan, King Wah

2004-01-01

This paper reports the case of a form six (grade 12) Hong Kong student's exploration of graph sketching in a computational environment. In particular, the student summarized his discovery in the form of two empirical laws. The student was interviewed and the interviewed data were used to map out a possible path of his visual reasoning. Critical…

Protection of the environment from the effects of ionizing radiation. A report for discussion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-07-01

The acceptability of practices which involve the release of radionuclides into the environment, and of situations where residual radionuclides from accidents or improperly controlled practices exist in the environment, are generally assessed on the basis of implied radiation doses to humans. This approach is consistent with the recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), which include the statement that 'the standard of environmental control needed to protect man to the degree currently thought desirable will ensure that other species are not put at risk'. The general applicability of this statement has been explored in previous IAEA and other publications. These concluded that the statement is generally valid but that reliance upon human based radiological protection criteria may not be adequate for all possible space or time scales. In recent years awareness of the vulnerability of the environment has increased and the need to protect it against the effects of industrial pollutants has been recognized. This trend is reflected in new and developing international policies for environmental protection. In the context of protection of the environment against ionizing radiation, the existing international approach is being challenged in some IAEA Member States and proposals are being made for strategies which provide for explicit protection of the environment. The present publication represents a first step towards establishing an internationally accepted philosophy and associated methodology for protecting the environment against ionizing radiations. The report reviews the various related issues and examines possible approaches to establishing criteria. It is intended for use in stimulating discussion on the subject in Member States. For its part, the IAEA intends to continue a programme of work in this area with the long term objective of providing specific recommendations on primary protection criteria and methods for

Visual simulation study of equipment maintenance in dangerous environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Bo; Yang Yanhua; Li Shiting

2010-01-01

The maintenance characteristics in dangerous environments are analyzed, and the application characteristics of visualized maintenance technology are introduced. The interactive method to implement maintenance simulation is presented using EON simulation platform. Then an interacted Virtual Maintenance Training System (VMTS) is further developed, and the composition and function are described in details. The VMTS can be used in extensive array of application scopes, and it is well compatible to the hardware of virtual reality. (author)

Virtual Environments for Visualizing Structural Health Monitoring Sensor Networks, Data, and Metadata.

Science.gov (United States)

Napolitano, Rebecca; Blyth, Anna; Glisic, Branko

2018-01-16

Visualization of sensor networks, data, and metadata is becoming one of the most pivotal aspects of the structural health monitoring (SHM) process. Without the ability to communicate efficiently and effectively between disparate groups working on a project, an SHM system can be underused, misunderstood, or even abandoned. For this reason, this work seeks to evaluate visualization techniques in the field, identify flaws in current practices, and devise a new method for visualizing and accessing SHM data and metadata in 3D. More precisely, the work presented here reflects a method and digital workflow for integrating SHM sensor networks, data, and metadata into a virtual reality environment by combining spherical imaging and informational modeling. Both intuitive and interactive, this method fosters communication on a project enabling diverse practitioners of SHM to efficiently consult and use the sensor networks, data, and metadata. The method is presented through its implementation on a case study, Streicker Bridge at Princeton University campus. To illustrate the efficiency of the new method, the time and data file size were compared to other potential methods used for visualizing and accessing SHM sensor networks, data, and metadata in 3D. Additionally, feedback from civil engineering students familiar with SHM is used for validation. Recommendations on how different groups working together on an SHM project can create SHM virtual environment and convey data to proper audiences, are also included.

Environment Protection (Alligator Rivers Region) Amendment Act 1987 - No 17 of 1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-01-01

This Act amends the Environment Protection (Alligator Rivers Region) Act 1978. The amendments mainly concern definition of general mining operations and specification of the functions of the Supervisory Scientist and the Research Institute in relation to general mining in an environment conservation zone (parts of the Alligator Rivers Region). The 1978 Act provided for the appointment of a Supervising Scientist responsible for supervising protection of the environment against the effects of uranium mining in the Region, and for the creation of a Research Institute under his management. (NEA) [fr

SimITK: rapid ITK prototyping using the Simulink visual programming environment

Science.gov (United States)

Dickinson, A. W. L.; Mousavi, P.; Gobbi, D. G.; Abolmaesumi, P.

2011-03-01

The Insight Segmentation and Registration Toolkit (ITK) is a long-established, software package used for image analysis, visualization, and image-guided surgery applications. This package is a collection of C++ libraries, that can pose usability problems for users without C++ programming experience. To bridge the gap between the programming complexities and the required learning curve of ITK, we present a higher-level visual programming environment that represents ITK methods and classes by wrapping them into "blocks" within MATLAB's visual programming environment, Simulink. These blocks can be connected to form workflows: visual schematics that closely represent the structure of a C++ program. Due to the heavily C++ templated nature of ITK, direct interaction between Simulink and ITK requires an intermediary to convert their respective datatypes and allow intercommunication. We have developed a "Virtual Block" that serves as an intermediate wrapper around the ITK class and is responsible for resolving the templated datatypes used by ITK to native types used by Simulink. Presently, the wrapping procedure for SimITK is semi-automatic in that it requires XML descriptions of the ITK classes as a starting point, as this data is used to create all other necessary integration files. The generation of all source code and object code from the XML is done automatically by a CMake build script that yields Simulink blocks as the final result. An example 3D segmentation workflow using cranial-CT data as well as a 3D MR-to-CT registration workflow are presented as a proof-of-concept.

Visualization environment for reviewing and experimenting with compaction equipment trajectories in context

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vasenev, Alexandr; Hartmann, Timo; Miller, Seirgei Rosario; Doree, Andries G.

Visualization Environments (VEs) can assist construction professionals in studying intricate interrelations between construction equipment trajectories and their context. Such VEs typically support them in either reviewing earlier conducted work or experimenting with possible alternatives. In the

About the training on radiation protection in health environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hernandez Armas, J.

2007-01-01

Paper education on Radiation Protection in health environments is essential to optimise the use of radiation for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. The continuous increment in the number of available radiation emitting equipment in health environments and the generalisation of procedures, which imply important radiation exposures to patients, are expected to increase the overall doses to patients. A consequence of this will be the increment of harmful effects, especially, radiation induced cancer. General concern towards this respect has produced a generalisation of the requirements considered to be needed in a proper Radiation Protection education. Norms have been created for this purpose at both national and European level. here, the European and Spanish norms are reviewed. the applications of these norms are, also reviewed. Furthermore, the objectives of various platforms and European projects, aimed at improving the formation of health personnel on Radiation Protection, are presented. A conclusion of the review is that there exist significant differences in the syllabuses proposed for various professionals at different levels. Moreover, all the legislation collected in the norms has not been implemented in common practice. (Author) 24 refs

Report of the ninth meeting of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission - Helsinki Commission (HELCOM). Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-01-01

This document is the report of the ninth meeting of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission - the Helsinki Commission - held in Helsinki 15-19 February 1988. The Commission is composed of the representatives of Denmark, Finland, Federal Republic of Germany, Poland, Sweden and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as well as national, regional and international organizations. The Meeting made a number of proposals and recommendations on the protection of the marine environment

Report of the ninth meeting of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission - Helsinki Commission (HELCOM). Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1988-07-01

This document is the report of the ninth meeting of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission - the Helsinki Commission - held in Helsinki 15-19 February 1988. The Commission is composed of the representatives of Denmark, Finland, Federal Republic of Germany, Poland, Sweden and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as well as national, regional and international organizations. The Meeting made a number of proposals and recommendations on the protection of the marine environment.

Using Visualization to Motivate Student Participation in Collaborative Online Learning Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Sung-Hee

2017-01-01

Online participation in collaborative online learning environments is instrumental in motivating students to learn and promoting their learning satisfaction, but there has been little research on the technical supports for motivating students' online participation. The purpose of this study was to develop a visualization tool to motivate learners…

REALIZATION OF VISUAL TECHNIQUE DIDACTIC APPROACH IN ALGORITHMIC TRAINING OF STUDENTS THROUGH INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES OF EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergii Voloshynov

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The article examines the development of visual learning theory, states functions of accuracy and peculiarities of visual technique realization in modern studying process, it defines the concept of “Visual learning environment” and didactic role of interactive and multimedia visualization processes. Author examines the problem of determination of cognitive visualization potential in algorithmic training of students through information and communication technologies of educational environment. This article specifies functions of visual aids use and implementation features of the specified principle in modern educational process and proves the didactic role of interactive multimedia visualization process that stimulates cognitive activity of student and activates perceptive mechanism of teaching information. It analyzes problem of cognitive visualization potential capacity signification while training future marine personnel using informational communicative educational environment.

A visual retrieval environment for hypermedia information system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lucarella, D; Zanzi, A [ENEL s.p.a., Centro Ricerca di Automatica, Cologno Monzese, Milan (Italy)

1995-03-01

The authors a graph-based object model that may be used as a uniform framework for direct manipulation of multimedia information. After an introduction motivating the need for abstraction and structuring mechanisms in hypermedia systems, the authors introduce the data model and the notion of perspective, a form of data abstraction that acts as a user interface to the system, providing control over the visibility of the objects and their properties. A perspective is defined to include an intention and an extension. The authors present a visual retrieval environment that effectively combines filtering, browsing, and navigation to provide an integrated view of the retrieval problem. Design and implementation issues are outlined for MORE (Multimedia Object Retrieval Environment), a prototype system relying on the proposed model. The focus is on the main user interface functionalities, and actual interaction sessions are presented including schema creation, information loading, and information retrieval

Appraisal of the Visual Environment in an Industrial Factory: a Case Study in Subtropical Climates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kieu Pham

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The physiological and psychological benefits of daylighting for office occupants have been well explored. Current research usually focuses on visual comfort in office buildings. However, there is limited knowledge about daylight quality in industrial work environments. In Australia, most industrial buildings are built from standard factory structures that employ daylight from skylights and large door openings, with little consideration to daylighting design strategies and visual comfort. In bright sky conditions as those present in Australia, large openings can become a source of visual discomfort. It is important to understand how workers perceive the luminous environment in this type of work setting. This research explored the perception of daylighting in an industrial work environment. Qualitative measures (questionnaires, interviews, and observational mapping and quantitative measures (physical data were collected over a four week period to examine the type of visual comfort perceived by industrial workers. The results suggests that the desirability to have windows and to have access to a view were important features in this work setting. Access for task lighting and reports of uneven daylighting were indicative to the varying levels of illuminance under intermediate sky conditions. This was reflected in the daylight glare index results and comparisons to the background luminance and glare source luminance, indicating that adaptation may be the cause of responses to daylighting being uneven. The results suggests a need for further research into the quality of the luminous environment in industrial work settings.

Applications of the pipeline environment for visual informatics and genomics computations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Genco Alex

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Contemporary informatics and genomics research require efficient, flexible and robust management of large heterogeneous data, advanced computational tools, powerful visualization, reliable hardware infrastructure, interoperability of computational resources, and detailed data and analysis-protocol provenance. The Pipeline is a client-server distributed computational environment that facilitates the visual graphical construction, execution, monitoring, validation and dissemination of advanced data analysis protocols. Results This paper reports on the applications of the LONI Pipeline environment to address two informatics challenges - graphical management of diverse genomics tools, and the interoperability of informatics software. Specifically, this manuscript presents the concrete details of deploying general informatics suites and individual software tools to new hardware infrastructures, the design, validation and execution of new visual analysis protocols via the Pipeline graphical interface, and integration of diverse informatics tools via the Pipeline eXtensible Markup Language syntax. We demonstrate each of these processes using several established informatics packages (e.g., miBLAST, EMBOSS, mrFAST, GWASS, MAQ, SAMtools, Bowtie for basic local sequence alignment and search, molecular biology data analysis, and genome-wide association studies. These examples demonstrate the power of the Pipeline graphical workflow environment to enable integration of bioinformatics resources which provide a well-defined syntax for dynamic specification of the input/output parameters and the run-time execution controls. Conclusions The LONI Pipeline environment http://pipeline.loni.ucla.edu provides a flexible graphical infrastructure for efficient biomedical computing and distributed informatics research. The interactive Pipeline resource manager enables the utilization and interoperability of diverse types of informatics resources. The

Protecting visual short-term memory during maintenance : Attentional modulation of target and distractor representations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vissers, M.E.; Gulbinaite, R.; van den Bos, T.; Slagter, H.A.

2017-01-01

In the presence of distraction, attentional filtering is a key predictor of efficient information storage in visual short-term memory (VSTM). Yet, the role of attention in distractor filtering, and the extent to which attentional filtering continues to protect information during post-perceptual

The Focus of Attention in Visual Working Memory: Protection of Focused Representations and Its Individual Variation.

Science.gov (United States)

Heuer, Anna; Schubö, Anna

2016-01-01

Visual working memory can be modulated according to changes in the cued task relevance of maintained items. Here, we investigated the mechanisms underlying this modulation. In particular, we studied the consequences of attentional selection for selected and unselected items, and the role of individual differences in the efficiency with which attention is deployed. To this end, performance in a visual working memory task as well as the CDA/SPCN and the N2pc, ERP components associated with visual working memory and attentional processes, were analysed. Selection during the maintenance stage was manipulated by means of two successively presented retrocues providing spatial information as to which items were most likely to be tested. Results show that attentional selection serves to robustly protect relevant representations in the focus of attention while unselected representations which may become relevant again still remain available. Individuals with larger retrocueing benefits showed higher efficiency of attentional selection, as indicated by the N2pc, and showed stronger maintenance-associated activity (CDA/SPCN). The findings add to converging evidence that focused representations are protected, and highlight the flexibility of visual working memory, in which information can be weighted according its relevance.

Are children with low vision adapted to the visual environment in classrooms of mainstream schools?

Science.gov (United States)

Negiloni, Kalpa; Ramani, Krishna Kumar; Jeevitha, R; Kalva, Jayashree; Sudhir, Rachapalle Reddi

2018-02-01

The study aimed to evaluate the classroom environment of children with low vision and provide recommendations to reduce visual stress, with focus on mainstream schooling. The medical records of 110 children (5-17 years) seen in low vision clinic during 1 year period (2015) at a tertiary care center in south India were extracted. The visual function levels of children were compared to the details of their classroom environment. The study evaluated and recommended the chalkboard visual task size and viewing distance required for children with mild, moderate, and severe visual impairment (VI). The major causes of low vision based on the site of abnormality and etiology were retinal (80%) and hereditary (67%) conditions, respectively, in children with mild (n = 18), moderate (n = 72), and severe (n = 20) VI. Many of the children (72%) had difficulty in viewing chalkboard and common strategies used for better visibility included copying from friends (47%) and going closer to chalkboard (42%). To view the chalkboard with reduced visual stress, a child with mild VI can be seated at a maximum distance of 4.3 m from the chalkboard, with the minimum size of visual task (height of lowercase letter writing on chalkboard) recommended to be 3 cm. For 3/60-6/60 range, the maximum viewing distance with the visual task size of 4 cm is recommended to be 85 cm to 1.7 m. Simple modifications of the visual task size and seating arrangements can aid children with low vision with better visibility of chalkboard and reduced visual stress to manage in mainstream schools.

2. National scientific conference on process engineering in environment protection. Conference materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

The national conference on 'Process engineering in environment protection' Jachranka 1994 has been divided into three sessions. Section 1 has been devoted to flue gas purification and collects 13 papers. Section 2 on liquid purification gathered 8 presentation. Section 3 - the poster session with 12 posters on related topics. During the conference 2 lectures and 3 posters have been devoted to the application of nuclear techniques to the solution different problems connected with environment protection

The visual-landscape analysis during the integration of high-rise buildings within the historic urban environment

OpenAIRE

Akristiniy Vera A.; Dikova Elena A.

2018-01-01

The article is devoted to one of the types of urban planning studies - the visual-landscape analysis during the integration of high-rise buildings within the historic urban environment for the purposes of providing pre-design and design studies in terms of preserving the historical urban environment and the implementation of the reconstructional resource of the area. In the article formed and systematized the stages and methods of conducting the visual-landscape analysis taking into account t...

Radiation Protection of Environment under the Light of the New Concept of Radiation Protection of Non-Human Species

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hansruedi Voelkle

2006-01-01

The purpose of this presentation is to discuss the question of whether radiation protection should be extended to plants and animals. Until now the recommendations of ICRP have been focused exclusively on the protection of man from ionizing radiation. It was assumed that, if man is protected, the quality of the living environment is not impaired. In recent years adequate principles, recommendations and laws have become necessary in order to protect the environment from man made toxins. These recommendations aimed to conserve plants and animals, to maintain the diversity of species, the health and status of natural habitats and the natural resources of our planet, to warrant natural evolution and selection processes in order to transmit a healthy world to future generations. Reflections have been made as to whether particular protection of fauna and flora from ionizing radiation should be included. This article presents some considerations from the point of view of operational radiation protection and some comments to the work already done by ICRP committee 5. The final purpose is to invite the audience to make its own reflections and to communicate any criticisms, comments or suggestions to committee 5 of ICRP. (author)

Radiation Protection of Environment under the Light of the New Concept of Radiation Protection of Non-Human Species

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hansruedi Voelkle [Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, Environmental Radioactivity Section, c/o Physics Department, University of Fribourg Chemin du Musee 3, 1700 Fribourg (Switzerland)

2006-07-01

The purpose of this presentation is to discuss the question of whether radiation protection should be extended to plants and animals. Until now the recommendations of ICRP have been focused exclusively on the protection of man from ionizing radiation. It was assumed that, if man is protected, the quality of the living environment is not impaired. In recent years adequate principles, recommendations and laws have become necessary in order to protect the environment from man made toxins. These recommendations aimed to conserve plants and animals, to maintain the diversity of species, the health and status of natural habitats and the natural resources of our planet, to warrant natural evolution and selection processes in order to transmit a healthy world to future generations. Reflections have been made as to whether particular protection of fauna and flora from ionizing radiation should be included. This article presents some considerations from the point of view of operational radiation protection and some comments to the work already done by ICRP committee 5. The final purpose is to invite the audience to make its own reflections and to communicate any criticisms, comments or suggestions to committee 5 of ICRP. (author)

Ways to implement a health protective educational environment in higher education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mykytyuk O.M.

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The features of organization and creation of health protective educational environment are exposed in higher institute. They foresee creation of the special terms for realization structurally of functional model of organization of students' healthy way of life. A model plugs in itself pedagogical, organizational, material and technical, sanitary-hygenic, informatively-methodical, skilled and financial economic terms. A questionnaire is conducted 95 students of 1-3 courses. It is set that the level of factors of risk for the health of students is high enough: prevalence of smoking is 47%, swizzles use more than 20%. It is discovered that the number of students with active physical activity makes not more than 45%. Most students consider that for the health they are responsible, ready and want to get information on forming of healthy way of life. Principles of organization of health protective behave to the features of organization of health protective of educational environment, nature protective, valeological, sequence, integration, pedagogical support, flexibility.

Task group of international union of radioecology 'ecosystem approach to environment protection'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuma, Shoichi

2011-01-01

An ecosystem approach is a holistic (i.e., top-down) strategy for protection of ecosystem structures and functions from perturbations. A task group of International Union of Radioecology 'Ecosystem Approach to Environment Protection' was launched in April, 2010. This task group is preparing a report on the following topics: (1) goals of environmental protection; (2) legislation about environmental protection; (3) assessment of the Reference Animals and Plants (RAP) concept in the general context of environmental protection; (4) limitations and uncertainties of the RAPs concept; (5) justification and merits of the ecosystem approach; (6) assessing the feasibility of the ecosystem approach; (7) research and development required for the ecosystem approach; and (8) recommendations with respect to radiation protection. The topics 1, 3, 4 and 5 have been almost completely prepared, and demonstrate that the ecosystem approach is required for radiation protection of the environment. On the other hand, methods of the ecosystem approach which should be adopted for radiation protection of the environment are not clear in the current draft report. They should be specified by reviewing the Convention on Biological Diversity, fish stock management and other activities where the ecosystem approach is already adopted. (author)

Preparing Content-Rich Learning Environments with VPython and Excel, Controlled by Visual Basic for Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Prayaga, Chandra

2008-01-01

A simple interface between VPython and Microsoft (MS) Office products such as Word and Excel, controlled by Visual Basic for Applications, is described. The interface allows the preparation of content-rich, interactive learning environments by taking advantage of the three-dimensional (3D) visualization capabilities of VPython and the GUI…

Protect Heterogeneous Environment Distributed Computing from Malicious Code Assignment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. S. Gorbatov

2011-09-01

Full Text Available The paper describes the practical implementation of the protection system of heterogeneous environment distributed computing from malicious code for the assignment. A choice of technologies, development of data structures, performance evaluation of the implemented system security are conducted.

Environment Protection (Nuclear Codes) Act 1978, No. 32

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-01-01

The purpose of this Act is to make provision for protecting the health and safety of the people of Australia, and the environment from possible harmful effects associated with nuclear activities. The competent Federal Minister, after consultation with the appropriate Minister of each State, may from time to time arrange for the formulation of codes of practice for regulating and controlling nuclear activities. Also, the Governor-General may authorize by order a Minister to take such action as is necessary to control and eliminate hazards to the health and safety of persons, or the environment, resulting from a nuclear activity. (NEA) [fr

Visuality and reading. Psychological and perceptive dynamics of reading environments (from the printed page to the visual hypertext

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Micla Petrelli

2013-02-01

Full Text Available This essay investigates the psychological and perceptive view of reading as a visual fact and looks at its operations in different environments: from the traditional printed page to the more recent electronic page of the e-book, with particular attention reserved to the relationship between "word" (the linguistic aspects covered by the alphabetical vision and "image" (image of the word and image with the word - visual hypertext integrated with verbal texts in e-book. In the light of the studies of the Psychology of perception, Neurophysiology and Phenomenology, the experience of reading is a function that transcends those value systems tending to oppose the categories of verbal and visual, intellect and intuition, logos and disorder. But literature shows even better the inviolability of belonging of word and image, and how the thinking in images consists in building a bridge between the visible trace and the invisible thing.

Protection of the environment address book. 2. rev. and enlarged ed.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winkler, B.

1991-01-01

This manual contains an extensive collection of non-commercial addresses relating to the protection of the environment: The collection includes the government-controlled, communal, scientific associations and groups, regional initiative groups, educational and advisory instances and foundations. When referring to scientific institutes, their main points of activity are given; referring to ecological educational instances, information on their programs is given. For the first time we are also given a list of environment protection authorities, divisions, coordination bureaus which have been set up in communities and big cities and the communal information and advisory programs. (orig.) [de

Radiation protection for humans and environment. 50 years competence in the professional association

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bucher, Benno; Wilhelm, Christoph

2016-01-01

The conference proceedings of the IRPA (International radiation protection association) annual meeting 2016 contain the contribution of invited referents, other contributions and poster contributions concerning radiation protection in nuclear facilities, radiation protection of the public and environment, radioactive waste management, uranium mining, environmental monitoring, natural radioactivity, and radiation protection laws and regulations.

Human locomotion through a multiple obstacle environment : Strategy changes as a result of visual field limitation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jansen, S.E.M.; Toet, A.; Werkhoven, P.J.

2011-01-01

This study investigated how human locomotion through an obstacle environment is influenced by visual field limitation. Participants were asked to walk at a comfortable pace to a target location while avoiding multiple vertical objects. During this task, they wore goggles restricting their visual

Quality assurance in radiological protection in a Hospital environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alonso, M.; Castaneda, M.J.

1992-01-01

This paper presents a model for the application of Quality Assurance criteria in the protection against radiation in a hospital environment. A description is made of the radiation protection manual and of the General procedures. Details are given of how these were elaborated, revised, approved and distributed under control, and the need is stressed for all affected areas to participate. Finally and analysis is made of the current situation and the intrinsic difficulties involved in the application of these concepts in a hospital. (author)

Are children with low vision adapted to the visual environment in classrooms of mainstream schools?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kalpa Negiloni

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The study aimed to evaluate the classroom environment of children with low vision and provide recommendations to reduce visual stress, with focus on mainstream schooling. Methods: The medical records of 110 children (5–17 years seen in low vision clinic during 1 year period (2015 at a tertiary care center in south India were extracted. The visual function levels of children were compared to the details of their classroom environment. The study evaluated and recommended the chalkboard visual task size and viewing distance required for children with mild, moderate, and severe visual impairment (VI. Results: The major causes of low vision based on the site of abnormality and etiology were retinal (80% and hereditary (67% conditions, respectively, in children with mild (n = 18, moderate (n = 72, and severe (n = 20 VI. Many of the children (72% had difficulty in viewing chalkboard and common strategies used for better visibility included copying from friends (47% and going closer to chalkboard (42%. To view the chalkboard with reduced visual stress, a child with mild VI can be seated at a maximum distance of 4.3 m from the chalkboard, with the minimum size of visual task (height of lowercase letter writing on chalkboard recommended to be 3 cm. For 3/60–6/60 range, the maximum viewing distance with the visual task size of 4 cm is recommended to be 85 cm to 1.7 m. Conclusion: Simple modifications of the visual task size and seating arrangements can aid children with low vision with better visibility of chalkboard and reduced visual stress to manage in mainstream schools.

Visualizing the process of interaction in a 3D environment

Science.gov (United States)

Vaidya, Vivek; Suryanarayanan, Srikanth; Krishnan, Kajoli; Mullick, Rakesh

2007-03-01

As the imaging modalities used in medicine transition to increasingly three-dimensional data the question of how best to interact with and analyze this data becomes ever more pressing. Immersive virtual reality systems seem to hold promise in tackling this, but how individuals learn and interact in these environments is not fully understood. Here we will attempt to show some methods in which user interaction in a virtual reality environment can be visualized and how this can allow us to gain greater insight into the process of interaction/learning in these systems. Also explored is the possibility of using this method to improve understanding and management of ergonomic issues within an interface.

An interactive, stereoscopic virtual environment for medical imaging visualization, simulation and training

Science.gov (United States)

Krueger, Evan; Messier, Erik; Linte, Cristian A.; Diaz, Gabriel

2017-03-01

Recent advances in medical image acquisition allow for the reconstruction of anatomies with 3D, 4D, and 5D renderings. Nevertheless, standard anatomical and medical data visualization still relies heavily on the use of traditional 2D didactic tools (i.e., textbooks and slides), which restrict the presentation of image data to a 2D slice format. While these approaches have their merits beyond being cost effective and easy to disseminate, anatomy is inherently three-dimensional. By using 2D visualizations to illustrate more complex morphologies, important interactions between structures can be missed. In practice, such as in the planning and execution of surgical interventions, professionals require intricate knowledge of anatomical complexities, which can be more clearly communicated and understood through intuitive interaction with 3D volumetric datasets, such as those extracted from high-resolution CT or MRI scans. Open source, high quality, 3D medical imaging datasets are freely available, and with the emerging popularity of 3D display technologies, affordable and consistent 3D anatomical visualizations can be created. In this study we describe the design, implementation, and evaluation of one such interactive, stereoscopic visualization paradigm for human anatomy extracted from 3D medical images. A stereoscopic display was created by projecting the scene onto the lab floor using sequential frame stereo projection and viewed through active shutter glasses. By incorporating a PhaseSpace motion tracking system, a single viewer can navigate an augmented reality environment and directly manipulate virtual objects in 3D. While this paradigm is sufficiently versatile to enable a wide variety of applications in need of 3D visualization, we designed our study to work as an interactive game, which allows users to explore the anatomy of various organs and systems. In this study we describe the design, implementation, and evaluation of an interactive and stereoscopic

Visual Stability of Objects and Environments Viewed through Head-Mounted Displays

Science.gov (United States)

Ellis, Stephen R.; Adelstein, Bernard D.

2015-01-01

Virtual Environments (aka Virtual Reality) is again catching the public imagination and a number of startups (e.g. Oculus) and even not-so-startup companies (e.g. Microsoft) are trying to develop display systems to capitalize on this renewed interest. All acknowledge that this time they will get it right by providing the required dynamic fidelity, visual quality, and interesting content for the concept of VR to take off and change the world in ways it failed to do so in past incarnations. Some of the surprisingly long historical background of the technology that the form of direct simulation that underlies virtual environment and augmented reality displays will be briefly reviewed. An example of a mid 1990's augmented reality display system with good dynamic performance from our lab will be used to illustrate some of the underlying phenomena and technology concerning visual stability of virtual environments and objects during movement. In conclusion some idealized performance characteristics for a reference system will be proposed. Interestingly, many systems more or less on the market now may actually meet many of these proposed technical requirements. This observation leads to the conclusion that the current success of the IT firms trying to commercialize the technology will depend on the hidden costs of using the systems as well as the development of interesting and compelling content.

Solution of tasks concerning protection of underground waters and environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dubinchuk, V.T.; Polyakov, V.A.

1988-01-01

Use of environment isotopes and indicators in solving problems concerning protection of underground waters and environment is discussed. The applied methods permit to study dynamics of underground waters and to estimate risk of their contamination; to follow the surface and underground waters interrelations using data on infiltration recharge estimation etc. Complex nuclear-geophysical and isotope studies may be applied to detect hindered water exchange zones where liquid industrial waste disposals could be placed with minimum damage to environment. 48 refs.; 74 figs.; 22 tabs

The visual-landscape analysis during the integration of high-rise buildings within the historic urban environment

Science.gov (United States)

Akristiniy, Vera A.; Dikova, Elena A.

2018-03-01

The article is devoted to one of the types of urban planning studies - the visual-landscape analysis during the integration of high-rise buildings within the historic urban environment for the purposes of providing pre-design and design studies in terms of preserving the historical urban environment and the implementation of the reconstructional resource of the area. In the article formed and systematized the stages and methods of conducting the visual-landscape analysis taking into account the influence of high-rise buildings on objects of cultural heritage and valuable historical buildings of the city. Practical application of the visual-landscape analysis provides an opportunity to assess the influence of hypothetical location of high-rise buildings on the perception of a historically developed environment and optimal building parameters. The contents of the main stages in the conduct of the visual - landscape analysis and their key aspects, concerning the construction of predicted zones of visibility of the significant historically valuable urban development objects and hypothetically planned of the high-rise buildings are revealed. The obtained data are oriented to the successive development of the planning and typological structure of the city territory and preservation of the compositional influence of valuable fragments of the historical environment in the structure of the urban landscape. On their basis, an information database is formed to determine the permissible urban development parameters of the high-rise buildings for the preservation of the compositional integrity of the urban area.

The visual-landscape analysis during the integration of high-rise buildings within the historic urban environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Akristiniy Vera A.

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to one of the types of urban planning studies - the visual-landscape analysis during the integration of high-rise buildings within the historic urban environment for the purposes of providing pre-design and design studies in terms of preserving the historical urban environment and the implementation of the reconstructional resource of the area. In the article formed and systematized the stages and methods of conducting the visual-landscape analysis taking into account the influence of high-rise buildings on objects of cultural heritage and valuable historical buildings of the city. Practical application of the visual-landscape analysis provides an opportunity to assess the influence of hypothetical location of high-rise buildings on the perception of a historically developed environment and optimal building parameters. The contents of the main stages in the conduct of the visual - landscape analysis and their key aspects, concerning the construction of predicted zones of visibility of the significant historically valuable urban development objects and hypothetically planned of the high-rise buildings are revealed. The obtained data are oriented to the successive development of the planning and typological structure of the city territory and preservation of the compositional influence of valuable fragments of the historical environment in the structure of the urban landscape. On their basis, an information database is formed to determine the permissible urban development parameters of the high-rise buildings for the preservation of the compositional integrity of the urban area.

International news about radiation protection of the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beaugelin-Seiller, K.; Garnier-Laplace, J.

2016-01-01

The new European Basic Safety Standards in Radiation Protection (2013/59/Euratom) introduce 'environmental criteria' to protect human health in the long term. This innovation results from work in progress and from the recent positioning of international organizations and authorities in charge of radiation protection and its implementation, regarding the protection of wildlife against ionizing radiation. On the basis of the international state of the art, from the current regulatory context to existing approaches, the ERICA method has been identified as fully consistent with the ICRP approach and the most operational at the moment, due to its richness, flexibility and traceability. Most of the radiological risk assessments for wildlife published in the 5 last years used part or all of the ERICA approach, generally screening the radiological risk for wildlife from the first stage of the assessment, except for a few areas among those most impacted by radioactive contamination (Chernobyl area, uranium mining sites in Central Asia, etc.). This update of the knowledge in the field at the international level and the feedback on the analysis of regulatory files presented by nuclear operators led to 10 recommendations from the IRSN on the radiation protection of the environment and its implementation. (authors)

The protection and the preservation of the environment the Brazilian nuclear law

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faria, N.M. de; Goes Fischer, M.D. de; Rocha, L.M.G. da; NUCLEBRAS, Rio de Janeiro; Associacao Brasileira de Direito Nuclear, Rio de Janeiro)

1981-01-01

A set of Brazilian rules governing the protection and the preservation of the environment in relation to nuclear activities is presented. The role of CNEN, as an institution that defends the environment is also mentioned. (A.L.) [pt

Does protecting humans protect the environment? A crude examination for UK nuclear power plants and the marine environment using information in the public domain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brownless, G P

2008-01-01

Current activity around radiological protection of the environment implies concerns over the effectiveness of the current approach to this-namely if humans are adequately protected, then so are non-human species. This study uses models and data currently available in the public domain to carry out a 'quick and dirty' examination of whether protecting humans does indeed imply that other species are well protected. Using marine discharges and human habits data for operational coastal UK nuclear power stations, this study compares doses to humans and a set of reference non-human species. The study concludes that the availability of data and models, and consequent ease of studying potential effects on non-humans (as well as humans), vindicates recent efforts in this area, and that these imply a high level of protection, in general, for non-human biota from UK nuclear power station marine discharges. In general terms, the study finds that protection of non-human biota relies on taking ingestion and external exposure doses to humans into account; where only one of these pathways is considered, the level of protection of non-human biota through protection of humans would depend on the radionuclide(s) in question.

Home Environments and Perceived Needs of Anglo and Latino Families of Young Children with Visual Impairments

Science.gov (United States)

Dote-Kwan, Jamie; Chen, Deborah; Hughes, Margaret

2009-01-01

This study examined the influence of home environment, socioeconomic status, and visual functioning on mothers' perceptions of the family needs and development of 19 toddlers with visual impairments from Latino and Anglo backgrounds. Differences were found between the mothers' perceived needs based on ethnicity and their children's degree of…

Thunderstorms in my computer : The effect of visual dynamics and sound in a 3D environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Houtkamp, J.; Schuurink, E.L.; Toet, A.

2008-01-01

We assessed the effects of the addition of dynamic visual elements and sounds to a levee patroller training game on the appraisal of the environment and weather conditions, the engagement of the users and their performance. Results show that the combination of visual dynamics and sounds best conveys

SoundView: an auditory guidance system based on environment understanding for the visually impaired people.

Science.gov (United States)

Nie, Min; Ren, Jie; Li, Zhengjun; Niu, Jinhai; Qiu, Yihong; Zhu, Yisheng; Tong, Shanbao

2009-01-01

Without visual information, the blind people live in various hardships with shopping, reading, finding objects and etc. Therefore, we developed a portable auditory guide system, called SoundView, for visually impaired people. This prototype system consists of a mini-CCD camera, a digital signal processing unit and an earphone, working with built-in customizable auditory coding algorithms. Employing environment understanding techniques, SoundView processes the images from a camera and detects objects tagged with barcodes. The recognized objects in the environment are then encoded into stereo speech signals for the blind though an earphone. The user would be able to recognize the type, motion state and location of the interested objects with the help of SoundView. Compared with other visual assistant techniques, SoundView is object-oriented and has the advantages of cheap cost, smaller size, light weight, low power consumption and easy customization.

IMPLEMENTATION OF PEDAGOGICAL ACTIVITY OF LABOUR PROTECTION SPECIALISTS IN WORK ENVIRONMENT

OpenAIRE

Brizga, Dace

2016-01-01

Human health and wellness are significantly affected by the observance of labour and civil protection rules both in the work environment and in social life. They are also affected by adequate training which is organised according to the age group and situation in order to reduce the formal attitude to the observance of all types of safety rules. Labour protection specialists themselves will be those who will respect and ensure the observance of the labour and civil protection rules. The aim o...

Planning, Implementation and Optimization of Future space Missions using an Immersive Visualization Environement (IVE) Machine

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, E.

Planning, Implementation and Optimization of Future Space Missions using an Immersive Visualization Environment (IVE) Machine E. N. Harris, Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, CO and George.W. Morgenthaler, U. of Colorado at Boulder History: A team of 3-D engineering visualization experts at the Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company have developed innovative virtual prototyping simulation solutions for ground processing and real-time visualization of design and planning of aerospace missions over the past 6 years. At the University of Colorado, a team of 3-D visualization experts are developing the science of 3-D visualization and immersive visualization at the newly founded BP Center for Visualization, which began operations in October, 2001. (See IAF/IAA-01-13.2.09, "The Use of 3-D Immersive Visualization Environments (IVEs) to Plan Space Missions," G. A. Dorn and G. W. Morgenthaler.) Progressing from Today's 3-D Engineering Simulations to Tomorrow's 3-D IVE Mission Planning, Simulation and Optimization Techniques: 3-D (IVEs) and visualization simulation tools can be combined for efficient planning and design engineering of future aerospace exploration and commercial missions. This technology is currently being developed and will be demonstrated by Lockheed Martin in the (IVE) at the BP Center using virtual simulation for clearance checks, collision detection, ergonomics and reach-ability analyses to develop fabrication and processing flows for spacecraft and launch vehicle ground support operations and to optimize mission architecture and vehicle design subject to realistic constraints. Demonstrations: Immediate aerospace applications to be demonstrated include developing streamlined processing flows for Reusable Space Transportation Systems and Atlas Launch Vehicle operations and Mars Polar Lander visual work instructions. Long-range goals include future international human and robotic space exploration missions such as the development of a Mars

30 CFR 250.107 - What must I do to protect health, safety, property, and the environment?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

..., property, and the environment? 250.107 Section 250.107 Mineral Resources MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE... Performance Standards § 250.107 What must I do to protect health, safety, property, and the environment? (a) You must protect health, safety, property, and the environment by: (1) Performing all operations in a...

The nature of impulsivity: visual exposure to natural environments decreases impulsive decision-making in a delay discounting task.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meredith S Berry

Full Text Available The benefits of visual exposure to natural environments for human well-being in areas of stress reduction, mood improvement, and attention restoration are well documented, but the effects of natural environments on impulsive decision-making remain unknown. Impulsive decision-making in delay discounting offers generality, predictive validity, and insight into decision-making related to unhealthy behaviors. The present experiment evaluated differences in such decision-making in humans experiencing visual exposure to one of the following conditions: natural (e.g., mountains, built (e.g., buildings, or control (e.g., triangles using a delay discounting task that required participants to choose between immediate and delayed hypothetical monetary outcomes. Participants viewed the images before and during the delay discounting task. Participants were less impulsive in the condition providing visual exposure to natural scenes compared to built and geometric scenes. Results suggest that exposure to natural environments results in decreased impulsive decision-making relative to built environments.

VRML and Collaborative Environments: New Tools for Networked Visualization

Science.gov (United States)

Crutcher, R. M.; Plante, R. L.; Rajlich, P.

We present two new applications that engage the network as a tool for astronomical research and/or education. The first is a VRML server which allows users over the Web to interactively create three-dimensional visualizations of FITS images contained in the NCSA Astronomy Digital Image Library (ADIL). The server's Web interface allows users to select images from the ADIL, fill in processing parameters, and create renderings featuring isosurfaces, slices, contours, and annotations; the often extensive computations are carried out on an NCSA SGI supercomputer server without the user having an individual account on the system. The user can then download the 3D visualizations as VRML files, which may be rotated and manipulated locally on virtually any class of computer. The second application is the ADILBrowser, a part of the NCSA Horizon Image Data Browser Java package. ADILBrowser allows a group of participants to browse images from the ADIL within a collaborative session. The collaborative environment is provided by the NCSA Habanero package which includes text and audio chat tools and a white board. The ADILBrowser is just an example of a collaborative tool that can be built with the Horizon and Habanero packages. The classes provided by these packages can be assembled to create custom collaborative applications that visualize data either from local disk or from anywhere on the network.

Memory and visual search in naturalistic 2D and 3D environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Chia-Ling; Aivar, M Pilar; Kit, Dmitry M; Tong, Matthew H; Hayhoe, Mary M

2016-06-01

The role of memory in guiding attention allocation in daily behaviors is not well understood. In experiments with two-dimensional (2D) images, there is mixed evidence about the importance of memory. Because the stimulus context in laboratory experiments and daily behaviors differs extensively, we investigated the role of memory in visual search, in both two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) environments. A 3D immersive virtual apartment composed of two rooms was created, and a parallel 2D visual search experiment composed of snapshots from the 3D environment was developed. Eye movements were tracked in both experiments. Repeated searches for geometric objects were performed to assess the role of spatial memory. Subsequently, subjects searched for realistic context objects to test for incidental learning. Our results show that subjects learned the room-target associations in 3D but less so in 2D. Gaze was increasingly restricted to relevant regions of the room with experience in both settings. Search for local contextual objects, however, was not facilitated by early experience. Incidental fixations to context objects do not necessarily benefit search performance. Together, these results demonstrate that memory for global aspects of the environment guides search by restricting allocation of attention to likely regions, whereas task relevance determines what is learned from the active search experience. Behaviors in 2D and 3D environments are comparable, although there is greater use of memory in 3D.

Scientific Visualization and Simulation for Multi-dimensional Marine Environment Data

Science.gov (United States)

Su, T.; Liu, H.; Wang, W.; Song, Z.; Jia, Z.

2017-12-01

As higher attention on the ocean and rapid development of marine detection, there are increasingly demands for realistic simulation and interactive visualization of marine environment in real time. Based on advanced technology such as GPU rendering, CUDA parallel computing and rapid grid oriented strategy, a series of efficient and high-quality visualization methods, which can deal with large-scale and multi-dimensional marine data in different environmental circumstances, has been proposed in this paper. Firstly, a high-quality seawater simulation is realized by FFT algorithm, bump mapping and texture animation technology. Secondly, large-scale multi-dimensional marine hydrological environmental data is virtualized by 3d interactive technologies and volume rendering techniques. Thirdly, seabed terrain data is simulated with improved Delaunay algorithm, surface reconstruction algorithm, dynamic LOD algorithm and GPU programming techniques. Fourthly, seamless modelling in real time for both ocean and land based on digital globe is achieved by the WebGL technique to meet the requirement of web-based application. The experiments suggest that these methods can not only have a satisfying marine environment simulation effect, but also meet the rendering requirements of global multi-dimension marine data. Additionally, a simulation system for underwater oil spill is established by OSG 3D-rendering engine. It is integrated with the marine visualization method mentioned above, which shows movement processes, physical parameters, current velocity and direction for different types of deep water oil spill particle (oil spill particles, hydrates particles, gas particles, etc.) dynamically and simultaneously in multi-dimension. With such application, valuable reference and decision-making information can be provided for understanding the progress of oil spill in deep water, which is helpful for ocean disaster forecasting, warning and emergency response.

[Correlation between legal protection of the environment and health].

Science.gov (United States)

Giraldi, Guglielmo; Rinaldi, Alessandro; D'Andrea, Elvira; Lucchetti, Pietro; Messano, Giuseppe Alessio; d'Alessandro, Eugenia De Luca

2012-01-01

Health promotion is a priority of our time and planning and the evaluation of health and hygiene should be directed towards strategies to improve the well-being and lifestyles of the community. At the legislative level in Italy, the Ministry of Health, was established in 1958 with the task of providing for the collective health of the whole nation and in 1978, with Law 833, the National Health Service (NHS) was created which secured assistance and healthcare to all Italian citizens. The most important component of the entire health system is the Local Health Unit (USL) which has responsibility for prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, and highlights the importance of safeguarding the health, hygiene and safely at home and at work and the "hygiene of urban settlements and communities", ie environmental protection. One of the reasons for the delays in the promotion of environmental protection initiatives in Italy is to be found in the referendums of 1993, including the one which removed the tasks regarding environmental controls from the NHS. The temporary skills gap in the environmental field was filled with the 'National Agency for Environmental Protection (ANPA), which later became the Agency for Environmental Protection and Technical Services (APAT), and the regional level, the Regional Agencies Environmental Protection Agency (ARPA). Law 61/21 January 1994 joined the ARPA to the National Institute for Environmental Research and Protection (ISPRA). It is now necessary to implement a program that takes account of the damage caused to the environment and consequently the individual, which is totally committed the combination of the environment and human health and not, as in the recent past, as two distinct entities. In this sense, it is of fundamental importance the role of prevention departments to promote the organization networking and of individual companies' and individuals' skills, in fact. The integration of planning processes, environmental monitoring

Ethical considerations in protecting the environment from the effects of ionizing radiation. A report for discussion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2002-02-01

In recent years awareness of the vulnerability of the environment has increased and the need to protect it against the effects of industrial pollutants has been recognized. This trend is reflected in new and developing international policies for environmental protection. In the context of protection of the environment against ionizing radiation, the existing international approach is based on providing for the protection of humans. The current recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) include the statement that {sup t}he standard of environmental control needed to protect man to the degree currently thought desirable will ensure that other species are not put at risk... {sup .} In the light of the new focus of concern for the environment, this statement is being critically reviewed in several international fora. The IAEA has, over many years, sponsored studies of the effects of ionizing radiation on species other than humans. Most recently it published a discussion report as IAEA-TECDOC-1091 (1999) in which the need for developing a system for protecting the environment against the effects of ionizing radiation was elaborated and in which various related technical and philosophical issues for resolution were discussed. The current report explores the ethical principles that could underlie a system of environmental protection. It is intended as one step in the development of a framework for the protection of the environment from the effects of ionizing radiation, and is being published in order to promote awareness of the current developments in this field as well as to encourage discussion amongst those involved.

Ethical considerations in protecting the environment from the effects of ionizing radiation. A report for discussion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-02-01

In recent years awareness of the vulnerability of the environment has increased and the need to protect it against the effects of industrial pollutants has been recognized. This trend is reflected in new and developing international policies for environmental protection. In the context of protection of the environment against ionizing radiation, the existing international approach is based on providing for the protection of humans. The current recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) include the statement that t he standard of environmental control needed to protect man to the degree currently thought desirable will ensure that other species are not put at risk... . In the light of the new focus of concern for the environment, this statement is being critically reviewed in several international fora. The IAEA has, over many years, sponsored studies of the effects of ionizing radiation on species other than humans. Most recently it published a discussion report as IAEA-TECDOC-1091 (1999) in which the need for developing a system for protecting the environment against the effects of ionizing radiation was elaborated and in which various related technical and philosophical issues for resolution were discussed. The current report explores the ethical principles that could underlie a system of environmental protection. It is intended as one step in the development of a framework for the protection of the environment from the effects of ionizing radiation, and is being published in order to promote awareness of the current developments in this field as well as to encourage discussion amongst those involved

Robustness of Visual Place Cells in Dynamic Indoor and Outdoor Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Giovannangeli

2006-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a model of visual place cells (PCs based on precise neurobiological data is presented. The robustness of the model in real indoor and outdoor environments is tested. Results show that the interplay between neurobiological modelling and robotic experiments can promote the understanding of the neural structures and the achievement of robust robot navigation algorithms. Short Term Memory (STM, soft competition and sparse coding are important for both landmark identification and computation of PC activities. The extension of the paradigm to outdoor environments has confirmed the robustness of the vision-based model and pointed to improvements in order to further foster its performance.

Protecting people and the environment - nuclear applications outside the energy sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Regge, P.P. de

2002-01-01

Nuclear technologies, isotope technologies, and applications of ionizing radiation are widespread, making important contributions to a continued worldwide improvement of the present standard of living and the protection of people and of the environment. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) develops and supports these technologies under the statute of the United Nations. Within this framework the Agency, among other items, promotes the exchange of information, the training of qualified personnel, the provision of the required equipment, and the drafting of international safety standards. Because of their special importance to people and the environment, mainly these areas are of interest: - nuclear medicine and health care, - veterinary medicine and livestock breeding, - soil cultivation and fertilization, - environmental protection and water supply, - plant cultivation, - pest control, - land mine clearing, protection of cultural assets. The IAEA, with its many decades of activity and experience, can boast of a large number of highly successful ventures. In many countries, the development and application of nuclear technologies have made important contributions, e.g., to improving the food situation, health care, and environmental protection. IAEA's continuing these activities is in the general interest of a promising international development and cooperation. (orig.) [de

On the Usability and Usefulness of 3d (geo)visualizations - a Focus on Virtual Reality Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Çöltekin, A.; Lokka, I.; Zahner, M.

2016-06-01

Whether and when should we show data in 3D is an on-going debate in communities conducting visualization research. A strong opposition exists in the information visualization (Infovis) community, and seemingly unnecessary/unwarranted use of 3D, e.g., in plots, bar or pie charts, is heavily criticized. The scientific visualization (Scivis) community, on the other hand, is more supportive of the use of 3D as it allows `seeing' invisible phenomena, or designing and printing things that are used in e.g., surgeries, educational settings etc. Geographic visualization (Geovis) stands between the Infovis and Scivis communities. In geographic information science, most visuo-spatial analyses have been sufficiently conducted in 2D or 2.5D, including analyses related to terrain and much of the urban phenomena. On the other hand, there has always been a strong interest in 3D, with similar motivations as in Scivis community. Among many types of 3D visualizations, a popular one that is exploited both for visual analysis and visualization is the highly realistic (geo)virtual environments. Such environments may be engaging and memorable for the viewers because they offer highly immersive experiences. However, it is not yet well-established if we should opt to show the data in 3D; and if yes, a) what type of 3D we should use, b) for what task types, and c) for whom. In this paper, we identify some of the central arguments for and against the use of 3D visualizations around these three considerations in a concise interdisciplinary literature review.

Kinematic/Dynamic Characteristics for Visual and Kinesthetic Virtual Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Bortolussi, Michael R. (Compiler); Adelstein, B. D.; Gold, Miriam

1996-01-01

Work was carried out on two topics of principal importance to current progress in virtual environment research at NASA Ames and elsewhere. The first topic was directed at maximizing the temporal dynamic response of visually presented Virtual Environments (VEs) through reorganization and optimization of system hardware and software. The final results of this portion of the work was a VE system in the Advanced Display and Spatial Perception Laboratory at NASA Ames capable of updating at 60 Hz (the maximum hardware refresh rate) with latencies approaching 30 msec. In the course of achieving this system performance, specialized hardware and software tools for measurement of VE latency and analytic models correlating update rate and latency for different system configurations were developed. The second area of activity was the preliminary development and analysis of a novel kinematic architecture for three Degree Of Freedom (DOF) haptic interfaces--devices that provide force feedback for manipulative interaction with virtual and remote environments. An invention disclosure was filed on this work and a patent application is being pursued by NASA Ames. Activities in these two areas are expanded upon below.

Effects of absolute luminance and luminance contrast on visual search in low mesopic environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Hunter, Mathew; Godde, Ben; Olk, Bettina

2018-03-26

Diverse adaptive visual processing mechanisms allow us to complete visual search tasks in a wide visual photopic range (>0.6 cd/m 2 ). Whether search strategies or mechanisms known from this range extend below, in the mesopic and scotopic luminance spectra (search in more complex-feature and conjunction-search paradigms. The results verify the previously reported deficiency windows defined by an interaction of base luminance and luminance contrast for more complex visual-search tasks. Based on significant regression analyses, a more precise definition of the magnitude of contribution of different contrast parameters. Characterized feature search patterns had approximately a 2.5:1 ratio of contribution from the Michelson contrast property relative to Weber contrast, whereas the ratio was approximately 1:1 in a serial-search condition. The results implicate near-complete magnocellular isolation in a visual-search paradigm that has yet to be demonstrated. Our analyses provide a new method of characterizing visual search and the first insight in its underlying mechanisms in luminance environments in the low mesopic and scotopic spectra.

Challenging the current strategy of radiological protection of the environment: arguments for an ecosystem approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brechignac, F.; Doi, Masahiro

2009-01-01

The system of radiological protection of the environment that is currently under development is one contribution to the general need to adequately protect the environment against stress. Dominated by operational goals, it emphasizes conceptual and methodological approaches that are readily accessible today: reference organisms supported by individual-based traditional ecotoxicological data. Whilst there are immediate advantages to this approach (pragmatism, consistency with other approaches in use for man and biota), there are also clear limitations, especially in a longer run perspective, that need to be acknowledged and further considered. One can mention a few: uncertainties generated by the need for various extrapolations (from lower to higher levels of biological organisation, ...), various features missed such as potential ecological impact through impairment of ecosystem processes, trans-generational impacts as mediated through genomic instability, indirect effects mediated through trophic interactions or disruption of ecological balances, ... Such limitations have already been faced in other fields of environmental protection against other stressors, pushing a number of environment professionals to assign stronger emphasis on more systemic approaches. This review discusses the advantages and limitations of the current approach designed for the radiological protection of non-human biota in the broader context of environment protection as a whole, with especial reference to upcoming trends and evolutions. This leads in particular to advocating the need to boost scientific and methodological approaches featuring the ecosystem concept as a mean to access a unified goal of protection: preserving life sustainability through protection of ecosystem structure and functioning.

Challenging the current strategy of radiological protection of the environment: arguments for an ecosystem approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brechignac, F., E-mail: francois.brechignac@irsn. [Institute for Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), Centre d' Etudes de Cadarache, Blg 229, 13115 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France); Doi, Masahiro [National Institute of Radiological Sciences, NIRS, Center for Radiation Protection, Regulatory Sciences Research Group, 4-9-1, Anagawa, Inage, Chiba, 263-8555 (Japan)

2009-12-15

The system of radiological protection of the environment that is currently under development is one contribution to the general need to adequately protect the environment against stress. Dominated by operational goals, it emphasizes conceptual and methodological approaches that are readily accessible today: reference organisms supported by individual-based traditional ecotoxicological data. Whilst there are immediate advantages to this approach (pragmatism, consistency with other approaches in use for man and biota), there are also clear limitations, especially in a longer run perspective, that need to be acknowledged and further considered. One can mention a few: uncertainties generated by the need for various extrapolations (from lower to higher levels of biological organisation, ...), various features missed such as potential ecological impact through impairment of ecosystem processes, trans-generational impacts as mediated through genomic instability, indirect effects mediated through trophic interactions or disruption of ecological balances, ... Such limitations have already been faced in other fields of environmental protection against other stressors, pushing a number of environment professionals to assign stronger emphasis on more systemic approaches. This review discusses the advantages and limitations of the current approach designed for the radiological protection of non-human biota in the broader context of environment protection as a whole, with especial reference to upcoming trends and evolutions. This leads in particular to advocating the need to boost scientific and methodological approaches featuring the ecosystem concept as a mean to access a unified goal of protection: preserving life sustainability through protection of ecosystem structure and functioning.

Influence of the visual environment on the postural stability in healthy older women.

Science.gov (United States)

Brooke-Wavell, K; Perrett, L K; Howarth, P A; Haslam, R A

2002-01-01

A poor postural stability in older people is associated with an increased risk of falling. It is recognized that visual environment factors (such as poor lighting and repeating patterns on escalators) may contribute to falls, but little is known about the effects of the visual environment on postural stability in the elderly. To determine whether the postural stability of older women (using body sway as a measure) differed under five different visual environment conditions. Subjects were 33 healthy women aged 65-76 years. Body sway was measured using an electronic force platform which identified the location of their centre of gravity every 0.05 s. Maximal lateral sway and anteroposterior sway were determined and the sway velocity calculated over 1-min trial periods. Body sway was measured under each of the following conditions: (1) normal laboratory lighting (186 lx); (2) moderate lighting (10 lx); (3) dim lighting (1 lx); (4) eyes closed, and (5) repeating pattern projected onto a wall. Each measure of the postural stability was significantly poorer in condition 4 (eyes closed) than in all other conditions. Anteroposterior sway was greater in condition 3 than in conditions 1 and 2, whilst the sway velocity was greater in condition 3 than in condition 2. Lateral sway did not differ significantly between different lighting levels (conditions 1-3). A projected repeating pattern (condition 5) did not significantly influence the postural stability relative to condition 1. The substantially greater body sway with eyes closed than with eyes open confirms the importance of vision in maintaining the postural stability. At the lowest light level, the body sway was significantly increased as compared with the other light levels, but was still substantially smaller than on closing the eyes. A projected repeating pattern did not influence the postural stability. Dim lighting levels and removing visual input appear to be associated with a poorer postural stability in older

Integrated site investigation procedure for environment protection toward sustainable development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Omar, R C; Roslan, R; Baharuddin, I N Z

2013-01-01

The spatial configuration of cities and their relationship to the urban environment has recently been the subject of empirical, theoretical and policy research. An awareness of environmental issues can assist policy makers, planners, developers and others to recognize the constraints imposed upon development due the physical environment especially in areas, which are susceptible to erosion, flooding and landslide. This paper highlights the key requirements for considering an assessment to protect our urban environment by incorporating three main factor i.e. policy practice, planning process and engineering investigation. Base on this three main factor the framework of the assessment is carried out. The assessment can be divided into three different categories, namely as investigation for planning, investigation for urban development and specialized investigation and mitigation. The minimum requirements for the planning and urban development investigation are listed. These guidelines suggest the level at which the various types of investigation should be carried out as well as the range of application, the scope and methodology to be used for different investigation. It is hoped that this procedure will provide guidance in the establishment and protection of urban ecosystem toward sustainable development.

Proceedings. Protection of the natural environment. International symposium on ionising radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amiro, B.; Johansson, Gunnar; Larsson, Carl-Magnus; Luening, M.

1996-01-01

The symposium was organised jointly by the Swedish Radiation Protection Institute and the Atomic Energy Control Board of Canada. The programme was organised around six major topics: Biological effects of ionising radiation; Ecological effects of ionising radiation; Behaviour and transport of radionuclides in the natural environment; Criteria for environmental protection; Assessment methodology; and Social and economic aspects. All 86 contributions (excluding the opening addresses) have been separately indexed

Environment protection in the electric power supply of China. Status and perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Naihu; Chen Heng

1994-01-01

In the course of its reformatory opening policy during the last years, the economy of China has developed very rapidly. However, this strong economic growth led to serious deficits in the electric power supply. The growth rate of the gross national product was generally higher than that of electric power production during this period. Great efforts were made in China to solve this problem. Numerous new thermal power plants were constructed. These were exclusively fueled by coal, as gas and oil production is limited in China and these raw materials are exported or used by the industry. In the past the spheres of energy politics and ecopolitics in China were largely separate. Increasing pressure from within, as a consequence of growing pollution, and demands from outside to comply with international pollutant emission standards are leading to an integration of environment protection in China's energy policies. The present article describes how China copes with the contradicting demands of its economic plight and environment protection and how it is responding to international demands. Besides this it relates the situation of and future prospects for environment protection in China's electric power supply. (orig.) [de

Protection of environment, health and safety using risk management

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abraham, G [Ghafari Associates, Inc. 17101 Michegan Avenue Dearborn, MI 48126-2736 (United States); Kummler, R H [Department of Chemical engineering Wayne Stae University Detroit, MI 48202 (United States); louvar, J [Research Services Basf Corporation Wyandotte, MI 48192 (United States)

1997-12-31

Section 304 of the 1990 clean air amendments (CAAA) directed the US occupational safety and health administration (OSFA) to develop a chemical process safety standard to protect workers on-site from accidents involving hazardous substances. OSHA issued 29 CFR 1910.119, process safety management of Highly hazardous chemicals (PSM) in 1992. Section 112 r of the CAAA further mandated that a standard be developed to protect the environment from accidental releases of hazardous substances. The US environmental protection agency (EPA) proposed such a standard in 1993 (58 Fr 54190) and revised their proposal in 1995). The final rule for risk management and accidental release prevention is more comprehensive and extensive than OSHA`s PSM standard. In this paper we will discuss the concepts of both programs, the classes of substances that would trigger a facility`s need for compliance and review the regulations for risk management.

Protection of environment, health and safety using risk management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abraham, G.; Kummler, R.H.; louvar, J.

1996-01-01

Section 304 of the 1990 clean air amendments (CAAA) directed the US occupational safety and health administration (OSFA) to develop a chemical process safety standard to protect workers on-site from accidents involving hazardous substances. OSHA issued 29 CFR 1910.119, process safety management of Highly hazardous chemicals (PSM) in 1992. Section 112 r of the CAAA further mandated that a standard be developed to protect the environment from accidental releases of hazardous substances. The US environmental protection agency (EPA) proposed such a standard in 1993 (58 Fr 54190) and revised their proposal in 1995). The final rule for risk management and accidental release prevention is more comprehensive and extensive than OSHA's PSM standard. In this paper we will discuss the concepts of both programs, the classes of substances that would trigger a facility's need for compliance and review the regulations for risk management

A framework for interactive visual analysis of heterogeneous marine data in an integrated problem solving environment

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Shuai; Chen, Ge; Yao, Shifeng; Tian, Fenglin; Liu, Wei

2017-07-01

This paper presents a novel integrated marine visualization framework which focuses on processing, analyzing the multi-dimension spatiotemporal marine data in one workflow. Effective marine data visualization is needed in terms of extracting useful patterns, recognizing changes, and understanding physical processes in oceanography researches. However, the multi-source, multi-format, multi-dimension characteristics of marine data pose a challenge for interactive and feasible (timely) marine data analysis and visualization in one workflow. And, global multi-resolution virtual terrain environment is also needed to give oceanographers and the public a real geographic background reference and to help them to identify the geographical variation of ocean phenomena. This paper introduces a data integration and processing method to efficiently visualize and analyze the heterogeneous marine data. Based on the data we processed, several GPU-based visualization methods are explored to interactively demonstrate marine data. GPU-tessellated global terrain rendering using ETOPO1 data is realized and the video memory usage is controlled to ensure high efficiency. A modified ray-casting algorithm for the uneven multi-section Argo volume data is also presented and the transfer function is designed to analyze the 3D structure of ocean phenomena. Based on the framework we designed, an integrated visualization system is realized. The effectiveness and efficiency of the framework is demonstrated. This system is expected to make a significant contribution to the demonstration and understanding of marine physical process in a virtual global environment.

Energy, entropy, environment: Why is protection of the environment objectively difficult?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rebane, Karl K [Institute of Physics, Tartu (Estonia)

1995-05-01

Evolution and man`s history indicate that the winners are the species and societies that act faster and consume more high-quality energy and materials: in other words, those which cause more pollution and faster growth of entropy. This could be the reason why protection of the environment is objectively difficult and, in particular, why it is almost impossible to considerably reduce man`s consumption of energy and materials in a world of competition. To escape this fatal evolutionary outcome, fundamentally new thinking is needed, thinking which takes the survival of mankind as the primary value. The role of religion in solving this tremendously difficult task should not be neglected

International legal protection of environment in the system of fundamental generally recognized principles of international law

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meherremov, A.A.

2007-01-01

The issue of international legal protection of environment in the system of fundamental, generally recognized principles of international law is analyzed in the article taking into consideration the different opinions in legal scientific researches and international practice. It is concluded that the protection of environment for the present and next generations - is a basic principle of international legal protection of environment. The meaning of this principleis that the countries will take all necessary measures for preservation and promotion of the quality of environment for the present and next generations, as well as rational management of natural resources. Adoption and national legal implementation of specific norms, in conformity with that basic principle, is a main factor in resolution of environmental problemsand ensuring environmental security

Effects of the Visual Exercise Environments on Cognitive Directed Attention, Energy Expenditure and Perceived Exertion.

Science.gov (United States)

Rogerson, Mike; Barton, Jo

2015-06-30

Green exercise research often reports psychological health outcomes without rigorously controlling exercise. This study examines effects of visual exercise environments on directed attention, perceived exertion and time to exhaustion, whilst measuring and controlling the exercise component. Participants completed three experimental conditions in a randomized counterbalanced order. Conditions varied by video content viewed (nature; built; control) during two consistently-ordered exercise bouts (Exercise 1: 60% VO2peakInt for 15-mins; Exercise 2: 85% VO2peakInt to voluntary exhaustion). In each condition, participants completed modified Backwards Digit Span tests (a measure of directed attention) pre- and post-Exercise 1. Energy expenditure, respiratory exchange ratio and perceived exertion were measured during both exercise bouts. Time to exhaustion in Exercise 2 was also recorded. There was a significant time by condition interaction for Backwards Digit Span scores (F2,22 = 6.267, p = 0.007). Scores significantly improved in the nature condition (p visual environments on post-exercise directed attention. Via psychological mechanisms alone, visual nature facilitates attention restoration during moderate-intensity exercise.

Application of Advanced Materials Protecting from Influence of Free Space Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Dotsenko, Oleg; Shovkoplyas, Yuriy

2016-07-01

High cost and low availability of the components certified for use in the space environment forces satellite designers to using industrial and even commercial items. Risks associated with insufficient knowledge about behavior of these components in radiation environment are parried, mainly, by careful radiating designing of a satellite where application of special protective materials with improved space radiation shielding characteristics is one of the most widely used practices. Another advantage of protective materials application appears when a satellite designer needs using equipment in more severe space environment conditions then it has been provided at the equipment development. In such cases only expensive repeated qualification of the equipment hardness can be alternative to protective materials application. But mostly this way is unacceptable for satellite developers, being within strong financial and temporal restrictions. To apply protective materials effectively, the developer should have possibility to answer the question: "Where inside a satellite shall I place these materials and what shall be their shape to meet the requirements on space radiation hardness with minimal mass and volume expenses?" At that, the minimum set of requirements on space radiation hardness include: ionizing dose, nonionizing dose, single events, and internal charging. The standard calculative models and experimental techniques, now in use for space radiation hardness assurance of a satellite are unsuitable for the problem solving in such formulation. The sector analysis methodology, widely used in satellite radiating designing, is applicable only for aluminium shielding and doesn't allow taking into account advantages of protective materials. The programs simulating transport of space radiations through a substance with the use of Monte-Carlo technique, such as GEANT4, FLUKA, HZETRN and others, are fully applicable in view of their capabilities; but time required for

Chemistry for protection of the environment, Eight international conference: Proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lacy, W.J.; Pawlowski, L.; Dlugosz, J.J.

1991-01-01

This report presents research programs from the International Conference on the Chemistry For Protection of the Environment. Topics covered include environmental transport, waste minimization, pollution control and prevention, waste management, soil remediation, and health concerns associated with environmental contamination. Individual projects are processed separately for the data bases

Scientific Visualization for Atmospheric Data Analysis in Collaborative Virtual Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Engelke, Wito; Flatken, Markus; Garcia, Arturo S.; Bar, Christian; Gerndt, Andreas

2016-04-01

1 INTRODUCTION The three year European research project CROSS DRIVE (Collaborative Rover Operations and Planetary Science Analysis System based on Distributed Remote and Interactive Virtual Environments) started in January 2014. The research and development within this project is motivated by three use case studies: landing site characterization, atmospheric science and rover target selection [1]. Currently the implementation for the second use case is in its final phase [2]. Here, the requirements were generated based on the domain experts input and lead to development and integration of appropriate methods for visualization and analysis of atmospheric data. The methods range from volume rendering, interactive slicing, iso-surface techniques to interactive probing. All visualization methods are integrated in DLR's Terrain Rendering application. With this, the high resolution surface data visualization can be enriched with additional methods appropriate for atmospheric data sets. This results in an integrated virtual environment where the scientist has the possibility to interactively explore his data sets directly within the correct context. The data sets include volumetric data of the martian atmosphere, precomputed two dimensional maps and vertical profiles. In most cases the surface data as well as the atmospheric data has global coverage and is of time dependent nature. Furthermore, all interaction is synchronized between different connected application instances, allowing for collaborative sessions between distant experts. 2 VISUALIZATION TECHNIQUES Also the application is currently used for visualization of data sets related to Mars the techniques can be used for other data sets as well. Currently the prototype is capable of handling 2 and 2.5D surface data as well as 4D atmospheric data. Specifically, the surface data is presented using an LoD approach which is based on the HEALPix tessellation of a sphere [3, 4, 5] and can handle data sets in the order of

Developing new serious games tools to improve radiation protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Majersky, T.; Rapant, T.; Bayer, M.; Majersky, D.

2008-01-01

In this paper, novel software technologies for simulation and training of workers in radiologically dangerous conditions are presented. Such new software tools enable the radiation protection managers and workers to better evaluate, visualize and intuitively understand the radiation situation. In the first part of the paper, virtual reality planning tool ALPLANNER is introduced. ALPLANNER enables computation of worker's doses and 3D simulation of planned activities in the environment. In the second part of the paper , a software technology SP ACEVISION for real-time interactive 3D visualization of radioactivity is presented. Radiation fields can be spatially and dynamically visualized in the environment using computer games technologies. Such real-time visualization can be used by RP staff to compute and visualize direct responses of the radiation field to the effects of shielding. Another presented application is determination and visualization of activity sources in inhomogeneous radiation fields. Practical example of how the mentioned software technologies are used during the decommissioning of NPP A-1 Jaslovske Bohunice is provided. Practical example of how the mentioned software technologies are used during the decommissioning of NPP A-1 Jaslovske Bohunice is provided. (authors)

Developing new serious games tools to improve radiation protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Majersky, T.; Rapant, T.; Bayer, M.; Majersky, D.

2009-01-01

In this paper, novel software technologies for simulation and training of workers in radiologically dangerous conditions are presented. Such new software tools enable the radiation protection managers and workers to better evaluate, visualize and intuitively understand the radiation situation. In the first part of the paper, virtual reality planning tool ALPLANNER is introduced. ALPLANNER enables computation of worker's doses and 3D simulation of planned activities in the environment. In the second part of the paper , a software technology SP ACEVISION for real-time interactive 3D visualization of radioactivity is presented. Radiation fields can be spatially and dynamically visualized in the environment using computer games technologies. Such real-time visualization can be used by RP staff to compute and visualize direct responses of the radiation field to the effects of shielding. Another presented application is determination and visualization of activity sources in inhomogeneous radiation fields. Practical example of how the mentioned software technologies are used during the decommissioning of NPP A-1 Jaslovske Bohunice is provided. Practical example of how the mentioned software technologies are used during the decommissioning of NPP A-1 Jaslovske Bohunice is provided. (authors)

Augmented reality and photogrammetry: A synergy to visualize physical and virtual city environments

Science.gov (United States)

Portalés, Cristina; Lerma, José Luis; Navarro, Santiago

2010-01-01

Close-range photogrammetry is based on the acquisition of imagery to make accurate measurements and, eventually, three-dimensional (3D) photo-realistic models. These models are a photogrammetric product per se. They are usually integrated into virtual reality scenarios where additional data such as sound, text or video can be introduced, leading to multimedia virtual environments. These environments allow users both to navigate and interact on different platforms such as desktop PCs, laptops and small hand-held devices (mobile phones or PDAs). In very recent years, a new technology derived from virtual reality has emerged: Augmented Reality (AR), which is based on mixing real and virtual environments to boost human interactions and real-life navigations. The synergy of AR and photogrammetry opens up new possibilities in the field of 3D data visualization, navigation and interaction far beyond the traditional static navigation and interaction in front of a computer screen. In this paper we introduce a low-cost outdoor mobile AR application to integrate buildings of different urban spaces. High-accuracy 3D photo-models derived from close-range photogrammetry are integrated in real (physical) urban worlds. The augmented environment that is presented herein requires for visualization a see-through video head mounted display (HMD), whereas user's movement navigation is achieved in the real world with the help of an inertial navigation sensor. After introducing the basics of AR technology, the paper will deal with real-time orientation and tracking in combined physical and virtual city environments, merging close-range photogrammetry and AR. There are, however, some software and complex issues, which are discussed in the paper.

Nuclear terrorism and legal protection of environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad-zada, Z.; Aliev, D.

2003-01-01

Full text: For the last years the terrorism has significantly changed. If 20-30 years ago terrorists would kidnap famous politicians or hijack planes, but at this stage they switched to massive destruction of innocent people. Now the problem of struggle against nuclear terrorism becomes very actual problem. The nuclear terrorism is meant as an opportunity of accomplishment of act of terrorism with use of the nuclear weapon, or accomplishment of explosions on atomic power stations and other objects of an atomic energy. Threats to nuclear objects become more and more often and appreciable. In the world there were some similar cases of threat to nuclear objects from the part of terrorists, and also cases of use by terrorists of nuclear, chemical and bacteriological substances. These cases testify to real threat of use by terrorists of the weapon of mass destruction. It is natural, that accomplishment of acts of terrorism on these objects can lead to ecological catastrophe and can put an irreparable loss to an environment and process of social development. Up to the middle of sixtieth years of twentieth century protection of an environment was not put forward as an independent political problem, and its scientific substantiation has not been developed enough as a diversified, complex, global problem. Only dynamical development in seventieth - eightieth years of scientific bases of global problems has allowed to allocate the rules of law concerning to protection of an environment, into special group. International legal protection of ecology was precisely allocated now in system of the general international law as independent, specific sphere of regulation. The principle of inadmissibility of radioactive pollution of environment covers both military, and peace area of use of nuclear power. Formation and the statement of this special principle of International law of the Environment takes place in two ways - contractual and usual, with observance by the states of

The use of mobile devices as assistive technology in resource-limited environments: access for learners with visual impairments in Kenya.

Science.gov (United States)

Foley, Alan R; Masingila, Joanna O

2015-07-01

In this paper, the authors explore the use of mobile devices as assistive technology for students with visual impairments in resource-limited environments. This paper provides initial data and analysis from an ongoing project in Kenya using tablet devices to provide access to education and independence for university students with visual impairments in Kenya. The project is a design-based research project in which we have developed and are refining a theoretically grounded intervention--a model for developing communities of practice to support the use of mobile technology as an assistive technology. We are collecting data to assess the efficacy and improve the model as well as inform the literature that has guided the design of the intervention. In examining the impact of the use of mobile devices for the students with visual impairments, we found that the devices provide the students with (a) access to education, (b) the means to participate in everyday life and (c) the opportunity to create a community of practice. Findings from this project suggest that communities of practice are both a viable and a valuable approach for facilitating the diffusion and support of mobile devices as assistive technology for students with visual impairments in resource-limited environments. Implications for Rehabilitation The use of mobile devices as assistive technology in resource-limited environments provides students with visual impairments access to education and enhanced means to participate in everyday life. Communities of practice are both a viable and a valuable approach for facilitating the diffusion and support of mobile devices as assistive technology for students with visual impairments in resource-limited environments. Providing access to assistive technology early and consistently throughout students' schooling builds both their skill and confidence and also demonstrates the capabilities of people with visual impairments to the larger society.

EDF: contribution to local development and the protection of the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parot, F.; Veyret, G.

1995-01-01

As a consequence of the 1982-1983 French Decentralization laws, local elected officials were entrusted with new responsibilities concerning environmental protection and local development. EDF, the French public electricity utility therefore had to respond to new demands. New forms of cooperation with the various local actors were imagined: assistance in diagnostics, working out local strategies, subcontracting and working for the establishment of new industrial plants, multi-purpose water management (dams for example), environment protection (discreet lines...), urban waste treatment, transportation, etc

Polish economic clusters and their efforts to protect the environment – selected examples

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dyrda-Muskus Joanna

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the benefits they can obtain business which aim to protect the environment. The environment protection has found its place and affects the process of systemic change of the Polish economy. This article assumes that building a competitive economy and enterprise development based on the principle of sustainable development requires the development of mechanisms for mutual benefits. These will be the economic mechanisms, technical and technological, and social. All these mechanisms are concentrated in clusters. Pursue sustainable development policies, an emphasis on environmental protection will be the general element for them a competitive advantage. Sustainable development will in this case be both the agent and the goal of economic and entrepreneurship development. Basing on the assumption that economic development is possible through the achievement of competitive advantage, sustainable development should be treated as its source.

Using ecosystem science to improve protection of the environment from radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bradshaw, C. [Stockholm University (Sweden); Brechignac, F. [IUR / IRSN (France); Barnthouse, L. [LWB Environmental Services Inc. (United States); Brown, J. [Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority - NRPA (Norway); Forbes, V. [University of Lincoln (United Kingdom); Kapustka, L. [LC LK Consultancy (Canada); Kautsky, U. [Svensk Kaernbraenslehantering AB - SKB (Sweden)

2014-07-01

The ecosystem approach (EA) involves considering the impacts of an anthropogenic stressor at the ecosystem level because this is usually the ultimate goal of environmental protection. As such, EA includes population, community and ecosystem effects, structural and functional effects, indirect effects due to ecological interactions between species, dynamic interactions, positive or negative feedback loops, and potential synergistic or antagonistic effects of multiple stressors (both anthropogenic and natural). All such effects better reflect the reality of the impact of a contamination scenario than if assessments are restricted to considering effects to individual organisms or species. Such effects may be greater or lesser than expected from studies of individual organisms or species, so not considering them may result in under- or overestimation of risk, respectively. EA is a term that is widely used in environmental assessment, management and legislation in a number of regulatory fields (e.g., radiation protection, chemicals legislation, fisheries policy, international biodiversity conventions). However, although its justification is now well established in a wide range of environment protection contexts, its practical use is still unclear due to poorly defined protection goals and assessment endpoints, making its implementation difficult. This paper presents the initial findings of a newly formed follow-up task group of the International Union of Radioecology whose aims are to identify ways to put the EA into practice when considering protection of the environment from radiation. Drawing on knowledge and experience from a range of fields, we summarise the types of ecosystem processes, goods and services that might be included when using this approach, the science that supports the use of the EA, and the methodological challenges that need to be addressed when implementing the EA in the field of radiation protection. Document available in abstract form only

Habituation to novel visual vestibular environments with special reference to space flight

Science.gov (United States)

Young, L. R.; Kenyon, R. V.; Oman, C. M.

1981-01-01

The etiology of space motion sickness and the underlying physiological mechanisms associated with spatial orientation in a space environment were investigated. Human psychophysical experiments were used as the basis for the research concerning the interaction of visual and vestibular cues in the development of motion sickness. Particular emphasis is placed on the conflict theory in terms of explaining these interactions. Research on the plasticity of the vestibulo-ocular reflex is discussed.

Scalable Adaptive Graphics Environment (SAGE) Software for the Visualization of Large Data Sets on a Video Wall

Science.gov (United States)

Jedlovec, Gary; Srikishen, Jayanthi; Edwards, Rita; Cross, David; Welch, Jon; Smith, Matt

2013-01-01

The use of collaborative scientific visualization systems for the analysis, visualization, and sharing of "big data" available from new high resolution remote sensing satellite sensors or four-dimensional numerical model simulations is propelling the wider adoption of ultra-resolution tiled display walls interconnected by high speed networks. These systems require a globally connected and well-integrated operating environment that provides persistent visualization and collaboration services. This abstract and subsequent presentation describes a new collaborative visualization system installed for NASA's Shortterm Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) program at Marshall Space Flight Center and its use for Earth science applications. The system consists of a 3 x 4 array of 1920 x 1080 pixel thin bezel video monitors mounted on a wall in a scientific collaboration lab. The monitors are physically and virtually integrated into a 14' x 7' for video display. The display of scientific data on the video wall is controlled by a single Alienware Aurora PC with a 2nd Generation Intel Core 4.1 GHz processor, 32 GB memory, and an AMD Fire Pro W600 video card with 6 mini display port connections. Six mini display-to-dual DVI cables are used to connect the 12 individual video monitors. The open source Scalable Adaptive Graphics Environment (SAGE) windowing and media control framework, running on top of the Ubuntu 12 Linux operating system, allows several users to simultaneously control the display and storage of high resolution still and moving graphics in a variety of formats, on tiled display walls of any size. The Ubuntu operating system supports the open source Scalable Adaptive Graphics Environment (SAGE) software which provides a common environment, or framework, enabling its users to access, display and share a variety of data-intensive information. This information can be digital-cinema animations, high-resolution images, high-definition video

Scalable Adaptive Graphics Environment (SAGE) Software for the Visualization of Large Data Sets on a Video Wall

Science.gov (United States)

Jedlovec, G.; Srikishen, J.; Edwards, R.; Cross, D.; Welch, J. D.; Smith, M. R.

2013-12-01

The use of collaborative scientific visualization systems for the analysis, visualization, and sharing of 'big data' available from new high resolution remote sensing satellite sensors or four-dimensional numerical model simulations is propelling the wider adoption of ultra-resolution tiled display walls interconnected by high speed networks. These systems require a globally connected and well-integrated operating environment that provides persistent visualization and collaboration services. This abstract and subsequent presentation describes a new collaborative visualization system installed for NASA's Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) program at Marshall Space Flight Center and its use for Earth science applications. The system consists of a 3 x 4 array of 1920 x 1080 pixel thin bezel video monitors mounted on a wall in a scientific collaboration lab. The monitors are physically and virtually integrated into a 14' x 7' for video display. The display of scientific data on the video wall is controlled by a single Alienware Aurora PC with a 2nd Generation Intel Core 4.1 GHz processor, 32 GB memory, and an AMD Fire Pro W600 video card with 6 mini display port connections. Six mini display-to-dual DVI cables are used to connect the 12 individual video monitors. The open source Scalable Adaptive Graphics Environment (SAGE) windowing and media control framework, running on top of the Ubuntu 12 Linux operating system, allows several users to simultaneously control the display and storage of high resolution still and moving graphics in a variety of formats, on tiled display walls of any size. The Ubuntu operating system supports the open source Scalable Adaptive Graphics Environment (SAGE) software which provides a common environment, or framework, enabling its users to access, display and share a variety of data-intensive information. This information can be digital-cinema animations, high-resolution images, high-definition video

Augmented Virtuality: A Real-time Process for Presenting Real-world Visual Sensory Information in an Immersive Virtual Environment for Planetary Exploration

Science.gov (United States)

McFadden, D.; Tavakkoli, A.; Regenbrecht, J.; Wilson, B.

2017-12-01

Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) applications have recently seen an impressive growth, thanks to the advent of commercial Head Mounted Displays (HMDs). This new visualization era has opened the possibility of presenting researchers from multiple disciplines with data visualization techniques not possible via traditional 2D screens. In a purely VR environment researchers are presented with the visual data in a virtual environment, whereas in a purely AR application, a piece of virtual object is projected into the real world with which researchers could interact. There are several limitations to the purely VR or AR application when taken within the context of remote planetary exploration. For example, in a purely VR environment, contents of the planet surface (e.g. rocks, terrain, or other features) should be created off-line from a multitude of images using image processing techniques to generate 3D mesh data that will populate the virtual surface of the planet. This process usually takes a tremendous amount of computational resources and cannot be delivered in real-time. As an alternative, video frames may be superimposed on the virtual environment to save processing time. However, such rendered video frames will lack 3D visual information -i.e. depth information. In this paper, we present a technique to utilize a remotely situated robot's stereoscopic cameras to provide a live visual feed from the real world into the virtual environment in which planetary scientists are immersed. Moreover, the proposed technique will blend the virtual environment with the real world in such a way as to preserve both the depth and visual information from the real world while allowing for the sensation of immersion when the entire sequence is viewed via an HMD such as Oculus Rift. The figure shows the virtual environment with an overlay of the real-world stereoscopic video being presented in real-time into the virtual environment. Notice the preservation of the object

Environment Protection (Northern Territory Supreme Court) Act 1978, No.30

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-01-01

This Act relates to the enforcement by the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory of certain provisions for protecting the environment in the Alligator Rivers Region; it provides that the Supreme Court has jurisdiction to make orders concerning enforcement of provisions relating to the environmental effects in the Region of uranium mining operations. (NEA) [fr

Poverty, Socio-Political Factors and Degradation of the Environment in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Need For a Holistic Approach to the Protection of the Environment and Realisation of the Right to Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emeka Polycarp Amechi

2009-09-01

Full Text Available The right to environment is a recognised human right in Africa. However, despite the legal and institutional frameworks designed to respect, promote, protect and fulfil the right, its enjoyment is still a mirage to majority of African citizens as a result of environmental degradation. This article aims to proffer a holistic or integrated approach to tackling the problem of environmental degradation in sub-Saharan Africa in order to enhance the protection of the environment and the realisation of this right in the region. It recognises that the problem of environmental degradation in the region is not due to lack of regulatory frameworks, but rather due to other factors that are mainly socio-economic and political in nature. It argues that to enhance the protection of the environment and realisation of this right in sub-Saharan Africa, African governments must adopt a holistic approach towards the protection of the environment, and proposes the promotion of good governance and socio-economic reform in the region as an integral core of such approach.

The expense for the protection of the environment reaches 46 billions Euros in 2011

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diel, Olivier

2013-08-01

Illustrated by graphs showing the expense evolution since 2000, evolutions of expense with respect to the domain (R and D, administration, air, waters, wastes, soil and underground waters, noise, biodiversity and landscape, radioactive wastes), the relative importance of sources of financing (households, enterprises, administrations) and the evolution of household expenses for the protection of the environment, this article outlines the global expense increase, that wastes and water are the main expense domains, that expenses are boosted by the private sector's R and D and by public policies, that some areas are supported, that the administrations finance three quarters of expenses for the protection biodiversity, and that the household share in the expense for the protection of the environment is increasing

Incorporating a Wheeled Vehicle Model in a New Monocular Visual Odometry Algorithm for Dynamic Outdoor Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Yanhua; Xiong, Guangming; Chen, Huiyan; Lee, Dah-Jye

2014-01-01

This paper presents a monocular visual odometry algorithm that incorporates a wheeled vehicle model for ground vehicles. The main innovation of this algorithm is to use the single-track bicycle model to interpret the relationship between the yaw rate and side slip angle, which are the two most important parameters that describe the motion of a wheeled vehicle. Additionally, the pitch angle is also considered since the planar-motion hypothesis often fails due to the dynamic characteristics of wheel suspensions and tires in real-world environments. Linearization is used to calculate a closed-form solution of the motion parameters that works as a hypothesis generator in a RAndom SAmple Consensus (RANSAC) scheme to reduce the complexity in solving equations involving trigonometric. All inliers found are used to refine the winner solution through minimizing the reprojection error. Finally, the algorithm is applied to real-time on-board visual localization applications. Its performance is evaluated by comparing against the state-of-the-art monocular visual odometry methods using both synthetic data and publicly available datasets over several kilometers in dynamic outdoor environments. PMID:25256109

Incorporating a Wheeled Vehicle Model in a New Monocular Visual Odometry Algorithm for Dynamic Outdoor Environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanhua Jiang

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a monocular visual odometry algorithm that incorporates a wheeled vehicle model for ground vehicles. The main innovation of this algorithm is to use the single-track bicycle model to interpret the relationship between the yaw rate and side slip angle, which are the two most important parameters that describe the motion of a wheeled vehicle. Additionally, the pitch angle is also considered since the planar-motion hypothesis often fails due to the dynamic characteristics of wheel suspensions and tires in real-world environments. Linearization is used to calculate a closed-form solution of the motion parameters that works as a hypothesis generator in a RAndom SAmple Consensus (RANSAC scheme to reduce the complexity in solving equations involving trigonometric. All inliers found are used to refine the winner solution through minimizing the reprojection error. Finally, the algorithm is applied to real-time on-board visual localization applications. Its performance is evaluated by comparing against the state-of-the-art monocular visual odometry methods using both synthetic data and publicly available datasets over several kilometers in dynamic outdoor environments.

Spanish method of visual impact evaluation in wind farms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hurtado, J.P.; Parrondo, J.L.; Blanco, E. [Universidad de Oviedo, Gijon (Spain). Dpto. de Energia; Fernandez, J. [Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz (Spain). Dpto. de Electronica e Ingenieria Electromecanica

2004-10-01

The present Spanish laws on the procedure to evaluate the environmental impact of wind farms are ambiguous, especially those pertaining to visual impact. There is no specific national law but only regional laws. The main targets of these laws are the conservation of the environment (protected animals and plants), and the noise generated. The focus of this paper, the visual impact, is not taken into account in a direct way in these laws. This work develops a methodology to predict, before its construction, the visual impact that a wind farm can have. This could be used as a consulting tool to analyse and evaluate wind projects, both government-run and private. The developed methodology is quick, concise and clear. (author)

Radiological Protection of the Environment and its Implementation into IAEA Safety Standards

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Telleria

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Radiological protection of the environment has been intensively discussed in recent years. Much progress has been made recently with regard to the development of models: (i to estimate the uptake of radionuclides by flora and fauna in different habitats and ecosystems; (ii to calculate internal and external exposures for a wide range of terrestrial and aquatic organisms; and (iii in investigating and analyzing the effects of radiation exposures to biota. This paper gives an overview of the current status of this work. Furthermore, the current status of the integration of environmental protection into the radiation protection system is also summarized.

Material and cultural assets. Part of radiation protection of the environment?; Sach- und Kulturgueter. Teil eines Strahlenschutzes der Umwelt?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gellermann, R.G. [Nuclear Control and Consulting GmbH, Braunschweig (Germany); Loebner, W.

2015-07-01

Since several years the protection of the environment has been discussed at various international levels as part of radiation protection. ICRP has published a number of recommendations which relate primarily to the evaluation of radiation exposures to non-human species. Nevertheless, not least because of the declaratory mention of the environment in national legislative documents, the question arises how the environment can be integrated into the radiation protection or whether the radiation protection must be even expanded to new fields. A less discussed aspect here covers material and cultural assets that are classified in environmental law as objects worthy of protection. The paper describes some issues that arise in this context and outlines a framework for the consideration of material assets in radiation protection.

Discovering new methods of data fusion, visualization, and analysis in 3D immersive environments for hyperspectral and laser altimetry data

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, C. A.; Gertman, V.; Olsoy, P.; Mitchell, J.; Glenn, N. F.; Joshi, A.; Norpchen, D.; Shrestha, R.; Pernice, M.; Spaete, L.; Grover, S.; Whiting, E.; Lee, R.

2011-12-01

Immersive virtual reality environments such as the IQ-Station or CAVE° (Cave Automated Virtual Environment) offer new and exciting ways to visualize and explore scientific data and are powerful research and educational tools. Combining remote sensing data from a range of sensor platforms in immersive 3D environments can enhance the spectral, textural, spatial, and temporal attributes of the data, which enables scientists to interact and analyze the data in ways never before possible. Visualization and analysis of large remote sensing datasets in immersive environments requires software customization for integrating LiDAR point cloud data with hyperspectral raster imagery, the generation of quantitative tools for multidimensional analysis, and the development of methods to capture 3D visualizations for stereographic playback. This study uses hyperspectral and LiDAR data acquired over the China Hat geologic study area near Soda Springs, Idaho, USA. The data are fused into a 3D image cube for interactive data exploration and several methods of recording and playback are investigated that include: 1) creating and implementing a Virtual Reality User Interface (VRUI) patch configuration file to enable recording and playback of VRUI interactive sessions within the CAVE and 2) using the LiDAR and hyperspectral remote sensing data and GIS data to create an ArcScene 3D animated flyover, where left- and right-eye visuals are captured from two independent monitors for playback in a stereoscopic player. These visualizations can be used as outreach tools to demonstrate how integrated data and geotechnology techniques can help scientists see, explore, and more adequately comprehend scientific phenomena, both real and abstract.

National symposium: nuclear technique in industry, medicine, agriculture and environment protection. Abstracts of papers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

The National Symposium 'Nuclear Techniques in Industry, Medicine, Agriculture and Environment Protection' has been held in Rynia near Warsaw from 24 to 27 April 1995. Totally 94 lectures have been presented. The actual state of art in Polish investigations have been shown in all branches of applied nuclear sciences. The plenary session devoted to general topics has began the symposium. Further conference has been divided into 18 subject sessions. There were: 1) radiation technologies in environment protection; 2) radiation technologies in materials engineering; 3) radiation preservation in food; 4) radiation techniques for medical use; 5) radiotracers in industrial investigations; 6) radiotracers in water and sewage management and leak control; 7) tracers in hydrology; 8) radiotracers in materials testing; 9) instruments for environment protection, 10) radiometric industrial gages; 11) diagnostic and testing instruments; 12) application of nuclear techniques in materials testing; 13) applications of nuclear techniques in geology and hydrogeology; 14) radioanalytical methods; 15) radiation detectors; 16) radiation measurements; 17) data processing from radiometric experiments; 18) accelerators, isotopes manufacturing, INIS

Using Eye Tracking to Explore Consumers' Visual Behavior According to Their Shopping Motivation in Mobile Environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Yoon Min; Lee, Kun Chang

2017-07-01

Despite a strong shift to mobile shopping trends, many in-depth questions about mobile shoppers' visual behaviors in mobile shopping environments remain unaddressed. This study aims to answer two challenging research questions (RQs): (a) how much does shopping motivation like goal orientation and recreation influence mobile shoppers' visual behavior toward displays of shopping information on a mobile shopping screen and (b) how much of mobile shoppers' visual behavior influences their purchase intention for the products displayed on a mobile shopping screen? An eye-tracking approach is adopted to answer the RQs empirically. The experimental results showed that goal-oriented shoppers paid closer attention to products' information areas to meet their shopping goals. Their purchase intention was positively influenced by their visual attention to the two areas of interest such as product information and consumer opinions. In contrast, recreational shoppers tended to visually fixate on the promotion area, which positively influences their purchase intention. The results contribute to understanding mobile shoppers' visual behaviors and shopping intentions from the perspective of mindset theory.

Global environment protection from the universe. Uchuu yori no chikyu kankyo hogo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iwasaki, N. (National Space Development Agency of Japan NASDA, Tokyo (Japan))

1994-06-15

Two articles of 'Care of coppice in Wood Totoro' and 'Global environment protection from the universe' are included in this report. The former explains the necessity of coppice conservation through an example of Sayama Hill in Tokyo. Until the time 30 years ago, coppices are deeply related to people as the places which supply fuel and fertilizer to villagers, but they have been left or cut down by energy source conversion and development of home lots. Now we must learn the traditional methods of caring coppices again and find a new sense of values regarding the nature. The latter introduces satellite-used remote sensing which allows to continuously scan all the areas of the earth within a short period for global environment protection. This sensor uses a wide range of wavelengths from light to radiowave. In the U.S., it is operated in the name of LANDSAT since 1972, and Japan is also operating various kinds of satellites for environment research concerning, e.g., CO2 concentration and resource exploration. 10 figs.

Marine environment protection for the North and Baltic Seas. Special Report - February 2004

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2004-07-01

The marine environment of the North Sea and Baltic Sea is still heavily polluted. The marine ecosystems are under severe stress from overfishing, water pollution, raw materials production and tourism. Environmental protection in this region necessitates decisive political initiatives and strict corrections especially in fishery policy, agricultural policy and chemical substances control. This is the balance of the special expert opinion of the Council of Environmental Experts. The publication specifies the main problem areas, the current pollution situation, the fields where action is most urgently required - especially in fishery, chemical substances, agricultural and sea travel policies - and presents suggestions for an integrated European and national marine protection policy including a regional development concept for the marine environment. (orig.)

Problems in developing a rational approach to radiological protection of the environment from a regulatory viewpoint

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sgrilli, E.; Tarroni, G.

2002-01-01

The aim of this paper is to outline problems arising when trying to draw an obvious parallel between what is already extant for the radiation protection of man and the environment and what might further be thought feasible for the environment. For this purpose a brief summary will be made of the salient characteristics of the present radiation protection system, as recommended by ICRP and accepted inter alia in the IAEA basic safety standards and european directives, estimates of radiation effects on biota and trends in environmental protection will be briefly reviewed, as well as the main challenges to meet. (N.C.)

The Effects of Visual Cues and Learners' Field Dependence in Multiple External Representations Environment for Novice Program Comprehension

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Liew Tze; Sazilah, Salam

2012-01-01

This study investigated the effects of visual cues in multiple external representations (MER) environment on the learning performance of novices' program comprehension. Program codes and flowchart diagrams were used as dual representations in multimedia environment to deliver lessons on C-Programming. 17 field independent participants and 16 field…

Learning feedback and feedforward control in a mirror-reversed visual environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Kasuga, Shoko; Telgen, Sebastian; Ushiba, Junichi; Nozaki, Daichi; Diedrichsen, Jörn

2015-10-01

When we learn a novel task, the motor system needs to acquire both feedforward and feedback control. Currently, little is known about how the learning of these two mechanisms relate to each other. In the present study, we tested whether feedforward and feedback control need to be learned separately, or whether they are learned as common mechanism when a new control policy is acquired. Participants were trained to reach to two lateral and one central target in an environment with mirror (left-right)-reversed visual feedback. One group was allowed to make online movement corrections, whereas the other group only received visual information after the end of the movement. Learning of feedforward control was assessed by measuring the accuracy of the initial movement direction to lateral targets. Feedback control was measured in the responses to sudden visual perturbations of the cursor when reaching to the central target. Although feedforward control improved in both groups, it was significantly better when online corrections were not allowed. In contrast, feedback control only adaptively changed in participants who received online feedback and remained unchanged in the group without online corrections. Our findings suggest that when a new control policy is acquired, feedforward and feedback control are learned separately, and that there may be a trade-off in learning between feedback and feedforward controllers. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

Flight Tasks and Metrics to Evaluate Laser Eye Protection in Flight Simulators

Science.gov (United States)

2017-07-07

IFR ) IFR Instrument Flight Rules LED Light Emitting Diode LEP Laser Eye Protection MAPP Model Assessing Pilot Performance OD Optical Density...LEP and then use them to assess the impact of wearing LEP in a flight simulator environment. 2 Pending Distribution, A: Approved for public...2005). LEP has the potential to alter distinct characteristics of the visual environment, giving rise to concerns over the impact on flight tasks and

Measures for protection of the environment and the breach of a foreign investor's rights

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Đundić Petar

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The paper analyses the relationship between state measures aimed at protecting the environment and the so-called regulative expropriation of investment. Protection of the environment has established itself as a legitimate regulative purpose in legal doctrine and in a number of sources of international foreign investment law. In the analytical framework of police powers doctrine it would suggest that state measures taken for environmental reasons, even if they are harmful for the economic interests of foreign investor, cannot be considered regulative expropriation. However, arbitral practice shows more restrictive approach towards regulative freedom of states in this area. The right of state to regulate without imposition of a duty to compensate a foreign investor for his loss is not unconditionally accepted. The regulative measure must be taken in good faith, i.e. with the true purpose of protecting the environment and nondiscriminatory in its character. Furthermore, there is a tendency in arbitral practice that the legitimate regulative purpose of state measure is weighed against other factors such as legitimate expectations of a foreign investor and the level of his economic loss in order to determine whether the expropriation has occurred.

Jurisprudence by the European Court of Justice in the field of environment protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lenz, C.O.

1993-01-01

The lecture gives a detailed overview of the jurisprudence by the European Court of Justice, especially of the legal and contractual basis of environment protection. It deals with the distribution of responsibilities, jurisprudence on water protection, clean air presevation, and disposal law. From a global viewpoint, the European Court of Justice can only give impulses, the implementation of concrete measures being the task of the politicians. (HSCH) [de

Magnetic beads-based DNAzyme recognition and AuNPs-based enzymatic catalysis amplification for visual detection of trace uranyl ion in aqueous environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hongyan; Lin, Ling; Zeng, Xiaoxue; Ruan, Yajuan; Wu, Yongning; Lin, Minggui; He, Ye; Fu, FengFu

2016-04-15

We herein developed a novel biosensor for the visual detection of trace uranyl ion (UO2(2+)) in aqueous environment with high sensitivity and specificity by using DNAzyme-functionalized magnetic beads (MBs) for UO2(2+) recognition and gold nano-particles (AuNPs)-based enzymatic catalysis oxidation of TMB (3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine sulfate) for signal generation. The utilization of MBs facilitates the magnetic separation and collection of sensing system from complex sample solution, which leads to more convenient experimental operation and more strong resistibility of the biosensor to the matrix of sample, and the utilization of AuNPs-based enzymatic catalysis amplification greatly improved the sensitivity of the biosensor. Compared with the previous DNAzyme-based UO2(2+) sensors, the proposed biosensor has outstanding advantages such as relative high sensitivity and specificity, operation convenience, low cost and more strong resistibility to the matrix of sample. It can be used to detect as low as 0.02 ppb (74 pM) of UO2(2+) in aqueous environment by only naked-eye observation and 1.89 ppt (7.0 pM) of UO2(2+) by UV-visible spectrophotometer with a recovery of 93-99% and a RSD ≤ 5.0% (n=6) within 3h. Especially, the visual detection limit of 0.02 ppb (74 pM) is much lower than the maximum allowable level of UO2(2+) (130 nM) in the drinking water defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indicating that our method meets the requirement of rapid and on-site detection of UO2(2+) in the aqueous environment by only naked-eye observation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Space-Time Cube as part of a GeoVisual Analytics Environment to support the understanding of movement data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kveladze, Irma; Kraak, M. J.; van Elzakker, C. P. J. M.

2015-01-01

This paper reports the results of an empirical usability experiment on the performance of the space-time cube in a GeoVisual analytics environment. It was developed to explore movement data based on the requirements of human geographers. The interactive environment consists of multiple coordinated...

Role of physics in the role in the development and protection of environment. V.2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

This is volume 2 of the proceedings of the 1992 National Physics Conference held in Cairo Egypt. It contains papers on the role that the physics currently plays in the development and protection of the environment. Some of the topics covered include (1) nuclear power production and the environment, (2) solar power and the environment, (3) crystallography and the environment and (4) hazardous effects of nonionising radiations from household equipment

Effects of the Visual Exercise Environments on Cognitive Directed Attention, Energy Expenditure and Perceived Exertion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mike Rogerson

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Green exercise research often reports psychological health outcomes without rigorously controlling exercise. This study examines effects of visual exercise environments on directed attention, perceived exertion and time to exhaustion, whilst measuring and controlling the exercise component. Participants completed three experimental conditions in a randomized counterbalanced order. Conditions varied by video content viewed (nature; built; control during two consistently-ordered exercise bouts (Exercise 1: 60% VO2peakInt for 15-mins; Exercise 2: 85% VO2peakInt to voluntary exhaustion. In each condition, participants completed modified Backwards Digit Span tests (a measure of directed attention pre- and post-Exercise 1. Energy expenditure, respiratory exchange ratio and perceived exertion were measured during both exercise bouts. Time to exhaustion in Exercise 2 was also recorded. There was a significant time by condition interaction for Backwards Digit Span scores (F2,22 = 6.267, p = 0.007. Scores significantly improved in the nature condition (p < 0.001 but did not in the built or control conditions. There were no significant differences between conditions for either perceived exertion or physiological measures during either Exercise 1 or Exercise 2, or for time to exhaustion in Exercise 2. This was the first study to demonstrate effects of controlled exercise conducted in different visual environments on post-exercise directed attention. Via psychological mechanisms alone, visual nature facilitates attention restoration during moderate-intensity exercise.

Verbalizing, Visualizing, and Navigating: The Effect of Strategies on Encoding a Large-Scale Virtual Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Kraemer, David J. M.; Schinazi, Victor R.; Cawkwell, Philip B.; Tekriwal, Anand; Epstein, Russell A.; Thompson-Schill, Sharon L.

2017-01-01

Using novel virtual cities, we investigated the influence of verbal and visual strategies on the encoding of navigation-relevant information in a large-scale virtual environment. In 2 experiments, participants watched videos of routes through 4 virtual cities and were subsequently tested on their memory for observed landmarks and their ability to…

Protection of the Environment: Current ICRP Work and EC-Funded Research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larsson, C.M.; Holm, L.E.

2003-01-01

The requirement for assessments of the environmental effects of radiation, i.e. effects on non-human biota, is increasing due to growing public concern for environmental protection issues and integration of environmental impact assessments into the regulatory process. Thus, there is a strong need to establish a framework for the assessment of environmental impact of ionising radiation, as well as a system for protection of the environment from ionising radiation. These ambitions are reflected in a number of international efforts and various 'systems' have been proposed or are under development. This paper considers the current discussions on environmental protection within the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), as part of the Commission's ongoing revision of its recommendations as laid out in Publication 60. Furthermore, the paper reviews work within the EC-funded FASSET (Framework for ASSessment of Environmental impacT) project. The concepts developed both by ICRP and FASSET are similar, and the FASSET approach and results may illustrate how forthcoming ICRP recommendations could be turned into practical application. (orig.)

Radiological protection of the environment, including non-human species-views from the global nuclear industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saint-Pierre, S.; RPWG

2008-01-01

This paper updates the WNA key messages on the RP of the environment. This paper shows that the chronology of views (2000-2008) leads to a recognition that the current RP system has provided adequate protection of people and of the environment. In early 2000s, doubts were raised on the adequacy of the RP system. Next (2002-2005), the international community forged the view that the current RP system has in practice provided appropriate standards of environmental protection, but also acknowledged that the system needs further development to fill a 'conceptual gap'. In 2005, the IAEA plan of activities on the RP of the environment formalized international developments and conditioned the future revision (if any) of current standards. During 2006-2008, ICRP issued new guidance on RP of non-human species which offers little on an assessment framework of practical use and on a compelling case for such assessments. This guidance, based on the new ICRP concept of Reference Animals and Plants, falls short in terms of environmental protection approach. A milestone study on the RP of non-human species is the SENES independent overview (2007) which 'confirmed that both people and nature have been adequately protected from radioactive releases from all kinds of nuclear sites, old and new'. This overview covers case studies for nuclear sites including some that had experienced major accidents. It derives that the earlier acknowledgement on the 'conceptual gap' appears no longer valid or at the very least, that the gap (if any) is extremely small. The RP of the environment is part of the on-going revision of the current IAEA Basic Safety Standards (BSS). We emphasize that the recently published BSS draft 1.0 in July 2008 covers (with adequacy) RP of the environment through general provisions (free of provisions to non-human species) on the assessment of environmental impact. (author)

Materials of All-Polish Symposium Nuclear Techniques in Industry, Medicine, Agriculture and Environment Protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

The All-Polish Symposium Nuclear Techniques in Industry, Medicine, Agriculture and Environment Protection is cyclic (in 3 year period) conference being a broad review of state of art and development of all nuclear branches cooperated with industry and other branches of national economy and public life in Poland. The conference has been divided in one plenary session and 6 problem sessions as follow: Environmental protection, earth sciences, protection of cultural objects; Industrial applications; applications in medicine, medical apparatus; measurement methods, simulations, experiment planning; radiation techniques; laboratories, metrology

Not Just a Game … When We Play Together, We Learn Together: Interactive Virtual Environments and Gaming Engines for Geospatial Visualization

Science.gov (United States)

Shipman, J. S.; Anderson, J. W.

2017-12-01

An ideal tool for ecologists and land managers to investigate the impacts of both projected environmental changes and policy alternatives is the creation of immersive, interactive, virtual landscapes. As a new frontier in visualizing and understanding geospatial data, virtual landscapes require a new toolbox for data visualization that includes traditional GIS tools and uncommon tools such as the Unity3d game engine. Game engines provide capabilities to not only explore data but to build and interact with dynamic models collaboratively. These virtual worlds can be used to display and illustrate data that is often more understandable and plausible to both stakeholders and policy makers than is achieved using traditional maps.Within this context we will present funded research that has been developed utilizing virtual landscapes for geographic visualization and decision support among varied stakeholders. We will highlight the challenges and lessons learned when developing interactive virtual environments that require large multidisciplinary team efforts with varied competences. The results will emphasize the importance of visualization and interactive virtual environments and the link with emerging research disciplines within Visual Analytics.

Estimatation of evapotranspiration and crop coefficient of melon cultivated in protected environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cláudia S. Lozano

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The objective of this work was to determine the water consumption and the crop coefficient of melon in a protected environment. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at the Technical Center of Irrigation of the State University of Maringá, in Maringá, PR. The melon hybrid used was Sunrise and the irrigations were performed daily by drip irrigation. Crop water requirement was quantified based on its evapotranspiration directly measured through constant water table lysimeters. Weather information was collected in an automatic weather station, installed inside the protected environment, which allowed to calculate the reference evapotranspiration by the Penman-Monteith method. The total water consumption of the melon crop was 295 mm, reaching maximum crop evapotranspiration of 5.16 mm d-1. The phenological stages were shorter in the initial, growth and intermediate phases, compared with the data from FAO. The determined crop coefficients were 0.87, 1.15 and 0.64 for the initial, intermediate and final stages, respectively

Exploiting coalbed methane and protecting the global environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yuheng, Gao

1996-12-31

The global climate change caused by greenhouse gases (GHGs) emission has received wide attention from all countries in the world. Global environmental protection as a common problem has confronted the human being. As a main component of coalbed methane, methane is an important factor influencing the production safety of coal mine and threatens the lives of miners. The recent research on environment science shows that methane is a very harmful GHG. Although methane gas has very little proportion in the GHGs emission and its stayed period is also very short, it has very obvious impact on the climate change. From the estimation, methane emission in the coal-mining process is only 10% of the total emission from human`s activities. As a clean energy, Methane has mature recovery technique before, during and after the process of mining. Thus, coalbed methane is the sole GHG generated in the human`s activities and being possible to be reclaimed and utilized. Compared with the global greenhouse effect of other GHGs emission abatement, coalbed methane emission abatement can be done in very low cost with many other benefits: (1) to protect global environment; (2) to improve obviously the safety of coal mine; and (3) to obtain a new kind of clean energy. Coal is the main energy in China, and coalbed contains very rich methane. According to the exploration result in recent years, about 30000{approximately}35000 billion m{sup 2} methane is contained in the coalbed below 2000 m in depth. China has formed a good development base in the field of reclamation and utilization of coalbed methane. The author hopes that wider international technical exchange and cooperation in the field will be carried out.

Visual identification and similarity measures used for on-line motion planning of autonomous robots in unknown environments

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez, Fredy; Martínez, Fernando; Jacinto, Edwar

2017-02-01

In this paper we propose an on-line motion planning strategy for autonomous robots in dynamic and locally observable environments. In this approach, we first visually identify geometric shapes in the environment by filtering images. Then, an ART-2 network is used to establish the similarity between patterns. The proposed algorithm allows that a robot establish its relative location in the environment, and define its navigation path based on images of the environment and its similarity to reference images. This is an efficient and minimalist method that uses the similarity of landmark view patterns to navigate to the desired destination. Laboratory tests on real prototypes demonstrate the performance of the algorithm.

Protection of visual functions by human neural progenitors in a rat model of retinal disease.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David M Gamm

2007-03-01

Full Text Available A promising clinical application for stem and progenitor cell transplantation is in rescue therapy for degenerative diseases. This strategy seeks to preserve rather than restore host tissue function by taking advantage of unique properties often displayed by these versatile cells. In studies using different neurodegenerative disease models, transplanted human neural progenitor cells (hNPC protected dying host neurons within both the brain and spinal cord. Based on these reports, we explored the potential of hNPC transplantation to rescue visual function in an animal model of retinal degeneration, the Royal College of Surgeons rat.Animals received unilateral subretinal injections of hNPC or medium alone at an age preceding major photoreceptor loss. Principal outcomes were quantified using electroretinography, visual acuity measurements and luminance threshold recordings from the superior colliculus. At 90-100 days postnatal, a time point when untreated rats exhibit little or no retinal or visual function, hNPC-treated eyes retained substantial retinal electrical activity and visual field with near-normal visual acuity. Functional efficacy was further enhanced when hNPC were genetically engineered to secrete glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor. Histological examination at 150 days postnatal showed hNPC had formed a nearly continuous pigmented layer between the neural retina and retinal pigment epithelium, as well as distributed within the inner retina. A concomitant preservation of host cone photoreceptors was also observed.Wild type and genetically modified human neural progenitor cells survive for prolonged periods, migrate extensively, secrete growth factors and rescue visual functions following subretinal transplantation in the Royal College of Surgeons rat. These results underscore the potential therapeutic utility of hNPC in the treatment of retinal degenerative diseases and suggest potential mechanisms underlying their effect in

Navigation and Self-Semantic Location of Drones in Indoor Environments by Combining the Visual Bug Algorithm and Entropy-Based Vision.

Science.gov (United States)

Maravall, Darío; de Lope, Javier; Fuentes, Juan P

2017-01-01

We introduce a hybrid algorithm for the self-semantic location and autonomous navigation of robots using entropy-based vision and visual topological maps. In visual topological maps the visual landmarks are considered as leave points for guiding the robot to reach a target point (robot homing) in indoor environments. These visual landmarks are defined from images of relevant objects or characteristic scenes in the environment. The entropy of an image is directly related to the presence of a unique object or the presence of several different objects inside it: the lower the entropy the higher the probability of containing a single object inside it and, conversely, the higher the entropy the higher the probability of containing several objects inside it. Consequently, we propose the use of the entropy of images captured by the robot not only for the landmark searching and detection but also for obstacle avoidance. If the detected object corresponds to a landmark, the robot uses the suggestions stored in the visual topological map to reach the next landmark or to finish the mission. Otherwise, the robot considers the object as an obstacle and starts a collision avoidance maneuver. In order to validate the proposal we have defined an experimental framework in which the visual bug algorithm is used by an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in typical indoor navigation tasks.

Navigation and Self-Semantic Location of Drones in Indoor Environments by Combining the Visual Bug Algorithm and Entropy-Based Vision

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Darío Maravall

2017-08-01

Full Text Available We introduce a hybrid algorithm for the self-semantic location and autonomous navigation of robots using entropy-based vision and visual topological maps. In visual topological maps the visual landmarks are considered as leave points for guiding the robot to reach a target point (robot homing in indoor environments. These visual landmarks are defined from images of relevant objects or characteristic scenes in the environment. The entropy of an image is directly related to the presence of a unique object or the presence of several different objects inside it: the lower the entropy the higher the probability of containing a single object inside it and, conversely, the higher the entropy the higher the probability of containing several objects inside it. Consequently, we propose the use of the entropy of images captured by the robot not only for the landmark searching and detection but also for obstacle avoidance. If the detected object corresponds to a landmark, the robot uses the suggestions stored in the visual topological map to reach the next landmark or to finish the mission. Otherwise, the robot considers the object as an obstacle and starts a collision avoidance maneuver. In order to validate the proposal we have defined an experimental framework in which the visual bug algorithm is used by an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV in typical indoor navigation tasks.

Visual Variables in Physical Environments and Virtual Environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mullins, Michael

, then to locate them and identify their shape on scaled drawings.  Results are presented together with statistical analysis. In a discussion of the results, the paper addresses the assertions that depth perception in physical reality and its virtual representations in CAVE and Panorama are quantifiably different......; that differences are attributable to prior contextual experience and spatial ability of the viewer; and that general attributes of virtual environments may be drawn from the experiments findings. The paper discusses implications of spatial ability for virtual environments in architectural education......This study compares aspects of spatial perception in a physical environment and its virtual representations in a CAVE and Panorama, based on the author?s recent empirical research. Participants in an experiment were shown objects identically placed in the virtual and physical environments...

Saving energy and protecting environment of electric vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Lina; Chen, Huajun; Gong, Jing

2017-05-01

With the concept of low carbon economy, saving energy, and protecting environment spread, the development of the electric promotes the research pace of wireless charging electronic vehicles, which will become the best choice of energy supply in the future. To generalize and exploit the corresponding alternative fuels and the research and development, and promotion of electric vehicles, becomes the effective means to directly reduce the consumption of fuel, effectively relieves the problem of nervous energy and environmental pollution, and really conforms to the requirements of the national strategy of sustainable development in China. This paper introduces the status of electronic cars and wireless charging, expounds the principle of wireless charging, and concludes the full text.

Overview of EVE - the event visualization environment of ROOT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tadel, Matevz

2010-01-01

EVE is a high-level visualization library using ROOT's data-processing, GUI and OpenGL interfaces. It is designed as a framework for object management offering hierarchical data organization, object interaction and visualization via GUI and OpenGL representations. Automatic creation of 2D projected views is also supported. On the other hand, it can serve as an event visualization toolkit satisfying most HEP requirements: visualization of geometry, simulated and reconstructed data such as hits, clusters, tracks and calorimeter information. Special classes are available for visualization of raw-data. Object-interaction layer allows for easy selection and highlighting of objects and their derived representations (projections) across several views (3D, Rho-Z, R-Phi). Object-specific tooltips are provided in both GUI and GL views. The visual-configuration layer of EVE is built around a data-base of template objects that can be applied to specific instances of visualization objects to ensure consistent object presentation. The data-base can be retrieved from a file, edited during the framework operation and stored to file. EVE prototype was developed within the ALICE collaboration and has been included into ROOT in December 2007. Since then all EVE components have reached maturity. EVE is used as the base of AliEve visualization framework in ALICE, Firework physics-oriented event-display in CMS, and as the visualization engine of FairRoot in FAIR.

Overview of EVE - the event visualization environment of ROOT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tadel, Matevz, E-mail: matevz.tadel@cern.c [CERN, CH-1211 Geneve 23 (Switzerland)

2010-04-01

EVE is a high-level visualization library using ROOT's data-processing, GUI and OpenGL interfaces. It is designed as a framework for object management offering hierarchical data organization, object interaction and visualization via GUI and OpenGL representations. Automatic creation of 2D projected views is also supported. On the other hand, it can serve as an event visualization toolkit satisfying most HEP requirements: visualization of geometry, simulated and reconstructed data such as hits, clusters, tracks and calorimeter information. Special classes are available for visualization of raw-data. Object-interaction layer allows for easy selection and highlighting of objects and their derived representations (projections) across several views (3D, Rho-Z, R-Phi). Object-specific tooltips are provided in both GUI and GL views. The visual-configuration layer of EVE is built around a data-base of template objects that can be applied to specific instances of visualization objects to ensure consistent object presentation. The data-base can be retrieved from a file, edited during the framework operation and stored to file. EVE prototype was developed within the ALICE collaboration and has been included into ROOT in December 2007. Since then all EVE components have reached maturity. EVE is used as the base of AliEve visualization framework in ALICE, Firework physics-oriented event-display in CMS, and as the visualization engine of FairRoot in FAIR.

Securing a better future for all: Nuclear techniques for global development and environmental protection. NA factsheet on environment laboratories: Protecting the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-01-01

According to the Millennium Development Goals, managing the environment is considered an integral part of the global development process. The main purpose of the IAEA's environment laboratories is to provide Member States with reliable information on environmental issues and facilitate decision making on protection of the environment. An increasingly important feature of this work is to assess the impact of climate change on environmental sustainability and natural resources. The IAEA's environment laboratories use nuclear techniques, radionuclides, isotopic tracers and stable isotopes to gain a better understanding of the various marine processes, including locating the sources of pollutants and their fate, their transport pathways and their ultimate accumulation in sediments. Radioisotopes are also used to study bioaccumulation in organisms and the food chain, as well as to track signals of climate change throughout history. Natural and artificial radionuclides are used to track ocean currents in key regions. They are also used to validate models designed to predict the future impact of climate change and ocean acidification. The laboratories study the fate and impact of contamination on a variety of ecosystems in order to provide effective preventative diagnostic and remediation strategies. They enhance the capability of Member States to use nuclear techniques to understand and assess changes in their own terrestrial and atmospheric environments, and adopt suitable and sustainable remediation measures when needed. Since 1995, the IAEA environment laboratories have coordinated the international network of Analytical Laboratories for the Measurement of Environmental Radioactivity, providing accurate analysis in the event of an accident or an intentional release of radioactivity. In addition, the laboratories work alongside other organizations, such as UNESCO, the IOC, UNEP and the EC. The laboratories collaborate with Member States through direct involvement with

A copyright protection scheme for digital images based on shuffled singular value decomposition and visual cryptography.

Science.gov (United States)

Devi, B Pushpa; Singh, Kh Manglem; Roy, Sudipta

2016-01-01

This paper proposes a new watermarking algorithm based on the shuffled singular value decomposition and the visual cryptography for copyright protection of digital images. It generates the ownership and identification shares of the image based on visual cryptography. It decomposes the image into low and high frequency sub-bands. The low frequency sub-band is further divided into blocks of same size after shuffling it and then the singular value decomposition is applied to each randomly selected block. Shares are generated by comparing one of the elements in the first column of the left orthogonal matrix with its corresponding element in the right orthogonal matrix of the singular value decomposition of the block of the low frequency sub-band. The experimental results show that the proposed scheme clearly verifies the copyright of the digital images, and is robust to withstand several image processing attacks. Comparison with the other related visual cryptography-based algorithms reveals that the proposed method gives better performance. The proposed method is especially resilient against the rotation attack.

CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS VERSUS THE PROTECTION OF NATURE AND ENVIRONMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elżbieta Hanna Szafranko

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Construction investments are related to the economic development of each country. Expansion of towns and settlements, construction, industrial, commercial and recreational objects and the communication network is necessary and results from regional development strategies. For their implementation it is necessary to prepare the area designated for their development. In many regions of our country area suitable for construction are increasingly limited, and furthermore investors often looks for an attractive investment location. For this reason, more and more construction projects dangerously close to areas of high natural value and protected and often are entering the these areas. To minimize the negative investment impact on the environment there are developed several variants of investment. Next, assessing the positive and negative effects, we choose the best, from the point of view of the surrounding environment solution. To illustrate the procedure example of analysis using the method proposed by the author, the indicator is shown.

Colour and luminance contrasts predict the human detection of natural stimuli in complex visual environments.

Science.gov (United States)

White, Thomas E; Rojas, Bibiana; Mappes, Johanna; Rautiala, Petri; Kemp, Darrell J

2017-09-01

Much of what we know about human colour perception has come from psychophysical studies conducted in tightly-controlled laboratory settings. An enduring challenge, however, lies in extrapolating this knowledge to the noisy conditions that characterize our actual visual experience. Here we combine statistical models of visual perception with empirical data to explore how chromatic (hue/saturation) and achromatic (luminant) information underpins the detection and classification of stimuli in a complex forest environment. The data best support a simple linear model of stimulus detection as an additive function of both luminance and saturation contrast. The strength of each predictor is modest yet consistent across gross variation in viewing conditions, which accords with expectation based upon general primate psychophysics. Our findings implicate simple visual cues in the guidance of perception amidst natural noise, and highlight the potential for informing human vision via a fusion between psychophysical modelling and real-world behaviour. © 2017 The Author(s).

The change in body stressed to relaxed body through breathing, visualization and a protective environment together

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evelyn I. Rodríguez Morrill

2009-11-01

Full Text Available This work shows several ways to meet and relax the body through personal knowledge and techniques encounter with nature. Modern life and fast, the constant pressure from childhood to adulthood, in the modes of interaction between individuals and groups, they lead to construction of bodies that reflect emotional anatomy visible loss of balance, contractures, inflammation, multiple imbalances by lack of knowledge and awareness especially being in the world fully, the person has moved away from its ecological relationship with itself and the environment. Methods are shown to positively change a condition of constant stress and chronic discomfort, a learned condition of physical and psychological wellbeing, with a series of movements, recovering the body through exercise, to tend to personal balance, obtaining a positive relationship with the environment and the people attended. The proposal starts promoting new habits that can be saved in consciousness. Partly, mainly of breath, alignment with the music and the environment and personal and group work

Learning about “wicked” problems in the Global South. Creating a film-based learning environment with “Visual Problem Appraisal”

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Loes Witteveen

2012-03-01

Full Text Available The current complexity of sustainable development in the Global South calls for the design of learning strategies that can deal with this complexity. One such innovative learning strategy, called Visual Problem Appraisal (VPA, is highlighted in this article. The strategy is termed visual as it creates a learning environment that is film-based. VPA enhances the analysis of complex issues, and facilitates stakeholder dialogue and action planning. The strategy is used in workshops dealing with problem analysis and policy design, and involves the participants “meeting” stakeholders through filmed narratives. The article demonstrates the value of using film in multi stakeholder learning environments addressing issues concerning sustainable development.

Sustainable Agriculture for Environment Protection: Results of Six Years of Cooperation between China and Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Corrado Clini

2011-02-01

Full Text Available The importance of a shift toward agricultural systems, which are more complex in terms of biodiversity in emerging countries such as China, where most of the population (about 60% lives in rural areas, in poor conditions and still relies on agriculture as the main source of income, is discussed. In China the problems caused by shifting to more intensive and polluting agricultural production patterns to address the demand for food of the growing population and by the need of higher incomes of rural communities are serious. The experience gained in the framework of the Sino-Italian Cooperation Program for Environment Protection jointly launched by the Italian Ministry for the Environment and Territory (IMET and the State Environment Protection Administration of China (SEPA in the year 2000, through the implementation of several cooperation projects in different rural areas of China is critically discussed.

Evaluation of visual skills in sedentary and active work environments ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

motor skills. Visual-motor skills encompass three essential ocular motor skills, namely focusing, eye-hand coordination and tracking. The aspects of the visual perceptual process include visual memory and visualization. This study aims to ...

Optimum combination of water drainage,water supply and eco-environment protection in coal-accumulated basin of North China

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2000-01-01

The conflict among water drainage,water supply and eco-environment protection is getting more and more serious due to the irrational drainage and exploitation of ground water resources in coal-accumulated basins of North China.Efficient solutions to the conflict are to maintain long-term dynamic balance between input and output of the ground water basins,and to try to improve resourcification of the mine water.All solutions must guarantee the eco-environment quality.This paper presents a new idea of optimum combination of water drainage,water supply and eco-environment protection so as to solve the problem of unstable mine water supply,which is caused by the changeable water drainage for the whole combination system.Both the management of hydraulic techniques and constraints in economy,society,ecology,environment,industrial structural adjustments and sustainable developments have been taken into account.Since the traditional and separate management of different departments of water drainage,water supply and eco-environment protection is broken up,these departments work together to avoid repeated geological survey and specific evaluation calculations so that large amount of national investment can be saved and precise calculation for the whole system can be obtained.In the light of the conflict of water drainage,water supply and eco-environment protection in a typical sector in Jiaozuo coal mine,a case study puts forward an optimum combination scheme,in which a maximum economic benefit objective is constrained by multiple factors.The scheme provides a very important scientific base for finding a sustainable development strategy.

Conference ECORAD 2004 - the scientific basis for environment protection against radioactivity. Abstracts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2004-07-01

Under strong social pressure driven by current environmental concerns, all environmentalists are called to construct scientific knowledge, concepts and principles suitable to ensure acceptable mastering of ecological risk. Environment Protection against radioactivity is certainly the new challenge for radioecology. Originally, radioecology has evolved with the primary goal of assessing the impact of radioactivity on man, and as such, was focused on transfer to man through the environment. Now, following a trend that is already underway for other toxicants, the environment itself is also considered as a target requiring protection. As compared to the past, this new focus of radioecology is even more 'science demanding' particularly for basic understanding in biology and ecology. In addition to the knowledge on acute effects of high doses of radioactivity on small human critical groups, it is needed to know what happens to large ecosystems when loaded with small, but long-lasting, amounts of radio-toxicants. In addition to simple direct transfer, it is needed to take into account complex interaction processes and cycling that may lead to the redistribution of radionuclides, and eventually to their bioconcentration. In addition to classical situations like external irradiation, inhalation and wounding, it is necessary to study more thoroughly the effects of internal contamination following trophic chains. In addition to the most studied physical transfer and dispersion phenomena, it is mandatory to clarify how the many differentiating processes at work in the biosphere are acting on bioavailability, a feature that is overlooked in the current homogeneous approach of simplistic models. For all these reasons, today radioecology has to deepen its roots in the main stream of environment protection and the most advanced, or actively evolving, associated set of sciences. Practical implications of radioecology are huge. International organisations are already thinking of

Conference ECORAD 2004 - the scientific basis for environment protection against radioactivity. Abstracts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

Under strong social pressure driven by current environmental concerns, all environmentalists are called to construct scientific knowledge, concepts and principles suitable to ensure acceptable mastering of ecological risk. Environment Protection against radioactivity is certainly the new challenge for radioecology. Originally, radioecology has evolved with the primary goal of assessing the impact of radioactivity on man, and as such, was focused on transfer to man through the environment. Now, following a trend that is already underway for other toxicants, the environment itself is also considered as a target requiring protection. As compared to the past, this new focus of radioecology is even more 'science demanding' particularly for basic understanding in biology and ecology. In addition to the knowledge on acute effects of high doses of radioactivity on small human critical groups, it is needed to know what happens to large ecosystems when loaded with small, but long-lasting, amounts of radio-toxicants. In addition to simple direct transfer, it is needed to take into account complex interaction processes and cycling that may lead to the redistribution of radionuclides, and eventually to their bioconcentration. In addition to classical situations like external irradiation, inhalation and wounding, it is necessary to study more thoroughly the effects of internal contamination following trophic chains. In addition to the most studied physical transfer and dispersion phenomena, it is mandatory to clarify how the many differentiating processes at work in the biosphere are acting on bioavailability, a feature that is overlooked in the current homogeneous approach of simplistic models. For all these reasons, today radioecology has to deepen its roots in the main stream of environment protection and the most advanced, or actively evolving, associated set of sciences. Practical implications of radioecology are huge. International organisations are already thinking of

Conference ECORAD 2004 - the scientific basis for environment protection against radioactivity. Abstracts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2004-07-01

Under strong social pressure driven by current environmental concerns, all environmentalists are called to construct scientific knowledge, concepts and principles suitable to ensure acceptable mastering of ecological risk. Environment Protection against radioactivity is certainly the new challenge for radioecology. Originally, radioecology has evolved with the primary goal of assessing the impact of radioactivity on man, and as such, was focused on transfer to man through the environment. Now, following a trend that is already underway for other toxicants, the environment itself is also considered as a target requiring protection. As compared to the past, this new focus of radioecology is even more 'science demanding' particularly for basic understanding in biology and ecology. In addition to the knowledge on acute effects of high doses of radioactivity on small human critical groups, it is needed to know what happens to large ecosystems when loaded with small, but long-lasting, amounts of radio-toxicants. In addition to simple direct transfer, it is needed to take into account complex interaction processes and cycling that may lead to the redistribution of radionuclides, and eventually to their bioconcentration. In addition to classical situations like external irradiation, inhalation and wounding, it is necessary to study more thoroughly the effects of internal contamination following trophic chains. In addition to the most studied physical transfer and dispersion phenomena, it is mandatory to clarify how the many differentiating processes at work in the biosphere are acting on bioavailability, a feature that is overlooked in the current homogeneous approach of simplistic models. For all these reasons, today radioecology has to deepen its roots in the main stream of environment protection and the most advanced, or actively evolving, associated set of sciences. Practical implications of radioecology are huge. International organisations are already

Radiation protection of the environment. State of the art and recommendations by the IRSN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beaugelin-Seiller, K.; Garnier-Laplace, J.; Gilbin, R.; Simon-Cornu, M.; Baudry, M.; Deschamps, P.; Gariel, J.C.; Lecomte, J.F.; Paquet, F.; Renaud, P.; Schuler, M.

2016-01-01

This report notably aims at helping the GPRADE (Groupe permanent d'experts en radioprotection, pour les applications industrielles et de recherche des rayonnements ionisants, et en environnement - Permanent group of experts in radiation protection for industrial and research applications of ionizing radiations, and in environment) to build up its opinion on the French management of methods and technical regulations for the assessment of the radiological risk for the environment, or for the national transposition of the 2013/59/Euratom European directive. After a brief overview of the international, European and French legal context, the report proposes an overview of the state of the art: history, definitions, principles, regulation of radiation protection of the environment in different countries. It presents the main approaches and compares them: the CIPR approach, the Erica approach (the most used in Europe). It also discusses the compatibility of main approaches to the assessment of the radiological risk for ecosystems. It reports applications and returns on experience at the international level and within the frame of the IRSN commitment in planned, existing or emergency situations. Recommendations are formulated

Modulation of visually evoked postural responses by contextual visual, haptic and auditory information: a 'virtual reality check'.

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Georg F; Shao, Fei; White, Mark D; Hopkins, Carl; Robotham, Antony J

2013-01-01

Externally generated visual motion signals can cause the illusion of self-motion in space (vection) and corresponding visually evoked postural responses (VEPR). These VEPRs are not simple responses to optokinetic stimulation, but are modulated by the configuration of the environment. The aim of this paper is to explore what factors modulate VEPRs in a high quality virtual reality (VR) environment where real and virtual foreground objects served as static visual, auditory and haptic reference points. Data from four experiments on visually evoked postural responses show that: 1) visually evoked postural sway in the lateral direction is modulated by the presence of static anchor points that can be haptic, visual and auditory reference signals; 2) real objects and their matching virtual reality representations as visual anchors have different effects on postural sway; 3) visual motion in the anterior-posterior plane induces robust postural responses that are not modulated by the presence of reference signals or the reality of objects that can serve as visual anchors in the scene. We conclude that automatic postural responses for laterally moving visual stimuli are strongly influenced by the configuration and interpretation of the environment and draw on multisensory representations. Different postural responses were observed for real and virtual visual reference objects. On the basis that automatic visually evoked postural responses in high fidelity virtual environments should mimic those seen in real situations we propose to use the observed effect as a robust objective test for presence and fidelity in VR.

THE INFLUENCE OF CREATION OF SELF-REGULATION ENVIRONMENT FOR EDUCATING VISUAL ARTS TEACHER ON ACADEMIC SUCCESS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oguz Dilmac

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This study aimed at examining the impact of learning environments based on self regulation on teacher candidates academic skill in visual arts education,focuses on the elements found in workshops being analyzed in terms of self-regulation.Aim of the study is to provide a new viewpoint intended making up learning environment developing self-regulation skills in visual arts education.  In the study quasi-experimental design has been used subject to the aim. In the research, in accordance with qualitative research method,following the application process semi-structured interviews have also been conducted with attendants making up experimental group. The research has been carried out in the context of field information in the Department of Fine Art Education of Kazım Karabekir Education Faculty. Working group has been composed of prospective teachers taking these courses in the research. Based on the data at the end of the research, it can be said that the teaching propped up self-regulation used in experimental group is more efficient than the traditional teaching in the control group.

Protection of Microkernel Environment L4Re from Stack-smashed Attacks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vasily Andreevich Sartakov

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Microkernel-based operating systems provide high level of protection due to the strong isolation of components, small size of Trusted Computing Base and execution of drivers in user space. At the same time, such systems are vulnerable to a stack overflow attacks, because these attacks exploit the hardware features of the platform, such as shared memory space for data and code. Modern architectures, such as AMD64 and ARM, provide opportunities to counteract attacks at the hardware level by disallowing memory allocation for storing executable stack and heap, but this protection mechanism requires additional support from the operating system. This paper presents memory management, program execution model and IPC mechanism of microkernel Fiasco.OC and environment L4Re from nonexecution memory support point of view.

Environmental protection: Shifting the focus toward the protected object

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cvetić Radenka

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This article is an attempt to provide a comprehensive overview of the rationale which led to developments in the law of environmental protection in a direction of an even more efficient protection of environment from human beings. There has been a transformation of the constitutionally protected right to a healthy environment to the Constitutional guarantee which involves both duty and responsibility for its protection. There has also been a shift from declaratory protection toward enforceable prohibitions and orders. These transformations have occurred when the society faced, under dramatic circumstances, the situation which shows that failure to protect the common good could lead to catastrophic consequences. The system of environmental protection, which enables sustainable development, is based on the primacy of the precautionary principle which deals with prevention and reduction of probability of harm, as well as on the no fault liability of the polluter for the environmental harm even in the absence of the claim for damages. The efficacy of the environmental protection could be improved by raising the awareness of the preservation of environment. The understanding that the protection of environment amounts to a survival of a mankind could lead to creating rights for the environment as such.

Protection of the environment. How to position radioprotection in an ecological risk assessment perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brechignac, Francois

2003-01-01

The development of a system capable of ensuring adequate protection of the environment from the harmful effects of ionising radiation is at present particularly debated. This need comes both from a restrictive consideration of the environment in the so far existing system for human radioprotection, and the planetary-wide growing concerns about man's technogenic influence on his environment which have yielded 'sustainability' and 'precaution' as guiding principles for environmental protection. Whilst evolving from the field of human radioprotection, the radioprotection of the environment needs to be discussed in a wider perspective, with particular emphasis on the most advanced concepts which emerge from the efforts to deriving improved approaches to Ecological Risk Assessment. For the sake of protection, the environment is traditionally addressed through its biota since these are the sensitive components of ecosystems. Similarities between man and biotas reflect the ubiquitous mechanistic effects of radiation on life which disrupt molecules. However, important differences also arise in a number of perspectives, from the large spectrum of different species of biotas to their hierarchical self-organisation as interacting populations within ecosystems. Altogether, these aspects are prone to promote complex arrays of different responses to stress which lie beyond the scope of human radioprotection due to its focus on individuals of a single species. By means of selected illustrations, this paper reviews and discusses the current challenges faced in proper identification of measurable effect endpoints (stochastic/deterministic, individual/population- or ecosystem-relevant), dose limits in chronic exposure (or levels of concern), and their consideration according to radiation type (RBE) and interactions with other contaminants (synergies/antagonisms) which represent critical gaps in knowledge. The system of human radioprotection has conceptually been targeted at limiting

An approach to the new ICRP recommendations on protection of the environment for the control of radioactive discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Telleria, Diego

2008-01-01

Full text: For many years it has been agreed at the international level that the regulations for the control of discharges during normal operation from nuclear installation shall be based in the principles of individual dose limitation and optimization of the radiation protection focused on man. These regulations using a process of constrained optimization of protection, when properly applied to limit the discharges of radionuclides, were assumed to protect also other species than man and, within the available level of scientific knowledge, this assumption is still likely to be certain. After the International Conference on the Protection of the Environment from the Effects of Ionizing Radiation in Stockholm, 2003, many national, international, regional and non-governmental organizations have been working to develop a coherent international policy on the protection of the environment from effects attributable to exposures to ionizing radiation. One of the key issues to solve is how to include in the analysis and judgment process explicitly non-human species. Most of the organizations, particularly at the international level, have expressed their expectative in connection with the results of the work of the ICRP. In December 2007 the ICRP published its new recommendations and during 2008 key documents for the international community like the UNSCEAR document on effects of radiation on non-human biota and the ICRP publication on the approach to a framework for non-human protection using the concept of reference plants and animals could close, at least, the first chapter in this complex evolutionary process in the field of radiation protection. While some of the relevant topics for the protection of the environment from all the pollutants, like the global distribution patterns, the long term bioaccumulation effects, the relation of the individual effects regarding the communities and populations, Etc are still not fully discerned and noting that ICRP in its

Modulation of visually evoked postural responses by contextual visual, haptic and auditory information: a 'virtual reality check'.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Georg F Meyer

Full Text Available Externally generated visual motion signals can cause the illusion of self-motion in space (vection and corresponding visually evoked postural responses (VEPR. These VEPRs are not simple responses to optokinetic stimulation, but are modulated by the configuration of the environment. The aim of this paper is to explore what factors modulate VEPRs in a high quality virtual reality (VR environment where real and virtual foreground objects served as static visual, auditory and haptic reference points. Data from four experiments on visually evoked postural responses show that: 1 visually evoked postural sway in the lateral direction is modulated by the presence of static anchor points that can be haptic, visual and auditory reference signals; 2 real objects and their matching virtual reality representations as visual anchors have different effects on postural sway; 3 visual motion in the anterior-posterior plane induces robust postural responses that are not modulated by the presence of reference signals or the reality of objects that can serve as visual anchors in the scene. We conclude that automatic postural responses for laterally moving visual stimuli are strongly influenced by the configuration and interpretation of the environment and draw on multisensory representations. Different postural responses were observed for real and virtual visual reference objects. On the basis that automatic visually evoked postural responses in high fidelity virtual environments should mimic those seen in real situations we propose to use the observed effect as a robust objective test for presence and fidelity in VR.

Effects of chronic iTBS-rTMS and enriched environment on visual cortex early critical period and visual pattern discrimination in dark-reared rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Castillo-Padilla, Diana V; Funke, Klaus

2016-01-01

Early cortical critical period resembles a state of enhanced neuronal plasticity enabling the establishment of specific neuronal connections during first sensory experience. Visual performance with regard to pattern discrimination is impaired if the cortex is deprived from visual input during the critical period. We wondered how unspecific activation of the visual cortex before closure of the critical period using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) could affect the critical period and the visual performance of the experimental animals. Would it cause premature closure of the plastic state and thus worsen experience-dependent visual performance, or would it be able to preserve plasticity? Effects of intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) were compared with those of an enriched environment (EE) during dark-rearing (DR) from birth. Rats dark-reared in a standard cage showed poor improvement in a visual pattern discrimination task, while rats housed in EE or treated with iTBS showed a performance indistinguishable from rats reared in normal light/dark cycle. The behavioral effects were accompanied by correlated changes in the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and atypical PKC (PKCζ/PKMζ), two factors controlling stabilization of synaptic potentiation. It appears that not only nonvisual sensory activity and exercise but also cortical activation induced by rTMS has the potential to alleviate the effects of DR on cortical development, most likely due to stimulation of BDNF synthesis and release. As we showed previously, iTBS reduced the expression of parvalbumin in inhibitory cortical interneurons, indicating that modulation of the activity of fast-spiking interneurons contributes to the observed effects of iTBS. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Making Time for Nature: Visual Exposure to Natural Environments Lengthens Subjective Time Perception and Reduces Impulsivity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meredith S Berry

Full Text Available Impulsivity in delay discounting is associated with maladaptive behaviors such as overeating and drug and alcohol abuse. Researchers have recently noted that delay discounting, even when measured by a brief laboratory task, may be the best predictor of human health related behaviors (e.g., exercise currently available. Identifying techniques to decrease impulsivity in delay discounting, therefore, could help improve decision-making on a global scale. Visual exposure to natural environments is one recent approach shown to decrease impulsive decision-making in a delay discounting task, although the mechanism driving this result is currently unknown. The present experiment was thus designed to evaluate not only whether visual exposure to natural (mountains, lakes relative to built (buildings, cities environments resulted in less impulsivity, but also whether this exposure influenced time perception. Participants were randomly assigned to either a natural environment condition or a built environment condition. Participants viewed photographs of either natural scenes or built scenes before and during a delay discounting task in which they made choices about receiving immediate or delayed hypothetical monetary outcomes. Participants also completed an interval bisection task in which natural or built stimuli were judged as relatively longer or shorter presentation durations. Following the delay discounting and interval bisection tasks, additional measures of time perception were administered, including how many minutes participants thought had passed during the session and a scale measurement of whether time "flew" or "dragged" during the session. Participants exposed to natural as opposed to built scenes were less impulsive and also reported longer subjective session times, although no differences across groups were revealed with the interval bisection task. These results are the first to suggest that decreased impulsivity from exposure to natural as

Modulation of Visually Evoked Postural Responses by Contextual Visual, Haptic and Auditory Information: A ‘Virtual Reality Check’

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Georg F.; Shao, Fei; White, Mark D.; Hopkins, Carl; Robotham, Antony J.

2013-01-01

Externally generated visual motion signals can cause the illusion of self-motion in space (vection) and corresponding visually evoked postural responses (VEPR). These VEPRs are not simple responses to optokinetic stimulation, but are modulated by the configuration of the environment. The aim of this paper is to explore what factors modulate VEPRs in a high quality virtual reality (VR) environment where real and virtual foreground objects served as static visual, auditory and haptic reference points. Data from four experiments on visually evoked postural responses show that: 1) visually evoked postural sway in the lateral direction is modulated by the presence of static anchor points that can be haptic, visual and auditory reference signals; 2) real objects and their matching virtual reality representations as visual anchors have different effects on postural sway; 3) visual motion in the anterior-posterior plane induces robust postural responses that are not modulated by the presence of reference signals or the reality of objects that can serve as visual anchors in the scene. We conclude that automatic postural responses for laterally moving visual stimuli are strongly influenced by the configuration and interpretation of the environment and draw on multisensory representations. Different postural responses were observed for real and virtual visual reference objects. On the basis that automatic visually evoked postural responses in high fidelity virtual environments should mimic those seen in real situations we propose to use the observed effect as a robust objective test for presence and fidelity in VR. PMID:23840760

Employees' satisfaction as influenced by acoustic and visual privacy in the open office environment

Science.gov (United States)

Soules, Maureen Jeanette

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between employees' acoustic and visual privacy issues and their perceived satisfaction in their open office work environments while in focus work mode. The study examined the Science Teaching Student Services Building at the University of Minnesota Minneapolis. The building houses instructional classrooms and administrative offices that service UMN students. The Sustainable Post-Occupancy Evaluation Survey was used to collect data on overall privacy conditions, acoustic and visual privacy conditions, and employees' perceived privacy conditions while in their primary workplace. Paired T-tests were used to analyze the relationships between privacy conditions and employees' perceptions of privacy. All hypotheses are supported indicating that the privacy variables are correlated to the employees' perception of satisfaction within the primary workplace. The findings are important because they can be used to inform business leaders, designers, educators and future research in the field of office design.

Protection of the environment from ionising radiation: IUR's perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strand, P.; Brown, J. E.; Iospje, M.

2004-01-01

Sufficient information currently exists to introduce an overall framework for the protection of the environment from ionising radiation, drawing upon the large amount of radiobiological and radioecological information that has been gathered over the preceding decades. Nevertheless, there is a requirement to address numerous knowledge gaps and to improve upon existing databases. After the first presentation of a framework for the protection of the environment in 1999/2000 by the IUR, there has been activity to collate information and develop methodologies. This has allowed numerous recommendations to be made concerning future system development.. Although the transfer of radionuclides is quite well known within some food-chains, there are very few data on the behaviour of radionuclides in non-temperate zones and on uptake to species that do not form part of the human food chain. There is a need to develop both transfer models (flux, dynamic, ecosystem, etc.) and genotoxicological bio monitoring techniques that are capable of allowing impact assessments at a variety of species, population and ecosystem levels and that could also deal with other environmental stressors. Knowledge of the doses and effects of background radiation is lacking, as are dose-effect relationships, including information on RBE for a variety of species, doses and dose rates. The importance of various components of an environmental impact assessment can be explored, through the application of sensitivity and uncertainty analyses. An example of this type of analysis, for a marine system, demonstrated the importance of several radioecological parameters in the derivation of dose rates. However, although such examples provide insight, caution should be practiced in their interpretation. It is therefore suggested that further analyses are conducted in order to provide more robust priority lists for resource allocation. The recommendations made in this paper emphasize the need for further focussed

Overview of EVE – the event visualization environment of ROOT

CERN Document Server

Tadel, M

2010-01-01

EVE is a high-level visualization library using ROOT's data-processing, GUI and OpenGL interfaces. It is designed as a framework for object management offering hierarchical data organization, object interaction and visualization via GUI and OpenGL representations. Automatic creation of 2D projected views is also supported. On the other hand, it can serve as an event visualization toolkit satisfying most HEP requirements: visualization of geometry, simulated and reconstructed data such as hits, clusters, tracks and calorimeter information. Special classes are available for visualization of raw-data. Object-interaction layer allows for easy selection and highlighting of objects and their derived representations (projections) across several views (3D, Rho-Z, R-Phi). Object-specific tooltips are provided in both GUI and GL views. The visual-configuration layer of EVE is built around a data-base of template objects that can be applied to specific instances of visualization objects to ensure consistent object prese...

Learning about “wicked” problems in the Global South. Creating a film-based learning environment with “Visual Problem Appraisal”

OpenAIRE

Loes Witteveen; Rico Lie

2012-01-01

The current complexity of sustainable development in the Global South calls for the design of learning strategies that can deal with this complexity. One such innovative learning strategy, called Visual Problem Appraisal (VPA), is highlighted in this article. The strategy is termed visual as it creates a learning environment that is film-based. VPA enhances the analysis of complex issues, and facilitates stakeholder dialogue and action planning. The strategy is used in workshops dealing with ...

Strategies for the protection of the environment from other hazards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruffing, K.

2002-01-01

Strategies for the protection of the environment from radiological hazards may benefit from a consideration of risk management strategies applied in other areas. This paper attempts to do that with respect to the way the OECD has addressed these issues. The paper briefly describes the approach developed within the OECD on harmonization and common approaches to chemicals risk management, related work by the Organisation on major industrial accidents and natural disasters, and places the relationship of chemical and radiological risk management in the context of the OECD Environmental Strategy for the First Decade of the Twenty-first Century. (author)

Visual Control of Locomotion

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Loomis, Jack M; Beall, Andrew C

2005-01-01

The accomplishments were threefold. First, a software tool for rendering virtual environments was developed, a tool useful for other researchers interested in visual perception and visual control of action...

Visualizer: 3D Gridded Data Visualization Software for Geoscience Education and Research

Science.gov (United States)

Harwood, C.; Billen, M. I.; Kreylos, O.; Jadamec, M.; Sumner, D. Y.; Kellogg, L. H.; Hamann, B.

2008-12-01

In both research and education learning is an interactive and iterative process of exploring and analyzing data or model results. However, visualization software often presents challenges on the path to learning because it assumes the user already knows the locations and types of features of interest, instead of enabling flexible and intuitive examination of results. We present examples of research and teaching using the software, Visualizer, specifically designed to create an effective and intuitive environment for interactive, scientific analysis of 3D gridded data. Visualizer runs in a range of 3D virtual reality environments (e.g., GeoWall, ImmersaDesk, or CAVE), but also provides a similar level of real-time interactivity on a desktop computer. When using Visualizer in a 3D-enabled environment, the software allows the user to interact with the data images as real objects, grabbing, rotating or walking around the data to gain insight and perspective. On the desktop, simple features, such as a set of cross-bars marking the plane of the screen, provide extra 3D spatial cues that allow the user to more quickly understand geometric relationships within the data. This platform portability allows the user to more easily integrate research results into classroom demonstrations and exercises, while the interactivity provides an engaging environment for self-directed and inquiry-based learning by students. Visualizer software is freely available for download (www.keckcaves.org) and runs on Mac OSX and Linux platforms.

Visual, instrumental, mycological and mycotoxicological characterization of wheat inoculated with and protected against Alternaria spp.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janić-Hajnal Elizabet P.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work was to characterize visual properties, instrumentally measured colour properties, field fungi presence and Alternaria toxins levels in wheat samples grown under conditions aimed at inhibition and stimulation of wheat infection with fungi from the Alternaria genus. Experiment was carried out on the wheat treated by fungicide and wheat inoculated by Alternaria spp., while non treated wheat was used as a control. Statistically significant difference was observed between all three treatments using visual scale. Protected wheat samples were significantly different from other samples in terms of all measured colour parameters while inoculated and control wheat samples were significantly different in terms of lightness and dominant wavelength. Identification of field fungi in the all examined wheat samples showed that the dominant mycotoxigenic fungus was Alternaria spp., followed by Fusarium spp. The content of Alternaria toxins in samples of wheat hulls and dehulled kernels point out at higher concentrations of Alternaria toxins in hulls than in dehulled kernels. [Projekat Ministarstvo nauke Republike Srbije, br. III 46001 i br. III 46005

Developments in radiological protection of the environment and a commentary on its implications for new build of nuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brownless, George; Lazo, Ted

2008-01-01

Full text: Development of radiological protection of non-human biota continues to be the focus of much interest and differing views amongst the radiological protection community. To nurture discussion of these developments, the Nuclear Energy Agency's Committee on Radiological Protection and Public Health is taking the lead in organising coverage of a spectrum of views on the topic at the International Conference on Radioecology and Radioactivity in the Environment (Bergen, 2008), with the aim of assisting the international community to construct a consensual, fit-for-purpose approach. To support discussion of these views, the session will also include scientific presentations and reports from implementers. This paper will report on these developments, based principally on the session at the Conference but also other activities in which NEA participates, to provide an up-to-date summary in this area including progress in developing understanding of how radiological protection of the environment will be implemented for the three exposure situations - planned, existing and emergency - set out in the new ICRP general recommendations. Furthermore, given the NEA's mandate across the civil nuclear energy field, the paper will give a commentary on how developments in radiological protection of the environment may interplay with new build of nuclear power plants. (author)

Visual dataflow language for educational robots programming

OpenAIRE

ZIMIN G.A.; MORDVINOV D.A.

2016-01-01

Visual domain-specific languages usually have low entry barrier. Sometimes even children can program on such languages by working with visual representations. This is widely used in educational robotics domain, where most commonly used programming environments are visual. The paper describes a novel dataflow visual programming environment for embedded robotic platforms. Obviously, complex dataflow languages are not simple for understanding. The purpose of our tool is to "bridge" between light...

Manual work in cold environments and its impact on selection of materials for protective gloves based on workplace observations.

Science.gov (United States)

Irzmańska, Emilia; Wójcik, Paulina; Adamus-Włodarczyk, Agnieszka

2018-04-01

This article presents a workplace observations on manual work in cold environments and its impact on the selection of materials for protective gloves. The workplace observations was conducted on 107 workers in 7 companies and involved measurements of the temperature of air and objects in the workplaces; in addition the type of surface and shape of the objects was determined. Laboratory tests were also carried out on 11 materials for protective gloves to be used in cold environments. Protective characteristics, including mechanical properties (wear, cut, tear, and puncture resistance), insulation properties (thermal resistance), functional parameters, and hygienic properties (resistance to surface wetting, material stiffness) were evaluated. Appropriate levels of performance and quality, corresponding to the protective and functional properties of the materials, were determined. Based on the results of manual work and laboratory tests, directions for the selection of materials for the construction of protective gloves were formulated with a view to improving work ergonomics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The environment protection at the 21. century: radiological protection of the biosphere including man. Declaration of International union of radioecology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brechignac, F.; Polikarpov, G.; Oughton, D.H.; Hunter, G.; Alexakhin, R.; Zhu, Y.G.; Hilton, J.; Strand, P.

2003-01-01

The International union of radioecology has been created in 1970 as an international scientific organisation to develop, inform and advise on every aspect in relation with radioactivity in environment. It advises to fill the gaps of knowledge in order to develop strong scientific bases on which found the environmental protection. Seven points of knowledge are to improve: the understanding of transfer, bio accumulating and metabolism of radionuclides in ecosystems (specially the non human food chains), understanding of low dose radiation effects on fauna, flora in chronic exposure on several generations, identification of criteria and targets of effects to allow comparisons in term of impact, effects coming from several pollutions, radioactive or non radioactive ones, extrapolation between the biological organisation levels, analysis of simultaneous effects for man and other living organisms, harmonization of a radiation protection system and a protection system against chemical toxicity, development of quantities and units allowing to qualify the noxious effects of radiations and chemical pollutants on living beings. (N.C.)

A Sensor-Based Visual Effect Evaluation of Chevron Alignment Signs’ Colors on Drivers through the Curves in Snow and Ice Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Zhao

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The ability to quantitatively evaluate the visual feedback of drivers has been considered as the primary research for reducing crashes in snow and ice environments. Different colored Chevron alignment signs cause diverse visual effect. However, the effect of Chevrons on visual feedback and on the driving reaction while navigating curves in SI environments has not been adequately evaluated. The objective of this study is twofold: (1 an effective and long-term experiment was designed and developed to test the effect of colored Chevrons on drivers’ vision and vehicle speed; (2 a new quantitative effect evaluation model is employed to measure the effect of different colors of the Chevrons. Fixation duration and pupil size were used to describe the driver’s visual response, and Cohen’s d was used to evaluate the colors’ psychological effect on drivers. The results showed the following: (1 after choosing the proper color for Chevrons, drivers reduced the speed of the vehicle while approaching the curves. (2 It was easier for drivers to identify the road alignment after setting the Chevrons. (3 Cohen’s d related to different colors of Chevrons have different effect sizes. The conclusions provide evident references for freeway warning products and the design of intelligent vehicles.

Chemistry for the protection of the environment. Environmental science research. Volume 42

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pawlowski, L. [ed.; Lacy, W.J.; Dlugosz, J.J.

1992-12-31

This book contains the Proceedings from an International Conference on Chemistry for the Protection of the Environment held in Lublin, Poland, September 4-7, 1989. It opens with a tribute to Andre Van Haute who was a member of the Committee on the title subject and who died in 1989. This is followed by a preface by the editors and 70 chapters, which are grouped under the following headings: General Problems; Monitoring Methods for Surface and Ground water and Analysis of Pollutants; Pathways of Chemicals in the Environment; Physicochemical Treatment: Ion Exchange; Physicochemical Treatment: Coagulation, Flocculation and Sorption; Physicochemical Treatment: Oxidation-Reduction Processes; Physicochemical Treatment; Membrane Processes; and Miscellaneous Methods for Removal of Pollutants. There is a brief subject index.

11th International Space Conference on Protection of Materials and Structures from Space Environment

CERN Document Server

2017-01-01

The proceedings published in this book document and foster the goals of the 11th International Space Conference on “Protection of Materials and Structures from Space Environment” ICPMSE-11 to facilitate exchanges between members of the various engineering and science disciplines involved in the development of space materials. Contributions cover aspects of interaction with space environment of LEO, GEO, Deep Space, Planetary environments, ground-based qualification and in-flight experiments, as well as lessons learned from operational vehicles that are closely interrelated to disciplines of atmospheric sciences, solar-terrestrial interactions and space life sciences.

Policies and measures for economic efficiency, energy security and environment protection in India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Venkaiah, M.; Kaushik, S.C.; Dewangan, M.L.

2007-01-01

India needs to sustain 8-10% economic growth to meet energy needs of people below poverty line. India would, at least, need to grow its primary energy supply (3-4 times) of present consumption to deliver a sustained growth of 8% by 2031. This paper discusses India's policies and measures for economic efficiency, environment protection and energy security (3-E). (author)

Protected urban planet

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pereira Roders, A.R.; Veldpaus, L.; Verbruggen, R.C.

2012-01-01

PUP, abbreviation to Protected Urban Planet, is the first tool developed for visualizing, mapping and contributing to information exchange on the evolution of protected urban areas worldwide. Besides locating them, it also provides communities with means to disseminate and raise awareness for their

Manifold compositions, music visualization, and scientific sonification in an immersive virtual-reality environment.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaper, H. G.

1998-01-05

An interdisciplinary project encompassing sound synthesis, music composition, sonification, and visualization of music is facilitated by the high-performance computing capabilities and the virtual-reality environments available at Argonne National Laboratory. The paper describes the main features of the project's centerpiece, DIASS (Digital Instrument for Additive Sound Synthesis); ''A.N.L.-folds'', an equivalence class of compositions produced with DIASS; and application of DIASS in two experiments in the sonification of complex scientific data. Some of the larger issues connected with this project, such as the changing ways in which both scientists and composers perform their tasks, are briefly discussed.

Investigating Hydrocarbon Seep Environments with High-Resolution, Three-Dimensional Geographic Visualizations.

Science.gov (United States)

Doolittle, D. F.; Gharib, J. J.; Mitchell, G. A.

2015-12-01

Detailed photographic imagery and bathymetric maps of the seafloor acquired by deep submergence vehicles such as Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) are expanding how scientists and the public view and ultimately understand the seafloor and the processes that modify it. Several recently acquired optical and acoustic datasets, collected during ECOGIG (Ecosystem Impacts of Oil and Gas Inputs to the Gulf) and other Gulf of Mexico expeditions using the National Institute for Undersea Science Technology (NIUST) Eagle Ray, and Mola Mola AUVs, have been fused with lower resolution data to create unique three-dimensional geovisualizations. Included in these data are multi-scale and multi-resolution visualizations over hydrocarbon seeps and seep related features. Resolution of the data range from 10s of mm to 10s of m. When multi-resolution data is integrated into a single three-dimensional visual environment, new insights into seafloor and seep processes can be obtained from the intuitive nature of three-dimensional data exploration. We provide examples and demonstrate how integration of multibeam bathymetry, seafloor backscatter data, sub-bottom profiler data, textured photomosaics, and hull-mounted multibeam acoustic midwater imagery are made into a series a three-dimensional geovisualizations of actively seeping sites and associated chemosynthetic communities. From these combined and merged datasets, insights on seep community structure, morphology, ecology, fluid migration dynamics, and process geomorphology can be investigated from new spatial perspectives. Such datasets also promote valuable inter-comparisons of sensor resolution and performance.

Visualizing the third dimension in virtual training environments for neurologically impaired persons: beneficial or disruptive?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

van den Hoogen Wouter

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Many contemporary systems for neurorehabilitation utilize 3D virtual environments (VEs that allow for training patients’ hand or arm movements. In the current paper we comparatively test the effectiveness of two characteristics of VEs in rehabilitation training when utilizing a 3D haptic interaction device: Stereo Visualization (monoscopic vs stereoscopic image presentation and Graphic Environment (2.5D vs 3D. Method An experimental study was conducted using a factorial within-subjects design. Patients (10 MS, 8 CVA completed three tasks, each including a specific arm-movement along one of three directional axes (left-right, up-down and forward-backward. Results The use of stereoscopy within a virtual training environment for neurorehabilitation of CVA and MS patients is most beneficial when the task itself requires movement in depth. Further, the 2.5D environment yields the highest efficiency and accuracy in terms of patients’ movements. These findings were, however, dependent on participants’ stereoscopic ability. Conclusion Despite the performance benefits of stereoscopy, our findings illustrate the non-triviality of choices of using stereoscopy, and the type of graphic environment implemented. These choices should be made with the task and target group, and even the individual patient in mind.

Visual reinforcement shapes eye movements in visual search.

Science.gov (United States)

Paeye, Céline; Schütz, Alexander C; Gegenfurtner, Karl R

2016-08-01

We use eye movements to gain information about our visual environment; this information can indirectly be used to affect the environment. Whereas eye movements are affected by explicit rewards such as points or money, it is not clear whether the information gained by finding a hidden target has a similar reward value. Here we tested whether finding a visual target can reinforce eye movements in visual search performed in a noise background, which conforms to natural scene statistics and contains a large number of possible target locations. First we tested whether presenting the target more often in one specific quadrant would modify eye movement search behavior. Surprisingly, participants did not learn to search for the target more often in high probability areas. Presumably, participants could not learn the reward structure of the environment. In two subsequent experiments we used a gaze-contingent display to gain full control over the reinforcement schedule. The target was presented more often after saccades into a specific quadrant or a specific direction. The proportions of saccades meeting the reinforcement criteria increased considerably, and participants matched their search behavior to the relative reinforcement rates of targets. Reinforcement learning seems to serve as the mechanism to optimize search behavior with respect to the statistics of the task.

Natural radiation, protection against its effects and maintaining safe natural environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alhassan, Muhammad

2015-01-01

Exposure to naturally occurring radioactivity and its consequences is an issue that needs the global concern, as practices bringing such radioactive materials closer to human environment through mining, building, industrial applications and food production and preservation is continuously increasing, in addition to the daily consumption in foods such as banana, carrot, potato and drinking water. Although it has direct and indirect impacts affecting human health that in some cases lead to the loss of lives and polluting natural environment, it is an inevitable task that necessitates devising some means of its minimization and protection against its hazardous effects. This could be achieved by the use of expertise ideas and by the creation of awareness and sharing related information with the people concerned and the general public. This paper gives an overview on the radiation present in natural environment, its sources, mechanism of its effects. The paper compares the radiation dose limits with the average doses from these sources in order to raise the challenges facing researchers, governments and the general individuals with regard to this issue. The paper also proposed applicable solutions to reduce the risks due to the exposure to natural radiation to ground level. (author)

Energy-efficient privacy protection for smart home environments using behavioral semantics.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Homin; Basaran, Can; Park, Taejoon; Son, Sang Hyuk

2014-09-02

Research on smart environments saturated with ubiquitous computing devices is rapidly advancing while raising serious privacy issues. According to recent studies, privacy concerns significantly hinder widespread adoption of smart home technologies. Previous work has shown that it is possible to infer the activities of daily living within environments equipped with wireless sensors by monitoring radio fingerprints and traffic patterns. Since data encryption cannot prevent privacy invasions exploiting transmission pattern analysis and statistical inference, various methods based on fake data generation for concealing traffic patterns have been studied. In this paper, we describe an energy-efficient, light-weight, low-latency algorithm for creating dummy activities that are semantically similar to the observed phenomena. By using these cloaking activities, the amount of  fake data transmissions can be flexibly controlled to support a trade-off between energy efficiency and privacy protection. According to the experiments using real data collected from a smart home environment, our proposed method can extend the lifetime of the network by more than 2× compared to the previous methods in the literature. Furthermore, the activity cloaking method supports low latency transmission of real data while also significantly reducing the accuracy of the wireless snooping attacks.

Australian and Canadian perspectives and regulations for protecting the polar marine environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rothwell, Donald R.

1997-12-31

The report compares Australian and Canadian responses for protecting polar marine environments. Vast areas of the polar seas fall within their potential combined EEZ/continental shelf jurisdiction. The Antarctic Treaty provisions, doubts on the status of the Northwest Passage waters and the capacity to enforce legislative initiatives against foreign vessels have been constraints. Australia`s enactment of legislation prohibiting mining within the AAT continental shelf and whaling within the AAT EEZ has tested the Antarctic Treaty. Canada`s reaction to the Manhattan and the enactment of the Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act is an example of unilateral action. While the countries have made noteworthy initiatives to enhance the protection of their polar marine environments, doubts remain in some instances on their capacity to give effect to the initiatives. However, sovereignty remains at the heart of their response. Failure to address Antarctic marine environmental issues will rebound on the environment and reflect poorly upon Australia`s sovereignty claim to the AAT. For Canada it is a sovereignty issue and has directly impact upon its citizens inhabiting the islands and coastal areas of the Canadian Arctic. The Madrid Protocol provides the strongest legal basis for the Antarctic Treaty parties to enact laws and regulations in Antarctica. Conservation measures adopted under the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources focuses increasingly on environmental concerns. The most significant regional initiative adopted by Arctic states is the AEPS which does not have a legal foundation. It`s co-operative programs provide basis for co-operation in dealing with environmental problems. It clearly recognises that only co-operative responses will achieve significant outcomes. The 1990s have posed new challenges for marine environmental protection such as ship-based tourism in Antarctica and the growing pressure to use the Northwest Passage on a

Coastal sea radiation environment and biodiversity protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang Senming; Shang Zhaorong

2009-01-01

This paper characterizes the types, trend and the potential of radiation contamination in the sea against the development of nuclear power stations. Combined with the present status of radioactive contamination and marine biodiversity in China seas, it is pointed out that non-human radiation protection should be considered on the bases of marine biodiversity protection. Besides, the reference species for marine radiation protection and some viewpoints on the work of marine radiation protection in China are pro- posed. (authors)

The slow elimination of legal protection in connection with the law on the protection of the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geulen, R.

1980-01-01

The main cause of the reduction of legal protection against decisions under planning law and faits accomplis created during planning seems to stem from the practice adopted by those initiating and having an interest in projects, namely to prepare and somewhat anticipate the essential decisions long before government-controlle planning sets in. In fact, the licensing authorities which, according to their legal function, would have to check applications of operators with regard to licensing requirements, see themselves confined to follow a slow process of amalgamation with given, and, sometimes, factually executed planning decisions. In addition, the situation of the authorities regarding personnel and time does not allow them to carry out factual checking in its proper sense of, for example, licensing requirements for nuclear power plant construction. This process of amalgamation discussed by the author has an impact on the functions to be fulfilled by the courts, and on legal protection in general. The prognosis given by the author says that, due to this lack of efficient control by governmental authorities and courts especially in connection with the planning of large-scale projects likely to have an unfavourable effect on the environment, those persons or groups of persons feeling themselves insufficiently protected by the legal system, will more and more have recourse to political action rather than legal action. (orig.) [de

3. Promotion of environment protection of sea and near-sea region. Swinoujscie 12-14 October 1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

The great number of problems connected with environment protection near shore marine zone, beach protection, effluent transport in ground and surface waters in region of North Port of Poland as well as technical solutions of water purification and legal problems have been discussed during the conference. All observations and experimental works have been carried out in that region. Among reported works two of them have been devoted to application of nuclear methods in interesting merit

Optimum combination of water drainage, water supply and eco-environment protection in coal-accumulated basin of North China

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

武强; 董东林; 石占华; 武雄; 孙卫东; 叶责钧; 李树文; 刘金韬

2000-01-01

The conflict among water drainage, water supply and eco-environment protection is getting more and more serious due to the irrational drainage and exploitation of ground water resources in coal-accumulated basins of North China. Efficient solutions to the conflict are to maintain long-term dynamic balance between input and output of the ground water basins, and to try to improve resourcification of the mine water. All solutions must guarantee the eco-environment quality. This paper presents a new idea of optimum combination of water drainage, water supply and eco-environment protection so as to solve the problem of unstable mine water supply, which is caused by the changeable water drainage for the whole combination system. Both the management of hydraulic techniques and constraints in economy, society, ecology, environment, industrial structural adjustments and sustainable developments have been taken into account. Since the traditional and separate management of different departments of water drainage,

Visualization environment of the large-scale data of JAEA's supercomputer system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sakamoto, Kensaku [Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Center for Computational Science and e-Systems, Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan); Hoshi, Yoshiyuki [Research Organization for Information Science and Technology (RIST), Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan)

2013-11-15

On research and development of various fields of nuclear energy, visualization of calculated data is especially useful to understand the result of simulation in an intuitive way. Many researchers who run simulations on the supercomputer in Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) are used to transfer calculated data files from the supercomputer to their local PCs for visualization. In recent years, as the size of calculated data has gotten larger with improvement of supercomputer performance, reduction of visualization processing time as well as efficient use of JAEA network is being required. As a solution, we introduced a remote visualization system which has abilities to utilize parallel processors on the supercomputer and to reduce the usage of network resources by transferring data of intermediate visualization process. This paper reports a study on the performance of image processing with the remote visualization system. The visualization processing time is measured and the influence of network speed is evaluated by varying the drawing mode, the size of visualization data and the number of processors. Based on this study, a guideline for using the remote visualization system is provided to show how the system can be used effectively. An upgrade policy of the next system is also shown. (author)

Real-Time fusion of visual images and laser data images for safe navigation in outdoor environments

OpenAIRE

García-Alegre Sánchez, María C.; Martín, David; Guinea García-Alegre, Domingo M.; Guinea Díaz, Domingo

2011-01-01

[EN]In recent years, two dimensional laser range finders mounted on vehicles is becoming a fruitful solution to achieve safety and environment recognition requirements (Keicher & Seufert, 2000), (Stentz et al., 2002), (DARPA, 2007). They provide real-time accurate range measurements in large angular fields at a fixed height above the ground plane, and enable robots and vehicles to perform more confidently a variety of tasks by fusing images from visual cameras with range data (...

Reduced predation risk for melanistic pygmy grasshoppers in post-fire environments

Science.gov (United States)

Karpestam, Einat; Merilaita, Sami; Forsman, Anders

2012-01-01

The existence of melanistic (black) color forms in many species represents interesting model systems that have played important roles for our understanding of selective processes, evolution of adaptations, and the maintenance of variation. A recent study reported on rapid evolutionary shifts in frequencies of the melanistic forms in replicated populations of Tetrix subulata pygmy grasshoppers; the incidence of the melanistic form was higher in recently burned areas with backgrounds blackened by fire than in nonburned areas, and it declined over time in postfire environments. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the frequency shifts of the black color variant were driven, at least in part, by changes in the selective regime imposed by visual predators. To study detectability of the melanistic form, we presented human “predators” with images of black grasshoppers and samples of the natural habitat on computer screens. We demonstrate that the protective value of black coloration differs between burnt and nonburnt environments and gradually increases in habitats that have been more blackened by fire. These findings support the notion that a black color pattern provides improved protection from visually oriented predators against blackened backgrounds and implicate camouflage and predation as important drivers of fire melanism in pygmy grasshoppers. PMID:23139879

Visualizing water

Science.gov (United States)

Baart, F.; van Gils, A.; Hagenaars, G.; Donchyts, G.; Eisemann, E.; van Velzen, J. W.

2016-12-01

A compelling visualization is captivating, beautiful and narrative. Here we show how melding the skills of computer graphics, art, statistics, and environmental modeling can be used to generate innovative, attractive and very informative visualizations. We focus on the topic of visualizing forecasts and measurements of water (water level, waves, currents, density, and salinity). For the field of computer graphics and arts, water is an important topic because it occurs in many natural scenes. For environmental modeling and statistics, water is an important topic because the water is essential for transport, a healthy environment, fruitful agriculture, and a safe environment.The different disciplines take different approaches to visualizing water. In computer graphics, one focusses on creating water as realistic looking as possible. The focus on realistic perception (versus the focus on the physical balance pursued by environmental scientists) resulted in fascinating renderings, as seen in recent games and movies. Visualization techniques for statistical results have benefited from the advancement in design and journalism, resulting in enthralling infographics. The field of environmental modeling has absorbed advances in contemporary cartography as seen in the latest interactive data-driven maps. We systematically review the design emerging types of water visualizations. The examples that we analyze range from dynamically animated forecasts, interactive paintings, infographics, modern cartography to web-based photorealistic rendering. By characterizing the intended audience, the design choices, the scales (e.g. time, space), and the explorability we provide a set of guidelines and genres. The unique contributions of the different fields show how the innovations in the current state of the art of water visualization have benefited from inter-disciplinary collaborations.

Inclusion of Immersive Virtual Learning Environments and Visual Control Systems to Support the Learning of Students with Asperger Syndrome

Science.gov (United States)

Lorenzo, Gonzalo; Pomares, Jorge; Lledo, Asuncion

2013-01-01

This paper presents the use of immersive virtual reality systems in the educational intervention with Asperger students. The starting points of this study are features of these students' cognitive style that requires an explicit teaching style supported by visual aids and highly structured environments. The proposed immersive virtual reality…

REcall Venice - Exploring disciplines of visual literacy through difficult heritage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tvedebrink, Tenna Doktor Olsen; Fisker, Anna Marie; Møller, Hans Ramsgaard

2015-01-01

According to James Elkin visual literacy is interpreted as material representations, which communicate knowledge and create insight through their visual appearance. Based on the EU Cultural Heritage project REcall, we argue that visual literacy can also relate to interdisciplinary knowledge rooted......, and archeologists question the role of architectural environments when dealing with war heritage. Today, there are still traces left from WWII in the European architectural environments, traces that by visual literacy represent unpleasant memories. However, these visual literacies have shaped our environment, yet...

Protective environment for hematopoietic cell transplant (HSCT) recipients: The Infectious Diseases Working Party EBMT analysis of global recommendations on health-care facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Styczynski, Jan; Tridello, Gloria; Donnelly, J Peter; Iacobelli, Simona; Hoek, Jennifer; Mikulska, Malgorzata; Aljurf, Mahmoud; Gil, Lidia; Cesaro, Simone

2018-03-13

International guidelines on protective environment for HSCT recipients proposed a set of 10 global recommendations in 2009 on protective environment (GRPE) concerning hospital room design and ventilation. The EBMT Infectious Diseases Working Party undertook a survey on the status on protective environment for HSCT recipients with the aim of surveying current practices and their agreement with GRPE recommendations. The questionnaire consisted of 37 questions divided into 5 sections about filtration, air changes, maintenance, and the protective environment in rooms and the surrounding unit. Overall, 177 centres (response rate 33%) from 36 countries responded, indicating that 99.4% of patient rooms were equipped with HEPA filters, but only 48.6% of the centre's staff were aware of, and could confirm, regular replacement of filters based on manufacturers' recommendations. Well-sealed rooms were used in terms of windows (70.6%), ceilings (35%), and plumbing pipes (51.4%). The sensor monitors in the patient room used to determine when the HEPA filters require changing were installed only in 18.1% of centres. Only 1 centre fulfilled all 10 GRPE recommendations, while 62 centres fulfilled the 3 level "A" recommendations. In conclusion, HEPA-filtered rooms are available in almost all centres, while fewer centres fulfilled other requirements. Knowledge on the details and maintenance of protective environments in the HSCT setting was inadequate, reflecting a lack of communication between the health personnel involved, hospital infection control and the hospital maintenance services.

A Stereographic Visualization Environment and its Applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peskin, A.M.; Andrews, A.B.

1999-04-12

The data visualization activity at Brookhaven National Laboratory is rooted in programs extending back several decades to develop, evaluate and deploy imaging instruments. Several of these developments, such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) technology, were targeted for medical imaging. Other applications made use of images derived from larger, general purpose scientific instruments such as the Laboratory's nuclear reactors and particle accelerators. The most recent impetus to the program has been from a cooperative research and development project between BNL and two industrial companies, GTE and Mobil Oil involving microtomographic imaging of oil reservoir rock, which included development of a novel stereoscopic visualization theatre. This 'Vis Theatre' has been subsequently used for research in other scientific disciplines, and has attracted considerable attention in both the technical literature and even the popular press.

The agreement between Austria and the German Democratic Republic concerning environment protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moser, B.

1989-01-01

The agreement between Austria and the German Democratic Republic concerning the cooperation in the field of environment protection is in force since 1988 07 01. The mutual pollutant-immission should be reduced by exchange of knowledge and experience, cooperation of experts and development of working plans. The problems of brown-coal combustion should be reduced by extended use of nuclear energy. The article examines the content of the agreement and its coordination with the international agreement about long range transfrontier air-pollution

Peripheral visual feedback: a powerful means of supporting effective attention allocation in event-driven, data-rich environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Nikolic, M I; Sarter, N B

2001-01-01

Breakdowns in human-automation coordination in data-rich, event-driven domains such as aviation can be explained in part by a mismatch between the high degree of autonomy yet low observability of modern technology. To some extent, the latter is the result of an increasing reliance in feedback design on foveal vision--an approach that fails to support pilots in tracking system-induced changes and events in parallel with performing concurrent flight-related tasks. One possible solution to the problem is the distribution of tasks and information across sensory modalities and processing channels. A simulator study is presented that compared the effectiveness of current foveal feedback and two implementations of peripheral visual feedback for keeping pilots informed about uncommanded changes in the status of an automated cockpit system. Both peripheral visual displays resulted in higher detection rates and faster response times, without interfering with the performance of concurrent visual tasks any more than does currently available automation feedback. Potential applications include improved display designs that support effective attention allocation in a variety of complex dynamic environments, such as aviation, process control, and medicine.

International conference on the protection of the environment from the effects of ionizing radiation. Contributed papers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2003-09-01

An International Conference on the Protection of the Environment from the Effects of Ionizing Radiation, organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in co-operation with the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), the European Commission (EC) and the International Union of Radioecology (IUR), will be held in Stockholm, Sweden, from 6-10 October 2003. This Conference will be hosted by the Government of Sweden through the Swedish Radiation Protection Authority (SSI). This publication contains contributed papers submitted on issues within the scope of the conference, which were accepted following a review by the Conference Programme Committee. The primary objective of this Conference is to foster information exchange, with the aim of promoting the development of a coherent international policy on the protection of the environment from effects attributable to ionizing radiation. This Conference is one in a series of meetings organized by, or held in co-operation with, the IAEA on this subject. It will include a review of recent developments in this area, and consideration of their implications for future work at national and international levels. The topics on which contributed papers were requested are as follows: Existing environmental protection approaches; Development of an international assessment framework; The scientific basis for environmental radiation assessment; Development of management approaches.

Assessing older adults' perceptions of sensor data and designing visual displays for ambient environments. An exploratory study.

Science.gov (United States)

Reeder, B; Chung, J; Le, T; Thompson, H; Demiris, G

2014-01-01

This article is part of the Focus Theme of Methods of Information in Medicine on "Using Data from Ambient Assisted Living and Smart Homes in Electronic Health Records". Our objectives were to: 1) characterize older adult participants' perceived usefulness of in-home sensor data and 2) develop novel visual displays for sensor data from Ambient Assisted Living environments that can become part of electronic health records. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with community-dwelling older adult participants during three and six-month visits. We engaged participants in two design iterations by soliciting feedback about display types and visual displays of simulated data related to a fall scenario. Interview transcripts were analyzed to identify themes related to perceived usefulness of sensor data. Thematic analysis identified three themes: perceived usefulness of sensor data for managing health; factors that affect perceived usefulness of sensor data and; perceived usefulness of visual displays. Visual displays were cited as potentially useful for family members and health care providers. Three novel visual displays were created based on interview results, design guidelines derived from prior AAL research, and principles of graphic design theory. Participants identified potential uses of personal activity data for monitoring health status and capturing early signs of illness. One area for future research is to determine how visual displays of AAL data might be utilized to connect family members and health care providers through shared understanding of activity levels versus a more simplified view of self-management. Connecting informal and formal caregiving networks may facilitate better communication between older adults, family members and health care providers for shared decision-making.

Integrated Data Visualization and Virtual Reality Tool

Science.gov (United States)

Dryer, David A.

1998-01-01

The Integrated Data Visualization and Virtual Reality Tool (IDVVRT) Phase II effort was for the design and development of an innovative Data Visualization Environment Tool (DVET) for NASA engineers and scientists, enabling them to visualize complex multidimensional and multivariate data in a virtual environment. The objectives of the project were to: (1) demonstrate the transfer and manipulation of standard engineering data in a virtual world; (2) demonstrate the effects of design and changes using finite element analysis tools; and (3) determine the training and engineering design and analysis effectiveness of the visualization system.

The Science of Science Communication and Protecting the Science Communication Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Kahan, D.

2012-12-01

Promoting public comprehension of science is only one aim of the science of science communication and is likely not the most important one for the well-being of a democratic society. Ordinary citizens form quadrillions of correct beliefs on matters that turn on complicated scientific principles they cannot even identify much less understand. The reason they fail to converge on beliefs consistent with scientific evidence on certain other consequential matters—from climate change to genetically modified foods to compusory adolescent HPV vaccination—is not the failure of scientists or science communicators to speak clearly or the inability of ordinary citizens to understand what they are saying. Rather, the source of such conflict is the proliferation of antagonistic cultural meanings. When they become attached to particular facts that admit of scientific investigation, these meanings are a kind of pollution of the science communication environment that disables the faculties ordinary citizens use to reliably absorb collective knowledge from their everyday interactions. The quality of the science communication environment is thus just as critical for enlightened self-government as the quality of the natural environment is for the physical health and well-being of a society's members. Understanding how this science communication environment works, fashioning procedures to prevent it from becoming contaminated with antagonistic meanings, and formulating effective interventions to detoxify it when protective strategies fail—those are the most critical functions science communication can perform in a democratic society.

Human resources of local governments as motivators of participation of businesses and citizens in protecting of environment

OpenAIRE

NIKOLIĆ N.; GAJOVIĆ A.; PAUNOVIĆ V.

2015-01-01

This paper discusses the importance of human resources of local governments in the motivation of businesses and citizens in protecting the environment. The inability to absorb current problems caused by inadequate and incomplete arrangement of utilization of human resources of the local government of Lučani caused the redefining of strategic priorities of environmental protection. The motivational power of human resources of local governments expressed through interaction with the population ...

Application of the ICRP approach for radiological protection of the marine environment in generic impact assessments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kliaus, Viktoryia [Republican Scientific-Practical Centre of Hygiene, Laboratory of Radiation Safety, Akademicheskaya str. 8, 220012, Minsk (Belarus); Telleria, Diego M. [IAEA-Assessment and Management of Environmental Releases Unit, Wagramer Strasse 5 - PO Box 100, A-1400, Vienna (Austria); Cabianca, Tiberio [Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, PHE, Chilton, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0RQ (United Kingdom)

2014-07-01

This paper presents a way to use the ICRP approach for protection of the environment in generic assessments of the radiological impact of radioactive releases to the marine environment. Generic assessments of radiological impact to the environment are needed in certain circumstances, for example, when input data are limited or when the likely radiological consequences are expected to be not significant. Under these circumstances the effort in performing the assessment must be commensurate with the potential radiological consequences. The generic assessment described in this paper is a simple tool which provides reasonable and cautious results and is applicable to multiple exposure scenarios associated with the assessment of the radiological impact of releases to the marine the environment. This generic assessment can be also used to provide preliminary results which, when compared to radiological criteria, may determine the need of further specific assessments. The ICRP based its approach to protect the environment in the definition of a set of reference animals and plants and the use of related radiological criteria, in the form of derived consideration reference levels. The paper discusses selection and exposure conditions of the reference animals and plants, methods to estimate their doses and the use of the radiological criteria, for the purpose of a generic assessment. The IAEA is elaborating applications of these generic impact assessments presented in the paper to be included in international guidance under development. (authors)

UnAdulterated - children and adults' visual attention to healthy and unhealthy food.

Science.gov (United States)

Junghans, Astrid F; Hooge, Ignace T C; Maas, Josje; Evers, Catharine; De Ridder, Denise T D

2015-04-01

Visually attending to unhealthy food creates a desire to consume the food. To resist the temptation people have to employ self-regulation strategies, such as visual avoidance. Past research has shown that self-regulatory skills develop throughout childhood and adolescence, suggesting adults' superior self-regulation skills compared to children. This study employed a novel method to investigate self-regulatory skills. Children and adults' initial (bottom-up) and maintained (top-down) visual attention to simultaneously presented healthy and unhealthy food were examined in an eye-tracking paradigm. Results showed that both children and adults initially attended most to the unhealthy food. Subsequently, adults self-regulated their visual attention away from the unhealthy food. Despite the children's high self-reported attempts to eat healthily and importance of eating healthily, children did not self-regulate visual attention away from unhealthy food. Children remained influenced by the attention-driven desire to consume the unhealthy food whereas adults visually attended more strongly to the healthy food thereby avoiding the desire to consume the unhealthy option. The findings emphasize the necessity of improving children's self-regulatory skills to support their desire to remain healthy and to protect children from the influences of the obesogenic environment. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The Visual System

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... Glossary The Visual System Your Eyes’ Natural Defenses Eye Health and Safety First Aid Tips Healthy Vision Tips Protective Eyewear Sports and Your Eyes Fun Stuff Cool Eye Tricks Links to More ...

Energy-Efficient Privacy Protection for Smart Home Environments Using Behavioral Semantics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Homin Park

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Research on smart environments saturated with ubiquitous computing devices is rapidly advancing while raising serious privacy issues. According to recent studies, privacy concerns significantly hinder widespread adoption of smart home technologies. Previous work has shown that it is possible to infer the activities of daily living within environments equipped with wireless sensors by monitoring radio fingerprints and traffic patterns. Since data encryption cannot prevent privacy invasions exploiting transmission pattern analysis and statistical inference, various methods based on fake data generation for concealing traffic patterns have been studied. In this paper, we describe an energy-efficient, light-weight, low-latency algorithm for creating dummy activities that are semantically similar to the observed phenomena. By using these cloaking activities, the amount of  fake data transmissions can be flexibly controlled to support a trade-off between energy efficiency and privacy protection. According to the experiments using real data collected from a smart home environment, our proposed method can extend the lifetime of the network by more than 2× compared to the previous methods in the literature. Furthermore, the activity cloaking method supports low latency transmission of real data while also significantly reducing the accuracy of the wireless snooping attacks.

Measures of the EU Agri-Environmental Protection Scheme (GAEPS) and their impacts on the visual acceptability of Finnish agricultural landscapes.

Science.gov (United States)

Tahvanainen, Liisa; Ihalainen, Marjut; Hietala-Koivu, Reija; Kolehmainen, Osmo; Tyrväinen, Liisa; Nousiainen, Ismo; Helenius, Juha

2002-11-01

As a member of the European Union, Finland has committed itself to creating an environmental policy for agriculture. The aims of this study were to evaluate visual impacts of the General Agri-Environmental Protection Scheme (GAEPS) and Supplementary Protection Scheme (SPS) and general attitudes towards some activities in those policies and furthermore to examine the suitability of the method of Alho et al. (2001) for the scenic beauty assessment. The study areas consisted of three original, untreated, and 15 modified rural landscapes representing a variety of different activities. The scenic beauty of the landscapes was evaluated through pairwise comparisons of the responses of 68 people. Furthermore, attitudes towards environmental values, water protection, buffer strips and subsidies to agriculture were obtained. The respondents found the maintained buffer strips more pleasing than unmaintained strips and considered that the quality of watercourses was increased by buffer strips along them. A suitable width for the buffer strip along main ditches, brooks and waterways was regarded, on average, to be wider than the current recommendations. Although the opinions of farmers were basically in line with the existing recommendations, farmers' opininons on the second and third most important effects of buffer strips, an increase in weeds and a decrease in cultivated land, clearly differed from those of the other respondents. Afforestation, lack of building maintenance and abandoned fields were considered to be the most important factors impacting rural landscapes. This study indicates that the Finnish Agri-Environmental Protection Schemes have had positive impacts on the visual quality of landscapes. Attitudes towards other impacts are contradictory. This study also showed the improvement of the Alho et al. (2001) method in these kinds of studies relative to other methods of pairwise comparisons.

Pollination requirements of seeded and seedless mini watermelon varieties cultivated under protected environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Isac Gabriel Abrahão Bomfim

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this work was to evaluate the floral biology and pollination requirements of seeded and seedless mini watermelon varieties, and to determine the best varieties to cultivate under protected environment. Three seedless (HA-5106, HA-5158, and HA-5161 and two seeded (Minipol and Polimore genotypes were tested. Flowers were monitored from the pre-anthesis stage to senescence, and fruit quality was also evaluated. The evaluated treatments were hand-geitonogamous pollination (MG, cross-pollination with pollen from the Polimore variety (MCP, cross-pollination with pollen from the Minipol variety (MCM, and restricted pollination. All varieties had monoecious plants with diclinous flowers, and the stigmas remained receptive throughout anthesis. Fruit set rates of 84.62% (MG, 61.54% (MCP, 48% (MCM, and 0% (restricted were obtained for seeded varieties, but of 0% (MG, 76.36% (MCP, 82.69% (MCM, and 0% (restricted for seedless varieties. Fruits did not differ in quality among treatments within each genotype. Therefore, all the studied varieties require a pollination agent and diploid pollen for fruit set to occur, regardless of the donor variety; and Minipol or Polimore with HA-5106 or HA-5158 are the varieties recommended for cultivation in protected environment.

Setting visual pre-placement testing in a technology manufacturing environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Gowan, Nancy J

2014-01-01

Every day we use our eyes to perform activities of daily living and work. Aging changes as well as health conditions can impact an individual's visual function, making it more difficult to accurately perform work activities. Occupational therapists work closely with optometrists and employers to develop ways to accommodate for these changes so that the employee can continue to perform the work tasks. This manuscript outlines a case study of systematically developing visual demands analyses and pre-placement vision screening assessment protocols for individuals completing quality inspection positions. When the vision screening was completed, it was discovered that over 20% of the employees had visual deficits that were correctable. This screening process yielded improved quality results but also identification of previously undetected visual deficits. Further development of vision screening in the workplace is supported.

Sensitivity to the visual field origin of natural image patches in human low-level visual cortex

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Damien J. Mannion

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Asymmetries in the response to visual patterns in the upper and lower visual fields (above and below the centre of gaze have been associated with ecological factors relating to the structure of typical visual environments. Here, we investigated whether the content of the upper and lower visual field representations in low-level regions of human visual cortex are specialised for visual patterns that arise from the upper and lower visual fields in natural images. We presented image patches, drawn from above or below the centre of gaze of an observer navigating a natural environment, to either the upper or lower visual fields of human participants (n = 7 while we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI to measure the magnitude of evoked activity in the visual areas V1, V2, and V3. We found a significant interaction between the presentation location (upper or lower visual field and the image patch source location (above or below fixation; the responses to lower visual field presentation were significantly greater for image patches sourced from below than above fixation, while the responses in the upper visual field were not significantly different for image patches sourced from above and below fixation. This finding demonstrates an association between the representation of the lower visual field in human visual cortex and the structure of the visual input that is likely to be encountered below the centre of gaze.

Regional air-quality and acid-deposition modeling and the role for visualization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Novak, J.H.; Dennis, R.L.

1991-11-01

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uses air quality and deposition models to advance the scientific understanding of basic physical and chemical processes related to air pollution, and to assess the effectiveness of alternative emissions control strategies. The paper provides a brief technical description of several regional scale atmospheric models, their current use within EPA, and related data analysis issues. Spatial analysis is a key component in the evaluation and interpretation of the model predictions. Thus, the authors highlight several types of analysis enhancements focusing on those related to issues of spatial scale, user access to models and analysis tools, and consolidation of air quality modeling and graphical analysis capabilities. They discuss their initial experience with a Geographical Information System (GIS) pilot project that generated the initial concepts for the design of an integrated modeling and analysis environment. And finally, they present current plans to evolve this modeling/visualization approach to a distributed, heterogeneous computing environment which enables any research scientist or policy analyst to use high performance visualization techniques from his/her desktop

THE USE OF VISUAL AIDS IN A SOCIO-INTERACTIVE ENVIRONMENT O USO DO VISUAL AIDS EM UM CONTEXTO SÓCIO-AMBIENTE INTERATIVO

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

TÂNIA REGINA VIEIRA

2002-01-01

Full Text Available The need for audiovisual materials in the EFL classroom arises from the factthat the association of visual aids with the new language makes meaning moredirect and quick to understand than through verbal explanation, attracts thestudents’ attention and aids concentration. Learning a language through visualaids in collaboration with other peers makes the experience more productiveand profitable. Therefore, this work discusses how the use of visual aids in asocio-interactive environment can improve students’ ability to learn a language.A necessidade do uso de recursos visuais em uma aula de língua estrangeiraderiva do fato de que a associação de imagens à nova língua torna o significadomais direto e fácil de compreender do que por explicações verbais, atrai a atençãodos alunos e ajuda na concentração. Aprender uma língua através de recursosvisuais em colaboração com outros colegas torna a experiência mais produtivae proveitosa. Assim, este trabalho discute como o uso de recursos visuais emum contexto sociointerativo pode melhorar a capacidade dos alunos paraaprender uma língua.

The development of international standards for the protection of the environment from the effects of ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robinson, Carol

2004-01-01

There has been an increasing awareness over recent years of the need to develop an approach that specifically addresses the protection of non-human species from the effects of ionizing radiation, largely in response to national and international environmental legal instruments. The IAEA has a long history of involvement in assessing the impact of ionizing radiation on non-human species and has, in recent years, established a programme of work to address the development of safety standards on this issue, in co-operation with other relevant international organizations. This paper provides an overview of the status of international work in this regard, paying particular attention to the work of the IAEA, and the relevant task groups of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). It includes a discussion of the ethics and principles of environmental protection, and issues related to the development of a practical framework for environmental assessment and decision-making. The future development of international safety standards for the control of releases of radionuclides to the environment will depend upon the findings and recommendations of the International Conference on Protection of the Environment from the Effects of Ionizing Radiation, held in Stockholm, Sweden, 6-10 October 2003. The main issues arising at that conference are summarised. (author)

Visualization system on ITBL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Yoshio

2004-01-01

Visualization systems PATRAS/ITBL and AVS/ITBL, which are based on visualization software PATRAS and AVS/Express respectively, have been developed on a global, heterogeneous computing environment, Information Technology Based Laboratory (ITBL). PATRAS/ITBL allows for real-time visualization of the numerical results acquired from coupled multi-physics numerical simulations, executed on different hosts situated in remote locations. AVS/ITBL allow for post processing visualization. The scientific data located in remote sites may be selected and visualized on a web browser installed in a user terminal. The global structure and main functions of these systems are presented. (author)

Oilfield development and protection of natural resources within the tropical marine environment of the Rowley shelf, northwest Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

LeProvost, M.I.; Gordon, D.M.

1991-01-01

In recent years a number of oilfields have been developed in tropical waters of the Rowley Shelf, north-west Australia. Along with Bass Strait and the Timor Sea, this region is the focus for Australia's current oil exploration and production. It supports major coral and mangrove habitats and fishing grounds sensitive to the effects of oil pollution. This paper provides a synthesis of the Rowley Shelf marine environment and reviews procedures protecting the marine resources of the region from the effects of oil spills. Recent government and industry initiatives for improving the protection of the environment are outlined and discussed on the basis of the improved understanding of the marine resources and experience being gained in oil spill contingency planning. The tropical habitats of the Rowley Shelf occur within the Indo-Pacific Zoogeographic Region, therefore experience gained in Western Australia is applicable to similar environments in the South East Asian region

Autonomous Robot Navigation based on Visual Landmarks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Livatino, Salvatore

2005-01-01

The use of landmarks for robot navigation is a popular alternative to having a geometrical model of the environment through which to navigate and monitor self-localization. If the landmarks are defined as special visual structures already in the environment then we have the possibility of fully a...... automatically learn and store visual landmarks, and later recognize these landmarks from arbitrary positions and thus estimate robot position and heading.......The use of landmarks for robot navigation is a popular alternative to having a geometrical model of the environment through which to navigate and monitor self-localization. If the landmarks are defined as special visual structures already in the environment then we have the possibility of fully...... autonomous navigation and self-localization using automatically selected landmarks. The thesis investigates autonomous robot navigation and proposes a new method which benefits from the potential of the visual sensor to provide accuracy and reliability to the navigation process while relying on naturally...

Jupiter Environment Tool

Science.gov (United States)

Sturm, Erick J.; Monahue, Kenneth M.; Biehl, James P.; Kokorowski, Michael; Ngalande, Cedrick,; Boedeker, Jordan

2012-01-01

The Jupiter Environment Tool (JET) is a custom UI plug-in for STK that provides an interface to Jupiter environment models for visualization and analysis. Users can visualize the different magnetic field models of Jupiter through various rendering methods, which are fully integrated within STK s 3D Window. This allows users to take snapshots and make animations of their scenarios with magnetic field visualizations. Analytical data can be accessed in the form of custom vectors. Given these custom vectors, users have access to magnetic field data in custom reports, graphs, access constraints, coverage analysis, and anywhere else vectors are used within STK.

The Visual System

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... for Kids >> The Visual System Listen All About Vision About the Eye Ask a Scientist Video Series ... Eye Health and Safety First Aid Tips Healthy Vision Tips Protective Eyewear Sports and Your Eyes Fun ...

Variability, plot size and border effect in lettuce trials in protected environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Santos

2018-03-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The variability within rows of cultivation may reduce the accuracy of experiments conducted in a complete randomized block design if the rows are considered as blocks, however, little is known about this variability in protected environments. Thus, our aim was to study the variability of the fresh mass in lettuce shoot, growing in protected environment, and to verify the border effect and size of the experimental unit in minimizing the productive variability. Data from two uniformity trials carried out in a greenhouse in autumn and spring growing seasons were used. In the statistical analyses, it was considered the existence of parallel cultivation rows the lateral openings of the greenhouse and of columns perpendicular to these openings. Different scenarios were simulated by excluding rows and columns to generate several borders arrangements and also to use different sizes of the experimental unit. For each scenario, homogeneity test of variances between remaining rows and columns was performed, and it was calculated the variance and coefficient of variation. There is variability among rows in trials with lettuce in plastic greenhouses and the border use does not bring benefits in terms of reduction of the coefficient of variation or minimizing the cases of heterogeneous variances among rows. In experiments with lettuce in a plastic greenhouse, the use of an experimental unit size greater than or equal to two plants provides homogeneity of variances among rows and columns and, therefore, allows the use of a completely randomized design.

Multi-Sensory-Motor Research: Investigating Auditory, Visual, and Motor Interaction in Virtual Reality Environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thorsten Kluss

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Perception in natural environments is inseparably linked to motor action. In fact, we consider action an essential component of perceptual representation. But these representations are inherently difficult to investigate: Traditional experimental setups are limited by the lack of flexibility in manipulating spatial features. To overcome these problems, virtual reality (VR experiments seem to be a feasible alternative, but these setups typically lack ecological realism due to the use of “unnatural” interface-devices (joystick. Thus, we propose an experimental apparatus which combines multisensory perception and action in an ecologically realistic way. The basis is a 10-foot hollow sphere (VirtuSphere placed on a platform that allows free rotation. A subject inside can walk in any direction for any distance immersed into virtual environment. Both the rotation of the sphere and movement of the subject's head are tracked to process the subject's view within the VR-environment presented on a head-mounted display. Moreover, auditory features are dynamically processed taking greatest care of exact alignment of sound-sources and visual objects using ambisonic-encoded audio processed by a HRTF-filterbank. We present empirical data that confirm ecological realism of this setup and discuss its suitability for multi-sensory-motor research.

An atmospheric vulnerability assessment framework for environment management and protection based on CAMx.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yang; Shen, Jing; Li, Yu

2018-02-01

This paper presents an atmospheric vulnerability assessment framework based on CAMx that should be helpful to assess potential impacts of changes in human, atmospheric environment, and social economic elements of atmospheric vulnerability. It is also a useful and effective tool that can provide policy-guidance for environmental protection and management to reduce the atmospheric vulnerability. The developed framework was applied to evaluate the atmospheric environment vulnerability of 13 cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region for verification. The results indicated that regional disparity of the atmospheric vulnerability existed in the study site. More specifically, the central and southern regions show more atmospheric environment vulnerability than the northern regions. The impact factors of atmospheric environment vulnerability in the BTH region mainly derived from increasing population press, frequently unfavorable meteorological conditions, extensive economic growth of secondary industry, increased environmental pollution, and accelerating population aging. The framework shown in this paper is an interpretative and heuristic tool for a better understanding of atmospheric vulnerability. This framework can also be replicated at different spatial and temporal scales using context-specific datasets to straightly support environmental managers with decision-making. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

AN IMAGE ENHANCEMENT ENVIRONMENT DESIGNED AT 32-BIT VERSION OF VISUAL BASIC 4 PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE USING THE WIN32 API FUNCTIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aydın KIZILKAYA

2000-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, using the Win32 API (Application Programming Interface functions and MDI (Multiple Document Interface programming technique, which is main principle of Windows system, designed an image enhancement environment at 32-bit version of Visual Basic 4 programming language is investigated. Image enhancement algorithms could be easily applied in this environment and each of results obtained could be separately showed in frames on same environment. Image enhancement techniques used in this environment are observed in spatial domain. With this program observing image enhancement techniques are contrast stretching, histogram equalization, thresholding, negative imaging, low-pass filtering, high-pass filtering and median filtering. In the filtering process of the images are utilized of the convolution techniques at this environment.

Instrumentation in Support of Interactive Visualization, Computation and Simulation

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Wegman, Edward

1997-01-01

... and related spatial and volumetric visualization problems. By virtual environments, we meant an immersive visual and audio technology such that experimenter has little or no awareness of the real environment...

Prevalence of sun protection behaviors in Hispanic youth residing in a high ultraviolet light environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Altieri, Lisa; Miller, Kimberly A; Huh, Jimi; Peng, David H; Unger, Jennifer B; Richardson, Jean L; Allen, Martin W; Cockburn, Myles

2018-01-01

Although rates of late-stage melanoma are rising in Hispanics, particularly those living in high ultraviolet light environments, little is known about the prevalence of sun protective behaviors in Hispanic children. We analyzed baseline data including frequency of sunburn, sun protective behaviors, level of U.S. acculturation, and skin phototype from a cross-sectional survey of 2003 Hispanic elementary school children in Los Angeles, California, who participated in a skin cancer prevention intervention. Although the Hispanic children reported frequently engaging in some sun protective behaviors, they also had a high rate of sunburn (59%) that exceeded previous national estimates for non-Hispanic white children (43%). Fewer U.S.-acculturated children reported more frequent shade-seeking at home (P = .02), along with less shade-seeking at school (P = .001) and more sunscreen use at school (P = .02). The surprisingly high rate of sunburn in Hispanic children suggests that the way in which they are practicing sun protection is not preventing sunburns. Sun safety interventions should be targeted toward Hispanic youth to provide them with practical methods of effective sun protection, in addition to education on the risks of high sun exposure. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Encapsulated environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

McLellan, Tom M.; Daanen, Hein A M; Cheung, Stephen S.

2013-01-01

In many occupational settings, clothing must be worn to protect individuals from hazards in their work environment. However, personal protective clothing (PPC) restricts heat exchange with the environment due to high thermal resistance and low water vapor permeability. As a consequence, individuals

Encapsulated Environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

McLellan, T.M.; Daanen, H.A.M.; Cheung, S.S.

2013-01-01

In many occupational settings, clothing must be worn to protect individuals from hazards in their work environment. However, personal protective clothing (PPC) restricts heat exchange with the environment due to high thermal resistance and low water vapor permeability. As a consequence, individuals

Ultraviolet and short wavelength visible light exposure: why ultraviolet protection alone is not adequate.

Science.gov (United States)

Reichow, Alan W; Citek, Karl; Edlich, Richard F

2006-01-01

The danger of exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation in both the natural environment and artificial occupational settings has long been recognized by national and international standards committees and worker safety agencies. There is an increasing body of literature that suggests that protection from UV exposure is not enough. Unprotected exposure to the short wavelengths of the visible spectrum, termed the "blue light hazard", is gaining acceptance as a true risk to long-term visual health. Global standards and experts in the field are now warning that those individuals who spend considerable time outdoors should seek sun filter eyewear with high impact resistant lenses that provide 100% UV filtration, high levels of blue light filtration, and full visual field lens/frame coverage as provided by high wrap eyewear. The Skin Cancer Foundation has endorsed certain sunglasses as "product[s]...effective [as] UV filter[s] for the eyes and surrounding skin". However, such endorsement does not necessarily mean that the eyewear meets all the protective needs for outdoor use. There are several brands that offer products with such protective characteristics. Performance sun eyewear by Nike Vision, available in both corrective and plano (nonprescription) forms, is one such brand incorporating these protective features.

Achieving sustainable ese of environment: a framework for payment for protected forest ecosystem service

Science.gov (United States)

Widicahyono, A.; Awang, S. A.; Maryudi, A.; Setiawan, M. A.; Rusdimi, A. U.; Handoko, D.; Muhammad, R. A.

2018-04-01

Over the last decade, deforestation in Indonesia has reduced the forest area down to more than 6 million hectares. There is conflict that the protected forest ecosystem service is still often perceived as public goods. Many of them went unrecognized in planning process and continue to be undervalued. The challenge lies in maintaining socioeconomic development and ecosystem services sustainability without overlooking the people’s opportunities and improving their livelihoods over the long term. An integrated approach is required to understand the comprehensive concept of protected forest ecosystem service. This research aims to formulate a scheme of payment for ecosystem service (PES) in a protected forest. It is a first step towards the attempt for the value of ecosystem services to be reflected in decision-making. Literatures, previous researches and secondary data are reviewed thoroughly to analyze the interrelated components by looking at the environment as a whole and recognize their linkages that have consequences to one another both positive and negative. The framework of implementation of PES schemes outlines the complexity of human-environment interconnecting relationships. It evaluates the contributing actors of different interest i.e. long term use and short term use. The concept of PES accommodates the fulfillment of both conservation and exploitation with an incentive scheme to the contributing parties who are willing to implement conservation and issuance of compensation expense for any exploitation means. The most crucial part in this concept is to have a good and effective communication between every policy makers concerning the forest ecosystem and local communities.

Planning to Protect the Environment

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2011-01-01

China formulates a development plan for energy-saving and environmental protection industries U.S.-headquartered diversified power management company Eaton Corp.announced on August 12 that it would achieve sales revenue of $2 billion in China by the end of 2015,

The development of organized visual search

Science.gov (United States)

Woods, Adam J.; Goksun, Tilbe; Chatterjee, Anjan; Zelonis, Sarah; Mehta, Anika; Smith, Sabrina E.

2013-01-01

Visual search plays an important role in guiding behavior. Children have more difficulty performing conjunction search tasks than adults. The present research evaluates whether developmental differences in children's ability to organize serial visual search (i.e., search organization skills) contribute to performance limitations in a typical conjunction search task. We evaluated 134 children between the ages of 2 and 17 on separate tasks measuring search for targets defined by a conjunction of features or by distinct features. Our results demonstrated that children organize their visual search better as they get older. As children's skills at organizing visual search improve they become more accurate at locating targets with conjunction of features amongst distractors, but not for targets with distinct features. Developmental limitations in children's abilities to organize their visual search of the environment are an important component of poor conjunction search in young children. In addition, our findings provide preliminary evidence that, like other visuospatial tasks, exposure to reading may influence children's spatial orientation to the visual environment when performing a visual search. PMID:23584560

Radiation protection for humans and environment. 50 years competence in the professional association; Strahlenschutz fuer Mensch und Umwelt. 50 Jahre Kompetenz im Fachverband

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bucher, Benno [Eidgenoessisches Nuklearsicherheitsinspektorat, Brugg (Switzerland); Wilhelm, Christoph (ed.) [Karlsruher Institut fuer Technology (KIT), Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany)

2016-07-01

The conference proceedings of the IRPA (International radiation protection association) annual meeting 2016 contain the contribution of invited referents, other contributions and poster contributions concerning radiation protection in nuclear facilities, radiation protection of the public and environment, radioactive waste management, uranium mining, environmental monitoring, natural radioactivity, and radiation protection laws and regulations.

Influence of the Perspectives on the Movement of One-Leg Lifting in an Interactive-Visual Virtual Environment: A Pilot Study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chien-Hua Huang

Full Text Available Numerous studies have confirmed the feasibility of active video games for clinical rehabilitation. To maximize training effectiveness, a personal program is necessary; however, little evidence is available to guide individualized game design for rehabilitation. This study assessed the perspectives and kinematic and temporal parameters of a participant's postural control in an interactive-visual virtual environment.Twenty-four healthy participants performed one-leg standing by leg lifting when a posture frame appeared either in a first- or third-person perspective of a virtual environment. A foot force plate was used to detect the displacement of the center of pressure. A three-way mixed factor design was applied, where the perspective was the between-participant factor, and the leg-lifting times (0.7 and 2.7 seconds and leg-lifting angles (30°and 90° were the within-participant factors. The reaction time, accuracy of the movement, and ability to shift weight were the dependent variables.Regarding the reaction time and accuracy of the movement, there were no significant main effects of the perspective, leg-lifting time, or angle. For the ability to shift weight, however, both the perspective and time exerted significant main effects, F(1,22 = 6.429 and F(1,22 = 13.978, respectively.Participants could shift their weight more effectively in the third-person perspective of the virtual environment. The results can serve as a reference for future designs of interactive-visual virtual environment as applied to rehabilitation.

10th meeting of the International Conference on Protection of Materials and Structures from Space Environment

CERN Document Server

Tagawa, Masahito; Kimoto, Yugo; Protection of Materials and Structures From the Space Environment

2013-01-01

The goals of the 10th International Space Conference on “Protection of Materials and Structures from Space Environment” ICPMSE-10J, since its inception in 1992, have been to facilitate exchanges between members of the various engineering and science disciplines involved in the development of space materials, including aspects of LEO, GEO and Deep Space environments, ground-based qualification, and in-flight experiments and lessons learned from operational vehicles that are closely interrelated to disciplines of the atmospheric sciences, solar-terrestrial interactions and space life sciences. The knowledge of environmental conditions on and around the Moon, Mars, Venus and the low Earth orbit as well as other possible candidates for landing such as asteroids have become an important issue, and protecting both hardware and human life from the effects of space environments has taken on a new meaning in light of the increased interest in space travel and colonization of other planets.  And while many materia...

Topologically-based visualization of large-scale volume data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeshima, Y.; Tokunaga, M.; Fujishiro, I.; Takahashi, S.

2004-01-01

Due to the recent progress in the performance of computing/measurement environments and the advent of ITBL environments, volume datasets have become larger and more complicated. Although computer visualization is one of the tools to analyze such datasets effectively, it is almost impossible to adjust the visualization parameter value by trial and error without taking the feature of a given volume dataset into consideration. In this article, we introduce a scheme of topologically-based volume visualization, which is intended to choose appropriate visualization parameter values automatically through topological volume skeletonization. (author)

Radiation. Protection. Health. Proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hajek, Michael; Maringer, Franz Josef; Steurer, Andreas; Schwaiger, Martina; Timal, Guenter

2015-01-01

The topics of the meeting are the diagnostic and therapeutic application of ionizing radiations, the application of radiation in research, industry and engineering and radiation protection. The volume includes the following chapters: Radiation protection and society, radiation protection infrastructure, population and environment, metrology and measuring techniques, 1. Workshop on population and environment, NORM and radon, 2. Update: dose - extent of damage - limiting value definition, radiation protection for personnel (except medicine), radiation protection in medicine.

BIOCHEMISTRY IN THE SPECIALTY IN VISUAL FUNCTION, AND VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS IN THE CICS UMA-IPN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Blanca Elisa Pérez-Magaña

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The higher education and postgraduate in Mexico." delivered at the National Polytechnic Institute is located in a period of constant modification and sustained that has led to the creation of new pedagogical proposals aimed at the promotion of learning emphasizing virtual education. The development of ICT (Information Technologies and Communication in the last few years has favored the emergence and consolidation of degrees, diplomas, Specialties, Master's Degrees among other, using the distance learning based on a web environment. This work analyzes the importance that had the Biochemistry course taught in the specialty of Visual Function in the CICS and UMA that allowed both to the students as the teachers try to virtually eliminate the disadvantages theoretical to traditional teaching. The results obtained in addition to the skills and competences acquired the students were highly successful, and it is hoped to be able to continue implementing such environments in other specialties and master's degrees.

Capability and limits of EC policy and instruments for protection of the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jarass, H.D.; Neumann, L.F.; Pastowski, A.; Ruhr, H.J. von der; Schreiber, F.

1994-01-01

The authors who contributed to this compilation of studies start from different points of view in their approaches towards describing the existing (or desirable) balance between centralised and decentralised frameworks and instruments of the EC policy for protection of the environment: A total harmonisation of environmental protection standards would be inconsistent with the principles of competition and, in terms of environmental protection, would rather foster a climate tending to be hostile to innovation. The impetus given by the EC in support of free mobility in the transport sector of the internal market on the other hand ought to be flanked by mandatory ecological standards. Adhering to the economic theory of federalism would mean to decide for a high degree of decentralisation, which in turn does not seem to be altogether appropriate in view of the large scope of impact of environmental damage and the mutual ecological dependence of EC member states. A more centralised regulatory competence has to be accompanied by correspondingly strong, democratic institutions in order to fulfill the principles of constitutional law. The priority given to the principle of subsidiarity in the compromise laid down in the Treaty of Maastricht needs to be given concrete shape [de

Development of a Computerized Visual Search Test

Science.gov (United States)

Reid, Denise; Babani, Harsha; Jon, Eugenia

2009-01-01

Visual attention and visual search are the features of visual perception, essential for attending and scanning one's environment while engaging in daily occupations. This study describes the development of a novel web-based test of visual search. The development information including the format of the test will be described. The test was designed…

Rapid adaptation to a novel light environment: The importance of ontogeny and phenotypic plasticity in shaping the visual system of Nicaraguan Midas cichlid fish (Amphilophus citrinellus spp.).

Science.gov (United States)

Härer, Andreas; Torres-Dowdall, Julián; Meyer, Axel

2017-10-01

Colonization of novel habitats is typically challenging to organisms. In the initial stage after colonization, approximation to fitness optima in the new environment can occur by selection acting on standing genetic variation, modification of developmental patterns or phenotypic plasticity. Midas cichlids have recently colonized crater Lake Apoyo from great Lake Nicaragua. The photic environment of crater Lake Apoyo is shifted towards shorter wavelengths compared to great Lake Nicaragua and Midas cichlids from both lakes differ in visual sensitivity. We investigated the contribution of ontogeny and phenotypic plasticity in shaping the visual system of Midas cichlids after colonizing this novel photic environment. To this end, we measured cone opsin expression both during development and after experimental exposure to different light treatments. Midas cichlids from both lakes undergo ontogenetic changes in cone opsin expression, but visual sensitivity is consistently shifted towards shorter wavelengths in crater lake fish, which leads to a paedomorphic retention of their visual phenotype. This shift might be mediated by lower levels of thyroid hormone in crater lake Midas cichlids (measured indirectly as dio2 and dio3 gene expression). Exposing fish to different light treatments revealed that cone opsin expression is phenotypically plastic in both species during early development, with short and long wavelength light slowing or accelerating ontogenetic changes, respectively. Notably, this plastic response was maintained into adulthood only in the derived crater lake Midas cichlids. We conclude that the rapid evolution of Midas cichlids' visual system after colonizing crater Lake Apoyo was mediated by a shift in visual sensitivity during ontogeny and was further aided by phenotypic plasticity during development. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

INFLUENCE OF WORKING ENVIRONMENT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE HEALTH PROTECTION OF THE ENTERPRISE STAFF

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuliya V. Karpovich

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The article investigates the processes of health protection at modern industrial enterprises. Occupational health of workers is considered in the article as an important component of the sustainable development of the enterprise. The process of health protection is described in the study not only as a social component, but also as a process relating to all areas of sustainable development. The article attempts to show the place of ‘health-protection subsystem’ as part of an integrated system of industrial enterprises’ sustainable development. Four independent spheres of health protection programs implementation were pointed out at the level of enterprise – professional environment, the quality of workplace, involvement of employees in the process of health protection, involvement of the enterprise in the processes of health protection. The article emphasizes the interrelationship of biological and economic characteristics of human life and society in the formation of health protection processes. Programs for sustainable development taking into account the management of health protection should include two sets of activities: corrective and special ones. Tools used in health management programs aimed at expanding the choices of healthier behavior and altering the character of individual preferences in behavior within the framework of the formation of health tastes and preferences are defined. The authors present the results of the analysis of occupational diseases on the example of the three companies of the Perm region (Saranovskaya shakhta ‘Rudnaya’ OJSC, Motovilikhinskie zavody PJSC and Proton-PM PJSC. The results allowed to offer a list of universal and special arrangements for the implementation of health protection control programs within the mentioned industrial enterprises.

40 CFR 52.2179 - Visibility protection.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Visibility protection. 52.2179 Section 52.2179 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS (CONTINUED) South Dakota § 52.2179 Visibility protection...

40 CFR 52.1606 - Visibility protection.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Visibility protection. 52.1606 Section 52.1606 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS (CONTINUED) New Jersey § 52.1606 Visibility protection...

40 CFR 52.1236 - Visibility protection.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Visibility protection. 52.1236 Section 52.1236 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS (CONTINUED) Minnesota § 52.1236 Visibility protection. (a...

40 CFR 52.1488 - Visibility protection.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Visibility protection. 52.1488 Section 52.1488 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS (CONTINUED) Nevada § 52.1488 Visibility protection. (a...

40 CFR 52.2383 - Visibility protection.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Visibility protection. 52.2383 Section 52.2383 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS (CONTINUED) Vermont § 52.2383 Visibility protection. (a...

40 CFR 52.2498 - Visibility protection.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Visibility protection. 52.2498 Section 52.2498 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS (CONTINUED) Washington § 52.2498 Visibility protection...

40 CFR 52.2304 - Visibility protection.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Visibility protection. 52.2304 Section 52.2304 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS (CONTINUED) Texas § 52.2304 Visibility protection. (a...

40 CFR 52.1387 - Visibility protection.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Visibility protection. 52.1387 Section 52.1387 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS (CONTINUED) Montana § 52.1387 Visibility protection. (a...

40 CFR 52.1831 - Visibility protection.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Visibility protection. 52.1831 Section 52.1831 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS (CONTINUED) North Dakota § 52.1831 Visibility protection...

40 CFR 52.2533 - Visibility protection.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Visibility protection. 52.2533 Section 52.2533 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS (CONTINUED) West Virginia § 52.2533 Visibility protection...

40 CFR 52.1183 - Visibility protection.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Visibility protection. 52.1183 Section 52.1183 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS (CONTINUED) Michigan § 52.1183 Visibility protection. (a...

40 CFR 52.1531 - Visibility protection.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Visibility protection. 52.1531 Section 52.1531 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS (CONTINUED) New Hampshire § 52.1531 Visibility protection...

40 CFR 52.2452 - Visibility protection.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Visibility protection. 52.2452 Section 52.2452 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS (CONTINUED) Virginia § 52.2452 Visibility protection. (a...

40 CFR 52.1033 - Visibility protection.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Visibility protection. 52.1033 Section 52.1033 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS (CONTINUED) Maine § 52.1033 Visibility protection. (a...

40 CFR 52.1339 - Visibility protection.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Visibility protection. 52.1339 Section 52.1339 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS (CONTINUED) Missouri § 52.1339 Visibility protection. (a...

When is protection from impact needed for the face as well as the eyes in occupational environments?

Science.gov (United States)

Dain, Stephen J; Huang, Rose; Tiao, Aimee; Chou, B Ralph

2018-05-01

The most commonly identified reason for requiring or using occupational eye and face protection is for protection against flying objects. Standards vary on what risk may require protection of the eyes alone and what requires protection for the whole face. Information on the minimum energy transfer for face damage to occur is not well-established. The heads of pigs were used as the common model for human skin. A 6 mm steel ball projected at velocities between 45 and 135 m/s was directed at the face area. Examples of impacts were filmed with a high-speed camera and the resulting damage was rated visually on a scale from 1 (no visible damage) to 5 (penetrated the skin and embedded in the flesh). The results for the cheek area indicate that 85 m/s is the velocity above which damage is more likely to occur unless the skin near the lip is included. For damage to the lip area to be avoided, the velocity needs to be 60 m/s or less. The present data support a maximum impact velocity of 85 m/s, provided the thinner and more vulnerable skin of the lids and orbital adnexa is protected. If the coverage area does not extend to the orbital adnexa, then the absolute upper limit for the velocity is 60 m/s. At this stage, eye-only protection, as represented by the lowest level of impact test in the standards in the form of a drop ball test, is not in question. © 2017 Optometry Australia.

Topical radiation protection questions of use of agricultural land in the environs of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carach, J.; Csupka, S.; Petrasova, M.

1982-01-01

A survey is presented of the problems of the use of agricultural land in the environs of nuclear power plants. The analysis of emission activity in nuclear power plants presently under construction shows that for normal operation no precautions are necessary. For accidents, specific health protection measures are planned. (author)

The Visual System

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... First Aid Tips Healthy Vision Tips Protective Eyewear Sports and Your Eyes Fun Stuff Cool Eye Tricks Links to More Information Optical Illusions Printables The Visual System Ever wonder how your eyes work? Watch this video to learn how you’re able ...

Streaming Visual Analytics Workshop Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cook, Kristin A. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Burtner, Edwin R. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Kritzstein, Brian P. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Brisbois, Brooke R. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Mitson, Anna E. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2016-03-31

How can we best enable users to understand complex emerging events and make appropriate assessments from streaming data? This was the central question addressed at a three-day workshop on streaming visual analytics. This workshop was organized by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for a government sponsor. It brought together forty researchers and subject matter experts from government, industry, and academia. This report summarizes the outcomes from that workshop. It describes elements of the vision for a streaming visual analytic environment and set of important research directions needed to achieve this vision. Streaming data analysis is in many ways the analysis and understanding of change. However, current visual analytics systems usually focus on static data collections, meaning that dynamically changing conditions are not appropriately addressed. The envisioned mixed-initiative streaming visual analytics environment creates a collaboration between the analyst and the system to support the analysis process. It raises the level of discourse from low-level data records to higher-level concepts. The system supports the analyst’s rapid orientation and reorientation as situations change. It provides an environment to support the analyst’s critical thinking. It infers tasks and interests based on the analyst’s interactions. The system works as both an assistant and a devil’s advocate, finding relevant data and alerts as well as considering alternative hypotheses. Finally, the system supports sharing of findings with others. Making such an environment a reality requires research in several areas. The workshop discussions focused on four broad areas: support for critical thinking, visual representation of change, mixed-initiative analysis, and the use of narratives for analysis and communication.

The role of food-security solutions in the protection of natural resources and environment of developing countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Lashgarara, Farhad; Mirdamadi, Seyyed Mehdi; Hosseini, Seyyed Jamal Farajollah; Chizari, Mohammad

2008-10-01

The majority of the countries of the world, especially developing countries, face environmental problems. Limitations of basic resources (water and soil) and population growth have been the cause of these environmental problems that countries are confronted with. Developing countries have numerous problems, including destruction of forests, vegetable and animal species, and pollution of the environment. Damage to natural resources and the environment can influence the food-security situation. One of the main millennium development goals (MDGs) is protection of the environment and people's health. This cannot obtained unless there is ensured food security. Food security has been defined as a situation when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food needed to maintain a healthy and active life. At the same time, with ensured food security, we can hope to protect the natural resources and environment. The methodology used is descriptive-analytical, and its main purpose is determining the importance and role of food-security solutions in the reduction of environmental hazards and improvement of natural resources and the environmental situation in developing countries. Therefore, some of the most important food-security solutions that can play an important role in this relation were discussed, including conventional research-based technology, biotechnology, information and communication technologies (ICTs), alternative energy sources, and food irradiation.

Perspectives for environmental radiation protection in EU radiation protection legislation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janssens, A.

2000-01-01

The basis of EU radiation protection legislation is the EURATOM Trealy. It is discussed whether the Treaty offers a legal basis for the protection of the natural environment. The incorporation of provisions pertaining to the nuclear fuel cycle or to radioactive substances in general environmental legislation is explained, as well as the possible implications of international conventions subscribed by the European Union. The European Commission is in the process of developing an overall approach to risk analysis for the protection of health, consumer interests, and the environment. It is examined to what extent the consideration of the impact of radiation on the natural environment fits in the overall framework and whether the principles underlying classical radiation protection are applicable to biota. Specific attention is given to situations where high levels of environmental radioactivity would require intervention. (Author)

WATERPROTECT: Innovative tools enabling drinking water protection in rural and urban environments

Science.gov (United States)

Seuntjens, Piet; Campling, Paul; Joris, Ingeborg; Wauters, Erwin; Lopez de Alda, Miren; Kuczynska, Anna; Lajer Hojberg, Anker; Capri, Ettore; Brabyn, Cristina; Boeckaert, Charlotte; Mellander, Per Erik; Pauwelyn, Ellen; Pop, Edit

2017-04-01

High-quality, safe, and sufficient drinking water is essential for life: we use it for drinking, food preparation and cleaning. Agriculture is the biggest source of pesticides and nitrate pollution in European fresh waters. The overarching objective of the recently approved H2020 project WATERPROTECT is to contribute to effective uptake and realisation of management practices and mitigation measures to protect drinking water resources. Therefore WATERPROTECT will create an integrative multi-actor participatory framework including innovative instruments that enable actors to monitor, to finance and to effectively implement management practices and measures for the protection of water sources. We propose seven case studies involving multiple actors in implementing good practices (land management, farming, product stewardship, point source pollution prevention) to ensure safe drinking water supply. The seven case studies cover different pedo-climatic conditions, different types of farming systems, different legal frameworks, larger and smaller water collection areas across the EU. In close cooperation with actors in the field in the case studies (farmers associations, local authorities, water producing companies, private water companies, consumer organisations) and other stakeholders (fertilizer and plant protection industry, environment agencies, nature conservation agencies, agricultural administrations) at local and EU level, WATERPROTECT will develop innovative water governance models investigating alternative pathways from focusing on the 'costs of water treatment' to 'rewarding water quality delivering farming systems'. Water governance structures will be built upon cost-efficiency analysis related to mitigation and cost-benefit analysis for society, and will be supported by spatially explicit GIS analyses and predictive models that account for temporal and spatial scaling issues. The outcome will be improved participatory methods and public policy instruments

Realistic terrain visualization based on 3D virtual world technology

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Fengru; Lin, Hui; Chen, Bin; Xiao, Cai

2010-11-01

The rapid advances in information technologies, e.g., network, graphics processing, and virtual world, have provided challenges and opportunities for new capabilities in information systems, Internet applications, and virtual geographic environments, especially geographic visualization and collaboration. In order to achieve meaningful geographic capabilities, we need to explore and understand how these technologies can be used to construct virtual geographic environments to help to engage geographic research. The generation of three-dimensional (3D) terrain plays an important part in geographical visualization, computer simulation, and virtual geographic environment applications. The paper introduces concepts and technologies of virtual worlds and virtual geographic environments, explores integration of realistic terrain and other geographic objects and phenomena of natural geographic environment based on SL/OpenSim virtual world technologies. Realistic 3D terrain visualization is a foundation of construction of a mirror world or a sand box model of the earth landscape and geographic environment. The capabilities of interaction and collaboration on geographic information are discussed as well. Further virtual geographic applications can be developed based on the foundation work of realistic terrain visualization in virtual environments.

Environmental protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez, A.S.

1987-01-01

The question of environment protection related to the use of nuclear energy aiming to power generation, based on the harmonic concept of economic and industrial development, preserving the environment, is discussed. A brief study of environmental impacts for some energy sources, including nuclear energy, to present the systems of a nuclear power plant which aim at environmental protection, is done. (M.C.K.) [pt

Corrosion protection and antifouling properties of varnish-coated steel containing natural additive

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abd-El-Nabey Besheir Ahmed A.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The corrosion protection and antifouling properties of varnish-coated steel panels containing different amounts of cannabis extracts were investigated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS, salt spray and immersion tests in 0.5 M NaCl solution and subjected to a field test in seawater. Analysis of the experimental data showed that the presence of cannabis extract resisted the deterioration (peeling off tendency of the varnish-coated steel panels exposed to aggressive environments. Visual inspection showed that the cannabis extract also provided good antifouling properties.

Advanced Visualization Software System for Nuclear Power Plant Inspection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kukic, I.; Jambresic, D.; Reskovic, S.

2006-01-01

Visualization techniques have been widely used in industrial environment for enhancing process control. Traditional techniques of visualization are based on control panels with switches and lights, and 2D graphic representations of processes. However, modern visualization systems enable significant new opportunities in creating 3D virtual environments. These opportunities arise from the availability of high end graphics capabilities in low cost personal computers. In this paper we describe implementation of process visualization software, developed by INETEC. This software is used to visualize testing equipment, components being tested and the overall power plant inspection process. It improves security of the process due to its real-time visualization and collision detection capabilities, and therefore greatly enhances the inspection process. (author)

Ecologically Sound Procedural Generation of Natural Environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benny Onrust

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Current techniques for the creation and exploration of virtual worlds are largely unable to generate sound natural environments from ecological data and to provide interactive web-based visualizations of such detailed environments. We tackle this challenge and propose a novel framework that (i explores the advantages of landscape maps and ecological statistical data, translating them to an ecologically sound plant distribution, and (ii creates a visually convincing 3D representation of the natural environment suitable for its interactive visualization over the web. Our vegetation model improves techniques from procedural ecosystem generation and neutral landscape modeling. It is able to generate diverse ecological sound plant distributions directly from landscape maps with statistical ecological data. Our visualization model integrates existing level of detail and illumination techniques to achieve interactive frame rates and improve realism. We validated with ecology experts the outcome of our framework using two case studies and concluded that it provides convincing interactive visualizations of large natural environments.

2. National scientific conference on process engineering in environment protection. Conference materials; 2. Ogolnopolska konferencja naukowa ``inzynieria procesowa w ochronie srodowiska``. Materialy konferencyjne

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1994-12-31

The national conference on `Process engineering in environment protection` Jachranka 1994 has been divided into three sessions. Section 1 has been devoted to flue gas purification and collects 13 papers. Section 2 on liquid purification gathered 8 presentation. Section 3 - the poster session with 12 posters on related topics. During the conference 2 lectures and 3 posters have been devoted to the application of nuclear techniques to the solution different problems connected with environment protection.

Managament in Tourism and Environment Protection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edna Mrnjavac

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Tourist activities motivate tourists to visit a destination. Tourism evaluates motives and protects them largely from harmful influences. Tourism evaluation aims to establish the value of natural tourist attractions and of those created by humans. Along with tourist attractions, destinations are also evaluated in order to find out about their utility. The evaluation of a destination and its particular attractions is expressed by the realized tourist traffic for the observed period. Protection of tourist attractions is a systematic activity against all kinds of pollution. It also includes the sustainability of traffic flows in tourism destination. Management in tourism industry has an irreplaceable role in that.

Visual field protective effect of Erigeron breviscapus (vant.) Hand. Mazz. extract on glaucoma with controlled intraocular pressure: a randomized, double-blind, clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Yisheng; Xiang, Minhong; Ye, Wen; Cheng, Yu; Jiang, Youqin

2010-01-01

To evaluate the visual field protective effect of Erigeron breviscapus (vant.) Hand. Mazz. (EBHM) extract on glaucoma with controlled intraocular pressure (IOP). Forty patients (40 eyes) with primary open-angle glaucoma, visual field defects and a postsurgical IOP of <18 mmHg were enrolled. The EBHM and placebo tablets were given orally according to the randomized and double-blind principle. Two tablets (of either EBHM or placebo) were taken three times a day for a period of 6 months. Patients were examined every 2 months after treatment commenced. At the end of the study, the results were given to the drug manufacturer. All patients completed the prospective, randomized, double-blind, clinical trial. No obvious adverse effects were found in patients during the treatment period. In the placebo group, no significant difference was found in mean defect (MD) or mean sensitivity (MS) between the values at pre-treatment and after 2, 4, and 6 months of treatment. After 6 months of EBHM treatment, the MD was significantly decreased and the MS was significantly increased compared with pre-treatment (p < 0.05). In the patients with moderate and late glaucoma, the MD was significantly decreased and the MS was significantly increased after 2, 4, and 6 months of EBHM treatment compared with pre-treatment. EBHM extract may have a partial protective effect on the visual field of glaucoma patients with controlled IOP. Further studies are needed to determine the safety and effectiveness of long-term EBHM treatment.

Optical radiation and visual health

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waxler, M.; Hitchins, V.M.

1986-01-01

This book provides a focus on the parameters of ultraviolet light, visible, and infrared radiation s which could cause long-term visual health problems in humans. It reviews early research on radiation effects on the eye, and gives detailed attention to the hazardous effects of optical radiation on the retinal pigment epithelium and the photoreceptors. These data are further analyzed with regard to five potential long-term visual health problems; retinal degeneration, visual aging, disorder of visual development, ocular drug phototoxicity, and cataracts. Finally, epidemiologic principles for studying the relationships between optical radiation and long-term visual health problems are reviewed, concluding with the implications for future research and radiation protection. The contents include: historical perspectives; optical radiation and cataracts; the involvement of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE); optical radiation damage to the ocular photoreceptors; possible role of optical radiation in retinal degenerations; optical radiation and the aged eye; optical radiation effects on aging and visual perception; optical radiation effects on visual development; and index

Neural mechanisms underlying temporal modulation of visual perception

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jong, M.C. de

2015-01-01

However confident we feel about the way we perceive the visual world around us, there is not a one-to-one relation between visual stimulation and visual perception. Our eyes register reflections of the visual environment and our brain has the difficult task of constructing ‘reality’ from this

40 CFR 52.2781 - Visibility protection.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Visibility protection. 52.2781 Section 52.2781 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED... protection. (a) The requirements of section 169A of the Clean Air Act are not met, because the plan does not...

40 CFR 52.2132 - Visibility protection.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Visibility protection. 52.2132 Section 52.2132 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED... protection. (a) The requirements of section 169A of the Clean Air Act are not met, because the plan does not...

Visual aspects in urban woodland management and planning

OpenAIRE

Ode, Åsa

2003-01-01

Urban woodland is an important component of people's everyday environment, both as an attractive environment to visit as well as being an intrinsic part of the surrounding landscape. This thesis focuses on one specific aspect of the urban woodland - the visual. The visual aspect is how most people experience the woodland, both when visiting and as part of their everyday landscape. In order to take visual aspects into account there is a need to have tools and approaches for analysing and descr...

Quantitative Evaluation of Stereo Visual Odometry for Autonomous Vessel Localisation in Inland Waterway Sensing Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Kriechbaumer

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Autonomous survey vessels can increase the efficiency and availability of wide-area river environment surveying as a tool for environment protection and conservation. A key challenge is the accurate localisation of the vessel, where bank-side vegetation or urban settlement preclude the conventional use of line-of-sight global navigation satellite systems (GNSS. In this paper, we evaluate unaided visual odometry, via an on-board stereo camera rig attached to the survey vessel, as a novel, low-cost localisation strategy. Feature-based and appearance-based visual odometry algorithms are implemented on a six degrees of freedom platform operating under guided motion, but stochastic variation in yaw, pitch and roll. Evaluation is based on a 663 m-long trajectory (>15,000 image frames and statistical error analysis against ground truth position from a target tracking tachymeter integrating electronic distance and angular measurements. The position error of the feature-based technique (mean of ±0.067 m is three times smaller than that of the appearance-based algorithm. From multi-variable statistical regression, we are able to attribute this error to the depth of tracked features from the camera in the scene and variations in platform yaw. Our findings inform effective strategies to enhance stereo visual localisation for the specific application of river monitoring.

Role of the engineer in protecting personnel and the environment in the nuclear industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Braun, J.D.

1977-01-01

The engineer plays a key role in protecting both people and the environment from the adverse effects of radioactive materials. The nature of the hazards and some of the problems associated with plutonium and tritium operations are discussed and the solutions provided by sound engineering facility design are shown. Facility designs have been required for operations involving 239 Pu, 238 Pu and 3 H, and the different properties of these isotopes require differing solutions to design problems

Law 16.466 Environment:state National interest their protection against any kind of depredation,destruction or contamination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

It is declared of general and national interest the protection of the environment against any depredacion,destruccion type or contamination, as well as the prevention of the negative and noxious environmental impact and the alteration of the environment damaged by human activities. The production factories and transformation of Nuclear Energy, as well as roads,bridges, railway line,airports, pipeline,gas pipeline treatment of toxic or dangerous residuals plants and others should be subjected to the previous realization of a study of environmental impact [es

OnSight: Multi-platform Visualization of the Surface of Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Abercrombie, S. P.; Menzies, A.; Winter, A.; Clausen, M.; Duran, B.; Jorritsma, M.; Goddard, C.; Lidawer, A.

2017-12-01

A key challenge of planetary geology is to develop an understanding of an environment that humans cannot (yet) visit. Instead, scientists rely on visualizations created from images sent back by robotic explorers, such as the Curiosity Mars rover. OnSight is a multi-platform visualization tool that helps scientists and engineers to visualize the surface of Mars. Terrain visualization allows scientists to understand the scale and geometric relationships of the environment around the Curiosity rover, both for scientific understanding and for tactical consideration in safely operating the rover. OnSight includes a web-based 2D/3D visualization tool, as well as an immersive mixed reality visualization. In addition, OnSight offers a novel feature for communication among the science team. Using the multiuser feature of OnSight, scientists can meet virtually on Mars, to discuss geology in a shared spatial context. Combining web-based visualization with immersive visualization allows OnSight to leverage strengths of both platforms. This project demonstrates how 3D visualization can be adapted to either an immersive environment or a computer screen, and will discuss advantages and disadvantages of both platforms.

Visual Guided Navigation

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Banks, Martin

1999-01-01

.... Similarly, the problem of visual navigation is the recovery of an observer's self-motion with respect to the environment from the moving pattern of light reaching the eyes and the complex of extra...

Research into radiation protection. 1994 Programme report. Report on radiation departmental research programme on radiation protection, sponsored by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Reactor Safety, and placed under the administrative and subject competence of the Federal Radiation Protection Office

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goedde, R.; Schmitt-Hannig, A.; Thieme, M.

1994-10-01

On behalf of the Ministery for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), the Federal Office for Radiation Protection is placing research and study contracts in the field of radiation protection. The results of these projects are used for developing radiation protection rules and to fulfill the special radiation protection tasks of the BMU, required by law. Planning, expert and administrative management, placing, assistance as well as expert evaluation of the results from these research projects lies within the responsibility of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection. This report provides information on preliminary and final results of radiation protection projects within the BMU Department Research Programme of the year 1994. (orig.) [de

Research into radiation protection. 1995 Programme report. Report on radiation departmental research programme on radiation protection, sponsored by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Reactor Safety, and placed under the administrative and subject competence of the Federal Radiation Protection Office

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thieme, M.; Goedde, R.; Schmitt-Hannig, A.

1996-01-01

On behalf of the Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), the Federal Office for Radiation Protection is placing research and study contracts in the field of radiation protection. The results of these projects are used for developing radiation protection rules and to fulfill the special radiation protection tasks of the BMU, required by law. Planning, expert and administrative management, placing, assistance as well as expert evaluation of the results from these research projects lies within the responsibility of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection. This report provides information on preliminary and final results of radiation protection projects within the BMU Department Research Programme of the year 1995. (orig.) [de

Long-term visual health risks from solar ultraviolet radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waxler, M.

1987-01-01

Ocular exposure to the ultraviolet radiation (UV) contained in sunlight may result in long-term visual health problems. UV plays a role in the etiology of cataracts and possibly in the etiology of visual impairments associated with solar retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity, ocular aging, cystoid macular edema, retinitis pigmentosa, and senile macular degeneration. The exact does relationships between known UV bioeffects and these ocular problems is, however, uncertain. Thus, there are questions about the extent to which protective measures should be taken to reduce UV exposure of the eye. This paper identifies the long-term visual health problems potentially associated with ocular exposure to solar UV; proposes worst-case assumptions for the role of solar UV in these visual problems; and recommends protective measures based on damage thresholds and worst-case assumptions

40 CFR 191.15 - Individual protection requirements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Individual protection requirements. 191.15 Section 191.15 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) RADIATION... Individual protection requirements. (a) Disposal systems for waste and any associated radioactive material...

Visualization and mathematics III

CERN Document Server

Polthier, Konrad

2003-01-01

This research book on Mathematical Visualization contains state of the art presentations on visualization problems in mathematics, on fundamental mathematical research in computer graphics, and on software frameworks for the application of visualization to real-world problems. All contributions were written by leading experts in the field and peer-refereed by an international editorial team. The book grew out of the third international workshop "Visualization and Mathematics", which was held from May 22-25, 2002 in Berlin. The themes of the book cover important recent developments on - Geometry and Combinatorics of Meshes - Discrete Vector Fields and Topology - Geometric Modelling - Image Based Visualization - Software Environments and Applications - Education and Communication The variety of topics makes the book a suitable resource for researchers, lecturers, and practitioners; http://www-sfb288.math.tu-berlin.de/vismath/

Photogrammetry and remote sensing for visualization of spatial data in a virtual reality environment

Science.gov (United States)

Bhagawati, Dwipen

2001-07-01

Researchers in many disciplines have started using the tool of Virtual Reality (VR) to gain new insights into problems in their respective disciplines. Recent advances in computer graphics, software and hardware technologies have created many opportunities for VR systems, advanced scientific and engineering applications being among them. In Geometronics, generally photogrammetry and remote sensing are used for management of spatial data inventory. VR technology can be suitably used for management of spatial data inventory. This research demonstrates usefulness of VR technology for inventory management by taking the roadside features as a case study. Management of roadside feature inventory involves positioning and visualization of the features. This research has developed a methodology to demonstrate how photogrammetric principles can be used to position the features using the video-logging images and GPS camera positioning and how image analysis can help produce appropriate texture for building the VR, which then can be visualized in a Cave Augmented Virtual Environment (CAVE). VR modeling was implemented in two stages to demonstrate the different approaches for modeling the VR scene. A simulated highway scene was implemented with the brute force approach, while modeling software was used to model the real world scene using feature positions produced in this research. The first approach demonstrates an implementation of the scene by writing C++ codes to include a multi-level wand menu for interaction with the scene that enables the user to interact with the scene. The interactions include editing the features inside the CAVE display, navigating inside the scene, and performing limited geographic analysis. The second approach demonstrates creation of a VR scene for a real roadway environment using feature positions determined in this research. The scene looks realistic with textures from the real site mapped on to the geometry of the scene. Remote sensing and

Mutual Impacts of Geocaching and Natural Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiří Schneider

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Rising popularity of geocaching is linked to increased risk of negative impacts on natural environment. Based on that, this paper intends to present possible approach of how to evaluate these impacts in the Landscape protected area Moravian Karst (Czech Republic and in the Vrátna dolina valley (National park Malá Fatra, Slovak Republic. Recreation along with nature conservation has been solved in these areas in the log-run and geocaching has been steadily extending offer of recreational activities. Therefore, it seems desirable to examine how geocaching affects environment and simultaneously how topography or land cover influences availability or difficulty of caches. 57 caches (i.e. one third of the total has been analyzed in the Moravian Karst and 11 caches in the Vrátna dolina valley. To assess impacts, own classification of indicators has been suggested, such as cache attendance, environment attractiveness or visually detected impacts of geocaching on natural environment. Our study revealed the major risk lies primarily in geo-highways which – with respect to soil type, land cover and intensity of cache attendance – grow rather fast. Despite the local nature of detected impacts, an increased attention shall be devoted to environment care and specifically to regulation of attendance.

A Proposed Treatment for Visual Field Loss caused by Traumatic Brain Injury using Interactive Visuotactile Virtual Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Farkas, Attila J.; Hajnal, Alen; Shiratuddin, Mohd F.; Szatmary, Gabriella

In this paper, we propose a novel approach of using interactive virtual environment technology in Vision Restoration Therapy caused by Traumatic Brain Injury. We called the new system Interactive Visuotactile Virtual Environment and it holds a promise of expanding the scope of already existing rehabilitation techniques. Traditional vision rehabilitation methods are based on passive psychophysical training procedures, and can last up to six months before any modest improvements can be seen in patients. A highly immersive and interactive virtual environment will allow the patient to practice everyday activities such as object identification and object manipulation through the use 3D motion sensoring handheld devices such data glove or the Nintendo Wiimote. Employing both perceptual and action components in the training procedures holds the promise of more efficient sensorimotor rehabilitation. Increased stimulation of visual and sensorimotor areas of the brain should facilitate a comprehensive recovery of visuomotor function by exploiting the plasticity of the central nervous system. Integrated with a motion tracking system and an eye tracking device, the interactive virtual environment allows for the creation and manipulation of a wide variety of stimuli, as well as real-time recording of hand-, eye- and body movements and coordination. The goal of the project is to design a cost-effective and efficient vision restoration system.

Visualization of volumetric seismic data

Science.gov (United States)

Spickermann, Dela; Böttinger, Michael; Ashfaq Ahmed, Khawar; Gajewski, Dirk

2015-04-01

Mostly driven by demands of high quality subsurface imaging, highly specialized tools and methods have been developed to support the processing, visualization and interpretation of seismic data. 3D seismic data acquisition and 4D time-lapse seismic monitoring are well-established techniques in academia and industry, producing large amounts of data to be processed, visualized and interpreted. In this context, interactive 3D visualization methods proved to be valuable for the analysis of 3D seismic data cubes - especially for sedimentary environments with continuous horizons. In crystalline and hard rock environments, where hydraulic stimulation techniques may be applied to produce geothermal energy, interpretation of the seismic data is a more challenging problem. Instead of continuous reflection horizons, the imaging targets are often steep dipping faults, causing a lot of diffractions. Without further preprocessing these geological structures are often hidden behind the noise in the data. In this PICO presentation we will present a workflow consisting of data processing steps, which enhance the signal-to-noise ratio, followed by a visualization step based on the use the commercially available general purpose 3D visualization system Avizo. Specifically, we have used Avizo Earth, an extension to Avizo, which supports the import of seismic data in SEG-Y format and offers easy access to state-of-the-art 3D visualization methods at interactive frame rates, even for large seismic data cubes. In seismic interpretation using visualization, interactivity is a key requirement for understanding complex 3D structures. In order to enable an easy communication of the insights gained during the interactive visualization process, animations of the visualized data were created which support the spatial understanding of the data.

Coherence of land surface layout as intangible environmental resource (Vooremaa landscape protection area, Estonia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oleksandr Karasov

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Vooremaa Landscape Protection Area provides a specimen of native Estonian agricultural lands, alternating with picturesque moraine lakes. The overall visual environment within this area was basically changed by glacial agents and, hereafter, by cultural activities, such as crop farming. Topography consists of about 100 drumlins (some of them are cultivated, as well as depressions, filled with lakes and covered by forests and grasslands. A rich combination of the mentioned factors determined the study area selection. There was accepted, that the harmony, or pleasing organization of distinguishable units of visual environment (with no attention to their colours or textures, but regarding their geographical meaning only, depends on the system effect: the more complexity of the overall system exceeds the algebraic sum of the complexity of its components, the more its organization does. In this way, some developments of information theory could be applied to the analysis of visual environment (from top view, similarly to the analysis of the text (considering units of land relief, land cover, and land cover relief, or a land surface in total, as the symbols of some alphabet, and their diversity within the floating circle – as words, consisting of the symbols. Since mentioned notions of organization and harmony are frequently implied in the concept of landscape coherence, the latter term was used as a fixed and well-known one in the landscape and environmental aesthetics. Hartley’s formula was used to compute the coherence of the land surface layout and the respective regionalization within the study area and surroundings. The effectiveness of the proposed method for representation of visual harmony was non-rigorously verified with transect of Google Street View panoramic photo series, while everyone is welcomed to use the Google Street View to compare the presented results with his own conclusions. There was found, that the proposed index

Improvement on the corrosion protection of conductive polymers in PEMFC environments by adhesives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gonzalez-Rodriguez, J.G.; Lucio-Garcia, M.A.; Nicho, M.E.; Cruz-Silva, R. [UAEM-CIICAP, Av. Universidad 1001, Col. Chamilpa, 62209-Cuernavaca, Morelos (Mexico); Casales, M. [Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Instituto de Ciencicas Fisicas, Av. Universidad s/n, Col. Chamilpa, 62210-Cuernavaca, Morelos (Mexico); Valenzuela, E. [Universidad Politecnica de Chiapas, Cuerpo Academico de Energia y Sustentabilidad Eduardo J. Selvas S/N, Col. Magisterial, Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas (Mexico)

2007-05-25

The corrosion protection of polypyrrol (PPY) and polyaniline (PANI) coatings electrochemically deposited with and without polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as adhesive onto 304 type stainless steel has been evaluated using electrochemical techniques. Environment included 0.5 M H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} at 60 C whereas employed techniques included potentiodynamic polarization curves (PC), linear polarization resistance (LPR) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements. Results showed that the free corrosion potential, of the substrate, E{sub corr}, was made more noble up to 500 mV with the polymeric coatings. The corrosion rate was lowered by using the polymers, but with the addition of PVA, it was decreased further, one order of magnitude for PPY and up to three orders of magnitude for PANI. Impedance spectra showed that the corrosion mechanism is under a Warburgh-type diffusional process of the electrolyte throughout the coating, and that the uptake of the environment causes the eventual failure of the coating corroding the substrate. (author)

An approach for the development of visual configuration systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hvam, Lars; Ladeby, Klaes Rohde

2007-01-01

How can a visual configuration system be developed to support the specification process' in companies that manufacture customer tailored products? This article focuses on how visual configuration systems can be developed. The approach for developing visual configuration systems has been developed...... by Centre for Product Modelling (CPM) at The Technical University of Denmark. The approach is based on experiences from a visualization project in co-operation between CPM and the global provider of power protection American Power Conversion (APC). The visual configuration system was developed in 2001...... of the product in the visual configuration system....

Conservation implications of anthropogenic impacts on visual communication and camouflage.

Science.gov (United States)

Delhey, Kaspar; Peters, Anne

2017-02-01

Anthropogenic environmental impacts can disrupt the sensory environment of animals and affect important processes from mate choice to predator avoidance. Currently, these effects are best understood for auditory and chemosensory modalities, and recent reviews highlight their importance for conservation. We examined how anthropogenic changes to the visual environment (ambient light, transmission, and backgrounds) affect visual communication and camouflage and considered the implications of these effects for conservation. Human changes to the visual environment can increase predation risk by affecting camouflage effectiveness, lead to maladaptive patterns of mate choice, and disrupt mutualistic interactions between pollinators and plants. Implications for conservation are particularly evident for disrupted camouflage due to its tight links with survival. The conservation importance of impaired visual communication is less documented. The effects of anthropogenic changes on visual communication and camouflage may be severe when they affect critical processes such as pollination or species recognition. However, when impaired mate choice does not lead to hybridization, the conservation consequences are less clear. We suggest that the demographic effects of human impacts on visual communication and camouflage will be particularly strong when human-induced modifications to the visual environment are evolutionarily novel (i.e., very different from natural variation); affected species and populations have low levels of intraspecific (genotypic and phenotypic) variation and behavioral, sensory, or physiological plasticity; and the processes affected are directly related to survival (camouflage), species recognition, or number of offspring produced, rather than offspring quality or attractiveness. Our findings suggest that anthropogenic effects on the visual environment may be of similar importance relative to conservation as anthropogenic effects on other sensory modalities

XML-Based Visual Specification of Multidisciplinary Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Theneyan, Ahmed; Jakatdar, Amol; Mehrotra, Piyush; Zubair, Mohammad

2001-01-01

The advancements in the Internet and Web technologies have fueled a growing interest in developing a web-based distributed computing environment. We have designed and developed Arcade, a web-based environment for designing, executing, monitoring, and controlling distributed heterogeneous applications, which is easy to use and access, portable, and provides support through all phases of the application development and execution. A major focus of the environment is the specification of heterogeneous, multidisciplinary applications. In this paper we focus on the visual and script-based specification interface of Arcade. The web/browser-based visual interface is designed to be intuitive to use and can also be used for visual monitoring during execution. The script specification is based on XML to: (1) make it portable across different frameworks, and (2) make the development of our tools easier by using the existing freely available XML parsers and editors. There is a one-to-one correspondence between the visual and script-based interfaces allowing users to go back and forth between the two. To support this we have developed translators that translate a script-based specification to a visual-based specification, and vice-versa. These translators are integrated with our tools and are transparent to users.

Ivor Horton's beginning visual C++ 2013

CERN Document Server

Horton, Ivor

2014-01-01

Learn C++ with the best tutorial on the market! Horton's unique tutorial approach and step-by-step guidance have helped over 100,000 novice programmers learn C++. In Ivor Horton's Beginning Visual C++ 2013, Horton not only guides you through the fundamentals of the standard C++ language, but also teaches you how C++ is used in the latest Visual Studio 2013 environment. Visual Studio 2013 includes major changes to the IDE and expanded options for C++ coding. Ivor Horton's Beginning Visual C++ 2013 will teach you the latest techniques to take your Visual C++ coding to an all-new level.C++ langua

The Cultural: Trans-disciplinary Looks in Plastic and Visual Arts Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liliana Cortés Garzón

2011-05-01

Full Text Available The article carries out an approach to some theoretical positions that draw near cultural studies, cultural history and its relationship with plastic and visual arts, in the historiographical analysis of contemporary thinkers that undertake trans-disciplinary looks, to elaborate new theories that sustain index research in plastic and visual arts.

iSee: Teaching Visual Learning in an Organic Virtual Learning Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Hsiao-Cheng

2017-01-01

This paper presents a three-year participatory action research project focusing on the graduate level course entitled Visual Learning in 3D Animated Virtual Worlds. The purpose of this research was to understand "How the virtual world processes of observing and creating can best help students learn visual theories". The first cycle of…

40 CFR 1508.14 - Human environment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Human environment. 1508.14 Section 1508.14 Protection of Environment COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY TERMINOLOGY AND INDEX § 1508.14 Human environment. Human environment shall be interpreted comprehensively to include the natural and...

Micromechanics-Based Structural Analysis (FEAMAC) and Multiscale Visualization within Abaqus/CAE Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Arnold, Steven M.; Bednarcyk, Brett A.; Hussain, Aquila; Katiyar, Vivek

2010-01-01

A unified framework is presented that enables coupled multiscale analysis of composite structures and associated graphical pre- and postprocessing within the Abaqus/CAE environment. The recently developed, free, Finite Element Analysis--Micromechanics Analysis Code (FEAMAC) software couples NASA's Micromechanics Analysis Code with Generalized Method of Cells (MAC/GMC) with Abaqus/Standard and Abaqus/Explicit to perform micromechanics based FEA such that the nonlinear composite material response at each integration point is modeled at each increment by MAC/GMC. The Graphical User Interfaces (FEAMAC-Pre and FEAMAC-Post), developed through collaboration between SIMULIA Erie and the NASA Glenn Research Center, enable users to employ a new FEAMAC module within Abaqus/CAE that provides access to the composite microscale. FEA IAC-Pre is used to define and store constituent material properties, set-up and store composite repeating unit cells, and assign composite materials as sections with all data being stored within the CAE database. Likewise FEAMAC-Post enables multiscale field quantity visualization (contour plots, X-Y plots), with point and click access to the microscale i.e., fiber and matrix fields).

Interactive visual intervention planning in particle accelerator environments with ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fabry, Thomas

2014-01-01

radiation. Several industrial and scientific procedures give rise to facilities with ionizing radiation. Most technical and scientific facilities also need maintenance operations. In the spirit of ALARA, these interventions need to be optimized in terms of the exposure of the maintenance workers to ionizing radiation. This optimization cannot be automated since the feasibility of the intervention tasks requires human assessment. The intervention planning could however be facilitated by technical-scientific means, e.g. software tools. In the context sketched above, this thesis provides technical-scientific considerations and the development of technical-scientific methodologies and software tools for the implementation of radiation protection.In particular, this thesis addresses the need for an interactive visual intervention planning tool in the context of high energy particle accelerator facilities. (author)

THE PROBLEM OF PROTECTING THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT IN SPATIAL PLANNING IN RURAL AREAS IN SOUTH-EASTERN POLAND

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bogusława Baran-Zgłobicka

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Local planning in Poland encompasses spatial development conditions and directions study for a district (“study” and a local spatial development plan (“local plan”. The study is the only planning document that is required for the entire area of a district. It outlines directions of spatial policy and spatial development. Detailed investigations encompassed nine functionally diverse rural districts in SE Poland. The objective was to assess the description of environmental determinants and the problems of natural resources protection presented in the studies. The adequacy of the adopted approach to the subject matter and its correlation with spatial development directions were analysed. The analysed studies usually provide an exhaustive description of (a natural resources and the nature conservation system along with restrictions in environment use, and (b the problem of raw materials. Not all studies, however, highlight the local, very often unique characteristics of the natural environment. Natural hazards are marginalized in some studies. There is also a lack of concrete solutions for the protection of space and improvement of spatial order.

Law 19.056. It dictate rules to ensure the protection and radiation safety of people, goods and environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

The objective of this law is to ensure the protection and radiation safety of personnel occupationally exposed, the public in general and the environment from the effects of ionizing radiation as well as avoid risks of contamination in radiactive sources, physical facilities and means of transport

Enhancing learning and comprehension through strengthening visual literacy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Le Roux, Cheryl

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Living in an image-rich world, as we currently do, does not mean that individuals naturally possess visual literacy skills. This article explores the concept of ‘visual literacy’, and the skills needed to develop visual literacy and visual intelligence. Developing visual literacy in educational environments is important because it can contribute to individual empowerment, and it is therefore necessary to take pedagogical advantage of visual literacy’s place across the disciplines. Doing this means tapping into experiences, expertise and interest in visual communication and building a new paradigm that takes visual education seriously.

Advances in environmental radiation protection: re-thinking animal-environment interaction modelling for wildlife dose assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wood, Michael D. [School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford, Manchester, M4 4WT (United Kingdom); Beresford, Nicholas A. [School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford, Manchester, M4 4WT (United Kingdom); Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4AP (United Kingdom); Bradshaw, Clare [Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm (Sweden); Gashchak, Sergey [Chornobyl Centre for Nuclear Safety, Radioactive Waste and Radioecology, 07100 Slavutych (Ukraine); Hinton, Thomas G. [Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire (IRSN), Centre de Cadarache, 13115 Saint Paul-lez-Durance (France)

2014-07-01

Current wildlife dose assessment models adopt simplistic approaches to the representation of animal-environment interaction. The simplest approaches are to assume either that environmental media (e.g. soil, sediment or water) are uniformly contaminated or relating organism exposure to activity concentrations in media collected at the point of sampling of the animal. The external exposure of a reference organism is then estimated by defining the geometric relationship between the organism and the medium. For example, a reference organism within the soil would have a 4p exposure geometry and a reference organism on the soil would have a 2p exposure geometry. At best, the current modelling approaches recognise differences in media activity concentrations by calculating exposure for different areas of contamination and then estimating the fraction of time that an organism spends in each area. In other fields of pollution ecology, for example wildlife risk assessment for chemical pollution, more advanced approaches are being implemented to model animal-environment interaction and estimate exposure. These approaches include individual-based movement modelling and random walk modelling and a variety of software tools have been developed to facilitate the implementation of these models. Although there are more advanced animal-environment interaction modelling approaches that are available, it is questionable whether these should be adopted for use in environmental radiation protection. Would their adoption significantly reduce uncertainty within the assessment process and, if so, by how much? These questions are being addressed within the new TREE (TRansfer - Exposure - Effects) research programme funded by the United Kingdom Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and within Working Group (WG) 8 of the International Atomic Energy Agency's MODARIA programme. MODARIA WG8 is reviewing some of the alternative approaches that have been developed for animal-environment

Visualization in Health Grid Environments: A Novel Service and Business Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Dickmann, Frank; Kaspar, Mathias; Löhnhardt, Benjamin; Kepper, Nick; Viezens, Fred; Hertel, Frank; Lesnussa, Michael; Mohammed, Yassene; Thiel, Andreas; Steinke, Thomas; Bernarding, Johannes; Krefting, Dagmar; Knoch, Tobias A.; Sax, Ulrich

Advanced visualization technologies are gaining major importance to allow presentation and manipulation of high dimensional data. Since new health technologies are constantly increasing in complexity, adequate information processing is required for diagnostics and treatment. Therefore, the German D-Grid initiative started to build visualization centers in 2008, which have recently been embedded into the existing compute and storage infrastructure. This paper describes an analysis of this infrastructure and the interplay with life science applications for 3D and 4D visualization and manipulation. Furthermore, the performance and business aspects regarding accounting, pricing and billing are investigated. The results show the viability and the opportunities for further optimization of this novel service approach and the possibilities for a sustainable business scenario.

Protecting Patient Privacy in Cyber Environments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J.E.C.M. Aarts (Jos); S.A. Adams (Samantha); B. Kaplan (Bonnie); P.R. DeMuro (Paul); A.E. Solomonides (Anthony)

2016-01-01

textabstractConfidentiality in the medical encounter is crucial to providing adequate patient care. Health data is therefore privileged and protected by legal mechanisms. Health systems use electronic records and large-scale databases. Increasingly consumers use also IT to collect, store and share

Recent Visual Experience Shapes Visual Processing in Rats through Stimulus-Specific Adaptation and Response Enhancement.

Science.gov (United States)

Vinken, Kasper; Vogels, Rufin; Op de Beeck, Hans

2017-03-20

From an ecological point of view, it is generally suggested that the main goal of vision in rats and mice is navigation and (aerial) predator evasion [1-3]. The latter requires fast and accurate detection of a change in the visual environment. An outstanding question is whether there are mechanisms in the rodent visual system that would support and facilitate visual change detection. An experimental protocol frequently used to investigate change detection in humans is the oddball paradigm, in which a rare, unexpected stimulus is presented in a train of stimulus repetitions [4]. A popular "predictive coding" theory of cortical responses states that neural responses should decrease for expected sensory input and increase for unexpected input [5, 6]. Despite evidence for response suppression and enhancement in noninvasive scalp recordings in humans with this paradigm [7, 8], it has proven challenging to observe both phenomena in invasive action potential recordings in other animals [9-11]. During a visual oddball experiment, we recorded multi-unit spiking activity in rat primary visual cortex (V1) and latero-intermediate area (LI), which is a higher area of the rodent ventral visual stream. In rat V1, there was only evidence for response suppression related to stimulus-specific adaptation, and not for response enhancement. However, higher up in area LI, spiking activity showed clear surprise-based response enhancement in addition to stimulus-specific adaptation. These results show that neural responses along the rat ventral visual stream become increasingly sensitive to changes in the visual environment, suggesting a system specialized in the detection of unexpected events. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.